Container for refrigeratable yeast-leavened doughs

• US 5,547,694 A
• Filed: 06/07/1995
• Issued: 08/20/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Mills Incorporated
• Original Assignee: The Pillsbury Company LLC (General Mills Incorporated)
• Inventors: Huang, Victor T., Perry, Michael R., Johnson, Andrew H., Rosenwald, Diane R., Ghiasi, Katy
• Primary Examiner(s): WEINSTEIN, STEVEN L
• Application Number:
  US08/483,401
• Time in Patent Office: 440 Days
• Field of Search: 426/128, 426/118, 426/395, 426/415, 426/418, 426/419, 426/316, 426/8, 426/130, 426/396, 220/203.29, 220/371, 220/89.1, 220/203.02, 220/203.11, 220/203.15, 220/367.1, 220/373, 229/120
• US Class Current: 426/118
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 77/225 Pressure relief-valves incorporated in a container wall, e.g. valves comprising at least one elastic element
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/20 under vacuum or superatmospheric pressure, or in a special atmosphere, e.g. of inert gas B65D81/28 takes precedence; containers with pressurising means for maintaining ball pressure A63B39/025

Abstract

Refrigerated dough packaging has a pressure release valve associated with a flange to substantially prevent the expanding dough from interfering with the gas venting abilities of the packaging.

Claims

1. A refrigerated packaged dough product, said package comprising:

a substantially gas impermeable tray defining an interior cavity, the tray comprising a flange portion positioned on an upper edge of the tray and extending around its periphery;

said flange including a recess that is positioned within the flange but which does not extend to an outer perimeter of the flange;

an expandable yeast-leavened dough positioned within the interior cavity;

a top wall sealingly attached to the tray and covering the dough containing interior cavity and the recess;

a port formed through the top wall above the recess;

a pressure control means sealingly attached to the port;

said port being in gaseous communication with said interior cavity via said recess and through said pressure control means;

said recess being positioned in said flange together with said dough being positioned in said interior cavity such that enough head space is provided above the dough such that the dough will rise without the dough substantially interfering with said gaseous communication between the interior cavity and the port even as the dough expands to fill the inner cavity; and

wherein the pressure control means is capable of venting dough generated carbon dioxide from the package and maintaining an internal pressure of less than about 6 psig within the tray during refrigerated storage and as the dough expands within the package, such that pressure is prevented from building to a level which will cause the package to rupture;

said pressure control means substantially preventing the ingress of air into the package.

2. The product of claim 1, wherein the pressure control means is a pressure-responsive one-way valve adapted to release carbon dioxide from the interior cavity of the tray and limit the ingress of oxygen into the interior cavity.

3. The product of claim 2, wherein the valve is capable of maintaining an internal pressure of between about 3 psig and 6 psig.

4. The product of claim 2, wherein the valve is capable of maintaining an internal pressure of less than about 3 psig.