JP2016520481A - Packaging container - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to packaging containers. Packaging containers include vessels and covers and may be used in the food and beverage industry. In one aspect, the present invention relates to a packaging container in which beverage ingredients may be stored, from which beverages may be prepared and consumed by adding liquid to the ingredients. Good. In one aspect, the present invention provides a vessel that defines a vessel bottom wall and an upstanding vessel sidewall structure extending upwardly from the vessel bottom wall, the vessel defining an interior zone capable of holding liquid, and a cover bottom. A cover defining a cover sidewall structure extending upwardly from the wall and the cover bottom wall, wherein the cover sidewall structure is configured to be placed within the vessel sidewall structure, thereby providing a gap between the vessel and the cover. A packaging container is provided that includes a defined cover and a circumferential seal adapted to seal the cover to the outer surface of the vessel below the vessel rim configuration.

Description

  The present invention generally relates to packaging containers. Packaging containers include vessels and covers and may be used in the food and beverage industry. In one aspect, the present invention relates to a packaging container in which beverage ingredients may be stored, from which beverages may be prepared and consumed by adding liquid to the ingredients. Also good. However, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to only those applications.

  Traditionally, separate containers have been used to contain food or beverage ingredients, to prepare food or beverages, and to consume prepared foods or beverages.

  Consumer demand has led to an increase in the number and variety of products available in a ready-to-use form or in a form that requires only a simple preparatory step prior to consumption. The popularity of packaging that can be used both for storing food or beverage products after production and for consuming food or beverages therefrom has increased. If preparation is required after purchase and before consumption, packaging must also facilitate preparation.

  Not only the requirements of supermarkets, but also specific industries promoted product development. For example, in the aviation industry, volume, weight, and ease of preparation and consumption are important considerations. The size of in-flight meal and beverage packaging can greatly increase costs. Similarly, the speed at which cabin crew can share food and beverages affects the number of cabin crew required, and especially on low-cost airlines, the revenue that service attendants can generate as they pass through the cabin.

  More generally, in the hospitality industry where food and beverage products are sold and consumed, products that are quick and easy to prepare and consume increase sales, reduce the need to provide dishes and cups, and eating and drinking areas. Reducing the size of the device can be promoted.

  Examples of products that require minimal preparation prior to consumption are “instant” noodles prepackaged in a cup and breakfast cereals prepackaged in a bowl. Dry noodle ingredients may only require the addition of hot water before consumption. Dried breakfast cereals may only require the addition of cold milk before consumption.

  Such products generally must be sealed in tamper-evidence objects to meet hygiene standards. The rim at the top of the cup or bowl vessel is covered by a lid made of aluminum foil or silicon that is flush with the entire top of the cup or bowl. The lid is sealed on top of the cup or bowl using an adhesive such as a heat activated glue.

  One problem with such products is the large amount of air or gas that allows the addition of water or milk and allows it to be consumed with little risk of spilling the prepared product. The volume is often sealed in the product between the noodle or cereal food ingredient and the capping. This volume of air or gas greatly contributes to the total volume of the product.

  Another problem is that the adhesive may remain on the rim after removing the lid or may fall into the interior zone of the vessel prior to consumption. Adhesive residues are unhygienic and generally undesirable, especially when they are present in food or beverages, or they are on the top of a cup or bowl and the consumer's lips are in contact with them This is undesirable if the beverage is likely to go through or pass through them during consumption.

  Another example of a product that requires minimal preparation prior to consumption is a pod-containing cup. The pod is placed inside the cup, at the bottom of the cup. A desiccant material for the beverage is placed in the pod and an aluminum film is sealed to the top of the pod using an adhesive. The pod is attached to the inside of the cup. The consumer removes the aluminum film from the pod and adds water to prepare the beverage. The problem with this product is that beverages can become contaminated before or during consumption by contact with adhesives or pod surfaces that do not meet food standards. For example, the glue used to attach the film in place can remain at the top of the pod after removal of the film, and the glue can come into contact with the beverage. Furthermore, the beverage can penetrate between the pod and the inner wall of the cup, and the glue used to attach the pod into the cup can result in contamination of the beverage. The problem is exacerbated when the glue is heat activated and the water is hot. Another drawback of this product is its complexity.

