U.S. patent application number 17/435548 was filed with the patent office on 2022-05-12 for packaged food product.
The applicant listed for this patent is Kraft Foods Group Brands LLC. Invention is credited to Margaret Norene Stewart.
Application Number | 20220144489 17/435548 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000006150656 |
Filed Date | 2022-05-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20220144489 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Stewart; Margaret Norene |
May 12, 2022 |
Packaged Food Product
Abstract
Disclosed are assemblies of inverted cheesecake products
comprising first and second stacked products, wherein each product
includes a bottom protrusion configured to lock into an
upwardly-opening recess of a product therebeneath, providing secure
locking engagement without adversely affecting container stability
or product accessibility to an unacceptable degree. A sleeve
constrains the products against destacking while permitting locking
of products in one assembly with those in another assembly. A
topping layer may be filled at the bottom of a base cup, covered by
a filling layer, and a disassembled crust may be sealed in an
overcap interior to avoid moisture migration thereto prior to
use.
Inventors: |
Stewart; Margaret Norene;
(San Diego, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Kraft Foods Group Brands LLC |
Chicago |
IL |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000006150656 |
Appl. No.: |
17/435548 |
Filed: |
March 13, 2020 |
PCT Filed: |
March 13, 2020 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/US2020/022551 |
371 Date: |
September 1, 2021 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62817959 |
Mar 13, 2019 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 51/28 20130101;
B65D 2543/00148 20130101; B65D 2543/00796 20130101; B65D 2543/00537
20130101; B65D 21/0219 20130101; B65D 2543/00351 20130101; B65D
2543/00296 20130101; B65D 2543/00685 20130101; B65D 43/0212
20130101; B65D 2251/0018 20130101; B65D 2543/00731 20130101; B65D
2543/00648 20130101; B65D 2251/0093 20130101; B65D 81/3205
20130101 |
International
Class: |
B65D 21/02 20060101
B65D021/02; B65D 43/02 20060101 B65D043/02; B65D 51/28 20060101
B65D051/28; B65D 81/32 20060101 B65D081/32 |
Claims
1. A packaged food product comprising: a base cup having a bottom
wall; peripheral front, rear and side walls extending upward around
the perimeter of the bottom wall to form a peripheral wall
structure and cooperating with the bottom wall to define a
generally cup-shaped interior; at least one base cup food item
disposed in the base cup; a sealing flange extending outward about
a top of the wall structure to define a sealing surface on a top of
the sealing flange; a flexible lid peelably sealed to the top of
the sealing flange; wherein the bottom wall includes an inward,
downwardly-protruding protrusion on an exterior surface, and a
complementary corresponding recess or cavity in an interior
surface, the cavity having a substantially flat bottom and
downwardly converging sides to facilitate removal of the at least
one food item; an overcap having a top wall that includes an outer
peripheral portion and a central recess defining a socket shaped
and sized to completely surround and receive the protrusion of a
base cup in locking engagement in a close fit to facilitate stable
stacking; the overcap further including peripheral front, rear and
side walls extending downward about the periphery of the top wall;
an overcap closure peelably sealed to the overcap, wherein the
overcap and the overcap closure define an enclosed overcap
interior; an overcap food item disposed within the overcap
interior; wherein the protrusion has a generally racetrack-shaped,
flat bottom surface, with rounded sides separated by a length of
the protrusion, and front and rear edges extending between the
rounded sides; and wherein a line extending from one of the front
and rear edges to a center of mass of the packaged food product
intersects the flat bottom surface of the protrusion at an angle
.theta. of less than 70.degree. such that the packaged food product
may be stably conveyed on an automated high-speed production
line.
2. The packaged food product of claim 1 wherein .theta. is less
than 60.degree..
3. An assembly formed from two of the packaged food products
described in claim 1, the assembly comprising a first packaged food
product, a second packaged food product stacked thereon, and an
outer sleeve that prevents destacking without covering the bottom
of the first packaged food product or the top of the second
packaged food product.
4. The assembly of claim 3 wherein a vertical dimension of the
assembly is between 3.25 and 4.25 in., such that two of the
assemblies of claim 3 may be stacked, with a bottom of an upper
assembly in locking engagement with a top of a lower assembly.
5. The packaged food product of claim 1 wherein the overcap is at
least partially transparent or translucent, and the overcap food
item is at least partially visible therethrough.
