Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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MULTIPLE-COMPARTMENT FOOD PACKAGE
FIELD
[0001] A multiple-compartment food package having a rigid base and a flexible
fiim lid, and in particular, a multiple-compartment food package with an
attached back
panel card.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Food packages are known to comprise multiple compartments within for
storage of food. The multiple compartment food packages can comprise an
assortment
of food items contained in the recessed compartments or a single variety of
food
product and can be covered by a single continuous sheet of fiim, or
alternatively a rigid
lid. Once the sheet of film or lid is removed, all of the multiple
compartments are
simultaneously exposed, such that all of the food items in the different
compartments
can be consumed in one sitting. One such food package comprised of a single
tray with
multiple food compartments is disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,375,701 and
5,657,873,
where the single tray has multiple compartments with a common flexible film
placed
across each of the compartments to seal the food within the package until it
is opened.
Once the film is removed from the tray in order to provide access to the food
products
within, the film is no longer resealable, thus preventing any remaining food
from being
resealed in the compartments.
SUMMARY
[0003] A multiple-compartment, rigid food package is provided that allows for
multiple individual serving sizes of a sliced food product to be packaged and
sold
together in a connected manner, yet allows the individual compartments to be
separated from each other and opened independently of each other. For example,
each multiple compartment can store a sliced food product having a fluffed
appearance
and covered with a common film having a perforation therein or other weakened
portion
between the individual compartments. The multiple compartments are connected
together at an upper surface, along adjacent peripheraf flanges of the
compartments,
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and can be separated along a perforation or other line of weakness in order to
separate
the compartments from each other.
[0004] The multiple compartment food package has a back panel that is attached
to the bottom of each compartment. The back panel is configured to provide
either a
stand-up display feature and/or a hole in the top of the panel to use with
peggabie
displays. The back panel can be separated into at least two pieces along a
line or area
of weakness positioned between the individual compartments, thus providing for
a
portion of the back panel to remain on each compartment when the compartments
are
separated from each other. In addition, the back panel provides increased
rigidity to the
package.
[0005] The common flexible film is placed over the top opening of each of the
compartments to cover and seal the compartments until the food products
therein are
ready to be consumed. The flexible film is a single continuous sheet of film
that
overlays all of the multiple compartments of the food package. Between
adjacent food
compartments the film contains a perforation or other line of weakness which
allows for
the film to be torn along the perforation in order to separate the multiple
compartments,
allowing for the film on one compartment to be opened without removing the
film from
another adjacent compartment that was previously attached to that compartment.
This
allows for the consumer to open up only one of the multiple compartments and
to save
the rest of the compartments, still containing sealed food products, for later
consumption. In one aspect, the weakened line of the film is aligned with a
weakened
line between the two compartments, and may be made together during
manufacturing
to ensure alignment. When the flexible film is being sealed to the
compartments of the
food package, a small flap of film or unsealed portion can be created which
provides a
grasping point to initiate removal of the film and unsealing of the underlying
compartment. The flap of film can be provided about substantially the entire
periphery
of the package so that when the compartments are separated, each one can still
have
at least one edge, or portion thereof, with an unsealed flap of film available
for grasping
the film to initiate its removal.
[0006] The multiple compartment food package can be separated into its
individual multiple compartments and opened for consumption separately, and at
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different times. To separate the multiple compartment food package, the back
panel is
first separated into at least two parts along a line of weakness, with a
portion of the back
panel remaining affixed to each of the compartments. Then the flexible film
and upper
surface of the compartments are separated along their perforations into at
least two
compartments, with a portion of the flexible film remaining sealed to its
respective
compartment. However, the reverse of these steps could also be performed. When
a
food item is to be consumed, the user simply removes the flexible film from a
single
compartment, while permitting the remaining compartments to remain sealed.
