This disclosure relates generally to a package used for storing food and fluid, and more particularly to a package having a food compartment and a drainage compartment, and to methods of use and manufacture of the package.
Food products, such as pre-prepared food products, can be sold in sealed packages. The use of sealed packages can make storage of food products easier and preserve such food products in a sealed environment. Pre-prepared food products can include, for example, pre-sliced food items or food items that have been pressure treated. Some processes result in fluid being packaged with the food product, either added to the product or from the food product itself. Packaged food products may be contained in the package in a moist condition, such that there is both food and fluid that is stored in the package. Additionally, some food products are stored in a fluid to maintain freshness and taste, i.e., pickles stored in a brine solution.
The sealed packages currently in use today for storing food products generally consist of a package that contains a single interior compartment or cavity that stores the food product and fluid together. When the food product is to be used, a section of the package is opened to permit access to the food product. A consumer can upend the package to allow the food product to fall out of the package. However, a drawback to using typical sealed packages is that the fluid contained within the package can also spill out of the package together with the food product. In many instances it is not desirable to also obtain the fluid with the food product. For example, in opening a package of pickles in a brine solution to apply to a hamburger, the consumer may not want the brine solution to spill out on top of the hamburger. To avoid this, a consumer may resort to another method of removing the food, such as using a utensil to individually remove each piece of food product from the package, or to first empty the package of food product and fluid into a separate container or strainer and to then physically separate the food from the fluid before use. Such techniques require numerous additional steps to obtain the desired food product and complicate the use of typical pre-prepared food products.
A package used for storing food and fluid having a food compartment and a drainage compartment, and methods of use and manufacture thereof, are disclosed herein. The food compartment and the drainage compartment are separated from each other by one or more dividers, such as inner seals or divider walls between side walls of the package. A fluid passage is provided between the food compartment and the drainage compartment of the package. The dividers are configured to permit fluid to flow from the food compartment to the drainage compartment and to restrict fluid from flowing from the drainage compartment to the food compartment when the package is arranged in certain orientations. This provides a package which can reduce the amount of fluid in the food compartment and facilitate removal of the food product from the food compartment, such as by upending the package, without removing the fluid from the drainage compartment with the food.
A method of use is disclosed for removing a food product from a food compartment of a sealed package containing fluid where fluid is drained into a separate compartment configured to retain fluid therein. A portion of the fluid is drained from the food compartment into a drainage compartment, such as when positioned at an elevation below the food compartment, through a passage that is sized to restrict entry of the food product. The package can be opened to gain access to the food product and the package can be upended such that the drainage compartment is disposed above the food compartment to permit the food product to be removed from the food compartment while retaining at least a portion of the fluid in the drainage compartment.
A package is disclosed that can be used for separately storing at least two food products and segregating draining therefrom. The package has at least two food compartments and a drainage compartment. The food compartments and the drainage compartment are separated from each other by at least two inner dividers and a vertical divider, i.e. a divider that is parallel to one of the side seals. A fluid passage is provided between each food compartment and the drainage compartment of the package to permit fluid to flow from the food compartments to the drainage compartment in certain package orientations. The vertical divider may also extend along the entire length of the package and divide the drainage compartment into two separate drainage compartments, each in fluid communication with one of the food compartments.
A method of manufacturing a sealed flexible package containing a food product and fluid is also disclosed, where one or more webs of film are sealed in a longitudinal direction and a pair of transverse cross seals are formed to partially define an interior of the package. At least one divider seal is also formed between the cross seals, and preferably a pair of divider seals. The divider seal divides the interior of the package into a food compartment and a drainage compartment, with a fluid passage defined therebetween. The food product is then inserted into the food compartment interior and a final longitudinal seal is formed to enclose the interior of the package.
A method of manufacturing a sealed package containing a food product and fluid with a semi-rigid or flexible back wall is also disclosed, where a web of material is advanced in a longitudinal direction and shaped by applying a vacuum when a portion of the web is disposed over a mold in order to form an interior of the package. A pair of inner wall portions are also formed within the mold that divide the interior of the package into a food compartment and a drainage compartment, with a fluid passage defined therebetween. The food product is then inserted into the food compartment interior and a layer of film is overlayed to form a seal that encloses the interior of the package. The overlayed film may have a reduced thickness as compared to the web of material for forming the back wall.
