ZA200808161B - A container - Google Patents

Description

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A CONTAINER

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a container or carton. More particularly, the invention relates to a cellulosic container for use, for example, in the packaging of fast foods. In particular, the invention relates to a container of the clam shell type having at least one partition to divide the container into two compartments. Thus, the invention relates also to a container and partition combination and to blanks for the container and the partition.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

The use of containers in industries such as the fast food industry is ubiquitous.

Hamburgers, fried chicken and pizzas are generally presented to the public in a container of sorts. In some cases, these containers are of a plastics material, such as polystyrene. In that event, the containers are moulded and, where , partitions are required, these may be integrally moulded into the container. ~

However, for many reasons it may be preferable to use cellulosic containers, . such as cardboard cartons, for the distribution of fast foods and the like.

Cardboard cartons have the advantage of being relatively inexpensive and are : also biodegradable. In addition, printing and advertising are more clearly and

“ prominently displayed on cardboard cartons than on materials such as polystyrene.

The fast food industry relies on the rapid response of the purveyor of fast foods to an order by a customer. Speed is of the essence. Accordingly, there is no time to assemble a container once the order is placed and containers must be ready for packaging immediately. However, limitations on space dictate that containers, while fully assembled, must be designed to be economically stored, preferably by nesting within one another.

In addition, a problem with cardboard cartons is that once hot food is placed in the carton, the carton tends to lose its shape and collapse. This is particularly true of the lid portion of the carton, which tends to lose its resilience and rigidity and collapse onto the contents of the container. Obviously, this is not desirable.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION :

It is an object of this invention to provide a container, which will, at least partially, overcome the problems and achieve the desired objectives set out above. In particular, it is an object of the invention to provide a readily stackable pre- assembled container. It is a further object of the invention to provide a container that is capable of manufacture using conventional carton blank cutting machinery. It is a still further object of the invention to provide a container that has at least one partition to provide at least two compartments within the container. Yet further, it is an object of the invention to provide a container having the ability to inhibit the collapse of the lid portion of the container once hot food has been loaded into the container.

. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a combination carton and partition, the carton including a carton bottom comprising a base and bottom peripheral walls extending laterally from the base; a carton lid comprising a top and lid peripheral walls extending laterally from the top; a portion of the bottom peripheral walls and the lid peripheral walls being hingedly attached to each other at their edges and the carton lid being operable, clam shell fashion, to be displaced between an open position in which contents of the carton located in the carton bottom are accessible and a closed position in which the contents of the carton are enclosed; and the partition being receivable within the carton bottom and comprising a partition base substantially coterminous with the carton base and overlying the carton base when received within the carton bottom; and a partition wall extending transversely from the partition base.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the carton base is rectangular and the bottom peripheral walls comprise opposed front and rear walls and opposed side walls intermediate the front and rear walls; and the carton top is rectangular and the lid peripheral walls comprise opposed front and rear walls and opposed side walls intermediate the front and rear walls; the bottom rear wall and the top rear wall being hingedly attached to each other at their respective edges.

The peripheral walls of the bottom may be angled outwardly from the base and the peripheral walls of the top may be angled outwardly from the top.

The rear wall of the carton bottom and the rear wall of the carton lid may comprise a single integral unit separated by a line of weakness to define a hinge axis.

. | 5 - The height of the rear wall of the carton lid may be less than the height of the rear wall of the carton bottom. Preferably, the height of the rear wall of the carton lid is between 60% and 90% of the height of the rear wall of the carton bottom.

Further preferably, the height of the rear wall of the carton lid is 66% of the height of the rear wall of the carton bottom.

The combination carton and partition may include a locking means. Then, the locking means may comprise at least one male member protruding from the front wall of the carton bottom and at least one aperture defined in the front wall of the carton top, the, or each, aperture being in register with a respective one of the male members when the carton lid is in its closed position and co-operating with the male member to lock the carton lid in its closed position.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the carton is assembled from a single carton blank.

The partition may comprise a planar blank having three parallel equidistantly spaced lines of weakness defined thereon, the blank being folded at the intermediate line of weakness so that sections of the blank on either side of the intermediate line of weakness overly each other and comprise the partition wall, and each said section being folded so that end portions of the blank are orthogonal to the partition wall and provide the partition base.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the partition blank is rectangular and the three parallel lines of weakness are parallel to a side of the partition blank.

