Meat patty tray and method of packaging and display

Abstract

A molded plastic tray is provided according to the invention adapted to display meat or other perishable thawed food patty products in a disc configuration, and designed to withstand movement of the patties during shipping and display. The tray is designed to hold the meat products in a flat disc configuration while being loaded, wrapped, shipped and displayed on one side edge. The tray is designed to provide structural rigidity that resists warping and breakage, thus enabling the loaded and sealed tray to be handled, shipped, and displayed with minimal leakage or breakage. In some embodiments the tray includes features that facilitate de-nesting of a stack of empty trays, and is adapted to facilitate movement of the wrapped package on a moving conveyor line. The tray is easy to manufacture and provides a lightweight and cost effective packaging product. Preferably the tray has a generally rectangular shape (with rounded corners) that provides for consistent wrapping strength and can be handled on standard processing equipment.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A molded plastic tray for displaying each of a plurality of refrigerated food products in spaced apart relation when displayed on a side edge, the tray comprising:
 an integrally formed plastic tray having an upper cavity;   the upper cavity forming an open top end of the tray and comprising opposing front and rear elongated sidewalls and opposing first and second end walls, the sidewalls and end walls being a connected by rounded corners to form a rectangular shaped upper cavity;   an array of recessed pockets formed in the upper cavity and each configured to receive a disc-shaped food product, the array including a front row FR of pockets adjacent the front sidewall and a rear row RR of pockets adjacent the rear sidewall;   a rectangular shaped flange disposed at an upper end of the sidewalls, end walls and corners forming the open top end of the tray for attaching an overwrap film or top seal film to secure food products loaded into the pockets;   the array of pockets in the upper cavity being formed by:
 a central divider wall CDW extending between the first and second end walls, the CDW including a plurality of spaced apart center posts, each center post being disposed at a juncture between four adjacent pockets in two adjacent rows of the array, each center post having inwardly curved sidewalls extending from the divider wall for engaging a periphery of a disc-shaped product in each of the four adjacent pockets as the product thaws, expands and/or moves into contact with the center post sidewalls, 
 the front and rear side walls of the tray each having a plurality of spaced apart edge posts, each edge post begin disposed at a juncture between two adjacent pockets in a row of the array, each edge post having curved sidewalls extending from the front or rear side wall for engaging a periphery of a disc-shaped product in each of the adjacent pockets as the product thaws, expands and/or moves into contact with the edge post sidewalls, 
 the CDW having wall portions extending between two adjacent center posts, or between a center post and the first or second end wall respectively, for engaging a periphery of a disc-shaped product in each of the adjacent pockets as the product thaws, expands and/or moves into contact with the wall portions, 
 the flange and uppermost surfaces of the center posts lying in a top reference plane TRP that defines an uppermost surface of the tray, and 
 each pocket having a pocket height that is less than a product height such that plastic film attached to the flange of the loaded tray engages the uppermost surfaces of the products to hold each product securely in an individual pocket when the tray is turned on edge and rests on the front or rear side wall of the tray. 
   
     
     
         2 . The tray of  claim 1 , wherein each center post includes a transverse groove that strengthens the central divider wall against bending of the tray. 
     
     
         3 . The tray of  claim 1 , wherein each center post has a widened base portion adjacent a bottom wall of the cavity. 
     
     
         4 . The tray of  claim 3 , wherein the curved sidewalls of the center post taper inwardly moving away from the widened base portion. 
     
     
         5 . The tray of  claim 1 , wherein the tray has a central longitudinal axis CLA and a transverse axis TA perpendicular to the CLA. 
     
     
         6 . The tray of  claim 5 , wherein the CDW lies on the CLA. 
     
     
         7 . The tray of  claim 6 , wherein one or more center posts and edge posts are aligned along the TA. 
     
     
         8 . The tray of  claim 7 , wherein one center post is disposed equal distance between two edge posts on the front and rear sidewalls respectively and aligned on the TA. 
     
     
         9 . The tray of  claim 8 , wherein the center post and edge posts each have a widened base portion extending along the TA. 
     
     
         10 . The tray of  claim 9 , wherein the CDW has an end post adjacent each of the end walls, wherein the end posts each have a widened base portion in a direction parallel to the TA. 
     
     
         11 . The tray of  claim 1 , wherein the center posts each have a diamond shaped top wall that lies in the TRP. 
     
     
         12 . The tray of  claim 5 , wherein each center post has a diamond shaped top wall having a first axis on the CLA and a second axis on the TA. 
     
     
         13 . The tray of  claim 1 , wherein the center posts, end posts and edge posts each have a widened base portion adjacent a bottom wall of the cavity. 
     
     
         14 . The tray of  claim 1 , wherein the pocket height is configured to hold one or more disc shaped products in a vertical stack in the pocket. 
     
     
         15 . The tray of  claim 1  wherein the pocket height is in a range of 60 to 90% of the product height. 
     
     
         16 . The tray of  claim 15  wherein the pocket height is in a range of 65 to 85% of the product height. 
     
     
         17 . The tray of  claim 1 , wherein the pockets are aligned in a parallel series, in each row, between the first and second end walls of the tray. 
     
     
         18 . The tray of  claim 1 , wherein the flange forms the perimeter of the tray, the flange having a top surface coextensive with the TRP, an exterior side edge coextensive with the perimeter, and a bottom surface on an underside surface of the tray. 
     
     
         19 . A stack of trays is provided, the stack comprising:
 a first tray and one or more nested trays;   a second tray nested within the first tray;   wherein a topside surface of the first tray engages an underside surface of the second tray, and each remaining tray in the stack likewise engaging an adjacent tray.   
     
     
         20 . The tray of  claim 1 , wherein the plastic material comprises one or more of polystyrene (EPS), polyester, polyolefin, polypropylene (PP), or polylactic acid (PLA), including homopolymers, copolymers, mixtures and blends thereof, and including virgin and reclaimed (recycled) materials, and whether solid or foamed. 
     
     
         21 . The tray of  claim 20 , wherein the plastic foam tray comprises polystyrene foam. 
     
     
         22 . A method of packing the tray for display and storage, the method comprising:
 providing a plurality of disc shaped food products;   depositing each food product into a respective pocket, a lower portion of the food product being deposited on a bottom wall of the pocket and an upper portion of the food product extending at or above the TRP;   providing a sheet of wrapping or top seal film and positioning it over the tray and the food product deposited therein;   pulling the sheet taut to engage the surface of each product deposited within the tray and the tray flange; and   securing the sheet to the tray.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the film is an overwrap film that is wrapped around the product and an undersurface of the tray. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the film is a top seal film and is sealed to the flange.