Abstract:
The invention provides a food packaging system that preferably includes a system for facilitating progressive or incremental delivery of individual, single-serving hand-held food items to the consumer, along with a carton for containing a plurality of the food items and associated delivery systems. The packaging system provides protection for the food items during packaging, shipping handling, retail display and consumer use, and also makes them readily accessible to the consumer, without requiring direct manual contact with the food item. The packaging system preferably includes a separate disposable delivery system for each food item.

Description:
This is a continuation-in-part of non-provisional application Ser. No. 09/433,039, filed Oct. 25, 1999, now abandoned, and prior provisional application Ser. No. 60/160,279, filed Oct. 19, 1999. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates generally to containers for food products, and more particularly to a food delivery system and associated packaging for hand-held food products. 
     2. Background and Description of Related Art 
     In recent years, there has been increased interest in hand-held foods, e.g., single serve food items for consumption without utensils. Such items are intended to be easily handled by the consumer so that they can be eaten in a variety of circumstances, e.g., while driving, without requiring a great deal of time and attention, preferably without leaving residue on the consumer&#39;s fingers. In providing a container for this type of product, among the considerations that must be addressed are the ability of the container to receive product in high-speed commercial filling operations; the degree of difficulty that will be encountered by the consumer in dispensing product from the container; the ability of the container to withstand various loads, such as stacking loads, during filling, sealing, shipping, display, and consumer use; the ability of the container to be packed efficiently among like containers; the cost of manufacture of the container; the ability of the container to exclude air to enable acceptable shelf life to be maintained, and the costs and difficulty associated with forming, filling and sealing the container. It is also important that containers of this type be aesthetically pleasing where they are intended to be displayed for commercial sale to consumers in grocery stores and/or other retail establishments. 
     It is a general object of the invention to provide a lightweight, economical, commercially viable container for food products which adequately addresses the above considerations, and which includes a food delivery system to facilitate dispensing of single servings of hand-held food products. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention provides a food packaging system that preferably includes a system for facilitating progressive or incremental delivery of individual, single-serving hand-held food items to the consumer, along with a carton for containing a plurality of the food items and associated delivery systems. The packaging system provides protection for the food items during packaging, shipping, handling, retail display and consumer use, and also makes them readily accessible to the consumer, without requiring direct manual contact with the food item. The packaging system preferably includes a separate disposable delivery system for each food item. 
     The food delivery system preferably comprises an elongated tray supporting the food item within an overwrap. The tray preferably has sufficient strength and stiffness to withstand compression loads experienced during packaging, shipping, handling, retail display and consumer use, but also includes at least one predetermined area of weakness to facilitate controlled incremental bending of the tray to improve accessibility to the food item during incremental dispensing thereof. To this end, each side wall preferably comprises a plurality of distinct segments with frangible portions therebetween. The tray preferably may be bent or folded away from the food item so that one end portion of the food item is exposed on all sides while another end portion remains covered by the tray and overwrap to facilitate handling. The tray preferably comprises a bottom wall, a pair of side walls and a pair of end walls to withstand compression on all sides. The end walls enable the product to be withdrawn upwardly from the overwrap after an end of the overwrap has been opened or removed, by pulling upward on the tray, with one of the end walls of the tray being below the food product to push it upward, without requiring the consumer to handle the food product directly. 
     Each area of weakness preferably include notches in the side walls extending a portion of the height of each side wall, and a line of weakness extending from the bottom of each notch to the bottom wall. The notches and lines of weakness enable the sidewalls to be divided or split at predetermined locations by bending of the tray. To facilitate controlled folding of the bottom wall, the bottom wall includes a weakened area along a line extending between the lines of weakness in the sidewalls. This weakened area may comprise, e.g., an area of reduced thickness, a score line, a line of perforation, or other means to control bending. The tray may have upper regions of the side walls configured to facilitate engagement by the fingers of a person holding the food delivery system, e.g., one or more curved recesses in the upper edges of the side walls. 