6. The packaged food product of claim 1 wherein the at least one
base cup food item comprises a first layer comprising a topping
component, and a second layer comprising a cheesecake-filling
component (define or explain this in the description), and the
overcap food item comprises a plurality of cheesecake crust pieces,
such that the packaged food product can be combined into an
upside-down cheesecake food item by removing the cheesecake crust
pieces from the overcap, and placing them on the at least one base
cup food item.
7. The packaged food product of claim 1 wherein the downwardly
converging sides of the protrusion are inclined at an angle .beta.
of about 50.degree. to 70.degree..
8. The packaged food product of claim 7 wherein .beta. is about
60.degree..
9. The packaged food product of claim 1 wherein the protrusion has
a vertical dimension of about 0.1 to 0.3 in., and its bottom
surface has a width of about 1.3 to 1.7 in.
10. The packaged food product of claim 1 wherein the central recess
has a vertical dimension of about 0.1 to 0.3 in. and a width of
about 1.3 to 1.7 in.
11. The packaged food product of claim 1 wherein the peripheral
walls of the overcap have a stepped configuration comprising an
upper portion that extends downward and outward, a stacking
shoulder to facilitate separation of nested overcaps, a flange that
extends outward to provide a sealing surface, a depending wall
extending downward and inward about the periphery of the flange,
and a lip extending outward about the bottom of the depending wall,
for manual engagement to facilitate application of an upward
pressure on the overcap during removal from the base cup.
12. The packaged food product of claim 1 wherein the overcap
closure and the flexible lid include at least one of the same
material.
13.-20. (canceled)
21. The packaged food product of claim 1 wherein the base cup and
the overcap are coupled to one another in a stacked configuration
for shipping and display.
22. The packaged food product of claim 1 wherein the front, rear,
and side walls have a lower edge forming an inwardly stepped
profile.
23. A food product comprising: a base cup having a bottom wall;
front, rear, and side walls extending upward from the bottom wall
to define a generally cup-shaped interior; at least one base cup
food item disposed in the base cup; a sealing flange extending
outward about a top of the front, rear, and side walls to define a
sealing surface on a top of the sealing flange; a flexible lid
peelably sealed to the top of the sealing flange; wherein the
front, rear, and side walls have a lower wall ledge forming an
inward step from the front, rear, and side walls to a downward
protrusion on the bottom wall, and a complementary corresponding
recess or cavity in an interior surface, wherein the downward
protrusion has a racetrack shape with a substantially flat bottom
surface and downwardly converging sides to facilitate removal of
the at least one food item; an overcap having a top wall forming an
upward racetrack protrusion and a central recess that is sized to
receive the downward protrusion of a base cup to facilitate a
stable stacking arrangement of multiple food products, such that
the upward racetrack protrusion is wider and longer than the
downward racetrack protrusion; an overcap closure peelably sealed
to the overcap, wherein the overcap and the overcap closure define
an enclosed overcap interior; an overcap food item disposed within
the overcap interior; wherein a line from one of a front or rear
straight portion of the downward racetrack protrusion, at the flat
bottom surface thereof, extends an angle .theta. of less than
70.degree. such that the packaged food product may be stably
conveyed on an automated high-speed production line.
24. The packaged food product of claim 23 wherein .theta. is less
than 60.degree..
25. The packaged food product of claim 23 wherein the overcap is at
least partially transparent or translucent, and the overcap food
item is at least partially visible therethrough.
26. The packaged food product of claim 23 wherein the downwardly
converging sides of the protrusion are inclined at an angle .beta.
of about 50.degree. to 70.degree..
27. The packaged food product of claim 26 wherein .beta. is about
60.degree..
28. The packaged food product of claim 23 wherein the downward
protrusion has a vertical dimension of about 0.1 to 0.3 in., and
its bottom surface has a width of about 1.3 to 1.7 in.
29. The packaged food product of claim 23 wherein the upward
racetrack protrusion has a vertical dimension of about 0.1 to 0.3
in. and a width of about 1.3 to 1.7 in.
30. The packaged food product of claim 23 wherein the overcap
further comprises a peripheral wall having a stepped configuration,
a flange that extends outward to provide a sealing surface, and a
lip for manual engagement to facilitate application of an upward
pressure on the overcap during removal from atop the base cup.
31. The packaged food product of claim 23 wherein the overcap
closure and the flexible lid include at least one of the same
material.
Description
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Patent
Application No. 62/817,959, filed Mar. 13, 2019, the disclosure of
which is incorporated by reference.
