U.S. patent application number 10/289593 was filed with the patent office on 2003-03-27 for display tray with edge absorbency.
Invention is credited to Brander, William M..
Application Number | 20030057114 10/289593 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 24903328 |
Filed Date | 2003-03-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030057114 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Brander, William M. |
March 27, 2003 |
Display tray with edge absorbency
Abstract
A tray for storing and displaying products that exude liquid
includes a base with side walls and end walls. The base has a side
rib spaced from and parallel to a side wall for forming a side
liquid collection cavity at the side wall. The base has other
interior ribs to support the product. The tray is designed to be
tilted at an angle so that the side liquid collection cavity is
lowermost and allows any liquid to move downwardly into the side
cavity. An absorbent material is located in the side liquid
collection cavity, and the cavity is covered by a porous sheet so
that the liquid passes through the porous sheet and is absorbed
below the sheet and is hidden from view. The liquid may form a gel
with the absorbent material. The preferred absorbent material is a
non-crosslinked gel forming polymer and at least one clay and
preferably including a trivalent cation. A process for allowing the
liquid to flow through the porous material and interact with the
absorbent material to form a gel that is too bulky to pass back
through the porous material to where the product is located.
Inventors: |
Brander, William M.;
(Douglasville, GA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
THOMAS, KAYDEN, HORSTEMEYER & RISLEY, LLP
100 GALLERIA PARKWAY, NW
STE 1750
ATLANTA
GA
30339-5948
US
|
Family ID: |
24903328 |
Appl. No.: |
10/289593 |
Filed: |
November 7, 2002 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10289593 |
Nov 7, 2002 |
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09722773 |
Nov 27, 2000 |
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6478147 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
206/204 ;
220/571 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 81/264
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/204 ;
220/571 |
International
Class: |
B65D 081/26 |
Claims
I claim:
1. A tray for storing and displaying liquid exuding products
comprising: a rectangular tray base having a periphery with sides
and ends, with the sides being longer than the ends, said base
having opposed first and second side walls and opposed end walls
extending upwardly from said sides and ends of said base
respectively and forming an upper edge of said tray; said base
having at least one side rib projecting upwardly from said base
which is spaced from and substantially parallel to said first side
wall defining a side liquid collection cavity formed by said first
side wall and said side rib; a plurality of interior ribs
projecting upwardly from said base to support the liquid exuding
product so that the liquid exuding product does not rest directly
on said base; said interior ribs forming at least one interior
liquid collection cavity in said base; absorbent material
positioned in said side liquid collection cavity and said interior
liquid collection cavities; a sheet of porous material extending
over and supported by said side rib and said interior ribs for
containing said absorbent material in said cavities; a liquid
exuding product supported by said interior ribs; a transparent
sheet applied over said product and sealed to said upper edge of
said tray; so that when said tray is stacked with said side liquid
collection cavity positioned lowermost, liquid from said liquid
exuding product tends to flow into said side liquid collection
cavity and become absorbed by said absorbent material in said side
liquid collection cavity.
2. The tray of claim 1 in which there is a side rib spaced from
each side wall and a liquid collection cavity between each side
wall and the adjacent side rib.
3. The tray of claim 1 in which the tray has four corners and a
center with an interior rib extending from each corner toward the
center to form four liquid collection cavities in the interior of
the tray.
4. The tray of claim 3 which further has an absorbent material
arranged in each liquid collection cavity between a side rib and
the adjacent side wall.
5. The tray of claim 4 wherein the absorbent material is located in
all of said liquid collection cavities.
6. The tray of claim 5 wherein said sheet of porous material is
adhered to said interior ribs of said tray and contains said
absorbent material in all of said liquid collection cavities.
7. The tray of claim 6 wherein said side liquid collection cavity
intersects said first side wall.
8. The tray of claim 7 where the absorbent material also extends
upwardly from the base a short distance along said first side
wall.
9. The tray of claim 8 in which said absorbent material is a gel
forming material and when any liquid exuded from or accompanying a
liquid exuding product in the tray comes in contact with said
absorbent material a gel is formed, and said layer of porous
material restrains the gel from passing through it.
10. The tray of claim 1 wherein said side liquid collection cavity
is positioned at the lower most position with respect to the tray
when said tray is shingle stacked on its side.
