Children tend to think of it as a little white dollhouse table, but the white plastic tripod inside your pizza box has an important function. The Package Saver was patented by first-time inventor and Long Island resident Carmela Vitale in 1985. From patent 4,498,586:
A temperature-resistant molded plastic device is described for use in boxes or packages such as pizza boxes where there is a tendency of large cover portions to sag downwardly to damage the soft pizza or other packaged products.
Millions of Package Savers are sold every year for the cost of about 1 cent per piece, but the rising popularity of corrugated Walker-style and corner-cut boxes are leading to its decline.
The Table Box
In 2009, Andrew DePascale and Marcello Mandreucci invented a space-saving solution for cluttered pizza-eating situations. This box transforms into a serving stand to free up table space that would normally be eaten up by the box’s footprint. Perforated regions of the lid fold out to connect with tabs on the side and front flaps, lifting the box base 6 inches off the surface. Since the box is not losing heat by direct conduction, the pizza theoretically stays hotter longer than it would if sitting directly on a table.
The GreenBox
This just may be the most talked-about innovation in pizza box history. A custom die pattern creates perforations that allow the lid to split into four serving plates, and the base becomes a storage container for leftover slices. Beyond this automatic secondary use, the perforations make it easy to break the box down for disposal once it has exhausted its usefulness. Pizzerias can give customers the benefits of a GreenBox for no additional cost over that of conventional corrugated boxes.
The GreenBox’s stock graphic creates a visual pun with the pizza slice/evergreen tree to stress the “green” theme, but the artwork is completely customizable.
Hell's Pizza Coffin Box
New Zealand–based Hell Pizza’s box has a central perforated section that separates to become a perfectly branded coffin-shaped container “for your remains.”
The Euro Lock Box
This Euro lock box features 17 discrete vents for steam release, four of which double as structural stabilizers. Exciting as that may be, the container’s interior holds its true innovation by way of a metallic polyester lining that both conducts heat and prevents the paper component from absorbing oil. Water-soluble glue bonds the metallic coating to the inner liner, making separation simple for recyclability. Because of its advanced features, this technology runs double the price of a standard corrugated pizza box.
Full Read here Via Slate
