Patent Application
20150353262
Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
The present disclosure relates generally to microwave popcorn bags, and more particularly, to a microwave popcorn bag which is vented to reduce the temperature inside the bag to prevent the popcorn from scorching/burning.
Microwave popcorn has been commercially available for several years in single use, paper, fully-sealed bags. Although this has been a convenient way to produce and microwave popcorn, it is not the ideal method. Currently used bags made of paper must be thrown away after each use, creating waste. Being fully sealed, they create a steam environment inside the bag while popping which is the mechanism by which popcorn kernels can burn and scorch, rendering some of them inedible, again creating some waste. The steam environment can also be a safety hazard as, upon opening the bag, the steam quickly exits the bag upward, creating the potential for injury.
One of the existing microwave popcorn bags discloses a container formed of rigid material, such as microwaveable plastic, which has the advantage of being suitable for reuse but is totally unsatisfactory as a popcorn shipping and dispensing container due to its susceptibility to breakage, its substantial volume, and its relatively high cost of manufacture. A container constructed from a disposable material such as paper overcomes many of the disadvantages of rigid reusable containers, but raises questions concerning efficiency, adequate heat dispersal, and safety.
Another existing method discloses a device for concentrating the microwave energy emitted by a microwave oven to a single point or a small area. The device consists of a sheet of a low loss dielectric material together with a layer of microwave reflecting material. The device is placed on the floor of the oven and on the opposite side of the product heated from the source of microwave energy in order to concentrate the microwave energy to a bag of microwave popcorn. However, the device does not allow a person to view the popcorn as it is popping.
In some other existing popcorn bags, a microwave lossy-powdered or particulate material is used in the base area. The lossy material itself heats up and radiates that heat to the kernels located close to it, thereby adding to the heat induced in the corn kernels by direct impingement of the microwaves on the kernels. However, clumping corn kernels in one area of a popping container causes some of the kernels to rest substantially away from the heat generated by the lossy material. Since some of the popcorn receives a minimal amount of additional heat from the microwave lossy material in the popping container, it will pop more slowly and less efficiently, if at all. However, none of these bags disclose how to employ such lossy material to improve the microwave popping of popcorn.
Therefore, there is a need for a microwave popcorn bag for popcorn preparation that is safer for the user. Such a needed popcorn bag would be efficient in minimizing waste and environmental friendly. Further, this needed popcorn bag would be reusable, re-sealable, portable and healthful. The present embodiment accomplishes these objectives.
The present embodiment provides a microwavable bag for popping popcorn kernels. The bag comprises a body with an inner surface, an outer surface and a bottom surface. A lid is used for covering the bag and a plurality of fastener means is provided to the lid for securing the lid to the bag. The plurality of fastener means is a plurality of Velcro fasteners, each comprising a hook part and a loop part that is affixed to a plurality cloth flaps at a top portion of the body of the bag and the lid. The lid is included with a cloth tab for ease of opening/closing. A plurality of holes is provided at the body of the bag for removing steam produced inside the bag during microwaving process.
The bag is adapted to contain a quantity of un-popped popcorn kernels and bag is placed in a microwave oven for preparation of popcorn. Each kernel contains a small amount of water at its center. Microwaves agitate the water molecules creating heat and causing them to boil and expand. This causes popcorn to pop and then steam is created/released into the bag. The plurality of holes is large enough to allow steam to exit the bag and small enough to prevent un-popped kernels to escape during transport if used in a portable setting. The plurality of holes allows steam to exit the bag during the popping process that virtually eliminates burning/scorching of the popcorn kernels. The bag may be made of polypropylene fabric that is microwave safe.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.
The following describes example embodiments in which the present invention may be practiced. This invention, however, may be embodied in many different ways, and the description provided herein should not be construed as limiting in any way.
In this document, the terms “a” or “an” are used, as is common in patent documents, to include one or more than one. In this document, the term “or” is used to refer to a nonexclusive “or,” such that “A or B” includes “A but not B,” “B but not A,” and “A and B,” unless otherwise indicated. Furthermore, all publications, patents, and patent documents referred to in this document are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety, as though individually incorporated by reference. In the event of inconsistent usages between this document and those documents so incorporated by reference, the usage in the incorporated reference(s) should be considered supplementary to that of this document; for irreconcilable inconsistencies, the usage in this document controls.
The present embodiment also provides a bag 10 which is safer to the user, efficient in minimizing waste, environmentally friendly, re-sealable, portable, and healthful.
While a particular form of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited, except as by the appended claims.
