DE3812118A1 - Container for a ready meal - Google Patents

Abstract

A container for receiving and packaging, ready for dispatch, a ready meal which can be bought by the end user, is designed as a dish for eating and is sealed by a covering film which forms a lid and is detachably connected solely to the container edge in such a way that it can be pulled off completely by the end user directly prior to eating. This is achieved in a container designed as a pressed item from mechanical wood pulp, which is coated with plastic on the inside, in that the covering film is connected to the container edge by means of a melt-adhesive material which softens due to the heating prior to eating.

Description

The invention relates to a container for receiving and ver Ready-to-sand packaging of one that can be purchased by the end user Ready meals.

The invention has for its object a container to create a ready meal that the consumer easy and quick, uncomplicated heating of the ent ready-made meals and after heating with a minimum of preparatory actions ready for consumption can be made.

This object is achieved in that the Container is designed as a consumption bowl and with a Cover forming cover film is closed, which excludes Lich is releasably connected to the container edge so that it from the end consumer immediately before consumption is draggable.

The design of the container as a consumption bowl enables the end user to heat the ready meal in the container, preferably in a microwave oven, and then that to eat the warmed ready meal directly from the food bowl  sen. Transferring into plates or similar dinnerware is not necessary.

The ready meal remains through the cover until it is consumed foil shielded from the environment. Only immediately before Consumption is peeled off and because it is only is detachably connected to the container edge, no fo remain lien remnants after pulling on the container by the end user need to be removed only by accepting soiled fingers would be. The cover detachably connected to the edge of the container lie can be removed as a whole from the container hen.

The container designed as a consumption bowl can be made of art fabric are made to be heated in a microwave device. However, plastic has the disadvantage that the risk of breakage at low temperatures is increased. Since that Ready meal packed in a container often together with the container is frozen to the end consumer plastic is only suitable to a limited extent.

The container according to the invention is characterized in that that it is a pressed part made of ground wood. This material is quite resistant to low and high temperatures and does not create environmental problems in waste disposal. At for example, the container formed into a consumption bowl ter the shape of a dinner plate, preferably a recessed Have plates, such as soup plates. Out Such shaped parts can be easily and cost-effectively ground wood  manufacture cheaply.

When heating ready meals, liquids can be used released, for example, sauces can be liquid the. Wood pulp has high absorbency. To avoid that the liquids contained in the ready meal in the factory penetrate material of the container, it is provided that the Ver tooth bowl is coated on the inside with plastic. Preferential the plastic is a food-friendly poly ester.

A slight detachment of the cover film from that as a pressed part a container made of wood pulp becomes one after another education of the invention enables that at least one egg ner surface of the cover sheet a layer of hot melt adhesive Material is arranged.

The melt-adhesive material allows easy connection of the cover film after filling the container with Be opening of the connection areas between the cover film and Container rim with pressure and corresponding temperature, whereby Apply pressure and temperature for a predetermined time.

The melt adhesive material hardens after cooling, so that the cover film and container edge are firmly connected are. The ready meal is under the cover in the container completely shielded from the environment and can be frozen are constantly stored and put on the market.

The hot melt adhesive material is preferably a poly ethylene, with the advantage that there is an intimate connection with the  Polyester gives, with which the consumption bowl to be covered is coated on the inside.

As soon as the consumer finds his Fer in the container warmed up, the warming temperature leads to that the hot melt adhesive material softens so that the Cover film with little effort completely from the container edge can be removed by pulling it off. This can be done by the end user can be handled quickly and easily.

After another further training, the inventor stands out Container according to the invention characterized in that the cover film Multi-layer composite film is made of plastic, with one layer heat-resistant polyester and a layer of polyethylene.

Such a cover film is relatively tear-resistant and retains the tensile strength even during the heating process of the Ready meals at, because of the corresponding firmness the layer is made of polyester.

The layer of polyethylene improves the flexibility of the Ab cover film and also serves as a hot melt adhesive material, which is an easily detachable connection of the film with that with poly ester coated container rim allowed.

To remove the film after heating the finish to facilitate judging, it is also provided that the container Terrand the consumption bowl with an uncovered with the cover film bindable surface section is provided. Through one Surface section in the area of which the cover film is located does not connect the edge of the container, forms the cover film  there is a pull tab on which the end user pulls to remove the cover from the container.

