Multiple-compartment food package

Abstract

A multiple-compartment rigid food package that allows for individual compartments to be initially packaged together in a connected manner, yet later be separated from each other while a film remains intact upon the compartments to allow opening at different times. The film and compartments each contain a weakened portion along which the film and compartments are relatively simultaneously separated. The back panel is used to provide a stand-up display feature. The back panel is a single, continuous piece, however, it can be removed or separated into at least two pieces by tearing along an area of weakness thereon with a portion of the back panel remaining on each compartment. The multiple-compartment food package provides for storage of a sliced food product, and in particular a single serving size of a sliced food product. The rigid food package also provides for arranging the sliced food product to have a fluffed appearance.

1 . A multiple compartment food package comprising:
 a rigid tray having a pair of separate compartments with a peripheral flange surrounding an opening of each compartment, a portion of the flange between the compartments having a weakened portion, the compartments having side walls extending downwardly from the flanges to bottom walls and at least one of the compartments containing a food product;   a common air impermeable flexible film sealed to the peripheral flanges surrounding each compartment and forming a generally hermetic seal at least with respect to the compartments containing food product, the film having a weakened portion positioned between the two compartments; and   a common back panel adhered to a portion of the bottom wall of the compartments and having a weakened area positioned between the compartments.   
     
     
         2 . The food package of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the compartments has a generally rectangular opening. 
     
     
         3 . The food package of  claim 1  wherein each compartment contains an individual serving size of the food product. 
     
     
         4 . The food package of  claim 1  wherein the food product is sliced and arranged to have a fluffed appearance. 
     
     
         5 . The food package of  claim 1  wherein the back panel has an extending edge aligned with an edge of the peripheral flange. 
     
     
         6 . The food package of  claim 1  wherein the back panel extends outwardly from the compartments in a lower direction, such that a lower edge of the back panel is aligned with a lower edge of the peripheral flange such that the lower edge of the back panel and the lower edge of the peripheral flange form a pair of edges that are generally parallel and spaced so that the package can stand upright on the pair of edges. 
     
     
         7 . The food package of  claim 1  wherein the area of weakness is one of a perforated tear strip, perforation, tear tape, tear string, and reverse cut score and the weakened portion is one of a perforation, laser score, mechanical score, and tear tape. 
     
     
         8 . The food package of  claim 1  wherein the flexible film is heat-sealed, glued or ultrasonically sealed to the flanges of the trays and the flexible film is a material selected from the group consisting of amorphous polyester, ethyl vinyl alcohol, and ethyl vinyl acetate. 
     
     
         9 . The food package of  claim 1  wherein the back panel is a material that is either paperboard or plastic. 
     
     
         10 . The food package of  claim 1  wherein a sliced meat product is contained in at least one of the compartments. 
     
     
         11 . The food package of  claim 1  wherein a peggable hole is provided on the peripheral flange of the tray or the back panel. 
     
     
         12 . The food package of  claim 1  wherein the film is unsealed to the flange of the tray along at least one edge of the opening of each compartment outwardly of the adjacent seal between the flange of the tray and the film to provide for free flaps of the film that can be grasped to open the compartments. 
     
     
         13 . A multiple compartment package for a food product comprising:
 A rigid tray having a pair of compartments each having a generally rectangular opening surrounded by a common peripheral flange, a bottom wall opposite the flange, and sidewalls extending from the flange to the bottom wall with a weakened area between the compartments, and at least one of the compartments containing a food product;   a common air impermeable flexible film affixed to the flange surrounding the opening of each compartment to seal the compartments, the film having a weakened portion positioned between the two compartments; and   a common back panel adhered to a portion of the bottom wall of each compartment, the back panel having an area of weakness positioned between the two compartments.   
     
     
         14 . The food package of  claim 13  wherein the back panel has an edge substantially aligned with an edge of the peripheral flange such that the edges can support the package upright. 
     
     
         15 . The food package of  claim 13  wherein each compartment contains an individual serving size of a sliced food product and is arranged to have a fluffed appearance. 
     
     
         16 . A method of separating adjacent compartments of a food package, the method comprising:
 separating a common back panel attached to a bottom of each compartment, a pair of parts each attached to the bottom of one of the compartments; and   substantially simultaneously separating a common flexible film sealed to a flange surrounding an opening of each compartment and separating the flange between the compartments along generally aligned weakened portions while maintaining the seals surrounding the opening of each compartment.   
     
     
         17 . A method of forming a multiple compartment food package containing a food product, the method comprising:
 forming a series of connected base trays from a web of rigid film, the series of connected base trays having a series of recesses therein connected by flanges about openings of the recesses;   filling at least some of the recesses of the series of the connected base trays with the food product;   overlaying a web of flexible film onto the flanges of the connected base trays to cover the food product contained within the recesses;   applying a gas flush to the food product inside the recesses and sealing the flexible film to the flanges of the connected base trays about the periphery of each opening;   separating the series of connected base trays into packages having at least two adjacent recesses;   substantially simultaneously forming lines of weakness in the flexible film and the flanges between adjacent recesses in the package; and   attaching a back panel to an exterior bottom surface of each recess of the package, the back panel having an area of weakness positioned between the adjacent recesses of the tray.