Microwave heating construct

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9278795-B2
Application number	US-201213437155-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 2, 2012
Priority date	Jul 27, 2006
Publication date	Mar 8, 2016
Grant date	Mar 8, 2016

Abstract

A multi-use construct includes a base and a plurality of walls defining an interior space. The base includes a line of disruption that defines a removable portion and a peripheral portion of the base. The construct is for being transitioned between a first configuration with the walls extending upwardly from the base, so that the construct is for containing a food item, and a second configuration with the removable portion underlying the food item and the peripheral portion overlying the food item.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A multi-use construct, comprising:
a base including microwave energy interactive material operative for converting microwave energy into heat; and
a plurality of walls defining an interior space adjacent to the base,
wherein the base includes a line of disruption that defines
a removable portion of the base, the line of disruption being substantially circular in shape and distal from the walls, and
a peripheral portion of the base extending from the line of disruption to the walls,

wherein the construct is for being 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 at least partially seated on the removable portion and the peripheral portion of the base, and
a second configuration
with the removable portion separated from the base, so that the removable portion 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 microwave energy interactive material of the removable portion is for being adjacent to a bottom surface of the food item and the microwave energy interactive material of 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 desirably at least one of browned and crisped.

3. The construct of claim 1 , further comprising a cut adjacent to the line of disruption, wherein the cut defines a tab.

4. The construct of claim 1 , wherein the microwave energy interactive material of the base circumscribes a plurality of microwave energy transparent areas.

5. The construct of claim 4 , wherein the microwave energy transparent areas are concentrated within a central area of the base.

6. The construct of claim 1 , wherein the removable portion of the base includes a plurality of score lines.

7. The construct of claim 6 , wherein the score lines extend radially from a central area of the base.

8. The construct of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of walls includes a first plurality of walls and a second plurality of walls, wherein the first plurality of walls includes locking tabs and the second plurality of walls includes receiving slits for engaging the locking tabs.

9. The construct of claim 8 , further comprising cutouts disposed between the locking tabs and the second plurality of walls.

10. The construct of claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of walls includes a first plurality of walls and a second plurality of walls, and
the first plurality of walls include end panels for being joined to the second plurality of walls.

11. The construct of claim 1 , wherein
the base is substantially square in shape, and
the plurality of walls includes a first pair of walls opposite one another and a second pair of walls opposite one another.

12. The construct of claim 1 , wherein
the base is substantially octagonal in shape, and
the plurality of walls includes a first plurality of walls and a second plurality of walls, wherein the walls of the first plurality of walls and the walls of the second plurality of walls are in an alternating configuration.

13. The construct of claim 1 , in combination with a food item having a bottom surface and an upper peripheral surface that are desirably at least one of browned and crisped.

14. A method of using the combination of claim 13 , 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 portion from the base,
positioning the food item on the removable portion so that the removable portion underlies the food item, and
positioning the peripheral portion of the base over the food item with the walls extending downwardly from the base.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein
in the second configuration, the removable portion of the base 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 of the food item and the upper peripheral surface of the food item are at least one of browned and crisped.

16. A multi-use construct, in combination with a food item having a bottom and a periphery that are desirably at least one of browned and crisped, the construct comprising:
a base including microwave energy interactive material operative for converting microwave energy into heat, the heat being for at least one of browning and crisping the bottom and periphery of the food item; and
a plurality of walls defining an interior space adjacent to the base,
wherein the base includes a line of disruption that defines
a removable portion of the base, the line of disruption being substantially circular in shape and distal from the walls, and
a peripheral portion of the base extending around the removable portion,

wherein
in a first configuration, the walls extend upwardly from the base, and the food item is seated on at least one of the removable portion and the peripheral portion of the base within the interior space,
in a second configuration, the removable portion is separated from the base, and the removable portion of the base underlies the bottom of the food item, and
in a third configuration, the removable portion is 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.

17. The combination of claim 16 , wherein, in a fourth configuration,
the removable portion is separated from the base and underlies the bottom of the food item, so that the microwave energy interactive material of the removable portion is adjacent to the bottom of 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 the microwave energy interactive material of the peripheral portion is adjacent to the periphery of the food item.

18. The combination of claim 16 , wherein the microwave energy interactive material of the base includes a plurality of microwave energy transparent areas.

19. The combination of claim 18 , wherein the microwave energy transparent areas are concentrated within a central area of the base.

20. The combination of claim 18 , wherein the removable portion of the base includes a plurality of score lines.

21. The combination of claim 20 , wherein the score lines extend radially from a central area of the base.

22. The combination of claim 16 , wherein the base is substantially square in shape or substantially octagonal in shape.

23. A method of using the combination of claim 16 , 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 portion from the base, and positioning the food item on the removable portion of the base so that the microwave energy interactive material of the removable portion is

Assignees

• Fitzwater Kelly R
• Graphic Packaging Int Inc

Inventors

• Fitzwater Kelly R

Classifications

• B65D2581/3477

  Iron or compounds thereof · CPC title

• B65D2581/3498

  attached to the base surface · CPC title

• B65D2581/3472

  Aluminium or compounds thereof · CPC title

• B65D81/3453 Primary

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

• B65D2581/3479

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