Vented hot baked goods container

Abstract

A container ( 16 ) that is especially useful to hold hot baked goods to vent moisture and thereby increase the life of the baked goods. The container includes base and lid elements ( 12, 14 ), both formed of plastic sheeting, with especially the lid element having a plurality of small (preferably not more than ⅛th inch diameter) vent holes ( 50, 40, 42, 44, 52 ) that allow the escape of moisture while resisting the entry of dirt or objects.

1 . A container for receiving hot baked goods, said container having a base, a lid that covers said base, and a vertical axis, said base and lid formed of sheet plastic, wherein:
 said lid has primarily vertical lid side walls extending about said axis, a primarily horizontal top wall, and an upper transition region that extends from a top of said lid side walls to said primarily horizontal lid top wall;   said upper transition region including a transition wall with a lower portion extending primarily upward from a top of said lid side walls, and with an upward portion extending primarily horizontally to a top rib, said top rib projecting upwardly from a top of said transition wall;   said lid top rib extends around said axis and has radially inward and radially outward primarily vertical rib walls, and a top rib wall;   at least one vent hole in said upper transition region, with said vent hole having an area no more than that of a 3/16th inch diameter hole.   
     
     
         2 . The container described in  claim 1  wherein:
 said at least one vent hole lies in one of said rib walls. 
 
     
     
         3 . The container described in  claim 1  wherein:
 said side walls extend at an upward and radially inward incline of less than 20° from the vertical, and said transition wall extends in a continuous curve about adjacent points on a circle that lies within said side walls and is centered on said axis. 
 
     
     
         4 . The container described in  claim 1  wherein:
 said base has a base peripheral portion with a bottom for resting on a horizontal surface, a raised platform lying closer to a base periphery that to said axis, and a circular groove centered on said axis that lies between said base periphery and said raised platform, with said base peripheral portion having a plurality of vent holes. 
 
     
     
         5 . The container described in  claim 1  wherein:
 said top rib projects upward and is centered on said axis and said radially inward and outward rib walls face respectively toward and away from said axis and said top rib wall faces upward; 
 said outward top rib wall having a plurality of circumferentially-spaced vent holes. 
 
     
     
         6 . The container described in  claim 1  wherein:
 said lid side walls have a plurality of pockets that each projects radially inward into said outer walls, each pocket having a primarily vertical recess inner wall and circumferentially spaced opposite vertically-extending side walls, and each recess having a vent hole in its walls. 
 
     
     
         7 . The container described in  claim 1  wherein:
 said container lies in an orientation wherein said lid is bottommost and said top rib lies on and is supported on a horizontal surface. 
 
     
     
         8 . The container described in  claim 1  wherein:
 said at least one vent hole lies in said top rib wall. 
 
     
     
         9 . A container for receiving hot baked goods, said container having a base, a lid that covers said base, and a vertical axis, said base and lid formed of sheet plastic, wherein:
 said lid has primarily vertical lid side walls extending about said axis, and said lid having a lid bottom portion that includes a primarily radially-outward extending flange under the bottom of said lid side walls, and a downward extending tube that extends downward from a radially outward end of said flange;   said base has a base peripheral portion including a radially outer base periphery, a raised platform, and a ring-shaped base groove lying between said raised platform and said base periphery, said downward-extending tube of said lid lying in said base groove;   said container has a lower transition region that includes said lid bottom portion and said base peripheral portion, said lower transition region having at least one vent hole with a hole area no more than that of a 3/16th inch diameter hole.   
     
     
         10 . The container described in  claim 9  wherein:
 said raised platform has inner and outer primarily vertical platform walls and a horizontal top platform wall that joins said vertical platform walls; 
 said base peripheral portion has a radially outer part that is free of support and is designed to rest on a horizontal support surface, and said at least one vent hole lies in one of said platform walls. 
 
     
     
         11 . A container for receiving hot baked goods, said container having a base on which the goods lie and a lid that covers said base, said base and lid each formed of sheet plastic, wherein:
 said lid has a vertical axis and has lid side walls extending around said axis, said lid side walls having an upper portion forming at least one vent hole;   said lid side walls have a lower portion that has at least one vent hole, said lid lower portion having a part that extends at a downward and vertically inward incline, whereby to direct moisture exiting said upper vent holes and flowing down along said lid side wall lower portion, away from said lower vent holes.   
     
     
         12 . A container for receiving hot baked goods, said container having a base on which the goods lie and a lid that covers said base, said base and lid formed of sheet plastic, wherein:
 said base has a radially outer portion with a periphery having a periphery part that is designed to rest on a horizontal support surface, and said outer portion has a raised platform lying radially inside said base periphery and covered by said lid, said outer portion having at least one vent hole.   
     
     
         13 . A container for receiving hot baked goods, said container having a base, a lid that covers said base, and a vertical axis, said base and lid formed of sheet plastic, wherein:
 said lid has primarily vertical lid side walls extending about said axis, a primarily horizontal top wall, an upper transition region that extends from a top of said lid side walls to said primarily horizontal lid top wall, and a lower transition portion extending downward from a bottom of said lid side walls;   said lid side walls having at least one vent hole, with said vent hole having an area no more than 0.035 inch 2 .   
     
     
         14 . The container described in  claim 13  wherein:
 said at least one vent hole is primarily a circle with a diameter no more than 3/16th inch. 
 
     
     
         15 . A container with a food-holding cavity for receiving hot baked goods, said container having a base on which goods can lie and a lid that covers said base, said base and lid formed of sheet plastic, wherein:
 said lid has a vertical axis and has lid top walls and primarily vertical lid side walls extending about said axis, with said lid side walls and lid top walls and base defining said cavity, said lid walls having a plurality of pockets wherein each pocket has a plurality of pocket sides including a pair of opposite primarily vertical pocket sides extending into said cavity, with a plurality of said pocket walls each having a vent hole.   
     
     
         16 . The container described in  claim 15  wherein:
 a first of said pockets lies in said lid top walls, said first pocket having a pocket extension that is narrower than the distance between said pair of opposite primarily vertical pocket walls of said first pocket, with said extension extending in said lid top walls; 
 a label that lies against said lid top walls and over said first pocket but that leaves at least a portion of said pocket extension open. 
 
     
     
         17 . The container described in  claim 15  including:
 a label partially covering at least one of said pockets. 
 
     
     
         18 . The container described in  claim 15  wherein:
 a first of said pockets further defines a channel extending that allows the escape of moisture.