U.S. patent number RE32,739 [Application Number 07/005,662] was granted by the patent office on 1988-08-30 for frozen food package and cover lid.
This patent grant is currently assigned to The Stouffer Corporation. Invention is credited to Oskar R. Terauds.
United States Patent |
RE32,739 |
Terauds |
August 30, 1988 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
Frozen food package and cover lid
Abstract
A frozen food package having an easily removable and replaceable
dome lid for permitting reconstitution of the frozen food either in
a conventional or a microwave oven. The dome lid has an annular
seating flange overlapping and disengageably locked onto the rim of
a rigid bottom tray by locking ribs spaced around the flange and
engaged under the tray rim. A thumb notch recess is so located in
the dome lid seating flange as to permit direct engagement
therethrough of the tray rim by a person's thumb along with
simultaneous engagement by the fingers on the same hand with the
dome lid flange at the region of an adjacent locking rib thereon. A
positive separating force thereby can be applied to the tray and
lid to quickly and easily unlock and separate them from one another
without damage to either.
Inventors: |
Terauds; Oskar R. (Willoughby,
OH) |
Assignee: |
The Stouffer Corporation
(Solon, OH)
|
Family
ID: |
26674614 |
Appl.
No.: |
07/005,662 |
Filed: |
January 21, 1987 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
Reissue of: |
578016 |
Feb 8, 1984 |
04535889 |
Aug 20, 1985 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
220/782; 206/527;
220/784; 229/406; 426/107 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
43/0212 (20130101); B65D 51/18 (20130101); B65D
2205/00 (20130101); B65D 2251/0018 (20130101); B65D
2251/0093 (20130101); B65D 2543/00027 (20130101); B65D
2543/00101 (20130101); B65D 2543/00296 (20130101); B65D
2543/00351 (20130101); B65D 2543/00527 (20130101); B65D
2543/00537 (20130101); B65D 2543/00574 (20130101); B65D
2543/00648 (20130101); B65D 2543/00685 (20130101); B65D
2543/00731 (20130101); B65D 2543/00805 (20130101); B65D
2543/00842 (20130101); B65D 2543/00907 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
43/02 (20060101); B65D 51/18 (20060101); B65D
001/34 (); B65D 043/10 () |
Field of
Search: |
;150/55 ;206/45.34,527
;220/258,306,307 ;229/2.5R,43 ;426/107,113,114 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Foster; Jimmy G.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Body, Vickers & Daniels
Claims
Having thus described the invention, it is claimed:
1. In a container comprised of a molded rigid plastic bottom tray
with a surrounding laterally outward extending flanged rim of
generally rectangular contour with gradually rounded corner
portions, and an upper dome lid comprised of a semi-rigid
sheet-like member of plastic material having a laterally outward
extending annular seating flange matching the contour of, and
seated against the upper surface of and locked onto the said rim of
the tray, to join the tray and dome lid together into a unitary
assembly, the said seating flange having a depending locking flange
closely fitting around the flanged rim of the tray and having
gradually rounded corner portions matching the said rounded corner
portions of said flanged rim, and the said locking flange being
provided with a plurality of inwardly projecting locking rib means
spaced therearound and engaged with the tray rim under the
peripheral outer edge thereof to lock the dome lid in place on the
tray, the improvement comprising: said locking rib means being
located within the peripheral extent of respective ones of the said
rounded corner portions of said locking flange, and said seating
flange having an outwardly opening thumb notch recess in the outer
peripheral edge thereof exposing a portion of the said tray rim
through said recess, said thumb notch recess being spaced around
the said seating flange a distance, from one of said locking rib
means, such as to enable engagement through said thumb recess of
the said flanged rim of the tray by the thumb of a person's hand
while at the same time enabling engagement of the fingers of the
person's same hand with the underside of the said locking flange of
the dome lid, at a region outwardly adjacent the said one locking
rib means, for application of a separating force couple directily
and normal to the flanged rim of the tray and the said locking
flange to disengage the said one locking rib means from the tray
rim.
2. In a container as defined in claim 1, wherein the said one
locking rib means and peripheral out edge of the tray rim undergo a
pop-off disengagement from one another on application of the said
separating force couple to said tray and locking flange.
3. In a container as defined in claim 1, wherein the said tray is
covered by an intermediate metal foil sealing layer extending
between and completely around the peripheral extent of the engaged
said tray rim and seating flange of the dome lid and wrapped around
the outer peripheral edge portion of the tray rim to seal the said
bottom tray.
4. In a container as defined in claim 1, wherein the said dome lid
comprises a planar top wall, an outwardly flaring depending annular
side wall, and the said annular seating flange extending laterally
outward from the lower peripheral edge of the said side wall, said
flaring side wall being formed therearound with a multiplicity of
strengthening ribs extending from top to bottom of said side wall
to rigidify the dome lid against crushing under applied loads.
5. In a container as defined in claim 4, wherein the said
strengthening ribs in the said flaring side wall of the dome lid
comprise side-by-side V-shaped corrugations formed substantially
completely around and respectively extending from top to bottom of
said flaring side wall.
6. In a container as defined in claim 5, wherein the said tray is
covered by an intermediate metal foil sealing layer extending
between and completely around the peripheral extent of the tray rim
and the said seating flange, and wrapped around the outer
peripheral edge portion of the tray rim to seal the said bottom
tray.
7. In a container as defined in claim 1, wherein the said bottom
tray and dome lid and their respective engaged said flanged rim and
seating flange and said locking flange all are of a generally
flattened oval contour with gradually rounder corner portions, and
wherein said thumb notch recess is located in said seating flange
approximately midway between the two said locking rib means at one
of the narrow ends of the said dome lid.
