DE20112221U1 - Food and beverage packaging and vending machine for delivery - Google Patents

Description

-1 -

Packaging for food and drinks and vending machines for their distribution

Technical background / state of the art

The invention is based on the increasing popularity of ready meals, particularly in the fast food sector, which are prepared in well-known fast food chains from individual pre-prepared products and sold in packaging that is suitable for storage and take-away, at least for a certain period of time.

Description of the invention

The aim of the invention is to further develop this basic idea with regard to a further additional benefit or multiple benefit, which not only satisfies the human need for food, but also provides space for the distribution of other products from the non-food sector, such as coupons or prize draws.

A further object of the invention is to economically distribute such a product, which is more than just "packaging" in the narrow sense, while using energy and raw materials economically.

The solution to this problem can be seen in a disposable packaging according to the subject matter of claim 1, which has two separate receiving areas.

Advantageous embodiments provide that all accessories for a meal such as cutlery, napkin, plate and glass/cup are also connected to this packaging, so that the end consumer has practically no expense or effort to consume a meal and, as a result, own facilities at home such as the operation of a kitchen are largely reduced or eliminated.

• *

In order to rationalise and expand this idea, it is also planned that partially filled packages are kept ready in loading boxes in a vending machine in which various menu and drink choices are possible and in which the final preparation takes place, for example, by heating in a microwave area and dispensing the selected food/drink in the packaging to the buyer.

It is particularly advantageous if several such loading boxes are combined in a container that can be inserted into and removed from the delivery station as a unit. This then offers efficient transport options for the container to the factory, where the prepared products can be industrially manufactured and filled.

The additional products, which can be part of the packaging or stuck on, for example, can be any product from any area of life, although in practice commercial products can be used in particular that provide the purchaser of the meal with significant additional benefits by granting financial advantages through coupons/winning tickets or eligibility certificates for an investment product, e.g. as part of a pension plan. By purchasing a meal, the purchaser therefore automatically takes part in a prize draw or purchases a share certificate for an investment product.

In this sense, the packaging according to the invention is to be understood as a multi-purpose product due to the multitude of its possible uses, the main purpose of which, nutrition, can be surrounded and surrounded by a multitude of additional purposes which considerably increase the value and attractiveness of the packaging and thus the purchasing incentive exerted on the consumer.

-3- Brief description of the drawings

A preferred embodiment of the packaging, a machine and the delivery scheme is explained using the drawings, which show:

Fig. 1 -3: Different views of the new packaging,

Fig.4 A-G: Illustrations of the handling of the packaging,

Fig.5 A,B: schematic representation of a machine for dispensing

packs according to Fig. 1-3, and

Fig. 6 A-C: Schematic representations of the delivery of packaging.

Description of the packaging design example

The packaging V consists of a pyramid-shaped base body, which is divided into two superimposed receiving areas 16 and 4:

The first, lower truncated pyramid-shaped receiving area 4 serves to receive a beverage G. To remove the beverage, a drinking straw 10 is assigned to the packaging V, for example glued or welded on in the manner shown, which can be inserted into the first receiving area 4 at a location provided for this purpose in a manner known per se, for example through a perforation, to remove the beverage G.

The pyramid-shaped second receiving area 16 located above serves to receive a selected dish or combination of dishes and can be divided into sections in a known manner in order to separate different types of food from one another.

A side wall 19 serves to accommodate at least one additional product from

the non-food sector," i.e., for example, a Q3*Qewirinsc6eiris:21, a value-

-A-

certificate for an investment share or for an investment product for retirement provision or similar, which constitute the additional benefit of this packaging mentioned above.

To complete the packaging, as shown in Figure 1, has a set of cutlery B on the side (in the illustrated embodiment, knife, fork, spoon); these parts are preferably made of plastic and welded to the packaging.

A napkin S is placed in a transparent sleeve on the bottom of the packaging.

Figure 4 briefly outlines the use of the packaging according to the invention:

First, the upper receiving area 16 is opened by folding away the triangular side surfaces so that the food(s) is/are accessible, the cutlery set B is removed and the food S located in the upper receiving area 16 can be consumed.

At the same time or beforehand, the drinking straw 10, which is preferably welded to one of the side edges of the packaging V, can be removed and inserted into the opening in the first, lower receiving area 4, where the beverage G is located.

