Egg carton and formation apparatus and method
AssigneeConsider Provisions, LLC
InventorJesse Laflamme
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An egg carton and method and apparatus for forming an egg carton. A main body of the egg carton may be made of a single sheet of material and folded or otherwise bent to form the majority of the carton's interior space. Partition walls may be engaged with slots formed in the main body to define separate storage areas of the interior space as well as help hold the main body in the desired configuration. Hooks on the sides of the partition walls may engage with openings in the main body to secure the main body to the partition walls.
Claims17
A method of forming an egg carton, comprising:
- folding a main body sheet along center line to form a 180 degree bend and such that a plurality of first slots and a plurality of second slots are on opposite sides of the 180 degree bend;
- extending each of a plurality of partition walls through a corresponding pair of first and second slots such that no portion of a partition wall is extended through both of the first and second slots of the corresponding pair of first and second slots;
- receiving a portion of the 180 degree bend into a groove formed in a top of each of the partition walls;
- and
- engaging hooks on first and second sides of each partition wall with corresponding first and second openings formed in the main body sheet adjacent a corresponding first and second slot such that the main body defines an interior space.
A carton forming machine, comprising:
- a lower mold including opposed first and second sidewalls extending in a longitudinal direction and defining a cavity, the first and second sidewalls including a plurality of channels each arranged to receive a partition wall of a carton extending between the first and second sidewalls;
- and
- an upper mold having an insertion portion arranged to move into the cavity to push a main body of the carton into the cavity such that partition walls in the plurality of channels are received through a corresponding slot in the main body.
A method of forming a carton, comprising:
- providing a plurality of partition walls of a carton in a cavity of a carton forming machine;
- and
- inserting a main body of the carton made of a sheet material into the cavity so that the plurality of partition walls in the cavity are received into a corresponding one of a plurality of slots formed in the sheet material of the main body;
- wherein after insertion of the main body into the cavity, the main body defines an interior space of the carton with the plurality of partition walls at least partially positioned in the interior space.
A method of forming an egg carton, comprising:
- folding a main body sheet along center line to form a 180 degree bend and such that a plurality of first slots and a plurality of second slots are on opposite sides of the 180 degree bend, the main body sheet having an inner side to define an inner surface of the egg carton and an outer side to define an outer surface of the egg carton;
- extending each of a plurality of partition walls through a corresponding pair of first and second slots by extending a top of each partition into the corresponding pair of first and second slots in a direction from the outer side of the main body sheet to the inner side of the main body sheet;
- receiving a portion of the 180 degree bend into a groove formed in the top of each of the partition walls;
- and
- engaging hooks on first and second sides of each partition wall with corresponding first and second openings formed in the main body sheet adjacent a corresponding first and second slot such that the main body defines an interior space.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.