TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a container for packaging food products, in particular
cured meats or meat or fish or cheeses, etc.
PRIOR ART
[0002] Containers made of plastic material or the like are known in the industry for packaging
food products, in the form of cold cuts: salami, cured and cooked ham, bresaola, mortadella
and others, meat or fish or cheese, etc.
[0003] The aforementioned containers consist of trays of various shapes and sizes, these
trays are generally made by thermoforming, starting from a sheet of thermoplastic
material and are formed as open-top containers, closed at the top by a protective
sheet made of at least partially transparent material to allow the user to view the
content inside the container.
[0004] The food product is placed and laid at the bottom of these trays, contained laterally
by side walls on upper ends of which the protective sheet for top closure is positioned
and sealed; the protective sheet can then be removed at the time of use.
[0005] These containers of the known type have some drawbacks: opening the protective sheet
can be difficult, the information relating to the product contained and/or to the
producer, if found on the protective sheet, can be lost once the package is opened.
Furthermore, if the information relating to the product contained and/or the producer
is found on the bottom of the tray, such information may be difficult to access.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0006] An object of the present invention is to improve the state of the art relating to
a container for packaging food products which is simple and cost-efficient to produce.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a container for packaging food
products which is easy to open.
[0007] A further object of the present invention is to provide a container for packaging
food products which keeps easily accessible the information relating to the product
contained and other data also when opened.
[0008] In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a container for packaging
food products according to claim 1 is described.
[0009] Dependent claims refer to preferred and advantageous embodiments of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] Further characteristics and advantages of this invention will be clarified in the
detailed description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of a container
for packaging food products, illustrated only by way of non-limiting example in the
accompanying drawings wherein:
Figure 1 is a top axonometric view of the container tray according to an embodiment
of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a bottom axonometric view of the container tray of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a top axonometric view of the container tray according to a variant of
the present invention;
Figure 4 is a bottom axonometric view of the container tray of Figure 3; and
Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view along the plane V-V of the container tray of Figure
3.
EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
[0011] With reference to the accompanying figures, the numeral 1 generally designates a
tray for a container for packaging food products, e.g. cured meats or meat or fish
or cheeses, etc.
[0012] According to one version of the present invention, the food products found in the
tray 1 can be in the form of cold cuts.
[0013] The tray 1, which has an open top shape, can be made of plastic material, or of biodegradable
plastic material, or of paper material, or similar materials.
[0014] The tray 1 is closed at the top by a protective sheet (not shown) which is joined
to the tray by means of food-grade glue or the like, and can comprise plastic material,
or biodegradable plastic material, or food-grade paper, or similar materials, of a
semi-transparent or transparent type, to allow the user to view the contents inside
the container.
[0015] The tray 1 is defined by a bottom 2, by a plurality of side walls 3 and by a perimeter
edge 30 for containing a food product (not shown).
[0016] In an embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the bottom 2 is of the corrugated
type and comprises corrugations 4, for example rounded humps or the like, which are
distributed according to a substantially constant pitch and arranged in a substantially
oblique alignment with each other.
[0017] In more detail, the corrugations 4 have a constant height and develop a slight curvature
C.
[0018] In the version of the present invention, illustrated in figures 3 and 4, the corrugations
4 also develop with a slight curvature C, featuring a greater height in the centre
which gradually decreases at the corrugations ends.
[0019] In both versions the corrugations 4 form a support surface for the food product.
[0020] Thanks to the corrugations 4, the above-mentioned support surface has a shape which
prevents or limits the sliding of the food product along the bottom and/or improves
the presentation of the product, especially in the case of food product in the form
of cold cuts.
[0021] The tray 1 can be obtained starting from a semi-finished item consisting of a substantially
rectangular sheet, although not excluding alternative shapes depending on the type
of food product to be contained.
[0022] An important feature of the present invention is given by the presence of a flattened
portion 5 positioned on the perimeter edge 30 near a corner of the tray 1.
