Packaging Tray and A Method Of Making A Packaging Tray

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001]The present invention relates to a packaging tray and, more particularly, to a packaging tray having a frame and a film.

BACKGROUND

[0002]Packages for products, such as food products, may have films partially attached to frames. The partial attachment of the film to the frame creates a seal that keeps the product in the package. When a purchaser wants to access the product in the package, they must remove the film. However, removing the film of typical packages may be difficult due to the overlap of the film and the frame, which can require significant dexterity to grasp a free edge of the film. Additionally, typical package frames may have sharp edges, which can cause an injury when the purchaser attempts to remove the film.

SUMMARY

[0003]A packaging tray includes a frame having a perimeter structure and a cavity positioned within the perimeter structure. The perimeter structure has a perimeter edge extending around the perimeter structure. The packing tray also includes a film extending over the cavity and having a perimeter portion overlapping with the perimeter structure. The perimeter portion of the film overlapping the perimeter structure is entirely attached and sealed to the perimeter structure. The film has a tab extending beyond a tab corner of the perimeter edge.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0004]The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying figures, of which:

[0005]FIG. 1 is a top view of a packaging tray according to an embodiment.

[0006]FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the packaging tray of FIG. 1 taken along line A-A;

[0007]FIG. 3 is a detailed sectional view of portion B of FIG. 2; and

[0008]FIG. 4 is a perspective bottom view of the packaging tray of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT(S)

[0009]Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described hereinafter in detail with reference to the attached drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements. The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure will convey the concept of the invention to those skilled in the art.

[0010]Throughout the drawings, only one, multiple, or all of a plurality of identical elements may be labeled in a figure for clarity of the drawings, but the detailed description of the element herein applies equally to each of the identically appearing elements in the figure.

[0011]A coordinate system is provided in some of the figures for ease of understanding a packaging tray 1. The coordinate system comprises a length direction Y, a vertical direction X perpendicular to the length direction Y, a width direction Z, and an extension direction E. The width direction Z is perpendicular to the length direction Y and the vertical direction X. The extension direction E extends along line A-A shown in FIG. 1, and is at an approximately 45-degree angle between the width direction Z and the length direction Y. The vertical direction X defines a relative thickness of the packaging tray 1. A relative thickness, length, or width of the elements described in more detail below appear in FIGS. 1-4. The relative thickness, length, or width of the elements are merely illustrative and are not meant to be representative of a particular thickness, length, or width of any of the elements.

[0012]Throughout the specification, various terms are used to describe the packaging tray 1 or the method of making the packaging tray 1. The term “cut”, or any iteration thereto, is intended to mean that an element is cut all the way through, and the term “approximately” is intended to mean within 10% of the described numerical value or the described numerical ends of the range.

[0013]The packaging tray 1 according to an embodiment is shown in FIGS. 1-4. The packaging tray 1 comprises a frame 10 and a film 50. The film 50 extends over a cavity 11 of the frame 10 and has a perimeter portion 51 that overlaps a perimeter structure 20 of the frame 10. The cavity 11 is positioned within the perimeter structure 20.

[0014]The frame 10, as shown in FIGS. 1-4, comprises the cavity 11, a frame bottom 12, and the perimeter structure 20. The frame 10 of the present embodiment, including the frame bottom 12 and the perimeter structure 20 that define the cavity 11, is made of a plastic material or a polymer material. In an embodiment, the material of the frame 10 is recyclable. In various other embodiments, the frame 10 may be made of any material that allows the packaging tray 1 to function as described herein.

[0015]As shown in FIG. 1, a top area of the cavity 11 is indicated by the innermost closed dotted line shown in FIG. 1. The cavity 11 is an empty space that extends from a top surface of the packaging tray 1 into the perimeter structure 20 in the vertical direction X. The cavity 11 is positioned within the perimeter structure 20, as shown in FIGS. 2-4.

[0016]The perimeter structure 20, as shown in FIG. 4, comprises the area of and within the dotted lines shown in FIG. 4; the perimeter structure 20 is a portion of the frame 10 that extends from the frame bottom 12. The perimeter structure 20 includes a plurality of frame sidewalls 27 extending from the frame bottom 12 in the vertical direction X, as shown in FIG. 2. The cavity 11 is defined by an inner surface of each sidewall of the frame sidewalls 27 of the perimeter structure 20 as described in more detail below, and an inner surface of the frame bottom 12. The frame bottom 12 has the inner surface and an outer surface.