     The overwrap preferably is hermetic, and may contain a gas flushed environment. The overwrap also preferably comprises a weakened area to facilitate opening. It may be made from one or more layers of suitable food-grade film of plastic material or the like, metal foil and/or paper. 
     The food item may comprise, for example, breakfast bars or other farinaceous products. One particular food item that may be packaged in accordance with the invention comprises a cream cheese component disposed within a larger farinaceous component or sandwiched between a pair of farinaceous components. The farinaceous components may comprise, e.g., baked bread products, bagel products or other products. 
     The carton may comprise a side-load carton or an end-load carton. The side-load carton may be assembled by a novel sequence of assembly steps wherein side walls for the carton and side portions of the cover can be formed efficiently and economically to provide a secure yet easily openable, commercially acceptable container. 
     Filling of the side-load carton involves positioning of food products in their associated delivery systems in horizontal rows of three, then pushing them into the container using a mandrel or the like, with the mandrel contacting one pair of delivery systems only. In the end-load carton, the mandrel may act directly on each of the delivery systems, which may reduce compression loads on the delivery systems as compared with the loads experienced by the delivery systems in contact with the mandrel in the above-described filling arrangement for the side-load carton. 
     The carton or reclosable display and dispensing container stands upright without support, and is thus, free-standing. Thus, once the carton is opened, or the top is removed by ripping off the cover along the line of weakness, the food items contained therein are readily available for accessibility by the consumer. This free-standing container may be placed on the kitchen shelf or in the refrigerator as an easy access to the food products contained therein. Moreover, the wrapping of the food product item contained therein has edges on the opposite ends of the food product bar. Thus, when the carton is opened, or the cover is ripped off, the several food product bars contained therein have edges to the wrapping which facilitates grasping by a consumer wishing to remove a food product bar from the display and dispensing container. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIGS. 1-4  are diagrammatic perspective views illustrating a method of using a food delivery system in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view illustrating an elongated tray in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view illustrating an elongated tray for a food delivery system in accordance with a third embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view illustrating a side load carton in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view illustrating a partially pre-glued, partially assembled precursor to the side load carton of  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIGS. 9-21  are perspective views illustrating a sequence of steps of assembling, filling, and sealing the side load carton of  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 22  is a perspective view illustrating the side load carton of  FIG. 7  in open position; 
         FIG. 23  is a perspective view illustrating an end load carton in accordance with another embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 24  is a perspective view illustrating the carton of  FIG. 23  in open position; 
         FIG. 25  is a perspective view illustrating the carton of  FIG. 23  in a reclosed position; 
         FIGS. 26 and 27  are perspective views illustrating the loading of an end load carton through the top end and bottom end, respectively; 
         FIG. 28  is a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention, not fully assembled; 
         FIG. 29  is a perspective view illustrating the carton of  FIG. 28  in closed position; 
         FIG. 30  is a perspective view illustrating the carton of  FIG. 28  in open position; 
         FIG. 31  is a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention, not fully assembled; 
         FIG. 32  is a perspective view illustrating the carton of  FIG. 31  in closed position; 
         FIG. 33  is a perspective view illustrating the carton of  FIG. 31  in open position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The invention is preferably embodied in a packaging system that includes a food delivery system as shown in  FIGS. 1-6 , in combination with a carton as shown in  FIGS. 7-27 . In the illustrated embodiments, the packaging system is used in conjunction with hand-held foods, i.e., edible items that may be held in a consumer&#39;s hand for consumption without utensils. In other embodiments, the packaging system may be used in conjunction with other food products. 
     For the purpose of illustrating the food-delivery system of the invention, there are shown in the drawings, which form a material part of this disclosure, preferred embodiments of the invention. The various components of the food delivery system of the present invention may be generally arranged as shown in the drawings, or as described herein below. However, the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements, configurations, dimensions and/or instrumentalities shown in these drawings, or described herein below. The arrangements, configurations, dimensions and instrumentalities may be otherwise, as circumstances require. 
     A preferred embodiment of the food delivery system will now be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, like reference symbols indicate the same components throughout the different views. 
