Unitary compartmented package and method of making same

A unitary multi-compartment package includes a package body member which partially encloses a formed product tray having multiple product compartments. The product tray is attached to the package body member and the multiple product compartments depend downwardly therethrough through one or more openings. Package flap panels are folded around and underneath the product tray to partially enclose the product compartments between opposing package panels. A cover film is attached to the product tray to seal individual distinct product portions in multiple product compartments.

The present invention generally relates to a multi-component package for 
food products. More particularly, the present invention relates to a 
package having multiple compartments intended for different products which 
are packaged in a single unit. 
There are many instances where it is desirable to package two or more 
different component products together and sell them as a unit. Often, in 
instances where the component products are food products, the freshness or 
perception of freshness of such products may be affected in some manner if 
the two component products are in contact with one another at any time. 
Thus, it is often desirable to package two or more components in the same 
package unit but in isolation from each other. 
As an example, preassembled lunch or snack packages which are composed of 
sliced meat, diced cheese, stacked crackers and/or dessert pudding can be 
packaged in this manner. The flavor, texture and perceived freshness of 
these products may be affected if they are exposed to or allowed to 
contact one another during the time of package filling. In addition, 
changeovers from one type of meat to another during the assembly of such 
packages would require a wet sanitation which would seriously reduce 
production and greatly affect the freshness of components such as 
crackers. 
In the assembly of such multiple compartment packages it is desirable to 
form, fill and seal such packages in a single assembly line. Where such an 
assembly can be done on a single web in a continuous process, rather than 
an intermittent process requiring transfer to different work stations, 
manufacturing costs are saved and higher production speeds are more easily 
attained. In such a continuous process, it is desirable to laminate a 
flexible, formable film to a precut paperboard stock to allow the package 
inner product tray to be formed directly on the assembly line, rather than 
off-line, thereby eliminating the need for providing space near the 
production line for an inventory of product trays. 
There have been some attempts to produce multi-compartment packages. For 
example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,159,771 describes a container having multiple, 
individual and independently openable product compartments. The individual 
product compartments are formed and filled in a separate product tray. 
This product tray is later inserted into a partially formed paperboard 
carton which is then further assembled over the product to form a sealed 
carton enclosing the same. This process requires that the product 
compartment be formed and filled at a separate station and then conveyed 
to the outer carton assembly station. As such, it is labor intensive, and 
the production speed thereof is limited by the efficiency at which the 
separate product trays are filled and conveyed to the carton assembly 
station. 
On the other hand, U.S. Pat. No. 4,355,755 describes a food tray suitable 
for packaging as individual food units into a final package wherein the 
tray is formed by drawing a paperboard blank into a tray shape having 
individual product compartments. Although the tray can be formed and 
filled in-line, the filled product must be separately packaged. 
The present invention successfully addresses the aforementioned 
disadvantages and provides significant advantages in that it provides an 
outer paperboard package component having a plurality of package panels, 
at least one of which serves as a support for a multiple compartment 
product tray formed from a flexible film which is attached to the 
paperboard package component. During assembly, the multiple product 
compartments are formed in place on a package support panel section of a 
paperboard blank, and the remaining package panel section of the blank are 
folded around the formed product tray such that the product tray is held 
in place between two opposing package panels. A covering film which is 
applied to the product tray and its paperboard support is sealed thereto 
to provide a hermetic seal disposed around each of the multiple product 
compartments. Preferably, the package has an easy-open or "peel" seal 
portion which can maintain a vacuum pressurized and/or gas-flushed 
environment within the package while permitting at least a portion of the 
covering film to be separated from the rest of the package by the 
application of digital forces. 
One or more package end panels effectively enclose the product tray within 
the folded and assembled package blank to thereby provide an assembled 
package having a "boxed" and somewhat rigid shape which is particularly 
well-suited for automated packing of individual package units into larger 
shipping boxes. 
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide an 
improved unitary package having multiple, individually sealed product 
compartments. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide a multi-ply package 
blank capable of forming a unitary, multiple product compartment package 
containing a product tray held between two opposing package panels, 
wherein the blank includes a bottom package-forming web and a top product 
tray-forming web, the top web including a formable film adhered to a 
package support panel and covering an opening therein, the top film being 
capable of forming a product tray. The bottom web has a pair of package 
flap panels which extend away from the product tray support panel to 
enclose the product tray therebetween. 
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a package 
which is adapted to hold a product tray having multiple compartments and 
wherein the multiple product compartments are adapted to contain 
quantities of different food products such as sliced meat products, dairy 
products and cracker products. 
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a package having 
a product tray with separate product compartments wherein the product tray 
is adhered to and supported by a package face panel. 
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a process for 
manufacturing a multiple product compartment package having a product tray 
formed in an outer package wrapper. 
These and other objects of the present invention will become more readily 
apparent from a reading of the following detailed description.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a unitary multiple compartment package 
10 constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention. 
