Container for receiving fast food

Abstract

The invention relates to a container (1) for receiving a filled and / or topped fast food which has a substantially round or oval peripheral line. The container (1) is produced from at least one material selected from paper, cardboard or EPS and, optionally, is closable. The container (1) is constructed from at least two substantially cylindrical or conical modules (2), which can be at least partly slid into each other and which are open at least at one end. The modules (2) are designed to mutually overlap in at least one edge region (3). The mutually overlapping edge regions (3) are detachably joined to each other. One of the modules (2) is designed with a closed bottom (6).

Description

[0001] CONTAINER FOR QUICK-BITE FOODS

[0002] The present invention relates to a container for holding filled and / or topped fast food items having a substantially round or oval perimeter, which container is made of at least one material selected from paper, cardboard or EPS and is optionally designed to be sealable.

[0003] A container for holding fast food items such as various burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches and other filled rolls or the like is known. Such fast food items are often wrapped in grease-resistant paper or packaged in paper bags, although packaging consisting of two layers, namely both wrapping paper and a paper bag, is also known. Another option for packaging such fast food items is specially designed cartons, which are usually made of folding boxes or folding boxes with molded or separate lids. Such folding boxes have the advantage that the fast food items packaged therein are, to a certain extent, protected from falling apart or breaking.Leakage of fillings contained therein is ensured and if a cardboard box is chosen as the packaging material, a certain warming effect is also achieved, provided that the fast food contains, for example, a warm burger or a schnitzel or meatloaf. The disadvantage of this type of cardboard packaging is that the fast food has to be removed from the cardboard packaging before it can be consumed. In particular, in the case of a filled or topped fast food meal which, in addition to a burger, for example, also contains other toppings such as salad, spices, cheese, ham and, in particular, sauces, there is a tendency for parts or whole pieces of the food or foods used as a topping to fall out of the fast food meal during consumption and thus not only contaminate the surrounding area but also possibly clothing or the like.This can lead to more damage, but in particular, it is hardly possible or extremely difficult to consume the fast food without at least some of the sauce or topping getting onto the consumer's hands. Finally, such packaging also has a further disadvantage: if consumption of the food is interrupted, the fast food must be returned to the carton or bag and removed again to resume consumption, which means that the consumer runs the risk of repeatedly contaminating themselves with the fast food's ingredients.

[0004] Furthermore, accordion-shaped containers, mostly made of silicone, have become known. Depending on their size, they can either be used to package fast-food items or as storage containers or the like. An example of such a container is known from KR 20120048767A, in which a container body that can be folded like an accordion is provided with a discharge opening at an upper end portion thereof, which container body additionally has a closure device.

[0005] A new packaging for hot dogs or wraps was recently introduced, which is made of cardboard material with tear lines. By tearing off the material forming the packaging, more and more pieces of the fast food to be consumed are released. The disadvantage of such packaging is that

[0006] At the end of eating the fast food, a relatively long piece of cardboard remains which has to be disposed of. On the other hand, particularly if the fast food is different from a wrap or a hot dog, the narrow strip has to be torn off the packaging, since a burger, sausage roll, or the like, for example, never has the same length as a wrap or a hot dog. The disadvantage of such tear-off packaging is that at the end of eating the fast food, the user is burdened with a very long strip of packaging material wrapped around the rest of the hot dog or hanging loose. This makes the food unwieldy to eat and, moreover, can be perceived as annoying for the driver of the vehicle, for example if such a hot dog is to be consumed while driving.

[0007] DE 10 2006 030 351 A1 discloses a packaging for fast food items in which the container is constructed in two parts, and its two parts are connected to one another via a tear-off or folding line. To consume the fast food item contained in the packaging or container, an upper half of the container must be folded down. The disadvantage of such a design is that the container itself has a specific size and fixed dimensions, and that, particularly when most of the fast food item has already been eaten, the leftovers or remaining portions of this fast food item can hardly or only with difficulty be removed from the container.