       FIGS. 1-4  show a food delivery system  30  in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention and its method of use. The food delivery system of  FIGS. 1-4  generally includes an elongated tray  32  in which the food item  46  is positioned, and an overwrap  34  for the tray and food item. 
     The elongated tray includes a bottom wall  36 , side walls  38 , and end walls  40 , each side wall  38  having a bottom edge  42  joined to the bottom wall and a top edge  44 . The bottom wall  36 , side walls  38  and end walls  40  may be held in their positions in any suitable manner, e.g., by adhesives, fasteners, notches and slots in the walls, or other means for maintaining the walls in a fixed relationship to one another. The tray  32  preferably has sufficient strength and stiffness to withstand compression loads experienced during packaging, shipping, handling, retail display and consumer use, but also includes at least one predetermined area of weakness to facilitate controlled bending of the tray to improve accessibility to the food item during progressive dispensing thereof. To this end, each side wall preferably comprises a plurality of distinct segments  33  with frangible portions therebetween. The tray preferably may be bent or folded away from the food item  46  so that one end portion of the food item is exposed on all sides while another end portion remains covered by the tray  32  and overwrap  34  to facilitate handling. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the tray  32  comprises a generally rectangular bottom wall  36 , a pair of generally rectangular side walls  38 , and a pair of generally rectangular end walls  40  to enable the tray to withstand loads on all sides. The end walls enable the product to be withdrawn upwardly from the overwrap after an end of the overwrap has been opened or removed, by pulling upward on the tray, with one of the end walls of the tray being below the food product  46  to push it upward, without requiring the consumer to handle the food product directly. As alternatives to the generally rectangular configuration of the tray in the illustrated embodiments, the tray may, in other embodiments of the invention, be rectangular, elliptical, or even triangular in shape, depending on the food product&#39;s geometry. 
     Each frangible portion preferably is defined by an area of weakness that includes slots or notches  48  in the side walls extending a portion of the height of each side wall  38 , and a line of weakness such as a score line or a perforation  50  extending from the bottom of each notch  48  to the bottom wall  36 . The notches  48  and lines  50  of weakness enable the sidewalls to be divided or split at predetermined locations by bending of the tray. In the illustrated embodiments, each of the slots in the sidewalls comprises a notch extending between about ¼ and about ¾ of the distance from the top edge of the side wall to the bottom edge of the side wall. Such notches  48  may be any suitable shape which serves to facilitate splitting or tearing the side wall  38  so that the tray may be bent backward. 
     To facilitate controlled folding of the bottom wall, the bottom wall  36  includes one or more weakened areas  52 . Each weakened area  52  may comprise, e.g., an area of reduced thickness, a score line, a line of perforation, or other means to control bending. Each weakened area  52  extends between a pair of slots  48 . Thus, the notches  48 , perforated areas of the side walls  50 , and weakened areas  52  of the bottom wall work in conjunction with one another to facilitate controlled bending of the tray. Such slots  48  and weakened areas  52  are preferably spaced from an end of the tray by about one fifth to about one-half of the length of the tray  32 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , the tray  32  may have upper regions of the side walls configured to facilitate engagement by the fingers of a person holding the food delivery system, e.g., one or more curved recesses  54  in the upper edges of the side walls. The recesses or finger grips  54  may be obtained by die-cutting the upper regions of the side walls. These regions are preferably configured such that the fingers of the consumer fit within these regions comfortably, and to this end are dimensioned to correspond to the approximate size and spacing of the fingers of a typical consumer of the product to ergonomically enhance the packaging. 
     The tray  32  in the preferred embodiments is made of a paperboard substrate, but in other embodiments might be made of plastics or other materials, or combinations of paperboard, plastics and/or other materials. Also, a susceptor may be incorporated into the tray  32 . This would allow the food product to take on a crispy texture when microwaved. To assist in maintaining acceptable shelf life, an oxygen-scavenging system may be incorporated into one of the layers of the paperboard tray&#39;s laminate structure. 
