U.S. patent application number 14/177981 was filed with the patent office on 2015-08-13 for nestable packages.
This patent application is currently assigned to THE QUAKER OATS COMPANY. The applicant listed for this patent is THE QUAKER OATS COMPANY. Invention is credited to Debra BRADY, Eric Thomas HENDERSON, James J. MAKI.
Application Number | 20150225119 14/177981 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 53774297 |
Filed Date | 2015-08-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150225119 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
BRADY; Debra ; et
al. |
August 13, 2015 |
NESTABLE PACKAGES
Abstract
A nestable food package, is provided. The food package has a
base and a lid with a concave portion configured to receive the
base of another food package.
Inventors: |
BRADY; Debra; (Barrington,
IL) ; HENDERSON; Eric Thomas; (Chicago, IL) ;
MAKI; James J.; (McHenry, IL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
THE QUAKER OATS COMPANY |
Chicago |
IL |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
THE QUAKER OATS COMPANY
Chicago
IL
|
Family ID: |
53774297 |
Appl. No.: |
14/177981 |
Filed: |
February 11, 2014 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
426/108 ;
426/113; 53/399 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 2543/00842
20130101; B65D 21/0233 20130101; B65D 43/0202 20130101; B65D
2543/00425 20130101; B65D 81/3453 20130101; B65D 71/20 20130101;
B65B 13/022 20130101; B65D 21/0219 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B65D 21/02 20060101
B65D021/02; B65D 81/34 20060101 B65D081/34; B65B 13/02 20060101
B65B013/02; B65D 43/02 20060101 B65D043/02 |
Claims
1. A food package comprising: a base comprising a bottom, a
sidewall and an upper rim; and a lid affixed to said upper rim,
wherein said lid comprises a concave portion configured to receive
a base of a second food package.
2. The food package of claim 1 wherein said concave portion of said
lid is defined by a lid sidewall and a lid bottom.
3. The food package of claim 2 wherein said base comprises a
circular cross section, wherein said base comprises a first
circumference, and wherein said lid sidewall comprises a circular
cross section and said lid bottom comprises a second circumference,
wherein said second circumference is greater than or equal to said
first circumference.
4. The food package of claim 1 nested inside a concave portion of a
second food package of claim 1.
5. The food package of claim 2 wherein said base bottom is
substantially coplanar with said lid bottom.
6. The food package of claim 2 wherein said base sidewall and said
lid sidewall are substantially concentric.
7. The food package of claim 1 wherein said bottom is approximately
circular.
8. The food package of claim 2 wherein said base further comprises
a base height defined as a distance between a plane defined by the
base bottom and a plane defined by the base upper rim, wherein the
lid further comprises a lid height defined as a distance between a
plane defined by the lid bottom and the plane defined by the base
upper rim, wherein the lid height is at least 25% of the base
height.
9. The food package of claim 8 wherein the lid height is at least
33% of the base height.
10. The food package of claim 8 wherein the lid height is at least
45% of the base height.
11. The food package of claim 4 wherein said food package of claim
1 is substantially the same size and shape as said second food
package of claim 1.
12. A method of packaging a food product comprising: providing a
plurality of food packages, each said food package comprising: a
base comprising a bottom, a sidewall and an upper rim; a lid
affixed to said upper rim, wherein said lid comprises a concave
portion configured to receive a base of a second food package; an
interior compartment defined by said base and said lid which
contains a food product; nesting said food packages to form a food
package bundle; and at least partially covering said food package
bundle with a packaging sleeve.
13. The method of claim 1 wherein each said food package is
substantially the same size and shape as each other food package in
said food package bundle.
14. A food package bundle comprising: a plurality of food packages,
each said food package comprising: a base comprising a bottom, a
sidewall and an upper rim; a lid affixed to said upper rim, wherein
said lid comprises a concave portion configured to receive a base
of a second food package; wherein said food packages are nested and
wherein said nested food packages are at least partially covered
with a packaging sleeve.
15. The food package bundle of claim 14 wherein each said food
package is substantially the same size and shape as each other food
package in said food package bundle.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Technical Field
[0002] The present invention relates to packages that are nestable
while a lid is in place, and method of making the packages.