11. The tray of claim 3 in which the side walls and end walls slope
outwardly from the base as they extend upwardly so that trays can
be nested together when stacked empty.
12. The tray of claim 1, wherein at least one drain notch is formed
in said side rib, with said notch extending beneath said porous
material for allowing liquid to pass across said side rib without
passing back through said porous material.
13. A tray assembly for displaying products that exude or are
accompanied by liquid comprising: a tray having a base and opposed
sides, said base having side walls extending upwardly from said
sides of said base respectively and forming an upper edge of said
tray; said base having at least one side rib projecting upwardly
from said base spaced from and substantially parallel to a side
wall and forming with said side wall a side liquid collection
cavity between said side wall and said side rib; said base having a
plurality of interior ribs projecting upwardly from said base to
support the product so that the product does not rest directly on
said base, said interior ribs forming at least one interior liquid
collection cavity in the interior of said base; an absorbent
material arranged in said side liquid collection cavity between a
side wall and said adjacent side rib; so that said tray is tilted
and supported at an angle so that said side liquid collection
cavity is lowermost, and a product that exudes or is accompanied by
liquid is placed on said ribs, and any liquid that moves downwardly
over said side rib or from said product towards the lower side of
the tray is retained in said side liquid collection cavity with at
least a portion of the liquid being absorbed by said absorbent
material in said side liquid collection cavity.
14. The tray assembly of claim 13 wherein said at least one side
rib comprises a side rib spaced from each side wall and forming
with said side walls side liquid collection cavities between each
side wall and the adjacent side rib.
15. The tray assembly of claim 13 in which the tray has four
corners and a center with an interior rib extending from each
corner towards the center to form four interior liquid collection
cavities in the interior of the tray.
16. The tray assembly of claim 13 wherein the absorbent material is
located in all of said liquid collection cavities.
17. The tray assembly of claim 16 and further including a layer of
porous material extending over said absorbent material and adhered
to the tray and containing said absorbent material in all of said
liquid collection cavities.
18. The tray assembly of claim 13 and further including a plurality
of interior ribs extending from said base and forming therebetween
interior liquid collection cavities, absorbent material in all of
said interior liquid collection cavities and said side liquid
collection cavities, and a porous sheet adhered to said side ribs
and interior ribs and said side walls for retaining the absorbent
material and liquid absorbed by said absorbent material in said
interior and side liquid collection cavities.
19. The tray assembly of claim 18 in which said absorbent material
is a gel forming material that gels with any liquid exuded by or
accompanying said product contained in the tray, with said porous
sheet being capable of restraining the gel from passing through
it.
20. The tray assembly of claim 17 and further including a
transparent sheet adhered to the upper edges of the side walls and
end walls of the tray to form a seal.
21. The tray assembly of claim 13, wherein said absorbent material
consists essentially of: at least one non-crosslinked gel-forming
water soluble polymer having a first absorbency, said first
absorbency being defined by weight of liquid absorbed/weight of
said at least one non-crosslinked gel forming polymer, said at
least one non-crosslinked gel forming polymer being food safe; at
least one mineral composition having a second absorbency, said
second absorbency being defined by weight of liquid absorbed/weight
of said at least one mineral composition, said at least one mineral
composition being food safe; and at least one soluble salt having
at least one trivalent cation, said at least one soluble salt
having at least one trivalent cation being food safe, the
absorbency of said absorbent composition of matter exceeding a sum
of said first absorbency and said second absorbency, said absorbent
composition of matter being compatible with food products such that
said absorbent composition of matter is food safe when in direct
contact with the food products.
22. The tray assembly of claim 13, wherein said absorbent material
consists essentially of a synthetic cross-linked polymer.
23. The tray assembly of claim 13, wherein said absorbent material
consists essentially of sodium polyacrylate.
24. The tray assembly of claim 13, wherein at least one drain notch
is formed in said side rib and said drain notch is spaced from said
porous material for allowing liquid to pass across said side rib
without passing back through said porous material.
25. The tray assembly of claim 13, wherein said at least one side
rib comprises a side rib adjacent all of said side walls.
