U.S. patent application number 13/130880 was filed with the patent office on 2011-09-22 for anti-leak meat pack, food packaging tray therefore, and associated methods.
This patent application is currently assigned to CASCADES CANADA INC.. Invention is credited to Jean-Peirre Fredette, Mathieu Roberge.
Application Number | 20110229610 13/130880 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42232832 |
Filed Date | 2011-09-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110229610 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Roberge; Mathieu ; et
al. |
September 22, 2011 |
ANTI-LEAK MEAT PACK, FOOD PACKAGING TRAY THEREFORE, AND ASSOCIATED
METHODS
Abstract
The anti-leak meat pack can include a food packaging tray, meat
on the tray, a film covering the meat, wrapped around the tray, and
sealed against an outward-facing surface all around the tray, an
anti-leak seal thereby being formed surrounding the meat.
Inventors: |
Roberge; Mathieu; (Danville,
CA) ; Fredette; Jean-Peirre; (Kingsey Falls,
CA) |
Assignee: |
CASCADES CANADA INC.
MONTREAL
CA
|
Family ID: |
42232832 |
Appl. No.: |
13/130880 |
Filed: |
November 24, 2009 |
PCT Filed: |
November 24, 2009 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/CA2009/001711 |
371 Date: |
May 24, 2011 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61118896 |
Dec 1, 2008 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
426/124 ;
206/557; 426/396 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65B 7/164 20130101;
B65B 25/065 20130101; B65D 77/003 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
426/124 ;
426/396; 206/557 |
International
Class: |
B65D 81/00 20060101
B65D081/00; B65D 75/28 20060101 B65D075/28; B65D 1/34 20060101
B65D001/34 |
Claims
1. An anti-leak meat pack comprising a tray having an
outward-facing rim surface at the upper end thereof, meat laying on
the tray, and a film covering the meat, wrapped around the tray,
and sealed against the outward-facing surface all around the tray,
an anti-leak seal thereby being formed surrounding the meat.
2. The anti-leak meat pack of claim 1 wherein the anti-leak seal
comprises an adhesive covering the outward-facing surface all
around the tray, the film being adhered to the tray by the
adhesive.
3. The anti-leak meat pack of claim 2 wherein the adhesive is a
heat-activated adhesive.
4. The anti-leak meat pack of claim 1 wherein the anti-leak seal
comprises a gap-filling wax covering the outward-facing rim surface
all around the tray.
5. The anti-leak meat pack of claim 1 wherein the outward-facing
surface protrudes laterally from the tray.
6. The anti-leak meat pack of claim 1 wherein the tray has a
recessed bottom and a border surrounding the recessed bottom and
extending both upwardly and outwardly therefrom, the border having
the outward-facing surface in the form of a rim, and wherein the
meat lies on the recessed bottom.
7. The anti-leak meat pack of claim 6 wherein the recessed bottom
is flat, offset and parallel to the outward-facing rim, and wherein
the outward-facing surface is oriented generally perpendicularly to
the recessed bottom of the tray.
8. (canceled)
9. (canceled)
10. The anti-leak meat pack of claim 1 wherein the outward-facing
surface is generally flat.
11. The anti-leak meat pack of claim 10 wherein the outward-facing
surface is adjacent an upward facing flat surface of the tray.
12. The anti-leak meat pack of claim 11 wherein the outward-facing
surface has a rounded upper edge.
13. The anti-leak meat pack of claim 1 wherein the tray is
rectangular and has rounded corners.
14. (canceled)
15. The anti-leak meat pack of claim 1 wherein the meat protrudes
upwardly from the tray.
16. A method of packaging food, the method comprising placing the
food in a tray having outward-facing surface; wrapping a film over
the food and around the tray, the film thence covering the
outward-facing surface all around the tray; sealing the film
against the outward-facing rim surface.
17. The method of claim 16 wherein the tray has an adhesive
covering the outward-facing surface, wherein the step of sealing
comprises activating the adhesive, thereby forming an anti-leak
seal around the food, between the film and the tray.
18. The method of claim 17 wherein the step of activating includes
activating the adhesive with heat.
19. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of activating includes
subjecting the wrapped food and tray to heat for a given period of
time.
20. The method of claim 16 wherein during the step of wrapping, the
food protrudes upwardly from the tray and the film is stretched
between the food and the outward-facing surface of the tray.
