WO1992017104A1

WO1992017104A1 - Reusable microwave container handling device

Info

Publication number: WO1992017104A1
Application number: PCT/GB1992/000585
Authority: WO
Inventors: Richard Lawrence +Di Sperring
Original assignee: Sous Chef Ltd.
Priority date: 1991-04-03
Filing date: 1992-04-02
Publication date: 1992-10-15
Also published as: GB9106965D0; AU1437492A; GB2254531A

Abstract

A reusable handling device for use with convenience foods packaged in a microwave heatable container comprising a handle (1) and a container engaging portion (2) provided with a splash guard (3) thereon. Conveniently the container engaging portion (2) is provided with a rebate (7) to receive a flange (5) on the microwave heatable container (4).

Description

REUSABLE MICROWAVE CONTAINER HANDLING DEVICE

DESCRIPTION

This invention relates to a, reusable handling device for use with containers containing food suitable for cooking in a microwave oven.

There has been a significant growth in recent years in the manufacture and marketing of microwave cookable single portion meals and snacks. In general, these products axe presented to the consumer in a plastic base tray suitable for heating in a microwave oven, the tray or pot being covered with a material which normally has to be removed prior to heating in the microwave oven. When the consumer comes to place the .base tray in the microwave oven having removed the lidding material, there are two potential problems at the end of the heating cycle. First of all, the base container will be very hot and there is the potential for scalding and spillage of the contents. Secondly, there is the potential for the food in the container to spit during the stages of the heating process thereby causing a loss of product to be eaten and a mess in the microwave oven which has to be cleaned up.

These problems are overcome in the retail market by placing sophisticated outer packaging around the base tray which acts as both a splash guard and means for safely removing the hot base tray from the oven at the end of the cooking cycle. However, a system such as this adds significantly to the cost of the end product which the retail market can bear. However, although there is a growing market opportunity for microwavable ready meals and snacks in the catering and food service industries, this opportunity is currently being held back because the potentially high packaging costs cannot be accomodated.

It is an object of the present invention therefore to provide an inexpensive re-usable splash guard/heat shield/handling device which can be supplied in a catering pack containing multiple individual packs to the end user. According to the invention, there is provided a reusable handling device for use with pre-packaged convenience food containers heatable in a microwave oven comprising a handle with a container engaging portion provided with a splash guard to cover the open top of the container when located therein , the handle being made of a heat resistant plastics material.

Preferably the container engaging portion is U-shaped when viewed in plan to define a mouth to receive the container. Conveniently the U-shaped container engaging portion is adapted to cooperate with and support a laterally extending flange on the container.

In a preferred embodiment, the U-shaped container engaging portion has a rebate or slot on either side of the mouth to receive the laterally extending flange on the food container.

The splash guard can take any convenient form although preferably it comprises a cover extending over and/or between the container engaging portion. Suitably, the splash guard is dome-shaped but any other convenient shape may be adopted. For instance, it can be planar and extend between the limbs'of the U-shaped container engaging portion.

Preferably the whole of the handling device is made from a heat resistant plastics material although it will be appreciated that it is only necessary that the handle be made of such a material.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-

Figure 1 is a side view of a reusable handling device of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the device shown in Figure 1 but showing a part of a microwave heatable plastic tray about to be received in the device,

Figure 3 is a cross section along the lines 111-111 in Figure 2 and. Figure 4 is a perspective view of a microwave heatable plastic tray for use with the handling device of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown in Figure 1 a reusable handling device of the present invention which comprises a handle 1 connected to a U-shaped container engaging portion 2. A cover/splash guard 3 is attached to the portion 2 and extends between the two limbs thereof. Conveniently, the cover is transparent but it may be non-transparent or translucent if required. It will be appreciated that the shape of the cover need not be as shown in the drawings. It could for instance be triangular in cross section or have any other suitable configuration. For instance, it could simply be flat and extend between the two limbs of the container engaging portion 2_

Each container engaging portion 2 is provided along its length with a rebate or slot 7. Optionally, the rebate 7 can extend across the rear of the space between the two arms 2 of the container engaging portion as indicated in Figure 3 at 7a. A container 4 with the microwave heatable food 6 therein is shown in Figure 4.. This container has a laterally extending flange 5 around its upper periphery which engages in the rebate 7 in the handling device.

It will be appreciated that the rebate 7 is an optional feature of the .Invention as the device would work equally well if the rebate 7 was omitted and the flange 5 of the container 4 simply rested on upper surface 8 of each arm 2. If such an arrangement was used, then the entrance to the cover 3 would have to be cut away to provide excess to the interior thereof.

Preferably the whole of the handle and the container engaging portion 2 is made of a suitable heat resistant plastic material which does not heat up when the product is cooked in a microwave oven.

The advantage of the present .invention is that a catering pack containing numerous individual containers 4 could be supplied to a restaurant or hotel. Each catering pack would have in it at least one reusable handling device of the invention for use by the chef to place the individual portion in the microwave oven and remove it therefrom without -any risk of scalding.

By supplying only one or at least very few handling devices in each catering pack of individual microwave heatable meals, the cost of the prohibitive protective packaging of the prior art can be avoided.

Claims

1. A reusable handling device for use with pre-packaged convenience food containers heatable in a microwave oven comprising a handle with a container engaging portion provided with a splash guard to cover the open top of the container when located therein , the handle being made of a heat resistaint plastics material.

2. A device as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the container engaging portion is U-shaped to define a mouth to receive the container.

3. A device as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the U-shaped container engaging portion is adapted to cooperate with and support a laterally extending flange on the container.

4. A device as claimed in Claim 3 wherein the U-shaped container engaging portion has a rebate on either side of the mouth to receive a portion of a laterally extending flange on the container.

5. A device as claimed in any preceding cla.im wherein the splash guard comprises »a cover extending over and/or between the container portion.

6. A device as claimed in Claim 5 wherein the splash guard is dome-shaped.

7. A device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the handle and the container engaging portion are made of a heat resistant plastics material.

8. A reusable handling device substantially as herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.