Hanging condiment holder

Abstract

A packaging cup of the type typically utilized to contain a small volume of a condiment or sauce and formed of a resilient material. This cup has a reservoir and a flange which surrounds the reservoir with a lid sealed to the flange. The packaging cup is improved by including support segment cut into the flange of the packaging cup that engages with a corresponding slot cut into a vertical surface of a foodstuff container. A keyed geometry at the base of each side of the food container provides restriction to removing the packaging cup. This type of serving arrangement is illustrated for condiments such as ketchup for French fries, syrup for French toast sticks and barbeque sauce for chicken strips. Even though the packaging cup may have a pre-determined amount of condiment sealed within the reservoir, the consumer at the location where the packaging arrangement is used may also fill the packaging cup. The foodstuff container may be used with or without the packaging cup. The packaging cup may be accessed without mating with the foodstuff container.

What is claimed:  
     
         1 . A hanging packaging cup that comprises: 
 A resilient body having a product reservoir and a lip integrally formed together, said reservoir having a periphery surrounding an opening into said reservoir and said lip formed as a continuous essentially planar flange extending from the periphery of said reservoir;    A secondary T-segment formed integral with the lip that supports the hanging packaging cup on foodstuff container;    
     
     
         2 . A hanging packaging cup of  claim 1  including: 
 A lid for sealing said reservoir, said lid covering the reservoir opening and sealed to said lip around the totality of periphery of said reservoir:  
 
     
     
         3 . The packaging cup of  claim 1  where the support section has a minimum of one slot located within the support section for interface with the foodstuff container.  
     
     
         4 . A packaging cup of  claim 3  including: 
 A lid for sealing said reservoir, said lid covering aid reservoir opening and sealed to said lip around the totality of periphery of said reservoir.  
 
     
     
         5 . A combination serving arrangement for providing simultaneous access to finite food pieces and a condiment for dipping the food pieces into the condiment comprising: 
 A foodstuff container defining an enclosure for containing a quantity of finite food pieces, the container having an outer wall with an upper edge defining a top opening for access to food pieces therein with a minimum of one slot in the foodstuff container of width specified for mating with the inner support segment of the hanging packaging cup; wherein    A hanging packaging cup that comprises:    A resilient body having a product reservoir and a lip integrally formed together, said reservoir having a periphery surrounding an opening into said reservoir and said lip formed as a continuous essentially planar flange extending from the periphery of said reservoir;    A secondary T-segment formed integral with the lip that supports the hanging packaging cup on foodstuff container;    
     
     
         6 . The serving arrangement of  claim 5  wherein the foodstuff container has locking corners to minimize vertical movement of the packaging cup.  
     
     
         7 . A combination system of  claim 5  wherein: 
 The outside periphery of said food container is circular with a minimum of one slot located in the food container with packaging cup interface following the same radius as the food container.  
 
     
     
         8 . The combination system of  claim 5  wherein: 
 A minimum of two slots is located within the food container forming a tongue portion in the foodstuff container that interfaces with a slot in the support segment of the packaging cup.  
 
     
     
         9 . A process of forming a packaging cup that is capable of being suspended from a further foodstuff container that comprises: 
 Forming said packaging cup to include a product reservoir and a planar cup lip that extends outward in a plane around the totality of the periphery of the reservoir;    Filling the reservoir with a product;    Overlaying a lid on said cup to completely cover the product reservoir and to extend over the cup lip;    Sealing said lid to said cup lip;    Cutting support segment in said cup lip and cup lid sealed to said cup lip.    
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 10  including: 
 At least one slot in the packaging cup.