Abstract:
A container for food products including a receptacle having a sidewall and a bottom wall that define a container area that receives the food product, a lid removably coupled to said receptacle, and a label having a window for viewing information on an outside surface of the receptacle. The outside surface of the sidewall also includes printing thereon. The sidewall further includes at least one top embossment and at least one bottom embossment disposed thereon and the label is rotatably mounted upon the outside surface of the receptacle between the top embossment and the bottom embossment. The top embossment and the bottom embossment resist translation of the label with respect to the outside surface of the receptacle in a longitudinal direction. The label includes at least one window disposed thereon that allows a user to view a portion of the outside surface of the receptacle.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    None 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Food containers with removable lids are well known in the industry. Such containers will typically comprise a container bottom or receptacle having a container area therein for the storage of a food product. The container receptacle will typically have a sidewall, a bottom wall and an upwardly opening top defined by a peripheral lip. A lid is removably mounted to the receptacle at the open end to selectively close the container opening. The lid may be semi-permanently secured to the receptacle or may be easily removably mounted to the receptacle as for example a friction fit or held in place by a snap lock fit. For some food products, a membrane closure can also be provided for hermetically sealing the container bottom and to provide tamper evidence should the container be opened prior to sale or even after sale. An overwrap may also be provided for the container, particularly those containers which have the lid easily removable, to help prevent tampering and accidental lid removal. 
         [0003]    Containers with easily removable lids are typically used for ice cream, yogurt, margarine, sour cream, dips, sauces and the like. Another novel application is for the use of frozen food items such as chicken chunks, nuggets, or other individually frozen meat or seafood products or other similar single piece appetizers. In such case, the container bottom or receptacle is made from a material and by a method compatible with the product to be stored. Examples of such receptacles include a helically wrapped paperboard, a convolute wrapped construction, a polymeric container made by injection molding, thermoforming or vacuum forming. The lids may also be thermoformed or injection molded or may also be made out of paperboard or the like. Such containers are well known in the industry. 
         [0004]    As these containers may have been previously used for ice cream, yogurt, margarine, sour cream, dips, sauces and the like, most frozen food items such as breaded chicken chunks, other meat or seafood products, or individual appetizer pieces are currently being sold in zippered, gusseted bags. The closures on these bags often come open or unknowingly come apart during storage subjecting the contents to freezer burn or other taste contamination. Moreover, the layout of the labeling and graphics on the bags are limited, particularly by the time all of the regulatory requirements for labeling of food products are met. 
         [0005]    As consumers continually face decreases in meal preparation time and an ever increasing need to get the most food for their budgets, food providers are looking for ways to make the lives of their consumer&#39;s easier to make it more desirable to purchase their products. One way to do this is to provide additional suggested uses, recipes, or methods of preparation for their products beyond conventional knowledge. Therefore, it is desirable for food providers to have additional label area to allow a food provider to print more information on the label to communicate to consumers various preparation methods and a plurality of easy to make recipes that incorporate the product. 
         [0006]    Another way to appeal to customers is to provide a storage container that preserves the taste and freshness of frozen foodstuffs so that consumers are provided a good tasting food item whether the food item is prepared when the package is first opened or after it has been stored in the freezer. Particularly with breaded items, a significant portion of the taste is in the breading and conventional bags do not protect the food item during transport. Therefore, the breading is often knocked off the product during transport or handling. Further conventional bags do not provide a reliable seal and the zipper bags may come apart. Therefore, there is a need in the art for a container that improvingly protects the flavor and freshness of a frozen food items. 
         [0007]    Thus, there is a need in the art for a container to store a frozen food product to better preserve the taste and quality of the food product and there is a further need for such a container that also maximizes the printable area and the ability for the food provider to convey information and suggested uses to the end consumer. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    The present invention involves the provision of a closeable food container having a storage container area forming a can-shaped receptacle with an opening to provide access to the stored contents. Such closeable food container includes a sidewall, a bottom wall and an upwardly opening top defined by a peripheral lip. The sidewall includes an exterior face that includes printed information on at least a portion of the exterior face. A rotatable label is rotatably mounted on the exterior surface of the sidewall. The rotatable label is wrapped around the exterior surface of the container. The sidewall includes at least one substantially linear top embossment and at least one substantially linear bottom embossment that resists the outer label from translating longitudinally along the container. The rotatable label includes at least one transparent or cut-out window that allows the consumer to view information printed on the exterior surface of the container&#39;s sidewall. The rotatable label also includes information printed on its exterior surface and thereby allows the food provider to increase the amount of product related information that may be conveyed to the consumer. 