[0007] A method of manufacture of the multiple compartment package is also
provided where the package can be made in a process line. A web of rigid film
can be
provided and advanced in a longitudinal direction. Pockets, or recesses, can
be formed
therein to resemble the base trays of the package. These recesses are then
filled with
a sliced food product, preferably sliced meat, and then overlaid with a common
sheet of
flexible film. The recesses are then gas flushed and the film is sealed to the
outer
flanges of the base tray or web. Weakened areas are then together formed in
the rigid
film and the flexible film, and are advanced in a longitudinal direction along
the process
line to receive the back panels.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a multi-compartment food package
having a flexible film cover and a back panel;
[0009] FIG. 2 is a back perspective view of the multi-compartment food package
of FIG. 1;
[0010] FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of the multi-compartment food package
of
FIG. 1;
[0011] FIG. 4 Is a back elevation view of the multi-compartment food package
of
FIG. 1;
[0012] FIG. 5 is a view showing the line of weakness being removed from the
back panel of the multi-compartment food package of FIG. 1;
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[0013] FIG. 6 is a view showing the compartments being separated along both a
perforation on the flexible film cover and between the compartments of the
multi-
compartment food package of FIG. 1;
[0014] FIG. 7 is a top view of the separated compartments of the multi-
compartment food package of FIG 1;
[0015] FIG. 8 is a view showing one of the separated compartments being
opened by removing the flexible film cover; and
[0016] FIG. 9 is a process line schematic of the manufacture of the multi-
compartment food package of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] A multiple-compartment, rigid food package providing for consumption of
the food product stored therein at separate times and including upright
display of the
food package and, in particular, a common flexible film covering all of the
compartments
of the food package that can be separated along a weakened portion prior to
opening
and a back panel that can be separated into at least two parts along a line or
area of
weakness are disclosed herein and illustrated in FIGS. 1-9. The back panel
extends
along the back walls of the compartments and is attached to each compartment.
The
back panel can function as a support to stand the food package in an upright
position
for display purposes in combination with an edge of the package, as well as
provide
increased rigidity to the package. The back panel can be divided such that one
portion
of the back panel remains attached on the bottom of one compartment and a
second
portion remains attached on the bottom of another compartment. Alternatively
or in
addition, the back panel can contain an aperture to permit peggable display of
the
package. The flexible film comprises a single continuous sheet of film that
overlays a
top of the compartments and further contains a perforation or other line of
weakness
between adjacent compartments aligned with the area of weakness between the
compartments. To separate the compartments, the flexible film, adjacent
compartments, and back panel are each separated along their respective lines
of
weakness to allow the adjacent compartments to be separated from each other
and
used individually.
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[0018] The food package 10 has a base tray 20 with two generally rectangular
rigid or semi-rigid, connected compartments 14 and 16, as illustrated in FIG.
1.
However, more than two compartments can be included. Each of the two
compartments 14 and 16 can contain a sliced food product, such as a fluffed
meat
product. The compartments 14 and 16 are generally rectangular, having side
walls
extending downwardly from peripheral flanges 12 surrounding an opening of each
compartment 14 and 16 to bottom walls 42, including a common periphery flange
22
between the compartments 14 and 16. Alternatively, the base tray may contain
unconnected compartments that are held together by their common features, such
as
by the film and/or back panel. As used herein and throughout this application,
the term
"rigid" can refer to semi-rigid, rigid, plastic, flexible or any other similar
embodiments,
and is used herein to indicate that structures made of these films have the
ability to
generally at least partially retain their respective shapes during normal
handling.
[0019] The flexible film 18 can comprise a single, continuous sheet of film
that
overlays the top portion of both compartments 14 and 16 and can also be rigid,
semi-
rigid or flexible. The single, continuous sheet of film 18 assists in
maintaining the two
compartments 14 and 16 connected to each other. The flexible film 18 can be
affixed to
each of the compartments 14 and 16 at the peripheral flange 12, thus forming a
relatively air impermeable, hermetic seal with respect to the compartments 14
and 16
containing the sliced food product. The common flexible film 18 can comprise a
transparent or semi-transparent film 18 such that the food products contained
within the
compartments 14 and 16 can be at least partially visible. Furthermore, the
flexible film
18 can contain printing or labeling. For example, a design can be printed on
an upper
portion of the package 10 (adjacent a peripheral flange 12) such that the
design is
presented as an opaque area on the flexible film 18 itself, leaving
transparent areas
therein for viewing interiors of the compartments 14 and 16 therethrough.
[0020] The flexible film 18 and base tray 20 both further contain a weakened
portion such as a laser score, mechanical score, tear tape or, preferably,
perforations
24 and 26, that can be positioned between adjacent compartments 14 and 16
along the
common periphery flange 22. Alternatively, where the compartments 14 and 16 of
the
tray are not connected to each other, then the weakened portion can be along
the
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flexible film only. The perforations 24 and 26 can span the entire length of
the package
10, from one side end to another opposite side end, or it can span a shorter
length as
long as the perforations 24 and 26 allow separation of the adjacent
compartments 14
and 16 (and overlying film 18) from each other. Where there are only two
compartments, the perforations 24 and 26 may be centrally located between the
compartments 14 and 16 at the common periphery flange 22. Both the film and
the
base material are separately perforated (i.e., each contains its own separate
weakened
portion) and each tears along its own weakened portion to separate. When the
film 18
and base tray 20 are torn along their perforations 24 and 26 and are
separated, the film
18 can be divided into at least two portions 18a and 18b and the base tray 20
can
likewise be divided into at least two separated units with each film portion
remaining
intact until a force is applied to remove the film 18a and 18b to uncover the
openings of
the compartments 14 and 16.
[0021] A portion of the film 18 on the peripheral flange 12 can remain
unsealed,
such that it creates a flap 38 of film that can be easily grasped and pulled
to remove the
film 18 and open the compartment. This flap 38 of film can be located around
the entire
periphery of the package 10, or substantially the entire periphery, and is
created by
sealing bars, or other sealing tools, that seal around the package 10
periphery but
slightly inwards from the outermost edge of the flange 12. Thus, when the
package 10
is separated into its two compartments 14 and 16, each compartment has a flap
38 for
opening the compartment. For example, the uppermost compartment 14 has a
longer
flange 12 such that it is easy to grasp and remove the flexible film 18
therefrom. The
second compartment 16 does not have this extended flange. However, the second
compartment 16 contains a portion of the film 18 that is unsealed and likewise
has the
flap 38 of film that can be grasped and pulled to remove the film 18
therefrom.
Alternatively, the film 18 can have a portion that extends outwardly from the
peripheral
flange 12 and past an edge of the peripheral flange 12 to provide a gripping
surface for
the removal of the film 18. Still aitemativeiy, the film 18 can include tabs
at the comers
of the package 10 to further aid In removal of the film 18. The film 18 can be
sealed to
the compartments 14 and 16 by any suitable methods, such as by using glue,
adhesive,
ultrasonically sealing or heat-sealing to seal the film 18 to the peripheral
flanges 12.
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[0022] Turning to FIG. 2, a back perspective view is shown of the food package
having a back panel 28 affixed to each compartment 14 and 16. The back panel
28
can be attached to a portion of the bottom wall 42 of each compartment 14 and
16, as
shown in FIG. 2. The back panel 28 may also be a single, common panel that
spans
the bottom walls of both compartments 14 and 16. The back panel 28 can extend
outwardly from the compartments 14 and 16 in at least one direction so that
its edge is
parallel and generally aligned with the outer periphery of one of the sides of
the
peripheral flanges 12 such that it is located immediately beneath it. The
package 10
can then be placed in an upright position by standing it up on the edge of the
back panel
28 and the parallel peripheral edge 12 along the edge of the lowermost
compartment
16. As used herein and throughout this application, the term "parallel" is
used in a
general sense, and is not used in a precise, geometric manner. The back panel
28 can
be attached to the bottom walls 42 by any suitable means, such as by hot melt
adhesive.
