Dip packaging system

Abstract

A food container arrangement formed of plastic sheeting, includes a cup ( 12 ) and a cover ( 14 ) for holding foods. The cup can be held in an auto cup holder (E) while part of the cover lies over the cup and part lies beyond the cup rim. The cup and cover can be formed of a single piece of plastic sheeting, with rim joining portions ( 30, 32 ) that lie facewise adjacent with a tear line ( 34 ) between them where the sheeting can be torn to separate them. The cover has an upper surface with a groove ( 80 ) that can receive the rim of the cup when the cover lies in an upside-down position. The cover groove walls include a projection ( 112 ) and the cup rim has an L-shaped insertion slot ( 100 ) that the cover projection fits into to prevent the cover from falling off.

1 . A plastic food packaging system which includes a cup with an open top, and a cover that fits on said cup in a first cover position wherein said cover completely covers said cup open top, with said cup and cover each made of polymer material, wherein:
 said cup and cover form inter-fitting attachment parts that hold said cover in a second position wherein said cover lies over part of said cup open top but leaves open at least one-half of the cup open top.   
     
     
         2 . The system described in  claim 1  wherein:
 said cup top has a cup rim that forms said open top, said cover has upper and lower surfaces, and said cover has groove walls forming a groove in its upper surface that receives said cup rim when the cover lies upside-down from its orientation in said first cover position.   
     
     
         3 . The system described in  claim 2  wherein:
 said cup has a cup axis, said cup rim has a vertical insertion slot where said cup rim is of reduced radial thickness on the inside of its rim, and said cup rim has an undercut circumferential passage extending circumferentially from a bottom of said insertion slot;   said cover has a cover axis that is coincident with said cup axis in said first cover position, and said cover has at least one radial projection on one of said groove walls that is moveable down into said insertion slot when said cover is pushed down and that is then moveable along said circumferential passage by moving said cover about said cup axis.   
     
     
         4 . The system described in  claim 1  wherein:
 said cup and cover each has a rim, and said cup and cover are formed of a single piece of plastic and have joining portions ( 30 ,  32 ) that extend toward each other from said rims with a tear line that lies between said joining portions, said piece of plastic being weakened along said tear line.   
     
     
         5 . The system described in  claim 4  wherein:
 in said first cover position but before said tear line is torn, said joining portions of said cup and cover lie facewise adjacent parts to each other and said tear line forms a 180° fold, with at least one of said joining portions having a bump that increases the vertical separation of said facewise adjacent joining portions.   
     
     
         6 . The system described in  claim 4  wherein:
 said cover forms at least one handle that lies beyond said tear line in said first cover position, and said cover forms a recess under said at least one handle to facilitate grasping only said handle.   
     
     
         7 . The system described in  claim 1  including:
 a third container which has a closed flat bottom and side walls and an open third container top;   said cover having a recess which opens upward in said cover second position, and said third container lies in said cover recess with said third container top opening upward in said second cover position.   
     
     
         8 . The system described in  claim 7  including:
 a quantity of a first food lying in said cup;   a quantity of a second food in said third container, and a film that extends across said third container open top, to hold in said second food when said cover lies in said first position with said third container open top facing downward.   
     
     
         9 . A food packaging system of polymer material which includes a cup with cup rim walls that form a cup rim and a cup open top, and a cover that fits on said cup and completely closes said cup open top in a first cover position, wherein:
 said cover has a top with groove walls that form a groove that receives said cup rim in a second cover position wherein said cover is upside-down and covers only a portion of said open top;   said cup rim walls have a vertical cup axis and said rim walls include an insertion slot in a radially inner-surface of the rim, wherein said insertion slot has a slot vertical part with a bottom and a primarily horizontal slot part extending circumferential to said axis from the bottom of said slot vertical part;   said groove walls include a first groove wall with a projection that fits into said slot vertical part and then into said horizontal part, when said cover is moved down to receive said rim and the cover is then turned.   
     
     
         10 . The system described in  claim 9  wherein:
 said cup and cover are formed of a single piece of formed plastic sheeting with facewise adjacent flat parts extending to a 180° fold that forms a tear line that is more easily torn that the rest of said single piece of plastic, in said first cover position.   
     
     
         11 . A food packaging system which includes a cup with an open top, and a cover that fits on said cup and closes said top in a first cover position, with said cup and cover formed of polymer material, wherein:
 said cup and cover form interfitting attachment parts that hold said cover on said cup in a second cover position wherein the cover lies upside-down from said first cover position, said cover having a recess that opens upwardly in said second cover position; and including   a third container which has a third container opening, said third container lies in said cover recess with said third container opening oriented to open upward in said second cover position.   
     
     
         12 . The system described in  claim 11 , including:
 said third container lies in said cover recess with said cover lying in said first cover position and with said third container opening facing downward, and including a removeable lid that closes said downward facing third container opening.   
     
     
         13 . The system described in  claim 11 , including:
 a quantity of a first food lying in said cup;   a quantity of a second food in said third container, and a peel-off film that extends across said third container opening to hold in said second food when said cover lies in said first position and said third container opening faces downward.   
     
     
         14 . The system described in  claim 11  wherein:
 said cover lies over only part of said cup open top in said cover second position, to leave open part of the cover top for access to a first food in said cup, said third container holds a second food.   
     
     
         15 . The system described in  claim 11 , wherein:
 said cover has side walls with a cover rim portion that has an undercut, and said third container has a rim portion that latches to said undercut of said cover rim portion.   
     
     
         16 . A polymer food packaging system comprising:
 a cup with an open top;   a cover that fits on said cup in a first cover position wherein said cover completely covers said cup open top, with said cup and cover each made of polymer material;   said cup and cover form attachment means that holds said cover in a second position wherein said cover lies over only part of said cup open top.   
     
     
         17 . The system described in  claim 16  wherein:
 said cup top has a cup rim that forms said open top, said cover has upper and lower surfaces, and said attachment means comprises groove walls in said cover that form a groove in the cover upper surface that receives said cup rim when the cover lies upside-down from its orientation in said first cover position.   
     
     
         18 . The system described in  claim 16  wherein:
 said cup and cover are formed from a single sheet of polymer, and in an initial configuration said cup and cover are joined along a tear line ( 34 ) and said cover is pivotable on said tear line to a closed position on the cup wherein sealing portions ( 44 ,  50 ) on the cup and cover resist opening said cover, so in said initial position said cover cannot be readily opened unless said cup and cover are separated along said tear line.   
     
     
         19 . A food packaging system comprising:
 a polymer cup with an open top;   a polymer cover that mounts on said cup and closes said open top of said cup in a first cover position;   said cover being mountable on said cup in a second position wherein said cup top is at least partially open;   said cup and cover having means for holding said cover stable in said second position on said cup.   
     
     
         20 . The system described in  claim 19  wherein:
 said means for holding said cover stable in said second position includes walls forming a groove in said cover that receives an upper portion of said cup.   
     
     
         21 . The system described in  claim 19  wherein:
 said groove is vertically undercut and said cup forms a horizontal projection ( 112 ) that projects into an undercut part of said groove.