Pizza box configured to form smaller box for storage of leftovers

Abstract

A blank for forming a box for serving pizza includes panels defined and separated by manufactured lines that, when folded, define a box having a first footprint for enclosing within the box an entire pizza and that, when folded differently with panels having been removed, define a second box having a second footprint for enclosing leftovers of the entire pizza, the second footprint being smaller than the first footprint. The second footprint preferably is approximately one half of the area of the first footprint for accommodating no more than half of the entire pizza.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of forming a subsequent box for the storage of leftover pizza from an initial box used for serving of an entire pizza, which initial box is formed by folding a box blank having manufactured lines along a first plurality of the manufactured lines, comprising the steps of:
 (a) unfolding portions of the initial box;   (b) tearing along perforated lines of the manufactured lines for removing portions of the box blank; and   (c) folding remaining portions of the box blank along a second plurality of the manufactured lines to form the subsequent box, the subsequent box having a footprint that is no more than half of the footprint of the initial box;   (d) wherein the first plurality of manufactured lines is not an identical set to the second plurality of manufactured lines.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the blank comprises a single sheet of material having manufactured lines, which blank when folded forms the initial box. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the blank is defined by panels and comprises a single sheet of corrugated cardboard having manufactured lines defining boundaries that extend between and separate the panels. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the steps are performed while leftover pizza is positioned on a portion of a bottom panel of the initial box. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the initial box and the subsequent box each comprises a container and a lid connected to the container along one or more manufactured lines. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of a plurality of panels of the subsequent box serves a function that is different from the function thereby served in the initial box. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein a panel of the subsequent box serves as a front tuck tab but previously served as a subpanel of a top panel of a lid of the initial box. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein a panel of the subsequent box serves as part of a front wall of a container of the subsequent box but previously served as a subpanel of a bottom panel of the container of the initial box. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein a panel of the subsequent box serves as part of a front wall of a container of the subsequent box but previously served as a first side wall of the container of the initial box. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein another panel of the subsequent box serves as part of a front wall of a container of the subsequent box but previously served as a second side wall of the container of the initial box. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein a panel of the subsequent box serves as part of a front wall of a container of the subsequent box but previously served as a subpanel of a bottom panel of the container of the initial box. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein channels of the blank define two lift tabs, one of which is not configured for use in the initial box but is configured for use in the subsequent box. 
     
     
         13 . A box having a first footprint comprising:
 (a) a blank having a plurality of panels that have been folded, with a first panel defining with one or more other panels a bottom of the box, and a second panel defining with one or more other panels a lid of the box;   (b) manufactured lines by which a panel of the bottom of the box that is not the first panel may be removed and by which a panel of the lid of the box that is not the second panel may be removed; and   (c) manufactured lines about which panels of the box may be folded after removal of panels of the bottom and lid of the box to form a smaller box having a footprint that is substantially smaller than the first footprint;   (d) wherein the first panel itself defines an entire bottom of the container of the smaller box and the second panel itself defines the entire top of the lid of the smaller box.   
     
     
         14 . The box of  claim 13 , further comprising an entire pizza contained within the box, wherein the first footprint accommodates the entire pizza and wherein the footprint of the smaller box accommodates no more than one half of the pizza. 
     
     
         15 . The box of  claim 13 , wherein the manufactured lines comprise fold lines that are unbroken when the box with the first footprint is formed and that are broken when the smaller box is formed. 
     
     
         16 . The blank of  claim 13 , wherein the box and the smaller box each comprises a container and a lid connected to the container along one or more manufactured lines. 
     
     
         17 . A blank for forming a box for serving pizza, the blank comprising panels defined and separated by manufactured lines that, when folded, define a box having a first footprint for enclosing within the box an entire pizza and that, when folded differently with panels having been removed, define a second box having a second footprint for enclosing leftovers of the entire pizza, the second footprint being smaller than the first footprint. 
     
     
         18 . The blank of  claim 17 , wherein the second footprint is approximately one half of the area of the first footprint for accommodating no more than half of the entire pizza. 
     
     
         19 . The blank of  claim 17 , wherein the box for serving the pizza and the second box each comprises a container and a lid for enclosing pizza, the lid being connected to the container along one or more manufactured lines. 
     
     
         20 . The blank of  claim 17 , further comprising two lift tabs, one of which is not configured for use in the box for serving pizza but is configured for use in the second box.