Ventilated pizza box

Abstract

A multicompartment ventilated box is shaped by folding and attaching one or more blanks of a material. One or more attachment portions enable forming at least one compartment. The box may comprise an upper and a lower compartment and perforations that permit air flow between the compartments and to the exterior of the box. The compartments may be separated by a tray portion which transitions between an elevated and a collapsed position.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A ventilated box for storing and transporting pizza, the box comprising
 a top panel;   a bottom panel;   a front wall and a rear wall foldably connected to opposing sides of the bottom panel, the rear wall comprising a tray attachment receiving portion and foldably connected to the top panel;   a pair of side walls foldably connected to opposing sides of the bottom panel; and   a tray foldably connected to the front wall on one end of said tray and comprising a tray attachment portion at the opposite end;   wherein the box comprises an upper compartment defined at least by a space between the tray, the front wall, the rear wall and the side walls,   wherein the tray attachment portion is adapted to attach to the tray attachment receiving portion of the rear wall thereby forming a lower compartment defined by a space between the tray, the front wall, the rear wall, the bottom panel and the side walls,   wherein urging the rear wall toward the front wall elevates the tray away from the bottom panel, and   wherein the tray, and at least one sidewall, rear wall or front wall comprise perforations which ventilate the upper compartment to the exterior of the box.   
     
     
         2 . The box of  claim 1 , wherein the tray comprises a first mechanically interlocking element and the rear wall comprises a second mechanically interlocking element, wherein said first and second interlocking elements are complimentary and configured to mechanically interlock with each other. 
     
     
         3 . The box of  claim 1 , wherein the sidewall perforations are located adjacent to the lower compartment such that the steam emanating from a food item located in the upper compartment exits into the lower compartment and out of the box through said sidewall perforations located adjacent to lower compartment. 
     
     
         4 . The box of  claim 2 , wherein the box is configured such that urging the rear wall toward the front wall elevates the tray away from the bottom panel, when the first interlocking element is interlocked with the second interlocking element. 
     
     
         5 . The box of  claim 1 , wherein the front wall comprises an inner wall foldably connected to an outer wall, the inner wall being connected to the tray and the outer wall being connected to the bottom panel. 
     
     
         6 . The box of  claim 7 , wherein the inner and outer front walls are adjoined by a spacer. 
     
     
         7 . The box of  claim 1 , wherein the tray comprises a foldable rear flap located opposite a foldable front flap, and wherein the tray front flap is foldably connected to the rear wall and tray rear flap is foldably connected to the front wall. 
     
     
         8 . The box of  claim 7 , wherein the tray is adapted to move to a collapsed position where the tray, tray front flap, tray rear flap are positioned substantially in the same plane when the tray is connected to the rear wall. 
     
     
         9 . The box of  claim 8 , wherein the tray is adapted to move to an elevated position where the rear flap is folded toward the bottom panel and the front flap is folded away from the bottom panel. 
     
     
         10 . The box of  claim 12 , wherein the pizza has a weight and the weight of a pizza on the tray is supported partially by the tray rear flap pressing against the bottom panel and partially by attachment of the tray front flap to the rear wall. 
     
     
         11 . A ventilated box for storing and transporting pizza comprising,
 an outer box portion comprising,
 a top panel, 
 a front wall and a rear wall foldably connected to opposing sides of the bottom panel, the rear wall comprising a rear tray attachment receiving portion and foldably connected to the top panel, 
 a bottom panel comprising a front tray attachment receiving portion located, adjacent to the front wall, and 
 a pair of sidewalls foldably connected to opposing sides of the bottom panel; and 
   a tray comprising a front attachment portion and a rear attachment portion located on opposite& sides of the tray;
 wherein the front tray attachment receiving portion, front tray attachment portion or both comprise a first mechanically interlocking element, 
 wherein the rear tray attachment receiving portion, rear tray attachment portion or both comprise a second mechanically interlocking element, 
 wherein the interlocking element of the front tray attachment portion is adapted to mechanically interlock with the interlocking element of the front tray attachment receiving portion of the bottom panel and the interlocking element of the rear tray attachment portion adapted mechanically interlock with the interlocking element of the rear tray attachment receiving portion of the rear wall, thereby forming a lower compartment defined by a space between the tray, the front wall, the rear wall, the bottom panel and the side walls, 
 wherein the box comprises an upper compartment defined by a space between the tray, the front wall, the rear wall, and the sidewalls, 
 wherein urging the rear wall toward the front wall elevates the tray away from the bottom panel, and 
 wherein the tray, and at least one sidewall, rear wall or front wall comprise perforations which ventilate the upper compartment to the exterior of the box. 
   
