Incremental eating tool

Abstract

An incremental eating tool. The incremental eating tool can include a container having at least one sidewall enclosing an interior cavity having an open end, and a tray having a first end and a second end. The tray can be sized to fit in the interior cavity of the container and can be slidably removable therefrom. The tray can include a longitudinal spine and a plurality of flaps, each flap including a pair of side edges, the flaps being attached to and extending laterally outward from the spine.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An incremental eating tool, comprising:
 a container comprising at least one sidewall enclosing an interior cavity having an open end; and   a tray having a first end and a second end, the tray being sized to fit in the interior cavity of the container and being slidably removable therefrom, the tray including a longitudinal spine and a plurality of flaps, each flap comprising a pair of side edges, the flaps being attached to and extending laterally outward from the spine.   
     
     
         2 . The incremental eating tool of  claim 1 , further comprising a pull tab attached to the first end of the tray. 
     
     
         3 . The incremental eating tool of  claim 1 , further comprising an end wall attached to the first end of the tray. 
     
     
         4 . The incremental eating tool of  claim 1 , further comprising an end wall attached to the second end of the tray. 
     
     
         5 . The incremental eating tool of  claim 1 , wherein the spine is subdivided into a plurality of segments, each segment being hingedly attached to an adjacent segment. 
     
     
         6 . The incremental eating tool of  claim 5 , wherein each segment is detachable from the adjacent segment. 
     
     
         7 . The incremental eating tool of  claim 1 , wherein the side edges of the flaps include at least one linear portion. 
     
     
         8 . The incremental eating tool of  claim 1 , wherein the side edges of the flaps include at least one curvilinear portion. 
     
     
         9 . The incremental eating tool of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one indentation defined in the spine. 
     
     
         10 . The incremental eating tool of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of bumps defined in one or more of the surface of the spine and the surface of the flaps. 
     
     
         11 . The incremental eating tool of  claim 1 , further comprising stopping indicia disposed proximate the second end of the tray. 
     
     
         12 . The incremental eating tool of  claim 1 , further comprising portion indicia disposed at intervals along the length of the tray. 
     
     
         13 . The incremental eating tool of  claim 1 , wherein the tray is configured such that a portion of the tray that is disposed within the interior cavity of the container assumes a depressed configuration, and a portion of the tray that is external to the container assumes a flat configuration. 
     
     
         14 . A tray blank, comprising:
 a sheet of material having a first end a second end;   a longitudinal spine; and   a plurality of flaps, each flap comprising a pair of side edges, each flap being attached to and extending laterally outward from the spine.   
     
     
         15 . The blank of  claim 14 , wherein the spine is subdivided into a plurality of segments, each segment being hingedly attached to an adjacent segment. 
     
     
         16 . The blank of  claim 14 , wherein each flap is hingedly attached to the spine. 
     
     
         17 . The blank of  claim 14 , further comprising a pull tab attached to the first end of the blank. 
     
     
         18 . The blank of  claim 14 , further comprising an end wall attached to the first end of the blank. 
     
     
         19 . The blank of  claim 14 , further comprising an end wall attached to the second end of the blank. 
     
     
         20 . The blank of  claim 14 , wherein the side edges of the flaps include at least one linear portion. 
     
     
         21 . The blank of  claim 14 , wherein the side edges of the flaps include at least one curvilinear portion. 
     
     
         22 . A method of incremental eating, comprising:
 providing a container comprising at least one sidewall enclosing an interior cavity having an open end;   providing a tray sized to fit in the interior cavity of the container, the tray including a longitudinal spine and a plurality of flaps attached to and extending laterally outward from the spine;   supporting food items on the tray;   incrementally withdrawing the tray from the interior cavity so as to expose a portion of the food items.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising consuming the exposed portion of the food items. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising bending a portion of the spine below the plane of the tray, the portion of the spine being a portion on which food items are not supported. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the tray is configured such that a portion of the tray that is disposed within the interior cavity of the container assumes a concave configuration, and a portion of the tray that is external to the container assumes a flat configuration. 
     
     
         26 . A container blank, comprising:
 a sheet of material, the sheet being longitudinally subdivided into a first sidewall portion, a second sidewall portion disposed adjacent and hingedly coupled to the first sidewall portion, and a lid portion disposed adjacent and hingedly coupled to the second sidewall portion, each of the first sidewall portion the second sidewall portion having a pair of opposed longitudinal ends;   a plurality of end wall portions, each end wall portion hingedly coupled to each longitudinal end of each sidewall portion; and   an aperture cutout defined in the first sidewall portion.   
     
     
         27 . The container blank of  claim 26 , wherein each end wall portion has an edge extending laterally from a first longitudinal edge of a corresponding sidewall portion to a second longitudinal edge of the corresponding sidewall portion, and longitudinally outward from the sidewall portion. 
     
     
         28 . The container blank of  claim 27 , wherein the hinged coupling between the end wall portion and the sidewall portion is defined by a hinge line having a shape substantially minoring the shape of the edge of the end wall portion. 
     
     
         29 . The container blank of  claim 27 , wherein the edge of the end wall portion has a substantially arcuate shape. 
     
     
         30 . The container blank of  claim 26 , further comprising a pull tab hingedly coupled to at least one end wall portion.