US4453665A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Container for expandable food pouch
Assignee: WestRock Minnesota Corp
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Filing: 1982-09-23
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Granted: 1984-06-12
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Expires: 2002-09-23
Abstract
Abstract An expandable food such as popcorn is sealed within a pouch formed of a substantially oxygen-impermeable, flexible, synthetic high polymer film which is dimensioned so as to fit for storage and efficient cooking of the food product in an outer bowl-like protective paperboard container. The outer container and pouch can be heated in a microwave oven and the expandable pouch and food is supported and confined in the bowl of the outer container, from which the food can be consumed. The outer container is formed from a unitary blank which can be partially erected and shipped in a flat, knockdown condition to a food processor for filling with the food pouch. The base of the outer container is provided with self-locking tabs to prevent the bowl-like container from collapsing and returning to its knock-down, shipped condition after fully erected and filled with the food pouch.
Inventors
- 👤 Harry I. Roccaforte
- 👤 Raymond G. Scott
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 18:15
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65D; B65D5/00; B65D5/20; B65D5/2014; B65D5/2033; B65D81/00; B65D81/34; B65D81/3446; B65D81/3453; B65D2581/00; B65D2581/34; B65D2581/3401; B65D2581/3402; B65D2581/3421
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
309 words
A quick-opening, non-metallic outer container for housing an expandable food pouch in a non-expanded and in an expanded condition comprising: a base portion having a bottom support panel of regular polygonal shape bisected by a scoreline and adapted to be folded about said scoreline, said bottom support panel having first opposed pre-selected edges and second opposed pre-selected edges, said scoreline being located between and parallel to said first opposed pre-selected edges, upwardly and outwardly extending opposed side wall panels connected to said first opposed pre-selected edges of said polygonally shaped bottom support panel, one of said side wall panels being connected to a plurality of adjacent side wall panels, said side wall panels being adapted to form with said bottom support panel a bowl when said bottom support panel is unfolded about said scoreline, said bowl being adapted to receive an expandable food pouch in a stored condition, means extending from at least some of said side wall panels to hold the side wall panels together, a plurality of overlapped, separate top panels, each top panel having an edge resiliently and foldably connected to each of said side panels, one of said top panels having a top seal tab attached to and overlying at least another of said top panels to hold the container in folded position, and means connected to said bottom support panel extending between said bottom support panel and said side wall panels for locking said bottom support panel in a substantially horizontal plane relative to said sidewalls, said locking means including a pair of abutment tabs foldably connected to said second opposed pre-selected edges of said bottom support panel adapted to be placed in contact with the interior of a pair of adjacent sidewall panels, and a U-shaped locking tab cut from each one of said abutment tabs extending partially beneath an adjacent sidewall panel.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
309 words
A quick-opening, non-metallic outer container for housing an expandable food pouch in a non-expanded and in an expanded condition comprising: a base portion having a bottom support panel of regular polygonal shape bisected by a scoreline and adapted to be folded about said scoreline, said bottom support panel having first opposed pre-selected edges and second opposed pre-selected edges, said scoreline being located between and parallel to said first opposed pre-selected edges, upwardly and outwardly extending opposed side wall panels connected to said first opposed pre-selected edges of said polygonally shaped bottom support panel, one of said side wall panels being connected to a plurality of adjacent side wall panels, said side wall panels being adapted to form with said bottom support panel a bowl when said bottom support panel is unfolded about said scoreline, said bowl being adapted to receive an expandable food pouch in a stored condition, means extending from at least some of said side wall panels to hold the side wall panels together, a plurality of overlapped, separate top panels, each top panel having an edge resiliently and foldably connected to each of said side panels, one of said top panels having a top seal tab attached to and overlying at least another of said top panels to hold the container in folded position, and means connected to said bottom support panel extending between said bottom support panel and said side wall panels for locking said bottom support panel in a substantially horizontal plane relative to said sidewalls, said locking means including a pair of abutment tabs foldably connected to said second opposed pre-selected edges of said bottom support panel adapted to be placed in contact with the interior of a pair of adjacent sidewall panels, and a U-shaped locking tab cut from each one of said abutment tabs extending partially beneath an adjacent sidewall panel.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
The container of claim 1 wherein the bottom support panel and mouth of said outer container is hexagonal in shape.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
14 words
The container of claim 1 wherein said side wall panels are trapezoidal in shape.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
33 words
The container of claim 1 wherein: said separate, overlapped top panels are interleaved, and one of said top panels includes said seal tab adapted to be adhesively connected to an adjacent top panel.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
14 words
The container of claim 4 wherein said top panels are substantially triangular in shape.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
32 words
The container of claim 5 wherein said seal tab is connected to said one top panel by a cut scoreline so that it can be removed therefrom upon opening of said container.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
9 words
The container of claim 1 formed from paperboard material.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
21 words
The container of claim 1 wherein each abutment tab in each pair of abutment tabs are separated by a cut portion.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
20 words
The container of claim 1 wherein said scoreline bisecting said bottom support panel includes a cut line intermediate its ends.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
11 words
The container of claim 9 wherein said cut line is U-shaped.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
14 words
The container of claim 9 wherein said cut line is colinear with said scoreline.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
185 words
