The subject of the present invention is a package for dairy products and more in particular for sliced cheese, of the type comprising a tray, hermetically applied on the rim of which is a removable lid.

A package corresponding to the pre-characterizing part of claim 1 is known from DE-202008005664U.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and original package of this type configured so as to enable display on sale of a number of packages grouped together in a condition of minimal encumbrance in a vertical configuration, instead of the horizontal configuration as in the case of similar packages currently available on the market, at the same time making it convenient and easy for the buyer to pick up each package.

With a view to achieving the above purpose, the package according to the invention is characterized by the combination of features set forth in the characterizing portion of claim 1.

Namely, the forced-fit formations of the package include elastically deformable elongated projections and the package has a general trapezial shape. The tray-like container, conveniently obtained by thermoforming of a plastic material for foodstuffs, presents dimensions such as enable housing of a set of slices of cheese set on top of one another in a fanned-out way.

The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the annexed drawings, which are provided purely by way of non-limiting example and in which:

• Figure 1 is a front top perspective view of a package for sliced cheese according to the invention;
• Figure 2 is a dorsal view of Figure 1;
• Figure 3 is a perspective view from beneath of the package;
• Figure 4 illustrates the package in the open condition;
• Figure 5 is a perspective view of a set of packages according to the invention packed together in the condition of display on sale; and
• Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view at an enlarged scale according to the line VI-VI of Figure 5 that shows a detail of the fit between the packages of the set represented in Figure 5.

With initial reference to Figures 1 to 3, the package for sliced cheese according to the invention comprises a tray-like container 1 having, in plan view, an isosceles trapezium shape, with minor base considerably shorter than the major base, obtained by thermoforming of a thermoplastic material for foodstuffs. The rim of the tray-like container 1 has a perimetral flange la, hermetically applied on which is the complementary perimetral flange 2a of a lid 2, which can be opened and closed and which is also obtained by thermoforming. Both the tray-like container 1 and the lid 2 are conveniently transparent.

The lid 2 is lowered with respect to the flanges 1a and 2a so as to penetrate partially within the tray-like container 1 and define an external receptacle 3 for insertion, with the modalities clarified in what follows, of the tray-like container 1 of an identical contiguous package.

The walls of the lid 2 that delimit the receptacle 3 along the major base, and the sides of the package are formed integrally with elastically deformable elongated projections 4 facing inwards, whereas the wall corresponding to the minor base of the package is formed with a recess 5, i.e., with a projection facing outwards. Likewise, the side walls of the tray-like container 1 are formed integrally along all the sides with elastically deformable elongated projections 6 facing outwards which, as will be seen, are complementary to the projections 4 and to the recess 5, respectively, of the lid 2.

Figure 4 shows the condition of opening of the lid 2 with respect to the tray-like container 1 within which, in use, a set of slices of cheese F is laid. The dimensions in length, width, and depth of the tray-like container 1 are such as to enable housing of the slices of cheese F in a number, for example, of between six and eight set on top of one another in a fanned-out way, as represented.

Figure 5 illustrates the condition of display on sale of a set of packages according to the invention, stably packed together in the vertical condition, i.e., resting along their major bases. As may be seen, the tray-like container 1 of each package is nested within the receptacle 3 of the lid 2 of the contiguous package, and between each pair of contiguous packages a forced fit is obtained thanks to the elastic engagement of the projections 6 of the tray 1 of one package underneath the projections 4 of the lid 2 of the other package. The projection 6 formed at the minor base of the tray 1 of each package engages within the recess 5 formed in the minor base of the lid 2 of the adjacent package.

This fit, which, as has been said, enables the packages packed together to be withheld stably in the vertical position represented in Figure 5, can easily be released to enable buyers to pick up each individual package conveniently in use.

Of course, the details of construction and the embodiments may vary widely with respect to what has been described and illustrated herein, without thereby departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the ensuing claims.