Wrapping for string cheese

Abstract

Flat plastic sheet (14) and formed plastic sheet (12) providing enclosure for string cheese with air tight adherence (16) around string cheese (10), said flat plastic sheet (14) being longer than said formed plastic sheet (12), thereby indicating a visually obvious separation of said plastic sheets and facilitating the manual gripping, bending and separating of said plastic sheets without fracturing, thereby allowing access to and manual removal of the enclosed string cheese.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to Provisional Application No. 61/956,567 and Non-Provisional application Ser. No. 13/987,641.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

This innovation relates to the plastic wrapping of string cheese.

2. Description of Prior Art

Varieties of string cheese, as sold in grocery stores and food markets, are typically enclosed in plastic wrappings to insure the cleanliness and quality preservation of the enclosed product. These wrappings are usually arranged in groups which allow for the removal of a single wrapping by manual gripping and pulling apart from the group so as to facilitate access and removal of the enclosed string cheese.

The individual wrappings are typically comprised of two transparent plastic sheets, the sheets being of the same thickness and length with an adhered closure around the string cheese. Although the top end of the wrapping is free of adhesion, the two plastic sheets, being cut to the same length and being very close together, makes it difficult to visualize the space between the sheets and it becomes difficult to grip and separate the sheets for access to the contained product.

SUMMARY

In accordance with this innovation, the wrapping described herein consists of two plastic components adhered to complete a seal around the enclosed string cheese product, one component formed and having a shorter length than the flat component on the opposite side. The area of adhesion allows for ease of manual separation without fracturing of the plastic layers when pulled apart.

The plastic wrapping described herein (referred to by the FDA as a food contact substance) shall meet the quality specified by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Appendix J Standards For the Fabrication of Single Service Containers and Closures for Milk and Milk Products.

Objects and Advantages

The object and advantage of the innovation described herein is to provide a manner of opening the string cheese wrapping in a manner more convenient than typical wrappings now available in grocery stores and food markets. FIG. 1 as shown on drawing indicates the manner of gripping and separating the two plastic components for opening the wrapping.

DRAWING FIGURES

FIG. 1 Side view of string cheese enclosed with plastic wrapping, indicating areas of adhesion and manner of separating the plastic layers for access to string cheese.

FIG. 2 Front view of string cheese enclosed with formed plastic wrapping, indicating areas of adhesion.

FIG. 3 Rear view of the string cheese enclosed with flat plastic wrapping, indicating areas of adhesion.

FIG. 4 Top view of string cheese and plastic wrapping, indicating areas of adhesion between formed plastic to flat plastic wrapping.

FIG. 5 Cross section through string cheese and plastic wrapping, indicating areas of adhesion.

REFERENCE NUMERALS IN DRAWINGS

10 Enclosed String Cheese

12 Formed Plastic Wrapping

14 Flat Plastic Wrapping

16 Areas of adhesion

EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 through FIG. 5

The proposed embodiment of this innovation is illustrated in drawing FIG. 1 through FIG. 5. of the enclosed drawing.

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of the formed plastic component (12) and flat plastic component (14) enclosing the string cheese (10). Areas of adhesion (16) at the top and bottom of the plastic enclosure are also shown.

FIG. 2 shows a front view of the formed plastic enclosure (12) and longer flat plastic (14) extended beyond the top of the formed plastic (12) at the rear, the flat plastic extension at the top intended for ease of gripping. Areas of continuous adhesion (16) are indicated around the enclosed string cheese (10).

FIG. 3 shows a view of the flat plastic (14) at the rear of the enclosure and the enclosed string cheese. Areas of continuous adhesion (16) around the string cheese (10) are shown as well as a cross section indicator for FIG. 5.

FIG. 4 illustrates a top view of the formed plastic (12), the flat plastic (14), enclosed string cheese (10) and area of adhesion at top of enclosure.

FIG. 5 shows a cross section through the formed plastic (12), the flat plastic (14) and the enclosed string cheese (10). Areas of adhesion (16) at each side of the enclosed string cheese (10) are also indicated.

Alternative Embodiment

A thicker formed plastic component offering rigidity compared to the thinner plastic on the opposite side.

Additionally, either one or both of the two plastic components could be color pigmented, provided that this coloration presents no damage to the enclosed product.

Alternative Embodiment Advantage

Accordingly, the thicker formed plastic component, because of it's rigidity, offers a visual and sensory separation of the thinner flat plastic component on the opposite side, facilitating the gripping first of the obviously longer and over extended thinner sheet of the flat plastic component, followed by the manual gripping and pulling away of the formed plastic component away from the thinner flat plastic component, facilitating the opening of the enclosure and access to the string cheese.

Additionally, contrasting color pigmentation could provide visual separation of the plastic components, providing clarity that could facilitate the manual gripping, separation and opening of the enclosure. This coloration could be an advantage, provided that it presents no damage to the enclosed product.

OPERATION

As described within this submittal, the innovation herein provides for a manner of opening the string cheese wrapping for convenient removal of the product.

CONCLUSION, RAMIFICATIONS AND SCOPE

Although the idea presented herein may contain some specifics, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the idea presented, and is merely meant to illustrate the preferred embodiment thereof. The shape and size of string cheese produced by various manufacturers may be of a different shape and size than the illustration shown in this submittal and would therefore require a wrapping of a shape and size required to accommodate the enclosed product.

The scope of this innovation should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.

Claims

1. An enclosure for a food product comprising:

a. a formed element,

b. a flat element having a longer length than said formed element in at least one longitudinal portion of said flat element,

c. a continuous area of adhesion between said formed element and said flat element, said area of adhesion forming a continuous air tight seal around said food product,

d. said longer length of said flat element forming a visually obvious separation of said elements at said longitudinal portion where said portion exceeds the length of said formed element along a border of said formed element, said border lacking adhesion to said flat element,

f. wherein said elements can be gripped and pulled apart to provide access to and manual removal of said product.

2. The enclosure of claim 1 wherein said formed element is thicker than said flat element.

3. The enclosure of claim 1 wherein said formed element is more rigid than said flat element.