Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02323411 2000-10-17
CASE 22305-1
PACKAGING INCLUDiN~1~'UfSU ~D~LIVERY SYSTEM
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to containers.for food products, and more
particularly
to a food delivery system and associated packaging for hand-held food
products.
2. Back~~round and Description of Related Art
In recent years, there has been increased interest in hand-held foods, e.g.,
single serve
food items for consumption without utensils. Such items are intended to be
easily handled by
the consumer so that they can be eaten in a variety of circumstances, e.g.,
while driving,
without requiring a great deal of time and attention, preferably without
leaving residue on the
consumer's fingers. In providing a container for this type of product, among
the
considerations that must be addressed are the ability of the container to
receive product in
high-speed commercial filling operations; the degree of difficulty that will
be encountered by
the consumer in dispensing product from the container; the ability of the
container to
withstand various loads, such as stacking loads, during filling, sealing,
shipping, display, and
consumer use; the ability of the container to be packed efficiently among like
containers; the
cost of manufacture of the container; the ability of the container to exclude
air to enable
acceptable shelf life to be maintained, and the costs and difficulty
associated with forming,
filling and sealing the container. It is also important that containers of
this type be
aesthetically pleasing where they are intended to be displayed for commercial
sale to
consumers in grocery stores and/or other retail establishments.
It is a general object of the invention to provide a lightweight, economical,
commercially viable container for food products which adequately addresses the
above
considerations, and which includes a food delivery system to facilitate
dispensing of single
servings of hand-held food products.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides a food packaging system that preferably includes a
system for
facilitating progressive or incremental delivery of individual, single-serving
hand-held food
items to the consumer, along with a carton for containing a plurality of the
food items and
associated delivery systems. The packaging system provides protection for the
food items
during packaging, shipping, handling, retail display and consumer use, and
also makes them
readily accessible to the consumer, without requiring direct manual contact
with the food
item. The packaging system preferably includes a separate disposable delivery
system for
each food item.
The food delivery system preferably comprises an elongated tray supporting the
food
item within an overwrap. The tray preferably has sufficient strength and
stiffness to
withstand compression loads experienced during packaging, shipping, handling,
retail display
and consumer use, but also includes at least one predetermined area of
weakness to facilitate
controlled incremental bending of the tray to improve accessibility to the
food item during
1 S incremental dispensing thereof. To this end, each side wall preferably
comprises a plurality
of distinct segments with frangible portions therebetween. The tray preferably
may be bent
or folded away from the food item so that one end portion of the food item is
exposed on all
sides while another end portion remains covered by the tray and overwrap to
facilitate
handling. The tray preferably comprises a bottom wall, a pair of side walls
and a pair of end
walls to withstand compression on all sides. The end walls enable the product
to be
withdrawn upwardly from the overwrap after an end of the overwrap has been
opened or
removed, by pulling upward on the tray, with one of the end walls of the tray
being below the
food product to push it upward, without requiring the consumer to handle the
food product
directly.
Each area of weakness preferably include notches in the side walls extending a
portion
of the height of each side wall, and a line of weakness extending from the
bottom of each
notch to the bottom wall. The notches and lines of weakness enable the
sidewalls to be
divided or split at predetermined locations by bending of the tray. To
facilitate controlled
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folding of the bottom wall, the bottom wall includes a weakened area along a
line extending
between the lines of weakness in the sidewalls. This weakened area may
comprise, e.g., an
area of reduced thickness, a score line, a line of perforation, or other means
to control
bending. The tray may have upper regions of the side walls configured to
facilitate
engagement by the fingers of a person holding the food delivery system, e.g.,
one or more
curved recesses in the upper edges of the side walls.
The overwrap preferably is hermetic, and may contain a gas flushed
environment.
The overwrap also preferably comprises a weakened area to facilitate opening.
It may be
made from one or more layers of suitable food-grade film of plastic material
or the like, metal
foil and/or paper.
The food item may comprise, for example, breakfast bars or other farinaceous
products. One particular food item that may be packaged in accordance with the
invention
comprises a cream cheese component disposed within a larger farinaceous
component or
sandwiched between a pair of farinaceous components. The farinaceous
components may
comprise, e.g., baked bread products, bagel products or other products.
The carton may comprise a side-load carton or an end-load carton. The side-
load
carton may be assembled by a novel sequence of assembly steps wherein side
walls for the
carton and and side portions of the cover can be formed efficiently and
economically to
provide a secure yet easily openable, commercially acceptable container.
