FOOD BARRIER

A packaging system is provided. The packaging system may include a barrier sheet and a container. The barrier sheet may have a first half and a second half. The second half may include a perforation bisecting the second half into two approximately equal quarters. Each of the two quarters may form a pull tab near the rectangular corners. A user may easily and conveniently assemble a food product having at least one wet fixing, a first portion of dry fixings and a second portion of dry fixings, whereby the barrier sheet sandwiches the at least one wet fixing between the first and second portion of dry fixings. When ready to eat, the user may grasp the pull tabs and evenly tear apart the second half along the perforation so that the dry fixings and the at least one wet fixing do not adhere to the barrier sheet as the second and first half may be removed from the food product, whereby the dry fixings remained as dry as when the food product was made.

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Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. provisional application number 61/775,639, filed Mar. 10, 2013 the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to food packaging and, more particularly, to an apparatus for packaging food with dry and moist portions so that such portions remain separated and fresh.

Typically, sandwiches are made to be eaten later, sometimes days later. Currently, a variety of sandwiches have wet fixings, such as lettuce, tomato, salad dressing, oil, mayonnaise, deli meats and the like, whose moisture content would transmit to the dry fixings, such as bread products, making them soggy and otherwise unappetizing. Previous attempts at separating the wet fixings from the dry fixings involved cumbersome, bulky apparatus. Alternatively approaches involved packaging systems requiring the user to dump out the wet fixings whereby mandating an unnecessary, unsightly and unappetizing step for all to witness immediately before the user eats the packaged food.

As can be seen, there is a need for a packaging system that keeps the dry fixings dry and the wet fixings fresh by separating them with a barrier that is easy to remove without being unnecessarily unappetizing and with good taste.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, a sandwich packaging system comprises: a barrier sheet comprising a flexible, non-permeable material having a first half and a second half, wherein the second half comprises a front edge; a perforation extending from the front edge to the first half so as to bisect the second half; and a plurality of pull tabs formed near the front edge.

In another aspect of the present invention, the sandwich packaging system further includes a container having side walls forming a plurality of slots configured to slidably receive the plurality of pull tabs. These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a barrier sheet of the present invention shown in use;

FIG. 2 is a top view of an exemplary embodiment of the barrier sheet of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of an exemplary embodiment of the barrier sheet of the present invention shown in use;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of an exemplary embodiment of the barrier of the present invention shown in use in conjunction with FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a top view of an exemplary embodiment of the barrier sheet of the present invention shown in use;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment a container of the present invention shown in an opened position;

FIG. 8 is a detailed section view of an exemplary embodiment the container of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a detailed section view of an exemplary embodiment the container of the present invention along line 9-9 in FIG. 6; and

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the container of the present invention shown in use.

 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention provides a barrier sheet. The barrier sheet may have a first half and a second half. The second half may include a perforation bisecting the second half into two approximately equal quarters. Each of the two quarters may form a pull tab near the rectangular corners. A user may easily and conveniently assemble a food product having at least one wet fixing, a first portion of dry fixings and a second portion of dry fixings, whereby the barrier sheet sandwiches the at least one wet fixing between the first and second portion of dry fixings: the user may place the second half in contact with the first portion of the dry fixings; then place the at least one wet fixing in contact with the opposing side of the second half; then fold the first half so that the barrier sheet may sandwich the at least one wet fixing; and finally place the second portion of dry fixings in contact with the opposing side of the first half. When ready to eat, the user may grasp the pull tabs and evenly tear apart the second half along the perforation so that the dry fixings and the at least one wet fixing do not adhere to the barrier sheet as the second and first half may be removed from the food product, whereby the dry fixings remained as dry as when the food product was made.

In certain embodiments, the packaging system may include a container with two compartments, wherein each compartment may be formed by a horizontal portion and a pair of side walls, a back wall and a front wall extending perpendicularly therefrom. The back walls may be connected by a hinge segment so the container may pivot from an open position to a closed position. The pair of side walls may form tear slots dimensioned to slidably receive portions of the barrier sheet, so that the wet fixings and the portion of the dry fixings may be combined within the container may be in the closed position.

