Patent Grant
7007444
The present invention relates to packaging and more particularly to a compact and stackable package for displaying consumer products such as food products.
Most fresh meat, fish and poultry products sold at retail are packaged in trays formed of wood fibers, paperboard, plastic foam or thermoform plastic sheet material. An absorbent pad is frequently placed in the tray to absorb fluids which exude from the product. The tray and product is then overwrapped with a transparent plastic film. Examples of such packages are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,575,287; 3,700,096 and 4,664,922.
Sometimes, the product is placed in a plastic bag and sealed. Examples of this type of package are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,619,361; 4,742,908; and 5,660,868.
Prepared meats, etc., are packaged in a variety of blister-packs, specialty packs and the like. Examples of this type of packaging are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,125,633; 4,268,530; 4,496,354; 5,061,501; 5,326,577; 5,871,095; 5,888,565 and 6,110,512.
Sellers prefer to offer attractive packages which display the products and have informative and eye-catching indicia and graphics that attract and convince customers and consumers to purchase the products. Sellers also prefer packaging which permits them to brand their products and differentiate their products from competitors products.
Consumers prefer neat, clean and attractive packages which contain informative indicia and graphics. Most of all, however, purchasers want to see the products they are buying to the maximum extent possible.
Heretofore, trays and other packaging materials, except for the overwrap film, have not been transparent and therefore cover and obscure the consumer's view of the product. Attempts have been made to provide transparent windows, but such typically expose only a minor amount of the product. Even where transparent film would otherwise have exposed a significant amount of the product, printed indicia, labels and the like have prevented an uninterrupted view of the products.
Another major disadvantage of prior packaging is that such packaging has almost universally been of irregular size and shape. Both producers and consumers prefer packages of uniform shape and size which are much easier to pack and inventory. Most, if not all, of the packages heretofore in use have been of irregular shape and size, and therefore have been difficult to stack and display. Indeed, the shapes of such prior packaging have dictated that such packages be displayed in horizontal display cases. These refrigerated cases are inefficient, costly and are difficult for consumers to access.
Such prior packaging frequently will leak exudates into the display cases creating an unsightly mess and necessitating frequent cleaning or onto consumers hands or into carrying bags or containers. Such propensity is decidedly disadvantageous and causes consumer dissatisfaction.
With the foregoing in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide a package for displaying products that is neat, clean, attractive, regular in size and shape, provides good visibility of the product, permits branding and product differentiation, and therefore obviates the deficiencies and disadvantages of the prior packaging.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a method of fabricating a package wherein the components of the package can be shipped to the assembly location at minimal cost.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention are achieved by the provision of a method of fabricating a stackable package which includes the steps of providing a platform member having a substantially planar portion of generally rectangular outline on which the consumer product may be placed and supported, and then adhering a sleeve member around at least a substantial portion of the periphery of the platform member to impart a cubic form to the package. A transparent film wrap may be positioned to cover the consumer product and secure the product to the platform member.
The platform member preferably includes a base portion extending along one side edge of the planar portion and which extends laterally outwardly therefrom so as to be adapted to support the consumer product thereon. Also, the base portion permits the platform member to be supported on a horizontal surface with the planar portion disposed in a substantially vertical orientation. The base portion may be integral with the planar portion or removably attached thereto. The base portion may also include a well or cavity therein, in which an absorbent material may be placed to absorb exudants from the product. This well may also contain anti-microbial agents and/or carbon dioxide generators/oxygen removing agents.
The sleeve member encircles the platform member and the product to ensure the package has a regular cubic shape and to provide surfaces for printed indicia and advertising, marketing, or informational printing thereon. Preferably, the sleeve is formed of an elongate paperboard or plastic member having a width substantially equal to the width of the base portion of the platform member and at least as great as the thickness or height of the product such that the weight of superposed packages will be borne by the sleeve member and not the product. The sleeve member may be provided with a tear strip to aid in the removal thereof when the product is to be removed from the package.
The transparent plastic film wrap, which may be a stretch or shrink film, is wrapped around the platform member and product to unitize the same. If desired, the sleeve member may be applied before the film wrap, but it is preferred that the sleeve member encircles the platform member, product and film wrap. The film wrap should be adhered or heat-sealed at least to the front and sides of the base portion and to the perimeter of the platform member, but should not obstruct the visibility of the product.
Preferably, the platform, product, film wrap and sleeve member may be over-wrapped in plastic film, shrink wrap or lidded by plastic film. This overwrap provides a second barrier to the escape of exudates from the package and renders the package more leak-proof.
Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:
The present inventions now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all embodiments of the invention are shown. Indeed, these inventions may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.
Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there is illustrated a package, generally indicated at 20, incorporating the features of the present invention (
Platform member 21 includes a generally rectangular planar portion 22 which defines substantially parallel upper and lower edges, and opposite side edges. Also, a base portion 23 is included, which is preferably formed by thermoforming, i.e., heating, bending and cooling, the sheet of thermoplastic material along a first fold line 23a to provide a bottom member 23b extending outwardly at substantially a right angle to planar portion 22. Next, the thermoplastic sheet is bent along a second fold line 23c to provide an outer member 23d extending upwardly, substantially parallel to planar portion 22, and then is bent along a third fold line 23e to provide an upper support member 23f extending toward planar portion 22 from the outer member 23d. Preferably, the upper support member 23f extends toward planar portion 22 at a small declining angle. Members 23b and 23f preferably have a width which extends between planar portion 22 and outer member 23d at least as great as the thickness of the product P so that the product P will not extend outwardly beyond the outer member 23d.