8. In a container as defined in claim 7, wherein the said one
locking rib means and peripheral outer edge of the tray rim undergo
a pop-off disengagement from one another on application of the said
separating force couple to the said tray and locking flange.
9. In a container as defined in claim 7, wherein the said tray is
covered by an intermediate metal foil sealing layer extending
between and completely around the peripheral extent of the engaged
said tray rim and seating flange of the dome lid, and wrapped
around the outer peripheral edge portion of the tray rim to seal
the said bottom tray.
10. In a container as defined in claim 7, wherein the said dome lid
comprises a planar top wall, an outwardly flaring depending annular
side wall, and the said annular seating flange extending laterally
outward from the lower peripheral edge of the said side wall, said
flaring side wall being formed with strenghtening ribs comprising
side-by-side V-shaped corrugations formed substantially completely
around and respectively extending from top to bottom of said
flaring side wall.
11. In a container as defined in claim 7, wherein the said seating
flange of the dome lid is provided with a said thumb notch recess
at each of the narrow ends of the said dome lid.
12. In a container as defined in claim 1, wherein the said
depending locking flange on the dome lid is formed with a
protruding wing portion extending laterally outward from the lower
peripheral edge of said locking flange at the region thereof formed
with the said adjacent one of said locking rib means to provide a
finger actuatable lift means on the dome lid.
13. In a container as defined in claim 7, wherein the said
depending locking flange on the dome lid is formed with protruding
wing portions respectively extending laterally outward from the
lower peripheral edge of said locking flange at the said rounded
corner portions thereof provided with the said two locking rib
means at the said one narrow end of the dome lid, said wing
portions forming finger actuatable lift means on the dome lid.
14. In a container as defined in claim 8, wherein the said
depending locking flange on the dome lid is formed with protruding
wing portions respectively extending laterally outward from the
lower peripheral edge of said locking flange at the said corner
regions thereof provided with the said two locking rib means at the
said one narrow end of the dome lid, said wing portions forming
finger actuatable lift means on the dome lid.
15. In a container as defined in claim 9, wherein the said
depending locking flange on the dome lid is formed with protruding
wing portions respectively extending laterally outward from the
lower peripheral edge of said locking flange at the said corner
regions thereof provided with the said two locking rib means at the
said one narrow end of the dome lid, said wing portions forming
finger actuatable lift means on the dome lid.
16. In a container as defined in claim 10, wherein the said
depending locking flange on the dome lid is formed with protruding
wing portions respectively extending laterally outward from the
lower peripheral edge of said locking flange at the said corner
regions thereof provided with the said two locking rib means at the
said one narrow end of the dome lid, said wing portions forming
finger actuatable lift means on the dome lid.
17. In a container as defined in claim 7, wherein the said
depending locking flange on the dome lid is provided therearound
with a narrow rigidifying flange extending laterally outward from
the lower peripheral edge portion of said locking flange and flared
outwardly to a greater width, at the regions adjacent the said two
locking rib means at the said one narrow end of the dome lid, to
provide finger actuatable lift means on the dome lid.
18. In a container as defined in claim 7, wherein the said locking
rib means at each of the said rounded corner portions of said
locking flange are comprised of inward V-shaped groove indents
therein and extend an appreciable distance around the said rounded
corner portions, each of said locking rib groove indents being
reinforced medially of their length by a vertical strengthening rib
formed in said locking flange, said strengthening ribs being
located within and extending transversely across the V-grooves of
the said V-shaped locking rib groove indents therein.
19. In a container as defined in claim 7, wherein the said flanged
rim of the tray is formed with a beaded peripheral outer edge
having a downwardly and inwardly inclined outer edge surface with a
rounded underside, and each of said inwardly projecting locking rib
means on the said depending locking flange of the dome lid is of
inward V-shaped form in vertical section with a rounded apex.
20. In a container as defined in claim 1, wherein those portions of
the junctures of the said seating and locking flanges which overlie
the said locking rib means in the locking flange are upwardly
extended to form essentially double wall thickness upward
strengthening rib portions on the seating flange of the dome
lid.
21. In a container as defined in claim 7, wherein those portions of
the junctures of the said seating and locking flanges which overlie
the said locking rib means on the locking flange are upwardly
extended to form essentially double wall thickness upward
strengthening rib portions on the seating flange of the dome
lid.
22. A dome lid for locking attachment onto a bottom tray having a
surrounding laterally outward extending flanged rim of generally
rectangular contour with gradually rounded corner portions, said
lid comprising a semi-rigid sheet-like member of plastic material
having a laterally outward extending annular seating flange
matching the contour of and adapted for seating against the upper
surface of and locking onto the said rim of the tray, said seating
flange having a depending locking flange for fitting closely around
the flanged rim of the tray and having gradually rounded corner
portions matching the said rounded corner portions of said flanged
rim, said locking flange being provided with a plurality of
inwardly projecting locking rib means spaced therearound and
located within the peripheral extent of respective ones of the said
rounded corner portions of said locking flange for engagement with
the tray rim under the peripheral outer edge thereof to lock the
dome lid in place on the tray, and said seating flange having an
outwardly opening thumb notch recess in the outer peripheral edge
thereof for exposing therethrough a portion of the tray rim, said
thumb notch recess being spaced around the said seating flange a
distance, from one of said locking rib means, such as to enable
engagement through said thumb notch recess of the flanged rim of
the tray by the thumb on a person's hand while enabling
simultaneous engagement of the fingers on the same hand with the
underside of said locking flange, at a region outwardly adjacent
the said one locking rib means, for application of a separating
force couple directly and normal to the flanged rim of the tray and
said locking flange to disengage the said one locking rib means
from the tray rim
23. A dome lid as defined in claim 22, wherein the said one of said
locking rib means on said lid undergoes a pop-off disengagement
from the tray rim on application of the said separating force
couple to the tray rim and said locking flange of the lid.
