Multi-container package with individually removable containers

A multi-container package includes several individually sealed containers which are easily separable from one another by weakened zones between adjacent containers. Each container includes a tab portion over which the peel tab of the lid extends. Dimples in either the peel tab or tab portion facilitate their separation. Several multi-container packages are manufactured as a unit using a die and conventional heat sealing processes, and then are separated from one another by transverse cuts.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a multi-container package wherein each of 
the containers is individually sealed and removable from the remainder of 
the package in the sealed condition, and a method of manufacture therefor. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
In general, the cost of purchasing a food item packaged in bulk tends to be 
much less expensive in terms of price per unit weight than the cost of 
purchasing a small quantity of the same food item, such as a single 
serving size. Further, a new industry trend is the discount food chain 
which offers food items sold only in bulk quantities, but at an even lower 
cost than that offered in conventional grocery stores. 
Many of the food items which are sold in bulk quantities have a prolonged 
shelf life of several months if they are kept in a sealed container. 
However, once the container is opened, such items may spoil after one week 
or less. Thus, although the purchase of food items in bulk quantities 
provides a financial benefit to larger households, schools, small 
restaurants and the like, individuals, or households with only a few 
members are unable to derive any benefit from the lower cost since the 
food item, once opened, may spoil before the purchaser is able to finish 
the entire package/container. Such spoilage could be avoided if the bulk 
quantity of the food item were separated into smaller serving sizes which 
were each individually sealed. 
One example of a package which includes several separately sealed sections 
is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,503,856 to Hustad et al. Another example 
of a food package containing multiple compartments is disclosed in U.S. 
Pat. No. 3,983,999 to Morton. The Morton package is designed to hold 
individual quantities of frozen orange juice, which may be individually 
separated from the remainder of the package. However, neither the Hustad 
et al nor the Morton multi-container packages are designed to retain a 
tight seal, yet allow easy opening when desired. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Thus, it is a purpose of the present invention to provide a new and 
improved multi-container package in which the containers are individually 
separable, remain tightly sealed until opened and include a means for easy 
opening when desired. This purpose is achieved by providing a package 
including at least two containers. Each of the containers includes a 
receptacle having a closed bottom, side walls and an open top. The 
receptacles are joined together by a frame extending completely around 
their upper perimeters. A removable lid is sealed to the frame around the 
tops of each of the receptacles. The removable lid and frame include 
corresponding weakened zones between adjacent containers for ease of 
separation of individual, sealed containers from the package. The frame 
includes tab portions extending outwardly from each of the containers. 
Peel tabs on the lid correspond to each of the tab portions. Only the peel 
tabs and tab portions must be grasped to open the individual containers, 
thereby reducing the chances of deformation to the container and its 
contents. 
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, dimples are 
positioned on either the tab portions or on the peel tabs for ease in 
separating the peel tabs from the tab portions. Preferably, the package 
consists of a single row of several containers attached along adjacent 
sides, both the containers and package having a rectangular shape. 
Further, the package is preferably constructed from flexible, transparent 
materials. 
It is also a purpose of the present invention to provide a method of 
manufacturing a multi-container package. According to the method, a film 
is placed over a bottom die having pockets therein, the film being shaped 
in the same form as the pockets by heating and applying a vacuum to form 
receptacles. A product is then added to the receptacles, and a top film is 
placed over the receptacles. The resultant containers are then evacuated 
and the top film is heat sealed to the bottom film, the top film thereby 
forming a lid for the containers. A weakened zone between the containers 
is created by perforations, scoring, or the like such that individual 
containers are easily separated from the multi-container package. 
Preferably, several rows of containers are formed in the process, and then 
each of the rows separated from an adjacent row by transverse cuts in the 
top and bottom films. 
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an improved 
multi-container package wherein individual containers are easily removed 
from the package, both a single removed container and the remainder of the 
package remaining sealed. 
It is a further object of the invention to provide a multi-container 
package wherein the individual containers are easily opened by means of a 
lid having a peel tab which is easily grasped and pulled away from the 
container to expose the contents thereof. 
It is another object of the invention to provide a method of manufacturing 
a multi-container package wherein the size of the individual containers is 
easily adjusted. 
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from 
the detailed description to follow.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring now to the figures, like elements are represented by like 
numerals throughout the several views. 
FIG. 1 shows a multi-container package 1 including five individual 
containers 2. As shown more clearly in FIG. 2, each individual container 2 
includes a receptacle 3 having a closed bottom 4', side walls 4 and an 
open top 5. A frame 6 extends completely around the top perimeter of each 
of the individual receptacles 3 and is connected to the upper edges of the 
side walls 4. The frame 6 includes tab portions 7 which extend outwardly 
from at least one side wall of each of the receptacles 3. The tab portion 
7 may extend outwardly from any of the side walls 4 of the receptacles 3, 
the purpose of tab portion 7 being described in greater detail below. 
Referring to both FIGS. 1 and 2, a removable lid 8 is sealed to the frame 6 
at areas 18 around the open tops 5 of each of the receptacles 3 to thereby 
completely seal each of the receptacles 3 to form individual containers 2. 
The lid 8 includes a peel tab 9. Upon removal of a container 2 from the 
multi-container package 1, as shown in FIG. 2, the peel tab 9a of the 
individual container 2 is easily separated from the frame 7 so that the 
lid 8a of the individual container 2 may be pulled away from the container 
2 to expose the contents thereof. To even further facilitate separation of 
the peel tab 9a from the tab portion 7, dimples 10, in the form of raised 
notches, are positioned on the tab portion 7 so that the peel tab 9a and 
tab portion 7 always remain slightly separated and do not stick together. 