The upper support member 23f preferably has perforations or slots 23g formed therethrough so that liquids exuding from the product P may pass therethrough and collect in the space or well 23h between bottom member 23b and upper support member 23f. The well 23h extends the full length of the planar portion 22 and the length thereof is determined by the cubic volume needed to contain the exudants and other liquids normally encountered with each particular product being packaged.
Preferably, an absorbent material 24 is contained within well 23h to absorb any exudants or other liquids draining into well 23h. The absorbent material 24 may be plant fibers, desiccants, super-absorbents, etc., which are well known to persons skilled in the packaging arts. Additionally, anti-microbial agents, deodorants or oxygen scavengers with or without accompanying carbon dioxide generators may be included in well 23h.
The product P, such as, for example, beef steaks, are placed on platform member 21 with one major surface against planar portion 22 and one edge resting on the upper support member 23f which functions as a shelf on which the product P is supported. A transparent thermoplastic film wrap 25 is then applied to unitize the product P and platform member 21. While the wrap 25 may completely enclose the platform member 21 and the product P, it is preferred that the wrap 25 only extend over the product P and into contact with the periphery of the platform member 21, including the top and ends of the planar portion 22 and the ends and outer member 23d of base portion 23, to which the wrap 25 is secured or heat-sealed.
A sleeve member 30 is formed of an elongate strip of paperboard, plastic or other material which is readily printable and which has sufficient rigidity to support other packages stacked thereon (
Sleeve member 30 has four fold lines 30c, 30d, 30e and 30f therein at locations corresponding to the corners of the platform member 21. In use, sleeve member 30 is wrapped around the periphery of the platform member 21, the product P and wrap 25, and it's opposite end portions 30a and 30b are overlapped and secured together by adhesive 31 (
Preferably, an additional overwrap 33 (
Referring now to
As with package 21, a unitizing wrap 25′ of plastic film is used to enclose the open front and opposite ends of the platform member 21′. The wrap 25′ may completely enclose the platform member 21′, but preferably wrap 25′ is adhered to the periphery of platform member 21′ and therefore covers only the open space occupied by the product.
A partial sleeve member 30′ extends from one end of base portion 23′ upwardly, across top portion 40 and downwardly to the other end of base portion 23′. Preferably, sleeve member 30′ is adhered to platform member 21′ at least at the opposite ends of base portion 23′. Sleeve member 30′ includes a projecting portion 30′g extending outwardly from the medial portion of sleeve member 30′. Projecting portion 30′g has tab portions 30′h and 30′i at its opposite ends. Tab portions 30′h and 30′i are not connected to the remainder of the sleeve member 30′.
Projecting portion 30′g is folded downwardly over the front edge of top portion 40 of platform member 21′ in front of the top portion of the product receiving open space. Projecting portion 30′g thus provides a convenient and very visible banner for printing indicia to draw attention to the product. The tab portions 30′h and 30′i are folded rearwardly inside the end portions of sleeve member 30′ and to which they may be adhered. A final overwrap 33 of plastic film completes the package 20′.
Referring now to
In this embodiment, base portion 123 is bifurcated or formed in two parts with one part being removably connected to bottom member 123b. An outer member 123d has a female receptacle connector portion 150 which receives the outer free end portion of the bottom member 123b therein to connect removably the two segments together. An upper support member 123f completes the base portion 123.
Referring now to
Base portions 123 and 223 are adapted to receive and contain absorbent material 124 and 224, respectively, for absorbing and containing exudates and other liquids. While not specifically illustrated, it should be understood that platform members 121 and 221 will receive products thereon and will be used with the other elements of the package of the present invention.
Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which these inventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the inventions are not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.
The present application is a continuation of international application PCT/US03/21978 filed 15 Jul. 2003, and which claims priority from U.S. application Ser. No. 10/199,825, filed Jul. 19, 2002 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,796,423 B2). The disclosures of the referenced applications are incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
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| 3700096 | Reifers | Oct 1972 | A |
| 4125633 | Vander Lugt, Jr. | Nov 1978 | A |
| 4268530 | Wyslotsky | May 1981 | A |
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| 5741535 | Cope et al. | Apr 1998 | A |
| 5839572 | Yeager | Nov 1998 | A |
| 5845769 | Yeager | Dec 1998 | A |
| 5871095 | Warnock et al. | Feb 1999 | A |
| 5888565 | Gics | Mar 1999 | A |
| 6110512 | Teasdale et al. | Aug 2000 | A |
| 6234308 | Saffron et al. | May 2001 | B1 |
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| 6588594 | Andersen et al. | Jul 2003 | B1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 31 14 508 | Nov 1982 | DE |
| 2 796 256 | Jan 2001 | FR |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20050120677 A1 | Jun 2005 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/US03/21978 | Jul 2003 | US |
| Child | 11037933 | US | |
| Parent | 10199825 | Jul 2002 | US |
| Child | PCT/US03/21978 | US |