26. A tray assembly for displaying products that exude or are
accompanied by liquid, comprising: a tray having a base and at
least one side wall, a side rib extending upwardly from said base
and positioned parallel to and adjacent said side wall and forming
with said side wall a side liquid collection cavity, said side
liquid collection cavity being configured so that when said tray is
edge stacked said side liquid collection cavity is positioned
lowermost of said tray assembly, liquid absorbent material placed
in said side liquid collection cavity, a porous sheet extending
from said side rib to said side wall over said side liquid
collection cavity and covering said side liquid collection cavity
and said absorbent material and holding said absorbent material in
said side liquid collection cavity, so that when a product is
placed in said tray and said tray is edge stacked, liquid passing
from the product tends to drain through said porous material and
into said side liquid collection cavity and become absorbed in said
absorbent material and said absorbed liquid is prevented from
passing back through said porous material.
27. The tray assembly of claim 26, wherein a food product is
positioned on said tray and supported by said side rib, and a
transparent flexible cover is extended over said food product and
adhered to said side wall.
28. A process for collecting a liquid exuding from or accompanying
a product contained in a tray and forming the liquid into a gel
away from the product and preventing the gel from migrating back to
the product, said process comprising: providing a tray for
displaying said product, said tray having a side wall, a rib
positioned adjacent said side wall, and a side liquid collection
cavity interposed between said side wall and said rib, placing an
absorbent material in said side liquid collection cavity, applying
a porous sheet to said tray and extending said porous sheet over
said side liquid collection cavity, retaining the absorbent
material in said side liquid collection cavity with said porous
sheet, placing a liquid exuding product in said tray, covering said
liquid exuding product with a cover and connecting said cover to
said tray, tilting said tray so that said side liquid collection
cavity is lowermost of said tray, draining liquid exuded from said
liquid exuding product downwardly into said side liquid collection
cavity, absorbing with said absorbent material the liquid drained
from said liquid exuding product into said side liquid collection
cavity, and preventing said absorbed liquid from passing back
through said porous sheet.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a Continuation-In-Part Application,
which is based on and claims priority to U.S. Utility application
Ser. No. 09/722,773, filed on Nov. 27, 2000, and claims priority to
U.S. Utility application Ser. No. 09/105,349, filed on Jun. 26,
1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,152,295, which is based on and claims
priority to U.S. Provisional Applications, serial No. 60/079,550,
filed on Mar. 27, 1998, and 60/086,854, filed on May 27, 1998.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention generally relates to trays for storing
and displaying foods and other products that bear liquids that are
likely to be exuded from the products. More particularly, the
present invention relates to a storing and displaying tray which
has ribs in the base for supporting the product and a cavity
between a side wall and an adjacent parallel rib for retaining any
excess liquid when the tray is tilted. This cavity may have an
absorbent material for collecting and absorbing the excess liquids
that drain into that cavity when the tray is tilted.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Excess moisture within food storage containers can cause
premature spoilage of food products which are stored in the
container because the moisture provides a favorable environment for
the growth and reproduction of microorganisms. Excess moisture in a
food storage container also can lead to leakage of fluids from the
storage container which can cause contamination of other foods and
items about the container. Attempts at controlling excess moisture
in food storage containers, such as trays (rigid and flexible) and
bags, have met with some success. These prior art devices include:
(1) pre-formed trays configured for the insertion of absorbent pads
or absorbent sheets with the food products resting on the absorbent
pad; (2) trays with built-in reservoirs arranged to trap excess
moisture exuded from the products, with some of the trays including
a porous cover over the reservoirs that allows fluids to drain from
the product through the cover into the reservoir but which
partially restricts the fluids from reemerging past the cover
following shaking or movement of the tray; and (3) trays or packs
made from multiple layers of material with one layer being liquid
impervious, and a second layer being liquid pervious to allow
fluids to enter, and an absorbent media sandwiched between the two
layers to absorb and retain the entering fluids.
