Transport container for a single pizza and method for handling a pizza

Abstract

The present invention relates to a transport container (2) for a single pizza, comprising a housing (16) surrounding an interior space (22) and having a first housing part (18) and a second housing part (20) that can be moved relative to one another from an open position, in which a pizza can be introduced into the interior space (22) or removed from the interior space (22), into a closed position, wherein the housing (16) is reusable. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for handling a pizza during delivery.

Description

The present invention relates to a transport container for a single pizza having a housing surrounding an interior. In addition, the present invention relates to a method for handling a pizza.In practice, transport containers for an individual pizza are known, which have a housing that surrounds an interior space for receiving the pizza. The known housings are made of cardboard, the cardboard being folded into the housing. Thus, the known housings are designed in such a way that they have a lower first housing part with a bottom wall section for delimiting the interior space downwards in the height direction, two side walls delimiting the interior space in the mutually opposite width directions and a front wall delimiting the interior space forwards in the longitudinal direction. The second housing part is composed of a cover section for delimiting the interior space upward in the height direction and a rear wall for delimiting the interior space rearward in the longitudinal direction. The upper housing part is arranged on the base section so as to be pivotable via the rear wall, while the cover section is connected to the rear wall so as to be pivotable. The first and second housing portions are folded from a one-piece cardboard. Thus, by pivoting the second housing part relative to the first housing part, the housing can be pivoted from an open position, in which a pizza can be introduced into the interior or removed therefrom, into a closed position, in which the interior of the housing is delimited by the two housing parts, and vice versa.It has been found that a pizza delivered to the customer in such a shipping container is less crisp or crooked than was the case immediately after the pizza was removed from the oven. Moreover, the known transport containers lose their stability during a longer transport, which makes their handling more difficult and promotes adhesion of the pizza to the housing. Moreover, grease can escape through the housing parts and lead to impurities in the transport environment. Also, the supplied end customer is forced to subsequently dispose of the transport container.It is an object of the present invention to provide a single pizza transportation container having a housing surrounding an interior for receiving the pizza, which eliminates at least one of the aforementioned disadvantages in delivering a pizza to the customer. It is a further object of the present invention to provide an advantageous method for handling a pizza.This object is achieved by the features specified in claims 1 and 10, respectively. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims.The transport container according to the invention is designed for a single pizza and has a housing surrounding an interior. The housing itself is composed of a first housing part and a second housing part which are moved relative to one another from an open position, in which a pizza can be introduced into the interior or can be removed from the interior, into a closed position, and vice versa. The housing is designed in such a way that, after the transport of a pizza, it can be used again as a transport container for a further pizza. In this way, the housing of the transport container does not have to be disposed of after a single use. In this case, a re-useability is preferably understood to mean that the two housing parts are manufactured from a material which is washable off and / or water-repellent, as a result of which not only a hygienic re-use but also a constant stability of the housing is ensured.In an advantageous embodiment of the transport container according to the invention, the first housing part has a base section for delimiting the interior space downwards in the height direction. The first housing part thus functions analogously as a lower housing part of the housing of the transport container. The bottom portion is preferably square.In a preferred embodiment of the transport container according to the invention, at least one shoulder protruding into the interior is provided on the bottom section of the first housing part, on which shoulder a plate-shaped body can be supported in a tiltable manner with at least partial spacing from the bottom section. This embodiment of the transport container enables a secure support of a plate-shaped body on which the pizza could be positioned, wherein the at least partial spacing of such a plate-shaped body from the base section ensures an increased heat loss by the pizza transported in the transport container. In a simple variant of this embodiment, for example, at least three protruding projections can be provided on the base portion, on which projections such a plate-shaped body would be supportable essentially pointwise or pointlike. However, an elongated protruding extension or several elongated protruding extensions can also be provided, via which a substantially linear support of a plate-shaped body is possible.In a particularly preferred embodiment of the transport container according to the invention, the at least one protruding shoulder on the base portion is formed integrally with the base portion in order to create a transport container which is easy to produce. This embodiment is thus particularly advantageous if the first housing part together with the base section is designed as a sheet metal formed part, as is the case in a further preferred embodiment. In this case, the at least one protruding shoulder can namely be produced particularly easily during the course of sheet metal forming. However, even in the case of a first housing part made of plastic or the like, a relatively simple production of the protruding projection formed integrally with the base portion is possible without a separate production step being necessary for fastening a protruding projection to the base portion.Alternatively or additionally to the embodiment described above, the at least one protruding shoulder is fastened to the base section in a further advantageous embodiment of the transport container according to the invention. In other words, the at least one protruding shoulder is first provided as a separate component or material before it has been fastened to the base section. A protruding lug fastened in this way to the base portion enables, for example, the protruding lug to be produced from a material having a lower thermal conductivity than the material of the base portion, as is the case in a further preferred embodiment.According to a further advantageous embodiment of the transport container according to the invention, the first housing part has two side wall sections delimiting the interior in the opposite width directions and / or a rear wall section delimiting the interior in the longitudinal direction. The two side wall sections ensure that the pizza or the carrier described in more detail below cannot slide out of the transport container in the width directions when the two housing parts have been transferred into the open position. Moreover, the rear wall section ensures that the pizza or the later described carrier cannot slide longitudinally rearward out of the transport container when the housing parts are in the open position. On the side opposite the rear wall section, the first housing part is preferably open, so that simple removal from the transport container in the open position is possible.In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the transport container according to the invention, the side wall sections in the closed position can be supported or supported in each case outwards in the width direction, optionally also inwards, on the second housing part in order to ensure a high stability of the side wall sections in the closed position. In this way, it is moreover ensured that the side wall sections can be formed to be relatively thin-walled and thus lightweight, especially since their stability in the closed position is ensured by the supportability or support on the second housing part. In this embodiment, it is particularly preferred if the supportability or support is effected by a support projection which extends upwards in the height direction and is engaged behind in the width direction outwards by a support section of the second housing part. Thus, the support section of the second housing part can have, for example, a window-like opening into which the support projection extends in the closed position. However, particularly simple and flexible handling is achieved if the support section is designed hook-like, as is the case in a further advantageous embodiment variant.In order to enable stacking and thus particularly simple transport of a plurality of transport containers of identical construction, in a further preferred embodiment of the transport container according to the invention, holding projections are provided on the first housing part, which in the closed position project beyond the second housing part in the height direction in such a way that a transport container of identical construction, which is placed on the transport container, is supportable or supported on the first housing part in both width directions, preferably at least also in a longitudinal direction. If the first housing part has the aforementioned rear wall section, it is preferred in this embodiment if at least one corresponding retaining projection is provided, on which the structurally identical transport container placed on the transport container is supportable or supported in the longitudinal direction toward the rear.In a further particularly advantageous embodiment of the transport container according to the invention, at least one retaining projection of the aforementioned retaining projections is formed by the aforementioned support projection, in order to create a retaining or support projection here with a dual function, whereby the construction of the transport container is simplified. The corresponding support projection thus serves on the one hand to support on the second housing part in the closed position in order to stabilize the associated side wall, while on the other hand a support of the transport container of identical construction, which is placed on the transport container, is ensured in the width direction. Thus, in this embodiment, it is particularly preferred if one support projection on the one side wall section and another support projection on the other side wall section each form a corresponding retaining projection for simplifying the stacking.In a further advantageous embodiment of the transport container according to the invention, the second housing part has a cover section for delimiting the interior space upwards in the height direction. The cover section is preferably square. In addition, it is preferred in this embodiment if the second housing part has a front wall section which delimits the interior in the longitudinal direction and which preferably covers the opening in the first housing part which points forward in the longitudinal direction when the two housing parts are in the closed position. By transferring the two housing parts into the open position, the front wall section provided on the second housing part can open the said opening, so that the pizza can be removed through the opening in this longitudinal direction.In order to simplify the handling of the transport container when it is opened, in particular within a limited space, the second housing part is arranged detachably on the first housing part. The two housing parts are therefore not integrally connected to one another, but rather are formed by two separate parts. It is preferred here if the second housing part can be removed from the first housing part in the closed position upwards in the height direction in order to