Container For Transport And Storage Of Food Products
Systems and methods for providing compostable food containers which preserve the quality of a food product for an extended duration of time, and which optionally allow for cooking of the food product therein. In some implementations, the food containers are sturdy, stackable, insulating, and require minimal or no manual labor to assemble. In some implementations, the food container includes a base and a cover which cooperate to form a closed chamber for supporting, protecting, insulating and optionally cooking a food product, such as a pizza. The base and cover may each be formed of a single layer of material including, but not limited to, molded sugarcane fiber (“bagasse”), molded wood fiber, molded bamboo fiber, molded paper or plastic.
Claim CLM-00001. 1. A food container comprising:
a base comprising a raised rim disposed about a perimeter of an upwardly facing food receiving portion which receives a food product, the food receiving portion comprising a planar surface, a central well disposed in the center of the food receiving portion, and a plurality of channels each extending downwardly from the planar surface and radially at least partially between the central well and the raised rim, each pair of adjacent channels and a corresponding portion of the raised rim delineating a respective sector portion of the food receiving portion, each sector portion comprises a sector well that extends downwardly from the planar surface; and a cover selectively engageable with the base, the cover comprising a central dome portion having a substantially downward facing interior surface and a substantially upward facing exterior surface, the interior surface of the central dome portion having a perimeter channel sized and dimensioned to engage the raised rim of the base when the cover is engaged with the base, and the central dome portion sized and shaped to provide an interior chamber which protects the food product, the interior chamber defined at least in part by the interior surface of the central dome portion and the food receiving portion of the base, and the exterior surface of the central dome portion comprises a plurality of dome recesses, each of the plurality of dome recesses sized and dimensioned to receive at least a portion of a sector well of a base of another food container identical to the food container when the other food container is stacked on top of the cover of the food container, and wherein the exterior surface of the central dome portion further comprises a plurality of denesting lugs, each of the plurality of denesting lugs sized and dimensioned to provide spacing between at least a portion of an interior surface of another cover identical to the cover when the other cover is stacked on top of the cover.
