EP0677454A1 - Schale mit mehreren Kammern für Lebensmittel - Google Patents

Schale mit mehreren Kammern für Lebensmittel Download PDF

Info

Publication number
EP0677454A1
EP0677454A1 EP95302371A EP95302371A EP0677454A1 EP 0677454 A1 EP0677454 A1 EP 0677454A1 EP 95302371 A EP95302371 A EP 95302371A EP 95302371 A EP95302371 A EP 95302371A EP 0677454 A1 EP0677454 A1 EP 0677454A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
cup
tray
membrane
product
compartment
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP95302371A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Inventor
Valerie Aranka Sooky
Jeffrey Allen Loth
Edmund Aloysious Weaver, Jr.
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Mondelez International Inc
Original Assignee
Kraft Foods Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Kraft Foods Inc filed Critical Kraft Foods Inc
Publication of EP0677454A1 publication Critical patent/EP0677454A1/de
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D81/00—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents
    • B65D81/32—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents for packaging two or more different materials which must be maintained separate prior to use in admixture
    • B65D81/3216—Rigid containers disposed one within the other
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B9/00—Enclosing successive articles, or quantities of material, e.g. liquids or semiliquids, in flat, folded, or tubular webs of flexible sheet material; Subdividing filled flexible tubes to form packages
    • B65B9/02—Enclosing successive articles, or quantities of material between opposed webs
    • B65B9/04—Enclosing successive articles, or quantities of material between opposed webs one or both webs being formed with pockets for the reception of the articles, or of the quantities of material
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D81/00—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents
    • B65D81/32—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents for packaging two or more different materials which must be maintained separate prior to use in admixture
    • B65D81/3294—Thermoformed trays or the like with a plurality of recesses for different materials located in different recesses

