FOOD PACKAGING
Food packaging (50) has a food vessel (52) and a food tray (54). The vessel has an upper lip (56) and an inwardly projecting ledge (58) below the upper lip. The food tray has a pair of opposed handle structures (70a, 70b) and a tray portion (72) depending from the handle structures. Each handle structure has an outwardly projecting protuberance (82). The food tray is positioned within the food vessel with each protuberance resting on the inwardly projecting ledge such that the tray portion is suspended within the food vessel by the handle structures. This forms two food compartments (90, 92): one (90) below and one (92) above the tray portion. The vessel may be topped by a topping film (98).
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This invention relates to food packaging.
A great variety of packaged convenience foods are available to a consumer. However, there is a continuing need for packaged convenience foods that suit the tastes of as many consumers as possible.
SUMMARYIn an aspect of the present invention, food packaging has a food vessel and a food tray. The vessel has an upper lip and an inwardly projecting ledge below the upper lip. The food tray has a pair of opposed handle structures and a tray portion depending from the handle structures. Each handle structure has an outwardly projecting protuberance. The food tray is positioned within the food vessel with each protuberance resting on the inwardly projecting ledge such that the tray portion is suspended within the food vessel by the handle structures. This forms two food compartments: one below and one above the tray portion. The vessel may be topped by a topping film.
In the drawings which illustrate example embodiments of this invention,
Turning to
The example food vessel is a food bowl 52 with a circumferential upper lip 56 and an inwardly projecting continuous circumferential ledge 58 in the side wall 60 of the bowl below the upper lip 56. As will be apparent, the side wall 60 of the bowl is smooth and terminates at base wall 62.
With reference to
The food tray 54 can be positioned within the bowl 52 with the protuberance lip 82 of each handle structure 70a, 70b resting on the inwardly projecting ledge 58 such that the tray portion 72 is suspended within the bowl by the handle structures 70a, 70b as is illustrated by
Food packaging 50 can be used to package a convenience food. For example, with reference to
Both the bowl 52 and food tray 54 may be made of a microwaveable material such as polypropylene. The bowl may be constructed by an injection moulding or thermoforming process. The tray could be constructed by injection moulding, or by a thermoforming process followed by secondary operations.
To package a convenience food, a first food component may be added to bowl 52, food tray 54 may be placed within the bowl so that the tray portion 72 is suspended by handle structures 70a, 70b and a second food component added on top of the tray portion 72. Next a topping film 98 may be adhered to the upper lip 56 of the bowl. The topping film may be a self-venting film or a steam impervious film. Typically, the food components will be frozen. To prepare the convenience food, the consumer may simply place the filled food packaging of
During microwave heating or cooking, the openings 88 in the tray portion 72 allow moisture from the first food component to rise through the second food component as steam.
Where the topping film 98 is a peelable film, at the conclusion of microwave heating or cooking, the consumer may peel away the film. Next, as illustrated in
A user also has the option of dispensing the second food component into a separate food container if the user wished to enjoy the food components separately.
Turning to
A variety of differently designed food trays may be used with food bowl 52. For example, turning to
Turning to
The food tray 554 of
The tray portion 672 of the food tray 654 of
The tray portion 772 of food tray 754 of
Each of the described food trays may also be used with the food bowl 152 of
Optionally, as illustrated in
Each of the described food trays may also be used with the food bowl 352 of
While the example food trays are shown with a tray portion which is preferably a wall-less platform, optionally, the tray portion could be a platform with a peripheral wall.
While the example food vessels are round bowls, the food vessels may have any other desired shape (although this may constrain the orientation of the food tray within the food vessel).
Other features of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art and, therefore, the invention is defined in the claims.
Claims
1. Food packaging, comprising:
- a food vessel having an upper lip and an inwardly projecting ledge below the upper lip; and
- a food tray having a pair of opposed handle structures and a tray portion depending from the handle structures, each handle structure having an outwardly projecting protuberance, the food tray positioned within the food vessel with each protuberance resting on the inwardly projecting ledge such that the tray portion is suspended within the food vessel by the handle structures.
2. The packaging according to claim 1 wherein the inwardly projecting ledge is a continuous ledge extending about a circumference of the food vessel.
3. The packaging according to claim 1, wherein the tray portion has a plurality of through holes.
4. The packaging according to claim 1, wherein each protuberance is laterally elongated so as to extend along a section of the ledge.