Such a surface section can for example ge forms that container edge and cover sheet by means of a The edge of the container is sealed together are, which, to form the surface section, past one agreed place of the container edge in a curved shape to the inside Plate center runs. Such a surface section can also be formed in that the corresponding part of the Edge surface with a non-stick material before attaching the Ab cover film is coated. Such a non-stick material can be, for example, a release lacquer or a thin coating with silicone or silicone-containing material.

Since the cover hermetically seals the container, while heating the finished product in the container However, fumes can also be released, especially especially when heating in a microwave oven, is used to prevent bursting of the cover film and / or Containers provided due to excessive steam pressures that the Ab Cover film has holes in predetermined areas. The Lö cher can be produced by simple needle punctures, the preferably attached after packaging the ready meal will. The holes are particularly advantageous in egg nem predetermined hole pattern arranged, hole patterns or Perforated fields on the distribution of the components of the finish be coordinated in the container. When heating in  a microwave oven are made of highly hydrated Food also released large amounts of steam. So can for example over the area in which abge packed ready meal vegetables in the container, a box with an increased number of holes in the cover film. The Holes are pierced with needles, preferably one Have a diameter of approximately 1.5 mm. With the targeted water Steam discharge is also beneficial when there is a build-up of damp heat half of the production and in the entire area of the closed Plates produced. This will cause dehydration as well as one associated with worse and uneven heating.

So that the packaged ready meal despite the attached Perforations in the cover film continue to be removed from the environment remains shielded, an attachable cardboard lid is provided, which with tabs under the opening edge of the container the container is attachable. Cardboard is an inexpensive Material that is also easy to be advantageous can be printed to provide the consumer with appropriate information about the content of the packaged ready meal that Not always recognizable through the transparent cover film alone is cash.

So that from the holes in the cover film during the heating steam, vapors and condensates from the Cardboard lids are not sucked up, this advantageously has ter way on its side facing the container a Be layering of plastic, e.g. Polyethylene or polyester on.  

Each tab for attaching the cardboard lid to the food shell is due to a congruent to the container edge Longitudinal slot in cardboard lids protruding over the edge of the container edge areas formed. The cardboard lid is a simple one punched part that with no manipulation on the the ready meal filled and sealed with the cover its container can be attached.

Since the cardboard cover is the preferably transparent cover lie largely covered and thus the packaged ready meal is no longer recognizable, the cardboard cover shows one as a view window serving cutout. The neckline can be in also advantageously serve on the cover film brought stickers to make it visible to the end user. The stickers contain In readable by the end user information about the ready meal packed in the container, then the information on the covering cardboard cover are not to be attached. This allows for different sortie same cardboard lids are always used will. The appropriate printing with the information on the ready meal and the storage of an assortment of Cardboard lids for the equipment of the corresponding packaged Ready meals can be omitted completely.

An embodiment from which further invent Characteristic features are shown in the drawing. It demonstrate:

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of the container in section,

Fig. 2 is a schematic sectional view of a Teilaus-section of the edge region of a container,

Fig. 3 to Fig. 5 schematic plan views of containers on the loading with different hole patterns in the cover film,

Fig. 6 is a schematic plan view of a cardboard cover for the container and

Fig. 7 is a schematic side view of the container with cardboard in section along the line VII-VII in Fig. 6.

Fig. 1 shows a container in a schematic side view in section. The container 1 is shaped as a consumption bowl 2 which can be filled with a ready meal. The material for the consumption bowl is ground wood, the inside of the consumption bowl 2 being coated with a layer 3 of plastic, preferably polyester. The consumption bowl has an approximately horizontal edge 4 and is closed with a cover film 5 . The cover film is a multi-layer composite film made of, for example, transparent plastic, with an outer layer 6 made of heat-resistant polyester and a layer 7 facing the inside of the food tray made of polyethylene. The coated with layer 3 container edge 4 and the edge region of the cover sheet 5 can be connected to each other by adhesive application with pressure and temperature.

By heating the Fertigge in the container 1 , for example in a microwave, the connection area between the cover sheet 5 and the container rim 4 heats up, so that the cover sheet can be easily removed from the container 1 immediately before consumption.

