CONDIMENT CONTAINER WITH FEATURES FOR AFFIXING TO FOOD CONTAINER
A stick-on condiment container may have a form similar to existing condiment containers commonly used in the fast-food industry (for example by McDonalds Corporation for its dipping sauces) with certain modifications. One modification is the addition of an adhesive layer applied on top of the sealing layer of the condiment container. Such an adhesive layer may be added at minimal cost. The adhesive layer enables the condiment container to be adhered to a fry carton, for example, in an orientation such that the greatest dimension is the depth dimension. The sealing layer, which is adhered to the fry carton, remains sealed; that is, the condiment container remains unopened. Another modification, therefore, is to define in the condiment container an alternative opening, for example by laser scoring.
The present invention relates to condiment packaging.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONU.S. Pat. No. 6,230,969 discloses a condiment (e.g., ketchup) container that attaches to a fry carton. Referring to
Improvements to such containers and related improvements are described.
The present invention may be further understood from the following description in conjunction with the appended drawings. In the drawings:
Described herein are improvements to condiment containers and related improvements, including Deep Dip™ fry ketchup and Deep Dip Stick-on Fry Ketchup in which a ketchup-containing condiment container is affixed to a fry carton and has as its greatest dimension a depth dimension, enabling a fry to be “deep dipped.” The stick-on embodiment does not require the fry carton to have any cooperating features, and can be adhered to surfaces other than the surface of a fry carton.
Generally speaking, a stick-on condiment container may have a form similar to existing condiment containers commonly used in the fast-food industry (for example by McDonalds Corporation for its dipping sauces) with certain modifications. One modification is the addition of an adhesive layer applied on top of the sealing layer of the condiment container. Such an adhesive layer may be added at minimal cost. The adhesive layer enables the condiment container to be adhered to a fry carton, for example, in an orientation such that the greatest dimension is the depth dimension. The sealing layer, which is adhered to the fry carton, remains sealed; that is, the condiment container remains unopened. Another modification, therefore, is to define in the condiment container an alternative opening, for example by laser scoring. A tab may be provided to allow for easy opening of what is the top of the condiment container when it is adhered to the fry carton. Branding indicia may be provided on what would normally be the bottom of the condiment container but which, when the condiment container is adhered to the fry carton, is the front of the container.
Hence, in one embodiment, a condiment container includes a cavity-defining portion comprising sides and a bottom; a flange portion surrounding a first opening; and a scribe line defining a second tear-open opening. In a further embodiment, a condiment container includes a cavity-defining portion comprising sides and a bottom; a flange portion surrounding a first opening; a sealing material that allows a user to remove the sealing material and open the first opening; and a pull tab formed in the flange portion for opening a second tear-open opening. In a further embodiment, a condiment container includes a cavity-defining portion; a flange portion surrounding a first opening; a sealing material sealing the first opening; and an adhesive layer overlying the sealing material, the adhesive layer comprising a peel-off layer to be peeled off by a user to expose adhesive. In a still further embodiment, a condiment container includes a cavity-defining portion comprising sides and a bottom; a flange portion surrounding a first opening; a sealing material sealing the first opening; and branding indicia applied to the bottom.
In another embodiment, a condiment container is given a Deep Dip configuration such that the greatest dimension of the condiment container is the depth dimension. The container is sealed with a sealing material in normal fashion. In order to affix the condiment container to a food container such as a fry carton, a slit is formed in the fry carton and a flange of the condiment container is inserted into the slit. Slight “scallop” notches are formed in the sides of the flanges to be received in the slot. One of the scallops is seated in the slot, then the opposite scallop is rotated into the slot. The slot is sized to tightly grip the scallops and the flange so as to securely hold the condiment container. The same arrangement may be applied to condiment containers generally without regard to whether the condiment container has a Deep Dip configuration.
Hence, in another embodiment, a thermoformed condiment container includes a cavity-defining portion comprising a flat side; a flange portion comprising a straight edge; and opposing first and second indentations formed in the flange portion for engaging a food container to enable the condiment container to be attached to the food container such that the flat side of the cavity-defining portion abuts the food container and the straight edge of the flange portion engages a slot formed in the food container.
Other aspects include a slotted fry carton or food container, combinations of condiment containers and food containers, methods of scoring condiment containers, arrays of condiment containers to facilitate scoring, scoring equipment for scoring containers such as condiment containers, and packaging lines having equipment stages following form, fill and seal stages and preceding a die-cutting stage for applying an adhesive layer and performing scoring, e.g., laser scoring.
