IES77045B2

IES77045B2 - A container for a food product

Info

Publication number: IES77045B2
Authority: IE
Inventors: Kieran Rumley
Original assignee: Batchelors Limited
Priority date: 1996-04-12
Filing date: 1996-04-12
Publication date: 1997-11-19
Also published as: GB9707432D0; IES960283A2; GB2311984A

Abstract

A container for a food product comprises a tray 2 with raised edges for containing the food product and a lid 8 for sealing the tray 2. The tray 2 includes means 5 for receipt of a receptacle 11 and for holding the receptacle 11 in position, the means 5 including a depression formed in the base of the tray. When the receptacle 11 is located in the depression and the lid 9 is closed on the tray, the lid assists in holding the receptacle in place. The receptacle may contain a second food product. A window may be provided in the lid.

Description

A CONTAINER FOR A FOOD PRODUCT The present invention relates to a container for storing and displaying a food product.

The present invention provides a container for a food product comprising a tray with raised edges for containing the food product and a lid for sealing the tray, the tray having a depression formed in the base thereof for receipt of a receptable and for holding the receptable securely in position.

Conveniently, when the receptable is located in the depression and the lid is closed on the tray, the lid assists in holding the receptable in place. The receptable may contain a different food product from that contained in the tray.

The lid includes a window through which the food product in the receptable can be viewed. The depression in the base of the tray is located parallel to the window in such a way that when the receptable is sitting in the depression, the contents of the receptable can be viewed through the window.

Advantageously, the depression in the base of tray may be formed integrally in the base or may be formed by providing juxtaposed ridges on the base between which the receptable may be located and held in the desired position.

Conveniently, there is a lip provided on the tray which is located around the perimeter of the tray. Ideally, the lip protrudes from the raised edges of the tray and is parallel to the plane of the base of the tray. When the - 2 S77045 lid is closed on the tray, the lid engages with the lip so as to ensure that the container is sealed by the lid.

The lid may also be provided with a lip to assist in engagement of the lid with the lip on the tray.

Conveniently, the receptable may hold a first food product while the area of the tray around the receptable may hold a second food product.

In one embodiment of the invention, one side of the tray may be substantially flat, so that the tray may stand in an upright position. When the lip extends along that side of the tray, the container will be tilted slightly backwards. Alternatively, the lip along that side may be eliminated.

In either embodiment, the food product visible through the window will be clearly seen when displayed with the container in the upright position.

The invention will now be described more particularly with reference to the accompanying drawings which show by way of example only, one embodiment of the container of the invention.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side view of the container; Figure 2 is a top plan of the container with the lid on the tray; and Figure 3 is a sectional side view along the line III-III showing the receptacle located in the depression in the base of the tray.

Referring to the drawings: 'X The container of the invention is indicated generally by j reference numeral 1 and comprises a tray 2 with raised edges 3 and a lid 8. The tray 2 has a base 4 which is provided with a depression 5 defined by shoulders 13.

There is a lip 6 which is located on the perimeter of the raised edges 3 and which protrudes therefrom. The lid 8 is also provided with a corresponding lip 9 which can be engaged with the lip 6 on the tray in order to seal the container 1 securely. The lid 8 has a window 10 therein which is formed of transparent material so that a portion of the contents of the container 1 can be viewed through the window 10. The lid 8 is also provided with ear-like projections 14 which have grooves 15 therein to enable the container to be gripped easily.

The use of the container 1 will now be described. The depression 5 in the base 4 of the tray 2 is appropriately contoured and dimensioned to receive a receptacle such as a jar 11 therein. The jar 11 contains a food product such as a sauce. The area of the tray 2 which surrounds the jar 11 holds another food product.

When the lid 8 is closed onto the tray 2, the tray 2 is sealed and the jar 11 is held in place in the depression 5 assisted by the action of the lid 8 which presses downwardly on the jar because of the tight seal between the lid 8 and the tray 2.

X In a modification of the embodiment shown, that portion of the lips 6 and 9 can be eliminated so that the * container can stand substantially in a perpendicular position.

It will of course be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific details described herein, which are ? given by way of example only, and that various modifications and alterations are possible within the scope % of the invention.

MACLACHLAN & DONALDSON, Applicants' Agents, 47, Merrion Square, DUBLIN 2.

Claims

1. A container for a food product comprising a tray with raised edges for containing the food product and a lid for sealing the tray, the tray including means for receipt of a receptacle and for holding the receptacle in position; optionally, the means for receipt of a receptacle and for holding the receptacle in position including a depression formed in the base of the tray; optionally, when the receptacle is located in the depression and the lid is closed on the tray, the lid assists in holding the receptacle in place; optionally, the receptacle contains a different food product from that contained in the tray.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the depression in the base of the tray is formed integrally with the base or optionally is formed by providing juxtaposed ridges on the base between which the receptacle is located and held in the desired position; optionally, the lid includes a window through which the food product in the receptacle can be viewed.

3. A container as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein a lip is provided on the tray and is located around the perimeter of the tray; optionally, the lip protrudes from the raised edges of the tray and is parallel to the plane of the base of the tray whereby when the lid is closed on the tray, the lid engages with the lip so as to ensure that the container is sealed by the lid; optionally the lid is also provided with a lip to assist in engagement of the lid with the lip on the tray; and optionally, the receptacle holds a first food product while the area of the tray around the receptacle holds a second food product.

4. An container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein one side of the tray is substantially flat, so that the tray can stand in an upright position; optionally when the lip extends along that side of the tray, the container will be tilted slightly backwards whereby the food product visible through the window will be clearly seen when displayed with the container in the upright position.

5. A container as claimed in any of the preceding claims substantially as herein described with reference to and a shown in the accompanying drawings.