Special receptacle or package – Combined or convertible – Packaged assemblage or kit
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-24
2001-10-30
Luong, Shian T. (Department: 3728)
Special receptacle or package
Combined or convertible
Packaged assemblage or kit
C206S557000, C229S903000, C426S114000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06308833
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to food packaging systems and in particular to packaging of food products such as an uncooked deep dish pizza product in which either frozen or non-frozen uncooked pizza ingredients are carried within a semi-rigid pan.
2. Description of the Related Art
The present invention relates to packaging for uncooked pizza food products and especially deep dish pizzas. Relatively thin pizzas are available in frozen form and are provided to the consumer in different stages of preparedness, but generally require some amount of baking time before they can be eaten. Uncooked pizzas are provided in either fully prepared form or can be provided as an assemblage of ingredients, as shown for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,747,084. When provided in an uncooked but fully prepared form, deep dish pizzas present certain challenges to a manufacturer, to ensure that the consumer will be able to enjoy a well prepared pizza without requiring inconvenient or complex cooking procedures with which the consumer may not be familiar. Further, it is desirable that the consumer be required only to unwrap the pizza and place it in a heated oven for a set period of time.
As mentioned above, uncooked pizzas may be presented to the consumer in either frozen or unfrozen form. Obviously, different types of food storage equipment must be provided by the food store for accommodating both types of pizza packages. Frozen pizzas may be stored in an open top freezer or in an enclosed freezer chest, while the non-frozen refrigerated pizza product may be stored in a refrigerated cabinet. In order to provide added value to a food store, food manufacturers have packaged their products as stand-alone attractive self-display advertising units. For example, the package for an uncooked pizza may feature a colorful photograph of the finished, baked pizza, which would attract the consumer's interest.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is important that the food packages provided to a food store be readily adapted to conventional package handling by store personnel. For example, uncooked pizzas have been provided in the form of a “flat package” in which the pizza packages are stacked one on top of another in order to conserve space within a freezing or refrigerated environment. This type of package handling does not fully utilize the visual display of the package's advertising features. The invention enables a package be presented to the consumer standing in an upright fashion so that the full impact of promotional and advertising features of the product may be displayed to the consumer.
One example of a stand-up food package is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,701 in which a flat compartmentalized package containing snack foods, breakfast foods or the like is provided with a card, which cooperates with the package top, to allow the package to stand on end, in an upright fashion. Such packages are unsuitable for use with specialty products such as deep dish pizzas in either frozen or non-frozen refrigerated form.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a food packaging system for use with uncooked pizzas and especially pizzas of the deep dish type, in either fully assembled, partially assembled or unassembled ingredient form.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a packaging system of the type mentioned above having provision for being made to readily stand on-end in an upright position.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a packaging system of the type mentioned above which provides a baking vessel for the pizza food product.
These and other objects of the present invention are provided in a packaging system for a food product such as a deep dish pizza, comprising in combination:
a pan for holding the food product, the pan having a bottom wall, a side wall and an upper outwardly extending rim;
a shield member disposed about the rim of the pan so as to shield the outer periphery of food product disposed in the pan during cooking;
a support tray defining a stepped recess, and a bottom wall at a bottom of the stepped recess, for securing the pan, food product and shield member, with a first recess portion receiving the side wall of the pan and a second recess portion for receiving the rim of the pan and the shield member;
a support member including a body portion contacting the bottom wall of the tray, the support member further including a pair of laterally spaced apart wings hingedly joined to the body portion and an end wall also hingedly joined to the body portion, the wings and the end wall foldable so as to form a pocket for receiving a part of at least one of the tray recess portions; and
a protective film disposed about the tray so as to cover the food product and shield member.
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Fitch Even Tabin & Flannery
Kraft Foods Inc.
Luong Shian T.
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