Patent ID: 7475780

Claim:
A reclosable food package for storing a food product, the food package comprising: a base having a bottom wall and an upstanding sidewall extending from the periphery of the bottom wall to form a food compartment between the bottom wall and the sidewall, the base having a peripheral flange extending outward from the sidewall opposite the bottom wall and a tab extending outward from a portion of the peripheral flange; a lid for covering the food compartment of the base, the lid having a bottom wall and an upstanding sidewall extending from the periphery of the bottom wall, the exterior of the lid sidewall configured to removably engage the interior of the base sidewall to mate the lid and the base and to selectively close the food compartment of the base with the bottom wall of the lid, the lid having a peripheral flange extending outward from the sidewall opposite the bottom wall of the lid, at least a portion of the base and lid flanges surrounding the food compartment overlap and have a sealing area therebetween when the lid closes the food compartment of the base, the lid having a tab extending outward from a portion of the peripheral flange, and at least a portion of the base and lid tabs overlap when the lid closes the food compartment of the base, the overlapping portions of the base and lid tabs having facing sealant layers; a protuberance disposed on one of the overlapping portion of the base tab and lid tab and projecting toward the other of the overlapping portion of the base tab and lid tab to abut a generally planar portion of the other of the lid and base tab to maintain a localized space between the two overlapping portions of the tabs and to minimize sealing between the facing sealing layers of the base and lid tabs, the protuberance having a length and a width where the length is substantially greater than the width and the protuberance being located near an edge of the overlapping portion of the one of the base tab and lid tab such that the distance from the protuberance to the closest tab edge is less than a half of the distance from the protuberance to the sealing area.