Container for transport and storage of food products

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing compostable food containers which preserve the quality of a food product for an extended duration of time, and which optionally allow for cooking of the food product therein. In some implementations, the food containers are sturdy, stackable, insulating, and require minimal or no manual labor to assemble. In some implementations, the food container includes a base and a cover which cooperate to form a closed chamber for supporting, protecting, insulating and optionally cooking a food product, such as a pizza. The base and cover may each be formed of a single layer of material including, but not limited to, molded sugarcane fiber (“bagasse”), molded wood fiber, molded bamboo fiber, molded paper or plastic.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD[0001]The present disclosure generally relates to containers for protecting, insulating, transporting and / or cooking food products.BACKGROUNDDescription of the Related Art[0002]Today, the standard pizza box is a square box that is made from a single folded blank of corrugated cardboard. Once folded, the cardboard forms a box that is normally about two inches high and having equal sides of between 12 inches and 18 inches. The corrugated cardboard used to produce the pizza box is typically thick, which provides the pizza box with structural strength needed to stack multiple filled pizza boxes atop one another without the bottom box collapsing. Even then, stacking two or more pizza boxes together typically requires the ubiquitous pedestals or “pizza savers” which are placed within the box at the approximate center thereof to prevent the top or lid of the pizza box from being forced into contact with the pizza inside the box due to forces of one or more pizza boxes stacke...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

This patent describes a food container made from compostable fiber that has a base and a cover. The base has a food receiving portion with inner channels and sector portions delineated by the channels. The cover has an interior surface with a smooth and rough portion and is sized and shaped to provide protection for the food. The technical effect of this patent is that it describes a food container that is both compostable and easy to use and can protect food from damage during transport.

Problems solved by technology

Consequently, any condensation, grease, or other liquid that collects between the bottom of the pizza and the bottom of the box becomes trapped.

This can cause the bottom of a pizza to become soggy or oily, and can also reduce the structural integrity of the pizza box.

Additionally, the top of the pizza box absorbs moisture emanating from hot, steaming pizza, which causes the top portion to droop, and which may cause the pizza box to collapse or may at least cause the top portion of the pizza box to touch the top of the pizza in instances where the aforementioned “pizza saver” is not used.

An amount of time between the food being cooked and being consumed by a consumer can affect the desirability of the food, including its temperature and its crispiness.

The temperature of baked food items typically decreases over time, and if the food item is stored in a closed environment to maintain the temperature, then reabsorption of vapors tends to reduce the crispiness and make the food soggy.

If the vapor does escape or is vented from the box quickly, however, then the vapor can carry a significant amount of heat away from the pizza and out of the box, reducing the temperature of the pizza.

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