Definitions

  • This invention relates generally to disposable food packaging, and more particularly to a formed plastic container having more than one compartment.
  • Disposable food packaging which allows consumers to transport, open and eat a food product at any desired location and then readily dispose of the food packaging has become more popular in recent years.
  • Such packaging must be easy to open and must be capable of economical manufacture for mass production.
  • a known package which has been widely used for consumer sale of two-item snacks such as cheese and crackers comprises a two-compartment tray for storing a cheese product or other soft or spreadable product in one compartment, and crackers, breadsticks or the like in the other compartment.
  • the tray is formed, filled and sealed in an in-line process wherein the tray is formed by a thermoforming or vacuum forming operation.
  • the two products are placed in their respective compartments and a thin film of flexible plastic material is peelably sealed over the top of the tray to hermetically seal the product.
  • a flat spreading implement may also be included inside.
  • a package comprising an indentationally compartmentalized tray having at least two compartments formed therein, for containing at least two different food products, wherein one of the food products is sealed in a plastic cup disposed within a first one of the compartments in the tray, and the other food product is disposed in a second compartment in the tray.
  • the invention further comprises a method for forming, filling and sealing the package wherein the plastic cup may be formed, filled and sealed at a location and time remote from the location and time of its insertion into a compartment of the tray.
  • the plastic cup is peelably sealed by a first thin film or membrane of flexible plastic, and the tray is also preferably peelably sealed by a second thin film or membrane of flexible plastic extending across at least the second compartment.
  • the second plastic film extends across both compartments, co-bonding with the film over the cup. This permits both compartments to be opened by a single manual peeling operation.
  • the food products are, respectively, a spreadable first product such as a cheese spread or peanut butter contained in the first compartment, and a bread product such as bread sticks, crackers, or the like contained in the second compartment.
  • a spreadable first product such as a cheese spread or peanut butter contained in the first compartment
  • a bread product such as bread sticks, crackers, or the like contained in the second compartment.
  • two-product packaging of the type described above has required that the two products be kept on-hand in bulk at the location where the package is formed, filled and sealed, and that the bulk products be dispensed and sealed nearly simultaneously into the packaging.
  • the method of the invention permits the tray to be formed, filled and sealed at a time and location remote from when the cup was formed, filled and sealed. This permits savings through greater plant specification in that the plant in which the filling and sealing of the first compartment takes place need not have the capability of handling bulk quantities of the second product, and the plant in which filling and sealing of the second compartment takes place need not have the capability of handling bulk quantities of the first product.
  • the method also increases manufacturing flexibility, since a variety of products could be filled into cups at alternate locations and still be assembled at a central location without the need for additional filling or production equipment at the assembly location.
  • the method may enable more rapid filling of orders since the rate of production may be increased by maintaining an inventory of pre-filled cups on hand.
  • FIG. 1 is a partially exploded perspective view of a package in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention.
  • FIG. 2 is a plan view of the tray shown in FIG. 1.
  • FIG. 3 is a side view of the tray shown in FIG. 1.
  • FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the tray shown in FIG. 1.
  • FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cup shown in FIG. 1.
  • FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a web of film used for covering and sealing the trays in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention.
  • FIG. 7 is a plan view of the package shown in FIG. 1.
  • the invention is preferably embodied in a two-compartment package and in a method of forming, filling and sealing the package.
  • the package includes an indentationally compartmentalized tray 10, having first and second generally rectangular compartments 12 and 14 formed therein.
  • a generally rectangular cup 30 is attached within the smaller compartment 12 and is covered and sealed by a film or membrane 22.
  • the tray 10 is similarly covered and sealed by a film or membrane 32.
  • the compartmentalized tray 10 may be made of a plastic material such as polyester or PVC.
  • the larger recessed compartment 14 may be filled with a bread product, such as bread sticks or crackers.
  • the bottom surface 40 of the bread product compartment 14 may have a raised, rib-like structure 20 to add rigidity to the bottom surface 40, to inhibit breakage of the bread product 36 and to facilitate manual removal of the bread product 36 from the bread product compartment 14.
  • the smaller recessed compartment 12 may contain a spreadable product such as a cheese spread or peanut butter.
  • the product contained in the compartment 12, rather than being in direct contact with the inner surface of the compartment 12, is disposed within a generally rectangular cup 30 which is made of a plastic material and which is secured within the compartment 12.
  • the cup 30 is preferably hot-filled for microstability and to enhance freshness, and is covered and sealed along its lip 34 with a cup sealing membrane 22, hermetically sealing the spreadable product 38 in the cup 30. If required for shelf life purposes, the compartments may be gas-flushed.
  • the membrane 22 is made of polypropylene and polyester for structural stability and tear resistance.
  • the spreadable product cup 30 is secured in place in the compartment 12 by ultrasonic welding 44 of the respective lips 34 and 28 to one another such that the lip 34 becomes flush with, or is slightly above, but not below, the height of the tray lip 28.
  • the two compartments 12, 14 are generally of the same width and depth, adjacently oriented in the tray 10 with the larger compartment elongated to accommodate a food product such as crackers or breadsticks.
  • the tray 10 has a lip 28 along its periphery and the spreadable product cup 30 has a lip 34 along its periphery which rests on the tray lip 28 when the cup is inserted into the spreadable product compartment 12.
  • a plastic tray-sealing membrane 32 is sealed along the lip 28 of the plastic tray 10. Where the tray-sealing membrane overlies the previously sealed cup-sealing membrane, the heat and pressure causes the membranes to bond. This permits both the bread product compartment 14 and the spreadable product compartment 12 to be opened by a single manual peeling operation, i.e., gripping of a corner or other portion of the tray-sealing membrane 32 and lifting it away from the tray 10.
  • the tray 10 has one perforated corner 18 which facilitates manually disjoining the corner 18 from the rest of the tray 10, by holding the corner 18 between the thumb and index finger and pulling upward, peeling the heat-sealed membrane 32 from the lip 28 of the tray 10.
  • the method of filling and sealing the package comprises two separate in-line operations which may be performed at times and locations remote from one another.
  • the first operation comprises forming the cup 30, preferably by vacuum forming or thermoforming, then dispensing the spreadable food product 38 into the cup 30, and heat-sealing the cup-sealing membrane 22 to the lip 34 of the cup 30.
  • the formed, filled and sealed cups may then be transported to a separate facility for incorporation into the tray 10.
  • the compartmentalized tray 10 is independently vacuum thermoformed.
  • the product-filled cup 30 is then inserted into the recessed spreadable product compartment 12 of the tray 10 and ultrasonically welded to the tray 10.
  • the bread product 36 and a spreading implement 42 are dispensed into the recessed bread product compartment 14.
  • the tray-sealing membrane 32 is placed over the tray and heat-sealed first to the cup film 22 and then to the lip 28, including the area between the compartments 12 and 14.
  • the packages are preferably formed, filled and sealed in rows, whereby multiple packages in each single row are simultaneously formed, then filled, then sealed.
  • a web 24 of film or membrane material having labels pre-printed thereon, as shown in FIG. 6, is preferably employed for covering and sealing the trays.
  • the web 24 illustrated in FIG. 6 is intended for use in connection with six-across rows of trays. It will be appreciated that rows of greater or smaller numbers of trays may be employed in alternative embodiments.
  • the packages are preferably formed, filled and sealed in rows.
  • the trays 10 are formed and filled, they are connected along their longitudinal side edges 46 as well as along their transverse end edges 48.
  • the sealing membrane is sealed over each row while the packages remain connected.
  • perforations are then formed through the trays 10 and the membranes 26 between the first and second, between the third and fourth, and between the fifth and sixth trays in the row. Knife cuts are formed to separate the packages between the second and third trays and between the fourth and fifth trays in each row.
  • Each row is then severed from the succeeding row, and the row of six is cut into three pairs of packages, each pair having perforations 16 to facilitate detachment of the two packages in each pair from one another.
  • the invention eliminates the need for maintaining bulk quantities of two separate products on hand at a single location by enabling the tray to be filled and sealed at a time and location remote from the time and location at which the cup was filled and sealed. This permits savings through greater plant specification.
  • the method may enable more rapid filling of orders since the rate of production may be increased by having pre-filled cups.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Packages (AREA)
  • Packging For Living Organisms, Food Or Medicinal Products That Are Sensitive To Environmental Conditiond (AREA)
EP95302371A 1994-04-13 1995-04-10 Schale mit mehreren Kammern für Lebensmittel Withdrawn EP0677454A1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US22735994A 1994-04-13 1994-04-13
US227359 1994-04-13

