Tenneco Packaging Inc.

Packaging Corporation of America

Tenneco Packaging Specialty and Consumer Products, Inc.

Pactiv Corporation

Michael J Sagan

Thomas J Hayes

James N Gomoll

Mark E Spencer

Thomas T Taber

Mark A Erickson

Raj K Mangla

Robert S Schlaupitz

Chadd R Chatterton

Christina M Tranfaglia

Stephen Alan Smith

Thomas A Hayes

A foil container formed from a single sheet of metal about orthogonal longitudinal and transverse axes, comprises a bottom panel, a continuous wall panel, and a continuous rim. The continuous wall panel encompasses the bottom panel and extends upwardly and outwardly from the bottom panel. The continuous rim encompasses an upper edge of the continuous wall panel and projects laterally outwardly therefrom. The bottom panel is constructed and arranged bend strength and aesthetic appeal of the container. In one embodiment, the bottom panel forms a network of clusters including hexagonal ribs, hexagonal embossments, and bar ribs. In another embodiment, the bottom panel forms a plurality of closely spaced, concentric elliptical ribs that occupy a substantial portion of the bottom panel.

Bend-resistant foil container

Food container

Bottom for a food container

A base for displaying and holding shrimp comprises a well having a bottom wall, and a first side wall. The bottom wall has a surface for holding a sauce receptacle. The first side wall encompassing and extends upwardly and outwardly from the bottom wall. The first side wall has a plurality of slots each for displaying and holding an individual shrimp. Each slot has a section extending outwardly as viewed from an interior of the well. The base also includes a peripheral trough having a second side wall, a trough bottom wall and an outer wall. The second side wall encompasses and extends downwardly from an upper portion of said first side wall.

Shrimp container

Cover for a food container

Bottom of foil container

A catering container assembly for storing, transporting, and presenting food is presented having a tray and a domed cover. The tray has a base and side walls extending upwardly from said base. The domed cover has a top and cover walls extending downwardly from said top. The tray has a plurality of recessed platforms disposed adjacent its side walls while the domed cover has a plurality of indentations adjacent its cover walls. Each indentation abuts a respective one of the recessed platforms for transferring a force from the domed cover into said tray. Both the tray and domed cover preferably have stiffening elements joining and strengthening the side walls and cover walls, respectively. The tray is preferably hexagonal to allow for modular positioning. A bowl similar to the tray is also presented which has longer side walls for containing more food.

Catering container assembly

A plastic container comprises a lid and a base. The lid includes a top wall and a lid side wall extending downward from the top wall. The base includes a bottom wall and a base side wall extending upward from the bottom wall. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the lid includes a first stepped flange extending laterally outward from a lower portion of the lid side wall, and the base includes a second stepped flange extending laterally outward from an upper portion of the base side wall. Internal portions of the respective first and second stepped flanges form a button latch for securing locking the container in a closed position. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the lid side wall includes a plurality of facets interconnected at corners. The corners are arced outwardly in radial cross-sections taken generally perpendicular to the top wall and through the respective corners, and the facets are arced inwardly in a cross-section taken generally parallel to the top wall and through the facets.

High-strength container with interior button latch

A lid for a plastic food container includes a continuous body portion and a continuous rim encompassing and projecting laterally outwardly from the body portion. The body portion includes a peripheral region, a transition region, and a central region. The peripheral region encompasses the transition region and the central region, extends between the continuous rim and the transition region, and slopes downward at a first acute angle from the continuous rim to the transition region. The transition region encompasses the central region, extends between the peripheral region and the central region, and includes first and second transition portions. The first transition portion intersects the peripheral region and slopes upward at a second acute angle from the peripheral region to the second transition portion. The second transition portion intersects the central region and slopes upward at a third acute angle from the first transition portion to the central region. The second acute angle is greater than the third acute angle. The transition region includes a plurality of spaced gussets interrupting the first and second transition portions.

High-strength gusseted lid for a food container

A plastic food container includes a lid and a base. The lid includes a continuous first body portion and a continuous first rim encompassing and projecting laterally outwardly from the first body portion. The first body portion includes at least one lid partition dividing the first body portion into at least two lid compartments. The lid partition includes, in cross-section, a generally inverted trough-shaped female partition member. The first rim includes, in cross-section, a generally inverted trough-shaped female peripheral member. The base includes a continuous second body portion and a continuous second rim encompassing and projecting laterally outwardly from the second body portion. Like the first body portion of the lid, the second body portion includes at least one base partition dividing the second body portion into at least two base compartments. The base partition includes, in cross-section, a generally inverted trough-shaped male partition member. The second rim includes, in cross-section, a generally inverted trough-shaped male peripheral member. When the lid is connected to the base, the male and female partition members are engaged to each other to form an intercompartmental splash guard that minimizes passage of food juices between the base compartments. Also, the male and female peripheral members are latched to each other to both hold the lid and base together and form a peripheral splash guard that minimizes escape of food juices from the periphery of the container.

Splash-resistant food container

Lid for a food container

Growing community of inventors

Batavia, IL, United States of America

Michael J Sagan