FIELD
[0002] This application relates generally to packaged consumer
goods, and more particularly to packaged food products, and methods
of making them in commercial production.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Among the challenges associated with commercial production
of certain high-quality packaged food products is the need to
insert food components into packaging on high-speed production
lines while preventing or limiting spillage. One more specific
problem is that when filling cup-shaped containers with
multi-piece, solid food components, the kinetic energy and momentum
associated with impacts between individual pieces during filling
can potentially result in a portion of the individual pieces
bouncing out of the containers. Even a gravity feed from a short
distance above the top of the container can potentially result in
loss of an undesirably high portion of food components, unless
countermeasures are taken.
[0004] Another challenge is presented by dimensional constraints on
package food products imposed by retailers. For example, for some
retail settings, packaged food products must fit within a height
limit of, e.g., 8.5 in., and it can be desirable that a stack of
packaged food products have a height slightly less than the shelf
height limit, in the interest of efficient use of shelf space.
[0005] Another challenge is the need to prevent or limit instances
in which packaging components become unstable. Cup-shaped
containers and the like can be susceptible to instability while
they are being transported on high-speed conveyors or while they
are on shelves on display in retail locations, such that a
container may tip onto its side or become inverted.
[0006] Another challenge associated with some packaged food
products is that certain packages can negatively impact product
accessibility. More specifically, some packages include features
which are useful from the standpoint of providing stability and/or
providing other functional benefits, but which tend to hinder
product removal by restricting access to portions of the product.
For example, some cup-shaped containers have a bottom that is
configured to (1) provide stability on flat surfaces, and (2)
engage the overcap of another identical container in a way that
enhances stability for stacking purposes. In some such containers,
the bottom configuration may create difficulty in removing portions
of food components at the bottom of the interior cavity. Limiting
or avoiding difficulty in removing significant portions of a
product can be very important for certain ready-to-eat (RTE)
packaged food products, particularly products that are useful as
"on-the-go" snacks, intended to be opened, in some cases assembled,
and consumed quickly and easily.
[0007] Another challenge in providing high-quality RTE packaged
food products is the need to maintain desirable organoleptic
properties, e.g., maintenance of desirable flavor, aroma, and
mouthfeel, over a desired shelf-life, e.g., multiple weeks or
months. Certain components may be very stable over a desired shelf
life in isolation but may be undesirably affected by the presence
of other components of a multi-component product. For example, in
products that include components with very different water activity
(a.sub.w) or free water content, moisture migration can lead to
absorption of water by components with lower a.sub.w. This can
often have undesirable effects on the texture of the components
that initially have lower a.sub.w.
[0008] One way to limit or prevent undesirable moisture migration
is to package components separately, e.g., with high a.sub.w
components and low a.sub.w components in separate containers. For
some food products, however, it can be too difficult and/or
time-consuming for a user to combine the high and low a.sub.w
components in such a way that the resulting combination provides
the desired result. For example, it is desirable for some food
products such as certain types of cheesecakes and pies to have a
crust with a relatively low a.sub.w, and a filling with a much
higher a.sub.w. Some such products also include a topping that may
have a different a.sub.w. Assembly of a crust with a filling and
optionally a topping is of course beyond the degree of difficulty
that is generally desirable for on-the-go convenience foods.
Packaged snack food products typically require much less effort on
the part of the consumer.
[0009] Another way to limit moisture migration is to include an
edible moisture barrier in the food product itself between high and
low a.sub.w components. Such edible moisture barriers may include
fat-based moisture barrier compositions and/or heterogeneous
moisture barrier compositions, both of which may contain
crystalline fats. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 10,178,870. This
approach can eliminate the need to package high and low a.sub.w
components separately, but the addition of the moisture barrier
ingredients may be undesirable due to economic, organoleptic and/or
other factors.
[0010] There is a continuing need for improvement in the areas
discussed above.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a packaged food product.
[0012] FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof.
[0013] FIG. 3 is a front elevation thereof.
[0014] FIG. 4 is a side elevation thereof.
[0015] FIG. 5 is a bottom view thereof.
[0016] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a packaged food product
assembly comprising two of the packaged food products of FIG. 1 in
a stack, and an outer sleeve.
[0017] FIG. 7 is a section thereof, taken at 7-7 in FIG. 6.
[0018] FIG. 8 is a section thereof, taken at 8-8 in FIG. 6.
