Paper food container

Abstract

A paper food container is composed of a side (10) and a bottom (20). The side (10) is shaped into a truncated cone having two ends, and the bottom (20) is bonded to the side (10) to form a paper food container having a receiving space. The truncated cone of the side (10) provides excellent resistance to deformation and makes the paper food container durable.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a paper food container, and more particularly to a disposable paper food container that is fabricated quickly and has an excellent capability of holding solid or liquid contents.

[0003] 2. Description of Related Art

[0004] Various disposable dishes and bowls are sold on the market and basically they are divided into two kinds by materials: paper and plastic. These two kinds of disposable tableware have their advantages respectively. The plastic tableware is produced quickly and has excellent durability. However, plastic is not biodegradable and produces gaseous pollutants when burned. Therefore, plastic tableware has not kept up with the times for environmental reasons, and paper tableware is becoming more popular.

[0005] A conventional disposable paper dish is made of one piece of thick paper punched into a desired shape of a body of dish or a bowl and then cutting off the body of the dish or the bowl from the thick paper. Because the paper tableware is a one-piece body, multiple creases are formed on the body that distracts from the appearance of the tableware. Additionally, the multiple creases on the body also make the shaping procedure difficult and wastes time. Moreover, the creases are easily unfolded when the dish or the bowl is loaded with too much weight, which causes the dish or the bowl to lose its utility.

[0006] To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention tends to provide a paper dish to mitigate and obviate the aforementioned problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The main objective of the invention is to provide a paper food container that is composed of a side and a bottom to form a dish or a bowl having a space to hold liquid or solid objects.

[0008] The other objective of the invention is to provide a paper food container that has excellent strength and uses less material because the side forms an erect sidewall, which also makes the production of the paper dish fast.

[0009] Objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a paper food container in accordance with the present invention;

[0011] FIGS. 2a-2c are diagrams showing how elements of the paper food container in FIG. 1 fit together;

[0012] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the paper food container in accordance with the present invention;

[0013] FIGS. 4a-4c are diagrams showing how elements of the paper food container in FIG. 3 fit together;

[0014] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the paper food container in accordance with the present invention;

[0015] FIGS. 6a-6c are diagrams showing how elements of the paper food container in FIG. 5 fit together;

[0016] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional side view of a fourth embodiment of the paper food container in accordance with the present invention;

[0017] FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a fifth embodiment of the paper food container in accordance with the present invention; and

[0018] FIG. 9 is a side cross-sectional view of the fifth embodiment of the paper food container in FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0019] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2a-2c, a paper food container such as a bowl or a dish, which comprises a side (10) and a bottom (20), both made of paper or water-resistance paper. The side (10) and the bottom (20) are concentrically stamped and cut from one piece of paper, wherein the side (10) is an outer circular ring and the bottom (20) is an inner circular plate within the outer circular ring.

[0020] The side (10) cut from the piece of paper has a center hole (11) defined in the center of the outer circular ring. A grooved circular line (101) is engraved on the side (10) near an outer edge to divide the side plate (10) into a sidewall (12) and an outer rim (13). A section (16) is cut out of the side (10) to form two connecting ends (102a, 102b). When the two connecting ends (102a, 102b) are pulled together and hermetically bonded to each other, the side (10) forms a shallow truncated cone having a top edge and a bottom edge, wherein the outer rim (13) is bent outwardly at the top edge. Because the radius of the center hole (11) of the side (10) is diminished when the connecting ends (102a, 102b) are pulled together, the bottom (20) is larger than the diminished center hole (11), and a conjoint rim (21) is formed upward to connect to the bottom edge of the side (10). Consequently, a paper disk with a central receiving space is formed. Whether the paper disk is a bowl or a plate is determined by the width of the side (10) and the angle of the connecting edges (102a, 102b).

[0021] With reference to FIGS. 3 and 4a-4c, the side (10) and the bottom (20) of a second embodiment are similar to the paper food container in the previous embodiment. However, the side (10) further has an inner rim (15) formed radially inward at the bottom edge of the side (10) after the side (10) is formed into a truncated cone. Then, the bottom (20) is hermetically bonded to the inner rim (15) of the side (10).

[0022] With reference to FIGS. 5 and 6a-6c, a third embodiment of the paper food container is similar to the previous embodiments, wherein the bottom (20) further has at least one groove (22) stamped downward near the edge to form a heat-isolating foot on the bottom (20) to avoid burning tables.

