BACKGROUND

Packaging of Bulk ice cream and frozen novelties (e.g., ice cream, frozen yogurt, sherbet, etc.) has largely consisted of creating cylindrical tubs (containers) for which ice cream is filled. The containers are used to transport and dispense ice cream or frozen novelties to consumers. Retail or consumer-based containers differ from one another in terms of their respective volumes. That is, a retail ice cream or frozen novelty container typically holds one pint to Â½ gallon of ice cream or frozen novelty. Conversely, a commercial bulk ice cream or frozen novelty container holds one and half gallons of product or more.

Because commercial bulk ice cream or frozen novelty containers have to support a much larger volume of product than do retail or consumer-based containers, the commercial containers have heretofore been at least partially constructed with metal, plastic, and/or derivatives thereof. Moreover, materials are often used with the construction of ice cream or frozen novelty containers to prevent the containers from rupturing due to exposures to extreme temperatures and due to exposure to liquids (frozen product that has melted).

Metal support mechanisms can create health hazards because employees dispensing the product can cut their hands against the metal ring and spill blood into the product. Moreover, the frozen product cannot be passed through metal detectors when a metal ring exists in the containers. So, foreign objects that are inadvertently present in the frozen product cannot be readily detected. With plastic support, the main disadvantage is expense associated with adding different materials to the containers and with adding manufacturing complexity to the construction of the containers.

SUMMARY

In various embodiments, frozen novelty containers are provided. More particularly and in an embodiment, an all paper-based commercial frozen novelty container is provided. The container includes a cylindrical sidewall made of paper-based product and having a volume of greater than or equal to two gallons. The container also includes a paper-based bottom sealed to a bottom of the sidewall. A top portion of the sidewall curls over to form a top of the sidewall, and the container is adapted to house frozen novelties.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a container, according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of another container, according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram of showing a bottom sealed to an outside of a sidewall of the container, according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a sidewall used to form the container, according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the sidewall sealed to form a cylinder having a volume between 2 and 6 gallons, according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a top portion of the sidewall curled to an outside of the sidewall to form a ridge, according to an example embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a container 100, according to an example embodiment. The container 100 is made of all paper-based material, such as but not limited to cardboard. It is also noted that the container is used for housing and dispensing frozen novelty product and includes a volume between 2 and 6 gallons.

There are many advantages to an all paper-based frozen novelty container. First it is safer because there is no metal, which means the container and its contents can be x-rayed (pass through metal detectors) and which means employees dispensing the frozen novelty product (ice cream, frozen yogurt, and the like) encounter no risk associated with cutting their hands against the sides of the container. Environmentally, the container is also more sustainable resulting in less waste and less materials to make the container. Additionally, disposal is easier as the container can be crushed and takes up less space when disposed of. It is also very cost effective because there is no secondary labor required for integrating disparate materials (plastic and/or metal) as a single product (cardboard) is used to construct the entire container.

The container 100 includes a paper-based cylindrical sidewall 101 and a paper-based bottom 102. In an embodiment, the container 100 also includes a paper-based lid 107. Each of these components will now be discussed in turn.

The paper-based cylindrical sidewall 101 has a volume that is greater than or equal to two or more gallons. In a particular embodiment, the volume of the cylindrical sidewall 101 is 6 gallons.

The paper-based bottom 102 is sealed to a bottom 103 of the sidewall 101. Any technique can be used to seal the paper-based bottom 102 to the bottom 103 of the sidewall 101, such as heat sealing, gluing, etc.

A top portion 104 of the sidewall 101 is curled over 105 to form a top 106 of the sidewall 101. That is, excess cardboard or paper-based material associated with the top 106 of the sidewall 101 is curled over 105 to an outside 108B of the sidewall 101. Example detail of this curl can be seen in FIG. 6 discussed below.

Curling the top portion 104 of the sidewall 101 to the outside 108B provides a variety of structural and safety benefits to the container 100. Frozen novelty is placed in the container 100 when it is in a semi-liquid form when it is frozen it expands, this is especially so during transportation to higher altitude geographic locations. When the product expands it forces the lid 107 up off the container 100. By curling the top portion 104 of the sidewall 101 to the outside 108B a locking mechanism is created for the lid 107 to ensure that the lid 107 does not pop off the container 100 during transit or while in storage.

Additionally, curling the top portion 104 of the sidewall 101 to the outside 108B provides stability to the container 100 during storage in a freezer. Still further, the curling to the outside 108B provides an inside 108A smooth surface for employees of enterprises to dispense the product. That means that there is no risk of an employee scraping his/her hand against any protruding material on the inside 108A and that there is no risk of material from fraying or coming loose and contaminating the product in the container 100. So, the individual dispensing the product from the container 100 can use the entire inside 108A of the container 100 as a smooth surface for using a scooper to leverage the product out of the container 100. Thus, curling the sidewall 101 to the outside 108B of the container 100 has a variety of structural and safety benefits.

