EP0803444A2

EP0803444A2 - Packaged food product

Info

Publication number: EP0803444A2
Application number: EP97302882A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Timothy John Ratcliffe Wilson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1996-04-25
Filing date: 1997-04-25
Publication date: 1997-10-29
Also published as: EP0803444A3; GB9608537D0

Abstract

The invention the subject of this application relates to a container in the form of a tub (2) for a foodstuff (12) which typically can be removed from the container by a spoon or other similar utensil. Conventional containers of this type have relatively straight side walls and base walls, and where the side walls are joined to the base, a relatively sharp corner is defined making it difficult to remove the foodstuff from the area of the container adjacent the side wall and base. This problem has not been overcome previously and the current application relates to a container which has a shaped interface (8) which joins the side walls and the base and said rounded section is of a sufficient dimension to allow foodstuff in the form of, for example a scoopable solids foodstuff, adjacent this area to be scooped or otherwise removed.

Description

This invention relates to a packaged food product, the food product being a scoopable solid.
Food products are frequently packaged for dispensing direct from their packaging. This is convenient with scoopable solid food products which can be removed from their package by means of a utensil such as a knife or a spoon. Conventional containers are provided with a substantially square or sharp cornered interface where the base is joined to the side walls which makes the removal of the material held in the container adjacent this interface difficult and can lead in many cases to the container being discarded with material still held in the difficult to access area.
It is desirable to minimise waste of the food product due to difficulties in removing it from the package and also to improve the removal of material from the container to an extent to allow the material to be removed from and eaten directly conveniently thereby allowing the container to be used as a means from which foods can be eaten without the need to first place the material on a plate or in a bowl as is commonly the case..
The aim of the present invention is to provide a packaged food product in which the interface between the base and the side walls of the container, which is provided in the form of a tub, in which the product is held, is shaped to facilitate removal of the food product from the base of the tub.
Accordingly, in one aspect, the invention provides a packaged food product which comprises (a) a container in the form of a tub with a base and side walls, and an opening at its upper end from which the food product can be removed from the tub, and (b) a scoopable food product within the tub and characterised in that the interface between the base and the side walls is shaped rounded to facilitate removal of the food product from the base and interface of the tub.
The packaged food product of the invention has the advantage of facilitating removal of the food product from the container and minimising wastage which typically results from difficulty in accessing the product at the interface between the side walls and the base.
Preferably the shape of the interface is such that a portion of the side walls which depends towards the base is rounded such that the internal shape of the interface is rounded inwardly to the base rather than having a square or sharp angle.
The invention is well suited to the packaging of food products which are solid and scoopable, such as frozen confectionery products (including ice cream, sorbets and other water ice products), margarine, soft cheeses and so on. The products are solid insomuch that they are self supporting and will not flow readily. However, they are scoopable in that they can be manipulated without having to be subjected to an intensive cutting action, for example, by using a utensil such as a knife or spoon.
The configuration of the rounded corner of the tub can be selected according to the volume of the food product in the tub and/or the shape of the utensil that might be used to remove the product from the tub, such utensil in one embodiment provided with the package. Generally, the curvature of the rounded interface of the tub is such that a circular disc of diameter 10 mm, preferably 15 mm, more preferably 20 mm, can fit into the interface in the manner shown in Figure 2 so that it contacts the tub between the base and the straight or non shaped side walls, i.e. contacts at the interface. This geometry is found to enable food product to be removed from the corner of the tub using commonly used utensils.
The base of the tub in one preferred embodiment is circular. The diameter of the base, measured to where the base meets the side walls which are shaped, is preferably at least about 3 cm. It can be preferred for some applications that diameter is not more than about 15 cm.
The tub can have a plurality of side walls which intersect at substantially vertical comers, the said corners may also be generally rounded to facilitate removal of the food product from the said comers.
Preferably, the tub is formed from a plastics material. This has the advantage of allowing the tub to be formed by moulding, which is convenient for forming the tub with rounded interface. Plastic materials also have the advantage of being relatively inexpensive. Examples of suitable plastics materials include polyesters, polyamides, polyolefins and polystyrenes.
Preferably, the volume of the food product in the tub is at least about 100 ml and typically is not more than about 1000 ml.
In one possible embodiment the packaged food product of the invention lends itself well to packaging individual portions of a food product, especially frozen confectionery products.
The packaged food product of the invention can include a utensil for removing the food product from the tub. The configuration of the utensil will be selected to suit the configuration of the tub and, in particular, its rounded interface or corners.
In a further aspect of the invention there is provided a container for a foodstuff, said container comprising side walls and a base and an opening opposing the base, the opening normally closed with a separate lid and which, when open, allows the removal of a foodsuff within the container by a utensil and characterised in that the container is a one piece container with an interface between the side walls and base which is rounded so as to eliminate any corners on the internal face of the container and thereby improve the removal of the foodstuff from the container.
Typically the container can be used as a storage means and as a receptacle from which a solid, scoopable foodstuff can be easily directly removed from all parts of the container and eaten.
Thus the container and package according to the invention are particularly suites for use with foodsstuffs which can be directly eaten from the same, such as ice cream. At the present time, the conventional containers have a sharp corner interface between the base and side walls which makes removal of the foodstuff difficult and can lead to wastage of the material which is inacessible and make the removal of the material frustrating and thereby reduce the enjoyment of eating the product directly from the container. Thus the current invention allows the usage of the container and package to be more than simply as a storage means but also as a utensil from which the material can be consumed.
The present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an isometric view of a package for a food product according to the invention, and
Figure 2 is a side elevation, partially in section, of the package shown in Figure 1 without its lid.