[0023] When the back panel 28 is attached to the bottom 42 of the compartments
14 and 16, it is preferably attached in generally the same plane so that the
back panel
28 is relatively flat or level across the bottom of the compartments 14 and 16
so that it
can provide adequate support when stood upright. This may require the bottom
walls
42 of the compartments 14 and 16 to all be aligned in about the same plane,
which can
be achieved by all of the compartments 14 and 16 having a portion of each
compartment generally at the same depth. Alternatively, the bottom wall 42 may
include a first portion having a first depth and a second portion having a
second depth,
where the second depth is greater than the first depth and the back panel is
adhered to
the second portion.
[0024] The back panel 28 also operates to further connect the compartments 14
and 16 together and provide support, keeping the compartments 14 and 16
attached as
one single package 10. The back panel 28 also contains a line or area of
weakness 30,
which can be removed to separate the back panel 28 into at least two parts 28a
and
28b, where each part 28a and 28b of the back panel remains attached to its
respective
compartments 14 and 16. The back panel 28 may not be as easy to remove or to
separate along its area of weakness 30 as is the film 18 along its weakened
portion 24.
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The back panel 28 can provide a sturdier support to aid in keeping the
compartments 14
and 16 of the tray 20 together. The area of weakness 30 functions to separate
the
package 10 into its individual compartments 14 and 16 upon removal of the area
of
weakness 30. The area of weakness 30 can be centrally located such that it may
be
generally equidistant between the two compartments 14 and 16. The area of
weakness
30 may comprise a perforated tear strip, perforation, tear tape, tear string,
reverse cut
score or the like. The area of weakness 30 may also include a tab 36 or other
gripping
end that makes grasping and removing the area of weakness 30 easier. The back
panel 28 may also contain printing or labeling thereon. Alternatively, the
back panel 28
may not contain a line or area of weakness 30 but instead can be torn off or
removed by
hand, thus removing substantially the entire back panel 28 from the bottom
walls of the
compartments 14 and 16 to allow separation of the compartments 14 and 16.
[0025] When the back panel 28 is used to display the package 10 and to aid in
standing the package 10 upright along a bottom edge, the back panel 28 can
have a
lower edge 32 that extends beyond the edges of the side wall of at least one
of the
compartments 14 or 16, or of the lowermost positioned compartment 16, as shown
in
FIG. 2. The lower edge 32 of the back panel 28 can be parallel to a lower edge
34 of
the peripheral flange 12 of the lower-positioned base compartment 16 such that
the
lower edge 32 of the back panel 28 and the lower edge 34 of the peripheral
flange 12
form a pair of edges that are generally within a line in the same plane upon
which the
package 10 can be stood upright. When in this upright position, the package 10
can
then be balanced to remain upright on its own from the combined support from
the lower
edge 34 of its bottom-most peripheral flange 12 and the lower edge 32 of the
back
panel 28. The back panel 28 is preferably rectangular in shape; however, any
number
of shapes are possible as long as the back panel shape provides for a lower
edge 32 to
stand on.
[0026] Alternatively and/or in addition to the stand-up feature, a peggable
hole
can be provided on a peg member, where the peg member may be the back panel 28
containing a hole in an uppermost portion of the back panel 28 for hanging
overhead on
a hook in a display case. When the back panel 28 is used to hang the package
from an
overhead hook or the like, the back panel 28 can have an upper edge that
extends
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beyond an upper edge of the peripheral flange 12 of the upper positioned
compartment
14, such that the upper edge of the back panel 28 extends past the upper edge
of the
peripheral flange 12 and is parallel to it. A hole can then be placed in the
upper portion
of the back panel 28 such that the hole is located in a plane that is above
the package
such that when placed on a hook or the like, the hook will not interfere with
the
compartments 14 and 16 of the package 10.
[0027] In an alternate aspect, a peggable hole can be provided on a peg member
that can be attached to one or all of the compartments where the peg member
may be a
separate tape or other attachment that already contains a hole and can be
affixed to the
top portion of either the package 10 or the back panel 28, thus the back panel
28 itself
would not contain a hole through the panel. The tape or attachment can be
affixed to
either a front side or a back side of the package 10 or back panel 28, where
the front
side is the part of the package where the film 18 is attached. In addition to
the hole
feature, whether on the back panel 28 itself or attached as a separate
attachment, the
back panel 28 can also still contain an area of weakness 30 positioned between
the
compartments 14 and 16.