A quick-opening, non-metallic container for housing an expandable food pouch in a non-expanded and in an expanded condition comprising: a base portion having a bottom support panel of regular polygonal shape bisected by a scoreline and adapted to be folded about said scoreline, upwardly and outwardly extending side wall panels connected to preselected ones of the edges of said polygonally shaped bottom support panel, each one of said side wall panels being connected to the adjacent one thereof to form with said bottom support panel a bowl when said bottom support panel is unfolded about said scoreline, said bowl being adapted to receive an expandable food pouch in a stored condition, a plurality of overlapped, separate top panels, each top panel having an edge resiliently and foldably connected to one of said side panels, and means connected to said bottom support panel extending between said bottom support panel and said side wall panels for locking said bottom support panel in a substantially horizontal plane relative to said sidewalls, said locking means including a U-shaped locking tab cut along said base scoreline intermediate the ends thereof.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
185 words
A quick-opening, non-metallic container for housing an expandable food pouch in a non-expanded and in an expanded condition comprising: a base portion having a bottom support panel of regular polygonal shape bisected by a scoreline and adapted to be folded about said scoreline, upwardly and outwardly extending side wall panels connected to preselected ones of the edges of said polygonally shaped bottom support panel, each one of said side wall panels being connected to the adjacent one thereof to form with said bottom support panel a bowl when said bottom support panel is unfolded about said scoreline, said bowl being adapted to receive an expandable food pouch in a stored condition, a plurality of overlapped, separate top panels, each top panel having an edge resiliently and foldably connected to one of said side panels, and means connected to said bottom support panel extending between said bottom support panel and said side wall panels for locking said bottom support panel in a substantially horizontal plane relative to said sidewalls, said locking means including a U-shaped locking tab cut along said base scoreline intermediate the ends thereof.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
299 words
A blank for forming a quick-opening, non-metallic outer container for housing an expandable food pouch in a non-expanded and in an expanded condition comprising: a bottom support panel of regular polygonal shape bisected by a scoreline and adapted to be folded about said scoreline, said bottom support panel having first opposed pre-selected edges and second opposed pre-selected edges, said scoreline being located between and parallel to said first opposed pre-selected edges, upwardly and outwardly extending opposed side wall panels connected to said first opposed pre-selected edges of said polygonally shaped bottom support panel, one of said side wall panels being connected to a plurality of adjacent side wall panels, said side wall panels being adapted to form with said bottom support panel a bowl when said bottom support panel is unfolded about said scoreline, means extending from at least some of said side wall panels adapted to hold the side wall panels together when the blank is erected, a plurality of top panels extending from each side wall panel and foldable relative thereto, one of said top panels having a top seal tab which is adapted to be attached to and overlie at least another of said top panels when the container is in its folded position, and means connected to said bottom support panel extending between said bottom support panel and said side wall panels for locking said bottom support panel in a substantially horizontal plane relative to said sidewalls, said locking means including a pair of abutment tabs foldably connected to said second opposed pre-selected edges of said bottom support panel adapted to be placed in contact with the interior of a pair of adjacent sidewall panels, and a U-shaped locking tab cut from each one of said abutment tabs extending partially beneath an adjacent sidewall panel.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
299 words
A blank for forming a quick-opening, non-metallic outer container for housing an expandable food pouch in a non-expanded and in an expanded condition comprising: a bottom support panel of regular polygonal shape bisected by a scoreline and adapted to be folded about said scoreline, said bottom support panel having first opposed pre-selected edges and second opposed pre-selected edges, said scoreline being located between and parallel to said first opposed pre-selected edges, upwardly and outwardly extending opposed side wall panels connected to said first opposed pre-selected edges of said polygonally shaped bottom support panel, one of said side wall panels being connected to a plurality of adjacent side wall panels, said side wall panels being adapted to form with said bottom support panel a bowl when said bottom support panel is unfolded about said scoreline, means extending from at least some of said side wall panels adapted to hold the side wall panels together when the blank is erected, a plurality of top panels extending from each side wall panel and foldable relative thereto, one of said top panels having a top seal tab which is adapted to be attached to and overlie at least another of said top panels when the container is in its folded position, and means connected to said bottom support panel extending between said bottom support panel and said side wall panels for locking said bottom support panel in a substantially horizontal plane relative to said sidewalls, said locking means including a pair of abutment tabs foldably connected to said second opposed pre-selected edges of said bottom support panel adapted to be placed in contact with the interior of a pair of adjacent sidewall panels, and a U-shaped locking tab cut from each one of said abutment tabs extending partially beneath an adjacent sidewall panel.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
16 words
A blank as claimed in claim 13 wherein the bottom support panel is hexagonal in shape.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
16 words
A blank as claimed in claim 13 wherein said side wall panels are trapezoidal in shape.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
27 words
A blank as claimed in claim 13 wherein one of said top panels includes said seal tab adapted to be adhesively connected to an adjacent top panel.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
16 words
A blank as claimed in claim 16 wherein said top panels are substantially triangular in shape.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
34 words
A blank as claimed in claim 17 wherein said seal tab is connected to said one top panel by a cut scoreline so that it can be removed therefrom upon opening of the container.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
15 words
A blank as claimed in claim 13 wherein said blank is formed from paperboard material.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
23 words
A blank as claimed in claim 13 wherein each abutment tab in each pair of abutment tabs are separated by a cut portion.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
22 words
A blank as claimed in claim 13 wherein said scoreline bisecting said bottom support panel includes a cut line intermediate its ends.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
16 words
A blank as claimed in claim 21 wherein said cut line is colinear with said scoreline.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
19 words
The blank of claim 21 including a U-shaped tab cut along said base panel scoreline intermediate the ends thereof.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1987-06-12 | 1987-12-12 | 1988-06-12 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1991-06-12 | 1991-12-12 | 1992-06-12 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1995-06-12 | 1995-12-12 | 1996-06-12 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |