International Paper Company

International Paper

Linda A Bernstein

Robert L Gordon

Tung C Ma

James F Zavatone

Robert Sosnowksi

A triangular paperboard container for fast foods, particularly pizza slices, is fashioned from two triangular tray halves. The upper tray half is provided with a plurality of manually actuable over center toggle locking tabs which are pushed down and pass between opposed tips of respective notches. The notches are spaced along the upper edges of the bottom tray half side walls. When pushed downwardly, each toggle locking tab engages and distorts opposed points at the entrance to each notch, the opposed points resuming their original position after the tab has passed them, by virtue of the inherent resiliency of paperboard. The locking tabs themselves also distort somewhat when pushing them down. Each notch includes oppositely sloping edges against which opposite sides of a corresponding toggle locking tab engage.

Mechanical lock for paper carton

A brick type container, particularly adapted for aseptic packaging of product such as potable liquids, is formed having optimum dimensions and location of a pour spout fitment thereon. The dimensions of the pour spout components are chosen for optimum performance. The top of the container carries a dispensing opening covered by a severable or frangible extrusion coating or other type of membrane. The fitment is applied to the container by applying it while the container is encased in a pocket on a conveyor, the pocket sides being rigid. The fitment includes a hollow cutter having cutting teeth on its lower periphery, the cutter also functioning as part of a pour spout. The toothed end of the cutter severs the membrane to permit dispensing of product from the carton. To prevent the severed extrusion or membrane which originally covers the dispensing opening from passing out of the carton upon dispensing of product, a flow filter is provided in the form of bars at one end of the entrance lumen of the cutter element. Typically, these bars are integrally molded with the cutter. The bars are located above the lower portions of the cutting teeth, in a plane containing the teeth roots or bases, to thereby preclude entry of a severed disc of membrane from entering the lumen of the pour spout or the cutter.

Aseptic brick package spout

The present invention relates to a modular food package particularly suitable for use in the fast food industry, and more particularly to a modular package that can be used as a stand alone, open ended, scoop type, package suitable for containing food items, such as french fries, potato cakes, cookies, pies, and such, or two identical units may be combined to create a completely enclosed, and interlocking, package for a sandwich or other appropriate food items.

Modular interlockable packaging

A dome shaped crown for a clamshell container is formed by two sets of sidewalls having different shapes. A narrow space is provided between adjacent pairs of sidewalls, the spaces permitting venting of warm, moist air due to the presence of a heated sandwich packaged in the container. The container is formed from a unitary blank of paperboard. In one embodiment, the crown is dome shaped and the lower tray is provided with straight walls. In the second embodiment, both the crown and the lower tray have sidewalls of different slopes. Any type of releasable latch between the two halves may be employed.

Double angle clamshell container

A bottle carrier is formed of one or more panels of paperboard and includes a plurality of bottle neck receiving openings. Each opening has a plurality of radially extending fingers whose ends engage beneath a portion of an abutment associated with each bottle neck. Each finger is bent upwardly at about 45 degrees after insertion of a bottle into a respective opening. Each radial finger is provided with a microcut line extending downwardly from its upper surface, each microcut line extending about 10-50% through the paperboard. The microcut lines weaken the radial fingers and facilitate removal of the bottles from the carrier.

Paperboard bottle carrier

A bottle carrier having a central or upper panel of paperboard and at least one lower panel or layer. Each panel has a plurality of bottle neck receiving openings. The periphery of each opening of each panel is defined by the tips of a plurality of radially extending fingers, the tips of the fingers of the upper panel engaging beneath a portion of an abutment associated with each bottle neck. Each finger is bent upwardly at about 45 degrees after insertion of a bottle into a respective opening. Each upper panel radial finger is provided at its widest portion with a base slit extending through the paperboard. Another and intermediate slit is located about half way along the length of each upper panel finger, the intermediate slit also extending through the paperboard. The base slit permits bending of each finger upwardly upon bottle insertion, while the intermediate slit facilitates removal of each bottle from its respective opening. The lower panel is provided with reinforcing fingers which are in surface and reinforcing contact with the radially outermost portions only of the upper radial fingers, namely, from the base of each upper finger to its respective intermediate slit. These lower reinforcing fingers permit significant reduction in thickness of the paperboard stock which forms the carrier.

A stackable can carrier is formed from a unitary paperboard blank. The carrier compensates for stacking problems caused by smaller diameter tops and bottoms on present cans, the latter termed 202 cans which have a tendency to rock with respect to each other when stacked. An otherwise conventional can carrier is provided with foldable, lateral flaps having pairs of cuts lines which define ears. The latter are glued to the carrier top surface. The flaps overlie respective can top receiving openings in the carrier less than one half of the diameter of the can openings. Upon stacking of the carriers and cans therein for storage or for display, the carrier provides improved stability.

