Reclosable food container

Abstract

A reclosable food container is created from a unitary blank. The container includes a bottom panel, a first lateral side panel extending from the bottom panel; a first opposing side panel extending from the bottom panel on an opposing side to the first lateral side panel; a second lateral side panel extending from the bottom panel; a second opposing side panel extending from the bottom panel on an opposing side to the second lateral side panel; a plurality of foldable gussets, each gusset hingedly connecting two adjacent side panels; a first closure panel extending from the first lateral side panel, the first closure panel comprising a first hook closure device; and a second closure panel extending from the first opposing side panel, the second closure panel comprising a second hook closure device.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A reclosable food container assembled from a unitary blank, the container comprising: 
 a bottom panel;    a first pair of opposing side panels extending from the bottom panel;    a second pair of opposing side panels extending from the bottom panel;    a plurality of foldable gussets; each gusset connecting two adjacent side panels; and    a first pair of opposing closure panels extending from the first pair of opposing side panels and each closure panel having an opposing hook closure device.    
     
     
         2 . The reclosable food container of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 a second pair of opposing closure panels extending from the second pair of opposing side panels.  
 
     
     
         3 . The reclosable food container of  claim 2  wherein a hook closure device extends from each of the second pair of opposing closure panels.  
     
     
         4 . The reclosable food container of  claim 2  wherein the pairs of closure panels may be closed in an arbitrary order.  
     
     
         5 . The reclosable food container of  claim 3  wherein all hook closure devices may be hidden when the container is closed.  
     
     
         6 . The reclosable food container of  claim 3  wherein the pairs closure panels may be closed in an arbitrary order.  
     
     
         7 . The reclosable food container of  claim 6  wherein the first pair of opposing side panels extend from a shorter side of the bottom panel than the second pair of opposing side panels.  
     
     
         8 . The reclosable food container of  claim 6  wherein structural integrity of the container is maintained when only a top most pair of opposing hook closure devices are interlocked.  
     
     
         9 . The reclosable food container of  claim 2  wherein an area of either pair of opposing closure panels exceed 85% of an area of an opening defined by edges of the pairs of opposing side panels distal to the bottom panel.  
     
     
         10 . A method of making a reclosable food container from a unitary blank comprising: 
 scoring the unitary blank with at least one of a plurality of score lines and a plurality of fold lines;    folding along two pairs of substantially parallel fold lines that define a bottom panel, to form four side panels;    folding along four sets of fold lines, each set defining a gusset extending between pairs of side panels of a cavity;    folding along at least two fold lines that define a fold between a side panel and a closure panel;    adhering each gusset to an outer surface of one of the adjacent side panels;    wherein the food container comprises a first closure panel extending from a first side panel, the first closure panel comprising a first hook closure device; and a second closure panel extending from a first opposing side panel, the second closure panel comprising a second hook closure device.    
     
     
         11 . An article comprising: 
 a unitary paperboard blank defining a bottom panel;    a first pair of opposing side panels extending from the bottom panel;    a second pair of opposing side panels extending from the bottom panel;    a plurality of foldable gussets, each gusset connecting two adjacent side panels; and    a first pair of opposing closure panels extending from the first pair of opposing side panels and each closure panel having an opposing hook closure device.    
     
     
         12 . The reclosable food container of  claim 11  further comprising: 
 a second pair of opposing closure panels extending from the second pair of opposing side panels.  
 
     
     
         13 . The article of  claim 11  wherein the panels are defined by score lines.  
     
     
         14 . The article of  claim 11  wherein the panels are defined by fold lines.