Claims
- 1. A sealed package of individually sealed compartments comprising: a backing board, a stack of a plurality of quantities of product, a plurality of interleaf sheets of a material substantially impermeable to oxygen, at least one of said sheets being positioned between respective adjacent quantities of product in said stack, so that said quantities of product and said sheets are disposed alternately in said stack, said interleaf sheets being secured to said backing board by a manually releasable seal that extends completely around the periphery thereof to enclose each product quantity in a sealed substantially oxygen free compartment, said seal being sufficiently strong that said product can be dispensed by manually rupturing the releasable seal and removing a number of interleaf sheets corresponding to the desired number of quantities of product, while the remaining quantities of product are residually contained in sealed compartments provided by the remaining sealed interleaf sheets.
- 2. A package as described in claim 1 wherein two stacks of quantities of product and interleaf sheets are provided and arranged as set forth in claim 1, the stacks being disposed with one thereof on one side of said backing board and the other thereof on the opposite side of said backing board.
- 3. A package as described in claim 1 wherein said stack has a first quantity of product adjacent to said backing board, an interleaf sheet adjacent said first quantity of product is releasably sealed to said backing board along a marginal portion of said interleaf sheet, and each remaining interleaf sheet is releasably sealed to an adjacent interleaf sheet which is disposed between said remaining interleaf sheet and said backing board, each of said seals between the interleaf sheets being disposed outwardly of the edges of the quantity of product disposed between the sealed pair of interleaf sheets.
- 4. A package as described in claim 1 wherein said stack has a first quantity of product which is releasably sealed to said backing board outwardly of the edges of said product by a first interleaf sheet, and the remaining interleaf sheets are releasably sealed along a marginal portion directly to said backing board outwardly of the seal formed by interleaf sheets disposed closer to said backing board, and inwardly of the seal formed by the interleaf sheets disposed further from said backing board.
- 5. A package as described in claim 4 wherein the interleaf sheet closest to said backing board has a greater releasable seal strength than the interleaf sheets further removed from said backing board, and every other interleaf sheet has a greater releasable seal strength than the interleaf sheets further removed from said backing board and less than the releasable seal strength of the interleaf sheets closer to said backing board.
- 6. A package as described in claim 1 wherein said backing board has a side wall surrounding said stack of product, said side wall has a free end which is formed as a flange that protrudes outwardly from the side wall, and said interleaf sheets are releasably sealed to said backing board on said flange.
- 7. A package as described in claim 6 wherein said stack of product has a first quantity adjacent to said backing board, the interleaf sheet adjacent said first quantity of product is releasably sealed to said backing board on said flange, and each remaining interleaf sheet is releasably sealed along said flange to the adjacent interleaf sheet disposed between said remaining interleaf sheet and said backing board, said interleaf sheets being releasably sealed along a marginal portion of said interleaf sheets.
- 8. A package as described in claim 6 wherein said stack of product has a first quantity adjacent to said backing board, the interleaf sheet adjacent said first quantity is releasably sealed to said backing board on said flange, and the remaining interleaf sheets are releasably sealed along a marginal portion directly to said backing board along said flange outwardly of the seal formed by interleaf sheets disposed closer to said backing board, and inwardly of the seal formed by interleaf sheets disposed further from said backing board.
- 9. A package as described in claim 1 wherein said quantities of product are food slices, and said interleaf sheets are in face-to-face juxtaposition to said food slices in said stack.
- 10. A package as described in claim 9 wherein said interleaf sheets are thermoformed and are comprised of a series of nestable cups.
- 11. A package as described in claim 9 wherein said package has a residual oxygen content in the space between adjacent interleaf sheets which is reduced by means of a preservative atmosphere to a level which is substantially below the oxygen content in the outside environment.
- 12. A package as described in claim 1 wherein said backing board is oxygen inpermeable.
