The present invention relates to a container according to the preamble of the claim.

Such containers are particularly known to be used in fastfood restaurants. They serve to receive foodstuff, for instance sandwiches or burgers. After the sandwich or burger has been put into the bottom part of the container, the lid of the container is closed and the closed container is handed over to the customer.

It is not unusual that customers do not already eat their fastfood items in the fastfood restaurants, but first transport the food to another place or eat it on their way. Therefore, the containers should not only be adapted to be filled in a fast and easy way, but they should also permit a safe (especially drip-free) transport of the food and subsequently a very easy handling of the food while it is eaten.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a container which meets all of these requirements with the help of means that are constructionally as simple as possible.

This object is achieved by a container comprising the features of claim 1.

The present invention is characterized in that at least one of the lateral wall areas of the bottom part is pivotable about the edge of the bottom area connecting this lateral wall area and the bottom area. Particularly, this lateral wall area can therefore be pivotable between an upwardly folded position in which the bottom part is closed in the form of a box for transporting the food, and a position folded outwards or downwards. In this downwardly folded position, in which the lateral wall area could especially be in alignment with the bottom part, the food can be introduced into or removed from the bottom part in a particularly easy way, for in this position the bottom part is accessible not only in a vertical direction from above, but is also laterally accessible due to the downwardly folded side wall.

It is even better if two, three or four of the lateral wall areas are pivotable around the edge of the bottom area connecting the respective lateral wall area and the bottom area. On the one hand, this offers additional possibilities of accessing the interior of the bottom part. On the other hand, it would be conceivable that each outwardly folded lateral wall area in the outwardly folded position is in alignment with the bottom area or just shows a minor angle of inclination relative to the bottom area. In this case the bottom area and the outwardly folded lateral wall areas so to speak form a tray for the food, the surface of the tray being that of the bottom area plus the surfaces of the outwardly folded lateral wall areas.

This â€œtrayâ€ will be provided with the largest surface if the whole bottom part is foldable into a flat position in which particularly all of the lateral wall areas of the bottom part are pivotable or foldable relative to the bottom area. The larger the formed tray is, the more efficiently can it prevent parts of the food, such as dressings or the like, from falling or flowing out of the container.

A connecting lug is preferably provided between two neighboring lateral wall areas. Such a connecting lug offers various advantages. On the one hand it can help to transmit the movement of a lateral wall area during inward or outward pivoting to the neighboring lateral wall area, so that it participates in the movement. Secondly, the lugs serve to seal the contact edges between two neighboring lateral wall areas at least in part in a collapsed position of the bottom part so as to prevent parts of the food from falling or dripping outwards. Thirdly, the connecting lugs in the unfolded tray-like position of the bottom part serve to enlarge the surface of the tray. A connecting lug may particularly also be provided on each corner on which the two lateral wall areas of the bottom part are neighbors.

Preferably, the connecting lug has a given folding line along the bisecting line between the two neighboring lateral wall areas. This helps to fold the connecting lug inwards when the lateral wall area is pivoted relative to the bottom part.

It is particularly expedient when the connecting lug projects into the interior of the bottom part in an approximately box-shaped position. The container can thereby be closed in a better way because the connecting lug does not protrude on the outside of the bottom part. Moreover, the connecting lug in the interior of the bottom part can fulfill other advantageous tasks.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention a recess is provided on the outer edge of a connecting lug, i.e. on the edge of the connecting lug facing away from the bottom area. When the corresponding lateral wall areas are pivoted upwards relative to the bottom area, the connecting lug projects into the interior of the bottom part and is there provided with the recess. This recess may now serve to secure an item received in the container, e.g. a food.

To be more specific, the recess may be arranged approximately in the middle region of the outer edge of a connecting lug, preferably in symmetry with the bisecting line between the two neighboring lateral wall areas. This has the effect that the two sections of the recess are positioned one on top of the other at the opposite sides of the bisecting line when the connecting lug projects into the interior of the bottom part so as to jointly form an enlarged recess in this way.

It is also advantageous when the recess is positioned approximately on half of the height of the lateral wall areas relative to the bottom area in case the lateral wall areas are pivoted upwards relative to the bottom area. When a food is then secured in the recess, this has the advantage particularly in the case of heated or even hot foodstuff that the foodstuff is kept at some distance from the bottom area. As a consequence, an air gap which thermally insulates the food relative to the bottom area remains between the food and the bottom area. Thus the food remains hot for a longer period of time and the handling of the container is improved for the user.

