US20050040174A1

US20050040174A1 - One piece collapsible disposable bowl-like food container

Info

Publication number: US20050040174A1
Application number: US10/644,940
Authority: US
Inventors: Richard Costello; Brian Gagliana
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-08-21
Filing date: 2003-08-21
Publication date: 2005-02-24

Abstract

A thirteen sided collapsible container in which wet and dry food can be distributed from fabricated with one die cut and scored piece of a non permeable coated paperboard which contains fluids without warping or leaking. This invention is intended to be packaged with foods such as microwave popcorn to serve as a disposable container to consume edible product from. The invention may also be utilized as a container for food to be consumed from in instances where packing space is limited, such as a backpack for camping or hiking.

Description

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS



1627051	May 1927	Moore	220/574
2676729	April 1954	Neville, Jr. et al.	220/644
4139115	February 1979	Robinson	220/644
4828134	May 1989	Ferlanti	220/408
5024262	June 1991	Huang	160/370
5232118	August 1993	Samuel	383/75
5810194	October 1996	Samsel	220/574

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISC APPENDIX

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention related to the field of bowl-type, open top containers which are collapsible and disposable.
Bowl-type containers are generally round in shape and rigid, having a fixed volume and area. Being rigid, the bowl-type containers take up a fixed amount of space, making them unreasonable to package with foods for one time use and disposal.
Previously, some bowl-type containers have been produced in a sectional manner in an attempt to make them collapsible. Other bowl-type containers have been produced from plastics with cylinders of gradually decreasing diameters which fit inside one another and can increase or decrease volume by adjusting their respective positions. But the aforementioned bowl-type containers demonstrate inadequate seals which allow fluids to leak out.
Microwaveable foods, such as popcorn, are packaged in container specific for cooking the contents in a microwave oven, but the container is not desirable to consume the contents from. Usually a bowl-type container will be used to house the food while eaten. In turn, this secondary bowl will have to be cleaned. Other foods packaged in containers specific for microwaving such as spaghetti and sauce and macaroni and cheese are candidates for this one piece collapsible disposable bowl-like food container invention which can be packaged along with the food product and be disposed of in a trash recepticle.
In addition, this one piece collapsible disposable bowl-like food container invention is produced with environmentally friendly paper products which can be printed on for various advertising, instruction, or design needs.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A thirteen sided collapsible container in which wet and dry food can be distributed from fabricated with one die cut and scored piece of a non permeable coated paperboard which contains fluids without warping or leaking.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

The nature and characteristic features of the invention will be more readily understood from the following description of the accompanying drawings;
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the one piece collapsible disposable bowl-like food container.
FIG. 2 is a top view of the one piece collapsible disposable bowl-like food container when unfolded flat to a single plane.
FIG. 3 is a top view of the one piece collapsible disposable bowl-like food container when in collapsed form.
It should be understood that the description and drawings herein are merely illustrative and that various modifications and changes can be made in the structure disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Detailed Description of Invention

The one piece collapsible disposable bowl-like food container 1 is comprised of a base 2 from which angled sides 3 protrude upward and outward. The angled sides 3 are supported by two adjacent triangular corners 4 which intersect at a line perpendicular to the base 1.
The one piece collapsible disposable bowl-like food container is fabricated in an octagonal fashion with scored lines 5 originating from each corner and traversing perpendicularly to the edges of origin and terminating at the opposing corner. The scored lines 5 serve as a relief in the material of construction for folding.
The inside surface 6 of the one piece collapsible disposable bowl-like food container is of a non permeable coating resistant to liquids and greases.

Claims

1. A one piece collapsible disposable bowl-like food container comprised of thirteen sides in which wet and dry food can be distributed from fabricated from one die cut and scored piece of a non permeable coated paperboard which will contain fluids without warping or leaking.

2. The one piece collapsible disposable bowl-like food container as described in claim 1 is formed as an eight sided octagon upon fabrication with score lines for bending located at each intersection of two adjacent edges traversing perpendicular to the edge of origin to the opposite intersection of two adjacent edges. Additional score lines originating at the intersection of perpendicular score lines and extending to the edge at the midpoint of the octagon's angular edges.

3. The one piece collapsible disposable bowl-like food container as described in claim 1 becomes rectangular or square when collapsed minimizing consumed area.

4. The one piece collapsible disposable bowl-like food container as described in claim 1 unfolds from a rectangle or square to a thirteen sided polygon with an open top, four angular sides extending from the base outward, and eight triangular shaped sides extending from the edges of the aforementioned angular sides inward to intersect at a line perpendicular to the base.