Food Packages and Methods of Manufacture

Abstract

A package is disclosed for containing a plurality of individual food items within a tray having an outer surrounding wrapper. The tray is configured to have enhanced rigidity in a longitudinal direction to accommodate greater applications of pressure when forming envelope seals of the outer surrounding wrapper adjacent ends of the tray.

1 . A package for containing a plurality of individual food items, the package comprising:
 a tray having a generally rectangular rear wall with a pair of longitudinal side edges and a pair of transverse side edges, a pair of longitudinal side panels attached to the longitudinal side edges of the rear wall, a pair of transverse side panels attached to the transverse side edges of the rear wall, and a minor flap attached to each of the longitudinal side panels along an edge thereof opposite the longitudinal side edges of the rear wall; and   a film wrap surrounding the tray, the wrap having envelope seals adjacent each of the transverse side panels to enclose the tray.   
     
     
         2 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the minor flaps extend substantially along the length of the longitudinal side panels. 
     
     
         3 . The package of  claim 2 , wherein the minor flaps are unattached to the transverse side panels. 
     
     
         4 . The package of  claim 3 , wherein the minor flaps each have a width of between 5 and 15 percent of a width, parallel to the transverse edges, of the transverse side panels. 
     
     
         5 . The package of  claim 2 , wherein the longitudinal side panels each have a pair of minor panels at each end thereof generally perpendicular to the longitudinal edges, the minor panels being adjacent to the transverse side panels. 
     
     
         6 . The package of  claim 5 , wherein the minor panels at adhesively attached to the transverse side panels. 
     
     
         7 . The package of  claim 2 , wherein package contains a plurality of individual food items. 
     
     
         8 . A package for containing a plurality of individually packaged food items, the package comprising:
 a tray having a generally rectangular rear wall with a pair of longitudinal side edges and a pair of transverse side edges, a pair of longitudinal side panels attached to the longitudinal side edges of the rear wall and extending generally perpendicular thereto, a pair of transverse side panels attached to the transverse side edges of the rear wall and extending generally perpendicular thereto, minor panels extending between each of the transverse side panel and the longitudinal side panels, and a fold line of the longitudinal side panels extending generally perpendicular to the longitudinal side panels; and   a film wrap surrounding the tray, the wrap having envelope seals adjacent each of the transverse side panels to enclose the tray.   
     
     
         9 . The package of  claim 8 , wherein the fold line is a fold between the longitudinal side panels and associated minor flaps. 
     
     
         10 . The package of  claim 9 , wherein the minor flaps each have a width of between 5 and 15 percent of a width, parallel to the transverse edges, of the transverse side panels and are unattached to the transverse side panels and extend substantially along the length of the longitudinal side panels. 
     
     
         11 . The package of  claim 8 , wherein package contains a plurality of individually packaged food items. 
     
     
         12 . A method of enclosing a tray in a film wrap, wherein the tray has a generally rectangular rear wall with a pair of longitudinal side edges and a pair of transverse side edges, a pair of longitudinal side panels attached to the longitudinal side edges of the rear wall, a pair of transverse side panels attached to the transverse side edges of the rear wall, and a minor flap attached to each of the longitudinal side panels along an edge thereof opposite the longitudinal side edges of the rear wall, the method comprising:
 sealing longitudinal edges of a film to form a sleeve;   placing the tray in the sleeve with the longitudinal edges of the film being generally parallel to the longitudinal side edges of the rear wall; and   forming an envelope seal at each open ends of the sleeve and adjacent each of the transverse side panels to enclose the tray in the film wrap.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the step of forming the envelope seals further includes applying pressure and heat against overlapping portions of the sleeve with the transverse side panels therebeneath. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the step of forming the envelope seals further includes forming both envelope seals at substantially the same time. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the step of forming the envelope seals at substantially the same time includes applying compressive pressure against each of the transverse side panels and at least partially countering the compressive pressure via the longitudinal side panels and the minor flaps. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the minor flaps extend substantially along the length of the longitudinal side panels. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising the steps of:
 providing a blank for forming the tray, the blank being prescored along fold lines between the back panel and the longitudinal side panels, between the back panel and the transverse side panel, and between the longitudinal side panels and the minor flaps; and   folding the blank along the fold lines for forming the tray.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising the step of inserting individually-wrapped food packages into the tray after folding the blank and prior to placing the tray in the sleeve.