WO2016180722A1

WO2016180722A1 - Food package with protective base

Info

Publication number: WO2016180722A1
Application number: PCT/EP2016/060156
Authority: WO
Inventors: Rickard Gillblad
Original assignee: Torus Pak Research And Development S.À R.L
Priority date: 2015-05-08
Filing date: 2016-05-06
Publication date: 2016-11-17

Abstract

A food tray (1) comprises a side wall module (2) and a bottom (13) detachably attached to the side wall module. The bottom can be removed from the side wall module by the use of a removal means attached to the bottom. The tray further comprises a supplementary base (9) detachably attached to the underside of the bottom (13) and adapted to be removed from the bottom when the bottom is still attached to the side wall module. The supplementary base will thus protect the removable bottom during transportation and handling of the food tray.

Description

FOOD PACKAGE WITH PROTECTIVE BASE

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a food package adapted for ready meals provided with a removable bottom and comprising a supplementary protective base.

BACKGROUND ART

There is an increasingly large demand for meals that are simple to prepare and for which the preparation time is short. Sales of convenience foods or ready meals are increasing. These are sold in disposable packages and are adapted either to be eaten directly without heating, such as sushi, or to be heated before eaten.

Most ready meals are contained in a disposable package usually consisting of a tray manufactured from cardboard, metal or a plastic material with a thin, transparent plastic film serving as a lid. A plurality of different heating methods is available, depending on the packaging material. The most common tray material for single portion ready meals is plastic or paper, which allows the meal to be heated in a microwave oven. It is also possible to use a conventional oven or to heat the package using steam. The lid of the package is removed either before or after heating. The meal can be eaten directly from the package when heated or it is possible to transfer the food from the package to a plate. During a transfer of the food, the presentation of the meal is destroyed and the food content will inevitable mix.

One way of solving the problem with the food mixing is to use a tray having a removable bottom, which is removed by the use of a pulling tab. The food package is placed on a plate before or after is heated, and the bottom is removed by the use of the pulling tab. In this way, the food will be placed on the plate with the same presentation as in the food package, which will enhance the eating experience. Such a food package is described in WO 2006/1 15457. In such a food package, the removable bottom is relatively thin. A thin bottom is of advantage in order to save weight and to simplify the removal of the bottom. The thickness of the bottom is in the same region as the foil lid of the food package, but since the bottom is subjected to a greater wear, e.g. due to wrong handling of the food package, there is a small risk of damaging the bottom. Further, if the food package is handled incorrectly, by e.g. placing it on a contaminated surface, the bottom may be contaminated, and this contamination may be transferred to the plate by the bottom. One method of solving this problem is to place the food package in an additional tray which covers the bottom and lower region of the food package. Such a solution is relatively costly and involves a relatively thick additional tray which also has to be held to the food package by tape in order not to fall off. Such a solution is further relatively heavy, and may add up to 50% to the weight of the food package. It is also possible to place the food package in an additional carton covering the complete food package. Also this solution is relatively costly.

Even though such a solution may function for a smaller number of food packages, it is a costly and impractical solution. There is thus room for an improved food package.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

An object of the invention is therefore to provide an improved food tray comprising a removable supplementary base. The solution to the problem according to the invention is described in the characterizing part of claim 1 . The other claims contain advantageous embodiments and further developments of the food tray.

In a food tray comprising a side wall module and a bottom, where the bottom and the side wall module are attached to each other in a detachable manner, where the bottom can be removed from the side wall module by the use of a removal means attached to the bottom, the object of the invention is achieved in that the tray further comprises a supplementary base attached to the underside of the bottom, where the supplementary base is attached to the bottom in a detachable manner and where the supplementary base is adapted to be removed from the bottom when the bottom is still attached to the side wall module.

By this embodiment of a food tray according to the invention, the food tray comprises a supplementary base attached to the bottom of the food tray. In this way, the removable bottom is protected by the supplementary base during handling of the food tray. This may be of advantage when the food tray is handled extensively and by many different people, such as when the food tray is bought in a food store. A further advantage may be when the food tray is intended for people having reduced resistance against illness.

The inventive food tray is provided with a supplementary base which is attached to the underside of the bottom in a detachable manner. The supplementary base is preferably somewhat larger than the bottom, such that the supplementary base extends up to a lower region of the side wall module. In this way, the complete removable bottom is protected by the supplementary base. The supplementary base is preferably provided with a re-adherable adhesive, such as a low-tack pressure-sensitive adhesive used e.g. for paper notes. The adhesive may be applied only at the edge of the supplementary base or on the complete surface of the supplementary base. The adhesive is only provided on the side of the supplementary base that will attach to the removable bottom, i.e. to the upper side of the supplementary base. The supplementary base is further preferably provided with a tab which simplifies the removal of the supplementary base. The supplementary base is preferably relatively thin, in the order of the removable bottom or somewhat thicker, but not as thick as the side wall of the food tray. A suitable thickness is in the region of between 100 to 400 μιτι. The material of the supplementary base may be any film or foil material, but the supplementary base is preferably made from a single layer of paper or plastic.

