EP0513076B1 - Geregeltes heizen von nahrungsmitteln durch mikrowellen - Google Patents

Geregeltes heizen von nahrungsmitteln durch mikrowellen Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0513076B1
EP0513076B1 EP91902970A EP91902970A EP0513076B1 EP 0513076 B1 EP0513076 B1 EP 0513076B1 EP 91902970 A EP91902970 A EP 91902970A EP 91902970 A EP91902970 A EP 91902970A EP 0513076 B1 EP0513076 B1 EP 0513076B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
layer
apertures
electroconductive material
foodstuff
article according
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
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EP91902970A
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English (en)
French (fr)
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EP0513076A1 (de
Inventor
D. Gregory Beckett
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Beckett Industries Inc
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Beckett Industries Inc
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Priority claimed from CA002009207A external-priority patent/CA2009207A1/en
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Publication of EP0513076A1 publication Critical patent/EP0513076A1/de
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Publication of EP0513076B1 publication Critical patent/EP0513076B1/de
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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D81/00—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents
    • B65D81/34—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents for packaging foodstuffs or other articles intended to be cooked or heated within the package
    • B65D81/3446—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents for packaging foodstuffs or other articles intended to be cooked or heated within the package specially adapted to be heated by microwaves
    • B65D81/3453—Rigid containers, e.g. trays, bottles, boxes, cups
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D2581/00—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents
    • B65D2581/34—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents for packaging foodstuffs or other articles intended to be cooked or heated within
    • B65D2581/3401—Cooking or heating method specially adapted to the contents of the package
    • B65D2581/3402—Cooking or heating method specially adapted to the contents of the package characterised by the type of product to be heated or cooked
    • B65D2581/3405—Cooking bakery products
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D2581/00—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents
    • B65D2581/34—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents for packaging foodstuffs or other articles intended to be cooked or heated within
    • B65D2581/3437—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents for packaging foodstuffs or other articles intended to be cooked or heated within specially adapted to be heated by microwaves
    • B65D2581/3439—Means for affecting the heating or cooking properties
    • B65D2581/344—Geometry or shape factors influencing the microwave heating properties
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D2581/00—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents
    • B65D2581/34—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents for packaging foodstuffs or other articles intended to be cooked or heated within
    • B65D2581/3437—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents for packaging foodstuffs or other articles intended to be cooked or heated within specially adapted to be heated by microwaves
    • B65D2581/3463—Means for applying microwave reactive material to the package
    • B65D2581/3467—Microwave reactive layer shaped by delamination, demetallizing or embossing
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D2581/00—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents
    • B65D2581/34—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents for packaging foodstuffs or other articles intended to be cooked or heated within
    • B65D2581/3437—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents for packaging foodstuffs or other articles intended to be cooked or heated within specially adapted to be heated by microwaves
    • B65D2581/3471—Microwave reactive substances present in the packaging material
    • B65D2581/3472—Aluminium or compounds thereof
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D2581/00—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents
    • B65D2581/34—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents for packaging foodstuffs or other articles intended to be cooked or heated within
    • B65D2581/3437—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents for packaging foodstuffs or other articles intended to be cooked or heated within specially adapted to be heated by microwaves
    • B65D2581/3486—Dielectric characteristics of microwave reactive packaging
    • B65D2581/3489—Microwave reflector, i.e. microwave shield

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to the cooking of foodstuffs by microwave energy.
  • microwave energy to cook a variety of foodstuffs to an edible condition is quick and convenient.
  • some foodstuffs require crispening or browning to be acceptable for consumption, which is not possible with conventional microwave cooking.
  • Some food products which are to be cooked by microwave energy are in the form of an outer pastry dough shell and an inner filling.
  • An example is an apple turnover.
  • One problem which has arisen when packages employing thin metal films to generate thermal energy to obtain crispening and browning of such products, is that there is a considerable moisture loss from the filling and sometime a spilling of filling as the shell splits open, leading to an unsatisfactory product.
  • US-A-4,268,738 (Flautt et al), there is disclosed a microwave moderator for partially attenuating and/or modifying microwave energy to achieve, for instance, more uniform cooking of comestible articles in microwave ovens.
  • Packages, bags and wraps which comprise such microwave moderators.
  • One embodiment comprises a perforate sheet of microwave reflective material, for instance aluminum foil.
  • the perforate sheet is provided with a plurality of generally uniformly spaced apertures which are sufficiently large with respect to the wavelength of the microwave energy that a substantial proportion of the microwave energy will pass therethrough.
  • the wrap may comprise three laminae: a first thermoplastic film; a second thermoplastic film; and a sheet of electrically conductive microwave reflective material such as aluminium foil therebetween, the aluminium foil having a multiplicity of aperture through it.
  • a multiple layer article of manufacture adapted to be formed into a packaging structure in which a food-stuff may be heated by microwave energy to an edible condition, comprising: a layer of flexible electroconductive material supported on a substrate layer, said layer of flexible electroconductive material having a thickness which is normally substantially opaque to microwave radiation and having a plurality of apertures extending wholly through the thickness of said electroconductive material layer to permit microwave energy to pass therethrough; said substrate layer being formed of microwave energy transparent material and being in adhered structural supporting relationship with said flexible layer of electroconductive material so that a packaging structure may be formed from said article in which said foodstuff may be positioned, characterized in that said apertures comprise elongate apertures effective to generate energy in said apertures when said article is exposed to microwave energy and the foodstuff is in contact with or proximate to said plurality of apertures, each aperture of the plurality of apertures having a width of at least about lmm and a length which is at least about 1.75cm and is greater than the width,
  • a multiple layer packaging structure of a plurality of elongate apertures in a layer of flexible electroconductive material supported on a substrate layer to generate energy in the region of said apertures when exposed to microwave energy, for the purpose of effecting a desired surface browning of the foodstuff while permitting sufficient microwave energy to penetrate through said apertures into the foodstuff to effect a desired degree of heating of the foodstuff, whereby the foodstuff may be provided in a edible condition
  • said layer of flexible electroconductive material having a thickness which is normally substantially opaque to microwave radiation and having said elongate apertures extending wholly through the thickness of said electro-conductive material layer to permit microwave energy to pass therethrough;
  • said substrate layer being formed of microwave energy transparent material and being in adhered structural supporting relationship with said flexible layer of electroconductive material; each aperture of the plurality of apertures having a width of at least about 1mm and a length which is at least about 1.75 cm and is greater than the width, adjacent apertures being spaced apart by at least
  • Such normally microwave-opaque electroconductive materials for example, aluminum foil, have been commonly used to achieve shielding of foodstuffs from microwave radiation during microwave cooking, but are not known as being capable of converting any portion of the incident microwave radiation to thermal energy, in contrast to the very thin electroconductive material layers described in U.S. Patent No. 4,641,005 (Seiferth) mentioned above.
  • the layer of flexible apertured electroconductive material For the layer of flexible apertured electroconductive material to be usefully incorporated into a packaging structure, it is essential that the layer of flexible electroconductive material be supported on and be in adhered structural relationship with a substrate layer of microwave energy transparent material.
  • a multiple layer article of manufacture adapted to be formed into a packaging structure in which a foodstuff may be heated by microwave energy to an edible condition.
  • electroconductive metals having a thickness above that at which a portion of the microwave radiation is converted into thermal energy become largely opaque to microwave radiation, such as aluminum of foil thickness, and this effect has been employed to achieve shielding of foodstuffs from microwave energy, in a variety of structures, such as is described above.
  • a plurality of elongate apertures is formed through the electroconductive metal layer.
  • the metal or other electroconductive material shields the foodstuff from the passage of microwave energy therethrough while microwave energy is permitted to pass through the elongate apertures into the foodstuff.
  • a portion of the microwave energy passes through the apertures, producing an intense field at the periphery and access the whole dimension of each aperture, which, in turn, causes surface browning of the food.
  • the proportion of incident microwave energy passing through the apertures into the foodstuff may be increased by making the gap wider, while making the gap longer and narrower increases the intensity of the surface heating.
  • a layer of flexible electroconductive material which is of a thickness which is normally opaque to microwave energy, and which is supported by and adhered to a layer of microwave transparent material.
  • the minimum thickness varies with the material chosen. Generally, the layer has a minimum thickness of about 1 micron.
  • the flexible electroconductive material layer conveniently may be provided by aluminum foil having a thickness of about 1 to about 15 microns in thickness, preferably about 3 to about 10 microns, typically about 7 to about 8 microns.
  • Other suitable electroconductive materials include stainless steel, copper and carbon.
  • the layer of electroconductive material is provided with a plurality of elongate thermal energy-generating apertures therethrough.
