CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present invention claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/622,674, filed Oct. 28, 2004.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to food holding cartons, and more particularly to food holding cartons specifically adapted for use in connection with slices of pizza.

The fast food industry relies heavily on visually presenting samples of food product to the consumer. With restaurants that serve pizza, a slice of pizza is generally placed on a plate or tray and placed behind a glass viewing window.

In addition, it is desirable for fast food restaurants to provide the purchased food items to the customer on a durable and clean holder. However, it is also desirable that the holder be relatively inexpensive as they are disposable in nature and it is important that the cost of the food not be increased dramatically as a result of the holder on which it is delivered.

Pizza is often delivered to the customer on a paper plate or folding carton. Paper plates are often not durable enough to securely hold the pizza slice thereon, and the cartons are generally have somewhat rigid sidewalls that make access to the pizza slice difficult.

It is therefore a principal object and advantage of the present invention to provide a durable pizza slice tray.

It is another object and advantage of the prevent invention to provide a disposable pizza slice tray that is inexpensively manufactured.

It is a further object and advantage of the present invention to provide a disposable pizza slice tray that prevents the pizza contents from falling from the tray.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will in part be obvious and in part appear hereinafter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the foregoing objects and advantages, the present invention provides a pizza slice tray composed of paperboard and that is triangularly shaped so as to conform with the shape of traditional pizza slices, thereby not wasting excess material in its construction. The pizza slice tray generally comprises an essentially triangularly shaped, planar floor region on which a slice of pizza may be positioned; a pair of opposing sidewalls extending along the opposing side edges of the floor region and scored at the junction of the floor and sidewall to permit the upward folding of the sidewalls; a pair of reinforcing tabs extending rearward from the sidewalls; a rear wall foldable about a score line extending along the junction of the rear edge of the floor and the bottom edge of the rear wall; and a reinforcing portion that doubles over the rear wall and is secured in position via a pair of tabs that engage slots defined at the junction of the rear edge of the floor and bottom edge of the rear wall.

In its preferred form, the opposing sidewalls extend perpendicularly upward from the floor of the tray. The reinforcing tabs that extend rearward form the back edge of the sidewalls fold inwardly and are secured in position by the reinforcing portion of the rear wall that double over and include tabs that engage corresponding slits formed through the floor/rear wall junction. The sidewalls' reinforcing tabs are thus positioned between the rear wall and the rear wall reinforcing portion. The leading ends of the sidewalls have a slight upward taper to them that is apparent when the carton is fully constructed. The upturned leading ends extend beyond the front end of the floor region and prevent sauce, grease, or other liquid from easily flowing off the pizza, onto the floor region, and out of the container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be more fully understood and appreciated by reading the following Detailed Description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a blank used to form the carton of the present invention;

FIGS. 2A and 2B are perspective views of a constructed carton;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the carton;

FIG. 4 is a rear elevation view of the carton;

FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of the carton;

FIG. 6 is a perspective photograph of the carton in a partially folded construction;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along section line 7-7 of FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout, there is seen a pizza slice carton, designated generally by reference numeral 10, comprising a triangularly shaped, planar floor region 12, a pair of sidewalls 14, 16 extending upwardly along the side edges of floor region 12, and a rear wall 18 extending upwardly along the rear edge of floor region 12. Carton 10 is preferably composed of paperboard or other durable, disposable material common in the packaging industry.

Referring to FIG. 1, a blank of carton 10 is illustrated. Sidewalls 14, 16 each include a reinforcing tab 20, 22, respectively, that extend rearward from the trailing edges of the walls. The leading ends of sidewalls 14, 16 are conjoined and include a score line 24 bisecting them and extending to the forward most point of floor region 12. With reference to FIG. 1, score lines 26, 28 are formed at the intersection of floor region 12 and sidewalls 14, 16, respectively. Sidewalls 14, 16 are each foldable about score lines 24, 26, and 28.

Reinforcing tabs 20, 22 are each foldable relative to sidewalls 14, 16, respectively, about score lines 30, 32, respectively. Score lines 30, 32 extend perpendicular to score lines 26, 28, respectively. When forming carton 10, reinforcing tabs 20, 22 are positioned in overlying relation to rear wall 28 and are secured in position by reinforcing portion 34 that extends from rear wall 18, as will be further described hereinafter.

Reinforcing portion 34 extends along the upper edge of rear wall 18 and is foldable about a score line 36 that defines the upper edge of rear wall 18. A pair of laterally spaced apart tabs 38, 40 are formed on reinforcing portion 34 and are cooperatively positioned relative to a pair of slots 42, 44, respectively, that are formed through the junction of rear wall 18 and floor region 12. After reinforcing tabs 20, 22 are folded inwardly from side walls 14, 16, reinforcing portion 34 is folded downwardly to double over rear wall 18, and tabs 38, 40 are securely inserted into slots 42, 44, respectively, thereby securing reinforcing mechanisms 20, 22, and 34 in position. Thus, no glue or other adhesive is necessary to form carton 10.

When carton 10 is formed, the nose portion of conjoined sidewalls 14, 16, forms an upwardly turned spout 46. More specifically, spout 46 extends along a longitudinal axis X-X that extends in intersecting relation to planar floor region 12, and extends upwardly when floor region 12 is placed on a relatively level horizontal surface, such as a table top. By spout 46 extend upwardly relative to floor region 12, sauce, grease, and other liquids common to pizza are prevented from dripping off of carton 10 when its held in its conventional orientation, i.e., in a horizontal plane.