Sealable portion cups and lids therefor

Abstract

A container ensemble for food packaging comprising a substantially planar lid member formed of a polymeric material which has a plurality of substantially planar lids which are integrally formed and separably joined to each other, each of the lids including a sealing channel around its perimeter and a skirt extending outwardly therefrom. The lid member is provided with tearable portions to facilitate separation. The other component of the ensemble is a cup member formed of a polymeric material defining a plurality of cups which are integrally formed and also separably joined to each other, the cups including a bottom, a sidewall, and a brim about an upper opening of each cup. Each cup has a skirt extending outwardly from its brim provided with tearable portions to facilitate separation. The sealing channels of the lids of the lid member are adapted to mate with the brims of the cups to provide a plurality of separably joined sealed containers when the lid member and cup member are joined in sealing engagement; the ensemble being thereby adapted for sequentially: (i) receiving serving portions of food in a plurality of cups; (ii) lidding the cups to provide sealed containers containing individual portions; (iii) separating the sealed containers; and (iv) distributing the portions.

1 . A container ensemble for food packaging comprising: 
 a) a substantially planar lid array member formed of a polymeric material defining a plurality of substantially planar lids which are integrally formed and separably joined to each other, each of the lids including a sealing channel around its perimeter and a skirt extending outwardly therefrom provided with tearable portions to facilitate separation;    b) a cup array member formed of a polymeric material defining a plurality of cups which are integrally formed and separably joined to each other, each of the cups including a bottom, a sidewall, a brim about an upper opening of each cup and a skirt extending outwardly from its brim, wherein the skirts of each cup include tearable portions to facilitate separation;    c) the sealing channels of the lids of the lid member being adapted to mate with the brims of the cups to provide a plurality of separably joined sealed containers when the lid member and cup member are joined in sealing engagement;    the ensemble being thereby adapted for sequentially: (i) receiving serving portions of food in a plurality of cups; (ii) lidding the cups to provide sealed containers containing individual portions; (iii) separating the sealed containers; and (iv) distributing the portions.    
     
     
         2 . The container ensemble according to  claim 1 , thermoformed from thermoplastic sheet.  
     
     
         3 . The container ensemble according to  claim 1 , wherein said lid member is integrally fabricated with said cup member.  
     
     
         4 . The container ensemble according to  claim 1 , wherein said lid member and said cup member are fabricated as separate components.  
     
     
         5 . The container ensemble according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of separably joined cups are arranged in an N×M array, N and M being independently selected integers from 1 to 6.  
     
     
         6 . The container ensemble according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of separably joined lids are arranged in an N×M array, N and M being independently selected integers from 1 to 6.  
     
     
         7 . A container ensemble for food packaging comprising: 
 a) a substantially planar lid array member formed of a polymeric material defining a plurality of substantially planar lids which are integrally formed and separably joined to each other in an N×M array, each of the lids including a sealing channel around its perimeter and a skirt extending outwardly therefrom provided with tearable portions to facilitate separation;    b) a cup array member formed of a polymeric material fabricated as a separate component with respect to the lid member defining a plurality of cups which are integrally formed and separably joined to each other in an N×M array, the cups including a bottom, a sidewall, a brim about an upper opening of each cup and a skirt extending outwardly therefrom, wherein the skirts of each cup are provided with tearable portions to facilitate separation;    c) N and M are independently selected integers of from 1 to 6;    d) the sealing channels of the lids of the lid member being adapted to mate with the brims of the cups to provide N×M separably joined sealed containers when the lid member and cup member are joined in sealing engagement;    the ensemble being thereby adapted for sequentially: (i) receiving serving portions of food in a plurality of cups; (ii) lidding the cups to provide sealed containers containing individual portions; (iii) separating the sealed containers; and (iv) distributing the portions.    
     
     
         8 . The container ensemble according to  claim 7 , wherein N and M are 2 or 3.  
     
     
         9 . The container ensemble according to  claim 7 , wherein N is 2 and M is 3.  
     
     
         10 . The container ensemble according to  claim 7 , wherein the cups and lids are separably joined by tearable portions that are perforated.  
     
     
         11 . The container ensemble according to  claim 7 , wherein the cups and lids are separately joined by tearable portions that are scored.  
     
     
         12 . The container ensemble according to  claim 7 , wherein each container has a fill volume of from about 1 to about 8 fluid ounces.  
     
     
         13 . The container ensemble according to  claim 7 , wherein each container has a fill volume of from about 1 to about 6 fluid ounces.  
     
     
         14 . The container ensemble according to  claim 7 , wherein each container has a fill volume of from about 1 to about 4 fluid ounces.  
     
     
         15 . The container ensemble according to  claim 7 , wherein each container has a fill volume of about 2 fluid ounces.  
     
     
         16 . The container ensemble according to  claim 7 , wherein each container has a fill volume of about 6 fluid ounces.  
     
     
         17 . The container ensemble according to  claim 7 , made from a thermoplastic composition comprising a polystyrene polymer composition.  
     
     
         18 . The container ensemble according to  claim 17 , wherein the polystyrene polymer composition comprises high impact polystyrene.  
     
     
         19 . The container ensemble according to  claim 17 , wherein the polystyrene polymer composition comprises rubberized polystyrene.  
     
     
         20 . The container ensemble according to  claim 17 , wherein the polystyrene polymer composition is oriented polystyrene.  
     
     
         21 . The container ensemble according to  claim 7 , made from a thermoplastic composition comprising a polyolefin polymer.  
     
