Elevated microwave heating construct

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9107243-B2
Application number	US-38485409-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 9, 2009
Priority date	Oct 16, 2006
Publication date	Aug 11, 2015
Grant date	Aug 11, 2015

Abstract

A construct for heating, browning, and/or crisping a food item in a microwave oven includes a platform having a first surface substantially defined by a microwave energy interactive element and a pair of side members joined to the platform along respective lines of disruption. The side members extend upwardly and downwardly from the plane of the platform.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A microwave heating construct for preparing a food item, the food item having a surface that is desirably browned and/or crisped, the microwave heating construct comprising:
a platform comprising microwave energy interactive material, the microwave energy interactive material being operative for converting at least a portion of impinging microwave energy into thermal energy; and
a pair of side members pivotably joined to the platform, the side members each comprising an inner panel and an outer panel, wherein
the outer panel includes a first portion and a second portion, the inner panel and the first portion of the outer panel including microwave energy interactive material, and
the inner panel is joined to the first portion of the outer panel so that the inner panel and the first portion of the outer panel are fixedly coupled to one another in a facing, substantially parallel relationship,

wherein
in an unerected configuration, the inner panel is substantially coplanar with the platform, and the second portion of the outer panel is in a facing, contacting relationship with the platform so that the microwave heating construct in the unerected configuration is substantially planar, and
in an erected configuration,
the second portion of each outer panel is pivoted away from the platform, and the inner panels and the first portion of each outer panel are pivoted inwardly towards the platform, so that the first portion of the outer panels extend below the platform and the second portion of the outer panels extend above the platform, and
the platform is for having the food item positioned thereon with the surface of the food item being in a facing relationship with the microwave energy interactive material of at least the platform, and the second portion of each outer panel is for engaging the food item so that the food item arrests pivoting of the side members and maintains the construct in the erected configuration.

2. The construct of claim 1 , wherein in the erected configuration, the second portion of each outer panel forms an angle of from about 55° to about 125° with respect to the platform, and the inner panels each form an angle of from about 55° to about 125° with respect to the platform.

3. The construct of claim 1 , wherein
the second portion of each outer panel includes microwave energy interactive material, the microwave energy interactive material being operative for converting at least a portion of impinging microwave energy into thermal energy, and
the second portion of each outer panel engaging the food item maintains the microwave energy interactive material of the second portion of each outer panel in close proximity with the food item.

4. The construct of claim 1 , wherein
the second portion of each outer panel includes microwave energy interactive material, the microwave energy interactive material being operative for converting at least a portion of impinging microwave energy into thermal energy, and
the platform having the food item positioned thereon urges the platform downwardly so that the microwave energy interactive material of the second portion of each outer panel is brought into close proximity with the food item.

5. The construct of claim 1 , wherein the microwave energy interactive material has a thickness of less than about 100 angstroms.

6. The construct of claim 1 , wherein the microwave energy interactive material is selected from the group consisting of aluminum, indium tin oxide, and any combination thereof.

7. The construct of claim 1 , wherein, for each side member of the pair of side members, the first portion of the outer panel is foldably connected to the inner panel along a fold line.

8. The construct of claim 1 , wherein, for each side member of the pair of side members, the inner panel is an innermost panel of the side member and the outer panel is an outermost panel of the side member.

9. The construct of claim 1 , wherein the microwave energy interactive material of at least one of the inner panel and the first portion of the outer panel in each of the side members is at least partially deactivated.

10. A microwave heating construct for preparing a food item, the food item having bottom and side surfaces that are desirably browned and/or crisped, the microwave heating construct comprising:
a main panel, and
a pair of side members joined to the main panel along fold lines, wherein the side members each include a minor panel and a major panel, wherein the major panel includes a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being fixedly coupled to the minor panel, wherein the main panel and the second portion of the major panels each comprise microwave energy interactive material operative for converting microwave energy into thermal energy and the minor panels and the first portion of the major panels each comprise microwave energy interactive material,
wherein
in an unerected configuration, the minor panels are substantially coplanar with the main panel, the first portion of the major panel and the minor panel are in a substantially superposed, facing relationship with one another, and the second portion is in a substantially superposed, facing relationship with the main panel, so that the microwave heating construct in the unerected configuration is substantially planar, and
in an erected configuration,
the side members are pivoted along the fold lines so that the minor panels and major panels are brought into a substantially upright configuration so that the minor panels and the first portion of each major panel elevate the main panel, and
the food item is positioned on the main panel so that
the bottom and side surfaces of the food item are in a facing relationship with the microwave energy interactive material of the main panel and the second portion of each major panel, and
the second portion of each major panel engages the food item so that the pivoting of the minor panels and the first portion of each major panel towards the main panel is arrested and the microwave heating construct is maintained in the erected configuration.

11. The construct of claim 10 , wherein pivoting the side members along the fold lines so that the minor panels and major panels are brought into the substantially upright configuration comprises concurrently pivoting the second portion of each major panel away from the main panel and pivoting the minor panels and the first portion of each major panel towards the main panel.

12. The construct of claim 10 , wherein in the erected configuration, the second portion of each major panel forms an angle of from about 55° to about 125° with respect to the main panel, and the minor panels each form an angle of from about 55° to about 125° with respect to the main panel.

13. The construct of claim 10 , wherein the second portion of each major panel engaging the food item maintains the microwave energy interactive material of the second portion of each major panel in close proximity with the food item.

14. The construct of claim 10 , wherein the food item positioned on the main panel urges the main panel downwardly so that the microwave energy interactive material of the second portion of each major panel is maintained in close proximity with the food item.

15. The construct of claim 10 , wherein the microwave energy interactive material has a thickness of less than about 100 angstroms.

16. The construct of claim 10 , wherein the microwave energy interactive material is selected from the group consisting of aluminum, indium tin oxide, and any combination thereof.

Assignees

• Fitzwater Kelly R
• Graphic Packaging Int Inc

Inventors

• Fitzwater Kelly R

Classifications

• B65D2581/3498

  attached to the base surface · CPC title

• B65D2581/3497

  attached to the side walls · CPC title

• B65D2581/3489

  Microwave reflector, i.e. microwave shield (B65D2581/3487 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65D2581/3479

  Other metallic compounds, e.g. silver, gold, copper, nickel · CPC title

• B65D2581/3478

  Stainless steel · CPC title