In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the height of the partition wall is about the same as the inside height of the carton when in its closed position. :

The intermediate line of weakness may comprise two spaced co-linear line sections and a cut line may be defined in the partition blank, the cut line defining

~ three sides of a generally rectangular portion of the partition blank and ends of the cut line meeting respective inner ends of the line sections of the line of weakness, whereby on folding of the partition blank about the intermediate line of weakness, the rectangular portion of the partition blank is co-planar with the partition wall and thereby extends the height of the partition wall.

Preferably, the carton and the partition are of a cellulosic material. Further preferably, the cellulosic material is cardboard.

The invention extends to a blank for a carton in a combination carton and partition as hereinbefore described.

The invention further extends to a blank for a partition in a combination carton and partition as hereinbefore described.

According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a carton of a cellulosic material, the carton assembled from a single carton blank and comprising a carton bottom having a rectangular base and opposed front and rear walls and opposed side walls intermediate the front and rear walls, the walls of the carton bottom extending laterally from the base thereof; a carton lid comprising a rectangular top and opposed front and rear lid walls and opposed side walls intermediate the front and rear lid walls, the lid walls extending laterally from the top; : the rear wall of the carton bottom and the rear wall of the carton lid being separated by a line of weakness to define a hinge axis, the carton lid being operable, clam shell fashion, to be displaced between an open position in which contents of the carton located in the carton bottom are accessible and a closed position in which the contents of the carton are enclosed: and in which the height of the rear wall of the carton lid is less than the height of the rear wall of the carton bottom. oo

Preferably, the height of the rear wall of the carton lid is between 60% and 90% of the height of the rear wall of the carton bottom. Further preferably, the height of the rear wall of the carton lid is 66% of the height of the rear wall of the carton bottom. .

The invention extends to a blank for a carton as described above.

According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a removable partition for a carton, the partition being assembled from a single planar rectangular partition blank having three parallel equidistantly spaced lines of weakness defined thereon and parallel to one side of the blank, the blank being folded at the intermediate line of weakness so that sections of the blank on either side of the intermediate line of weakness overly each other and comprise the partition wall, and each said section being folded so that end portions of the blank are orthogonal to the partition wall and provide the partition base.

The intermediate line of weakness may comprise two spaced co-linear line ' sections and a cut line may be defined in the partition blank, the cut line defining three sides of a generally rectangular portion of the partition blank and ends of the cut line meeting respective inner ends of the line sections of the line of weakness, whereby on folding of the partition blank about the intermediate line of weakness, the rectangular portion of the partition blank is co-planar with the partition wall and thereby extends the height of the partition wall.

The invention extends to a blank for a removable partition as described above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is now described, by way of example, with reference to the

. accompanying diagrammatic drawings. In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows a blank in accordance with an aspect of the invention for a carton;

Figure 2 shows a blank in accordance with an aspect of the invention for a partition;

Figure 3 shows a container in accordance with an aspect of the invention in its assembled form;

Figure 4 shows a partition in accordance with an aspect of the invention in its assembled form;

Figure 5 shows the container of Figure 3 with the assembled partition of

Figure 4 installed therein; and

Figure 6 shows the container of Figure 3 in its closed position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In Figure 1, reference numeral 10 refers to a blank for a carton in accordance with an aspect of the invention.

The blank 10 is cut from a sheet of cardboard material 12. Generally, the blank comprises two sections 14,16 separated by a fold line 18 indicated by a broken line on the drawing. The fold line 18 is a line of perforations defined on the blank 10. A first part 14 of the blank 10 provides a bottom of the carton and a second part 16 of the blank provides a top of the carton. The bottom of the carton has a carton base 20 bounded on four sides by fold lines 22 comprising lines of

. perforations, indicated by broken lines on the drawing. Similarly, the top of the carton has a lid 24 bounded on four sides by similar fold lines 26. Separated from the carton base 20 by the bounding fold lines 22 are a front wall 28 and an opposed rear wall 30 and, intermediate the front and rear walls 28,30, two side walls 32. Similarly, separated from the carton lid 24 by the bounding fold lines 26 are front and rear lid walls 34,36 and, intermediate the front and rear lid walls 34,36, first and second side walls 38.