Advantageously, the dimensions of the bottom area approximately correspond to the dimensions of the lid area or they are at least in part slightly smaller than the lid area. The container can thereby be brought particularly easily into a closed position in which the lid part covers the bottom part.

It is expedient when the three flanks of the lid part are secured to one another such that they are each approximately perpendicular to the lid area. This makes the lid part particularly stable and it is given a box-shaped configuration in which it can overlap the bottom part.

To achieve a design of the lid part that is as permanently stable as possible, it is advantageous when two respective neighboring flanks of the lid part are glued to one another. Alternatively, other types of connection would also be feasible.

In a further improved variant of the invention, at least one flank of the lid part has a folding line along the bisecting line between the connecting edges of this flank to the lid area and the connecting edge of this flank to the neighboring flank. This makes it possible to fold or pivot the corresponding flanks into a position where they lie flat on the lid area, so that they need less space.

Even better, two opposing flanks of the lid part are each provided with a folding line along the bisecting line between the connecting edge of the respective flank to the lid area and the connecting edge of the respective flank to the neighboring flank. This has the advantage that the two opposing flanks are pivotable into a position where they lie flat on the lid area, the flanks transmitting this movement via the folding line to the middle flank, so that this flank is also folded to lie flat on the lid area. The lid part on the whole is thus foldable into a flat position in which all of its components rest flat on one another. This, in turn, has the advantage that with a correspondingly flat-foldable bottom part the whole material for the container is foldable into a flat position in which a great number of containers can be stacked in a very space-saving way. As a consequence, this offers enormous logistical advantages.

One possibility of forming folding lines consists in providing a perforation in the material of the container at the corresponding place of the container. This is a possibility that can easily be put into practice technically, i.e. to predetermine the extension of the folding line and to facilitate folding at said line due to the weakened material.

To facilitate transportation of the item contained in the container, it is advantageous when the container is foldable into a closed position in which the bottom part assumes a box-shaped position and in which the lid part overlaps the bottom part. This has the advantage that the lid part by overlapping the bottom part prevents the pivotable lateral wall areas of the bottom part from pivoting outwards, thereby ensuring that the bottom part remains in the box-shaped position. The item contained in the container can be transported in such a way that there is no risk that the container will unfold unintentionally.

Even better is a situation where in the closed position of the container the flanks of the lid part are arranged to be approximately plane-parallel with and outside of the lateral walls of the box-shaped bottom part. In this way the flanks double the corresponding lateral walls of the bottom part; an air gap may here still remain in the interior of the double walls. Both factors will improve the thermal insulation of the container considerably.

A further advantageous design is that a lateral wall area is connected at a first edge to the lid area and at an edge opposite said first edge to the bottom area. Thus the axis about which the lid part is pivotable relative to the bottom part is located on an upper edge of a lateral wall of the box-shaped bottom part. From there the lid part can be pivoted particularly easily into a position overlapping the bottom part.

In a further advantageous variant, at least one flank of the lid part is provided with a grip recess. It enables the user to grip the bottom part in the closed position of the container with at least one finger, so that said part can be retained while the lid part is upwardly pivoted relative to the bottom part.

It is here particularly advantageous when the grip recess is provided at the end of a flank that is in the neighborhood of the edge connecting the lid part and the bottom part. It is thereby ensured that the grip recess is positioned as close as possible to the pivot axis connecting the lid part and the bottom part, which is of particular advantage to the handling of the container, particularly to the upward pivoting of the lid part.

A technically simple and moreover esthetically satisfactory possibility of forming the grip recess consists in rounding off a corner on the corresponding flank.

A further improvement of the container according to the invention is that at least one lateral wall of the bottom part comprises a closing lug which in a closed position of the container can be introduced into a closing opening or a closing pocket on the lid part. The engagement between the closing lug and the closing opening or closing pocket makes sure that in the closed position of the container the freedom of movement of the lid part relative to the bottom part is restricted, so that the container will keep its closed position more reliably.

It would also be possible that the container is formed from a one-part blank. In comparison with a variant which is also feasible and in which the lid part and the bottom part are first formed separately, a one-part blank would offer the advantage of an easier and faster production. The blank could here e.g. be produced by a punching tool.

