GB2160414A

GB2160414A - Improvements in the presentation of food products and particularly poultry

Info

Publication number: GB2160414A
Application number: GB08511802A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Henri Grosbois; Guy Nansot
Original assignee: NOELLE ANCENIS COOP AGRICOLE
Current assignee: NOELLE ANCENIS COOP AGRICOLE
Priority date: 1984-05-09
Filing date: 1985-05-09
Publication date: 1985-12-24
Also published as: FR2564073B3; GB8511802D0; FR2564073A1

Abstract

A packing, eg for a tray carrying poultry, comprises a belt fastened around the tray and product and constituted by a bottom 1 and two sides 2 & 3 in which cuts 7 are made to allow the product to be better inspected. The belt is extended-on the upper part-by a gripping handle made of two half-handles 4 joined to the sides 2 and 3, and interconnected by flaps 10. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvement in the presentation of food products and particularly poultry The present invention aims to improve the packing presentation of food products, more particularly poultry.

The packing of food products for display and sale generally consist in a tray on which the product is placed, the latter being packed or unpacked and eventually the whole is wrapped in a thin transparent plastic film. Usual information concerning the product, i.e. origin, price etc. are displayed on a label stuck on the plastic film on the upper part or the sides of the product.

The aim of the new invention is to improve the presentation of the product by offering new possibilities in the display of information for the customers and in making appear parts of the product which will best influence the customer's choice, for example the thighs if the product is a chicken.

The invention also allows the product previously packed and the tray on which it is placed to be joined together when they have not been packed together under a transparent plastic film.

According to a first disposition of the invention, the packing is improved by a belt arranged around the tray and product. This belt is made of a bottom and of two sides pre-cut in a mould of a so-called "alimentary" material and it is made on the sides of cuttings to allow the product to be better visualized.

In the case of a poultry product, the belt is immobilized by the thighs protruding from at least one cutting. In the case of a packing where no part of the product may protrude, the side is joined to the tray-product by a gluing point or other.

The invention also aims to facilitate the gripping of the product from the distribution shelf without being detrimental to the usual stock conditions.

Therefore the belt around the product is extended, on the upper part, by a gripping handle parallel to the general orientation of the axis of the product so girdled.

Still according to the invention, the belt and handle are made of a mould in a so-called "alimentary" material, sort of cardboard or PVC comprising pre-cutting lines and folding grooves in view of a speedy volume setting.

This mould is made of placed in lines and successively- a square or rectangular bottom, the sides constituting simultaneously the lateral borders of the belt and the gripping handle.

To achieve the volume setting, the belt is fastened around the product and the tray; the fastening is realised on one hand by the fixation of the two extremities of the mould together by the mean of a flap bordering the bottom and on the other hand, by the fixation of the two flaps formed by the cutting of the handles together.

The invention can be better understood through the description showing an example of poultry packing and through the enclosed drawings in which one finds: -Picture 1-the cardboard mould before the volume setting.

- Picture 2-the complete packing consisting of the tray, the poultry and the belt with its handle.

As shown on picture 1, a mould in so-called "alimentary" material cardboard or PVC has a long shape, a sort of a pre-cut wrap the length of which corresponds to three or four times its width. The mould consists of a bottom perceptively square and of two symmetrical parts making each the sides 2 and 3 and the half-handles 4. The groove line 5 constituting the beginning of the folding separates the bottom of the contiguous side 2. A second groove line 6 separates the two symmetrical parts forming sides 2 and 3 and the two half-handles 4 placed here and there of the so-called groove line 6.

The sides 2 and 3 comprise each cuttings 7 the shape of which is adapted to the product. In the case of a poultry product, a chicken for example, the sizes are adapted to the calibre of the bird. The cuttings drawings 1 and 2 are circular and segmented by a groove line 8 which corresponds to the prevision of the folding of the sides 2 and 3 at the level of the brims of the tray holding the bird. The cuttings 7 have a surface adapted to the portion of the thigh which protrudes through these cuttings. The sides 2 and 3 are slightly swollen laterally at the level of the cuttings 7 to preserve a cardboard width with sufficient strength. The handle is made of two half handles 4 pre-cut which are joined to the sides 2 and 3 by grooves 9. The pre-cutting of the half-handles 4 in a U-shape produce two flaps 10 joined to the sides 2 and 3 by the same grooves 9.These flaps 10 fixed together constitute the elements for the upper fastening of the sides 2 and 3. The lower fastening is realised by the means of a flap 11 joined to the bottom 1; this flap 11 is fixed to the other extremity of the cardboard mould, that is to say to the lower part of the side 3.

At the level of the half-handles 4, grooves 12 parallel to grooves 9 insure a suppleness in the joining zone of the lateral sides 2 and 3 with the handle. These also allow an unobtrusiveness of the handle while the product is being stocked. Their amount can be four or more according the size of the handle.

For the volume setting, drawing 2-the tray is placed with the product on the bottom 1 of the mould. The two extremities of the mould are joined by the means of a flap 11 and the extremity of the lateral side 3, then the tightening or fastening of the belt will be effected by fixing flaps 10 together.

Lateral sides 2 and 3 take up the outlines of the product. In the case of poultry, for example, the thighs protrude through the cuttings of the sides, thus insuring a blockage of the belt in relation with the tray, emphasizing the quality of the product with the latter being better visualised. With another product, whereby no part is protruding, the blockage of the belt can be done by gluing point at the bottom 1.

The shape of the cutting 7 can also be adapted to the product and also the type of presentation one is looking for. The segmented circular shape can also be replaced by a hexagonal outline or by a more freakish outline.

Claims

1. Packing for food products of a kind made of a tray on which the conditioned or unconditioned product is placed, the whole of which is eventually packed in a transparent plastic film, characterized in its make-up by a belt fastened around tray and product, this belt being made of a bottom 1 and two sides 2 and 3, pre-cut in a mould of so-called "alimentary" material and it has cuttings 7 on the sides 2-3 to allow the product to be better visualized.

2. Packing for food product according to claim 1 characterized by the fact that the mould is joined to the tray product by a gluing point.

3. Packing for food product according to claim 1 characterized by the fact that the mould is immobilized by portion of the food product protruding through at least one of the cutting 7.

4. Packing for food product according to claim 1 to 3 characterized by the fact that the belt displayed around the product is extended at the upper part by a handle made of 2 half handle 4 joined to the sides 2 and 3 by grooves 9.

5. Packing for food product according to claim 4 characterized by the fact that the belt is fastened around the product by the means of a flap 11 joined to the bottom 1 fixed to the lower part of the side 3 and to the two flaps 10 fixed together, joined to the sides 2 and 3, these flaps 10 being produced through the pre-cutting of the half-handles 4.

6. Packing for a food product according to claim 4 or 5 characterized by the fact that the half-handles 4 have some grooves 12 parallel to the grooves 9 separating sides 2 and 3 from the half-handles 4.

7. A blank for use as a belt as specified in claim 1.

8. Packaging for a food product substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawing.

9. A blank for use in packaging for a food product substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing.