NL1021846C2 - Food packaging for e.g. slices of cheese or cold meat, has flange protruding from bottom of peripheral wall of cover - Google Patents

Abstract

The peripheral wall (22) of the cover (20) extends in a downwards direction from the top side (21) of the cover and the cover flange (23) protrudes from the bottom of this wall. The packaging (1) comprises a dimensionally stable plastic base (10) and a dimensionally stable plastic cover. The base includes a base surface, a peripheral wall and a flange protruding from the top of this wall. The peripheral edges of the cover and base flanges are aligned when the cover is placed on top of the base and these flanges are then heat-welded together to form a seal which is broken when the packaging is opened.

Description

"\

Short description: Packaging.

The present invention relates to a package for packaging a food, such as, for example, cheese or meat product, in particular sliced cheese or meat product, in which package the food product can be sold to the consumer and stored by the consumer, for example in the fridge.

The package is composed of a form-stable plastic bottom part and a form-stable plastic lid.

In a generally known package for sliced cheese, the bottom part has a bottom surface, a circumferential wall and a circumferential edge extending in the circumferential direction and projecting outward.

With this known package, the lid is provided with a top surface, a peripheral wall 15 rising upwards from the top surface and having a peripheral edge extending along its top edge and projecting outward.

In the closed state of the known package, the lid protrudes into the bottom part and the peripheral edges lie against each other over the entire circumference. These peripheral edges are connected all around by a heat-seal joint which is breakable at the first opening of the package and which ensures the airtightness of the package after filling and during storage.

In the known package, the bottom part and cover are manufactured by vacuum forming or the like from a relatively thick plastic film, so that the bottom part and cover are form-stable and the cover can serve to reclose the package.

A drawback of the known package is that the slices of cheese or the like are difficult to reach, in any case the slices close to the bottom surface.

Another drawback of the known packaging is that the imprint is applied to the plastic film, which, for example due to the need to match the imprint to the age class of the packaged cheese, entails undesirably high production costs.

I - 2 - H Yet another drawback of the known package concerns the possibilities to present the contents in an attractive way when the package is opened.

A further drawback of the known package concerns the stackability.

The present invention has for its object to provide an improved package which overcomes one or more of the aforementioned disadvantages.

To this end, the present invention provides a package according to the preamble of claim 1, characterized in that the peripheral wall of the lid extends downwards from the upper surface and the edge formation of the lid extends on the underside of the peripheral wall.

In this embodiment the foodstuff, for example a stack of slices of sliced cheese, is more accessible than with the known package.

For stacking packages, it is preferably provided that the bottom part and the lid are provided with complementary stack formations, such that closed packs can be stacked on top of each other while engaging the stack formations of a bottom part and an adjacent lid.

In an advantageous embodiment, the top surface of the cover I has a recessed top surface part, which connects via raised edges to the higher part of the top surface, and the bottom part I has one or more stacking projections which engage in the stacked state. are with the raised edges of the recessed upper surface portion.

In a preferred embodiment thereof, the bottom part has a higher bottom surface part, which connects to the bottom surface via a downwardly directed edge, and the one or more stacking projections extend downwards from the higher bottom floor part.

It is then preferred that the one or more stacking projections have a bottom side that is higher than the bottom surface, and that the top surface has a boiling downwardly extending from the center of the top surface in the direction of the circumference of the lid and that the bottom surface has a boiling upwards from the center of the bottom surface in the direction of the circumference of the bottom part, such that the one or more stacking protrusions are in engagement with the raised edges of the recessed top surface part.

In a very advantageous embodiment, the recessed top surface part forms a strip-shaped recess extending over the top surface, the higher bottom surface part forming a strip recess extending over the bottom surface, which strip-shaped recesses are in line with each other. A strip-shaped wrapper is then arranged around the package, which wrapper is located in the strip-shaped recesses.

The wrapper can preferably be made of paper or cardboard and be provided with a print. If the wrapper is applied after the package has been closed, it can be stuck to suitable places so that opening of the package leads to the wrapper being broken.

