Champion International Corporation Limited

Hoerner Waldorf Corporation

Rudolph A Faller

William M Tolaas

An improved tray particularly suited for packaging food is formed by drawing a unitary blank of paperboard and includes an outwardly extending flange along the upper edge of the tray to provide a face to which a plastic cover sheet is bonded. Arcuately shaped troughs are formed in the face of the flange at each corner of the tray and a plastic cover sheet for enclosing the top of the tray, after the tray is filled with food, is ultrasonically bonded to the arcuately shaped troughs at each corner with matching sonic sealing heads. The sonically vibrating heads divert foods accidentally spilled into the troughs during the filling process from the troughs thereby improving the bond between the film and the plastic surface of the tray. Heat is applied to the cover sheet at the flange after ultrasonic bonding to assure complete sealing of the cover sheet to the flange.

Food tray and packaging process

A printing plate for printing a linear bar symbol code includes a body portion which is adhesively bonded to a mylar mounting sheet that is secured to a typical printing cylinder core. Integral with the body portion of the printing plate is a substantially rectangular frame member having opposed side members and end members which enclose a central channel. Disposed within the channel and integral with and connecting the opposed side members are a plurality of spaced bar members which define the linear bars of a symbol code. One of the side members includes a plurality of recesses having the configuration of numbers disposed in relief. The machine-readable linear bars correspond to the human-readable numbers of a symbol code. The frame member which constitutes a majority of the printing contact surface of the plate is raised the same distance from the body portion as the linear bar members such that the contact surface of the frame is flush with the contact surfaces of the bar members. By this arrangement, the frame member minimizes distortion of the linear bars when contact pressure is applied during a printing operation.

Printing plate for linear bar symbol code

Food tray

A composite tray is formed from top and bottom press formed tray members. The top tray member includes a base and sidewalls, and a plurality of embossments or raised surfaces are formed on the base thereof, while the bottom tray member also includes a base and sidewalls, with a plurality of debossments formed on the base thereof. The bottom tray member is of slightly larger dimensions than the top tray member such that the top tray member may be fitted within the bottom tray member and affixed thereto. The opposed bases of the top and bottom trays cooperate to inhibit unwanted twisting or flexing of the composite tray, thereby enhancing the structural rigidity of the tray. In a preferred embodiment of the subject invention, the bases in the top and bottom tray members are disposed in mirror image relationship to further rigidify the composite tray. Polymer coatings may be provided on the exposed surfaces of the composite tray to provide a moisture-liquid barrier. Methods of making the embodiments of the composite tray are also disclosed.

Composite paperboard tray

Blank for a two compartment box

Blank for three compartment box

A paperboard tray includes flanges which abut but do not overlap when the tray is erected. The flanges are connected to tray side wall panels along fold lines which are selectively scored to compensate for different stiffness of the paperboard material along and across its grain. The selectively scored fold lines allow the flanges to uniformly bend when subjected to equal bending forces exerted on the flanges. The abutting flanges and the selectively scored flange fold lines make the tray particularly suitable for use in manufacturing processes in which the tray is lined with a non-porous film material.

Paperboard tray

Disclosed is a carton which is especially adapted for heating food products such as pizza, in microwave ovens. The bottom surface of the carton is cut to provide a plurality of tabs, which when bent from the carton, provide legs which space the bottom of the carton from a shelf in the oven, thereby allowing moisture vapor generated during heating to escape. According to a preferred embodiment, a moisture barrier film is releasably adhered to the bottom surface of the carton and a plurality of tabs so that, upon removal of the film prior to heating, the tabs are bent into their operable support position and the vent holes are opened.

Food carton for microwave heating

Individual flanged trays are deposited on a conveyor belt. A continuous film is applied across the top surface of the trays. A heated flat plate is pressed into the film and causes the tray flanges to bend to a desired position. The plate heats the film throughout and bonds the film to the tray flanges. Directly thereafter and while at the same station, vacuum is applied which serves to deform the film into the interior of the trays. The formed film preferably has rounded corners and may be partially separated from the bottom wall and side walls of the tray by an air space. Thereafter, a heated plug preferably having insulated sides, heat seals the now deformed film to the bottom wall of the tray. A cutting device trims the excess film at the tray flanges. The excess film may be scavenged and recycled. The cutting device may be provided at the deforming station or the sealing station or at a trimming station downstream of either of these stations. After one or more food products is deposited in each film lined tray, a second film is applied across the surface of the filled tray and heat sealed to the first film at the tray flanges. A single trimming station might be used to trim both the second film and the now deformed and sealed first film.

Lined tray

A container formed from a single blank of paperboard material and having at least two compartments in the form of open-top trays hingedly coupled together and easily separable along the hinge. A film covers each tray to secure food therein. After folding along the hinge, the two trays are received in a cover sleeve. Each tray is formed from a plurality of planar walls, some of which have hingedly coupled flanges at the top thereof for receiving the covering film.

Container with multiple compartments

A low cost paperboard package includes a tray with bendable flanges protected by an outer cover member. In one embodiment, a wrap-around blank comprising a generally rectangular paperboard tube protects the tray prior to use. In another embodiment, a folded carton with end wall panels protects the tray prior to use. In both embodiments, the movement of the tray within the outer cover member is restrained by the coaction of the outer cover member and the spring action of the bendable tray flanges. The distance between the side walls of the outer cover member is less than the distance between the outer edges of the tray flanges when they are fully extended. By bending the flanges downwardly, the tray can be slipped into a blank of minimal size. The friction between the tray flanges and the blank's side walls resists movement of the tray.

Composite including tray restrained with outer cover

Tray blank

Apparatus for making a lined tray

Method for forming visual display packages from blanks in which a plastic film covers a window region in the package, and in which a tab formed as part of the blank extends into the window region to support an article to be contained in the package and serve as a location for product codes and symbols or other information. At least one pocket is formed in the plastic film to receive an article prior to closing the package. The tab is rotated outward, and when the tab is located adjacent to the transverse axis fold line of the blank it assists in making the completed package free-standing. The tab may be bonded to a portion of the plastic film by a heat responsive thermo-plastic coating on the tab.

Process for forming visual display packages

Method and equipment for forming visual display packages from blanks in which a plastic film covers a window region in the package, and in which a tab formed as part of the blank extends into the window region to support an article to be contained in the package and serve as a location for product codes and symbols or other information. At least one pocket is formed in the plastic film to receive an article prior to closing the package. The tab is rotated outward, and when the tab is located adjacent to the transverse axis fold line of the blank it assists in making the completed package free-standing. The tab may be bonded to a portion of the plastic film by a heat responsive thermo-plastic coating on the tab.

Growing community of inventors

Edina, MN, United States of America

Rudolph A Faller