Vacuum Package for Food Products

Abstract

A vacuum package for containing a plurality of food products. The package includes a compartment including a plurality of pockets defined by semi-cylindrical walls. One food product is housed in each pocket. A cover encloses the compartment to define an interior. A vacuum is applied to the interior. The shape of the compartment enables the package to be more easily filled using a horizontal vacuum pack machine on a manufacturing line.

Claims

1. A vacuum package for containing a plurality of food products comprising: a compartment including a plurality of pockets defined by semi-cylindrical walls; a plurality of food products with one food product housed in each pocket; a cover enclosing the compartment to define an interior; and a vacuum in the interior.

2. The vacuum package of claim 1 and further including a top surface capable of securing the cover thereto.

3. The vacuum package of claim 2 wherein the top surface is planar.

4. The vacuum package of claim 1 wherein the cover includes a flexible film.

5. The vacuum package of claim 1 wherein the food products are of a complementary shape to the pockets.

6. The vacuum package of claim 1 wherein the food products are cylindrically shaped.

7. The vacuum package of claim 1 wherein the cover is heat sealed to the compartment.

8. The vacuum package of claim 2 wherein the cover is heat sealed to the top surface.

9. The vacuum package of claim 8 wherein the compartment further includes a top surface and wherein the cover is heat sealed to the top surface.

10. The vacuum package of claim 1 wherein the compartment has a periphery and wherein the cover has the same periphery.

11. The vacuum package of claim 10 wherein the cover is heat sealed to the compartment with at least one portion of the heat seal being inward of the periphery of the compartment.

12. The vacuum package of claim 10 wherein the cover has at least one portion that is not heat sealed to the compartment and is useable to peel the cover from the compartment.

13. The vacuum package of claim 1 wherein the compartment has a periphery that is rectangular.

14. The vacuum package of claim 1 wherein the cover has a periphery that is rectangular.

15. The vacuum package of claim 1 wherein the compartment and the cover have peripheries that are the same shape.

16. The vacuum package of claim 1 wherein the pockets are elongate and parallel to one another.

17. A vacuum package for containing a plurality of food products comprising: a compartment having a plurality of elongate parallel pockets defined by semi-cylindrical walls and having a planar top surface; a plurality of food products with one food product housed in each pocket; a cover heat sealed to the top surface and enclosing the compartment to define an interior; and a vacuum in the interior.

18. The vacuum package of claim 17 wherein the food products are elongate and cylindrical.

19. The vacuum package of claim 17 wherein the cover includes a flexible film.

20. A vacuum package for housing a plurality of cylindrical food products comprising: a compartment including a plurality of elongate parallel pockets defined by semi-cylindrical walls, the compartment including a top surface and a periphery; a plurality of cylindrical food products with only one food product housed in each pocket; a flexible film heat sealed to the top surface to enclose the compartment and define an interior, the flexible film has a periphery that is the same shape as the periphery of the compartment, and having a portion that is non-heat sealed at the periphery of the compartment so as to be lifted from the periphery of the compartment to gain access to the interior; and a vacuum in the interior.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a top of a vacuum package of the present invention.

[0007] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a bottom of the vacuum package.

[0008] FIG. 3 is a top view of the vacuum package.

[0009] FIG. 4 is a side view of the vacuum package.

[0010] FIG. 5 is an end view of the vacuum package

[0011] FIG. 6 is a detailed corner view of FIG. 3.

[0012] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the top of the vacuum package containing food products.

[0013] 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 OF THE INVENTION

[0014] FIGS. 1-7 illustrate a vacuum package 10 according to the present invention. The vacuum package 10 includes a specifically shaped compartment 12, a top wall 14 and a cover 16. The overall shape of the vacuum package 10 and the specific shape of the compartment 12 enable the vacuum package 10 to be more easily filled with a food product and then sealed on a horizontal vacuum pack machine on a manufacturing line.

[0015] The vacuum package 10 is designed to be filled with a food product, such as a perishable food product. The invention will be further detailed below using a cylindrical perishable food product 18 (FIG. 7) such as for example string cheese sticks. However, it should be noted that food products and other perishable food products of different shapes that need vacuum sealing can also be used.

[0016] The compartment 12 includes a plurality of generally semi-cylindrical walls or ribs 20. Each rib 20 defines a pocket 22. All of the pockets 22 are elongate, parallel to one another, and semi-cylindrical in shape. The pockets 22a on the ends of the compartment 12 further include an end wall 24 to close off the compartment 12. As shown, the compartment 12 includes two end pockets 22a and three interior pockets 22, but other numbers of pockets and other orientations can also be utilized. Each rib 20 enables one food product 18 to be placed in one pocket 22 and enables the food product 18 to settle into that pocket 22 during manufacture allowing for more flexibility in robotic loading in that each food product 18 has a designated pocket 22 and each food product 18 is unable to settle at an angle in the pocket 22, thus eliminating the need for manual labor to load the food products 18 into the compartment 12

[0017] The ribs 20 can have a radius of curvature of generally R7.8 mm with the upper ridge R3, however, other radii can be used as needed. The pockets 22 are particularly suited for a cylindrical food product 18, however, it should be noted that other shaped perishable and non-perishable food products can also be utilized to be contained in the pockets 22, such as rectangularly shaped food products.

[0018] The top wall 14 is preferable planar to provide a surface 26 onto which to secure the cover 16. The top wall 14 is preferably has a rectangular periphery with an end 28 but other shapes can also be utilized.

[0019] The compartment 12 and the top surface 26 are preferable flexible and manufactured from a material, such as for example, multilayer barrier film with a polyester outer and barrier layer, however, other materials can also be utilized.

[0020] As best shown in FIGS. 1, 3, 6 and 7, the cover 16 encloses the compartment 12. Preferably, the cover 16 has a periphery that matches the periphery of the top surface 26, which is shown as rectangular but other shapes can also be utilized. Preferably, the cover 16 is a flexible film such as for example, multilayer barrier film with a polyester outer and barrier layer, however, other types of flexible film can also be utilized. The cover 16 is sealed to the top surface such as preferably by heat sealing. An example of a pattern 30 of sealing the cover 16 to the top surface 26 is shown and is generally rectangular on one end 32 and having curved portions 34 at the other end 36. As best shown in FIGS. 3, 6 and 7, the cover 16 is sealed to the top surface 26 in the pattern 30 to create two generally triangular portions 38 of the cover 16 that act as peeling corners. A consumer is able to access the food products 18 in the compartment 12 by lifting up on one or both triangular portions 38 of the cover 16, by lifting up on the cover 16 adjacent the end 28 of the top wall 14 or by lifting up on any portion of the cover 16 to break the seal of the cover 16 and gain access to the food products 18.

[0021] A vacuum is applied to the interior of vacuum package 10 as is known in the art during manufacture.

[0022] With the present invention, the ribs 20 affirmatively align and allow setting of the food products 18 in the pockets 22 of the compartment 12 eliminating the need for extra labor and extra costs to seat the food products. The ribs 20 create a form for the food products 18 to be housed in that has less room for air in the compartment 12. The less room for air equates to better seals and potentially better shelf life.

[0023] To assist the consumer with opening the vacuum package 10, peel bumps 40 can optionally be utilized. A plurality of peel bumps 40 are preferably aligned in a row on the top wall 14 adjacent the end 28. As shown, there are nine semi-spherical and two semi-oblong peel bumps 40, however, it should be noted that other numbers and shapes of peel bumps 40 can be utilized. The peel bumps 40 assist the consumer in grasping the cover 16 to aid the consumer in opening the vacuum package 10 to access its food products 18.

[0024] Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.