  The above description is intended to facilitate an understanding of the background of the invention. This explanation, however, acknowledges or admits that any of the matters referred to were published, known, or part of common general knowledge in Australia at the priority date of this application. Please understand that it does not.

In one aspect, the present invention provides:
A vessel defining a vessel bottom wall and an upstanding vessel sidewall structure extending upwardly from the vessel bottom wall, the vessel defining an internal zone capable of holding liquid;
A cover defining a cover bottom wall and a cover side wall structure extending upward from the cover bottom wall, the cover side wall structure being configured to be placed within the vessel side wall structure, whereby the vessel and the cover A cover in which a gap is defined; and
A packaging container comprising a circumferential seal adapted to seal the cover to the outer surface of the vessel below the vessel rim configuration.

  Preferably, the inner circumference of the upper region of the cover sidewall structure is greater than the outer circumference of the vessel bottom wall. These relative dimensions generally allow two or more packaging containers to be stacked.

  The vessel preferably has a vessel rim configuration at the upper free end of the vessel sidewall structure, and the cover sidewall structure has a cover rim configuration disposed above the vessel rim configuration. The vessel rim configuration and the cover rim configuration reinforce the upper region of their respective sidewall structures. The vessel rim configuration also provides a surface on which the consumer's lips can lean when the consumer drinks a beverage or liquid food product from the vessel.

  The cover rim configuration preferably has a flange extending radially outward from the upper end of the cover sidewall structure, the flange being continuous in the circumferential direction. In use, the flange provides a surface that rests on the top of the vessel rim configuration. Preferably, at least a portion of the cover rim configuration extends downward in the radially outer portion to define an annular downward facing groove for containing the vessel rim configuration during use. If the cover rim configuration includes a vessel rim configuration, the possibility of the cover moving laterally relative to the vessel is reduced. If the cover rim configuration extends over the vessel rim configuration, the vessel rim configuration is protected from contamination due to, for example, dust falling on it or from adhesives such as glue sticking to it. Maintaining the vessel rim configuration in a sanitary manner can be important because, when consuming liquid from the interior zone of the vessel, the consumer's lips can lean against the vessel rim and / or the liquid can pass through the vessel rim. .

  The packaging container preferably includes a circumferential seal adapted to seal the cover to the outer surface of the vessel below the vessel rim configuration. Sealing the cover to the vessel allows any content contained within the interior zone to remain sanitary.

  The circumferential seal preferably includes a circumferentially extending film having a lower edge zone that is adhesively secured to the outer surface of the vessel. Adhering a film to the outer surface of the vessel below the vessel rim configuration ensures that no adhesive residue remains on the vessel rim configuration after the circumferential seal is removed.

  The circumferential seal preferably includes a circumferentially extending film having an upper edge zone that is adhesively secured to the radially outward facing surface of the cover. Preferably, the upper edge zone of the circumferentially extending film may be adhesively fixed to the outer surface of the cover rim configuration. When the film is attached to the radially outward facing surface of the cover or to the outer surface of the cover rim configuration, the vessel rim configuration remains free of adhesive.

  The circumferential seal is preferably formed at least in part by a tubular film. Alternatively, the circumferential seal may be formed at least in part by a ribbon or tape of film, the ribbon or tape comprising a circumferential radially outward facing surface of the cover and one or more surfaces of the cover rim configuration. It may be wound around.

  The circumferential seal preferably includes an opening instruction extending at least partially therethrough. The opening instruction includes one or more perforations. The opening instructions may form a weak spot in the circumferential seal to facilitate easier removal of the seal before the cover is removed from the vessel. The opening instruction may include a tab that the consumer pulls to remove the seal. Alternatively, the consumer may twist the circumferential seal and / or cover to break the seal in the opening instructions and remove the seal.

  Preferably, the food or beverage product or one or more ingredients for making the food or beverage product are present in a gap defined between the vessel and the cover. The dimensions of the vessel and cover may be such that the entire contents are located above the vessel bottom wall and below the cover bottom wall. Alternatively or additionally, content may also exist between the vessel sidewall structure and the cover sidewall structure.