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0677454A1 true EP0677454A1 (de) 1995-10-18

Family

ID=22852783

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP95302371A Withdrawn EP0677454A1 (de) 1994-04-13 1995-04-10 Schale mit mehreren Kammern für Lebensmittel

Country Status (1)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0677454A1 (de)

Cited By (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2328669A (en) * 1997-09-01 1999-03-03 Gei International Plc Packaging of snack foods in multi-compartment trays
WO2003064282A2 (en) * 2002-01-30 2003-08-07 Mars Incorporated Multiple pack and method of producing same
EP1612150A1 (de) * 2004-06-30 2006-01-04 Es-Plastic GmbH & Co. KG Schale-in -Schale-System
US7041326B2 (en) * 2002-03-29 2006-05-09 Kraft Foods Holdings, Inc. Food package
FR2889933A1 (fr) * 2005-08-31 2007-03-02 Jean Michel Allibert Structure de support agencee pour permettre de tartiner au moins un aliment friable.
EP1840036A1 (de) * 2006-02-24 2007-10-03 Surgital S.p.A. Verpackungshilfe und zugehöriges Verpackungsverfahren für Nudeln und andere Lebensmittel
ES2283167A1 (es) * 2004-09-15 2007-10-16 Valentin Masa Alcorlo Envase para productos.
ES2326574A1 (es) * 2007-02-26 2009-10-14 Manuel Portela Collazo Procedimiento de envasado de queso y dulce de membrillo, y envase.
AU2005200235B2 (en) * 2004-01-29 2010-05-27 Soremartec S.A. A container for food products
US10343809B2 (en) 2017-02-08 2019-07-09 Inline Plastics Corp. Compartmentalized containers
WO2020077116A1 (en) * 2018-10-11 2020-04-16 Kellogg Company Packaging subassembly, a packaging assembly and a methodology for preparing a packaging assembly
USD894731S1 (en) 2018-10-10 2020-09-01 Kellogg Company Food packaging

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE2151948A1 (de) * 1971-10-19 1973-04-26 Arno Klie Verpackung fuer lebensmittelportionen
EP0088255A1 (de) * 1982-03-03 1983-09-14 Societe Des Produits Nestle S.A. Verpackung und Verpackungsverfahren
EP0283145A2 (de) * 1987-02-24 1988-09-21 Lawson Mardon Group Uk Limited Verpackung
FR2642726A1 (fr) * 1989-02-07 1990-08-10 Monoplast Barquette a compartiments multiples
EP0460933A1 (de) * 1990-06-07 1991-12-11 Oscar Mayer Foods Corporation Packung mit mehreren Unterteilungen
FR2682864A1 (fr) * 1991-10-25 1993-04-30 Rouressol Danielle Plateau-repas.

