Abstract A package for containing and storing food and heating the contained food in a toaster including a top margin folded upon itself at least twice, a longitudinal margin folded upon itself and flattened to the package to form a longitudinal fold line, and a tear notch aligned with the longitudinal fold line whereby the package may be vented by tearing through the top margin on the longitudinal fold line from the tear notch and the food may be readily removed after tearing the longitudinal fold line by pulling the longitudinal margin from the top to the bottom of the package. A method of forming the package including spacing food portions along a strip of sheet material, folding the sides of the sheet material over the food portions, forming the longitudinal margin by sealing the side edges of the strip and folding the longitudinal margin upon itself, sealing the strip at areas between food portions, severing the strip to form top and bottom margins, folding the top margin upon itself twice, and cutting a tear notch at the top margin.
The package as claimed in claim 1 wherein said package and said folded top margin are formed from a single sheet of said sheet material having an upper edge, a lower edge and two side edges, said sheet being folded upon itself to form a front panel and a rear panel by aligning said two side edges and causing said upper and lower edges to be folded upon themselves, said lower edge being sealed to form a bottom margin, said upper edge being sealed to form said folded top margin, and said two side edges being sealed to form a longitudinal margin.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
93 words
The package as claimed in claim 1 wherein said sheet material is formed with a sealed longitudinal margin disposed intermediate the sides of the package, said longitudinal margin being folded upon itself and flattened against said package to form a longitudinal fold line along the entire length of the package, and said tear notch is aligned with said longitudinal fold line whereby the package may be accurately vented by tearing through the top margin on said longitudinal fold line and subsequently opened by continuing the tearing through the entire length of the package.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
32 words
The package as claimed in claim 3 wherein said longitudinal margin is flattened against that portion of said top margin that is adapted to be unfolded to present an extended handling tab.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
50 words
The package as claimed in claim 3 wherein a hole is cut through said top margin in alignment with said longitudinal fold line and said tear notch whereby said hole may be used to support the package on a hook or rod withOut substantially weakening the structure of the package.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
170 words
A method of packaging food in pliable, heat-resistant, tearable, thermally conductive, nonporous sheet material comprising the steps of placing measured portions of food in spaced relation on a strip of the sheet material; folding the strip of sheet material over the portions of food until the side margins of the strip of sheet material meet in inner face to inner face relationship to form a rear panel; sealing the side margins of the strip of sheet material to form a longitudinal margin; folding the longitudinal margin upon itself; flattening the folded longitudinal margin to the rear panel to form a longitudinal fold line; sealing the strip of sheet material in the spaces between food portions; severing the strip of sheet material in the sealed spaces to provide a top margin for a first package and a bottom margin for a second package adjacent to first package; folding the top margin upon itself at least once; and cutting a tear notch in the top margin aligned with said longitudinal fold line.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method as claimed in claim 6 wherein the top margin is folded upon itself twice.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method as claimed in claim 7 including the step of cutting a hole through the top margin in alignment with the tear notch and the longitudinal fold line.