         [0009]    The container of the present invention also includes a removable lid having a downwardly extending skirt configured to engage the peripheral lip of the open top. One embodiment may include an inwardly extending shoulder that is configured to engage with the peripheral lip of the container to provide a catch for the lid so that it takes a measurable force to remove the lid from the container. Other lid configurations are known in the art and a person of skill in the art would recognize that these lid configurations are within the scope of the present invention. 
         [0010]    The present invention also involves the provision of a process for manufacturing a food container including a lid and container bottom. The substantially cylindrical sidewall is formed in a convolute wrap with a rolled upper rim and the bottom of the container is added thereto. Further, the lid is suitably formed. Top and bottom embossments are formed in the sidewall of the container and the outer label is rotatably mounted adjacent to the exterior surface of the container&#39;s sidewall. The lid is removably mounted to the container after the contents of the container are placed therein. The lid may be formed to provide a depending skirt to help secure the lid to the container. 
         [0011]    Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawing figures. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
         [0012]    The accompanying drawings form a part of the specification and are to be read in conjunction therewith, in which like reference numerals are employed to indicate like or similar parts in the various views, and wherein: 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  is a front view of a container in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is an exploded front view of a container in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a cross-section view of the container shown in  FIG. 1  taken generally along line  3 - 3  in the direction of the arrows; and 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is a top perspective view of a label of a container in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0017]    The following detailed description of the invention references the accompanying drawing figures that illustrate specific embodiments in which the invention can be practiced. In the drawing figures, like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout. For purposes of clarity in illustrating the characteristics of the present invention, proportional relationships of the elements have not necessarily been maintained in the drawing figures. 
         [0018]    The present invention is directed toward a container  10  for food products comprising a receptacle  12 , a rotatable sleeve label designated generally  14 , and a lid designated generally  16 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , receptacle  12  is shown as having a cylindrical can-shape and having a sidewall  18 , a bottom wall  20  at a base portion  22  and an open mouth  24 . The open mouth  24  includes an opening  26  defined about its perimeter by a lipped upper portion  28  of receptacle  12 .  FIG. 2  illustrates an embodiment of sidewall  18  formed by the convolute wrapping of same so that a first end  30  and a second end  32  overlap to form a side seam  38 .  FIG. 3  shows sidewall  18  having an inside surface  34  and an outside surface  36 , as well as sidewall  18  and bottom wall  20  defining a container area  40  for the storage of a food product such as ice cream, yogurt, cereal, desserts, breaded meat products, individual frozen appetizers, or the like. 
         [0019]    The outside surface  36  of sidewall  18  may have indicia such as the name of the product, the brand name, labeling information, suggested uses, recipes, preparation instructions, other product information, and other graphics and/or trade dress printed thereon. One embodiment of receptacle  12  is advantageous because the indicia may be printed on outside surface  36  of a flat piece of paperboard and then receptacle  12  may be formed thereafter. Printing flat paperboard is significantly more cost efficient than printing on a three-dimensional cylinder thereby resulting in significant cost reductions in the manufacturing of container  10 . 
         [0020]    Receptacle  12  may be suitably formed of a suitable material for example a plastic coated paperboard in the event the contents will contain components that could migrate into the paperboard such liquids, e.g., water and/or lipids, e.g., fats and oils. A conventional bottom seal  42  (either hot melt or sonic weld) at the junction between the bottom  20  and sidewall  18  in the container area  40  results in a substantially leak-resistant container. 
         [0021]      FIG. 3  further illustrates an embodiment that includes that an outwardly rolled lip  46  located at the upper portion  28  of receptacle  12  to strengthen sidewall  18  at open mouth  24  and to help secure lid  16  to receptacle  12 . Receptacle  12  having substantially similar appearance and features described above may alternatively be thermoformed, vacuum formed or injection molded from a polymeric material if desired. Receptacle  12  may be any material now known or hereafter used in the art; including, plastic, polyethylene, other polymers, paperboard, cardboard, vellum paper, laminated paper, and waxed paper. 