     In one embodiment, the corners of the tray are secured by an automatically locking tab-in slot arrangement known as “Kliklok™”. With this embodiment, a flat blank is folded by a tray forming a mandrel or other suitable apparatus, and the corners are locked together without requiring adhesive, and without requiring manual assembly. 
     The food item  46  may comprise, for example, any snack food or food that may be eaten on the run. For instance, a breakfast bar or other farinaceous product is one such product. One particular food item  46  that may be packaged in accordance with the invention comprises a cream cheese component disposed within a larger farinaceous component or sandwiched between a pair of farinaceous components. The farinaceous components may comprise, e.g., baked bread products, bagel products, bagel-like products, bagel-like products with cream cheese components, or other products. Susceptors may be incorporated into the paperboard and thereby allow the food product to be crisped and heated in a microwave. Food items that such technology would be used for are pizza-like products, burgers, other hot sandwich-like concoctions, and the like. 
     The overwrap  34  encloses the tray  32  and the food item  46 . The illustrated overwrap  34  is formed from a single web of material, wrapped around the food item and closed by a longitudinal fin seal and transverse end seals. In the preferred embodiments, the overwrap is hermetic, and may contain a gas flushed environment. In other embodiments, for selected products, a cold seal pouch material could be used rather than a hermetically-sealable material, and the overwrap may be formed with cold seals, and may be non-hermetic. 
     The overwrap  34  preferably comprises a weakened area  56  to facilitate opening. The weakened area  56  may comprise, e.g., a series of scratches or the like in one or more layers of laminated film. Commercially available products providing weakened areas to facilitate opening that may be suitable include those marketed under the names “Magic Cut™” and “Fancy Cut™.” 
     The overwrap  34  is preferably made of a flexible plastic film which may comprise, e.g., one or more layers of polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon, polyethylene terepthalate (PET), linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) or other polymeric materials, and or metal foil, paper, or other suitable materials. 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , the tray  32  may include two pair of notches  48 , with a respective lines of weakness extending down to  50  and across  52  the bottom wall between each pair. In other embodiments, three or more pair of notches  48 , with associated lines of weakness, may be provided. The notch/perforation/score features, or other means to facilitate bending, may be located at any suitable locations along the side of the tray to optimize product delivery. 
     The dimensions of the tray may be variable. The length of the tray may vary from about 3.5 in about 5.5 in and is preferably about 4 in to about 5 in. The width of the tray may range from about 1 in to about 3 in, and is preferably, about 2 in. The depth of the tray may range from about 0.5 in to about 1.5 in, and is preferably, about 1 in. 
     A method of progressively dispensing a food item from a food delivery system is shown in  FIGS. 1-4 . The first step comprises opening an end of the overwrap  34  such that an end portion of the food item and tray are exposed. This may be done by tearing the overwrap open and displacing the food item  46  outward of the overwrap  34  to give access to the food item  46  to the consumer. Next, the side walls  38  are fractured at a pair of notches  48  and the tray  32  is bent backward to increase access to the food item. The exposed end portion of the food item  46  is then eaten, while the opposite end portion remains covered, and may be held by the consumer without direct manual contact with the food product. Where a tray having more than one pair of notches  48  is employed, the above steps may be repeated one or more times, with the tray  32  and food product  46  being advanced further, and bent again to expose further portions of the food product, while other portions remain covered so that the consumer is not required to handle the food product directly. 
       FIGS. 7-27  show cartons for containment of a plurality of the food products and delivery systems, and methods of forming, filling and sealing the cartons. In the embodiment of  FIGS. 7-22 , a side-load carton  60  is employed. In the embodiment of  FIGS. 23-27 , an end-load carton  62  is employed. 
     Each of the cartons comprises a display and dispensing container which defines an enclosed interior space for the food items and delivery systems. This container includes a flat-sided carton, which carton includes a bottom wall, two side walls, a front wall, a back wall, and cover hingedly connected to the back wall, and a means for reclosure. 
