AU727671B2 - Container - Google Patents

Description

iiI q ReguLation 3.2 -1- AUSTRAL IA Patents Act 1990 G4F)IPTLEr-mE S I IG mN S r-J~ r--In-a 1 FP AJ? E- IES[ 1qr a

APPLICANT:

NUMBER:

FILING DATE: MCCAIN FOODS PN 4675/95 9/ 8/1995 (AUST) PTY. LTD.

Invention Title: CONTAINER The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: 2

CONTAINER

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION This invention relates to a container and particularly to a container for use with fast foods.

It is well known to provide a container which may be made of cardboard for use with fast foods, and, specifically, potato chips. The container can be packed flat but when it is to be :used, is opened, the base is then locked in position and the container can then receive chips or the like. Although any foodstuffs could be similarly packed for convenience the following discussion will be with reference to potato chips and similar potato products.

The consumer of these foods must as a rule hold the container in one hand whilst the other hand is used to remove the individual chips from the container for eating.

Such containers are eminently satisfactory for their purpose in that they take only little space when they are being stored and also when large quantities are being freighted, are basically cheap as they are made from a simple die cutting and gluing operation using cardboard, and are environmentally neutral, provided they are disposed of properly.

WP51/SPEC/MCCAIN1.CAP/BV/7 August, 1996 The containers are, however, less satisfactory if, say, the material being eaten needs to be dipped into some form of dip.

In such a circumstance, a user must then either rest the dip on a surface or try and hold it in the same hand that is holding the container or rest it on the top of the container and try and balance it with, say, a finger.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention, is to overcome this previously accepted difficulty.

pry•s ac.dc *e 9 The invention in its broadest sense comprises a food container with an upper rear portion adapted to form a support for a further small sachet or container.

The invention includes a container of the type generally described above wherein one side of the container may extend above the surface of the remainder of the container. Usually the rear of such containers is higher then the lateral sides while the upper portion of the front face is cut out to better display the chips.

In the container of the invention the rear of the container extends above the height of the sides, the general container height, and is creased or scored horizontally at that height WP51/SPEC/MCCAIN1.CAP/BV/7 August, 1996 to enable that portion of the rear of the container to bend along that line.

There is in addition a portion of the rear which is cut so that below the general container height diagonal slits extend on either side inwards to a horizontal crease some distance below the container height and these slits extend upwards and parallel towards another horizontal crease in the elevated portion of the rear face of the container.

The arrangement is such that when the upper rear portion of the container is bent backwards the partially excised portion forms a platform into which may be place small tubs of dipping sauce or whatever may be required. The upper rim of the sauce container then being supported by the now horizontal upper rear portion of the container.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood a oee:e.

preferred embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 shows a perspective view on the food container when opened out but without the condiment container Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of the food container with the condiment container in situ WP51/SPEC/MCCAIN1.CAP/BV/7 August, 1996 Fig. 3 is a plan view of the inner upper rear face of the food container when in the folded position The container may be of any material but the preferred material is cardboard. The basic food container of the invention is of any standard kind that folds flat for storage when not in use.

Figure 1 shows the food container 10 of this preferred embodiment of the invention with a front face 15 recessed along edge 12 to display the food to be placed in the container.

The front face 15 joins side members 5 along fold line 11 and side members 5 fold along line 13 abutting side members 6.

Side members 6 in turn join the rear face 20 of the food **.container along fold lines 14.

While some conventional food containers have a rear face which extends above the general height of the container the container of this invention differs from conventional containers in that it has an extension from the rear wall of the container, integral therewith, which is adapted to provide a recess for a further small container of condiments or the like. This recess may be of any size required however in-this embodiment of the invention it is sized to accept the more or WP51/SPEC/MCCAIN1.CAP/BV/7 August, 1996 less standard sized sauce containers provided by most fast food outlets.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the inner upper rear face of the food container. An extended portion 30 of the rear face 20 is integrally attached thereto and folds along lines 33.

This upper portion 30 is scored to fold along lines 40, 41 and 42 and is cut along lines 43 and 44 to enable such folding to occur. When the upper section 30 is bent back along lines 33 the portion cut along lines 43 and 44 can fold along line such that a platform is created with a back portion 31 and a o* base 32. In this structure is shown in Figure 1.

The arrangement generally is that an upper portion of the rear wall of a food container is provided such that when it is folded backwardly, the cut-outs can be caused to move in a complimentary manner, that is that the lower portion of the cut-out moves rearwardly and the upper portion extends upwardly so that there is provided a floor formed by the lower portion extending rearwardly from the container itself.

As shown in Figure 3 and Figure 1, when the food container is unfolded, an effectively rectangular aperture with an open front face is provided in rear portion 30. The edges 44 then run diagonally inwards and down to the front edge 41 of the recess such that edges 44 overlap and constrain a standard WP51/SPEC/MCCAIN1.CAP/BV/7 August, 1996 condiment container 51 (Figure 3) when the base 52 of the condiment container is placed on the base 32 of the recessed platform.

This cut-out recess can provide a means to receive a sachet of a dipping material, such as a salsa or chilli sauce, mayonnaise, or any other material. Sachets of these types of material are widely used in the fast food industry and normally have a vacuum formed body having an outwardly directed peripheral flange and a sealed closure 50 which can be removed by the user.

oe The condiment container is thus further constrained by its lid 50 and flanged upper edges overlying part of upper portion while the body of the condiment container 51 is located within the edges 42 and 43.

What is thus provided is a hand held container which can have a sachet of dip positively located therein and the person eating the contents of the container can use his/her free hand to remove the potato wedges or chips or other product from the container, dip them into the dip and then consume them.

This obviates the various difficulties previously discussed.

Whilst we have described one specific container made in accordance with the invention, and have said that the actual WP51/SPEC/MCCAIN1.CAP/BV/7 August, 1996 8 container itself is basically conventional, the invention could be applied to other types of containers which are made of a light stock, preferably a card stock.

Additionally different shaped cut out shapes could be provided for different shaped sachets also the sachet container could be formed in a side wall or even front wall should this be so required but, from a practical point of view, we have found that the rear wall is most satisfactory.

e* WP51/SPEC/MCCAIN1.CAP/BV/7 August, 1996

Claims (6)

1. A food container formed of a card type material, said container having sides and a base, wherein one side is a rear side of the container and has a portion of that side elevated above the other sides, which portion is provided with support means to support a smaller container or sachet, said support means being formed by bending the upper portion outwardly from the container along a fold line to a horizontal position such that part of the side adjacent each side of the fold and located between linear perforations in the side can be pressed outwardly to form the support means.

2. A food container as claimed in claim 1 which can be folded flat for storage.

3. A food container as claimed in claim 2 in which the support means is a recess into which a sachet or small container may be placed.

4. A food container as claimed in claim 3 wherein the food container sides widen with height above the base such eooo that a sachet which is located in the recess abuts o o diagonally sloping sides of the recess. 00000:

5. A food container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 in which the container is constructed of cardboard material. WP51/SPEC/MCCAIN1.CAP/BV/1I October, 2000

6. A food container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED THIS 1 lth DAY OF October 2000. MCCAIN FOODS (AUST) LTD. By Its Patent Attorneys A TATLOCK ASSOCIATES PTY. 0 0 a CAP/By/11 October, 2000