[0019] FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 8.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0020] Described herein are packaged food products, methods of
producing and using them, including methods of forming, filling and
sealing them, and related technologies.
[0021] As used herein, the term "filling" refers to insertion of
one or more items such as food components into an item such as a
cup or other packaging component, without implying that an internal
volume of the packaging component is completely occupied by the
food item.
[0022] Terms implying a direction or orientation such as "front,"
"rear," "top," "bottom," "upper," "lower," and the like are used
herein to described relative locations or orientations of various
components or items relative to one another, and are not intended
to be absolute or limiting. It is contemplated that the items
described herein can be used in various orientations, and can be
inverted, rotated and otherwise manipulated, and the terms herein
are not intended to imply otherwise.
[0023] Terms such as "first" and "second" may generally be used
interchangeably, and are not intended to imply limitation to a
particular order, unless context indicates otherwise.
[0024] All terms used herein are intended to have their ordinary
meanings to persons skilled in the art, unless otherwise explicitly
stated.
[0025] FIGS. 1-5 illustrate a packaged food product 20, and FIGS.
6-8 illustrate a packaged food product assembly 22.
[0026] In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-5, each packaged food product
20 comprises a base cup 24 having a bottom wall 26 and a peripheral
wall structure 28 comprising a plurality of peripheral walls
extending upward therefrom and cooperating with the bottom wall 26
to define a generally cup-shaped interior 32. The illustrated
peripheral walls comprise front 34, rear 36 and side walls 38. In
other embodiments, another peripheral wall structure may be
provided, comprising, e.g., more or less than four peripheral
walls.
[0027] In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-5, a sealing flange 40 extends
outward about the top of the peripheral wall structure 28 to define
a sealing surface 42 on the top of the sealing flange 40. A
flexible lid 44 is peelably sealed to the top of the sealing flange
40. In some embodiments, the flexible lid 44 may comprise one or
more polymeric layers, and/or one or more metal foil layers. One or
more of the polymeric layers may function as a sealant layer to
seal the flexible lid to the sealing flange 40, or alternatively, a
separate layer of glue or other sealant may perform this
function.
[0028] In some embodiments, the interior 32 of the base cup 24 may
be provided with a modified atmosphere using
modified-atmosphere-packaging (MAP) techniques, which may include
gas flushing to reduce or eliminate oxygen and replace it with one
or more of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, or another suitable gas. The
base cup may have a volume capacity of, e.g., 4 to 7 fl. oz., 5 to
6 fl. oz., 5.2 to 5.4 fl. oz., about 5.3 fl. oz., or another
suitable volume.
[0029] In some embodiments, the base cup 24 is made from a
polymeric material such as 0.040-gauge polypropylene, e.g., by a
thermoforming or vacuum forming process. In other embodiments, the
base cup 24 may be made of thicker or thinner materials, or may be
made by other methods, e.g., injection molding. In some
embodiments, the polymeric material has a generally uniform
thickness. In other embodiments, the thickness is not generally
uniform throughout the base cup 24.
[0030] In the illustrated embodiment, the bottom wall 26 includes a
central, downward protrusion 46 on its exterior, bottom surface,
and a complementary corresponding recess or cavity in its interior
bottom surface. To facilitate removal of contents, and to provide
stability while also facilitating automated stacking and manual
destacking, the protrusion/cavity 46 is relatively large and has a
flat bottom 48 and downwardly converging front 50, rear 52 and side
portions 54. In the illustrated embodiment, the
downwardly-converging sides 50, 52, 54 extend upward from the
bottom 48 at an angle of 40.degree. to 80.degree. from the
horizontal. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the sides 54 of
the protrusion 46 extend at an angle .beta. of 40.degree. to
80.degree., or 50.degree. to 70.degree., or about 60.degree. from
the horizontal. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 4, the front 50 and
rear 52 of the protrusion 46 may form an angle .alpha. of
40.degree. to 80.degree., or 50.degree. to 70.degree., or about
60.degree. to the horizontal. In some embodiments, the vertical
dimension H.sub.p of the protrusion 46 is 0.05 in. to 0.25 in; 0.1
in. to 0.2 in.; or about 0.15 in. If the vertical dimension of the
protrusion is too great relative to its width, overall stability of
the product or a stack of products when standing on a flat surface
may be adversely impacted. Conversely, if the vertical dimension of
the protrusion is insufficient, stack stability, i.e., resistance
to undesired destacking, may be adversely impacted. The protrusion
height can affect stability of the empty cup prior to filling, as
well as stability of (1) the filled cup; (2) the complete packaged
food product; (3) an assembly of two stacked packaged food
products; and (4) a stack of two or more two-product assemblies.