Manufacture could also be simplified in that the container is formed from one symmetrical blank. As a rule, a great number of different materials are suited as a material for the container, i.e. not only foldable materials. To simplify the handling of the container and its manufacture, foldable materials, such as plastics, paper, cardboard, or also other cellulose materials, are preferred.

Two preferred embodiments of the container according to the invention shall now be described in more detail with reference to the attached drawing. In detail,

FIG. 1 shows a blank for a container according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a container according to the invention with folded lateral walls of the bottom part;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the container shown in FIG. 2 with upwardly pivoted lateral walls of the bottom part;

FIG. 4 is a vertical section through the container at the position marked with IV-IV in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the container shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 in a closed position; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a container according to the invention.

Like parts are designated throughout all figures with like reference numerals.

FIG. 1 is a top view on a flat blank 1 for a preferred embodiment of a container 2 according to the invention. The blank consists preferably of a foldable material, such as paper or cardboard. The blank may e.g. be punched out of a larger portion of said material.

On its smallest region, the blank 1 shown in FIG. 1 defines a pivot edge 3. In the top view shown in FIG. 1, the part of the blank at the left side from the pivot edge 3 represents the lid part 4 of the container 2 whereas the portion at the right side from the pivot edge 3 forms the bottom part 5. In the embodiment as illustrated, the container 2 is formed as one part in that lid part 4 and bottom part 4 are each part of a single blank 1.

The lid part 4 centrally comprises a rectangular, here particularly square, lid area 6 which will later form the top side or the lid area of the container 2 in a closed condition of the container 2. The lid area 6 is pivotably connected with the bottom part 5 via the pivot edge 3, which is one of the lateral edges of the lid area 6. The pivot edge 3 may here serve as a pivot axis. At its three other edges 7, 8, 9, the lid area 6 is connected with flanks 10, 11, 12, namely with two mutually opposite lateral flanks 10, 12 and a middle flank 11 which is exactly opposite the pivot edge 3. The two lateral flanks 10, 12 are each provided with an adhesive lug 13, 14, which are separated by incisions 15, 16 from the middle flank 11.

The bottom part 5 has a central bottom area 17, which is also rectangular, here particularly square. At its four edges 18, 19, 20, 21 the bottom area 17 is connected with a respective lateral wall area 22, 23, 24, 25, so that the bottom area 17 and the side wall areas 22, 23, 24, 25 have a cruciform shape on the whole.

A connecting lug 26 is provided between each neighboring pair of lateral wall areas. Each connecting lug 26 has a substantially triangular shape with two lateral wall edges 27, 28 on which the connecting lug 26 contacts a neighboring lateral wall area 22, 23, 24, 25, and an outer edge 29 facing away from the bottom area 17. In its central region a recess 30 is provided on the outer edge 29. This recess 30, which is here about semicircular, is arranged in symmetry with the two neighboring lateral wall areas 22, 23, 24, 25.

In the central region of the lateral wall edges 27, 29, sectional incisions 31, 32 may be respectively provided to promote a folding-in of the connecting lugs 26 along the lateral wall edges 27, 28. Moreover, each connecting lug 26 is provided along the bisecting line between the neighboring lateral wall areas 22, 23, 24, 25 with a predetermined folding line 33, the extension of which may particularly be predetermined by a perforation.

Each of the lateral wall areas 22, 23, 24, 25 is pivotable in the illustrated embodiment via the joint edge 18, 19, 20, 21 relative to the bottom area 17. The lateral wall area 25 closest to the cover part 4 adjoins the bottom area 17 via an edge 21, whereas the edge of the lateral wall area 25 opposite the edge 21 is the pivot edge 3 which pivotably connects the lid part 4 with the bottom part 5.

In the region of the pivot edge 3 a small stepped portion 34 can be seen at both sides of the blank. The stepped portion 34, which is here made oblique, has the consequence that a longitudinal dimension of the bottom area 17 is slightly smaller than a corresponding dimension of the lid area 6. This will later be of benefit to the reception of the bottom part 5 in the lid part 4 in a closed position of the container 2.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the container 2 according to the invention, which container was formed from the blank shown in FIG. 1. To this end the two lateral opposing flanks 10, 12 of the lid part 4 are pivoted upwards by 90Â° relative to the lid area 6. Subsequently, the adhesive lugs 13, 14 are pivoted by 90Â° towards the lid area 6 until they are oriented in parallel with the edge 8 of the lid area 6. Subsequently, the middle flank 11 was pivoted upwards so that it is perpendicular to both the two neighboring flanks 10, 12 and the lid area 6. An adhesive bond between the adhesive lugs 13, 14 and the middle flank 10 fastens the three flanks 10, 11, 12 in a permanent way to one another and ensures that the lid part 4 remains in the position shown in FIG. 2, in which each flank 10, 11, 12 is oriented in a direction perpendicular to the lid area 6.