     The tray and cartons may be made of paperboard of any suitable thickness. For example, paperboard having a thickness of about 0.01 to 0.025 in. may be used, and in one particular embodiment, paperboard having a thickness of about 0.015 to about 0.022 in. is employed. 
     The dimensions of the side-load and the end-load carton may be variable. Each carton is provided to enclose a plurality of food items. The height of the cartons may range from about 4.5 in to about 6.5 in, and is, preferably, about 5.5 in. The width of the cartons may range from about 8 in to about 10 in, and is preferably, about 9 in. The depth of the cartons may range from about 1.5 in to about 3.0 in, and is preferably, about 2.4 in. 
     Side-Load Carton 
     In the side-load carton  60  of  FIGS. 7-22 , the cover  64  has a box shape, and includes a top portion  72 , two side portions  74 , and a front portion  68 . Preferably, the sides of the cover  64  are formed using two side flaps  66  that are integral with the front portion  68 , which are folded back and joined to two side flaps  70  that are integral with the top portion  72  and folded down therefrom so as to hold the cover  64  in a box-like arrangement. Thus, the side portion  74  is contiguous with the front portion  68  of the cover, and both side portions  74  and the front portion  68  are integral components of a single unitary, paperboard member that is uninterrupted by any exposed edge at the juncture between the side portion and the front portion. Thus, this juncture comprises a 90 degree bend or fold in a continuous portion of the paperboard member. 
     The side portions  74  of the cover overlap the side walls and the side portions of the cover have substantially horizontal bottom edges. The side walls  76  of the carton extend its full height, so that there is substantial overlap between the side portions of the cover  74  and the side walls  76  of the carton. The cover  64  may be hingedly connected to the back wall  78  along a region of weakness  80  such as a perforation, thereby permitting the cover  64  to be removed entirely to permit unrestricted access to the food items  46  contained within the container. 
     The container front wall  82  includes a window  84  to permit visual access to the food items  46  contained within the container. This window  84  can be made of any suitable transparent or translucent material such as a plastic film or the like. 
     The front portion  68  of the cover preferably is releasably attached to the front wall  82  by adhesive. Means for reclosure  88  are preferably provided in the form of a tab  90  and slot  92  engagement between the front portion of the cover  68  and the front wall  82  of the carton. 
       FIGS. 8-22  illustrate a method of assembling the carton of  FIG. 7  from a partially pre-glued, partially assembled container. The partially assembled container is initially in a folded flat configuration  94 , and includes top, bottom, front and back walls. The front wall comprises a top front wall  68  that will form the front portion of the cover, and a bottom front wall  82  that will form the front wall of the body of the container. The top front wall  68  is releasably secured to the top bottom wall  82  in overlapping relation by adhesive. The back wall  78  includes a line of weakness  80  that will later function as a hinge, separating the back wall into an upper portion that will function as the back wall of the cover, and a lower portion that will function as the back wall of the body of the carton. Each of the walls has first and second side flaps thereon. 
     In the preferred method of assembly, the partially formed carton is first unfolded so that the front  82  and back walls  78  are spaced from one another, and the first side flap  96  of the bottom wall is folded inward. Next, the first side flaps of the bottom front wall  98  and the back wall  100  are folded inward into overlapping relation with one another and attached to each other to form a first side wall  76  for the body of the carton, while the second side  76  of the partially formed carton remains open. The first flap  98  of the bottom wall need not be glued in place. The next step comprises folding the first side flaps  66  of the top front wall and the top wall  70  inward, and securing them to each other, to form a first side wall  74  for the cover while the second side of the partially formed carton remains open. To facilitate later opening of the finished carton, the side wall  74  of the cover is not secured by adhesive to the side wall  76  of the carton body, but overlaps it to provide security. After the above steps have been completed, one side of the carton is fully formed, and the food products  46  and associated delivery systems  30  may then be inserted through the open second side of the partially finished container. Thereafter, the second side of the carton is enclosed by forming a second side wall  76  for the body and the cover  64  by performing with respect to the second flaps the same steps described above with respect to the first flaps. 