The package 10 is particularly suitable for sealing multiple distinct 
portions of perishable meat, dairy and cracker products, such as bologna 
slices 12, cheese slices 14 and crackers 16, between a one-piece product 
tray 20 and a covering film sheet 40. The package 10 includes three main 
components: the semi-rigid product tray 20, a package outer body member 30 
and a package cover 40. 
As shown in detail in FIG. 4, the product tray 20, which is easily vacuum 
formed in a conventional manner from a formable plastic film such as 
Barex.RTM. or polyethylene terephthalate (PET) contains three separate 
hollow receptacles or product compartments 21, 22, 23 which are 
interconnected to each other by an integral and connective inner rim 24. 
The inner rim 24 is interconnected to each product receptacle 21, 22, 23 
at the top of the downwardly depending sidewalls thereof 24, 25, 26. Each 
product compartment typically is illustrated as generally rectangular in 
shape, however, it will be understood that other shapes, such as circular 
shapes can accommodate the various food products intended for depositing 
therein. The product compartments each have a sufficient number of 
vertical and bottom sidewalls to form a receptacle or product compartment 
having a desired depth to accommodate a preselected amount of food 
product(s). The connective rim 24 is sufficiently wide to form an inner 
flange 27 extending between the multiple product compartments which flange 
27 provides the product tray 20 with an underside surface which can be 
securely attached to the package body member 30 as will be explained in 
greater detail below. Additionally, the top surface of the inner flange 27 
provides a surface surrounding the product compartments 21, 22, 23 to 
which the flexible cover film 40 is attached which seals the food products 
12, 14, 16 in the package product tray 20. 
The product tray 20 also includes an outer rim 28 extending around the 
perimeter of the product tray 20 which rim 28 also has a width generally 
similar to that of the inner rim 27. The outer rim 28 also provides the 
product tray 20 with an outer flange 35 which can be securely adhered to 
both the body member 30 on its underside and to which the cover film 40 
can be adhered to on its upper side. 
The first flexible film 19 which forms the product tray 20 can be made from 
a variety of materials including plastic films, multi-layered laminated 
films and/or co-extruded films and the like. A preferred plastic film for 
assembly of the product trays of the packages of the present invention is 
one which is substantially impervious to air, oxygen and/or moisture. As 
is known in the art, multi-layered films comprised of Saran and nylon; 
Saran and polypropylene, ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) and nylon, and 
ethylene vinyl alcohol and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) are suitable. 
Referring specifically to FIGS. 2 and 7, the product tray 20 is secured in 
place in the package 10 by contact with a face panel 32 of a package body 
member 30. The package face panel 32 may have any preselected number of 
openings 34 which correspond in location and number to the multiple 
product compartments 21-23 of the product tray 20 so as to facilitate 
assembly of the package 10. Three such openings 34 are shown in the FIG. 1 
embodiment and seven 304 are shown in the FIG. 10 embodiment 300. 
Alternatively, as is shown in the package embodiment 200 illustrated in 
FIG. 9, the face panel 202 of the package body member 204 may just have a 
single, generally rectangular opening 206 which is adapted to receive the 
product tray 208 and its associated multiple product compartments 210 
therein. 
The product tray 20 of the package 10 is preferably adhered to the inner 
and outer 27, 28 rims of the package face panel 32 by any suitable 
conventional means, such as a layer of adhesive 38 disposed in a pattern 
on the face panel rims 27, 28 surrounding the multiple openings 24 and the 
product tray 20. The product tray 20, can also be attached to the face 
panel 30 by heat sealing or ultrasonic welding prior to forming of the 
product compartments 21-23. A covering film 40, is placed on top of the 
product tray 20 after the food products have been deposited therein and is 
attached to the top surfaces of the inner and outer connective rims 27, 28 
thereof to provide a hermetic peelable seal 42 surrounding each distinct 
product portion 12-16 and extending around the perimeter of the product 
tray 20. It is preferable that the package hermetic seal 42 is a secure, 
yet peelable hermetic seal which maintains a secure seal during handling 
and storage that can be peeled back upon the application of digital forces 
applied to either the ends or corners of the covering film sheet 19. 
As can be readily seen from the Figures, the product tray 20 is partially 
enclosed between two opposing panels of the package body member 30, shown 
as the top package face panel 32 and the package bottom panel 58. The 
package body member 30 is preferably made from a paperboard or cardboard 
stock of a sufficient thickness to withstand the various steps of the 
package assembly process. Additionally, the body member 30 should have a 
surface which accepts printing inks and the desired adhesive means of 
attachment between the product tray 20 and itself. The body member 30 may 
include an extended package flap panel which extends away from the face 
panel portion 32 thereof and which is folded around the product tray 
compartments 21-23 to partially enclose them between two opposing panels 
of the package 10, a pair of flap panels 52, 32 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 7 
which extend away from opposing sides of the package face panel 32. 
To assemble the body member 30 in its product tray enclosing configuration, 
the flap panels 52, 53 are folded downwardly along a first fold line 60, 
60' disposed generally parallel to and proximate to opposing edges of the 
product tray 20 to define a pair of package side panels. The flap panels 
52, 53 may be further folded along a pair of second fold lines 62, 62', 
disposed exterior of and generally parallel to the first fold lines to 
define a pair of package bottom panel halves 54, 54' and a pair of package 
sealing panels 56, 56'. The package sealing panels 56, 56' are attached 
together at confronting faces thereof and may also include a pair of 
additional sealing extension flanges 64, 64' at the ends. 