[0008] Finally, AT 17 714 U1 discloses a collapsible container for holding fast food items. This container is essentially cup-shaped and can be collapsed vertically to allow the fast food items contained therein to be removed quickly and reliably. There is therefore a requirement that containers for fast food items, particularly in restaurants or bars, must be kept ready in stacks in large numbers, and that they can be filled and closed as quickly and reliably as possible by the serving personnel. The known containers either optimize the stackability of a large number of containers on top of one another, thus optimizing their storage, but they make it difficult for the end consumer to remove the fast food items or consume them directly from the container.

[0009] The present invention now aims to provide a container for fast food which, on the one hand, enables safe, reliable packaging of the fast food and, on the other hand, allows the user to adjust the size of the container to the amount of fast food contained in the container and which is both extremely easy to stack and requires only a very small amount of space in a fast food restaurant and, at the same time, offers the end consumer the option of not having to remove the food contained therein from the container for consumption, but can be eaten entirely directly from the container.

[0010] To achieve this object, the container according to the invention is essentially characterized in that the container is constructed from at least two essentially cylindrical or conical modules that can be pushed together at least partially, are open on at least one side, that the modules are designed to overlap one another at at least one edge region, that the overlapping edge regions are detachably connected to one another and that one of the modules is designed with a closed base. Because the container is constructed from at least two essentially cylindrical or conical modules that can be pushed together at least partially, are open on at least one side, it is possible to provide a container which has a variable height, ie which can be pushed together orThe at least two cylindrical or conical modules can be pulled apart to adapt to the size of the fast food items packaged therein. This adaptability is particularly important because fast food items are usually eaten immediately after they have been prepared from the packaging. Otherwise, when removing the fast food items from the packaging, the user runs the risk of soiling their clothing or the like due to pieces of the filling or topping falling out. By pushing the at least two modules, which can be pushed together at least partially into one another, during the consumption of the fast food items, the overall height of the container is reduced and the fast food item contained in the container can be eaten in its entirety or almost in its entirety without necessarily having to be removed from the container.By designing the modules to overlap one another at at least one edge region, it is possible to detachably connect the at least two modules at the overlapping edge regions simply by pushing or pulling in one direction, thus providing a container whose height corresponds to the overall size of the fast food packaged therein. By designing at least one of the modules with a closed base, a container can be provided in which filled and / or topped fast food items can be safely and reliably accommodated. In this context, it goes without saying that the closed base is formed on the free edge which has the smallest diameter of all the essentially cylindrical or conical modules which can be at least partially slid into one another.

[0011] In the context of the present invention, essentially cylindrical or conical modules are understood to mean any shape whose diameter tapers either from top to bottom over the entire height of the respective module or remains virtually the same across the entire height. If the essentially cylindrical or conical module has an almost constant diameter across its height, the conicity of the module is formed by a bent or reinforced upper edge that increases the circumference and an inwardly directed circumferential groove in the lower edge region of the essentially cylindrical or conical module that reduces the diameter.

[0012] By designing the container, as is in accordance with a further development of the invention, such that the detachably connected, overlapping edge regions of the modules overlap one another over a region extending in the vertical direction of the container of 0.3 to 1.5 cm, preferably 0.6 to 1.0 cm, it is possible to provide a container whose overlapping modules remain securely and reliably connected when the edge regions overlap one another and which, at the same time, can be pushed together with little effort. Merely for the sake of clarity, it is noted that in order to hold the individual modules together in a captive manner, the design can be such that both at an upper edge region of the module having the largest inner diameter

[0013] At least two retaining strips are secured to the upper edge of the module as well as to the lower edge of the module with the smallest inner diameter, said retaining strips having a length corresponding to the entire height of the container. By securing the retaining strips, it is possible to ensure, particularly when individual modules with a large difference in diameter between the upper and lower edge areas of the module are pushed together, that no part of the container is lost or falls down, which could lead to environmental problems or contamination of clothing, etc.

[0014] As a further development of the invention, the detachably connected, overlapping edge regions of the modules are designed as grooves and projections that are embossed on at least one side and roughened on at least one side and engage with one another, or as free edge regions of the modules that engage with one another in a hook-like manner, it is possible to securely fasten two modules to one another without the need for gluing or clamping, whereby a container can be constructed merely by frictionally fastening two modules to one another, which container can be precisely adapted in both size and shape to the fast food to be packaged therein.The frictional connection can be achieved either by overlapping two papers with a higher surface roughness and, if necessary, subsequently joining the two surfaces by embossing, by precisely fitting two evenly embossed surfaces together, by hooking appropriately bent edges into each other or by inserting a material thickening running in the circumferential direction into a corresponding groove on a second module.