move the two housing parts into the open position. In particular, in the case of a fully set table which provides little space for the handling of the transport container, this is advantageous, especially since the second housing part can easily be removed upwards in the height direction without colliding with other objects on the table.In a further advantageous embodiment of the transport container according to the invention, at least one stiffening section is provided on the base section and / or the lid section for increasing the bending stiffness of the base section and / or lid section. The at least one stiffening section is preferably formed integrally with the base section and / or cover section and / or elongated. Particularly preferably, the stiffening section is formed by a curvature in the base section and / or cover section. If the stiffening section extends into the interior space at the base section, the stiffening section preferably has a lower height than the at least one protruding shoulder.In a further advantageous embodiment of the transport container according to the invention, at least one of the housing parts is manufactured from plastic, preferably a thermoplastic, in order to ensure the re-useability of the housing, wherein manufacturing one or both housing parts from a thermoplastic ensures a particularly high stability of the transport container. Alternatively or additionally, in this embodiment, at least one of the housing parts is made of metal. It is preferred if the at least one housing part made of metal is designed as a sheet metal formed part, especially since particularly simple production is ensured as a result. If one or both housing parts are a sheet metal formed part, it is furthermore preferred if the respective sheet metal formed part has been formed from a one-piece sheet metal part in order to simplify the production further. Moreover, a housing part made of plastic or metal ensures a particularly hygienic transport of the pizza.In a further preferred embodiment of the transport container according to the invention, at least one ventilation opening is provided on the housing for venting and venting the interior space. The effective size of the ventilation opening can be changed in order to be able to set the desired degree of ventilation and ventilation. Thanks to such a venting device, the venting and venting of the interior of the housing can be matched to the duration of the transport in order to ultimately define the desired moisture and / or crispness of the pizza when delivered to the customer.In order to create a particularly simple possibility for changing the effective size of the at least one ventilation opening, the effective size of the at least one ventilation opening in the closed position of the two housing parts can be changed in a further particularly preferred embodiment of the transport container according to the invention by moving the second housing part relative to the first housing part. Here, it has proven to be particularly advantageous if the effective size of the ventilation opening can be changed by displacing the second housing part relative to the first housing part, preferably in a plane spanned by the longitudinal and width directions. For this purpose, it is further preferred in this embodiment variant if this is done by displacing the second housing part relative to the first housing part in the longitudinal direction of the transport container and / or with forced guidance between at least two holding or supporting projections, especially as in this way already existing components of the transport container, here the holding or supporting projections, can be used to realize this function, which leads to a simplified and lightweight construction of the transport container.In a further particularly preferred embodiment of the transport container according to the invention, a removable, substantially plate-shaped carrier is arranged in the interior of the housing, onto which carrier a pizza can be applied. An essentially plate-shaped carrier can also be understood here as a carrier which, although having a plate shape, also has a narrow edge region protruding in the height direction. In the latter configuration, the raised edge could, for example, prevent liquid or grease from running off the pizza disposed on the carrier and coming into contact with the housing. On the other hand, a carrier which is exclusively plate-shaped would be advantageous in that such a carrier is particularly easy to clean and manipulate. The carrier is preferably heat-resistant, so that it can be heated and cooperate during transport with the pizza disposed thereon, so that it is particularly crisp when delivered to the customer. The carrier can preferably be supported or supported on the at least one protruding shoulder with at least partial spacing from the base section in a manner secure against tilting. In order to moreover bring about advantageous thermal insulation of the carrier with respect to the base section, the carrier is particularly preferably supported substantially linearly and / or point-like on the at least one protruding shoulder. For example, three protruding projections can be provided for point-like support of the carrier in order to ensure a tilting safety. If alternatively or additionally linear support is desired, an individual protruding shoulder, which runs in a circle, for example, may already be sufficient. However, in order to permit under ventilation of the support supported in this way, it is furthermore preferred if at least two elongated protruding projections are provided for the linear support of the support.Although in principle any heat-resistant material would be possible for the carrier, in a further preferred embodiment of the transport container according to the invention the carrier is made of metal. It has surprisingly been found to be advantageous for the quality of the pizza delivered if the carrier is made of an aluminum alloy or aluminum, as is the case in a further preferred embodiment of the transport container according to the invention.According to a further advantageous embodiment of the transport