US20060172045A1

US20060172045A1 - Peelable handheld food container

Info

Publication number: US20060172045A1
Application number: US11/045,339
Authority: US
Inventors: Suzy Zeng
Original assignee: Kraft Foods Holdings Inc
Current assignee: Intercontinental Great Brands LLC
Priority date: 2005-01-31
Filing date: 2005-01-31
Publication date: 2006-08-03

Abstract

A food container providing improved access to food items in packaged food products more conveniently and with less messiness while they are being eaten. The food products may be heated in the food container and the food container may be handheld in a comfortable manner or stored in a stable manner in a beverage receptacle installation in a vehicle or adjacent to spectator seats or furniture, wherein the food container includes at least one peelable portion having a free end bordering the upper end of the container which can be peeled away from the container to reveal more of the food contents of the container.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to food containers and packaged food products incorporating them.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Consumers increasingly demand more convenient and readily accessible single serving food items and, preferably, desire these single serving food items to be contained within functional packaging. In particular, consumer demand has risen for packaged single serving food items which can be hand held and consumed without the need for serving plates/bowls and eating utensils. Packaged food products of this variety have included, for example, pizza wraps and rolls, egg rolls, wrap sandwiches, burritos, pastry wraps, and the like. Such food products often are formed to have a generally elongated shape so that they can be more easily grasped. These types of packaged food products can be purchased and then stored by consumers in refrigerators or freezers at home or elsewhere until it is desirable to reheat them for consumption.
Microwave ovens are often used to rapidly and conveniently reheat the packaged food items, although other types of heat sources also may be used depending on the particular food item and type of packaging. To further increase consumer convenience, it is often desirable to be able to heat the food item in its original package to reduce the need for separate cooking vessels.
Also, it is desirable to provide a food item in a package that can, after heating, be used to permit transport and handling of the food item without requiring the consumer to directly handle the hot food item, and which can be easily opened to provide access to the food item during its consumption. Conventionally containers used for elongated food items have included elongated cartons hinged to open and shut along a lengthwise direction. Such a configuration often requires the use of both hands or placement of the carton on a support surface in order to gain access to food item for consumption.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention generally relates to a food container that can store, heat, and hold foods items and provide improved access to packaged food products with less messiness while they are being eaten. The food holder can enable foods to be consumed on-the-go with one hand in a convenient and tidy manner. The food container may be hand held in a comfortable manner or stored in a stable manner in a beverage receptacle installation in a vehicle or adjacent to spectator seats or furniture, and so forth.
In one embodiment, a food container is provided comprising an enclosure defining a cavity capable of being occupied by at least one food item. The enclosure comprises first and second sections. The first section (e.g., a lower section of the enclosure) has a first walled portion defining a first cavity region wherein the walled portion has a shape and size which is fittable into a cylindrical beverage receptacle, and having a closed bottom end sufficient to retain a food item within the first section. The second section (e.g., an upper section of the enclosure) has second walled portion defining a second cavity region, and an open top end defined by a free upper edge of the enclosure wherein the open top end is adapted for introducing a food item into the enclosure. The second section also has at least one peelable portion having a free end coinciding with part of the upper edge wherein the peelable portion is adapted to be manually and selectively detached from the enclosure effective to reveal more of the food item in the enclosure.
The peelable portion(s) of the enclosure or container structure can be readily peeled away from the enclosure by hand when the consumer desires to reveal more of and increase access to the food item(s) in the container without destroying the container structure.
In one embodiment, the manually peelable portion(s) of the enclosure or container structure are defined by lines of weakness (e.g., scored or perforated lines) which are formed in paperboard used to construct the container structure. Peeling action can be manually induced and propagated along the lines of weakness as the peelable portion is peeled from the remainder of the container structure. In one embodiment, the manually peelable portion has a profile that is relatively widest near the opening and tapers or narrows in the longitudinal direction extending away from the opening. These shapes may be, for example, an inverted parabolic, catenary or triangular shape and the like. In another embodiment, a peelable portion is defined by a pair of lines of weakness which extend generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the container from an edge bordering the upper end of the container. These geometries of peelable portions make it easier for a consumer to obtain a grip on the peelable portion near an exposed upper end thereof, when initiating manual removal of the peelable portion.
