Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Processes – Per se removal of food product from mold – container or...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-14
2001-04-24
Brouilette, Gabrielle (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Processes
Per se removal of food product from mold, container or...
C426S394000, C426S401000, C426S412000, C426S273000, C426S122000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06221415
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to food containers, and more particularly, to a microwaveable food container.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In providing a container for commercial packaging of food products, among the considerations that must be addressed are the ability of the container to receive the product in packaging operations, the degree of difficulty that will be encountered by the consumer in removing the product from the container, and the ability of the container to withstand various loads during filling, sealing, shipping, display and consumer use, without being damaged or unduly distorted or disfigured. Containers for food products must be capable of maintaining a closed, sealed configuration and an undamaged appearance until opened by the consumer. Even if the container is functionally intact, an appearance that the container is damaged or that it is not properly closed and sealed may make the product unacceptable to consumers.
Containers for consumer food products must also be capable of being opened without undue difficulty. Packaging which does not require the use of a knife, scissors, or other sharp implements can provide a significant advantage in the marketplace.
Microwaveable packaging must satisfy additional criteria. Packaging that is required to hold food products during microwave cooking may need to withstand short term exposure to microwave radiation, heat, steam, and/or hot water while maintaining a required degree of strength and rigidity, and without being subject to arcing, delamination, loss of integrity, or melting. In addition, microwaveable packaging may be required to contain one or more reflectors, shields, susceptors, or other elements intended to affect the cooking process.
Another significant consideration is that, in some cases, the food product is to be removed from the packaging prior to cooking, then replaced after removing a portion of the food product or the packaging. Thus, in some cases, the packaging must be capable of initial opening, reclosing, and reopening. Ease of use with respect to each of these steps can provide a package with a significant advantage.
It is a general advantage of the invention to provide a microwaveable container for consumer packaging of microwaveable food products which satisfies the above discussed criteria, and which offers enhanced capabilities with respect to initial opening, reclosing and reopening.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides a novel and improved microwaveable container for microwaveable food products having a movable support to facilitate handling of food products by the consumer. In particular, the container facilitates initial opening of the container, removal and replacement of one or more food items, and employment of the container as a holder for the food product(s) during cooking in a microwave oven, and removal of the food product(s) after cooking. The container may be particularly useful in the context of multiple-component food products, wherein one or more components is intended to be cooked, and one or more other components is not intended to be cooked, by facilitating selective removal and/or replacement of individual components.
The movable support may be a shelf which overlies the bottom panel of the container in frictional engagement therewith so that, after initial opening and reclosing, the weight of the food product on the shelf maintains the container in a closed position. Also, the shelf may have an edge portion which engages one or more sidewalls to aid in maintaining the container in a closed configuration after reclosing.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the food container includes a top panel, a bottom panel, and a plurality of sidewalls. A movable panel is hingedly connected to one of the sidewalls, allowing a consumer to open the container.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the food container includes a top panel, a bottom panel, and a plurality of sidewalls. A movable panel is hingedly connected to one of the sidewalls, allowing a consumer to open the container. Attached to the lower edge of the movable panel is a movable support for supporting a food item. A consumer can access the food item by opening the movable panel, which in turn causes the movable support to carry the food item outside the container into a position that permits the consumer to easily separate any non-microwaveable ingredients. The microwaveable portion can then be replaced in the container by simply closing the movable panel. After heating the enclosed food, the consumer can easily withdraw the heated microwaveable portion by again manipulating the movable panel.
The present invention also provides a foldable blank for inexpensively constructing a container as described above, and a unique method of preparing a food item packaged in the container.
REFERENCES:
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patent: 2362942 (1944-11-01), Spalding
patent: 2368864 (1945-02-01), Molet
patent: 2819833 (1958-01-01), Sauer
patent: 2925213 (1960-02-01), Zukoski
patent: 3241737 (1966-03-01), Steinbock
patent: 3246829 (1966-04-01), Sexton
patent: 3976241 (1976-08-01), Bemiss
patent: 4015767 (1977-04-01), Ferriter
patent: 4138051 (1979-02-01), Zicko
patent: 4700831 (1987-10-01), Kassai
patent: 4793546 (1988-12-01), Nunn
patent: 4844330 (1989-07-01), Roose et al.
patent: 5351880 (1994-10-01), Goudreau
patent: 5429295 (1995-07-01), Levy
Brouilette Gabrielle
Dauerman Sherry A.
Fitch Even Tabin & Flannery
Kraft Foods Inc.
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