15

In a practically attractive embodiment the strip-shaped recess in the upper surface is bounded on either side by upright edges, each of which has a central arc-shaped edge part so that the strip-shaped recess is widened between the central edge parts, and the bottom part has two stacking projections, which in stacked condition of a bottom portion and a lid are each engaged with a central edge portion of the lid.

It is herein preferred that if a wrapper is provided as explained above, the two stacking projections extend on either side of the strip-shaped recess in which the wrapper is arranged. As a result, the stacking projections also prevent a lateral shift or damage to the wrapper on the underside of the package.

In a preferred embodiment, the bottom surface and the top surface of the closed package are substantially parallel, with the edge formation of the bottom part and of the lid extending in a sub-surface obliquely relative to the bottom surface and top surface. This has the consequence that the accessibility of the foodstuff is considerably improved, so that, for example, the (bottom) slices of cheese can be easily removed from an opened package.

The slices of cheese can also be stacked in the manner known as "shovel parts", wherein the superimposed slices are staggered, so that they can be taken out of the package more easily.

In a practical embodiment the package is substantially rectangular with a pair of short sides and a pair of long sides, wherein the edge formations on the long sides extend substantially parallel to the bottom surface and on the upper surface and H where the edge formations on the short sides extend at an oblique angle with respect to the bottom surface and top surface.

H For example, the circumferential wall of the bottom part on an H long side only has an effective height of at most 10 millimeters.

In the presence of an oblique part surface between the bottom part and the cover, it is preferably provided that the cover with its peripheral edge formation can be placed on a base and the bottom part can be stacked on the cover, so that the bottom surface is in an oblique position.

Preferably, the higher-lying bottom surface forms the largest part of the bottom surface with a gutter formed by the lower part of the bottom surface formed in the circumferential direction around the upper part from above open. Any (condensed) moisture and / or fat that has escaped can collect in that gutter without affecting the quality of the food.

It is preferably provided that the edge formations of the bottom part and cover form further cooperating positioning edges, which position the cover relative to the bottom part when closing and in the closed position.

Preferably, said positioning edges are adapted to effect a clamping connection between the bottom part and the cover.

In a practically advantageous embodiment, the edge formation I of the bottom part has an edge part which adjoins the circumferential wall and which is directed outwards, to the outer circumference of which a positioning edge extending in downward direction I connects, to the lower end of which the outwardly extending extending peripheral edge.

In a further practical embodiment, the edge formation of the lid has an edge part which connects to the circumferential wall and which is connected to the outer circumference, a positioning edge of which extends in downward direction adjoins, to the lower end of which the outwardly extending circumferential edge connects.

If it is desired to remove air from the package 10 before it is hermetically sealed, which air is optionally replaced by another gas (mixture), it is preferable that the peripheral edge formations of the bottom part and / or the lid be in at least one place are interrupted such that when the package is closed, a connecting path between the interior of the package and the outside air continues to exist until the peripheral edges of the bottom part and the cover abut each other. Air can then be removed along that connecting road. Gassing the package can also take place along that air, for example with nitrogen gas or carbon dioxide gas.

20

Preferably, the lid is at least partially transparent. It is thereby preferred to make the bottom part opaque.

The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to a preferred embodiment of the package according to the invention, which is shown in the drawing. It shows:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the top of the package, FIG. 2 a plan view of the package,

FIG. 3 a section along the line III-III in Figure 2,

FIG. 4 a section along the line IV-IV in Figure 2,

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the bottom part of the package, FIG. 6 in perspective two packages stacked on top of each other,

FIG. 7 is a side view of the stack of FIG. 6, and FIG. 8 shows the stack of figure 6 in section.

Figures 1-8 show a package 1 for packaging H a foodstuff, in particular sliced cheese or H meat products, which package 1 is composed of a form-stable plastic bottom part 10 and a form-stable plastic lid 20. The H 5 package 1 is intended for airtight packaging of the cheese and to offer it to the consumer in the package in the store.

The consumer can use the package as long as not all slices of cheese have been consumed, since the package 1 is form-stable and H can be resealed. Also, as will be explained below, the package 1 provides easy access to the slices of cheese in the open condition and the opened package can be presented in an attractive manner, for example on the breakfast table.