To facilitate removal, the container edge 4 has a non-connectable surface section 8 , which is formed, for example, by this section being determined when a connecting sealing seam is attached by a curvilinear inward course of the sealing seam. The cover sheet 5 is in this area except half of the curve only on the edge of the container, so that a tear tab 9 is formed, as shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 shows a part of the container edge in section. The same components are identified by the same reference numbers as in FIG. 1.

In Fig. 3 to Fig. 5 is a plan view of the sealed with from 5 cover container. Recognize blank FIG. 3 to FIG. 5 in that the cover is perforated in predetermined regions by piercing with needles, in order to derive steam at the heating of the ready-prepared meal. The holes can be arranged in certain hole fields. In Fig. 3, the field 10 with holes is the left half of the cover sheet. Under this perforated field there can be, for example, steam-forming components of the ready meal packed in the container with increased water content. This can be vegetables, for example. In Fig. 4 there is the hole 10 in the center of the box cover. In Fig. 5 the perforated field is arranged in a circular shape parallel to the circumference of the cover film 5 for the container.

So that the ready-to-eat meal in the container remains shielded from the outside despite the perforations in the cover film, a cover card is provided, which is shown in FIG. 6 in a schematic top view. The outline of the container covered with cardboard from 11 is indicated by a dashed line 12 . The cardboard is in two mutually opposite areas with the container edge under the tabs 13 , 14 which are formed by approximately congruent to the container edge longitudinal slots 16 , 17 . The slot 16 , as shown here, is extended to form a viewing window, the opening 18 .

Fig. 7 shows a side view of the container with attached cardboard lid 11 in a schematic section along the line VII-VII in Fig. 6 and shows how the tabs 13 , 14 engage under the container edge 4 of the container 1 . On the underside facing the container, the cardboard cover 11 is coated with plastic, for example polyethylene.

Claims (16)

1. Container for receiving and ready for dispatch packaging of a ready-to-eat ready meal, characterized in that it is designed as a consumption bowl ( 2 ) and is closed with a cover-forming cover film ( 5 ), which is finally releasably connected to the container rim ( 4 ) is that it is fully deductible by the end user immediately before consumption. 2. Container according to claim 1, characterized in that he is a pressed part made of ground wood. 3. Container according to claim 1 and 2, characterized in that it is coated on the inside with plastic ( 3 ). 4. Container according to claim 3, characterized in that the plastic is polyester. 5. Container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a layer of hot-melt adhesive material is arranged on at least one surface of the cover film ( 5 ). 6. Container according to claim 5, characterized in that the hot melt adhesive material is polyethylene.   7. Container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cover film ( 5 ) is a multilayer ge composite film made of plastic, with a layer ( 6 ) made of heat-resistant polyester and a layer ( 7 ) made of polyethylene. 8. Container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the container edge ( 4 ) of the consumption tray ( 2 ) with a with the cover film ( 5 ) non-connectable surface section ( 8 ) is provided. 9. A container according to claim 8, characterized in that the container edge ( 9 ) and cover film ( 5 ) are connected to one another by means of a sealing seam running around the edge of the container, which, in order to form the surface section ( 8 ), curve inwards at a predetermined point on the container edge runs to the center of the plate. 10. A container according to claim 9, characterized in that the surface section ( 8 ) is a with a non-stick material be coated part of the edge surface of the container edge ( 4 ) of the ver shell ( 2 ). 11. A container according to claim 10, characterized in that the non-stick material is a release lacquer. 12. Container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cover film ( 5 ) has holes in predetermined areas ( 10 ). 13. Container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a cardboard cover ( 11 ) is provided which can be fastened with the tabs ( 13 , 14 ) engaging under the container edge ( 4 ). 14. A container according to claim 13, characterized in that the cardboard lid ( 11 ) on the side facing the food tray ( 2 ) has a coating of polyethylene. 15. Container according to one of claims 13 and 14, characterized in that each tab ( 13 , 14 ) is formed by an approximately congruent to the container edge ( 4 ) longitudinal slot ( 16 , 17 ) in over the container edge ( 4 ) projecting cardboard lid edge areas. 16. Container according to one of claims 13 to 15, characterized in that the cardboard lid ( 11 ) has a serving as a window section ( 18 ).