container according to the invention, the carrier has a thickness of at least 2 mm, preferably at least 3 mm, particularly preferably at most 4 mm. It has been found that, with a carrier selected to be correspondingly thick, a particularly crisp pizza can be delivered, a preferred maximum thickness of 4 mm being advantageous against the background of the weight of the transport container. Moreover, a suitably chosen thickness of the support also ensures the stability thereof during the support within the housing.In principle, the carrier can have any shape, but in order on the one hand to save material and thus provide a lightweight carrier and on the other hand to be able to carry common pizzas with a circular shape, the carrier is designed in the form of a circular disk in a further advantageous embodiment of the transport container according to the invention.According to a further advantageous embodiment of the transport container according to the invention, the carrier has a planar top side and / or a planar bottom side in order to ensure the cleaning of the carrier, which preferably can likewise be reused.In order to create a transport container which can be used equally for all common pizza moulds, but which has a compact structure, the interior of the housing in a further advantageous embodiment of the transport container according to the invention has a maximum height of 6 cm. Alternatively or additionally, the distance in the height direction between an upper side of the carrier and the second housing part is at most 5 cm.In a further advantageous embodiment of the transport container according to the invention, the interior space is dimensioned in the longitudinal direction and width direction such that a circular pizza with a diameter of at least 25 cm can be accommodated therein without the latter having to come into contact with the housing in the longitudinal directions and width directions.The method according to the invention serves for the advantageous handling of a pizza before or when it is delivered to a customer. The method is preferably carried out using an embodiment of the transport container according to the invention. In order to be able to hand a particularly crisp and less greasy pizza to the customer, the following method steps are carried out. First, a pizza, for example, first in the form of raw pizza dough and pizza topping, is baked in an oven. In addition, a substantially plate-shaped, preferably metallic, carrier is heated. When heating the support, it is preferred if the heating thereof takes place simultaneously with the baking of the pizza or / and in the oven in which the pizza is also baked. In order to be able to carry out the method particularly quickly, it is furthermore preferred if the heating of the carrier takes place with the pizza disposed on the carrier, so that the combination of carrier and pizza can be introduced into the housing of a transport container particularly quickly and without great effort after baking or heating. Thus, for example, the raw dough can already be spread on the carrier and subsequently covered with a corresponding coating before the latter is introduced into the oven together with the carrier. The heated carrier is then introduced into a housing in such a way that the carrier is supported on at least one protruding shoulder on the base portion side with at least partial spacing from a base portion of the housing in a manner secure against tilting. As already indicated above, it is preferred if the carrier with the pizza already arranged thereon is introduced into the housing or the pizza is arranged on the carrier after the introduction of the carrier. Subsequently, the housing is closed. The transport of the housing together with the carrier supported therein and the pizza to the customer then takes place.Thanks to the described method, the customer ultimately receives a particularly crisp and warm pizza, while the supplier thereof can reuse the housing together with the carrier without the need for disposal of a disposable container by the customer.Further embodiments and advantages of the method according to the invention result from the preceding description of the transport container according to the invention, so that the preceding description applies in this respect correspondingly to the method according to the invention and its embodiments.The invention is explained in more detail below on the basis of an exemplary embodiment with reference to the attached drawings. The following are shown: FIG. 1 shows a perspective exploded illustration of an embodiment of the transport container according to the invention, FIG. 2 shows the transport container of FIG. 1 with the carrier supported on the protruding attachments, FIG. 3 ashows a partial cross-sectional view along the section line A-A in FIG. 1 according to a first embodiment variant, FIG. 3 bshows a partial cross-sectional view along the section line A-A in FIG. 1 according to a second embodiment variant, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B--B in FIG. 1, FIG. 5 shows the transport container from FIGS. 1 to 4 with the first and second housing parts in the closed position and fully closed ventilation openings, FIG. 6 shows the transport container from FIG. 5 with partially opened ventilation openings, FIG. 7 shows the transport container from FIGS. 5 and 6 with fully opened ventilation openings, and FIG. 8 shows a plurality of substantially identically constructed transport containers according to FIGS. 1 to 7 stacked one on top of the other.FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a transport container 2 for an individual pizza in an exploded view. In the figures, the mutually opposite longitudinal directions 4, 6, the mutually opposite width directions 8, 10 and the mutually opposite height directions 12, 14 of the transport container 2 are indicated by corresponding arrows. In this case, the height direction 12 corresponds to the height direction upwards and the height direction 14 corresponds to the height direction downwards when the transport container 2 is arranged in its use position.The transport container 2 has a housing 16 which is