WO1999059897A2

WO1999059897A2 - Food container

Info

Publication number: WO1999059897A2
Application number: PCT/GB1999/001507
Authority: WO
Inventors: Martin Peter Read; Brian John Smith
Original assignee: Martin Peter Read; Brian John Smith
Priority date: 1998-05-16
Filing date: 1999-05-12
Publication date: 1999-11-25
Also published as: GB9810472D0; WO1999059897A3; AU3840099A

Abstract

A disposable food container (42) is provided with an apertured member for supporting food to be cooked. The apertured member may be in the form of a removable apertured tray (44), made from a relatively rigid material such as PET, which rest on a shelf (46) provided on an inner wall of the food container (42).

Description

Food Container

The invention relates to a food container, and particularly to a container in which foods may be purchased and cooked. The invention also relates to a film for sealing foods and food containers and to a method of manufacturing a food container.

Oven-ready meals which can be placed in a pre-heated oven or microwave are known. The containers for such meals commonly comprise a tray sealed by a film, the film optionally being pierced or removed prior to heating the food.

Such meals are convenient but may taste inferior when compared with fresh cooked food.

According to the invention there is provided a film for sealing a food container, the film comprising a continuous layer and an apertured layer including a plurality of openings.

Preferably the film is for sealing a disposable food container.

The layers are preferably adjacent one another and may be bonded together to form a laminate. The layers may be joined together by an adhesive or by heat bonding. The adhesive or bond may be applied at a plurality of discrete locations on the layers or in a series of tracks for example in a grid formation.

Preferably the continuous layer may be peeled away from the apertured layer.

The continuous layer is preferably airtight and preferably also provides a gas and moisture barrier. The continuous layer may provide a hermetic seal. The continuous layer may comprise a thin film of approximately 10-1,000 micrometers in thickness. It may be made from a plastics material such as polyester or polypropylene. The apertured layer may be made from a plastics material such as polyester or polypropylene. Alternatively the apertured layer may be made from a metallic foil, such as aluminium foil. It may comprise a thin film of approximately 10-1,000 micrometers in thickness. Preferably the apertures make up between 2% and 50%, and most preferably between 5% and 25%, of the total surface area of the layer and are typically between 1 and 10 millimetres in diameter and spaced between 1 and 10 millimetres apart.

Alternatively or additionally the apertured layer may incorporate a mesh.

Preferably the apertured layer is sufficiently strong to support a food to be cooked.

Preferably the apertured layer is stable at temperatures up to about 500°C. Preferably the material of the apertured layer does not affect the taste or smell of food by contamination.

According to the invention there is also provided a film comprising an apertured sheet wherein the apertures make up between 2% and 50%, and most preferably between 5% and 25%, of the total surface area of the sheet, each aperture is between 1 and 10 millimetres in diameter and the apertures are spaced between 1 and 10 millimetres apart, the film being suitable for placing or wrapping over or around a container for supporting a food to be cooked.

The sheet may be between 30 and 120 centimetres wide and may be between 30 and 120 centimetres long, or of indefinite length. The sheet is preferably between 10 and 1,000 micrometers in thickness.

The sheet may be made from a plastics material such as polypropylene, or from a metallic foil, such as aluminium foil.

Preferably the film is suitable for supporting a food to be steamed over a hot liquid. According to the invention there is also provided a disposable food container including a sealing film according to any of the definitions in the preceding eleven paragraphs.

According to the invention there is also provided a disposable food container provided with an apertured member for supporting food to be cooked.

The disposable food container is preferably made at least partly from plastics material such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

The apertured member may be flexible or may be substantially rigid.

The apertured member may comprise a thin film of approximately 10- 1,000 micrometers in thickness. It may be made from a plastics material such as polypropylene. The material may be a laminate. The apertured member may be made from a metallic foil, such as aluminium foil.

Alternatively, the apertured member may be made from substantially the same material as the remainder of the container.

The apertures are preferably between 1 millimetre and 10 millimetres in diameter and spaced between 1 and 10 millimetres apart.

The apertured member may comprise a mesh.

Preferably means are provided for sealing at least a part of the container. The sealing means may comprise or form part of a sealing film as previously defined.

The apertured member may form part of a sealing film as previously defined. The apertured member may be provided substantially at a boundary of the container. The apertured member may span a top of the container such that food in the container may be cooked by inverting the container over a steam bath or hot water.

Alternatively the apertured member may comprise a base of the disposable food container.

The container may comprise a plurality of receptacles for receiving respectively different foods and/or water for cooking. One or more of the receptacles may include an apertured member at its boundary. Preferably sealing means are provided for sealing the receptacles. The sealing means may comprise a sealing film as previously defined, extending over a boundary of one or more of the receptacles. Preferably the sealing film extends over the top of each receptacle.

The container may include two or more receptacles hinged together, at least one receptacle incorporating the apertured member, such that the two receptacles may be pivoted from a position adjacent one another to a position one on top of the other. Preferably one receptacle is suitable for receiving hot water and the other receptacle is suitable for receiving food to be steamed. Sealing means may be provided in the form of a sealing film as previously defined, extending over the top of one or both receptacles. Alternatively, the container may be sealed in the position where the receptacles are one on top of the other. A seal may be provided around the edges of the combined receptacles.

The apertured member may form a boundary between different receptacles. The container may include a lower receptacle for receiving a liquid and an upper receptacle for receiving food to be cooked. The apertured member may be received on locating means, such as a ledge, within the container, such that the apertured member is spaced from a base of the container and thereby defines a boundary between upper and lower receptacles. The apertured member may comprise a part, preferably the base, of an inner receptacle located within an outer receptacle. Preferably the inner receptacle may be located such that its base is above and spaced from the base of the outer receptacle. Preferably the inner receptacle is suitable for receiving a food to be cooked and the outer receptacle is suitable for receiving a liquid such as water.

According to the invention there is also provided a disposable food container provided with an apertured member for supporting food to be cooked, the container comprising a plurality of receptacles wherein at least one of the receptacles contains a food and forms a sealed unit.

Another of the receptacles may comprise a different food or water and may also form a sealed unit.

Preferably means are provided for breaking the seal prior to cooking the food.

According to the invention there is also provided an apertured receptacle or tray for supporting a food to be cooked, the receptacle or tray being adapted to locate in a disposable food container such that a base of the receptacle or tray is spaced from the base of the container. Preferably the base of the receptacle or tray is spaced above the base of the container.

The receptacle or tray may be disposable, and may be manufactured at least partly from plastics material such as PET.

According to the invention there is also provided a method of manufacturing a disposable ood container sealed with a sealing film as previously defined, the method including the steps of applying an inner apertured layer to the container, applying an outer continuous layer to the container and sealing the two layers to the container. Preferably the two layers lie adjacent to one another and define a boundary of the container.

Preferably the inner layer is sealed to an inside region of a contact surface or rim of the container. Preferably the outer layer is sealed to an outside region of the contact surface or rim of the container.

The method may also include the step of perforating the inner layer. The inner layer may be guided between two rollers, at least one of the rollers including projections for forming the perforations.

The invention will now be described for the purposes of illustration only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic cross-section of sealing film according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic cross-section of a disposable food container according to the invention;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic cross-section of a disposable food container according to a second embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 4A is a diagrammatic cross-section of a disposable food container according to a third embodiment of the invention in an open position;

Fig. 4B is a diagrammatic cross-section of the food container of Fig. 4A in a closed position;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic cross-section of a disposable food container according to a fourth embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic cross-section of a disposable food container according to a fifth embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic cross-section of a disposable food container according to a sixth embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the sealing of a disposable food container according to the invention;

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic cross-section of an apertured film according to the invention;

Fig. 10A is a diagrammatic exploded view illustrating the film of Fig. 9 in position above a container; and

Fig. 1 OB is a diagrammatic view illustrating the film of Fig. 9 folded around and over a container, for cooking a food on the film.

Referring to Fig. 1, a sealing film 10 for a disposable food container includes a continuous layer 12 and an apertured layer 14. The film 10 is a laminate, with the two layers being bonded together by known laminating means. The continuous and apertured layers are each approximately 60 micrometers in thickness and are made from a plastics material such as polypropylene.