In an advantageous development of the invention, the supplementary base is stamped out from a roll of foil or film prior to the attachment to the food tray. An advantage of stamping out the supplementary base before it is attached to the bottom of the food tray is that it is easy to give the supplementary base a desired shape. This is an advantage, especially if the food tray is unsymmetrical. At the same time a tab adapted to be used for removing the supplementary base can be created. Such a solution will give a reliable attachment of the supplementary base and will further give a pleasing appearance of the food tray. In an advantageous development of the invention, the food tray is first attached to a roll of foil or film, and thereafter the supplementary base is cut out from the roll of foil or film. Such a solution may be faster and cheaper, and may be used for larger quantities of food trays, where the end consumer will not see the food tray. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The invention will be described in greater detail in the following, with reference to the embodiments that are shown in the attached drawings, in which Fig. 1 shows a side view of a food tray comprising a supplementary base according to the invention, and

Fig. 2 shows a split view of the food tray according to the invention.

MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The embodiments of the invention with further developments described in the following are to be regarded only as examples and are in no way to limit the scope of the protection provided by the patent claims.

Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of a food package in the form of a food tray 1 . The food tray 1 comprises in the shown example a side wall module 2 having two longitudinal side walls 3, 4 and two transverse side walls 5, 6 interconnected to each other, thereby forming the side wall module 2 made in one piece. The tray further comprises a removable bottom 13. The side walls 3, 4 and 5, 6 are substantially perpendicular to each other, but the side wall module may also have other shapes, such as a round, an oval or an asymmetric shape. A rectangular outer shape is however cost- efficient both to handle and to pack in larger quantities. The shown transverse side walls each comprise a concave section 7, 8. The concave section 7 is intended to hold the removal tab 14 of the removable bottom and to provide a grip for holding the food tray when the removable bottom is removed. The removal tab 14 is fixed to the removable bottom at the opposite end, at the concave section 8, which means that the removable bottom will start to peel off from this end when the removal tab is pulled.

The side walls slope somewhat such that the food trays can be stacked in each other. This allows for an efficient transportation of empty food packages. The lower periphery is provided with a lower rim 12 that is adapted to receive a bottom foil that will constitute the removable bottom 13 of the food tray. The bottom foil can be removed by pulling the removal tab 14. The removable bottom foil is preferably attached in a removable manner to the side wall module when the food tray is produced. There are different ways of achieving an attachment of the bottom that allows it to be removed in an easy way, but that will still provide a secure bottom for the food before the removal of the bottom. Since the removable bottom is peeled off, the local pulling strength acting on the joint will be relatively high which helps the removal of the bottom.

The upper periphery of the food package comprises an upper rim 1 1 that is adapted to receive a lid of some kind. The lid may be made from different materials but is preferably a transparent film that is attached to the upper rim after food has been placed in the tray. The lid does not have to be removed from the tray when the food in the tray is to be served. This allows for an easier attachment of the lid, which is of great importance especially when the food tray is used by smaller establishments having simpler sealing machines. A removable lid requires higher tolerances when the lid is attached to the tray, but with the inventive tray, a tight and secure attachment of the lid may be obtained also with lower tolerances.

The food tray further comprises a supplementary base 9. In the shown example, the supplementary base extends up on a lower section 15 of the side walls. In this way, it is ensured that the complete removable bottom is protected by the supplementary base. It is also possible to make the supplementary base in the same size as the bottom of the food tray. The supplementary base is further provided with a tab 10 which will act as a pulling tab when the supplementary base is removed from the food tray. The purpose of the supplementary base is to protect the removable bottom during handling of the food tray. The removable bottom is protected both from mechanical damage, i.e. from a sharp edge, and from contaminations which may be caught by the supplementary base during handling. The protection may e.g. be of advantage for food trays bought in a food shop, where the food tray is handled by several people and where the food tray may be placed on a dirty surface, such as in a shopping trolley or on a conveyor belt. The supplementary base is preferably removed from the food tray before the food tray is placed in the heating means, such that any contamination on the underside of the supplementary base is not transferred into the oven. Further, the removable supplementary base is removed from the food tray before the food tray is placed on the plate on which the food is to be served, such that any contamination on the underside of the supplementary base is not transferred to the plate.

The supplementary base is preferably provided with a re-adherable adhesive, such as a low-tack pressure-sensitive adhesive used e.g. for paper notes. The adhesive may be applied only at the edge of the supplementary base or on the complete surface of the supplementary base. In this way, it is ensured that the supplementary base will be attached to the bottom of the food tray with enough force not to fall off. At the same time, it is ensured that the supplementary base will easily be removed from the removable bottom without damaging the removable bottom. It is also possible to use an adhesive that allows the supplementary base to adhere once to the underside of the bottom, but that is not possible to re-adhere once more. Another possibility is to attach the supplementary base to the underside of the bottom by using static electricity.

