Cross-Reference to Related Applications

This Patent Appl ication claims priority from Italian Patent Application No . 102021000028019 filed on November 3 , 2021 the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference .

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a food packaging .

Background

In the food field, a need is increasingly felt to be able to eat snacks or light lunches at work or in places of leisure by spreading packaged products such as , for example , j ams or creamy chocolate-based confectionery products or the like , on toasted slices or the like .

Currently, spreadable products are packaged in individual single-portion or multi-portion bowls sealed with tearable sealing film, which once opened allow taking the product and spreading it on the slices .

Together with the bowl ( s ) also a teaspoon is available for taking the product , generally packaged in paper or plastic envelops or wraps or inside loose teaspoon bags .

Separately, the consumer then finds available on the market , still packaged in individual or multiple sealed packages , the slices on which to spread the product contained in the bowls .

When the consumer chooses to eat the product outside of his/her domestic environment , he/ she is thus forced to take with him/her, not only three packages separate from, and independent of , one another, but also needs a suitably sanitised support plane or , alternatively, to have tablecloths or placemats with which to cover the support plane during the preparation and the eating of the meal/ snack .

The preparation of the meal/ snack, i . e . the spreading of the spreadable product on the slice , however apparently simple and devoid of pitfalls , is an operation that has , in practice , criticalities due to the fact that the consumer has to keep the slice in his/her hand during the spreading of the product with the risk of getting dirty should part of the product inadvertently fall from the slice and necessarily has to rest and abandon the slice on the support plane every time he/ she takes the spreadable product from the package to then pick it back up for the following spreading .

During such operations it is not uncommon that the consumer gets hi s/her hands dirty and/or that the slice completely or partially spread accidentally breaks the latter being by nature relatively fragile or, worse , that the consumer loses its grip . Because of the fall , the support plane or the floor has to be cleaned up j ust as the clothes have to be washed since because of the fall they can have entered into contact with the spreadable product or the placemats have to be removed i f used .

When these events occur , the meal/ snack is prej udiced, the room has to be cleaned and the consumer is thus in a condition of unease especially i f in the presence of colleagues or friends .

In addition, the separate packaging of the spreadable product and of the slices on which the product is spread do not set any limits to an arbitrary eating and this exposes , in some cases , the consumer to an excessive use of product or of slices without any control with regard to the correct and desired nutritional intake .

Moreover, the separate packaging of the product , of the slices , of the taking teaspoon and of the possible placemat , forces , when done eating, the collection of a plurality of packages and wastes di f ferent and separate from one another as well as their correct disposal , said latter operations not always carried out correctly by the consumer , sometimes also due to the lack of suitable di f ferentiation structures .

Summary

Aim of the present invention is to provide a food packaging, which allows solving in a simple and cost- ef fective manner the above-described problems .

A particular aim of the present invention is to provide a food packaging, which allows taking, j oining and eating the various foods in an extremely simple manner annulling or at least drastically reducing, with respect to the known solutions , the danger of breakages and/or accidental falls of the handled food products .

A further aim of the present invention is to provide a food packaging, which allows a consumer to eat the entire meal/ snack wherever he/ she is eating and respecting the strictest hygiene and nutritional conditions .

A final aim of the present invention is to provide a food packaging which has high shape stability, contained dimensions , is easy to use , and immediate and simple to dispose .

According to the present invention a food packaging is provided, as defined in the appended claims .

Brief Description of the Drawings

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings , which illustrate a non-limiting example embodiment thereof , wherein :

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the food packaging according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a figure similar to Figure 1 and illustrates the food packaging in a partially opened condition;

Figure 3 is a figure similar to Figure 1 and illustrates the food packaging of Figure 1 with parts removed for clarity;

Figure 4 illustrates the packaging of Figure 1 broken down in its constitutive elements ; and

Figure 5 is a section of the food packaging of Figure 1 .

In Figures 1 , 2 , 3 and 5 , reference numeral 1 indicates , as a whole , a food packaging .

Description of Preferred Embodiments

The packaging 1 comprises a lower container 2 , which is shaped like a common flared bowl and comprises a lower bottom wall 3 , preferably flat , and a s ide wall 4 , which extends upwards from the periphery of the wall 3 and ends at the top with a collar 5 . The collar 5 is stably connected to the side wall 4 by means of an annular shoulder 6 ( Figure 5 ) , which is transverse to the collar 5 and to the side wall 4 and surrounds the latter .