[0017]FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the packaging tray 1 taken along line A-A shown in FIG. 1. The cross-sectional view is just a schematic and does not show any indentation pattern that the frame 10 and/or the perimeter structure 20 may have in an embodiment.

[0018]The plurality of frame sidewalls 27, as shown in FIGS. 2-4, include a first sidewall 28, a second sidewall 29 opposite the first sidewall 28 in the extension direction E, and various other sidewalls. Each sidewall 28, 29 of the plurality of frame sidewalls 27 has a respective inner surface defining the cavity 11 and a respective outer surface opposite the inner surface. The sidewalls 28, 29 extend from the frame bottom 12 in the vertical direction X. The sidewalls 28 are perpendicular to the frame bottom 12.

[0019]The first sidewall 28 is formed by a first inner wall section 31 and a first outer wall section 32. The first outer wall section 32 extends from the first inner section 31 in the extension direction E. As shown in the embodiment of FIG. 2, a top part of the first inner wall section 31 and a top part of the first outer wall section 32 are offset from each other in the vertical direction X. In another embodiment, the top part of the first inner wall section 31 and the top part of the first outer wall section 32 can be level with one another in the vertical direction X.

[0020]The second sidewall 29, as shown in FIG. 2, is at a tab corner 22 of the perimeter structure 20. The second sidewall 29 is formed by a second inner wall section 41 and a second outer wall section 42. The second outer wall section 42 extends from the second inner wall section 41 in the extension direction E. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, a top part of the second inner wall section 41 and a top part of the second outer wall section 42 are level with one other in the vertical direction X. In another embodiment, the top part of the second inner wall section 41 and the top part of the second outer wall section 42 can be offset with one another in the vertical direction X to create a step as shown for wall sections 31 and 32 in FIG. 2.

[0021]As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the perimeter structure 20 includes a first frame side 60 and a second frame side 70 opposite the first frame side 60 in the extension direction E. As shown in FIG. 2, the first frame side 60 is opposite the second frame side 70 along line A-A as shown in FIG. 1. The first frame side 60 extends from the first sidewall 28 in the extension direction E and the second frame side 70 extends from the second sidewall 29 in the extension direction E. The first frame side 60 and the second frame side 70 each extend to a perimeter edge 21 of the perimeter structure 20 described in greater detail below.

[0022]The first frame side 60, as shown in FIG. 2, has first frame structure 61 extending from the first outer wall section 32 in the extension direction E and a second frame structure 62 extending from the first frame structure 62 in the extension direction E. The first frame structure 61 is offset from the second frame structure 62 and from the first outer wall section 32 in the vertical direction X. The second frame structure 62 extends to the perimeter edge 21.

[0023]The second frame side 70, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, has a tab corner structure 72 that extends from the second outer wall section 42 in the extension direction E. The tab corner structure 72 extends to the perimeter edge 21.

[0024]The perimeter structure 20 has the perimeter edge 21 that extends around the perimeter structure 20, and a rolled flange 26 that adjoins, and extends from, the perimeter edge 21. The perimeter edge 21 is indicated by the outermost closed dotted line shape shown FIG. 1. The perimeter edge 21 comprises a plurality of corners 24. The plurality of corners 24 comprise a plurality of rounded corners 25 and a tab corner 22. The plurality of rounded corners 25 have a rounded shape as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. The rolled flange 26, as shown in FIGS. 1-2 and 4, extends entirely around the perimeter edge 21 except for the tab corner 22. The rolled flange 26 has a rolled shape that, in an embodiment, makes the packaging tray 1 more rigid.

[0025]As shown in FIG. 4, the tab corner 22 has a tab corner shape 23 indicated by the dotted line stretching across a tab 52. The tab corner shape 23 of the present embodiment is a diagonal shape. In another embodiment, the tab corner shape 23 may be a precut shape. In various other embodiments the tab corner shape 23 may be any shape that allows the tab 52, as described below, to function as described herein.

[0026]As shown in FIG. 3, the tab corner structure 72 of the second frame side 70, as shown in FIGS. 2-3, forms the perimeter edge 21 at the tab corner 22. The tab corner 22 has a first portion 74 and a second portion 76 at the tab corner structure 72. The first portion 74 and the second portion 76 are set apart in the vertical direction X. The first portion 74 has a rounded surface and the second portion 76 has a cut surface that, in the shown embodiment, is jagged or rough.