Filling of the side-load carton involves positioning of food products in their
associated
delivery systems in horizontal rows of three, then pushing them into the
container using a
mandrel or the like, with the mandrel contacting one pair of delivery systems
only. In the
end-load carton, the mandrel may act directly on each of the delivery systems,
which may
reduce compression loads on the delivery systems as compared with the loads
experienced by
the delivery systems in contact with the mandrel in the above-described
filling arrangement
for the side-load carton.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
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FIGURES 1-4 are diagrammatic perspective views illustrating a method of using
a
food delivery system in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention;
FIGURE 5 is a perspective view illustrating an elongated tray in accordance
with a
second embodiment of the invention;
FIGURE 6 is a perspective view illustrating an elongated tray for a food
delivery
system in accordance with a third embodiment of the invention;
FIGURE 7 is a perspective view illustrating a side load carton in accordance
with an
embodiment of the invention;
FIGURE 8 is a perspective view illustrating a partially pre-glued, partially
assembled
precursor to the side load carton of FIGURE 7.
FIGURES 9-21 are perspective views illustrating a sequence of steps of
assembling,
filling, and sealing the side load carton of FIGURE 7;
FIGURE 22 is a perspective view illustrating the side load carton of FIGURE 7
in
open position;
~ 5 FIGURE 23 is a perspective view illustrating an end load carton in
accordance with
another embodiment of the invention;
FIGURE 24 is a perspective view illustrating the carton of FIGURE 23 in open
position;
FIGURE 25 is a perspective view illustrating the carton of FIGURE 23 in a
reclosed
-'0 position;
FIGURES 26 and 27 are perspective views illustrating the loading of an end
load
carton through the top end and bottom end, respectively.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The invention is preferably embodied in a packaging system that includes a
food
delivery system as shown in Figs. I-6, in combination with a carton as shown
in Figs. 7-27.
In the illustrated embodiments, the packaging system is used in conjunction
with hand-held
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foods, i.e., edible items that may be held in a consumer's hand for
consumption without
utensils. In other embodiments, the packaging system may be used in
conjunction with other
food products.
For the purpose of illustrating the food-delivery system of the invention,
there are
shown in the drawings, which form a material part of this disclosure,
preferred embodiments
of the invention. The various components of the food delivery system of the
present
invention may be generally arranged as shown in the drawings, or as described
herein below.
However, the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements,
configurations, dimensions
and/or instrumentalities shown in these drawings, or described herein below.
The
arrangements, configurations, dimensions and instrumentalities may be
otherwise, as
circumstances require.
A preferred embodiment of the food delivery system will now be described with
reference to the drawings. In the drawings, like reference symbols indicate
the same
components throughout the different views.
FIGS. I-4 show a food delivery system 30 in accordance with a first embodiment
of
the invention and its method of use. The food delivery system of Figs. I-4
generally includes
an elongated tray 32 in which the food item 46 is positioned, and an overwrap
34 for the tray
and food item.
The elongated tray includes a bottom wall 36, side walls 38, and end walls 40,
each
side wall 38 having a bottom edge 42 joined to the bottom wall and a top edge
44. The
bottom wall 36, side walls 38 and end walls 40 may be held in their positions
in any suitable
manner, e.g., by adhesives, fasteners, notches and slots in the walls, or
other means for
maintaining the walls in a fixed relationship to one another. The tray 32
preferably has
sufficient strength and stiffness to withstand compression loads experienced
during
packaging, shipping, handling, retail display and consumer use, but also
includes at least one
predetermined area of weakness to facilitate controlled bending of the tray to
improve
accessibility to the food item during progressive dispensing thereof. To this
end, each side
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wall preferably comprises a plurality of distinct segments 33 with frangible
portions
therebetween. The tray preferably may be bent or folded away from the food
item 46 so that
one end portion of the food item is exposed on all sides while another end
portion remains
covered by the tray 32 and overwrap 34 to facilitate handling.
In the illustrated embodiment, the tray 32 comprises a generally rectangular
bottom
wall 36, a pair of generally rectangular side walls 38, and a pair of
generally rectangular end
walls 40 to enable the tray to withstand loads on all sides. The end walls
enable the product
to be withdrawn upwardly from the overwrap after an end of the overwrap has
been opened or
removed, by pulling upward on the tray, with one of the end walls of the tray
being below the
food product 46 to push it upward, without requiring the consumer to handle
the food product
directly. As alternatives to the generally rectangular configuration of the
tray in the illustrated
embodiments, the tray may, in other embodiments of the invention, be
rectangular, elliptical,
or even triangular in shape, depending on the food product's geometry.