[0006] There is a desire to display foods in trays having a
transparent cover in a shingle stack in stores. A shingle stack
refers to several trays edge stacked on shelves so that the trays
with a product are tilted forward for better viewing by the
customer. This is particularly attractive for foods like chicken
parts. Unfortunately many products that exude liquid, such as
chicken, will exude so much liquid so that when the tray is tilted
the liquid naturally flows towards the lower-most side wall of the
tray creating an undesirable liquid pool. This might occur even
with trays that have absorbent material in the bottom of the tray,
because there might be liquid on the upper side of the food product
that has not flowed to the bottom of the tray, or the food product
has been frozen or partially frozen and ice has formed on the upper
surface of the food product and does not melt and flow off the food
product until the tray and food product have been tilted. This
tends to result in the liquid flowing to the lower edge of the tray
instead of the bottom of the tray, making an undesirable pool of
liquid and blood that is visible in the package. Also, if more
liquid has accumulated in the bottom of the tray than can be
absorbed by the absorbent material, there can be run-off of the
excess liquid from the bottom of the tray into the lower edge of a
tilted tray. Simply putting more absorbent material in the bottom
of the tray does not always solve this problem as any unabsorbed
liquid still tends to flow towards the bottom side wall when the
tray is tilted.
[0007] Therefore, there exists a need for devices and methods that
address these and other shortcomings of the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] Briefly stated, the present invention relates to trays for
storing and displaying foods and other products that bear liquids
which are likely to accompany or be exuded from the products. In a
preferred embodiment, the tray includes a base, side walls and end
walls. Ribs that project above the base are provided for supporting
the product and to form interior liquid collection cavities between
the ribs for holding liquid that is exuded from or accompany the
food product. Since this tray is designed to display products in a
shingle stack, it has a rib parallel to and displaced from the
lower most side wall, forming an edge liquid collection cavity
between this side wall and the adjacent rib for collecting and
retaining any liquid that flows downwardly over the rib or from the
product. Preferably, an absorbent material is placed in this cavity
and in the other cavities formed between the ribs in the base of
the tray. A porous layer of material, such as a porous sheet, may
be placed over the absorbent material and adhered to the ribs and
lower part of the side walls of the tray, spanning the liquid
collection cavities. The food product is placed on the porous
material and is supported mainly by the ribs of the tray. This
allows the liquid that runs off or exudes from the food product to
pass through the porous material and into the absorbent material in
the cavities below. When the liquid contacts the absorbent material
in the cavities they form a gel that is too bulky to pass back
through the porous material. Therefore, the liquid is trapped in
the liquid collection cavities by this process.
[0009] A transparent sheet, such as clear flexible plastic, may be
adhered to the top edges of the tray and extended over the food
product to seal the product inside the tray.
[0010] In a preferred embodiment the tray may be provided with two
side ribs, each of which is displaced from and extends parallel to
a side wall to form a side liquid collection cavity to collect the
excess liquid when the tray is placed in a shingle stacked display.
The formation of the two side liquid collection cavities at
opposite sides of the tray allows the tray to be stacked on either
side and absorb liquid in the lower edge collection cavity. It has
been found that a tray that has two side ribs and interior ribs in
the form of an X that extend from each corner towards the center to
form four liquid collection cavities that are Delta A shaped is
preferred. However, other rib configurations can be utilized.
[0011] Other embodiments can include a side liquid collection
cavity adjacent each wall of the tray, thereby permitting the tray
to be edge stacked on any of its sides and perform the liquid
absorption described herein.
[0012] Other features and advantages of the present invention will
become apparent upon reading the following specification, when take
in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] The accompanying drawings incorporated in and forming a part
of the specification illustrate several aspects of the present
invention, and together with the description serve to explain the
principles of the inventions. The components in the drawings are
not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon
clearly illustrating principles of the present invention.
[0014] FIG. 1 is perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the
present invention showing the tray from the bottom of the base.
[0015] FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the storage and display tray of
FIG. 1.
[0016] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of
the present invention showing the interior of the tray with an
absorbent material in place on the bottom of the tray and extending
a short distance up the side walls.
[0017] FIG. 4 is a partially cut-away, side view of a preferred
embodiment of the present invention showing the tray in a tilted
position on a support which shows some of the liquid having flowed
downwardly into the cavity between the lowermost side rib and the
side wall of the tray and having been largely absorbed by the
absorbent material in the cavity.
[0018] FIG. 5 is a perspective view, similar to FIG. 1, but showing
another embodiment of the invention.
[0019] FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 5.
