Tray for foodstuffs

Abstract

A tray of sheet paper material for containing foodstuffs in which there is a bottom and a side wall emerging therefrom and defining, in cooperation with said bottom, a holding space facing upwardly under use conditions of the tray; the side wall is defined by alternated straight portions and curved portions both having upwardly-facing flat surfaces ( 7, 9 ) to allow engagement of a closing film heat-sealed thereto; the straight portions ( 4 ) also have reinforcing tabs in engagement at the lower part thereof with the flat surfaces ( 7 ) and the tray is also provided with a reinforcing edge ( 10 ) folded downwardly along the whole upper perimeter of the container itself. The tray thus made has excellent features of mechanical resistance to deformations.

1 . A tray for foodstuff of sheet paper material comprising: 
 a bottom ( 2 );    a side wall ( 3 ) defined by straight portions ( 4 ) and curved portions ( 5 ) and emerging from the bottom, said side wall defining, in cooperation with the bottom itself, a holding space ( 6 ) facing upwardly-under use conditions of the tray, wherein at least one straight portion ( 4 ) of the side wall ( 3 ) has an upper region comprising an upwardly-facing flat surface ( 7 ) and a reinforcing tab ( 8 ) associated with the first flat surface ( 7 ) in the assembled conditions of the tray, at least one curved portion ( 5 ) of the side wall comprising an upwardly-facing flat surface ( 9 ), at least one straight portion ( 4 ) and one curved portion ( 5 ) of the side wall ( 3 ) having respective reinforcing edges ( 10 ) folded transversely of the flat surfaces ( 7 ,  9 ), said bottom ( 2 ), side wall ( 3 ), straight portions ( 4 ), curved portions ( 5 ), flat surfaces ( 7 ,  9 ), tabs and reinforcing edges ( 8 ,  10 ) being defined by the same sheet of paper material.    
   
   
       2 . A tray as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the straight and curved portions ( 4 ,  5 ) of the side wall ( 3 ) define an inner holding surface ( 11 ) without a break or opening.  
   
   
       3 . A tray as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the bottom ( 2 ) is of a rectangular shape the sides of which are connected with each other by curved sections.  
   
   
       4 . A tray as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the flat surfaces ( 7 ,  9 ) of the straight ( 4 ) and curved ( 5 ) portions define a surface without a break and are set to receive a heat-sealed film for closure of the holding space.  
   
   
       5 . A tray as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein all the straight portions ( 4 ) comprise said first upwardly-facing flat surface ( 7 ) and the reinforcing tab ( 8 ) associated with the first flat surface ( 7 ) in an assembled condition of the tray.  
   
   
       6 . A tray as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein all the curved portions emerging from the curved sections of the bottom ( 2 ) comprise the upwardly-facing flat surface ( 9 ).  
   
   
       7 . A tray as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the flat surface ( 7 ) and reinforcing tab ( 8 ) of each straight portion ( 4 ) are not separated elements and are joined together without a break.  
   
   
       8 . A tray as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing edge ( 10 ) is defined along the whole upper perimeter of the tray and is without a break over the whole extension thereof.  
   
   
       9 . A tray as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing edge ( 10 ) has a double wall at the straight portions ( 4 ).  
   
   
       10 . A tray as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the tray is fully made starting from a single plain sheet of paper material.  
   
   
       11 . A tray as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the tray has no further elements of paper material added thereto by gluing, stapling or mechanical means to define the structure or structural resistance features of the tray.  
   
   
       12 . A tray as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing tab ( 8 ) comprises end portions ( 8 A) designed to abut against the lower side of the flat surfaces ( 9 ) of the curved portions ( 5 ).  
   
   
       13 . A tray for foodstuffs made of paper material comprising: 
 a bottom ( 2 );    a side wall ( 3 ) having straight portions ( 4 ) and curved portions ( 5 ) alternated one to the other, the side wall ( 3 ) emerging from the bottom ( 2 ) and defining, in cooperation with the bottom, a holding space ( 6 ) facing upwardly under use condition of the tray, wherein each straight portion ( 4 ) and curved portion ( 5 ) of the side wall ( 3 ) has an upper region comprising upwardly-facing flat surfaces ( 7 ,  9 ) and respective reinforcing edges ( 10 ) folded transversely of the flat surfaces ( 7 ,  9 ), each upper region of the straight portion ( 4 ) further comprising a reinforcing tab ( 8 ) having a first element parallel and joined to the upwardly-facing surface ( 7 ) and a second element parallel and joined to the reinforcing edges ( 10 ).    
   
   
       14 . Tray according to  claim 13 , wherein the reinforcing tab ( 8 ) comprises end portions ( 8 a) having a first element parallel and joined to the upwardly-facing surface ( 9 ) of the curved portion ( 5 ) and a second element parallel and joined to the reinforcing edge ( 10 ) of the curved portion ( 5 ).  
   
   
       15 . A tray for foodstuffs entirely made of a sheet paper material, the sheet paper material comprising: 
 a central area of rectangular shape, the four sides of which are connected with each other by curved sections;    four rectangular elements emerging from the central area in correspondence of the four sides;    four curved elements emerging from the central area and connecting the four rectangular elements;    a peripheral strip having constant and containing the central area, the four rectangular elements and the four curved elements, the peripheral strip being defined by four straight strips alternated to four curved strips; and    four reinforcing edges emerging from and exclusively connected to the four straight strips, the central area, the rectangular elements, the curved elements, the peripheral strip and the reinforcing edges being a simple piece element of paper.