EXPANDABLE FOOD PACKAGE WITH LID

Abstract

An expandable food package with a removable lid, is provided. The food package has a bottom, an inner sidewall and an outer sidewall. The inner sidewall and outer sidewall are connected by a series of living hinges that allow the package to be converted between an expanded configuration and collapsed configuration. A lid may be sealed to one or both of an inner rim and an outer rim when the package is in collapsed configuration.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to a food package that is expandable, which may have a lid, and method of making the food package.

2. Description Of Related Art

The food industry markets some food products in packages that comprise a base and a lid sealed onto the base. The base generally comprises a bowl or other liquid retaining shape with a rim, and a lid is typically sealed along the rim of the base. An example of such a known bowl is depicted in FIG. 1. The bowl depicted in FIG. 1 comprises a base 102 and a lid 104 affixed to the base along the rim 106 of the base. Foods that are sold in such packaging include chili, soup, cheese sauce, salsa, dips, oats, oatmeal and other mixtures of solid and/or liquid food products. Foods that are packaged in this way are often consumed directly from the base after the lid is removed.

Additionally, many such packaged foods are intended to be consumed or cooked at elevated temperatures prior to consumption. Microwave ovens are commonly used to heat such food products. The microwave oven is an appliance that can be found in many homes and businesses. During operation, a microwave oven floods the cooking chamber with non-ionizing microwave radiation, usually at a frequency of about 2.45 GHz. Many food molecules (for example water molecules) are electric dipoles, which means they are positively charged at one end and a negatively charged at the other end. As the microwave radiation passes through the food, the dipole molecules rotate as they try to align themselves with the alternating electric field of the microwaves. This rotation and movement causes the food to heat up as the rotating molecules impact other molecules, putting them into motion. Microwave heating is highly efficient on liquid water (which a relatively polar molecule), and much less so on fats and sugars (which are less polar).

However, heating food inside a food package described above with a water-containing food or food product inside can cause problems. Most such packaged foods are packaged with a “headspace.” The headspace is the region between the food inside the food package and the lid. The headspace allows for room between the upper level of the food inside the package and the upper rim of the bowl to prevent spillover when the food is heated. The disadvantage to providing enough headspace to guard against spillover is that it increases shipping costs for the food container by reducing the density of both the food package itself and larger groupings or cartons of food packages.

The main solution to this problem in the prior art is to provide a food package with smaller headspace with instructions to the consumer to pour the food into a separate microwave safe bowl with adequate spillover protection before heating it in the microwave. This approach is problematic for several reasons. First, the consumer may not transfer the food as instructed because he or she did not read, forgot to follow, or chose not to follow the instructions provided. Second, the consumer is inconvenienced by this prior art solution.

Consequently, a need exists for a food product package that can be shipped with minimal headspace and expanded before being heated in a microwave oven.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a food package that is expandable prior to heating or consumption of the food. In one embodiment, an expandable food package comprises a bottom, an inner sidewall extending upward from said bottom, a series of at least two living hinges connecting said inner side wall with an outer sidewall, wherein an inner rim is defined by an intersection between said inner sidewall and a first living hinge in said series of living hinges, wherein said outer side wall defines an outer rim on a side opposite a second living hinge in said series of living hinges, and a lid affixed to said inner rim or said outer rim.

In another embodiment, the lid is affixed to the inner rim by a first seal and to the outer rim by a second seal. In one embodiment, the series comprises at least four living hinges. In still another embodiment, each said living hinge comprises an angle of orientation, the angle of orientation for each living hinge is opposite the angle of orientation for each adjacent living hinge.

In one embodiment, the food package further comprises a lower rim defined at the intersection of said outer rim and said second living hinge, wherein said lower rim is approximately coplanar with said bottom. The inner rim and outer rim may be approximately coplanar. The bottom of the food package is preferably approximately circular.

In one embodiment, a method of packaging a food product comprises providing an expandable bowl portion of a food package in collapsed configuration, said bowl portion comprising: a bottom; an inner sidewall extending upward from said bottom; a series of at least two living hinges connecting said inner side wall with an outer sidewall, wherein an inner rim is defined by an intersection between said inner sidewall and a first living hinge in said series of living hinges, wherein said outer side wall defines an outer rim on a side opposite a second living hinge in said series of living hinges; at least partially filling a compartment defined by said bottom and said inner sidewall with said food product; and affixing a lid to said inner rim or said outer rim. In another embodiment, the affixing step further comprises affixing said lid to said inner rim by a first seal and to said outer rim by a second seal.

The resultant food product package is relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, yet overcomes the problems in the prior art by allowing the food package to be expanded prior to heating or consumption. The above as well as additional features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following written detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The novel features believed characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives and advantages thereof, will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art food package;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention comprising an expandable bowl with a lid sealed at an inner rim;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the bowl depicted in FIG. 2 but in expanded configuration;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of one embodiment of the present invention in collapsed configuration;

FIG. 5 is a frontal view of one embodiment of the present invention in expanded configuration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is directed towards a food package that is expandable prior to heating in a in a microwave oven and method of making the same. The term “food package” as used herein is defined as a package designed to contain food inside of it. The type of food package that usually stores food products intended to be heated in a microwave or consumed from a package having a cup or bowl shape comprises a sturdy, bowl-shaped base with a lid sealed to the rim of the base. However, the principles of the present invention in its broadest sense are applicable to any food package containing a food product.

Referring to FIG. 1, therein is depicted a prior art food package 100 comprising a bowl-shaped base 102, a lid 104 and a seal holding the lid 104 onto the base 102 along its rim 106. The seal can be created using any heat activated sealant known in the industry, including polypropylene based sealants.

If the food package of FIG. 1 contains a food product intended to be heated in a microwave oven, it may fill approximately the bottom one-third of the package, leaving enough headspace that water can be added if necessary, such that the container walls can still guard against spillover during heating.

FIG. 2 depicts one embodiment of the food package of the present invention in collapsed configuration, and FIG. 3 depicts the same embodiment in expanded configuration, without a lid and partially filled with a food product. A lid will typically be used to seal the food package in collapsed and/or expanded configuration.

The features of this embodiment are most clearly depicted in FIG. 3. Therein is shown a bottom 202, typically planar surface on which the food package rests when placed on a resting surface. Extending upward from the bottom 202 is an inner sidewall 204. In a preferred embodiment, a cross section of the inner sidewall taken parallel to the bottom surface will be approximately circular in shape. FIG. 3 also depicts a series of living hinges 206 that connect the upper end of the inner sidewall to the lower end of an outer sidewall 208. When the horizontal cross sections of the inner and outer sidewalls are approximately circular or annular in shape, the living hinges will also be circular or annular.

The series of living hinges 206 comprises at least two living hinges, preferably at least four, and more preferably at least six. Regardless of the number, each living hinge opens and closes in a direction opposite to each adjacent living hinge in the series. In other words, the angle of rotation for each living hinge is oriented in a direction opposite of the angle of rotation for each adjacent living hinge. The resulting structure is similar to bellows.

Also depicted in FIG. 3 is an outer sidewall 208 that extends upward from the living hinge located furthest from the inner sidewall. The outer sidewall defines an upper rim 210 on the side opposite the living hinge connected to it. When the package is in expanded configuration (FIG. 3), the interior volume is substantially higher than the interior volume of the package in collapsed configuration (FIG. 2).

FIG. 4 depicts a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the present invention in collapsed configuration. In this embodiment, food (not shown) can be stored within the compartment defined by the bottom 202, the inner sidewall 204, and the lid 212. The lid can be affixed to one or both of the inner rim 214 (defined by the intersection of the inner sidewall 204 and the adjacent living hinge in living hinge series 206) and the outer rim 210 (defined by the end of the outer sidewall 208 opposite the living hinge series 206).