         [0022]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , sidewall  18  further includes at least one substantially linear top embossment  50  and at least one substantially linear bottom embossment  52 . Embossments  50  and  52  are generally a slightly raised portion of the outside surface  36  of sidewall  18  and one embodiment may also include a corresponding depression on inside surface  34  of sidewall  18  as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . Embossments  50  and  52  may include an apex  80  that substantially corresponds to the high point of embossments  50  and  52 . The at least one top and bottom embossments  50  and  52  generally substantially circumscribe sidewall  18  and are substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of receptacle  12  as shown.  FIG. 2  illustrates an alternative embodiment including a plurality of spaced apart top embossments  50   a  and  50   b  that are radially distributed about the center of the container area. The top embossments  50   a  and  50   b  may be equally spaced or randomly distributed around the exterior surface  36  of sidewall  18 . The at least one bottom embossment  52  may be configured similarly to at least one top embossment  50  in all embodiments as described above. 
         [0023]    Lid  16  is preferably molded from a polymeric material. A preferred molding method is injection molding however, thermoforming or vacuum forming may also be used if desired. Lid  16  may also be formed from paperboard, cardboard, wax paper, any other material now known or hereafter developed in the art, or any combination thereof using any method now known or hereafter developed. As best shown in  FIG. 3 , lid  16  includes a skirt  54  connected to a top wall  56  at an intersection  58  and skirt  54  further includes a free end  82  opposite intersection  58 . Skirt  54  includes an inside surface  60  and an outside surface  62 . The inside surface  60  of skirt  54  engages rolled lip  46  at upper portion  28 . A shoulder  64  may be provided on the inside surface  60  of skirt  54  to catch under rolled lip  46  to help secure lid  16  to receptacle  12  when lid  16  is in a closed position. This results in a configuration where a measurable force is required to remove lid  16  from receptacle  12  when shoulder  64  is engaged with extending lip  46 . One embodiment of receptacle  12  and lid  16  includes the measurable force being greater than the weight of lid  16  and the contents of receptacle  12 . 
         [0024]    As shown in  FIG. 4 , rotatable label  14  includes a first end  66 , a second end  68 , a top edge  70 , a bottom edge  72 , an inner surface  74  and an outer surface  76 . Rotatable label  14  further includes window  78 . Window  78  may be a portion of rotatable label  14  that is transparent or that is cut-out of label  14 . Window  78  is configured to allow a consumer to see through label  14  to view indicia printed on a portion of outside surface  36  of receptacle  12 . In one embodiment, first end  66  and second end  68  of label  14  overlap in order to form a tubular shape. However, any method now known or hereafter developed of constructing a label resulting in a tubular shape is within the scope of the present invention. 
         [0025]    The dimensions of the tubular shape is configured to be complimentary to the shape of receptacle  12  such that rotatable label  14  slides over and may be rotated about outside surface  36  of receptacle  12 . First end  66  and second end  68  may be coupled through any coupling method known in the art, including: adhesives, crimping, staples, rivets, male-female connectors, pins, or any other method now known or hereafter developed. Rotatable label  14  may be any material now known or hereafter used in the art; including, plastic, polyethylene, other polymers, paperboard, cardboard, vellum paper, laminated paper, and waxed paper. The outer surface  76  of rotatable label  14  may also have indicia such as the name of the product, the brand name, labeling information, suggested uses, recipes, preparation instructions, other product information, and other graphics and/or trade dress printed thereon. The indicia on outer surface  76  of rotatable label  14  may be configured to be used in concert with the indicia on outer surface  36  of receptacle  12 . For example, window  78  may be sized to correspond with a plurality of distinct printed areas on outer surface  36  such that a recipe using the food product may be printed on outer surface  36  and can be viewed through window at one location and thereafter, nutritional information printed on outer surface  36  can be viewed through window  78  simply by rotating label  14 . 
