Feline treat container

Abstract

A tray for packaging a plurality of individual servings. The tray has a plurality of cups arranged in a two-dimensional array of cups joined at their abutting rims. A cover sheet extends over and is sealed to the rims. Weakened lines of separation, such as a series of perforations, between the cups facilitate manual separation of individual cups from the remainder of the tray with the need for tools.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/366,973, filed Mar. 22, 2002.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY-SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

[0002] (Not Applicable)

REFERENCE TO AN APPENDIX"

[0003] (Not Applicable)

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0004] 1. Field Of The Invention

[0005] This invention relates generally to packages for individual servings of food, and more particularly to cups for packaging a serving of a frozen novelty food for felines.

[0006] 2. Description Of The Related Art

[0007] Portion control cups are used for packaging a food in readily consumable serving portions not exceeding two ounces. Typically, portion control cups are designed to hold an amount of the food suggested to be an individual serving. Portion control cups have not been designed particularly for an individual serving of a frozen food. Usually, portion control cups hold condiments such as ketchup and barbecue sauce, or jelly.

[0008] Generally, portion control cups are made from a heated sheet of plastic that has cup shapes pressed or vacuum formed into the sheet, which forms a tray of joined plastic cups. Each cup is removable from the tray by severing a rim of plastic that surrounds each cup in the sheet. Then, still in tray form, the individual cups are filled with the food. After the cups are filled, a plastic or foil cover or a cap is sealed to each cup.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The invention is a tray of plastic cups joined together at a rim of each cup. Each cup has a shape and volume for packaging a frozen novelty food for felines. The rim of each cup has an outer edge abutting that of an adjacent cup. A cover is fitted over the tray of cups and sealed to the rim of each cup. Perforations are formed through the tray sheet material and the cover between the abutting outer edges of the respective rims to permit each individual cup to be manually severed or torn from the tray by a consumer without the need for tools, such as a knife or scissors, rather than severing the individual cups during manufacturing which is the common practice. An excess portion of the cover extends past the outer edge of the rim of each cup for grasping to remove the cover from the rim.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] FIG. 1 is a view in perspective illustrating an embodiment for the invention.

[0011] FIG. 2 is a view in perspective illustrating the preferred embodiment for the invention.

[0012] FIG. 3 is a view in perspective illustrating an individual serving cup unit separated from the tray shown in FIG. 2.

[0013] In describing the preferred embodiment of the invention, which is illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology will be resorted to for the sake of clarity. However, it is not intended that the invention be limited to the specific term so selected and it is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents, which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose.

(h) DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] As illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, an embodiment of the invention has a tray 10 comprised of a two dimensional array of individual cups 12 joined together at their adjacent rims. Preferably, the tray 10 is initially manufactured with sixteen cups, as illustrated in FIG. 1 and, after filling with the food, is cut in half to form two trays each having eight individual portion control cups 12 that are joined together along aligned perforations 14 as illustrated in FIG. 2. Cutting the sixteen cup tray in half to form two trays of eight cups provides a tray having the preferred size for packaging in a paperboard container for retail sales. Retaining the cups joined together at the perforations allows for the simplified loading of an entire tray of eight cups into the carton without the need to use a cup holding apparatus and other expensive mechanical equipment to insert an array of separated individual cups into the carton.

[0015] Each cup 12 is generally rectangular with rounded corners, having a short edge 16 extending for about one inch, and a long edge 18 extending for about 21/4 inches, between the rounded corners. Each cup 12 is about 5/8 inch deep. A rim 22 extends outwardly from each cup 12 and has an outer edge 24. The rim 22 is about {fraction (3/16)} inch wide and also has rounded corners. The cup 12 is made of plastic sheet material, typically polystyrene, that may be of a type conventionally used for making such trays and cups and that is about one millimeter thick and routinely tolerates the usual temperatures at which frozen food is stored, such as by not becoming brittle at those temperatures.

[0016] A cover 20 is hermetically sealed to the rim 22 of each cup 12, such as by heat sealing, an adhesive or other conventional means. The cover 20 for the cup 12 shown in FIG. 3 has been omitted to reveal the interior of the cup. The cover 20 has an excess portion 21 that extends past the outer edge 24 of the rim 22. The excess portion 21 of the cover 20 is easily grasped for peeling the cover 20 from the rim 22. The cover 20 can be foil, flexible plastic, or similar material commonly used for preserving food or covering such trays. Preferably the cover 20 is a plastic film that routinely tolerates the usual temperatures at which frozen food is stored.

