Abstract: A food package having a base (12) forming a cavity (16) for holding a first food such as a salad, and having a cover or dome (14) that covers the base and that has recess walls that form a recess (32) in the cover top. The recess holds a fluid food (30) such as a salad dressing. A mechanism (22) that is manually operable from the outside the cover, releases the salad dressing. In one system, a top of the cover can be manually depressed to depress a button (60) on a lid (24) that lies under the recess to unlatch a lid side or end (50) so the lid can pivot down and release the salad dressing In another system, a person can depress a first side of the recess walls to open a first lid part (124, FIG. 11) that releases half the salad dressing, and can also depress a second side of the recess wall to open a second lid part (126) to release the other half of the dressing.

Abstract: A molding apparatus can include a primary mold, a stripper, and a swinging member. The swinging member can comprise a molding surface defining an undercut portion of a molded item. The swinging member can directly contact or attached to the stripper and the primary mold. To facilitate removal of a molded item, the swinging member can withdraw through a hole in the primary mold as a direct result of a motion of the stripper to pull the molded item off the primary mold. The molded item can then be easily removed.

Abstract: Food containers formed of sheet plastic are latchably stackable on one another. Each container has base (14) and lid (16) elements, with one of them having an outer rim part with a pair of long handle sections (80, 82) that can be pivoted up to form a handle assembly for carrying the container. The sections that form handles are formed in the lid element (16) rather than in the base element (14), so a person does not have to contend with long bouncing sections if the person eats a meal out of the base. One of the elements has vertically undercut grooves (50) and the other element has horizontal projections (52) that slide into and along the grooves. The grooved element has vertical passages (120) along which the projections can move vertically until they can slide into and along the grooves.

Abstract: A container comprising a base (12) and lid (14) each formed of sheet plastic, wherein after food is loaded into a base cavity (20) and the lid is closed, the lid resists opening. To open the lid, a move-away tab (64) lying along the base rim portion (30) is moved by tearing along at least one line (70) so a lid rim part (50) is exposed and can be grasped to lift the lid. The base has an outer raised rib (32) that blocks access to the lid rim part until the tab, which lies between two gaps (62, 63) in the outer rib, is moved out of the way. The base also has an inner raised rib (34) that projects into a groove (46) in the lid to form a seal.

Abstract: A food container includes a base (12) with a food-holding cavity (14) and a lid (20) that closes the cavity, each formed of plastic sheeting. The lid defines an eating utensil (32) such as a fork, by a breakaway line that extends around the utensil and that can be easily broken to remove the utensil. The base has radially inner and outer upstanding flanges (64, 62) and an upwardly-opening base groove (66) between them that receives a lid lip (72). At an initial opening section (60) that occupies less than one-fifth of the container perimeter, a section (62A) of the outer base flange is partially separated from the rest of the base by a cut (80) extending along the base groove and by opposite breakable lines. At that section, the inner base flange (64A) is of reduced width to provide more room for a person to grasp the lid, and there is also a smaller interference fit between the base inner flange with walls of the lid groove.

Abstract: A food container arrangement formed of plastic sheeting, includes a cup (12) and a cover (14) for holding foods. The cup can be held in an auto cup holder (E) while part of the cover lies over the cup and part lies beyond the cup rim. The cup and cover can be formed of a single piece of plastic sheeting, with rim joining portions (30, 32) that lie facewise adjacent with a tear line (34) between them where the sheeting can be torn to separate them. The cover has an upper surface with a groove (80) that can receive the rim of the cup when the cover lies in an upside-down position. The cover groove walls include a projection (112) and the cup rim has an L-shaped insertion slot (100) that the cover projection fits into to prevent the cover from falling off.

Abstract: A container (10) with lower and upper parts of formed plastic sheeting, is constructed of two identical elements (12, 14) that can close and latch to each other to form a closed container by turning a second of the elements upside down to make it the upper element, and pressing it down against the lower first element. The lower element includes a base wall (20) which is the bottommost wall and which has a vertical axis (22), upstanding side walls (24), and a flange (30) extending radially away from the top of the side walls. Along a left half (34) of the lower element, the flange forms an upward projection(s) (42), and along the right half (36) of the lower element the flange forms an upwardly-opening groove (44). Each projection and groove extends in a zig-zag line along the flange.

Abstract: A food container having a base (12) with a support surface (40) that supports a cardboard plate with a tall cake thereon, and a tall lid (14) that closes and opens over the base. The base has a rear end (22) with a vertical slot (50) and the lid has a rear end with a pivot connector that can be inserted down into the slot when the lid is in the pivoted-up position but that resists removal in the pivoted-down position. The base rear end that forms the slot lies on a raised platform (104) of the base that raises the slot above the level of the base front end (20), by at least ?rd the lid height, to cause the lid to move almost vertically as it clears the top front of the cake. The base support surface faces at a forward-upward incline angle to better display the cake through the transparent lid.

