Reclosable Food Package

Abstract

A reclosable food package is provided for packaging and displaying a foodstuff, such as a shingled stack of sliced bacon, in a highly visible manner, including a generally rigid tray member for receiving a foodstuff, a flexible film for covering the foodstuff and adjacent tray base areas uncovered by the foodstuff in a vacuum sealed manner, and a generally rigid lid member that manually reclosably attaches to the tray member, where at least one of the tray member and lid member is transparent.

1 . A reclosable food package for a foodstuff comprising:
 a generally rigid tray for receiving a foodstuff;   a flexible film for covering the foodstuff and contacting adjacent areas of the tray uncovered by the foodstuff in a vacuum sealed manner; and   a generally rigid lid adapted for reclosable attachment to the tray.   
     
     
         2 . The reclosable food package of  claim 1 , wherein the foodstuff comprises a shingled stack of bacon slices. 
     
     
         3 . The reclosable food package of  claim 1 , wherein the protuberances are provided in the tray in the areas of the tray uncovered by the foodstuff to facilitate release of the flexible film from the areas of the tray base that are uncovered by the foodstuff. 
     
     
         4 . The reclosable food package of  claim 3 , wherein the protuberances have progressively smaller diameter and height in a direction extending from a tray sidewall towards a central base portion of the tray. 
     
     
         5 . The reclosable food package of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible film comprises a transparent ionomeric film material. 
     
     
         6 . The reclosable food package of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible film and at least one of the tray and lid have transparency. 
     
     
         7 . A reclosable food package, comprising:
 a generally rigid tray member having a tray base, generally upstanding tray sidewalls, and generally upstanding tray endwalls, and a tray member peripheral ridged flange which surrounds an open mouth generally opposite the tray base, wherein the tray base comprises a generally flat central base portion disposed between two inclined base portions which merge with the generally upstanding tray sidewalls at respective locations below the tray member peripheral ridged flange and a peripheral ledge portion extends along an inner surface of the sidewalls and endwalls adjacent the mouth of the tray member;   a foodstuff is disposed within the tray member;   a flexible film conformably vacuum sealed upon the food product and adjacent areas of the tray member uncovered by the foodstuff;   a generally rigid lid member securable onto the tray member, the lid member including a lid member peripheral slotted edge portion surrounding a central lid panel portion that is inset relative to the slotted edge portion, said lid member adapted for being reclosably attached to the tray member wherein the lid member peripheral slotted edge portion is adapted to slidably engage and be seated on the tray member peripheral ridged flange;   wherein the cover panel and tray base define an interior volume for enclosing the foodstuff supported on the tray base when the lid member peripheral slotted edge portion is seated on the tray member peripheral ridged flange.   
     
     
         8 . The reclosable food package of  claim 7 , wherein the foodstuff comprises a shingled stack of bacon slices. 
     
     
         9 . The reclosable food package of  claim 7 , wherein a plurality of space apart integral protuberances extend from the tray base to facilitate release of the flexible film from areas of the tray base that are uncovered by the foodstuff. 
     
     
         10 . The reclosable food package of  claim 9 , wherein the protuberances have progressively smaller diameter and height in a direction extending from a tray member sidewall towards the central base portion. 
     
     
         11 . The reclosable food package of  claim 7 , wherein the flexible film comprises a transparent ionomeric film material. 
     
     
         12 . The reclosable food package of  claim 7 , wherein the flexible film is transparent and at least one of the lid member and tray member having transparency to permit visible inspection therethrough of the foodstuff enclosed within the package. 
     
     
         13 . The reclosable food package of  claim 7 , wherein the inclined base portions individually have respective inclination angles in the range from about 20 to about 50 degrees, relative to a plane co-planar with the tray base. 
     
     
         14 . The reclosable food package of  claim 7 , wherein the inclined base portions individually have widths of about 40 to about 120% the width of the central base portion. 
     
     
         15 . The reclosable food package of  claim 7 , wherein the tray member further includes integral feet on a bottom surface thereof, which are adapted to fit inside an inset region provided in an upper surface of the lid member effective to prevent undue shifting of an overlying food package comprising such a lid member and tray member relative to an underlying food package also comprising such a lid member and tray member. 
     
     
         16 . A method for packing foodstuffs using a reclosable package, comprising:
 providing packaging components including:   a generally rigid tray member having a tray base, generally upstanding tray sidewalls, and generally upstanding tray endwalls, and a tray member peripheral ridged flange which surrounds an open mouth generally opposite the tray base, wherein the tray base comprises a generally flat central base portion disposed between two inclined base portions which merge with the generally upstanding tray sidewalls at respective locations below the tray member peripheral flange and a peripheral ledge portion extends along an inner surface of the sidewalls and endwalls adjacent the mouth of the tray member;   a generally rigid lid member securable onto the tray member, the lid member including a lid member peripheral slotted edge portion surrounding a central lid panel portion that is inset relative to the slotted edge portion, said lid member adapted for being reclosably attached to the tray member wherein the lid member peripheral slotted edge portion is adapted to slidably engage and be seated on the tray member peripheral ridged flange;   wherein the cover panel and tray base define an interior volume for enclosing the food product supported on the tray base when the lid member peripheral slotted edge portion is seated on the tray member peripheral flange;   introducing a foodstuff into the rigid tray member as supported on the tray base;   covering the food product with a flexible film with vacuum sealing effective to conformably cover the foodstuff and adjacent areas of the tray member uncovered by the foodstuff with said flexible film; and   covering the tray member with the lid member.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the foodstuff comprises a shingled stack of bacon slices. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the providing of the packaging components comprises separately thermoforming the tray member and the lid member. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein a plurality of space apart integral protuberances extend from the tray base to facilitate release of the flexible film from areas of the tray base that are uncovered by the foodstuff. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the tray member and lid member comprise transparent thermoplastic materials, and the flexible film comprises a transparent ionomeric film material. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein at least one of the lid member and tray member have transparency to permit visible inspection therethrough of foodstuff when enclosed within the package. 
     
     
         22 . The reclosable food package of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the lid, tray and flexible film is partially opaque.