Abstract:
Food packaging has a base tray and a second tray which nests in the base tray. The base tray has one or more walls terminating in a land. The land has an indent in its upper surface at least partially surrounded by an indent wall which extends continuously along an inward side of the indent so as to separate the indent from a main cavity formed by the base tray walls. The second tray nested has a flange supported by the land. The flange extends partially over the indent. The indent is sized to admit a finger within the indent below the flange. In consequence, after cooking of the foods in the trays, the consumer can use the indent in gripping the flange of the second tray without direct exposure to steam from the food cooked in the base tray. The consumer can then add a selected amount of food from the second tray to the base tray.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    This invention relates to food packaging. 
         [0002]    A great variety of packaged convenience foods are available to a consumer. However, there is a continuing need for packaged convenience foods that suit the tastes of as many consumers as possible. Furthermore, a consumer will be drawn to a convenience food which can be prepared conveniently and safely, therefore, there is also a need for packaging for convenience foods that helps ensure convenient and safe preparation of the foods. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0003]    An aspect of the present invention provides food packaging with a base tray and a second tray which nests in the base tray. The base tray has one or more walls terminating in a land. The land has an indent in its upper surface at least partially surrounded by an indent wall which extends continuously along an inward side of the indent so as to separate the indent from a main cavity formed by the base tray walls. The second tray has a flange supported by the land. The flange extends partially over the indent. The indent is sized to admit a finger within the indent below the flange. In consequence, after heating or cooking of the foods in the trays, the consumer can use the indent in gripping the flange of the second tray without direct exposure to steam from the food in the base tray. The consumer can then add a selected amount of food from the second tray to the base tray. 
         [0004]    The land may be a circumferential lower land and there may be an upward step from the lower land to a circumferential upper land outbound of the lower land. 
         [0005]    The flange of the second tray may be circumferential and an upper surface of the flange and an upper surface of the circumferential upper land of the base tray may lie in a common plane. 
         [0006]    A topping film may be adhered to the circumferential upper land and to the flange. 
         [0007]    The base tray may have an inwardly directed protuberance, with the indent being in an upper surface of the protuberance. 
         [0008]    The protuberance may be located at a base tray side wall and the second tray may abut the protuberance and a base tray end wall, such that said second tray is located by the protuberance and the base tray end wall. 
         [0009]    The land may be a protuberance land, the indent a protuberance indent, and the flange a first flange portion and the base tray may have a corner land with a corner indent in its upper surface at least partially surrounded by a corner indent wall, the corner indent wall extending continuously along an inward side of the corner indent so as to separate the corner indent from the main cavity formed by the base tray walls, and the second tray may have a second flange portion supported by the corner land, the second flange portion extending partially over the corner indent, the corner indent sized to admit a finger within the corner indent below the second flange portion. 
         [0010]    The base tray side wall may be a first base tray side wall and the corner land may be at a corner of the base tray between a second side wall of the base tray opposite the first side wall and the base tray end wall. 
         [0011]    The second tray may taper to a pouring corner spaced between the first flange portion and the second flange portion. 
         [0012]    The protuberance may be a first protuberance with a first protuberance indent and there may be a second inwardly directed protuberance having a second protuberance indent in its upper surface at least partially surrounded by a second protuberance indent wall, the second protuberance indent wall extending continuously along an inward side of the second protuberance indent so as to separate the second protuberance indent from the main cavity formed by the base tray walls, the second protuberance located at the second base tray side wall. 
         [0013]    The second tray may abut the second protuberance and the base tray end wall, such that the second tray is further located by the second protuberance and the base tray end wall. 
         [0014]    The second tray may have a third flange portion supported on the second protuberance upper surface and the pouring corner may be at the third flange portion. 
         [0015]    The base tray may have a circumferential land incorporating the corner land, the upper surface of the first protuberance and the upper surface of the second protuberance. 
         [0016]    The second tray may have a circumferential flange incorporating the first flange portion, the second flange portion and the third flange portion. 
         [0017]    There may be a first food component in the base tray and a second food component in the second tray, the second food component comprising a sauce. 
