초록 ▼

The food package includes a base with a food storage compartment and a lid selectively mateable with the base for closing the compartment. The periphery of the base has a flange that abuts a corresponding flange of the lid when the lid is mated to the base to close the compartment. Prior to initiall

The food package includes a base with a food storage compartment and a lid selectively mateable with the base for closing the compartment. The periphery of the base has a flange that abuts a corresponding flange of the lid when the lid is mated to the base to close the compartment. Prior to initially opening the food package, the flanges of the base and lid are sealed together at a sealing area surrounding the food compartment to seal the food compartment. The flanges of both the base and lid have an outwardly extending tab portion that at least partially overlap with each other. An easy-open feature, located on one of the overlapping tab portions, is sized and positioned to space the adjacent tabs apart in order to facilitate pulling apart the flanges to separate the lid from the base to gain access to the food product in the food compartment of the base.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. A reclosable food package for storing a food product, the food package comprising: a base having a bottom wall and an upstanding sidewall extending from the periphery of the bottom wall to form a food compartment between the bottom wall and the sidewall, the base having

The invention claimed is: 1. A reclosable food package for storing a food product, the food package comprising: a base having a bottom wall and an upstanding sidewall extending from the periphery of the bottom wall to form a food compartment between the bottom wall and the sidewall, the base having a peripheral flange extending outward from the sidewall opposite the bottom wall and a tab extending outward from a portion of the peripheral flange; a lid for covering the food compartment of the base, the lid having a bottom wall and an upstanding sidewall extending from the periphery of the bottom wall, the exterior of the lid sidewall configured to removably engage the interior of the base sidewall to mate the lid and the base and to selectively close the food compartment of the base with the bottom wall of the lid, the lid having a peripheral flange extending outward from the sidewall opposite the bottom wall of the lid, at least a portion of the base and lid flanges surrounding the food compartment overlap and have a sealing area therebetween when the lid closes the food compartment of the base, the lid having a tab extending outward from a portion of the peripheral flange, and at least a portion of the base and lid tabs overlap when the lid closes the food compartment of the base, the overlapping portions of the base and lid tabs having facing sealant layers; a protuberance disposed on one of the overlapping portion of the base tab and lid tab and projecting toward the other of the overlapping portion of the base tab and lid tab to abut a generally planar portion of the other of the lid and base tab to maintain a localized space between the two overlapping portions of the tabs and to minimize sealing between the facing sealing layers of the base and lid tabs, the protuberance having a length and a width where the length is substantially greater than the width and the protuberance being located near an edge of the overlapping portion of the one of the base tab and lid tab such that the distance from the protuberance to the closest tab edge is less than a half of the distance from the protuberance to the sealing area. 2. The reclosable food package according to claim 1, further comprising a seal in the sealing area of the overlapping base and lid flanges to provide a substantially hermetic seal of the food compartment when the lid closes the food compartment of the base. 3. The reclosable food package according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of aligned lugs and recesses located on the sidewalls of the base and the lid, the lugs and recesses engaging to generally secure the lid relative to the base when the lid closes the food compartment of the base. 4. The reclosable food package according to claim 3, further comprising a plurality of ridges formed in the sidewall of the base. 5. The reclosable food package according to claim 3, wherein at least one the base tab and the lid tab has sufficient area to include a product label. 6. The reclosable food package according to claim 1, wherein the reclosable food package is generally rectangular and the protuberance is located adjacent a corner of the one of the base tab and lid tab. 7. The reclosable food package according to claim 6, wherein the one of the base tab and lid tab having the protuberance has an arcuate corner and the protuberance is arcuate in shape and adjacent the arcuate corner. 8. The reclosable food package according to claim 6, wherein the protuberance generally corresponds to the shape of the corner of the one of the base tab and lid tab having the protuberance. 9. The reclosable food package according to claim 1, wherein the base and lid are formed of amorphous polyester. 