Meal kit packaging system

• US 7,097,038 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2003
• Issued: 08/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kraft Foods Group Brands LLC (The Kraft Heinz Company)
• Original Assignee: Kraft Foods Holdings Incorporated (The Kraft Heinz Company)
• Inventors: Kinigakis, Panagiotis
• Primary Examiner(s): LUONG, SHIAN TINH NHAN
• Application Number:
  US10/440,618
• Publication Number:
  US 20030213722A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,198 Days
• Field of Search: 206/541, 206/548, 206/549, 206/460, 229/162, 229/227, 229/231, 229/229, 229/904, 229/240, 229/224, 229/225, 229/226, 426/115, 426/122
• US Class Current: 206/541
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/548 for opening containers formed by erecting a blank to U-shape
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 229/904 Compartmented fast food holder or lap tray

Abstract

A packaging system for a meal kit that includes multiple, pre-packaged food items, optionally including a relatively massive component such as a beverage container. The packaging system generally comprises an outer container having two parts, a lid part and a tray part, separably joined together with a separable hinge portion and with a removable tear strip that leaves corners of the container parts reinforced so as to retain an enhanced stacking strength. Preferably, food items are supported by both the lid part and the tray part.

Claims

1. A meal kit packaging system for ready-to-eat food and beverage items, comprising:

a container formed from a unitary one-piece blank and having first and second self supporting tray parts joined together via a hinge;

a pair of removable straight line tear strips extending from said hinge and dividing the container into first and second tray modules, with one tray module hingedly movable toward and away from the other tray module so as to render the container reclosable;

the first and second tray parts of the container each having a support wall at least partly surrounded by containment walls upstanding from the support wall;

the first and second tray modules of the container, with the tear strips removed, having sufficient strength and stiffness to function for food preparation and serving;

the first tray module having four generally rectangular walls of generally equal height, including a front wall, a pair of opposed multiple thickness side walls comprising a first generally rectangular wall overlying a second generally triangular wall portion of the second tray part, and a rear wall;

the second tray module having a front generally unbroken, continuous rectangular wall of height generally equal to the height of the front wall of the first tray module, and a pair of opposed generally triangular side walls, the pair of opposed generally triangular sidewalls, the removable tear strips and the second generally triangular wall portion forming one-piece generally rectangular panel portions of said unitary one-piece blank; and

said tear strips extending diagonally between the front and rearwalls of the first tray part and separating the side walls of the second tray part to thereby free the second tray module for movement away from the first tray module.

2. The meal kit packaging system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of individual securements on the support walls of said first and said second tray parts to provide mechanical isolation of at least some of the food and beverage items from one another.

3. The meal kit packaging system of claim 2 wherein said individual securements comprise portions of adhesive.

4. The meal kit packaging system of claim 1 wherein the second tray part includes a window through which contents of the container interior may be viewed.

5. An integral carton blank including upper and lower self supporting tray portions wherein:

the upper self supporting tray portion comprises a center array disposed between first and second lateral arrays and at least partly joined to the lateral arrays by fold lines, the center array including a serial succession of a first front wall panel, a lid panel, a rear wall connector panel, the first and second lateral arrays each including a serial succession of a glue tab, and an outer side panel, the outer side panels being rectangular with four corners and divided by respective diagonal straight line tear strips extending from one of said corners to another of said corners;

the lower self supporting tray portion comprises a center array disposed between first and second lateral arrays and at least partly joined to the lateral arrays by fold lines, the center array including a serial succession of a bottom panel and a second front wall panel, and the first and second lateral arrays each including a serial succession of an inner side panel and a front wall glue panel; and

a hinge line joining the rear wall connector panel of the upper self supporting tray portion and the bottom panel of the lower self supporting tray portion.