24. A dome lid as defined in claim 22, and including a planar top
wall, an outwardly flaring depending annular side wall, and the
said annular seating flange extending laterally outward from the
lower peripheral edge of the said side wall, said flaring side wall
being formed therearound with side-by-side V-shaped corrugations
extending from top to bottom of said side wall.
25. A dome lid as defined in claim 22, wherein the said locking
flange on said seating flange is discontinuous across the annular
extent of said seating flange formed with said thumb notch
recess.
26. A dome lid as defined in claim 22, wherein the said seating and
locking flanges are of generally flattened oval contour with
gradually rounded corner portions, and wherein said thumb notch
recess is located in said seating flange approximately midway
between the two said locking rib means at one of the narrow ends of
the said dome lid.
27. A dome lid as defined in claim 26, wherein the said one of said
locking rib means on said lid undergoes a pop-off disengagement
from the tray rim on application of the said separating force
couple to the tray rim and said locking flange of the lid.
28. A dome lid as defined in claim 26, wherein the said seating
flange of the dome lid is provided with a said thumb notch recess
at each of the narrow ends of the said lid.
29. A dome lid as defined in claim 26, wherein the said depending
locking flange is formed with protruding wing portions respectively
extending laterally outward from the lower peripheral edge of said
locking flange at the said rounded corner portions thereof provided
with the said two locking rib means at the said one narrow end of
the lid, said wing portions forming finger actuatable lift means on
the dome lid.
30. A dome lid as defined in claim 26, wherein the said depending
locking flange is provided therearound with a narrow rigidifying
flange extending laterally outward from the lower peripheral edge
portion of said locking flange and flared outwardly to a greater
width, at the regions adjacent the said two locking rib means at
the said one narrow end of the lid, to provide finger actuatable
lift means on the lid.
31. A dome lid as defined in claim 26, wherein the said locking
flange on said seating flange is discontinuous across the annular
extent of said seating flange formed with said thumb notch
recess.
32. A dome lid as defined in claim 26, wherein the said locking rib
means at each of the said rounded corner portions of said locking
flange are comprised of inward V-shaped groove indents therein and
extend lengthwise part way around the said rounded corner portions
of the locking flange.
33. A dome lid as defined in claim 26, wherein those portions of
the junctures of the said seating and locking flanges which overlie
the said locking rib means on the locking flange are upwardly
extended to form essentially double wall thickness upward
strengthening rib portions on the seating flange of the dome
lid.
34. In a container as defined in claim 1, wherein the said inwardly
projecting locking rib means on said locking flange are of V-shaped
form and extend lengthwise along the respective said rounded corner
portions thereof, the sloping faces of said locking rib means
camming against the said peripheral outer edge of the tray rim, on
application of said separating force couple to the said tray rim
and locking flange, to distort the rounded corner portion of the
locking flange at the said one locking rib means in a laterally
outward direction so as to disengage said rib means from under the
tray rim and effect the separation of the lid from the tray at said
rounded corner portion. .Iadd.
35. In a container comprised of a molded rigid plastic bottom tray
with a surrounding laterally outward extending flanged rim and an
upper dome lid comprised of a semi-rigid sheet-like member of
plastic material having a laterally outward extending seating
flange matching the contour of, and seated against the upper
surface of and locked onto the said rim of the tray, to join the
tray and dome lid together into a unitary assembly, the said
seating flange having a depending locking flange closely fitting
around the flanged rim of the tray and the said locking flange
being provided with a plurality of inwardly projecting locking rib
means spaced therearound and engaged with the tray rim under the
peripheral outer edge thereof to lock the dome lid in place on the
tray, the improvement comprising: said seating flange having an
outwardly opening thumb notch recess in the outer peripheral edge
thereof exposing a portion of the said tray rim through said
recess, said thumb notch recess being spaced, around the said
seating flange a distance, from one of said locking rib means, such
as to enable engagement through said thumb recess of said flanged
rim of the tray by the thumb of a person's hand while at the same
time enabling engagement of a finger of the person's same hand with
the underside of the said locking flange of the dome lid vertically
beneath the said one locking rib means for application of a
separating force coupled directly and normal to the flanged rim of
the tray and the said locking flange to disengage the said one
locking rib means from the tray rim..Iaddend. .Iadd.36. A dome lid
for locking attachment onto a bottom tray having a surrounding
laterally outward extending flanged rim, said lid comprising a
semi-rigid sheet-like member of plastic material having a laterally
outward extending seating flange matching the contour of and
adapted for seating against the upper surface of and locking onto
the said rim of the tray, said seating flange having a depending
locking flange for fitting closely around the flanged rim of the
tray, said locking flange being provided with a plurality of
inwardly projecting locking rib means spaced therearound for
engagement with the tray rim under the peripheral outer edge
thereof to lock the dome lid in place on the tray, and said seating
flange having an outwardly opening thumb notch recess in the outer
peripheral edge thereof for exposing therethrough a portion of the
tray rim, said thumb notch recess being spaced around the said
seating flange a distance, from one of said locking rib means, such
as to enable engagement through said thumb notch recess of the
flanged rim of the tray by the thumb on a person's hand while
enabling simultaneous engagement of a finger on the same hand with
the underside of said locking flange, vertically beneath the said
one locking rib means for application of a separating force coupled
directly and normal to the flanged rim of the tray and said locking
flange to disengage the said one locking rib means from the tray
rim.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates in general to a package or container
for frozen foods and, more particularly, to a frozen food package
suitable for reconstitution of the frozen food either in a
conventional type oven or in a microwave oven.