[0020] FIG. 7 is a partial cut away, similar to FIG. 4, side view
but showing the embodiment of FIG. 5.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0021] Referring now to the figures, wherein like reference numbers
designate like parts throughout the several views, FIG. 1 depicts a
preferred embodiment of the tray 10 of the present invention which
is adapted to rest on the base 12. The tray 10 has side walls 14
and 16 and end walls 18 and 20 which define the interior of the
tray with side walls being longer than the end walls. A top flange
that forms the edge 22 of the side walls and end walls extends
around the top of the tray 10 on the side walls 14, 16 and end
walls 18, 20. The tray 10 has diagonal ribs 24 and 26 that extend
from each corner of the tray to the center of the tray. The tray
also has side ribs 28 and 30 that are displaced from and parallel
to the side walls 14 and 16 forming side liquid collection cavities
32 and 34 between the side walls 14 and 16 and side ribs 28 and 30
respectively as shown in FIG. 2. A single side rib and liquid
collection cavity may be provided if the tray is to be tilted and
it is planned that the liquid collection cavity be on the lowermost
portion of the tray when tilted. However, the preferred embodiment
has side liquid collection cavities intersecting both side walls 14
and 16 so that the tray can be stacked on either of the longer side
edges. All of these ribs, 24, 26, 28 and 30 project slightly above
the base 12 to a common plane and are designed to support the
product displayed in the tray. It will be noticed that diagonal
ribs 24 and 26 form interior liquid collection cavities 36, 38, 40
and 42 in the preferred embodiment.
[0022] If the rectangular tray is formed with equal length side
walls, the side ribs and side liquid collection cavities can be
formed adjacent all four side walls, if desired. This enables the
tray to be shingle stacked on any of its sides.
[0023] The tray 10 may also contain nesting corners 44 for the
convenient stacking of trays one inside the other. The tray 10 can
be formed of polystyrene, polypropylene, high density polyethylene,
co-polyester or other similar materials, and can be
thermally-formed, vacuum formed, etc., to produce a lightweight
tray.
[0024] As shown in FIG. 2, the tray 10 incorporates two diagonal
ribs 24 and 26 in the preferred embodiment. These ribs can be
arranged in numerous configurations including parallel, diverging
and interlacing, among others, depending upon the desired support
characteristics required for the particular application. These
diagonal ribs 24 and 26 serve as structural support for food
products, such as chicken 52 or chicken parts, as shown in FIG. 4.
The interior ribs form at least one interior liquid collection
cavity 36, 38, 40 or 42 in the interior of the tray. This is
important because the tray with product is usually displayed in a
shingle stack and it is desirable for as much liquid as possible to
be collected in the interior liquid collection cavity. The tray may
also be displayed on a horizontal support. Without a side rib 28 or
30 displaced from the lower most side wall of the tray 10, too much
of the liquid might tend to drain toward the lower most side wall
forming an unwanted pool of liquid when the tray is tilted. The
configuration shown in FIG. 2 is a preferred embodiment because it
creates four interior liquid collection cavities, 36, 38, 40 and 42
which tend to restrain much of the liquid from draining all the way
to the lower most side wall of the tray when it is tilted in a
shingle stack. Additionally, the diagonal ribs 24 and 26 and side
ribs 28 and 30 provide structural support of the tray 10 such that
the tray can be formed to quite a large size without the
disadvantages of size limitations due to the lack of incorporating
structural support components.
[0025] As best shown in FIG. 4, a liquid absorbent material 46 is
placed at least in the cavity formed between a side rib and a side
wall. It is preferred that the liquid absorbent material 46 be
placed in all of the liquid collection cavities formed on the
entire base 12 of the tray 10. When the tray 10 is displayed in the
tilted position the absorbent material 46 tends to extend up the
side walls 14 and 16 a short distance to absorb the liquid that
tends to flow to the side wall in the lower most position as shown
in FIG. 4.
[0026] Preferably, the liquid absorbent material 46 is "food safe,"
i.e., liquid absorbent material includes materials and/or
ingredients defined by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as
being generally regarded as safe (GRAS) for direct food contact,
and may contain food safe anti-microbial additives and/or
substances, such as citric acid, for example.