[0003] 2. Description of Related Art
[0004] The food industry markets some food products in packages
that comprise a base and a lid sealed onto the base. The base
generally comprises a bowl or other liquid retaining shape with a
rim, and a lid is typically sealed along the rim of the base. An
example of such a known bowl is depicted in FIG. 1. The bowl
depicted in FIG. 1 comprises a base 102 and a lid 104 affixed to
the base along the rim 106 of the base. Foods that are sold in such
packaging include chili, soup, cheese sauce, salsa, dips, oats,
oatmeal and other mixtures of solid and/or liquid food products.
Foods that are packaged in this way are often consumed directly
from the base after the lid is removed.
[0005] Additionally, many such packaged foods are intended to be
consumed or cooked at elevated temperatures prior to consumption.
Microwave ovens are commonly used to heat such food products. The
microwave oven is an appliance that can be found in many homes and
businesses. During operation, a microwave oven floods the cooking
chamber with non-ionizing microwave radiation, usually at a
frequency of about 2.45 GHz. Many food molecules (for example water
molecules) are electric dipoles, which means they are positively
charged at one end and a negatively charged at the other end. As
the microwave radiation passes through the food, the dipole
molecules rotate as they try to align themselves with the
alternating electric field of the microwaves. This rotation and
movement causes the food to heat up as the rotating molecules
impact other molecules, putting them into motion. Microwave heating
is highly efficient on liquid water (a relatively polar molecule),
and much less so on fats and sugars (which are less polar).
[0006] However, heating food inside a food package described above
with a water-containing food or food product inside can cause
problems. Most such packaged foods are packaged with a "headspace."
The headspace is the region between the food inside the food
package and the lid. The headspace allows for room between the
upper level of the food inside the package and the upper rim of the
bowl to prevent spillover when the food is heated. The disadvantage
to providing enough headspace to guard against spillover is that it
increases shipping costs for the food container by reducing the
density of both the food package itself and larger groupings or
cartons of food packages.
[0007] The main solution to this problem in the prior art is to
provide a food package with smaller headspace with instructions to
the consumer to pour the food into a separate microwave safe bowl
with adequate spillover protection before heating it in the
microwave. This approach is problematic for several reasons. First,
the consumer may not transfer the food as instructed because he or
she did not read, forgot to follow, or chose not to follow the
instructions provided. Second, the consumer is inconvenienced by
this prior art solution.
[0008] Consequently, a need exists for a food product package that
can be shipped with minimal headspace yet still heated in a
microwave oven without causing spillover.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The present invention is a food package that is nestable
with other food packages. In one embodiment, a food package
comprises a base comprising a bottom, a sidewall and an upper rim;
and a lid affixed to said upper rim, wherein said lid comprises a
concave portion configured to receive a base of a second food
package. In another embodiment, the concave portion of the lid is
defined by a lid sidewall and a lid bottom. In another embodiment,
the base comprises a circular cross section, wherein said base
comprises a first circumference, and wherein said lid sidewall
comprises a circular cross section and said lid bottom comprises a
second circumference, wherein said second circumference is greater
than or equal to said first circumference.
[0010] In one embodiment, one inventive food package is nested
inside a concave portion of a second inventive food package. In
another embodiment, the food package has a base bottom that is
substantially coplanar with the lid bottom. In still another
embodiment, the base sidewall and lid sidewall are substantially
concentric. In another embodiment, the bottom is approximately
circular.
[0011] In one embodiment, the base further comprises a base height
defined as a distance between a plane defined by the base bottom
and a plane defined by the base upper rim, wherein the lid further
comprises a lid height defined as a distance between a plane
defined by the lid bottom and the plane defined by the base upper
rim, wherein the lid height is at least 25%, or at least 33%, or at
least 45%, of the base height.
[0012] In one embodiment, the inventive food package is
substantially the same size and shape as a second inventive food
package.
