IT201800009612A1 - DISPOSABLE FOLDABLE / FOLDABLE CONTAINER IN PLATE OR ROUND TRAY - Google Patents

Description

TITLE

DISPOSABLE FOLDABLE / FLAT FOLDABLE CONTAINER

OR ROUND TRAY

DESCRIPTION

The present patent relates to disposable dishes or containers, and in particular concerns a disposable container that can be folded / deployed in a round dish or tray.

Disposable plates and trays are known, produced in plastic or plasticized cardboard or rigid cardboard, usually folded starting from a square or rectangular shape into a square or rectangular container.

Said disposable plates or trays are practical and economical to produce, they are light and at the end of use they are simply thrown in the trash as recyclable plastic or as unsorted waste.

Disposable dishes are not suitable for transporting food products except for short journeys since a simple inclination involves the spillage of the liquids that are part of the dish and, in the worst case, the overturning of the dish.

The disposable trays can be used for the transport of food products or dishes lacking liquids or that do not release liquids but in any case an inclination beyond a certain limit leads to the fall of the transported food product or dish.

Both disposable dishes and disposable trays do not absolutely protect their contents.

Disposable containers for the transport of dishes or food products are known, which protect the contents, do not allow the leakage of liquids.

These disposable containers, on the other hand, are not suitable for allowing the consumption of the dish or food product directly in said container but it is necessary to extract them from the container itself and place them on a plate or the like.

The present patent relates to a new disposable container obtained from a circular base that can be folded into a box-shaped container suitable for transporting all types of food with or without liquids.

One purpose of the new container is to maintain the container shape without using external elements, such as staples or adhesive tape.

Another object of the new container is to have, when properly and fully deployed, a substantially plate or tray shape. Another purpose of the new container is to allow the consumption of the dish or food product arranged on it, preventing the leakage of liquids all the time.

Another object of the new container is to be obtained from a circular flat element and to allow its folding so as to assume a container-like shape and to allow the transport of the dish or food product arranged on it.

Another purpose of the new container is to be used as a lid and as an additional plate or tray

These and other direct and complementary purposes are achieved by the new foldable / deployable disposable container in a round plate or tray comprising a cardboard sheet or panel equipped with notches and pre-folds.

Said cardboard sheet or panel has a circular shape and consists of cardboard of adequate thickness capable of supporting the weight of the dish or food product.

This cardboard sheet or panel is coupled, joined or coated on one side with an impermeable film, preferably of plastic material such as polyethylene or waxed paper film for food use.

This waterproof coating is designed to prevent any liquids or juices from the dish or food product from coming into contact with the sheet or cardboard panel.

On said sheet or panel there are pre-folds and notches.

In particular, there are four pairs of pre-folds.

The characteristics of the new disposable container that can be folded / deployed in a round plate or tray will be better clarified by the following description with reference to the drawing table, attached by way of non-limiting example.

Figure 1 illustrates the new container (C) in its flat-unfolded conformation.

The new container (C) assumes, when unfolded as a plate or tray, the shape of a circular panel (P) equipped with various pre-folds (L1, L2, L3) and notches (T).

There are pre-folds (L1 ', L1 ", L2, L3) suitable for defining various areas (A1, A2, A3, A4', A4") or areas of the circular panel area (P).

Basically, said pre-bends (L1 ', L1 ", L2, L3) define:

- a first square area (A1), extended for most of the circular area of the panel (P),

- four second rectangular areas (A2), having a major side (L1 ') coinciding with the side of said square area (A1) and the opposite vertices (Pa) to said coinciding side (L1') placed on the circumference of the circular panel ( P),

- four third areas (A3) with a circular segment between the greater side (L2) of each second rectangular area (A2), opposite the coinciding side (L1 '), and the arc of a circle between said two opposite vertices (A2' ) to said coincident side (L1 '),

- four fourth areas (A4 ', A4 ") substantially with a circular sector between two adjacent second areas (A2).

Each fourth area (A4 ', A4 ") with a circular sector comprises a further pre-fold (L3) according to its bisector, or from its vertex (La) towards the midpoint of its arc (Pb), suitable for dividing said fourth area ( A4 ', A4 ") in two half areas (A4', A4").

On each second area (A2) there is a notch (T), arranged in proximity to its smaller side (Ll ') and preferably parallel to said smaller side (L1').

The new container (C), when unfolded as shown in Figure 1, assumes a flat or tray shape.

By suitably folding the various areas (A1, A2, A3, A4 ', A4 ") along said pre-folds (L1', L1", L2, L3) it is possible to make the panel (P) assume a container conformation.

Figures 2a, 2b, 2c show in sequence the folding operations of the panel (P) until it assumes the shape of a container (C).

The second (A2) and third (A3) areas are raised with respect to the first area (A1) by folding the cardboard along the fold lines (L1 ') which correspond to the sides of the first square area (A1).

At the same time the fourth areas (A4 ', A4 ") are folded towards the center of the first area (A1) along the fold lines (L1") which correspond to the shorter sides (L1 ") of the second areas (A2) and along the line fold (L3) common to each pair of fourth areas (A4 ', A4 ").

