Microwave heating construct

• US 8,183,506 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2007
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Graphic Packaging International Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Graphic Packaging International Incorporated
• Inventors: Fitzwater, Kelly R.
• Primary Examiner(s): VAN, QUANG T
• Application Number:
  US11/881,206
• Publication Number:
  US 20080023469A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,762 Days
• Field of Search: 219728-735, 219/762, 426/234, 426/243, 426/107, 426/122, 426/123, 426/124, 99D/IG.14
• US Class Current: 219/730
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2205/02 Venting holes
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2581/3406 Pizza or bread
• 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 2581/3491 attached to the side walls
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2581/3498 attached to the base surface
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2585/366 Pizza
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3453 Rigid containers, e.g. trays, bottles, boxes, cups

Abstract

A blank for a construct includes a main panel including a removable panel at least partially defined by a line of disruption, a plurality of side panels extending from the main panel along respective fold lines, and a microwave energy interactive element overlying at least a portion of the main panel. The blank may be used to form a construct capable of heating, browning, and/or crisping upper and lower surfaces of a food item.

Claims

1. A multi-use construct, comprising:

a base and a plurality of walls defining an interior space, the base including a removable panel defined by a line of disruption, wherein the removable panel is substantially circular in shape and distal from the walls so that a peripheral portion of the base extends around the removable panel; and

microwave energy interactive material joined to at least a portion of the base on a side of the base facing the interior space,

wherein the construct is adapted to be transitioned between

a first configuration with the walls extending upwardly from the base, so that the construct is for containing a food item within the interior space with the food item overlying the removable panel and a portion of the peripheral portion of the base, and

a second configuration

with the removable panel completely separated from the base, so that the removable panel is for underlying the food item, and

with the walls extending downwardly from the base, so that the peripheral portion of the base is for overlying the food item.

2. The construct of claim 1, wherein in the second configuration, the removable panel is for being adjacent to a bottom surface of the food item and the peripheral portion of the base is for being adjacent to an upper peripheral surface of the food item, wherein the bottom surface and upper peripheral surface of the food item are for being browned and/or crisped by the microwave energy interactive material.

3. The construct of claim 1, wherein

the base is substantially square in shape, and

the plurality of walls includes

a first pair of opposed walls that are substantially rectangular in shape, and

a second pair of opposed walls that are substantially trapezoidal in shape.

4. The construct of claim 3, further comprising a pair of end panels extending from opposed ends of each wall of the first pair of walls.

5. The construct of claim 1, wherein

the plurality of walls includes a first set of walls and a second set of walls in an alternating relationship extending from the main panel,

each wall of the first set of walls includes a pair of locking tabs, and

each wall of the second set of walls includes a pair of receiving slits adapted to receive the respective adjacent locking tabs.

6. A method of using the construct of claim 1, comprising:

transitioning the construct between the first configuration and the second configuration, wherein transitioning the construct between the first configuration and the second configuration comprises

separating the removable panel from the base,

positioning the food item on the removable panel so that the removable panel underlies the food item, and

positioning the peripheral portion of the base over the food item with the walls extending downwardly from the base.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein

in the second configuration, the removable panel is adjacent to the bottom surface of the food item and the peripheral portion of the base is adjacent to the upper peripheral surface of the food item, and

the method further comprises exposing the food item on the construct to microwave energy so that the bottom surface and upper peripheral surface of the food item are browned and/or crisped.

8. A multi-use construct, in combination with a food item having a bottom and a periphery that are desirably browned and/or crisped, the construct comprising:

a base and a plurality of walls defining an interior space, the base including a removable panel defined by a line of disruption, wherein the removable panel is substantially circular in shape and distal from the walls so that a peripheral portion of the base extends around the removable panel; and

microwave energy interactive material joined to at least a portion of the base on a side of the base facing the interior space,

wherein

in a first configuration, the walls extend upwardly from the base, and the construct contains the food item within the interior space with the food item overlying the removable panel and part of the peripheral portion of the base,

in a second configuration, the removable panel is completely separated from the base, and the removable panel underlies the bottom of the food item, and

in a third configuration, the removable panel is completely separated from the base and the peripheral portion of the base overlies the periphery of the food item with the walls extending downwardly from the base.

9. The combination of claim 8, wherein, in a fourth configuration,

the removable panel is completely separated from the base and the removable panel underlies the bottom of the food item, and

the peripheral portion of the base overlies the periphery of the food item with the walls extending downwardly from the base,

so that microwave energy interactive material underlies the bottom of food item and overlies the periphery of the food item.

10. The combination of claim 9, wherein the microwave energy interactive material is operative for converting microwave energy to heat, the heat being for at least partially browning and/or crisping the bottom and periphery of food item.

11. The combination of claim 8, wherein

the removable panel separated from the base forms an opening in the base, and

in the third configuration, the opening overlies a portion of the food item not intended to be browned and/or crisped.

12. A method of using the combination of claim 8, comprising:

transitioning the construct between the first configuration and the second configuration, wherein transitioning the construct between the first configuration and the second configuration comprises separating the removable panel from the base and positioning the food item on the removable panel so that the microwave energy interactive material of the removable panel underlies the bottom of the food item;

transitioning the construct between the second configuration and the third configuration, wherein transitioning the construct between the second configuration and the third configuration comprises positioning the peripheral portion of the base over the food item with the walls extending downwardly from the base so that the microwave energy interactive material of the peripheral portion of the base overlies the periphery of the food item; and

exposing the food item on the construct to microwave energy so that the bottom and periphery of the food item are browned and/or crisped.