Food package having a compartmentalized rigid base tray
DCFirst Claim
1. A food package comprising:
- (a) a generally rectangular rigid plastic base tray having four side edges, a top and a bottom located in a bottom plane, at least three compartments, said base tray having peripheral and internal flanges, said flanges being located in a reference plane parallel to the bottom plane, the peripheral flanges defining the four side edges of the tray, each said compartment being defined by side walls extending downwardly from said flanges and a bottom wall located along the bottom plane, the flanges being of sufficient width for air-tightly sealing a flexible film thereto, and at least one of said compartments containing a food product,(b) an air impermeable flexible film in said reference plane affixed to the flanges and forming an airtight seal at least with respect to said compartments containing the food product, said film having associated therewith a package top design which permits viewing of the contents in at least one of said compartments, and(c) a back panel comprising a flat relatively stiff planar sheet which is adhered immovably to the bottom walls of at least two of said compartments of the tray to preserve the structural integrity of the package and providing means to convey label information.
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Abstract
A food package comprising a rigid plastic base tray having at least three compartments, the tray being covered by a flexible film which is airtightly sealed to flanges of the tray to airtightly or hermetically seal the respective compartments. A label structure integrally associated with the flexible film has opaque areas for label information and transparent areas for viewing the product. The label structure may be formed by separate pressure sensitive labels, by printing on the flexible film itself or by a shrink wrapped band with printing thereon. A structure associated with the bottom of the tray may provide rigidity, protect the bottom of the tray, provide an additional area for commercial information and/or provide a stand-up feature. The materials of the package may be selected to maximize recyclability.
92 Citations
63 Claims
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1. A food package comprising:
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(a) a generally rectangular rigid plastic base tray having four side edges, a top and a bottom located in a bottom plane, at least three compartments, said base tray having peripheral and internal flanges, said flanges being located in a reference plane parallel to the bottom plane, the peripheral flanges defining the four side edges of the tray, each said compartment being defined by side walls extending downwardly from said flanges and a bottom wall located along the bottom plane, the flanges being of sufficient width for air-tightly sealing a flexible film thereto, and at least one of said compartments containing a food product, (b) an air impermeable flexible film in said reference plane affixed to the flanges and forming an airtight seal at least with respect to said compartments containing the food product, said film having associated therewith a package top design which permits viewing of the contents in at least one of said compartments, and (c) a back panel comprising a flat relatively stiff planar sheet which is adhered immovably to the bottom walls of at least two of said compartments of the tray to preserve the structural integrity of the package and providing means to convey label information. - View Dependent Claims (3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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2. A food package comprising:
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(a) a generally rectangular rigid plastic base tray having four side edges, a top, a bottom located in a bottom plane, and a plurality of compartments, said base tray having peripheral and internal flanges, said peripheral flanges defining said four side edges of said tray, each said compartment being defined by side walls extending from said flanges and a bottom wall located along the bottom plane, said flanges sized and adapted to form a hermetic seal with a film attached thereto, (b) a film adapted to be affixed to said flanges so as to hermetically seal said compartments, said film adapted to receive and display information, and (c) a protecting back panel adhered immovably to said bottom walls of at least two of said compartments of said tray, said back panel being planar and adapted to receive and display information. - View Dependent Claims (4, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61)
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62. A food package comprising:
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(a) a generally rectangular rigid plastic base tray having four side edges, a top, a bottom, and a plurality of compartments, each of said compartments having side walls, said base tray having peripheral and internal flanges, said peripheral flanges defining said four side edges of said tray, said compartments defined by said side walls extending from said flanges, said flanges sized and adapted to form a hermetic seal with a film attached thereto, (b) a film adapted to be affixed to said flanges so as to hermetically seal said compartments, said film adapted to receive and display information, and (c) portions of at least some of said compartments being shallower than other portions of said compartments, and including a backing sheet on the bottom of the shallower portion to enhance the structural rigidity of the package. - View Dependent Claims (63)
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Specification