ES2373481T5 - Container for transporting hot food, in particular pizza - Google Patents

Abstract

The container (1) has a base plate (2) with a set of holes (21), a set of side walls (3) and a cover plate (4). The holes are arranged in such a manner that the arrangement corresponds to a round or elliptical base surface of a transported food. The holes have a diameter of 7 to 9 millimeter and/or ratio of the total area of the holes in the base to the base surface provided with holes is 8 percent to 12 percent. An independent claim is also included for a layout i.e. single-piece and/or cardboard, for folding containers.

Description

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DESCRIPTION

Container for transporting hot food, in particular pizza

The invention relates to a container for transporting hot food. Among them are especially hot foods or cooked items with a crispy cooked bottom. This type of packaging has long been known and extended under the name of "pizza box" or "cardboard box for pizza" and is used to supply or take freshly prepared food. Usually, it is also a cut of corrugated cardboard naturally insulating from the heat, from which cardboard boxes can be composed by folding substantially square by pure folding and tabbed lace. EP 1 331 170 A1 and EP 1 193 184 A2 show, by way of example, well-known cardboard gaskets for transporting pizzas.

The ability for the aforementioned hot or hot food to be crispy is an essential qualitative characteristic for consumers, which is not satisfactorily fulfilled in practice. Thus, they go through "lamious," that is, the bottom is softened and is no longer crunchy, for example, pizzas that were transported through the transport box mentioned above. Numerous brochures deal with the problem of the softened bottom and propose, for example, agents, which keep the bottoms of the pizzas away from the cardboard moistened with condensation water, such as EP 1 193 184 A2. Such agent requires handling, waste disposal and additional costs. EP 0 989 067 B1 discloses a plastic container with ribs to keep away and evacuate the condensation water from the bottom of the pizza. Such containers are more expensive to make and ecological than the well-known cardboard gaskets.

The well-known pizza boxes can be opened and closed repeatedly so that the customer cannot be sure if the box was opened unwantedly during transport and if the pizza was exposed to unhygienic conditions.

US-B1-6.169.270 discloses a pizza container with an adhesive seal.

Document DE 202 16 203 U1 discloses a packaging with originality closure, which is composed of a separate lid cutout and a hearth cutout. In the cover cutout, closure elements have been configured, which must first be folded so that they can be pushed through a groove of the floor cutout.

Document DE 9 312 187 U discloses a pizza box with a hearth, a multiplicity of side walls and a cover plate, the cardboard having been folded from a cut of a piece and having formed a joint between the plate cover and the side wall in the rear area of the cover plate and a perforation having been provided in the rear area of the cover plate, whereby the cover plate can be torn off after the front opening thereof and can be used as Advertising support

Document US 2003 085 363, as the current state of the art of genre creation, refers to a special pizza carton for recent cuneiform pizza pieces.

It is therefore a problem of the present invention to provide an improved package for transporting hot foods of the type mentioned above.

Said problem is solved by means of a package, a cut and a use with the characteristics of the respective independent claims. Advantageous configurations are subject to the dependent claims.

According to the invention, a seal is first provided, which indicates to the customer that the food package has not been reopened after being closed in the pizzeria. The customer receives, therefore, the sure feeling that the pizza was not subjected to unhygienic conditions during transport. The specialist will also come up with countless solutions and will describe only, by way of example, some cases of realization and principles. A seal is here a union of discretionary use, which cannot be released without realizing it.

For example, the cover plate can be attached by means of an adhesive strip with the container so that only one opening can take place due to destruction of the seal. The cover can also be self-adhesive - similar to letter envelopes - with the side wall and / or the bottom plate. In pizza packaging, therefore, no additional work stage is necessary, only the lid is closed and a tongue or the like is irreversibly attached by pressure / insertion with a self-adhesive zone. Additional optimization is achieved when a joint is caused by a disposable interlocking between the cover and the side wall or the bottom plate. Such joints can be made, for example, by means of sawtooth type tabs, which can be inserted into grooves arranged in correspondence. Such a tongue cannot be released without breakage.

It is also especially advantageous when a controlled breakage point or a perforated area is provided. When pulling the joint of an application or interlocking, it will then yield the controlled breaking point.

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Regardless of the type of interlocking, a controlled breaking point is advantageous, for example, configured in the form of a perforated area, since it facilitates the customer to open the cardboard, draws attention to the novel seal according to the invention and indicates that the food is in order.

