Patent Application
20150291303
This application generally relates to a rigid bottom, flexible top package for a food product and, in particular, a package configured for cushioning the food product therein.
Packaging of food products and, in particular, frozen or refrigerated pizzas, can be designed to cushion the pizza from impacts during shipping and handling. This is typically accomplished by placing a cardboard insert against a bottom surface of the pizza. A flexible outer film wrapper is formed to surround the cardboard insert and pizza to maintain the insert generally in place against the pizza.
In one type of pizza packaging, the outer film wrapper is the only other outer packaging. While a low cost package, this can be undesirable for several reasons. First, the sides and top of the pizza do not have cushioning, thereby potentially exposing them to breakage or other marring during shipping and handling. Second, it can be undesirable to print graphics or nutritional information on the outer wrapper because the outer wrapper can deform during wrapping, resulting in an uneven surface unsuitable for preprinted graphics. Instead, in this type of pizza packaging, graphics or nutritional information can be printed on a paper that is inserted either on the bottom of the package, between the insert and the outer wrapper, or the top of the package, between an upper surface of the pizza and the outer wrapper. It can be undesirable to have to separately provide the separate paper.
In another type of pizza packaging, the pizza, cardboard insert and outer film wrapper are placed inside a secondary package, often a cardboard box or carton. While the cardboard box can address some of the disadvantages with pizza packages lacking a cardboard box, such as providing additional cushioning and space for graphics to be printed, it also has its own disadvantages. For example, it has a higher cost than simply having the outer film wrapper be the final packaging layer, it can limit the shape of the package to being rectangular, the cushioning of the top and side surfaces of the pizza can be insufficient, it results in additional material that must be discarded, and the pizza is prone to shifting inside the box. This shifting can cause the pizza to sustain breakage or bruising as well as to cause toppings to shift and spill over the edge of the pizza, thus losing some of its freshness and visual appeal when it is opened by the consumer.
A package having a rigid or semi-rigid bottom tray and a flexible top is provided for storing a perishable food product therein. The tray can be sized to receive any shaped food product and, in particular, to receive a circular shaped food product such as a round pizza, inside an interior recess therein. The tray can be covered with a flexible top portion, such as an air impermeable flexible film, or an outer film. The food product inside the tray can be vacuum skin-sealed with a separate film, such as a first film layer, or an inner film. The inner film can be vacuum-sealed in close contact with the food product to form a tight seal that does not allow the food product and/or loose food particles thereon to shift when being transported and helps to maintain freshness of the food product. The inner film is placed directly upon the pizza, while the outer film is sealed across the top opening of the tray. A space between the inner and outer films can be filled with a gas and can cushion the top of the food product. The inner film sealed to and around the food product, such as a pizza product, can retain pizza toppings in place, secure against the crust, in order to limit or prevent substantial shifting of the toppings on the pizza during transportation of the package. Additionally, the air in the head space between the two film layers offers a damping effect during distribution thus absorbing impact forces to provide a cushioning effect to the top of the pizza and protects the freshness of the crust and toppings.
Additionally, the tray can further contain protuberances along the sidewalls and the bottom wall to provide further cushioning of the food product inside the tray. The sidewall protuberances can contain ribs that extend outward around the perimeter of the tray and that provide cushioning to the side of the food product. Similarly, the bottom wall of the tray can contain raised protuberances that extend upwards into the interior of the tray and support the food product thereon, effectively providing a cushioning effect to the bottom surface of the food product. As a result of the built-in bottom cushions, an additional cardboard insert for added cushioning upon which the food product rests can be avoided.
The space between the film layers can contain either a modified atmosphere gas or a typical atmospheric gas between the two film layers. Additionally, the space between the inner film and the tray can also be flushed with a modified atmosphere gas or completely evacuated of air. The head space between the film layers can have a pressure greater than the pressure between the inner film and food product. This pressure differential can help to maintain the food product and any toppings securely in place as well as keeping the package intact when shipping across areas of high altitude that without this pressure differential could cause the films to expand and possibly break or leak. The outer film can be a moisture barrier film that seals to a portion of the inner film. Both the inner and outer films can be removed together. The combination of the tray and flexible top can together provide the outer packaging of the food product. Thus, use of an added external packaging, such as a carton or box, can be avoided.