     
         22 . The container ensemble according to  claim 21 , wherein the polyolefin polymer is polypropylene.  
     
     
         23 . The container ensemble according to  claim 21 , wherein the polyolefin polymer is polyethylene.  
     
     
         24 . The container ensemble according to  claim 7 , made from a thermoplastic composition comprising polyethylene terephthalate.  
     
     
         25 . The container ensemble according to  claim 7 , wherein the brims of the cups have profiles which are U-shaped and the lids are provided with corresponding U-shaped channels.  
     
     
         26 . The container ensemble according to  claim 7 , wherein the lids and cups cooperate to form substantially continuous seals around the opening of the cups when the lid member and cup member are joined together in sealing engagement.  
     
     
         27 . The container ensemble according to  claim 7 , wherein: 
 a) the brims of the cups being further provided with: 
 (i) a plurality of rounded corner brim portions; and  
 (ii) a plurality of lateral brim walls extending between the rounded brim corner portions, the walls being configured such that the surfaces are substantially linear along a direction between adjacent brim corners interconnected thereby; and  
   b) the lids are suitably provided with: 
 (i) a plurality of lid rounded corner portions; and  
 (ii) a plurality of lateral lid walls extending between the rounded corner portions wherein the lid rounded corner portions and the lid lateral walls are configured to engage corresponding brim corner portions and the lateral brim walls thereof, the lateral lid walls being configured such that their surfaces are substantially linear between adjacent lid corner portions interconnected thereby; and  
   c) a plurality of medial sealing beads disposed on lateral walls selected from lateral brim walls and lateral lid walls, the sealing beads being characterized in that: 
 (i) the medial sealing beads project away from their respective lateral walls a maximum distance at a central portion thereof between and distal to adjacent corners with lesser projections away from their lateral walls at their end portions proximate adjacent corners; and  
 (ii) the medial sealing beads extend over the major portion of the length of the lateral wall between adjacent corners upon which they are disposed.  
   
     
     
         28 . The container ensemble according to  claim 27 , wherein the plurality of medial sealing beads extends over substantially the entire distance between rounded corners.  
     
     
         29 . The container ensemble according to  claim 27 , wherein the plurality of medial sealing beads defines an arched line between adjacent rounded corners.  
     
     
         30 . The container ensemble according to  claim 27 , wherein the medial sealing beads blend with the rounded corners at ends of the medial sealing beads.  
     
     
         31 . The container ensemble according to  claim 27 , wherein the medial sealing beads are flush with rounded corners at their end portions.  
     
     
         32 . The container ensemble according to  claim 28 , wherein the medial sealing beads have an arched profile away from the lateral walls upon which they are disposed.  
     
     
         33 . The container ensemble according to  claim 28 , wherein the lateral walls upon which the sealing beads are disposed have an upper portion and lower portion and the medial sealing beads are located proximate to the upper portions of the lateral walls upon which they are disposed.  
     
     
         34 . The lidded container according to  claim 28 , wherein the lateral walls upon which the medial sealing beads are disposed have a top and bottom defining a height and the medial sealing beads are disposed at the upper portion of its lateral wall at substantially two-thirds the height of the lateral wall.  
     
     
         35 . The lidded container according to  claim 28 , wherein the medial sealing beads have a maximum projection away from the lateral wall at substantially the center line of the lateral wall.  
     
     
         36 . A method of distributing individual serving portions of a food item selected from condiments, dressings, sauces and side dishes comprising the sequential steps of: 
 a) disposing the serving portions of the food item in a plurality of cups provided in a cup array formed of a polymeric material defining a plurality of cups which are integrally formed and separably joined to each other, the cups including a bottom, a sidewall, a brim about an upper opening of each cup, and a skirt extending outwardly from its brim, wherein the skirts of each cup are provided with tearable portions to facilitate separation;    b) joining a lid array to the cup array, the lid member being substantially planar and formed of a polymeric material defining a plurality of substantially planar lids which are integrally formed and separably joined to each other, each of the lids including a sealing channel around its perimeter and a skirt extending outwardly therefrom provided with tearable portions to facilitate separation;    c) whereupon joining the lid member and the cup member the sealing channels of the lids of the lid member mate with the brims of the cups of the cup member to provide a plurality of separably joined, food containing sealed containers;    d) separating the sealed containers from one another; and    e) distributing the individual portions.    
     
     
         37 . A system for food packaging comprising an ensemble of: 
 a) a nested stack of substantially planar lid array members formed of a polymeric material each defining a plurality of substantially planar lids which are integrally formed and separably joined to each other, each of the lids including a sealing channel around its perimeter and a skirt extending outwardly therefrom provided with tearable portions to facilitate separation, wherein the sealing channel defines a top recess on each lid;    b) a nested stack of cup array members formed of a polymeric material each member defining a plurality of cups which are integrally formed and separably joined to each other, the cups including a bottom, a sidewall, a brim about an upper opening of each cup and a skirt extending outwardly from its brim, wherein the skirts of each cup include tearable portions to facilitate separation, wherein further the bottom of each cup is configured to fit with the top recess of a lid such that an assembled lid/cup ensemble of sealed containers is securely stackable;    c) the sealing channels of each lid of the lid members being adapted to mate with the brims of the cups of a cup member to provide a plurality of separably joined sealed containers when a lid member and cup member are joined in sealing engagement;    an assembled lid/cup ensemble of sealed containers being thereby adapted for sequentially: (i) receiving serving portions of food in a plurality of cups; (ii) lidding the cups to provide sealed containers containing individual portions; (iii) separating the sealed containers; and (iv) distributing the portions.