TECHN ICAL FIELD

This invention is comprised of improvements introduced in a sealed recipient to accommodate food products with one or more compartments, nota bly developed to store food products in general, mainly of the type of frozen fruit pulp, which contemplates a seal adequate for the conservation of stored products, in addition to presenting adequate handling for access to the reserved food.

TECH N IQU E FOU N DATIONS

As it is of general knowledge, the development of a package adequate for the accommodation of food products comprehends a series of disciplines, such as marketing, psychology, industrial techniques, graphic design, th ree-dimensional design, among others, being one of the main factors for the creation of a package for food products consisting in the union of the functionality, sealing, ease of handling, reuse of materials, renewability and recyclability, in addition to the economy of production costs and raw-material.

It occurs that each package is developed according to the food to be accommodated, such as, packages for accommodation of fruit pulp that is a natural product obtained by the edible parts of fleshy, mature and fresh fruit, by adequate technological and sanitary processes conserving the chemica l and organoleptic characteristics of the fruit in natura, being that the marketing of the frozen fruit pulp serves both the residential needs and the needs of restaurants and industries for the production of natural juices, sweets and ice cream. Another advantage of the marketing of fruit pulp consists in the interchange of regional, little known fruit, such as fruit from the Corral and from the North and Northeast regions.

Thus, for the marketing of fruit pulp, it is mandatory to follow various demands, such as care with sanity, conta mination with chemical agents and microorganisms, the inexistence of animal and vegetal detritus, the exemption of fragments of the non- edible parts of the fruit neither substances foreign to its normal composition, in addition to the maintena nce with the quality of the pulp accommodated through the obstruction and reduction of the chemical and enzymatic reactions through the incorporation of air, temperature reduction, control of the entry of light in the package, etc.

However, in a general manner, the current packages developed for the accommodation of frozen fruit pulp is configured, essentially, by an individual enclosure, in the form of a small bag, made with flexible polymer, in which frontal and back faces of the enclosure the labels are applied .

As the current package, as well as the current packaging process, does not allow it to have a device facilitating its opening i.e., the currently casing require knife handling or scissors for opening, needing, also a flat surface for support for the cutting of the enclosure, in addition to preventing the partial opening of the package, thus making it unfeasible, most of the times, to store potential leftovers, in addition to making it harder to correctly dose and mix flavors in the preparation.

Another inconvenience lies on the fact of the current package being destructed in the juice preparation, making it impossible to be used in the following phases of juice preparation, forcing the consumer to have other devices such as caps and large cups for preparation.

Another inconvenience is that, in order to handle the current pulp package, the consumer is forced to have direct contact with the frozen parts of the package, and as the fruit has to be stored at -182C, this causes great discomfort.

Another disadvantage lies on the fact that the current packages cannot be piled-up, making it difficult to organize them in freezers, causing the products to look "abandoned", generating a bad use of space and inadequate visual aspect.

ANALYSIS OF THE STATE-OF-TH E-TECHN IQUE

A brief search in the bank of patents brought to our knowledge some documents relative to packages to accommodate frozen products, such as document No. M U7201279-0, that refers to a plastic package for pickles comprised by a transparent, high-density polyethylene bag, with rectangular format, of variable size, resistant to temperature changes, being specially manufactured to conserve and store all types of products, such as pickles, vegetables, fruit, etc., being them conserved in a hygienic and economic manner, both to the manufacturer and to the user.

Another document, No. M U7300393-0, which refers to a system for accommodating vegetables, verdures and greeneries and/or fruit, blended, previously purified by a process of chlorinated water, cooked after the respective addition of seasoning in case of verdures and greeneries and sweetened in case of fruit to be presented raw or cooked, according to the best industrial criteria; after the packaging system, these vegetables shall be frozen, combined in various numbers, being the combination of five qualities the most recommended by nutritionists. Another document, No. PI 9501132-3, that refers to a multi-use packaging to accommodate/package liquid and semi-pasty foods constituted of cardboard coated with a plastic fil m with a plastic straw inside protected with a transparent enclosure which guide-tube contains, on the outside, a protective membrane for the straw, which rupture occurs with a small downward compression. In order to transform the packaging in a common cup to drink the content or eat it with a spoon, just pull its aluminized belt separating the cover with the guide-tube and the respective straw. The length of the packaging is that of a common popsicle, and must accommodate, at least, lOOg of food. It can, however, be presented in larger sizes, according to the interest or demand.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE OBJECT

Thinking about providing improvements to the consu mer market, the applicant developed improvements introduced in a sealed recipient to accommodate food products with one or more compartments, notably developed to store food products in general, mainly of the type of frozen fruit pulp.

Said sealed recipient is configured in a single piece made of semi-rigid polymer, preferably in a cylindrical format, conforming a structural cup with one or more compartments to accommodate the respective food products, mainly, frozen fruit pulp.

