Method and holder for consuming hamburgers or the like

Abstract

A method and an associated holder for consuming a sandwich such as a hamburger. It involves the provision of a particular sandwich-loaded fold-back sandwich-holder comprising a bottom panel and at least one side section attached thereto and having a fold-back portion.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A method of consuming a round-bun sandwich, said method comprising the steps of: 
 providing a fold-back sandwich carton of semi-rigid foldable material and comprising a bottom panel and opposing side sections attached thereto, at least one of the side sections having a predetermined height and a fold-back portion, said fold-back portion having a predetermined height at least twenty five percent as long as the predetermined height of said at least one of the side sections; and    placing said sandwich into said carton in a disposition wherein said at least one of the side sections faces at least one of a top surface and a bottom surface of said sandwich; 
 whereby a sandwich-loaded fold-back carton is created.  
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the following step occurring prior to the placing step: 
 wrapping said sandwich within a piece of paper-like wrap.  
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the following step occurring subsequent to the placing step: 
 wrapping said sandwich-loaded fold-back carton within a piece of paper-like wrap, whereby a paper-wrapped sandwich-loaded fold-back carton is created.  
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the following step occurring subsequent to the placing step: 
 moving said sandwich-loaded fold-back carton into an automotive vehicle.  
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the following step occurring subsequent to the placing step: 
 holding said sandwich-loaded fold-back carton in hand and taking a bite of said sandwich.  
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  further comprising the following step occurring subsequent to the holding step: 
 setting said sandwich-loaded fold-back carton in an upright disposition on a support surface, whereby an upright-sitting sandwich-loaded fold-back carton is created and said sandwich is disposed in a substantially vertical disposition free of contact with said support surface.  
 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the following steps occurring subsequent to the placing step: 
 folding said fold-back portion to a fold-back position, whereby a folded sandwich-loaded fold-back carton is created and a further portion of said sandwich is exposed for eating; and  
 holding said folded sandwich-loaded fold-back carton in hand and taking a bite of said further portion of said sandwich.  
 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising the following steps occurring between the placing and folding steps: 
 wrapping said sandwich-loaded fold-back carton within a piece of paper-like wrap; and  
 removing said sandwich-loaded fold-back carton from said piece of paper-like wrap.  
 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising the following step occurring between the placing and folding steps: 
 holding said sandwich-loaded fold-back carton in hand and taking a bite of said sandwich.  
 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein: 
 said sandwich is a hamburger having at least one characteristic selected from the group consisting of (a) a bun having a diameter of at least eleven centimeters, (b) a meat patty having a weight of at least eighty five grams, and (c) two meat patties.  
 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein: 
 at least fifty percent of said sandwich is disposed outside of said fold-back sandwich carton after said sandwich is placed into the carton.  
 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein: 
 said at least one of the side sections has a spring-back-reducing structure, whereby when the fold-back portion is folded to a fold-back position said fold-back portion tends to stay in that position.  
 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein: 
 said semi-rigid foldable material is paperboard.  
 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1  wherein: 
 said fold-back sandwich carton further comprises opposing end panels attached to said bottom panel, each of the end panels being disposed at an obtuse angle to said bottom panel.  
 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein: 
 each of the end panels has a predetermined height less than seventy percent as long as the predetermined height of said at least one of the side sections.  
 
     
     
         16 . A method of consuming a sandwich, said method comprising the step of: 
 providing a sandwich-loaded fold-back sandwich-holder enclosed within a piece of paper-like wrap, said sandwich-loaded fold-back sandwich-holder being of semi-rigid foldable material and containing a round-bun sandwich and comprising a bottom panel and opposing side sections attached thereto, at least one of the side sections facing at least one of a top surface and a bottom surface of said sandwich and having a predetermined height and a fold-back portion, said fold-back portion having a predetermined height at least twenty five percent as long as the predetermined height of said at least one of the side sections; 
 whereby a person can (a) open the piece of paper-like wrap to expose the sandwich-loaded fold-back sandwich-holder, (b) consume at least a portion of the sandwich held within the sandwich-holder by holding the sandwich-holder in hand and taking bites of the sandwich, and (c) fold said fold-back portion to a fold-back position to expose an additional substantial portion of said sandwich for further consumption.  
   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein: 
 said semi-rigid foldable material is paperboard;  
 both of said opposing side sections have a fold-back portion having a predetermined height at least twenty five percent as long as the predetermined height of the respective side section;  
 said sandwich-holder further comprises opposing end panels attached to said bottom panel and disposed at an obtuse angle thereto, each of the end panels having a predetermined height less than seventy percent as long as the predetermined height of said at least one of the side sections.  
 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein: 
 said at least one of the side sections has a spring-back-reducing structure, whereby when the fold-back portion is folded to said fold-back position said fold-back portion tends to stay in that position.  
 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17  wherein: 
 the sandwich held within the sandwich-holder is a hamburger having at least one characteristic selected from the group consisting of (a) a bun having a diameter of at least eleven centimeters, (b) a meat patty having a weight of at least eighty five grams, and (c) two meat patties.  
 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising the following step occurring subsequent to the providing step: 
 moving said sandwich-loaded fold-back sandwich-holder enclosed within a piece of paper-like wrap into an automotive vehicle.  
 