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE2151948A1 (de) * 1971-10-19 1973-04-26 Arno Klie Verpackung fuer lebensmittelportionen
EP0088255A1 (de) * 1982-03-03 1983-09-14 Societe Des Produits Nestle S.A. Verpackung und Verpackungsverfahren
EP0283145A2 (de) * 1987-02-24 1988-09-21 Lawson Mardon Group Uk Limited Verpackung
FR2642726A1 (fr) * 1989-02-07 1990-08-10 Monoplast Barquette a compartiments multiples
EP0460933A1 (de) * 1990-06-07 1991-12-11 Oscar Mayer Foods Corporation Packung mit mehreren Unterteilungen
FR2682864A1 (fr) * 1991-10-25 1993-04-30 Rouressol Danielle Plateau-repas.

Cited By (22)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2328669A (en) * 1997-09-01 1999-03-03 Gei International Plc Packaging of snack foods in multi-compartment trays
WO2003064282A2 (en) * 2002-01-30 2003-08-07 Mars Incorporated Multiple pack and method of producing same
WO2003064282A3 (en) * 2002-01-30 2004-07-15 Mars Inc Multiple pack and method of producing same
US7552835B2 (en) 2002-01-30 2009-06-30 Mars Incorporated Multiple pack and method of producing same
AU2003206713B2 (en) * 2002-01-30 2009-04-30 Mars, Incorporated Multiple pack and method of producing same
US7041326B2 (en) * 2002-03-29 2006-05-09 Kraft Foods Holdings, Inc. Food package
AU2005200235B2 (en) * 2004-01-29 2010-05-27 Soremartec S.A. A container for food products
EP1612150A1 (de) * 2004-06-30 2006-01-04 Es-Plastic GmbH & Co. KG Schale-in -Schale-System
ES2283167A1 (es) * 2004-09-15 2007-10-16 Valentin Masa Alcorlo Envase para productos.
FR2889933A1 (fr) * 2005-08-31 2007-03-02 Jean Michel Allibert Structure de support agencee pour permettre de tartiner au moins un aliment friable.
WO2007026107A3 (fr) * 2005-08-31 2007-06-21 Jean-Michel Allibert Structure de support agencee pour permettre de tartiner au moins un aliment friable
WO2007026107A2 (fr) * 2005-08-31 2007-03-08 Jean-Michel Allibert Structure de support agencee pour permettre de tartiner au moins un aliment friable
EP1840036A1 (de) * 2006-02-24 2007-10-03 Surgital S.p.A. Verpackungshilfe und zugehöriges Verpackungsverfahren für Nudeln und andere Lebensmittel
ES2326574A1 (es) * 2007-02-26 2009-10-14 Manuel Portela Collazo Procedimiento de envasado de queso y dulce de membrillo, y envase.
US10343809B2 (en) 2017-02-08 2019-07-09 Inline Plastics Corp. Compartmentalized containers
US11180275B2 (en) 2017-02-08 2021-11-23 Inline Plastics Corp. Compartmentalized containers
USD894731S1 (en) 2018-10-10 2020-09-01 Kellogg Company Food packaging
USD1009620S1 (en) 2018-10-10 2024-01-02 Kellogg Company Food packaging
WO2020077116A1 (en) * 2018-10-11 2020-04-16 Kellogg Company Packaging subassembly, a packaging assembly and a methodology for preparing a packaging assembly
EP4282773A2 (de) 2018-10-11 2023-11-29 Kellogg Company Verpackungsunteranordnung, verpackungsanordnung und verfahren zur herstellung einer verpackungsanordnung
EP4282773A3 (de) * 2018-10-11 2024-03-13 Kellogg Company Verpackungsunteranordnung, verpackungsanordnung und verfahren zur herstellung einer verpackungsanordnung
US11981495B2 (en) 2018-10-11 2024-05-14 Kellogg Company Packaging subassembly, a packaging assembly and a methodology for preparing a packaging assembly

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