Container for food items

Abstract

A combination of a container and a plurality of food items nested within the container may include base and a first cavity in the base. A first food item may be nested in the first cavity. The first food item may include a decorated section. The first food item may include a disposable wrapper having an exposed upper wrapper edge. The container may include a lid moveable between a closed position and an open position. A first retainer may be on the lid. When the lid is in the closed position the first retainer may overlie a first portion of the upper wrapper edge. When the container is inverted with the lid in the closed position relative axial movement between the first food item and the first cavity may be limited by contact between the first retainer and the upper wrapper edge.

1 . A unitary one-piece container for holding a plurality of food items, the container comprising:
 a) a base having a base peripheral edge;   b) a plurality of cavities in the base each configured to receive a respective food item, each cavity having a cavity inner surface generally terminating at a cavity rim and extending along a cavity axis;   c) a lid having a lid peripheral edge and a substantially planar upper lid surface connected about a perimeter thereof to the lid peripheral edge by a lid sidewall, the lid connected to the base along a hinge, the lid being pivotable about the hinge between a closed position, in which the lid peripheral edge engages the base peripheral edge and the upper lid surface covers at least a portion of each cavity, and an open position to allow access to the plurality of cavities;   d) at least one retaining protrusion extending along a protrusion axis and downwardly from the upper lid surface when the lid is in the closed position, the retaining protrusion having a distal end that is spaced apart from the upper lid surface and a protrusion sidewall extending between the upper lid surface and the distal end, the protrusion sidewall generally laterally enclosing a hollow interior of the retaining protrusion, the retaining protrusion including an endwall adjacent the distal end, the endwall generally closing off a lower end of the hollow interior of the retaining protrusion, the retaining protrusion having an opposed open upper end defined by an aperture in the upper lid surface; and   e) the retainer protrusion further comprising a plurality of protrusion retainers adjacent the distal end of the retainer protrusion, each protrusion retainer generally overlying a portion of the cavity rim of a respective cavity to limit upward displacement of a food item nested in each respective cavity when the lid is in the closed position.   
     
     
         2 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of protrusion retainers includes a protrusion first retainer associated with a first cavity, wherein when the lid is in the closed position the protrusion first retainer is positioned proximate the first cavity to engage a first food item nested within the first cavity so that displacement of a first food item out of the first cavity is limited by contact between the first food item and the protrusion first retainer. 
     
     
         3 . The container of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of protrusion retainers includes a protrusion second retainer associated with a second cavity, wherein when the lid is in the closed position the protrusion second retainer is positioned proximate the second cavity to engage a second food item nested within the second cavity so that displacement of the second food item out of the second cavity is limited by contact between the second food item and the protrusion second retainer. 
     
     
         4 . The container of  claim 3 , wherein the plurality of protrusion retainers includes a protrusion third retainer associated with a third cavity, wherein when the lid is in the closed position the protrusion third retainer is positioned proximate the third cavity to engage a third food item nested within the third cavity so that displacement of the third food item out of the third cavity is limited by contact between the third food item and the protrusion third retainer. 
     
     
         5 . The container of  claim 4 , wherein the plurality of protrusion retainers includes a protrusion fourth retainer associated with a fourth cavity, wherein when the lid is in the closed position the protrusion fourth retainer is positioned proximate the fourth cavity to engage a fourth food item nested within the fourth cavity so that displacement of the fourth food item out of the fourth cavity is limited by contact between the fourth food item and the protrusion fourth retainer. 
     
     
         6 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the cavity inner surface of each cavity comprises a generally inverted frusto-conical sidewall, the rim has a corresponding generally circular shape, and wherein each protrusion retainer has an outer surface that is concave to generally match the circular shape of the rim. 
     
     
         7 . The container of  claim 6 , wherein the plurality of protrusion retainers are spaced apart about a periphery of the distal end of the retaining protrusion, and separated from each other by non-concave outer surface portions. 
     
     
         8 . A method of providing packaged food items on display in a retail store, comprising:
 a) preparing a plurality of food body portions of respective food items in a preparation facility;   b) decorating each of the food body portions of the food items with a decoration portion on an upper surface of the food base portion;   c) after steps a) and b), loading each of the decorated food items into respective cavities of a container, the container having a lid with at least one protrusion, the protrusion having at least a first retainer and a second retainer extending laterally outwardly from a distal end of the protrusion;   d) after step (c), closing the lid, wherein closing the lid moves the first retainer to engage a first marginal portion of a first upper surface of a first food item in the container and moves the second retainer to engage a second marginal portion of a second upper surface of a second food item in the container;   e) after step (d), transporting the container away from the preparation facility for indirect or direct delivery to the retail store.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising after steps (a) and (b), and before step (e), freezing the decorated food items. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising, after step (e), placing the container for display on a sales shelf in the retail store. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising, before said placing step, thawing the decorated food items. 
     
     
         12 . A method of packaging decorated food items for transport, the method comprising:
 a) preparing a first food item in a preparation facility, the first food item comprising an edible body portion, the edible body portion comprising an upper body surface and a side surface, the side surface at least partially covered by a removable wrapper, the removable wrapper terminating in an upper wrapper edge at least partially surrounding the upper body surface;   b) decorating at least a portion of the upper body surface with an edible decoration portion to provide a decorated section;   c) after steps a) and b), loading the first food item into a respective first cavity in a base of a container, the cavity extending along a cavity axis and the container having a closable lid with at least first and second retainers;   d) after step c), closing the lid, wherein closing the lid moves the first and second retains to overlie respective first and second portions of the upper wrapper edge whereby when the container is inverted with the lid closed relative axial movement between the first food item and the first cavity is limited by contact between the upper wrapper edge and at least one of the first and second retainers.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising after step (d), transporting the container away from the preparation facility for indirect or direct delivery to the retail store. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising after steps (a) and (b), and before step (e), freezing the decorated food items. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising, after step (e), placing the container for display on a sales shelf in the retail store. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising, before said placing step, thawing the decorated food items. 
     
     
         17 . A method of packaging decorated food items, comprising:
 a) nesting first, second, third, and fourth food items in respective first, second, third, and fourth cavities in a base of a container, the cavities arranged in a two-by-two pattern, each food item including an upper surface having a decorated section at least partially bounded by an undecorated peripheral section;   b) closing a lid onto the base, the lid having a lid peripheral edge and a substantially planar upper lid surface connected about a perimeter thereof to the lid peripheral edge by a lid sidewall, and the lid having a retaining protrusion extending downwardly from the upper lid surface when the lid is in the closed position, the retaining protrusion including first, second, third, and fourth protrusion retainers for abutting a portion of the undecorated section of the first, second, third, and fourth food items, respectively, to limit displacement of the food items out of the cavities.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein when nested in the respective cavities, and with the lid in the closed, a gap of limited vertical extent is provided between the respective protrusion retainers and the portions of the undecorated sections of the respective food items so that the displacement of the food items out of the cavities is limited to about the vertical extent of the gap. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein when nested in the respective cavities, and with the lid closed, the respective protrusion retainers generally abut the portion of the undecorated section of the respective food items so that the displacement of the food items out of the cavities is limited to about zero. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein an outer side surface of each food item is wrapped by a wrapper, and the portion of the undecorated section of each respective food item comprises an upper edge of the wrapper.