Combination bakery carton and a method of constructing a combination bakery carton

#The present invention relates generally to cartons, such as bakery cartons, and more particularly to a bakery carton that combines a plastic display shell and a paper carton for storing and displaying goods.

#Folding cartons have long been used by commercial bakeries, such as in-house grocery store bakeries, to store and display bakery goods for sale to consumers. Folding cartons such as these provide ample printable area to include information such as advertisements, coupons, product descriptions, nutritional labels, etc. Typically these folding cartons include a single cellophane or transparent window through which the consumer may view the enclosed product. The limited visibility offered by this window arrangements, however, reduces the chance of a rapid consumer sale or impulse buy.

#FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art folding carton constructed in the traditional manner. The carton, generally designated by the numeral 1, includes a plurality of sidewalls 2, a bottom 3 (visible through a window 4) and a top 5. The bottom 3 and the sidewalls 2 intersect along a plurality of fold lines 6 to define an interior 7. The top 5 intersects with at least one of the sidewalls 2 along a fold line 8 to create a lid 9 which corresponds to the top 5, illustrated in the closed position in FIG. 1. The top 5 may be adapted to contain the window 4, as previous described, which may be constructed of cellophane or any other transparent material to allow the consumer to look into the carton 1 and view the contents stored in the interior 7. The window 4 may be attached to the top 5 in any known manner.

#FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art folding carton;

#FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a combination bakery carton;

#FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of the combination carton shown in FIG. 2;

#An embodiment of a combination carton for displaying bakery goods includes a transparent dome having an integral locking surface. The combination carton further includes a foldable carton portion having a base portion and a lid portion pivotably connected to the base portion. In addition, an aperture is formed within the lid portion and sized to receive the transparent dome. The transparent dome when disposed within the aperture extends through a plane defined by the lid portion such that the locking mechanism may engage the aperture thereby creating a single combination carton.

#Further embodiments of the combination carton may include a carton wherein the foldable carton is of a four spot construction. Additional embodiments of the combination carton may include a carton wherein the base portion of the carton provides additional storage space for related merchandise. An additional bottom surface and a plurality of vertical members may act in cooperation with a storage surface to define an enclosed cavity. The enclosed cavity acts in cooperation with the transparent dome to define the combination carton.

#Illustrated in FIG. 2 is a combination bakery carton 20 in an assembled state. The combination bakery carton 20 includes a base portion 22 and a plurality of sidewalls 24a-24d, illustrated in more detail in FIG. 4, and a plurality of covers 48a-48c. A top portion 26 having an aperture 28 is pivotably connected to at least one of the sidewalls 24a-24d or covers 48a48c. A transparent dome 30 may be disposed within the aperture 28 such that the top surface 32 of the dome 30 is above the plane defined by the top portion 26 when the top portion 26 is in the closed configuration.