Packaging tray

Claim 1

In a molded tray for the packaging of meat, fish, poultry, comestibles or the like in conjunction with a transparent overwrap film extending thereabout, said tray comprising upwardly and outwardly inclined side walls forming the sides of said tray; bottom wall means including a substantially flat bottom wall for supporting said meat, fish, poultry, comestibles or the like; and a large-radius curved wall portion extending between said bottom wall and the lower ends of said side walls so as to provide a smoothly contoured transitional surface, the improvement wherein: said inclined side walls have a radially outwardly extending lip portion extending about said side walls proximate the upper ends thereof, said lip portion having a concavely downwardly and outwardly curving upper surface extending from a rounded edge on said side walls, a generally rectangular protuberance in cross-section smaller than said lip portion projecting radially outwardly of and about said lip portion so as to constitute a narrow trim lip, said trim lip having the upper surface extending from the lower outer end of said concavely curved surface and having sharp-cornered upper and lower edges, and said lip portion having a generally horizontal planar bottom surface extending outwardly of said sidewalls below the bottom plane of said trim lip and having a convexly rounded outer edge joining the bottom plane of said trim lip radially inwardly of the outer face of said trim lip whereby transparent overwrap film extending about said tray lip portion will primarily contact and engage the rounded edge on said side walls, the sharp-cornered upper and lower edges on said trim lip and the rounded outer edge on the bottom surface of said lip portion so as to maintain a minimum surface contact between said overwrap film and said tray.