The body member 30 final configuration is accomplished by either attaching 
the package sealing panels 56, 56' to each other or, in addition thereto, 
the additional extension flanges 64, 64' may be further attached to the 
underside of one of the inner rims 27 of the package face panel 32 as 
illustrated in FIG. 2. Inasmuch as the package flap panels extend away 
from the package face panel 32 on two sides thereof the product tray 20 is 
partially enclosed between the package face panel 32 and the bottom panels 
54, 54'. 
The cover film 40, which is adhered to the product tray inner and outer 
rims 27, 28 may be preprinted with suitable package graphics. The present 
invention provides certain advantages in that any desired number of 
product compartments may be formed in the product tray 20. In this regard, 
only the eventual package body member with need be increased. 
The production of packages of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 3 and 
5 through 8. A continuous strip 100 of the package body member blanks 
which are preprinted and prepunched to provide the desired number of 
openings 102, 102' in the face panel portion 104, 104' thereof (FIG. 3) is 
advanced from a supply roll 150. The continuous feed strip 100 may include 
a series equally spaced transverse lines of weakening 106, 106' which 
define adjacent individual package blanks 108, 108' arranged in succeeding 
order. A length of formable film 110 is advanced off of a supply roll 160 
or the like and deposited onto the package face panels 104, 104' of 
successive package blanks 108, 108'. The formable film 110 is suitably 
attached to the package blanks 108, 108', either by attaching the film 110 
over the openings 102, 102' in each blank 108, 108' in preselected lengths 
terminating at or shortly interior of the transverse lines of separation 
106, or by attaching the film 110 as a continuous length across adjoining 
successive package face panels 104, 104' to form a series of continuous, 
interconnected package film assemblies. The film 110 may be attached to 
the package face panels 104, 104' by laminating, adhesively sealing or 
heat sealing it to the inner and outer rims 140, 141 of the face panels 
104, 104'. The film 110 is preferably dimensioned to match the transverse 
dimensions of the package face panels so that there is no wasting of the 
first film material during the production process. 
After the film 110 is attached to the package face panel 104, successive 
package film blanks 108, 108' are advanced to a product tray forming 
station 114 where the product tray 120, 120' of each package blank 108, 
108' is formed from the film 110 (FIG. 5). A mold or platter 122 having an 
appropriate number of mold cavities corresponding in number and location 
to match those desired for the final package is brought into contact with 
the underside of the continuous feed strip 100. A vacuum is applied to the 
mold as shown in FIG. 5, and the portions of the film 110 positioned over 
the mold cavities are drawn into the mold cavities 123 to form a 
continuous strip of interconnected successive package assemblies having 
product receiving compartments. 
A preselected amount of different products, such as meat, dairy products, 
crackers, and the like are then deposited into the multiple product 
compartments at a package filling station 115. The filled assemblies are 
subsequently transferred to a package sealing station 116 where the 
covering film sheet 126 is fed from a supply roll 170 or the like into a 
position opposite to and above the multiple product compartments of the 
package blank assemblies and into contact therewith at the inner and outer 
rims 140, 141 thereof. 
The covering film sheet 126, which may be preprinted, is then adhered to 
the portions of the product tray 120 which surround the product 
compartments and is bonded or otherwise suitably affixed thereto at 
hermetic seal areas 128. The cover film sheet 126 may be bonded to the 
product tray by any conventional sealing means which will effect the 
desired hermetic seal such as by heat sealing, adhesive sealing or 
ultrasonic welding. 
Each package blank 108, 108' of the continuous feed strip 100 may have one 
or more pairs of opposing slits or ports 130, 131 disposed along first 
marginal fold lines 135, 135' thereof which facilitate the insertion of 
probes proximate to the product compartments to permit the product 
compartments to be evacuated and flushed with an anti-oxidant gas, such as 
nitrogen or carbon dioxide after filling. These slits 130, 131 are 
disposed in the area of the package face panels 104, 104 which is 
eventually sealed by the package cover film sheets 126. 
The continuous sheet of filled, innerconnected packages are then conveyed 
to a package separating station 117 where individual package assemblies 
are separated from the continuous feed strip 100 along the transverse 
lines 106, 106' thereof. The individual package assemblies are then 
subsequently conveyed to a final package forming station 118 where the 
package flap panel (or panels) 132, 133 are folded along first fold lines 
135, 135' away from the package face panel 104 (FIG. 7) to form the 
package side or end panels 136, 136' of the package 10. The flap panels 
are further folded along second fold lines 137, 137' exterior of the first 
fold lines 135, 135' to form the bottom package panel 180. As mentioned 
above, the package sealing flanges 185, 186 are adhered together to 
complete the package. 
It will be seen that while certain embodiments of the present invention 
have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the 
art that changes and modifications may be made therein without departing 
from the true spirit of the scope of the invention.