Material-saving pizza box and blank

Abstract

A pizza box and blank comprising one or more of the features of (1) a unique cover-locking structure comprising (a) a tab extending from a front end edge of a panel of a side wall structure and (b) a tab engaging edge disposed in or on the cover, and (2) a unique cover side flap structure comprising a structure similar to that shown in Correll U.S. Pat. No. 6,547,125 except with the minimum height of the cover side flaps being substantially less than the maximum height of the rear wall and/or side wall panels of the box blank, thereby providing a possible way to mate two adjacent blanks during the manufacturing process. The advantage of the first feature is a cover-locking structure that provides material savings along with ease of use and secure cover closure. The advantage of the second feature is cost savings.

1 . A box having a unique cover-locking structure, said box comprising: 
 a bottom panel,    a rear wall,    a cover comprising a cover panel attached to said rear wall, and    a side wall structure comprising a tab-holding panel;    wherein said side wall structure includes a tab projecting from a front end edge of said tab-holding panel and said cover has a tab engaging edge, said tab being engaged with said tab engaging edge, whereby the engagement of said tab with said tab engaging edge acts to hold said cover in a closed disposition.    
   
   
       2 . A blank for a box having a unique cover-locking structure, said blank being of foldable material cut and scored to define: 
 a bottom panel,    a rear wall attached to said bottom panel,    a front wall structure opposing said rear wall and comprising a front wall attached to said bottom panel,    a side wall structure comprising a side wall panel attached to said bottom panel, a corner panel attached to a front end of said side wall panel and having a front end edge and a bottom edge, and a connector panel attached to the bottom edge of said corner panel, and    a cover comprising a cover panel attached to said rear wall and a cover front flap opposing said rear wall and attached to a front edge of said cover panel;    wherein said corner panel has a tab projecting from the front end edge and said cover has a tab engaging edge, said tab engaging edge being of a disposition and configuration to enable said edge to engage with said tab after said blank has been erected into a box.    
   
   
       3 . The blank of  claim 2  wherein: 
 said front wall structure further comprises an end flap attached to an end of said front wall and to said connector panel.    
   
   
       4 . The blank of  claim 2  wherein: 
 said front wall has a predetermined height and said cover front flap has a predetermined height and the predetermined height of said cover front flap is substantially less than the predetermined height of said front wall.    
   
   
       5 . The blank of  claim 2  wherein: 
 said front wall has a top edge free of attachment.    
   
   
       6 . The blank of  claim 2  wherein: 
 said cover further comprises a cover side flap structure comprising a cover side flap attached to said cover panel and having a lower edge and a corner flap attached to a rear end of said cover side flap and having a lower edge, at least a portion of the lower edge of said corner flap being disposed in non-alignment to a substantial portion of the lower edge of said cover side flap.    
   
   
       7 . The blank of  claim 2  wherein: 
 said cover further comprises a cover side flap structure comprising a cover side flap attached to said cover panel at a cover side flap fold line and having a lower edge, a substantial portion of said lower edge being disposed non-parallel to said cover side flap fold line.    
   
   
       8 . The blank of  claim 2  wherein: 
 said cover further comprises a cover side flap structure comprising a cover side flap attached to said cover panel and having a predetermined minimum height and said rear wall and said side wall panel each have a predetermined maximum height, the predetermined minimum height of said cover side flap being substantially less than the predetermined maximum height of at least one of said rear wall and said side wall panel.    
   
   
       9 . A box having a unique cover-locking structure, said box comprising: 
 a bottom panel,    a rear wall,    a front wall structure opposing said rear wall and comprising a front wall,    a side wall structure comprising a side wall panel, a corner panel attached to a front end of said side wall panel and having a front end edge and a bottom edge, and a connector panel attached to the bottom edge of said corner panel, and    a cover comprising a cover panel attached to said rear wall and a cover front flap opposing said rear wall and attached to a front edge of said cover panel;    wherein said corner panel has a tab at the front end edge and said cover has a tab engaging edge and said tab is engaged with said tab engaging edge, whereby the engagement of said tab with said tab engaging edge acts to hold said cover in a closed disposition.    
   
   
       10 . The box of  claim 9  wherein: 
 said front wall structure further comprises an end flap attached to an end of said front wall and to said connector panel.    
   
   
       11 . The box of  claim 9  wherein: 
 said front wall has a predetermined height and said cover front flap has a predetermined height and the predetermined height of said cover front flap is substantially less than the predetermined height of said front wall.    
   
   
       12 . The box of  claim 9  wherein: 
 said front wall has a top edge free of attachment.    
   
   
       13 . The box of  claim 9  wherein: 
 said cover further comprises a cover side flap structure comprising a cover side flap attached to said cover panel at a cover side flap fold line and having a lower edge and a corner flap attached to a rear end of said cover side flap at a corner flap fold line, the lower edge of said cover side flap comprising a plurality of portions, at least one of the portions being disposed non-parallel to said cover flap fold line.    
   