[0015] According to another development of the invention, the container is designed such that the detachably connected, overlapping edge regions of the modules are formed by means of a connecting part having at least one predetermined breaking line, foldable in a V-shape, formed on two edge regions of two adjacent modules, that the connecting part is made of the same material as the modules and that the V-shaped fold of the connecting part with respect to the modules is formed by folding lines running in the circumferential direction of the modules, perforations or incisions causing a weakening of the material.By connecting the detachably connected, overlapping edge regions of the modules by means of a connecting part with at least one predetermined breaking line, foldable in a V shape, and molded onto two edge regions of two adjacent modules, two adjacent modules can be pushed into one another without the container having to be formed from multiple individual parts. During the pushing process, the predetermined breaking line tears, allowing the modules to slide into one another. The predetermined breaking line is designed either as a perforation, a folding line, or some other weakening of the material. Material weakening can be achieved by punching, partially cutting, or perforating.As a further development of the invention, the container is designed such that the base of the container is formed in two parts, consisting of two at least partially overlapping base elements, preferably domed, optionally with a folding line or perforation. This makes it possible, in particular, to safely and reliably accommodate and hold fast food items in the shape of a burger, a roll, or even a kebab inside the container. By providing a folding line or perforation, the container can be safely and reliably folded for storage purposes and unfolded again when needed.By further constructing the container base in two parts, consisting of two partially overlapping base elements, a sufficiently stable base is provided to reliably prevent the fast food contained therein from accidentally falling out. This will be particularly the case if, for example, certain amounts of juice or sauce leak from the fast food and the base element may become slightly moist and soften. Such softening of the base element can be prevented, for example, by using a coated or surface-compacted paper as the web element or for the entire container.As a further development of the invention, the container is designed such that a free upper edge of the module furthest away from the module having the base has a recess on at least one side extending over 20 to 45%, in particular 25 to 40% of the length of the free upper edge of the container, making it possible to adapt the shape of the container even better to the consumption of fast food items held therein. In particular, in such a case, the fast food item can remain directly contained in the container during consumption without it being necessary to remove it. This makes it possible, on the one hand, to provide a secure receptacle for the fast food item and, on the other hand, to ensure that contamination of clothing, the surrounding area, etc. through removal of the fast food item and the topping or filling falling out or dropping down is reliably avoided.By the recess extending over 20 to 45%, in particular 25 to 40% of the length of the free upper edge of the container, it is further ensured that the user of the container has sufficient space to eat or bite into the fast food packaged therein while eating it, without running the risk of biting into the packaging itself.

[0016] As is the case in a further development of the invention, the container is designed such that the free upper edge of the module which is furthest away from the module having the base is provided with at least one preferably tear-off lid element, such that the lid element(s) completely cover an upper opening of the container and such that the lid element(s) protrude at least partially into the module adjacent to it, in addition to the at least one recess which is intended to facilitate eating of the fast food product packaged in the container, a preferably tear-off lid element can be provided, with which it is possible to cover the upper container opening as well as the fast food product contained in the container.Such a lid element can be used, on the one hand, to prevent the packaged fast food from cooling down excessively quickly, or to protect it from drying out or the like over a longer period of time. Finally, by providing a lid, a sealable container design can be provided, which allows the fast food to be packaged therein to be packaged some time before sale, if necessary, without having to fear a deterioration in the quality of the packaged goods. The lid can also be designed to cover the upper

[0017] The lid element is preferably designed to be tearable, ensuring easy and safe access to the fast-food meal contained in the container. Tearing off the lid element provides safe access to the fast-food meal contained inside the container. It goes without saying that a two-part lid element can also be provided.