In the frozen food service industry, it is known to package the
frozen food in containers or packaging adapted for the
reconstitution of the frozen food for serving by the heating
thereof either in a microwave oven or in a conventional radiant
heat type oven. To this end, it has been customary to package the
frozen food in a container comprised of a molded plastic bottom
tray in which the frozen food is contained. The container is then
closed by a metal foil layer sealed around the rim of the bottom
tray. Then a removable semi-rigid preformed dome lid or cover of
plastic sheet material is attached to the tray with the rim portion
of the dome lid snap locked in place around the matching contour
rim of the bottom tray.
To reconstitute the frozen food within such dual heatable type
packages in a conventional oven, the plastic dome lid is unlocked
and removed from the tray and the latter then placed, with its
intermediate metal foil sealing layer left intact, in the heated
oven at the required temperature and kept therein for the necessary
time period to effect the heating and desired reconstitution of the
frozen food in readiness for serving. However, to reconstitute the
frozen food within such dual heatable type packages in a microwave
oven, the plastic dome lid must be first carefully unlocked and
removed from the bottom tray without ripping, tearing, or otherwise
damaging the cover, the intermediate metal foil sealing layer then
removed from the bottom tray to uncover the frozen food therein,
and the dome lid then reattached to the bottom tray by again
snap-locking it in place around the rim thereof before placing the
frozen food containing tray in place in the microwave oven for the
reconstitution of the frozen food in the tray. The removal of the
metal foil layer from the tray prior to placement of the tray in
and energization of the microwave oven is of course necessary in
order to prevent the metal foil layer from absorbing and/or
blocking the microwave rays from properly penetrating into the
frozen food in the tray for the desired reconstitution thereof.
With the prior type frozen food packages, the detachment of the
snap-locked-on cover from the bottom tray either for heating of the
tray contents in a conventional oven or removal of the foil layer
prior to heating of the package in a microwave oven, has generally
been a difficult and inconvenient operation to perform, sometimes
resulting in a tearing or ripping of the locking rim portion of the
cover such as to prevent the subsequent locked-on reattachment of
the cover to the tray for heating of the reassembled package in a
microwave oven. In other instances, this difficulty in removal of
the dome cover from the bottom tray has resulted, after the heating
of the reassembled package in a microwave oven, in the accidental
dropping of the still hot to handle package and spillage of the
reconstituted food contents from the bottom tray, thus constituting
a loss to the user.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention contemplates a new and improved frozen food
package or container suitable for heating and reconstitution of the
packaged frozen food either in a conventional or a microwave oven
and which overcomes all of the above referred to problems and
others and provides a container comprised of a bottom tray with a
dome lid snaplocked thereonto which can be quickly and easily
detached from the tray without damage and then snap-locked back
onto the tray, for reconstitution of the frozen food in a microwave
oven.
Briefly stated, in accordance with one aspect of the invention, a
frozen food package or container of the conventional type as
described hereinabove for heating of the frozen food contents
either in a conventional or microwave oven, is provided with a
thumb notch recess in the sealing flange of the dome lid, for
exposing a portion of the tray rim to enable the engagement thereof
by a person's thumb. The thumb notch recess is spaced around the
annular extent of the seating flange of the dome lid a distance,
from an adjacent one of the conventional locking ribs thereon, such
as to enable the grasping, between the thumb and fingers of a
person's one hand, of the tray rim as well as the sealing flange at
the region of the adjacent one locking rib, for convenient and
effective application of a separating force to the tray and dome
lid to effect the ready separation of the tray from the dome lid
without any damage to the latter such as would prevent the
reattachment thereof to the tray by the locking ribs on the dome
lid.
In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, the tray and
dome lid and the locking ribs thereon are so constructed as to
provide a quick and easy pop-off disengagement of at least one of
the locking ribs on the dome lid from the rim of the tray, on
application of a separating force to the tray and to the seating
flange of the dome lid at the region of such one locking rib.
In accordance with a still further aspect of the invention, the
tray and dome lid are of a similar generally flattened oval contour
with gradually rounded corners, and the seating flange of the dome
lid is provided with a tray rim engaging locking rib at each of the
rounded corners of the dome lid and with a thumb notch recess
located in the seating flange of the dome lid at a point
approximately midway between the two locking ribs at one of the
narrow ends of the dome lid, whereby to afford convenient grasping
of the container and pop-off disengagement of the dome lid from the
tray by either one of a person's hands.
The principal object of the invention is to provide a frozen food
container of the type as referred to hereinabove and having a
semi-rigid plastic dome lid which is locked onto the bottom tray of
the container by locking ribs and quickly and readily detachable
therefrom without causing damage to the lid in any way.
Another object of the invention is to provide a frozen food
container of the type referred to above and the semirigid plastic
dome lid of which is readily detachable from the tray in a wholly
intact condition in all instances to enable subsequent reattachment
thereto in the same locked-on manner as before.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a frozen food
container of the type referred to above and the dome lid of which
is characterized by quick pop-off disengagement and separation from
the tray on application of an appropriate separating force to the
tray and lid.
A further object of the invention is to provide a frozen food
container of the type referred to above and the lock-on dome lid of
which is quickly and easily disengageable and separable from the
bottom tray merely by a person's single hand.
Still a further object of the invention is to provide a semi-rigid
plastic dome lid for a frozen food container, which lid is provided
with a thumb notch recess located in the annular seating flange of
the lid in a predetermined spaced position therearound relative to
one of the locking ribs on the seating flange which lock the lid
onto the bottom tray of the container.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a semi-rigid
plastic dome lid of flattened oval contour for a frozen food
container which lid can be stacked in nested position with other
like lids.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent
from the following detailed description of preferred species
thereof and from the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dome lid comprising the invention
shown mounted in place on an associated tray to form an assembled
container in accordance with the invention, and showing the manner
in which the dome lid may be removed from the tray;
FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the assembled container shown in FIG.