The tray can have a generally circular bottom surface or wall with one or more generally circular protuberances or foot portions adjacent the bottom wall and having a bottom surface of the foot portion in the same plane as a bottom surface of the bottom wall, such that when the package is placed upon its bottom surface the bottom wall and bottom foot portions are at an even level. These foot portions, when viewed from above, i.e., from the opening of the rigid tray, extend out from the periphery of the recess and can provide a finger notch to assist in removal of the food product stored therein. The foot portions along the bottom wall can distribute and absorb impact forces to cushion the food product inside when the package is placed upon its bottom surface and stored or shipped in this fashion.
The tray may also contain support feet along its sidewall, which allow for the package to be supported in an upright position on its side edge by resting upon at least the side support feet. In other aspects, the package can be supported in an upright, vertical position on its side edge by any combination of features, such as a paperboard back card, the tray flange, side supports other than feet, and the like. The support feet along the bottom wall and/or the sidewall can absorb impact forces placed upon the package when it is transported and when stacked upon other packages. The support feet can further rest upon a flange or outer rim of an adjacent tray or package, rather than resting upon, and subsequently supplying a force to, the top surface of the adjacent package directly upon the food product stored therein.
Additionally, the pizza package is provided to stand upright resting upon a side edge, such as a combination of the flange of the tray and a sidewall protuberance, or a flange and a back card, and the like, to allow for front indicia display and for better product stacking/display.
A package having a rigid bottom base or tray and a flexible top portion is provided for receiving and storing a perishable food product therein, as illustrated in
Turning to
Surrounding the opening 22 of the tray 12 where the sidewall 18 terminates at an upper edge thereof, is a continuous flange 24 extending about the periphery of the sidewall and that provides a planar contact surface for receiving a film thereat, to be discussed in more detail below. The flange 24 extends beyond the generally circular plane of the bottom wall 16 yet is in the same plane as the upper edge of the sidewall 18. The perimeter of the continuous flange 28 can provide a shape that is different than the generally circular bottom wall 16, and can determine the overall shape of the package 10. A portion of at least one edge of the flange 24 is generally straight, with the overall package 10 appearing to take on the shape provided by the flange 24. The overall package 10 shape can have any appropriate shape and, in particular, a shape that has a portion of at least one edge being generally straight, such as a package 10 that is rectangular, square, semi-circular, circular but with a straight-edge at one end, a U-shape, diamond shaped, tear-drop shaped, and so forth. For instance, the package can have a rectangular shape, as shown in
The tray 12 can have one or more support feet 30 along the exterior of the bottom wall 16, as shown in
Additionally, at least one support foot 236 can be located on the sidewall 218 of the tray 212, as shown in
Support features other than sidewall feet may also be included at an exterior of the package 310, such as paperboard cards 446, that aid in standing the package 310 in an upright position. When the package 10, 110, 210, 310, 410 or 510 is stacked with other packages, the package 10, 110, 210, 310, 410 or 510 can stand vertically on their edge due to a combination of the support feature and the design of the package itself. The tray 12, 112, 212, 312, 412, and 512 can also have a portion of at least one edge that is straight or has a linear segment. The straight portion of the edge will preferably be the edge that the package will stand upon, i.e., the outer peripheral edge 28 of the package 10 immediately adjacent at least one of the support feet 236. Therefore, the combination of the straight edge of the package and at least one other support feature provide the adequate support necessary to stand the package in an upright position. In one aspect, the straight edge 338 of the tray 312 can be combined with a foot 336 that is positioned on the sidewall 318, as can be seen in
Turning to
In another aspect, the lower straight edge 438 of the tray 412 can work in unison with a back card 446 that is adhered to the exterior of the bottom wall 416 of the tray 412, as seen in
Similarly, in
Due to the combination of support features taken together with the lower straight edge of the package, the packages can be stacked in upright positions while on a shelf display or packaged in cases without putting pressure on the adjacent package stacked behind the front package. This upright positioning allows for greater visibility of the front label or indicia on the package and avoids horizontal stacking of the packages, which places pressure from one package on top of another.
