Meat patty tray and method of packaging and display

Abstract

A molded plastic tray is provided according to the invention adapted to display meat or other perishable thawed food patty products in a disc configuration, and designed to withstand movement of the patties during shipping and display. The tray is designed to hold the meat products in a flat disc configuration while being loaded, wrapped, shipped and displayed on one side edge. The tray is designed to provide structural rigidity that resists warping and breakage, thus enabling the loaded and sealed tray to be handled, shipped, and displayed with minimal leakage or breakage. In some embodiments the tray includes features that facilitate de-nesting of a stack of empty trays, and is adapted to facilitate movement of the wrapped package on a moving conveyor line. The tray is easy to manufacture and provides a lightweight and cost effective packaging product. Preferably the tray has a generally rectangular shape (with rounded corners) that provides for consistent wrapping strength and can be handled on standard processing equipment.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The invention relates to packaging and, more particularly, to trays for packaging frozen or thawed food products having a patty configuration for secure storage, shipping and display.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Various plastic trays for packaging food are known in the prior art. In designing a tray, inner surface area, capacity, sidewall rigidity, and weight are key considerations. These trays are typically packed with perishable food items and then surrounded with a plastic film overwrap to seal the food within the package. Once wrapped the tray is ready to be placed in a container for shipment; typically, multiple wrapped trays are stacked one upon another and the weight of the packaged trays may cause the plastic film of underlying trays to be stretched and loosened during shipment. As a result the wrapped trays may leak water, juices, blood, etc. from the products packaged therein, leading to a loss of aesthetic appeal, loss of shelf life, contam...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The invention provides a molded plastic tray that can hold meat or other perishable foods in a flat disc configuration for shipping and display. The tray is designed to be strong and resistant to warping and breakage, with features that make it easy to handle, ship, and display the foods. The tray is easy to manufacture and provide a cost-effective packaging solution. Overall, the invention provides a practical and efficient way to transport and display meat and other foods while maintaining their freshness.

Problems solved by technology

Once wrapped the tray is ready to be placed in a container for shipment; typically, multiple wrapped trays are stacked one upon another and the weight of the packaged trays may cause the plastic film of underlying trays to be stretched and loosened during shipment.

As a result the wrapped trays may leak water, juices, blood, etc. from the products packaged therein, leading to a loss of aesthetic appeal, loss of shelf life, contamination of adjacent packages, and difficulty in handling.

Although the sausage patties generally start out frozen and of uniform disc shape, they must be handled either manually or by mechanical means while being packaged and as they begin to thaw the patties may spread out, lose shape and / or leak water / fluid.

The customer finds this unattractive and will pass by such a product, even if the meat is otherwise fine.

In summary, it is difficult to place frozen food patties in a tray, and in particular to maintain their disc like configuration as the patties thaw.

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