Cooking Package

• US 20070275130A1
• Filed: 05/21/2007
• Published: 11/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Graphic Packaging International LLC (Graphic Packaging International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Graphic Packaging International Incorporated
• Inventors: Cole, Lorin, Krablean, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 7,824,719 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 426/107
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2581/344 Geometry or shape factors influencing the microwave heating properties
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2581/349 attached to the lid
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2581/3495 attached to the lid
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3453 Rigid containers, e.g. trays, bottles, boxes, cups

Abstract

A package for heating a food product. The package has a bottom panel for supporting the food product and a flexible flap containing a layer of microwave insulating material for heating the food product.

Claims

1. A package for heating a food product in a microwave oven, the package comprising:

a tray for holding the food product; and

a flexible cover for at least partially covering the tray and the food product, wherein the cover comprises a microwave interactive material.

2. The package of claim 1 wherein the tray comprises a central panel for supporting the food product and a plurality of side panels foldably attached to the central panel and positioned relative to the central panel to form the tray.

3. The package of claim 2 wherein the flexible cover is a flap foldably attached to one of the side panels.

4. The package of claim 3 wherein the flap is generally rectangular with spaced apart lateral fold lines forming independently moveable sections of the flap.

5. The package of claim 4 wherein the flap at least partially wraps around the food product and forms an open-ended cooking sleeve.

6. The package of claim 1 wherein the flexible cover is unattached to the tray and is placed on top of the food product.

7. The package of claim 3 wherein the flap has a width approximately equal to a width of the central panel.

8. The package of claim 1 further comprising a microwave interactive element attached to at least one of the tray and the flexible cover.

9. The package of claim 3 wherein the package further comprises a lid foldably attached to the tray.

10. The package of claim 9 wherein the lid comprises a central panel and a plurality of side panels foldably attached to the central panel of the lid, the lid being for cooperating with the tray to close the package.

11. The package of claim 1 wherein the tray and the flexible cover are made from paperboard material.

12. A package for a food product having a shape, the package comprising:

a tray for holding the food product; and

a flexible cover at least partially covering the tray and the food product, wherein the flexible cover comprises a plurality of fold lines that are substantially parallel to one another so that the flexible cover is adapted for at least partially conforming to the shape of the food product.

13. The package of claim 12 wherein the plurality of fold lines, which are substantially parallel to one another so that the flexible cover is adapted for at least partially conforming to the shape of the food product, comprises at least three fold lines.

14. The package of claim 12 wherein the plurality of fold lines, which are substantially parallel to one another so that the flexible cover is adapted for at least partially conforming to the shape of the food product, comprises more than three fold lines.

15. The package of claim 12 wherein the plurality of fold lines, which are substantially parallel to one another so that the flexible cover is adapted for at least partially conforming to the shape of the food product, comprises more than ten fold lines.

16. The package of claim 12 wherein the tray includes a central panel for supporting the food product and a plurality of side panels foldably attached to the central panel and positioned relative to the central panel to form the tray.

17. The package of claim 16 wherein the flexible cover is a flap foldably attached to one of the side panels.

18. The package of claim 17 wherein the flap is generally rectangular, and fold lines of the plurality of fold lines are spaced apart from one another and respectively form independently moveable sections of the flap.

19. The package of claim 18 wherein the flap wraps at least partially around the food product and forms an open-ended sleeve.

20. The package of claim 12 wherein the flexible cover is unattached to the tray and is placed on top of the food product.

21. The package of claim 17 wherein the flap has a width approximately equal to a width of the central panel.

22. The package of claim 12 further comprising a microwave interactive element attached to at least one of the tray and the flexible cover.

23. The package of claim 17 wherein the package further comprises a lid foldably attached to the tray.

24. The package of claim 23 wherein the lid comprises a central panel and a plurality of side panels foldably attached to the central panel, the lid being for cooperating with the tray to close the package.

25. The package of claim 12 wherein the tray and the flexible cover are made from paperboard material.

26. A blank for forming a package for holding and heating a food product, the blank comprising

a plurality of tray panels comprising a central panel and a plurality of side panels foldably attached to the central panel for being positioned relative to the central panel to form a tray when the blank is formed into the package, and

a flexible flap foldably attached to at least one of the central panel and the plurality of panels, the flexible flap having a plurality of fold lines that are substantially parallel to one another so that the flexible flap has a plurality of independently moveable sections respectively at least partially defined by fold lines of the plurality of fold lines wherein the plurality of fold lines includes at least three fold lines, and the plurality of independently moveable sections includes at least three independently moveable sections.

27. The blank of claim 26 wherein the flexible flap is foldably attached to one of the side panels.

28. The blank of claim 27 wherein the flexible flap is generally rectangular.

29. The blank of claim 28 wherein the flexible flap has a width approximately equal to a width of the central panel.

30. The blank of claim 26 further comprising a microwave interactive element attached to at least one of the plurality of panels and the flexible flap.

31. The blank of claim 30 wherein the microwave interactive element is attached to the central panel and the flexible flap.

32. The blank of claim 30 wherein the microwave interactive element is a first microwave interactive element attached to the central panel, the blank further comprising a second microwave interactive element attached to the flexible flap.

33. The blank of claim 26 wherein the package further comprises at least one lid panel foldably attached to at least one of the plurality of panels.

34. The blank of claim 33 wherein the at least one lid panel comprises a plurality of panels comprising a central panel and a plurality of side panels foldably attached to the central panel.

35. In combination, a tray blank for forming a tray and a cover blank for forming a cover for at least partially covering the tray, the tray blank comprising a central panel and a plurality of side panels foldably attached to the central panel, the cover blank comprising spaced apart lateral fold lines and independently moveable sections of the blank that are at least partially defined by the lateral fold lines.

36. The combination of claim 35 wherein at least one of the tray blank and the cover blank comprises a microwave interactive element.

37. The combination of claim 35 wherein the tray blank comprises a first microwave interactive element and the cover blank comprises a second microwave interactive element.

38. A method of preparing a food product comprising:

providing a package comprising a tray and a flexible cover;

placing a food product in the tray;

at least partially covering the food product with the cover including bending the cover so that the cover at least partially conforms to the shape of the food product; and

heating the food product in a microwave oven.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein the flexible cover is foldably attached to the tray and the at least partially covering the food product comprises folding the cover relative to the tray and at least partially wrapping the food product in the cover.

40. The method of claim 38 wherein the flexible cover is foldably attached to the tray and the at least partially covering the food product comprises folding the cover relative to the tray to at least partially close the tray.

41. The method of claim 38 wherein the flexible cover is unattached to the tray and the at least partially covering the food product comprises placing the cover on top of the tray such that the cover closes the tray and is spaced above the food product.

42. The method of claim 38 wherein providing the package further comprises providing a lid foldably attached to the tray and the covering the food product comprises at least partially wrapping the food product in the cover.

43. The method of claim 42 further comprising closing the package by folding the lid relative to the tray to at least partially enclose the wrapped food product in the tray.