Pactiv Corporation

Tenneco Packaging Inc.

Tenneco Packaging Specialty and Consumer Products, Inc.

J Scott Dellinger

Thomas J Hayes

Raj K Mangla

Mark E Spencer

Mark A Erickson

Suzanne R Maslach

Cover for a container

A thermoplastic container for food or other articles is set forth. The container includes a base having a bottom, a pair of opposing side walls and a pair of opposing end walls extending upwardly from the bottom. A pair of integral handle segments are formed with the outer rim of the base and rotatably attached to anchoring portions at integral hinges. The handle segments can be releasably engaged with each other and include a pair of hinged portions. Each hinged portion has at least one upwardly extending rib segment and at least one downwardly extending rib segment interconnected by integral hinges that form definite bending points for the hinged portions of the handle segments so that when the handle segments are upturned, the hinged portion assists in distributing stress and obtaining a proper balance of the container. A plurality of wells designed to retain fluid therein via capillary action or surface tension forces are formed in the bottom such that fluid does not flow out of the wells when the base is tilted or turned upside-down. A cover may be removably attached to the base to define a food storage chamber. A downwardly extending rib formed in the cover rim is intermittently provided with a plurality of cover venting notches which are aligned with respective base venting notches formed in an upwardly extending elongated rib of the base. With the cover in place atop the base, the conjunction of the base venting notches and the cover venting notches define vent openings. Another set of apertures for additional ventilation are provided in the side walls of the cover. Also, multiple containers can be stacked atop each other and the bottom includes at least one elongated recess for substantially receiving a portion of the handle segments to facilitate stacking.

Vented container with handles and embossment

Bottom for a container

A disposable foil container formed from a single sheet of metal comprises a bottom panel, a continuous wall panel, and a continuous rim. The bottom panel includes an upwardly-projecting rib configuration wherein a peripheral rib, having first and second opposing side curved sections and first and second opposing end curved sections, encompasses a pair of traversing ribs, first and second returning ribs, and a central portion of the bottom panel. Each curved traversing rib extends towards the central portion, has a first end intersecting with said first side curved section, and has a second end intersecting with said second side curved section at a first set of intersections. Each traversing rib is bisected into substantially equal parts by a major axis. The first returning rib has first and second ends intersecting said first side curved section and the second returning rib has first and second ends intersecting said second curved section at a second set of intersections. Each returning rib is bisected into equal parts by a minor axis. All of the ribs have rounded tops. The first and second set of intersections form smooth curvilinear corners and have a minimized flat top surface areas to prevent rib deformation.

Disposable foil container

Wall for container

Wall structure for a container

Growing community of inventors

Buffalo Grove, IL, United States of America

J Scott Dellinger