For package embodiments 310 that stand upright at a slant, such as in
Although
The exterior surface of the tray can further include texturing, such as ridges, ribs, flutes or other protrusions added to the sidewall and/or the bottom wall of the tray. In one aspect, a plurality of protuberances or ribs 50 on the sidewall 18 of the package 10 can extend outwardly from the sidewall 18 approximately around the entire bottom wall 16 having a radius of curvature of about 3 mm at a high point and a length of about 12 mm. The ribs or protuberances 50 can be separated from each other by a gap of about 1.5 mm. The texturing associated with the tray can help to increase compression strength, rigidity and to protect the product within (i.e., protect the crust 46 of the pizza 44 from breaking), effectively providing a cushioning effect to the side surface of the food product. Additionally, the incorporation of the flange 24 around the perimeter of the package 10, and spaced a distance outward from the sidewall 18 of the package 10, can also provide further protection to the sides of the food product because an impact that is applied to the outermost edge of the package 10, will first contact the flange 24. The amount of breakage of the food product stored within the tray has been shown to be less than about 1% when measured by ASTM D4169.
The shape and design of the overall package can contain a material and form combination that can achieve a non-zero viscous damping coefficient, per equations of motion in solid mechanics, resulting from the tray bottom wall patterning, texturing, and geometry. The design used can result in impact forces that are absorbed and smoothed to reduce fragile product breakage during dynamic oscillations that may occur during over the road transportation and direct store delivery distribution. In one aspect, the interior surface of the bottom wall 16 of the tray 12 can contain a plurality of raised ribbing or protuberances 48, rather than providing a smooth textured bottom, as shown in
The food product disposed in the interior of the tray 12 can be supported by the plurality of raised protuberances 48. These raised protuberances 48 can absorb shock or impact forces through the bottom of the package 10, effectively providing a cushioning effect at the bottom surface of the food product, rather than passing these forces onto the food product. This feature can help prevent damage or breakage of the food product. The use of protuberances 48 can avoid the need for a cardboard insert card at the bottom for added cushioning. Similarly, the additional embodiments shown in
The total area of the ribs 50 of the sidewall 18 of the tray 12 that are contactable by the side surface of the food product 44 is less than the total area of the sidewall 18 that is not contactable by the side surface of the food product 44 due to the ribs 50 of the sidewall. Additionally, the total area of the protuberances 48 of the bottom wall 16 of the tray 12 that are contactable by the bottom surface of the food product 44 is less than the total area of the bottom wall 16 that is not contactable by the bottom surface of the food product 44 due to the protuberances 48 of the bottom wall 16.
As discussed previously, the package 510 can have a back card 546 attached to a portion of the bottom wall 516 that can wrap around a sidewall 518 of the package 510, such as in an 1′ shape, where a portion of the back card 546 together with the lower peripheral flange edge can be used to support the package vertically, as in
The flexible top portion 14 can comprise an inner film layer 40 and an outer film layer 42, as seen in
The inner film 40 can be drawn down over the pizza food product 44 such that the inner film 40 generally conforms to the shape of the pizza 44 and, in particular, to the top and side shape of the pizza product 44. The inner film 40 can also contact the bottom wall 16 of the tray 12 before it is directed upward towards the upper flange 24 of the tray 12. As the inner film 40 is directed upwards, it can be contoured to the shape of the sidewall 18. The inner film 40 can be disposed adjacent a substantial portion of the sidewall 18 of the tray 12 to space the side surface of the food product from the sidewall 18 of the tray 12. In another aspect, the inner film 40 can be sealed to the bottom wall 16 before being directed upwards. Still alternatively, the inner film 40 can stop just short of touching the bottom wall 16, before being directed upwards toward the flange 24.
Optionally, the inner film 40 can be perforated to allow gas to migrate through the inner film layer 40 to the pizza product 44 faster than it would by passing through the film web itself. The perforations, or holes, allow for a delayed equilibration of gas to occur within the head space.
