Windowed Clamshell Containers

The present disclosure relates to containers for products such as produce, protein, processed foods, and any product needing to be viewed through the container, and more particularly to clamshell type containers.

Traditional clamshell containers for produce and the like are made of transparent polymer materials. These containers allow for consumers to inspect the contents prior to purchasing. For example, berries are typically sold to consumers in clear plastic containers that allow the consumers to visually inspect the berries to confirm freshness, ripeness, quantity, and the like, without opening the container. In order to handle bulk amounts of these plastic containers, they are typically grouped into stacking trays. The stacking trays can be stacked onto pallets for shipping.

The conventional techniques have been considered satisfactory for their intended purpose. However, there is an ever present need for improved systems and methods for containers. This disclosure provides a solution for this need.

A container includes a container body of a corrugated paper material. The container body defines a tray and a clamshell lid hinged to the tray for movement between a closed position wherein the clamshell lid and tray enclose an interior space of the container body and an open position wherein the clamshell lid is clear of a top opening of the tray for access to the interior space. The tray includes a bottom panel. The clamshell lid includes a top panel defining a top window opening therethrough. In the closed position, the top window opening is opposite from the bottom panel.

The bottom panel can be bounded by panel edges. A plurality of bottom window openings can be defined through the bottom panel spaced apart from all of the panel edges. The top window opening can be a first top window opening. A second top window opening can be spaced apart from the first top window opening by a beam of the top panel. A third top window opening can be spaced apart from the first top window opening by a beam of the top panel. A fourth top window opening can be spaced apart from the second window opening by a beam of the top panel, and can be spaced apart from the third window opening by a beam of the top panel. The first, second, third, and fourth top window openings can be spaced apart from edges of the top panel by a top panel frame.

The tray can include a front tray panel opposite a hinge connecting the clamshell lid to the tray. The clamshell lid can include a front lid panel opposite the hinge. The front tray panel can define a front tray window opening therethrough. The front lid panel can define a front lid window opening therethrough that is aligned with the front tray window opening with the clamshell lid in the closed position. The tray can include a back panel opposite from the front tray panel. The back panel can define at least one back window opening therethrough.

Side tray panels of the tray can include upward extending stacking tabs that protrude through corresponding apertures in the clamshell lid in the closed position, wherein the bottom panel includes stacking apertures aligned with the stacking tabs for receiving stacking tabs of another container. It is also contemplated that side lid panels of the clamshell lid can include upward extending stacking tabs and stacking notches aligned with the stacking tabs configured for receiving stacking tabs of another container. The stacking tabs can extend upward relative to the bottom panel. The stacking tabs can include corrugation flutes that extend upward relative to the bottom panel.

The tray can include glue flaps securing sidewall panels in an upright position. The glue flaps can be outside of the interior space, configured to reduce abrasion of product within the interior space. In the closed position, three sidewall panels of the clamshell lid can all be outside of the interior space.

A blank for forming a clamshell container includes a tray portion including a plurality of tray panels configured to form a tray for holding product in an interior space. The plurality of tray panels includes a bottom panel configured to define a bottom of a tray, a front tray panel connected to the bottom panel, a back tray panel connected to the bottom panel opposite from the front tray panel, a first side tray panel connected to the bottom panel lateral from the front and back tray panels, and a second side tray panel connected to the bottom panel opposite from the first side tray panel. A lid portion includes a plurality of lid panels configured to form a clamshell lid for enclouding product in the interior space. The plurality of lid panels includes a top panel configured to define a top of the clamshell lid defining a top window opening therethrough, wherein the top panel is connected to the back tray panel along a hinge line configured for moving the clamshell lid back and forth between an open position and a closed position relative to the tray. The plurality of lid panels includes a front lid panel connected to the top panel opposite the hinge line, a first side lid panel connected to the top panel lateral from the front lid panel, and a second side lid panel connected to the top panel opposite the first side lid panel. The tray portion and the lid portion are of a corrugated paper material.

The front tray panel can define a front tray window opening therethrough. The front lid panel can define a front lid window opening therethrough that is configured to be aligned with the front tray window opening with the clamshell lid in the closed position.

The first and second side tray panels of the tray portion can include stacking tabs configured to protrude through corresponding apertures in the clamshell lid in the closed position, wherein the bottom panel includes stacking apertures aligned with the stacking tabs for receiving stacking tabs of another container. It is also contemplated that the first and second side lid panels of the lid portion can include upward stacking tabs and stacking notches aligned with the stacking tabs configured for receiving stacking tabs of another container. The stacking tabs can be configured to extend upward relative to the bottom panel. The stacking tabs can include corrugation flutes that are configured to extend upward relative to the bottom panel.

The tray portion can include glue flaps configured for securing sidewall panels in an upright position. The glue flaps can be configured to be outside of the interior space to reduce abrasion of product within the interior space. The front lid panel, the first side lid panel, and the second side lid panel of the lid portion cab all be configured to be outside of the interior space in the closed position.

These and other features of the systems and methods of the subject disclosure will become more readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the drawings.

Reference will now be made to the drawings wherein like reference numerals identify similar structural features or aspects of the subject disclosure. For purposes of explanation and illustration, and not limitation, a partial view of an embodiment of a container in accordance with the disclosure is shown inand is designated generally by reference character. Other embodiments of systems in accordance with the disclosure, or aspects thereof, are provided in, as will be described. The systems and methods described herein can be used to provide see-through clamshell containers for product utilizing corrugated paper material.