When the non-detachable interlocking closure is configured between the cover plate and the side wall or the hearth plate in the rear or side area of the cover plate and a visible controlled breakpoint is also provided as a seal in the front area of the cover plate, which must be broken when opening the cover plate, the following advantages result:

The pizza oven closes the pizza box, as usual, lowering the lid. At the same time, there is an unbreakable interlocking joint between the cover plate and the side wall or the hearth plate. The peculiarity is, therefore, that by a configuration or a convenient labeling / coloring of the pizza carton, described below, the customer perceives this union, not as the site by which the box was closed, but will be observed in she only the hinge of the lid. In view of the customer, it is, therefore, the back of the lid and, therefore, will not try to open the pizza carton. On the front of the cover, a controlled breakage point is found as a seal, whereby the cover is connected to the front side wall. In addition, a protruding grip tab is preferably provided above the front side wall, which gives rise to the controlled breaking point, for example, a perforated line. At the same time, the interlock connection must not necessarily be provided in the rear area of the cover; it is enough that the previously mentioned components are provided in different areas, for example, in various side walls.

The perforated area preferably extends at least along the marginal section of the cover plate therethrough so that, for example, a right hand can press down the front part of the cover with the left thumb, while with the right hand pulls up the tongue, thereby tearing off the perforated area and, consequently, opening the lid. This makes it possible to break the seal easier and more intuitively than when the controlled breakage line runs along the edge between the cover plate and the front side wall.

After opening the lid, the front side wall loses its stability and sinks towards the user. The user can now, more advantageously, move individual pieces of pizza or the pizza on the hearth plate out, for example, towards a plate, since no side wall is found along the way. In the current state of the art, the pizza must always be raised above the side and moved over the entire open lid.

Due to the configuration according to the invention, the advantage is also that, after opening the container, the lid is separated and, consequently, can be used discretely to cover and keep the pizza hot as well as "second plate". Breaking, otherwise necessary, of the pizza container with the above-mentioned object is suppressed. Because the lid is generally placed with the inside facing up, it may preferably have an overprint, for example, an advertising message.

The pizza box according to the invention can, therefore, be folded as usual, does not need an extraordinary cost for the interlocking and provides the customer with the secure feeling of a "tear-off package" without ever having been opened before.

When the package is made from a cut of a piece, especially, exclusively by folding, it is not modified when folding during the usual operational course nothing that usually happens with the pizza oven. No more time is needed than with conventional boxes.

A further configuration of the invention, which can be carried out independently of the seal or in combination with it, provides that the hearth plate has a multiplicity of holes, through which it can be evacuated effectively and without incident moisture delay - be it liquid or vapor of water - in the sensitive area of the bottom of food. The number of holes, their diameter as well as their surface arrangement in the hearth plate must be made so that, on the one hand, liquid or water vapor can be evacuated from the underside of the food in sufficient quantity to maintain the crispy state and that, on the other hand, it is guaranteed, however, that unnecessary heat is not diverted from inside the container or that portions of the food are released. These objectives are achieved through the corresponding characteristics. The package is identified by the characteristics

following:

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that the base (2) has a multiplicity of holes (21);

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that the holes (21) are arranged so that their arrangement corresponds to the base surface (22)

of transported food;

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that he container (1) present a substantially square base surface or rectangular and / or a

surface (22) substantially round or elliptical provided with the holes (21);

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that the holes (21) have a diameter of 1 to 15 mm, preferably 5 to 10 mm and so

especially preferred from 7 to 9 mm and / or that the ratio between the total surface of the holes (21) of

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the base with respect to the surface (22) of the base provided with holes is preferably from 7% to 15% and in a particularly preferred manner from 8% to 12%;

from 5% to 25%,

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that support feet directed downwardly on the underside of the hearth plate are provided, having a length of preferably 10 to 50 mm, especially preferably 15 to 30 mm and most preferably 17 to 25 mm;

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that the support feet (31) be the extension directed downwards from a lateral wall (33) joined with the hearth plate (2), a corresponding recess forming from the hearth plate; I

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that the support feet (31) are a downwardly directed extension of the side walls (32) joined with the cover (4), which are guided by grooves (36), which are formed in the fold between the plate (4) of solera and the side walls joined with it.

The holes in the hearth are preferably arranged only in the region of the base surface of the food to be transported so that only the lower face of the food is ventilated, but not the remaining interior space of the container, since all the holes in the interior space Remaining are covered. This avoids superfluous heat exchange.

The evacuation of liquids or water vapor from the lower face of the food is facilitated by the fact that the lower face of the hearth plate of the container according to the invention preferably has support feet directed downwards. The height, according to the invention, of the support feet is dimensioned so that there is sufficient possibility of air circulation under the hearth plate to improve the crunchy state without the support feet being unnecessarily long or robust. The packaging also works, therefore, according to the invention placed on the table and / or stacked.

The customary simple elaboration of a transport container, carried out in a usual way by folding, can then be preserved, when the support feet represent the extension directed below the lower side wall joined by folding with the hearth plate, forming a corresponding recess from the hearth plate. In the lower edge of the side wall there is, therefore, an unfolded area, which folds out from the hearth plate to form the support foot. Therefore, there is no need for any additional material and, when folding the cardboard, no additional steps are needed to configure the support feet.

Similarly, it is valid in the alternative variant, described in the exemplary embodiment, in which the support feet are formed by the extensions of the side walls joined with the cover by folding.

The unexpected area indicated according to the requirement for the diameter of the holes, the ratio of the total surface of the holes of the hearth with respect to the surface of the hearth provided with holes as well as the length of the support feet directed downwards make possible a good insulation with excellent moisture evacuation at the same time from the region of the hearth and, nevertheless, a simple and safe handling when folding and also for the consumer.

The package according to the invention is preferably composed - according to the current state of the art - of a cut-out of a piece preferably of normal corrugated insulating cardboard. The package can also be made exclusively by folding, and it is generally possible to provide stabilizing tabs for locking in corresponding recesses. The invention also has the advantage that the crisp state of the food is preserved without additional steps being necessary in the processing and folding of the cardboard. Otherwise, the pizza cartons are punched out, there being no additional expense in finishing technique, other than punching the ventilation holes according to the invention at the same stage. When folding the cardboard, proceed as usual; in particular, additional steps are not needed, for example, in EP 1 193 184 A2. The cardboard is also ecological plastic.

More advantages are obtained from the following description and the attached drawing. Likewise, the features according to the invention mentioned at the beginning and carried out more widely in each case individually or in discretionary combinations of one another can be used. The aforementioned examples of embodiment are not to be understood in an exclusive manner and are exemplary. It is also shown by the figures:

Figure 1 a first cut for a pizza box with perforated square hearth;

Figure 2 a second cutout for a pizza box with round perforated hearth;

Figure 3 a third cutout for a pizza box with an improved seal; Y

Figure 4 the cutout of figure 3 with an alternative seal.

Figure 1 shows the cutout 1 for a pizza box. It is composed - as usual - of corrugated cardboard naturally insulated from heat. It is also possible to provide, at least on one side, a treatment / impregnation that reduces moisture in the cardboard and / or the walls of the holes, which prevents softening of the container

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by the water vapor. Especially suitable is a similar treatment in region 2 of the hearth. The cutout has folds (lines of a normal thickness) and cuts (lines with a greater thickness). The cutout is of a type such that a pizza box can only be formed by folding, which basically corresponds to the current state of the art of pizza boxes. This representation also applies to figures 3 and 4. To this end, the region 2 of the hearth provided with a plurality of holes 21 is joined in one piece by means of two folds through a side wall 3 with the area 4 of the top.

Together with the perforation 21 of the region 2 of the hearth, the following improvements of the pizza board have been represented.

The lower side walls 33 of the side are joined by means of a fold with the hearth 2. However, the folding has recesses 36 directed towards the hearth 2, which swing downwards and outwards together with the side walls 33 when folding these and, consequently, protrude below the plate 2 of the hearth. In an embodiment that, however, has not been shown in Figure 1, the width of the recess 36 decides the height of the feet, on which the newly formed pizza board is held. However, this results in a disadvantageous way that, with increasing height of the feet, a corresponding large recess 36 is also formed in the hearth plate, which, therefore, can no longer conveniently carry the food closed. Therefore, the recess 36 of the lower side walls 33 of the side serves in figure 1 only so that, after folding the side walls 33, a groove 36 is formed on the edge of the hearth plate. This groove makes it possible to pass the tabs 31 of the foot, which will be described later in greater detail.