[0027] Preferably, the absorbent material 46 is covered by a porous
sheet material 54 to retain the absorbent material 46 in the proper
position in the cavities of the base 12 as shown in FIG. 4. The
porous sheet material 54 may extend up the side walls 14 and 16 a
short distance past the absorbent material 46 and be adhered to the
side walls 14 and 16. The porous material 54 permits liquid exuded
from or accompanying the product being displayed, such as an oven
ready eviscerated chicken 52 or chicken parts, to pass therethrough
and into the absorbent material 46. The porous material can be a
perforated film, apertured film, non-woven fabric, non-woven fabric
laminated to apertured film, batting, multi-composites or other
suitable pervious material that can be bonded to the side walls and
end walls and to the upper surfaces of the ribs 24, 26, 28 and 30
by heat sealing, applying an adhesive or other suitable means.
[0028] Once a product is placed on the porous material 54 and
supported by the ribs 24-30, any fluids exuded from or accompanying
the product are able to flow through the porous material 54 and
into an interior or side liquid collection cavity for interaction
with the absorbent material 46 which causes the fluids to be
retained there and away from the product. Preferably the absorbent
material 46 interacts with the fluids to form a gel that is too
bulky to pass back through the porous material 54. Thus, the exuded
fluids are kept away from the product which is important to prevent
deterioration of the product, to provide protection of the consumer
from direct contact with the liquid when opening the tray, and for
appearance considerations.
[0029] It should be appreciated that this invention also includes
the process where the liquid exuding from or accompanying the
product passes downwardly through the porous sheet material 54 and
interacts with the absorbent material 46 to form a bulky gel that
cannot pass back through the porous sheet material to where the
product is located as a porous material is selected with pores that
are too small for the bulky gel to pass through. This process
serves to separate the drained liquid from the area where the
product is located.
[0030] The diagonal ribs 24 and 26 and side ribs 28 and 30 prevent
the migration of the absorbent material 46, thereby substantially
retaining the absorbent material 46 in a uniform distribution
throughout where it is placed in the tray 10. It will be noticed
that when the tray 10 is tilted as shown in FIG. 4 that side rib 28
tends to restrain liquid from moving to side liquid cavity 32. A
pool of liquid 50 is shown restrained by side rib 28. Preferably,
all of this liquid is absorbed by the absorbent material 46, with
any excess liquid forming a liquid pool 50. Liquid may drain from
the product, such as the eviscerated whole chicken 52 or chicken
parts, into side liquid collection cavity 32 forming a liquid pool
48. Preferably there is sufficient absorbent material 46 so that
the pool is not formed there either but is completely absorbed by
the absorbent material.
[0031] The product contained in the tray 10, such as cut up chicken
parts 52, can be covered by a transparent sheet 56 which may be
sealed to the top flange 58 of the tray 10. This transparent sheet
56 can be formed of transparent plastic and be sealed by heat
sealing, applying an adhesive or other suitable means to seal the
interior of the tray 10.
[0032] Since this tray 10 is designed to display products at a
tilted angle it is preferred that there be several interior liquid
collection cavities, such as interior liquid collection cavities
36, 38, 40 and 42, as shown in FIG. 2 in a Delta shape. The
presence of four cavities and their absorbent material tend to
restrain most of the liquid from flowing to the lower most part of
the edge standing tray 10. Since the tray 10 is tilted, it is
preferred that the absorbent material 46 and the porous sheet
material 54 be extended part way up the side walls 14 and 16 as
illustrated in FIG. 3.
[0033] The tray 10 is formed as a disposable tray adapted for
one-time use, after which the tray is discarded. The provision of
nesting corners 44 and making the side walls 14 and 16 and end
walls 18 and 20 sloping facilitates stacking of empty trays 10
prior to placement of the liquid extruding product in the tray.
Typically, the absorbent material is placed in the cavities 32, 34,
36, 38, 40 and 42 and the porous sheet 54 applied to the upper
surfaces of the ribs 24, 26, 28 and 30 and to the side walls, and
then the trays are nest stacked for later being filled with product
and covered.
[0034] The absorbent material 46 can include cellulose derivatives,
polymeric substances, clays or other suitable substances possessing
sufficient absorbent characteristics, including synthetic
cross-linked polymers such as sodium polyacrylate. Excellent
absorbent materials are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,376,034
(Brander) which discloses a combination of a non-cross linked
gel-forming water soluble polymer, and mineral composition and a
soluble salt. U.S. Pat. No. 6,376,034 (Brander) is hereby
incorporated by reference. These compositions form a gel with the
liquids exuded from the product contained in the tray 10. These
gels are too bulky to pass back through the porous material 54
where the product 52 is located.