The third areas (A3) can be folded as the last operation, or they can be folded together with the other areas (A1, A2, A4 ', A4 ") as illustrated in figures 2a, 2b, 2c.

The folding of said second areas (A2) entails that they are arranged orthogonally to said first area (A1) in a square, constituting the vertical sides of the container (C).

The folding of each fourth area (A4 ', A4 ") means that its half areas (A4', A4") are placed side by side and form an appendage facing the inside of the container (C). These fourth half-areas (A4 ', A4 ") are inserted into the notch (T) present in the second adjacent area (A2) as illustrated in Figure 2d.

The third areas (A3) can be arranged parallel to the first area (A1) in a square and towards its center. Or, preferably, these third areas (A3) are further folded towards said first area (A1) in a square by flanking the adjacent second area (A2).

In the first case, said third areas (A3) can constitute a general stiffening of the structure and / or a support base for a further superimposed container (C).

In the second case, said third areas (A3) constitute a reinforcement of the second areas (A2) giving the container (C) greater structural rigidity.

When the panel (P) is folded into the container conformation (C), the first square area (A1) constitutes the bottom of the container (C) while the second (A2) and third (A3) areas constitute the sides of the container (C) ). It is possible to provide for the use of a second identical container (C) placed overturned on the first container (C) so as to constitute a lid for said first container (C).

The new disposable container (C) which can be folded / deployed in a round plate or tray made up as described above has considerable advantages.

The new container (C) is produced, marketed and stacked in its flat deployed panel (P) conformation. This involves a small footprint.

The new container (C) is produced in economical and recyclable materials. When necessary, the panel (P) is folded into its container conformation (C) with a few simple gestures. In this configuration, the new container (C) is used as a container for the transport of dishes or food products.

The coating or sheet of waterproof material prevents liquids in the dish or food product from wetting the cardboard layer.

The conformation and folding of the various areas (A1, A2, A3, A4 ', A4 ") prevents any liquids from the dish or food product from escaping from the container (C).

The unfolding of the areas (A2, A3, A4 ', A4 ") around the first square area (A1) allows the container (C) to be used as a plate or tray to contain the dish or food product during its consumption, without the need for transfer the dish or food product onto another support and without the need to remove the plate or tray (P) from another container. variants without prejudice to the substance of the innovative concept.

Therefore, with reference to the above description and the attached tables, the following claims are expressed.

Claims (5)

CLAIMS 1. Container (C), comprising a sheet or panel (P) of generally circular cardboard coupled, joined or coated on one side with an impermeable film, said sheet or panel (P) having notches (T) and pre-folds (L1 ', L1 ", L2, L3), characterized by the fact that said pre-bends (L1 ', L1", L2, L3) define: - a first square area (A1), extended for most of the circular area of the panel (P), - four second rectangular areas (A2), having a major side (L1 ') coinciding with the side of said square area (A1) and the opposite vertices (Pa) to said coinciding side (L1') placed on the circumference of the panel (P ), - four third areas (A3) with a circular segment between the greater side (L2) of each second rectangular area (A2), opposite to the coinciding side (L1 '), and the arc of a circle between said two opposite vertices (Pa) to said coincident side (L1 '), - four fourth areas (A4 ', A4 ") substantially in a circular sector between two adjacent second areas (A2), and where each fourth area (A4 ', A4 ") with a circular sector comprises a further pre-fold (L3) to divide said fourth area (A4', A4") into two half areas (A4 ', A4 "). 2. Container (C), as per claim 1, characterized in that each second area (A2) has at least one notch (T) arranged in proximity to its smaller side (Ll ') and preferably parallel to said smaller side (L1' ). 3. Container (C), as per claims 1, 2, characterized in that said areas (A1, A2, A3, A4 ', A4 ") of said panel (P) can mutually rotate along said pre-folds (L1', L1 ", L2, L3) to form a container (C) open at the top so that: - the second (A2) and third (A3) areas are raised with respect to the first area (A1) along the fold lines (L1 ') which correspond to the sides of the first square area (A1), until they are arranged orthogonal to said first area (A1) on the waterproof side, - each pair of fourth half areas (A4 ', A4 ") is folded towards the center of the first area (A1), along the fold lines (L1") which correspond to the shorter sides (L1 ") of the second areas (A2) and along the folding line (L3) common to each pair of fourth areas (A4 ', A4 "), until each semi-pair of fourth area (A4', A4") is arranged next to the corresponding half-pair (A4 ", A4 ') and inserting the vertex (Pb) of said two semi-pairs (A4 ', A4 ") in the notch (T) of the second adjacent area (A2), and where said first square area (A1) constitutes the bottom of said container (C), and where at least said second areas (A2) arranged orthogonal with respect to said first area (A1) constitute the side walls of said container (C). 4. Container (C), as per claim 3, characterized in that said third areas (A3) are folded along the pre-folding line (L2) of said second areas (A2) opposite to said first area (A1) up to side by side with said second areas (A2) on their side facing the inside of said first area (A1), constituting a reinforcement and / or stiffening of said second areas (A2). 5. Container (C), as per the preceding claims, characterized in that the unfolding of said areas (A1, A2, A3, A4 ', A4 ") involves the change of configuration from container (C) to tray or plate (P ).