US5089307A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Edible film and method of making same
Assignee: Mitsubishi Chemical Corp
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Filing: 1990-05-22
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Granted: 1992-02-18
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Expires: 2010-05-22
Abstract
Abstract Disclosed are heat-sealable edible films comprising at least a film layer containing a water-soluble polysaccharide as the principal component, or comprising at least (a) a film layer as described above and (b) a subfilm layer containing an alkali metal salt of casein, soybean protein or a combination of soybean protein and gelatin, as the principal component. Preferably, the water-soluble polysaccharide is composed chiefly of carrageenan and the film layer additionally contains a polyhydric alcohol. These edible films are useful in sealing or packaging powdery foods, granular foods, dry solid foods, oily foods and the like.
Inventors
- 👤 Hirofumi Ninomiya
- 👤 Shoji Suzuki
- 👤 Kazuhiro Ishii
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 13:11
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65D; B65D65/00; B65D65/38; B65D65/46; B65D65/463; A; A22; A22C; A22C13/00; A22C13/0013; A23; A23P; A23P20/00; A23P20/10; A23P20/105; A23P20/20; B65D33/00; C; C08; C08J; C08J5/00; C08J5/18; B65D2275/00; C08J2305/00; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/13; Y10T428/1324; Y10T428/1334; Y10T428/1348; Y10T428/31504; Y10T428/31971; Y10T428/31975
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
61 words
A heat-sealable edible film comprising at least a film layer consisting essentially of (1) a water-soluble polysaccharide composed chiefly of carrageenan, (2) a polyhydric alcohol and (3) water, the film layer having a water content of not greater than 25% by weight, the weight ratio of the polyhydric alcohol to the water-soluble polysaccharide being in the range from 1:5 to 1:1.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
61 words
A heat-sealable edible film comprising at least a film layer consisting essentially of (1) a water-soluble polysaccharide composed chiefly of carrageenan, (2) a polyhydric alcohol and (3) water, the film layer having a water content of not greater than 25% by weight, the weight ratio of the polyhydric alcohol to the water-soluble polysaccharide being in the range from 1:5 to 1:1.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
An edible film as claimed in claim 1 wherein the polyhydric alcohol is a mixture of a polyhydric alcohol being liquid at room temperature and a polyhydric alcohol being solid at room temperature.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
An edible film as claimed in claim 2 wherein the polyhydric alcohol being liquid at room temperature and the polyhydric alcohol being solid at room temperature are used in a weight ratio ranging from 3:1 to 1:3.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
48 words
An edible film as claimed in claim 1 which further comprises a subfilm layer formed on at least one surface of the film layer, the subfilm layer containing an alkali metal salt of casein, soybean protein or a combination of soybean protein and gelatin, as the principal component.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
33 words
An edible film as claimed in claim 1 wherein the polyhydric alcohol comprises one or more substances selected from the group consisting of dihydric alcohols, trihydric alcohols, sugar alcohols, monosaccharides, disaccharides, and oligosaccharides.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
49 words
An edible film as claimed in claim 1 wherein the polyhydric alcohol comprises one or more substances selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, glycerol, sorbitol, mannitol, maltitol, xylitol, saccharification products of reduced starch, glucose, fructose, galactose, xylose, saccharose, maltose, lactose, and decomposition products of starch.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
An edible film as claimed in claim 1 wherein the film layer has a thickness of 10 to 100 μm.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
73 words
A process for producing an edible film as claim in claim 1, comprising the steps of preparing an aqueous solution of a polyhydric alcohol in which the polyhydric alcohol and water are present in a weight ratio ranging from 0.2:99.8 to 20:80, dissolving therein a water-soluble polysaccharide composed chiefly of carrageenan, casting the resulting solution into a film, and drying the film to reduce its water content to 25% by weight or less.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
100 words
A process for producing an edible film as claim in claim 3, comprising the steps of preparing an aqueous solution of a polyhydric alcohol in which the polyhydric alcohol and water are present in a weight ratio ranging from 0.2:99.8 to 20:80 and in which the polyhydric alcohol is a mixture of a polyhydric alcohol being liquid at room temperature and a polyhydric alcohol being solid at room temperature, dissolving therein a water-soluble polysaccharide composed chiefly of carrageenan, casting the resulting solution into a film, and drying the film to reduce its water content to 25% by weight or less.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
33 words
A process as claimed in claim 8 or 9 wherein the step of preparing the aqueous solution by dissolving the water-soluble polysaccharide is carried out at a temperature of 70° C. or above.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
29 words
A food bag for packaging powdered foods, granular foods, dry solid foods and oily foods which has been made by using an edible film as claimed in claim 1.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4851394A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1995-02-17 | 1995-08-19 | 1996-02-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1999-02-17 | 1999-08-19 | 2000-02-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2003-02-17 | 2003-08-19 | 2004-02-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |