US3264120A

US3264120A - Meat package

Info

Publication number: US3264120A
Application number: US277181A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert F Westcott
Original assignee: Dow Chemical Co
Current assignee: Dow Chemical Co
Priority date: 1963-05-01
Filing date: 1963-05-01
Publication date: 1966-08-02
Anticipated expiration: 1983-08-02

Description

g 9 W65 R. F. WESTCMYUT'I' Q M MEAT PACKAGE Filed May 1, 1963 2 Sheets-$heet 1 INVENTOR Robe/'2 E Wes/Gaff s-QTTOR/VEY MEAT PACKAGE Filed May 1, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 10 "m m m 1/ I INVENTOR. Roer/E Wesico/l Arum/v5? United States Patent 3,264,120 MEAT PACKAGE Robert F. Westcott, Findlay, Ohio, assignor to Dow Chemicai Company, Midland, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Filed May 1, 1963, Ser. No. 277,181 Claims. (Cl. 99-174) This invention relates generally to plastic trays and, more particularly, relates to plastic foam trays especially suitable for the packaging of foods, such as meats and the like.

In the packaging of fresh meats, poultry, fish or other commodities from which natural juices are likely to exude, it has been customary in the past to provide containers made of molded pulp which will readily absorb these juices. One such typical tray is that illustrated in Canadian Patent No. 647,556, issued August 28, 1962. However, when such trays are handled and viewed by customers they do not present an attractive appearance since they often become soggy and are easily torn. Furthermore, the natural juices serve to prevent ready removal of the meat product from the tray after the meat has been frozen therein, to the dismay of the average housewife when trying to separate the two, prior to defrosting of the meat product.

The many advantages of making a meat tray out of a plastic foam, which would not be subject to the many disadvantages of a paper pulp tray, are readily apparent from the present invention.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved packaging tray particularly suitable for packaging fresh poultry and other meats or juicy foods.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved packaging tray having integral means for removal of excess fluids without deterioration of the food packaged therein.

Briefly then, the present invention relates to a plastic tray, preferably of foam, for meat or other products having excess quantities of fluid, the tray comprising a double layered bottom wherein the layers are separated to provide a space therebetween. The upper layer contains openings for the passage of fluids into the space between the layers. The side walls can be m0noor multi-layered. as desired. Such a tray can be formed from plastic sheets preferably of expanded materials such as polystyrene foam and polyethylene foam. Urethane foam can also be employed where the effect of the urethane residues are not important to the packaged commodity.

Yet additional objects and advantages of the present invention, and its numerous cognate benefits and features are even more apparent and manifest in and by the ensuing description and specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which, wheresoever possible, like characters of reference designate corresponding material and parts throughout the several views thereof, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a tray constructed according to the principles of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a bottom view thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a side view thereof;

FIGURE 4 is an end view thereof; and

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view thereof taken along reference line 5-5 of FIGURE 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, tray 10, which preferably is formed of an expanded plastic, comprises a generally flat container having a bottom comprising an upper layer or wall 12 and a lower layer or wall 14, these walls merging into an integral upstanding and outwardly inclined side wall 16, the latter thus comprising two integrally united layers of foam. It is "ice to be understood however, that side wall 16 can be monolayered rather than multi-layered if so desired. An outwardly extending lip 17 is located about the periphery of the side wall 16, the purpose of which is described hereinafter.

The upper layer 12 of the tray bottom is located on the inside of the tray and is provided with a multiplicity of perforations or inlets 18 preferably uniformly distributed over a substantial area thereof.

Upper and

lower walls

12 and 14 are generally spaced from one another so as to present void-like reservoir or internal space 22 into which excess fluids from a meat product can be drained. Space 22 can also serve as a reservoir of air to maintain the bloom of the meat for extended periods when the package is sealed over with a covering such as one made of a compatible plastic film heat scalable to the foam body along lip 17, or one which can be wrapped therearound and heat sealed to itself about the bottom wall 14. The retaining of the meat fluids within the reservoir between

walls

12 and 14 serves to prevent dehydration of the meat product contained therein. A meat package including tray 10 is illustrated in FIG. 5 wherein a meat product 24 sets upon layer 12 and excess quantities of meat fluid 26 are contained in reservoirs 22 for later recovery. If desired, a thin plastic film overwrap 28 can close the open top of the meat package.

Bottom wall 14 can include indented ribs 20 which preferably engage the under-surface of upper wall 12 to provide added rigidity for the bottom structure when such may be needed. These ribs can be fixedly or non fixedly engaged with upper wall 12.

