ES2222845A1 - Packaging device i.e. lunch box, for packaging food product i.e. sandwich, has transparent cover that covers upper part of lunch box, and lid made to slide on bottom part of lunch box for covering sandwich - Google Patents

Abstract

The device i.e. lunch box (7), has two opposing side walls whose interior seats (12, 13) are provided with a sandwich (1). A base part (3) of the sandwich is connected to a bottom part (9) of the lunch box. A lid (6) is made to slide on the bottom part of the lunch box for covering the sandwich. A top surface (4) of the sandwich is added with spices (5). A transparent cover (16) covers an upper part (8) of the lunch box.

Description

Packaged food package consisting of a sandwich or similar and its packaging, and lunch box for the manufacture of said food set.

Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a set food, or food product, packaging consisting of a sandwich or similar and its container, said sandwich being constituted for a bakery product base that has a surface top seasoned with condiments, and a product lid of bakery destined to rest, at the moment of consuming the sandwich, on said topped seasoned surface. The invention also refers to a lunchbox suitable for forming said container.

State of the art

Hygiene measures increasingly force commercialize sandwich or similar bakery products Closed in a container. In this way, in addition to limiting the external contamination of the product, correct labeling of the same thanks to the support constituted by the container. Packaged sandwich food products are known using a transparent plastic container, so that you can visually inspect said product. However, these known products have the disadvantage that they cannot visually appreciate the sandwich seasoning without opening the container and manipulate the sandwich to remove the lid, having to conform to the consumer to the information contained in the label of the container without being able to appreciate the real aspect of the seasoning.

Summary of the invention

The invention aims to overcome this inconvenient. This purpose is achieved through a product packaged food of the type indicated at the beginning, characterized because said package comprises a lunch box consisting of a bottom and  side walls that delimit an upper plane, being you provide two of said facing side walls of about interior seating means, and because said product base of bakery is supported on that bottom by its opposite bottom to its top surface seasoned and said product cover of bakery is arranged in a tilted position, next to said base of bakery product, based on at least one part partially on said fund and on the other hand relying on said seating means of said side walls, so that the lid of bakery product so arranged exposes, to less partially and seen through said upper plane, the top surface seasoned with condiments of said base Bakery product. When the sandwich is packed with its lid without placing, the consumer can see the condiments arranged on top surface seasoned without needing open the container At the time of consuming the sandwich, the consumer can easily remove said base and said lid accessing the upper plane of the lunch box and reconstitute the sandwich by placing the lid on the base. On the other hand, similar lunch box, thanks to its interior seating means, allows Easily place the sandwich lid on the container, so that the packaging procedure is not significantly complicated with with respect to the known food products of this kind.

In the most common product applications food according to the invention, the lunch box is made of material food grade plastic, such as polypropylene or expanded polystyrene, although the possibility of use other materials such as cardboard.

In a solution preferably, said means of seat are constituted by two opposite steps of said side walls that extend vertically by dividing said lunchbox in two parts, a first part of greater width interior and a second part of smaller interior width, said bakery product base being arranged mainly in said second part of smaller width and said bakery product lid being arranged mainly in said first part of greater width. By width from these parts the distance between the walls is understood sides where the steps are arranged as a means of seat. The arrangement described is particularly advantageous, since allows to provide a sandwich whose base is slightly longer than the width of said second part of the lunch box, so that at place it slightly pressed and immobilized in the container. The sandwich lid, however, is loosely placed in the first part of the lunch box and simply relies on these steps, maintaining an inclined position and resulting in easy placement and extraction.

In an advantageous alternative solution, said seating means are constituted by two projections facing said side walls, presenting each of said projections a lateral surface and extending said projections vertically dividing said lunch box into two parts, a first part facing said lateral surfaces of the projections and a second part provided with rounded edges juxtaposed to said projections, said base being arranged of bakery product mainly in said second part, of so that said rounded edges of this second part embrace the shape of said bakery product base, and meeting said bakery product lid arranged primarily in said first part, relying on said lateral surfaces. This alternative solution allows to have a sandwich without need for its base to be longer than the width of said base Second part of the lunch box. Indeed, in this case the basis of sandwich is embedded in the rounded edges of the second part of the lunchbox juxtaposed to the projections and also in the own projections that preferably prolong the shape rounded off these edges. The sandwich lid, meanwhile, is loosely placed in the first part of the lunch box, leaning on the lateral surfaces of the projections.

Advantageously, said package further comprises a transparent cover that closes the upper plane of said lunch box, guaranteeing a hygienic product seal food without impeding the visibility of the upper surface seasoned from the base of the sandwich. In this case, it is understood that the food product package is constituted by said lunch box and said cover.

More advantageously, the side walls of said lunch box form at the level of the upper plane of said lunch box a continuous outer flange, and said cover is a film of transparent plastic sealed on the upper face of said flange. This configuration allows a simple packaging process and effective, for example by heat sealing said cover of plastic film on said flange of a lunch box of plastic.