[0027]The film 50, as shown in FIGS. 1-4, extends over the cavity 11 and the perimeter portion 51 overlaps with the perimeter structure 20. As shown in FIGS. 1-4, the film 50 comprises the perimeter portion 51 and the tab 52. The tab 52 extends beyond the perimeter portion 51 that overlaps the perimeter structure 20. The film 50 of the present embodiment is one layer of a transparent plastic material or a transparent polymer material. In another embodiment, the film 50 may be made of multiple layers of materials, whether transparent or opaque, that allows the film 50 to function as described herein.

[0028]The film 50 seals the cavity 11 as described in more detail below. The perimeter portion 51 that overlaps the perimeter structure 20, in its entirety, is attached and sealed to the perimeter structure 20 without an adhesive. In an exemplary embodiment, the perimeter portion 51 is attached and sealed to the perimeter structure 20 by heat sealing or plastic welding. In various other embodiments, the perimeter portion 51 may be attached and sealed to the perimeter structure 20 in any way (e.g., entirely or not, and with or without an adhesive) that allows the film 50 to function as described herein.

[0029]The tab 52, as shown in FIGS. 1-4, extends beyond the tab corner 22 of the perimeter edge 21. As shown in FIG. 3, the tab 52 extends beyond the tab corner 22 of the perimeter edge 21 from the tab corner structure 72. In another embodiment, the tab 52 may extend beyond any portion of the perimeter structure 20 that allows the tab 52 to function as described herein. In an embodiment, the tab 52 has a top tab surface and a bottom tab surface that are textured. The top tab surface and the bottom tab surface of the tab 52 are opposite each other in the vertical direction X. In various other embodiments, at least one of the top tab surface or the bottom tab surface of the tab 52 is not textured.

[0030]A method of making the packaging tray 1 will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1-4.

[0031]In an exemplary method of making the packaging tray 1, the frame 10 with the tab corner shape 23 that is the diagonal shape is provided. The food product 2 is placed inside the cavity 11. The film 50 is then positioned over the cavity 11, and around the food product 2 in the cavity 11, such that the perimeter portion 51 of the film 50 overlaps with the perimeter structure 20. The perimeter portion 51 is then entirely attached and sealed, without an adhesive, to the perimeter structure 20 where the perimeter portion 51 overlaps the perimeter structure 20. The perimeter portion 51 is sealed to the perimeter structure 20 with a vacuum seal. The perimeter portion 51 is entirely attached and sealed to where it overlaps the perimeter structure 20 with a heat seal. The tab 52 is not attached or sealed to the frame 10 and extends beyond the perimeter structure 20. The tab 52, as shown in FIGS. 1-4, does not overlap the perimeter structure 20 in the vertical direction X.

[0032]In another embodiment, the frame 10 has the tab corner 22 initially formed as a precut shape similar to the rounded corners 25 shown and described above. In this embodiment, the tab corner 22 is first cut to form the tab corner shape 23 that is diagonal as shown and described herein. The cutting of the tab corner 22 results in the rough surface at the second portion 76 shown in FIG. 3.

[0033]As described above, the film 50 extends over the cavity 11 and the perimeter portion 51 overlaps with the perimeter structure 20 to seal the food product 2 in the packaging tray 1. Sealing the food product 2 in the packaging tray 1 removes approximately all the air that was between the film 50 and the food product 2. The film 50 consequently acts as a barrier that prevents air and/or contaminants from reaching the food product 2 in the cavity 11, thereby preserving the quality of the food product 2 and helping prevent the food product 2 from spoiling for a period of time. In an embodiment of the film 50 with multiple layers, the film 50 could be made of multiple layers that would add additional contaminant protection and/or increase the period of time that it would take for the food product 2 to spoil.

[0034]The tab 52, as shown in FIGS. 1-4, is the part of the film 50 that a purchaser can easily grab onto and use to peel the film 50 off the packaging tray 1 to access the food product 2 in the cavity 11. By having the tab 52 extend beyond the tab corner 22, and not overlap with the perimeter structure 20 in the vertical direction X, the tab 52 gives the purchaser additional area to grasp and leverage to make peeling the film 50 off the cavity 11 and the perimeter structure 20 easier. Additionally, when the purchaser peels the film 50 off the packaging tray 1, the second portion 76 that may be rough or jagged is spaced apart from the tab 52 in the vertical direction X. The tab 52 extends from the first portion 74 that is a rounded surface so that, as the purchaser's hand moves during removal of the film 50, the purchaser's hand may contact the rounded surface of the first portion 74 and not the rough second portion 76, preventing injury. Furthermore, the tab 52 having at least one textured surface allows the purchaser of the packaging tray 1 to get a better grip on the tab 52, thereby making removing the film 50 from the packaging tray 1 easier.