Still optionally, the inner film layer 40 may be applied by using a shrink wrap concept, thus applying a web or sheet of film to the product and heat-shrink sealing the film all the way around the food product before placing it in the tray 12. However, in utilizing the heat-shrink packing method the inner film 40 and outer film 42 must be removed and opened separately.
Additionally, at the ends of the inner film layer 40, where it is sealed to the flange 24 of the tray 12, the inner film 40 can be sealed to the flange 24 with a peelable seal. In contrast to typical VSP applied films, the inner film 40 herein can be heat-sealed to the flange 24, rather than just vacuum sealing it to the flange 24, thus providing a hermetically sealed enclosure about the food product. Additionally, a sealant can also be added to the flange 24 to increase adherence as well as application of heat sealing bars to the inner film 40 and flange 24.
The outer film 42 can be placed over the opening 22 of the tray 12 and over the inner film 40 to seal the tray 12 and cover the VSP wrapped pizza product 44. The outer film 42 can be sealed to the flange 24 of the tray 12 by sealing to the portion of the inner film 40 that is also sealed to the flange 24. The outer film 42 can form a permanent seal coextensive with the peelable heat-seal between the inner film portion 40 and the flange 24. The outer film layer 42 can comprise a barrier film layer, such that it prevents moisture and oxygen from entering into the interior recess of the tray 12. Additionally, the combination of the inner film 40 and outer film 42 can avoid the need for an extra package, such as a carton or box.
Furthermore, between the outer film 42 and the inner film 40 within the tray 12, where the outer film 42 can be spaced from the inner film 40 inwardly of the flange 24, there can be provided a gap or head space 52, or a first space, as seen in
Inert gases that can be introduced to flush the head space 52 can include, in one aspect, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, or any combination thereof. The modified gas that is provided can also include an oxygen level of about 0% to about 8%, depending on the food product packaged therein. For instance, where a produce product is packaged it may be desirable to allow an oxygen level of up to about 8%; where a meat product is packaged, an environment containing no more than about 1% oxygen can be desired.
The head space 52 filled with the gas can provide a damping effect during transportation and distribution of the package 10, where it absorbs external energy from outside impacts and protects the contents of the package 10 from damage, thus effectively providing a cushioning effect to the top of the food product. This head space 52 filled with gas can also insulate the food product against rapid heat transfer, since by nature the interstitial space provides a lower heat transfer coefficient. The head space 52 can further help to protect the freshness of the crust 46 and toppings. The inner film 40 holding the pizza toppings firmly in place against the crust 46 of the pizza 44 together with the gas in the head space 52 add to keeping the freshness of the pizza product 44.
Alternatively, instead of evacuating and flushing the space 52, the space 52 can be pressurized. The pressurized space can act as a cushion, absorbing impact forces and further protecting the food product. The space 52 can be pressurized at a pressure that would offset normal forces from those above the package 10, such as when the packages 10 are stacked one on top of another, i.e., the bottom wall 16 of one package 10 is placed on top of the outer film 42 of another package 10 below it.
Besides having a first gas flush in the space 52 between film layers, the package 10 can also have a second gas flush inserted into a second gas space between the inner film layer 40 and the tray 12, encompassing the space around the food product. In one aspect, the second gas flush can have a pressure between about 100 mbar to about 500 mbar, but at any rate the second gas pressure should be less than the first gas pressure of the head space 52, such that a pressure differential is created between the two gas areas.
Having a pressure differential where the pressure above the pizza 44, i.e., in the first pressure in the head space 52, is greater than the pressure in and/or about the pizza 44 (i.e., the second pressure) can be beneficial to help keep all of the pizza toppings together and in place during distribution, shipping, and storage/display. Additionally, the pressure differential between the two areas also can help to keep the film in place during transport, such as when the package 10 is shipped over regions of high altitude, thus preventing seal breakage and leakage.