[0028] In yet another alternative, the package 10 can contain a peggable
aperture or hole 40 through one of its peripheral flanges 12 in order to hang
it from a
display rack in a vertical orientation. The peggable hole 40 can be along any
side edge
of the package 10, and is preferably placed on a peripheral flange portion
that is longer
than the other flanges of the package 10, such that the hole 40 is placed in a
portion of
the peripheral flange 12 that extends about 0.50 inches beyond the perimeter
of the
package 10, for example. Similarly, the flexible film 18 of the package can
also extend
slightly longer in one direction to compliment the extended peripheral flange
12. In that
case, the flexible film 18 would also have a hole aligned with the hole 40 in
the base
tray peripheral flange 12.
[0029] The rigid compartments 14 and 16 may be formed from any suitable
packaging materials, such as amorphous polyester, polyethyl vinyl alcohol
and/or ethyl
vinyl acetate. The rigid compartments 14 and 16, which can be formed from a
single
sheet of material, may contain a protective multilayer laminate portion,
having an inner
and outer layer that serves as a moisture barrier and sealant layer and a
middle layer
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that serves as an oxygen barrier layer, or any number of such layers In
between. The
rigid compartments 14 and 16 preferably comprise a multiple layer, co-extruded
film
made up of amorphous polyester ("APET"), ethyl vinyl alcohol ("EVOH") and
ethyl vinyl
acetate ("EVA") layers and having a combined thickness of approximately 16
mils. The
multiple layers can be adhered to each other with a sealant that allows for
delamination
between certain layers when the package is later opened. For example, after
the
flexible film 18 is sealed to the package and later opened, the flexible film
18 may not
necessarily delaminate at the contact point between the flexible film 18 and
the rigid film
used for the base tray 20, rather, the point of delamination may occur between
one of
the multiple layers of the rigid film for the base tray 20. However, to the
naked eye the
point of delamination appears to have occurred at the contact point between
the lid film
and the base tray film. A representative multiple layer rigid film can be
provided by
Curwood, Inc., Oshkosh, WI.
[0030] The rigid compartments 14 and 16, however, can also be formed of
various other materials, such as polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene,
polystyrene, nylon,
and the like. If formed of a relatively stiff material such as polystyrene,
the rigid
compartments 14 and 16 can tend to be relatively stiff and of such a nature
that the
compartments 14 and 16, and especiaily the lower comers thereof, could be
damaged if
dented or the like in handling. Using certain other materials such as high
density
polyethylene can provide a somewhat softer and more durable package 10 such
that
the lower corners may not be as readily damaged.
[0031] The rigid construction of the base tray 20 allows for storing food
products
therein without undue concerns for the food product getting crushed, such as
during
shipping and handling. Moreover, where the food product is a sliced food
product it can
be arranged to have a fluffed appearance. The base tray 20 can comprise a
transparent or semi-transparent material such that the food products contained
within
the compartments 14 and 16 can be at least partially visible.
[0032] The flexible film 18 may also comprise a co-extruded multilayer film
comprising APET-EVOH-EVA that is similar in construction to the rigid film
used for the
base tray 20. Other types of multi-layer films can also be used having an
inner, outer
and a middle layer. The outer layer of the film can be formed of a number of
different
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film materials, such as polyester, nylon or polyethylene. The middle layer can
comprise
an oxygen barrier layer such as ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) or
polyvinylidene
dichloride (PVDC). The inner layer could comprise a moisture barrier and heat-
sealable
material such as low density polyethylene. The flexible film may optionally
contain a
printed image thereon and can have a thickness of 2 mils.
