Tamper-evident packaging system

Abstract

A container system suitable for food can comprise a tray, a lid and a locking mechanism. The locking mechanism may comprise locking means, means to impede access to the locking means and a skirt with a skirt edge. A container system can comprise a tray, a lid, an aperture, a flap and an activation member. The activation member of the a first container system can be configured to release heated gases from a second container system by depressing the flap of the second system when the first system is stacked on top the second system. The container system can also comprise a dome surface, at least one stacking rib and an aperture surface. The aperture surface can comprise the aperture and flap. The aperture surface can be at least partially above the dome surface and below the at least one stacking rib. The aperture surface may be sloped.

1 . A container system suitable for food, the system comprising:
 a tray member with a first connection lip;   a lid member with a second connection lip configured to connect with the first connection lip of the tray member; and   a locking mechanism configured to engage when the tray member and lid member are positioned to connect to each other, the locking mechanism comprising:
 a snaplock; 
 a skirt with a skirt edge; and 
 an undercut rib to conceal the skirt edge when the snaplock is closed. 
   
     
     
         2 . A container system suitable for food, the system comprising:
 a tray member with a first connection lip;   a lid member with a second connection lip configured to be secured to the first connection lip of the tray member; and   a locking mechanism configured to engage when the tray member and lid member are positioned to be secured to each other, the locking mechanism comprising:
 locking means; 
 a skirt with a skirt edge; and 
 impediment means configured to impede access to the skirt edge when the locking means is secured. 
   
     
     
         3 . The container system of  claim 2 , the locking means comprising a male member and a female member configured to receive the male member. 
     
     
         4 . The container system of  claim 2 , the impediment means comprising a finger guard. 
     
     
         5 . The container system of  claim 2 , wherein the first and second connection lips are configured to form a seal between the lid member and the tray member. 
     
     
         6 . The container system of  claim 2 , wherein the first connection lip comprises a ridge and the second connection lip comprises a groove configured to receive the ridge. 
     
     
         7 . The container system of  claim 2 , wherein the skirt further comprises:
 a flat portion; and   a rib portion configured to impede access to the skirt edge.   
     
     
         8 . The container system of  claim 2 , wherein the finger guard is a raised rib with a side surface configured to overhang and impede access to the skirt edge. 
     
     
         9 . The container system of  claim 2 , further comprising a tamper-evident separation mechanism. 
     
     
         10 . The container system of  claim 9 , wherein the tamper-evident separation mechanism comprises:
 a pull tab; and   a break-locus at which the skirt is configured to break in order to allow the user to open the container system at the seal between the lid member and the tray member.   
     
     
         11 . The container system of  claim 10 , wherein the break-locus comprises a weak section configured to allow a single piece of material to separate into two pieces when the pull tab is pulled. 
     
     
         12 . The container system of  claim 11 , wherein the weak section comprises a perforated section. 
     
     
         13 . The container system of  claim 11 , wherein the weak section comprises a thin section that is less than 0.007 inch thick. 
     
     
         14 . The container system of  claim 10 , wherein the pull tab comprises grip features. 
     
     
         15 . The container system of  claim 14 , wherein the grip features comprise ridges. 
     
     
         16 . The container system of  claim 2 , wherein the container system is stackable. 
     
     
         17 . The container system of  claim 10 , wherein the skirt folds along the break-locus to allow the male and female members to engage with each other. 
     
     
         18 . The container system of  claim 17 , wherein the pull tab is mechanically linked to the skirt such that when the skirt folds and the male and female members engage, the pull tab protrudes. 
     
     
         19 . The container system of  claim 18 , wherein all of the system structures are comprised by and molded as a unitary piece with either the lid member or the tray member, further comprising a gripping area on the same unitary piece as the pull tab such that pulling on the gripping area in a contrary direction from the pull tab tends to separate the pull tab along the break locus. 
     
     
         20 . The container system of  claim 19 , wherein the gripping area is located on the tray member and the pull tab is molded as a unitary piece with the tray member. 
     
     
         21 . The container system of  claim 18 , wherein the system is configured such that the pull tab and skirt are both attached to either the tray member or the lid member before the tray member and lid member have been secured together by the locking mechanism and the pull tab and skirt are both attached to the other of the lid member or tray member after the locking mechanism has been opened. 
     
     
         22 . The container system of  claim 18 , wherein the system is configured such that pulling on the pull tab after the male member has engaged with the female member can cause the skirt to break at the break locus, allowing the pull tab and the separated portion of the skirt to separate and indicate that the tray member and the lid member have been closed and subsequently opened, providing evidence of potential tampering. 
     
     
         23 . The container system of  claim 22 , wherein the pull tab is configured such that pulling up on the pull tab causes more force to be exerted tending to cause separation at the break locus than is exerted tending to remove the male member from the female member of the locking mechanism. 
     
     
         24 . The container system of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the first connection lip comprises an outwardly-extending flange that extends substantially around the perimeter of the lid portion;   the second connection lip comprises an outwardly-extending flange that extends substantially around the perimeter of the tray portion;   the first and second connection lips are configured to abut substantially along the full perimeter of the container system when the system is in the closed configuration; and   the skirt comprises a portion of one connection lip, and the skirt is configured to extend beyond that lip such that when the skirt is folded along the break-locus, the extended portion of the skirt secures the abutting lip.   
     