It is of importance that the heights of the rear lid wall 36 and the rear bottom wall bear a novel and predetermined relationship to one another. In this case, the height of the rear lid wall 36 (when viewed in plan prior to assembly), is 66% of the height of the bottom rear wall 30 (viewed in the same way), ie the ratio of the height of the rear lid wall 36 to the height of the rear bottom wall is 40:60.

The front and rear bottom walls 28,30 have ear flaps 40 extending from their ends and separated from the respective walls 28,30 by means of fold lines 42.

Similarly, the rear lid wall 36 has ear flaps 44 extending from its ends and separated from the wall 36 by fold lines 46. The side walls 38 of the lid section 16 of the carton blank 10 have ear flaps 48 extending from the ends adjacent the front wall 34 of the carton lid section 16.

On assembly, the carton blank 10 is folded along its fold lines 18,22,26,42 and 46. This brings the ear flaps 40,44,48 of each wall into abutment with an end portion of an adjacent wall 32,38,34 respectively. Thus, for example, the ear flaps 48 of the walls 38 are brought into abutment with end portions 50 of the front wall 34. Similarly, the ear flaps of other walls are brought into abutment with end portions of their adjacent walls. The ear flaps 40,44,48 are then adhesively attached to the end portions of the respective adjacent walls 32,38,34 respectively, resulting in the formation of a carton 100, as shown in Figure 3.

- The walls 28,30,32,34,36,38 all widen from their associated fold lines 22,26 to their outer edges or, in the case of the walls, 30 and 36, towards the fold line 18.

Thus, when the carton 100 is assembled, the walls 28,30,32,34,36,38 are all angled outwardly from the base 10 of the carton 100 or from the lid 24 of the carton 100 , as the case may be, thereby providing a carton 100 of the clam shell type.

Recesses 52 are defined on the side edges 54 of the front wall 34 of the carton lid section 16. Apertures 56 are defined in the ear flaps 48 of the side walls 38 of the carton lid section 16. When the carton lid walls 36,38,34 are folded about their respective fold lines 26, the recesses 52 are brought into register with respective apertures 56 of the adjacent ear flaps 48, resulting in the formation of apertures 102 through the front wall 34 of the assembled container 100.

Protruding male engaging members 58 extend from the front edges 60 of side walls 32 of the bottom section 14 of the container blank 10 at the corner of each wall 32. These male engaging members 58 are therefore positioned to engage with the apertures 102 of the lid of the container 100 once the container 100 is closed, as shown in Figure 6, thereby providing a locking mechanism to keep the container 100 in its closed position.

A slit 62 and breather holes 64 are provided in the rear wall 36 of the lid section 16 the container blank 10. Figure 3 shows the container blank 10 of Figure 1 in its assembled form to provide a container 100. Figure 6 shows the assembled container 100 in its closed condition, illustrating the engagement of the protruding male engaging members 58 with their respective apertures 102 to provide a locking mechanism.

Turning now to Figure 2, a blank for a partition for the container 100 is generally indicated by reference numeral 200. The blank 200 is generally rectangular and is cut from a sheet of a cardboard material 12. Three fold lines 202,204,206 are defined on the partition blank 200. The outer fold lines 202,206 are continuous

- and extend across the width of the blank 200 paralle! to the ends 208 thereof.

The intermediate line 204 is broken by a cut line 210 having three sides and rounded corners at the intersections of the sides. Ends 212 of the cut line 210 intersect with the portions of the intermediate fold line 204, which are generally parallel to and equidistant from the first and second fold lines 202,206. It will be appreciated that on folding the blank 100 along the intermediate fold line 204, two portions intermediate the center fold line 204 and the first fold line 202 and the center fold line 204 and the second fold line 206 will overly one another, while the portion 216 of the blank 200 defined on three sides by the cut line 210 will stand proud of the ridge 219 of the partition 200 defined by the center fold line 204. Further, once the end portions 218 of the blank 200 are folded at the outer fold lines 202,206, a partition 300 comprising a base 302 from which a lateral partition wall 304 extends orthogonally with respect to the base 302, is created.

