Expandable carton
AssigneeGraphic Packaging International, Inc.
InventorBradley J. Burke
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A package for holding a food product. The package comprises a carton comprising a plurality of panels that extend at least partially around an interior of the carton. The plurality of panels comprises at least two side panels. A tear feature extends at least partially across the plurality of panels for at least partially separating the carton into an upper portion and a lower portion. The package also comprises a liner disposed in the interior of the carton. The liner comprises an expandable region proximate to the tear feature of the carton.
Claims12
A method of heating a food product in a package comprising:
- obtaining a package comprising:
- a carton comprising a plurality of panels that extends at least partially around an interior of the carton, the plurality of panels comprising at least two side panels, and a tear feature extending at least partially across the plurality of panels;
- and
- a liner disposed in the interior of the carton, the liner comprising an expandable region proximate to the tear feature of the carton;
- at least partially separating the carton into an upper portion and a lower portion at the tear feature;
- and
- heating the package so that the volume of the interior of the carton expands, wherein when the package is heated the expandable region of the liner is expanded and extends between the upper portion of the carton and the lower portion of the carton.
A method of heating a food product in a package comprising:
- obtaining a package comprising:
- a carton comprising a plurality of panels that extends at least partially around an interior of the carton, the plurality of panels comprising at least two side panels, and a tear feature extending at least partially across the plurality of panels;
- and
- a liner disposed in the interior of the carton, the liner comprising an upper region, a lower region, and an expandable region proximate to the tear feature of the carton, with the expandable region extending between the upper region and the lower region;
- at least partially separating the carton into an upper portion and a lower portion at the tear feature;
- and
- heating the package so that the volume of the interior of the carton expands, wherein the expandable region comprises a first portion of the liner that is folded in face-to-face contact with a second portion of the liner prior to the heating of the package, and during the heating of the package, the first and second portions of the liner unfold.
A method of heating a food product in a package comprising:
- obtaining a package comprising:
- a carton comprising a plurality of panels that extends at least partially around an interior of the carton, and a tear feature extending at least partially across the plurality of panels;
- and
- a liner disposed in the interior of the carton, the liner comprising an expandable region proximate to the tear feature of the carton, wherein the expandable region comprises a first portion of the liner that is folded in face-to-face contact with a second portion of the liner;
- at least partially separating the carton into an upper portion and a lower portion at the tear feature;
- and
- heating the package so that the volume of the interior of the carton expands, wherein the first and second portions of the liner at least partially unfold during the heating of the package.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.