As can further be seen, the lateral flanks 10, 12 are each provided with a rounding 35 having a wide radius of curvature. The rounding 35 is provided at that end of the lateral flanks 10, 12 that is closest to the pivot edge 3 connecting the lid part 4 and the bottom part 5. The rounding 35 has a radius of curvature which exactly corresponds to the height of the respective flank 10, 12 relative to the lid area 6. The rounding 35 will later serve to provide a grip recess on the lid part 4.

In FIG. 2 the bottom part 5 is located in the same flat position as in FIG. 1. In this â€œtray positionâ€ of the bottom part 5, the bottom area 17, the lateral wall areas 22, 23, 24 and 25 and the connecting lugs 26 are positioned in a joint plane in which the lid area is also positioned. Thanks to this planar arrangement the components of the bottom part 5 so to speak form a â€œtrayâ€ , i.e. a planar surface.

FIG. 3 shows the container 2 which has already been illustrated in FIG. 2. In contrast to FIG. 2, FIG. 3 shows a position in which the three lateral wall areas 22, 23, 24 of the bottom part have been pivoted or folded upwards around the corresponding edges 18, 19, 20 relative to the bottom area 17 such that they are each perpendicular to the bottom area 17. To achieve this, and starting from the â€œtray positionâ€ in FIG. 2, the two opposing lateral wall areas 22, 24 at the side may first be pivoted upwards by 90Â°. Subsequently, the middle lateral wall area 23 is also pivoted upwards by 90Â°. During this movement the two connecting lugs 26 in the neighborhood of the lateral wall area 23 are folded such that their folding lines 33 are oriented towards the interior of the bottom part 5. As soon as the middle lateral wall area 23 has been pivoted by 90Â° relative to the bottom area 17, the two halves of each connecting lug 26 that are defined by the folding line 33 lie flat on each other, whereby they prevent any further pivoting of the lateral wall area 23. In the position of the container 2 as shown in FIG. 3, the lid area 6, the bottom area 17, and the intermediate lateral wall area 25 are positioned in a joint plane.

FIG. 4 shows a vertical section through the embodiment of an inventive container 2, as shown in FIG. 3, at the position marked with IV-IV in FIG. 3. As can be seen here, the lateral wall areas 22, 24 are pivoted about the edges 18 and 20, respectively, relative to the bottom area 17 in such a way that they are approximately perpendicular to the bottom area 17. In this position, the bottom part 5 assumes an approximately box-shaped position, with the bottom of the box being formed by the bottom area 17 and the lateral walls of the box by the lateral wall areas 22, 24.

The connecting lugs 26 project obliquely into the interior of the box-shaped bottom part 5. Since the recesses 30 are arranged in the middle region of the outer edges 29 of the connecting lugs, the recess 30 is arranged approximately on half of the height of the lateral wall areas 22, 24 in the box-shaped position of the bottom part 5 as is shown here.

An item 36, for instance a food, is received between the two recesses 30 as shown here. This may e.g. be a sandwich or a burger. Since the item 36 is clamped between the recesses 30, it cannot move in the bottom part 5. To be more specific, it can thus not drop down onto the bottom area 17. Thus, an air gap 37 remains between the item 36 and the bottom area 17. In the case of a warmed or heated item 36, the air gap 37 can serve the thermal insulation of the item 36 relative to the container 2. This has the advantage that the item 36 cools at a slow pace and that the walls 17, 22, 24 of the container 2 are not heated and can thus be gripped by a user more easily.

FIG. 5 shows the container 2 of the invention in a closed position. In this position the bottom part 5 is shaped into a box by the measure that all of its lateral wall areas 22, 23, 24, 25 are pivoted upwards by 90Â° relative to the bottom area 17. In all of the four corners of the bottom area 5 a connecting lug 26 projects into the interior of the bottom part 5 and can therefore retain an item 36 in the bottom part 5 in the way shown in FIG. 4.

The lid part 4 is then pivoted about the pivot edge 3 in such a way over the box-shaped bottom part 5 that the lid part 4 overlaps the bottom part 5. This overlapping is facilitated by the measure that due to the stepped portions 34 the cross-sectional dimensions of the bottom part 5 are slightly smaller than those of the lid part 4.