The invention also relates to a lunch box for the manufacture of a food product packaged with features and advantages described above. Said lunch box It consists of a bottom and side walls that delimit a plane upper of the lunch box, two of said walls being provided opposite sides of inner seating means. In a first advantageous solution, said seating means are constituted by two opposite steps of said walls laterally extending vertically dividing said lunch box in two parts, a first part of greater interior width and a second part of smaller interior width. In a second solution advantageously, said seating means are constituted by two facing protrusions of said side walls, presenting each one of said projections a lateral surface and extending said protrusions vertically dividing said lunchbox in two parts, a first part facing said lateral surfaces of the projections and a second part provided with some edges rounded juxtaposed to said projections. Likewise advantageously, the walls of said lunch box form at the plane level top of said lunch box a continuous outer flange. This lunchbox according to the invention is intended to be used for manufacture of a food product according to the invention, being able to be an industrial manufacturing, more or less automated, or of a handmade manufacturing destined for retail sale. In in particular, the lunchbox according to the invention can be used advantageously to manual packaging of sandwiches in establishments as bakeries and the like.

Brief description of the drawings

Other advantages and features of the invention they are appreciated from the following description, in which, without no limitation, preferential modes of embodiment of the invention, mentioning the drawings that are accompany. The figures show:

Fig. 1, a top plan view of a food product packaged according to a first form of embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2, an elevation view of the product food of Fig. 1, with the container sectioned according to A-A of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, a side elevation view of the product food of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4, Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, respectively, front elevation, top floor and side elevation view of a lunch box according to the invention corresponding to the product food of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7, a top plan view of a lunch box according to a second embodiment of the invention.

Detailed description of some embodiments of the invention

Figs. 1 to 3 illustrate a first form of embodiment of the invention consisting of a food product constituted by a lunchbox 7 in which a sandwich is placed 1 formed by a base of bread 3 seasoned with seasonings 5 and a bread lid 6 placed next to said base 3. The lunchbox 7 is of food grade polypropylene and is obtained by thermoforming with piston on a mold; present a form globally parallelepipedic, with a bottom 9 and walls lateral delimiting an upper plane 8 that extends laterally on a continuous and flat outer flange 17. Two of said facing side walls 10, 11 are provided with interior seating means that in this case consist of two opposite steps 12, 13 that extend vertically to the along the entire height of the walls 10, 11, dividing the lunchbox 7 in a first part of greater interior width 7a and a second part of smaller interior width 7b. These steps 12, 13 they are formed by a directional break of the side walls 10, 11, which maintain a constant thickness. The bread base 3 is located mainly in the second part 7b of smaller width of the lunchbox 7 and rests on the bottom 9 at the bottom, slightly protruding from its side part in the first part 7a of the lunch box 7. In Fig. 1 it can be seen that this bread base 3 is slightly snapped between the walls 10, 11, so that it is immobilized avoiding itself so that it can slide sideways and place under bread lid 6. This lid of bread 6, meanwhile, is located primarily in the first part 7a of greater width and is arranged in a position tilted to the side of said bread base 3, resting on the one hand at bottom 9 and on the other hand in said steps 12, 13, protruding slightly by its side in the second part 7b, but leaving the discovered, seen from the upper plane 8, most of the top surface 4 seasoned with condiments 5 of the bread base 3. It will be noted that the bread lid 6 has a length substantially equal to that of bread base 3 and not found pressed against walls 10, 11 thanks to the first part 7a of the lunch box has greater width. The bread lid 6 can thus easily disposed in the indicated position, keeping it position against possible sudden movements of the product, when time that can be easily removed from the container for a consumer. Lunchbox 7 has about 14, 15 feet formed by projections that extend along its width and that they also constitute a mechanical reinforcement of the bottom 9. Finally, the container is closed by its upper plane 8 by means of a cover 16, which in this case is a transparent plastic film, of the type known as "film skin", heat sealed on the outer flange 17. It is understood that the product package 2 is constituted by said lunchbox 7 and said cover 16.

On the other hand, Figs. 4 to 6 illustrate in isolation the lunchbox 9 corresponding to the food product described above. The latter can be manufactured, both industrial as by hand, from said lunchbox.