Protrusion dimensions may be selected with the centers of mass of
these items taken into account, In some embodiments, a stack of two
of the two-product assemblies described herein may be displayed on
a shelf in a retail establishment, such that a total of four of the
individual packaged food products 20 may be stacked on a shelf with
an 8.5 in. height limit, with each of the top three products having
its base locked into the overcap of the product beneath it. Thus,
in some embodiments, the packaged food products described herein
should provide stability for a 4-high stack.
[0031] In some embodiments, the height of the packaged food product
20 may be between 2 in. and 2.5 in., between 2.1 in. and 2.4 in.,
between about 2.1 in. and 2.3 in., or about 2.2 in. In some
embodiments, the width of the packaged food product 20 may be
between 3.8 in. and 4.4 in., between 3.9 in. and 4.3 in., between
4.0 in. and 4.3 in, or about 4.15 in. In some embodiments, the
depth of the packaged food product 20 may be between 2.8 in. and
3.2 in., between 2.9 in. and 3.1 in, between 3.0 and 3.1 in., about
3.05 in., or about 3.0 in.
[0032] In some embodiments, the width W.sub.p of the protrusion 46
(i.e., its maximum dimension measured parallel to the depth of the
packaged food product, and perpendicular to the width of the
packaged food product) may be, e.g., 1.3 to 1.7 in., 1.4 to 1.6
in., or about 1.5 in. Insufficient protrusion width W.sub.p may
adversely impact overall stability of individual and stacked
products while they are supported on horizontal shelves or
conveyors, or in other contexts. However, excessive width of the
protrusion can adversely impact manufacturability of the recess in
the overcap with which the protrusion fits. More specifically, if
the periphery of the top of the overcap around the recess is too
narrow: 1) unacceptably high variations in material distribution
during thermoforming may occur, resulting in unacceptably high
variations in wall thickness; and 2) the volume of a channel around
the recess may be insufficient to contain a particulate food item,
which results in loss of available volume in the overcap for the
particulate food item.
[0033] In the illustrated embodiment, the protrusion 46 has a
generally racetrack-shaped flat bottom surface 48, with rounded
sides 56 separated by the width W.sub.p of the protrusion, and
straight front 50 and rear edges 52 separated by the width W.sub.p
of the protrusion extending between the rounded sides 56. A line
extending from one of the front 58 and rear edges 60 to the center
of mass 62 of the packaged food product 20 would intersect the flat
bottom 48 of the protrusion 46 at an angle .theta. of less than
70.degree.. In some embodiments, .theta. is less than 65.degree.,
less than 60.degree., less than 55.degree., less than 50.degree.,
or less than 45.degree..
[0034] In some embodiments, the protrusion may have different
shapes including, but not limited to, oblong, rectangular,
circular, and oval. The edges of the protrusion may have rounded
corners and/or angled walls to facilitate seating the protrusion
properly and consistently in the recess on an automated, high-speed
production line.
[0035] In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the base cup 24
contains at least one base cup food item 64. The illustrated base
cup food item 64 contains a first layer 66 and a second layer 68.
In some embodiments, the first layer 66 may comprise a topping,
i.e., a food item having a composition and/or organoleptic
properties similar or identical to a conventional topping for a
cheesecake or other dessert item. By way of example, the topping
may comprise a flowable, spoonable, fruit-based or berry-based
topping comprising, e.g., one or more of lemon, lime, pineapple,
strawberry, blueberry, cherry or other components or flavors, with
or without sugar, sugar alcohols, and/or other sweeteners; a
topping containing chocolate; a topping containing caramel; a
topping containing inclusions; a nut-based topping; or a
combination of one or more types of topping.
[0036] In some embodiments, the second layer 68 may comprise a
flowable, spoonable comestible comprising aerated or whipped cream
cheese, a cheesecake filling, and/or other suitable components.
[0037] In the illustrated embodiment, the overcap 70 has a top wall
72 defining an upwardly-opening recess 74 shaped and sized to
completely surround and receive the protrusion 46 of a base cup 24
in locking engagement in a snug fit to facilitate stable stacking.
