Champion International Corporation Limited

Waldorf Corporation

General Mills, Inc.

Graphic Packaging International, Inc.

Rock-Tenn Company

Duane R Mode

Harry I Roccaforte

Kelly R Fitzwater

Daniel P Dutcher

Daniel J Boyle

Scott Thomas Strand

Sharon M Weaver

Norman L Jesch

Stuart N Bernard

William T Brunone

Marsha D Thompson

Michael R Russell

Christianne L Strauss

A carton includes a chamfered corner, and a dispenser defined in the chamfered corner. A fitment may be mounted to the chamfered corner of the carton, for use in dispensing contents from the interior of the carton by way of the dispenser. The fitment may comprise a base with a rearward receptacle that is in receipt of the chamfered corner of the carton. A passageway extends through the base, from the receptacle to a front opening of the passageway, and the contents from the interior of the carton may be dispensed outwardly through the front opening of the fitment. The fitment may include one or more inwardly protruding mounting members that may engage behind one or more edges of the carton for restricting the fitment from being pulled off of the chamfered corner of the carton.

Carton with reclosable fitment

A folder is provided for holding objects therein having at least one pocket. An expandable bottom bellows adjoins pocket and back panels along their respective bottom edges. A pair of expandable side bellows, along with the bottom bellows, permits expansion of the folder to accept objects within the pocket. An integral order panel is removably coupled with a front closure panel. A cassette holder is coupled with the front closure panel or the order panel, and is adapted to receive a cassette therein. Security panels are coupled with the cassette holder and fold over the cassette to retain the cassette securely within the cassette holder. Corner tabs are provided on the front closure panel for receiving the proof page therein. Flip tabs coupled with the cassette holder also secure proof page to the folder.

Photo folder with cassette holder

A pan (10) is formed from a single blank (12) of plastic-coated paperboard and is foldable between a three-dimensional, erect condition and a flat condition. In the flat condition, first and second isosceles trapezoid-shaped side panels (20) are folded about the side edges (18) of a bottom panel (14) to overlie the bottom panel (14) and with their upper edges (22) abutting. Additionally, in the flat condition, first and second triangular panels (34) are folded about the side edges (32) of end panels (28) to overlie the end panels (28). The end panels (28) are in the shape of isosceles trapezoids and are integrally connected to the opposite end edges (16) of the bottom panel (14) and extend continuously therefrom in the flat condition. Attachment panels (38) are foldable about the outer edges (36) of the triangular panels (34) and are secured to the side panels (20) with the side edges (24) of the side panels (20) abutting with and being foldable with the outer edges (36) of the triangular panels (34). In the three-dimensional condition, the side panels (20), the end panels (28), and the triangular panels (34) upstand from the bottom panel (14) to define a volume and form a water-tight container for holding batter. Once erected, tabs (48) can be folded down along a fold line (46) extending across the triangular panels (34) and the end panels (28) at the height of the side panels (20), with the folded tabs (48) helping hold the pan (10) in the erect condition and for use as handles in carrying the pan (10). In the preferred form, parabolic slots (50) are formed in the side panels (20) to prevent overfilling and for safety reasons.

Foldable, microwavable baking pan usable as a promotional device

A container has a base panel of generally rectangular shape bounded by four edges. Two generally rectangular, opposed side panels are connected to the base. Each side panel is connected at one of its edges to one of two opposed edges of the base panel and projects upward therefrom. Two generally rectangular, opposed end panels are connected to the remaining opposed edges of the base panel and project upward therefrom. Four folded gussets are connected between the adjacent side panels and end panels, one at each of the corners of the base panel. A generally rectangular top panel lies substantially parallel to the base panel and has each of two of its opposed edges connected to one edge of each of the side panels. Each of the two remaining edges of the top panel forms one outer layer of a pair of substantially sealed, gathered end closures of the container. The other outer layer of each end closure is formed with a lip flap of one of the end panels, with at least one thickness of each gusset being sandwiched between the top panel and the end panel lip flap in each corner of each end closure.

Pre-glued tapered tray with gussets and flanges

A package for holding and microwave cooking of food comprising two or more food holding units, each having the shape of a generally rectangular box with opposed, opens ends and comprising, a first panel having a microwave absorbing heating surface facing the interior of the package, a second panel located opposite, spaced from and substantially parallel to the first panel and having a microwave absorbing heating surface facing the interior of the package, and a pair of substantially parallel side wall panels of approximately equal height connecting the first panel and the second panel, each of the side wall panel having an opening between its ends, wherein each food holding unit has the same orientation as the others and is joined to at least one adjacent food holding unit at a weakened separation line that encircles the packages in a plane substantially perpendicular to the first and second panels.