Each frangible portion preferably is defined by an area of weakness that
includes slots
or notches 48 in the side walls extending a portion of the height of each side
wall 38, and a
line of weakness such as a score line or a perforation SO extending from the
bottom of each
notch 48 to the bottom wall 36. The notches 48 and lines 50 of weakness enable
the
sidewalls to be divided or split at predetermined locations by bending of the
tray. In the
illustrated embodiments, each of the slots in the sidewalls comprises a notch
extending
between about I /4 and about 3/4 of the distance from the top edge of the side
wall to the
bottom edge of the side wall. Such notches 48 may be any suitable shape which
serves to
facilitate splitting or tearing the side wall 38 so that the tray may be bent
backward.
To facilitate controlled folding of the bottom wall, the bottom wall 36
includes one or
more weakened areas 52. Each weakened area 52 may comprise, e.g., an area of
reduced
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thickness, a score line, a line of perforation, or other means to control
bending. Each
weakened area 52 extends between a pair of slots 48. Thus, the notches 48,
perforated areas
of the side walls 50, and weakened areas 52 of the bottom wall work in
conjunction with one
another to facilitate controlled bending of the tray. Such slots 48 and
weakened areas 52 are
preferably spaced from an end of the tray by about one fifth to about one-half
of the length of
the tray 32.
As shown in Fig. 5, the tray 32 may have upper regions of the side walls
configured to
facilitate engagement by the fingers of a person holding the food delivery
system, e.g., one or
more curved recesses 54 in the upper edges of the side walls. The recesses or
finger grips 54
may be obtained by die-cutting the upper regions of the side walls. These
regions are
preferably configured such that the fingers of the consumer fit within these
regions
comfortably, and to this end are dimensioned to correspond to the approximate
size and
spacing of the fingers of a typical consumer of the product to ergonomically
enhance the
packaging.
1 S The tray 32 in the preferred embodiments is made of a paperboard
substrate, but in
other embodiments might be made of plastics or other materials, or
combinations of
paperboard, plastics and/or other materials. Also, a susceptor may be
incorporated into the
tray 32. This would allow the food product to take on a crispy texture when
microwaved. To
assist in maintaining accceptable shelf life, an oxygen-scavenging system may
be
?0 incorporated into one of the layers of the paperboard tray's laminate
structure.
In one embodiment, the corners of the tray are secured by an automatically
locking
tab-in slot arrangement known as "KliklokT"'". With this embodiment, a flat
blank is folded
up around the food item by suitable apparatus, and the corners are locked
together without
requiring adhesive, and without requiring manual assembly.
25 The food item 46 may comprise, for example, any snack food or food that may
be
eaten on the run. For instance, a breakfast bar or other farinaceous product
is one such
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product. One particular food item 46 that may be packaged in accordance with
the invention
comprises a cream cheese component disposed within a larger farinaceous
component or
sandwiched between a pair of farinaceous components. The farinaceous
components may
comprise, e.g., baked bread products, bagel products, bagel-like products,
bagel-like products
with cream cheese components, or other products. Susceptors may be
incorporated into the
paperboard and thereby allow the food product to be crisped and heated in a
microwave.
Food items that such technology would be used for are pizza-like products,
burgers, other
hot sandwhich-like concoctions, and the like.
The overwrap 34 encloses the tray 32 and the food item 46. The illustrated
overwrap
34 is formed from a single web of material, wrapped around the food item and
closed by a
longitudinal fin seal and transverse end seals. In the preferred embodiments,
the overwrap is
hermetic, and may contain a gas flushed environment. In other embodiments, for
selected
products, a cold seal pouch material could be used rather than a hermetically-
sealable
material, and the overwrap may be formed with cold seals, and may be non-
hermetic.
I 5 The overwrap 34 preferably comprises a weakened area 56 to facilitate
opening. The
weakened area 56 may comprise, e.g., a series of scratches or the like in one
or more layers of
laminated film. Commercially available products providing weakened areas to
facilitate
opening that may be suitable include those marketed under the names "Magic
CutT"'" and
"Fancy CutT"'."
The overwrap 34 is preferably made of a flexible plastic film which may
comprise,
e.g., one or more layers of polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon, polyethylene
terepthalate
(PET), linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) or other polymeric materials,
and or metal
foil, paper, or other suitable materials.