[0017] Of critical importance to the invention is the provision of weakened lines of separation between the individual cups in order to facilitate manual separation of the cups by the ultimate customer so the food can be served in individual servings. For this purpose, spaced perforations 14 are formed transversely and longitudinally along two series of parallel lines through the cover 20 and the mutual region of plastic between each adjacent cup 12. The perforations 14 define the abutting outer edge 24 of the rim 22 of each adjacent cup 12. There must be a generous amount of the perforations 14 for the cup 12 to allow a consumer to easily separate a single cup from the remaining tray of cups 10 by tearing along the perforations 14. The uncut material between the perforations should be long enough to hold the cups together during normal production, filling and loading of the cups into the carton, but short enough to manually tear when a consumer manually separates a cup for serving. Preferably, there are about fifteen of the perforations 14 per inch, and the perforations 14 are spaced about {fraction (1/16)} inch apart. The perforations 14 can be formed using a tool, such as a wheel 30 with several small blades or pins 32, as shown in FIG. 2, or a straight edge with similar blades or pins (not shown). Although, instead of perforations, the tray material, and/or the cover material may be made thinner along the same lines illustrated in the figures to form a tear line, this in not preferred because it is believed to be a more difficult manufacturing operation, to provide a less reliable tear line and to be more difficult for a customer to separate individual cups.

[0018] Preferably, each cup 12 has a capacity to bold 3/4 ounce of a frozen novelty food for a cat. This is the preferred volume and is important for biological reasons. Specifically, it is undesirable for a frozen treat to melt and require that it be refrozen or discarded as waste. As with any food product, it is also undesirable for it to sit unrefrigerated for a long period of time. The preferred cup capacity provides a quantity that is typically consumed by a cat within one hour when served free choice.

[0019] The above described dimensions of the cup are also important. These dimensions simultaneously provide not only a capacity that is typically consumed by a cat within an hour but also do so in a manner that provides a flat, shallow configuration which is easy for a small animal to consume directly from the cup when the food treat is offered.

[0020] Each cup 12 preferably has a fill line indentation 13 to indicate the level to which the cat food is filled. It is preferred that the cup 12 is flat and shallow, so the cat may easily consume the food directly from the cup 12. However, the cup 12 may be circular, and various other shapes could be used. In addition, the 3/4 ounce portion is a typical serving suggestion for the cat, so the cup 12 holds an amount of the food that is generally totally consumed by the cat, thereby avoiding having to re-freeze a leftover portion of the food.

[0021] As a further alternative, the cups can be joined only by the cover sheet with individual cups which are not joined by the cup sheet material. However, this is not preferred because the cover material will either be so thin that the tray of cups will readily fold and be more difficult to manipulate or the cover material will need to be made thicker in order to be more rigid.

[0022] While certain preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed in detail, it is to be understood that various modifications may be adopted without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A tray for packaging a plurality of individual servings and comprising: (a) a plurality of portion control cups formed in a sheet and arranged in a two-dimensional array of cups joined at abutting rims; (b) a cover sheet extending over and sealed to the rims; and (c) weakened lines of separation between the cups to facilitate separation of individual cups from the remainder of the tray.

2. A tray in accordance with claim 1 wherein the weakened lines of separation comprise aligned perforations spaced along the lines of separation.

3. A tray in accordance with claim 2 wherein the spaced perforations extend through both the cup sheet and the cover sheet.

4. A tray in accordance with claim 3, wherein there are substantially 15 perforations per inch.

5. A tray in accordance with claim 1 or claim 2 or claim 3 wherein each cup has a capacity of substantially 3/4 ounce.

6. A tray in accordance with claim 1 or claim 2 or claim 3 wherein each cup is substantially 21/4 inches long, 1 inch wide and 5/8 inch deep.

7. A tray in accordance with claim 1 or claim 2 or claim 3 wherein each tray comprises eight cups arranged in a two cup by four cup array.

8. A tray in accordance with claim 1 or claim 2 or claim 3 wherein each tray is filled with a feline food and is enclosed within a carton.

9. A tray for packaging a plurality of individual servings and comprising: (a) a plurality of cups, each cup formed of a sheet and having a peripheral rim, the cups being arranged in a two-dimensional array of cups; and (b) a cover sheet extending over the cups and sealed to the rims, the cover sheet having weakened lines of separation between the cups to facilitate separation of individual cups from the remainder of the tray.

10. A tray in accordance with claim 9 wherein the weakened lines of separation comprise perforations spaced along the lines of separation.

11. A tray in accordance with claim 9, wherein each cup has a capacity of substantially 3/4 ounce.