Food Product Packaging And Method For Producing Food Product Packaging

Abstract

A food product packaging and method of producing the same is provided for containing rigid food products. The packaging includes a tray having at least one receptacle, rigid food products housed in the receptacle and a removable flexible film secured to the tray and enclosing the receptacle. The receptacle is shaped to enable the rigid food products to slide into and be positioned in the receptacle in an orientation that is generally parallel to the bottom wall thereby reducing the chances of the food products breaking in the receptacle and reducing the chances of the food products puncturing the flexible film.

Claims

1. A package for containing rigid food products comprising: a tray having at least one receptacle, the receptacle having a bottom wall and having a shape to enable rigid food products to slide toward the bottom wall in an orientation that is generally parallel to the bottom wall to minimize the food products being broken in the receptacle, the receptacle including a wall with at least one radius of curvature; and a flexible film removably secured to the tray and enclosing the receptacle, wherein the occurrences of the rigid food products puncturing the flexible film is reduced due to the shape of the receptacle.

2. The package of claim 1 wherein the shape of the receptacle is defined by a curved wall having a radius of curvature of about at least 0.35 inches.

3. The package of claim 1 wherein the shape of the receptacle accommodates rigid food products having a width and a length dimension of 1 inch or less.

4. The package of claim 1 wherein the receptacle houses between 10 and 35 rigid food products.

5. The package of claim 3 wherein the receptacle has a height and wherein the receptacle height is no more than 1.5 times the width or the height dimension of the rigid food products.

6. The package of claim 1 wherein the shape of the receptacle includes a squared off end and a pointed end.

7. The package of claim 6 wherein the pointed end includes a wall having a draft angle.

8. The package of claim 1 wherein the receptacle includes a step-up to provide rigidity to the tray.

9. The package of claim 1 wherein the tray is semi-rigid.

10. A food product packaging for containing mini crackers comprising: a tray having at least one receptacle, the receptacle having a shape defined at least in part by a curved wall and a bottom wall; a plurality of rigid mini crackers housed in the receptacle, the mini crackers having a width and a length dimension of 1.0 inches or less; and a flexible film removably secured to the tray and enclosing the receptacle, wherein the curved wall has a radius of curvature of at least about 0.35 inches so that the shape of the receptacle enables the mini crackers to be positioned in the receptacle in an orientation that is generally parallel to the bottom wall thereby reducing the occurrences of the mini crackers breaking in the receptacle and thereby reducing the occurrences of the mini crackers puncturing the flexible film.

11. The packaging of claim 10 wherein the receptacle houses between 10 and 35 mini crackers.

12. The packaging of claim 10 wherein the receptacle has a height and wherein the receptacle height is no more than 1.5 times the width or the height dimension of the mini crackers.

13. The packaging of claim 10 wherein the shape of the receptacle includes a squared off end and a pointed end.

14. The packaging of claim 10 wherein the pointed end includes a wall having a draft angle.

15. The packaging of claim 10 wherein the tray is semi-rigid and wherein the receptacle includes a step-up to provide rigidity to the tray.

16. The packaging of claim 10 wherein the at least one receptacle is two receptacles, and wherein the second receptacle contains cheese.

17. A method for filling and for enclosing a tray containing mini crackers comprising the steps: providing a tray have a receptacle, the receptacle defined at least in part by a curved wall adjacent a bottom wall so as to define a shape of the receptacle; dropping mini crackers into the receptacle, the shape of the receptacle enables the mini crackers to drop into and slide in the receptacle toward the bottom wall in an orientation generally parallel to the bottom wall; and enclosing the receptacle with a flexible film wherein the occurrences of the mini crackers puncturing the flexible film is reduced due to the shape of the receptacle.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the mini crackers are dropped into the receptacle using a funnel having an opening with a geometry similar to the shape of the receptacle.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the shape of the receptacle is defined by a curved wall having a radius of curvature of at least about 0.35 inches and wherein the shape of the receptacle accommodates mini crackers having a width and a length dimension of 1 inch or less and wherein the receptacle houses between 10 and 35 mini crackers.

20. The method of claim 17 and further including the step of vibrating the tray after the dropping step and before the enclosing step.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tray of the present invention;

[0006] FIG. 2 is a top view of the tray;

[0007] FIG. 3 is a side view of the tray;

[0008] FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along lines 4-4 of FIG. 2;

[0009] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the tray with food products;

[0010] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the tray containing food products with a flexible film secured thereon;

[0011] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a portion of a manufacturing line for manufacturing the food product packaging;

[0012] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of another portion of the manufacturing line;

[0013] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of square food products entering the tray;

[0014] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the square food products settled in the tray;

[0015] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of circular food products entering the tray;

[0016] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the circular food products settled in the tray; and

[0017] FIG. 13 is a top view of various shapes of food products.