composed or can be assembled from a first housing part 18 and a second housing part 20. Also, the first housing part 18, which may also be referred to as upper housing part 18, is detachably arranged on the first housing part 18. Specifically, the first housing part 18 can be removed from the first housing part 18 upwards in the height direction 12, as can be seen in particular from FIGS. 1 and 2. Consequently, the first housing part 18 and the second housing part 20 can be moved relative to one another from an open position, which is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and in which a pizza can be introduced or removed, into a closed position, which is shown in FIGS. 5 to 7. In the closed position, the two housing parts 18, 20 surround an interior 22, which can be seen in particular in the open position according to FIGS. 1 and 2.Moreover, the transport container 2 has a metallic carrier 24 arranged in the interior 22, as can be seen in FIG. 2, wherein the carrier 24 can be removed from the interior 22, as shown in FIG. 1. Both the first housing part 18 and the second housing part 20 and the carrier 24 are reusable, which in the embodiment shown comprises in particular that these are manufactured from a washable and / or moisture-repellent material.The first housing part 18 has a substantially square bottom section 26 for delimiting the interior space 22 downwards in the height direction 14. In addition, the first housing part 18 has two side wall sections 28, 30 delimiting the interior 22 in the opposite width directions 8, 10. In this case, the side wall section 28 adjoins the base section 26 in the width direction 8, while the side wall section 30 adjoins the base section 26 in the width direction 10. In addition, the first housing part 18 has a rear wall section 32 which delimits the interior 22 to the rear in the longitudinal direction 6. In the longitudinal direction 4 toward the front, however, the interior 22 is not bounded by the first housing part 18, rather an opening 34 is formed here.The second housing part 20, which can also be referred to as upper housing part 20, has a substantially square cover section 36 which, in the closed position shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, delimits the interior 22 upwards in the height direction 12. Furthermore, a front wall section 38 of the second housing part 20 is connected in the longitudinal direction 4, which front wall section is angled with respect to the cover section 36 and, in the closed position according to FIGS. 5 to 7, delimits the interior space 22 in the longitudinal direction 4, and therefore closes the opening 34 of the first housing part 18 pointing in the longitudinal direction 4.Both housing parts 18, 20 together with their further components can be manufactured from plastic, preferably a thermoplastic. In the embodiment shown, however, the two housing parts 18, 20 are manufactured, for example, from metal, wherein both housing parts 18, 20 are formed as a sheet metal formed part and the respective sheet metal formed part has been formed from a one-piece sheet metal part. The design of the two housing parts 18, 20 as sheet metal formed parts enables a particularly simple production of the housing 16 and a high stability thereof.At least one shoulder 40 protruding into the interior space 22 in the height direction 12 is furthermore provided on the bottom section 26 of the first housing part 18. Specifically, in the illustrated embodiment, three protruding bosses 40 are provided on the bottom portion 26. The carrier 24 can be supported on the protruding attachments 40 in the height direction 14 so as to be at least partially spaced apart from the base section 26, as is indicated in FIG. 2. The three protruding projections 40 each allow a substantially point-like support.Regardless of the respective shape of the protruding projections 40, these can be realized in different ways. Thus, FIG. 3 ashows by way of example that the protruding attachments 40 are formed integrally with the base section 26 of the first housing part 18. This can be realized relatively easily both in the case of a base section 26 made of plastic and in the case of a base section 26 made of a metal or a sheet metal formed part, wherein in the case of a first housing part 18 which is configured as a sheet metal formed part, the protruding shoulder 40 can be produced very easily during the deformation of the original sheet metal part. Thus, the protruding extension 40 can preferably be formed by a curvature in the base section 26, as shown in FIG. 3 a. A second variant for realizing the protruding projections 40 is shown in FIG. 3 b. In this case, the protruding boss 40 is not integrally formed with the bottom portion 26, but the previously separately formed protruding boss 40 has been post-fixed to the existing bottom portion 26. For example, the protruding boss 40 may have been bolted, bonded, or otherwise connected to the bottom portion 26. In the second variant according to FIG. 3 b, the advantage can be seen in the fact that the protruding shoulder 40 can be made of a material which has a lower thermal conductivity than the material of the base section 26, as is the case in the illustrated variant according to FIG. 3 b. Thus, the protruding attachment 40 in the embodiment variant according to FIG. 3 bmay be formed, for example, from a plastic or a rubber, so that not only is there a reasonable insulation between the base portion 26 and the carrier 24 supported on the protruding attachments 40, but also a non-slip support of the carrier 24 on the protruding attachments 40. A displacement of the carrier 24 in the longitudinal directions 4, 6 and the width directions 8, 10 during the transport of the transport container 2 can thereby be avoided.At least one stiffening section 42 is furthermore provided on the base section 26, wherein four stiffening sections 42 are provided by way of example in the specific embodiment. The at least one stiffening section 42 serves to increase the bending stiffness of the base section 26. The stiffening section 42 is preferably elongated and / or formed integrally with the base section 26. It is