Finally, Fig. 7 shows a lunch box that corresponds to a packaged food product according to a second embodiment of the invention, which differs from the first in that, on the one hand, the seating means are not constituted by some steps, if not by two projections 12 ', 13' facing the side walls 10, 11 each presenting a lateral surface 18, 19 and, on the other hand, these projections 12 ', 13' extend vertically by dividing the lunch box into a first part 7a 'facing the lateral surfaces 18, 19 of the projections and a second part 7b 'provided with some edges rounded 20 juxtaposed to said projections 12 ', 13'. Be you will notice that in the embodiment represented in Fig. 7 the lateral surfaces 18, 19 are constituted by faces flat. However, this particular geometry should not be understood as  limiting form; indeed, the lateral surfaces 18, 19 at which the invention refers to may also be, for example, curved surfaces On the other hand, it will be observed that in the figures the packaged food product has not been represented complete that incorporates the lunchbox of Fig. 7, being analogous to  of Fig. 1 except in the form of the lunch box. the basis of sandwich 3 is arranged primarily in said second part 7b 'and the sandwich lid 6 is arranged mainly in said first part 7a ', although in this case is supported on the lateral surfaces 18, 19. The base of sandwich is embedded in the lunchbox because it embraces the shape of rounded edges 20, instead of being fixed to pressure by a slight crushing of its ends as in the case of the first embodiment represented in Fig. 1.

The manufacture of the described food product above includes, for any of the two forms of described embodiment, the steps of:

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conformation of the lunchbox 7 according to one of the two ways described above, by thermoforming by piston on a mold;

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placement of the bread base 3 seasoned in the second part 7b or 7b 'of said lunchbox 7, slightly pressed between the walls 10, 11 of the lunch box or embedded in rounded edges (20), depending on the case;

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a stage of placing the bread lid 6 in the first part 7a or 7a ', in position tilted and resting on steps 12, 13 or on the lateral surfaces 18, 19, as the case may be; Y

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placement of a 17 transparent heat-sealed plastic film, the flange exterior 17, closing the upper plane 8 of the lunch box 7.

Claims (9)

1. Packaged food set consisting of a sandwich (1) or similar and its container (2), said sandwich (1) being constituted by a bakery product base (3) having a top surface (4) seasoned with condiments ( 5), and a bakery product lid (6) intended to rest, at the time of consuming the sandwich (1), on said topped seasoned surface (4), characterized in that said container (2) comprises a lunchbox (7) consisting of a bottom (9) and side walls that delimit an upper plane (8), two (10, 11) being provided with said side walls facing inner seating means (12, 13; 12 ', 13' ), and because said bakery product base (3) is supported on said bottom (9) by its lower part opposite its seasoned upper surface (4) and said bakery product lid (6) is arranged in a tilted position, next to said bakery product base (3), supported on the one hand by the partially in said bottom (9) and on the other hand relying on said seating means (12, 13) of said side walls (10, 11), so that the bakery product cover (6) thus arranged exposes , at least partially and seen through said upper plane (8), the upper surface (4) seasoned with condiments (5) of said bakery product base (3). 2. Food assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that said seating means are constituted by two opposite steps (12, 13) facing said side walls (10, 11) that extend vertically by dividing said lunch box (7) into two parts, a first part of greater interior width (7a) and a second part of smaller interior width (7b), said bakery product base (3) being arranged mainly in said second part of smaller width (7b) and said product cover being arranged of bakery (6) mainly in said first part of greater width (7a). 3. Food assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that said seating means are constituted by two protrusions (12 ', 13') facing said side walls (10, 11), each of said projections having a lateral surface (18, 19) and said projections extending (12 ', 13') vertically by dividing said lunch box (7) into two parts, a first part (7a ') facing said lateral surfaces (18, 19) of the projections and a second part (7b ') provided with rounded edges (20) juxtaposed to said projections (12', 13 '), said bakery product base (3) being arranged mainly in said second part (7b'), so that said rounded edges ( 20) of this second part embrace the shape of said bakery product base (3), and said bakery product cover (6) being arranged mainly in said first part (7a '), relying on said lateral surfaces (18, 19). 4. Food assembly according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said container (2) further comprises a transparent cover (16) that closes the upper plane (8) of said lunch box (7). 5. Food assembly according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the side walls of said lunch box (7) form at the level of the upper plane (8) of said lunch box (7) an outer continuous flange (17) and that said cover (16) is a transparent plastic film sealed on the upper face of said flange (17). 6. Lunch box (7) for the manufacture of a packaged food package according to claim 1, characterized in that it consists of a bottom (9) and side walls that delimit an upper plane (8) of the lunch box (7), with two provided (10, 11) of said side walls facing inner seating means (12, 13; 12 ', 13'). 7. Lunch box according to claim 6, characterized in that said seating means are constituted by two opposite steps (12, 13) facing said side walls (10, 11) that extend vertically by dividing said lunch box (7) into two parts, a first part of greater interior width (7a) and a second part of smaller interior width (7b). 8. Lunch box according to claim 6, characterized in that said seating means are constituted by two protrusions (12 ', 13') facing said side walls (10, 11), each of said projections having a lateral surface (18, 19 ) and said projections extending (12 ', 13') vertically by dividing said lunch box (7) into two parts, a first part (7a ') facing said lateral surfaces (18, 19) of the projections and a second part (7b' ) provided with rounded edges (20) juxtaposed to said projections (12 ', 13'). 9. Lunch box according to any of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the walls of said lunch box (7) form at the level of the upper plane (8) of said lunch box (7) an outer continuous flange (17).