The second gas space between the inner film 40 and the pizza product 44 and tray 12 can either be completely evacuated of air or it can have a gas flush introduced with inert or atmospheric gases. Thus, the first and second gas compounds can be comprised of different gases. The type of gases used can be determined by the food product and the desired functionality of the package 10. Where a pizza product 44 is provided, a gas flush of inert gas(es) within the second gas space around the pizza 44 can be provided to preserve the pizza product 44. For instance, the inert gases are needed to interact with the dough/crust 46 of the pizza 44 in order to preserve the raw dough until cooking. Thus, different inert gases at the two different spaces can also help to manage the moisture and oxygen migration between the film layers.
Due to the combination of the package design and the introduction of the first and/or second gases flushed within its respective layer, the shelf life of the product therein can be extended. The shelf life of the food product can be at least about 120 days. In some instances the shelf life can be extended up to about 6 months, and in other instances, up to about 1 year.
Additionally, the outer film 42 can have an exterior surface, i.e., a surface that is directed away from the interior recess of the package 10, that can be provided with text, indicia, graphics, or other writings. The exterior surface of the outer film 42 allows for printing of such items directly thereon without deforming the surface of the film 42 and, furthermore, can also allow for placement of labels or other adhered items thereupon. Alternatively, the outer film 42 can be completely opaque and/or can comprise a colored film.
The outer film 42 and the inner film 40 can both be removed from the tray flange 24 together, i.e., using the same removal force to remove both at the same time. By one approach, the user can pull up on the outer film 42 which causes the outer film 42 to also pull up on the inner film 40 that is attached to it. A first bond strength between the inner film 40 and the flange 24 and a second bond strength between the outer film 42 and the inner film 40 can be selected to facilitate removal of the inner 40 and outer film 42 layers simultaneously. In one aspect, the second bond strength can be greater than the first bond strength. In one aspect, a pull tab or corner extension can be provided on the outer film 42 so that the user can pull on the pull tab to remove both films relatively simultaneously. Still, another approach can provide a pre-broken or pre-scored section 34 of the flange 24 at a corner edge thereof to allow a user to pull up at this corner section and to break off the portion of the flange 24, as illustrated in
The pizza 44 or food product can be placed directly on the interior surface of the bottom wall 16 of the tray 12 during packaging. Optionally, the pizza or food product can first be placed directly upon an intermediate surface, such as parchment paper or a paperboard insert card, which is then placed upon the interior surface of the bottom wall 16. The intermediate surface can be used to offer additional assistance in removal of the pizza product 44, or where there is no finger notch, it can be the main method of removal of the pizza 44. Where parchment paper is used to support the pizza 44 thereupon, the parchment paper can further be used as a cooking surface, and the pizza product 44 can be placed into an oven together with the parchment paper. Additionally, where an insert card is used and the tray bottom wall 16 is clear or transparent, the backside of the insert card can also contain additional graphics or indicia that will be visible through the bottom wall 16 of the tray 12. Furthermore, an insert card can also absorb impact forces provided through the bottom wall 16 of the package 10, thus protecting the food product from direct exposure to these forces.
A method of filling, packaging the food product, and sealing the package are provided. In one aspect, a preformed tray can be provided for receiving a perishable food product therein, such as a pizza product 44 which can be placed in the tray 12. An inner film 40 is then placed over the opening 22 of the tray 12 and the tray 12 is passed to a vacuum-skin packaging station. Here, the inner film 40 is vacuum-sealed around the pizza 44 such that it is sealed relatively tightly against the top of the pizza 44 and along the side of the crust 46, almost-touching or touching the bottom wall 16 of the tray 12. In one aspect, the inner film 40 can also be sealed to the bottom wall 16 of the tray 12. In another aspect, the inner film 40 can be heated to allow it to stretch, and then it is brought down over the food product where a vacuum is drawn, shrinking the film 40 about the food. The ends of the inner film 40, however, are heat-sealed to the flange 24 of the tray 12 utilizing heat sealing bars. After the pizza 44 has been relatively hermetically sealed in this fashion, the outer film 42 can be placed over the tray 12. The tray 12 passes through a heat-sealing station that seals the edges of the outer film 42 to the flange 24 of the tray 12, on top of the inner film 40, thus creating a permanent seal between the outer film 42 and the portion of the inner film 40 already sealed to the flange 24. Optionally, the films 40 and 42 can be pre-heated to reduce the forces that are required for permanent deformation. During the tray sealing process, the tray 12 does not deform and can withstand the dual sealing of the films 40 and 42 to its flange 24.