The containerincludes a container bodyof a corrugated paper material, e.g. a corrugated sheet of paper adhered between two flat sheets of paper, as shown in the cut edges of the containerin. The container bodydefines a trayand a clamshell lidhinged to the trayfor movement between an open position as shown inand a closed position as shown in. In the open position of, the clamshell lidis clear of a top openingof the trayfor access to the interior space. In the closed position of, the clamshell lidand trayenclose the interior spaceof the container body.

With continued reference to, the trayincludes a bottom panel. The clamshell lidincludes a top paneldefining top window openings. Whereasshow a containerand blankwith no window openings through the bottom panel,show containerand corresponding blankfor a configuration with window openingsthrough the bottom panelspaced apart from the edges of the bottom panel. The top window openingsand the bottom window openings, if present, are separated from one another by corrugated paper material of the container body. In the closed position, shown in, the window openingsare opposite from the bottom panel.

Referring to, where the blankfor forming the containerofis shown, the bottom panelis bounded by panel edges, i.e. the fold linesthat connect the bottom panelwith the sidewall panels,,,of the tray. In the configuration of, each of the bottom window openingsis spaced apart from all of the panel edges. In the configurations of, the top window openingssimilarly spaced apart from all edges to the top panel. A cross of two perpendicular beamsof corrugated paper material extends across the top panel, spanning a rectangular frameof the corrugated paper material defined in the top paneladjacent to and following the panel edges.

With continued reference to, the blankfor forming the clamshell containerofincludes a tray portion, i.e. the portion for forming the tray. This includes a plurality of tray panels configured to form the trayshown in. The plurality of tray panels includes the bottom paneland a set of tray sidewall panels. These tray sidewall panels include a front tray panelconnected to the bottom panelalong a fold line, a back tray panelconnected to the bottom panelalong a fold lineopposite from the front tray panel, a first side tray panelconnected to the bottom panelalong a fold linelateral from the front and back tray panels,, and a second side tray panelconnected to the bottom panelalong a fold oneopposite from the first side tray panel.

With continued reference to, a lid portion of the blankcorresponds to the portions of the blankthat form into the clamshell lidshown in. The lid portion includes a plurality of lid panels that form a clamshell lid. The plurality of lid panels includes the top panelthat is configured to define a top of the clamshell lidas shown in. The top panelis connected to the back tray panelalong a hinge line, i.e. the fold lineconnecting the panels,to one another, that configured for moving the clamshell lidback and forth between the open position ofand the closed position ofrelative to the tray. The plurality of lid panels include three lid sidewall panels, namely a front lid panelconnected to the top panelalong a fold lineopposite the hinge line, a first side lid panelconnected to the top panelalong a fold linelateral from the front lid panel, and a second side lid panelconnected to the top panelalong a fold lineopposite the first side lid panel. The tray and lid portions of the blankare of corrugated paper material.

Referring now to, the front tray paneldefines a pair of front tray windowsopening therethrough. The front lid paneldefines a corresponding pair of front lid window openingstherethrough that are aligned with the front tray window openingswith the clamshell lid in the closed position as shown in, so that the interior spacecan be viewed through the aligned window openings,. Similar alignment of handling openingsin the trayand lidare provided in the lateral sides of the container. The back panelof the traydefines at least one back window openingtherethrough. The top window openings, the bottom window openings(if included as in), front back and window openings,,are all separated from one another by corrugated paper material of the container body.

A front pair of glue flapsextend from opposite ends of the front tray panel. A back pair of glue flapsextend from opposite ends of the back tray panel. In forming the blankofinto the container of, the front and back pairs of glue flaps,are adhered to outside surfaces of the first and second side tray panels,to secure the sidewall panels of the trayin an upright position. As shown in, the glue flaps,are all outside of the interior space, giving the sidewalls in the traya smooth interior surface configured to reduce abrasion of product within the interior space. A top pair of glue flapsextend from a front end of each of the side lid panels,opposite from the hinge, or could extend from opposite ends of the front lid panel. In the containerofformed from the blank of, the glue flapsare adhered to an inside surface of the front lid panelto form thee upright sidewall panels,,of the clamshell lidsuch that in the closed position shown inall three sidewall panels,,of the clamshell lidare all outside of the interior space.

With continued reference to, the side tray panels,of the trayinclude upward extending stacking tabsthat protrude through corresponding aperturesin the clamshell lidin the closed position shown on. The bottom panelincludes stacking apertures, which extend over the respective fold linesinto the respective side tray panels,. The stacking aperturesare aligned with the stacking tabsfor receiving stacking tabsof another container for stacking multiple containersand keeping them aligned.

With reference now to, another configuration of the containerand blankare shown, respectively, similar to those in, but with a different configuration of stacking tabs. In the configuration shown in, the side lid panels,include upward extending stacking tabs. The side lid panels,also include stacking notchesaligned with the stacking tabsconfigured for receiving stacking tabsof another container for stacking as described above with respect to.

As shown in, containersas described above allow for stacking of the clamshell containerson a palletwithout the need for a separate tray or container to hold the containerson the palletor in the stack. The containerscan hold produce such as apples, citrus, avocados, protein foods, processed foods, or any other suitable product benefiting from windows, wherein the window openings are sized to keep said products inside the interior spacewhen in the closed position. This can be used to replace the traditional plastic clamshell containers and the layer trays holding the plastic clamshells in stacks and on pallets.

The methods and systems of the present disclosure, as described above and shown in the drawings, provide for see-through clamshell containers for product utilizing corrugated paper material. While the apparatus and methods of the subject disclosure have been shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that changes and/or modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the subject disclosure.