Stackable can carrier

A bottle carrier is formed from a unitary paperboard blank, the carrier having a handle which is vertically disposed when manually carried and which is folded to or near a horizontal latched position for stacking and packing of multiple carriers. The handle has a finger receiving recess and a free, outer edge. The free edge is provided with curved recesses which releasably latch beneath the top caps or closures of the bottles. In its latched position, the handle does not inhibit stacking of the carriers. The construction requires less handle material than known carriers of its type.

Paperboard bottle carrier with foldable handle

A flat paperboard bottle carrier is provided with an integral and depending bottle divider panel which makes the carrier particularly useful for carrying glass bottles. The divider flap extends between adjacent pairs of glass bottles and prevents glass clinking sound or banging together of the glass bottles as they are carried by a consumer. The carrier is provided with a finger hole for insertion of the fingers for carrying the carrier, with the longitudinal axis of the finger hole lying in the plane of the divider. Three variations in form are disclosed.

Glass bottle carrier with divider

A bottle carrier is formed of two superposed panels of paperboard having a plurality of bottle neck receiving openings and a handle sandwiched between the panels. Each opening has a plurality of radially extending fingers whose ends engage beneath a portion of an abutment associated with each bottle neck. Each finger is bent upwardly at about 45 degrees after insertion of a bottle into a respective opening. Each finger is provided with a microcut line on its upper surface, each microcut line extending about 10-50% through the paperboard. Such microcut lines facilitate removal of the bottles from the carrier by permitting easier rupture. The handle has a manually accessible flexible strip at the upper surface of the uppermost panel or section, one end of the strip being folded prior to use.

Paperboard bottle carrier with handle

A container is provided with a pour spout fitment. The fitment carries a flange which secures the fitment to the container, the flange surrounding a dispensing opening in the container. The pour spout is normally externally closed by a screw cap threaded thereon. A frangible membrane normally spans and internally closes the dispensing opening. A hollow piercing insert is positioned within the pour spout lumen, the lower edge of the insert being serrated to define cutting teeth. The screw cap is removed and the piercing element pushed downwardly to thereby rupture the frangible membrane and permit dispensing from the container. The interior of the spout is provided with a plurality of axially spaced, inwardly extending ribs which cooperate with outwardly extending protrusions on the piercing insert to thus define a plurality of discrete axial locations of the piercing insert relative to the spout.

Pour spout with piercing insert

A fast food wrapper for hamburgers or the like is fashioned from a single square or diamond shaped sheet of paper, the food contacting surface of the blank coated with a food grade grease resistant composition. The blank is provided with a fold lines both parallel and orthogonal to an imaginary axis joining the top and bottom tips of the blank. These tips are provided with portions of latching elements. The side or lateral blank tips are folded towards the middle to form an expansion bellows along both of the sides and are adhesively tacked together. The bottom of the blank is folded upwardly and also adhesively tacked. In use, the hamburger is placed within the wrapper and the top of the wrapper folded over the hamburger and latched. The wrapper may be unfolded so as to function as a napkin or paper plate during eating.

Diamond fold food carryout envelope

A paper bag particularly adapted for the packaging of carryout food items such as hamburgers and chicken. The bag is of a unitary construction and includes two inwardly folded bellows panels on its sides, each bellows joining respective sides of the bag. A fold line is positioned below the top, free edges of the side walls. A pair of spaced cuts is located substantially midway of respective fold lines, each cut of each pair extending from above to below its respective fold line, the individual cuts being spaced from each other along the fold line. Respective areas of the front and rear bag walls above the fold line carry indicia, such as printed indicia, to indicate the bag contents. After folding the top of the bag about the fold lines and against either side walls, one or the other indicia is visible to indicate the bag contents. The bag top is inhibited from opening after such folding by distorting the paper between the cuts to effect a latching action.

Carryout food bag with closure and means of order verification

A flanged tray and preform for making it. The preform includes a cut and scored paperboard blank having a polygonal bottom forming base panel. Each edge of the base is foldably joined to a radially outwardly extending, regular trapezoidal sidewall forming panel. The radially outermost portion of each sidewall panel carries a horizontal flange forming flap. The preform also includes a thin plastic sheet adhered to one surface of the paperboard blank. The plastic sheet covers the blank and extends over radially extending gaps between the side edges of next adjacent sidewall panels. The preform is placed in a female die with the plastic film facing upwardly. A male die presses the preform downwardly to form it into a tray having a peripheral, horizontally extending flange. The step of permanently attaching the plastic film to the paperboard blank may be carried out concurrently with the step of deforming the blank in the die. The plastic film secures the sidewalls together and provides a liquid impervious coating on the tray interior surfaces. The tray may be provided with a paperboard lid having a tear off portion. The tray and lid exhibit utility for the packaging of foods. A layer of polymer barrier film is sealed over the formed tray to provide barriers to oxygen and water vapor. In a modification, integral gussets are provided between next adjacent side edges of the sidewalls.

Growing community of inventors

Campbell Hall, NY, United States of America

Linda A Bernstein