Flip tray

Abstract

A flip tray is provided that includes a transparent, compartmentalized container body and a flexible sealing sheet sealed to partition walls and to the peripheral rim of the compartmentalized container body. A raised rib is formed around the periphery of the container body outside the peripheral rim. Apertures, or reduced height portions, may be formed in the raised rib at selected locations around the periphery of the container body. In addition, the bottom surfaces of some of the compartments may be sloped.

1 . A flip tray, comprising:
 a compartmentalized container body defining a plurality of compartments each having peripheral walls, wherein a continuous rim extends around a periphery of the container body, and wherein a raised lip extends around a periphery of the container body, the raised lip extending upward from the continuous rim; and   a sealing sheet adhered to the continuous rim of the container body.   
     
     
         2 . The flip tray of  claim 1 , wherein portions of the continuous rim also extend between and around the compartments of the container body, and wherein the sealing sheet is also adhered to the portions of the continuous rim extending between and around the compartments. 
     
     
         3 . The flip tray of  claim 1 , wherein the raised lip is located closer to exterior edges of the container body than the continuous rim. 
     
     
         4 . The flip tray of  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of apertures are formed in the raised lip, each of the apertures being a reduced height portion of the raised lip. 
     
     
         5 . The flip tray of  claim 4 , wherein the apertures are spaced along sides of the container body. 
     
     
         6 . The flip tray of  claim 1 , wherein micro-perforations are formed in the sealing sheet at selected locations to allow gas to enter at least two of the compartments in the container body, and wherein the at least two container compartments have a different number of micro-perforations from one another so as to provide differing atmosphere control as between said two compartments. 
     
     
         7 . The flip tray of  claim 1 , wherein a height of at least some of the compartments varies such that a height of inner sides of the compartments is smaller than a height of outer sides of the compartments. 
     
     
         8 . The flip tray of  claim 1 , wherein bottom surfaces of at least some of the compartments of the container body are sloped. 
     
     
         9 . The flip tray of  claim 8 , wherein the sloped bottom surfaces of compartments result in a height of at least some of the compartments of the container body becoming smaller towards a center of the container body than at outer edges of the container body. 
     
     
         10 . The flip tray of  claim 9 , wherein a bottom surface of a central compartment of the container body is substantially flat. 
     
     
         11 . The flip tray of  claim 1 , further comprising a cover tray having a flat bottom and peripheral side walls, wherein the cover tray is releasably attached to the container body to cover the sealing sheet. 
     
     
         12 . The flip tray of  claim 11 , wherein vents are formed in the peripheral side walls of the cover tray, each vent comprising an outwardly protruding portion of the peripheral side wall. 
     
     
         13 . The flip tray of  claim 12 , wherein a plurality of apertures are formed in the raised lip of the container body, each of the apertures being a reduced height portion of the raised lip, and wherein when the cover tray is attached to the container body, the locations of the apertures in the raised lip of the cover tray correspond to the locations of the vents in the peripheral walls of the cover tray. 
     
     
         14 . The flip tray of  claim 11 , wherein when the cover tray is attached to the container body, the raised lip of the container body rests on a corresponding peripheral portion of the cover tray to hold the sealing sheet above and off of the bottom of the cover tray. 
     
     
         15 . The flip tray of  claim 14 , wherein a step is formed on the peripheral walls of the cover tray, and wherein when the cover tray is attached to the container body, the raised lip of the container body rests on the step. 
     
     
         16 . A flip tray, comprising:
 a compartmentalized container body defining a plurality of compartments each having a bottom surface and peripheral walls, wherein the bottom surface of at least some of the compartments is sloped, and wherein a continuous rim extends around a periphery of the container body; and   a sealing sheet adhered to the continuous rim of the container body.   
     
     
         17 . The flip tray of  claim 16 , wherein the compartments with a sloped bottom surface have a height that varies such that a height of inner sides of the compartments is smaller than a height of outer sides of the compartments. 
     
     
         18 . The flip tray of  claim 16 , further comprising a cover tray having a flat bottom and peripheral side walls, wherein the cover tray is releasably attached to the container body to cover the sealing sheet. 
     
     
         19 . The flip tray of  claim 18 , wherein vents are formed in the peripheral side walls of the cover tray, each vent comprising an outwardly protruding portion of the peripheral side wall. 
     
     
         20 . The flip tray of  claim 16 , wherein a raised lip extends around a periphery of the container body outside the continuous rim, the raised lip extending upward from the continuous rim, wherein a plurality of reduced height portions are provided on the raised lip. 
     
     
         21 . A method of preparing a flip tray comprising:
 providing a container body comprised of a polymeric material defining a plurality of individual compartments and a continuous rim between and peripherally of the compartments, wherein a bottom surface of at least some of the compartments is sloped;   placing the container body on a work surface with compartments opening up,   placing food stuffs in at least some of the compartments,   sealing a sealing sheet to the continuous rim of the container body so that the individual compartments are substantially sealed and the seal is substantially continuous along the rim;   providing a cover tray having a completely flat bottom without any ribs or undulations; and   placing the cover tray over the sealing sheet and securing the cover tray to the container body.