Food Package with Slidable Container Members

Abstract

A food package ( 10 ), comprising: an inner member ( 20 ) with inner lateral walls ( 24 a, 24 b ) that define a lateral space ( 30 ) in-between, and a lower aperture ( 34 ); and an outer member ( 60 ) including a support ( 62 ) with a receiving surface ( 64 ). The inner and outer members are slidably arranged along a longitudinal direction (X) between: an engaged position, wherein the support portion engages the inner lateral walls, so that the space and the receiving surface jointly form a receptacle for holding food ( 16 ), and a released position, wherein the inner lateral walls and support portion are mutually displaced to expose the lower aperture. The outer member has outer lateral portions ( 68 a, 68 b ) for enclosing the inner lateral walls in the engaged position, and which extend upwards to second upper edges ( 74 a, 74 b ) that are level with or protrude beyond first upper edges ( 36 a, 36 b ) of the inner lateral walls.

1 . A food package, comprising:
 an inner package member including lateral walls that define an interspace along a lateral direction, and a lower aperture in a vertical direction;   an outer package member including a support portion with a receiving surface;   
       wherein the inner package member is slidably arranged with respect to the outer package member along a longitudinal direction between:
 an engaged position, wherein the support portion is engaged with the lateral walls, so that the interspace and the receiving surface jointly form a receptacle for holding a food portion, and 
 a released position, wherein the lateral walls are displaced with respect to the support portion to expose the lower aperture; 
 
       wherein the outer package member comprises lateral portions for enclosing the lateral walls of the inner package member in the engaged position, and wherein the lateral portions extend from the support portion to second upper edges, which are level with or protrude beyond first upper edges of the lateral walls along the vertical direction. 
     
     
         2 . The food package according to  claim 1 , wherein the space in the inner package member is formed as a through opening extending through the inner package member along the vertical direction, wherein the through opening opens into an upper aperture delimited by the first upper edge and in a lower aperture delimited by the lower edge. 
     
     
         3 . The food package according to  claim 1 , comprising a releasable sealing foil that, when the inner and outer package members are in the engaged position, is fixed to the second upper edges of the outer package member and is spanned across the first upper edges of the inner package member. 
     
     
         4 . The food package according to  claim 1 , wherein the outer package member comprises a raised edge provided on a front side of the support portion, wherein the raised edge forms a boundary of the receiving surface in the longitudinal direction. 
     
     
         5 . The food package according to  claim 4 , wherein the raised edge is adapted for abutting the lower edge of the inner package member when the inner and outer package members are in the engaged position. 
     
     
         6 . The food package according to  claim 5 , wherein the inner package member comprises a flange that extends along the lower edge, and which is directed inwards along the longitudinal and lateral directions, wherein the flange is adapted for abutting the receiving surface when the inner and outer package members are in the engaged position. 
     
     
         7 . The food package according to  claim 1 , wherein the lateral portions of the outer package member comprise curved wall sections that protrude in the longitudinal direction beyond the lateral walls of the inner package member, when the inner and outer package members are in the engaged position, and wherein each curved wall section curves from the respective second upper edge downwards along the negative vertical direction toward a front edge of the outer package member. 
     
     
         8 . The food package according to  claim 1 , wherein the inner package member comprises a rear wall along the lateral direction, wherein the lateral walls are connected via the rear wall and jointly define an inner U-shape. 
     
     
         9 . The food package according to  claim 1 , wherein the inner package member comprises outer lateral surfaces with first sliding members, wherein the outer package member comprises inner lateral surfaces with second sliding members, and wherein the first and second sliding members are adapted to cooperate to allow a sliding motion between the inner and the outer package members along the longitudinal direction. 
     
     
         10 . The food package according to  claim 1 , wherein the inner package member comprises a first locking member, wherein the outer package member comprises a second locking member, and wherein the first locking member and second locking member are adapted to establish a clamping engagement if the first and second package members are in the engaged position. 
     
     
         11 . The food package according to  claim 1 , wherein the inner package member comprises a first gripping member provided on an outer front surface, for moving the first package member with respect to the second package member between the engaged position and the released position. 
     
     
         12 . The food package according to  claim 1 , wherein the outer package member comprises a cross beam, which is provided between the lateral upper edges and extends between frontal corner regions thereof, which is located between an upper opening and a separate front opening in the outer package member, and which defines upper front edges (for attaching first and second releasable sealing foils to the upper opening and the front opening when the inner and outer package members are in the engaged position. 
     
     
         13 . The food package according to  claim 1 , wherein the outer package member comprises an upper wall, which is provided at the upper edges, and which defines an upper front edge for attaching a releasable sealing foil to a front region of the outer package member, when the inner and outer package members are in the engaged position. 
     
     
         14 . The food package according to  claim 1 , wherein the inner package member and the outer package member consist essentially of Crystalline Polyethylene Terephthalate (CPET).