The supplementary base is preferably made from a relatively thin foil or film. The thickness of the supplementary base is preferably in the same order as the removable bottom or somewhat thicker, but not as thick as the side wall of the food tray. A suitable thickness is in the region of between 32 to 150 μιτι. The material of the supplementary base may be any film or foil material, but the supplementary base is preferably made from a single layer of paper or plastic. The supplementary base may also be pre-formed to the shape of the food tray with upwards extending side regions such that the supplementary base will extend up on the lower section 15 of the side walls when the supplementary base has been attached to the bottom of the food tray.

The supplementary base is preferably stamped out from a roll of foil or film prior to the attachment to the food tray. An advantage of stamping out the supplementary base before it is attached to the bottom of the food tray is that it is easy to give the supplementary base a desired shape. This is an advantage, especially if the food tray is unsymmetrical. At the same time, the tab 10 is created. The food tray is placed on the stamped out supplementary base, which will adhere to the bottom of the food tray. When a food tray is stacked in another food tray, the edges of the supplementary base that extend outside of the bottom will be folded towards the lower region of the side walls, and will adhere to the lower region automatically due to the re-adherable adhesive, without the need of any further handling or without any further attachment means. In this way, a reliable attachment of the supplementary base is obtained and this will further give a pleasing appearance of the food tray. The supplementary base may further be used for printed information, such as the ingredient list, manufacturing data etc. In this way, an additional sticker on the lid is not required. It is also possible to first attach the food tray to a roll of foil or film, and thereafter to cut out the supplementary base from the roll of foil or film. In this way, it is difficult to cut the supplementary base to an exact desired shape, but such a solution may be faster and cheaper, and does not require a specific stamping tool. The supplementary base will here extend up on the side walls in an unsymmetrical way, which will give a less pleasing appearance. This method may e.g. be used for larger quantities of food trays, where cost is important, or where the end consumer will not see the food tray.

The food tray is adapted to be supplied with food in a filling station at a ready meal producer. This may be either a manually operated filling station or an automated filling station. When all food products are inserted into the food tray, a lid is mounted to the tray. The lid is preferably mounted to the tray in a heat sealing operation, but it is also possible to use a lid that is not fixedly attached to the upper rim, e.g. when fresh ready meals are prepared for catering. Commonly known heat sealing apparatuses or machines comprising a heated plate may be used, but since the lid should not be removable, other materials, temperatures and processing times may be used.

The invention is not to be regarded as being limited to the embodiments described above, a number of additional variants and modifications being possible within the scope of the subsequent patent claims. The supplementary base may have any size and shape and may be made from any suitable material.

REFERENCE SIGNS

1 : Food tray

2: Side wall module

3: Longitudinal side wall 4: Longitudinal side wall

5: Transverse side wall

6: Transverse side wall

7: Concave section

8: Concave section 9: Supplementary base

10: Tab

1 1 : Upper rim

12: Lower rim

13: Bottom

14: Removal tab

15: Lower region

Claims

A food tray (1) comprising a side wall module (2) and a bottom (13), where the bottom (13) and the side wall module (2) are attached to each other in a detachable manner, where the bottom (13) can be removed from the side wall module (2) by the use of a removal means (14) attached to the bottom (13), characterized in that the tray further comprises a supplementary base (9) attached to the underside of the bottom (13), where the supplementary base (9) is attached to the underside of the bottom (13) in a detachable manner, and where the supplementary base (9) is adapted to be removed from the bottom (13) when the bottom is still attached to the side wall module (2).

Food tray according to claim 1, characterized in that the supplementary base (9) is larger than the bottom (13) such that the supplementary base (9) is also attached to a lower region (15) of the side wall module (2) in a detachable manner.

Food tray according to claim 1 or2, characterized in that the supplementary base (9) is further provided with a tab (10) adapted for the removal of the supplementary base (9).

Food tray according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the supplementary base (9) is attached to the underside of the bottom (13) by the use of static electricity.

Food tray according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the supplementary base (9) is attached to the underside of the bottom (13) by the use of an adhesive.

6. Food tray according to claim 5, characterized in that the supplementary base (9) is provided with a re-adherable adhesive.

7. Food tray according to claim 6, characterized in that the re-adherable adhesive is provided at the edges of the supplementary base (9).

8. Food tray according to claim 5, characterized in that the re-adherable adhesive is provided on the complete supplementary base (9).

9. Food tray according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the supplementary base (9) is made from a flexible film material.

10. Food tray according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the supplementary base (9) is made from a paper or plastic film.

11. Food tray according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the thickness of the supplementary base (9) is between 32 to 150 μιτι.

12. Food tray according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the supplementary base (9) is stamped out from a roll prior to the attachment to the food tray.

13. Food tray according to claim 12, characterized in that the supplementary base (9) is pre-formed to a desired shape prior to the attachment to the food tray.

14. Food tray according to any of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the supplementary base (9) is stamped out from a roll after the attachment to the food tray.