[0018] According to a further development of the invention, the container is designed such that each of the modules forming the container represents a band-shaped element bent into a shape of the circumferential line, at least one of which has a closure element, that it has, in a central region equidistant from both ends of the band-shaped element, an element extending over substantially the entire height of the band-shaped element and designed as a folding line, perforation or a combination of perforation and folding line, and that the modules are provided with connecting elements fixed to at least both free ends of the band-shaped elements or with molded-on connecting parts.Since each of the modules forming the container represents a band-shaped element bent into a shape of the circumferential line, at least one of which has a closure element, the container can be laid substantially flat before filling, which reduces the space required, for example in a warehouse.By further providing, in a central region equidistant from both ends of the band-shaped element, an element which extends over substantially the entire height of the band-shaped element and is designed as a folding line, perforation, or a combination of perforation and folding line, it is possible to provide an at least partially nestable container which can be laid essentially flat before filling by unfolding the band-shaped modules thanks to the element designed as a folding line, perforation, or a combination of perforation and folding line, and stacking the container blanks on top of one another. By at least one of the band-shaped elements having a closure element, the band-shaped elements can be locked together to form a substantially square or oval module which is suitable for holding a fast food item.By further providing the modules with connecting elements fixed at least at both free ends of the band-shaped elements, it is further ensured that the modules, in the unfolded or substantially flat state in which they are pivoted about the element formed as a folding line, perforation or a combination of perforation and folding line, cannot inadvertently fall apart into individual modules and are thus no longer usable for the intended purpose.With such a container, it is thus possible to safely and reliably meet both requirements for containers for fast food restaurants, namely, on the one hand, to provide a container that can be easily and simply stacked in the fast food restaurant and can be provided in large numbers while taking up little space, and, on the other hand, to design a container that, after being closed and filled with the fast food, can be easily and reliably pushed into one another, so that the fast food can be consumed without it having to be removed from the container or without part of the container getting in the way of consumption.

[0019] It is essential that the element, whether designed as a fold line, perforation, or a combination of perforation and fold line, does not tear when unfolded and folded once, so that any variant of an element suitable for a limited number of folds can be used. Fold lines and / or perforations are preferred, as these are easy to manufacture and do not require any additional costs due to additional elements. Furthermore, they can be made from the same food-safe material, especially paper, as the rest of the container.

[0020] In order to reliably prevent gaping between the modules that at least partially overlap and form the container, the invention is further developed in that each of the connecting elements is designed as a band-shaped connecting element and has at least one attachment point on each module. By securing each connecting element to the modules with at least one attachment point, the individual modules are fixed in their distance from one another by the connecting elements, particularly when selecting the distance between the attachment points, and a stable container is provided that does not tend to gape or drift apart between the individual modules. Of course, other types of attachment of the band-shaped elements to the individual modules are also possible. A particularly secure hold of the individual modules to one another can be achieved by providing three, preferably four connecting elements.To ensure the individual modules are securely held together, the three connecting elements are arranged at the respective free end areas of the individual modules and in the area of ​​the folding line. If four connecting elements are provided, they are ideally positioned so that, in addition to the connecting elements at the free ends of the band-shaped elements or modules, one connecting element is also fixed on each side of the folding line.

[0021] According to a further development of the invention, the container is designed such that each of the modules, preferably the uppermost and lowermost modules, particularly preferably only the uppermost module as viewed from a base of the container, has a closure element, wherein the closure element is designed as a tongue formed at one end of the band-shaped element and a slot formed at another end of the band-shaped element, or as complementary extensions formed at both ends of the band-shaped element and which can be hooked into one another. By providing each of the modules, preferably the uppermost and lowermost modules, particularly preferably only the uppermost module as viewed from a base of the container, with a closure element, a container with an essentially square and oval circumference can be reliably formed, which container does not inadvertently open or close during use, particularly after filling with the fast food.does not open accidentally. In operation, the use of just one connecting element attached to the top module or two connecting elements on the top and bottom modules has proven sufficient, since the fast food items filled into the container are not usually capable of accidentally expanding or bulging the container due to their weight, thus creating a gap through which the snack item itself or any sauce, salad leaves or the like contained therein could leak out. As a further development of the invention, closures made from the material of the container have proven particularly suitable as closure elements, which are formed as a tongue formed at one end of the band-shaped element and a slit formed at another end of the band-shaped element.Closure elements designed with complementary, interlocking extensions at both ends of the band-shaped element are also suitable for use in operation. Both types of closure elements can be closed quickly and reliably by the serving staff in the fast food restaurant and are sufficiently stable not to be accidentally opened again during operation, especially during use and consumption of the fast food.By further developing the container inside the container in such a way that a bag-shaped lining made of a thin, foldable material, such as paper, is provided inside the container, at least on the free upper edge of the module furthest away from the module having the base and optionally attached to the base, on the one hand a captive holding together of the individual, essentially cylindrical or conical modules can be achieved and on the other hand it can be ensured that when packaging a fast food meal which, for example, contains sauces or the like in addition to the topping or filling, these do not drip out of the container or soften the container itself.Finally, if a thin lining is also provided inside the container, the material of the container itself can be made of an inexpensive material, provided that at the same time it is ensured that the bag-shaped lining is made of a product approved for use in the food sector.

