Pastry shipping container

Abstract

A shipping container system for shipping pastries, especially adapted for shipping cupcakes, is provided. The system includes an outer box having a detachable outer lid, a receiving divider tray snugly insertable into the outer box and having therein an array of spaced-apart apertures into which pastries are placed for shipping, and a plurality of small posts, the number of which corresponds to the number of pastries, the proximal end of one of each post being inserted into each pastry in vertical orientation prior to shipping. An inner retaining lid encloses the pastries in the outer box, the inner lid being sized to seal the pastries within the outer box, the inner lid having integrally fabricated therein a plurality of outwardly oriented frustum-shaped protrusions, also corresponding in number to the number of pastries, with the protrusions being in concentric registry with the tray apertures on assembly of the system. The posts are each sized to extend, upon insertion of each into their respective pastries and after filling of and closure of the outer box, from the bottom of the box to the apex of its respective protrusion. Upon closure of the box, relative movement between the container and the pastries being shipped therein, both laterally and vertically, is prohibited.

1 . A container system for shipping pastries, especially suited for shipping cupcakes, comprising:
 an outer box, said box including a bottom, one or more vertically oriented side walls and a detachable outer lid, and including   a pastry-receiving divider tray snugly insertable into said box which, upon insertion, rests adjacent the bottom thereof, said tray having a predetermined plurality of spaced-apart apertures therein arranged in grid-like array, each aperture sized so as to snugly receive one of said pastries inserted thereinto, and   a plurality of posts, the number of posts coinciding with the number of pastries to be contained, each of said posts being vertically insertable into one of said pastries, and each pastry having a single post inserted therein prior to shipping, and including   an inner retaining lid enclosing said pastries, said inner lid being sized to extend over said pastries and extend around the top periphery of said side walls, and sealingly and hermetically closing the periphery of said side walls thereat by a peripheral flange extending therearound, the inner lid having, integrally fabricated therein, a plurality of outwardly oriented frustum-shaped protrusions, the number of protrusions corresponding to the number of pastries, said protrusions being formed in an array which places each of said protrusions, upon insertion of said tray and placement of said inner lid upon said side walls, in concentric registry with a respective one of said apertures in said tray, each protrusion sized to receive the distal end of a respective one of said posts,   wherein the length of each of said posts is sized to correspond to the distance from the bottom of said box to the apex of each said frustum-shaped protrusion receiving each post inserted into each pastry upon closure of said box and inner lid,   whereby, upon insertion of said divider tray into said box, placement of said pastries into said divider tray, insertion of the proximal ends of said posts into said pastries, one post into each pastry, closure of said inner lid enclosing said pastries in said box, and closure of said outer detachable lid thereover, said container system is formed.   
   
   
       2 . The container system of  claim 1  wherein said pastries are cupcakes. 
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said box is rectangular and has four side walls. 
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said box is circular-cylindrical and has one continuous side wall. 
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said box is irregular in shape. 
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 5  wherein said box is heart-shaped. 
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said box is constructed of cardboard. 
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said box includes at least one additional reinforcement band therearound. 
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said divider tray has a dozen apertures therein, arranged in a regular, spaced-apart array. 
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said posts are wooden. 
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said posts are plastic. 
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said inner lid is plastic. 
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said inner lid is transparent plastic. 
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said inner lid is polyethylene. 
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said inner lid is polyethyleneterephthalate. 
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said frustum-shaped protrusions are frusto-conical. 
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said frustum-shaped protrusions are frusto-pyramidal. 
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said frustum-shaped protrusions are pleated along their angled sides. 
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said inner lid has a dozen protrusions therein, arranged in a regular, spaced-apart array.