     
     
         12 . The box of  claim 11 , wherein the box is configured such that urging the rear wall toward the front wall elevates the tray away from the bottom panel, when the interlocking elements of the tray attachment portions are interlocked with the interlocking elements of tray attachment receiving portions. 
     
     
         13 . The box of  claim 11 , wherein the tray comprises a foldable front flap and a foldable rear flap located on opposite sides of the tray. 
     
     
         14 . The box of  claim 11 , further wherein the front flap further comprises a first front flap foldably connected to a second front flap, and the second front flap comprises front tray attachment portion. 
     
     
         15 . The box of  claim 11 , wherein folding the top panel over the tray urges the rear wall towards the front wall. 
     
     
         16 . The box of  claim 11 , wherein the front wall comprises an inner wall foldably connected to an outer wall, the inner wall being connected to the tray and the outer wall being connected to the bottom panel. 
     
     
         17 . The box of  claim 11 , wherein the tray comprises a foldable rear flap located opposite a foldable front flap, and the tray front flap is foldably connected to the bottom panel and tray rear flap is foldably connected to the rear wall. 
     
     
         18 . The box of  claim 11 , wherein the tray is adapted to move to a collapsed position where the tray, tray front flap, tray rear flap are positioned substantially in the same plane when the tray is connected to the bottom panel and the rear wall. 
     
     
         19 . The box of  claim 18 , wherein the tray is adapted to move to an elevated position where the tray rear flap and tray front flap are folded toward the bottom. 
     
     
         20 . The box of  claim 11 , wherein the weight of a pizza on the tray is supported partially by the attachment of the tray rear flap pressing into the bottom panel and partially by the tray front flap pressing into the bottom panel. 
     
     
         21 . A ventilated box for storing and transporting pizza, the box comprising:
 a top panel;   a bottom panel;   a front wall and a rear wall foldably connected to opposing sides of the bottom panel, the rear wall comprising a tray attachment receiving portion and foldably connected to the top panel;   a pair of side walls foldably connected to opposing sides of the bottom panel; and   a tray foldably connected to the front wall on one end of said tray and comprising a tray attachment portion at the opposite end,   wherein the tray attachment receiving portion comprises a first mechanically interlocking element and the tray attachment portion comprises a second mechanically interlocking element; and   
       in a fully folded out configuration of the box:
 the top panel, bottom panel and tray are in the same plane; 
 
       in a partially folded out configuration of the box:
 the first interlocking element is mechanically interlocked with the second interlocking element, to form a lower compartment defined by a space between the tray, the front wall, the rear wall, the bottom panel and the side walls, 
 wherein the lower compartment space has a first volume in said partially folded out configuration; and 
 
       in a closed configuration of the box:
 the top panel is folded over the tray to close the box, where an upper compartment is defined by a space between the tray, the front wall, the rear wall and the side walls; 
 the first interlocking element is mechanically interlocked with the second interlocking element; 
 the rear wall is folded toward the front wall thereby elevating the tray away from the bottom panel to form a lower compartment defined by a space between the tray, the front wall, the rear wall, the bottom panel and the side walls; 
 wherein the lower compartment in the closed configuration has a second volume which is larger than the first volume of the lower compartment in the partially folded out configuration, and 
 wherein the tray, and at least one sidewall, rear wall or front wall comprise perforations which ventilate the upper compartment to the exterior of the box.