Fort James Corporation

Dixie Consumer Products LLC

Margaret P Neer

Mark B Littlejohn

Cristian M Neculescu

Anthony J Swiontek

Brigitte K Weigert

Gerald John Van Handel

Greg Wendt

Rebecca E Whitmore

Jerome G Dees

Debra D Bowers

A sealable food container includes a base serving member such as a plate having a generally planar central portion, a sidewall extending generally upwardly and outwardly therefrom and a base outer flange portion extending outwardly from the sidewall. The sidewall defines a sealing area with an undercut annular sealing surface disposed between the substantially planar central portion of the base serving member and the base outer flange portion. The sidewall portion of the plate defines a base stop ridge adjacent the upper edge of the undercut annular sealing surface of the sidewall as well as a laterally extending retaining shelf adjacent the lower edge of the undercut annular sealing surface of the base serving member. A matching sealing lid is typically provided with a dome, a flexible sidewall and an annular sealing portion configured to cooperate with the base stop ridge and the sealing surface of the serving member sidewall of the base serves to position the sidewall engaging cover during sealing of the container. In a preferred embodiment, the sidewall of the lid has upwardly projecting flutes and the base has an outer recess at the lower portion of its sidewall configured to engage the upwardly projecting flutes to render the containers securely stackable.

Sealable food container with improved lidding and stacking features

A three-compartment, disposable food serving plate includes three ribs in an asymmetric array angularly joined to the bottom and sidewall of the plate. The plate preferably includes a four radius, smooth profile from the bottom to the outer rim and is formed from mineral-filled polyolefin sheet. Mica-filled polypropylene is particularly preferred.

Compartmented disposable plate with asymmetric rib geometry

A disposable food serving bowl formed of a mineral-filled polyolefin sheet has a substantially planar central portion, a sidewall portion and a characteristic volume V. The bowl is further characterized by way of a flange projecting outwardly from the sidewall which defines an outer arcuate rim portion with a radius of curvature subtending an outermost arc. The radius of curvature of the outermost arc is from about (V/20) &times;0.15 to about (V/20) &times;0.35.

Disposable food serving bowl

Three compartment disposable food serving plate with asymmetric rib

Growing community of inventors

Neenah, WI, United States of America

Margaret P Neer