[0033] The back panel 28 of the package 10 can be constructed of a relatively
stiff material, such as paperboard or a relatively thick plastic material such
as high
density polyethylene when used as a stand-up feature and for providing further
support
to keep the compartments together.
[0034] The individual compartments 14 and 16 may have a length of about 4 to
about 9 inches, preferably about 5.25 inches, and a width of about 1.5 to
about 4
inches, preferably about 2.75 inches. A height or depth of the tray can be at
least about
0.50 inches, with the compartment 14 and 16 depths preferably between
approximately
0.75 inches and 2 inches. The package 10 comprising two compartments can have
a
similar length and depth as the individual compartments, however, the package
can
have a different width of about 3 to about 8 inches, preferably about 6
inches, since it is
equal to the width of two compartments, or however many are packaged together,
and
an optional peripheral flange extension for a peggable hole. The openings of
the
compartments 14 and 16 may be circular, rectangular, square or any other
shape. Not
all of the compartments 14 and 16 need to be shaped the same in a single
package.
[0035] The food package 10 may include many types of food products. For
example, proteinaceous foods, such as meat, fish, poultry, cheese, peanut
butter, and
the like, or farinaceous foods, such as bread, crackers, and the like. Still
other foods
that may be included in the compartments 14 or 16 may be condiments, desserts,
confectioneries, fruits, and the like. Preferably, the food product will be a
sliced food
product, such as a sliced deli meat product comprising ham, turkey, roast
beef, and the
like, for example. A typical package 10 may include two compartments 14 and 16
having the same size and containing the same sliced food product, such as a
sliced deli
meat. The slices of meat contained therein are typically a single serving size
containing
multiple slices, such as between one to ten slices. Additionally, the sliced
food product
can be arranged to have a fluffed appearance.
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[0036] In order to separate the compartments 14 and 16 and to open at least
one
of the compartments 14 and 16 for consumption of the food products therein,
the line or
area of weakness 30 in the back panel 28, as shown in FIG. 5, can first be
broken. If
there is a tab 36, then the tab 36 can be grasped and pulled across the back
panel 28 to
aid in removing the line of weakness 30. Upon separation of the line of
weakness 30,
the back panel 28 is in at least two parts 28a and 28b, with one part 28a
remaining
connected to one compartment 14 and the other part 28b remaining connected to
the
other compartment 16, and the compartments 14 and 16 are no longer connected
to
each other along the back plane of the package 10. Altematively, if the back
panel 28
does not contain an area of weakness 30 then substantially the entire back
panel 28
can be removed to detach the compartments 14 and 16.
[0037] After the back panel 28 has been separated into at least two parts 28a
and 28b, then the front plane of the package 10 can be separated along the
perforations
24 and 26 of the film 18 and the base trays, as shown in FIG. 6. A consumer
can grasp
the two opposing sides of the package 10, by grasping each compartment 14 and
16,
and gently applying a force to the film 18 and base tray 20 such that each
tears along its
perforations 24 and 26 in order to separate into at least two separated
compartments
with their respective film portions 18a and 18b remaining intact until opened.
Thus after
removing the line of weakness 30 and tearing along the perforations 24 and 26
of the
film 18 and base tray 20, the package 10 is divided into its individual
compartments 14
and 16, as shown in FIG. 7, thus providing for separate compartments 14 and 16
that
can be opened at different times and the food therein can be consumed at
different
times without having to expose all of the compartments 14 and 16 upon opening.
FIG.
8 shows one of the compartments being opened separately.
[0038] A variety of methods for manufacturing the package 10 described herein
can be utilized. For example, the multiple-compartment package 10 can be made
using
the apparatus and process 200 diagrammed in FIG. 9. A web supply roll 202
provides
rigid film to a heating and forming station 204, which forms a series of
pockets or
recesses 206 in the film 202 that make up the base trays of the package 10.
The web
material 202 is typically advanced in a longitudinal process direction, as
indicated by
arrow A. The film 202 can comprise a multiple layer, co-extruded film made up
of
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APET-EVOH-EVA layers and have a combined thickness of approximately 16 mils.