In a further aspect of the package and methods, the package may be generally rectangular, having opposing panels sealed together. The inner divider may intersect one of the side seals. Moreover, the inner divider may be linear or arcuate. The passage between the food compartment and the drainage compartment may be generally centrally located between the side seals or sides of the package when there are at least two inner dividers. Additionally, the inner divider may have multiple passages located along its length.
In another aspect of the package and the methods, a volume of the drainage compartment may be greater than the quantity of fluid in the drainage compartment and associated food compartment and in some aspects it may be greater than twice the quantity of fluid in the drainage compartment and associated food compartment. Still further, the drainage compartment may have two portions where one of the portions of the drainage compartment has a volume greater than the quantity of fluid in the drainage compartment and associated food compartment, or still further the drainage compartment may have two separate compartments where each compartment has a volume of at least greater than one half the quantity of fluid.
In another aspect, the inner divider may be a generally horizontal divider, i.e. parallel to one of a top or bottom seal, that can be sealed and subsequently removed from the remainder of the package after fluid has transferred from the food compartment into the drainage compartment, such that there would then be a separate food package with only a food compartment.
A package, and methods of manufacture, having a food compartment and a drainage compartment are disclosed herein and illustrated in
Turning to the details of a package 10, as illustrated in
A pair of inner seals 18a and 18b are formed between the package walls to divide the package interior into at least two compartments, a food compartment 20 and a drainage compartment 22. The food compartment 20 is bordered by the top seal 16, the pair of inner seals 18a and 18b and a portion of the two side seals 12a and 12b. The drainage compartment 22 is bordered by the bottom seal 14, the pair of inner seals 18a and 18b and a portion of the side seals 12a and 12b. The food compartment 20 may be used for storing a combination of food products 38 and fluid 40, while the drainage compartment 22 may be used for storing fluid 40. As illustrated and described herein, the desired product is stored in the food compartment 20, and the drainage compartment 22 stores the undesired product; however, in some instances the fluid 40 may be the desired product.
The inner seals 18a and 18b intersect the side seals 12a and 12b at intersection points 26a and 26b, respectively. The inner seals 18a and 18b extend downward from the intersection points 26a and 26b towards the drainage compartment 22 of the package 10. For example, one of the inner seals 18a may intersect side seal 12a at an intersection point 26a and extend downward at an incline therefrom, such that the angle formed between the inner seal 18a and the portion of the side seal 12a adjacent the drainage compartment is less than ninety degrees. Such an incline can advantageously direct fluid from the food compartment 20 to the drainage compartment 22 when the food compartment 20 is elevated above the drainage compartment 22. The inner seals 18a and 18b are configured such that the ends of the inner seals 18a and 18b closest to the bottom seal 14 are closer together than the ends of the inner seals 18a and 18b adjacent the side seals 12a and 12b. At the ends of the inner seals 18a and 18b opposite their intersections 26a and 26b with the side seals 12a and 12b there is a passage 24 which permits fluid communication between the food compartment 20 and the drainage compartment 22. The passage 24 is preferably centrally located between the side seals 12a and 12b.
