Convenient food container

Abstract

A food container includes a base (12) with a food-holding cavity (14) and a lid (20) that closes the cavity, each formed of plastic sheeting. The lid defines an eating utensil (32) such as a fork, by a breakaway line that extends around the utensil and that can be easily broken to remove the utensil. The base has radially inner and outer upstanding flanges (64, 62) and an upwardly-opening base groove (66) between them that receives a lid lip (72). At an initial opening section (60) that occupies less than one-fifth of the container perimeter, a section (62A) of the outer base flange is partially separated from the rest of the base by a cut (80) extending along the base groove and by opposite breakable lines. At that section, the inner base flange (64A) is of reduced width to provide more room for a person to grasp the lid, and there is also a smaller interference fit between the base inner flange with walls of the lid groove.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE[0001]This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12 / 075,549 filed Mar. 12, 2008, which claims priority from U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61 / 002,672 filed Nov. 10, 2007. Applicant also claims priority from U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61 / 098,583 filed Sep. 19, 2008.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]When a person buys ready-to-eat food, the store often provides at least one eating utensil such as a fork. The container that holds the food can be provided with an eating utensil that was attached to the container at the factory that supplies the container. The food containers are often sold wholesale at a low price such as several cents per container, and the cost of producing a utensil and the cost of mounting the utensil on the container, can increase the wholesale price appreciably. A way to significantly lower the cost for a utensil and installing it would be of value.[0003]Some containers with food already in them...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0004]In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a food container is provided that can include an eating utensil at little or no cost, and that has a tamper evident portion that still allows easy opening of the container. The container includes a base and a lid that covers the base, with both formed of sheet plastic, as by providing at least one separate sleet for the base and one for the lid or by providing a single sheet with a hinge portion that connects the base and lid. A sheet formed by the lid or a separate sheet pivotally connected to the lid, defines at least one eating utensil. The eating utensil is defined by a breakaway line formed in the sheet that extends around the utensil and that can be easily broken to remove the utensil from the rest of the sheet. When the utensil is formed in the lid, a label can lie over the utensil to block a hole in the lid left when the utensil is removed. The utensil can be formed in a flat lid central portion, and the utensil preferably includes a portion that extends out of the plane of the central portion.

[0005]The base has inner and outer upward flanges that form a base groove between them. The lid forms an upward lid flange that receives the base inner flange, and the lid forms a lid lip that lies in the base groove. It is very difficult for a person to grasp the lid lip to open the container, except at an initial opening region. At the initial opening region, a part of the base outer flange and base groove walls can be broken away to provide better access to the lid lip, by reducing the radial width of the base inner flange so the part that can be broken away extends further radially inward along the underside of the lip lid. Also, the interference fit between the inner base flange and the lid flange is reduced at the initial opening region.

Problems solved by technology

It is very difficult for a person to grasp the lid lip to open the container, except at an initial opening region.

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