Packaged Dough Product and Method of Packaging

Abstract

A packaged food product includes a container having therein a cup for a food ingredient, at least one dough product and a plastic separator interposed between the cup and the at least one dough product. The separator includes a main body portion seated upon a rim of the cup, with the main body portion having a peripheral side surface in frictional engagement with an inner sidewall of the container. The separator also includes a column support extending from the main body portion and abutting a bottom of the cup. In a preferred embodiment, the column support takes an inverted frustoconical shape and is hollow, thereby enabling multiple separators to be nested for shipping and storing purposes. When the dough product(s) proof within the container, forces applied to the separator from the developed pressure are transferred through the main body portion and the column support to the bottom of the cup.

1 . A packaged food product comprising:
 a container including at least one sidewall, closed ends and an interior cavity;   a cup within the container, wherein the cup includes at least one sidewall, a bottom wall and an upper rim defining an opening, opposite the bottom wall, leading to an interior storage cavity of the cup;   at least one food ingredient within the cup;   at least one dough product within the interior cavity of the container; and   a separator interposed between the cup and the at least one dough product, said separator including a main body portion positioned upon the upper rim of the cup and a column support extending from the main body portion and abutting the bottom of the cup.   
     
     
         2 . The packaged food product of  claim 1 , wherein the column support extends from a central portion of the main body portion. 
     
     
         3 . The packaged food product of  claim 2 , wherein the column support is hollow. 
     
     
         4 . The packaged food product of  claim 3 , wherein the main body portion includes an opening leading into the hollow column support. 
     
     
         5 . The packaged food product of  claim 4 , wherein the hollow column support is inverted frustoconical in shape. 
     
     
         6 . The packaged food product of  claim 1 , wherein the main body portion of the column support includes a peripheral side surface in frictional engagement with the at least one sidewall of the container. 
     
     
         7 . The packaged food product of  claim 6 , wherein the main body portion of the separator has an upper surface leading to a raised circumferential edge portion which defines, in part, the peripheral side surface. 
     
     
         8 . The packaged food product of  claim 1 , wherein separator is made entirely of plastic. 
     
     
         9 . The packaged food product of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom wall of the cup directly engages one of the closed ends of the container, with the at least one dough product being located between another one of the closed ends of the container and the separator. 
     
     
         10 . The packaged food product of  claim 1 , wherein both the container and the cup are substantially cylindrical in shape. 
     
     
         11 . The packaged food product of  claim 10 , wherein the container has a spirally-wound construction of an inner liner layer, an outer label layer and one or more intermediate layers of composite material. 
     
     
         12 . The packaged food product of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one dough product comprises a plurality of cinnamon rolls, and the at least one additional food ingredient comprises icing. 
     
     
         13 . A method of packaging a food product comprising:
 inserting a cup, having an internal cavity for at least one additional food ingredient, within an interior of a container;   closing an end of the container;   positioning a main body portion of a separator atop the cup, with a column support extending from the main body portion abutting a bottom of the cup;   depositing at least one dough product into the container, with the separator being located between the at least one dough product and the cup; and   closing an opposing end of the container.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising allowing the at least one dough product to proof and increase a pressure within the container after closing the first and second ends of the container. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising transferring forces, developed from the increase in pressure and exerted on the main body portion of the separator, to a bottom of the cup through the column support. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising frictionally fitting the main body portion of the separator against a sidewall of the container. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the main body portion of the separator has an upper surface leading to a raised circumferential edge portion which defines, in part, a peripheral side surface of the main body portion, with the peripheral side surface frictionally engaging the sidewall of the container. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein depositing the at least one dough product into the container includes depositing a plurality of cinnamon rolls, and inserting the cup into the container includes adding icing within the container. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising taking the separator from a stack of nested separators for positioning upon the cup.