Compartmentalized food package

Abstract

A compartmentalized plastic food package includes a container and sealed cover which have a plurality of individually sealed chambers for distinct foodstuffs. The container includes a top flange or surface which extends about the individual chambers onto which the removable cover is secured by an adhesive or heat sealing. The top flange includes a peripheral shoulder and lip which cooperates with the rear or bottom edge of certain of the chambers to facilitate substantially upright self-display of the container and contents. The sidewalls of the chambers are tapered and include notched or stepped spacers such that the containers may be controllably nested, the spacers preventing overly tight nesting and thus facilitating separation prior to filling and sealing. A plurality of distinct foodstuffs such as meat, cheese, crackers and cookies, for example, may be individually sealed in the chambers, thereby maintaining each foods flavor, aroma and desired moisture content.

I claim: 
     
       1. A compartmentalized food package comprising, in combination, a plastic container having a plurality of chambers, each of said chambers having an interior space and a mouth, said chambers defined by oblique sidewalls and a bottom panel, a unitary flange surrounding each of said chambers proximate said mouths and merging with said sidewalls.Iadd., a bottom edge defined by an intersecting oblique sidewall and a bottom panel, said intersecting oblique sidewall oriented at an angle of about 85° to said flange .Iaddend.and an edge substantially perpendicular to said flange, and   a removably secured flexible plastic cover sealed to said flange about said chambers, whereby said plastic cover seals and isolates each of said plurality of chambers from other of said plurality of chambers.   
     
     
       2. The compartmentalized food package of claim 1 wherein said container includes four chambers. 
     
     
       3. The compartmentalized food package of claim 1 wherein said container includes four chambers each of said chambers and said interior spaces of said chambers define at least two distinct volumes. 
     
     
       4. The compartmentalized food package of claim 1 wherein said edge has a periphery and further including a lip extending about the periphery of said edge. 
     
     
       5. The compartmentalized food package of claim 4 wherein said lip is substantially parallel to said flange. 
     
     
       6. The compartmentalized food package of claim 1 wherein said plastic cover defines a periphery substantially aligned with said shoulder and further includes a tab extending beyond said shoulder. 
     
     
       7. The compartmentalized food package of claim 1 further including food disposed in said chambers, said food including at least a first food selected from a first group including relatively dense, moisture laden foods and at least a second food selected from a second group including relatively lightweight, dry foods wherein said first food is disposed in a lower chamber and second food is disposed in an upper chamber whereby the package is stable when disposed in a substantially upright position on a horizontal surface. 
     
     
       8. The compartmentalized food package of claim 1 further including a plurality of spacers for limiting the extent of nesting of adjacent, aligned containers. 
     
     
       9. The compartmentalized food package of claim 1 further including a spacer disposed in sidewalls of at least two of said chambers, said spacers having a ledge disposed substantially .[.normal.]. .Iadd.parallel .Iaddend.to and spaced from said flange for contacting a flange of an adjacent, nesting container to space said container from said adjacent container. 
     
     
       10. The compartmentalized food package of claim 9 wherein said ledge is a reference distance from said flange and said adjacent container is spaced from said container by said reference distance. 
     
     
       11. The compartmentalized food package of claim 1 wherein .[.intersection of said oblique sidewalls and said bottom panels of two of said plurality of chambers define a bottom edge and.]. said container will stand substantially upright on said edge and said bottom edge. 
     
     
       12. The compartmentalized food package of claim 1 wherein said unitary flange defines a plane. 
     
     
       13. A compartmentalized food package comprising, in combination, a plastic container having a plurality of chambers each defined by oblique sidewalls and a bottom panel, a flange surrounding each of said chambers and merging with said sidewalls.Iadd., said oblique sidewalls and said bottom panels of two of said plurality of chambers intersecting to define a bottom edge, said oblique sidewalls of said two said plurality of chambers oriented at an angle of about 85° .Iaddend.and a shoulder substantially perpendicular to said flange,   a cover removably sealed to said flange about said chambers, and   food disposed in said chambers, said food including at least a first food selected from a first group including relatively dense, moisture laden foods and at least a second food selected from a second group including relatively lightweight, dry foods wherein said first food is disposed in a lower chamber and second food is disposed in an upper chamber whereby the package is stable when disposed in a substantially upright position on a horizontal surface.   
     
