PopHorn
This invention is a convertible container with the primary objective of providing a commercially viable container for the vending/serving of popcorn or similar food products while easily being converted to a megaphone for voice amplification with promotional/advertising applications. The Pophorn is manufactured from a single sheet of printable yet grease and moisture resistant material, which is die cut and glued, with a rigid double layer spine over it's entire length for support as a function of a continuation of the complimentary handle of the container/megaphone.
My invention is superior to prior art in a number of ways;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,613,012 (Mueller) is a megaphone formed of a single sheet of “semi-rigid material” but is bettered by the Pophorn in that Mueller requires a degree of assembly before use, which is time consuming for the vendor and provides for less structural strength and integrity. The Pophorn requires no assembly, in that it is glued along a double layer spine which runs the entirety of the megaphone that delivers flat, ready for use. Also Mueller is suited solely for voice amplification, being unusable as a food service/dispensing container because of the lack of the strong, glued, double walled spine the Pophorn enjoys. Also, Mueller does not address the problems of moisture and grease transvercing the megaphone from the interior to the exterior, which would spoil any promotional/advertising characteristics printed on the exterior surface. The Pophorn employs a SBS Poly One Side material which is moisture and grease resistant while being FDA approved for food use, thus protecting outer promotional/advertising material. Mueller could not be used in the same promotional/advertising manner as that of the Pophorn since the SBS Poly One Side material did not exist at the time of the Mueller patent.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,507,843 (Wheeler) is a megaphone for food vending/dispensing. Although the handle for Wheeler is a glued double thickness for structure and strength, the gluing flap area of the handle does not extend to the very tip, as does the gluing flap area of the Pophorn (
U.S. Pat. No. 1,613,001 Walter is a megaphone which features a pencil holder. The distinction of having pencil holder is irrelevant in regards to the Pophorn. Walter suffers from the same inadequacies as Mueller and Wheeler in accordance to use as a food service container in terms of construction and performance.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe Pophorn is a food service container that is designed to be both effective as a food service/dispensing container and as a promotional item in the form of a voice amplification megaphone, with a surface area suited for printing of advertising and promotional material. This invention is achieved through a single sheet of poly one side chip material which is printed one side, die cut, and glued to form a container with opposing ends; one end open with a square and/or octagonal cross section tapering down to a singular point, and with opposing edges which glue to form a handle and spine to provide superior support and performance for food dispensing, while the overall container formed enjoys a printable outer surface for advertising and/or promotions.
As for the Pophorn's handle and spine assembly designs (
In the practice and use of the device of this invention, indicia of advertising or promotions is imprinted on one surface of the construction material and is intended to be displayed on the exterior surface of the invention. Since the Pophorn is constructed of SBS Poly One Side material, with the poly one side oriented to the interior of the container, the Pophorn enjoys the unique advantage over all prior art in that the outer promotional/advertising material is protected from being spoiled or stained by moisture or grease passing through the container from the inner surface, due to the moisture and grease resistant properties of the SBS Poly One Side material. This moisture and grease resistant nature of the SBS Poly One Side material has the additional benefit to the Pophorn of protecting the Pophorn's overall structural integrity from the corruptive properties of moisture and/or grease to materials previously employed by previous art.
Having described only a typical preferred form and application of my invention, I do not wish to be limited or restricted to the specific details herein set forth but wish to reserve to myself any variations or modifications that may appear to those skilled in the art and fall within the scope of the following claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING
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Having described only a typical preferred form and application of my invention I do not wish to be limited or restricted to the specific details herein set forth but wish to reserve to myself any variations or modifications that may appear to those skilled in the art and fall within the scope of the following claims.
Claims
1. I claim my invention is a container of the characteristic described compromising a single sheet of flexible, printable, moisture and grease resistant material which may be die cut to roughly a triangular form, scored, and glued along attached flaps located on two adjacent sides to form substantially a cone like structure with a closed, pointed lower end and a wide open upper end, with an overall polygonal cross section sealed along a glued flap which is both structural in the closing of the invention but also practical in terms of serving as a handle.
2. I claim that my invention is intended to store flat, then be easily expanded without assembly to serve as a food product container which may also be converted into a megaphone for voice amplification.
3. I claim my invention enjoys a unique handle glue flap design which provides overall structural strength through a double thickness of material while allowing for the easy separation of the closed end tip cone from the main body by means of a unique notch design, without the need of tearing through a double layer of material.
4. I claim my invention, being made of SBS Poly One Side material, is unique in providing a container of the nature described while allowing moisture and grease resistance with the added durability of the Poly material.
5. I claim that because of the polygonal panels inherent to the nature of my inventions design coupled with the moisture and grease resistant nature of the SBS Poly One Side material, which enjoys a fully printable reverse side from that of the Poly side, and that with this printable side being oriented towards the exterior, the invention provides an exceptional indicia for advertising or promotions while being protected from being spoiled or stained by moisture or grease passing through the container from the inner surface.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 14, 2005
Publication Date: May 17, 2007
Inventors: Michael Taylor (Canyon Lake, CA), Erik Laibe (Torrance, CA)
Application Number: 11/207,784
International Classification: B65D 5/46 (20060101); B65D 5/00 (20060101);