DescriptionReferring now to
The condiment container 100 has a cavity-defining portion 111 having sides and a bottom, a flange 113 surrounding an opening 114, and a sealing layer 103. Referring first in particular to
Referring to
Scoring may be performed in such a way such that in regions 107 and 109 adjoining ends of the tab 103, the material of the condiment container 100 is “kiss cut;” that is, the material is cut through without cutting through or significantly affecting the next layer, namely the sealing material.
A further optional modification of an existing condiment container is to increase the radius of a fillet between what is the top (T) of the condiment container 100 when it is adhered to the fry carton and adjoining surfaces. It is desirable for the score line 101 to run inside of a centerline of the fillet, toward the top surface (T). In this manner, greater ease of opening may be achieved. By increasing the radius of the fillet, a larger target is provided for purposes of scoring (particulars of which are described hereinafter). In general, geometry of the condiment container may, of course, be modified as desired, either for aesthetic or functional purposes.
During use, as illustrated in
Referring to
The same arrangement may be applied to condiment containers generally without regard to whether the condiment container has a Deep Dip configuration. Referring to
The height of the slot 601 on the fry carton 610 of
In the case of the condiment containers of
Referring to
The condiment containers of
Referring to
Note that scanning may occur from above the array of condiment containers 800 or from below the array of condiment containers 800, depending on an orientation of the array of condiment containers 800, which may be stationary during scanning or which may be in motion.
In one embodiment, the laser scanning head 810 is arranged to produce one or more pairs of laser beams. In one embodiment, the laser beams of a pair of laser beams are oriented at an angle of about 45 degrees relative to the support plane and form an angle between the laser beams of about ninety degrees. Two scan lines, 831 and 833 are shown in
In one embodiment, the laser scanning head 810 and the laser beams of a pair of laser beams are arranged relative to the array of condiment containers 800 such that the laser beams of an array of laser beams coincide at the surface of the condiment containers nearest the laser scanning head. During the course of a scan, the laser beams of the pair of laser beams are controlled by the controller 830 so as to be selectively turned on or off or have their power controlled up or down as different features of a condiment container are traversed. More particularly, referring to
Referring to
Of course, the laser beams of a laser beam pair may be arranged such they do not coincide at either the plane of the bottoms of the condiment containers or the plane of the flanges of the condiment containers.
Referring to
It will be apparent to those skilled in the part that the present invention can be embodied in different forms without departing from the spirit or essential character thereof. The disclosed embodiments are therefore intended in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims, not the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the range of equivalents thereof are intended to be embraced therein. Words of approximation, except as otherwise noted, are used herein to mean plus or minus twenty percent of nominal value.
Claims
1. A condiment container comprising:
- a cavity-defining portion comprising sides and a bottom;
- a flange portion surrounding a first opening; and
- a scribe line defining a second tear-open opening.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cavity-defining portion is formed of plastic, and the scribe line is defined in said plastic.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising:
- a sealing material sealing the first opening; and
- an adhesive layer overlying the sealing material, the adhesive layer comprising a peel-off layer to be peeled off by a user to expose adhesive.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising:
- a sealing material sealing the first opening; and
- branding indicia applied to said bottom.
5. A condiment container comprising:
- a cavity-defining portion comprising sides and a bottom;
- a flange portion surrounding a first opening;
- a sealing material that allows a user to remove the sealing material and open the first opening; and
- a pull tab formed in said flange portion for opening a second tear-open opening.
6. The apparatus of claim 5, comprising a scribe line defining the second tear-open opening.
7. The apparatus of claim 5, comprising an adhesive layer overlying the sealing material, the adhesive layer comprising a peel-off layer to be peeled off by a user to expose adhesive.
8. The apparatus of claim 5, comprising branding indicia applied to said bottom.
9. A condiment container comprising:
- a cavity-defining portion;
- a flange portion surrounding a first opening;
- a sealing material sealing the first opening; and
- an adhesive layer overlying the sealing material, the adhesive layer comprising a peel-off layer to be peeled off by a user to expose adhesive.
10. A condiment container comprising:
- a cavity-defining portion comprising sides and a bottom;
- a flange portion surrounding a first opening;
- a sealing material sealing the first opening; and
- branding indicia applied to said bottom.
11. The apparatus of claim 10, comprising a scribe line defining a second tear-open opening.
12. The apparatus of claim 10, comprising:
- a sealing material sealing the first opening; and
- an adhesive layer overlying the sealing material, the adhesive layer comprising a peel-off layer to be peeled off by a user to expose adhesive.
13.-30. (canceled)
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 6, 2012
Publication Date: Jun 27, 2013
Inventor: Michael J. Ure (Cupertino, CA)
Application Number: 13/441,516
International Classification: B65D 17/34 (20060101); B65D 51/24 (20060101); B65D 53/00 (20060101); B65D 25/00 (20060101);