The overcap 70 further includes peripheral front 76, rear 78 and
side walls 80 extending downward about the periphery of the top
wall 72, and a flexible overcap closure 82 peelably sealed to the
overcap 70, wherein the overcap 70 and the overcap closure 82
define an enclosed overcap interior 84. The overcap may have an
interior volume capacity of, e.g., 1 to 4 fl. oz., 2 to 3 fl. oz.,
2.2 to 2.4 fl. oz., about 2.3 fl. oz., or another suitable volume
capacity.
[0038] In some embodiments, the peripheral wall 86 of the overcap
70 has a tapered and stepped configuration comprising an upper
portion 88 that extends steeply downward and slightly outward, a
stacking shoulder 90 to facilitate separation of nested overcaps, a
flange 92 that extends outward to provide a sealing surface 94 for
an overcap closure 82, a depending wall 96 extending downward and
inward about the periphery of the flange 92, and a lip 98 extending
outward about the bottom of the depending wall 96. In some
embodiments, a lip may not be present depending on how closely the
overcap can be trimmed following thermoforming.
[0039] In the illustrated embodiment, an overcap food item 100 is
disposed within the overcap interior 84. The illustrated overcap
food item 100 comprises a plurality of discrete, non-liquid pieces
that occupy less than half of the interior volume of the overcap
70, e.g., cheesecake crust pieces. In some embodiments, the overcap
food item will be in a substantially single layer. In some
embodiments, the overcap 70 is at least partially transparent or
translucent, and the overcap food item 100 is at least partially
visible therethrough.
[0040] In some embodiments, the base cup food item 64 comprises a
first layer 66 comprising a topping component, and a second layer
68 comprising a cheesecake filling component, and the overcap food
product 100 comprises a disassembled cheesecake crust, or a
plurality of cheesecake crust pieces, such that the packaged food
product 20 can be assembled into an upside-down cheesecake food
item by removing the cheesecake crust pieces 100 from the overcap
70, and placing them on the base cup food item 64. In one approach,
the base cup 24 has sufficient volume to fully contain the base cup
food item 64 and the overcap food product 100 when the overcap food
product is added to the base cup. In other embodiments, the overcap
food product 100 may reside partially outside the volume of the
base cup 24 when added to the base cup. In some embodiments, the
volume of headspace in the base cup 24 is equal to or greater than
the volume of overcap food item 100.
[0041] As illustrated in FIG. 8, the assembly 22 comprises a first
packaged food product 104, a second packaged food product 106
stacked thereon, and an outer sleeve 108 that prevents destacking,
without covering the bottom 110 of the first packaged food product
104 or the top 112 of the second packaged food product 106. In some
embodiments, the vertical dimension of the assembly 22 is less than
4.25 in., e.g., between 3.25 and 4.25 in., between 4.0 and 4.25
in., 4.15 and 4.25 in., or about 4.2 in., such that two of the
assemblies of claim may be stacked, with the bottom of the upper
assembly in locking engagement with the top of the lower assembly,
without exceeding an 8.5 in. shelf space height limit. A line
extending from one of the front 58 and rear edges 60 of the first
packaged food product 104 to the center of mass 114 of the assembly
22 would intersect the flat bottom 48 of the protrusion 46 at an
angle Q. In some embodiments, .OMEGA. may be less than 80.degree.,
less than 75.degree., less than 70.degree., less than 65.degree.,
less than 60.degree., less than 55.degree., less than 50.degree.,
less than 45.degree., between 50.degree. and 70.degree., or about
60.degree..
[0042] As mentioned above, in some cases, the assembly 22 may be
stacked on another identical assembly 22 on a store shelf. Where
this type of use is contemplated, to provide stability for a stack
of two assemblies 22 comprising a total of four of the packaged
food products 20 arranged in a vertical column, each of the
products 20 is provided with sufficient strength and rigidity to
support three products 20 stacked thereon. FIG. 8 illustrates a
point 115 representing the center of mass of a stack of two
assemblies, including the illustrated assembly 22 and a second
assembly (not shown) stacked thereon. To provide stability for two
stacked assemblies having a center of mass at 115, the protrusion
width and height are such that a line extending from one of the
front and rear edges of the protrusion up to the center of mass 115
intersects the flat bottom 48 of the protrusion 46 at an angle
.PHI. which, in various embodiments, may be less than 85.degree.,
less than 80.degree., less than 75.degree., less than 70.degree.,
less than 65.degree., or less than 60.degree..
