Microwave cooking packages and methods of making thereof

• US 7,365,292 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2005
• Issued: 04/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Graphic Packaging International Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Graphic Packaging International Incorporated
• Inventors: Wnek, Patrick H., Robison, Richard G., O'Hagan, Brian R., Middleton, Scott W., Bohrer, Timothy H., Lafferty, Terrence P., Cole, Lorin R.
• Primary Examiner(s): ROBINSON, DANIEL LEON
• Application Number:
  US11/054,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20050205565A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,175 Days
• Field of Search: 219/730, 219/731, 219/634, 219/259, 219/727, 426/109, 426/107, 426/118, 426/234, 426/241, 426/243
• US Class Current: 219/730
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2581/3472 Aluminium or compounds thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2581/3477 Iron or compounds thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2581/3479 Other metallic compounds, e.g. silver, gold, copper, nickel
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2581/3494 Microwave susceptor B65D2581/3487 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 65/14 with areas coated with adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/03 Wrappers or envelopes with shock-absorbing properties, e.g. bubble films for thermal insulating purposes B65D81/3888
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3453 Rigid containers, e.g. trays, bottles, boxes, cups
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3461 Flexible containers, e.g. bags, pouches, envelopes
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3893 formed with double walls, i.e. hollow
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/065 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6408 Supports or covers specially adapted for use in microwave heating apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6494 for cooking
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/13 Hollow or container type article [e.g., tube, vase, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1303 Paper containing [e.g., paperboard, cardboard, fiberboard, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1352 Polymer or resin containing [i.e., natural or synthetic]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1359 Three or more layers [continuous layer]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/139 Open-ended, self-supporting conduit, cylinder, or tube-type article

Abstract

A microwave insulating material includes a dimensionally stable support, a patterned adhesive layer overlying at least a portion of the support, a polymer film layer overlying the patterned adhesive layer, and a plurality of expandable cells disposed between the support and the polymer film layer and defined by the patterned adhesive layer, wherein the expandable cells vary in size. A self-sealing microwave package includes a sheet of insulating material including a first surface, and a thermally activatable adhesive applied to at least a portion of the first surface.

Claims

1. A microwave insulating material comprising:

a layer of microwave energy interactive material joined to a first side of a dimensionally stable, moisture-containing support; and

a polymer film layer partially joined to a second side of the support, the first side and the second side of the support being opposite one another, thereby defining a plurality of expandable cells between the support and the polymer film layer, wherein the expandable cells vary in size from one another.

2. The material of claim 1, wherein the expandable cells are arranged on the material to provide an insulating region, a non-insulating region, or a combination thereof.

3. The material of claim 1, wherein the expandable cells are arranged so that a first set of smaller expandable celis is surrounded by a second set of larger expandable cells.

4. The material of claim 1, wherein a first set of smaller, expandable cells is arranged in a row adjacent to a second set of larger, expandable cells.

5. The material of claim 1, wherein

the polymer film layer is a first polymer film layer, and

the layer of microwave energy interactive material is supported on a second polymer film layer.

6. The material of claim 1, further comprising an oxygen barrier layer overlying the support on a side opposite the polymer film layer.

7. The material of claim 1, formed into a package.

8. A microwave energy interactive packaging material comprising:

a susceptor film comprising a microwave energy interactive material supported on a first polymeric film;

a moisture-containing layer superposed with the microwave energy interactive material; and

a second polymeric film joined to the moisture-containing layer in a predetermined pattern to form a plurality of expandable cells between the moisture-containing layer and the second polymeric film, wherein at least some of the expandable cells vary in size from at least some other of the expandable cells.

9. The packaging material of claim 8, wherein

the plurality of expandable cells includes cells arranged to form a periphery and cells positioned within the periphery, and

the cells that form the periphery differ in size from the cells within the periphery.

10. The packaging material of claim 9, wherein the cells that form the periphery are larger than the cells within the periphery.

11. The packaging material of claim 8, wherein

the plurality of cells are arranged to accommodate one or more food items seated thereon, and

the plurality of cells includes larger cells positioned around a periphery of the food item and smaller cells positioned beneath the food item.

12. The packaging material of claim 11, wherein at least some of the cells are at least partially expanded prior to seating the food item on the packaging material.

13. The packaging material of claim 8, wherein the plurality of expandable cells includes a first set of smaller, expandable cells arranged in a row adjacent to a second set of larger, expandable cells.

14. The packaging material of claim 8, wherein at least some of the cells at least partially inflate in response to thermal energy.

15. The packaging material of claim 8, wherein at least some of the cells at least partially expand in response to microwave energy.

16. The packaging material of claim 8, formed into a package.

17. The packaging material of claim 8, overlying and at least partially joined to at least a portion of a package.

18. A microwave energy interactive insulating material comprising:

a metallized polymer film;

a moisture-containing layer superposed with the metallized polymer film; and

a second polymeric film layer joined to the moisture-containing layer in a predefined pattern to form a plurality of microwave energy interactive expandable cells therebetween, wherein at least some of the expandable cells vary in size from at least some other of the expandable cells.

19. The insulating material of claim 18, wherein

the plurality of expandable cells is configured as a plurality of arrangements, and

each arrangement includes at least one cell having a first size and at least one cell having a second size that is different than the first size.

20. The insulating material of claim 19, wherein the cell having the first size forms at least a portion of a periphery at least one of the arrangements.

21. The insulating material of claim 19, wherein the cell having the second size forms at least a portion of a central area of at least one of the arrangements.

22. The insulating material of claim 19, wherein the first size is greater than the second size.

23. The insulating material of claim 18, wherein

the plurality of expandable cells is configured as a plurality of arrangements, and

each arrangement includes a plurality of cells having a first size substantially circumscribing a plurality of cells having a second size smaller than the first size.

24. The insulating material of claim 23, wherein each arrangement is configured to receive a food item overlying the smaller cells.

25. The insulating material of claim 23, wherein the cells having the first size are configured substantially to circumscribe the food item.

26. The insulating material of claim 18, overlying and joined to at least a portion of an interior surface of a package.

27. The insulating material of claim 18, formed into a flexible package.