Convertible container
AssigneeDopaco, Inc.
InventorLiming Cai
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A convertible food container including two outwardly opening shells having inner walls interconnected along a common upper edge thereof for hinged movement of the shells between an open tray-forming position and a closed carton-forming position. The inner walls include integral tongue and recess lock components which are manually engageable to prevent movement of the inner walls, and hence the shells, relative to each other. A separate retainer enables a locking together of two overlying and facing containers in the open positions thereof.
Claims17
A convertible food container comprising first and second adjacent and outwardly opening compartments, said compartments having a wall structure therebetween, hinge means on said wall structure for pivotal movement of said second compartment between a first open position and a second closed position, said second compartment in said open position generally paralleling said first compartment with both compartments opening upwardly and defining two open chambers, said second compartment in said closed position overlying said first compartment and opening downward, closing said upwardly opening first compartment and defining one closed chamber therewith, and lock means on said wall structure for selectively retaining said second compartment in said open position and precluding movement to said closed position,
- said wall structure comprising first and second inner walls, one as a portion of each compartment, each compartment including peripheral outer walls and a base joined to said wall structure and to said peripheral outer walls, said first and second inner inner walls being integrally joined along a common outer edge, said first and second inner walls being foldable along said common edge to define said hinge means, said base of each compartment being joined to said wall structure at an angle of 90.degree., and said peripheral walls of each compartment flaring slightly outwardly from the corresponding base.
A convertible food container comprising first and second adjacent and outwardly opening compartments, said compartments having a wall structure therebetween, hinge means on, integral with and defined by said wall structure for pivotal movement of said second compartment between a first open position and a second closed position, said second compartment in said open position generally paralleling said first compartment with both compartments opening upwardly and defining two open chambers, said second compartment in said closed position overlying said first compartment and opening downwardly, closing said upwardly opening first compartment and defining one closed chamber therewith, and lock means on said structure for selectively retaining said second compartment in said open position and precluding movement to said closed position,
- said wall structure comprising first and second inner walls, one as a portion of each compartment, each compartment including peripheral outer walls, said first and second inner walls being integrally joined along a common outer edge, said first and second inner walls being foldable along said common edge to define said hinge means,
- said lock means comprising a tongue member integral with said first inner wall and tongue receiving means defined in said second inner wall, said tongue member in said open position of said compartments being selectively engaged with said tongue receiving means to preclude relative movement between said first and second inner walls.
A convertible food container comprising first and second adjacent and outwardly opening compartments, said compartments having a wall structure therebetween, hinge means on, integral with and defined by said wall structure for pivotal movement of said second compartment between a first open position and a second closed position, said second compartment in said open position generally paralleling said first compartment with both compartments opening upwardly and defining two open chambers, said second compartment in said closed position overlying said first compartment and opening downwardly, closing said upwardly opening first compartment and defining one closed chamber therewith, and lock means on said structure for selectively retaining said second compartment in said open position and precluding movement to said closed position,
- said wall structure comprising first and second inner walls, one as a portion of each compartment, each compartment including peripheral outer walls, said first and second inner walls being integrally joined along a common outer edge, said first and second inner walls being foldable along said common edge to define said hinge means,
- cooperating latch components being integrally defined on said compartments remote from said first and second inner walls for releasably locking said compartments in said closed position, and
- a second substantially duplicate container in combination therewith position in overlying facing relation to the container and defining therewith a multiple chamber closed carton, the inner walls of each container aligning with the inner walls of the other container with said common outer edges of both containers being in parallel immediately adjacent relation to each other, and a separate retainer engaging said outer edges between the corresponding inner walls and clamping said outer edges toward each other and retaining said containers against each other.
In combination, first and second convertible containers for foodstuffs, each container comprising first and second shells respectively defining first and second adjacent and outwardly opening compartments, said shells of each container each having an inner wall with the inner walls of each container having a common outer edge defining hinge means for selective pivotal movement of said second shell to a closed position overlying said first shell, said second container being positioned in overlying facing relation to the first container and defining therewith a multiple chamber closed carton, the inner walls of each container aligning with the inner walls of the other container with the common outer edges of both containers being in parallel immediately adjacent relation to each other, and a separate retainer engaging said outer edges, between the corresponding inner walls, and clamping said common edges toward each other and retaining said containers against each other.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.