The bottom part 10 has a bottom surface 11, a peripheral wall 12 and a peripheral formation 13 extending in circumferential direction along the upper part of the peripheral wall, which peripheral formation 13 comprises an outwardly extending peripheral edge 14.

The lid 20 has an upper surface 21, a peripheral wall 22, and an H 20 edge formation 23 extending along the peripheral wall 22, which H edge formation 23 comprises an outwardly extending peripheral edge 24.

The peripheral wall 22 of the lid 20 extends downwardly from the upper surface 21 and the edge formation 23 of the lid 20 extends on the underside of the peripheral wall 22.

H The bottom part 10 and the lid 20 lie in the closed state of the package 1 with their peripheral edges 14, 24 against each other over the entire circumference, said peripheral edges 14, 24 being connected all around by a breakable part at the first opening of the package 1 Heat seal compound 25 (indicated in Figure 5).

The bottom surface 11 and the top surface 21 of the closed package 1 are substantially parallel to each other. The edge formations 13, 23 of the bottom part 10 and of the cover 20 extend in a sub-surface extending obliquely with respect to the bottom surface 11 and top surface 21 (see Figure 3).

The package 1 is substantially rectangular with a pair of short sides and a pair of long sides. The edge formations 13, 23 on the long 7 sides run substantially parallel to the bottom surface 11 and on the top surface 21. The edge formations 13, 23 run on the short sides of the package 1 at an oblique angle with respect to the bottom surface 11 and top surface 21. Due to this oblique part surface, with the package 1 open, the slices of cheese can be easily reached on the low side of the circumferential wall 12 of the bottom part 1 and at the oblique sides of said circumferential wall 12.

The bottom part 10 and the lid 20 are provided with complementary stacking formations, such that closed packages 1 can be stacked on top of one another while engaging the stacking formations of a bottom part and an adjacent lid so that a stable stacking is possible, for example in the shop or at home in the refrigerator. It is also possible to place the lid on a surface and to place the bottom 15 of the package on top of it, so that the opened package 1 forms an attractive whole. This stack is shown in Figures 6-8.

The top surface 21 of the lid 20 has a recessed top surface part 26 (see figure 1), which connects via raised edges 27, 28 to the higher part of the top surface 21. This recessed top surface part 26 forms an over the top surface 21 extending strip-shaped recess 26.

In the embodiment shown (see Figs. 4 and 8), the bottom part 10 has two stacking projections 30, 31 which, in the stacked state, engage the upright edges 27, 28 of the recessed upper surface part 26.

Figure 5 clearly shows that the bottom part 10 has a higher-lying bottom surface part 15, which connects to the bottom surface 11 via a downwardly directed edge 16 on the outer circumference of flat part 15. The stacking projections 30, 31 project from the higher-lying bottom surface part 15 downwards and lie at a distance from the edge 35 16.

In the embodiment shown, the higher-lying bottom surface part 15 has the shape of a high-lying ring, with a slightly lower part I - δ - H, which forms an H strip recess 17 extending over the bottom part between the long sides of the bottom part 5 The strip-shaped floors 26, 17 are in line with each other. After the packing 1, after filling, closing and heat-sealing, a strip-shaped wrapper 40 of paper, cardboard or the like is provided, which is then located in the strip-shaped recesses 26, 17. The wrapper 40 is glued at suitable places, such that the wrapper 40 must be broken or broken when opening the package 1. This allows the consumer to determine whether the package has been opened before.

The wrapper 40 is preferably provided with printing, whereby H 15 has the option of designing the bottom part 10 and cover 20 without H printing or the like.

In the embodiment shown (see Figure 1), the strip-shaped recess 26 in the upper surface 21 is bounded on either side by 20 raised edges 27, 28, each of which has a central arc-shaped edge part 27a, 28a, so that the strip-shaped recess 26 between the H central edge parts 27a, 28a is broadened.

Furthermore, in the bottom part 10 the two stacking projections 30, 31 are arranged such that, in the stacked state of a bottom part 10 and a lid 20, they are each engaged with a central edge part 27a, 28a of the lid 20 (see Fig. 8). Moreover, it is realized that the two stacking projections 30, 31 extend on either side I of the strip-shaped recess 17 in which the wrapper 40 is arranged. As a result, the wrapper 40 on the underside of the package is protected against damage by sliding the package over a substrate. This is relevant since the consumer is inclined not to buy a package with damaged wrap 40.