The rigid tray 12 can be preformed or it can be formed on a horizontal thermoform, fill, and seal (HTFFS) machine, such as is provided by Multivac, Wolfertschwenden, Germany. The tray material can be made out of any appropriate rigid or semi-rigid plastic material for food contact, such as polyester, polypropylene, high-impact polystyrene (HIPS), high density polyethylene (HDPE), amorphous polyethylene terephthalate (APET), or combinations thereof. In one aspect, the tray 12 can comprise an APET material. The tray 12 can also have oxygen and/or moisture barrier properties. The term “rigid” is used herein to indicate that the structures made of these materials have the ability to generally retain their respective shapes during normal handling, and includes semi-rigid structures.
In one aspect, the tray 12 can be transparent or translucent. In another aspect, the tray 12 can be opaque and/or colored. The flange 24 that surrounds the opening 22 of the tray 12 can have a thickness that is less than about 15 mils.
The inner film layer 40 can be a clear or transparent plastic film that has been vacuum-sealed over the product and heat-sealed to the flange 24 of the tray 12. The inner film 40 does not prevent the migration of oxygen and/or moisture therethrough. The thickness of the inner film 40 can vary and, in one aspect, can be from about 2.5 to about 10 mils thick and, preferably, can be about 2.5 to about 5 mils thick. The inner film layer 40 can comprise any appropriate plastic film for VSP, such as polyethylene, low density polyethylene (LDPE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA), ethyl vinyl alcohol (EVOH), polypropylene, or combinations thereof. The plastic film of the inner film layer 40 can be placed over the pizza product 44 and a vacuum can be applied to form a firm fit around the product. In one aspect, the inner film layer 40 can comprise a multi-layer thermoformable polyethylene film.
The outer film 42 can also comprise a clear or transparent plastic film, or preferably, the outer film 42 can be opaque and/or colored. The outer film 42 can also be printed upon with graphics and/or indicia directly thereupon. The outer film 42 can comprise any appropriate plastic film that has oxygen barrier properties and/or moisture barrier properties, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene, ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH), ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), amorphous polyethylene terephthalate (APET), polyester, and combinations thereof. In one aspect, the outer film 42 can comprise a laminate film, such as a laminate film having an outer polyester layer with an inner polyethylene sealant layer, where the inner polyethylene layer can be either extrusion or adhesion bonded. The outer film 42 can have a thickness of about 2 mils to about 10 mils. In one aspect, the outer film 42 can have a high coefficient of friction (COF), such as greater than about 0.5.
The size of the package 10, 110, 210, 310, 410 or 510 can be dependent upon the size of the food product that is to be stored therein. In one aspect, the package 10, 110, 210, 310, 410 or 510 dimensions can range from about 200 mm to about 400 mm in length, about 200 mm to about 400 mm in width, and a package depth or height from about 12 mm to about 70 mm.
Typical food products to be packaged in the package disclosed herein are perishable food products. In one aspect, a pizza food product 44 is packaged, however, other perishable foods may also be packaged such as sandwiches, frozen coextruded and filled bagels, stromboli, and the like. In another aspect, any frozen food product requiring a high barrier protection (i.e., moisture and/or oxygen barrier properties) in a modified atmosphere head space containing inert gas with very low levels of residual oxygen can be packaged.
From the foregoing, it will be appreciated a food package having semi-rigid or rigid and flexible portions is provided. However, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the package set forth in the claims. Therefore, the disclosure is not limited to the aspects and embodiments described hereinabove, or to any particular embodiments. Various modifications to the package could be made which can result in substantially the same package.
The present application is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/578,929, filed Oct. 14, 2009, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 12578929 | Oct 2009 | US |
| Child | 14738317 | US |
