Multi-chamber food package system and method

Abstract

Disclosed are exemplary multi-chamber food package systems. A base enclosure defines a base chamber in fluid communication with a base mouth surrounded by a base peripheral lip. The lid enclosure has a lid inboard surface and lid periphery. An auxiliary enclosure defines an auxiliary chamber in fluid communication with an auxiliary mouth surrounded by an auxiliary peripheral lip. A base seal seals the base chamber from an ambient environment. An auxiliary seal seals the auxiliary chamber from the environment and base chamber. A first consumable substance is contained within the base chamber. A second consumable substance is contained within the auxiliary chamber. The base enclosure, base seal, and first consumable substance define a base subassembly. The auxiliary enclosure, auxiliary seal, and second consumable substance define an auxiliary subassembly. The auxiliary subassembly is releasably mounted to the lid inboard surface. The lid periphery is releasably secured to the base peripheral lip.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A multi-chamber food package system comprising:
 a base enclosure having a base chamber defined therein, a base mouth in fluid communication with the base chamber, and a base peripheral lip disposed about the base mouth;   a lid enclosure having a lid inboard surface and a lid periphery;   an auxiliary enclosure having an auxiliary chamber defined therein, an auxiliary mouth in fluid communication with the auxiliary chamber, and an auxiliary peripheral lip disposed about the auxiliary mouth;   a base seal element affixed to the base peripheral lip and extending across the base mouth, thereby sealing the base chamber from an ambient environment;   an auxiliary seal element affixed to the auxiliary peripheral lip and extending across the auxiliary mouth, thereby sealing the auxiliary chamber from the ambient environment and the base chamber;   a volume of first consumable substance contained within the base chamber; and   a quantity of second consumable substance contained within the auxiliary chamber;   wherein
 (a) the base enclosure, the base seal element and the volume of first consumable substance collectively define a base subassembly; 
 (b) the auxiliary enclosure, the auxiliary seal element, and the quantity of second consumable substance collectively define an auxiliary subassembly; 
 (c) the auxiliary subassembly is releasably mounted to the lid inboard surface; and 
 (d) the lid periphery is releasably secured to the base peripheral lip. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein
 (a) the lid enclosure has a lid chamber defined therein, and a lid mouth in fluid communication with the lid chamber;   (b) the lid periphery is disposed about the lid mouth; and   (c) the auxiliary subassembly is housed at least partially within the lid chamber.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the auxiliary subassembly is housed entirely within the lid chamber. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein
 (a) the lid inboard surface includes one or more auxiliary lip detents disposed thereat; and   (b) the releasable mounting is by way of mutual engagement between the auxiliary peripheral lip and the one or more auxiliary lip detents.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein
 the auxiliary peripheral lip is retained in an elastically bent state with respect to the remainder of the auxiliary enclosure when the auxiliary enclosure is in the releasable mounting.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein
 (a) the lid periphery includes a base lip shroud; and   (b) the releasable securement is at least in part by way of the base lip shroud being in receipt of the base peripheral lip.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the base lip shroud includes at least one inwardly-projecting base lip detent configured to inhibit release of the base peripheral lip from the base lip shroud. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the base lip shroud includes a lip release tab configured to be actuated by a user with respect to the remainder of the base lip shroud to facilitate release of the base peripheral lip from the releasable securement of the lid periphery. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the lip release tab is frangibly connected to the remainder of the base lip shroud. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein
 (a) the lip release tab is connected to the remainder of the base lip shroud at least in part by way of a hinge portion; and   (b) the hinge portion is configured such that the actuation results in hinged rotation of the lip release tab about the hinge portion with respect to the remainder of the base lip shroud.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the lip release tab is laterally defined at least by way of a pair of opposingly-disposed tab relief cuts in the base lip shroud. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein
 (a) the first consumable substance comprises tahini; and   (b) the second consumable substance is a liquid.   
     
     
         13 . A method of manufacturing a multi-chamber food package system, the method comprising:
 forming a base subassembly by way of
 (a) providing a base enclosure having a base chamber defined therein, a base mouth in fluid communication with the base chamber, and a base peripheral lip disposed about the base mouth; 
 (b) inserting a volume of a first consumable substance into the base chamber; and 
 (c) affixing a base seal element to the base peripheral lip and extending across the base mouth, thereby sealing the volume of first consumable substance from an ambient environment; 
   forming an auxiliary subassembly by way of
 (a) providing an auxiliary enclosure having an auxiliary chamber defined therein, an auxiliary mouth in fluid communication with the auxiliary chamber, and an auxiliary peripheral lip disposed about the auxiliary mouth; 
 (b) inserting a quantity of a second consumable substance into the auxiliary chamber; and 
 (c) affixing an auxiliary seal element to the auxiliary peripheral lip and 
 extending across the auxiliary mouth, thereby sealing the quantity of second 
 consumable substance from the ambient environment; 
   providing a lid enclosure having a lid inboard surface and a lid periphery;   releasably mounting the auxiliary subassembly to the lid inboard surface; and   releasably securing the lid periphery to the base peripheral lip.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein
 (a) the lid enclosure has a lid chamber defined therein, and a lid mouth in fluid communication with the lid chamber;   (b) the lid periphery is disposed about the lid mouth;   (c) the step of releasably mounting includes passing the auxiliary subassembly through the lid mouth; and   (d) the auxiliary subassembly is housed at least partially within the lid chamber when releasably mounted to the lid inboard surface.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the auxiliary subassembly is housed entirely within the lid chamber when releasably mounted to the lid inboard surface. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein
 (a) the lid inboard surface includes one or more auxiliary lip detents disposed thereat; and   (b) the releasable mounting is by way of mutual engagement between the auxiliary peripheral lip and the one or more auxiliary lip detents.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein
 the auxiliary peripheral lip is retained in an elastically bent state with respect to the remainder of the auxiliary enclosure when the auxiliary enclosure is in the releasable mounting.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein
 (a) the lid periphery includes a base lip shroud; and   (b) the releasable securement is at least in part by way of the base lip shroud being in receipt of the base peripheral lip.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the base lip shroud includes at least one inwardly-projecting base lip detent configured to inhibit release of the base peripheral lip from the base lip shroud when the lid periphery is releasably secured to base peripheral lip. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the base lip shroud includes a lip release tab configured to be actuated by a user with respect to the remainder of the base lip shroud to facilitate release of the base peripheral lip from the releasable securement of the lid periphery. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the lip release tab is frangibly connected to the remainder of the base lip shroud. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein
 (a) the lip release tab is connected to the remainder of the base lip shroud at least in part by way of a hinge portion; and   (b) the hinge portion is configured such that the actuation results in hinged rotation of the lip release tab about the hinge portion with respect to the remainder of the base lip shroud.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the lip release tab is laterally defined at least by way of a pair of opposingly-disposed tab relief cuts in the base lip shroud. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein
 (a) the first consumable substance comprises tahini; and   (b) the second consumable substance is a liquid.