         [0018]    The corner land may be a first corner land and a second corner land may be diagonally across from the first corner land, the second corner land having a second corner indent in its upper surface at least partially surrounded by a second corner indent wall, the second corner indent wall extending continuously along an inward side of the second corner indent so as to separate the second corner indent from the main cavity formed by the base tray walls. 
         [0019]    The first protuberance may be a first column extending upwardly from a bottom wall of the base tray and the second protuberance may be a second column extending upwardly from the bottom wall of the base tray. 
         [0020]    There may be a series of wells in the bottom wall of the base tray. 
         [0021]    A bottom wall of the second tray may be free of openings such that the bottom wall of the second tray is steam impervious. 
         [0022]    The bottom wall of the second tray may be spaced above a bottom wall of the base tray when the second tray is nested in the base tray. 
         [0023]    A third tray may be nested in the base tray having a third tray flange portion supported by the upper surface of the second protuberance, the third tray flange portion extending over the second protuberance indent. 
         [0024]    Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0025]    In the drawings which illustrate aspects of this invention, 
           [0026]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of food packaging made in accordance with an embodiment, 
           [0027]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a base tray of the packaging of  FIG. 1 , 
           [0028]      FIG. 2A  is a top view of the tray of  FIG. 2 , 
           [0029]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of an upper tray of the packaging of  FIG. 1 , 
           [0030]      FIG. 3A  is a bottom view of the upper tray of  FIG. 3 , 
           [0031]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the food packaging of  FIG. 1  shown containing food components and covered by a topping film, 
           [0032]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of food packaging made in accordance with another embodiment, 
           [0033]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a base tray of the packaging of  FIG. 1 , and 
           [0034]      FIG. 6A  is a top view of the tray of  FIG. 2 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0035]    Turning to  FIG. 1 , food packaging  10  has a base tray  12  and an upper tray  14  which nests within the base tray. 
         [0036]    Turning to  FIGS. 2 ,  2 A,  6  and  6 A, the base tray  12  has a pair of end walls  16   a ,  16   b ; a pair of side walls  18   a ,  18   b ; and a bottom wall  17  defining a cavity  19 . The side and end walls extend upwardly to a circumferential lower land  20 . An upward step  22  defines the outer periphery of the lower land and the upward step terminates at an upper land  24 . The outer periphery of the upper land terminates in a depending reinforcing rib  26 . 
         [0037]    Each side wall  18   a ,  18   b  has an inwardly directed protuberance  30   a ,  30   b , respectively. Each protuberance is a vertical column extending upwardly from the bottom wall  17  of the base tray. Each protuberance has a protuberance indent  34  in its upper surface which is partially surrounded by a protuberance indent wall  36 , the top surface of which is part of the lower land  20 . As will be apparent from the figure, this indent wall extends continuously along a first end  38  of the indent, along an inward side  40  of the indent and along a second end  42  of the indent which is opposite to end  38  of the indent so as to separate the indent  34  from cavity  19  of the base tray. 
         [0038]    At the corners  45   a ,  45   b ,  45   c , and  45   d  of the base tray, there are corner lands which are part of the circumferential lower land  20 . Two of these corner lands, namely corner lands  46   b ,  46   d , have corner indents  48  in their upper surfaces. These corners lands  46   b ,  46   d  are diagonally across from each other: corner land  46   b  is at corner  45   b  which is formed by end wall  16   a  and side wall  18   b  and corner land  46   d  is at corner  45   d  which is formed by side wall  16   b  and side wall  18   a . Each corner indent  48  is partially surrounded by a corner indent wall  50 , the top surface of which is part of the lower land  20 . As will be apparent from the figure, each corner indent wall extends continuously along an inward side  52  of the corner indent so as to separate the indent  48  from cavity  19  of the base tray. 
         [0039]    Corners  45   b  and  45   d  at the inner periphery of the inner land  20  are rounded whereas corners  45   a  and  45   c  at the inner periphery of the inner land  20  are relatively sharp. 
         [0040]    The bottom wall  17  of the base tray has a series of hemi-spherical wells  54 . There is a nesting lug  56  proximate each of the four corners of the base tray and located at the inner periphery of the lower land  20 . 
