Easily disposable modular container for pizza and the like

Abstract

The present invention provides an easily disposable box that may also be used as a storage container for holding leftovers. It is particularly well suited for pizza. In the most preferred embodiment, a pull-tab cord design is used as the primary means of weakening the box structure for disposal which facilitates separating the overall box into two halves. The resulting open ends of one or both of the resulting halves may incorporate a small number of preformed score lines that facilitate folding the open end shut, thereby forming a second closed box structure. In the most preferred embodiment of the present invention, one half of the split box is sized so that when the open end is folded shut, the closed box is essentially half the volume of the original box. By utilizing a destructive pull-tab cord design instead of preformed perforations as the primary means of weakening the box structure for disposal, the structural integrity of the box is not weakened as compared to the typical pizza box until the customer chooses to pull the tab in order to dispose of the box or store leftover pizza.

1 . A re-closable container, comprising 
 a. A bottom portion, the perimeter of which is defined by hingedly attached, opposing lower side walls, a hingedly attached back wall, and a hingedly attached lower front wall    b. A top portion hingedly attached to said back wall, the perimeter of which is defined by hingedly attached, opposing upper side walls, a hingedly attached upper front wall, and said hingedly attached back wall.    c. Divisional means for facilitating the division of box structure into at least two pieces, arranged longitudinally through the box structure    
   
   
       2 . A re-closable container, comprising 
 a. A bottom portion, the perimeter of which is defined by hingedly attached, opposing lower side walls, a hingedly attached back wall, and a hingedly attached front wall    b. A top portion hingedly and removably attached to said back wall, the perimeter of which is defined by hingedly attached, opposing upper side walls, a hingedly attached upper front wall, and said back wall.    c. Tab portions hingedly attached to the lower side walls, adjacent to the front wall    d. Tab portions hingedly attached to the lower side walls, adjacent to the back wall, at least one of which is also removably attached    e. A removable portion, located near the center of the front wall, essentially rectangular in shape, defined by a border of perforations.    f. A tab portion, located near the center of the back wall, essentially rectangular in shape, defined on three sides by a border of perforations and hingedly attached to the back wall on the fourth side.    
   
   
       3 . A re-closable container comprising 
 a. A bottom portion, the perimeter of which is defined by hingedly attached, opposing lower side walls, a hingedly attached back wall, and a hingedly attached front wall    b. A top portion hingedly and removably attached to said back watt, the perimeter of which is defined by hingedly attached, opposing upper side walls, a hingedly attached upper front wall, and said back wall.    c. Tab portions hingedly attached to the lower side walls, adjacent to the lower front wall    d. Tab portions hingedly and removably attached to the lower side walls, adjacent to the back wall    e. Two tab portions, one each located near the center of each Lower Side Wall, essentially rectangular in shape, defined on two sides by a border of perforations and hingedly attached to the side wall on the third side.    
   
   
       4 . A container, according to  claim 1 , wherein the divisional means for dividing the box structure comprises Cord.  
   
   
       5 . A container, according to  claim 1 , wherein the divisional means for dividing the box structure comprises perforations.  
   
   
       6 . A container, according to  claim 1 , wherein the lower side walls include hingedly attached tabs adjacent to the front wall and adjacent to the back wall.  
   
   
       7 . A container, according to  claim 1 , wherein the Lower Front Wall folds over itself, forming a double walled structure.  
   
   
       8 . A container, according to  claim 1 , wherein the upper side walls include hingedly attached tabs adjacent to the back wall.  
   
   
       9 . A container, according to  claim 8 , wherein the lower front wall and lower side walls are hingedly attached to one another through a triangular portion hingedly attached to the bottom portion.  
   
   
       10 . A container, according to  claim 4 , wherein perforations are arranged parallel and adjacent to the cord to aid in tearing of the box structure.  
   
   
       11 . A container, according to  claim 1 , further comprising 
 a. a removable portion on the upper front wall, adjacent to the divisional means and defined on two sides by perforations and on the third side by said divisional means.    b. a tab portion, on the back wall adjacent to the divisional means, defined on two sides by perforations, on the third side by said division at means, and hingedly attached to the bottom portion on the fourth side.    c. a removable portion on the lower front wall, adjacent to the divisional means and defined on two sides by perforations and on the third side by said divisional means.    
   
   
       12 . A container, according to  claim 11 , further comprising 
 a. a tab portion on the lower front wall, adjacent to the cord, defined on two sides by perforations, on the third side by the divisional means, and hingedly attached to the bottom portion on the fourth side.    
   
   
       13 . A container, according to  claim 11 , further comprising 
 a. A retainer portion, defined by perforations on the lower side wall and tab portion across a corner of the folded box structure on two sides, and hingedly attached to said lower side wall on the third side, and said tab portion on the fourth side.    
   
   
       14 . A container, according to  claim 11  wherein the divisional means comprises 
 a. A Cord    b. A Pull-Tab associated with said Cord    
   
   
       15 . A container, according to  claim 11 , wherein the divisional means comprises 
 a. A single row of perforations.    
   
   
       16 . A container, according to  claim 11 , wherein the divisional means comprises 
 a. multiple rows of perforations essentially parallel to one another.    
   
   
       17 . A container, according to  claim 14 , further comprising 
 a. a row of perforations arranged adjacent to and essentially parallel with one side the Cord    
   
   
       18 . A container, according to  claim 14 , further comprising 
 a. Two rows of perforations, arranged one on each side of and essentially parallel to the Cord.    
   
   
       19 . A container, according to  claim 17 , wherein each perforation of said row of perforations comprises 
 a. Two elongated cuts, situated at essentially ninety-degrees to one another, arranged in close proximity to one another in order to essentially generate a single perforation.    b. Said elongated cuts arranged so that one is essentially parallel to the cord and the other is essentially perpendicular to the cord.    
   
   
       20 . A container, according to  claim 18 , wherein each perforation of said rows of perforations comprises 
 a. Two elongated cuts, situated at essentially ninety-degrees to one another, arranged in close proximity to one another in order to essentially generate a single perforation    b. Said elongated cuts arranged so that one is essentially parallel to the cord and the other is essentially perpendicular to the cord.    
   
   
       21 . A container, according to  claim 11 , wherein the inside surface of the box structure is coated with a waterproofing substance.  
   
   
       22 . A container, according to  claim 1 , further comprising 
 a. A Cord arranged on a curvilinear path longitudinally through the box structure.    b. A Locking Tab formed from a part of the Top portion.    c. A Slot for receiving said Locking Tab in the Bottom portion.