1;
FIG. 3 is an end view of that end of the dome lid comprising the
invention which is provided with a thumb notch recess;
FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 4--4 of
FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view on an enlarged
scale on the line 5--5 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale on the
line 6--6 of FIG. 3 showing the corrugated side wall of the dome
lid;
FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale taken
on the line 7--7 of FIG. 2 showing the locking arrangement for
attaching the dome lid to the bottom tray of the container;
FIG. 7A is a sectional view similar to FIG. 7 but showing the dome
lid deformed at one of the locking ribs thereof to disengage it
from the bottom tray;
FIG. 8 is a fragmentary bottom view of the dome lid comprising the
invention and showing the locking rib indents therein for attaching
the dome lid to the bottom tray;
FIG. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view of a number of dome lids
comprising the invention shown stacked in nested relation one
within another;
FIG. 10 is a fragmentary plan view of a container provided with a
modified form of dome lid comprising the invention; and,
FIG. 11 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale taken
on the line 11--11 of FIG. 10.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to the drawings wherein the showings are for the
purposes of illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention
only and not for the purpose of limiting same, the figures show the
invention as embodied in a container or package A for frozen food.
It is to be understood, however, that the invention may be utilized
in other types of containers for various other materials wherever
it may be found to have suitable utility therefor. The container or
package A is comprised in general of a molded plastic bottom tray
or food serving dish B in which the frozen food is contained, an
intermediate metal foil sealing layer C overlying and sealing the
frozen food filling in the tray B, and a top dome lid or cover
member D detachably locked onto and replaceable on the rim of the
tray B.
The bottom tray or dish B is comprised of a rigid, pressure molded
plastic member of shallow dish-like shape and formed of a suitable
heat resistant, ovenable, synthetic plastic material capable of
withstanding temperatures of at least 425.degree. F. or so and
preferably of a pleasing coloration such as a cream color or white,
for instance. A suitable material for such purpose is a fiber glass
filled reinforced plastic such as is commercially available from a
number of sources. The tray is molded with a wall thickness
ranging, for example, from around 0.040 to 0.050 inches. In the
preferred embodiment as shown in the drawings, the tray B is formed
of a generally flattened oval contour with slightly convexly curved
longitudinal side portions 10 and slightly convexly curved
transverse end portions 12 of shorter extent than and joined to the
longitudinal side portions 10 by gradually rounded corner portions
14. The tray B, however, may be of any other desired contour such
as, for example, straight-sided conventional oval shape, or square
or conventional rectangular type preferably with gradually rounded
corners.
As shown in FIGS. 3-5, tray B is comprised of a flat bottom wall 16
and an upwardly and outwardly flaring annular side wall 18 provided
with an annular flanged rim 20 extending laterally outward from and
around the upper edge of the annular side wall 18. The bottom and
side walls 16 and 18, respectively, form a tray compartment 22
within which the food to be served is contained. The flanged rim 20
is formed with a flat upper surface 24 which preferably extends
from the side wall 18 at a slight upward angle of around 8.degree.
or so to the horizontal and is formed around its outer peripheral
edge with a downwardly thickened reinforcing bead portion 26. The
outer peripheral edge surface 28 of the beaded outer edge 26 of the
tray rim flange 20 extends downwardly and inwardly from the upper
surface 24 of the rim flange 20 at a slight angle of around
6.degree. or so to the vertical and terminates in a convexly
rounded under surface 30.
After the filling of the tray compartment 22 with the food to be
frozen therein and eventually served after reconstitution by
appropriate heating procedures, the tray compartment 20 and the
food therein are sealed by a metal foil sealing layer C (FIGS. 4
and 5) such as aluminum foil of 1 mil thickness, stretched flat
across the top of the tray B and the food contained therein and
wrapped tightly around the beaded outer edge 26 of the flanged rim
20 of the tray B, as indicated at 32 in FIG. 5, to secure the foil
layer in place thereon. Besides sealing the food in the tray from
contamination from the outside, the metal foil sealing layer C
serves the added purpose of preventing the drying of the frozen
food in the tray B during the reconstitution of the frozen food in
a conventional radiant heat type oven.
After application of the metal foil sealing layer C to the tray B,
the dome lid D comprising the invention is then applied to and
locked on the tray to overlie the metal foil layer C thereon (FIGS.
4 and 5). In accordance with the invention, the dome lid D is of a
construction which not only affords a secure locked-on attachment
thereof to the tray B but which at the same time enables the quick
and easy detachment of the lid from the tray in an intact
condition, i.e. without any ripping or tearing or other damage to
the lid such as would be apt to prevent the subsequent reattachment
of the dome lid to the tray in its original locked-on position
thereon, as required in those cases where the reconstitution of the
frozen food in the tray B is to be carried out in a microwave type
oven.
