Expandable Pizza Container

What is this patent about?

’935 is related to the field of food storage, specifically addressing the problem of storing leftover pizza. Existing containers are often square or round, which is inefficient for triangular pizza slices, leading to wasted space and the need for multiple containers. The patent aims to provide a dedicated solution tailored to the shape and storage requirements of pizza.

The underlying idea behind ’935 is to create a collapsible, triangular container that expands vertically to accommodate multiple pizza slices. This is achieved using an accordion-style folding mechanism in the container's walls, allowing it to compress when fewer slices are stored and expand as needed. The design also incorporates a vented lid to maintain freshness and prevent sogginess during storage.

The claims of ’935 focus on an expandable pizza storage container comprising a flexible, generally triangular container body having three sides joined at rounded corners, and a planar bottom face extending perpendicularly from a bottom edge of said sides, wherein said sides are pleat folded so as to form an upper pleat and a lower pleat that are concentrically nested; a rigid seal ring bonded to a top edge of said sides; a rigid, generally triangular, planar lid with a gasket groove formed about a periphery edge of a bottom side of said lid; a compressible, removeable gasket frictionally retained within said gasket groove; a microwave safe triangular tray with a peripheral lip formed there about a tray top face and a finger tab extending from said triangular tray; wherein said lid resides upon said container body with said gasket in contact with said seal ring, and said tray resides within said container body.

In practice, the container expands or collapses based on the number of pizza slices stored. Individual slices are placed on microwave-safe, triangular trays within the container. These trays have a lip to contain oil and grease and raised bars on the bottom to prevent sticking. The lid features a compressible gasket to create a tight seal and a vent to release pressure, ensuring the pizza remains fresh.

The key differentiation from prior art lies in the combination of the triangular shape, the expandable accordion design, and the inclusion of individual serving trays. This integrated approach provides a space-efficient, convenient solution for storing, reheating, and serving pizza, addressing the limitations of generic, non-pizza-specific containers. The vented lid and compressible gasket further enhance the design by preserving the pizza's quality during storage.