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US 2008/0149696 A1Published application
Pizza box
OwnerWayne H. Kuhn, Frank Pizzitolainventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A folded food carton is formed from a matable, lay flat blank for retaining, transporting and serving hot food such as pizza. The blank includes an arrangement of end panels, side panels and cover panels foldable relative to a bottom panel such that, in the erected carton, the cover panels overlap and are interlocked with the side panels by means of offset locking tabs. The end panels slant upwardly and inwardly from the bottom panel to add rigidity and save material for the carton. The side panels flare upwardly and outwardly from the bottom panel and extend above the cover panels to enhance stackability and prevent shifting of stacked cartons one on top of the other. Several methods of packaging pizza in the folded carton are disclosed.
Claims25
1-2. (canceled)
A method of packaging a pizza baked in an oven in a folded carton, the method comprising
- providing a lay flat blank comprising a substantially rectangular bottom panel, a pair of opposed end panels hingedly secured to the bottom panel along a pair of opposed first transverse fold lines, a pair of opposed cover panels hingedly attached to the end panels along a pair of opposed second transverse fold lines, each cover panel having a set of locking tabs extending outwardly from lateral edges thereof and each end panel having opposed side edges diverging outwardly from ends of the first transverse fold lines to ends of the second transverse fold lines and a pair of side panels hingedly connected to the bottom panel along a pair of opposed longitudinal fold lines, each side panel being formed with openings for frictionally receiving the locking tabs on the cover panel;
- positioning and slicing a pizza removed directly from the oven on the bottom panel;
- folding the side panels upwardly along the longitudinal fold lines;
- folding the end panels upwardly along the first transverse fold lines;
- folding the cover panels along the second transverse fold lines in overlapping relationship;
- and
- moving the side panels inwardly to frictionally interlock the locking tabs with walls forming the openings.
4 more elements
A method of packaging multiple pizzas baked in an oven in respective cartons, the method comprising
- providing a pair of lay flat blanks in side-to-side configuration, each blank comprising a substantially rectangular bottom panel, a pair of opposed end panels hingedly secured to the bottom panel along a pair of opposed first transverse fold lines, a pair of opposed cover panels hingedly attached to the end panels along a pair of opposed second transverse fold lines, each cover panel having a set of locking tabs extending outwardly from lateral edges thereof, and each end panel having opposed side edges diverging outwardly from ends of the first transverse fold lines to ends of the second transverse fold lines and a pair of side panels hingedly connected to the bottom panel along a pair of opposed longitudinal fold lines, each side panel being formed with openings for frictionally receiving the locking tabs on the cover panels and a contoured outer edge having spaced apart extended portions and spaced apart recess portions whereby the extended portions and recesses on one side panel are offset and out of alignment with extended portions and recesses on the other side panel such that when two blanks are disposed adjacent each other and side-by-side configuration, the extended portions and the recesses on the left side on the right hand blank matingly engaged the extended portions and recesses on the right side of a left hand blank;
- positioning and slicing a pizza removed directly from an oven on each bottom panel;
- folding the side panels on each blank along longitudinal fold lines;
- folding the end panels on each blank upwardly along the first transverse fold lines;
- folding the cover panels on each blank along the second transverse fold lines in overlapping relationship;
- and
- moving the side panels on each blank inwardly to frictionally interlock the locking tabs with walls forming the openings.
4 more elements
A method of packaging a pizza baked in an oven in a folded carton, the method comprising
- providing a lay flat blank comprising a substantially rectangular bottom panel, a pair of opposed end panels hingedly secured to the bottom panel along a pair of opposed first transverse fold lines, a pair of opposed cover panels hingedly attached to the end panels along a pair of opposed second transverse fold lines, each cover panel having a set of locking tabs extending outwardly from lateral edges thereof, and each end panel having opposed side edges diverging outwardly from ends of the first transverse fold lines to ends of the second transverse fold lines and a pair of side panels hingedly connected to the bottom panel along a pair of opposed longitudinal fold lines, each side panel being formed with openings for frictionally receiving the locking tabs on the cover panels;
- folding one of the side panels upwardly along one of the longitudinal fold lines and leaving the other side panel unfolded;
- folding the end panels upwardly along the first transverse fold lines;
- folding the cover panels along the second transverse fold lines in overlapping relationship;
- moving the one side panel inwardly to frictionally engage one pair of the locking tabs with openings on the one side panel;
- positioning a pizza removed directly from an oven on the bottom panel by means of the unfolded other side panel;
- and
- folding the other side panel upwardly along the other longitudinal fold line to frictionally engage the other pair of locking tabs with openings on the other side panel.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.