- 13. A method of forming a hermetically sealed package of individually sealed compartments, which comprises: positioning a backing board which is adapted to receive a stack of a plurality of quantities of product, placing a quantity of product on said backing board, positioning a first interleaf sheet in face-to-face juxtaposition to said quantity of product such that said interleaf sheet extends beyond the edge of said quantity of product, securing said interleaf sheet to said backing board by a manually releasable seal that extends along a continuous seal outwardly of the edges of the quantity of product to thereby encapsulate said piece of product in a sealed substantially oxygen free compartment, and repeating the steps of placing a piece of product, positioning an interleaf sheet, and securing said interleaf sheet, until the package contains the desired amount of quantities of product encapsulated in substantially oxygen free compartments, said securing steps being performed by imparting sufficient strength to the seals that product may be dispensed by manually rupturing the releasable seals and removing a number of interleaf sheets corresponding to the desired number of quantities of product, while the remaining quantities of product are residually contained in sealed compartments provided by the remaining sealed interleaf sheets.
- 14. A method as described in claim 13 wherein said first interleaf sheet is sealed along a marginal portion of said interleaf sheet directly to said backing board, and each remaining interleaf sheet is releasably sealed to an adjacent interleaf sheet which is disposed between said remaining interleaf sheet and said backing board.
- 15. A method as described in claim 13 wherein said first interleaf sheet is sealed along a marginal portion of said interleaf sheet directly to said backing board, and the remaining interleaf sheets are releasably sealed along a marginal portion directly to said backing board outwardly of the seal formed by interleaf sheets disposed closer to said backing board, and inwardly of the seal formed by the interleaf sheets disposed further from said backing board.
- 16. A method as claimed in claim 13 wherein said quantities of product are slices of cheese, and said interleaf sheet is preformed.
- 17. A method of forming a hermetically sealed package of individually sealed compartments, which comprises: positioning a backing board which is adapted to receive a stack of a plurality of quantities of product, placing a quantity of product on said backing board, positioning a first interleaf sheet in face-to-face juxtaposition to said quantity of product such that said interleaf sheet extends beyond the edge of said quantity of product, repeating the steps of placing a quantity of product and positioning an interleaf sheet until the package contains the desired number of quantities of product, and collectively securing said interleaf sheets to said backing board by a manually releasable seal that extends along a continuous seal wherein said first interleaf sheet is sealed directly to said backing board, and each remaining interleaf sheet is releasably sealed to an adjacent interleaf sheet which is disposed between said remaining interleaf sheet and said backing board to thereby encapsulate each quantity of product in a substantially oxygen free compartment, said securing step being performed by imparting sufficient strength to the seal to permit said quantities of product to be dispensed by manually rupturing the releasable seal and removing a number of interleaf sheets corresponding to the desired number of quantities of product while the remaining quantities of product continue to be covered by the remaining interleaf sheets and retained in substantially oxygen free sealed compartments.
- 18. A method of forming a hermetically sealed package of individually sealed compartments, which comprises: positioning an interleaf sheet which is adapted to extend beyond the edge of a quantity of product, placing a quantity of product in face-to-face juxtaposition to said interleaf sheet, repeating the steps of positioning an interleaf sheet, and placing a quantity of product, until the package contains the desired amount of quantities of product, positioning a backing board parallel to said quantities of product and said interleaf sheets and in face-to-face juxtaposition to at least one quantity thereof, and collectively securing said interleaf sheets to said backing board by a manually releasable seal that extends along a continuous seal wherein said first interleaf sheet is sealed along a marginal portion of said interleaf sheet directly to said backing board, and each remaining interleaf sheet is releasably sealed to an adjacent interleaf sheet which is disposed between said remaining interleaf sheet and said backing board to thereby encapsulate each quantity of product in a substantially oxygen free compartment, said securing step being performed by imparting sufficient strength to the seal to permit said product to be dispensed by manually rupturing the releasable seal and removing a number of interleaf sheets corresponding to the desired number of quantities of product while the remaining quantities of product continues to be covered by the remaining interleaf sheets and retained in substantially oxygen free sealed compartments.
- 19. A sealed package of individually sealed compartments comprising: a stack of a plurality of product slices having opposing major faces, lying in planes parallel with one another and a plurality of oxygen-impermeable members, one of said members overlying each major face of each product slice so that said members and said product slices are disposed alternately in said stack, said members having a marginal portion which extends beyond the periphery of said slices, the marginal portions of said members lying in planes parallel to the planes of said major faces and said marginal portions being secured together by a manually releasable seal that extends completely around the periphery thereof to enclose each product slice in a sealed substantially oxygen free compartment, said seal being sufficiently strong that said product can be dispensed by manually rupturing the releasable seal and removing a number of members corresponding to the desired number of product slices, while the remaining product slices are residually contained in sealed compartments provided by the remaining members.