In one particular embodiment, a pair of manually peelable portions are provided at generally opposite lateral sides of the second section of the container structure, allowing for even greater increased exposure and access to the food item contained in the food container.
The food container is a food holder that enables foods to be consumed on-the-go with one hand conveniently and cleanly. The food container is appropriately configured and sized to be graspable by a single hand of a consumer.
As indicated, the first section of the food container is adapted to have a shape allowing it to be fitted into and securely supported by a receptacle or holder ordinarily used for receiving and holding a cylindrical beverage container, e.g., holders for beverage cups, bottles, cans and so forth. The first section may be provided with a generally cylindrical shape or a multi-sided polygonal shape conducive for stable placement and retention in such beverage holders. In one embodiment, the food container can be held in a generally upright position with such a holder. The holder can be, for example, a holder installed in a vehicle, such as an automobile, truck, boat, airplane, etc. It also could be beverage container holder attached or associated with an audience member or spectator seat of a theater, arena, auditorium, etc. It also could be a cup holder integrally provided with lawn furniture, tables or leisure chairs.
The food container may have holes extending through the sides to help release moisture generated within the container. When used as a heating apparatus, the food holder can also have holes and inner suscepting material that enable air circulation and heat transfer for more effective heating. The suscepting material may be provided on one or more inner sides of the food holder to provide better food heating quality. A sleeve made of corrugated cardboard or other materials may be added to the outside of the food container to enable the heated container to be held directly by hand without discomfort.
The food holder can also be folded, packed with the food product, so that food can be stored, heated, and consumed without being in direct contact with hands. After the food has been consumed, the food holder can be easily crumbled and discarded for easy clean up and/or recycling.
The food products that can be packaged and consumed on-the-go in a stable and convenient manner using the food container of the invention are not particularly limited, and include, for example, processed foods such as burritos, pizza rolls, egg rolls, wrap sandwiches, sandwich rolls, wrapped fruit pie pastries, baked goods, rolled sandwiches, chicken pieces, and so forth. For instance, the food can be in a rolled-up form, such as a dough enrobed roll-up with fillings, such as cheese, meats, vegetables, and tomato sauce, or any combination thereof. The rolled up dough-containing food product can be efficiently heated inside the food holder, generating crispiness at the food surface.
The food items may be shelf-stable, refrigerated or frozen.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a food container having a peelable region in accordance with an embodiment of this invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the food container of FIG. 1, taken along line 2-2.
FIG. 3 is a plan view of a paperboard blank used to construct the food container of FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a plan view of a first-stage intermediate construction of a food container made with the blank of FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 is a plan view of a second-stage intermediate construction of a food container made with the blank of FIG. 3.
FIG. 6 is a top view of a completed construction of a food container made with the intermediate blank construction of FIG. 5.
FIG. 7 is a plan view of an alternative third-stage intermediate construction of a food container made with the blank of FIG. 3.
FIG. 8 is a top view of a completed construction of a food container made with an intermediate blank construction of FIG. 7.
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of packaged food product including the food container of FIG. 1, in accordance with an embodiment of this invention.
FIG. 10 is top view of the packaged food product of FIG. 9 in its original configuration before the peelable portions are peeled down in accordance with an embodiment of this invention.
FIG. 11 is top view of an alternative packaged food product in its original configuration before the peelable portions are peeled down in accordance with another embodiment of this invention.
FIG. 12 is top view of the packaged food product of FIG. 11 after the peelable portions have been peeled down in accordance with an embodiment of this invention.
FIG. 13 is perspective view of the packaged food product of FIG. 9 held in a vehicle beverage receptacle in accordance with an embodiment of this invention.
FIG. 14 is side elevational view of the packaged food product of FIG. 9 with the peelable region in a peeled down configuration in accordance with an embodiment of this invention.
FIG. 15 is another side elevational view of the packaged food product of FIG. 9 with the peelable region in a peeled down configuration in accordance with an embodiment of this invention.
FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a rhomboidal-shaped food container constructed of cardboard which has a peelable region in accordance with another embodiment of this invention.
FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a food container having a rectangular cross-section, which has a peelable region in accordance with another embodiment of this invention.
FIG. 18 is a plan view of a food container blank used for forming a container having peelable portions in accordance with another embodiment of this invention.
The features depicted in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. Similarly numbered elements in different figures represent similar components unless indicated otherwise.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with specific reference to a food container convenient for handling, storage in beverage receptacles, and consumption of food products with improved access thereto.
Referring to FIG. 1, a food container 100 is shown in its open and billowed condition as a non-cylindrical, multisided enclosure 101. In this non-limiting illustration, the food container has a “pillow” type configuration, although other configurations also may be provided as will become more apparent from the descriptions below. The enclosure 101 is a walled container structure defining a cavity 104 (e.g., see FIG. 10) capable of being occupied by at least one food item. The enclosure 101 comprises a first or lower section 103 and a second or upper section 105. Lines of weakness 107 and 109 are used in conjunction with other associated lines of weakness such as illustrated in subsequent FIGS. 6, 8, and 9, define peelable portions 111 and 113. The lines of weakness indicated herein to define the peelable portions in the container walls may be formed by forming scored lines or intermittently perforated or punched lines in paperboard used to construct the container structure. One or more air circulation holes 106 optionally may be included, which may be convenient if a food item has been pre-cooked, e.g., microwave heated, inside the same container.
Referring to FIG. 2, the lower section 103 of the enclosure 101 forming the food container 100 has a first walled portion 201 defining a first cavity region 203. The walled portion 201 has a shape and size which is fittable into a cylindrical beverage receptacle (e.g., see FIG. 13 below). The lower section 103 also has a closed bottom end 205 adequate to retain a food item within the first section 103. The upper section 105 of the enclosure 101 forming the food container 100 has a second walled portion 210 defining a second cavity region 212. It also has an open top end 212 defined by a free upper edge 214 of the enclosure 101.
The peelable portions 111 and 113 of the container 100 can be displaced in directions indicated by the arrows including a lateral direction component relative to imaginary dividing line x-x and a downward direction component relative to the longitudinal axis y-y of the container 100.
It will appreciated that the location of the horizontal dividing line x-x between the lower section 103 and the upper section 105 shown in FIG. 2 is arbitrary, merely for sake of facilitating the illustration, and is non-limiting to the extent that the upper and lower sections otherwise meet criteria set forth herein for those features.
Referring to FIG. 3, a blank 310 is illustrated which can be assembled into food container 100 of FIG. 1, in the following general manner. This view shows the side of the blank which ultimately will form the inside wall of the finished container. The internal solid lines 311 through 319 represent fold lines, and the hatched lines 107 through 110 represent lines of weakness. The blank includes flap portions 325 and 327. In the upper portion 335 of blank 310 located above medial fold line 316, respective quadrants 311 through 313 are provided between pairings of fold lines in the blank 310. In the lower portion 336 of the blank 310 located below medial fold line 316, quadrants 331 through 333 are provided between pairings of fold lines in the blank 310.
The blank 310 may be constructed of a relatively thin, foldable, yet stiff and shape retentive material. The opposite side of the blank 310 is essentially identical as the illustrated side insofar as the overall profile and locations of the fold lines and lines of weakness. However, as explained in more detail below, the blank 310 optionally may be a multilayer construction in which the inner and outer sides may comprise different types of sheet materials. The blank may comprise, for example, a single-layered paperboard or cardboard construction. The cardboard may be single-faced or double-faced corrugated paperboard. The blank 310 also may have a composite construction comprising an outer paperboard layer and an inner microwave susceptor layer (e.g., a thin metal layer). The blank 310 may be constructed of a recyclable material. Vent holes 106 and 320, such as for release of water vapor generated by foods contained in the food container, are provided in the blank 310 in this illustration.
Referring to FIG. 4, to assemble food container 100 from the blank 310, flaps 325 and 327 are folded (doubled over) along fold lines 311 and 314, respectively, onto quadrants 328 and 329, as a first-stage of the assembly of the food container. Adhesive material 340 may be applied to exposed flap surfaces 338 and 339 and/or quadrants 331 and 332, which is not dried or cured until after completion of the subsequent assembly step shown in FIG. 5. The adhesive 340 may be applied at discrete locations, or in lines, or continuously on the exposed surfaces, and so forth.