[0035] The preferred absorbent material 46 contains from about 10
to 90% by weight, preferably from about 50 to about 80% by weight,
and most preferably from about 70 to 75% by weight polymer. The
non-crosslinked gel forming polymer can be a cellulose derivative
such as carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) and salts thereof,
hydroxyethylcellulose, methylcellulose,
hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, gelatinized starches, gelatin,
dextrose, and other similar components, and may be a mixture of the
above. Certain types and grades of CMC are approved for use with
food items and are preferred when the absorbent is to be so used.
The preferred polymer is a CMC, most preferably sodium salt of CMC
having a degree of substitution of about 0.7 to 0.9. The degree of
substitution refers to the proportion of hydroxyl groups in the
cellulose molecule that have their hydrogen substituted by a
carboxymethyl group. The viscosity of a 1% solution of CMC at 25
C., read on a Brookfield viscometer, should be in the range of
about 2500 to 12,000 mPa.
[0036] The clay ingredient can be any of a variety of materials and
is preferably attapulgite, montmorillonite (including bentonite
clays such as hectorite), sericite, kaolin, diatomaceous earth,
silica, and other similar materials, and mixtures thereof.
Preferably, bentonite is used. Bentonite is a type of
montmorillonite and is principally a colloidal hydrated aluminum
silicate and contains varying quantities of iron, alkali, and
alkaline earths. The preferred type of bentonite is hectorite which
is mined from specific areas, principally in Nevada.
[0037] Diatomaceous earth is formed from the fossilized remains of
diatoms, which are structured somewhat like honeycomb or sponge.
Diatomaceous earth absorbs fluids without swelling by accumulating
the fluids in the interstices of the structure.
[0038] The clay and diatomaceous earth are present in an amount
from about 10-90% by weight, preferably about 20-30% by weight,
however, some applications, such as when the absorbent material is
to be used to absorb solutions having a high alkalinity, i.e.
marinades for poultry, can incorporate up to about 50% diatomaceous
earth. The diatomaceous earth can replace nearly all of the clay,
with up to about 2% by weight remaining clay.
[0039] The trivalent cation is preferably provided in a soluble
salt such as derived from aluminum sulfate, potassium aluminum
sulfate, and other soluble salts of metal ions such as aluminum,
chromium, and the like. Preferably, the trivalent cation is present
at about 1 to 20%, most preferably at about 1 to 8%.
[0040] The inorganic buffer is one such as sodium carbonate (soda
ash), sodium hexametaphosphate, sodium tripolyphosphate, and other
similar materials. If a buffer is used, it is present preferably at
about 0.6%, however beneficial results have been achieved with
amounts up to about 15% by weight.
[0041] Absorption is defined as the increased weight achieved in an
absorbent of the type described herein, following placement of such
absorbent in a tray with 0.2% saline therein in such quantities as
to not limit the access of the fluid to the absorbent for up to
72-96 hours until no further increase of weight is apparent. The
net absorption is the difference between the final weight of the
absorbent and the dry starting weight.
[0042] A significant synergistic effect is achieved in the
absorption behavior of these blends, resulting in dramatic
improvement in absorption capacity of the blends compared to the
individual components. The mixture of the non-crosslinked gel
forming polymer, trivalent cation, and clay forms an absorbent
material which when hydrated has an improved gel strength over the
non-crosslinked gel forming polymer alone. Further, the gel
exhibits minimal syneresis, which is exudation of the liquid
component of a gel.
[0043] In addition, the combined ingredients form an absorbent
which has an absorbent capacity which exceeds the total absorbent
capacity of the ingredients individually. It appears that the
trivalent cation provides a cross-linking effect on the CMC once in
solution, and that the clay swells to absorb and stabilize the
gels. However, the mechanism of action and the synergistic effect
is not yet clear. It is thought that perhaps a sufficient amount of
trivalent cation is present in the bentonite and diatomaceous earth
to provide the crosslinking effect.
[0044] The gels formed by the absorbent material are glass clear
firm gels.
