Food package

• US 4,756,421 A
• Filed: 06/22/1987
• Issued: 07/12/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jefferson Smurfit Corporation (WestRock Company)
• Original Assignee: Jefferson Smurfit Corporation (WestRock Company)
• Inventors: Meek, Donald E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Foster, Jimmy G.
• Application Number:
  US07/064,526
• Time in Patent Office: 386 Days
• Field of Search: 206/484, 206/524.2, 206/524.9, 206/631, 206/633, 426/126, 426/127, 428/35
• US Class Current: 206/524.2
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/7244 Oxygen barrier
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2323/04 Polyethylene
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2327/00 Polyvinylhalogenides
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2329/04 Polyvinylalcohol
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2367/00 Polyesters, e.g. PET, i.e. polyethylene terephthalate
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2377/00 Polyamides
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2439/70 Food packaging
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/08 of synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/304 comprising vinyl halide (co)polymers, e.g. PVC, PVDC, PVF, PVDF
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/306 comprising vinyl acetate or vinyl alcohol (co)polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/32 comprising polyolefins comprising vinyl (co)polymers or acrylic (co)polymers B32B27/30
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/34 comprising polyamides
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/36 comprising polyesters
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/30 characterised by a layer formed with recesses or projections, e.g. hollows, grooves, protuberances, ribs apertured layer B32B3/266; layer with cavities or internal voids B32B3/26
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/12 using interposed adhesives or interposed materials with bonding properties
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2577/2025 Multi-layered container, e.g. laminated, coated
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 77/2032 by peeling or tearing the cover from the container
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1379 Contains vapor or gas barrier, polymer derived from vinyl chloride or vinylidene chloride, or polymer containing a vinyl alcohol unit

Abstract

A two piece hermetic plastic food package that includes a flat lid and a transparent dished tray that are initially sealed to each other after filling, but which can be readily separated for opening by peeling the lid from the tray.

Claims

1. A plastic package for holding and displaying a perishable product, such as meat, or the like, comprising:

(a) a tray member and a lid member, one of which s preformed by molding and has a recessed center section and a flat peripheral section;

(b) said members presenting opposed, flat surfaces that are detachably bonded to each other by a hot melt material that provides a hermetic, peelable seal therebetween;

(c) said lid member being a film laminate comprising;

(i) an outer layer formed from a material selected form the group consisting of polyamide resins and polyester resins and having against its inner surface an oxygen barrier layer of material selected from the group consisting of polyvinylidene chloride and ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer;

(ii) an inner layer comprising a co-extruded outer sub-layer of polyethylene and an inner sub-layer of an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer;

(iii) said outer and inner layers being bonded together by a thermosetting adhesive;

(iv) said inner sub-layer of said inner layer being coated with a thermoplastic hot melt material.

2. A plastic package for holding and displaying a perishable product, such as meat, or the like, comprising:

(a) a tray member and a lid member, one of which is preformed by molding and has a recessed center section and a flat peripheral section;

(b) said members presenting opposed, flat surfaces that are detachably bonded to each other by a hot melt material that provides a hermetic, peelable seal therebetween;

(c) said tray member being formed from material selected from the group consisting of acrylonitrile, acrylic multipolymer, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinyl chloride, polycarbonate, copolymers of "PET", and polystyrene;

(d) said lid member being a composite film laminate comprising;

(i) an outer film layer formed from a material selected from the group consisting of polyamide resins and polyester resins and having against its inner surface an oxygen barrier layer of material selected from the group consisting of polyvinylidene chloride and ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer;

(ii) an inner layer comprising a co-extruded outer sub-layer of polyethylene and an inner sub-layer of an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer;

(iii) said outer and inner layers being bonded together by a thermosetting adhesive;

(iv) said inner sub-layer of said inner layer being coated with a thermoplastic hot melt material.

3. A package according to claim 2, wherein said tray member material is acrylonitrile.

4. A package according to claim 2, wherein said tray member material is polyethylene terphalate.

5. A package according to claim 2, wherein said tray member material is polycarbonate.

6. A package according to claim 2, wherein said tray member material is a copolymer of "PET".

7. A package according to claim 2, wherein said tray member material is an acrylic multipolymer.

8. A package according to claim 2, wherein said tray member material is polystyrene.

9. A package according to claim 2, wherein said lid member outer layer material is nylon.

10. A package according to claim 2, wherein said lid member outer layer material is polyester.

11. A package according to claim 2, wherein said oxygen barrier material is polyvinylidene chloride.

12. A package according to claim 11, wherein said polyvinylidene chloride is in the form of a coating.

13. A package according to claim 11, wherein said polyvinylidene chloride is in the form of a layer of film coated with a thermosetting adhesive.

14. A package according to claim 2, wherein said oxygen barrier material is ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer.

15. A package according to claim 14, wherein said ethylene vinyl alcohol is in the form of a coating.

16. A package according to claim 14, wherein said ethylene vinyl alcohol is in the form of a layer of film coated with a thermosetting adhesive.

17. A package according to claim 2, wherein said thermoplastic hot melt material is a petroleum wax-ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer composition.

18. A package according to claim 2, wherein said tray member is preformed and has a recessed center section and a flat peripheral section.

19. A package according to claim 2, wherein said lid member is preformed and has a recessed center section and a flat peripheral section.