Hand-held food package

• US 6,710,315 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2001
• Issued: 03/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mars Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mars Incorporated
• Inventors: Chisholm, Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): Van, Quang T.
• Application Number:
  US10/037,424
• Publication Number:
  US 20030080117A1
• Time in Patent Office: 876 Days
• Field of Search: 219/730, 219/725, 219/732, 219/735, 219/727, 219/728, 219/729, 219/686, 426/118, 426/234, 426/107, 426/109, 426/241, 426/243, 426/113, 383/100, 383/103, 383/204, 428/35.8, 229/123.2, 229/125.35, 229/903, 99D/IG.14
• US Class Current: 219/730
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2205/00 Venting means
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2205/02 Venting holes
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2581/3467 Microwave reactive layer shaped by delamination, demetallizing or embossing
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2581/3472 Aluminium or compounds thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2581/3474 Titanium or compounds thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2581/3477 Iron or compounds thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2581/3478 Stainless steel
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2581/3479 Other metallic compounds, e.g. silver, gold, copper, nickel
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2581/3483 Carbon, carbon black, or graphite
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2581/3489 Microwave reflector, i.e. microwave shield B65D2581/3487 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2581/3494 Microwave susceptor B65D2581/3487 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2581/3497 attached to the side walls
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/029 the tubular body presenting a special shape pyramidal B65D5/008
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/5445 for dividing a tubular body into separate parts
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 77/02 Wrapped articles enclosed in rigid or semi-rigid containers
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3453 Rigid containers, e.g. trays, bottles, boxes, cups
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3876 insulating sleeves or jackets for cans, bottles, barrels, etc.

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a convenient semi-rigid hand-held microwaveable package. The package contains a thermal insulating layer that protects the consumer from being burned by handling the hot package. Yet further, the package also contains an easy open device.

Claims

1. A container for cooking a food item using microwaves comprising:

a sealed container for microwave cooking;

a mechanically formed weakness in a seal of the container which ruptures and vents the container when hot gases within the container cause the interior pressure to exceed a desired pressure;

a microwave susceptor surface positioned as an inner surface of said container, comprising a substrate having a microwave-absorptive coating region; and

a thermal insulating surface that is separate from the susceptor, wherein said thermal insulating surface protects a consumer from being burned when handling said container after cooking of said food item.

2. The container of claim 1 further comprising a tear-strip at least partially encircling said container which is connected to a gripping tab at an end of the tear-strip.

3. The container of claim 2, wherein said tear-strip separates the container into two parts in which at least one part is used as a receptacle for said food item.

4. The container of claim 2, wherein said tear-strip opens the container which is used as a receptacle for said food item.

5. The container of claim 1, wherein said microwave-absorptive region is deposited, printed, extruded, or laminated on said substrate.

6. The container of claim 1 further comprising a tear-strip having a double layer of substrate which is connected to a gripping tab on the outside of the container.

7. The container of claim 6, wherein at least one layer of substrate of the double layer of substrate comprises a perforation marking.

8. The container of claim 7 further comprising perforation markings on the outer surface of said container.

9. The container of claim 1 further comprising a tear-strip having a thread or a strip disposed within the substrate which is connected to a gripping tab on the outside of the container.

10. The container of claim 9 further comprising perforation markings on the outer surface of said container.

11. The container of claim 1, wherein said thermal insulating surface forms said container.

12. The container of claim 1, wherein said thermal insulating surface is positioned outside said susceptor surface of said container.

13. The container of claim 1, wherein said thermal insulating surface is positioned on only a portion of said container.

14. The container of claim 1, wherein said thermal insulating surface is positioned inside said container.

15. The container of claim 1, wherein said thermal insulating surface protects said food item from thawing pre-maturely.

16. The container of claim 1 further comprising graphics on the outside of said container, wherein said graphics are printed with thermotropic ink.

17. The container of claim 16, wherein said graphics provide instructions for handling said food item.

18. The container of claim 1, wherein the food item is a pet food.

19. The container of claim 1, wherein said container is a hand-held, portable container which is held in one hand during eating of said food item.

20. The container of claim 1, wherein said container is a polyhedron, cylinder, sphere, ellipsoid, or a variant thereof.

21. A container for cooking a food item using microwaves comprising:

a sealed container for microwave cooking

a mechanically formed weakness in a seal of the container which ruptures and vents the container when hot gases within the container cause the interior pressure to exceed a desired pressure;

a microwave susceptor surface positioned as an inner surface of said container, comprising a substrate having a microwave-absorptive coating region;

a thermal insulating surface which protects the consumer from being burned from the hot item after cooking in a microwave oven, wherein said insulating surface is separate from the susceptor surface; and

a tear-strip easy open device, wherein the tear-strip allows for easy and convenient access to the food item after cooking in a microwave oven.

22. The container of claim 21, wherein said microwave-absorptive region is deposited, printed, extruded, or laminated on said substrate.

23. The container of claim 21, further comprising graphics on the outside of said container, wherein said graphics are printed with thermotropic ink.

24. The container of claim 23, wherein said graphics provide instructions for handling said food item.

25. A hand-held microwaveable food package comprising:

a microwave susceptor surface positioned as an inner surface of said package, comprising a substrate having a microwave-absorptive coating region; and

a thermal insulating surface which protects the consumer while handling said package after removal from a microwave oven, wherein said insulating surface is separate from the susceptor surface.

26. The package of claim 25, further comprising a tear-strip easy open device, wherein the tear-strip allows for easy and convenient access to the food item after cooking in a microwave oven.

27. The package of claim 25, wherein said microwave-absorptive region is deposited, printed, extruded, or laminated on said substrate.