- 20. A package as described in claim 19 wherein said members comprise a first member which is a backing board underlying a stack of product slices, and a plurality of second members which have a lesser thickness than said backing board and are releasably sealed to said backing board.
- 21. A package as described in claim 19 wherein: said members comprise a first member which underlies said stack of product slices, and a plurality of second members which are releasably sealed to said first member; said stack has a first product slice adjacent to said first member; a second member adjacent said first product slice is releasably sealed to said first member along a marginal portion of said first and second members; and each remaining second member is releasably sealed to an adjacent second member which is disposed between said remaining second members and said first member; each of said seals between the second members being disposed outwardly of the edges of the product slice disposed between the sealed pair of second members.
- 22. A method of forming a hermetically sealed package of individually sealed compartments, which comprises: positioning a first oxygen-impermeable member which is adapted to receive a stack of a plurality of product slices, placing a first of a plurality of product slices on said first member, positioning a first of a plurality of second oxygen-impermeable members in face-to-face juxtaposition to said first product slice said first and second members having a marginal portion extending beyond the edge of said product slice, securing said second member to said first member by a manually releasable seal that extends along a continuous seal outwardly of the edges of said product slice to thereby encapsulate said product slice in a substantially oxygen free, compartment and repeating the steps of placing a further product slice, positioning a further second member, and securing said further second member to said first member until the package contains the desired amount of product slices encapsulated in substantially oxygen free compartments, said securing steps being performed by imparting sufficient strength to the seals that product may be dispensed by manually rupturing the releasable seals and removing a number of oxygen-impermeable members corresponding to the desired number of quantities of product slices, while the remaining quantities of product slices are residually contained in sealed compartments provided by the remaining sealed oxygen-impermeable members.
- 23. A method as described in claim 22 wherein the first of said second members is sealed along a marginal portion thereof directly to said first member, and each of said further second members is releasably sealed to an adjacent second member which is disposed between said further second member and said first member.
- 24. A method of forming a hermetically sealed package of individually sealed compartments, which comprises: positioning an oxygen-impermeable member having a marginal portion which is adapted to extend beyond the edge of a product slice, placing a product slice in face-to-face juxtaposition to said member, repeating the steps of positioning an oxygen-impermeable member and placing a product slice until the package contains the desired amount of product slices, positioning a further oxygen-impermeable member in face-to-face juxtaposition to the last of said product slices, and securing said members together collectively by a manually releasable seal that extends along a continuous seal wherein each member is sealed along a marginal portion thereof to an adjacent member to thereby encapsulate each product slice in a substantially oxygen free compartment, said securing step being performed by imparting sufficient strength to the seal to permit said product slices to be dispensed by manually rupturing the releasable seal and removing a number of members corresponding to the desired number of product slices while the remaining product slices continue to be covered by the remaining members and retained in substantially oxygen free sealed compartments.
- 25. A sealed package of individually sealed compartments comprising: a stack of a plurality of product slices having opposing major faces; and a plurality of oxygen-impermeable members, one of said members overlying each major face of each product slice so that said members and said product slices are disposed alternately in said stack, said members having a marginal portion which extends beyond the periphery of said slices, the marginal protions of said members being secured together by a manually releasable seal that extends completely around the periphery thereof to enclose each product slice in a sealed substantially oxygen free compartment, said seal being sufficiently strong that said product can be dispensed by manually rupturing the releasable seal and removing a number of members corresponding to the desired number of product slices while the remaining product slices are residually contained in sealed substantially oxygen free compartments provided by the remaining sealed members; and wherein said members comprise a first member which is a backing board underlying the stack of product slices, and plurality of second members which have a lesser thickness than said backing board and are secured to said backing board by a manually releasable seal.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 499,788, filed Aug. 22, 1974, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (17)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
543,711 |
Jul 1957 |
CA |
873,341 |
Apr 1953 |
NL |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
499788 |
Aug 1974 |
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