Sealable Carton with Removable Sections for Wrapping Fast Food
A carton for wrapped fast food, comprising a sheet of rigid material, having a posterior section, posterior fold line, upper and lower winged sections and middle section, said middle section having at least one removable section adjacent to an anterior opening, and a lid to allow the sealing of the anterior opening. The carton facilitates the wrapping of the fast food comprising a substantially flat bread, safe storage and transportation of the wrapped fast food. Preferably, the bottom of the carton is nested within a cup in order to maintain the folded shape of the carton and prevent leakage of its contents, such cup also having a removable portion.
This invention relates to a sealable carton and method for wrapped fast-food with removable sections. Particularly, but not exclusively, the invention relates to a sealable carton and method for wrapped fast-food including Greek-style souvlakis, gyros or kebabs. The carton facilitates the wrapping, safe storage and transportation of the wrapped fast food. In addition, said carton has one or more removable sections at pre-defined tear lines along the middle section of the carton which can be removed while the fast food is being consumed. Preferably, the bottom of the carton is nested within a cup in order to maintain the folded shape of the carton and prevent leakage of its contents, such cup also having a removable portion.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONIt is well known that fast-food vendors have developed cartons that allow ease of transportation and consumption of the food being served. Such cartons have been developed for various kinds of fast-food including hamburgers, tacos, and sandwiches. These cartons may also assist with the consumption of the food by preventing temperature loss, excessive spillage, leakage of contents, and/or keeping the food intact. Prior art examples of such cartons and/or food packaging are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,641,752 and 4,844,330 and US Published Patent Application 2006/0231599 A1.
Wrapped fast-food including Greek-style souvlakis, gyros or kebabs typically comprise portions of meat and salad wrapped in a substantially flat bread such as pita bread and garnished with various sauces such as tzatziki, chilli sauce and/or hummus. Typically, the meat and salad is wrapped in a conical fashion by the pita bread and eaten from the top of the souvlaki, which forms the open end of the ‘cone’ formed by the pita bread. For convenience, such wrapped fast-food will be referred to in the rest of this specification as ‘souvlaki(s)’ although it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention described can applied to any wrapped fast-food. Vendors do not provide cartons or packaging for a souvlaki in a similar manner to the prior art methods disclosed, e.g.
hamburger cartons, due to their unusual shape and method of consumption. Therefore, vendors typically provide souvlakis encased in a paper bag and/or thin paper wrapping or napkin. This style of packaging has various disadvantages including temperature loss, lack of robustness and poor storage capability causing leakage and crumbling of the contents with potential contamination of hands, clothing and surroundings as a consequence. In addition, when eating the souvlaki in the usual manner from the top to the bottom, the packaging must be torn open, which can cause parts of the packaging to be removed in an unpredictable way. This usually leads to the contents of the souvlaki being spilled and can make it difficult to consume. In addition, the wrapping of a souvlaki in a speedy and efficient manner requires some training and it would be useful to have packaging that assists a user in the efficient wrapping of a souvlaki. Therefore, there is need for an invention that overcomes the problems in the prior art and allows the souvlaki to be wrapped, transported and consumed in an efficient and convenient manner. In addition, the invention should be inexpensive to produce and suitable for mass production.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTIONIt is an object of this invention to provide a carton that allows a souvlaki to be transported in a safe and efficient manner and reduce the risk of contamination, or at least provide the public with a useful choice.
It is also an object of this invention to provide a carton that allows a souvlaki to be eaten in a convenient manner, or at least provide the public with a useful choice.
In it also an object of this invention to provide a carton that assists a user in the efficient wrapping of a souvlaki, or at least provide the public with a useful choice.
It is also an object of this invention to provide a carton that is inexpensive and suitable for mass production, or at least provide the public with a useful choice.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention aims to provide a carton to contain a souvlaki and method, which allows the souvlaki to be wrapped, transported and consumed in an efficient manner. The carton comprises a sheet of rigid material, having a posterior section, posterior fold line, upper and lower winged sections and middle section for placing an unwrapped souvlaki having at least one removable section, anterior opening and a lid to allow the sealing of the anterior opening. The carton facilitates the wrapping of a souvlaki wherein a pita is placed in the middle section with the edges adjacent to the side pita marker line and bottom pita marker line, placing left thumb on the folding back the carton along the upper winged section line and using the edge of the upper winged section to fold over the pita and hold it down while folding the middle section of the carton in a substantially conical manner to bring the lower winged section into contact with the upper winged section wherein the lower line marker is placed substantially parallel over the upper line marker and subsequently said lower line marker is slidably positioned under the said upper line marker and upper winged section is unfolded at the upper winged section line and held over lower winged lateral section, forming an anterior opening of the carton which can be sealed by the lid and folding the posterior section of the carton at the posterior fold line. Preferably, a separate cup section is provided with a shape allowing it to be nestled to the posterior section of the carton after said folding of the posterior fold line, which provides stability and rigidness to the carton, and prevents leakage of any souvlaki sauces. The middle section of the carton has at least one removable portion, which can be torn off while consuming the souvlaki. The cup itself may also have at least one removable portion.