     The step of inserting the food products  46  and associated delivery systems  30  preferably comprises arranging the food products and associated delivery systems in two rows, one stacked atop the other, adjacent the open side of the carton, with the carton resting on its back wall  78 , and simultaneously pushing the rows into the partially formed carton with a mandrel FIG.  15 . The food products and associated delivery systems each have one end disposed adjacent the top wall of the carton, and an opposite end disposed adjacent the bottom wall. The mandrel directly contacts only the delivery system at the end of each row, applying compressive force to a side portion thereof sufficient to insert the entire row into the carton. Thus, force is transmitted through the food products and/or delivery systems nearest the mandrel. The trays in this embodiment have sufficient strength and rigidity to prevent damage to the food products  46  during this operation. 
     After the carton has been completely formed, filled and sealed, it may then be opened simply by detaching the front wall  68  of the cover from the front wall  82  of the carton, and lifting the cover  64  so that it pivots up and back about the hinge in the back wall. Each wrapped food product  46  is accessible when the cover is opened. Means to hold the cover  46  in a reclosed position are preferably provided  88 . In the illustrated embodiment, reclosability is provided by a tab  90  on the front of the cover and a curved slot  92  in the front wall of the body of the carton. A crescent-shaped cutout may be provided above the slit to facilitate reclosing. 
     End-Load Carton 
     The end-load container  62  of  FIGS. 23-33  is generally similar to the side-load container in that it includes generally rectangular front  82 , back  78 , top  104  and bottom walls  106 , and a cover  102  that is joined to the back wall by a hinge  80 . However, in one embodiment of the end load container  62 , the cover  102  simply comprises a top wall  104  and a front flap  108  that overlies an upper portion of the front wall  82  of the body of the carton, and is releasably secured thereto by adhesive. Flaps  110  at the upper ends of the side walls fold inward to provide security at the ends of the cover  102 . The end-load carton  62  may be filled from either the top ( FIG. 26 ) or bottom ( FIG. 27 ) end, with the opposite end closed. In either case, the carton  62  may be in any desired orientation when filled, e.g., an upright position ( FIG. 26 ) or a horizontal position (FIG.  27 ). In the end-load carton  62 , the mandrel may act directly on each of the delivery systems  30 , which may reduce compression loads on the delivery systems as compared with the loads experienced by the delivery systems  30  in contact with the mandrel in the above-described filling arrangement for the side-load carton  60 , in that none of the food products and associated delivery systems is required to bear the compressive loads associated with pushing another food product and delivery system into place. The cover may be hingedly connected to the back wall  78  along a line of weakness  80  such as a perforation that permits the cover to be easily removed to permit access to food items contained therein. The front wall includes a window  84  to permit visual access to the food items  46  contained therein. 
     There is another embodiment of the end load carton  62 . The cover comprises a top portion  104 , two side portions and a front portion  108 , wherein the side portions of the cover are formed as two side flaps  114 , each attached to opposite ends of said front portion of said cover, wherein said side flaps are glued onto two other side flaps  116 , each attached to opposite ends of said top portion of said cover. This arrangement results in a smooth edge at the front two corners of the cover, wherein the other side flaps  116  are folded back onto the side flaps and glued in position. This embodiment creates a box-like cover. This embodiment may be loaded from the top or bottom, depending on which end is assembled first. The front wall includes a window  84  to permit visual access to the food items  46  contained therein. 
     In yet another embodiment of the end load carton, the cover comprises a top portion  104 , two side portions, and a front portion  108 . In this embodiment, the side portions are formed as two side flaps, attached to opposite ends of said top portion of the cover  118 , to which are attached two top side flaps  120 , each of the top side flaps being attached to the front portion of a respective one of the side flaps of the cover, wherein the top side flaps are glued to the inner side of the front portion of the cover. This arrangement results in a box-like cover, with edges of the opposite sides of the front portion at the two front corners. This embodiment may be loaded from the top or the bottom, depending upon which end is assembled first. The front wall includes a window  84  to permit visual access to the food items  46  contained therein.