[0013] In one embodiment of the invention, a method of packaging a
food product is provided, comprising: providing a plurality of food
packages, each said food package comprising: a base comprising a
bottom, a sidewall and an upper rim; a lid affixed to said upper
rim, wherein said lid comprises a concave portion configured to
receive a base of a second food package; and an interior
compartment defined by said base and said lid which contains a food
product; nesting said food packages to form a food package bundle;
and at least partially covering said food package bundle with a
packaging sleeve.
[0014] In another embodiment of the invention, a food package
bundle comprises: a plurality of food packages, each said food
package comprising: a base comprising a bottom, a sidewall and an
upper rim; and a lid affixed to said upper rim, wherein said lid
comprises a concave portion configured to receive a base of a
second food package; wherein said food packages are nested and
wherein said nested food packages are at least partially covered
with a packaging sleeve.
[0015] In another embodiment, each said food package is
substantially the same size and shape as each other food package in
said food package bundle.
[0016] The resultant food product package is relatively simple and
inexpensive to manufacture, yet overcomes the problems in the prior
art by allowing the food package to be shipped with less headspace
and increased bulk density, yet still be heated in a microwave oven
without allowing spillover. The above as well as additional
features and advantages of the present invention will become
apparent in the following written detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] The novel features believed characteristic of the invention
are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself,
however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives and
advantages thereof, will be best understood by reference to the
following detailed description of illustrative embodiments when
read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0018] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art food
package;
[0019] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the
package of the present invention;
[0020] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of several exemplary inventive
packages nested together in a bundle.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0021] The present invention is directed towards a package that is
nestable with other food packages in a bundle. The term "package"
as used herein is used to describe a container having at least one
wall that defines an enclosed interior portion. The term "food
package" as used herein is defined as a package designed to contain
food inside of it. The type of food package that usually stores
food products intended to be heated in a microwave or consumed from
a package having a cup or bowl shape comprises a sturdy,
bowl-shaped base with a lid sealed to the rim of the base. However,
the principles of the present invention in its broadest sense are
applicable to any food package containing a food product.
[0022] Referring to FIG. 1, therein is depicted a prior art food
package 100 comprising a bowl-shaped base 102, a lid 104 and a seal
holding the lid 104 onto the base 102 along its rim 106. The seal
can be created using any heat-activated or pressure-activated
sealant known in the industry, including polypropylene based
sealants.
[0023] If the food package of FIG. 1 contains a food product
intended to be heated in a microwave oven, it may fill
approximately the bottom one-third of the package, leaving enough
headspace that water can be added if necessary, such that the
container walls can still guard against spillover during
heating.
[0024] FIG. 2 depicts one embodiment of the food package of the
present invention, and FIG. 3 depicts four such packages in nested
configuration and held together by a sleeve.
[0025] The features of this embodiment are most clearly depicted in
FIG. 2. Therein is shown an inventive package 200, with a base
comprising a base bottom 202, which is typically planar surface, or
raised edge surrounding a planar surface, on which the food package
rests when placed on a resting surface, and a base sidewall 204
extending upward from the base bottom 202. In a preferred
embodiment, a cross section of the base sidewall taken parallel to
the base bottom surface will be approximately circular in shape,
but other shapes are possible. The base sidewall defines a base
upper rim 206 opposite the base bottom 202.
[0026] FIG. 2 also depicts a lid 208 that allows packages 200 of
similar construction to be nested in the lid 208. This is
accomplished by affixing to the base upper rim 206 a lid 208 that
comprises a lid upper rim 210, a lid sidewall 212, and a lid bottom
214. The shape of the lid sidewall 212 will preferably be
substantially geometrically similar and concentric to the shape of
the base sidewall 204. For example, if a cross-section of the base
sidewall taken parallel with the base bottom is a circle, a
cross-section of the lid sidewall taken parallel with the base
bottom will be a concentric but smaller circle. The lid bottom is
preferably substantially parallel to the base bottom.
[0027] In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 2, the lid bottom 214 is
circular and comprises a first circumference, and the base bottom
is also circular and comprises a second circumference. In this
embodiment, the first circumference is greater than or equal to the
second circumference. In a preferred embodiment, the first
circumference is substantially equal to, if only slightly larger
than, the second circumference, such that the outer edge of the
base bottom is adjacent to the inner edge of the lid bottom
throughout its circumference when one food package is nested inside
the lid of another package.