     
     
         21 . A method of consuming a hamburger, said method comprising the step of: 
 providing a hamburger-loaded fold-back hamburger-holder of semi-rigid foldable material and containing a hamburger and comprising a bottom panel and opposing side sections attached thereto, at least one of the side sections facing at least one of a top surface and a bottom surface of said hamburger and having a predetermined height and a fold-back portion, said fold-back portion having a predetermined height at least twenty five percent as long as the predetermined height of said at least one of the side sections; 
 whereby a person can consume at least a portion of said hamburger by holding said hamburger-holder in hand and taking bites of the hamburger and then fold said fold-back portion to a fold-back position to expose an additional substantial portion of said hamburger for further consumption.  
   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein: 
 the predetermined height of said fold-back portion is at least forty percent as long as the predetermined height of said at least one of the side sections.  
 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21  wherein: 
 said at least one of the side sections has a spring-back-reducing structure, whereby when the fold-back portion is folded to said fold-back position said fold-back portion tends to stay in that position.  
 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21  wherein: 
 said hamburger-holder further comprises opposing end panels attached to said bottom panel, each of the end panels being disposed at an obtuse angle to said bottom panel and having a predetermined height less than seventy percent of the predetermined height of said at least one of the side sections.  
 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24  wherein: 
 said hamburger has at least one characteristic selected from the group consisting of (a) a bun having a diameter of at least eleven centimeters, (b) a meat patty having a weight of at least eighty five grams, and (c) two meat patties.  
 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25  further comprising the following step occurring subsequent to the providing step: 
 wrapping said hamburger-loaded fold-back hamburger-holder within a piece of paper-like wrap, whereby a paper-wrapped hamburger-loaded fold-back hamburger-holder is created.  
 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26  further comprising the following step occurring subsequent to the wrapping step: 
 moving said paper-wrapped hamburger-loaded fold-back hamburger-holder into an automotive vehicle.  
 
     
     
         28 . In combination, a hamburger at least partially contained within a fold-back hamburger-holder of semi-rigid foldable material, said fold-back hamburger-holder comprising a bottom panel and opposing side sections attached thereto, at least one of the side sections facing at least one of a top surface and a bottom surface of said hamburger and having a predetermined height and a fold-back portion, said fold-back portion having a predetermined height at least twenty five percent as long as the predetermined height of said at least one of the side sections; 
 whereby a person can consume said hamburger by holding said hamburger-holder and, after consuming a portion of said hamburger, can expose an additional substantial portion of the hamburger by folding the fold-back portion of said at least one of the side sections to a fold-back position.    
     
     
         29 . The combination of a hamburger at least partially contained within a fold-back hamburger-holder as defined in  claim 28 , wherein: 
 said semi-rigid foldable material is paperboard.    
     
     
         30 . The combination of a hamburger at least partially contained within a fold-back hamburger-holder as defined in  claim 28 , wherein: 
 said fold-back portion is disposed in said fold-back position.    
     
     
         31 . The combination of a hamburger at least partially contained within a fold-back hamburger-holder as defined in  claim 28 , wherein: 
 said at least one of the side sections has a spring-back-reducing structure, whereby when the fold-back portion is folded to said fold-back position said fold-back portion tends to stay in that position.    
     
     
         32 . The combination of a hamburger at least partially contained within a fold-back hamburger-holder as defined in  claim 28 , wherein: 
 said hamburger-holder further comprises opposing end panels attached to said bottom panel, each of the panels being disposed at an obtuse angle to said bottom panel.    
     
     
         33 . The combination of a hamburger at least partially contained within a fold-back hamburger-holder as defined in  claim 28 , wherein: 
 said combination is enclosed within a piece of paper-like wrap.    
     
     
         34 . The combination of a hamburger at least partially contained within a fold-back hamburger-holder as defined in  claim 28 , wherein: 
 said hamburger has at least one characteristic selected from the group consisting of (a) a bun having a diameter of at least eleven centimeters, (b) a meat patty having a weight of at least eighty five grams, and (c) two meat patties.    
     
     
         35 . The combination of a hamburger at least partially contained within a fold-back hamburger-holder as defined in  claim 34 , wherein: 
 both of said opposing side sections have a fold-back portion having a predetermined height at least twenty five percent as long as the predetermined height of the respective side section;    said hamburger-holder further comprises opposing end panels attached to said bottom panel, each of the panels being disposed at an obtuse angle to said bottom panel and having a predetermined height less than seventy percent as long as the predetermined height of said at least one of the side sections;    at least thirty percent of said hamburger is disposed outside of said hamburger-holder; and    said combination is enclosed within a piece of paper-like wrap.    
     
     
         36 . The combination of a hamburger at least partially contained within a fold-back hamburger-holder as defined in  claim 35 , wherein: 
 said at least one of the side sections has a spring-back-reducing structure.