Resealable tray container
A container for food product includes a film affixed to a food tray. The film forms a top of the container and has an access opening. The sealing label, adhesively sealed to the top around the opening, is resealable when a tab of the sealing label is pulled back. The sealing label is resealable against the top layer to seal the opening when the label is moved back against the top. In one form, the sealing label extends along the top of the container and seals along a portion of the film which is affixed to one or more top end surfaces of walls forming the tray.
1. A food container having a resealable closure comprising:
a film having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the film forming a top of the food container, the top having a flap which can be pulled back to provide an access opening sufficiently large to provide hand access to substantially all of any discrete food articles contained within the food container, such that substantially any one of the discrete food articles can be accessed and removed individually through the access opening;
a sealing layer adhesively attached to the second side of the film, extending over the access opening and having a sealing area adhesively sealing said sealing layer along its entire perimeter to the second side of the film around said access opening, said sealing layer being releasable when said sealing layer is pulled to provide access to said access opening and resealable against the second side of the film to seal said access opening when said sealing layer is moved back against the top; and
wherein said sealing layer is adhesively sealed to the flap with a first adhesive having a first adhesive strength and adhesively sealed in the sealing area with a second adhesive having a second adhesive strength, the first adhesive strength being greater than the second adhesive strength.
2. The container of claim 1 , wherein the flap has substantially the same dimension as said access opening.
3. The container of claim 2 , wherein said flap is permanently attached to said film on at least one end.
4. The container of claim 1 , wherein said sealing layer comprises a starter portion located near a side of the top which can be grasped by a user.
5. The container of claim 4 , wherein said starter portion comprises a tab.
6. The container of claim 5 , wherein said tab extends from the sealing area of said sealing layer.
7. The container of claim 6 , wherein said tab projects past an edge of said top of the container, said tab being accessible beyond the edge to be grasped.
8. The container of claim 1 , wherein said film comprises a flexible material.
9. The container of claim 1 , wherein said film comprises a semi-rigid material.
10. The container of claim 1 , wherein said film comprises a rigid material.
11. The container of claim 1 , wherein said top of the container includes graphics around said opening, and said sealing layer includes graphics which match the graphics on said top.
12. The container of claim 1 , wherein said sealing layer is transparent.
13. The container of claim 1 , wherein the access opening is around at least 30% of the surface area of said film.
14. The container of claim 1 , wherein the food container further comprises a tray with sides having a top end surface wherein the film is affixed to the top end surface of the tray.
15. A food container comprising:
a tray having a bottom and at least one side, said side having a top end surface opposite the bottom;
a film having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the first side affixed to the top end surface of the sides; said film forming a top over said tray; said top having a flap, which can be pulled back to provide an access opening to allow access to contents inside the food container;
a sealing layer adhesively attached to the second side of the film and having a sealing area adhesively sealing said sealing layer along its entire perimeter to the second side of the film around said access opening and said sealing layer extending along the second side of the film to overlap at least a portion of the film first side that is affixed to the top end surface of the at least one side of the tray, said sealing layer being releasable when said sealing layer is pulled in a direction away from said at least one side to in turn pull and thereby separate at least a portion of said sealing layer to provide access to said access opening and resealable against the second side of the film to seal said access opening when said sealing layer is moved back against the top; and
wherein said sealing layer is adhesively sealed to the flap with a first adhesive having a first adhesive strength and adhesively sealed in the sealing area with a second adhesive having a second adhesive strength, the first adhesive strength being greater than the second adhesive strength.
16. The container of claim 15 , wherein the flap has substantially the same dimension as said access opening.
17. The container of claim 16 , wherein said flap is permanently attached to said film on at least one end.
18. The container of claim 15 , wherein said sealing layer comprises a starter portion located at one end of said sealing layer which can be grasped by a user.
19. The container of claim 18 , wherein said starter portion comprises a tab.
20. The container of claim 19 , wherein said tab extends from the sealing area of said sealing layer.
21. The container of claim 20 , wherein said tab extends from a corner of said sealing area of said sealing layer.
22. The container of claim 21 , wherein said tab projects past a corner of said top at one side of the container, said tab being accessible beyond the edge to be grasped.
23. The container of claim 15 , wherein said film comprises a flexible material.
24. The container of claim 15 , wherein said film comprises a semi-rigid material.
25. The container of claim 15 , wherein said film comprises a rigid material.
26. The container of claim 15 , wherein said tray comprises a semi-rigid material.
27. The container of claim 15 , wherein said tray comprises a rigid material.
28. The container of claim 15 , wherein said tray has a cylindrical shape and said at least one side comprises a single side.
29. The container of claim 15 , wherein said tray has a polygonal shape, the at least one side comprises a number of sides corresponding to the polygonal shape of the tray; and
said film is affixed to the top end surfaces of all sides of the polygonal container.
30. The container of claim 29 , wherein said sealing layer overlaps at least a portion of said film along all of the sides where said film is affixed to each of the respective top end surfaces of the polygonal container.
31. The container of claim 15 , wherein said top end surface of said at least one side comprises a flange upon which said film is affixed.
32. The container of claim 31 , wherein said tray has a cylindrical shape, said at least one side comprises a single side, and said film is affixed to the flange of the single side.
33. The container of claim 32 , wherein said sealing layer overlaps at least a portion of said film where said film is affixed to the flange.
34. The container of claim 31 , wherein said tray has a polygonal shape, the at least one side comprises a number of sides corresponding to the polygonal shape; and
said film is affixed to respective flanges of all of the sides of the polygonal shaped container.
35. The container of claim 34 , wherein said sealing layer overlaps at least a portion of said film along all flanges where said film is affixed thereto.
36. The container of claim 15 , wherein said tray has a rectangular shape.
37. The container of claim 15 , further comprising a food product disposed in said tray.
38. The container of claim 37 , wherein said food product comprises discrete food items.
39. The container of claim 37 , wherein said food product comprises cheese.
40. The container of claim 37 , wherein said food product comprises bacon.