Patent Application
20060068063
The present invention relates to a multiple compartment package and in particular a multiple compartment package which can be used to contain multiple food products.
Packages containing food products come in a variety of shapes and sizes depending on the food product contained. Occasionally it is beneficial to package a variety of food products designed to be eaten together in a single package. One suitable prior package contains a plurality of different compartments, each one containing a different food product. For example, it is common to find a package having one compartment for a primary food product such as chips or crackers and a secondary compartment for a dip or a spread to be applied to the primary food product.
One disadvantage of conventional food packages is that they do not provide a convenient, reliable and efficient package for containing multiple individual food products which allows one to mix the individual food components together within the package.
There is a need for a new and improved multiple compartment package for containing and serving multiple food products within a single package. Further, there is a need to have a new and improved package which provides improved dispensability or mixability of the individual food products within a single eat-in or serve-from package.
The present invention relates to a multiple compartment package. The package includes a lower tray and a lid which permits the package to be in an opened or closed configuration. The tray includes a compartment which holds a primary food product, for example meat strips or slices. The lid is sealed closed with a removable cover such as a removable film The lid includes a compartment which contains a secondary food product which is flowable, such as a liquid sauce, for example barbeque sauce or gravy, or a flowable granular topping such as bacon bits. The lid compartment has an open bottom which is sealed by a removable cover such as a peelable film. In one arrangement the secondary food product is mixed with the primary food product by pulling on the peelable film when the package is in the closed configuration with the lid and hence the secondary food product on top of the tray and primary food product. As a result of pulling the peelable film away from the package, the secondary food product is permitted to flow down into the tray onto the primary food product.
In various alternate forms, the lid is hinged to the tray and a releasable connection holds the lid and tray together. In yet a further form, a second lid compartment holds a tertiary food product which is dispensed onto the primary food product by removing a peelable film which may be the same as the peelable film sealing the first lid compartment or a second peelable film specific for the tertiary food product. In another arrangement, the lid compartment may contain a food product which is solid at room temperature and melts when heated. After films have been removed from both the tray and the lid, upon heating, the second food product will flow onto the food product in the tray compartment.
The present invention, in one form thereof, relates to a multiple compartment package comprising a tray having an open top tray compartment and a removable tray cover sealing the tray compartment. A lid opposes and engages the tray and has an open bottom lid compartment opposite the tray compartment. A peelable film covers the lid compartment and is removable from outside the package while the lid is opposed and engaged with the top of the tray to thereby dispense a secondary product contained therein onto a primary food product in the tray compartment after the removable tray cover has been removed.
The present invention, in another form thereof, relates to a ready-to-eat food package comprising a tray having an open top tray compartment and a removable tray cover sealing the tray compartment. A primary food is disposed in the tray compartment. A lid opposes and engages the tray. The lid has an open bottom lid compartment opposite the tray compartment and a peelable film covering the lid compartment. A secondary food is disposed in the lid compartment. The peelable film of the lid compartment is removable from outside the package while the lid opposes and engages the top of the tray to thereby dispense a secondary food product contained therein onto a primary food product in the tray compartment after the removable tray cover has been removed.
The present invention, in another form thereof, relates to a multiple compartment packaging having a tray with an open top tray compartment and a removable tray cover sealing the tray compartment. A lid opposes and engages the tray having an open bottom lid compartment opposite the tray compartment. A hinge joins the lid to the tray. A removable lid cover is over the open bottom of the lid compartment. In various further embodiments, the removable lid cover comprises a peelable film which is removable from outside the package while the lid is opposing and engaging the top of the tray, to thereby dispense a secondary product contained therein onto a primary food product in the tray compartment, after the removable tray cover has been removed.
The present invention in another form thereof concerns a multiple compartment package comprising a tray having an open top tray compartment and a removable tray cover sealing the tray compartment. A lid opposing and engaging the tray has an open bottom lid compartment opposite the tray compartment. A removable lid cover is over the open bottom lid compartment. A recessed portion is provided in an exterior bottom surface of the tray, complimentary in dimension to that of the lid compartment, to thereby allow the package to be stacked on top of a second identically shaped package. In one further form, the removable lid cover comprises a peelable film over the open bottom of the lid compartment which is removable from outside the package while the lid is opposing and engaging he top of the tray, to thereby dispense a secondary product contained therein onto a primary food product in the tray compartment, after the removable tray cover has been removed. In an alternative further form, a hinge joins the lid to the tray.
The present invention, in another form thereof, concerns a ready-to-eat food package comprising a tray having a top tray compartment, a primary product in the tray compartment and a removable tray cover sealing the tray compartment. A lid opposing and engaging the tray has an open bottom lid compartment opposite the tray compartment. A secondary product is disposed in the lid compartment. The secondary product is solid at room temperature and melts when heated. A removable lid cover covers the open bottom of the lid compartment. The secondary product contained in the lid compartment is dispensable onto the primary food product in the tray compartment after the removable tray cover and removable lid cover have been removed, and the package is heated.
The present invention, in another form thereof, relates to a method for preparing a food product which includes taking a lower tray with an open top tray compartment and a primary food contained therein and taking a lid having a lid compartment which has an open bottom which is located over the tray compartment and a secondary food product contained therein, and a peelable film covering the open bottom. With the lid engaged with the tray, a secondary food product is caused to flow into the tray compartment by peeling the peelable film off of the bottom of the lid compartment so as to allow the secondary food product to be dispensed into the tray compartment onto the primary food.
