EP0365247A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Container and blank for, and method of, microwave heating
Assignee: Beckett Industries Inc
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Filing: 1989-10-16
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2009-10-16
Abstract
Abstract A susceptor bag (20) for microwave heating of food products, such as french fries, fish sticks, apple turnovers and burritos, is formed from a single flexible sheet comprising a layer (16, 28) of metal or other electroconductive material having microwave susceptor thickness, supported on a paper substrate material (12, 24). The flexible sheet is folded on itself to form a sleeve (20) which houses and engages the food product. The thin metal layer (16, 28) is provided only in the regions where the food is located. The metal layer (16, 28) usually is overlied by a polymeric film layer (14, 26) or a release coating. By providing the thin metal (16, 28) upon application of microwave energy, the interior of the food product (30) becomes heated to a desired edible temperature while the exterior becomes crispened by thermal energy generated by the thin metal layer.
Inventors
- 👤 Donald Gregory Beckett
- 👤 Larry Lai
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 09:38
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65D; B65D81/00; B65D81/34; B65D81/3446; B65D81/3461; B65D2581/00; B65D2581/34; B65D2581/3401; B65D2581/3402; B65D2581/3412; B65D2581/3437; B65D2581/3439; B65D2581/3452; B65D2581/3471; B65D2581/3472; B65D2581/3477; B65D2581/3478; B65D2581/3483; B65D2581/3486; B65D2581/3494
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
92 words
A container structure, which comprises a flexible sleeve for housing a foodstuff for heating therein by the application of microwave energy and formed of overlying and coincident layers of a flexible structure comprising a discontinuous thin layer of electroconductive material supported on a paper substrate material and having a thickness such as to permit a portion of microwave energy incident thereon to be converted to thermal energy, the discontinuous thin layer being positioned on the substrate material only in those regions of the interior of the sleeve intended to contact the foodstuff.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
92 words
A container structure, which comprises a flexible sleeve for housing a foodstuff for heating therein by the application of microwave energy and formed of overlying and coincident layers of a flexible structure comprising a discontinuous thin layer of electroconductive material supported on a paper substrate material and having a thickness such as to permit a portion of microwave energy incident thereon to be converted to thermal energy, the discontinuous thin layer being positioned on the substrate material only in those regions of the interior of the sleeve intended to contact the foodstuff.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
40 words
The container claimed in claim 1 formed from a single sheet of said flexible structure having a first dimension corresponding to a first dimension of the container and a second dimension corresponding to twice a second dimension of the container.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
46 words
The container claimed in claim 2 having an additional thin layer of the electroconductive material located adjacent an outer surface of the structure which is coincident with and has a dimension which is the same as or less than one of the thin electroconductive material layers.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
70 words
The container claimed in claim 1 formed from a single sheet of the flexible structure having a first dimension corresponding to a first dimension of the container and a second dimension corresponding to twice a second dimension of the container, whereby, when the single sheet is folded, the container has a single thin layer of electroconductive material to one side and multiple thin layers of electroconductive material to the other.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
42 words
The container claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the flexible structure comprises an outer paper substrate, an outer polymeric film layer of the same dimension as the paper substrate and a discontinuous thin layer of electroconductive material therebetween.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
38 words
The container claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the electroconductive material layer is provided by stainless steel having a thickness corresponding to a resistance of 50 to 5000 ohms, preferably 100 to 2000 ohms.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
41 words
The container claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the electroconductive material layer is provided by aluminum having a thickness corresponding to an optical density of 0.08 to 3.0, preferably 0.1 to 0.8, more preferably 0.2 to 0.5.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
31 words
The container claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 which is sealed having the foodstuff ready for the application of microwave energy thereto for heating and crisping the same.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
42 words
The container claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 which is open at one end but otherwise sealed to permit the foodstuff to be placed therein for the application of microwave energy thereto and the open end is prefolded over.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
44 words
A blank for the container claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 comprising a planar laminate structure of an outer polymeric film layer, an outer paper substrate layer and a discontinuous layer of electroconductive material therebetween in two or three separate domains.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
106 words
A method of heating food comprising the steps of placing food in a container (20, 40) formed by a flexible structure (10, 22, 62) comprising a discontinuous thin layer (16, 28, 56, 68) of electrically conductive material supported on a substrate (12, 24, 54, 64), applying microwave energy to the food (30) in the container (20, 40) to heat the food, and causing a portion of the microwave energy incident upon the container to be converted to thermal energy by the discontinuous thin layer (16, 28, 56, 68) of electroconductive material substantially only in regions where the food (30) is located in the container (20, 40).
Claim 13
Independent Claim
106 words
A method of heating food comprising the steps of placing food in a container (20, 40) formed by a flexible structure (10, 22, 62) comprising a discontinuous thin layer (16, 28, 56, 68) of electrically conductive material supported on a substrate (12, 24, 54, 64), applying microwave energy to the food (30) in the container (20, 40) to heat the food, and causing a portion of the microwave energy incident upon the container to be converted to thermal energy by the discontinuous thin layer (16, 28, 56, 68) of electroconductive material substantially only in regions where the food (30) is located in the container (20, 40).
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
115 words
A flexible container for microwave heating of food in the container, the container (20, 40) being formed by a flexible structure (10, 22, 62) comprising a discontinuous thin layer (16, 28, 56, 68) of electrically conductive material which is supported on a substrate material (12, 24, 54, 64) and which has a thickness such as to permit a portion of microwave energy incident thereon to be converted to thermal energy, the discontinuous thin layer (16, 28, 56, 68) being positioned on the substrate material (12, 24, 54, 64) only in selected regions which are such as to be likely to be in close proximity in operation with food (30) placed in the container (20, 40).
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
115 words
A flexible container for microwave heating of food in the container, the container (20, 40) being formed by a flexible structure (10, 22, 62) comprising a discontinuous thin layer (16, 28, 56, 68) of electrically conductive material which is supported on a substrate material (12, 24, 54, 64) and which has a thickness such as to permit a portion of microwave energy incident thereon to be converted to thermal energy, the discontinuous thin layer (16, 28, 56, 68) being positioned on the substrate material (12, 24, 54, 64) only in selected regions which are such as to be likely to be in close proximity in operation with food (30) placed in the container (20, 40).
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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