Rigid one-piece merchandising container

Claim 1

A generally rigid one-piece synthetic plastic merchandising container for storing ready-to-eat food products at elevated consumption temperatures, the merchandising container comprising: a tray portion having a bottom section and a generally upstanding sidewall, said generally upstanding sidewall having a peripheral lip having a designated draft angle, said tray portion further including an intermediate flange between said tray portion sidewall and said tray portion peripheral lip; a cover portion having a top section, a generally upstanding sidewall and a peripheral lip having a draft angle substantially the same as the designated draft angle of the tray portion peripheral lip, said cover portion further including a generally U-shaped surface which joins and is defined by said cover portion generally upstanding sidewall and said cover portion peripheral lip, said cover portion generally upstanding sidewall being spaced from said cover portion peripheral lip in a direction toward the inside of the container; said intermediate flange of the tray portion engages said generally U-shaped surface of the cover portion when the merchandising container is in its closed orientation, said tray portion peripheral lip and said cover portion peripheral lip being substantially complementary in size and shape, whereby an interference fit is provided between said tray portion and said cover portion by said respective peripheral lips and by said intermediate flange and generally U-shaped surface; said tray portion and said cover portion are sized and shaped for enclosing therewithin a ready-to-eat heated food product; a hinge portion integrally joining said tray portion and said cover portion into said one-piece merchandising container, said tray portion, cover portion and hinge portion being made of a synthetic plastic material capable of withstanding damage upon being subjected to elevated food consumption temperatures for up to four hours and more; means for locking said tray portion and said cover portion together at a location generally opposite to said hinge portion, said locking means includes a protruding part and a receptor part, said receptor part having a raised concave dimple and a slot positioned with respect to said raised concave dimple in a direction the inside of the container, said raised concave dimple further having a stop edge wall generally between and defined by said slot and the deepest portion of said raised concave dimple, said protruding part having a raised engagement boss with a generally upstanding engagement edge, said stop edge wall and said generally upstanding engagement edge being generally parallel to each other; and said protruding part and said receptor part are sized and shaped whereby the protruding part passes through said slot of the receptor part and whereby the generally upstanding engagement edge of the protruding part engages the stop edge wall of the receptor part when the locking means is in its locked orientation.