Patent Application
20150266254
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to food packaging. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method of constructing single-serving food packaging with laser-cut steam vents.
2. Description of the Related Art
Microwave ovens are present in nearly every kitchen. Supermarkets now carry a vast assortment of microwavable food products. However, in many microwaveable products, the heat generated inside the food packaging needs to be handled carefully to prevent injury and improper cooking of the food contained within the microwaveable package.
Prior approaches to solving this problem include requiring the user to cut open a portion of a plastic pouch. Usually, this is only at one end of the package, and done simply to prevent a pressure build-up within the plastic pouch. This does not allow proper airflow, and in some cases can allow food to spill out of the package during cooking or handling. In another approach, a clip is attached to the pouch after it is opened to close the package yet allow the package to vent, but some users will fail to attach the clip properly. Thus, leakage may still occur.
In an improved solution, very small perforations are made by a laser on portions of a plastic pouch. These perforations may be on opposite sides of one panel of a plastic pouch in a strip pattern. The perforations are quite small and in some cases unnoticeable to the human eye, and do not require the user to slit open the pouch or open any portion of the pouch. Examples of laser-perforated food packaging are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,112,974 and 7,723,656, both entitled “Microwaveable Food Package.” In the case of frozen food, the perforations can be oriented on one side of the pouch, so that the pouch can be laid on a plate or other surface inside the microwave oven when the perforations facing up, so that no food leaks out of the pouch as the pouch cooks. One main benefit realized from the present invention is a more uniform venting of the food while it cooks, so that the chance of scalding the user or improperly cooking the food is greatly reduced.
Although this improved approach to ventilation is efficient for large packaging, there is no equivalent for smaller, single-serve packages. Single-serve packaging has become popular for people who want to cook for only one or two people as opposed to an entire family. Approaches to single-serving food packaging include using small plastic containers covered with an air-tight plastic film, where the user pulls back a corner of the film for ventilation while cooking.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for improved ventilation in single-serve microwavable food packaging.
The present invention provides a method for constructing microwaveable, single-serve food packaging with laser-cut perforations. The laser-cut perforations are small holes in at least one side of the packaging that provide ventilation for steam that builds up within the packaging when the food is being cooked in a microwave. The packaging sheet contains more than one single-serve pouch that a user may separate using a cutting implement such as scissors or a knife. Alternatively, the packaging may contain perforations between the single-serve pouches that allow for the single-serve pouches to be separated by the user without cutting the packaging.
The present invention provides a method of constructing microwaveable, single-serve food packaging with laser-cut perforations. The laser-cut perforations are small holes in at least one side of the packaging that provide ventilation for steam that builds up within the packaging when the food is being cooked in a microwave. The packaging sheet contains more than one single-serve pouch that a user may separate from one another.
Packaging sheet 100 may be polyester, oriented polypropylene, cast polypropylene, nylon, polyester (PET), polyethylene, or other suitable material. Packaging sheet 100 may comprise several layers of one or more of these materials depending on packaging needs, as will be known to those skilled in the art.
The laser-cut steam vent apertures 110 of
A user may separate first single-serve pouch 120A from second single-serve pouch 120B using a cutting implement such as scissors or a knife. Alternatively, the packaging sheet 100 may contain perforations (not shown) between first single-serve pouch 120A and second single-serve pouch 120B that allow for the pouches to be separated by the user without the need to cut the packaging.
Although the embodiment presented in
While various embodiments have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not limitation. The descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular forms set forth herein. Thus, the breadth and scope of a preferred embodiment should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that the above description is illustrative and not restrictive. To the contrary, the present descriptions are intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims and otherwise appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art. The scope of the invention should, therefore, be determined not with reference to the above description, but instead should be determined with reference to the appended claims along with their full scope of equivalents.