The opening of the passage 24 is sized to allow fluid 40 to pass through it but to restrict entry of food products 38. In another alternative, the inner seals 18a and 18b may comprise a single seal 18, as in
If a larger food compartment 20 as compared to drainage compartment 22 is desired, the inner seals 18a and 18b can be located more closely toward the bottom seal 14. Alternatively, if a larger drainage compartment as compared to food compartment is desired, the inner seals 18a and 18b can be located more closely toward the top seal 16. Another way to increase the comparative size of one of the compartments 20 or 22 is to use non-linear inner seals or dividers. For example, arcuate inner seals 118a and 118b may be used, as shown in
The drainage compartment 22 has two subsections, a first drainage section 22a and a second drainage section 22b. The first drainage compartment 22a is bordered by a portion of the side seal 12a, a portion of the bottom seal, and the inner seal 18a. Similarly, the second drainage compartment 22b is bordered by a portion of the side seal 12b, a portion of the bottom seal 14, and the inner seal 18b. In one embodiment, the smaller drainage sections 22a and 22b may be triangular shaped, which is typical when the inner seals 18a and 18b are linear; in another embodiment, the smaller drainage compartments 22a and 22b may have arcuately shaped regions, such as when the inner seals 18a and 18b are arcuate. The drainage compartment 22 has a total volume that is capable of retaining a quantity of fluid 40 that is greater than twice the fluid 40 disposed within the package 10. Additionally, the volume of one of the smaller drainage sections 22a or 22b is greater than the quantity of fluid 40 disposed within the package 10, such that if all of the fluid 40 within the package 10 were to drain into the drainage compartment 22 it could all be contained within either one of the smaller drainage sections 22a or 22b. In another embodiment, as shown in
In an alternate package embodiment, illustrated in
The package 10, as shown in
Once the package 10 is ready for use, the consumer can remove a portion of the package 10 in order to gain access to the food product 38. For example, the consumer may remove an upper portion 46 of the package 10 such that the top seal 16 is removed together with the upper portion 46 and the food compartment 20 becomes accessible. However, other methods for gaining access to the food compartment 20 may be employed. For example, the top edge of the package 10 may contain either a top seal 16 spaced some distance therefrom or a top seal 116 at the top periphery edge. Where the top seal 16 is spaced some distance from the top edge, the front wall 34 and back wall 32 of the plastic sheets may extend upwards therefrom without being sealed together. This allows a consumer to grasp the front wall 34 and the back wall 32 and to pull the two sheets apart from one another with an adequate force to overcome the top seal 16 and cause it to either tear or separate. Additionally, if the food product is packaged under vacuum fluid can be retained in the food product while the vacuum seal is maintained, i.e. while the package is closed. Once the package is opened, the vacuum seal is lost and the fluid within the food product can be released and drained.
The alternate package embodiment 110, as shown in
In the embodiment of the package 10 shown in
A variety of methods for manufacturing the packages described herein can be utilized. For example, the flexible package 10 can be made using the apparatus 50 and process diagrammed in
Next, the web 52 is advanced to a pair of vertical sealing bars 58 which cooperate to form the side seals 12a and 12b. The sealing bars 58 are pressed against the web material 52 in the direction of arrows A and B, and once the seal is formed, they retract in the opposite direction. This sealing is repeated as the web 52 is advanced still further in a longitudinal direction to form another side seal. The sealing bars 58 continually form side seals along the web, such that there is a series of side seals designating numerous packages all serially formed along the web and connected to one another.
After the side seal is formed, then the next step is to form the inner seals 18a and 18b utilizing diagonal sealing bars 60a and 60b. The sealing bars 60a and 60b are pressed against the web, as designated by arrows C1, C2 and D1, D2, and retract from the web in the opposite direction. In an alternate process step, all of the seals may be formed in one step utilizing multiple sealing bars at the same time. Alternatively, all of the package seals may be formed simultaneously in a single process step. The food may be placed on a single web, then covered with another, top layer of web and sealed.
The filling and top sealing may be performed with the flexible packages serially connected in a bag chain. Alternatively, the partially formed flexible packages may be separated from one another prior to filling and top sealing and filled individually at a later time. The filling of the package can be carried out using a funnel 62 which is inserted into the opening 64 of the package, such as designated by arrow F. As the funnel 62 is inserted, it spreads open the package and allows for food products 38 to be placed therein. The funnel 62 has an opening sized to permit products to be inserted into the package at relatively high production line speeds. The food 38 is inserted into the top of the funnel 62 in the direction of arrow E and falls through the funnel 62 and into the package. After filling, the funnel 62 is removed and the top seal 16 of the package 10 is made using a pair of horizontal sealing bars 66, which press against the package 10 and then retract in a direction as shown by arrows G and H. The final step is to singulate the packages from the remainder of the web, such as with a knife blade 68. In manufacturing the package 10, shown in
In another example, one method of manufacturing the tray package 110 is depicted using the apparatus 70 as diagrammed in
From the foregoing, it will be appreciated a package having at least a food compartment and at least a drainage compartment is provided that allows for storing food in the food compartment while allowing fluid to drain into the drainage compartment in a certain orientation of the package, and for permitting removal of the food without also removing the fluid contained in the drainage compartment. However, the disclosure is not limited to the aspects and embodiments described hereinabove, or to any particular embodiments. Various modifications to the package, dividers, compartments, and methods of manufacturing can result in substantially the same packages.