US3083107A - Sliced food package - Google Patents

Description

March 26, 1963 J. M. TlNDALL sucsn FOOD PACKAGE Filed Aug. 25, 1960 Mai car yaizr'zfd zeys United States Patent 3,083,107 SLICED F091) PACKAGE John M. Tindall, 522 Greenleaf Ave., Wilmette, 111. Filed Aug. 25, 1960, Ser. No. 51,850 1 Claim. (Cl. 99-171) This invention relates to a food package, and more specifically, to a package which is provided with a slidable tray and which is particularly suited for the marketing and storing of sliced food products such as sliced cheese, meat, etc.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a package of simple and inexpensive construction from which sliced food products may be readily removed without destroying or mutilating the outer wrapper. Another object is to provide a package of relatively stiff and sturdy construction, the package being particularly suited for the marketing of sliced cheese and other foods in self-service counters where it may be handled and stacked without assuming a shop worn appearance. A further object is to provide a package equipped with means for preventing relative movement of the tray and the food slices carried thereby as the tray is pulled out of the wrapper, such means also being effective in maintaining the slices in slanted and shingled relation and in rigidifying the entire package against transverse flexure.

Other objects will appear from the specification and drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective View of a package embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged broken vertical longitudinal section taken along line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a broken top plan view of the blank from which the tray of the present package is formed;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged broken perspective view illustrating structural details of the shoulder of the tray.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral generally designates a food package comprising a tray 11, an arrangement of food slices 12 supported by the tray, and a wrapper 13 extending about the tray and its contents.

Preferably, the tray 11 is formed from a single sheet of foldable board material such as cardboard or paperboard although a suitable plastic or foil might also be used. The tray provides a flat surface for supporting the contents of the package and has a pair of upstanding side walls 14 extending in parallel relation along opposite sides of the tray. At one end of the elongated package is a transversely extending shoulder 15 defining an inclined supporting surface 16 while at the opposite end is a folded pull tab 17.

Referring specifically to FIGURES 3 and 4, it will be observed that shoulder 15 is formed integrally with the tray from the same blank or sheet 18 from which the tray is folded and formed. The extension 19 of the blank 18 is folded along transverse fold lines 20-23, shown as broken lines in FIGURE 3, to form the transverse shoulder of triangular section represented in FI" URE 4. It will be observed that the fold lines divide the extension 19 into a series of sections 24, 25, 26 and 27. In forming the transverse shoulder, the extension is folded inwardly upon itself so that back section 27 overlies section 24 and section rests directly upon the fiat bottom section 28 of the tray. The inclined outer surface 16 of section 27 forms an obtuse angle with the fiat upper surface of tray section 28. Preferably, to form this obtuse angle, section 27 is longer, when measured longitudinally of the blank, than sections 24 or 27.

Any suitable means may be provided to hold the shoulder in folded condition. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, this is accomplished 3,083,107 Patented Mar. 26, 1963 by means of a fiap 29 defined by die-cut line 30 and fold line 31 on the blank of FIGURE 3. The flap faces forwardly towards the shoulder and fold line 31 is spaced from line 23 a distance equal to or slightly greater than the length of section 25. Thus, when the extension 19 is folded to form the transverse shoulder, the leading edge of that shoulder along fold line 21 may be tucked between the flap and the base section 28. The shoulder has a tendency to expand because of the resiliency of the material from which it is folded and, by preventing such expansion, the flap 29 effectively locks the shoulder in the condition illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 4.

In FIGURE 1, I have illustrated two side-by-side series of food slices arranged in shingle overlapping fashion upon the tray but it is to be understood that only a single series may be provided and, if desired, more than two series might be supported within a single package. The lowermost slice 32 of each series rests upon the inclined surface 16 of the shoulder and, therefore, all of the slices of each series are maintained in slanted condition. The bottom edges of the slices rests upon the flat supporting surface of the tray while the upper edges of those slices are no higher than the top edge of shoulder 15. In this regard, it is to be observed that the top edge of the shoulder may be rounded somewhat by providing double fold lines 22, the rounded surface being less likely to meet resistance by the outer wrapper 13 as the tray is slid longitudinally.