The base 302, comprising the total areas of the end portions 218 of the partition blank 200, has the same area and is coterminous with the base 20 of the bottom. section 14 of the carton 100. Thus, once the carton 100 has been assembled and the partition 300 has been assembled, the partition 300 is neatly received within the bottom of the carton 100 and is contained by the assembled walls 28,30,32 of the bottom of the carton 100. The process of assembling the partition 300 is shown in Figure 4. In Figure 5, the partition 300 is inserted into the carton 100. It will be immediately apparent that since the base 302 of the partition 300 is coterminous with the base 20 of the carton 100, the partition 300 will not slide about within the carton 100 and nor will it collapse, since it is prevented from folding flat by virtue of the fact that its base 302 is limited in its movement by the walls 28,30,32 of the bottom of the carton 100. Also, it will be noted that the height of the partition 300, as measured at its highest point, is about the same as the inner height of the carton 100, once the lid is in its closed position. It will be appreciated that the partition 300 not only divides the carton 100 into two compartments 104, 106, but also acts as a support for the top 24 of the lid 16 of the carton 100, inhibiting the collapse of the lid 16 once hot food has been loaded into the carton 100.

It will also be appreciated that once a number of similar cartons 100 are assembled, they may be nested into one another so that a large number of the cartons 100 may be stored in a relatively small space. The partitions 300 may be inserted easily into the cartons 100 at the time that the orders are filled and the partition 300 therefore does not inhibit the nesting of the cartons 100 into one another.

In Figures 3, 5 and 6, with reference to Figure 1, like reference numerals refer to like components of the carton blank 10 once it has been assembled to form a carton 100. Similarly, in Figures 4 and 5, with reference to Figure 2, like reference numerals refer to like components of the partition blank 200 once it has been assembled into a partition 300.

By means of the invention there is provided a simple and efficient container for use in the fast food industry which may be made from a cellulosic material, such as cardboard. It is therefore relatively inexpensive, biodegradable and easily stored. The cartons may be nested in their assembled state to save space and the removable partition allows the division of the carton into separate compartments, while at the same time inhibiting the collapse of the carton under conditions of heat and humidity resulting of the filling of the carton with hot food.

Claims (30)

i Ce - + JG NR . CLAIMS

1. A combination carton and partition, the carton including a carton bottom comprising a base and bottom peripheral walls extending laterally from the base; a carton lid comprising a top and lid peripheral walls extending laterally from the top; a portion of the bottom peripheral walls and the lid peripheral walls being hingedly attached to each other at their edges and the carton lid being operable, clam shell fashion, to be displaced between an open position in which contents of the carton located in the carton bottom are accessible and a closed position in which the contents of the carton are enclosed; and the partition being receivable within the carton bottom and comprising a partition base substantially coterminous with the carton base and overlying the carton base when received within-the carton bottom; and a partition wall extending transversely from the partition base.

2. The combination carton and partition as claimed in claim 1, in which the carton base is rectangular and the bottom peripheral walls comprise opposed front and rear walls and opposed side walls intermediate the front and rear walls; the carton top is rectangular and the lid peripheral walls comprise opposed front and rear walls and opposed side walls intermediate the front and rear walls; and the bottom rear wall and the top rear wall are hingedly attached to each other at their respective edges.

3. The combination carton and partition as claimed in claim 2, in which the peripheral walls of the bottom are angled outwardly from the base and the peripheral walls of the top are angled outwardly from the top.

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4. The combination carton and partition as claimed in claim 3, in which the rear wall of the carton bottom and the rear wall of the carton lid comprise a single integral unit separated by a line of weakness to define a hinge axis.

5. The combination carton and partition as claimed in claim 4, in which the height of the rear wall of the carton lid is less than the height of the rear wall of the carton bottom.

6. The combination carton and partition as claimed in claim 5, in which the height of the rear wall of the carton lid is between 60% and 90% of the height of the rear wall of the carton bottom.

7. The combination carton and partition as claimed in claim 6, in which the height of the rear wall of the carton lid is 66% of the height of the rear wall of the carton bottom.

8. The combination carton and partition as claimed in claim 1, which includes a locking means for locking the carton in its closed position.

9. The combination carton and partition as claimed in claim 8, in which the locking means comprises at least one male member protruding from the front wall of the carton bottom and at least one aperture defined in the front wall of the carton top, the, or each, aperture being in register with a respective one of the male members when the carton lid is in its closed position and co-operating with the male member to lock the carton lid in its closed position.

