Sandwich and storage bag slide

Abstract

A tray and bag combination. The tray has tapered side walls at a front end for easy insertion of the tray into the bag. The bag is opened as the tray enters the bag. A sandwich sized to fit the tray can then be slid onto and along the tray bottom and into the bag.

The invention claimed is:  
     
         1 . A combination bagging tray and bag for bagging food items comprising: 
 a flexible bag defining an enclosure having a determined size as when expanded to receive and contain a food item, said bag having a closeable open end and an opposing closed end spaced a determined distance from said open end;    a tray having a bottom and sides having a defined length and further defining an open top and open opposed front and rear ends;    said sides defining similar upper side wall edges extended from a position proximate the bottom wall at the front edge upwardly and rearwardly to position at a midway distance of the tray length, said position at the midway distance having a height at least as great as the thickness of food items to be packaged;    said bag opening and said tray cooperatively sized for the bag opening to receive the front end of the tray and slideable onto the tray to a midway position at or rearward of said midway position of said inclined wall edges, and as positioned at said midway position, said closed end of the bag extended beyond said front end of the tray whereby a sandwich slideable from the rear end of the tray toward the front end of the tray is fitted through said bag opening and into the bag enclosure.    
     
     
         2 . A combination bagging tray and bag defined in  claim 1  wherein a lip is formed at each side wall edge at said midway position of said bag opening.  
     
     
         3 . A combination bagging tray and bag as defined in  claim 2  wherein said side wall edges are extended horizontally from the top of said lip to a second lip, said second lip defining a second mid position for a bag and accommodating a plurality of bag sizes.  
     
     
         4 . A combination bagging tray and bag as defined in  claim 1  including a finger slot in the tray bottom extending along the tray length from a position toward the front of the tray whereby a bag bottom when exposed through the slot can be pressed against a support surface as the tray is pushed forward into the bag.  
     
     
         5 . A combination bagging tray and bag as defined in  claim 1  wherein the tray is sized in width and height to accommodate a sandwich for bagging a sandwich as the food item.  
     
     
         6 . A combination as defined in  claim 5  wherein the tray bottom is provided to have a thickness at its rear end that allows a sandwich to be readily slid along a support surface and over the rear end with minimal edge interference.  
     
     
         7 . A combination as defined in  claim 6  wherein the tray bottom rear end has a thickness no greater than about 0.050 inch.  
     
     
         8 . A combination as defined in  claim 7  wherein the tray bottom rear end has a thickness no greater than about 0.035 inch.  
     
     
         9 . A combination as defined in  claim 8  wherein the tray bottom rear end has a thickness no greater than about 0.020 inch.  
     
     
         10 . A combination as defined in  claim 6  wherein the tray sides and bottom of the tray are of similar minimal thickness to minimize the volume displacement of the tray inserted in the bag opening.