Food package and method for transfer of food

Abstract

The invention relates to a bottom part intended to receive food thereon, and a container part where the said bottom part and the container part are intended to enclose the said food. The package is provided with means to hold the bottom part and the container part together in a detachable fashion and means to separate the said bottom part from the container part fully or partially. Separating takes the form of removing the said bottom part with the bottom part of the package standing in an essentially horizontal position on a serving surface so that the food is so arranged as to come into contact with the serving surface, as a consequence of which the said container part is essentially retained in its position enclosing the said food. The invention also relates to a method for transferring food from a package to a serving surface.

1 .- 26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . A package for packing food in containers which comprise a lid and a bottom part, and situated between these at least one space for receiving food that is intended to be frozen or chilled and subsequently heated, whereby at least one part of the package is utilized during heating, according to claim  1  wherein the bottom part is arranged as to receive food before the freezing or chilling of the same, and the package comprises means for fully or partially separating the bottom part from the container part of the package before and/or after heating, whereby the food comes into contact with the serving surface, and the container part is essentially retained in its position enclosing the food 
     
     
         28 . A method for transferring food from a package, comprising a bottom part and a container part, to a serving surface, comprising:
 placing the package on top of the storage or serving surface, and   fully or partially removing all or a part of the said bottom part from the said container part, whereby the food comes into contact with the serving surface, in conjunction with which the container part is essentially retained in its position enclosing the food.   
     
     
         29 . A method according to  claim 28 , wherein the removal stage also includes:
 taking hold of one or more gripping devices attached to the bottom part, and   essentially laterally, fully or partially, pulling away all or part of the bottom part from the container part.   
     
     
         30 . A method according to  claim 28 , comprising:
 removing the container part of the package and, where appropriate, the lid of the package in the vertical sense, simultaneously or in different steps.   
     
     
         31 . A method according to  claim 28 , before removal of the bottom part, comprising:
 removing a strip-shaped or a string-shaped device surrounding at least a part of the container part of the package at the interface with the bottom part for the purpose of facilitating the pulling away of the bottom part.   
     
     
         32 . A method according to  claim 28 , before the removal of the said bottom part, comprising:
 heating the package containing the said food in an oven or a microwave oven.   
     
     
         33 . A method according to  claim 28 , after removal of the bottom part, comprising:
 heating the food, with or without the container part and the lid, in an oven or a microwave oven.   
     
     
         34 . A method according to  claim 28 , comprising:
 placing a number of subsidiary packages on top of the serving surface and adjacent to one another, whereby these form a package with at least one of an essentially circular, oval, superelliptical, and polygonal periphery.   
     
     
         35 . A method according to  claim 28 , wherein the package also includes separate subsidiary packages arranged in different planes for the purpose of receiving food, after heating, comprising:
 fully or partially removing a bottom part from a subsidiary package situated in conjunction with a subjacent subsidiary package, whereby the food in the subsidiary package is caused to move vertically downwards over or next to the food through an opening in the lid of the subjacent subsidiary package.   
     
     
         36 . A method according to  claim 28 , wherein the package also includes separate subsidiary packages comprising:
 if the lid of a subsidiary package includes a removable part; fully or partially removing the part of the subsidiary package,   placing a further subsidiary package on top of the aforementioned subsidiary package,   taking hold of a gripping device attached to the bottom part of the further subsidiary package, and   pulling away the bottom part essentially sideways, whereby the food in this further subsidiary package is caused to move vertically downwards over or next to the food in the lower subsidiary package.   
     
     
         37 . A method according to  claim 35 , further comprising:
 before heating, removing one subsidiary package from a subjacent subsidiary package,   after heating of one or more of the aforementioned subsidiary package, attaching the subsidiary package removed in the previous step on top of the subjacent subsidiary package,   taking hold of a gripping device attached to the bottom part of the superjacent subsidiary package, and   pulling away all or a part of the said bottom part essentially sideways, whereby the food in this superjacent subsidiary package is caused to move vertically downwards over or next to the food in the subjacent subsidiary package.   
     
     
         38 . A method according  claim 28 , wherein the removal step includes:
 fully or partially melting all or a part of the bottom part by heating.   
     
     
         39 . A method for packing food in a container which comprise a lid and a base, and which is so arranged as to be capable of holding the food during the period for which the food is in a frozen or chilled state and of using at least part of the package during the period for which the content is heated, wherein the part of the 30 package on which the food in question is intended to rest during at least the freezing process for the food in question, but preferably also during storage in the frozen or chilled condition is drawn away sideways, wherein the removable surface exposes the foodstuff in question in the removed position, viewed from the bottom of the food, and wherein the remaining part of the package is preferably utilized to enclose the food during the period for which the food is heated, on a serving surface.