Convertible container

Abstract

The convertible container, carton, or tray and method of use for microwave ovens including a cooking portion and a base portion. The cooking portion defines a quadrilateral panel which may include a susceptor material, the cooking portion including at least one diagonal fold line defining at least one corner tab. The base portion is configured to support the cooking portion in an elevated position. The base portion includes at least one invertible corner configured to transition from a first configuration defining a near-orthogonal external angle, to a second configuration defining a near-orthogonal internal angle to reduce a diagonal dimension of the convertible container to enable rotation within the confines of a microwave.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A convertible container, comprising:
 a cooking portion defining a quadrilateral panel, the cooking portion including at least one diagonal fold line defining at least one corner tab; and   a base portion configured to support the cooking portion in an elevated position, wherein the base portion includes at least one invertible corner configured to transition from a first configuration defining a near-orthogonal external angle, to a second configuration defining a near-orthogonal internal angle to reduce a diagonal dimension of the convertible container.   
     
     
         2 . The convertible container of  claim 1 , wherein the base portion comprises a first wall and a second wall oriented at a near-orthogonal angle relative to one another and which converge at a corner intersection. 
     
     
         3 . The convertible container of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one invertible corner is defined by a first fold line positioned along the first wall and a second fold line positioned along the second wall, with the first fold line and the second fold line positioned on opposite sides of the corner intersection. 
     
     
         4 . The convertible container of  claim 3 , wherein the first fold line defines a first segment of the first wall positioned between the first fold line and the corner intersection, and the second fold line defines a second segment of the second wall positioned between the second fold line and the corner intersection. 
     
     
         5 . The convertible container of  claim 4 , wherein the first fold line and the second fold line act as hinges enabling the first segment and the second segment to pivot relative to other portions of the first wall and the second wall to affect the transition of at least one invertible corner from the first configuration to the second configuration. 
     
     
         6 . The convertible container of  claim 1 , wherein the cooking portion and the base portion are constructed of a paperboard material. 
     
     
         7 . The convertible container of  claim 1 , wherein the base portion comprises four near-orthogonal walls defining an interior portion configured to house a food item having an external dimension of at least four inches. 
     
     
         8 . The convertible container of  claim 1 , wherein the base portion comprises an interior configured to receive a food item having a diameter of at least four inches, and the cooking portion defines a lid hingedly coupled to the base portion along one edge. 
     
     
         9 . The convertible container of  claim 8 , wherein the lid is separatable from the base portion. 
     
     
         10 . A method of using a convertible tray, the convertible tray initially in a form of a flat panel, including a cooking portion at least partially surrounded by four base panels, the method comprising:
 forming the flat panel into a quadrilateral tray by folding the four base panels to a near-orthogonal angle relative to the cooking portion along predefined lines, and securing respective ends of the four base panels to one another to form four corner intersections, wherein each of the four corner intersections defines a near-orthogonal external angle;   separating at least one corner tab defined by the cooking portion from an adjacent one or more of the four base panels, wherein the at least one corner tab is positioned at a corner of the cooking portion adjacent to a first corner intersection of the four corner intersections; and   inverting the first corner intersection from a first configuration in which the first corner intersection defines the near-orthogonal external angle, to a second configuration in which the first corner intersection defines a near-orthogonal internal angle to reduce a diagonal dimension of the convertible tray.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the ends of the four base panels are secured to one another with at least one of tabs, slots, or glue to form the four corner intersections. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising bending the at least one corner tab along respective diagonal fold lines to reduce the diagonal dimension of the cooking portion. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the first corner intersection is defined by a first fold line positioned along one base panel and a second fold line positioned along another base panel, with the first fold line and the second fold line positioned on opposite sides of the first corner intersection, wherein the first fold line and the second fold line act as hinges enabling transition of the first corner intersection from the first configuration to the second configuration. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising positioning a food item on the cooking portion. 
     
     
         15 . A method of using a convertible container, the convertible container comprising a base portion and a cooking portion, the cooking portion serving as a lid hingedly coupled to the base portion along at least one edge, the cooking portion including at least one diagonal fold line defining at least one corner tab, and the base portion including at least one invertible corner, the method comprising:
 opening the lid of the convertible container to access an interior of the base portion;   removing a food item from the interior of the base portion;   pivoting the lid around the hinged coupling to an inverted state;   inverting at least one corner of the base portion from a first configuration defining a near-orthogonal external angle, to a second configuration defining a near-orthogonal internal angle to reduce a diagonal dimension of the base portion;   bending at least one corner tab of the cooking portion along the at least one diagonal fold line to reduce the diagonal dimension of the cooking portion; and   positioning the food item on the cooking portion, with a susceptor material facing upward and the food item positioned on the susceptor material.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the convertible container is a microwavable container. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the cooking portion includes the susceptor material. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising pivoting the susceptor material around the hinged coupling to face away from the base portion. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising separating the lid from the base portion. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising positioning the susceptor material to face away from the base portion.