CA2079269A1 - Food pouch - Google Patents

Abstract

F-6416-L(SGC) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

A pouch for holding food products of all types, hot or cold, and formed from polymeric sheet materials, coextrusions and laminates, foamed or unfoamed. The pouch is adapted to serve as a sealable food container with readily accessible improved food entry means.

Description

207~211~9 F-6416-L(SGC) FOOD POUCH

Backaround of the Invention This invention relates to an improved container for holding food items, such as fast-foods, delicatessen style foods, pies, pastries, hot or cold, salads, vegetables and the like.

In the past, foamed "clam shells", oriented polystyrene containers, plastic wraps, paper wraps, cardboard containers and waxed "deli" bags have been employed to hold the aforementioned food items. While all have been widely accepted, most all have suffered from either being bulky, or expensive to produce, or lack of ready access to the inside of the container. What has been needed has been a simple, non-buIky, readily accessible food container, i.e., easy-opening/closing.

Summarv of the Invention It is therefore, among one of the principal objectives of this invention to overcome the aforementioned problems by providing a readily openable, sealably/closable pouch, of facile construction. It is ~till a further important object to provide a pouch with improved entry means into the body cavity thereof.

In accordance with the present invention there has not been devised a pouch for holding miscellaneous food items, hot or cold, especially hamburgers or cheesekurgers. The pouch is adapted to serve as a sealably/closable food container which provides for easy access of food into the container.
Brief DescriPtion of the Drawinq m e invention will ke hereinafter more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front plan view of a four-sided pouch made in accordance with the invention, with the sealing flap ~nd food entry means thereof at one side of the pouch.

207~2~9 F-6416-L(SGC) FIG. 2 is a rear plan view of the pouch of FIG. 1, showing the sealing flap and entry means, pætially shown by dotted lines through which food may be inserted into the interior of the pouch.

FIG. 3 shows a sectional end view of the sealably closable flap and entry means shown at the top thereof taken along line 3'-3' of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 shows a front plan view of the pouch with food contained therein in dotted lines and the flap in single seal.

FIG. 5 is a similar to FIG. 4, except the flap is shown in double seal.

Description of the Preferred Emkcdiments Referring now to the figures of the drawing, there is shcwn in FIG.s 1 and 2 the inventive pouch 10, in this case substantially formlng a square, although it will be seen hereinbelow that the shape can be varied, and in this emkodiment obviously it can be rectangular. The pouch 10 further ccmprises flat front and rear panels 12 and 14, respectively. Ihe upper corners 16, 18 (shown by phantom lines) of the pouch are sheared off at about 30 angles (the angle is not critical) to form a trapezoidal configuration for reasons to be further described hereinbelow.

The front and rear panels æe sealed on the three remaining sides 20, 22 and 24, respectively, while the top of the pouch 26 is unsealed to form an opening 27 into a food receiving cavity 28.

The rear panel 14 extends above the top of the bag 26 to foxm a flap 30 which will act as a closure for the food contents in the cavity 28.
The shearing of corners 16, 18 serves a dual purpose; it allows re accessible entry means for inserting the food, e.g. a hamburger, into cavity 28, as opposed to allowing the corners to remain squared and moreover, it saves plastic material. This is both economical and environmentally beneficial, i.e. less waste for the landfill.

2~792~9 F-6416-L(SGC) m e present pouch is utilizable for holding/storing food products of all types, hot or cold, and can be formed from polymeric sheet materials (polypropylene, low linear density polyethylene, polystyrene, etc.), coextrusions and laminates, foamed or unfoamed.
Less preferably, a water-proofed/resistant paper can be employed, e.g.
was paper, butcher wrap, freezer wrap, but preferably, polymeric sheet materials mentioned hereinabove are employed.

In practice, the desired food item is inserted into the body cavity 28, defined by front and rear panels 12 and 14, respectively, of pouch 10 throuqh the opening 27 coverable by flap 30. To seal the pouch, the inside surface of the flap 30 and its opposing surface 32 at the upper end 26 of the front panel can be treated with adhesive, or cohesive materials (one or both), or the flap can be taped. When the food, such as a hamburger 34, shown by dotted lines in FIG. 4, is safely inserted in the cavi-ty 26, the flap 30 is folded once over the top 260f front panel 12 and sealed by exerting pressure thereover.
Alternatively, but less preferably, the flap 32 without adhesive can be folded inside the opening 27 over the food.
It is to be noted that folding the flap 30 once over, doe snot render the pouch leakproof, since there is left remaining angular openings 40 and 42 leading into the cavity 28.

Thus, still more preferably the flap 30 is folded over twice upon itself 30; as shcwn in FIG. 5 (partial dotted lines) thereby squaring off the corners and effectively sealing the pouch to render it substantially leakproof.

As described in co-pending application Serial No. , entitled '~3~rED POUCH" and again in co-pending application Serial No.
entitled "FOAMED POLYOLEFIN FOOD PACKAGING", both filed concurrently herewith and in the name of the common assignee. The invention material can be adapted to provide a food container of various shapes, i.e. square/rectangular, circular and triangular, but the last two are less preferably. The thrust of said cc-pending applications, ~79~

F-6416-L(SGC) resp2ctively, is to provide a vented pouch, for food materials; and to provide among other things, advantageous materials for making the pouch, while the thrust of the instant invention is to provide a closable pouch with improved entry means, of facile construction.

Claims (10)

1. A container comprising a pouch formed from sheet material and adapted to serve as a sealably closable, readily openable food receptacle, which when opened simultaneously provides improved entry means into said pouch and improved sealing means therefor.

2. A container according to claim 1 wherein said pouch further comprises a quadrilateral shaped body having a front panel and a rear panel, said panels being closed at three sides to define a hollow body cavity for receiving food therein, entry means being provided at the remaining upper side for insertion of said food into said cavity, the respective upper corners of said quadrilateral shaped body being angularly sheared off to form a trapezoidal configuration, the rear panel extending above the upper side of the bag to form a closable flap, the act of shearing defining another lower flap on the front panel allowing for improved entry means into said cavity.

3. A container according to claim 2 wherein at least the inside of the upper flap, is provided with cohesive or adhesive material.

4. A container according to claim 3 wherein said upper flap is folded over twice upon itself to form a substantially leakproof pouch for any food contained therein.

5. A container according to claim 1 wherein said pouch is formed of polymeric sheet material.

6. A container according to claim 2 wherein said pouch is formed of polymeric sheet material.

7. A container according to claim 1 wherein said pouch is formed of water resistant paper sheet material.

8. A container according to claim 2 wherein said pouch is formed of water resistant paper sheet material.

F-6416-L(SGC)

9. A container according to claim 3 wherein the outside surface of the lower flap is provided with cohesive or adhesive materials.

10. A container according to claim 2 wherein both the upper and lower flaps are tucked inside the body cavity and over any food contained therein.