[0022] By folding, crimping, or gluing the lining to the free upper edge of the module furthest from the module with the base, it is possible to securely and reliably secure the lining over the entire circumference, particularly at the upper circumference of the container, so that an additional bag is formed inside the container, which is permanently connected to the container for holding the fast food. This design not only ensures additional security against the unwanted leakage of sauces contained in the filled and / or topped fast food, but also prevents, for example, contact between the fast food and a container made of cardboard or EPS.Such a design can also ensure that, when the bag or the retaining strap is / are attached to two elements spaced as far apart as possible, the container is prevented from falling apart, even if it is constructed from elements with a distinctly conical shape. As is the case with a further development of the invention, the invention is further developed such that the container and / or the lining is made of a material provided with a grease-resistant coating approved for use in the food industry, in particular paper or cardboard. This allows the provision of a container that is not immediately softened or saturated by grease or, where appropriate, moisture contained in the packaged fast food product, thus retaining an aesthetic appearance.In addition, such a container can also be printed on its outside without the print being unsightly altered by fat contained in the packaged fast food product.

[0023] In order to ensure that the fast food contained in the container can be consumed as far as possible without having to remove it from the container, it is desirable for the lowest section of the container, i.e. the cylindrical or conical section comprising the base, to have as small a height as possible compared to the other module(s). In order to provide a container that can also stand securely on its own, the invention is further developed in such a way that an edge adjacent to the base, in particular the curved base of the container, is reinforced, in particular by providing two, preferably several, layers of paper or cardboard.By providing a reinforced lower edge, which is preferably designed so that it either sits flush with the bottom surface of the container or protrudes beyond this surface, it is possible to provide a sufficiently rigid lower edge, which can be used as a base, by providing two or more layers of paper or cardboard.

[0024] The preferably cambered bottom surface of the container can be convexly or concavely curved, with a convexly curved bottom surface being overhanged by an edge of the container so that the container can stand and with a concavely curved lower edge the edge itself serves as a standing surface.

[0025] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings.

[0026] Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of a first embodiment of the container according to the invention,

[0027] Fig. 2 shows a second embodiment of a container for fast food according to the invention,

[0028] Fig. 3 shows a further embodiment of a container for fast food according to the invention with a lid and two recesses on the upper edge,

[0029] Fig. 4 shows the configuration of Fig. 3 in the collapsed state,

[0030] Fig. 5 shows a further embodiment of a container for fast food according to Fig. 3 with a bag-shaped lining inside the container,

[0031] Fig. 6 shows a container according to the present invention in its open, stackable state,

[0032] Fig. 7 shows the container of Fig. 6 in its closed state, in which food can be contained therein, Fig. 8 shows the container of Fig. 6 in its partially opened state and

[0033] Fig. 9 shows a section through a further embodiment of the container of Fig. 1.

