US3410698A - Product container - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 12, 1968 M. P. sosm PRODUCT CONTAINER Filed Feb. '7, 1967 1N VEN TOR. MA/PW/V SOs/N BY 41 6 3,410,698 PRODUCT CONTAINER Marvin P. Sosin, Wilmette, 11]., assignor to Armour and Company, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 7, 1967, Ser, No. 614,493

1 Claim. (Cl. 99- 174) 3,410,698 Patented Nov. 12, 1968 Brief description of the drawings The invention will be more specifically described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in elevation of the container of the instant invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of said container.

FIG. 3 is a top view of said container.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of said container showing the closure section in an open position and a stack of sliced product therein.

FIG. 5 is another embodiment of the container illustrated in FIG. 4 having a shell covering the product.

top, front and rear ends, and sidewalls that have their disposed downwardly from the rear end of the product section to the front end thereof and in the same disposition as the bottom edges of the side walls of the closure section.

Background of the invention Conventional containers for packaging products such as sliced luncheon meat and the like have not proven to be entirely satisfactory from the standpoint of the consumer. One difliculty is that many containers do not make the sliced luncheon meat readily accessible and as a result the slices either tend to be gouged during their removal, or the container has to be torn free of the slices to the extent that the container will not satisfactorily reseal the luncheon meat. Once the latter occurs, the luncheon meat tends to dry out and pick up the odors and flavors of the refrigerator in which the container is stored after being opened.

Some conventional containers can be rescaled to eliminate the aforesaid problem but they have not proven to be entirely satisfactory from the standpoint of the packer who must place the product into the container. Containers of this type, such as plastic bags, boxes, and the like, usually receive the product from only one direction during the packing operation and are thus more diflicult to fill because of this restriction on the products movement into the container.

Summary of the invention It is therefore an object of the present invention to produce a new product container providing easy access to the product without having to damage the container or otherwise impairing its ability to be rescaled to protect the product.

A further object of the present invention is to produce a new product container that can be filled from more than one direction and is thus easier to pack.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the specification proceeds.

The new product container of the instant invention is generally comprised of a closure section and a product section. The closure section comprises a top, front and rear ends, and side walls that have their bottom edges disposed downwardly from the rear end of the closure section to the front end thereof. The product section comprises a bottom for holding the product, front and rear ends, and side walls that have their top edges disposed downwardly from the rear end of the product section to the front end thereof and in the same disposition as the bottom edges of the side walls of the closure section.

Description of the preferred embodiment Referring now to the drawings, the container is generally comprised of a closure section 10 and a product section 12.

The closure section 10 is comprised of a top 14, a front end 16, a rear end 18, side walls 20 and 22 which have their bottom edges 20a and 22a disposed downwardly from the rear end 18 to the front end 16, and a flange 24 about the circumference of the closure 10 in the plane defined by the downwardly disposed edges 20:: and 22a.

The product section is comprised of a bottom 114 to hold the product, a front end 116, a rear end 118, side walls and 122 which have their top edges 120a and 122a disposed downwardly from the rear end 118 to the front end 116 and in the same disposition as the bottom edges 20a and 22a of the closure 10, and a flange 124 about the circumference of the product section 12 in the plane defined by the downwardly disposed edges 120a and 122a.

The flanges 24 and 124 are joined at the rear ends 18 and 118 of the closure 10 and product section 12 to form a hinge 26 which will permit the closure 10 to be opened on the product section 12 without having to be separated therefrom.

When the closure 10 is closed on the product section 12, the face of the flanges 24 and124 will abut against each other because of their identical disposition and form a container with a box-like configuration.

The preferred embodiment of the container is provided with a hinge 26 but this is not necessary, however, as the closure 10 could simply be removed from the container.

The flanges 24 and 124 are also preferred because they tend to eliminate any possibility difficulty in aligning the walls 20 and 22, and 120 and 122 and thus permit the container to be completely closed. The flanges also serve as a means for effecting a seal be tween the closure 10 and product section 12. If the product were a food such as luncheon meat, the seal could be made hermetic. The invention is not limited thereby, however, but comprehends a container without flanges or having any suitable means to effect a satisfactory closing of the container.

In the prefer-red embodiment of the container illustrated in the drawings, the edges 20a and 22a of the closure 10 and 120a and 122a of the product section 12 run digaonally from corner to corner of the package so the maximum amount of product will be exposed when the closure 10 is raised. The invention is not limited thereto, however, but comprehends edges of any disposition which will provide access to substantially all of the product at the front end of the container where the aforesaid downwardly disposed edges are at their lowest point.

The container is well suited to be molded from a clear plastic which is the preferred material and method of fabrication. However, any other suitable material or method of fabrication could be used.

FIGURE 5 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention. A clear plastic shell 28 having a configuration adapted to permit the closure to be closed onto the product section is sealed over the product. If the product is food such as luncheon meat, the seal could be made hermetic.

The drawings have also illustrated a container that is box-like in configuration. The invention, however, is not limited to this configuration but could be applied equally as well to a container having a cylindrical configuration or any other shape.

The advantages of the container of the instant invention are significant. When the container is to be filled with product, the packer can approach and fill the container from the top or from the front end or from any position therebetween and is no longer limited to single directional filling. Furthermore, when a sliced product is to be removed, the closure is simply raised and all or substantially all of the sliced edges will be exposed and readily accessible.

While the embodiment of the invention chosen herein for purposes of the disclosure is considered to be preferred, it must be understood that the invention is intended to cover all changes and modifications of the disclosed embodiment which fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A container for a sliced food product wherein said slices are arranged in a stacked relationship; said container comprising a closure section and a product section, said closure section comprising top, front and side walls, said product section comprising bottom, rear and side walls; and stack of sliced product being placed in said product section so that the edges of the slices face the rear and side walls thereof; said closure section and said product section being hingedly connected to join the rear of the top wall of the closure section with the top of the rear wall of the product section such that the edges of the stacked slices face the front and side walls of said closure section when said container is closed; the bottom edges of the side walls of said closure section being downwardly inclined from said hinged connection to said front wall, the top edge of the side walls of said product section being downwardly inclined from said hinged connection to said bottom wall at the same angle inclination as the bottom edges of the side walls of said closure section; said closure section being rotatable about said hinge away from said product section to provide access to substantially all of the product at the front of said container.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,217,455 10/1940 'Price et al. 229---2.5 2,915,214 12/1959 Frankel 2292.5 2,917,216 12/1959 Despres 206-46 3,008,837 11/1961 Kaplan 206-46 3,333,760 8/1967 Bridenstine 2292.5

FOREIGN PATENTS 21,031 6/1903 Great Britain. 879,186 10/ 1961 Great Britain.

JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

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