Referring to FIG. 5, in a second stage of the assembly of food container 100, the lower portion 336 of blank 310 is folded upward about medial fold line 316 such that it is doubled over upper portion 335 thereof. The adhesive 340 applied previously, such as shown in FIG. 4, can be used to attach quadrant 331 to the exposed surface 338 of flap 325, and attach quadrant 332 to the exposed surface 339 of flap 327. The other facing areas of upper portion 335 and lower portion 336 are not directly attached to each other. In this illustration, the lower end 337 of the lower portion of the blank 310 is positioned slightly below the upper end 341 of the upper blank portion 335, although this is not required.
Referring to FIG. 6, the intermediate construction of blank 310 of FIG. 5 has been billowed or expanded into a food-holding configuration. The blank 310 folds at fold lines 311 through 314 and 318 through 319 to provide the billowed configuration. The supplemental fold lines 315 and 317 illustrated in FIGS. 3-4 help the blank to billow out near the lower end of the container.
Referring to FIG. 7, the intermediate configuration as shown in FIG. 5 is subjected to a third-stage of assembly in which a sleeve 350 is wrapped around and attached circumferentially around the outer surface of the folded blank 310. The attachment of the sleeve 350 can be accomplished, for example, by adhesive bonding. For example, the sleeve 350 can be supplied as a strip of discrete length, which is encircled around and adhesively attached at its inner side to the exterior of a pre-folded blank in the configuration such as shown in FIG. 5, and overlapping free ends of the strip can be adhesively bonded to form a sleeve. The sleeve 350 may include graphics or labeling.
Referring to FIG. 8, the sleeve 350 is attached around the circumference of the billowed blank 310 which helps to maintain the folded and billowed configuration. The sleeve 350 may a corrugated paperboard construction, i.e., cardboard, or other flexible thermal-insulating material. The provision of a sleeve 350 of cardboard construction makes it more comfortable for a consumer to grasp the food container by hand when it contains heated foods. The provision of sleeve 350 as made of thermal-insulating material, such as cardboard, also may help to reduce the need or desirability of constructing the entire blank 310 out of thermal-insulating sheet material.
Referring to FIG. 9, a packaged food product 300 is shown having an open top end 212 defining an opening 301 which is suitable for introducing a food item 303 into the enclosure 101 of the food container 100, as previously described. The peelable portion 113 of the upper section 105 has a free end 305 coinciding with part of the circumferential extent of the free upper edge 214 of the enclosure 101. Peelable portion 111 (hidden in this view) located on the opposite lateral side of the enclosure 101 preferably has a similar arrangement. The peelable portions 113 and 111 are adapted to be manually and selectively detached from the enclosure effective to reveal more of the food item in the enclosure. The general peel direction of peelable portion 113 is indicated by the arrow in FIG. 9.
Referring to FIG. 10, the packaged food container 300 is shown in its original configuration in which the container enclosure 101 is in its billowed or expanded position and contains a food item 303, and prior to any displacement of the peelable portions. The food item 303 is shown contained in the cavity region 212 defined by the walled portion 210 of the upper section 105 of enclosure 101. The food item 303 may be, for example, a food product having a generally elongated shape.
FIG. 11 shows an alternative packaged food product 330 in which the container construction is similar to that in FIG. 11, while a plurality of smaller pieces of food items 360-366 are stacked within the enclosure 101.
Referring to FIG. 12, the packaged food product 300 is illustrated with the container enclosure 101 arranged in a so-called “peel down” configuration in accordance with embodiments herein. In this illustration, as well as in FIGS. 13-15, the peelable portions 111 and 113 have been manipulated out there original orientation into respective flap portions 1110 and 1130 which have been detached and bent away from the remainder of the enclosure 101. A second line of weakness 108 is used in combination with previously mentioned line of weakness 107 to define the peelable portion 111 and its corresponding flap portion 1110 shown in this view. Similarly, a second line of weakness 110 is used in combination with previously mentioned line of weakness 109 to define the peelable portion 113 and its corresponding flap portion 1110 shown in this view.
Referring to FIG. 13, the packaged food product 300 of FIG. 9 is illustrated as held in an upright stable manner in a vehicle beverage receptacle 701. Peelable portion 113, hidden in this view, has a similar arrangement of lines of weakness in this embodiment. As indicated, the above-mentioned first walled portion 201 of the lower section 103 of the container enclosure 101 has a shape and size which is fittable into a cylindrical beverage receptacle 401. The closed bottom end 205 of the lower section 103 keeps food items from dropping, or drippings, thereof from falling out of the container enclosure 101. Beverage holders are commonly installed in vehicles and adjacent audience seats in various venues to hold a consumer's beverage cup, can, glass, bottle, etc. The food container of an embodiment herein may be provided with a closed end portion having a configuration adapted to be securely held in such beverage holders already installed on board a vehicle or with an audience or spectator seat, and so forth.