[0034] In Fig. 1, 1 schematically designates a container for holding filled and / or topped fast food items, which container 1 is formed from three essentially conical modules 2 that can be pushed into one another and are open on at least one side. The essentially conical modules 2 are designed such that they overlap one another at at least one edge region 3, and the overlapping surface is designated 4 in Fig. 1. The overlapping edge regions 3 are designed such that they are frictionally connected to one another in order to reliably prevent the modules 2 from accidentally collapsing or sliding into one another.The module 2 furthest from an upper opening 5 is formed with a base surface 6, on which base surface 6 a folding line is schematically indicated at 7, in order to be able to at least partially fold the container 1, for example, during storage and thus reduce the space required. The schematically illustrated base 6 is curved. Finally, Fig. 1 shows two retaining straps, designated 11, so that the modules 2 are held together captively.

[0035] Fig. 2, in which the reference numerals from Fig. 1 are essentially retained, shows another embodiment of the container 1 for holding fast food according to Fig. 1, which container 1 in the embodiment shown has two corresponding and exactly opposite recesses 9 on the upper free edge 8 of the module 2 furthest from the base 6, which extend over 20 to 45% of the total length of the free upper edge 8 of the container 1. The recesses 9 are intended so that when a fast food is held in the container 1, for example a doner kebab or a sausage roll, the user of the container 1 can take a bite directly from the essentially round food product without pushing the container together and without the food product having to be removed from the container 1.

[0036] Finally, in Fig. 2, 13 also denotes a bag arranged inside the container 1. This bag 13 is secured both to the upper edge 8 and to the lower edge or in the area of ​​the base 6 and serves, on the one hand, to ensure that one or more modules 2 of the collapsed container 1 are not lost when the container 1 is collapsed, and, on the other hand, to ensure hygienic reception of the fast food product packaged in the container 1. In all embodiments of the present invention, the overlapping area 4 is approximately 0.4 to 1.5 cm wide in order to ensure secure overlapping and, in particular, a secure frictional connection of the individual modules 2 to one another.

[0037] In this context, it should be noted that one or more ribbons can also be provided instead of the bag 13. Thus, either an entire bag 13 can be formed inside the container, as shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 5, or simply internally arranged or, if necessary, externally arranged retaining straps can be provided.

[0038] Fig. 3 shows yet another embodiment of the container 1 according to the invention, in which the reference numerals from Fig. 1 are again retained. The container 1 according to Fig. 3 has two recesses 9 on the uppermost module 2 of the container 1, for example to further facilitate biting off a fast food item packaged therein. The container 1 of Fig. 3 is further provided with a reinforced lower edge 14, which makes it easier to stand the container 1 upright. In the embodiment of Fig. 3, the reinforced lower edge 14 is designed as a concave edge.

[0039] Furthermore, the container 1 of Fig. 3 has four modules 2 which can be pushed into one another. The connection between the individual modules 2 is a frictional connection in Fig. 1 and 2 and Fig.

[0040] 3 has a connection in which a reinforced lower edge 14 of a module 2 fits into a recess 10 provided on a corresponding upper edge 8 of the adjacent module 2 cooperating therewith.

[0041] Finally, a lid 15 is pivotally connected to the upper edge 8 of the container 1, which lid 15 is designed such that it covers the entire upper edge 8 of the container 1 including its recesses 9.

[0042] Fig. 4 shows the container of Fig. 3 in the collapsed state, with the lid 15 shown in the closed state. It is clearly evident from the figure that the lid 15 is designed to overlap the upper edge 8, including the recesses 9.

[0043] Fig. 5 shows yet another embodiment of the container 1 according to the invention, in which again the reference numerals from Fig. 1 are retained. The container 1 according to Fig. 5 essentially corresponds to the one shown in Fig. 2, wherein a lid 15 is additionally provided and the base 6 is flat, so that no separate rim 14 is required. In detail, in Fig. 6, 1 represents a container for holding filled and / or topped fast food items, which container 1 is formed from four modules 2 that can be pushed one inside the other.The modules 2 are designed as curved band-shaped elements 23, which band-shaped elements 23 have, in a central region substantially equally spaced from both ends 16 of the band-shaped element 23, an element 17 which extends over substantially the entire height of the band-shaped element 23 and is designed as a fold line, perforation or a combination of perforation and fold line. In order to ensure a secure connection of the individual modules 2 or band-shaped elements 23, connecting elements 18 are provided, as shown schematically in Fig. 6. The connecting elements 18 are attached to each of the individual band-shaped elements 23 with at least one fastener 19 in order to reliably prevent the individual modules 2, which are designed in the form of band-shaped elements 23, from falling apart. In order to ensure a closure of the module shown in Fig.6 in the unfolded state shown container 1 and in particular to be able to provide a container for holding fast food which is closed on all sides, the container 1 is further provided with closure elements 20 and 21, which in Fig. 6 are designed as tongues 20 and slots 21, wherein the tongues or tabs 20 can engage in the slots 21 and hook into them. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 6, two closure elements 20, 21 are shown, although it is self-evident that closure elements 20, 21 can be provided on all of the modules or that a closure element 20, 21 can be provided only on the uppermost module 2 which is furthest away from a base element 22. In the same way, the closure element 20, 21 can also be designed as two complementary hook-shaped elements which are hooked into one another, this design being shown in Fig.6 is not shown.