In the cross-section of figures 3, 4 and 8 it can be seen that the stacking projections 30, 31 have a bottom side that is higher than the bottom surface 11.

- 9 -

It can further be seen in the drawing that the top surface 21 of the lid 20 has a boiling downwardly from the center in the direction of the circumference of the lid 20, and that the bottom surface 11 has a boiling surface from the center in the direction of the circumference of the bottom part 5 has an upwardly extending boiling such that the stacking projections 30, 31 engage with the raised edges 27a, 28a of the recessed top surface part 26 (see figure 8).

In order to properly support the slices of cheese, also in the area of the corners, it is provided that the higher-lying bottom surface 15 forms at least the largest part of the bottom surface with a peripheral portion of the bottom surface formed by the lower part of the bottom surface surrounding it open gutter 19.

The edge formations 13, 23 of the bottom part 10 and cover 20 further form cooperating positioning edges 35, 36, which position the cover relative to the bottom part in the closed position. Moreover, the positioning edges 35, 36 are arranged for effecting a clamping connection between the bottom part 20 and the lid 20. As a result, the package 1 can be closed again after opening.

The edge formation 13 of the bottom part 10 has an edge part 37 connecting to the circumferential wall 12 and directed outward, on the outer circumference of which a downwardly extending positioning edge 35 connects, to the lower end of which the outwardly extending circumferential edge 14 extends.

The edge formation 23 of the lid 20 has an edge part 47 connecting to the circumferential wall 30 and directed outwards, to the outer circumference of which a downwardly extending positioning edge 36 connects, to the lower end of which the outwardly extending circumferential edge 24 connects.

The lid 20 is preferably transparent, so that the foodstuff is visible. As mentioned, it is preferred that the imprint is provided on the wrapper 40. The bottom part 10 is preferably opaque.

^ ✓-v / "* 1 ··> Η - 10 -

In an advantageous embodiment, the lid and the bottom part are vacuum-formed from plastic foil of a suitable thickness.

In the context of the removal of air from the package and the gasification with a suitable gas, provision is made for the peripheral edge formations 13, 23 of the bottom part and / or the lid to be interrupted in at least one place (at 38 and 39) such that that when the package is closed a connecting path between the interior of the package and the outside world continues to exist until the peripheral edges of the bottom part and the cover abut each other.

Figure 1 further shows that at two diagonally opposite angular points, the circumferential edge 14 and the circumferential edge 24 are provided with a lower or higher H gripping part (at 41 and 42). This allows a consumer to easily open the H package 1.

In a variant not shown, the bottom part 10 and cover 20 are hingedly connected to each other.

Claims (19)