The continuous layer 12 is airtight and waterproof and provides a gas and moisture barrier. When the film is applied to a food container, it is this layer which seals the container and prevents air from reaching the food or any transfer of atmosphere between the container and its exterior occurring. Before cooking the food, the continuous layer 12 is peeled away from the apertured layer 14.

The apertured layer 14 includes a plurality of regularly spaced apertures 16, approximately 3 millimetres in diameter and having their centres spaced approximately 8 millimetres apart. When the film is used in cooking food within a food container, it is the apertured layer 14 which supports the food while it is being cooked.

Fig. 2 shows a disposable food container 18 provided with a sealing film 10 as previously described. The continuous layer 12 is illustrated as a continuous line and the apertured layer 14 as a broken line. The food container contains a foodstuff 20.

The film 10 is secured to the container at a contact rim 22 such that the film (in particular the continuous layer 12 of the film) seals the container and keeps the foodstuff fresh.

When it is desired to cook the foodstuff 20, the continuous layer 12 is peeled away from the apertured layer 14 and from the container 18. The container is then closed only by the apertured layer 14. The container may then be inverted over a receptacle containing boiling water, and placed into a preheated oven or a microwave. The foodstuff 20 rests on the apertured layer 14 and is cooked by steaming.

Fig. 3 illustrates an alternative disposable food container 24, which is divided into two compartments 26. The compartments 26 include respectively different foodstuffs 28 and are again sealed with a sealing film 10, as previously described. The continuous layer 12 may again be peeled away from the apertured layer 14 to allow the container to be inverted for steaming of the foods in their own separate compartments.

Figs. 4A and 4B show a modification of the above disposable food container 24, wherein the two compartments 26 are connected by a plastic hinge 30. The container 24 would typically be purchased in the position shown in Fig. 4A, with the two compartments 26 located adjacent one another. One compartment 26a would normally contain a food 28a to be cooked in boiling water and the other compartment 26b a food 28b to be steamed. For example, the compartment 26a might contain rice and the compartment 26b fish. The compartments 26a,26b may both be sealed with the sealing film 10 previously described or alternatively one of the compartments may be sealed with a continuous film only.

When it is desired to cook the foodstuffs, the continuous film 12 is peeled away from the compartments 26 and hot water added to the compartment 26a containing the food 28a to be boiled. The compartment 26b containing the food 28b to be steamed is then pivoted about the hinge 30 to bring it into the position shown in Fig. 4B, where it is located above the compartment 26a containing the food to be boiled. The two compartments 26a,26b may be held in this position by a resilient clip 32 provided at the edge of either of the compartments. The container 24 may then be placed in a preheated oven or a microwave to boil the lower food 28a and steam the upper food 28b.

Fig. 5 shows a further alternative disposable food container 34, according to the invention. This container 34 consists of an outer receptacle 36 and an inner receptacle 38. The base 37 of the inner receptacle 38 includes a plurality of apertures 40. The container 34 is typically purchased with a food to be steamed contained in the inner receptacle 38 and optionally with a food to be boiled contained in the outer receptacle 36. A sealing film 40 is provided over the top of the container 34, the film 40 typically comprising a single continuous layer.

To cook the food, the film 40 is peeled away from the container 34 and hot water is poured into the outer receptacle 36. The container is then placed in a pre-heated oven or a microwave to steam the food in the inner receptacle and boil any food present in the outer receptacle.

Fig. 6 shows a further alternative disposable food container 42 according to the invention, which includes a removable apertured tray 44. The tray 44 is made from a relatively rigid material such as PET and rests on a shelf 46 provided on an inner wall of the food container 42. The container 42 may be formed with a smaller diameter lower part 48 and a larger diameter upper part 50, with the shelf 46 being provided where the two parts join. A disposable food container 42 is typically sold with a food to be boiled in the lower part 48 and a food to be steamed in the upper part 50. A continuous single layer sealing film 40 covers the container.

To cook the food, the sealing film 40 is peeled away and hot water is poured into the lower part 48 of the container 42. If necessary, the tray 44 and food to be steamed may be removed while this takes place. The tray 44 is then replaced and the container 42 placed in a pre-heated oven or a microwave to boil the food in the lower part 48 and steam the food in the upper part 50.

The tray 44 need not be removable provided it has sufficiently large apertures that hot water may be poured safely through it into the lower part 48 of the container 42. The tray 44 in this case may be formed as a part of the container 42 and the shelf 46 is not necessary.

