Patents by Inventor Simon Whitnell

Simon Whitnell has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6349875
    Abstract: A clamshell container having an improved hinge for reducing container rear wall buckling when the container is opened and closed is disclosed. The hinge includes first and second offset partial hinge portions, each extending inwardly from one side of the container for less than the full width of the container. The partial hinge portions include fold line portions near the container side walls and parallel slit portions in the central area of the rear wall. A blank for forming the subject container is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2002
    Assignee: Dopaco, Inc.
    Inventor: Simon Whitnell
  • Patent number: 6230917
    Abstract: A two-piece, lockable, wedge-shaped container is disclosed which includes a tray portion having upstanding peripheral walls, the front wall of which is higher than the other side walls, and a sleeve portion having a top wall for covering the tray, a smaller bottom wall and a front opening. When fully inserted into the sleeve, the tall front wall of the tray deforms the sleeve top wall and front opening as it passes therethrough, and prevents the tray from being removed from the sleeve thereby locking the tray and sleeve together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2001
    Assignee: Dopaco, Inc.
    Inventor: Simon Whitnell
  • Patent number: 6089638
    Abstract: A handled foldable paperboard carrier is disclosed that includes peripheral walls defining an upwardly opening basket and a closed bottom joined to and extending between the walls. Stabilizers cooperate with the bottom to form a support base for the carrier, which stabilizers extend laterally outward from the walls and have base edges substantially coplanar with the bottom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2000
    Assignee: Dopaco, Inc.
    Inventor: Simon Whitnell
  • Patent number: 6024212
    Abstract: A cup carrier with a basket having the general configuration of an upwardly opening diamond with a diagonally transverse partition and handle extending vertically above and dividing the basket into a pair of separate upwardly opening triangular compartments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2000
    Assignee: Dopaco, Inc.
    Inventor: Simon Whitnell
  • Patent number: 5924626
    Abstract: A lid integrally hinged to a carton rear wall and including an outwardly extending tongue on the forward edge thereof which, upon a closing of the lid over the carton mouth, forwardly flexes the forward carton wall. The forward carton wall has an integral locking flange along the upper edge thereof which rearwardly pivots to overlie the forward portion of the lid and which defines a keeper opening within the front wall to receive the lid tongue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1999
    Assignee: Dopaco, Inc.
    Inventor: Simon Whitnell
  • Patent number: 5799794
    Abstract: A sauce cup accommodating tray including an elongate tapered bottom panel with a cup-receiving opening through one end thereof and with peripheral walls including an end wall remote from the opening to define a food receiving compartment between the sauce cup and end wall. A selectively removable cover can be provided for pivotal closure over the tray, the cover including an opening aligned with the tray opening for insertion of a sauce cup directly into and through both openings as a locking mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1998
    Assignee: Dopaco, Inc.
    Inventor: Simon Whitnell
  • Patent number: 5791462
    Abstract: A carton blank formed utilizing a pattern layout with adjacent blanks nesting with each other to minimize the material required and reduce waste between adjacent blanks. The formed carton is a modular carrier with a central hand grip opening and a peripheral wall with a pair of reduced height corner portions, and is adapted to lock to a laterally adjacent duplicate carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1998
    Assignee: Dopaco, Inc.
    Inventor: Simon Whitnell
  • Patent number: 5775574
    Abstract: A two-cell carton including a first wall formed of two all panels, one of which is integral with a carton divider. The divider, from the edge of the corresponding wall panel, folds and extends transversely across the carton for bonding to a second single panel wall centrally thereof. The two wall panels include bottom flaps which combine to define a single full length locking flap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1998
    Assignee: Dopaco, Inc.
    Inventor: Simon Whitnell
  • Patent number: 5603450
    Abstract: A fast food carton including a tray with peripheral walls integral with a bottom panel and individually foldable relative thereto between a first position substantial coplanar therewith and a second folded position forming a peripheral wall thereabout, and a lid integral with one of the tray walls and selectively foldable to cover the tray with the tray walls retained in the folded position within the lid. The carton further includes a lock assembly having a tongue integral with the tray front wall and outward projectable through a slot formed in the lid, the lid having openings defined therein for facilitating manual manipulation of the lock assembly for release.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 18, 1997
    Assignee: Dopaco, Inc.
    Inventor: Simon Whitnell
  • Patent number: 5575420
    Abstract: A carton including a tray having two compartments therein divided by a transverse divider wall with the bottom panel of one compartment integral with the lower edge of the divider wall and the bottom panel of the second compartment integral with the upper edge of the divider wall and sloping outwardly and downwardly therefrom to substantially a common plane with the first compartment bottom panel. The tray is surrounded by confining walls, and the carton may include a cover separately formed or integral with the tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 19, 1996
    Assignee: Dopaco, Inc.
    Inventor: Simon Whitnell