The cover 4 has two upper side walls 32 on the side, which must be folded upwards when folding the cutout 1. The tabs 31 of the foot, directed outwardly from the side wall 32, are clearly longer than the height of the wall 33 lower side. When the pizza carton is closed, the cover surface 4 is carried with the side walls 32 folded in the direction of the floor 2, the upper side walls 32 being driven between the lower side walls 33. The set of side walls on the side is thus composed of the cardboard, finished forming, of the two upper and lower side walls 32 and 33 juxtaposed. When the cardboard is closed, it is necessary that the tabs 31 of the foot of the upper lateral walls 32 are led through the groove 36 between the lower lateral wall 33 and the hearth plate 2 and protrude downwardly below the hearth 2. With the cardboard finished forming, the cardboard thus rests on the outer ends of the four tabs 31 of the foot and, consequently, the surface 2 of the floor is located at a distance above the support surface, which It makes possible an evacuation of the air loaded with steam through the area of the hearth.

Although, under load, that is, with the food placed horizontally on the plate 2 of the hearth, the leading edge of the hearth plate would slide down, due to the force of gravity, until it touched the support surface. A cut 37 is also provided in the tabs 31 of the foot in front, which runs, with the cardboard finished forming, below the underside of the hearth plate 2 approximately at the height of the hearth plate 2 and parallel to her. By closing the cardboard, the user can also press inward, by slight pressure with the fingers, the movable part 38 of the tongue 31 of the foot divided by the cut 37 so that the upper edge of the movable part 38 becomes under the underside of the hearth plate 2 and, thereby, block it and support. The carton can only be opened, therefore, when the pizza carton receiver releases said lock. The release of the blockage is greatly facilitated by the fact that the projection 36, formed by configuring the groove for the tongue of the foot on the side wall 33, also protrudes slightly below the underside of the hearth plate 2 and thereby forms a stop for the mobile part 38 when placed behind. The cardboard receiver must therefore move only the movable part 38 of the tongue 31 of the foot out to the stop 36 and can then open the cardboard.

By using the seal or interlocking mechanism described in the general part, the same effect is alternatively achieved; the seal or the interlocking mechanism therefore satisfies two missions at the same time, namely, the user is indicated that, in the meantime, the cardboard was not reopened and that the lowering of the plate is prevented at the same time 2 solera.

Along the fold between the side wall 32 and the cover 4, concavities 35 directed towards the outside are also provided, which extend the cover 4. Said concavities 35 fulfill two missions. On the one hand, a corresponding recess is formed in the region of the recess 35, following the folding of the upper side wall 31 on the side, which watches over the air supply. At the same time, the concavity 35 has been arranged such that, when stacking pizza boxes of the same type, the feet 31 of the superimposed pizza box have a secure hold due to the lid 4 enlarged therefor. Without the concavity 35, a stack of pizza boxes according to the invention would be very unstable, since only slight relative movements would ensure that the foot 31 of the superimposed pizza box slides along the side wall 33 of the box, that is below. The concavities leave the cover preferably without edges or fissures - for example, forming a circular cutout - so that, when moving the boxes, a wedge is avoided. The concavities facilitate, at the same time, the grip of the lid when lifting it.

Figure 2 serves only to illustrate that perforation 21 does not cover the entire hearth plate 2. Rather, it is convenient only to cover substantially the basic surface of the food to be transported - in this case a circular pizza. Thanks to this, there is only an air exchange there, where it is most urgently

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it needs, namely, in the region of the bottom that exhales steam. Therefore, the perforation 21 of circular shape 22 is arranged in Figure 2, the circular line 22 drawn solely for display purposes.

Figure 3 shows a pizza box with an especially easy seal, which gives the customer the feeling of opening the container for the first time. The cutout 1 of a piece basically comprises a floor plate 2 and a cover plate 4, which are mutually solidly joined, by means of a front side wall 45, in the folded state of the assembly. However, a perforated line 47 is provided, which runs between the cover plate 4 and the front side wall 45, as well as a tongue 46 cut out so that, in the folded state of the assembly, the cover 4 of the wall can be torn off. 45 front side by pulling the tongue 46 protruding from the front side wall 45. This perforated line therefore forms the seal. The perforated line 47 also runs on the cover 4 in such a way that it divides it into two regions 4a and 4b. The smaller part 4b attached to the front side wall 45 forms only a support surface for the thumb or the fingers of the client so that, when pulling up the tab 46, the cardboard can be pressed down with the other hand Pizza. In principle, the perforated line 47 may run discretionally and the region 4b may also be moved further to the side, be smaller or disappear completely. The perforated line preferably runs from the tongue backwards and outwards to better apply force when tearing the tongue.