21. A food packaging tray comprising a tray body having an
outward-facing surface, and one of an adhesive and a wax covering
the entire periphery of the outward-facing surface of the tray
body.
22. The food packaging tray of claim 21 wherein the outward-facing
surface protrudes laterally from the tray.
23. The food packaging tray of claim 21 wherein the one of an
adhesive and a wax is a heat activable adhesive.
24. (canceled)
25. The food packaging tray of claim 21 wherein the tray is
generally rectangular in shape with sides having between 3 inches
and 24 inches in length, and having rounded corners, and having a
recessed bottom and a border equally and entirely surrounding the
recessed bottom and extending both upwardly and outwardly
therefrom, the border having the outward facing surface and the
rounded corners.
26. The food packaging tray of claim 25 wherein the recessed bottom
is flat, offset and parallel to the outward-facing surface, and the
outward-facing surface is substantially flat and oriented
perpendicularly to the recessed bottom of the tray.
27. (canceled)
28. (canceled)
29. (canceled)
30. The food packaging tray of claim 21 wherein the outward-facing
surface is adjacent an upward-facing flat surface and the
outward-facing surface has a rounded upper edge.
31-36. (canceled)
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority of U.S. provisional
application No. 61/118,896, filed Dec. 1, 2008 by applicant, the
contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
FIELD
[0002] The instant specification relates to food packaging, and
more specifically discloses a meat pack having an anti-leak seal
for preventing meat liquids from leaking out.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Traditional meat packs which were known in grocery stores
typically included a tray made of a material such as expanded
polystyrene (EPS), having a flat, recessed bottom surrounded by an
upwardly and outwardly extending border. The meat was laid onto the
recessed bottom of the tray, with, in some cases, a
liquid-absorbing material therebetween. Both the tray and the meat
were then wrapped with a see-through film.
[0004] Although satisfactory to a certain extent, such traditional
meat packs suffered from several insufficiencies. For instance, it
was common for liquids generated by the meat to leak from the
packaging during handling thereof, either by the butcher or the
consumer, by passing between the film and the border of the tray.
This was undesired and inconvenient for many reasons, including
aesthetic and sanitary aspects.
[0005] In particular, meat fluid leaks were unappreciated by
consumers who felt a displeasing sensation when feeling the wet and
sticky meat fluid as they took meat pack with their hands, and a
lingering unclean hand sensation which followed until the next
occasion the consumer had to clean his hands, which typically did
not occur until the grocery was finished. Any germs or bacteria
which could have been collected when initially manipulating the wet
meat pack thus had subsequent occasions to spread to other
consumers, such as via manipulation of other grocery items, or
during payment, for example. For sanitary purposes, at the time of
placing the grocery into bags, it was common practice to place meat
packs into additional separate plastic bags, to prevent their
contact with other grocery items in the main bags. Even with these
insufficiencies, the absence of a suitable and commercially viable
solution resulted in the continued use of the above-described meat
packs. Hence, although the use of liquid-absorbing material
underneath the meat in the tray contributed to reduce the amount of
leaking fluids, there remained room for improvement.
SUMMARY
[0006] The anti-leak meat pack described herein can overcome at
least some of the insufficiencies of the prior art by providing a
cost-effective means of wrapping meat on a tray with an anti-leak
seal being formed all around the tray, between the tray and the
film, by activation of an adhesive therebetween after the tray and
meat have been wrapped by the film. The use of a heat-activatable
adhesive can be very convenient for example in applications where
appropriate heating means were already being used for other
reasons, such as heat tunnels which were used for shrinkage of
wrapping film, for example. Applying the adhesive around the tray
on an outward-facing rim surface thereof can allow achieving an
effective seal even in cases where the meat is thick and protrudes
upwardly from the tray.
[0007] In accordance with one aspect, there is provided an
anti-leak meat pack comprising a tray having an outward-facing rim
surface at the upper end thereof, meat laying on the tray, and a
film covering the meat, wrapped around the tray, and sealed against
the outward-facing surface all around the tray, an anti-leak seal
thereby being formed surrounding the meat.