The collar 5 delimits an opening 8 ( Figures 4 and 5 ) for accessing from above the container 2 ; the opening 8 is hermetically closed by a flexible wall 9 , which is manually removable by tearing, and for example is defined by a film heat-sealed on the container 2 , so as to define an environment under controlled and protective atmosphere . As is shown in Figure 5 , the wall 9 is directly fixed on the upper peripheral edge of the container 2 , and in particular such upper peripheral edge is defined by an appendix or flap that protrudes outwards from the collar 5.

The side wall 4 conveniently has a height variable between 30 and 60 millimetres and a maximum plan dimension variable between 80 and 100 millimetres and comprises two half-shells 10 and 11, tapered towards the support wall 3 and communicating with one another through an internal passage 13, extending throughout the entire height of the container 2.

The half-shell 10 defines a compartment 15 for housing a stack 16 formed by toasted slices 18 or similar sliced products such as, for example, slices of bread or slices made with cereal-based, fibre-based mixtures or the like.

The stack 16 rests on the bottom wall 3 and ends at the top in the proximity of the shoulder 6 (Figure 5) .

In the described example, the compartment 15 is sized for housing a stack of four slices 18, nearly circular. According to variations not illustrated, the compartment 15 is sized for accommodating a different number of slices 18, for example two or three or five slices 18 and/or for accommodating slices with a different outer profile, for example square or polygonal and/or of different thickness. In addition, the compartment 15 could be sized for housing slices 18 vertically arranged side-by-side to one another horizontally, or possibly spaced apart from one another.

Still with reference to Figures 2, 4 and 5, the packaging

1 further comprises an insert, in turn comprising an upper shaped body 20, which is distinct from the lower container

2 and is completely housed inside the lower container 2, hence it remains arranged under the removable wall 9 (Figure 5) .

The shaped body 20 has an outer peripheral shoulder 21 vertically arranged resting against the shoulder 6 and, preferably, is held in abutment against the shoulder 6 by the removable wall 9 .

The shaped body 20 is extractable from above from the lower container 2 through the opening 8 only after removing the wall 9 .

With reference to Figure 4 , the shaped body 20 comprises a first hollow portion 23 , which extends towards the wall 3 inside the hal f-shell 11 and defines a compartment 24 for housing a food product Pl which is spreadable on each slice 18 , and is defined for example , but not necessarily, by a j am .

The compartment 24 is delimited at the bottom by a bottom wall 25A, raised from the bottom wall 3 , and is si zed so as to contain a quantity of product Pl necessary for spreading only on the slices 18 of the stack 16 .

The shaped body 20 then comprises a second hollow portion 25 arranged side-by-side the first hollow portion 23 and overtopping the stack 16 . The first and the second hollow portion 25 delimit , respectively downwards and laterally, a cavity 26 , which is open towards the bottom wall 3 so as to define the upper end of the compartment 15 , and is shaped and si zed for accommodating one or more slices 18 at the upper end of the stack 16 , so as to hold the stack 16 when the shaped body is housed inside the lower container 2 .

The second hollow portion 25 further delimits a cavity 27 , which is open upwards and is configured to house one single slice 18 ( Figure 4 ) . Therefore , the cavity 27 has a much smaller volume than the volume of the compartment 15 .

With reference to Figure 5 , the cavities 26 and 27 are separated from one another by a bottom wall 28 , in common, which is flat and preferably has a through opening 29 . The wall 28 has an extension such to define a support plane for the entire slice 18 , without the latter protruding cantilevered with respect to an outer peripheral edge of the wall 28 , as is visible in Figure 4 .

The cavity 27 is then laterally delimited by a side wall 30 , being part of the second hollow portion 25 and extending upwards starting from the peripheral edge of the wall 28 . The side wall 30 is si zed so as to define a lateral support for the slice 18 and has a height conveniently less than the thickness of the slices 18 , so as to allow the slice 18 , when housed in the cavity 27 , to protrude upwards beyond the side wall 30 .

The side wall 30 is preferably interrupted along the peripheral edge o f the wall 28 , i . e . is arranged only along a section of such peripheral edge , for delimiting a widening or passage 31 which allows a side access to the cavity 27 . Conveniently, the side access 31 is obtained on the side diametrically opposite to the cavity 27 with respect to the section which separates the cavity 27 from the compartment 24 ( Figure 4 ) .