In FIGS. 14 and 15, a “peel-down” feature of the food container 100 of embodiments of the present invention is further illustrated. As shown, a flap portion 1110 has been formed from the previously indicated peelable portion 111 of the enclosure 101 by manually peeling and tearing the peelable portion along the lines of weakness 107 and 108 apart from the adjoining, non-torn portions 803 and 805 of the upper section 105 of the enclosure 101 (i.e., they remain in their original upright orientation). The peelable portion 111 can be grasped near its free upper end 375 to facilitate this procedure.
The peeling action can be manually induced and propagated along the lines of weakness as the peelable portion is peeled from the remainder of the container structure. In one embodiment, the manually peelable portion has a profile that is relatively widest near the opening and tapers or narrows in the longitudinal direction extending away from the opening. These shapes may be, for example, an inverted parabolic, catenary or triangular shape and the like. These geometries of peelable portion make it easier for a consumer to obtain a grip on the removable region, viz., near the upper end thereof, when initiating manual removal of the peelable portion, and then the removal of the remainder of the peelable portion is facilitated once peeling is initiated as the downward peeling force applied by the consumer acts on a progressively smaller width of peelable material.
In this illustration, a pair of manually peelable portions are provided at generally opposite lateral sides of the second section of the container structure, allowing for even greater increased exposure and access to the food item contained in the food container.
The shape of the container is not particularly limited as long as it provides at least one panel area at the upper end of the container including a free edge thereof in which a peelable portion can be defined via lines of weakness formed in the container blank, and also the container should have an expanded or billowed shape that accommodates the food products which are intended to be packaged therein. The container thus can have many shapes, such as cylindrical (e.g., circular or elliptical cylindrical), prismoidal, rhomboidal, and so forth. The container also can have a number of different cross-sectional geometries, such as square, rectangular, triangular, hexagonal, circular, oval, and so forth. The container structure, apart from the peel-down feature, may be a conventional paperboard package configuration providing a closed bottom and an open top end. However, as indicated, to provide a peelable portion therein according to embodiments of the present invention, a panel area must be provided for each peelable portion at the upper end of the container including a free edge thereof in which a peelable portion can be defined via lines of weakness formed
For example, FIG. 16 shows a “pillow”-shaped food container 120 (i.e., it has a rhomboidal shape), which is constructed of cardboard, and which has the above-indicated peelable portion 113. FIG. 17 shows food container 130 defining a pouch having a rectangular cross-section, which has above-indicated peelable portion 113. A peelable portion also can be provided on the opposite hidden side in these views as previously described.
Referring to FIG. 18, in an alternative embodiment, at least one pair of lines of weakness 1201 and 1202 (and/or 1203 and 1204, etc.) can be formed as generally vertical lines extending generally parallel with the longitudinal axis y-y of a food container blank 1200. The upper section 1205 of the container blank 1200 has an upper free edge 1214. The lines of weakness have respective free ends 1215 and 1216 which coincide with part of the upper edge 1214 of the blank 1200. Fold lines 1210-1213 are also shown, which are used in assembling a container having a shape which may be similar to the container shown in FIG. 17. The portions 1217 and 1218 of the container blank 1200 can be peeled-down from a container made with the blank in the direction indicated by the arrow, in a manner generally described above, to provide flap portions that are pulled away from the container to reveal more of the food contents of the container. This embodiment differs in that the peeled down portions are not fully detachable from the container, since the peelable portions are defined by generally parallel, non-intersecting lines of weakness.
In one embodiment, the food container may be a tube or cup shape, with a dimension such as about 1.5 to about 4.0 inches in diameter and about 5 to about 12 inches in height. The food container, for instance, may be a pouch shape, with a dimension such as 1.5 to 2 inches wide, about 1.5 to 2 inches deep, and about 6 to 9 inches in height. The food container also may be made from a paperboard blank comprising about a 16 to 17 inch long and about 4-6 inch wide sheet for an “envelope” type of folding, or about a 9 inch×10 inch sheet for a “pouch” type of folding. This dimensions are illustrative only and non-limiting.
The above-indicated “peel-down” package feature is especially advantageous in the instance of the packaging of elongated food items or vertically stacked pieces of food items which are to be consumed from the container. The elongated food product or stacked pieces can be restrained in a stable position within the container while bites are taken from the exposed end of the food product. The “peel-down” feature also does not undermine or destroy the overall structural integrity of the enclosure.