10. The reclosable food package according to claim 1, wherein: a first portion of the sidewall of the base having a first angle relative to the bottom wall and adjacent thereto; a second portion of the sidewall of the base having a second angle relative to the bottom wall and adjacent the flange, the first angle being less than the second angle; a first portion of the sidewall of the lid having a first angle relative to the bottom wall and adjacent thereto; and a second portion of the sidewall of the lid having a second angle relative to the bottom wall and adjacent the flange, the first angle being less than the second angle. 11. The reclosable food package according to claim 10, wherein the second angle of the second portion of the sidewall of the base generally corresponds to the second angle of the second portion of the sidewall of the lid. 12. The reclosable food package according to claim 6, wherein the width of the protuberance is between 0.05 inches and 0.2 inches and a longitudinal centerline of the protuberance is spaced between 0.05 inches and 0.25 inches from the adjacent corner. 13. The reclosable food package according to claim 6, wherein the width of the protuberance is about 0.10 inches and a longitudinal centerline of the protuberance is spaced about 0.10 inches from the adjacent corner. 14. The reclosable food package according to claim 1, wherein the length of the protuberance is at least four times that of its width and a height of the protuberance is at least 25% of the width. 15. The reclosable food package according to claim 1, wherein the length of the protuberance is at least six times that of its width and a height of the protuberance is at least 25% of the width. 16. The reclosable food package according to claim 1, wherein a height of the protuberance is at least twice that of the thickness of the one of the base tab and lid tab having the protuberance. 17. The reclosable food package according to claim 1, wherein a food product is disposed within the food compartment. 18. A method of packaging a food product in a reclosable package, the method comprising: forming a base in a first sheet of material, the base having a bottom wall and an upstanding sidewall extending from the periphery of the bottom wall to form a food compartment between the bottom wall and the sidewall, the base having a peripheral flange extending outward from the sidewall opposite the bottom wall and a tab extending outward from a portion of the peripheral flange; forming a lid for covering the food compartment of the base in a second sheet of material, the lid having a bottom wall and an upstanding sidewall extending from the periphery of the bottom wall, the exterior of the lid sidewall configured to removably engage the interior of the base sidewall to mate the lid and the base and to selectively close the food compartment of the base with the bottom wall of the lid, the lid having a peripheral flange extending outward from the sidewall opposite the bottom wall of the lid, at least a portion of the base and lid flanges surrounding the food compartment overlap and have a sealing area therebetween when the lid closes the food compartment of the base, the lid having a tab extending outward from a portion of the peripheral flange, and at least a portion of the base and lid tabs overlap when the lid closes the food compartment of the base; forming a protuberance disposed on one of the overlapping portion of the base tab and lid tab and projecting toward the other of the overlapping portion of the base tab and lid tab to maintain a localized space between the two overlapping portions of the tabs, the protuberance having a length and a width where the length is substantially greater than the width and the protuberance being located near an edge of the overlapping portion of the one of the base tab and lid tab such that the distance from the protuberance to the closest tab edge is less than a half of the distance from the protuberance to the sealing area; inserting a food product into the food compartment of the base; positioning the first sheet having the base formed therein and the second sheet having the lid formed therein adjacent each other such that the lid closes the food compartment of the base; sealing the lid and the base together at the sealing area; cutting the lid and the base together from the first sheet and the second sheet after sealing to singulate the reclosable package from the first sheet and the second sheet. 19. The method of packaging a food product according to claim 18, wherein the forming of the base, the forming of the lid, and the forming of the protuberance each comprise thermoforming. 20. The method of packaging a food product according to claim 18, wherein the first sheet and the second sheet are an amorphous polyester. 21. The method of packaging a food product according to claim 18, further including the step of positioning a sealant layer of the base flange adjacent a sealing layer of the lid flange, the sealing layers extending at least partially in the tabs and the sealing area prior to the step of sealing the lid and the base together at the sealing area.