Locking, double-layered microwave package

A package for holding food for cooking in a microwave oven has a flat central panel for supporting the food, which has at least three linear panel edges. A flat side wall is attached at a fold line to at least two of the panel edges of the central panel. Each side wall has an inner panel and an outer panel affixed against the inner panel. The outer panel has a maximum width as measured perpendicular to the fold line connecting the side wall to the central panel that is greater than the width of the inner panel, also measured perpendicular to the fold line. The invention also encompasses a flat blank that can be folded and locked or glued into the preceding package configuration. For microwave oven use, the blank is made from paperboard material having a layer of microwave interactive material that heats to browning temperatures when exposed to microwaves.

Tapered tray with pre-glued elevating legs

A collapsible package for use in surface heating of food by microwave energy comprises first and second sling enclosures. Each sling enclosure comprises a pair of parallel, opposed, substantially rectangular wall panels, the ends of which are joined by collapsible bridge panels. The bridge panels are movable between a collapsed position in which the wall panels lie against each other and an expanded position in which the wall panels are held in spaced relation to each other. The second sling enclosure is joined to the first sling enclosure at a center fold line between adjacent wall panels of said first and second sling enclosures. A generally rectangular strip of thin, flexible material capable of converting microwave energy into heat is affixed between the two opposed side walls of the first and second sling enclosures that are not connected at the center fold line. One of two opposed edges of said strip if affixed to each side wall. The portion of the flexible strip that is intermediate these two opposed edges is draped over the two side walls joined at the center fold line to form a sling of flexible material in each of the first and second sling enclosures. The present invention also encompasses a flat blank to which the strip of flexible material capable of converting microwave energy into heat can be attached, with the blank being folded and glued into a configuration that can be easily erected into the package previously described.

Two-celled expandable microwave cooking sling

Compartmented box

An article including a placemat is formed from paperboard and includes a plurality of compartments for holding foodstuffs and a beverage container. The article is made from a one-piece paperboard blank which is precut, scored and glued to a flat storage configuration. The compartments are expandable prior to use with internal walls which are deflected to hold the compartments in their expanded form.

Compartmented food placemat

A carton having a plurality of unequal compartments or cells is formed from a single, unitary, paperboard blank. The carton can be folded flat for shipping and storage. It can be erected by pulling outward on two opposite corners or side edges. Internal dividers move into place automatically as the box is erected and produce internal compartments of unequal sizes.

Auto-divide carton with unequal cells

A multi-compartmented food serving tray having a plurality of food-receiving compartments therein for holding food. One end of the tray has a cup holding assembly having portions movable from a position to permit a cup to be carried upright when the tray is closed and capable of being carried to a position to permit the cup to be placed in a food-receiving compartment when the tray is open and the contents thereof are ready to be consumed.

Multi-compartmented food serving tray and blank therefor

A replaceable lid for a flanged tray in which the lid has opposed slide channels to receive the tray flanges in order to permit the lid to slide off the tray and be reapplied to the tray. A tamper resistant safety tab may also be provided to prevent tampering with the contents of the tray when the tray is on a shelf. The lid is made of a single blank having two panels with one of the panels having an opening to receive the tray and the other panel being folded over the first panel of the tray and adhered to the first panel along its outer edges.

Replaceable lid for flanged trays

Carton

The carton is made from a one-piece blank which is erectable to an expanded condition from a flattened condition. The assembled carton is folded to the flattened condition at the point of manufacture for shipping to the point of filling. At the point of filling the flattened carton is expanded and the contents are placed in it. The carton has free end inwardly extending side wall panels which engage the end wall panels of the carton to hold the carton in the expanded condition.

Collapsible open side carton

A paperboard carton and blank therefor having a reclosable spout. The spout includes a main spout member and a secondary spout member. The main spout member is defined by a fold line, first and second tear-away members extending from the fold line and a third tear-away member interconnecting the first and second tear-away members. The secondary spout member is defined by a second fold line and the third tear-away member. Each tear-away member is formed from two cut lines, one on the exterior surface of the paperboard and the other on the interior surface, neither penetrating the full thickness of the paperboard. After the tear-away members are torn-away, the secondary spout member is overlapped onto the exterior of the main spout member to reclose the spout.

Growing community of inventors

Bloomington, MN, United States of America

Duane R Mode