At any time, the plastic bag on the bottom of the packaging can be torn open and the paper napkin S can be removed.

In addition to the example mentioned above, all surfaces of packaging V can be used as advertising space for third parties, thereby creating an additional economic benefit that can reduce the selling price of the packaging or the food and drink.

Such packaging therefore satisfies all nutritional needs and does not require any additional equipment or supplies to consume a meal.

A plurality of packages V filled with food at the factory are accommodated in a loading box 11 with several packages containing different meals and drinks, with which a vending machine A is equipped, which has devices for selecting a package containing a selected meal and a selected drink from this loading box 11, as well as transport devices

&iacgr;&ogr; for implementation through a microwave oven and a beverage filling unit 12 delivery to the consumer for consumption.

Such vending machines can be placed anywhere where people gather in groups, for example train stations, petrol stations, discos, bus stops, stadiums, airports, schools, company canteens, trade fairs.

Figure 5 A and B show the structure and function of such a vending machine A:

A meal and drink selection device 5 allows the consumer to select the desired meal 6 from a selection of meals MA, MB, MC or MX and a drink from a selection of drinks GA, GB, GC or GX from a refrigerated loading box 11. The meal 6 is then placed in a microwave oven 8 and heated. The receiving area 4 for the drink G is then filled with the selected drink 7 via the drinking straw by means of a drink filling unit 12 and the package V filled as desired is brought to the dispenser 9.

The loading box 11 can be inserted into the vending machine A as a unit and can be removed from it (Figure 6 B). Several such loading boxes 11 are combined in a transportable container box 4/5.

A filled container box 5 is delivered with a suitable vehicle F with filled loading boxes 11. Accordingly, emptied loading boxes 11 are combined in an empty container box 4 and transported away.

5 At plant W, the empty container boxes 4 are removed with empty loading boxes 11 and the vehicles F are loaded with container boxes 5 with newly filled loading boxes 11 (Figure 6 A and C).

In this way, a large number of A be-10 vending machines can be served during one delivery.

Claims (12)

1. Packaging for food and drinks, in particular ready-to-eat fast food, which encloses the food and drinks in a transportable manner and which is opened before consumption, characterized in that it has at least two separate receiving areas for receiving at least one food and at least one drink. 2. Packaging according to claim 1, characterized in that two receiving areas are arranged one above the other. 3. Packaging according to claim 2, characterized in that the receiving areas each have the shape of a pyramid section such that the packaging as a whole is pyramid-shaped. 4. Packaging according to claim 1, characterized in that the first receiving area ( 4 ) is designed to receive the beverage (G), and that a removal device, in particular a drinking straw ( 10 ), is detachably connected to the packaging, which can be inserted into the lower receiving area ( 4 ). 5. Packaging according to claim 1, characterized in that the second receiving area ( 16 ) is designed to receive the food(s) (S). 6. Packaging according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one cutlery item (B) is detachably connected to the packaging. 7. Packaging according to claim 1, characterized in that on one of its surfaces, preferably the underside, a napkin (S) is arranged, preferably in a tight plastic cover. 8. Packaging according to claim 1, characterized in that it can be opened along its edges from above, whereby the upper receiving area ( 16 ) with the food (S) is accessible first. 9. Packaging according to claim 1, characterized in that the additional product is at least part of a wall ( 19 ) which forms a coupon ( 21 ) and/or prize ticket which entitles the holder to participate in a prize draw and/or to be allocated a certain value in an investment product for retirement provision. 10. Vending machine for the ready-to-eat preparation and dispensing of the packaging according to claim 1, characterized by devices for selecting a dish (MA. . .MX) and a beverage (GA. . .GX) from a loading box ( 11 ), as well as transport devices ( 6 , 7 , 14 , 15 ) for passing through a microwave oven ( 8 ), a beverage filling unit ( 12 ) and a dispensing unit ( 9 ) to the consumer. 11. Vending machine according to claim 9 and 10, characterized in that several loading boxes ( 11 ) are combined in a transportable container ( 4 , 5 ) which can be inserted into the vending machine (A) filled at the factory with pre-prepared food and drinks and additional products and can be removed again after emptying. 12. Packaging according to claim 1, characterized in that it forms a plate and a cup in the opened or partially opened state.