         [0026]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , one embodiment of container  10  of the present invention includes apex  80  of at least one top embossment  50  being located at substantially the same distance from radially extending lip  46  as free end  82  of skirt  54  along sidewall  18  when the lid is in closed position on receptacle  12 . This embodiment of the positioning of at least one top embossment  50  resists label  14  from sliding toward rolled lip  46  to prevent any indicia proximate top edge  70  of rotatable label  14  from being hidden by skirt  54  of lid  16 . Another embodiment, shown in  FIG. 2 , includes a plurality of top embossments  50   a  and  50   b  that have a stepped configuration with top embossments  50   a  and  50   b  located in at least two different positions along the longitudinal direction of receptacle  12 . Thus, in this embodiment, at least one top embossment  50   b  further prevents rotatable label from becoming bound up or prevented from rotating around receptacle  12  by being pinched between outside surface  36  and rolled lip  46  of sidewall  18 . 
         [0027]    The present invention may be better understood by a description of the method of manufacture. Receptacles  12  may be suitable formed as by suitably wrapping paperboard or by molding. Generally, the forms of receptacles  12  are printed, cut-out and constructed in a facility separate from the food manufacturing area as for example at a separate manufacturing facility. Forms of receptacle  12  may also be printed and cut-out at a large container manufacturing center and shipped flat to the food manufacturing facility where they are assembled on-site thereby increasing shipping efficiency. At least one top embossment  50   a  and at least one bottom embossment  52  are formed on sidewall  18  either before, during, or after receptacle  12  is formed. Embossments  50  and  52  may be formed through any embossing method known or hereafter developed. 
         [0028]    Embossing methods may include sidewall  18  being embossed in a flat form by known techniques by scoring sidewall  18  against a counter with a steel rule (not shown) when sidewall  18  is die-cut from a sheet. The steel rule forces the sidewall material into a groove in a counter (not shown) on the opposite side of the sheet material thereby creating the embossment. In this case, the steel rule is on the back side (inside surface  34  of sidewall  18 ) and the counter is located on the top side (print side or outside surface  36 ) of sidewall  18  so that steel rule forms the embossments  50  and  52  outward toward the print side. In another possible embodiment, sidewall  18  can be scored by a tool (not shown) that is inserted and actuated inside the finished container  10 . In this embodiment, the embossments  50  and  52  are made after sidewall  18  and bottom  20  are formed, either before or after rolled lip  46  is formed. The tool may comprise an embossing wheel that engages sidewall  18  from the inside as the tool is turned. The embossing wheel engages inside surface  34  of sidewall  18  forming it outward against a counter groove that extends around at least a portion of the perimeter of container  10 . Further, when receptacle  12  is molded or formed plastic, top embossments  50  and bottom embossment  52  may be formed into sidewall  18  during the molding process. 
         [0029]    After receptacle  12  is formed and at least one top embossment  50  and at least one bottom embossment  52  are formed on sidewall  18 , rotatable label  14  is rotatably mounted upon receptacle  12 . Rotatable label  14  may be mounted upon receptacle  12  by any method now known or hereafter developed in the art, including: wrapped around receptacle on a label wrapping machine, a pre-formed label slid over bottom portion  22  of receptacle  12  and onto outside surface  36  as shown in  FIG. 2 , or receptacle  12  slid through a opening created in the tubular label  14 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , rotatable label  14  is mounted upon receptacle  12  between at least one top embossment  50  and at least one bottom embossment  52  such that top edge  70  is proximate at least one top embossment  50  and bottom edge  72  is proximate at least one bottom embossment  52 . Rotatable label  14  is free to rotate about outside surface  36  of receptacle  12  such that indicia printed on outside surface  36  of receptacle  12  is viewable through window  78 . 
         [0030]    Receptacles  12  are fed along a filling line and product is deposited within the container area  18 . Generally, the product is deposited by weight in a suitable manner. Preferably, lid  16  is injection molded wherein the outside surface  62  of the skirt  54  is generally cylindrical and the top wall  56  is similarly circular. Shoulders  64  may also be formed on inside surface  60  of skirt  54  during the molding process. Lid  16  is thus preferably an integrally molded single piece unit. Lid  16  is then removably coupled to receptacle  12  of filled container  10  at the food manufacturing plant after receptacle  12  is filled with food product. 
         [0031]    From the foregoing, it may be seen that the container of the present invention is particularly well suited for the proposed usages thereof. Furthermore, since certain changes may be made in the above invention without departing from the scope hereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. It is also to be understood that the following claims are to cover certain generic and specific features described herein.