Vented steam cooking package

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9555947-B2
Application number	US-201213485334-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2012
Priority date	May 31, 2012
Publication date	Jan 31, 2017
Grant date	Jan 31, 2017

Abstract

A vented steam cooking package includes a container formed to include an interior region and a steam-venting system. The steam-venting system is formed in the package to vent steam from the interior region to atmosphere surrounding the package during heating.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A package comprising
a container formed to include an interior region and
a seal fin coupled to the container along a seal-fin line extending between a first end and an opposite second end of the container,
wherein the container is formed to include steam-venting means for venting steam formed in the interior region during heating in a controlled manner to cause temperature and pressure generated in the interior region to be maximized without causing an unintended opening to be formed in the container during heating and
wherein the container includes a top wall and a bottom wall coupled to the top wall to form the interior region therebetween, the seal fin is coupled to the top wall along the seal-fin line to extend away from the seal-fin line toward a first edge of the container that extends between first and second ends of the container, the seal fin and the bottom wall cooperate to form a space therebetween, the steam-venting means is formed in the top wall and is exposed on one side of the wall to the interior region and on the other side of the wall is directly exposed to the ambient atmosphere, and a portion of the steam-venting means lies in the space.

2. The package of claim 1 , wherein the top wall includes a first panel positioned to lie between the seal-fin line and the first edge of the container and a second panel positioned to lie between the seal-fin line and an opposite second edge of the container that extends between the first and second ends of the container and the steam-venting means is formed in the first panel of the top wall.

3. The package of claim 2 , wherein a panel-partition line partitions the first panel to establish an outer strip and an inner strip, the outer strip is positioned to lie between the first edge and the panel-partition line, the inner strip is positioned to lie between the panel-partition line and the seal-fin line, and the steam-venting means is formed in the inner strip.

4. The package of claim 3 , wherein first and second strip-division lines divide the inner strip to establish first, second, and third inner-strip sections, the first strip-division line is positioned to lie between the first and second ends of the container, the second strip-division line is positioned to lie between the first strip-division line and the second end of the container, the first inner-strip section is positioned to lie between the first end and the first strip-division line, the second inner-strip section is positioned to lie between the first and second strip-division lines, the third inner-strip section is positioned to lie between the second strip-division line and the second end, and the steam-venting means is formed entirely within the second inner-strip section.

5. The package of claim 4 , wherein the first and third inner-strip sections are larger than the second inner-strip section.

6. The package of claim 1 , wherein the steam-venting means includes a first row having a first pattern of slits, a second row having a second pattern of slits, and a third row having a third pattern of slits.

7. The package of claim 6 , wherein the first pattern of slits is the same as the third pattern of slits.

8. The package of claim 7 , wherein the second pattern of slits is different from the first and third patterns of slits.

9. The package of claim 7 , wherein the first, second, and third patterns of slits are the same.

10. The package of claim 6 , wherein the first, second, and third rows are spaced apart from one another.

11. The package of claim 10 , wherein the first row is positioned to lie between the first and second ends of the container, the second row is positioned to lie between the first row and the second end of the container, and the third row is positioned to lie between the second row and the second end of the container.

12. The package of claim 1 , wherein the steam-venting means includes a first row having a first pattern of slits and a second row having a second pattern of slits, the first row is positioned to lie between the first and second ends of the container, and the second row is spaced apart from the first row and positioned to lie between the first row and the second end of the container.

13. The package of claim 12 , wherein each slit included in the first row has a midpoint and each midpoint is arranged to lie on a first midpoint line that is generally parallel to the first end of the container.

14. The package of claim 13 , wherein each slit is arranged to lie generally perpendicular to the first midpoint line.

15. The package of claim 14 , wherein a first slit included in the first row has a first slit length and a second slit included in the first row has a relatively longer second slit length.

16. The package of claim 14 , wherein all the slits in the first row have relatively the same length.

17. The package of claim 13 , wherein each slit included in the second row has a midpoint and each midpoint of the second row is arranged to lie on a second midpoint line that is generally parallel to the first midpoint line.

18. The package of claim 17 , wherein each slit of the second row is arranged to lie generally perpendicular to the second midpoint line.

19. The package of claim 18 , wherein a first slit included in the first row has a first slit length and a second slit included in the first row has a relatively longer second slit length.

20. The package of claim 18 , wherein all the slits in the first row have relatively the same length.

21. The package of claim 12 , wherein the first pattern of slits includes, in order, starting closest to the seal-fin line and ending farthest from the seal-fin line, first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth short slits, a first relatively longer slit, seventh and eighth short slits, a second relatively longer slit, and a ninth short slit.

22. The package of claim 21 , wherein the first pattern of slits is spaced apart from the seal-fin line a first distance and the second pattern of slits is spaced apart from the seal-fin line a relatively larger second distance.

23. The package of claim 22 , wherein the second pattern of slits includes, in order, starting closest to the seal-fin line and ending farthest from the seal-fin line, first, second, third, fourth, and fifth short slits, a first relatively longer slit, sixth and seventh short slits, a second relatively longer slit, and eighth and ninth short slits.

24. A package comprising
a container formed to include an interior region, the container including a first end, an opposite second end spaced apart from the first end, a first edge arranged to extend between the first and second ends, and an second edge spaced apart from the first edge and arranged to extend between the first and second ends and
a seal fin coupled to the container along a seal-fin line extending between the first and second ends of the container and positioned to lie between the first and second edges of the container,
wherein the container is formed to include a steam-venting system that vents steam formed in the interior region during heating in a controlled manner to cause temperature and pressure generated in the interior region to be maximized without causing an unintended opening to be formed in the container during heating and
wherein the container includes a top wall and a bottom wall coupled to the top wall to form the interior region therebetween, the seal fin is coupled to the top wall along th

Assignees

• Su Jau-Ming
• Sofian Charisa
• Wolak Paul Z
• Berry Plastics Corp

Inventors

• Su Jau-Ming
• Sofian Charisa
• Wolak Paul Z

Classifications

• B65D81/34 Primary

  for packaging foodstuffs {or other articles} intended to be cooked or heated within the package · CPC title

• B65D77/225 Primary

  Pressure relief-valves incorporated in a container wall, e.g. valves comprising at least one elastic element · CPC title

• B65D2205/02

  Venting holes · CPC title

• B65D77/2032

  by peeling or tearing the cover from the container · CPC title

• B65D77/22

  Details · CPC title