Referring to the drawings, a packaged food product comprises a tub 2 that has been formed from a plastics material such as a polypropylene. The tub, in this embodiment is generally circular when viewed from above, and comprises a side wall 4 and a base 6. The interface 8 of the tub between the base and the side wall is generally rounded, so that a disc of diameter 15 mm (shown in dotted outline in the Figure 2 and referred to by numeral 10) can fit into the interface to contact the tub at a point on the interface between the base and the side wall.
The diameter of the base of the tub, measured to where the base intersects the extension of the side walls, is about 5 cm. The side walls are about 8 cm high and the interface is curved as shown over a height X and Width Y which can typically and preferably be X= 2 to 3 cm and Y=1 to 2cm which are dimension ranges found to give the internal wall of the container the required curvature to allow improved and easy removal of the foodstuff. It should be noted that it is the internal surface of the container which is critical and the outer surface of the interface need not be curved or rounded.
The tub 2 contains ice cream 12, which has a consistency which allows it to be removed from the tub by means of a utensil such as a spoon.
The package can include a lid 14 which can engage the tub by means of corresponding formations on the lid and the tub, for example comprising a lip 16 on the tub and grooves or ridges on the internal surface of the lid.

Claims

A packaged food product which comprises (a) a container in the form of a tub 2 with a base 6 and side walls 4, and an opening at its upper end from which the food product can be removed from the tub 2, and (b) a scoopable food product within the tub 2 and characterised in that the interface 8 between the base 6 and the side walls 4 is shaped rounded to facilitate removal of the food product from the base 6 and interface 8 of the tub 2.
A packaged food product as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the interface 8 has a curvature such that a circular disc 10 of diameter of at least 10 mm can fit into the tub 2 to contact with the interface 8 between the base 6 and the side wall 4.
A packaged food product as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that the curvature of the rounded interface 8 of the tub 2 is such that a circular disc 10 of diameter 15 mm can fit into the interface so that it contacts the tub 2 between the base 6 and the side wall 4.
A packaged food product as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the base 6 of the tub 2 is circular.
A packaged food product as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that the diameter of the base 6, measured to where the base meets the interface 8, is at least about 3 cm.
A packaged food product as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5, characterised in that the diameter of the base 6, measured to where the base meets the interface is not more than about 15 cm.
A packaged food product as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the tub 2 has a plurality of side walls which intersect at substantially vertical corners, the said corners being generally rounded to facilitate removal of the food product from the said corners.
A packaged food product as claimed in any one of claims .1 to 7, characterised in that the tub 2 is formed from a plastics material.
A packaged food product as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that the volume of the food product in the tub 2 is at least about 100 ml.
A packaged food product as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, characterised in that the volume of the food product in the tub 2 is not more than about 1000 ml.
A container for a foodstuff, said container comprising side walls 4 and a base 6 and an opening opposing the base, the opening normally closed with a separate lid 14 and which, when open, allows the removal of a foodsuff from within the container by a utensil and characterised in that the container is a one piece container with an interface 8 between the side walls and base which is rounded so as to eliminate any comers on the internal face of the container and thereby improve the removal of the foodstuff from the container.