Tri-fold egg carton for jumbo eggs
AssigneeTekni-Plex, Inc.
InventorsRichard L. Ramirez, Mark A. Bergeron
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tri-fold plastic egg carton for protecting jumbo eggs in both oriented and non-oriented positions. A cell base and cell cover are hingedly connected in a closed position with the cover over the base to form a complimentary 2×6 matrix of cell pockets for holding individual eggs. A lid is hingedly connected to another edge of the base for closing over the assembled cover and base. The non-hinged peripheral edges of the base, cover and lid form a trim perimeter having a turned up lip edge, the lip edges mating when the carton is in the closed position to increase the carton strength. The carton can accommodate a full range of jumbo eggs, and accept a variety of smaller size eggs, while fitting within standard cases and half-cases.
Claims19
A tri-fold plastic egg carton comprising:
- a cell base, and a cell cover hingedly connected to one edge of the cell base for pivoting between open and closed positions, the cell base and cell cover each having a matrix of cells that together form a matrix of cell pockets for holding individual eggs when the cell cover is closed over the cell base;
- a lid hingedly connected to another edge of the cell base for pivoting between open and closed positions, wherein when the cell cover and cell base are in the closed position the lid can be closed over the cell cover to form an assembled carton;
- the non-hinged peripheral edges of the lid, cell cover and cell base each having a connecting wall parallel to a base plane on which the cell base of the assembled carton rests, a radiused corner, and a turned up lip edge substantially aligned with an axis transverse to the base plane, the ends of the lip edges of the cell cover and cell base mating when the cell cover is closed over the cell base, and the lip edge on the lid is disposed over the mating lip ends of the cell cover and cell base when the lid is closed over the cell cover.
A tri-fold plastic egg carton comprising:
- a cell base and a cell cover hingedly connected to one edge of the cell base for pivoting between open and closed positions, the cell base and the cell cover having respective peripheral edges that mate with each other in the closed position, and each of the cell base and the cell cover having a complimentary 2×6 matrix of cells that, when the cover is closed over the cell base, the cells of the cell cover and cell base are aligned and form a 2×6 matrix of cell pockets for holding individual eggs,
- each cell having a bottom and a sidewall extending upwardly from the bottom to form a corresponding one of the cells,
- a cell post formed at an intersection of four adjacent cells as an extension of the sidewalls of the four adjacent cells and having a central mating surface, wherein when the cell cover is in the closed position over the cell base the central mating surfaces of the cell posts of the cell base and cell cover mate with one another,
- a lid hingedly connected to another edge of the cell base for pivoting between open and closed positions, wherein when the cell cover and cell base are in the closed position the lid can be closed over the cell cover to form an assembled carton,
- the non-hinged peripheral edges of the cell base, cell cover and lid each having a connecting wall parallel to a base plane on which the cell base of the assembled carton rests, a radiused corner, and a turned up lip edge substantially aligned with an axis transverse to the base plane, the ends of the lip edges of the cell cover and cell base mating when the cell cover is closed over the cell base, and the lip edge on the lid is disposed over the mating lip ends of the cell cover and cell base when the lid is closed over the cell cover, and
- each cell pocket is sized to hold a jumbo egg, of from 2.50 and 2.75 ounces per egg, in an oriented or a non-oriented direction in the base cell.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.