Said compartments are developed from the base in a manner to reach a trimming and manipulable peripheral border, in addition to presenting a sealing of the access face, which, on its turn, is configured by a single blade that recovers one or multiple compartments provided for in the packaging, ca using the user to have access to the pulp accommodated in a singular (of the whole) or fractionated manner The compartmenting said recipient configures multiple buds that may vary, for instance, from one to eight, depending on the final volume needs of the packaging and of the individual characteristics of each pulp accommodated. For instance, for watermelon fruit pulp, the recipient presents only one bud; for banana fruit pulp, the recipient presents two buds; for orange fruit pulp, the recipient presents eight buds, etc, allowing the characterization of the packaging according to the flavor accommodated, according to the greater or lesser consu mer volume, among other conditionals.

OBJ ECTIVES AN D ADVANTAGES

The greatest objective reached was the ease of extraction of the pulp accommodated by the final user, which may be extracted and directed directly to the inside of a recipient, such as a cup or jar, without manual contact with the food. Such operation is carried out through the removal of the sealing, eliminating contact with the reserved food.

Another advantage lies on the fact of the buds performing as fins, facilitating the temperature exchange between the recently packaged pulp and the freezer, and providing a freezing much faster with, as a consequence, an increase of the nutritional characteristics of the fruit compared to traditional freezing.

Another advantage lies in the fact that the packaging herein innovated allows the consumption of the pul p in natura directly in the recipient, being possible to eat the pulp after it is defrosted or simply absorb the small fragments of frozen pulp.

Another advantage lies in the fact that the format of the frozen pulp in small buds allows the blender or mixer household appliance to process the pulp much more easily and fast, reducing the energy consumption and wear of the equipment. Another advantage lies in the fact that the trim ming and manipulable border of the sealed recipient allows the perfect coupling in different models of cups, facilitating the extraction, preparation and transportation of the juice.

The advantages mentioned above, particularly ease of opening, fractioning of the frozen product and the possibility of piling-up also allow the package to be used with ease in self-service equipment or vending machines.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To complement this description so as to obtain a better comprehension of the characteristics of this invention and, according to a preferred practical embodiment thereof, followed by the attached description, a set of drawings, wherein, in an exemplified manner, but not limited thereto, the following was represented.

Figure 1 illustrates a view in perspective of the recipient innovated herein with a compartment illustrating the detachment of the sealing;

Figure 2 shows a view in a longitudinal cut indicated in the previous figure;

Figure 3 represents a perspective view of the recipient with a sealing;

Figure 4 represents a perspective view of the recipient illustrated in the previous figure without the sealing;

Figure 5 shows a side view of the recipient illustrating a detail in a partial cut.

Figure 6 illustrate a perspective view of the recipient illustrating a constructive variation with a central orifice for the use of a straw and/or mixer; Figure 7 reveals a perspective view of the constructive variation of the cup assembled in an inverted manner in a conventional recipient illustrating the coupling of the straw;

Figures 8, 9 and 10 refer to possible constructive versions of recipients with variations of compartments; and

Figures 11, 12 and 13 refer to possible constructive versions of recipients with central orifices with va riations of compartments.

DETAILED DESCRI PTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to the drawings, this invention is referred to "IMPROVEMENTS INTRODUCED IN A SEALED RECIPIENT TO ACCOM MODATE FOOD PRODUCTS WITH ON E OR MORE COMPARTMENTS", more precisely, is a sealed recipient ( 1) to accommodate food products in general, mainly of the type of frozen fruit pulp (P).

According to this invention (figures 1 and 2), said sealed recipient ( 1) is configured in a single piece, made preferably of semi-rigid polymer or another adequate material, conforming a structural cup (2) of a base (2a) with, at least one accommodating compartment (CI) for respective food products, mainly frozen fruit pulp (P). Each compartment (CI) shall develop from the base (2a) so as to reach the trimming peripheral border (2b), which is conformed by a reversed neck (2c) conforming a side wall (2d); the flat top portion (2e) of the border (2b) receives the sealing (3), on its turn, is configured by an opaque or translucid blade (3a), preferably made of polymer or another adequate material, such as paper or metallic foil.

In a preferred constructive version (figures 3, 4 and 5), said structural cup (2) presents a cylindrical format of the base (2a) from which a peripheral wall is developed (2f) in a slight angle in a crescent opening towards the upper border (2b), which side wall (2d) presents a diametric narrowing conforming a peripheral degree (2g) that allows the support of the border (B) of conventional recipients (R), being that said cup (2) can present multiple inner walls (2h).

In another constructive variation (figure 7 and others), said cup (2) contemplates a central orifice (2j) for coupling of a straw (C), while the compartmenting of said recipient ( 1) may vary depending on the needs of the final volume and of the individual characteristics of each accommodated pulp (P) and may vary between one and eight compartments (CI).

It is certain that, when this invention is put into practice, modifications may be introd uced regarding certain details of construction and form, without implying in going further from the fundamental principles that are clearly substantiated in the claiming chart, being understood that the terminology used did not have the purpose of limiting.