[0008] In accordance with another aspect, there is provided a
method of packaging food, the method comprising placing the food in
a tray having outward-facing surface; wrapping a film over the food
and around the tray, the film thence covering the outward-facing
surface all around the tray; and sealing the film against the
outward-facing rim surface.
[0009] In accordance with another aspect, there is provided a food
packaging tray comprising a tray body having an outward-facing
surface, and one of an adhesive and a wax covering the entire
periphery of the outward-facing surface of the tray body.
[0010] In accordance with another aspect, there is provided a
method of making anti-leak trays for food packaging, the trays
having an outward-facing surface, the method comprising
simultaneously applying one of an adhesive and a gap-filling wax on
the outward facing surface of a plurality of trays in a stack, all
around the trays.
DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0011] In the appended figures,
[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a meat
pack;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a tray for use in the
meat pack shown in FIG. 1; and
[0014] FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing spraying of an adhesive
or wax on an outward-facing surface of a plurality of stacked
trays.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0015] In FIG. 1, an example of a meat pack 10 is shown. The meat
pack 10 generally includes a tray 12 in which is placed a piece of
meat 14. The meat 14 in the tray 12 is covered by a wrapping film
16.
[0016] Turning also to FIG. 2, the tray 12 is generally rectangular
with rounded corners 18, and has a recessed bottom 20 onto which
the meat 14 is laid, and a surrounding border 22 which extends both
upwardly and outwardly from the recessed bottom 20. At an upper
portion thereof 24, the border 22 has an outwardly extending rim 26
with an outward-facing rim surface 28 adjacent a flat upper surface
30 and surrounding the tray 12. The outward-facing rim surface 28
is generally flat and may be slightly rounded, and is generally
perpendicular to both the flat upper surface 30 and flat recessed
bottom 20. In particular, in one embodiment, the upper edge of the
outward-facing rim surface 28, leading to the flat upper surface
30, is slightly rounded. Also noted here, in this embodiment, the
outward-facing rim surface 28 slightly protrudes from the remainder
of the border 22, this is optional and in alternate embodiments,
the outward-facing rim surface can be flat with the adjacent
portion of the outer wall of the border.
[0017] In this embodiment, a food-grade adhesive 32 is applied on
the outward-facing rim surface 28, and is activated during the
packaging operation to form a seamless anti-leak seal 34 around the
meat 14 (FIG. 1). Positioning the adhesive on an outward-facing rim
surface of the tray can allow achieving an adequate seal even in an
application where the meat is thicker than the tray and protrudes
upwardly therefrom.
[0018] It will be understood that various alternate embodiments may
be realized, the details given below are thus provided solely for
illustrative purposes with a view of providing a full description
of the illustrated embodiment. In the illustrated embodiment, the
tray is made of expanded polystyrene (EPS) but can alternately be
made of another leak proof material such as other plastics or
bioplastic, foamed or not, or a material made of molded fibers,
molded pulp, or pressed paperboard which can be treated with a
waterproofing treatment, to name a few examples. The wrapping film
can be any suitable food-grade wrapping material. In the embodiment
demonstrated in FIG. 1, the meat pack is particularly adapted for
the packaging of thick and elongated pieces of meat, such as roast
beef. It will be understood that the pack can be adapted or used as
such with other types of meat than beef, such as marinated meat,
poultry, fish, or pork for example, and with other fresh, frozen or
cooked foods or even other goods which are susceptible to release
liquids.
[0019] Turning to FIG. 2, the tray 12 is shown alone, prior to
packaging of the meat. To prevent the activatable adhesive 35 which
is used on the outward-facing rim surface 28 at the upper end 24 of
the tray 12 from collecting dust or other particles prior to its
use, the activatable adhesive 35 can be selected in a manner to be
normally in an unactivated state, but being activatable to form the
seal 34 with the wrapping film 16 (FIG. 1) at a predetermined
packaging step. For example, a heat-activatable adhesive can be
used. In this case, the tray prior to use is kept, for example, at
room temperature, and is therefore not subjected to heat sufficient
to activate the adhesive. This helps prevent the collection of dust
or other particles by the adhesive prior to its use. When the meat
is placed in the tray and the tray is wrapped with a film, the meat
pack can thus be subjected to heat in order to activate the
adhesive and form the seal around the meat. In one embodiment, this
heating step can be performed by placing the meat pack in a heat
tunnel, such as known in the art for use in shrinking films, for
example. In an alternate embodiment, the heat activated adhesive
can be activated by heat directed specifically at the adhesive,
such as by a heat gun for instance, or under the tray, to limit
exposure of the meat to the heat. In yet another embodiment, the
adhesive can be activatable by exposure to ultraviolet light, for
instance, in which case the wrapped pack can be subjected to
ultraviolet light to activate the adhesive and form the seal. The
adhesive could also be activated by ultrasonic welding, in which
case the presence of the adhesive can be optional.