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 10, the present invention may include a packaging system 100. The packaging system 100 may include a barrier sheet 16 and a container 56. The barrier sheet 16 may be made of flexible, non-permeable material having two opposing long edges 42, a rear edge 43 and a front edge 44 defining a first half 46 and a second half 48. The first half 46 and the second half 48 may be approximately the size and shape of a flattened slice of bread. The barrier sheet 16 may form a pair of pull tabs 20 along the two long edges 42 as illustrated in FIG. 2. The perforation 18 may extend from the front edge 44 of the second half 48 to near the first half 46 so as to bisect the second half 48 into two quarters 34. In certain embodiments, the perforation 18 may coincide with the middle of a food product, such as a sandwich.

The container 56 may include a first compartment 50 and a second compartment 52. Each compartment 50, 52 may be defined by a horizontal portion 24 and a pair of side walls 60, a back wall 62 and a front wall 58 extending from the horizontal portion 24, wherein the pair of side walls 60, the back wall 62 and the front wall 58 define an open portion opposite the horizontal portion 24.

The front walls 58 may extend from the horizontal portion 24 to terminate at a lip edge 54. The back walls 62 may be pivotably joined along a hinge section 26 so that the compartments 50, 52 pivot from a closed position to an open position. Each of the pair of side walls 60 on each compartment 50, 52 may extend from the horizontal portion 24 to terminate at a plurality of slot edges 70. When in the closed position, the plurality of slot edges 70 may form two tear slots 32, one on each side wall 60 of the container 56. The tear slots 32 may be dimensioned so as to slidably receive a portion of the barrier sheet 16 and so that the opposing pull tabs 20 may protrude from the opposing tear slots 32.

The first compartment 50 may include a locking aperture 30 along the front wall 58 near the lip edge 54. The second compartment 52 may include a locking latch 28 along the opposing front wall 58 near the lip edge 54. The locking latch 28 may form a male tongue that extends above the lip edge 54. The locking aperture 30 may be dimensioned to receive the male tongue of the locking latch 28 therein so that the first compartment 50 and the second compartment 52 may be removably attached in the closed position.

A method of using the present invention may include the following. The packaging system 100 disclosed above may be provided. A user may easily and conveniently assemble a food product having at least one wet fixing 12, a first portion of dry fixings 10 and a second portion of dry fixings 14, whereby the barrier sheet 16 sandwiches the at least one wet fixing 12. The user may place the second half 48 in contact with the first portion of the dry fixings 10, such as a slice of bread, so that the perforation 18 coincides with the middle of the slice of bread. Then the user may place the at least one wet fixing 12 in contact with the opposing side of the second half 48, as illustrated in FIG. 3. Then the user may fold the first half 46 so that the barrier sheet 16 may sandwich the at least one wet fixing 12. Then the user may place the second portion of dry fixings 14 in contact with the opposing side of the first half 46 so as to sandwich the first half 46 between the second portion of dry fixings 14 and the at least one wet fixing 12, thereby keeping the at least one wet fixing 12 isolated from the dry fixings 10, 14 so that the dry fixings 10, 14 do not become soggy.

When ready to eat the food product, the user may first remove the first half 46 from the food product. In certain embodiments, the user may slide the first half 46 from between the at least one wet fixing 12 and the first portion of dry fixings 10. Alternatively, the user may remove the first portion of dry fixings 10 so as to peel the first half 46 from the food product. Then user may grasp the pull tabs 20 and evenly tear apart 22 the second half 48 along the perforation 18, as illustrated in FIG. 5, so that the dry fixings 10, 14 and the at least one wet fixing 12 do not adhere to the barrier sheet 16 as the second half 48 may be removed from the food product. In certain embodiments, the user may remove the second half 48 before removing the first half 46. In certain embodiments, the plurality of pull tabs 20 may be formed along the rear edge 43 so that a user may tear apart the first half 46 in a similar fashion as the second half 48 is torn apart 22 herein.

In certain embodiments, the user may utilize the container 56 to preserve the freshness of the food product. In the opened position, the user may place the first portion of dry fixings 14 on the horizontal portion 24 of the first compartment 50. The user may place the second half 48 in contact with the first portion of the dry fixings 14, such as a slice of bread, so that the perforation 18 coincides with the middle of the slice of bread. The user may position the second half 48 so that each of pull tabs 20 protrudes from adjacent tear slots 32. Then the user may place the at least one wet fixing 12 in contact with the opposing side of the second half 48. Then the user may fold the first half 46 so that it may sandwich the at least one wet fixing 12. Then the user may place the second portion of dry fixings 10 on top of the first half 46, thereby keeping the at least one wet fixing 12 isolated from the dry fixings 10, 14 so that the dry fixings 10, 14 do not become soggy. Then the user may pivot the container 56 from the open position to the closed position so as to removably secure the male tongue of the locking latch 28 within the locking aperture 30 in the closed position.

