Patents by Inventor Stephen P. Zapatka
Stephen P. Zapatka 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).
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Patent number: 8261933Abstract: A container for packaging food for transporting and selling to consumers is provided. The container includes a base having a pair of inwardly recessed pockets for capturing a pair of extending latching portions on a lid. The pair of extending latching portions has concave grooves allowing the extending latching portions to flex inwards from an initial position for insertion into the pair inwardly recessed pockets. When the pair of extending latching portions are inserted into the pair inwardly recessed pockets, the pair of extending latching portions expand back to their initial position and protrusions within the pair of inwardly recessed pockets retain the pair of extending latching portions creating a tight fit and preventing the lid of the container from being easily disengaged from the base of the container.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2009Date of Patent: September 11, 2012Assignee: Peninsula Packaging, LLCInventors: Allen Kidd, Stephen P. Zapatka
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Patent number: 8167166Abstract: A container having a base with extending sidewalls therefrom and a lid hingedly connected thereto. The container may have an alignment mechanism having a lower alignment member and an upper alignment member locating surface on the base and lid, respectively, at the region where the base and the lid are hingedly connected. The container may have a plurality of locking mechanisms in which each locking mechanism includes an extending latching portion and a corresponding circular opening for engagement thereof. The locking mechanism is configured to securely lock the lid to the base wherein an appropriate amount of pulling force must be applied thereto in order to disengage the lid from the base.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 2008Date of Patent: May 1, 2012Assignee: Peninsula Packaging, LLCInventors: Allen Kidd, Stephen P. Zapatka
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Patent number: 8091731Abstract: A container for packaging food for transporting and selling to consumers is provided. The container includes a base having a pair of inwardly recessed pockets for capturing a pair of extending latching portions on a lid. The pair of extending latching portions has concave grooves allowing the extending latching portions to flex inwards from an initial position for insertion into the pair inwardly recessed pockets. When the pair of extending latching portions are inserted into the pair inwardly recessed pockets, the pair of extending latching portions expand back to their initial position and protrusions within the pair of inwardly recessed pockets retain the pair of extending latching portions creating a tight fit and preventing the lid of the container from being easily disengaged from the base of the container.Type: GrantFiled: November 28, 2007Date of Patent: January 10, 2012Assignee: Peninsula Packaging, LLCInventors: Allen Kidd, Stephen P. Zapatka
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Publication number: 20110180446Abstract: Embodiments are directed to containers having a bottom and top hingedly connected together on at least one edge. When the container is viewed in an open configuration, the bottom and top may each include a plurality of receptacles in one or more rows of linear arrays. The receptacles in both the top and bottom may correspond to one another and may define an enclosure when the container is in a closed configuration. In some embodiments, the enclosure is orb-like in configuration for enclosing individual food items. When the container is viewed in a closed configuration, each receptacle may define an apex or antipodal point on an outer surface thereof wherein each apex/antipodal point includes a receiving protrusion or an insertion protrusion. When containers are stacked together, each insertion protrusion from one container may reversibly engage with a corresponding receiving protrusion from another container resulting in a stacked array of containers.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 28, 2010Publication date: July 28, 2011Applicant: PENINSULA PACKAGING, LLCInventors: Allen Kidd, Stephen P. Zapatka
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Publication number: 20110031154Abstract: Embodiments are directed to containers for storage and transportation of items such as produce harvested with its roots intact. The containers include a base and lid hingedly connected together on at least one edge, and may be stacked to maximize density for storage so that a shipping receptacle can hold more produce while taking up the same place, allowing for more efficient transportation saving on transportation costs and storage. In addition to saving costs on transportation and storage, the containers maintain the freshness of the produce harvested with its roots intact by keeping away soil, soil debris and moisture from the remaining portions of the produce. When containers are stacked together, a top surface of the lid of a first container is adapted to receive a plurality of longitudinal concave grooves on the bottom surface of the base of a second container.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 9, 2010Publication date: February 10, 2011Inventors: Peter Overgaag, Ernesto V. Quinteros, Allen Kidd, Stephen P. Zapatka, William Tan
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Publication number: 20090223966Abstract: A container for packaging food for transporting and selling to consumers is provided. The container includes a base having a pair of inwardly recessed pockets for capturing a pair of extending latching portions on a lid. The pair of extending latching portions has concave grooves allowing the extending latching portions to flex inwards from an initial position for insertion into the pair inwardly recessed pockets. When the pair of extending latching portions are inserted into the pair inwardly recessed pockets, the pair of extending latching portions expand back to their initial position and protrusions within the pair of inwardly recessed pockets retain the pair of extending latching portions creating a tight fit and preventing the lid of the container from being easily disengaged from the base of the container.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 13, 2009Publication date: September 10, 2009Applicant: PENINSULA PACKAGING, LLCInventors: ALLEN KIDD, STEPHEN P. ZAPATKA
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Publication number: 20090152158Abstract: A carrier tray having a plurality of compartments separated by a plurality of dividers. Each carrier tray has a plurality of stacking pins on a top portion and a plurality of pin holes on a bottom portion. Each stacking pin is located in an area approximately adjacent to each pin hole such that, for a given set of a stacking pin and a pin hole, the stacking pin is slightly offset relative to the pin hole. When stacking the carrier trays to form a stacked configuration of carrier trays, each carrier tray is rotated 180° relative to a carrier tray immediately below and a carrier tray immediately above the carrier tray.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 18, 2008Publication date: June 18, 2009Applicant: PENINSULA PACKAGING, LLCInventors: Allen Kidd, Stephen P. Zapatka, Theodore M. Behrmann, Edward V. Byrne
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Publication number: 20090134179Abstract: A container for packaging food for transporting and selling to consumers is provided. The container includes a base having a pair of inwardly recessed pockets for capturing a pair of extending latching portions on a lid. The pair of extending latching portions has concave grooves allowing the extending latching portions to flex inwards from an initial position for insertion into the pair inwardly recessed pockets. When the pair of extending latching portions are inserted into the pair inwardly recessed pockets, the pair of extending latching portions expand back to their initial position and protrusions within the pair of inwardly recessed pockets retain the pair of extending latching portions creating a tight fit and preventing the lid of the container from being easily disengaged from the base of the container.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 28, 2007Publication date: May 28, 2009Applicant: Peninsula Packaging, LLCInventors: Allen Kidd, Stephen P. Zapatka
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Publication number: 20090134180Abstract: A container having a base with extending sidewalls therefrom and a lid hingedly connected thereto. The container may have an alignment mechanism having a lower alignment member and an upper alignment member locating surface on the base and lid, respectively, at the region where the base and the lid are hingedly connected. The container may have a plurality of locking mechanisms in which each locking mechanism includes an extending latching portion and a corresponding circular opening for engagement thereof. The locking mechanism is configured to securely lock the lid to the base wherein an appropriate amount of pulling force must be applied thereto in order to disengage the lid from the base.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 21, 2008Publication date: May 28, 2009Applicant: PENINSULA PACKAGING, LLCInventors: Allen Kidd, Stephen P. Zapatka
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Patent number: D569243Type: GrantFiled: November 28, 2007Date of Patent: May 20, 2008Assignee: Peninsula Packaging, LLCInventors: Allen Kidd, Stephen P. Zapatka