Liquid Sequestering Container, Optionally With Peelably Detachable Layers

Abstract

The disclosure relates to containers and other shaped articles (e.g., trays and dishes) for containing articles such as food products (e.g., cuts of meat and poultry or liquid-sensitive electronic parts) in shaped articles such as. In one aspect, the container has a reservoir portion into which liquid can be sequestered. In another aspect, the container includes a thermoformable substrate, a liner, and a lidding material, the lidding and the liner defining a compartment for containing articles. The compartment can be detached from the substrate by detaching the liner from the substrate without necessarily rupturing the compartment. A substantial portion of the containers described herein can be recycled by separating the liner and/or lidding from the substrate. The disclosure also relates to methods of making thermoformed articles having multiple layers that does not rely on use of a coextruded or other composite thermoplastic-containing substrate.

1 - 37 . (canceled) 
     
     
         38 . A method of making a liquid-sequestering container, the method comprising
 laminating a thermoformable substrate sheet and a perforated liner sheet;   thermoforming the substrate sheet using a thermoforming apparatus having a suction-drawn female mold;
 the mold including a concave interior-forming portion and at least one reservoir-forming portion, each reservoir-forming portion being disposed into the suction-drawing face of the mold within the interior-forming portion thereof; 
 the thermoforming step being performed with the substrate sheet being positioned nearest the suction-drawing face of the mold and with a perforation being disposed within a reservoir-forming portion of the mold, whereby application of suction in the reservoir-forming portion of the mold displaces the substrate sheet from the perforated liner sheet in the vicinity of the perforation; and 
   cooling the thermoformed substrate sheet, whereby the article is formed.   
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , further comprising laminating a non-perforated liner sheet between the substrate sheet and the perforated liner sheet. 
     
     
         40 - 51 . (canceled) 
     
     
         52 . A container for containing a liquid, the container comprising
 a) a substrate having a shaped portion;   b) a first liner sheet that conforms to and is reversibly attached to the shaped portion;   c) a second liner sheet that is attached to the first liner sheet at an overlapping portion and conforms to the first liner sheet at the shaped portion, the first and second liner sheets defining therebetween a reservoir; and   d) a lidding defining a closed compartment for containing the liquid, the compartment being in fluid communication with the reservoir by way of a perforation extending through the second liner sheet,   
       whereby fluid within the compartment can flow between the compartment and the reservoir and the first liner sheet can be detached from the substrate without rupturing the compartment. 
     
     
         53 . The container of  claim 52 , wherein the shaped portion has the conformation of a tray having a concave face and a perimeter edge surrounding the concave face, the first liner sheet conforming to the concave face. 
     
     
         54 . The container of  claim 53 , wherein the lidding is fused with at least one liner sheet about the perimeter edge. 
     
     
         55 . The container of  claim 54 , wherein the lidding is peelably attached to at least one liner sheet about the perimeter edge. 
     
     
         56 . The container of  claim 52 , wherein the lidding completely surrounds the substrate and the first and second liner sheets. 
     
     
         57 . The container of  claim 56 , wherein the lidding is resiliently urged against at least one of the first and second liner sheets about the perimeter edge, whereby the compartment is defined by the lidding and the at least one of the first and second liner sheets. 
     
     
         58 . The container of  claim 52 , wherein the compartment is not defined by any portion of the substrate. 
     
     
         59 . The container of  claim 52 , wherein at least one of the lidding, the first liner sheet, and the second liner sheet is interposed between the compartment and the substrate over the entire shaped surface. 
     
     
         60 . The container of  claim 52 , wherein the compartment is defined by the lidding and the second liner sheet. 
     
     
         61 . The container of  claim 52 , further comprising an additional liner sheet that overlaps, is attached to, and conforms to the other liner sheets at the shaped portion, the additional liner sheet having a perforation extending therethrough and in fluid communication with a reservoir defined by the other liner sheets 
     
     
         62 . The container of  claim 61 , comprising two or more additional liner sheets. 
     
     
         63 . The container of  claim 52 , further comprising one or more basal liner sheets interposed between the first liner sheet and the substrate at the shaped portion, each basal liner sheet conforming to the shaped portion. 
     
     
         64 . The article of  claim 52 , wherein at least one of the first and second liner sheets is a rapidly-quenched polymer sheet. 
     
     
         65 . An article for forming a container for containing a liquid, the container comprising
 a) a substrate having a shaped portion;   b) a first liner sheet that conforms to and is reversibly attached to the shaped portion;   c) a second liner sheet that is attached to the first liner sheet at an overlapping portion and conforms to the first liner sheet at the shaped portion, the first and second liner sheets defining therebetween a reservoir, the second liner sheet having a perforation extending therethrough in communication with the reservoir,   
       whereby fluid at the face of the second liner opposite the first liner can flow between the face and the reservoir by way of the perforation. 
     
     
         66 . A method of packaging an object, the method comprising applying the object to the second liner sheet at the shaped portion of the article of  claim 65  and thereafter forming a closed compartment by enclosing the object in a lidding.