  The content is preferably dry, thereby reducing the weight of the content packaged in the container. The contents are preferably suitable for making beverages or food products by the addition of liquids such as hot or cold water or milk.

  Preferably, the vessel and cover are dimensionally self-sustaining. Vessels that are self-supporting dimensions help retain the contents and / or food or beverage product when the seal and cover are removed so that consumers can more easily consume the food or beverage product from the vessel become. Covers that are self-supporting dimensions are generally more easily inserted into the interior zone of the vessel during manufacture.

  Preferably, when a plurality of containers are stacked, the cover bottom wall is configured to receive at least a lower region of the vessel that extends below the top portion of the cover bottom wall. Conveniently, in a stacked configuration, the vessel bottom wall of the second packaging container disposed above the first packaging container in the stack is adjacent to the cover bottom wall of the first packaging container. Or placed in contact. By reducing any volume between packaging containers when stacked, the overall volume of the stack of containers is reduced.

  The vessel is preferably suitable for holding food or beverage products during consumption. A vessel suitable for packaging content for making a food or beverage product, suitable for preparing a food or beverage product therein, and for consuming the food or beverage product therefrom A suitable vessel is particularly advantageous.

  Preferably, the cover bottom wall is recessed upward from the lowest peripheral end to form a concave cavity.

In another aspect, the invention provides:
A vessel defining a vessel bottom wall and an upstanding vessel sidewall structure extending upwardly from the vessel bottom wall, the vessel defining an internal zone capable of holding liquid;
A cover defining a cover bottom wall and a cover side wall structure extending upward from the cover bottom wall, the cover side wall structure being configured to be placed within the vessel side wall structure, whereby the vessel and the cover A cover in which a gap is defined; and
Providing packaging container including
Here, the vessel includes a vessel rim configuration at the upper free end of the vessel sidewall structure, the cover sidewall structure has a cover rim configuration disposed above the vessel rim configuration, and the cover rim configuration is radial from the upper end of the cover sidewall structure With an outwardly extending flange, the flange is circumferentially continuous, and the cover rim configuration is formed as an annular clip that engages and releasably retains the vessel rim configuration during use.

  In another aspect, the present invention provides two or more packaging containers, the two or more packaging containers being stacked. Transportation is supported by stacking packaging containers. Preferably, the volume of the stack is less than the sum of the volumes of the individual packaging containers. By reducing the volume in this way, a corresponding reduction in storage and transportation costs is brought about. The reduction in volume further improves the convenience for the consumer to store the packaging container and allows the consumer to fit a larger number of packaging containers in a given space.

  Preferably, two or more containers are vertically stackable, and when stacked, the lower cover bottom wall of the lower container engages the vessel bottom wall of the upper container.

  In another aspect, the present invention provides a packaging container for use in connection with a heated food product. In this embodiment, the packaging container is suitable for storing one or more ingredients. One or more ingredients may be mixed with the liquid in the container. The combined one or more ingredients and liquid may then be heated in the container prior to consumption. Preferably there are two or more ingredients. Preferably the liquid is water. Preferably, the ingredients and water are mixed by stirring. Preferably, the mixed ingredients and water are heated in a microwave oven to provide a food product. Alternatively, the blended ingredients and water may be baked in a conventional household oven to provide a food product. Cover 14 is preferably removed prior to heating. The food product may be consumed directly from the vessel or after it has been transferred from the vessel.

  In this embodiment, the vessel is preferably made from paperboard coated with a thin layer of polypropylene, thereby making the vessel water resistant. Unlike polyethylene, polypropylene can have the advantage of being microwave compatible.

  Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a perspective view of a packaging container according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The cover sidewall structure is placed inside the vessel sidewall structure and the circumferential seal seals the cover to the outer surface of the vessel. FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the packaging container according to FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a cutaway side cross-sectional view showing a portion of the packaging container according to FIG. 1 in more detail, wherein a portion of the cover rim configuration extends downward in a radially outer portion and includes a vessel rim configuration An opposing groove is defined. FIG. 6 is a cutaway side cross-sectional view of a portion of a packaging container according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, wherein the cover rim configuration is an annular shape that engages and releasably retains the vessel rim configuration during use Formed as a clip. FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the packaging container according to FIG. 1, wherein a food or beverage product or one or more ingredients are present in the gap between the vessel and the cover. FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of a plurality of stacks of the packaging container according to FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional side view of a packaging container according to another preferred embodiment, wherein the lower region of the vessel is substantially flat. FIG. 6 is a side cross-sectional view of two stacks of packaging containers according to another preferred embodiment, wherein the lower cover bottom wall is adapted to receive a lower region of an upper vessel that extends below the top portion of the lower cover bottom wall. Configured. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional side view of three stacks of a packaging container according to FIG. 6, where the bottom cover bottom wall receives the lower region of the upper vessel, thereby reducing the overall height of the stack. FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of two stacks of packaging containers according to another preferred embodiment, where the cover bottom wall is raised compared to the embodiment of FIG. 1, thereby increasing the gap volume. FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of a packaging container according to another preferred embodiment, wherein the container dimensions are optimized from the embodiment of FIG. 1 for use with a heated food product.

  Referring to FIG. 1, a packaging container 10 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a vessel 12 in the form of a cup, a cover 14 and a circumferential seal in the form of a circumferentially extending tubular film 16. Including. Tubular film 16 according to a preferred embodiment includes opening instructions that include two perforations 18, 20 that extend vertically from lower edge 46 to about half the height of tubular film 16. The opening instruction also includes a suspension tab 22. During use, the consumer may break the tubular film 16 by grasping and pulling the tab 22 to tear the perforation lines 18, 20, which are the weakest lines in the tubular film 16. The perforations 18, 20 do not extend to the top edge of the tubular film 16 in order to minimize the possibility of the tubular film 16 unintentionally tearing when multiple packaging containers 10 are stacked and pulled out. . The circumferential seal is preferably tamper evident.

  Referring to FIG. 2, the vessel 12 defines a vessel bottom wall 24 and an upstanding vessel sidewall structure 26 extending upwardly from the vessel bottom wall 24 to define an interior zone 28 capable of holding liquid. The vessel 12 shown in FIG. 2 is circular and is manufactured from paperboard having a double wall structure. Vessel 12 may be manufactured from a suitable food grade plastic material. Preferably, the vessel is made from a paperboard coated with a thin layer of polyethylene, which makes the vessel water resistant and bonds the paperboard seams. The cross-sectional shape need not be circular.

  The cover 14 defines a cover bottom wall 30 and a cover sidewall structure 32 that extends upward from the cover bottom wall 30. The cover sidewall structure 32 is configured to be placed inside the vessel sidewall structure 26 with the intermediate flange 70 in contact with the interior surface 71 of the sidewall structure 26. The cover is preferably made from polypropylene. A gap 34 is defined between the vessel 12 and the cover 14, which is primarily located between the cover bottom wall 30 and the vessel bottom wall 24.

  Referring to FIG. 2A, the vessel 12 includes a vessel rim configuration 36 at the upper free end of the vessel sidewall structure 26, the cover sidewall structure 32 includes a cover rim configuration 38 disposed above the vessel rim configuration 36, Preferably, it has a portion that rests on the vessel rim configuration 36.

  The cover rim configuration 38 has a flange 40 that extends radially outward from the upper end of the cover sidewall structure 32, the flange 40 being continuous in the circumferential direction. A portion 42 of the cover rim configuration 38 extends downward in a radially outer position to define an annular downward facing groove 73 for containing the vessel rim configuration 36 during use.

  Referring to FIG. 2B, in another embodiment of the present invention, the cover rim configuration 38 is formed as an annular clip 44 that engages and releasably retains the vessel rim configuration 36 during use.

  The tubular film 16 has a lower edge zone 46 that is secured to the outer surface of the vessel 12 using a lower zone adhesive 48. The tubular film 16 also has an upper edge zone 50 that is secured to the upwardly facing surface 54 of the cover using the upper zone adhesive 52, and more particularly, to the upper surface 54 of the flange 40 as shown. . Alternatively, the upper edge zone 50 may be secured to the radially outward facing surface 42 of the flange of the cover 14 using an adhesive.

  Referring to FIG. 3, a desiccant material (s) 62 for making a beverage product or food product is present in the gap 34, thereby adding a liquid such as hot or cold water or milk. It becomes possible to make the desired food or beverage product.