Still with reference to Figures 4 and 5 , the shaped body 20 comprises a stem 33 , which extends downwards from the first hollow portion 23 inside the hal f-shell 10 and in a position side-by-side the side wall 4 , and partially delimits the cavity 26 . In particular, the stem 33 is arranged only along a part of the peripheral edge of the wall 28 , in particular in a position diametrically opposite to the first hollow portion 23 .

The stem 33 ends at the bottom with a planar wall 34 , which is coplanar to the wall 25A and cooperates with the wall 25A for defining a stable support base , for resting the shaped body 20 when the latter i s extracted from the lower container 2 .

Still with reference to the accompanying figures , and, in particular to Figure 3 , the packaging 1 finally comprises a spatula 35 for spreading the product Pl . The spreading spatula 35 is carried by the shaped body 20 , and is housed in the lower container 2 when the shaped body 20 is housed in the container 2 and therefore also the spreading spatula 35 , like the shaped body 20 , is protected inside an uncontaminated body hermetically closed by the wall 9 . In particular, the above-mentioned insert is defined by the assembly of the shaped body 20 and by the spreading spatula 35 ; according to a variation not illustrated, the above- mentioned insert is defined by the shaped body 20 only .

With reference to Figure 3 , preferably, the spreading spatula 35 and the shaped body 20 form part of a monolithic body obtained in a single piece . Conveniently, the spreading spatula 35 forms part of the bottom wall 28 , extends in a diametrical direction through the opening 29 and is connected to the shaped body 20 by means of manually breakable weakenings 36 .

Still with reference to Figure 5, the space S I of the hal f-shell 11 , delimited at the top by the wall 25A and devoid of the slices 18 , can house a packaging containing a beverage or a second solid or spreadable product , or can house an obj ect , for example a gadget , a toy or an illustration with writings or drawings or information on the content of the packaging 1 .

Based on the foregoing, it is evident that , once the wall 9 has been removed, it is possible to easily extract the shaped body 20 from the lower container 2 and for the coplanarity of the walls 25A and 34 it is possible to stably rest it on any flat support surface .

Therefore , the shaped body 20 has the double function of container of the product Pl and of tray for resting and supporting a single slice 18 , hence the consumer finds , besides the product Pl , an adj acent space , i . e . the cavity 27 , in which to arrange one at a time the slices 18 that he/ she takes from the compartment 15 . The extraction of the shaped body 20 opens the compartment 15 of the lower container 2 , allowing the consumer to extract in succession the slices 18 by simply inserting a finger inside the hal fshell 11 and through the passage 13 .

Once the spatula 35 has been removed and a single slice 18 has been deposited in the cavity 27 , it is possible to easily take the product Pl , spread it on the slice 18 , without any need to keep the slice 18 in the hand and without the concern of getting the hands dirty and/or without the slice 18 that can break, since it is stably rested on a flat support wall ( i . e . the wall 28 ) and is laterally held by the wall 30 .

Once the spreading is done , the spatula 35 is inserted in the spreadable product and the slice 18 is taken through the passage 31 and/or is pushed out of the cavity 27 acting with the fingers upwards through the opening 29 . The same operations are repeated for all the slices 18 .

Based on the foregoing, first of all , it is evident that the described packaging 1 allows housing not only the food products to be consumed, but all which is necessary for their support and their spreading inside a single wrap , hermetically closed only by the wall 9 . In addition, the packaging 1 has extremely contained bulks so as to be easily manipulated and transported also inside common travel or work bags and/or be placed in contained spaces .

Furthermore , since the lower container 2 , the hollow body 20 and the spreading spatula are conveniently made of thermof ormable material , these , besides being easily printable for the simplicity of their geometry, are structurally stable and j ust as easily recyclable .

From a functional point of view, it is evident that the described packaging 1 , besides simpli fying the spreading and preventing the consumer from getting his/her fingers or clothes dirty, allows being able to do without tablecloths and/or napkins indispensable up to date in order to have a clean or sanitised support surface and quickens and simpli fies the cleaning operations of the environment at the end of the meal/ snack since all the parts can be inserted in the lower container 2 and removed .

The packaging 1 is si zed in such a manner that the quantity of spreadable product Pl and the slices 18 provided are such to provide an optimum nutritional intake .

Based on the foregoing, it is evident that geometrical or shape modi fications can be made to the thermoformed parts for adj usting the various containers to the characteristics of the products contained therein .

In addition, the lower container 2 and/or the insert comprising the shaped body 20 could be of a recyclable material di f ferent from the one described and, for example , of paper material for food .