Tab 17 is folded upwardly and rearwardly against the lower surface portion of the foremost slice to assist in preventing independent sliding movement of the slices within the package when the package is sealed or closed. If desired, a suitable imprint 33 may be applied to the tab to indicate that it should be unfolded and pulled to withdraw the tray from the opened wrapper.

Wrapper 13 is formed from a transparent plastic film which is substantially odorless and which is relatively impermeable to moisture vapor and oxygen. Pliofilm, a chlorinated rubber sheet material of the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has been found highly effective as a wrapping material. Other materials having similar properties, such as vinylidene chloride polymers or polyethylene, particularly polyethylene having vinylidene chloride coating or compounded with waxes, might also be used. Since such materials and the wrappers in which they are used are entirely conventional, further description of the composition and properties of such materials is believed unnecessary herein.

Wrapper 13 is of elongated tubular form and completely encloses the tray and its contents. The ends of the tube are heat sealed along heat sealing zones 34, thereby hermetically sealing the sliced food within the wrapper. Air may be completely or partially evacuated prior to such sealing and, if desired, the sliced food may be packaged in an atmosphere of nitrogen or some other suitable gas which will not adversely effect the flavor of the food but which will prevent its oxidation during display and storage.

To open the package, a consumer simply cuts the wrapper along the sealed end adjacent the pull tab 17 of the tray and then, by unfolding and pulling tab 17, slides the tray out of the wrapper .a sufiicient distance to fully expose one or more of the food slices. Thereafter, the tray may be slid back into the wrapper and the opened end of the wrapper may be folded and temporarily sealed by any suitable means. The clip disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 25,363, filed April 28, 1960, may be advantageously used for this purpose.

The upstanding side flanges or walls 14 not only prevent lateral d1splacement of the slices upon the tray but also greatly facilitate the inward and outward sliding movement of the tray Within the wrapper. It will be observed that the upper edges of the side walls project slightly above the upper edges of the slices and, therefore, the upper portion of the wrapper primarily contacts the narrow upper edges of Walls 14. Only slight frictional resistance occurs between the side Walls and the wrapper as the tray is moved in and out, whereas substantial resistance would occur between the slices and the Wrapper in the absence of such side walls.

The hollow shoulder performs a number of important functions. First of all, it prevents rearward sliding movement of the slices as the tray is pulled outwardly. In other words, the shoulder acts to retain the slices upon the tray as that tray is moved with reference to the surrounding Wrapper. The shoulder also maintains the slices of each series in inclined condition, as already described. Furthermore, it greatly strengthens the entire package and rigidifies it against transverse flexure. Since the longitudinally extending side walls or flanges prevent longitudinal flexure of the package, it is believed apparent that the package of the present invention is relatively stiff and may undergo considerable handling, movement and stacking without becoming crushed, frayed or shop Worn.

While in the foregoing I have disclosed an embodiment of the invention in considerable detail for purposes of illustration, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that many of these details may be varied Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

A sliced food package comprising a tray formed from sheet material and having a pair of upstanding opposite side Walls and a rigid inclined support shoulder at one end thereof, said tray supporting a plurality of shinglestacked food slices arranged in at least one series extending between said side walls and parallel therewith, the lowermost slice of said stack resting against the inclined surface of said shoulder, the slices of said series having their upper edges no higher than the upper edges of said side walls, and a flexible wrapper enclosing said tray and the slices carried thereby, said tray being slidable out of and into said Wrapper when said wrapper is opened at said opposite end of said tray, said tray being provided at said opposite end with tab means for the gripping and removal of the tray from said Wrapper after said Wrapper has been opened, said side Walls engaging said wrapper to reduce resistance between said wrapper and said slices as said tray is slid out or" and into said wrapper.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,197,506 Moss Apr. 16, 1940 2,256,723 Nutt Sept. 23, 1941 2,954,151 Buttery et a1. Sept. 27, 1960 2,967,777 Grindrod Ian. 10, 1961

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