The present invention, in yet another form thereof, relates to a method of preparing a food in a package which includes taking a lower tray of the package with an open top tray compartment, a primary food therein, and a removable tray cover covering the tray compartment and taking a lid of the package in which the lid has an open bottom which is placed over the tray and a secondary food product therein, and a removable lid cover covering the open bottom. The secondary product is hardened at room temperature and meltable when heated. With the lid engaged onto the tray and both removable covers removed, heating the container causes the secondary product to melt, thereby causing the secondary food product to flow into the tray compartment to be dispensed onto the primary food product in the tray compartment.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a multiple compartment package for containing a primary food product and a secondary food product, separately, until being ready to consume.
It is a further object of the present invention to selectively mix the secondary food product with the primary food product using a multiple compartment package.
It is an additional object of the present invention to mix a primary food product and a secondary food products together by peeling back or pulling on a peelable film which seals the secondary food product contained in a lid compartment, to thereby dispense the secondary food product into a lower tray compartment.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a two compartment package in which a lid compartment is hinged to a tray compartment with each compartment being sealed with a respective removable cover.
It is yet another object of the present invention in one form thereof to provide a lid compartment containing a secondary product which is solid at room temperature and melts when heated.
It is yet a further object of the present invention in one form thereof to provide a solid secondary product which melts upon heating to flow onto a primary food product contained in a tray after a removable tray cover has been removed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a multiple compartment package which provides a convenient and mess-free way to add a secondary food product such as a sauce, gravy or other topping to a primary food product.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a stackable multiple compartment package.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description which follows, together with the preferred embodiments.
There follows a detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, to be read together with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Referring to the drawings, like elements are represented by like throughout the several views.
Referring to
A primary food product 60 such as meat strips or slices or a salad is contained in tray compartment 14. A secondary food product 61 is contained in lid compartment 12. The secondary food product 61 can be any flowable food product, such as, but not limited to a flowable liquid sauce such as barbeque sauce, dressing or gravy or a flowable granular topping such as bacon bits.
As best shown in
The lid 11 and lower tray 13 are joined together by hinge 20. The hinge 20 allows package 10 to be transformed between a closed configuration shown in
Referring now specifically to
A peelable film 25 covers the opening of the lid compartment 12. As best shown in
Initially, the package 10 will be in a closed configuration with the lid 11 on top of tray 13 as depicted in
Next, as shown in
If desired, the package 10 can be made of a microwavable material so that one can heat the contents within the package. When in its closed configuration, the clam-shell shaped design of the package 10 formed by lid 11 and tray 13 provides for steam containment and controlled venting through lid opening 21 which enhances the speed and evenness of heating while at the same time prevents undesirable pressure build-up within the package. Further, in the closed clam-shell configuration, the lid 11 shields against splattering of food product out of the package 10. After heating is completed, a consumer can re-open the clam-shell by turning the lid 11 about hinge 20 and eat the contents directly out the package 10 or can transfer its contents to a plate or a sandwich roll.
Referring now to
Food products contained within first lid compartment 32 and second lid compartment 33 are dispensed to a lower tray compartment in a manner similar to that of package 10. Pulling on the ends 34d, 35d of long portion 34a, 35a in a direction away from package 30 causes the flow of food product to be dispensed onto a primary food product in the tray below when the package 30 is in its closed configuration. Depending on a consumers preference, one or the other or both lid compartments 32, 33 can be opened to dispense a flowable food product contained therein onto a primary food located in the tray compartment.
Referring now to
A removable lid cover 23 seals the opening of lid compartment 12. Removable lid cover 23 can be composed of the same material as removable film 22 and is applied to a lid sealing surface of lid 11 to seal the opening of the lid compartment 12.
Initially, package 70 will be in a closed configuration with the lid 11 on top of tray 13. A customer would first separate the lid 11 from tray 13 and remove removable film 22 from tray 13 and remove removable lid cover 23 from the lid 11 thereby gaining access to both the primary food product 60 and secondary product 71, respectively.
Next, with lid 11 over tray 13, package 70 is heated, e.g., placed in a microwave. Heating of the secondary product 71 causes the food product to melt and subsequently flow onto the primary food product 60 as depicted in
One feature of the embodiment having a solid secondary product is that since the secondary product is solid at room temperature, the package can be transformed between an opened configuration and a closed configuration after the removable lid cover has been removed without being concerned with spilling the contents of the secondary product out of the package.
It will be now understood by one skilled in the art that the present multiple compartment package provides advantages and features not found in current food package designs. The lid compartment containing a flowable secondary food product over a tray compartment containing a primary food allows two different food products which are eaten together to be packaged in a single multiple compartment.
A further advantage of the present package is that one can dispense a secondary food product onto a primary food product easily and conveniently by pulling on a peelable film to allow the secondary food product to be dispensed into a tray compartment with the primary food.
A further feature of the present package is that it provides for heating food products within the same package which can be displayed on store shelves and also could be used as a package from which to eat.
An additional feature of the present package, in one form, is the ability to stack one package on top of another package. This allows one to easily display the package on store shelves. Further, the stackable feature of the present package allows the packages to be loaded into a corrugate shipping box for transport to a store or consumer.
Yet a further advantage of one form of the present package is a lid with multiple lid compartments containing various secondary food products, one or all of which a consumer can selectively choose to be dispensed onto a primary food contained in a tray compartment.
In the preferred embodiment, the lid and tray are hinged together as shown. However, the advantages of the invention are also achievable, although with slightly less convenience, if the lid and tray are separate, i.e., not hinged together. In this case another closure 19 would be provided at least on the edge where the hinge 20 is shown, and possibly on other edges.
Although the invention has been described above in relation to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that variations and modifications can be effected in these preferred embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.
