Packaged Food Product

Abstract

Disclosed are assemblies of inverted cheesecake products comprising first and second stacked products, wherein each product includes a bottom protrusion configured to lock into an upwardly-opening recess of a product therebeneath, providing secure locking engagement without adversely affecting container stability or product accessibility to an unacceptable degree. A sleeve constrains the products against destacking while permitting locking of products in one assembly with those in another assembly. A topping layer may be filled at the bottom of a base cup, covered by a filling layer, and a disassembled crust may be sealed in an overcap interior to avoid moisture migration thereto prior to use.

1 . A packaged food product comprising:
 a base cup having a bottom wall;   peripheral front, rear and side walls extending upward around the perimeter of the bottom wall to form a peripheral wall structure and cooperating with the bottom wall to define a generally cup-shaped interior;   at least one base cup food item disposed in the base cup;   a sealing flange extending outward about a top of the wall structure to define a sealing surface on a top of the sealing flange;   a flexible lid peelably sealed to the top of the sealing flange;   wherein the bottom wall includes an inward, downwardly-protruding protrusion on an exterior surface, and a complementary corresponding recess or cavity in an interior surface, the cavity having a substantially flat bottom and downwardly converging sides to facilitate removal of the at least one food item;   an overcap having a top wall that includes an outer peripheral portion and a central recess defining a socket shaped and sized to completely surround and receive the protrusion of a base cup in locking engagement in a close fit to facilitate stable stacking;   the overcap further including peripheral front, rear and side walls extending downward about the periphery of the top wall;   an overcap closure peelably sealed to the overcap, wherein the overcap and the overcap closure define an enclosed overcap interior;   an overcap food item disposed within the overcap interior;   wherein the protrusion has a generally racetrack-shaped, flat bottom surface, with rounded sides separated by a length of the protrusion, and front and rear edges extending between the rounded sides; and   wherein a line extending from one of the front and rear edges to a center of mass of the packaged food product intersects the flat bottom surface of the protrusion at an angle θ of less than 70° such that the packaged food product may be stably conveyed on an automated high-speed production line.   
     
     
         2 . The packaged food product of  claim 1  wherein θ is less than 60°. 
     
     
         3 . An assembly formed from two of the packaged food products described in  claim 1 , the assembly comprising a first packaged food product, a second packaged food product stacked thereon, and an outer sleeve that prevents destacking without covering the bottom of the first packaged food product or the top of the second packaged food product. 
     
     
         4 . The assembly of  claim 3  wherein a vertical dimension of the assembly is between 3.25 and 4.25 in., such that two of the assemblies of  claim 3  may be stacked, with a bottom of an upper assembly in locking engagement with a top of a lower assembly. 
     
     
         5 . The packaged food product of  claim 1  wherein the overcap is at least partially transparent or translucent, and the overcap food item is at least partially visible therethrough. 
     
     
         6 . The packaged food product of  claim 1  wherein the at least one base cup food item comprises a first layer comprising a topping component, and a second layer comprising a cheesecake-filling component (define or explain this in the description), and the overcap food item comprises a plurality of cheesecake crust pieces, such that the packaged food product can be combined into an upside-down cheesecake food item by removing the cheesecake crust pieces from the overcap, and placing them on the at least one base cup food item. 
     
     
         7 . The packaged food product of  claim 1  wherein the downwardly converging sides of the protrusion are inclined at an angle β of about 50° to 70°. 
     
     
         8 . The packaged food product of  claim 7  wherein β is about 60°. 
     
     
         9 . The packaged food product of  claim 1  wherein the protrusion has a vertical dimension of about 0.1 to 0.3 in., and its bottom surface has a width of about 1.3 to 1.7 in. 
     
     
         10 . The packaged food product of  claim 1  wherein the central recess has a vertical dimension of about 0.1 to 0.3 in. and a width of about 1.3 to 1.7 in. 
     
     
         11 . The packaged food product of  claim 1  wherein the peripheral walls of the overcap have a stepped configuration comprising an upper portion that extends downward and outward, a stacking shoulder to facilitate separation of nested overcaps, a flange that extends outward to provide a sealing surface, a depending wall extending downward and inward about the periphery of the flange, and a lip extending outward about the bottom of the depending wall, for manual engagement to facilitate application of an upward pressure on the overcap during removal from the base cup. 
     
     
         12 . The packaged food product of  claim 1  wherein the overcap closure and the flexible lid include at least one of the same material. 
     
     
         13 .- 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . The packaged food product of  claim 1  wherein the base cup and the overcap are coupled to one another in a stacked configuration for shipping and display. 
     
     
         22 . The packaged food product of  claim 1  wherein the front, rear, and side walls have a lower edge forming an inwardly stepped profile. 
     
     
         23 . A food product comprising:
 a base cup having a bottom wall;   front, rear, and side walls extending upward from the bottom wall to define a generally cup-shaped interior;   at least one base cup food item disposed in the base cup;   a sealing flange extending outward about a top of the front, rear, and side walls to define a sealing surface on a top of the sealing flange;   a flexible lid peelably sealed to the top of the sealing flange;   wherein the front, rear, and side walls have a lower wall ledge forming an inward step from the front, rear, and side walls to a downward protrusion on the bottom wall, and a complementary corresponding recess or cavity in an interior surface, wherein the downward protrusion has a racetrack shape with a substantially flat bottom surface and downwardly converging sides to facilitate removal of the at least one food item;   an overcap having a top wall forming an upward racetrack protrusion and a central recess that is sized to receive the downward protrusion of a base cup to facilitate a stable stacking arrangement of multiple food products, such that the upward racetrack protrusion is wider and longer than the downward racetrack protrusion;   an overcap closure peelably sealed to the overcap, wherein the overcap and the overcap closure define an enclosed overcap interior;   an overcap food item disposed within the overcap interior;   wherein a line from one of a front or rear straight portion of the downward racetrack protrusion, at the flat bottom surface thereof, extends an angle θ of less than 70° such that the packaged food product may be stably conveyed on an automated high-speed production line.   
     
     
         24 . The packaged food product of  claim 23  wherein θ is less than 60°. 
     
     
         25 . The packaged food product of  claim 23  wherein the overcap is at least partially transparent or translucent, and the overcap food item is at least partially visible therethrough. 
     
     
         26 . The packaged food product of  claim 23  wherein the downwardly converging sides of the protrusion are inclined at an angle β of about 50° to 70°. 
     
     
         27 . The packaged food product of  claim 26  wherein β is about 60°. 
     
     
         28 . The packaged food product of  claim 23  wherein the downward protrusion has a vertical dimension of about 0.1 to 0.3 in., and its bottom surface has a width of about 1.3 to 1.7 in. 
     
     
         29 . The packaged food product of  claim 23  wherein the upward racetrack protrusion has a vertical dimension of about 0.1 to 0.3 in. and a width of about 1.3 to 1.7 in. 
     
     
         30 . The packaged food product of  claim 23  wherein the overcap further comprises a peripheral wall having a stepped configuration, a flange that extends outward to provide a sealing surface, and a lip for manual engagement to facilitate application of an upward pressure on the overcap during removal from atop the base cup. 
     
     
         31 . The packaged food product of  claim 23  wherein the overcap closure and the flexible lid include at least one of the same material.