Food package and method for transfer of food

• US 10,017,317 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2006
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Torus Pak Research And Development S.A.R.L.
• Original Assignee: Torus Pak Research And Development S.A.R.L.
• Inventors: Gillblad, Rickard
• Primary Examiner(s): Watts, Jenna A
• Application Number:
  US11/919,394
• Publication Number:
  US 20090304877A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,456 Days
• Field of Search: 426393
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 5/10 General methods of cooking foods, e.g. by roasting or frying
• CPC Class Codes: A23P 10/10 Securing foodstuffs on a non-edible supporting member
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2581/3432 the secondary product, e.g. flavouring sauce, being enclosed in a second package
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 65/46 Applications of disintegrable, dissolvable or edible materials
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 65/463 Edible packaging materials
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3294 Thermoformed trays or the like with a plurality of recesses for different materials located in different recesses
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/343 specially adapted to be heated in a conventional oven, e.g. a gas or electric resistance oven
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3446 specially adapted to be heated by microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3453 Rigid containers, e.g. trays, bottles, boxes, cups

Abstract

The invention relates to a bottom part intended to receive food thereon, and a container part where the bottom part and the container part are intended to enclose the food. The package is provided with means to hold the bottom part and the container part together in a detachable fashion and means to separate the bottom part from the container part fully or partially. Separating takes the form of removing the bottom part with the bottom part of the package standing in an essentially horizontal position on a serving surface so that the food is so arranged as to come into contact with the serving surface, as a consequence of which the container part is essentially retained it its position enclosing the food. The invention also relates to a method for transferring food from a package to a serving surface.

Claims

1. A package comprising:

a container part including a wall, the wall including an underside at a first end and including an upper side at a second end, the second end at an opposite end of the wall relative to the first end, the wall partially enclosing an interior space within the container part, the first end including a first opening leading to the interior space through the underside of the container part, and the second end including a second opening leading to the interior space through the upper side of the container part; and

a bottom part coupled to the container part, wherein the bottom part is coupled to and closes off the first opening in the underside of the container part to form a container for enclosing a serving of food, where the bottom part is attached to a periphery of the underside of

the container part in a detachable fashion, the bottom part including interior space, and a second side that faces away from both the container part and the interior space,

wherein the second opening operable to receive the serving of food through the second opening so that the serving of food is received on the first side of the bottom part facing the interior space so that the serving of food is at least partially enclosed within the interior space by the container part and the bottom part, the second opening operable to be closed by a lid attached to the second end of the wall in a non-removable manner after the serving of food is received through the second opening;

wherein the bottom part includes a tab, the tab operable to allow separation of the bottom part from the container part,

wherein the second side of the bottom part operable to be placed on a serving surface so that the second side is at least partially in contact with the serving surface and so that the container part is separated from the serving surface by the bottom part, and

wherein the bottom part operable to be placed on the serving surface so that the periphery of the underside of the container is adjacent to the serving surface and separated from the serving surface by the bottom part, and wherein the bottom part is operable to be removed from between the container part and the serving surface using the tab, wherein removal of the bottom part in a direction along the serving surface with the second side in at least partial contact with the serving surface is operable to transfer the serving of food onto the serving surface through the first opening in the underside of the container part without substantial movement of the container part and without substantial horizontal or vertical movement of the serving of food so that the serving of food comes into contact with the serving surface, and wherein the container part is operable to be lifted vertically from the serving surface without affecting the presentation of the serving of food.

2. A package according to claim 1, wherein the tab is provided with a gripping device attached to the bottom part to permit the lateral removal of a part of or the entirety of the bottom part.

3. A package according to claim 1, wherein the bottom part consists of two or more parts, where the two or more parts are flexible and folded double.

4. A package according to claim 1, wherein the bottom part is attached to the periphery of the underside of the container part by a layer, the layer operable to melt in conjunction with heating, thereby facilitating the separation of the bottom of the part from the container part.

5. A package according to claim 1, wherein the bottom part is attached to the periphery of the underside of the container part by an adhesive.

6. A package according to claim 1, wherein the package is subdivided into at least two compartments.

7. A package according to claim 1, wherein the lid of the package includes a hole.

8. A package according to claim 7, wherein the hole is provided with a removable part.

9. A package according to claim 1, wherein the package comprises separate subsidiary packages for receiving food, of which at least certain subsidiary packages are arranged in different planes.

10. A package according to claim 6, wherein at least one compartment comprises a thermally insulating material.

11. A package according to claim 6, wherein at least one compartment comprises a heat-transmitting material.

12. A package according to claim 1, wherein the package is provided with one or more valves to prevent overpressure in the package in conjunction with heating.

13. A package according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the container part and lid comprises a flexible material which permits vacuum packing of the food.

15. A package according to claim 1, wherein the bottom part supports the serving of food while the serving of food is being heated.

14. A package comprising:

a container part including a wall, the wall including an underside at a first end and including an upper side at a second end, the second end at an opposite end of wall relative to the first end, the wall partially enclosing an interior space within the container part, the first end including a first opening leading to the interior space through the underside of the container part, and the second end including a second opening leading to the interior space through the upper side of the container part, the container part including a lid fixedly attached to the container part, the lid closing off the second opening of the container part; and

a bottom part coupled to the container part, wherein the bottom part is coupled to and closes off the first opening in the underside of the container part to form a container for enclosing a serving of food, where the bottom part is attached to a periphery of the underside of the container part in a detachable fashion, the bottom part including a first side that faces the interior space, and a second side that faces away from both the container part and the interior space,

wherein the second opening operable to receive the serving of food before the lid is fixedly attached to the container part so that the serving of food is received on the first side of the bottom part facing the container part so that the serving of food is completely enclosed by the container part that included the lid fixedly attached to the container part and the bottom part,

wherein the bottom part includes a tab, the tab operable to allow separation of the bottom part from the container part,

wherein the second side of the bottom part operable to be placed on a serving surface so that the second side is at least partially in contact with a serving surface and so that the container part is separated from the serving surface by the bottom part, and

wherein the bottom part operable to be placed on the serving surface so that the periphery of the underside of the container is adjacent to the serving surface and separated from the serving surface by the bottom part, and wherein the bottom part is operable to be removed from between the container part and the serving surface using the tab, wherein removal of the bottom part in a direction along the serving surface with the second side in at least partial contact with the serving surface is operable to transfer the serving of food onto the serving surface through the first opening in the underside of the container part without substantial movement of the container and without substantial horizontal or vertical movement of the serving of food so that the serving of food comes into contact with the serving surface, from the serving surface without affecting the presentation of the serving of food.

16. A package according to claim 14, wherein the bottom part supports the serving of food while the serving of food is being heated.