     
       14. The compartmentalized food package of claim 13 further including a plurality of spacers formed in said sidewalls for limiting the extent of nesting of adjacent containers. 
     
     
       15. The compartmentalized food package of claim 13 wherein said plastic container is high density polyethylene and said cover assembly is a transparent plastic film. 
     
     
       16. The compartmentalized food package of claim 13 wherein said container includes two of said lower chambers in which said first food from said first group is disposed and two of said upper chambers in which said second food from said second group is disposed. 
     
     
       17. A compartmentalized food package comprising, in combination, a plastic container having a plurality of chambers, each of said chambers having an interior space and a mouth, said chambers defined by oblique sidewalls and a bottom panel, a unitary flange surrounding each of said chambers proximate said mouths and merging with said sidewalls.Iadd., a bottom edge defined by an intersecting oblique sidewall and a bottom panel, said intersecting oblique sidewall oriented at an angle of about 85° to said flange, .Iaddend.and an edge extending substantially perpendicular to said flange,   a cover removably sealed to said flange about said chambers, whereby said plastic cover seals and isolates each of said plurality of chambers for other of said plurality of chambers, and   a spacer disposed in said sidewalls of at least two of said chambers, said spacers having a ledge disposed substantially .[.normal.]. .Iadd.parallel .Iaddend.to and spaced from said flange for contacting a flange of an adjacent, nesting container to space said container from said adjacent container.   
     
     
       18. The compartmentalized food package of claim 17 further including food disposed in said chambers, said food including at least a first food selected from a first group including relatively dense, moisture laden foods and at least a second food selected from a second group including relatively lightweight, dry foods wherein said first food is disposed in a lower chamber and second food is disposed in an upper chamber whereby the package is stable when disposed in a substantially upright position on a horizontal surface. 
     
     
       19. The compartmentalized food package of claim 17 wherein intersection of said oblique sidewalls and said bottom panels of two of said plurality of chambers define a bottom edge and said container will stand substantially upright on said edge and said bottom edge. .Iadd. 
     
     
       20.  A compartmentalized food package comprising, in combination, a plastic container having a plurality of chambers, each of said chambers having an interior space and a mouth, said chambers defined by oblique sidewalls and a bottom panel, a unitary flange surrounding each of said chambers proximate said mouths and merging with said sidewalls, said oblique sidewalls and said bottom panels of two of said plurality of chambers intersecting to define a bottom edge, said oblique sidewalls of said two of said plurality of chambers oriented at an angle of about 85° to said flange and an edge substantially perpendicular to said flange, and   a removably secured flexible plastic cover sealed to said flange about said chambers, whereby said plastic cover seals and isolates each of said plurality of chambers from other of said plurality of chambers..Iaddend..Iadd.   
     
     
       21.  The compartmentalized food package of claim 20 wherein said edge has a periphery and further including a lip extending about the periphery of said edge..Iaddend..Iadd.22. The compartmentalized food package of claim 20 wherein said plastic cover defines a periphery substantially aligned with said flange and further includes a tab extending beyond said 
     
     
        flange..Iaddend..Iadd.23.  The compartmentalized food package of claim 20 further including food disposed in said chambers, said food including at least a first food selected from a first group including relatively dense, moisture laden foods and at least a second food selected from a second group including relatively lightweight, dry foods wherein said first food is disposed in a lower chamber and second food is disposed in an upper chamber whereby the package is stable when disposed in a substantially upright position on a horizontal surface..Iaddend..Iadd.24. The compartmentalized food package of claim 20 further including a plurality of spacers for limiting the extent of nesting of adjacent, aligned 
     