In the closed position of the container 2 a flank of the lid part 4 and a lateral wall area of the bottom part 5 are plane-parallel one on top of the other on three lateral walls of the container 2. The flank 10 is plane-parallel above the lateral wall area 24, the middle flank 11 is plane-parallel above the lateral wall area 23 and the lateral flank 12 is plane-parallel above the lateral wall area 22. It is just one single wall of the container 2 formed by the lateral wall area 25 that remains single-layered. All of the other three sides of the container 2 are double-layered due to the superimposed flanks and lateral wall areas, and an air gap may still be present between the flanks and the associated lateral wall areas. Both the double-layered configuration and the air gap further help to thermally insulate the container 2.

Due to the rounding 35 the overlap of the lateral wall area 24 by the flank 10 is not complete, but there remains a grip recess 38. A corresponding grip recess 38 is also found on the opposite lateral wall of the container 2 where the flank 12 does also not fully cover the lateral wall 22 because of the rounding 35. On the grip recesses 38 the respective lateral wall area 22, 24 of the bottom part 5 is exposed and can be gripped by a user. While the user is retaining the bottom part 5 in this way, he can pivot the lid part 4 relative to the bottom part 5 with his other hand. The grip recesses 38 thereby facilitate the handling of the container 2.

FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of a container 2 according to the invention. It differs in two points from the preceding embodiment. Both points can also be realized independently of one another on a container 2.

A first difference between the container 2 shown in FIG. 6 and the preceding embodiment is that the container 2 in FIG. 6 comprises a closing mechanism. For this purpose a closing lug 39 is formed on the edge of the lateral wall area 23 that is facing away from the bottom area 17. It has an elongate shape and is positioned in one plane with the lateral wall area 23.

The cover part 4 has provided thereon a closing pocket 40 with which the closing lug 39 can be engaged. The closing pocket 40 is formed by an incision into the adhesive lugs 13, 14 through which the closing lug 39 can pass into a space between the adhesive lugs 12, 14 and the middle flank 11 when the lid part 4 is pivoted over the bottom part 5 into a closed position of the container 2. It would also be possible that a closing opening is formed by an incision in the edge 8 between the lid part 6 and the middle flank 11, whereby the closing lug 39 can then get into engagement with said closing opening. Due to the engagement of the closing lug 39 in the closing pocket 40 or closing opening, the freedom of movement of the lid part 4 is restricted vis-Ã -vis the bottom part 5, so that the container 2 can be more securely transported in its closed position.

A further difference of the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 with respect to the preceding embodiment is that the two opposing lateral flanks 10, 12 of the cover part 4 are each provided with a folding line 41. The folding lines 41 are each arranged along the bisecting line between the connecting edge 7, 9 of the respective edge relative to the lid area 6 and the connecting edge of the flank 10, 12 with respect to the adhesive lug 13, 14 assigned to it. The extension of the folding line 41 may e.g. be predetermined by a perforation. Along the folding line 41 the respective flank 10, 12 can be folded such that the flank 10, 12 lies flat on the lid area 6. By virtue of the folding line 41 this folding movement is transmitted to the middle flank 11 such that said flank is also pivoted around the edge 8 relative to the lid area and passes into a position where it lies flat on the lid area 6. Although the adhesive lugs 13, 14 are still glued to the middle flank 11, the container 2 can be folded into a completely flat position in this way. In this position the containers can be stacked and transported very well.

Starting from the illustrated embodiments the container 2 according to the invention can be modified in many ways. Of course the container 2 is not restricted to being used with foodstuff. Instead of this, other items 36 can also be accommodated in the container 2 and transported. Furthermore, the container 2 is not limited to the square shape shown in this instance. It would for instance also be possible that the lid and bottom areas 6, 17 have the form of a circle, a triangle, a polygon, or any other desired geometric figure. The forms of the lid area 5 and the bottom area 17 need also not be the same. Of course, this will also increase or decrease the number of the lateral walls.

It would particularly also be possible that the bottom part comprises only one single lateral wall area 22, 23, 24, 25 that is pivotable relative to the bottom area 17 while the position of the remaining lateral wall areas is fixed relative to the bottom area 17. This already offers advantages because a pivoting of the pivotable lateral wall area facilitates access to an item 36 positioned in the container 2.