The dome lid or cover D according to the invention is comprised of
a thermo-formed semi-rigid member of a plastic sheet material such
as a high density polyethylene having a sheet thickness of, for
example, around 0.021 inches or so and preferably of translucent
character. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the dome lid D is of a
contour generally corresponding to that of the bottom tray B, i.e.
of a flattened oval contour in the particular embodiment
illustrated, and it is comprised of an essentially planar top wall
40, an outwardly flaring annular side wall 42 depending from the
peripheral edge of the top wall at a slight angle of around
15.degree. or so to the vertical, and an annular seating flange 44
extending laterally outward from the lower peripheral edge of the
side wall 42. In the particular embodiment of the invention
illustrated wherein the lower tray is of flattened oval contour as
described above, the flaring side wall 42 is of generally flattened
oval contour similar to that of the bottom tray B, with the side
wall 42 having slightly convexly curved longitudinal side portion
46 of extended length and slightly convexly curved transverse end
portions 48 of shorter extent than and joined to the longitudinal
side portions 46 by gradually rounded corner portions 50. To
prevent crushing of the relatively weak dome of the lid D, as when
food containing assembled containers A are stored one on top of one
another in packing cartons or in store display freezers, the
flaring side wall 42 of the dome lid is provided substantially
completely therearound with side-by-side V-shape corrugations or
strengthening ribs 51, as shown in detail in FIG. 6. The seating
flange 44 of the dome lid D likewise is of generally flattened oval
contour matching that of, and adapted to seal against, the upper
surface 24 of the flanged rim 20 of the bottom tray B. Seating
flange 44 is comprised of slightly convexly contoured longitudinal
side portions 52 of extended length and slightly convexly contoured
transverse end portions 54 of shorter extent than and joined to the
side portions 52 by gradually convexly rounded corner portions
56.
The seating flange 44 of the dome lid D is provided around its
outer peripheral edge with a depending locking flange 60 closely
surrounding and fitting around the flanged rim 20 of the bottom
tray B, as shown in FIG. 4. The locking flange 60 is provided with
a plurality of inwardly projecting locking ribs 62 at widely spaced
regions therearound which snap over the beaded outer peripheral
edge 28 of the tray rim 20, during the attachment of the dome lid D
onto the tray B, and fit under the rounded underside 30 of the
beaded rim edge 26, as shown in FIG. 7, to lock the dome lid
securely in place on the bottom tray B. The locking ribs 62 extend
along the rounded corner portions of the circumferential extent of
the locking flange 60 and they are formed by inward indents therein
of V-shaped vertical section with rounded apices 64, as shown in
FIGS. 7 and 7A. In the preferred embodiment of the invention as
shown in FIGS. 1 through 9 wherein the container A is of flattened
oval contour with gradually rounded corners, one of the locking
ribs 62 is provided at each of the four rounded corner portions 66
of the locking flange 60 and they extend an appreciable distance
around the corner portions.
Approximately midway of the longitudinal extent of each locking rib
62 around the rounded corner portions 66 of the locking flange 60,
the V-section locking ribs 62 are each provided with a vertical
strengthening rib 68 which extends transversely across the V-groove
formed in the locking flange 60 by the V-shaped locking rib indent
therein. The ribs 68 serve to reinforce the locking ribs 62 to
maintain them in their formed V-shape especially during the
attachment of the dome lid to the tray and the detachment
therefrom. Also, the jointure portions of the seating and locking
flanges 44 and 60 are upwardly upset a slight amount, along the
rounded corner portions 66 of the locking flange directly above
each of the locking ribs 62, to form doubled-back strengthening
ribs 70 of double wall thickness, as shown particularly in FIG. 7,
which serve to stiffen the relatively thin seating flange in its
thickness direction at such corner portions 66 against
distortioning forces applied thereto.
To strengthen the locking flange 60 against laterally outward
deformation at its lower edge and also enable convenient manual
application of a lifting force to the locking flange to effect the
separation of the dome lid D from the bottom tray B, the locking
flange is provided therearound with a narrow rigidifying flange 72
extending laterally outward from the lower peripheral edge portion
of the locking flange. As shown in FIG. 2, this rigidifying flange
72, in the case of the particular embodiment of the invention
therein shown, may be flared outwardly in contour to a greater
lateral width at the two rounded corners of the dome lid at one of
the narrow ends thereof, to provide finger engageable wing portions
or lift means 74 on the dome lid D for applying a lifting force
thereto at the region of the adjacent locking ribs 62.
To detach and separate the dome lid D from the bottom tray B of the
assembled container A, as is necessary for the reconstitution of
the contained frozen food for serving by heating either in a
conventional or a microwave oven, a separating force couple is
manually applied to the attached tray and dome lid, at a region
adjacent at least one of the locking ribs 62 on the dome lid,
acting to locally deform the seating flange 44 and locking flange
60 as shown in FIG. 7A and cause a sufficient degree of laterally
outward deformation of the flange 60 at such region or regions for
the particular locking rib or ribs 62 thereat to clear and
disengage from under the beaded outer peripheral edge 26 of the
tray rim 20. This disengagement of the particular one or more
locking rib or ribs 62 from the tray then frees the remaining other
locking ribs 62 on the dome lid from engagement with the tray rim
20, thus enabling the complete lifting off and separation of the
dome lid from the bottom tray. With prior known frozen food
packages, however, which are adapted for reconstitution of the
frozen food either in a conventional or a microwave oven and
provided with locking ribs on the dome lid similar to the locking
ribs 62 on the dome lid D comprising the invention, the application
of the necessary separating force to the dome lid and bottom tray
could not be effectively nor conveniently applied thereto. As a
result, the separation of the dome lid from the bottom tray of such
prior containers not only has been accomplished with great
difficulty and annoying inconvenience, but also has sometimes
resulted in the ripping and tearing or other damage to the thin
plastic sheet material of the dome lid and its seating flange such
as then prevented the subsequent reattachment thereof to the bottom
tray in the same manner as previously, for proper reconstitution of
the frozen food in a microwave oven. Moreover, the necessity for
repeating this difficult and inconvenient dome lid and tray
separating operation after the reconstitution of the frozen food in
a microwave oven, to permit the serving of the heated food,
previously resulted in some instances in the accidental dropping of
the still hot-to-handle dome lid and tray members of such prior
frozen food containers with accompanying spillage and loss of the
heated food.
