Tilted cake container system

Abstract

A food container having a base (12) with a support surface (40) that supports a cardboard plate with a tall cake thereon, and a tall lid (14) that closes and opens over the base. The base has a rear end (22) with a vertical slot (50) and the lid has a rear end with a pivot connector that can be inserted down into the slot when the lid is in the pivoted-up position but that resists removal in the pivoted-down position. The base rear end that forms the slot lies on a raised platform (104) of the base that raises the slot above the level of the base front end (20), by at least ⅓rd the lid height, to cause the lid to move almost vertically as it clears the top front of the cake. The base support surface faces at a forward-upward incline angle to better display the cake through the transparent lid.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]Food such as a tall cake, is often packaged in a container formed of deformed plastic sheeting that forms a base and a transparent lid. The cake generally lies on a cardboard cake board that is, in turn, supported on a support surface of the base. In prior containers, the consumer removed the lid by carefully moving the lid upward, with care taken to not turn the lid or shift it horizontally. Any such unwanted movement might cause the lid to smear the delicately applied cake frosting. After the lid was removed, it was set down on another surface so a person would be free to cut the cake. A low cost container that pivotally supported the lid on the base until the lid had been pivoted up, and then allowed the lid to be removed, would be of value. The lid should be supported so it does not contact the tall cake during upward pivoting of the lid.[0002]When a cake is displayed in a store, it would be desirable if the cake were held so its top, which might...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0003]In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a food container is provided that facilitates opening a tall lid without brushing it against frosting on a tall cake that is supported on a base, and that better displays the top of the cake in a store. The base has a rear end with a laterally-extending slot, and the lid has a lid pivot connector that pivots in the slot. When the lid is first opened from a fully closed position it is pivotally supported on the base so its position can be closely controlled and it will not brush against the cake frosting. However, when the lid has been pivoted up by an angle that is at least 15°, it can be removed from the base by simply lifting up the lid. This is accomplished by forming the rear wall of the base slot with a base forward projection and forming the lid pivot connector with a latch that lies under the forward projection only when the lid is closed or at a small pivot angle from the closed position.

[0005]The base support surface is angled from the horizontal so any cake supported on it faces at a forward-upward incline. This enables customers to better see the top of the cake. The base support surface is angled from the base bottom that rests on a horizontal surface. When containers are stacked, short stacking projections that project down from the tilted base support surface of an upper container, lie on the tilted top of the lid of a lower container. This maintains a constant tilt of cakes in all stacked containers.

Problems solved by technology

Any such unwanted movement might cause the lid to smear the delicately applied cake frosting.

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