particularly preferred here if the stiffening section 42 formed integrally with the base section 26 is formed by a curvature in the base section 26, as has already been explained with reference to the protruding attachments 40 and is shown in particular in FIG. 4.At least one such stiffening section 42 is preferably also provided on the cover section 36 for increasing the bending stiffness of the cover section 36, wherein four stiffening sections 42 are shown on the cover section 36 by way of example in the figures.The stiffening portion 42 or the bulge at the bottom portion 26 can protrude upwards in the height direction 12 into the interior space 22 or downwards in the height direction 14. However, in the former case, the bulge 42 should then have a lower height than the protruding bosses 40 to be spaced from the bracket 24 supported on the protruding bosses 40, as shown in FIG. 4.Although not shown in the figures, the protruding extension 40 can also be elongated-similar to the stiffening section 42-in order to allow linear support of the carrier 24, although the point-like support is preferred due to the smaller contact area with the carrier 24 and the reduced heat transfer connected thereto.The carrier 24 is manufactured from an aluminum alloy or aluminum and has a thickness d of at least 2 mm, preferably at least 3 mm, particularly preferably at most 4 mm. The support 24 is also circular disk-shaped with a diameter D of at least 25 cm. Moreover, the interior space 22 of the housing 16 is dimensioned in the longitudinal directions 4, 6 and the width directions 8, 10 such that the carrier 24 can be accommodated therein.A plurality of retaining projections 44, 46, 48 are also provided on the first housing part 18. Thus, on the edges of the side wall sections 28, 30 facing upwards in the height direction 12, two retaining projections 44, 46 are provided which project upwards in the height direction 12 and are arranged at said edge spaced apart from one another in the longitudinal direction 4, 6. In this case, the retaining projections 44, 46 of the side wall section 28 are offset in the width direction 8 with respect to the side wall section 28. The same applies to the holding projections 44, 46 on the side wall section 30, which are offset with respect to the side wall section 30 in the width direction 10. In this embodiment, the holding projections 44, 46 are formed tongue-like, so that they can be produced very easily during the sheet metal forming process. On the edge of the rear wall section 32 facing upwards in the height direction 12, on the other hand, the holding projection 48 is arranged, which is offset towards the rear in the longitudinal direction 6 with respect to the rear wall section 32. The holding projections 44, 46, 48 are designed such that, in the closed position shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, they project upward in the height direction 12 over the second housing part 20 or its cover section 36 such that a substantially identically constructed transport container which is placed on the transport container 2 is supportable or supported in the width directions 8, 10 on the holding projections 44, 46 and rearward in the longitudinal direction 6 on the holding projection 48, as shown in FIG. 8. In this way, a simple stacking of a plurality of transport containers 2 of identical construction and a secure transport of the stack according to FIG. 8 are made possible.Furthermore, on the first housing part 18 there are provided support projections 50 which, starting from the upper edges of the side wall sections 28, 30 and / or of the rear wall section 32, extend at least partially over the opening in the first housing part 18 which points upwards in the height direction 12 and is to be covered by the cover section 36 of the second housing part 20 in the closed position, so that the cover section 36 is supported by the support projections 50 in the closed position according to FIGS. 5 to 7. The support projections 50 are also preferably tongue-like and can be produced in a particularly advantageous manner within the scope of the sheet metal forming process.In the closed position according to FIGS. 5 to 7, the side wall section 28 can be supported or supported on the second housing part 20 outwards in the width direction 8, in the present example also inwards in the width direction 10. The same applies to the side wall section 30, which in the closed position according to FIGS. 5 to 7 is supportable or supported on the second housing part 20 outwards in the width direction 10, in the present example also inwards in the width direction 8. For this purpose, a support projection which extends upwards in the height direction 12 is provided in each case on the two side wall sections 28, 30, and is formed here in an advantageous manner by the already mentioned retaining projection 44. In the closed position in the width direction 8 or 10, the two support projections 44, 44 are each engaged behind by a support section 52 of the second housing part 20, which is formed in the shape of a hook. The two hook-shaped support sections 52 can be produced particularly easily already within the scope of sheet forming and make it possible not only to remove the second housing part 20 upward in the height direction 12 but also forward in the longitudinal direction 4.In order to enable a permanent ventilation and venting of the interior space 22 in the closed position, vent openings 54, 56 are formed in the housing parts 18, 20, the effective size of which cannot be changed. Thus, two substantially circular ventilation openings 54 are provided in the rear wall section 32 of the first housing part 18. In contrast, an elongate ventilation opening 56 is formed in the second housing part 20, more precisely in the front wall section 38 thereof. The elongated vent opening 56 is provided on the side of an elongated protrusion 58 in the front wall section 38 facing downward in the height direction 14, so that the vent opening 56 of the ventilation and the protrusion 58 can serve as a handle to simplify the handling of the second housing part 20.In order to be able to control the venting and venting