According to an embodiment, the paper-based bottom 102 is sealed to an outside 108B of the sidewall 101. Example detail of this sealing is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

In another configuration, the paper-based bottom 102 is sealed to an inside 108A of the sidewall 101. This creates a recess 109 as shown in FIG. 1.

The remaining figures discuss various arrangements of the container and component pieces in varying degrees of detail. The container and components are all made from paper-based material and are adapted to hold frozen novelty product having a volume of 2 to 6 gallons.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of another container 200, according to an example embodiment. The container 200 includes a variety of components, each of which are constructed of cardboard or paper-based material. The container 200 is adapted to house frozen novelty product having a volume of between 2 and 6 gallons.

The container 200 includes a cardboard sidewall 201, a cardboard bottom 202, and a cardboard lid 204. Each of these components of the container 200 will now be discussed in turn.

The cardboard sidewall 201 forms a cylinder having a volume that is greater than or equal to 2 gallons.

The cardboard bottom 202 is affixed to a bottom 203 of the sidewall 201. As shown in FIG. 2 and again in FIG. 3 (discussed below), the cardboard bottom 202 is sealed to an outside 208 of the sidewall 201, such that the cardboard bottom 202 is flush with the bottom 203. In an alternative arrangement, as shown in FIG. 1, the cardboard bottom 202 is affixed to the bottom 203 along an inside 207 of the sidewall 201 and forms a recess, such as the recess 109 shown in FIG. 1.

The cardboard lid 204 is adapted to fit over a top 205 of the sidewall 201. The top 205 is where frozen novelty product is filled into the container 200 and where it is subsequently dispensed from the container 200. The cardboard lid 204 can be repeatedly removed from the top 205 to reseal the product housed in the container 200.

According to an embodiment, the sidewall 201 is curled over at the top 205 to form a ridge 206. This added sidewall that overlaps at the top 305 provides upward structural support to the container 200. The curl can occur to the inside 207 of the sidewall 201 or to the outside 208 of the sidewall 201.

In an embodiment, the container 200 has a volume of 6 gallons and holds frozen novelty product having a volume of 6 gallons or less.

FIG. 3 is a diagram of showing a bottom sealed to an outside of a sidewall of the container, according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 3 shows the details of how a cardboard bottom is folded over an outside of a sidewall for purposes of adhering a cardboard bottom to the sidewall and form the container. This fold can also occur to the inside of the sidewall and can form a recess, such as recess 109 shown in FIG. 1. The diagram shows how the cardboard bottom is flush with a bottom of the sidewall when it is sealed to the outside of the sidewall.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a sidewall used to form the container, according to an example embodiment. The sidewall is shown as sheets of cardboard. The sidewall may also be a single first sheet of cardboard, such as what is shown in FIG. 5.

The detail in FIG. 5 shows how the first sheet of cardboard for the sidewall is wrapped around to form a cylinder and sealed to either the outside or inside of the sidewall.

A second sheet of cardboard can be used to form the bottom, such as 102 of FIG. 1 and 202 of FIG. 2. The second sheet of cardboard is sealed to the outside of the sidewall, such that it is flush with a bottom of the sidewall as shown in FIG. 3 or is sealed to the inside of the sidewall as shown in FIG. 1 such that a recess 109 is formed.

A third sheet of cardboard can be used to form the lid, such as what is shown as 107 of FIG. 1 and 204 of FIG. 4. The lid is adapted to be removed from and placed over the top opening of the sidewall. So, the first sheet of cardboard is formed as a cylinder having a volume of between 2 and 6 gallons, that cylinder initially includes two openings. The first opening is closed via the second sheet of cardboard or the cardboard bottom that is sealed to either the outside or inside of the sidewall cylinder. The second opening is the top where frozen novelty product is filled in the container and where the third sheet of cardboard identified as a lid is used to open and close the container and gain access to the frozen novelty product.

The sidewall along the top portion of the cylinder is folded or curled over to form a ridge as shown in FIG. 6. The curl can occur to the inside or outside of the sidewall.

It is now appreciated how a new and novel container that is made entirely of cardboard or a paper-based product can be constructed for housing and dispensing frozen novelty product. This improves labor and cost efficiency, improves safety and improves environmental disposal over what has been done in the past.

The above description is illustrative, and not restrictive. Many other embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. The scope of embodiments should therefore be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

The Abstract is provided to comply with 37 C.F.R. Â§1.72(b) and will allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

In the foregoing description of the embodiments, various features are grouped together in a single embodiment for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting that the claimed embodiments have more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Description of the Embodiments, with each claim standing on its own as a separate exemplary embodiment.