The “peel-down” package feature also makes it possible to help keep heated food items warm until consumed as exposure of the hot food item(s) to the environment outside the container can be restricted as the open end of the package can be changed to accommodate the progressively smaller length of a food item as it is eaten from the open end of the container. Thus, the food container having the peel-down feature is a food holder that enables foods to be consumed on-the-go with one hand conveniently and cleanly. This invention can be a stand-alone product or combined with food. The food holder can be handheld or placed into a beverage receptacle in a vehicle, or adjacent an audience or spectator seat (e.g., arena, auditorium, stadium, or theater seating), or attached to lawn furniture, etc.
The food holder is made with flexible yet self-supporting materials, such as paperboard, including non-corrugated paperboard or cardboard (i.e., corrugated paperboard). The paperboard may be a type conventionally used for food packaging. The paperboard is scored allowing the paper to be easily peeled off of the food that is in the food holder, which will expose the food for easy consumption with one hand. The food holder's peel-off feature can enable easy reach of the food without additional device, therefore, eat with one hand. Since the food is not directly in contact with hands, the food holder provides a tidy way of consuming foods. The upper section can be vary in size and/or shape to accommodate different types of foods. For example, it can be rectangular shaped for sandwiches, bagels, and donuts, etc.; or cylinder shaped for cylinder shaped foods such as pizza rollup, hotdogs, etc. The upper part can also be designed in such a way that its shape is changeable according to the shape of the foods. The food holder can also be folded, packed with the food product, so that food can be stored, heated, and consumed without being in direct contact with hands. The food container may be scored in such a way that it can lay flat to be packed with food, and then be easily folded into the expanded or billowed container structure. After the food has been consumed, the food holder can be easily crumbled and discarded for easy clean up.
The food holder can be made of microwavable materials, such as cardboard, that will enable one to use the food holder as a container to heat the food in microwave. As indicated, the inside surface of the food holder can be comprised of a microwave suscepting material, such as a thin metallic layer attached to a paperboard backing sheet material, to help radiant energy to the food to help produce crisp and brown food. As indicated, the food holder also may have a thermal-insulating sleeve provided around the outer circumference of the food container or holder, such as a corrugated cardboard sleeve construction, to improve holding comfort when the food container contains a heated food and the container is held by directly by hand. The food holder can then be used to hold the food. The scored side(s) of the holder can be peeled off, and the consumer can eat the food inside on-the-go with one hand. When used as a heating apparatus, the food holder can also have holes and inner suscepting material, which enable air circulation and heat transfer for more effective heating.
The food product may be a freshly prepared food product, or a refrigerated or frozen product which may be reheated within the food container enclosure. The packaged food products of the present invention are particularly suitable for display, for hot or cold service, at walk-up or drive-through restaurants, cafeterias, food counter booths, snack counters and the like. For hot service, a hot food product can be placed within the pouch and sealed.
Alternatively, if the food product is a processed food that has been packaged within the pouch and stored in a refrigerated or frozen condition, the complete food container may be placed within a heater to reheat the food product so that the food portion is reheated within its wrapping. The packaged food product can be heated in any convenient manner which is tolerated by the packaging material, such as by using a radiant heater and/or microwave heater. The food container may have suscepting material provided on the inside surface thereof to increase food crispiness during microwave heating. As indicated, the food containers also may include holes to increase air circulation during microwave heating. The external side of the food container may have graphics that are printed with heat stable ink.
The food products that can be stored in the food container are not particularly limited. They include, for example, roll-up or wrap form food products, which is a dough enrobed roll-up with fillings such as cheese and/or tomato sauce and/or meats and/or vegetables. The roll-up type product may comprise a dough wrapping material selected from a pizza crust, pita, flat bread, French bread, and so forth, and a filling material selected from one or more of a tomato sauce, cheese, meat and/or vegetables. The roll-up can be, for example, about 5 to 7 inches long and about 2 to about 2.5 inches in diameter that fits into the cup-holder like food holder and enable maximum heat efficiency. The food can also be other types, such as a calzone, pita wrap, tortilla, gyros, burritos, pizza rolls, egg rolls, wrap sandwiches, sandwich rolls, wrapped fruit pie pastries, baked goods, rolled sandwiches, chicken pieces, and so forth.
While the invention has been particularly described with specific reference to particular process and product embodiments, it will be appreciated that various alterations, modifications and adaptations may be based on the present disclosure, and are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. A food container comprising:

an enclosure defining a cavity capable of being occupied by at least one food item, wherein the enclosure comprises:

a first section having first walled portion defining a first cavity region wherein the walled portion has a shape and size fittable into a cylindrical beverage receptacle, and having a closed bottom end sufficient to retain a food item within the first section;

a second section having a second walled portion defining a second cavity region, and an open top end defined by a free upper edge of the enclosure wherein the open top end is adapted for introducing a food item into the enclosure, and at least one peelable portion having a free end coinciding with part of the upper edge wherein the peelable portion is manually and selectively detachable from the enclosure effective to reveal more of the food item in the enclosure.

2. The food container of claim 1, wherein the at least one peelable portion is defined by lines of weakness formed in paperboard used to form the enclosure.

3. The food container of claim 1, wherein the at least one peelable portion has a profile that is relatively widest near the opening and tapers or narrows away from the opening.

4. The food container of claim 3, wherein the at least one peelable portion has a profile selected from an inverted parabolic, inverted catenary or inverted triangular shape.

5. The food container of claim 3, wherein the at least one peelable portion comprises a pair of peelable portions provided at generally opposite lateral sides of the second section.

6. The food container of claim 1, wherein the first section has a generally cylindrical shape or generally polygonal shape.

7. The food container of claim 2, wherein the lines of weakness comprise a pair of lines of weakness extending generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the container and defining the peelable portion therebetween.

8. The food container of claim 2, wherein the lines of weakness are selected from group consisting of score lines, perforated lines, punched lines, tearable strands, or any combination thereof.

9. The food container of claim 1, wherein the enclosure is adapted to be held in a generally upright position within the beverage receptacle.

10. A packaged food product comprising:

(A) a food product; and

(B) a food container comprising

a second section having second walled portion defining a second cavity region, and an open top end defined by a free upper edge of the enclosure wherein the open top end is adapted for introducing a food item into the enclosure, and at least one peelable portion having a free end coinciding with part of the upper edge wherein the peelable portion is adapted to be manually and selectively detached from the enclosure effective to reveal more of the food item in the enclosure.

11. The packaged food product of claim 10, wherein the food item is selected from the group consisting of burritos, pizza rolls, egg rolls, wrap sandwiches, sandwich rolls, wrapped fruit pie pastries, baked goods, rolled sandwiches, and chicken pieces.

12. The packaged food product of claim 10, wherein the food item comprises a dough enrobed roll-up containing at least one filling, wherein the dough is selected from the group consisting of a pizza crust, pita, flat bread, and French bread, and the at least one filling is selected from the group consisting of tomato sauce, cheese, meat, vegetable, and any combination thereof.

13. The packaged food product of claim 10, wherein the at least one peelable portion id defined by lines of weakness formed in paperboard used to form the enclosure.

14. The packaged food product of claim 10, wherein the at least one peelable portion has a profile that is relatively widest near the opening and tapers or narrows away from the opening.

15. The packaged food product of claim 14, wherein the enclosure comprises a microwave susceptor material.

16. The packaged food product of claim 14, wherein the peelable portion comprises a pair of peelable portions provided at generally opposite lateral sides of the second section.

17. The packaged food product of claim 10, wherein the food container further comprises a sleeve attached circumferentially around an outer surface thereof.

18. The packaged food product of claim 13, wherein the lines of weakness comprise a pair of lines of weakness extending generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the container and defining the peelable portion therebetween.

19. The packaged food product of claim 13, wherein the lines of weakness are selected from group consisting of score lines, perforated lines, tearable strands, or any combination thereof.

20. The packaged food product of claim 10, wherein the enclosure is adapted to be held in a generally upright position within the beverage receptacle.