As shown in FIG. 6, the tray 32 may include two pair of notches 48, with a
respective
lines of weakness extending down to 50 and across 52 the bottom wall between
each pair. In
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other embodiments, three or more pair of notches 48, with associated lines of
weakness, may
be provided. The notchlperforation/score features, or other means to
facilitate bending, may
be located at any suitable locations along the side of the tray to optimize
product delivery.
The dimensions of the tray may be variable. The length of the tray may vary
from
about 3.5 in about 5.5 in and is preferably about 4 in to about 5 in. The
width of the tray may
range from about 1 in to about 3 in, and is preferably, about 2 in. The depth
of the tray may
range from about 0.5 in to about 1.5 in, and is preferably, about 1 in.
A method of progressively dispensing a food item from a food delivery system
is
shown in Figs. 1-4. The first step~comprises opening an end of the overwrap 34
such that an
end portion of the food item and tray are exposed. This may be done by tearing
the overwrap
open and displacing the food item 46 outward of the overwrap 34 to give access
to the food
item 46 to the consumer. Next, the side walls 38 are fractured at a pair of
notches 48 and the
tray 32 is bent backward to increase access to the food item. The exposed end
portion of the
food item 46 is then eaten, while the opposite end portion remains covered,
and may be held
I 5 by the consumer without direct manual contact with the food product. Where
a tray having
more than one pair of notches 48 is employed, the above steps may be repeated
one or more
times, with the tray 32 and food product 46 being advanced further, and bent
again to expose
further portions of the food product, while other portions remain covered so
that the consumer
is not required to handle the food product directly.
FIGS. 7-27 show cartons for containment of a plurality of the food products
and
delivery systems, and methods of forming, filling and sealing the cartons. In
the embodiment
of Figs. 7-22, a side-load carton 60 is employed. In the embodiment of Figs.
23-27, an end-
load carton 62 is employed.
Each of the cartons comprises a display and dispensing container which defines
an
enclosed interior space for the food items and delivery systems. This
container includes a
flat-sided carton, which carton includes a bottom wall, two side walls, a
front wall, a back
wall, and cover hingedly connected to the back wall, and a means for
reclosure.
The tray and cartons may be made of paperboard of any suitable thickness. For
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example, paperboard having a thickness of about 0.01 to 0.025 in. may be used,
and in one
particular embodiment, paperboard having a thickness of about 0.015 to about
0.022 in. is
employed.
The dimensions of the side-load and the end-load carton may be variable. Each
carton
is provided to enclose a plurality of food items. The height of the cartons
may range from
about 4.5 in to about 6.5 in, and is, preferably, about 5.5 in. The width of
the cartons may
range from about 8 in to about 10 in, and is preferably, about 9 in. The depth
of the cartons
may range from about 1.5 in to about 3.0 in, and is preferably, about 2.4 in.
Side-Load Carton
In the side-load carton 60 of Figs. 7-22, the cover 64 has a box shape, and
includes a
top portion 72, two side portions 74, and a front portion 68. Preferably, the
sides of the cover
64 are formed using two side flaps 66 that are integral with the front portion
68, which are
folded back and joined to two side flaps 70 that are integral with the top
portion 72 and folded
I S down therefrom so.as to hold the cover 64 in a box-like arrangement. Thus,
the side portion
74 is contiguous with the front portion 68 of the cover, and both side
portions 74 and the front
portion 68 are integral components of a single unitary, paperboard member that
is
uninterrupted by any exposed edge at the juncture between the side portion and
the front
portion. Thus, this juncture comprises a 90 degree bend or fold in a
continuous portion of the
211 paperboard member.
The side portions 74 of the cover overlap the side walls and the side portions
of the
cover have substantially horizontal bottom edges. The side walls 76 of the
carton extend its
full height, so that there is substantial overlap between the side portions of
the cover 74 and
the side walls 76 of the carton. The cover 64 may be hingedly connected to the
back wall 78
25 along a region of weakness 80 such as a perforation, thereby permitting the
cover 64 to be
removed entirely to permit unrestricted access to the food items 46 contained
within the
container.
The container front wall 82 includes a window 84 to permit visual access to
the food
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items 46 contained within the container. This window 84 can be made of any
suitable
transparent or translucent material such as a plastic film or the like.
The front portion 68 of the cover preferably is releasably attached to the
front wall 82
by adhesive. Means for reclosure 88 are preferably provided in the form of a
tab 90 and slot
92 engagement between the front portion of the cover 68 and the front wall 82
of the carton.