In accordance with a principal feature of the present invention,
the seating flange 44 of the dome lid D is provided with an
outwardly opening thumb notch recess 80 in the outer peripheral
edge thereof for exposing a portion of the tray rim 20 through such
recess. For the purposes of the invention, and as shown more
particularly in FIG. 1, the thumb notch recess 80 is spaced around
the annular extent of the seating flange 44 a distance, from an
adjacent one of the locking ribs 62 on the locking flange 60 of the
dome lid D such as to enable the engagement, through the recess 80,
of the upper surface 24 of the flanged rim 20 of the tray B by the
thumb 82 of a person's hand 84 while enabling the simultaneous
engagement of the fingers 86 of the same hand with the underside of
the locking flange 60 on the dome lid D at a region outwardly
adjacent such adjacent one locking rib 62, such as with one of the
wing extensions 74 on the flange 60. The convenient and direct
application to the tray and dome lid of the necessary separating
force couple required to effect the separation thereof from one
another is thus made possible.
The lifting action imparted to the locking flange 60 by the
person's fingers 86 during the separation of the dome lid from the
tray causes the seating flange 44 to be deformed upwardly and the
locking flange to be deformed laterally outward, at the region of
the particular adjacent one locking rib 62, a sufficient distance
as shown in FIG. 7A for this one locking rib to clear the outer
peripheral edge 28 of and disengage from under the beaded outer
edge portion 26 of the tray rim 20, thus unlocking and freeing the
portion of the locking flange 60 at this one locking rib from the
tray rim 20. The freeing of this one locking rib 62 from the tray
20 and the resulting partial separation of the dome lid from the
tray at such one locking rib then operates to loosen the attachment
of the dome lid to the bottom tray by the other locking ribs 62 of
the dome lid a sufficient amount to permit the ready lift-off and
separation of the dome lid from the bottom tray.
The positioning in accordance with the invention of the thumb notch
recess or opening 80 in the above described particular spaced
position, around the annular extent of the sealing flange 44,
relative to an adjacent one of the locking ribs 62 on the locking
flange 60 is of especial advantage and importance because it
enables the convenient and easy application to the tray and dome
lid of the necessary separating force couple, by a person's one
hand, directly and positively to the tray and dome lid and also at
a particularly advantageous region around the annular extent of the
locking flange, i.e. at the region adjacent one of the locking ribs
62. As a result, a quick and easy separation of the dome lid from
the bottom tray is effected without any damage to the relatively
flimsy seating and locking flanges 44 and 60 such as a ripping or
tearing thereof which conceivably could prevent the subsequent
reattachment of the dome lid in its proper original seated and
locked position on the flanged rim 20 of the bottom tray B for
reconstitution of the frozen food in a microwave oven. Moreover,
the quick and easy manner in which the dome lid D according to the
invention can be separated from the bottom tray B is of further
advantage, in those cases where the frozen food in the container A
is reconstituted by heating in a microwave oven, since it greatly
minimizes the possibility of the still hot-to-handle reconstituted
food-containing package A being accidentally dropped during the
removal of the dome lid D, with possible spillage and loss of the
heated food.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention as shown in FIGS. 1
and 2 wherein the dome lid D is of essentially flattened oval
contour with gradually rounded corners and with a locking rib 62 at
each of the rounded corners, the thumb notch recess or opening 80
as described above is located, as shown, at one of the narrower
ends of the dome lid within that particular transverse end portion
54 of the seating flange 44 at such end of the lid, and preferably
at a region of the seating flange 44 approximately midway between
the two adjacent locking ribs 62 and the wing extensions 74 at the
corresponding end of the dome lid and centered on the longitudinal
center axis X of the dome lid. As so located on the dome lid D of
containers A which are of the conventional sizes employed in
present commercial frozen food service, the thumb notch recess 80
will then be located in the previously described particular spacial
position around the seating flange 44 relative to the two locking
ribs 62 at the adjacent rounded corners of the dome lid such as to
enable the simultaneous engagement of the thumb 82 and fingers 86
of either the right or left hand 84 of a person desiring to remove
the dome lid D respectively with the tray rim 20 through the thumb
notch recess 80 and with one or the other of the wing extensions 74
on the locking flange 60 at the region thereof adjacent one or the
other of the adjacent locking ribs 62 on the locking flange, for
application of the necessary separating force couple directly to
the tray and dome lid. During the application of this separating
force couple to the tray rim 20 and locking flange 60 at one end of
the container A by a person's hand 84, the container conveniently
may be held at its other end in the person's other hand 88, as
shown in FIG. 1.
If desired, the seating flange 44 of the dome lid D of a flattened
oval contour form of container A as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 may be
provided with a thumb notch recess 80 at each of the narrower ends
of the dome lid and located on the longitudinal center axis X
thereof. Such a modification enables the unlocking and separation
of the dome lid from the bottom tray at both of two corner portions
thereof at opposite ends of the container A by the use of both of a
person's hands 84 and 88 to each apply a separating force couple as
described above to the tray and dome lid.
A particular advantage afforded by the preferred embodiment of the
invention shown in FIGS. 1-9 is that the unlocking of any one of
the locking ribs 62 from the tray rim 20, by the application of the
separating force couple directly to the tray rim and to the locking
flange 60 of the dome lid, is accompanied by a sudden, positive,
pop-off disengagement of such one locking rib from the tray rim
such as greatly simplifies and hastens the separation of the dome
lid from the tray. The downwardly and inwardly inclined outer
peripheral edge 28 of the tray rim 20 facilitates this positive
pop-off disengagement action of the locking rib 62 from the tray
rim 20 by exerting a camming action on the V-shaped locking rib, as
will be evident from FIGS. 7 and 7A, acting to readily deform the
region of the locking flange 60 at such locking rib laterally
outward so as to enable the locking rib to clear the outer
peripheral edge 28 of the tray rim and cause it to pop or snap off
the tray rim during the continued application of the separating
force couple to the tray rim and to the dome lid to deform the
seating flange 44 thereof.