In the first aspect the invention provides a carton for wrapped food includes: a sheet of rigid material having a posterior section with substantially adjacent and parallel bottom fold line, substantially tapered lateral winged section and top edge with lid;
wherein said bottom fold line is folded substantially parallel to said bottom edge and lateral winged sections are folded substantially conically to contact each other and comprise a middle section with a top opening which may be sealed with said lid; wherein said middle section has at least one removable section along its length formed by weakening the material along tear lines, the first said removable section starting from said top edge;
whereby said removable section can be removed along the tear lines during consumption of the wrapped food contents of the carton.
Preferably, bottom fold line of said carton is supported by a cup of rigid material having a substantially similar shape to the base section of the carton.
Preferably, said cup includes:
a sheet of rigid material with base section, bottom section and two winged sections wherein said bottom section is folded to contact the two winged sections and sealed using adhesive means to form a cup with top opening;
wherein bottom of said carton can be supported being placed into top opening of said cup.
Preferably, said base section of said cup includes at least one removable section along its length formed by weakening the material along tear lines, the first said removable section starting from anterior opening of said cup.
The invention will be described by way of example only with reference to the drawings, in which:
The invention will be described in relation to the preferred embodiment with reference to the drawings.
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While the present invention has been illustrated by the description of the embodiments thereof, and while the embodiments have been described in detail, it is not the intention of the Applicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details, representative apparatus and method, and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departure from the spirit or scope of the Applicant's general inventive concept.
Claims
1. A carton for wrapped fast food, comprising a sheet of rigid material for folding in a substantially conical manner, having a posterior section, posterior fold line, upper and lower winged sections and middle section, said middle section having at least one removable section adjacent to an anterior opening, and a lid to allow the sealing of the anterior opening.
2. A carton claimed in claim 1 wherein said anterior opening has a plurality of removable sections wherein said removable sections are comprised of tear lines arranged diagonally in a substantially zip-like manner across said middle section wherein a first removable section is adjacent to anterior opening and subsequent removable sections are positioned in a manner allowing them be removed individually in a sequence.
3. A carton claimed in claim 1 further comprising a middle section for holding a substantially flat bread with the edges adjacent to a side pita marker line and a bottom pita marker line, left thumb marker for folding back the carton along the upper winged section line and having an edge of the upper winged section for applying pressure on the substantially flat bread and having a middle section of the carton for folding in a substantially conical manner to bring the lower winged section into contact with the upper winged section, a lower line marker for being placed substantially parallel over an upper line marker and subsequently said lower line marker being slidably positioned under the said upper line marker and upper winged section being unfolded at the upper winged section line and held over lower winged lateral section, forming an anterior open end of the carton for sealing by the lid and having the posterior section of the carton for folding at the posterior fold line.
4. A carton claimed in claim 1 further comprising a separate cup comprising a sheet of rigid material with a cup opening allowing it to be nestled to the posterior section of the carton.
5. A carton claimed in claim 4 wherein said cup has at least one removable section, a posterior tab, lateral wings and adhesive means for sealing lateral wings to posterior tab.
6. A method for wrapped fast food comprising the steps of providing a sheet of rigid material for folding in a substantially conical manner, having a posterior section, posterior fold line, upper and lower winged sections and middle section, said middle section having at least one removable section adjacent to an anterior opening, and a lid to allow the sealing of the anterior opening.
7. A method for wrapped fast food as claimed in claim 6 further comprising the steps of providing an anterior opening having a plurality of removable sections wherein said removable sections are arranged diagonally in a zip-like manner across said middle section and an item of wrapped fast food comprising a substantially flat bread is folded within said middle section said first said removable section is adjacent to anterior opening and subsequent removable sections are removed individually in a sequence when consuming said wrapped fast food.
8. A method for wrapped fast food claimed in claim 6 further comprising the steps of providing a middle section for placing an item of wrapped fast food comprising a substantially flat bread and having at least one removable section in said middle section, anterior opening and a lid to allow the sealing of the anterior opening wherein said item of wrapped fast food comprising a substantially flat bread is placed in the middle section with the edges adjacent to the side pita marker line and bottom pita marker line wherein a right thumb is placed on an upper thumb marker and folding back the carton along the upper winged section line and using the edge of the upper winged section to fold over the substantially flat bread and holding it down with the right thumb while using the left thumb on the lower thumb marker to fold the middle section of the carton in a substantially conical manner to bring the lower winged section into contact with the upper winged section wherein the lower line marker is placed substantially parallel over the upper line marker and subsequently said lower line marker is slidably positioned under the said upper line marker and upper winged section is unfolded at the upper winged section line and held over lower winged section, forming an anterior opening of the carton which is sealed by the lid and folding the posterior section of the carton at the posterior fold line.
9. A method for wrapped fast food claimed in claim 8 further comprising the steps of providing a separate cup section with a shape allowing it to be nestled to the posterior section of the carton wherein such cup is nestled to the posterior section of the carton after said folding of the posterior fold line.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 3, 2011
Publication Date: Feb 2, 2012
Inventor: Argyris Lakakis (Christchurch)
Application Number: 13/153,378
International Classification: B65D 5/00 (20060101);