Although the invention has been particularly described with reference to the protection of the food contents, it is to be understood that the principles thereof may be applied to containers and other products wherein a drainoff of excess fluids may be desired. For example, such a tray may be particularly adapted for a drying rack where glass tubes and the like are taken from a washing bath and placed thereon until dry. While certain representative embodiments and details have been shown for the purpose of illustrating the invention, it will thus be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications in such a tray can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Accordingly, what is claimed as new is:

1. A meat package comprising a piece of meat which exudes excess quantities of fluid, a plastic tray containing said meat and permitting recovery of said fluid, said tray having a bottom wall, a side wall extending up wardly about the periphery of said bottom wall, said bottom wall comprising substantially non-liquid absorbing upper and lower layers, said upper and lower layers being spaced from one another, non-fluid absorbing indentation means extending from said lower layer towards and supporting said upper layer and of a height suflicient to form in said bottom wall a void-like reservoir means containing the entire amount of said excess quantities of fluid, perforations extending through said upper layer, a plurality of said perforations communicating with the aforementioned reservoir means whereby said fluid can flow into said reservoir means and air in said reservoir means can be utilized.

2. A meat package comprising a piece of meat which exudes excess quantities of fluid, a plastic tray containing said meat and permitting recovery of said fluid, said tray having a bottom wall, a side wall extending upwardly about the periphery of said bottom wall, said bottom wall comprising substantially non-liquid absorbing upper and lower layers, said upper and lower layers being spaced from one another, a plurality of non-fluid absorbing indentations extending from said lower layer towards and supporting said upper layer and of sufiicient height to divide said bottom wall into a plurality of interconnected void-like reservoir means containing the entire amount of said excess quantities of fluid, perforations extending through said upper layer, a plurality of said perforations communicating with the aforementioned reservoir means whereby said fluid can flow into said reservoir means and air in said reservoir means can be utilized.

3. A meat package comprising a piece of meat which exudes excess quantities of fluid, a plastic tray containing said meat and permitting recovery of said fluid, said tray having a bottom wall, a side wall extending upwardly about the periphery of said bottom wall, said bottom wall comprising substantially non-liquid absorbing upper and lower layers, said upper and lower layers being spaced from one another, a plurality of substantially parallel non-fluid absorbing indentations integral with and extending from said lower layer towards and supporting said upper layer and of suflicient height to divide said bottom wall into a plurality of interconnected void-like reservoir means containing the entire amount of said excess I quantities of fluid, perforations extending through said upper layer, a plurality of said perforations communicating with the aforementioned reservoir means whereby said fluid can flow into said reservoir means and air in said reservoir means can be utilized.

4. The meat package of claim 3 wherein said upper and lower layers each comprise a plastic material heat 4 scalable to the plastic material of the other layer, said layers heat sealed with one another about their peripheries to form said side wall.

5. The tray of claim 4 wherein said plastic material is foam sheet.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,850,391 9/1958 Gunsberg 229-3.5 2,850,392 9/1958 Gunsberg 99-174 X 2,918,379 12/1959 Lurie 206-46 X 2,989,205 6/1961 Yaws 215-1005 3,026,209 3/1962 Niblack et al. 99-174 3,040,947 6/1962 Wells et al. 229-2.5 3,040,948 6/1962 Wells 229-2.5 3,067,921 12/1962 Reifers 229-2.5 3,093,286 6/ 19 63 Brickner et al 229-2.5 3,099,567 7/1963 Wallace et al. 229-2.5 3,100,592 8/1963 Orr 229-258 3,113,710 12/1963 Meagher 229-2.5

OTHER REFERENCES Molded Expanded Polystyrene, Richard Kuhlman,

FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Examiner. J. L. KRUTER, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. A MEAT PACKAGE COMPRISING A PIECE OF MEAT WHICH EXUDES EXCESS QUANTITIES OF FLUID, A PLASTIC TRAY CONTAINING SAID MEAT AND PERMITTING RECOVERY OF SAID FLUID, SAID TRAY HAVING A BOTTOM WALL, A SIDE WALL EXTENDING UPWARDLY ABOUT THE PREIPHERY OF SAID BOTTOM WALL, SAID BOTTOM WALL COMPRISING SUBSTANTIALLY NON-LIQUID ABSORBING UPPER AND LOWER LAYERS SAID UPPER AND LOWER LAYERS BEING SPACED FROM ONE ANOTHER, NON-FLUID ABSORBING INDENTATION MEANS EXTENDING FORM SAID LOWER LAYERS BEING SUPPORTING SAID UPPER LAYER AND OF A HEIGHT SUFFICIENT TO FORM IN SAID BOTTOM WALL A VOID-LIKE RESERVOIR MEANS CONTAINING THE ENTIRE AMOUNT OF SAID EXCESS QUANTITIES OF FLUID, PERFORATIONS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID UPPER LAYERS, A PLURALITY OF SAID PERFORATIONS COMMUNICATING WITH THE AFOREMENTIONED RESERVOIR MEANS WHEREBY SAID FLUID CAN FLOW INTO SAID RESERVOIR MEANS AND AIR IN SAID RESERVOIR MEANS CAN BE UTILIZED.