[0045] These absorbent materials are mixed together. It has been
found that a preferred absorbent may be agglomerated by processing
without the addition of chemicals in a compactor or disk type
granulator or similar device to produce granules of uniform and
controllable particle size. Granules so formed act as an absorbent
with increased rate and capacity of absorption due to the increased
surface area of the absorbent.
[0046] As the tray 10 is designed to be tilted as illustrated in
FIG. 4 the absorbent material 46 may be run a short distance up
each side wall 14 and 16 where a liquid exuding from or
accompanying the product 52 is likely to collect. The porous sheet
54 is placed over the absorbent material 46 and may extend a short
distance up the side walls 14 and 16 past the absorbent material 46
and may be bonded to the side walls by heat sealing, applying an
adhesive or other suitable means.
[0047] The porous sheet 54 forms an additional support surface for
the products as the material spans the gaps formed between the ribs
to form a "false bottom" support surface in the bottom of the tray
10. Once products, such eviscerated chicken 52, are placed on the
porous material 54, any liquids exuded from the products are able
to flow through the porous material 54 and into the absorbent
material 46 in the various liquid collection cavities 32, 34, 36,
38, 40 and 42. The porous material 54 tends to retain the absorbent
material 46 beneath the false bottom before and after the liquid is
absorbed by the absorbent material 46 with the absorbent material
taking up the fluid, and in some cases, forming it into a gel
structure. In this manner, liquids exuded from the food products
are substantially prevented from reentering the area where the food
product is stored and contaminating the food product, thereby,
limiting the impact of food spoilage organisms, and organisms that
might impact on the health of the consumer. Additionally, since the
absorbent material 46 is contained below the false bottom, the
absorbent material 46 is not compressed by the weight of the
product and therefore, is able to absorb and retain greater
quantities of food as compared to known prior art devices.
[0048] The porous sheet hides the liquid, absorbent material and
any gel formed thereby from view, so the potential customer can
view the chicken or other product without viewing the liquid exuded
from the product. This also keeps the liquid away from the customer
when opening the package.
[0049] It should be appreciated that the side ribs 28 and 30 act
like a terrace or dam formed on a hill when the tray 10 is tilted
as best illustrated in FIG. 4. The side rib 28 acts as a dam and
prevents most of the liquid in the interior liquid collection
cavity 40 from flowing to side wall 14 as illustrated in FIG. 4.
The liquid that flows down into the interior liquid collection
cavity 40 tends to form a liquid pool 50 adjacent side rib 28. Much
of this liquid pool 50 will be absorbed by the absorbent material
46, but at least some portion that is not absorbed is likely to be
prevented from flowing downward by side rib 28. The absorbent
material 46 in side liquid collection cavities 32 or 34 will absorb
the liquid exuding from the product and also any liquid that
overflows side rib 28. Any liquid that is not absorbed on the
absorbent material 46 will form a pool at the bottom of side liquid
collection cavity 32 and may extend a short distance up side wall
14 where the absorbent material 46 is also placed.
[0050] The side liquid collection cavities 32 or 34 are located at
the lowest position of all portions of the tray when the tray is
shingle stacked on one of its sides, as shown in FIG. 4. This
assures that all free liquid that tends to flow down the sloped
base of the tray will enter the lower side liquid collection cavity
32 or 34. The liquid that enters the lower side liquid collection
cavity is likely to be absorbed by the absorbent material and
retained below the porous sheet.
[0051] Modifications to the side ribs 28 and 30 are shown in FIGS.
5-7. Overflow notches 60 are formed in the top surfaces of the side
ribs 28 and 30 so as to form recessed drains at a level below the
porous material 54. The porous material is supported on the tops of
the ribs so that a gap is formed by the notches below the porous
material, allowing any excess liquid to flow over the side ribs
without passing back through the porous material and without
contacting the chicken.
[0052] The foregoing description has been presented for the purpose
of illustration and description. It is not intended to be
exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms
disclosed. Modifications or variations are possible in light of the
above teachings. The embodiment or embodiments discussed, however,
were chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the
principles of the invention and its practical application to
thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the
invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as
are suited to the particular use contemplated. All such
modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention
as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance
with the breadth to which they are fairly and legally entitled.
* * * * *