Nested pan and folded pan cover

Abstract

There is provided a packaged pan and lid that includes at least two nested pans and at least two lids. Each lid has at least a bi-lateral fold line, such that the lid is configurable into a folded configuration and removable secured within a well of a corresponding pan. The lid being removable from the well and unfolded to a substantially flat configuration. The lid may then be placed on the rim of the pan, such that a lip of the pan can be bent over the edge of the lid. Each one of the lids is configured out of a cardboard material and includes a first surface coated with a repulpable barrier defined to provide a water, oil, and grease barrier, and wherein a second surface which is opposed to the first surface maintains a cardboard finish configured with an area of indicia.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A packaged pan and lid comprising:
 a pan having a well with a bottom surface and a single continuous wall surface extending upwardly from the bottom surface, a rim extending outwardly from an upper edge of the wall surface and a lip extending upwardly from a terminus of the rim;   a lid having at least one bi-lateral fold line across the lid, such that the lid is configurable into a folded configuration, the lid being configured into the folded configuration and being removable secured within the well of the pan, such that the lid is removable from the well and unfolded to a substantially flat configuration; and   wherein the lip is configured to bend over the edge of the lid when the lid is unfolded to a substantially flat configuration and positioned such that the perimeter of the lid is positioned on the rim; and   wherein the lid is made out of a cardboard material and includes a first surface being coated with a repulpable barrier substrate defined to provide a water, oil, and grease barrier, and wherein a second surface which is opposed to the first surface maintains a cardboard finish that is configured with an area of indicia printable on the second surface.   
     
     
         2 . The pan and lid of  claim 1 , wherein the repulpable barrier substrate represents 10% or less of the total mass of the lid. 
     
     
         3 . The pan and lid of  claim 1 , wherein the repulpable barrier substrate represents 5% or less of the total mass of the lid. 
     
     
         4 . The pan and lid of  claim 1 , wherein the pan and lid have an elliptical shaped configuration. 
     
     
         5 . The pan and lid of  claim 2 , wherein the lid further includes a pair of cross bi-lateral folding lines, such that the lid has a folded configuration that is sized to be about a quarter of the unfolded substantially flat configuration. 
     
     
         6 . The pan and lid of  claim 1 , wherein the pan and lid have a polygonal configuration. 
     
     
         7 . A packaged pan and lid comprising:
 at least two nested pans, each pan having a well with a bottom surface and a single continuous wall surface extending upwardly from the bottom surface, a rim extending outwardly from an upper edge of the wall surface and a lip extending upwardly from a terminus of the rim, and wherein one of the nested pans is positioned in the other nested pan such that the wells of the nested pans substantially abut each other;   at least two lids corresponding to the at least two nested pans, each lid having at least one bi-lateral fold line across the lid, such that the lid is configurable into a folded configuration, the lids being configured into the folded configuration and being removable secured within the well of one of the pans positioned below another pan, such that the at least two lids are secured between the at least two nested pans, and wherein the at least two lids are removable from the well when the at least two nested pans are separated, and each of the lids being adapted to unfold to a substantially flat configuration, and wherein the lip is configured to bend over the edge of the lid when the lid is unfolded to a substantially flat configuration and positioned such that the perimeter of the lid is positioned on the rim; and   wherein each one of the lids is configured out of a cardboard material and includes a first surface being coated with a repulpable barrier substrate defined to provide a water, oil, and grease barrier, and wherein a second surface which is opposed to the first surface maintains a cardboard finish that is configured with an area of indicia printable on the second surface.   
     
     
         8 . The pan and lid of  claim 7 , wherein the repulpable barrier substrate represents  10 % or less of the total mass of the lid. 
     
     
         9 . The pan and lid of  claim 7 , wherein the repulpable barrier substrate represents 5% or less of the total mass of the lid. 
     
     
         10 . The pan and lid of  claim 7 , wherein the pans and lids have an elliptical shaped configuration. 
     
     
         11 . The pan and lid of  claim 7 , wherein each pan and lid has a polygonal configuration.