A package (1) for packaging a foodstuff, such as for example cheese or meat product, in particular sliced cheese or meat product, which package has a form-stable plastic bottom part (10) and a form-stable plastic cover (20), wherein the bottom part has a bottom surface (11), a peripheral wall (12) and an edge formation (13) extending in circumferential direction along the upper part of the circumferential wall, which edge formation comprises an outwardly extending peripheral edge (14), the lid (20) ) has a top surface (21), a peripheral wall (22), and an edge formation (23) extending along the peripheral wall, which edge formation comprises an outwardly extending peripheral edge (24), which bottom part and lid, when closed, lie at least with their peripheral edges (14,24) against each other over the entire circumference, said peripheral edges being connected all around by a heat-seal joint which can be broken at the first opening of the package (25), characterized in that the peripheral wall (22) of the lid (20) extends downwardly from the top surface and the edge formation (23) of the lid extends on the underside of the peripheral wall (22). 25 2. Packaging as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bottom part (10) and the lid (20) are provided with complementary stack formations (27a, 28a, 30,31), such that closed packs can be stacked on top of each other while engaging the stack formations of a stack. bottom part and an adjacent lid. 3. Packaging as claimed in claim 2, wherein the top surface of the lid has a recessed top surface part (26) which connects via raised edges (27,28) to the higher part of the top surface (21), and wherein bottom part has one or more stacking projections (30, 31) which, in the stacked state, engage with the upright edges (27a, 28a) of the recessed top surface part. Η - 12 - A package according to claim 3, wherein the bottom part (10) has a higher-lying bottom surface part (15, 17), which connects to the bottom surface (11) via a downwardly directed edge (16), and wherein the one or more stacking projections ( 30, 31) extend downwardly from the higher-lying bottom surface portion (15, 17). 5. Packaging as claimed in one or more of the claims 2-4, wherein the one or more stacking projections (30, 31) have a bottom side which is higher than the bottom surface (11), and wherein the top surface (21) has a bottom center has a downwardly-extending boil, and wherein the bottom surface (11) has a upwardly-extending boil from the center in the direction of the circumference of the bottom part (10), such that the center one or more stacking projections (30, 31) are engaged with the raised edges (27a, 28a) of the recessed top surface portion (26). 6. Packaging as claimed in claims 3 and 4, wherein the recessed top surface part (26) forms a strip-shaped recess (26) extending over the top surface, and wherein the higher situated bottom surface part (17) forms a strip recess (17) extending over the bottom surface. which strip-shaped recesses (26, 17) are in line with each other, and wherein a strip-shaped wrapper (40) is arranged around the package, which is located in the strip-shaped recesses. A package according to claim 6, wherein the strip-shaped recess in the upper surface is bounded on either side by upright edges (27, 28), each of which has a central arcuate edge part 30 (27a, 28a) so that the strip-shaped recess is widened between the central edge parts and wherein the bottom part has two stacking projections (30, 31), each of which, in the stacked state of a bottom part and a lid, engages a central edge part of the lid. A package according to claim 7, wherein the two stacking projections (30, 31) extend on either side of the strip-shaped recess (17) in which the wrapper (40) is arranged. 35 - 13 - 9. Packaging as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, wherein the bottom surface (11) and the top surface (21) of the closed packaging are substantially parallel, and wherein the circumferential edge formations (13, 23) of the bottom part and of the lid extend in a sub-plane obliquely relative to the bottom surface and top surface. 10. Package as claimed in claim 9, wherein the package (1) is substantially rectangular with a pair of short sides and a pair of long sides and wherein the peripheral edge formations on the long sides extend substantially parallel to the bottom surface and the top surface and wherein the edge formations on the short sides extend at an oblique angle with respect to the bottom surface and top surface. A package according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the lid (20) with its peripheral edge formation (23) can be placed on a base and the bottom part (10) can be stacked on the lid, so that the bottom surface 20 (11) is in an inclined position is located. 12. Packaging as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, wherein the higher-lying bottom surface (15,17) forms at least the largest part of the bottom surface with a gutter formed from above open by the lower-lying part of the bottom surface (around) 19). A package according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the peripheral edge formations (13, 23) of the bottom part and cover 30 further form cooperating positioning edges (35, 36), which position the cover relative to the bottom part in the closed position. 14. Packaging as claimed in claim 13, wherein the positioning edges (35,36) are adapted to effect a clamping connection between the bottom part and the lid. ί Λ O <^ Λ Η - 14 - 15. Packaging as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims / wherein the circumferential edge formation of the bottom part has an outwardly directed edge part (37) adjoining the circumferential wall, to the outer circumference of which a positioning edge (35) extending in downward direction adjoins. the lower end of which the outwardly extending peripheral edge (14) extends. 16. Packaging as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, wherein the edge formation (23) of the lid has an edge part (47) which connects to the circumferential wall H 10, on the outer circumference of which a positioning edge (downwardly extending) ( 36), to the lower end of which the outwardly extending peripheral edge (24) connects. H 15 A package according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the peripheral edge formations (13, 23) of the bottom part and / or the cover are interrupted at least at one location (38.39) such that a connecting path is closed when the package is closed remains between the interior of the package and the outside air until the peripheral edges of the bottom part and the cover abut each other. 18. Packaging as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, wherein the lid is at least partially transparent. 19. Packaging as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, wherein the lid and the bottom part are vacuum-formed from plastic foil.