To enable stacking of a plurality of the dome lids D in properly
centered and non-tilted nested relation one within another such as
may be required in automatic devices used in food processing plants
for feeding and mounting the dome lids in locked position onto
respective trays B previously filled with food to be frozen
therein, the dome lids D are preferably provided with suitable
interfitting and interengaging stacking shoulder means 90, as shown
in FIG. 9. In the particular case therein illustrated, the stacking
shoulder means 90 is comprised of a plurality of slightly upwardly
offset seating shoulders 92 formed in the underside 94 of the
rigidifying flange 72 along the inward edge thereof and
corresponding in number to and generally coextensive with the
locking ribs 62 on the locking flange 60. The offset seating
shoulders 92 afford corresponding shallow aligning shoulders 96
located in the underside 94 of the rigidifying flange 72 and facing
laterally inward of the dome lid D. When the dome lids D are nested
together in stacked relation one within another, the seating
shoulders 92 of each dome lid abut or rest against the outer rim
portions of the seating flange 44 of the next adjacent dome lid
nested therein, as shown in FIG. 9, to thereby support the dome
lids in proper vertically spaced nested relation with one another.
At the same time, the laterally inward facing aligning shoulders 96
in the underside 94 of the flange 72 on each dome lid D fit closely
over and around the outer peripheral edge of the seating flange 44
of the next adjacent dome lid nested therein, as shown in FIG. 9,
to thereby laterally center the stacked dome lids D with one
another so as to be in vertically aligned stacked relation.
To further aid in assuring the stackability of the dome lids D in
properly aligned non-tilted relation with one another, the
corrugated side wall 42 of the dome lid may be provided with
additional interengaging stacking shoulder means 90a comprising a
plurality of inwardly projecting aligning indents 98 located in the
side wall 42 at widely spaced regions therearound, as shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2 and in phantom in FIG. 9. The indents 98 abut against
and engage the side wall 42 of a nested one of the dome lids D.
FIG. 9. The indents 98 are formed in the side wall 42 at the bottom
region thereof where it joins with the seating flange 44, and they
preferably are of rectangular configuration with their bottom walls
formed as a continuation of the seating flange 44. In the preferred
embodiment of the invention as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 wherein the
dome lid D is of a generally flattened oval configuration, two of
the aligning indents 98 are provided in each of the longitudinally
extending longer sides 46 of the side wall 42 near the opposite
ends thereof while a single such indent 98 is provided in each of
the shorter transverse ends 48 of the side wall 42 at a location on
the axis X of the dome lid.
To facilitate the formation or the cutting out of a thumb notch
recess 80 in the seating flange 44, at one or both of the
transverse narrow ends of the dome lid D, the locking flange 60 and
associated rigidifying flange 72 thereof are discontinued or
interrupted at the region of the seating flange 44 where one of the
thumb notch recesses 80 is to be formed, thereby to avoid the need
for extending the formation of the thumb notch recess 80 also
through the vertical extent of the locking flange 60 and the
lateral extent of the rigidifying flange 72. To this end, the
portions of the rigidifying flange 72 and bottom edge of the
locking flange 60 which extend between the locking ribs 62 and each
adjacent thumb notch recess 80 are corresponding tapered upwardly
or inclined at a slight angle, as shown at 100 in FIGS. 1 and 3, to
meet with the seating flange 44 just short of the thumb notch
recess 80 therein so that this recess 80 then need be cut or formed
only through the single thickness of the seating flange 44 alone.
By joining with the seating flange 44 at points near the thumb
notch recess 80 therein, the inclined portions 100 of th flange 72
thus serve as brace means to reinforce and stiffen the seating
flange 44 at such points against flexure and so maintain the
positive seating engagement thereof with the tray rim 20 at the
regions thereof adjacent the recess 80.
In accordance with customary practice, the top wall 40 of the dome
lid D is preferably provided with one or more vent openings 102
punched out of the top wall at suitable spaced apart regions
thereof to provide relief ports for the escape of heated vapors
from within the dome lid and so prevent the build-up of excessive
and possibly dangerous pressures therein during the reconstitution
of the frozen food in container A within a microwave type oven.
FIG. 10 illustrates a modified form of dome lid D' according to the
invention wherein the locking ribs 62', rather than extending along
the rounded corner portions of the locking flange 60 as in the
embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-9, are provided instead in the
longitudinally extending side portions 104 of the locking flange
60. As shown, two of the locking ribs 62' are provided within, and
near the opposite ends of each longitudinal side portion 104 of the
locking flange 60. Thus, the finger-engageable wing portions 74 of
the rigidifying flange 72 on locking flange 60 are still located
near enough to the adjacent locking ribs 62' in the side portions
104 of locking flange 60 to assure the quick and easy positive
disengagement of a respective one of the locking ribs 62' from
underneath the tray rim 20 on application of the aforementioned
separating force to the tray B and to one or the other of the wing
portions 74 on the dome lid D in the manner as described
hereinabove. The locking ribs 62' shown in FIG. 11 are of somewhat
different form from the locking ribs 62 in FIGS. 1-9 in that they
are of box-like cross-sectional shape rather than of the V-shaped
cross-sectional form of the ribs 62.
The invention has been described with reference to a preferred
embodiment. Obviously, modifications and alterations will occur to
others upon the reading and understanding of this specification. It
is my intention to include all such modifications and alterations
insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the
equivalents thereof.
* * * * *