US3381875A - Multicompartmented receptacle - Google Patents

Description

A. L. TUNICK May 7, 1968 MULTICOMPARTMBNTED RECEPTACLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 10, 1966 i Mania/7' A. L. TUNICK May 7, 1968 MULTI-COMPARTMENTED RECEPTACLE 2 Sheets-Sheet :7,

I Filed Nov. 10, 1966 United States Patent 3,381,875 MULTICOMPARTMENTED RECEPTACLE Abraham L. Tunick, Rock Island, Ill., assignor to Chicken Delight, Inc., Rock Island, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed Nov. 10, 1966, Ser. No. 593,429 6 Claims. (Cl. 22915) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a novel divider for a flexible receptacle, the divider including unitary top closure means for the receptacle. The invention further relates to a combination of the aforesaid divider with a receptacle to be compartmented.

Brie] summary of the invention More specifically, the present invention relates to a divider and closure for a flexible receptacle having a bottom, a frusto-conical side wall converging to said bottom, a frusto-conical side wall converging to said bottom and formed with an inwardly opening groove adjacent the upper edge of said wall for free-fit reception of a top closure. Receptacles of this class, except for the divider, are conventional and the top closure is usually in the form of a disc which can be positioned by hand after the receptacle is filled, and then removed for use by means of an associated lift tab. These components are usually made of paperboard or plastic.

It is an object of the present invention to adapt receptacles of the aforesaid class to contain at one and the same time different items in a separated manner. Thus, for example, the present invention, by means of the novel divider hereinafter described, enables the receptacle to contain in one compartment food material such as fried chicken or french fried shrimp or the like, and in another compartment french fried potatoes, cole slaw and the like complementary food item or items. Such separation is desirable particularly when transporting the foods from a commercial establishment where they are prepared to the user, in one convenient package.

The divider and unitary closure of the present invention makes possible the use of conventional receptacles of the class described, and converting it, when occasion requires to one having, for example, two compartments, in a quick, convenient and economical manner.

Thus, the divider and unitary closure of the present invention can be formed of a single blank of paperboard cut and scored to define a matching pair of wedge-shaped components each defined by parallel top and bottom edges and oppositely inclined side edges converging to said bottom edges and hingedly connected together at one of their said edges, and a semi-circular top closure flap hingedly connected to each of said top edges, said wedge-shaped components being scored at their hinge line and adapted to overlie each other and to be radially wedged into said receptacle and said top closure flaps being scored at their hinge lines and adapted to be oppositely folded therefrom and to force-fit project into said receptacle groove. The two wedge-shaped components can be hinged together at their bottom edges or side edges. The closure flaps can be formed with lift tabs or be apertured or edgewise notched for insertion of a finger to elevate them.

The objects of the present invention, its details of construction, arrangement of parts and the economies thereof will be further apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description and accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the divided receptacle of the present invention showing the top closed, and

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FIG. 2 is a similar perspective view with one-half of the top open.

'FIG. 3 is a section on the line 33 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a blank development view of the divider employed in FIGS. 1 to 4.

FIG. 6 is a blank development view of a modified form of divider.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view of an assembly similar to that shown in FIG. 3 but employing the modified divider of FIG. 6.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 10 indicates a side wall of the receptacle having the bottom 11. The receptacle 10 is of substantially frusto-conical form tapering from the top towards the bottom 11. The lip or upper edge portion of the receptacle Wall 10 is formed with an annular groove or indentation 12 so as to receive, as by force fitting, a receptacle cover.

In accordance with the present invention, a radial divider is provided and which is adapted to be wedged into the receptacle. As shown in the form of BIG. 5, this divider is suitably formed of a single blank cut and scored to define a pair of wedge- shaped components 13, 13, each of the wedge components having an upper edge defined by the score line 14 and the parallel bottom edge 15, outer side edges 16, 16 and mutual side edges defined by the score line 17, the side edges 16 and 17 of each half being inclined and converging toward the bottom edge 15.

Hinged to each of the components 13, 13 on the score lines 14, 14 are the oppositely foldable semi-circular top closure flaps 18, v18. Each of the top closure halves 18, 18 are further formed with finger receiving notches 19 for facilitating lifting of the closures after they have been seated in the receptacle groove 12. It will be understood that in lieu of the notches 19, the closure sections .18, 18 may in the alternative be formed with finger receiving apertures, or tabs extending from their convex edges for the same purpose.

In the modified form of FIG. 6, all the components are the same except that the two halves 13, 13 are hinged together at their bottoms on the score line 20, instead of being hinged together at one of the side edges 17 as shown in FIG. 5. In either case, in the forms of FIGS. 5 and 6 the sections 13, 13 are adapted to be folded against each other on the score lines 17 or 20 where the two sections are joined, and of a dimension adapted to be wedge-fit into the receptacle 10 as shown in FIGS. l3.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the top closure halves 18, 18 are folded in opposite directions and sea-ted into the receptacle groove 12 so as to provide a closed divided container. FIG. 2 shows one of the top closure halves 18 in open position lifted from the groove 12 and the other half 18 in closed position. As previously described, the components of the present invention may be formed of suitable flexible material such as paperboard or plastic.

Although I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in the details thereof without departing from its scope as comprehended by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A multi-compartmented receptacle comprising a bottom and a frusto-conical side wall of flexible material converging toward said bottom, and a radial divider formed with parallel top and bottom edges and inclined side edges converging to said bottom edge in wedged frictional engagement with said receptacle wall, said divider including a pair of oppositely fold-able semi-circular top closure flaps hinged to the top of said divider and adapted to be force-fit into an inwardly opening annular groove 3 formed in said container wall adjacent the upper defining edge thereof.

2. The receptacle of claim 1 wherein said top closure flaps are formed with finger-receiving notches.

3. The receptacle of claim 1 wherein said divider is composed of twooverfolded sections of like contour hinged together at one of their side edges.

4. The receptacle of claim 1 wherein said divider is composed of two ovenfolded sections of like contour hinged together at their bottom edges.

5. A divider and closure for a receptacle of the class having a bottom, a frusto-conical side wall converging to said bottom and formed with an inwardly opening groove adjacent the upper edge of said wall for force-fit reception of a top closure, said divider and closure comprising a blank cut and scored to define a matching pair of wedgeshaped component's each defined by parallel top and bottom edges and oppositely inclined side edges converging to said bottom edges and hingedly connected together at one of their said edges, and a semi-circular top closure flap hingedly connected to each of said top edges, said wedge-shaped components being scored at their hinge line and adapted to overlie each other and to be radially wedged into frictional engagement within said receptacle and said top closure flaps being scored at their hinge lines and adapted to be opposite folded therefrom and to forcefit project into said receptacle groove.

6. The divider and closure of claim 5 wherein said flaps are formed with finger receiving notches adapted for lift- 10 ing said flaps from engagement with said receptacle.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,754,524 4/1930 Porter 229-45 15 2,010,149 8/1935 Hassenfeld 229-1s 2,335,016 ll/11943 Lorenzen et a1. 220--22 JOSEPH R. LEOLAIR, Primary Examiner.

20 ROBERT PESHOCK, Examiner.

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