As
the film 202 passes through the heating and forming station 204, it is heated
and formed
into the base trays of the package 10, such as by suitable thermoforming or
heat
molding techniques, and advanced along a process line 205 towards the next
station.
The film 202 can contain any number of rows of base trays or recesses 206,
however,
preferably the film 202 will contain four rows of recesses 206 along the web
202. As the
film 202 is advanced in a machine direction, the film can be held in place by
clips or
other similar fasteners, rather than being advanced along a conveyor system.
However,
the process can be modified to be advanced along a conveyor system if desired.
[0039] Next, the web 202 is advanced to a meat filling station 208, or any
other
type of food station that inserts the desired food product. At the meat
filling station 208,
a meat slicer cuts the desired meat into slices and arranges the slice(s) into
the
recesses 206. Where a fluffed appearance of the slices is desired, a rod or
finger-like
tool can be used to arrange the meat In such a fashion prior to filling the
recesses 206
such that it folds the meat over upon itself and appears fluffed, rather than
being
arranged flat on its surface or folded over in half.
[0040] Once the meat, or other desired sliced food product, is placed in the
recesses 206 of the web 202, then the flexible film 18 or lid is added via a
web supply
roll 209. The flexible film is overlaid over the top of the web 202 as it is
conveyed down
the process line in the longitudinal direction. The flexible film comprises a
common
sheet of film that is placed over the top of the web 202 such that it covers
the opening of
the recesses 206 therein. After the flexible film is in place over the
recesses, a gas
flush 210 is applied such that the air is drawn out of the recesses and a
nitrogen flush or
nitrogen/carbon dioxide mixture is added and the flexible film is then sealed,
relatively
simultaneously afterwards, over the top of the web of film 202 containing the
filled
recesses 206.
[0041] Once the film has been sealed over the recesses 206, the web of film is
separated 212 into double compartment rows within the web by cutting the web
in the
cross-web direction, or in the direction perpendicular to the machine
direction, as
indicated by arrow B. The film is cut such that only two adjacent recesses 206
or base
trays remain attached, thus making up the double compartment packages. At the
same
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CA 02642945 2008-11-03
time as the cross-cut is being formed, the perforations, or lines of weakness,
are also
formed in the package in the lid and base tray. Additionally, if a peggable
hole is going
to be added to the package along the flange of the package, then that too is
formed at
the same time as the perforations.
[0042] The double compartment package is still attached in the cross-web
direction as a series of four rows. At the next station 213 a longitudinal cut
is made.
The longitudinal cut is made in the machine direction, as indicated by arrow
A, and
separates the attached rows of recesses into four single and separate rows.
After the
longitudinal cuts are made, double compartment packages emerge from the
process
line and drop onto a single lane conveyor belt to be advanced to the next
station.
[0043] The double compartment packages are then advanced along one of
typically four conveyor lines that advance the package to receive the
application of the
back panel 214. One conveyor line may advance, while the other three remain
stationary in order to efficiently move along the process line on multiple
lanes.
Furthermore, the four conveyor lines may converge into one lane prior to
application of
the back panel. The conveyor line that is advancing contains one row of the
separated
double compartment packages and the back panel is then applied to the bottom
surface
of the base trays using standard equipment. Typically, the bottom surface of
each
compartment will receive an application of an adhesive, such as a hot melt
adhesive,
and the back panel card can then be applied thereto and compressed into place,
however, the back panel card may alternatively contain the adhesive on the
card only or
both may contain the adhesive. Once the back panels are applied, then the
completed
packages are packaged in cases 216 and shipped to the final destination.
[0044] From the foregoing, it will be appreciated a multiple-compartment food
package is provided, and methods of manufacture therefor, that allow for
packaging the
multiple compartments together initially and later provides for separating the
compartments without unsealing the food compartments. However, the disclosure
is
not limited to the aspects and embodiments described hereinabove, or to any
particular
embodiments. Various modifications to the multiple-compartment food package
can
result in substantially the same package and methods of manufacture.
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