[0028] In one embodiment, the base comprises a base height defined
as the distance between the plane defined by the base bottom and
the plane defined by the base upper rim. The lid comprises a lid
height defined as the distance between the plane defined by the lid
bottom and the plane defined by the base upper rim. In a preferred
embodiment, the lid height is at least 25% of the base height. In a
more preferred embodiment, the lid height is at least 33% of the
base height. In a most preferred embodiment, the lid height is at
least 45% of the base height.
[0029] In its broadest sense, the inventive food package comprises
base and a lid affixed to the base, wherein the lid comprises a
concave portion configured to receive a portion of a second base of
a second food package when the second food package is nested inside
the lid of the inventive food package. Preferably the nested food
packages are substantially identical in shape.
[0030] FIG. 3 depicts a bundle 300 of nested food packages 200
constructed according to one embodiment of the present invention.
In particular, a packaging sleeve 302 surrounds at least a portion
of four nested food packages 200. The packaging sleeve depicted in
FIG. 3 is a substantially opaque sleeve formed of a material such
as paperboard or a polymer film sheet. However, the packaging
sleeve may be made of a "shrink wrap" polymer material, may be
transparent or translucent, or may have graphics or text printed
thereon.
[0031] When a plurality of food packages made according to the
present invention are packaged as shown in FIG. 3, the bulk density
of the overall bundle can be increased substantially over the bulk
density of prior art packages shown in FIG. 1 that are stacked on
top of one another. Increasing the bulk density allows for
substantial reductions in the shipping and storage costs for the
packaged food products. In accordance with one embodiment of the
present invention, a practitioner is able to double the weight of
product packaged in a given volume by using the nested cups
described and claimed herein.
[0032] The bundle shown in FIG. 3 is also an example of a
"multi-pack" of food products sold in stores. The increased bulk
density of this multi-pack also takes up less space in a consumer's
cupboard or cabinet.
[0033] In a preferred embodiment, the base of the food package of
the present invention is produced by blow molding or thermoforming
a polymer resin into the desired shape. Preferred polymers include
polyethylene and polypropylene, but may be any polymer or polymer
blend that is compatible with a blow molding process. The bowl may
also be injection molded, or fabricated from cardboard, paperboard
or other cellulose or fiber-based process.
[0034] The lid of the present invention may also be made by
thermoforming, blow molding, injection molding, or fabricated from
cardboard, paperboard or other cellulose or fiber-based process.
The lid is preferably a thin polymer film that has been compression
formed to provide the concave portion configured to receive the
base of another food package.
[0035] The lid optionally includes a barrier layer, such as a
metalized coating, or a graphics layer. The lid may also be a paper
or metalized paper lid, or a metal foil lid. The lid is preferably
affixed to the upper rim of the base with a sealant that allows a
consumer to peel the lid off the container when it is desired to do
so. Preferably, the sealant is a heat activated sealant. In one
embodiment a heat activated sealant that can be used to affix the
lid to the bowl is a low density polyethylene (LDPE)/high density
polyethylene (HDPE) coextrusion, or a polypropylene/ethylene vinyl
alcohol (EVOH) coextrusion. Alternatively, a pressure-activated
sealant can be used.
[0036] The reduced headspace in the compartment defined by the
bottom, inner sidewall and lid give the food package of the present
invention several advantages over the prior art. First, the reduced
packing density allows more food product and food packages to be
stored and shipped in a given volume. This reduces per unit
shipping costs, and reduces the amount of space the package
occupies in commercial warehouses, store shelves, and consumer
pantries. The reduced volume of gas contained inside the package
can also help extend shelf life because there will be less oxygen
contained initially inside the container available to contribute to
food spoilation.
[0037] While this invention has been particularly shown and
described the preference to the preferred embodiment, it will be
understood by those skilled in the art that changes in form and
detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and
scope of the invention.
* * * * *