As depicted in FIG. 4, in a preferred embodiment the lower rim 216 (defined by the intersection of the outer side wall 208 and the living hinge adjacent to the outer side wall in the living hinge series 206) is approximately coplanar with the bottom surface 202. Additionally, the inner rim and outer rim are preferably approximately coplanar. This arrangement allows for the most height-efficient package possible because, as depicted in FIG. 5, the package can be expanded to an expanded configuration that is approximately three times the height of the collapsed configuration, and has a substantially increased interior volume.

In a preferred embodiment, the expandable bowl is produced by blow molding a polymer resin into the desired shape. Preferred polymers include polyethylene and polypropylene, but may be any polymer or polymer blend that is compatible with a blow molding process. The bowl may also be injection molded, or fabricated from cardboard, paperboard or other cellulose or fiber-based process.

In the most preferred embodiment, the bowl is manufactured in collapsed configuration. If it is not manufactured in collapsed configuration, the base is collapsed and then filled with food product. Alternatively, the base may be filled with food product before being collapsed. In any case, the collapsed, filled food package is capped with a lid.

The lid is preferably a polymer lid. The lid optionally includes a barrier layer, such as a metalized coating. The lid may also be a paper or metalized paper lid, or a metal foil lid. The lid is preferably affixed to one or both of the outer rim or the inner rim with a sealant that allows a consumer to peel the lid off the container when it is desired to do so. Preferably, the sealant is a heat activated sealant. In one embodiment a heat activated sealant that can be used to affix the lid to the bowl is a low density polyethylene (LDPE)/high density polyethylene (HDPE) coextrusion, or a polypropylene/ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) coextrusion. Alternatively, a pressure-activated sealant can be used.

The reduced headspace in the compartment defined by the bottom, inner sidewall and lid give the food package of the present invention several advantages over the prior art. First, the reduced packing density allows more food product and food packages to be stored and shipped in a given volume. This reduces per unit shipping costs, and reduces the amount of space the package occupies in commercial warehouses, store shelves, and consumer pantries. The reduced volume of gas contained inside the package can also help extend shelf life because there will be less oxygen contained initially inside the container available to contribute to food spoilation.

While this invention has been particularly shown and described the preference to the preferred embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. An expandable food package comprising:

a bottom;

an inner sidewall extending upward from said bottom;

a series of at least two living hinges connecting said inner side wall with an outer sidewall, wherein an inner rim is defined by an intersection between said inner sidewall and a first living hinge in said series of living hinges, wherein said outer side wall defines an outer rim on a side opposite a second living hinge in said series of living hinges; and

a lid affixed to said inner rim or said outer rim.

2. The food package of claim 1 wherein said lid is affixed to said inner rim by a first seal and to said outer rim by a second seal.

3. The food package of claim 1 wherein said series comprises at least four living hinges.

4. The food package of claim 1 wherein each said living hinge comprises an angle of orientation, the angle of orientation for each living hinge is opposite the angle of orientation for each adjacent living hinge.

5. The food package of claim 1 further comprising a lower rim defined at the intersection of said outer rim and said second living hinge, wherein said lower rim is approximately coplanar with said bottom.

6. The food package of claim 1 wherein said inner rim and said outer rim are approximately coplanar.

7. The food package of claim 1 wherein said bottom is approximately circular.

8. A method of packaging a food product comprising:

providing an expandable bowl portion of a food package in collapsed configuration, said bowl portion comprising: a bottom; an inner sidewall extending upward from said bottom; a series of at least two living hinges connecting said inner side wall with an outer sidewall, wherein an inner rim is defined by an intersection between said inner sidewall and a first living hinge in said series of living hinges, wherein said outer side wall defines an outer rim on a side opposite a second living hinge in said series of living hinges;

at least partially filling a compartment defined by said bottom and said inner sidewall with said food product; and

affixing a lid to said inner rim or said outer rim.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said affixing step further comprises affixing said lid to said inner rim by a first seal and to said outer rim by a second seal.