[0023] With reference to FIG. 7, a fourth embodiment of the paper food container is similar to the previous embodiments, wherein at least one groove (22) is stamping downward the bottom (20) to form a heat-isolating foot. The inner rim (15) of the side (10) covers the groove (22) and partially contacts with the bottom (20). The multiple angle structure of the junction between the conjoint rim (21), the bottom edge of the side (10) and heat-isolating foot (22) enhances resistance to deformation of the paper food container.

[0024] With reference to FIGS. 8 and 9, a fifth embodiment of the paper food container is also similar to the previous embodiments, wherein a strengthening rim (17) is further secured under the outer rim (13).

[0025] The paper food container in accordance with the present invention has the following advantages.

[0026] 1. Because the side (10) is shaped into truncated cone and firmly bonded to the bottom (20), the paper food container is not easily deformed as the conventional one-piece paper food container having creases and has excellent strength to hold objects.

[0027] 2. The side (10) and the bottom (20) are completely cut from one piece of paper without residuum except the small segment (16) cut from the side (10). Therefore, paper is not wasted. Additionally, the truncated cone of the side (10) provides excellent strength so that the thickness of the paper can reduced by 30-40% to save material.

[0028] 3. Because the side (10) and the bottom (20) are made by a single stamping process and shaped in substantially desired shapes of the paper food container, the side (10) and the bottom (20) are attached to a dish mold and glued together to form the paper food container. Therefore, manufacturing the paper food container is fast, and the thickness of the paper is reduced so the side (10) and bottom (20) are easily shaped.

[0029] 4. The paper food container uses less paper and is biodegradable after it is discarded. Therefore, the paper food container costs less to produce but also meets environmental requirement.

[0030] It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made in detail within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

Claims

1. A paper food container comprising:

a side (10) shaped into truncated cone having a top edge and a bottom edge; and

a bottom (20) hermetically bonded to the bottom edge of the side (10) to form the paper food container;

wherein the side (10) and the bottom (20) are concentrically arranged on one piece of paper and then stamped and cut to separate from each other, and the side (10) has

a center hole (11) which is caused from the bottom (20) to make the side (10) an outer circular ring; and

a grooved circular line (101) engraved on the side (10) to divide the side (10) into a sidewall (12) and an outer rim (13) formed at the top edge of the side plate (10);

wherein a segment (16) is cut from the outer circular ring to make the side (10) have two connecting ends (102a, 102b), whereby the two connecting ends (102a, 102b) are bonded to each other to make the side (10) a truncated cone.

2. The paper food container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the side (10) further has an inner rim (15) inward formed at the bottom edge of the side (10) to bond to the bottom (20).

3. The paper food container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bottom (20) further has a conjoint rim (21) formed upward to attach to the bottom edge of the side (10).

4. The paper food container as claimed in claim 2, wherein the bottom (20) further has a conjoint rim (21) formed upward to attach to the bottom edge of the side (10).

5. The paper food container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bottom (20) further has at least one groove (22) stamped downward to form a heat-isolating foot on the bottom (20).

6. The paper food container as claimed in claim 2, wherein the bottom (20) further has at least one groove (22) stamped downward to form a heat-isolating foot on the bottom (20).

7. The paper food container as claimed in claim 4, wherein the bottom (20) further has at least one groove (22) stamped downward to form a heat-isolating foot on the bottom (20).

8. The paper food container as claimed in claim 6, wherein the inner rim (15) covers one of the at least one groove (22) proximal to edge of the bottom and partially contacts the bottom (20) at distal end to form a multiple-angle structure at the junction between the conjoint rim (21), the bottom edge of the side (10) and the heat-isolating foot (22) to enhance the strength of the paper food container.

9. The paper food container as claimed in claim 1, in which a strengthening rim (17) is further secured under the outer rim (13).

10. The paper food container as claimed in claim 2, in which a strengthening rim (17) is further secured under the outer rim (13).

11. The paper food container as claimed in claim 4, in which a strengthening rim (17) is further secured under the outer rim (13).

12. The paper food container as claimed in claim 7, in which a strengthening rim (17) is further secured under the outer rim (13).

13. The paper food container as claimed in claim 8, in which a strengthening rim (17) is further secured under the outer rim (13).