         [0041]    Turning to  FIGS. 3 and 3A , upper tray  14  has a pair of side walls  60   a ,  60   b , a pair of end walls  62   a ,  62   b  and a bottom wall  64  defining a cavity  66 . As will be apparent from  FIG. 3A , the bottom wall  64  is free of openings such that the bottom wall is steam impervious. The upper end of the side and end walls terminate in a circumferential, outwardly extending, flange  70 . Circumferential flange  70  has a first widened flange portion  72  at a corner  75   d  where side wall  60   b  meets end wall  62   a  and a second widened flange portion  74  at a rounded corner  75   b  where side wall  60   a  meets end wall  62   b . Thus, these widened flange portions are diagonally across from one another. 
         [0042]    The upper tray tapers to a pouring corner  75   c  between the first widened flange portion  72  of corner  75   d  and the second widened flange portion  74  of corner  75   b.    
         [0043]    The bottom wall  64  of the upper tray has a number of upwardly directed nesting lugs  78 . 
         [0044]    Returning to  FIG. 1 , upper tray  14  may be nested in base tray  12  with the upper tray flange  70  resting on lower land  20  of the base tray. The upper tray  14  is located in the base tray by base tray end wall  16   a  and the protuberances  30   a ,  30   b . More specifically, side wall  60   a  of upper tray  14  abuts base tray end wall  16   a  and side wall  60   b  of the upper tray abuts protuberances  30   a  and  30   b . Thus, the upper tray is restrained against movement while nested in the base tray. 
         [0045]    It will further be noted that with the upper tray nested in the base tray, widened flange portion  72  of the upper tray rests on top of a portion of the protuberance wall  36  of protuberance  30   a  and extends partially over protuberance indent  34  of protuberance  30   a . This indent  34  is sized, and the extent of the overlap is chosen, so that a finger can be inserted into the indent below flange portion  72 . Furthermore, with the upper tray nested, widened flange portion  74  extends partially over corner indent  48  of corner land  46   b . Again, indent  48  is sized and the extent of the overlap is chosen so that a finger can be inserted into the indent  48  below flange portion  74 . 
         [0046]    A third portion of the flange  70 , at corner  75   c , rests on a portion of lower land  20  which forms the part of the protuberance wall  36  which extends along end  38  of the protuberance  30   b . With both widened flange portion  72  and the portion of the flange at corner  75   c  supported on the protuberances  30   a ,  30   b , the upper tray is supported along a portion of side wall  60   b.    
         [0047]    The depth of the upper tray is chosen so that when the upper tray is nested in the base tray, the bottom wall  64  of the upper tray  14  is spaced above the bottom wall  17  of the base tray  12 . 
         [0048]    The height of the upward step  22  of the base tray is chosen so that with upper tray  14  nested within base tray  12 , an upper surface of the circumferential flange  70  of the upper tray and an upper surface of the circumferential upper land  24  of the base tray lie in a common plane. As shown in  FIG. 4 , this allows a topping film  80  to be adhered to the circumferential upper land  24  and to the circumferential flange  70 . The topping film may be a peelable film and have a tab  82  to facilitate its removal. 
         [0049]    Food packaging  10  can be used to package a convenience food. For example, with continued reference to  FIG. 4 , base tray  12  may hold a first component  84  of a convenience food, such as a pasta or a pasta and a protein (as, for example, a meat), and upper tray  14  may hold a second food component  86 , such as a sauce. 
         [0050]    Both the base tray  12  and nested tray  14  may be made of a microwaveable plastic material. 
         [0051]    A convenience food producer may employ stacks of base trays  12  and upper trays  14 . Nesting lugs  56  of the base tray facilitate removal of a base tray from a stack of base trays. Nesting lugs  78  of the upper tray have a similar purpose. 
         [0052]    To package a convenience food, a first food component may be added to a base tray  12 , a second food component to an upper tray  14 , and the upper tray placed into nesting relation with the base tray. Next topping film  80  may be adhered to the upper land  24  of the base tray and, optionally, to the flange  70  of the upper tray. The topping film may be a self-venting film or a steam impervious film. Typically, the food components will be frozen. To prepare the convenience food, the consumer may simply place the filled food packaging of  FIG. 4  in the microwave where the film  80  is self-venting. If the film is not self-venting, a portion of the film may be peeled back or the film may be punctured prior to microwave heating or cooking. 
         [0053]    During microwave heating or cooking, the wells  54  in the bottom wall  17  of the base tray may serve as a repository for moisture that may rise through the first food component as steam. 
         [0054]    Where topping film  80  is a peelable film, at the conclusion of microwave heating or cooking, the consumer may grasp tab  82  and pull to peel away film  80 . Next the consumer may insert a finger of one hand into indent  34  and under widened flange portion  72  and the finger of another hand into indent  48  and under widened flange portion  74 . It may be expected that the contents of the base tray and upper tray will continue to steam when removed from the microwave. However, when the consumer inserts a finger into indent  34  of protuberance  30   a , the consumer&#39;s finger is isolated from steam rising from the base container by virtue of wall  36  that separates indent  34  from cavity  19  of the base tray. Similarly, when the consumer inserts a finger into indent  48  of corner land  46   b , the consumer&#39;s finger is isolated from steam rising from the base container by virtue of wall  50  that separates indent  48  from cavity  19  of the base tray. 
         [0055]    The consumer may then grasp these widened flange portions  72 ,  74  between the thumb and finger of both hands to lift the upper tray from the base tray. In this regard, since the widened flange portions are thin, they will quickly cool such that the consumer should be able to grasp these flange portions without discomfort. Because the widened flange portions  72 ,  74  are diagonally across from one another, the consumer will be able to control upper tray  14  from these two grasping points. Therefore, with a grasp on widened flange portions  72  and  74 , the consumer may tip the upper container toward corner  75   c  to pour the second food component from upper tray  14  into base tray  12 . Advantageously, the consumer can choose the portion of the second food component to pour onto the first food component. Further, the separation of the foods in the trays during heating or cooking can improve the taste experience of the prepared food. 
         [0056]    Packaging  10  also allows for the possibility of preparing each of the first and second food components separately. Thus, for example, the upper tray could be removed from the base tray and the base tray placed by itself into the microwave. The upper tray could then be separately placed in the microwave (allowing the second food component  86  to be heated or cooked for a different length of time than the first food component  84 ) or, possibly, the second food component could be used without need for microwave heating. 
         [0057]    In other embodiments, the first and second food components may be designed to be consumed in a frozen state. Further, it could be that only the second food component was designed to be heated (e.g., a sauce for ice cream) and the first food component (e.g., ice cream) left frozen. 
         [0058]    Packaging  10  allows for all of these possibilities. 
         [0059]    Optionally, the topping film could be only adhered to the upper land  24  of the base tray and not to the flange  70  of the upper tray. In this instance, upward step  22  could be larger so that the upper tray nested lower in the base tray. Further, with the topping film only adhered to the upper land  24 , the lower land  20  would not need to extend continuously around the circumference of the base tray and flange  70  would also not need to extend continuously around the circumference of the upper tray. Instead, there could be flange portions at the four corners of the upper tray  14  to allow the upper tray to be supported on corresponding lower lands of the base tray. This may not be an optimal design, however, as the circumferential flange  70  also acts to stiffen the upper tray. 
         [0060]    The trays could, of course, have other shapes. The hemi-spherical wells  54  could also have other shapes, such as channel shapes. 
         [0061]    In a further embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 5 , two upper trays  14 ,  14 ′ are nested in base tray  12  with the upper trays  14 ,  14 ′ having opposite orientations. Thus, widened flange portion  72  of tray  14  and flange  70 ′ at corner  75   c ′ of tray  14 ′ are supported on protuberance  30   a  while flange  70  at corner  75   c  of tray  14  and widened flange portion  72 ′ of tray  14 ′ are supported on protuberance  30   b . The shape of base tray  12  allows the two upper trays  14 ,  14 ′ to nest into the base tray in this way. 
         [0062]    Other features of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art and, therefore, the invention is defined in the claims.