[0044] To reliably prevent fast food items from accidentally falling out of the container 1, the container 1 is formed with base elements 22, which, in the form shown in Fig. 6, are designed such that one part of the base element 22 is larger than the other and projects beyond it when closed, so that the base or the base surface 6 can be doubled overall. However, it goes without saying that any other form of base element, such as two tabs or a smaller tab that ensures only a slight projection, can be used.Finally, the container 1 has a lid element 15 on the module 2 furthest from the base element 10. This lid element 15 is, on the one hand, formed in two parts and, on the other hand, designed to be tearable along perforations 12, so that one half is provided on either side of the element 17 designed as a folding line, perforation, or a combination of perforation and folding line, the two halves 21 being essentially identical. To ensure easy opening or tearing off of the lid elements 15 along the perforation 12, the design is furthermore configured such that the lid element 15 protrudes at least partially into the adjacent module 2. In the embodiment shown, an engagement portion 25 is also provided to ensure easy tearing off of the individual lid elements 15 and thus access to the fast food contained in the container 1.

[0045] In Fig. 7, the reference numerals from Fig. 6 are essentially retained, with Fig. 7 showing the container 1 in the closed state. In Fig. 7, it is particularly clearly visible that the closure elements 20 protrude into the slots 21 and thus ensure secure closure of the container 1, in particular of the uppermost and lowermost modules 2 of the container 1. The lid element 15 is also visible in Fig. 7, and it can be seen that when the container 1 is correctly closed, the two lid elements 15 lie directly against one another and completely close the container 1.

[0046] Finally, Fig. 8 shows the container 1 in its partially opened state, in which state the band-shaped elements 23 and the adhesive point 19, which is arranged directly next to the closure element 20, are clearly visible. In Fig. 9, which shows a further embodiment of the container 1 from Fig. 1, a connection between the modules 2 is formed by means of a V-shaped foldable connecting element 26. The connecting element 26 is fixed to two edge regions 3 of two modules 2, wherein the fixing is achieved in the embodiment shown by means of a folding line 7 and a perforation 8. When the container 1 is pushed together, the connecting element 26 will tear in the region of the perforation 8 and the modules 2 can slide smoothly over one another.

[0047] In summary, it should be noted that the container 1 according to the invention can be manufactured in a variety of designs, provided that the individual modules 2 can be pushed into one another and connected to one another by frictional engagement, and at least one retaining strap 11, an internally arranged bag 13, or a V-shaped connecting part is provided, which ensures that the individual modules 2 cannot be lost after they have been pushed together. For such a design, for example, the bag 13 can be glued to the base region 6 of the container 1 or connected to it in another way.

[0048] Both the lower edge 14 and the upper edge 8 of the container 1 can be reinforced, and can be formed, in particular, by forming flanges from the material from which the container 1 is made, multiple layers of the material, such as paper or cardboard, or the like. Inserting reinforcing strips is also possible. A particularly stable container design, for example, corner areas in the case of a square container design or even areas subject to greater stress, such as the base area, can be achieved by doubling.

[0049] It goes without saying that the detachable connection between two modules 2 can be designed as desired, as can the type of hinge of the lid 15. The height of the individual modules 2 can be the same or different from one another; their number is at least two, and depending on the fast food to be packaged, the number can reach 10 or more. The individual modules 2 can be relatively conical or with a nearly vertical wall, i.e., cylindrical, depending on the application and the fast food to be accommodated.

