Cookware and cook-packs for narrowband irradiation cooking and systems and methods thereof

• US 9,332,877 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pressco IP LLC
• Original Assignee: Pressco IP LLC
• Inventors: Cochran, Don W., Katz, Jonathan M., Johnson, Benjamin D.
• Primary Examiner(s): PELHAM, JOSEPH MOORE
• Application Number:
  US13/831,208
• Publication Number:
  US 20130202754A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,153 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 5/15 using wave energy, irradiation, electrical means or magnetic fields, e.g. oven cooking or roasting using radiant dry heat
• CPC Class Codes: A23V 2002/00 Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 27/002 Construction of cooking-vessels; Methods or processes of manufacturing specially adapted for cooking-vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 36/02 Selection of specific materials, e.g. heavy bottoms with copper inlay or with insulating inlay
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 37/01 Vessels uniquely adapted for baking for use in baker's ovens A21B
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 25/22 Packaging articles of food, e.g. fish fillets, intended to be cooked in the package
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2581/3402 characterised by the type of product to be heated or cooked
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2581/3425 Cooking a complete meal, e.g. TV-dinners
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2581/3487 Reflection, Absorption and Transmission [RAT] properties of the microwave reactive package
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/34 for packaging foodstuffs or other articles intended to be cooked or heated within the package
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3446 specially adapted to be heated by microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0263 Ovens
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/148 Silicon, e.g. silicon carbide, magnesium silicide, heating transistors or diodes

Abstract

A methodology and product or system configurations are provided which allow food to be directly irradiated for cooking applications which involve the impingement of direct radiant energy on food or comestible items. Cooking vessels or cook-packs are used that are optically transmissive in visible or infrared narrow wavelength bands emitted in suitable narrowband cooking or heating systems.

Claims

1. A cook-pack for storing and/or cooking a comestible item in an oven cavity, the oven cavity having irradiation arrays that emit visible or infrared irradiation at desired narrow wavelength bands, the cook-pack comprising:

a plastic base portion into which the comestible item is placed, the plastic base portion being transparent at visible or infrared wavelength bands of irradiation used for cooking to facilitate heating the comestible by the irradiation emitted by the arrays; and

a location feature to uniquely locate the cook-pack in the oven cavity relative to the arrays to facilitate irradiation of the comestible for cooking by the narrowband arrays,

wherein the cook-pack is provided with a turn-on key to activate the oven cavity having the irradiation arrays for cooking.

2. The cook-pack as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a cover for the base portion wherein at least a portion of the base portion or the cover is at least double-walled.

3. The cook-pack as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a cover for the base portion wherein at least a portion of the base portion or the cover is provide with an optical coating.

4. The cookpack as set forth in claim 3 wherein the optical coating is reflective.

5. The cookpack as set forth in claim 3 wherein the optical coating is antireflective.

6. The cook-pack as set forth in claim 1 wherein the plastic base portion has placed therein the comestible item and a flavor or seasoning nugget or pellet.