In the embodiments of Figs. 5 and 6, a sealing lid may be provided instead of the film 40. Such a sealing lid may be made from a plastics material such as PET. The lid may be replaced onto the container for cooking to reduce the loss of steam. However the lid should not form a complete seal during the cooking operation. The lid may be provided with a weakened region for piercing prior to cooking, or a flap bounded by a weakened region or strip, to enable a user to break the seal prior to cooking. Alternatively, the lid may be made from a material which is airtight up to a certain pressure level, but which releases pressure above that level. In this way, the container 42 may act as a miniature pressure cooker, without there being any risk of explosion.

Fig. 7 shows a further container 52 according to the invention, wherein a base 54 of the container is provided with apertures 56. A single layer sealing film 40 is attached to the container base 54 to cover the apertures 56. The container includes a lid 58, which seals the container but which is provided with means for breaking the seal. A foodstuff is provided in the container. The container 52 includes an undercut shoulder 60 which cooperates with the upper lip 62 on a receptacle 64.

To cook food in the container 56, the sealing film 40 is peeled away from the base 54 to expose the apertures 56, the receptacle 64 is filled with hot water and the container 52 is placed over the receptacle 64. The container 52 is stable on top of the receptacle 64 because the undercut shoulder 60 cooperates with the upper lip 62 of the receptacle. The container 52 and receptacle 64 are then placed in a pre-heated oven or a microwave to steam the foodstuff.

Fig. 8 shows diagrammatically a method of sealing a disposable food container according to the invention. A foodstuff will have been previously placed in the container. A layer of plastics material is perforated on a roller 66 to form the apertured layer 16, which is sealed onto a contact surface or rim 68 of the container. A second layer of plastics material is left unperforated and forms the continuous layer 12. This is also sealed onto the contact surface or rim 68 of the container. The apertured layer 14 may be sealed onto an inner region of the rim 68 while the continuous layer 12 may be sealed onto an outer region of the rim 68. Alternatively the continuous layer 12 may be sealed onto the apertured layer 14.

Fig. 9 shows an apertured film 70, which may be used for cooking a foodstuff above a disposable or non-disposable receptacle. The film may be manufactured from a plastics material such as polypropylene, or from a metallic foil such as aluminium foil. The film includes a plurality of regularly spaced apertures 72, approximately 3 millimetres in diameter and having their centres spaced approximately 8 millimetres apart.

Fig. 10A illustrates the way in which the film 70 may be used to cook a foodstuff by steaming. The film 70 may be placed over a pan 74, the pan containing a liquid for steaming the foodstuff. As illustrated in Fig. 10B, the film 70 may be wrapped over and around the top of the pan 74 and a foodstuff placed on top of the film 70. A lid 76 may then be placed over the foodstuff and the foodstuff steamed over a hob.

There is thus provided a film and a disposable food container which enables fresh food to be purchased and prepared with equivalent ease to precooked convenience foods. The steaming of foods, which is normally a cumbersome process involving a number of utensils, can be performed quickly and easily. The containers according to the invention may be made from recycled or recyclable materials thus minimising their environmental impact.

Various modifications may be made to the above without departing from the scope of the invention. Containers according to the invention may be made in a range of different shapes, sizes and materials. A typical single compartment container consists of a planar base approximately rectangular in shape, and four walls sloping gently outwards upwardly away from the base. The container may hold between about 10 grams of food (representing a typical single portion of a part of a meal for an adult or child) and about 25 kilograms (representing a typical catering tray for bulk food preparation). Containers may however include a number of different receptacles in a range of different sizes.

Containers according to the invention may be manufactured from any relatively cheap disposable materials, typically plastics materials, which can withstand oven temperatures and do not release any significant levels of contaminants on heating.

Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in the drawings whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.

Claims

1. A disposable food container provided with an apertured member for supporting food to be cooked.

2. A disposable food container according to claim 1 wherein the food container is made at least partly from plastics material such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

3. A disposable food container according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the food container is made at least partly from a metallic foil.

4. A disposable food container according to any of claims 1 to 3 wherein the apertures are between 1 millimetre and 10 millimetres in diameter and spaced between 1 and 10 millimetres apart.