Abstract: A food container formed of a single sheet of plastic, which includes a cup (12), a cover (16) that is movable between open and closed positions on the cup top, and a container (20,22) that is movable between a stowed position in the cup and an unstowed position out of the cup. The cup has a cup flange (34) and the container has a container flange (60) that is pivotally connected to the cup flange along a pivot line (64) that can be torn to separate the container from the cup. The cover is pivotally connected to the cup top at the cover flange, and the container has a lift tab (220) that lies on the cover flange. The container has a side wall that forms a vertical channel (190) on its outside for passing a straw into liquid in the cup.

Abstract: A bowl assembly (10) for steaming food as in a microwave oven, includes a bowl (12), a platform (14) that lies in the bowl for supporting food, and a lid (16) and lidding film (13) that close the bowl. The platform includes a plate (22) and one or more upstanding handles (46) that allow a person to lift or tilt the plate with food thereon even while the plate is hot. The bowl has a bottom wall (26) with a convexly curved upper surface (80), and with a middle that forms a recess (72) that receives a downwardly-protruding latch (70) of the plate to latch the plate to the bowl. The plate has a plurality of depressions that form liquid guiding channels (40) with holes (42) for draining liquids. The periphery of the plate is supported on an interrupted up-step (60) at the periphery of the bowl bottom wall, with gaps (18) left between the up-steps though which liquids can drain.

Abstract: A rigid polymer food container system for holding fruit and vegetables is described. The system essentially comprises a lid and a tray with complementary mating rims that when assembled together form an airtight seal and which is further releaseably lockable to each other. Additionally, an opening formed into either the lid and/or tray member to permit the flow of air, the opening being further covered with a gas-permeable membrane that is held to the plastic surface by an adhesive. The opening permits some level of oxygenation to delay senescence of the food product and the gas-permeable membrane contributes to minimize bacterial infection and fluid leakage.

Abstract: Base and cover elements (12, 14) of a food container (10) can be rapidly closed at a plant and can be easily opened and closed by a customer. The cover has a lower rim wall (44) with a plurality of radially inward cover projections (50) spaced about the container axis (20), and the base has a base rim wall (32) with a plurality of recesses (52) with undercut grooves (60) that each receives a cover projection to hold the cover closed on the base. The bottom surface (86) of the cover projections and the top surface (80) of the base rim wall are beveled, so the cover can be installed by forcefully pushing it down, at any rotational position of the cover on the base. The cover then can be easily removed by turning it, with the cover projections moving along undercut base grooves (60), until the cover projections reach vertical passages (54) through which the projections can be easily lifted.

Abstract: A container (10) that is formed of sheet plastic that has been deformed, includes a base (12) having a plurality of egg-receiving recesses (20) and a cover (14) that can be latched closed on the base. The cover has a plurality of latch parts (30) spaced along each side and has a plurality of outwardly deformed chimney parts between the latch parts, that form chimneys (70) for ventilation of the eggs. Each egg-receiving recess in the base, has inclined ribs (62) that limit sideward egg movement and allow air circulation, has a recess bottom wall (66) for supporting the bottom of an egg, and has an air circulation region (64) lying between the recess bottom wall and rib bottoms for allowing the movement of air around the lower portion of the egg. The outer portion of the ventilation region forms legs (68) that support the container on a flat surface while holding the recess bottom above that flat surface.

Abstract: The claimed invention is a novel container system that adds utility and convenience for the consumer “on-the-go”. The container system claimed includes a main tray member that holds food product (e.g. carrots), and lid member that is configured so that, when it is inverted, it acts as a secondary tray member that holds food product (e.g. condiment) and is further attachable to the rim of the tray member via an interference fit or snap-fit grip fit. The resulting utility is that the consumer is able to hold the main tray member with one hand or have held the main tray member (e.g. in a recess in an automobile consol) and access the contents of both trays with a free hand.

Abstract: A container with a base (12) and lid (14), clearly indicates if the lid has been opened after a clerk loaded food into the base and closed the lid. The base and lid each has a respective lid tab and a base tab, with one tab forming a slot (26) and the tab other projecting through the slot, and with the base tab forming a barrier wall (80) that lies over the lid tab. One of the tabs has a weakened severable line (90, 92) that can be torn to allow the lid tab to be lifted to open the container.