Food wrapper with rip line

Abstract

A food wrapper with rip line capable of being sealed for food prior to consumption and being a holder for food during consumption, the rip line being perforated or partly perforated. Also taught is a condiment or premium pocket. Also taught is a food bag with rip line having an external complementary product pocket for holding french fries and the like.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority from U.S. patent application serial No. 60 / 375,797 filed Apr. 29, 2002, which is pending.[0002] This invention relates to a wrapper for food products. The wrapper has a rip line that facilitates the easy removal of a top portion, allowing the food to be enjoyed while still being held in the remaining bottom portion of the wrapper.BACKGROUND AND EXISTING ART[0003] The market for fast food is expanding, and a large part of this growth is due to the recent concept of mobile food. Drive-thru facilities are now commonplace at MacDonald's, Wendy's, and almost all fast food chains.[0004] This has led to the development of several types of packaging; however, none of the existing designs form both a sealed container for the fast food and a convenient holder for the fast food while it is being consumed.[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 6,335,042 issued Jan. 1, 2002 to Money (assigned to Pethick & Money) teaches a tray with a rectangular base and a method for wrappi...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

This has led to the development of several types of packaging; however, none of the existing designs form both a sealed container for the fast food and a convenient holder for the fast food while it is being consumed.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,335,042 issued Jan. 1, 2002 to Money (assigned to Pethick & Money) teaches a tray with a rectangular base and a method for wrapping fast food with a flexible wrapper; however, there is no convenient means to access the fast food while leaving a portion of the wrapper to hold the fast food.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,151,869 issued Nov. 28, 2000 to Weder (assigned to Southpac Trust International, Inc., reference U.S. Pat. No. 5,479,761) teaches a flexible wrapping material having a bonding material disposed on a surface to facilitate the fast food wrapping process; however, there is no convenient means to access the fast food while leaving a portion of the wrapper to hold the fast food.

This is expensive to produce, awkward for the consumer, and only applicable to a bag format.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,938,110 issued to Bernstein (assigned to International Paper Company) teaches a foldable cardboard container that forms a modular fast food container; however, there is no convenient means to access the fast food while leaving a portion of the wrapper to hold the fast food.

While this does provide access to the fast food and also leaves a portion of the package to hold the fast food during consumption, the rip cord design is expensive to produce and only applicable to certain fast food package formats such as bags.

This requires a more complicated wrapping and sealing procedure than could easily be performed in a fast food restaurant environment, and it has a configuration that is limited to foods having a substantially rectangular shape, such as the piece of cake as shown and described.

While this does provide access to the food packaged therein, it was primarily designed for delicatessen products and it is not well suited to the fast food restaurant environment.

Further, the design may not be flexibly applied to a variety of packaging types and sizes.

D417,617 issued Dec. 14, 1999 to Jensen, et al, describes a foldable cardboard design with an interlocking lid that forms a small pocket-like package for fast food; however, there is no convenient means to access the fast food while leaving a portion of the wrapper to hold the fast food.

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