  Referring to FIG. 4, for each packaging container 10, the inner circumference of the upper region of the cover sidewall structure 32 having a corresponding inner diameter 56 is greater than the outer circumference of the cover bottom wall 30 having a corresponding outer diameter 58. Each cover bottom wall 30 is configured to receive at least a lower region 60 of the vessel 12 that extends below the topmost portion of the cover bottom wall 30, thereby allowing multiple containers to be placed in one container in another container. The stack 80 can be stacked in a stack.

  The volume of the stack 80 is smaller than the sum of the volumes of the individual packaging containers 10. This saves space when individual packaging containers 10 are stacked, for example, packaging containers are stacked on a factory premises, via supermarket shelves, or via downstream road, air, or sea transport, or Space is saved until packaging containers such as aircraft cabins are placed in other areas where they can be sold.

  Referring to FIG. 5, in the preferred embodiment, both the lower region of the vessel and the bottom wall of the cover are substantially flat, which contributes to facilitating the stacking of multiple packaging containers. The vessel, for example when manufactured from a plastic material, can be conveniently manufactured with a substantially flat lower region.

  Referring to FIG. 6, the bottom wall 30 of the cover 14 is recessed from the lowest peripheral end 81 of the cover 14 in the center upward to form a concave cavity 82. The cavity 82 substantially expands the volume of the gap 34 and increases the volume to hold the desired content. When two containers 10, 10 'according to this further preferred embodiment of the present invention are stacked by being moved in the direction of arrow 83, the bottom wall 30 of the cover 14 of the lower container 10 is the vessel of the upper container 10'. Twelve lower regions 83, and the lower region 83 of the vessel ultimately extends below the top portion of the bottom wall 30 of the cover 14.

  Referring to FIG. 7, the container according to FIG. 6 may be configured such that the cover bottom wall 30 of the lower container 10 engages the vessel bottom wall 24 of the upper container 10 'when stacked. Compared to FIG. 6, the stack height per container is reduced.

  Referring to FIG. 8, in a further preferred aspect of the present invention, the cover bottom wall is raised compared to the embodiment of FIG. 6, and the cavity 82 formed by the elevation of the cover bottom wall 30 is further increased, thereby The gap volume is further increased. Compared to FIG. 6, the height of the stack 80 per container remains the same.

  Referring to FIG. 9, in a further preferred aspect of the present invention, the gap volume is increased and the container height is reduced by increasing the height of the cover bottom wall 30 compared to the embodiment of FIG. Is done. These changes make the container more suitable for use with heated food products such as muffins or cakes. Increasing the gap volume facilitates the storage of larger volumes of drying material, which is particularly advantageous when the volume of the drying material is relatively large compared to the volume of liquid added by the consumer. It is. By reducing the overall height of the container, it becomes easier to consume the solid contents directly from the vessel using an instrument such as a spoon, fork or chopsticks.

  During use, the consumer removes the cover 14 from the packaging container 10 and adds the desired liquid to the interior zone 28 of the vessel 12. The consumer mixes the liquid and desiccant material 62 within the inner zone 28 to form a beverage or food product. The user then drinks a beverage product or eats a food product directly from the interior zone 28 of the vessel. The packaging container 10 is simple and easy to use.

  In another aspect of the invention, a food or beverage product is present in the gap 34 and the consumer simply removes the cover 14 and consumes the food or beverage product from the interior zone 28 of the vessel.

  When a hot liquid such as hot water or milk is added to the vessel, the vessel must be made from a material that has sufficient heat resistance. The vessel preferably has sufficient thermal insulation properties to retain a consumer's hot food or beverage product when it is then consumed. The vessel is preferably a double-walled paper cup, which may be manufactured in a conventional manner.

  The cover is preferably made from food grade plastic and may be manufactured by conventional injection molding.

  The walls of the cover sidewall structure are preferably thin, which helps to stack the packaging containers inside each other. In an alternative embodiment, the cover is made from a thin plastic film, which is vacuumed during manufacture and held in a cup containing the ingredients.

  In addition to protecting the vessel rim configuration, the cover further protects any content, such as a food or beverage product or one or more ingredients, from contamination.

