FOOD PACKAGE AND STORAGE UNIT

ARTICLE DE CONDITONNEMENT ET DE STOCKAGE DE PRODUITS ALIMENTAIRES

English Abstract

ABSTRACT
A food package and storage unit including a box, a tray
having an opening at the top adapted to be readily slid into
and out of one end of the box and a flexible separator sheet
interleaved among food items positioned in the tray.

Claims

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The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive
property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1, A food package and storage unit comprising in combination
a substantially rigid, outer enclosure and an opentopped tray
slidably positionable within the enclosure and slidably
removable from the enclosure for use as a storage container
separate and apart from the enclosure, the tray having a
dimension at least entirely around the opening to provide a
close fitting engagement with the enclosure to prevent
movement when the tray is so positioned, a plurality of food
items positioned in the tray, each food item being substantially
coextensive in size with the opening and located in stacked
arrangement, and flexible separator means comprising an
elongated sheet juxtaposed a bottom surface of the tray and
interleaved back and forth among the food items so that a
section of the sheet is disposed over and under each food item
to separate each food item either from the enclosure, from the
tray, or from each other food item.
2. The unit of claim 1 in which the tray is made of a
transparent plastic material.
3. The unit of claim 1 in which the tray has sufficient
depth to house a plurality of stacked portions of fish.

Description

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FOOD PACKAGE AND STORAGE UNIT
BACKGROUND ART
Prior packaging and storing arrangements have included a box
and try combination for food items, for example as shown in
U. S. Patent No. 3,671,271. However, prior packages including
a box and tray have not been satisfactory for use in handling
a plurality of food items which require separation, reduced
air exposure and ease of removal of some items prior
to restorage of remaining items.
Other food item packages have proposed the use of separation
layers as disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 1,773,080 but these
packages have failed to provide ease of removal of items and
restorage of remaining food items.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Broadly, the present invention is a food package and storage
20 unit comprising a substantially rigid box enclosure, a tray
slidably positionable within the enclosure, a plurality of
food items in the tray and a flexible separator sheet having
a plurality of sections, said sheet being interleaved among
the food items so that a section of the sheet separates the
25 food item from the box, from the tray and from each other
food item. The unit is especially effective in packaging
portions of fish or meat, typically in an amount for individual
consumption, in stacked relationship.
30 It is a feature of the unit that upon removal of one or more
food items the remaining food items can be stored in the tray.
The tray may be used alone or in combination with the box
during restorage by the consumer of the food items.
35 It is also a feature of the unit that each food item is pro-
tected against contact with the tray and the box during trans-
port and storage.
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DESCRIPT~ON OF THE INVENTION
Fig. 1 is perspective view of the unit with the tray with-
drawn from the box and the food items and separator sheet
shown in a partially e~ploded view.
Fig. 2 is a section view of the assembled unit taken transverse
to the longitudinal axes of sides of the box.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, box 10, having top panel 11,
bottom panel 12, longitudinal side 13, opposite longitudinal
side 14, a closed end 15 (not totally shown) and a closable
end 16, is proportioned to receive and house a tray 17.
Preferably, tray 17 fits into box 10 with little or no
clearance to prevent movement of the tray in the box during
handling. During assembly of the unit in the food processing
plant, tray 17 is inserted into box 10, flaps 18, 19, 20 and
21 at the closable end are folded shut and suitably sealed to
20 prevent tray 17 from sliding out during subsequent handling
and storage.
Tray 17, which is preferably made of a transparent or translu-
cent material such as plastic to reveal in whole or in part
its contents, has rim 22, sloping sides and ends 23 with
rounded corner portions 24 between them and, finally, a
generally flat bottom 25. The sides and ends 23 provide the
tray with sufficient depth to accommodate a plurality of
stacked portions to food. Tray 17 is open at the top and pre-
30 ferably sufficiently rigid to be self-supporting when filled
with product and held by one hand. Tray 17 is also preferably
fabricated of one piece of impervious material, or if made of
plurality of pieces the pieces are joined so that the tray
is capable of holding liquids without leakage.
Turning to Fig. 1, tray 17 is shown with a plurality of food
items and a sheet 27 interleaved back and forth over and
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under individual food items (view of the food items and
sheet 27 is partially exploded to show their relationship)
Food items may be filets of fish, meat portions or other
food portions that are packaged, transported and stored.
The food items are illustrated by the identifying indicia
26a, 26_, 26c and 26d.
Sheet 27 is preferably one continuous piece of material but
10 may be divided into portions. Each sheet or portion provides
sections as it is folded. Sheet 27 is positioned with an
end section 27a under food item 26a; a second sheet section
27b is folded over the top of food item 26a to separate food
item 26a from food item 26b packaged above it. Succeeding
sections 27c-d of sheet 27 are similarly folded back and forth
between stacked food items 26b-d (see also Fig. 2). Sheet 27
is preferably made of a translucent material which does not
adhere unnecessarily to the food items and aids in preventing
air from reaching the food items.
The package unit of the present invention is particularly
useful for food items that are restoraged in a freezer or under
refrigeration after first being opened by the consumer. The
remaining contents can be readily held in the tray alone or
25 in the tray and box combination as described. The folded
sheet helps retain freshness of the food items during
restorage.