Apparatus for preparing a food item in a microwave oven

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10351329-B2
Application number	US-201414450731-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 4, 2014
Priority date	Feb 18, 2008
Publication date	Jul 16, 2019
Grant date	Jul 16, 2019

Abstract

An apparatus for preparing a food item in a microwave oven comprises a tray including a plurality of elevated heating areas and a plurality of channels disposed between the elevated heating areas, the elevated heating areas each including a microwave energy interactive material, a cover pivotably connected to the tray for pivoting the cover relative to the tray between an open position and a closed position, and a locking feature operative for releasably maintaining the cover in the closed position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for preparing a food item in a microwave oven, comprising:
a tray including opposite interior and exterior sides, and the exterior side of the tray forming a portion of an exterior of the apparatus while the apparatus is in a closed configuration, wherein
the interior side of the tray includes a plurality of elevated heating areas, the elevated heating areas each including microwave energy interactive material,
the interior side of the tray further includes a plurality of channels disposed between the elevated heating areas and receding in a direction away from the respective plurality of elevated heating areas, each channel extends between respective elevated heating areas and is devoid of microwave energy interactive material, and
the exterior side of the tray includes a plurality of protrusions that are respectively vertically aligned with the channels;

a cover including opposite interior and exterior sides, and the exterior side of the cover forming a portion of the exterior of the apparatus while the apparatus is in the closed configuration;
a line of disruption, the tray and the cover being foldably joined to one another along the line of disruption so that the cover is pivotably connected to the tray for pivoting the cover relative to the tray between an open position and a closed position; and
a locking feature operative for releasably maintaining the cover in the closed position.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the elevated heating areas have a substantially planar profile.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the channels have a substantially arcuate profile.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the locking feature includes:
a slot in the tray distal from the line of disruption, and
a tab extending from a portion of the cover distal from the line of disruption, the tab being adapted to be received within the slot.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cover being pivotably connected to the tray comprises the cover being connected to the tray by a separator panel.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the tray includes a base and a peripheral wall that define an interior space of the tray, the wall extends upwardly from a periphery of the base, and the upwardly extending wall extends around the interior space.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein:
the elevated heating surfaces and the channels of the tray define a substantially central portion of the base of the tray, and
the base of the tray includes a peripheral portion circumscribing the central portion of the base of the tray, the peripheral portion being a lowermost portion of the tray.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the interior side of the cover includes
a plurality of heating areas, each of the heating areas of the cover including microwave energy interactive material, and
a plurality of channels disposed between the heating areas of the cover, each channel extends between respective heating areas of the cover and is devoid of microwave interactive material, relative to the heating areas of the cover the channels in the cover receding in a direction away from the tray when the cover is in the closed position, and

the exterior side of the cover includes a plurality of protrusions that are respectively vertically aligned with the channels on the interior side of the cover when the cover is in the closed position.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the heating areas of the cover have a substantially planar profile.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the channels in the tray and the channels in the cover are in register with one another when the cover is in the closed position.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the channels in the tray and the channels in the cover are out of register with one another when the cover is in the closed position.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein:
the heating areas and the channels of the cover define a substantially central portion of the cover, and
the cover further includes a rim circumscribing the substantially central portion of the cover.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the rim defines an uppermost portion of the cover when the cover is in the closed position.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the rim is substantially coplanar with the heating areas of the cover.

15. An apparatus for preparing a food item in a microwave oven, comprising:
a tray including opposite interior and exterior sides, and the exterior side of the tray forming a portion of an exterior of the apparatus while the apparatus is in a closed configuration;
a cover including opposite interior and exterior sides, and the exterior side of the cover forming a portion of the exterior of the apparatus while the apparatus is in the closed configuration, wherein
the interior side of the cover includes a plurality of heating areas, each of the heating areas of the cover including microwave energy interactive material,
the interior side of the cover further includes a plurality of channels disposed between the heating areas of the cover, each channel extends between respective heating areas of the cover and is devoid of microwave energy interactive material, relative to the heating areas of the cover the channels in the cover receding in a direction away from the tray when the cover is in a closed position, and
the exterior side of the cover includes a plurality of protrusions that are respectively vertically aligned with the channels on the interior side of the cover when the cover is in the closed position;

a line of disruption, the tray and the cover being foldably joined to one another along the line of disruption so that the cover is pivotably connected to the tray for pivoting the cover relative to the tray between an open position and the closed position; and
a locking feature operative for releasably maintaining the cover in the closed position.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the heating areas of the cover have a substantially planar profile.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein:
the heating areas and the channels of the cover define a substantially central portion of the cover, and
the cover further includes a rim circumscribing the substantially central portion of the cover.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the rim defines an uppermost portion of the cover when the cover is in the closed position.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the rim is substantially coplanar with the heating areas of the cover.

20. A construct for preparing a food item in a microwave oven, the construct comprising:
a tray comprising a plurality of surfaces and a plurality of channels extending on an interior side of the tray, wherein each surface of the plurality of surfaces is substantially planar and includes a microwave energy interactive material, the surfaces are spaced apart from one another by respective channels of the plurality of channels, each channel extends between respective surfaces of the plurality of surfaces and is devoid of microwave energy interactive material, and the channels are recessed in the interior side of the tray and form respective protrusions on an exterior side of the tray; and
a cover, the cover being foldably connected to the tray along a fold line.

21. The construct of claim 20 , wherein the tray comprises a peripheral portion at least partially circumscribing the plurality of surfaces, the peripheral portion comprising a lowermost portion of the tray.

22.

Assignees

• Graphic Packaging Int Inc
• Graphic Packaging Int Llc

Inventors

• Lafferty Terrence P

Classifications

• H05B6/80

  Apparatus for specific applications (stoves or ranges F24C7/02) · CPC title

• B65D81/3453 Primary

  Rigid containers, e.g. trays, bottles, boxes, cups · CPC title

• A47J36/027

  Cooking- or baking-vessels specially adapted for use in microwave ovens; Accessories therefor · CPC title

• H05B6/6494 Primary

  for cooking · CPC title