[0043] In one approach, the method of making an assembly of
packaged food products may include providing a base cup with a
downwardly-protruding protrusion and an overcap with a central
recess shaped and sized to completely surround and receive the
protrusion of a base cup to facilitate stable stacking. The method
may further include providing an inverted overcap and pre-filling
the interior of the inverted overcap with solid crust pieces to
less than half a depth of the inverted overcap, to avoid the solid,
crust pieces bouncing out or otherwise spilling during pre-filling.
In some approaches, the solid crust pieces may be volumetrically
pre-filled with a cone, filling spout, or other apparatus that
restricts or prevents pieces from exiting the interior of the
overcap.
[0044] After the overcap is pre-filled with solid crust pieces, an
overcap closure may be coupled to an open portion of the inverted
cap.
[0045] The method may include filling an interior portion of the
base cup with a continuous phase, spoonable cheesecake-filling
component. In some embodiments, the cheesecake-filling component
may level out after filling. In other embodiments, the
cheesecake-filling component may not level out after filling but
leave a slight peak in the layer.
[0046] In some embodiments, the base cup may be pre-filled with
another component such as a topping component, (i.e., a food item
having a composition and/or organoleptic properties similar or
identical to a topping for a cheesecake or other dessert item) so
that the topping occupies a bottom portion of the base cup, and the
cheesecake filling component is layered above the topping. The
filling and topping may be filled at any suitable temperature,
e.g., cold-filled or hot-filled. A flexible lid may then be coupled
to an open portion of the base cup. In some embodiments, a peak on
the cheesecake-filling layer, may contact the flexible lid and may
help keep the flexible lid in place prior to sealing. The closed
overcap may then be coupled to the lidded base cup to form a
packaged food product. In some embodiments, the closed overcap and
the lidded base may be coupled by a snap fit.
[0047] In some embodiments, the overcap food item has a different
moisture content or water activity from the base cup item such that
if the overcap food item and the base cup food item were to be in
contact for a significant amount of time prior to consuming the
food, moisture would migrate from the cheesecake-filling component
and the topping component in the base cup to the low moisture
content solid, crust pieces in the overcap. To help prevent water
migration and subsequent sogginess of the overcap food item, each
of the base and the overcap may be individually sealed prior to
being coupled together.
[0048] In some embodiments, the overcap closure 82 and the flexible
lid 44 may be made of the same material. In other embodiments, the
overcap closure and the flexible lid may be made from different
materials including, but not limited to, polymeric materials,
ethylene vinyl alcohol resin, foil, other moisture barriers, other
oxygen barriers, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments,
each of the overcap closure and/or the flexible lid may have a tab
to allow a consumer to easily tear away the overcap closure and/or
the flexible lid from the overcap and/or the base, respectively. In
one approach, the overcap closure and/or the flexible lid may have
a sealant layer, and be heat-sealed to the corresponding overcap or
base.
[0049] In one approach, a first packaged food product may be
transported along an assembly line, such as an automated,
high-speed production line, to form a multiple-food product
assembly. A first packaged food product may be inserted into an
opening of an opened outer sleeve. The sleeve opening receives a
lower portion of a base cup in a close fit so that the base cup is
gripped by the opening, and constrained against downward movement
beyond a certain depth. A second packaged food product may be
stacked on the first packaged food product, prior to,
simultaneously with, or after insertion of the lower portion of the
first base cup into the sleeve opening, with the protrusion of the
second packaged food product fitting snugly into the central recess
on top of the of the first packaged food product to form a locked
stack. The fit of protrusion and the recess may be tight enough as
to help ensure that the second packaged food product does not
inadvertently destack from the first packaged food product. The
sleeve is then wrapped over the top of the two-product stack, with
an upper portion of the upper product protruding through a second
opening in the sleeve so that the recess in the top of the upper
product is exposed, and ends of the sleeve are brought together in
an overlap and joined to maintain the sleeve in a closed
configuration. The speed of the production line may be, e.g., 10 to
400 units per minute, 100 to 120 units per minute, or another
rate.
[0050] Additional embodiments are contemplated beyond those
described above and shown in the drawings. For example, the outer
sleeve may entirely or partially cover the bottom wall of the base
cup and/or the central recess of the second packaged food product.
Also, although not shown in the accompanying drawings, conveyors
and other supports for the packaged food products may have recesses
or channels to accommodate the bottom protrusion. In addition,
variations on the shape, size and capacity of the packaged food
products and the sleeve as described herein are contemplated.
* * * * *