Polyethylene terephthalate foam plate
AssigneeReynolds Consumer Products, Inc.
InventorsThomas J. Hayes, James N. Gomoll
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Plate having a bottom wall having an outer perimeter, an upper surface, and a lower support surface defining a horizontal reference plane. The plate further includes a sidewall extending upwardly and outwardly from the outer perimeter at an angle “a” of between about 30° to about 35° relative to a vertical axis perpendicular to the horizontal reference plane. Extending laterally outwardly from an upper edge of the sidewall is a rim. Extending downwardly from an outer edge of the rim and terminating at a free end is a turndown flange. The plate comprises a monolithic structure of polyethylene terephthalate foam. Method of forming the plate is also provided.
Claims28
A plate comprising:
- a bottom wall having an outer perimeter, an upper surface, and a lower support surface defining a horizontal reference plane;
- a sidewall extending upwardly and outwardly from the outer perimeter at a constant angle “a” of between about 30° to about 35° relative to a vertical axis perpendicular to the horizontal reference plane along the entire outer perimeter;
- a rim extending laterally outwardly from an upper edge of the sidewall, the rim having a rim width “rw” defined laterally between the upper edge of the sidewall and an outer edge of the rim;
- and
- a turndown flange extending downwardly from an outer edge of the rim and terminating at a free end, the turndown flange having a turndown height “tdh” defined vertically between the outer edge of the rim and the free end, the ratio of the turndown height to the rim width (tdh:rw) being between about 1:0.7 and 1:8.3;
- wherein the plate comprises a monolithic structure of polyethylene terephthalate foam.
A method of forming a plate, comprising:
- providing a sheet of polyethylene terephthalate foam;
- thermoforming the polyethylene terephthalate foam into a plate comprising:
- a bottom wall having an outer perimeter, an upper surface, and a lower support surface defining a horizontal reference plane;
- a sidewall extending upwardly and outwardly from the outer perimeter at a constant angle “a” of between about 30° to about 35° relative to a vertical axis perpendicular to the horizontal reference plane along the entire outer perimeter;
- a rim extending laterally outwardly from an upper edge of the sidewall the rim having a rim width “rw” defined laterally between the upper edge of the sidewall and an outer edge of the rim;
- and
- a turndown flange extending downwardly from an outer edge of the rim and terminating at a free end the turndown flange having a turndown height “tdh” defined vertically between the outer edge of the rim and the free end, the ratio of the turndown height to the rim width (tdh:rw) being between about 1:0.7 and 1:8.3.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.