[0018] Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of constructions and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] Referring to FIGS. 1-4, there is shown a tray 10 that is a component of the food product packaging 12 (FIG. 7) of the present invention. The tray 10 is preferably semi-rigid and manufactured from an approved direct food contact thermoformed semi-rigid material such as APET, PVC or the like. The tray 10 includes a planar top surface 14 and two tabs 16 adjacent the top surface 14. The tray 10 includes at least one receptacle 20 for containing a food product, as will be discussed in more detail below. As shown in the drawings, the tray 10 includes two receptacles 20 and 22. It should be noted that any number of receptacles can be utilized.

[0020] The receptacle 20 defines a shape 24 that is advantageous for receiving and for containing the food products. The receptacle 20 includes a squared off end 26 at a draft angle up to 5 degrees to a pointed end 28. The pointed end 28 includes a wall 30 at a draft angle of about 45 degrees.

[0021] The receptacle 20 includes a first wall 32 extending from the top surface 14. Preferably, wall 32 is perpendicular to the top surface 14. Optionally, adjacent the wall 32 is a step-down 34 that provides rigidity to the tray 10. A curved wall 36 is adjacent the step-down 34 and intersects with a bottom wall 38. The curved wall 36 has a specific radius of curvature R.

[0022] Turning now to FIG. 5, tray 10 is shown with food products 40 in the receptacle 20. The receptacle 20 is suitably configured to contain rigid food products such as mini crackers. The mini crackers preferably have a width and a length dimension of one inch or less and can be of any geometry such as square or triangular. The mini crackers may include such food as crackers, chips, pretzels and like rigid food products. Preferably, the receptacle 20 is sized to accommodate between 10 and 35 mini crackers.

[0023] If the tray 10 includes more than one receptacle, the second receptacle 22 may contain the same food products 40 as in the first receptacle 20, different food products than in the first receptacle 20, or other materials such as utensils, napkins and the like. As shown in FIG. 5, the second receptacle 22 includes cubes of cheese 42.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 6, a flexible film 44 is used as a lidding film to enclose the receptacle 20. The flexible film 44 is preferably a material made of a barrier non-forming flexible film such as polyester or nylon containing PET/Adhesive/EVA barrier sealant containing EVOH. The flexible film 44 is removed by the consumer at one of the tabs 16 to enable access to the food products 40 therein.

[0025] Turning now to FIGS. 7 and 8, a portion of the manufacturing line 50 for producing the food product packaging 12 is shown. A conveyor 52 transports trays 10 to a scale (not shown) and a funnel 54. The funnel 54 releases a predetermined weight of food products 40 into the receptacle 20 such as 0.5 to 1.5 ounces. The funnel 54 preferable has a geometry that contours to the shape 24 of the receptacle 20. After being filled with food products 40, each tray 10 is transported on the conveyor 52 across a vibratory station 56 to further settle the food products 40 in the receptacle 20 if necessary. Thereafter, the flexible film 44 is applied to the top surface 14 of the tray 10 at sealing station 58 using time, temperature and pressure as is known in the art.

[0026] The shape 24 of the receptacle 20 is designed to enable the rigid food products 40 to drop from the funnel 54 and slide to the bottom wall 38 of the receptacle 20 into an orientation so as to by lying flat on the bottom wall 38 and not to be standing up to potentially puncture the flexible film 44 when the flexible film 44 is being secured to the top surface 14. The shape 24 of the receptacle 20 is also designed to minimized breakage of the rigid food products 40 in production and during distribution. To enable these functions, the tray 10 includes the curved wall 36 with a specific radius of curvature R. For rigid food products 40 having a length and a width dimension of one inch or less, the radius of curvature R is preferably about at least 0.35 inches. The curved wall 36 enables the food products 40 to slide to the bottom wall 38 of the receptacle and not end up in the receptacle 20 in an upright orientation.

[0027] For example, see FIG. 9 showing square crackers 40 after entering the tray 10 and extending above the top surface 14 and FIG. 10 wherein the shape of the receptacle 20 enables the square crackers 40 to slide into the receptacle 20 in an orientation lying flat and not to be extending above the top surface 14 to thereby minimize the flexible film being punctured thereafter and to thereby minimize breakage of the square crackers 40 in production and distribution.

[0028] For example, see FIG. 9 showing circular crackers 40 after entering the tray 10 and extending above the top surface 14 and FIG. 10 wherein the shape of the receptacle 20 enables the circular crackers 40 to slide into the receptacle 20 in an orientation lying flat and not to be extending above the top surface 14 to thereby minimize the flexible film being punctured thereafter to thereby minimize breakage of the square crackers 40 in production and distribution.

[0029] It is a purpose of the invention that all of the food products 40 are settled into the receptacle 20 and are not extending above the top surface 14 thereby interfering with the sealing before the trays 10 enter the sealing station 58. If the food products 40 extend above the top surface 14 before they enter the sealing station 58, then there is a high risk of flexible film 44 puncturing. Accordingly, a tray 10 with a specific radius of curvature R is necessary to enable the food products 40 to settle within the receptacle 20 before the flexible film 44 is applied at the sealing station 58.

[0030] Referring to FIG. 13, various shapes for the rigid food products 40 are shown. It should be noted that other shapes can be utilized with the present invention.

[0031] Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.