Although two dimples 10 per container 2 are shown, there may be any number 
of dimples utilized and, further, the dimples 10 may be positioned on the 
peel tab 9, rather than on the tab portion 7. The tab portion 7 is useful 
in that it provides an area for a user to grasp with one hand, while 
pulling the peel tab 9a with the other hand. Thus, the user need not grasp 
the side walls 4, potentially causing both the container 2 and contents 
thereof to be deformed. 
The multi-container package 1 is preferably constructed from transparent 
materials to allow the contents to be viewed by the purchaser. Further, 
the multi-container package 1 is preferably constructed of relatively 
flexible materials. The individual containers 2 are separable from the 
remainder of the package 1 by weakened zones 11 located in the areas 
between adjacent containers 2. In general, these weakened zones 11 are 
formed by creating perforations, or score lines in the frame 6 and lid 8, 
thereby allowing the individual containers 2 to be easily separated from 
the remainder of the package 1 without damaging the seal extending around 
the frames of the individual containers 2. 
The individual containers 2 preferably have a rectangular shape, although 
they may be constructed in various other shapes. For example, the 
multi-compartment container 1 could have a circular shape, with the 
individual containers being pie-shaped. 
In the preferred method of manufacture, a die 12, shown in FIG. 3, having 
multiple pockets 13 is used to form the containers 2. A bottom film, 
preferably constructed of a flexible, but sturdy transparent material such 
as a co-extruded Nylon/Surlyn material, is heated to about 90.degree. 
C..+-.5.degree. C., depending on production rate, over the die 12. Air is 
used to blow down the bottom film which then takes the shape of pockets 
13. Preferably, the shape of pockets 13 is rectangular as shown in FIGS. 1 
and 2. Each pocket 13 forms the side walls 4 and an enclosed bottom 4', 
i.e., the receptacle 3 and areas 14 of the die 12 form the frame 6, such 
that each receptacle 3 and surrounding frame 6 are constructed from the 
same piece of material. Areas 15 are used to form tab portions 7 which are 
also part of the same piece of material. 
After the bottom film is shaped to form the receptacle 3, frame 6 and tab 
portions 7, a product is placed in each of the individual receptacles 3. A 
top film is then placed over the die 12 to cover pockets 13 and outer 
areas 14,15. The top film should be slightly narrower than a length "a" of 
a row of pockets 13. The top film is preferably constructed from a 
Polyester/easy peel Surlyn material. The top and bottom films are pressed 
together between the bottom die 12 and a top die. Each of the containers' 
atmospheres is then evacuated and the top film is heat sealed to the 
bottom film around the tops of each of the receptacles through the 
application of pressure by the top die and bottom die 12, i.e., in areas 
14 to completely seal the contents of each of the containers. The top and 
bottom films are not sealed in areas 15, thereby creating the peel tab 9 
of the multi-container package 1. Moreover, it would also be possible to 
leave other areas unsealed, such as a section of the areas between 
individual containers to create peel tabs on more than one side. The 
dimples 10 are formed during the container-forming process by raised 
notches 19 in the die 12. 
As shown, the die 12 is used to construct three multi-container packages 1 
arranged longitudinally, each including five individual containers 2 
arranged transversely. After the top and bottom films are sealed, the 
three individual multi-container packages 1 are separated by making 
transverse cuts along dotted lines 16 through both films. Further, 
weakened zones, represented by dotted lines 11, are formed between 
adjacent containers 2 by creating perforations, or score lines, which 
extend through the frame 6 and lid 8 to allow for ease of separation. 
The individual containers may have any desired size. Further, the same die 
12 may be used to construct smaller containers by placing a spacer (not 
shown) in the base of the pockets 13 prior to positioning the bottom film 
over the die 12. Such spacers have a rectangular shape and fill the bottom 
of the pockets 13, thereby simply creating a rectangular shaped container 
with a shortened depth. 
In one use of the multi-container package of the invention, the individual 
containers are designed to hold bars of cheese, each bar weighing about 
100 grams and equaling approximately one cup of cheese when shredded. 
Because different cheeses have different densities, different container 
sizes may be required. Thus, the spacers may be used to adjust container 
size depending on whether the packaged cheese is Mozzarella, Cheddar, etc. 
If only a slight change is required in container size, less heat and air 
pressure are applied to the bottom film so that it does not fully mold to 
the pockets, and the resultant receptacles 3 are slightly smaller than the 
size of the pockets 13. The amount of vacuum needed to evacuate each of 
the individual containers 2 should be just sufficient so that the top film 
forms a relatively flat lid, i.e., to eliminate any washboard effect. 
As shown in FIG. 4, the top film may include information regarding the 
package contents, etc. printed on it, thereby serving as a label. In the 
preferred embodiment, the package 1 is of a size sufficient to include all 
necessary labeling information on the lid 8. This is more convenient to 
the consumer who does not need to turn the package to read printing on 
more than one side. The manufacturing process is also less complex. Such 
labeling may, for example, include a section 20 for indicating the product 
brand and a general description of the package contents, a section 21 
providing nutritional information, and a section 22 for providing bar-code 
information. Further, each individual container 2 may include information 
which is useful upon removal from the package 1. Such information would 
include an indication 23 of the weight or size, e.g., a 1 cup measure, of 
the container contents. 
Although the invention has been described in considerable detail with 
respect to preferred embodiments thereof, variations and modifications 
will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the 
spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.