  The tubular film may be made of plastic and is preferably translucent. Preferably, the tubular film is made from a heat shrinkable plastic.

  Assembling the packaging container generally includes placing a dry beverage ingredient in the cup, placing a cover on the ingredient in the cup, and sealing the cover on the cup.

  If the liquid product is configured to be added before the food product is consumed, the content is preferably cereal, such as breakfast cereal, and the liquid is preferably milk. Alternatively, the content may be a dessert and the liquid may be a sauce such as custard. In a further alternative, the content may be pasta or noodles, for example for noodle soup products, and the liquid may be hot water.

  If the liquid is configured to be added before the beverage product is consumed, the content is preferably a desiccant material for making the beverage product. Although not limited to the following, the beverage product is preferably a hot chocolate, instant coffee, or tea-based beverage.

  Although the invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it will be understood that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the present invention may be applied to food products in a bowl, and the vessel may have a shape that is not symmetrical about an axis, such as a bowl having a square top section.

Claims (21)

A vessel defining a vessel bottom wall and an upstanding vessel sidewall structure extending upwardly from the vessel bottom wall, the vessel defining an internal zone capable of holding liquid;
A cover defining a cover bottom wall and a cover sidewall structure extending upwardly from the cover bottom wall, wherein the cover sidewall structure is configured to be placed within the vessel sidewall structure, whereby the vessel A cover in which a gap is defined between the cover and the cover;
A circumferential seal adapted to seal the cover to an outer surface of the vessel below a vessel rim configuration.   The packaging container according to claim 1, wherein an inner circumference of an upper region of the cover sidewall structure is larger than an outer circumference of the vessel bottom wall.   The packaging according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the vessel includes a vessel rim configuration at an upper free end of the vessel sidewall structure, and the cover sidewall structure has a cover rim configuration disposed above the vessel rim configuration. container.   The packaging container according to claim 3, wherein the cover rim configuration has a flange extending radially outward from an upper end of the cover sidewall structure, the flange being continuous in a circumferential direction.   5. A packaging container according to claim 4, wherein at least a portion of the cover rim configuration extends downward in a radially outer portion to define an annular downwardly facing opposing groove for containing the vessel rim configuration during use.   5. A packaging container according to claim 4, wherein the cover rim configuration is formed as an annular clip that engages and releasably retains the vessel rim configuration during use.   7. The circumferential seal according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein the circumferential seal comprises a circumferentially extending film having a lower edge zone that is adhesively secured to the outer surface of the vessel. The packaging container described.   7. The circumferential seal of any preceding claim, wherein the circumferential seal comprises a circumferentially extending film having an upper edge zone that is adhesively secured to a radially outwardly facing surface of the cover. The packaging container according to one item.   9. A packaging container according to claim 8, wherein the upper edge zone of the film extending in the circumferential direction is adhesively fixed to the outer surface of the cover rim configuration.   10. A packaging container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the circumferential seal is at least partially formed by a tubular film.   11. A packaging container according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising an opening instruction extending at least partially through the circumferential seal.   The packaging container of claim 11, wherein the opening instruction includes one or more perforations.   13. A packaging container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a food or beverage product or one or more ingredients for making a food or beverage product are present in the gap.   14. A packaging container according to claim 13, wherein the one or more ingredients are dry and for making a beverage product.   The packaging container according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the vessel and the cover have a dimension capable of supporting themselves.   16. The container of claim 15, wherein when a plurality of containers are stacked, the cover bottom wall is configured to receive at least a lower region of the vessel that extends below a top portion of the cover bottom wall.   The packaging container according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the vessel is suitable for holding a food or beverage product during consumption.   18. Two or more packaging containers according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the two or more packaging containers are stacked.   19. Two or more packaging containers according to claim 18, wherein the volume of the stacked stack is less than the sum of the volumes of the individual packaging containers.   18. A packaging container according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the cover bottom wall is recessed upward from a lowermost peripheral end to form a concave cavity.   21. The packaging container of claim 20, wherein two or more of the containers are vertically stackable, and when stacked, the lower cover bottom wall of the lower container engages the vessel bottom wall of the upper container. .

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