of the interior space 22 in a targeted manner, a plurality of venting openings 60 are furthermore provided on the housing 16, the effective size of which can be changed or set in a targeted manner. In the embodiment shown, the mentioned ventilation openings 60 are provided in the side wall sections 28, 30 of the first housing part 18. In order to be able to change or adjust the effective size of these ventilation openings 60, closing sections 62 are arranged on the second housing part 20. Thus, one closing section 62 adjoins the edge of the cover section 36 pointing in the width direction 8, while another closing section 62 adjoins the edge of the cover section 36 pointing in the width direction 10 at an angle. Both closing portions 62 extend downward in the height direction 14. Moreover, substantially the same openings are provided in the closing portions 62 as in the side wall portions 28, 30 of the first housing part 18.If the second housing part 20 is brought into the closed position according to FIG. 5, the closing sections 62 of the second housing part 20 enter the interior 22, so that the closing sections 62 are arranged behind the ventilation openings 60 of the side wall section 28 in the width direction 10 and behind the ventilation openings 60 of the side wall section 30 in the width direction 8, respectively. In this case, the openings in the closing sections 62 in the closed position according to FIG. 5 are offset in the longitudinal directions 4, 6 with respect to the ventilation openings 60 in such a way that the ventilation openings 60 are completely covered by the respective closing section 62. Starting from FIG. 5, however, the second housing part 20 is displaceable in the longitudinal direction 6 to the rear relative to the first housing part 18, this being effected under positive guidance between the retaining projections 44, 46. If the second housing part 20 is displaced in the longitudinal direction 6 relative to the first housing part 18, the openings in the closing sections 62 at least partially come into register with the ventilation openings 60 of the side wall sections 28, 30, so that the effective size of the ventilation openings 60 has been increased, which are thus at least partially open. When being displaced into this position, the front wall section 38 of the second housing part 20 dips into the opening 34 in the first housing part 18 in the longitudinal direction 6. Furthermore, starting from the position in FIG. 6, the second housing part 20 can be displaced even further in the longitudinal direction 6 relative to the first housing part 18 into the position according to FIG. 7, in which the openings in the closing sections 62 are arranged congruently with the ventilation openings 60 of the side wall sections 28, 30. Thus, the vent openings 60 have the maximum possible effective size in the position shown in FIG. 7. Generally speaking, the effective size of the vent openings 60 in the closed position can be changed in a particularly simple manner by moving the second housing part 20 relative to the first housing part 18 in order to adapt the extent of venting and venting of the interior space 22.In the closed position according to FIGS. 5 to 7, the interior 22 preferably has a maximum height of 6 cm, wherein the height of the interior 22 is given here by the distance between the base section 26 and the cover section 36. Alternatively or additionally, the distance in the height direction 12, 14 between an upper side 64 of the carrier 24 supported on the protruding attachments 40 and the cover section 36 of the second housing part 20 is preferably at most 5 cm. Both the upper side 64 and an opposite lower side 66 of the carrier 24 are preferably planar.In one embodiment of the method according to the invention for handling a pizza before and when it is delivered, the transport container 2 described above is preferably used, wherein the method steps described in more detail below are carried out.First, the pizza dough is spread on the top surface 64 of the carrier 24 to subsequently coat the pizza dough with the desired pizza topping. Subsequently, the carrier 24 together with the still non-ready-to-eat pizza is placed in an oven in order to bake the pizza and heat the heat-resistant carrier 24. Thus, the heating of the support 24 is simultaneous with the baking of the pizza and in the same oven. After the pizza has been completely baked, the carrier 24 together with the pizza is removed from the oven in order to introduce both into the opened housing 16 in such a way that the underside 66 of the carrier 24 is supported on the bottom section-side protruding attachments 40 in a manner so as to be at least partially spaced apart from the bottom section 26 of the first housing part 18. Subsequently, the second housing part 20 is transferred into the closed position shown in FIG. 5 in order to adjust the extent of venting and venting of the interior space 22, if appropriate by the previously described displacement of the second housing part 20 relative to the first housing part 18. Subsequently, the housing 16 together with the carrier 24 and the pizza disposed thereon is transported to the customer who receives a particularly crisp pizza.Alternatively to the above-described procedure, pizza and carrier 24 can, however, also be baked or heated independently of each other and / or introduced into the interior 22 of the housing 16. The procedure described at the beginning, however, leads to a particularly high-quality pizza and enables particularly fast handling and thus delivery.List of reference characters2 Transport container 4 Longitudinal direction 6 Longitudinal direction 8 Width direction 10 Width direction 12 Height direction 14 Height direction 16 Housing 18 First housing part 20 Second housing part 22 Interior space 24 Carrier 26 Base portion 28 Side wall portion 30 Side wall portion 32 Rear wall portions 34 Opening 36 Lid portion 38 Front wall portion 40 Projecting boss 42 Reinforcing portion 44 Holding protrusion / supporting protrusion 46 Holding protrusion 48 Holding protrusion 50 Supporting protrusion 52 Supporting portion 54 Ventilation opening 56 Ventilation opening 58 Protrusion 60 Ventilation opening 62 Closing portion 64 Upper side 66 Lower side d Thickness D Diameter

Claims

Transport container (2) for an individual pizza having a housing (16) surrounding an interior space (22), which housing has a first housing part (18) and a second housing part (20), which can be moved relative to one another from an open position, in which a pizza can be introduced into the interior space (22) or removed from the interior space (22), into a closed position, characterized in that the housing (16) can be reused.Transport container (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first housing part (18) has a base section (26) for delimiting the interior space (22) downwards in the height direction (14), wherein at least one shoulder (40) protruding into the interior space (22) is preferably provided on the base section (26), on which shoulder a plate-shaped body can be supported in a tiltable manner with at least partial spacing from the base section (26), and the at least one protruding shoulder (40) is particularly preferably formed integrally with the base section (26) or is fastened to the base section (26) and is optionally manufactured from a material having a lower thermal conductivity than the material of the base section (26).Transport container (2) according to claim 2, characterised in that the first housing part (18) has two side wall sections (28, 30) delimiting the interior space (22) in the opposite width directions (8, 10) and / or a rear wall section (32) delimiting the interior space (22) in the longitudinal direction (6), wherein the side wall sections (28, 30) in the closed position can preferably be or are supported on the second housing part (20) outwards, optionally also inwards, in each case in the width direction (8, 10), particularly preferably by a support projection (44) extending upwards in the height direction (12), which is engaged behind outwards in the width direction (8, 10) by an optionally hook-like support section (52) of the second housing part (20).Transport container (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that on the first housing part (18) there are provided retaining projections (44, 46, 48) which, in the closed position, project beyond the second housing part (20) in the vertical direction (12) in such a way that a transport container of identical construction, which is placed on the transport container (2), is supportable or supported on the first housing part (18) in both width directions (8, 10), preferably at least also in a longitudinal direction (6), wherein particularly preferably at least one retaining projection (44) is formed by the supporting projection (44).Transport container (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second housing part (20) has a cover section (36) for delimiting the interior space (22) upwards in the height direction (12) and / or is arranged on the first housing part (18) in a removable manner, preferably upwards in the height direction (12), wherein the second housing part (20) particularly preferably has a front wall section (38) delimiting the interior space (22) in the longitudinal direction (4).Transport container (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one of the housing parts (18; 20) is manufactured from plastic, preferably a thermoplastic, or metal, wherein the at least one housing part (18; 20) manufactured from metal is preferably designed as a sheet metal shaped part, which is particularly preferably formed from a one-piece sheet metal part.Transport container (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one ventilation opening (60) for venting and venting the interior space (22) is provided on the housing (16), the effective size of which can be changed, wherein the effective size in the closed position can preferably be changed by moving the second housing part (20) relative to the first housing part (18), particularly preferably by displacing the second housing part (20) relative to the first housing part (18), optionally in the longitudinal direction (4, 6) and / or with forced guidance between at least two holding or supporting projections (44, 46).Transport container (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a removable, substantially plate-shaped carrier (24), optionally made of metal, is arranged in the interior space (22), to which carrier a pizza can be applied, wherein the carrier (24) is preferably supported or supportable, optionally in a line-like or / and point-like manner, on the at least one protruding attachment (40), preferably with at least partial spacing from the base section (26).Transport container (2) according to claim 8, characterised in that the carrier (24) is manufactured from an aluminium alloy or aluminium, has a thickness (d) of at least 2 mm, preferably at least 3 mm, particularly preferably at most 4 mm, or / and is formed in the shape of a circular disc or / and has a planar upper side (64) or / and lower side (66), or / and the interior space (22) has a maximum height of 6 cm or / and the distance in the height direction (12, 14) between an upper side (64) of the carrier (24) and the second housing part (20) is at most 5 cm.Method for handling a pizza, preferably using a transport container (2) according to one of the preceding claims, with the method steps baking a pizza in a furnace, heating a substantially plate-shaped, optionally metallic, carrier (24), wherein the heating of the carrier (24) preferably takes place simultaneously with the baking of the pizza or / and in the furnace, particularly preferably with the pizza arranged on the carrier (24), inserting the carrier (24) into a housing (16) such that the carrier (24) is supported with at least partial spacing from a bottom section (26) of the housing (16) in a tiltable manner on at least one protruding extension (40) on the bottom section side, wherein the carrier (24) with the pizza disposed thereon is inserted or the pizza is disposed on the carrier (24) after the carrier (24) is inserted, closing the housing (16) and transporting the housing (16) to the customer.

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