5. The packaging according to claim 1 comprising an opening between each protuberance and a base of each handle structure sized to receive a thumb or finger of a user.
6. The packaging according to claim 1, comprising a topping film adhered to said upper lip of the food vessel.
7. The packaging according to claim 1 comprising a first food component within the vessel below the tray portion of the food tray and a second food component supported on the tray portion of the food tray.
8. The packaging according to claim 1, wherein the food vessel is a bowl.
9. The packaging according to claim 1, wherein each protuberance is laterally elongated so as to extend along a section of the ledge.
10. The packaging according to claim 9 further comprising an opening between each protuberance and a base of each handle structure sized to receive a thumb or finger of a user.
11. The packaging according to claim 10 wherein each handle structure comprises a pair of arms extending upwardly from the tray portion terminating in a cross-bar bridging the pair of arms, the cross-bar comprising the protuberance of each handle structure.
12. The packaging according to claim 8, wherein each protuberance has a radius of curvature matching a radius of curvature of the bowl at the inwardly projecting ledge.
13. The packaging according to claim 12 wherein an outer edge of each cross-bar lies in close proximity to a side wall of the bowl so as not to admit a finger of a user between the cross-bar and the side wall whereby to encourage the user to remove the food tray from the bowl by placing a thumb or finger through each opening and drawing the food tray upwardly along the side wall of the bowl.
14. The packaging according to claim 1, wherein the handle structures comprise opposed inwardly directed fins.
15. The packaging according to claim 14 wherein each fin has dimpled sides.
16. The packaging according to claim 8, wherein the bowl has a circumferential array of inwardly directed dimples extending medially between a base of the bowl and the upper lip frictionally engaging the tray portion of the food tray.
17. A food packaging system, comprising:
- a food vessel having an upper lip and an inwardly projecting ledge below the upper lip;
- a first food tray having a pair of opposed first handle structures and a first tray portion depending from the first handle structures, each first handle structure having an outwardly projecting first protuberance, the first food tray positionable within the food vessel with each first protuberance resting on the inwardly projecting ledge such that the first tray portion is suspended within the food vessel by the first handle structures; and
- a second food tray having a pair of opposed second handle structures and a second tray portion depending from the second handle structures, each second handle structure having an outwardly projecting second protuberance, the second handle structures being longer than the first handle structures, the second food tray positionable within the food vessel with each second protuberance resting on the inwardly projecting ledge such that the second tray portion is suspended within the food vessel by the second handle structures at a level below which the first tray portion is located when suspended within the food vessel; and
- whereby a first food component may be added to the food vessel, one of the first food tray and the second food tray positioned within the food vessel, a second food component added on top of the one of first food tray and second food tray, and a topping film adhered to the upper lip of the food vessel to create a food package.
18. The packaging according to claim 17 wherein the bowl has a circumferential array of inwardly directed dimples extending medially between a base of the bowl and the upper lip, the dimples for frictionally engaging the first tray portion of the first food tray when positioned within the food vessel with each first protuberance resting on the inwardly projecting ledge and for frictionally engaging the second tray portion of the second food tray when positioned within the food vessel with each second protuberance resting on the inwardly projecting ledge.
19. A packaged convenience food comprising:
- a food vessel having an upper lip, a side wall, a base wall, and an inwardly projecting ledge in the side wall;
- a food tray having a pair of opposed handle structures and a tray portion depending from the handle structures, each handle structure having an outwardly projecting protuberance, the food tray positioned within the food vessel with each protuberance resting on the inwardly projecting ledge such that the tray portion is suspended within the food vessel by the handle structures;
- a topping film adhered to the upper lip of the food vessel;
- a first food component within the food vessel between the base wall of the food vessel and the tray portion of the food tray; and
- a second food component within the food vessel on top of the tray portion.
20. The packaged convenience food according to claim 19, wherein the bowl has a circumferential array of inwardly directed dimples extending medially between a base of the bowl and the upper lip, the dimples frictionally engaging the tray portion of the food tray.
Type: Application
Filed: May 13, 2013
Publication Date: Jun 18, 2015
Applicant: NESTEC S.A. (Vevey)
Inventors: Samuel Lamar Huffman (Columbus, OH), Erich Heinze (Streetsboro, OH)
Application Number: 14/401,588