10. The combination carton and partition as in claim 1, in which the carton is assembled from a single carton blank.

. 11. The combination carton and partition as claimed in claim 1, in which the partition comprises a planar blank having three parallel equidistantly spaced lines of weakness defined thereon, the blank being folded at the intermediate line of weakness so that sections of the blank on either side of the intermediate line of weakness overly each other and comprise the partition wall, and each said section being folded so that end portions of the : blank are orthogonal to the partition wall and provide the partition base.

12. The combination carton and partition as daimed in claim 11, in which the partition blank is rectangular and the three parallel lines of weakness are parallel to a side of the partition blank.

13. The combination carton and partition as claimed in claim 12, in which the height of the partition wall is about the same as the inside height of the carton when in its closed position.

14. The combination carton and partition as claimed in claim 12, in which the intermediate line of weakness comprises two spaced co-linear line sections and a cut line defined in the partition blank, the cut line defining three sides of a generally rectangular portion of the partition blank and ends of the cut line meeting respective inner ends of the line sections of the line of weakness, whereby, on folding of the partition blank about the intermediate line of weakness, the rectangular portion of the partition blank is co-planar with the partition wall and thereby extends the height of the partition wall.

15. The combination carton and the partition as claimed in claim 1, in which the carton and partition are of a cellulosic material.

16. The combination carton and partition as claimed in claim 15, in which the cellulosic material is cardboard.

~ 17. A blank for a carton in a combination carton and partition as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.

18. A blank for a partition in a combination carton and partition as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 16.

19. A carton of a cellulosic material, the carton assembled from a single carton blank and comprising a carton bottom having a rectangular base and opposed front and rear walls and opposed side walls intermediate the front and rear walls, the walls of the carton bottom extending laterally from the base thereof, a carton lid comprising a rectangular top and opposed front and rear lid walls and opposed side walls intermediate the front and rear lid walls, the lid walls extending laterally from the top; the rear wall of the carton bottom and the rear wall of the carton lid being separated by a line of weakness to define a hinge axis, the carton lid being operable, clam shell fashion, to be displaced between an open position in which contents of the carton located in the carton bottom are accessible and a closed position in which the contents of the carton are enclosed; and in which the height of the rear wall of the carton lid is less than the height of the rear wall of the carton bottom.

20. The carton as claimed in claim 19, in which the height of the rear wall of the carton lid is between 60% and 90% of the height of the rear wall of the carton bottom.

21. The carton as claimed in claim 20, in which the height of the rear wall of the carton lid is 66% of the height of the rear wall of the carton bottom.

22. A blank for a carton as claimed in any one of claims 19 to 21.

23. A removable partition for a carton, the partition being assembled from a single planar rectangular partition blank having three parallel equidistantly spaced lines of weakness defined thereon and parallel to one side of the blank, the blank being folded at the intermediate line of weakness so that sections of the blank on either side of the intermediate line of weakness overly each other and comprise the partition wall, and each said section being folded so that end portions of the blank are orthogonal to the partition wall and provide the partition base.

24. The removable partition as claimed in claim 23, in which the intermediate line of weakness comprise two spaced co-linear line sections and a cut line defined in the partition blank, the cut line defining three sides of a generally rectangular portion of the partition blank and ends of the cut line meeting respective inner ends of the line sections of the line of weakness, whereby, on folding of the partition blank about the intermediate line of weakness, the rectangular portion of the partition blank is co-planar with the partition wall and thereby extends the height of the partition wall.

25. A blank for a removable partition as claimed in claim 23 or claim 24.

26. A combination carton and partition substantially as herein described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.

27. A carton of a cellulosic material substantially as herein described and illustrated with reference to Figures 1, 3, 5 and 6 of the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.

28. A removable partition for a carton substantially: as herein described and illustrated with reference to Figures 2, 4 and 5 of the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.

29. A blank for a carton substantially as herein described and illustrated with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.

30. A blank for a removable partition for a carton substantially as herein described and illustrated with reference to Figure 2 of the accompanying diagrammatic drawings. DATED THIS 23%° DAY OF SEPTEMBER 2008 BOWM (JOHN &{KERNICK FOR THE APPLICANT