IE83925B1 - A package - Google Patents

Description

PATENTS ACT, 1992 2001/0690 A PACKAGE RYE DEVELOPMENTS LIMITED “A Package” Introduction The invention relates to package and in particular to a package for a food product such as a filled pastry product.

Statements of Invention According to the invention there is provided a package for a food product, the package having a front wall and a rear wall joined by side walls, and a bottom closure, the package having an integral tear strip extending around the front, rear and side walls and having a pull tab for pulling the tear strip, removal of the strip dividing the package into at least two separate package parts, at least one of the package parts defining a pocket to hold the food product during consumption, wherein the side walls each include a longitudinal crease to facilitate collapse and opening of the package to receive the food product, each longitudinal crease dividing the respective side wall into a first portion and a second portion which is wider than the first portion to enhance the crisping characteristics of the package.

In a preferred embodiment the package is a sleeve into which the food product is placed for heating. The sleeve may have an open top to receive the food product.

The bottom may be formed by an interengagable tab and slot on the front and rear wall respectively. The package preferably is adapted for microwave cooking and includes a microwave interactive surface which browns or toasts a surface of the food product during cooking. Generally, such an interactive is metallic such as a vacuum deposited thin layer of aluminium metal.

The invention also provides a blank for use in forming the package ofthe invention.

BriefDescription of the Drawings The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description thereof given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the Figures 1 to 12 and 14 embodiments fall outside the scope of the claimed invention, and in which;— Fig. 1 is a blank used to form a package according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective View of an erected package; Figs. 3 and 4 are perspective views illustrating the erection of the package; Fig. 5 is a side view of the package; Fig. 6 is a rear View of the package; Fig. 7 is a front view ofthe package; Fig. 8 is an underneath plan View of the package; Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the package; Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the package being opened; Fig. ll is a perspective view of the opened package; Fig. 12 is a perspective view ofthe package, in use; Fig. 13 is a perspective view of another package according to the invention; Fig. 14 is a plan view ofa blank of another package.

Detail Description Referring to the drawings there is illustrated a package 1, outside the scope of the claimed invention, for a food product, in this case especially for a filled pastry or dough product which will herein be referred to as a pastry pocket 2. In this case the package is a sleeve into which the pastry pocket 2 is placed for heating and the package includes an internal microwave interactive layer for browning or toasting the pastry surface during microwaving. The sleeve 1 has an open top 3.

The sleeve 1 is formed from a blank 10 as illustrated in Fig. l. The blank 10 comprises a front panel 5, a rear panel 6 and side panels 7, 8. The side panel 8 includes an extension flap 9 which is glued to the opposite face of the pack, on assembly. The dotted lines indicate creases which form hinges for use in assembling and use of the sleeve. In this case it will be noted that the side panels 7, 8 are divided by longitudinal creases 19 into first and second panel sections A, B which are, in this case, of the same width.

The front panel 6 includes an extension 15 which forms, on assembly a base of the sleeve. The extension 15 is defined by a transverse fold line 16 and has a tab 17 which engages, on assembly of the sleeve, in a corresponding slot 18 in the rear panel 5.

The assembly of a package 1 from the blank 10 is illustrated particularly in Figs. 2 to 4.

The package has an integral tear strip 25 which extends through the panels 5, 6, 7 and 8. The strip 25 has a pull tab 26 for gripping the strip 25 to facilitate tearing thereof from the package 1. In this case the strip divides the assembled package into an upper part 31 which may be discarded and a lower part 30 which holds the pastry product 2 which may be eaten directly by holding the package part 30.

This provides an extremely quick and convenient way of accessing and consuming the heated pastry pocket 2 without having 0 remove the product onto a plate or the like.

In use, the package is folded flat by hinging along the intermediate fold lines or creases 19. The food product is typically packaged lying flat on the outside of the pear panel 6 of the package. The food product 2 is housed in a sleeve and the sleeved food product and the package are typically sleeved by cling film and placed in an outer box. On removal of the sleeved food product the sleeve is removed and the food product is placed inside the crisping sleeve package for heating/cooking in a microwave. After heating, the tab 17 is engaged in the slot 18 to form a holder and the package is left to stand for one minute. The tear strip is removed leaving part of the heated food product 3exposed for ease of eating while holding the remaining part of the package.

Referring to Fig. 13 there is illustrated another package 40 according to the invention which is similar to that described above. In this case to enhance crisping of a pastry pocket the side wall portions 47A, 47B and 48A, 48B are of different widths.

Referring to Figure 14 there is illustrated another package 50, outside the scope of the invention, which is similar to that described above with reference to Figs 1 to 12 and like parts are assigned the same reference numerals. In this case the slot 18 is of diamond shape to more positively engage the locking tab 17, on assembly the front panel is in this case separated into two sections 6A, 6B which, on assembly form the front panel. The section 6B includes and extension 9 which is glued on assembly to the other section 6B. In this case the pull tab 26 is located to project slightly from a side wall 8 of the package, for ease of gripping and tearing of the tear strip 25 to open the package.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described which may be varied in construction and detail.

Claims (1)

1. CLAIMS . A package for a food product, the package having a front wall and a rear wall joined by side walls, and a bottom closure, the package having an integral tear strip extending around the front, rear and side walls and having a pull tab for pulling the tear strip, removal of the strip dividing the package into at least two separate package parts, at lest one of the package parts defining a pocket to hold the food product during consumption, wherein the side walls each include a longitudinal crease to facilitate collapse and opening of the package to receive the food product, each longitudinal crease dividing the respective side wall into a first portion and a second portion which is wider than the first portion to enhance the crisping characteristics of the package. . A package as claimed in claim 1 wherein the package is a sleeve into which the food product is placed for heating. . A package as claimed in claim 2 wherein the sleeve has an open top to receive the food product. . A package as claimed in claim 3 wherein the bottom is formed by an interengagable tab and slot on the front and rear wall respectively. . A package as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the package is adapted for microwave cooking and includes a microwave interactive surface which browns or toasts a surface of the food product during cooking. . A package substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to