[0023] The above-mentioned flattened portion 5 has an extension with a predetermined surface
area, having an approximately triangular shape.
[0024] The flattened portion 5 forms a grip handle for removing the protective sheet, facilitating
the opening of the package.
[0025] According to non-illustrated embodiments of the present invention, the flattened
portion of the perimeter edge has any profile and has the shape of an appendix which
extends from the perimeter edge of the tray 1.
[0026] The flattened portion 5 can be stamped with indications 6 relating to the food product
contained, e.g.: type, quantity, production date and expiry date, etc., and/or indications
relating to the producer, e.g.: name, logo, address, etc.
[0027] The flattened portion 5 can be partially or completely covered with the protective
sheet which, once detached and lifted, shows some stamped parts, e.g. the manufacturer's
logo, creating a surprising effect.
[0028] The stamping of the flattened portion 5 can be achieved directly through a raised
item obtained through the same step of forming the tray 1, therefore the container
for packaging food products according to the present invention is simpler and more
cost-efficient than conventional food containers that require an additional printing
step or other similar steps.
[0029] Figure 5 shows a sectional view along the plane V-V of the tray of the container
of figure 3 showing the reduced thickness of the material from which the tray 1 is
built, this is made possible by the presence of the corrugations 4 which help stiffen
the structure of tray 1, in particular the structure of the bottom of tray 1.
[0030] In this way, the container for packaging food products according to the present invention
requires a minimum quantity of material for its manufacture, as it can be made from
thinner material than solutions of the known type.
[0031] Therefore, once the food product contained in it has been consumed, the container
for packaging food products according to the present invention is also cheaper to
produce and easier to dispose of than solutions of the known type.
[0032] The embodiments of the container for packaging food products described above are
subject to several modifications and variations within the scope of protection of
the claims here below.
1. Container for the packaging of food products, in particular cured meats or meat or
fish or cheeses, also in the form of cold cuts, comprising a tray (1), having an open-top
shape, defined by a bottom (2), a plurality of walls sides (3), by a perimeter edge
(30) and comprising a protective sheet glued to said perimeter edge (30), said perimeter
edge (30) being provided with a flattened portion (5) with a predetermined surface
area, said tray (1) being intended to accommodate a food product and being closed
by said protective sheet, characterised in that said flattened portion (5) includes stamped indications (6) relating to the food
product contained and/or the manufacturer.
2. Container according to claim 1, wherein said flattened portion (5) is partially or
completely covered by said protective sheet, said protective sheet, once detached
and lifted, showing some of the stamped parts of said flattened portion (5).
3. Container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said stamped indications (6) relating
to the food product contained and/or the manufacturer include one or more of the following
indications: type, quantity, production and expiry date of the food product contained,
name of the manufacturer, logo, address.
4. Container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said flattened portion
(5) has an approximately triangular shape and constitutes a grip handle for detaching
the protective sheet, facilitating package opening.
5. Container according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said flattened portion (5)
has any profile, is shaped like an appendix extending from said perimeter edge (30)
and constitutes a grip handle for detaching the protective sheet, facilitating package
opening.
6. Container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said stamping of the
flattened portion (5) can be achieved directly through a raised part obtained through
the same forming step of the tray (1).
7. Container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said bottom (2) is
of the corrugated type and comprises corrugations (4) distributed to a substantially
constant pitch and arranged substantially obliquely aligned with each other.
8. Container according to the preceding claim, wherein said corrugations (4) have a constant
height and develop with a slight curvature (C).
9. Container according to claim 7, wherein said corrugations (4) have a greater height
in the middle which gradually decreases at the ends of the corrugations and develop
with a slight curvature (C).
10. Container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said tray (1) comprises
biodegradable plastic material, or paper material, or similar biodegradable materials.
11. Container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said protective sheet
is joined to said tray (1) by means of food-grade glue or the like, and can comprise
plastic material, or biodegradable plastic material, or food-grade paper, or similar
materials, of a semi-transparent or transparent type, to allow the user to view the
contents inside the container.