[0020] The selected adhesive should be approved for a contact with
food, i.e. food-grade. A low heat activation temperature
(preferably below 300 F) to reduce the likelihood of heat related
damage to the food or other good packaged. A fast setting time
should also be favored to speed up sealing time and further prevent
heat damage.
[0021] Good bonding and sealing were obtained with an EVA-based hot
melt adhesive, such as Technical Adhesive no. 1512A manufactured by
Technical Adhesives Limited, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada,
activated in a heat tunnel set to 280 F and a residence time of 5
seconds. Similar results are also possible with PUR water-based
adhesives. Water-based adhesives can be favored with trays made of
molded pulp or similar materials, for instance. In another
embodiment, fair sealing can be obtained without a strong adhesion
using refined waxes rather than an adhesive. The waxes, such as IGI
1239A, then acts as a gap filler between the rim and the film,
while also providing some degree of chemical repulsion with the
meat juice.
[0022] As shown in the figures, applying the adhesive 35 on an
outwardly-facing rim surface 28 can serve two purposes. First,
compared to an adhesive 35 which would be applied to an
upwardly-oriented surface, it can allow an effective seal to be
maintained even in the case where the packaged goods are thicker
than the tray 12, because the forces applied onto the film by the
goods are then substantially oriented in a direction favoring
adherence of the film 16 to the tray 12, i.e. for the film to
squeeze the rim 26 of the tray 12 (see FIG. 1), including the upper
edge of the outward-facing rim surface 28 which leads to the upper
surface 30 if slightly rounded. Using a heat shrinkable film and
activating the adhesive with heat positioned below the tray can
favor the squeezing of the adhesive between the film and the rim.
Secondly, it can allow obtaining an anti-leak seal relatively close
to the source of the liquid, thereby impeding the occurrence of
liquid pockets which could result from the seal being located
further away from the goods, such as outside and below the upper
end 24 of the border 22.
[0023] The methods of applying the adhesive to the outward-facing
rim surface 28 of the tray 12 can represent an important element in
obtaining a commercially viable fabrication method. For instance,
if the adhesive is to be applied on the outward-facing rim surface
28 of the tray 12 with a sprayer, it can be advantageous to apply
the adhesive to a stack of trays all at the same time. Stackable
trays can thus be favored. In the illustrated embodiment, the tray
12 is made stackable by having a border which extends both upwardly
and outwardly and by having a shape which allows the recessed
bottom to receive the underside of the recessed bottom of an other
identical tray. The stack of trays can then be turned and moved
under the sprayer as it simultaneously sprays adhesive on all the
trays in the stack, in order to completely cover the entire
periphery of the trays in the stack. In this manner, a sufficient
amount of activatable adhesive can be applied to the desired
portion of the outward-facing rim surface 28, which can include the
upper edge thereof. Other adhesive application methods can include
applying the adhesive on a stack of trays with rollers, or applying
the adhesive one tray at a time either using a gun or a roller. In
such alternate embodiments, the trays can be non-stackable and can
have a border which extends upwardly from the recessed bottom. In
order to obtain a satisfactory seal, the adhesive should make a
continuous path on the outward-facing rim surface 28 all around the
tray and cover the rounded upper edge thereof where applicable.
When using heat-activatable adhesive, any suitable heat source can
be used to activate the adhesive such as a heat tunnel, a heat gun,
a heated panel, or another heat source.
[0024] It will be understood that in alternate embodiments, the
tray can have a shape other than rectangular and can alternately
have non rounded corners, for instance. In meat packaging
applications, rectangular trays with rounded corners having sides
of a length between around 3 inches and 24 inches are most commonly
used.
[0025] Various alternate embodiments to the ones described above
are possible. The scope is thus indicated by the appended
claims.
* * * * *