     
        containers..Iaddend..Iadd.25.  A compartmentalized food package comprising, in combination, a plastic container having a plurality of chambers, each of said chambers having an interior space and a mojth, said chambers defined by oblique sidewalls and a bottom panel, a unitary flange surrounding each of said chambers proximate said mouths and merging with said sidewalls said oblique sidewalls and said bottom panels of two of said plurality of chambers intersecting to define a bottom edge, said oblique sidewalls of said two of said plurality of chambers oriented at an angle of about 85° to said flange and an edge substantially perpendicular to said flange,   a cover removably sealed to said flange about said chambers, whereby said plastic cover seals and isolates each of said plurality of chambers for other of said plurality of chambers, and   a spacer disposed in said sidewalls of at least two of said chambers, said spacers having a ledge disposed substantially parallel to and spaced from said flange for contacting a flange of an adjacent, nesting container to   
     
     
        space said container from said adjacent container..Iaddend..Iadd.26.  The compartmentalized food package of claim 25 further including food disposed in said chambers, said food including at least a first food selected from a first group including relatively dense, moisture laden foods and at least a second food selected from a second group including relatively lightweight, dry foods wherein said first food is disposed in a lower chamber and second food is disposed in an upper chamber whereby the package is stable when disposed in a substantially upright position on a 
     
     
        horizontal surface..Iaddend..Iadd.27.  A self-displaying compartmentalized food package comprising, in combination, a plastic container having a plurality of chambers, each of said chambers having an interior space and a mouth, said chambers defined by oblique sidewalls and a bottom panel, a unitary flange surrounding each of said chambers proximate said mouths and merging with said sidewalls, a bottom edge defined by an intersecting sidewall and a bottom panel, an edge substantially perpendicular to said flange, a lip extending outwardly from said edge which cooperates with said bottom edge to orient said plastic container so that a plumb line from a center of gravity of said food package passes between said lip and said bottom edge, and   a removable, secured flexible plastic cover sealed to said flange about said chambers, whereby said plastic cover seals and isolates each of said plurality of chambers from other of said plurality of chambers..Iaddend..Iadd.28. The self-displaying compartmentalized food package of claim 27 further including a plurality of spacers formed in said sidewalls for limiting the extent of nesting of adjacent   
     
     
        containers..Iaddend..Iadd.29.  The self-displaying compartmentalized food package of claim 27 further including food disposed in said chambers, said food including at least a first food selected from a first group including relatively dense, moisture laden foods and at least a second food selected from a second group including relatively lightweight, dry foods wherein said first food is disposed in a lower chamber and second food is disposed in an upper chamber whereby the package is stable when disposed in a 
     
     
        substantially upright position on a horizontal surface..Iaddend..Iadd.30. The self-displaying compartmentalized food package of claim 27 wherein said container includes four chambers..Iaddend..Iadd.31. A self-displaying compartmentalized food package comprising, in combination, a plastic container having a plurality of chambers, each of said chambers having an interior space and a mouth, said chambers defined by oblique sidewalls and a bottom panel, a unitary flange surrounding each of said chambers proximate said mouths and merging with said sidewalls, a bottom edge defined by an intersecting sidewall and a bottom panel, an edge substantially perpendicular to said flange, a lip extending outwardly from said edge and no additional components for facilitating substantially upright self-display,   a cover removably sealed to said flange about said chambers, and   a spacer disposed in said sidewalls of at least two of said chambers, said spacers having a ledge disposed substantially parallel to and spaced from said flange for contacting a flange of an adjacent, nesting container to   
     
     
        space said container from said adjacent container..Iaddend..Iadd.32.  A self-displaying compartmentalized food package of claim 31 further including food disposed in said chambers, said food including at least a first food selected from a first group including relatively dense, moisture laden foods and at least a second food selected from a second group including relatively lightweight, dry foods wherein said first food is disposed in a lower chamber and second food is disposed in an upper chamber whereby the package is stable when disposed in a substantially 
     
     
        upright position on a horizontal surface..Iaddend..Iadd.33.  A self-displaying compartmentalized food package of claim 31 wherein said cover defines a periphery substantially aligned with said unitary flange and further includes a tab extending beyond said unitary flange..Iaddend.