When ready to combine the wet fixings 12 with the dry fixings 10, 12 of the food product, the user may grasp the pull tabs 20 and evenly tear apart 22 the second half 48 along the perforation 18, as illustrated in FIG. 10, so that each quarter 34 slides through the adjacent slot 32, thereby combining the food product while the container 56 may be in the closed position. In certain embodiments, the user may tear apart 22 the second half 48 while the first compartment 50 rests on a supporting surface, or when the second compartment 52 rests on the supporting surface.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A sandwich packaging system comprising:

a barrier sheet comprising a flexible, non-permeable material having two opposing side edges, a first half and a second half, wherein the second half comprises a front edge extending between the two opposing side edges; and
a perforation extending from the front edge to near the first half so as to bisect the second half.

2. The sandwich packaging system of claim 1, further including a plurality of pull tabs formed along the two opposing side edges near the front edge.

3. The sandwich packaging system of claim 1, further including a container comprising:

a first compartment defined by a horizontal portion and a plurality of side portions forming an open portion opposite the horizontal portion; and
a second compartment defined by a horizontal portion and a plurality of side portions forming an open portion opposite the horizontal portion, wherein the second compartment is configured to engage the first compartment so that the container is in a closed position,
wherein the plurality of side portions include a pair of side walls that define tear slots when the pair of side walls are engaged in the closed position, wherein each tear slot is configured to slidably receive a portion of the barrier sheet.

4. The sandwich packaging system of claim 3, further including a hinged section pivotably connecting the first compartment and the second compartment so that the container pivots from the closed position to an open position.

5. The sandwich packaging system of claim 3, further including a locking aperture on the first compartment and a locking latch on the second compartment, wherein the locking aperture is dimensioned to removably receive the locking latch when the container is in the closed position.

6. A sandwich packaging system comprising:

a barrier sheet comprising a flexible, non-permeable material having two opposing side edges, a first half and a second half, wherein the second half comprises a front edge and a rear edge extending between the two opposing side edges; and
a perforation extending from the front edge toward the rear edge.

7. The sandwich packaging system of claim 6, further including a plurality of pull tabs formed along the two opposing side edges.

8. The sandwich packaging system of claim 6, further including a container comprising:

a first compartment defined by a horizontal portion and a plurality of side portions forming an open portion opposite the horizontal portion; and
a second compartment defined by a horizontal portion and a plurality of side portions forming an open portion opposite the horizontal portion, wherein the second compartment is configured to engage the first compartment so that the container is in a closed position,
wherein the plurality of side portions include a pair of side walls that define tear slots when the pair of side walls are engaged in the closed position, wherein each tear slot is configured to slidably receive a portion of the barrier sheet.

9. A method of preparing a food product with wet fixings and dry fixings for future consumption, comprising:

providing a barrier sheet comprising a flexible, non-permeable material having two opposing side edges, a first half and a second half, wherein the second half comprises a front edge and a rear edge extending between the two opposing side edges; a perforation extending from the front edge towards the rear edge; and a plurality of pull tabs formed along the two opposing side edges near the front edge.
sandwiching at least one wet fixing between the first half and the second half; and
placing dry fixings in contact with the first half and the second half so that the barrier sheet prevents moisture from transferring from the at least one wet fixing to the dry fixings.

10. The method of claim 9, further including providing a container comprising: a first compartment defined by a horizontal portion and a plurality of side portions forming an open portion opposite the horizontal portion; and a second compartment defined by a horizontal portion and a plurality of side portions forming an open portion opposite the horizontal portion, wherein the second compartment is configured to engage the first compartment so that the container is in a closed position, wherein the plurality of side portions include a pair of side walls that define tear slots when the pair of side walls are engaged in the closed position, wherein a tear slot is configured to slidably receive a portion of the barrier sheet, and wherein at least one pull tab is protruding from each tear slot.

Patent History
Publication number: 20140251864
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 10, 2014
Publication Date: Sep 11, 2014
Inventor: Keith VOELLER (Alma, AR)
Application Number: 14/203,437
Classifications
Current U.S. Class: Camp Or Lunch Type (206/541); Pivotable, (e.g., Hinged) (220/810); For Food (229/87.08)
International Classification: A45C 11/20 (20060101); B65D 65/22 (20060101); B65D 43/18 (20060101);