5. A disposable food container according to any of claims 1 to 4 wherein the apertured member is made from substantially the same material as the remainder of the container.

6. A disposable food container according to any of claims 1 to 4 wherein the apertured member comprises a thin film of approximately 10-1,000 micrometers in thickness.

7. A disposable food container according to any preceding claim wherein means are provided for sealing at least a part of the container.

8. A disposable food container according to any preceding claim wherein the apertured member is provided substantially at a boundary of the container or a boundary of a receptacle within the container.

9. A disposable food container according to claim 8 wherein the apertured member spans a top of the container such that food in the container may be cooked by inverting the container over a steam bath or hot water.

10. A disposable food container according to any preceding claim wherein the container includes a plurality of receptacles for receiving respectively different foods and/or water for cooking.

11. A disposable food container according to claim 10 wherein the container includes two or more receptacles hinged together, at least one receptacle incorporating the apertured member, such that the two receptacles may be pivoted from a position adjacent one another to a position one on top of the other.

12. A disposable food container according to claim 10 or claim 11 wherein the apertured member forms a boundary between different receptacles.

13. A disposable food container according to any of claims 10 to 12 wherein the apertured member is received on locating means, such as a ledge, within the container, such that the apertured member is spaced from a base of the container and thereby defines a boundary between upper and lower receptacles.

14. A disposable food container according to any of claims 10 to 13 wherein the apertured member comprises a part of an inner receptacle located within an outer receptacle such that its base is above and spaced from the base of the outer receptacle.

15. A disposable food container provided with an apertured member for supporting food to be cooked, the container comprising a plurality of receptacles wherein at least one of the receptacles contains a food and forms a sealed unit.

16. A disposable food container according to claim 15 wherein another of the receptacles contains a different food or water and also forms a sealed unit.

17. An apertured receptacle or tray for supporting a ood to be cooked, the receptacle or tray being adapted to locate in a disposable food container such that a base of the receptacle or tray is spaced from the base of the container.

18. A film for sealing a food container, the film comprising a continuous layer and an apertured layer including a plurality of openings.

19. A film according to claim 18 wherein the layers are adjacent one another and are bonded together to form a laminate.

20. A film according to claim 19 wherein the layers are joined together by an adhesive or by heat bonding and the adhesive or heat bond is applied at a plurality of discrete locations on the layers or in a series of tracks, for example in a grid formation.

21. A film according to any of claims 18 to 20 wherein the continuous layer may be peeled away from the apertured layer.

22. A film according to any of claims 18 to 21 wherein the continuous layer comprises a thin film of approximately 10-1,000 micrometers in thickness, made from a plastics material such as polyester or polypropylene, which provides a gas and moisture resistant barrier.

23. A film according to any of claims 18 to 22 wherein the apertured layer comprises a thin film of approximately 10-1,000 micrometers in thickness, wherein the apertures make up between 5% and 25% of the total surface area of the layer and are between 1 and 10 millimetres in diameter and spaced between 1 and 10 millimetres apart.

24. A film according to any of claims 18 to 23 wherein the apertured layer is sufficiently strong to support a food to be cooked, is stable at temperatures up to about 500°C, and is made of material which does not affect the taste or smell of food by contamination.

25. A film comprising an apertured sheet wherein the apertures make up between 5% and 25% of the total surface area of the sheet, each aperture is between 1 and 10 millimetres in diameter and the apertures are spaced between 1 and 10 millimetres apart, the film being suitable for placing or wrapping over or around a container for supporting a food to be cooked.

26. A disposable food container including a sealing film according to any of claims 18 to 25.

27. A disposable food container according to any of claims 1 to 17 wherein the apertured member includes a sealing film according to any of claims 18 to

25.

28. A method of manufacturing a disposable food container sealed with a sealing film according to any of claims 18 to 25, the method including the steps of applying an inner apertured layer to the container, applying an outer continuous layer to the container and sealing the two layers to the container.

29. A method according to claim 28, the method including the step of perforating the inner layer by guiding the inner layer between two rollers, at least one of the rollers including projections for forming the perforations.

30. Any novel subject matter or combination including novel subject matter disclosed herein, whether or not within the scope of or relating to the same invention as any of the preceding claims.