   
       14 . An improved blank for an inward-slanting-wall box, said blank being of foldable material cut and scored to define the following prior-patent-disclosed combination of components: 
 a bottom panel,    a rear wall attached to said bottom panel and having a predetermined maximum height, opposing left and right side wall structures comprising (a) respective left and right side wall panels attached to said bottom panel at respective left and right side wall fold lines and each having a free rear end and a top edge and a predetermined maximum height,    (b) respective left and right corner panels attached to a front end of said left and right side wall panels and each having a front end edge and a bottom edge, and (c) respective left and right connector panels attached to the bottom edge of said left and right corner panels,    a front wall structure opposing said rear wall and comprising a front wall attached to said bottom panel at a front wall fold line, and    a cover comprising (a) a cover panel attached to said rear wall and (b) opposing left and right cover side flap structures comprising (i) respective left and right cover side flaps attached to said cover panel at respective left and right cover side flap fold lines and each having a lower edge and a predetermined minimum height and (ii) respective free-swinging left and right corner flaps attached to a rear end of said left and right cover side flaps at respective left and right corner flap fold lines and each having a lower edge, at least a portion of the lower edge of said left and right corner flaps being disposed in non-alignment to a substantial portion of the lower edge of said left and right cover side flaps, respectively;    wherein the improvement comprises the predetermined minimum height of said left and right cover side flaps being substantially less than the predetermined maximum height of at least one of the rear wall and the left and right side wall panels.    
   
   
       15 . The blank of  claim 14  wherein: 
 the improvement further comprises a substantial portion of the top edge of at least one of the side wall panels being disposed non-parallel to the side wall fold line associated with that side wall panel.    
   
   
       16 . The blank of  claim 14  wherein: 
 the improvement further comprises a substantial portion of the lower edge of at least one of the cover side flaps being disposed non-parallel to the cover side flap fold line associated with that cover side flap.    
   
   
       17 . The blank of  claim 14  wherein: 
 the improvement further comprises the top edge of each of said side wall panels comprising a plurality of top edge portions and the lower edge of each of said cover side flaps comprising a plurality of lower edge portions.    
   
   
       18 . The blank of  claim 14  wherein: 
 the improvement further comprises the top edge of each of said side wall panels comprising a plurality of top edge portions and the lower edge of each of said cover side flaps comprising a plurality of lower edge portions, wherein:    said plurality of top edge portions comprises a portion disposed parallel and a portion disposed non-parallel to the respective side wall fold line, and    said plurality of lower edge portions comprises a portion disposed parallel and a portion disposed non-parallel to the respective cover side flap fold line.    
   
   
       19 . The blank of  claim 14  wherein: 
 the improvement further comprises each of said left and right corner panels having a tab at the front end edge and said cover having first and second tab engaging edges.    
   
   
       20 . The blank of  claim 14  wherein: 
 said cover further comprises a cover front flap having a predetermined height and said front wall has a predetermined height, the predetermined height of said cover front flap being substantially less than the predetermined height of said front wall.    
   
   
       21 . First and second box blanks formed from a single sheet of foldable material and disposed side-by-side, each of the blanks being cut and scored to define: 
 a bottom panel,    a rear wall attached to said bottom panel,    opposing left and right side wall structures comprising (a) respective left and right side wall panels attached to said bottom panel at respective left and right side wall fold lines and each having a free rear end, a top edge, and a predetermined maximum height, (b) respective left and right corner panels attached to a front end of said left and right side wall panels and each having a front end edge, and (c) respective left and right connector panels attached to a bottom edge of said left and right corner panels,    a front wall structure opposing said rear wall and comprising a front wall attached to said bottom panel at a front wall fold line, and    a cover comprising (a) a cover panel attached to said rear wall, (b) a cover front flap attached to a front edge of said cover panel, and (c) opposing left and right cover side flap structures comprising (i) respective left and right cover side flaps attached to said cover panel at respective left and right cover side flap fold lines and each having a lower edge and a predetermined minimum height and (ii) respective free-swinging left and right corner flaps attached to a rear end of said left and right cover side flaps at respective left and right corner flap fold lines and each having a lower edge, wherein the predetermined minimum height of each of said left and right cover side flaps is substantially less than the predetermined maximum height of said left and right side wall panels and at least a portion of the lower edge of said left and right corner flaps is disposed in non-alignment to a substantial portion of the lower edge of said left and right cover side flaps, respectively;    said first and second blanks being oriented at one hundred eighty degrees from each other and with the top edge of one of the side wall panels of the first blank disposed adjacent the lower edge of one of the cover side flaps of the second blank.    
   
   
       22 . The first and second box blanks of  claim 21  wherein: 
 a substantial portion of the top edge of at least one of the side wall panels of each blank is disposed non-parallel to the side wall fold line associated with that side wall panel.    
   
   
       23 . The first and second box blanks of  claim 21  wherein: 
 a substantial portion of the lower edge of at least one of the cover side flaps of each blank is disposed non-parallel to the cover side flap fold line associated with that cover side flap.    
   
   
       24 . The first and second box blanks of  claim 21  wherein: 
 the top edge of at least one of the side wall panels of the first blank comprises a plurality of top edge portions and the lower edge of at least one of the cover side flaps of the second blank comprises a plurality of lower edge portions.    
   
   
       25 . The first and second box blanks of  claim 21  wherein: 
 the top edge of at least one of the side wall panels of the first blank comprises a plurality of top edge portions and the lower edge of at least one of the cover side flaps of the second blank comprises a plurality of lower edge portions, wherein:    said plurality of top edge portions comprises a portion disposed parallel and a portion disposed non-parallel to the side wall fold line of said at least one of the side wall panels, and    said plurality of lower edge portions comprises a portion disposed parallel and a portion disposed non-parallel to the cover side flap fold line of said at least one of the cover side flaps.    
   
   
       26 . The first and second box blanks of  claim 21 , wherein in each of the blanks: 
 each of said left and right corner panels has a tab at the front end edge and said cover has first and second tab engaging edges.