To facilitate opening, the perforated line 47a also runs along the upper side wall 32. This zone 47a can also be cut, whereby this side wall 32 would be divided into two sections, which would require folding additional handling. Therefore, section 47a is perforated, being more difficult to separate when opening the perforated line 47a, due to the unfavorable application of force. Therefore, the permissible load of the perforated line 47a of this section is designed is weaker than the remaining perforated line 47, namely, so that when the two sections are joined together and when they are open they are easily separable. The opening is facilitated if the lower part 47b of this perforated line 47a is open, especially if it has an opening 47b which extends downwards.

Next, the back interlock connection is explained, which is used only once when closing the container. The soleplate plate 2 is joined by means of a fold with a first and a second section 34 and 39 rear side wall which, as usual, can be mounted by double folding. In addition, the projecting portion 33a of the side wall 33 may be secured between the side wall sections 34 and 39 mentioned above. The second side wall section 39, which forms the side, rear, inner wall in the folded state of the assembly, has trapezoidal punches 43 on both sides, which can also run increasing the resistance through both sections 34 and 39 of the side wall . They are used to fit tabs 42 suitably formed in the cover 4, which enable interlocking by interlocking. For this purpose, the side, rear wall 40, formed at the rear of the cover 4, is provided with crimping tabs 42, which can be folded out to the position (see the left tab), drawn in strokes for effects. of illustration, that is, towards the side, inner wall 39. The tabs 42 engage there in the recesses 43 upon closing and prevent opening of the lid. In view of the user, the side, rear wall with its interlocking connection is the "hinge" of the pizza box and the side, front wall with the protruding tongue 46 is the "open" face.

When the tabs 42 protrude in a non-collapsed state on the side, rear wall 40 formed in the cover 4, the tabs can be folded down when the cardboard is closed without an additional operative stage. Otherwise, the side wall 40 must be pressed inwards - this occurs here so that, in addition, the protruding part of the tongues is hanging from the upper edge of the side, bottom wall 34, 39 and, consequently, is left without bring down.

In figure 4, an alternative, interlocking seal 42, 43 of a use has been shown. The interlocking is carried out by means of a notch 43 at the lateral, outer edge of the inner, rear, lower wall 34 and a shoulder 42 at the rear end of the upper side side wall 32. The notch 43 runs along the side edge of the side wall and thereby forms a notch, behind which the flat end 42b of the shoulder 42 can fit when the box 1 is closed. The other end 42a of the shoulder 42 is chamfered so that, when the box is closed, a bracing is established by the wedge shape, which yields when interlocking. The chamfering of the lower rear edge of the upper lateral side also prevents wedging when closing. Unlike the box in Figure 3, this configuration does not require closing any type of additional handles compared to conventional pizza boxes.

The rear end of the upper side wall 32 preferably extends slightly over the edge of the cover (distance a), so that also in the locked state there is a bracing between the side wall 32, top side and the front side wall 34 , bottom, interior.

Claims (2)

1. Pizza box (1) for transporting freshly prepared hot pizza, made of heat insulated corrugated cardboard, with a hearth plate (2), a multiplicity of side walls (3) and a cover plate (4), having been prepared the pizza box, exclusively by folding, from a cut of a piece, characterized in that 5 a non-detachable interlocking joint is provided between the cover plate and the side wall and / or the hearth plate, and Sawtooth type tabs are provided as a non-detachable interlocking joint, which can be inserted by thrust into grooves configured in correspondence and cannot be released without breakage.

2. Pizza box according to claim 1, characterized in that the non-detachable interlocking joint between the lid plate and the side wall and / or the hearth plate is arranged in the rear or side region of the plate of the lid and, as a seal, a visible controlled breaking point, in particular a perforated line or a rapid opening zone, is provided in the front area of the lid plate, which must be broken when opening the lid plate .

3. Trimming, to fold a pizza box according to one of the preceding claims.

Use of a pizza box according to one of the preceding claims to transport hot pizza with a crispy cooked bottom.

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