     
         25 . The container system of  claim 24 , wherein the break-locus is located along an outer edge of a connection lip that extends farther out than the outer edge of the abutting connection lip. 
     
     
         26 . The container system of  claim 25 , wherein the tray member comprises the skirt and break locus and the second connection lip extends beyond the first connection lip when the tray member and lid member are connected. 
     
     
         27 . The container system of  claim 24 , wherein the lid member comprises the female member and the finger guard, and the tray member comprises the male member, the skirt, and the pull tab. 
     
     
         28 . The container system of  claim 27 , wherein the female member is formed as a depression in the first connection lip, the finger guard is formed as a protrusion from the first connection lip, and the male member is formed as a protrusion from the second connection lip. 
     
     
         29 . The container system of  claim 27 , wherein the male member fits into the female member with an interference fit. 
     
     
         30 . A method of making a tamper-evident food container system, the method comprising:
 providing a first container portion comprising a lid formed from a single piece of material, the lid having an outward lid extension substantially surrounding the perimeter thereof;   providing a second container portion comprising a tray formed from a single piece of material, the tray having an outward tray extension substantially surrounding the perimeter thereof;   establishing an enclosed space by positioning the lid and the tray together with the outward lid extension and the outward tray extension abutting each other around substantially the full perimeter of the enclosed space;   securing the lid to the tray by inserting a male portion of a locking mechanism of one container portion into a female portion of a locking mechanism in the other container portion at a securement complex;   further securing the lid to the tray at the securement complex by folding a portion of the long outward extension of one container portion over a sandwiched section of the outward extension of the other container portion; and   preventing future undetected tampering by causing a pull tab to protrude from the food-container system, the pull tab configured to permanently separate from the container portion to which it was previously attached when the tab is pulled with sufficient force to separate the lid from the tray.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein further securing the lid to the tray comprises positioning the folded portion of the outward extension of one container portion underneath an overhanging feature on the other container portion to impede unfolding of the long outward extension. 
     
     
         32 . A method of making a tamper-evident food container system, the method comprising:
 forming a lid from a single piece of material;   forming a tray from a single piece of material;   forming a securement mechanism on the food container system, the securement mechanism comprising:
 a secured section; 
 a skirt comprising a separable portion, a pull tab forming part of the separable portion, and a skirt edge, the skirt foldable along a separation locus such that the skirt is configured to fold around the secured section; 
 a male snap in either the secured section or the skirt; 
 a female snap receptacle in either the secured section or the skirt, the female snap receptacle configured to receive the male snap when the skirt is folded; and 
 a skirt overhang configured to impede access to the skirt edge when the skirt is folded. 
   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , further comprising forming at least one ridge in the skirt, the ridge configured to impede access to the skirt edge when the skirt is folded and the skirt overhang overhangs the skirt edge. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 32 , further comprising:
 securing the securement mechanism by inserting the male snap into the female snap receptacle;   positioning the skirt edge underneath the skirt overhang; and   subsequently, configuring the tab to protrude such that when a user pulls the tab to open the container system, the tab irreversibly separates to provide evidence that the container has previously been opened.   
     
     
         35 . A container system suitable for food, the system comprising:
 a tray member;   a lid member, wherein the tray and lid members have a connecting portion; and   a locking mechanism, wherein the locking mechanism comprises:
 a rotating section; 
 a pre-formed connection around which the rotating section is configured to rotate; and 
 a closure assembly configured such that, when the closure assembly is in a closed state, the closure assembly is closed together more strongly than the pre-formed connection so that attempts to open the closure assembly will disconnect the preformed connection, thus unlocking the locking mechanism. 
   
     
     
         36 . The container system of  claim 35 , wherein:
 the rotating section is configured to pivot at a first fulcrum when the locking mechanism is in an initial unlocked configuration, the first fulcrum comprising the pre-formed connection;   the rotating section pivots at a second fulcrum when the locking mechanism is in a subsequent locked configuration and the preformed connection has disconnected; and   the connecting portion comprises a seal around the perimeter of the container system where the lid member and the tray member seal together, and the locking mechanism is located outside the connecting portion.   
     
     
         37 . A container system suitable for heated food, the system comprising:
 a tray member comprising an activation member; and   a lid member comprising an aperture partially covered by a flap, the aperture and flap configured to enable the release of heated gases when the flap is depressed;   wherein the activation member is configured to depress a flap in a second container system.   
     
     
         38 . The container system of  claim 37 , wherein the container system is stackable. 
     
     
         39 . The container system of  claim 37 , wherein the activation member protrudes downward in the bottom of the tray member. 
     
     
         40 . The container system of  claim 37  further comprising:
 a dome surface;   at least one stacking rib; and   an aperture surface comprising:
 the aperture; and 
 the flap; and 
   wherein the aperture surface is at least partially above the dome surface and below the at least one stacking rib.   
     
     
         41 . The container system of  claim 40 , wherein the aperture surface is sloped. 
     
     
         42 . The container system of  claim 41 , wherein the slope is between approximately 0 and approximately 60 degrees. 
     
     
         43 . The container system of  claim 41 , wherein the slope is between approximately 15 and approximately 45 degrees. 
     
     
         44 . The container system of  claim 41 , wherein the slope is between 25 and 35 degrees.