Claims

Patent claims 1. Container (1) for receiving filled and / or topped snack foods having a substantially round or oval circumferential line, which container (1) is made of at least one material selected from paper, cardboard or EPS and is optionally designed to be closable, characterized in that the container (1) is constructed from at least two at least partially slidable modules (2) that are open at least on one side and are essentially cylindrical or conical, that the modules (2) overlap each other at at least one edge region (3), that the overlapping edge regions (3) are detachably connected to each other and that one of the modules (2) has a closed bottom (6).

2. Container (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the detachably connected, overlapping edge areas (3) of the modules (2) overlap each other over an area extending in the vertical direction of the container (1) of 0.3 to 1.5 cm, preferably 0.6 to 1.0 cm.

3. Container (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the detachably connected, overlapping edge areas (3) of the modules (2) are formed as at least one-sided embossed, at least one-sided roughened, interlocking grooves and projections or hook-shaped interlocking, free edge areas of the modules (2).

4. Container (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the detachably connected, overlapping edge regions (3) of the modules (2) are formed by means of a connecting part having at least one predetermined breaking line, V-shaped foldable, and formed from two edge regions (3) of two adjacent modules (2), that the connecting part is made of the same material as the modules (2), and that the V-shaped folding of the connecting part with respect to the modules (2) is formed by fold lines extending in the circumferential direction of the modules (2), perforations (7), or incisions causing a weakening of the material.

5. Container (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the bottom (6) of the container (1) is formed in two parts, from two bottom elements (22) that overlap each other at least partially, preferably convex, optionally with a fold line or perforation (7).

6. Container (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that a free upper edge (8) of the module (2) formed furthest apart from the module having the bottom (6) has at least on one side a recess (9) extending over 20 to 45%, in particular 25 to 40% of the length of the free upper edge (8) of the container (1).

7. Container (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the free upper edge (8) of the module (2) formed furthest apart from the module having the bottom (6) is provided with at least one preferably detachable cover element (15), that the cover element(s) (15) completely cover an upper opening (5) of the container (1) and that the cover element(s) (15) project at least partially into the adjacent module (2).

8. Container (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that each of the modules (2) forming the container (1) is a band-shaped element (23) bent into a shape of the circumferential line, at least one of which has a closure element (20, 21), that it has in a central region equidistant from both ends of the band-shaped element (23) an element (17) extending over a substantially entire height of the band-shaped element (23) and designed as a fold line, perforation (7) or a combination of perforation and fold line, and that the modules (2) are provided with either connecting elements (18) fixed to at least both free ends of the band-shaped elements (23) or integrally formed connecting parts.

9. Container (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that each of the connecting elements (18) is designed as a band-shaped connecting element and has at least one fastening point (19) on each module.

10. Container (1) according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that three, preferably four, band-shaped connecting elements (6) are provided.

11. Container (1) according to one of claims 8, 9 or 10, characterized in that each of the modules (2), preferably the uppermost and lowermost module (2), and in particular preferably only the uppermost module (2) as seen from a bottom (6) of the container (1), has a closing element (20, 21), wherein the closing element is formed as a tongue (20) formed at one end of the band-shaped element (23) and a slot (21) formed at another end of the band-shaped element (23), or as interlocking, complementary extensions formed at both ends of the band-shaped element.

12. Container (1) according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that inside the container (1) a bag-shaped lining made of a thin, foldable material, such as paper, is provided, at least at the free upper edge (8) of the module (2) which is furthest apart from the module (6) having the bottom (6) and optionally also fixed to the bottom (6).

13. Container (1) according to claim 12, characterized in that the lining is fixed by folding, crimping or gluing to the free upper edge (8) of the module (2) that is furthest apart from the module having the bottom (6).

14. Container (1) according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the container (1) and / or the lining is formed from a material provided with a grease-resistant coating approved for use in the food sector, in particular from paper or cardboard.

15. Container (1) according to one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that an edge (3) adjacent to the convex bottom (6) of the container (1) is reinforced, in particular by providing two, preferably several, layers of paper or cardboard.

Images