Figs. 8-22 illustrate a method of assembling the carton of Fig. 7 from a
partially pre-
glued, partially assembled container. The partially assembled container is
initially in a folded
flat configuration 94, and includes top, bottom, front and back walls. The
front wall
comprises a top front wall 68 that will form the front portion of the cover,
and a bottom front
wall 82 that will form the front wall of the body of the container. The top
front wall 68 is
releasably secured to the top bottom wall 82 in overlapping relation by
adhesive. The back
wall 78 includes a line of weakness 80 that will later function as a hinge,
separating the back
wall into an upper portion that will function as the back wall of the cover,
and a lower portion
that will function as the back wall of the body of the carton. Each of the
walls has first and
second side flaps thereon.
In the preferred method of assembly, the partially formed carton is first
unfolded so
that the front 82 and back walls 78 are spaced from one another, and the first
side flap 96 of
the bottom wall is folded inward. Next, the first side flaps of the bottom
front wall 98 and the
back wall 100 are folded inward into overlapping relation with one another and
attached to
each other to form a first side wall 76 for the body of the carton, while the
second side 76 of
the partially formed carton remains open. The first flap 98 of the bottom wall
need not be
glued in place. The next step comprises folding the first side flaps 66 of the
top front wall
and the top wall 70 inward, and securing them to each other, to form a first
side wall 74 for
the cover while the second side of the partially formed carton remains open.
To facilitate
later opening of the finished carton, the side wall 74 of the cover is not
secured by adhesive to
the side wall 76 of the carton body, but overlaps it to provide security.
After the above steps
have been completed, one side of the carton is fully formed, and the food
products 46 and
associated delivery systems 30 may then be inserted through the open second
side of the
partially finished container. Thereafter, the second side of the carton is
enclosed by forming a
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second side wall 76 for the body and the cover 64 by performing with respect
to the second
flaps the same steps described above with respect to the first flaps.
The step of inserting the food products 46 and associated delivery systems 30
preferably comprises arranging the food products and associated delivery
systems in two
rows, one stacked atop the other, adjacent the open side of the carton, with
the carton resting
on its back wall 78, and simultaneously pushing the rows into the partially
formed carton with
a mandrel FIG. 15. The food products and associated delivery systems each have
one end
disposed adjacent the top wall of the carton, and an opposite end disposed
adjacent the
bottom wall. The mandrel directly contacts only the delivery system at the end
of each row,
applying compressive force to a side portion thereof sufficient to insert the
entire row into the
carton. Thus, force is transmitted through the food products and/or delivery
systems nearest
the mandrel. The trays in this embodiment have sufficient strength and
rigidity to prevent
damage to the food products 46 during this operation.
After the carton has been completely formed, filled and sealed, it may then be
opened
simply by detaching the front wall 68 of the cover from the front wall 82 of
the carton, and
lifting the cover 64 so that it pivots up and back about the hinge in the back
wall. Each
wrapped food product 46 is accessible when the cover is opened. Means to hold
the cover 46
in a reclosed position are preferably provided 88. In the illustrated
embodiment, reclosability
is provided by a tab 90 on the front of the cover and a curved slot 92 in the
front wall of the
?0 body of the carton. A crescent-shaped cutout may be provided above the slit
to facilitate
reclosing.
End-Load Carton
The end-load container 62 of Figs. 23-27 is generally similar to the side-load
container
in that it includes generally rectangular front 82, back 78, top 104 and
bottom walls 106, and
a cover 102 that is joined to the back wall by a hinge 80. However, in the end
load container
62, the cover 102 simply comprises a top wall 104 and a front flap 108 that
overlies an upper
portion of the front wall 82 of the body of the carton, and is releasably
secured thereto by
adhesive. Flaps 110 at the upper ends of the side walls fold inward to provide
security at the
ends of the cover 102. The end-load carton 62 may be filled from either the
top (Fig.26) or
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bottom (Fig. 27) end, with the opposite end closed. In either case, the carton
62 may be in
any desired orientation when filled, e.g., an upright position (Fig. 26) or a
horizontal position
(Fig. 27). In the end-load carton 62, the mandrel may act directly on each of
the delivery
systems 30, which may reduce compression loads on the delivery systems as
compared with
the loads experienced by the delivery systems ,30 in contact with the mandrel
in the above-
described filling arrangement for the side-load carton 60, in that none of the
food products
and associated delivery systems is required to bear the compressive loads
associated with
pushing another food product and delivery system into place. The cover may be
hingedly
connected to the back wall 78 along a line of weakness 80 such as a
perforation that permits
the cover to be easily removed to permit access to food items contained
therein. The front
wall includes a window 84 to permit visual access to the food items 46
contained therein.
13