  • the number, size and relative location of the elongate apertures depends on the size of the foodstuff and the degrees of internal cooking and of surface browning desired.
  • Each aperture is elongate and may comprise a single opening formed into a spiral or other pattern so as to have the physical appearance of a plurality of apertures.
  • Each aperture of the plurality of apertures generally is no shorter than about 1.75 cm and may extend for any desirable length.
  • An aperture generally varies in width from about 1 mm to about 2 cm, provided that the length is greater than the width. In general, more surface heating of the foodstuff is achieved as the apertures become longer and narrower. As the apertures become wider, more microwave energy is able to pass through into the interior of the foodstuff, so that less intense heat generation and less shielding of the microwave energy from penetration to the foodstuff result.
  • a metal spacing of at least about 0.5 mm is maintained between individual apertures or between portions of the same aperture.
  • the apertures may be equally dimensioned and equally spaced apart, which produces an even degree of heating over the expanse of the continuous layer of electroconductive material containing such plurality of apertures.
  • the dimensions and spacing of individual ones or groups of the plurality of apertures may be varied and may be located only in selected portions of the expanse of the continuous layer of electroconductive material, so as to achieve differential degrees of heating, differential ratios of internal and surface heating and shielding only, as desired, in various locations of the expanse of the layer of electroconductive material.
  • the number, location and size of the apertures may be such as to achieve any desirable combination of microwave energy reflected, transmitted and converted into thermal energy for the packaging structure, both in the overall structure and locally within the structure.
  • Another alternative which may be used, depending on the result which is desired, is to provide, in each aperture, an electroconductive material of sufficient thinness that a portion of microwave energy incident thereon is converted to thermal energy, as described in US-A-4,641,005 (Seiferth), referred to above, so as to augment the browning effect which results from the aperture itself.
  • the elongate apertures may be formed in the continuous flexible electroconductive material layer in any convenient manner, depending on the nature of the electroconductive material and the physical form of the electroconductive material.
  • the apertures may be stamped out using suitable stamping equipment, and then adhered to the substrate layer.
  • the apertures may be formed by selective demetallization of metal from the polymeric film using, for example, the procedures described in U.S. Patents Nos. 4,398,994 and 4,552,614, the disclosures of which is incorporated herein by reference, wherein an aqueous etchant is employed to remove aluminum from areas unprotected by a pattern of etchant-resistant material. Another possible procedure involves the use of ultrasonic sound to effect such selective demetallization.
  • a polymeric lacquer or other detackifying material may be applied over the exposed surfaces of laminating adhesive in the selectively demetallized electroconductive layer to inhibit adjacent layers from adhering to one another as a result of exposed adhesive in the apertures, when a web of such selectively demetallized material is rolled up, as is often the case prior to formation of the desired packaging material.
  • the apertured flexible electroconductive material layer is supported on and adhered to a continuous substrate of suitable microwave-transparent substrate, which generally is microwave-transparent stock material which does not deform upon the generation of heat from the layer of electroconductive material during exposure of a foodstuff in the packaging material to microwave energy.
  • the flexible layer of electroconductive material may conveniently be laminated to a paper or paperboard substrate as the stock material, which may be semi-stiff or stiff, with the packaging material being formed from the resulting laminate.
  • the layer of flexible electroconductive material may be laminated to a heat-resistant polymeric material substrate as the stock material to provide the article of manufacture.
  • the layer of flexible electroconductive material also may be laminated between two outer paper or paperboard layers, or may be laminated between a heat resistant polymeric material layer, and a paper or paperboard layer.
  • the polymeric material layer such as polyester or polyethylene, may be flexible or rigid.
  • the flexible layer of electroconductive material may be laminated to a single or between two rigid thermoformable polymeric material layer(s), by adhesive bonding, and the laminate may be thermoformed to the desired product shape.
  • the multiple layer article of manufacture of the present invention may be incorporated into a variety of packaging structures for housing foodstuffs where the generation of thermal energy during microwave heating is desired.
  • the structures may include a variety of trays and dishes, such as disposable pot pie dishes and rigid reusable trays or dishes, a variety of bag structures, such as french fry bags and bags for cooking crusty filled products, for example, an apple turnover, a variety of box structures, such as pizza boxes, and domestic ware, such as reusable or disposable plates and dishes.
  • the packaging structure generally conforms to the physical three-dimensional form of the foodstuff, whether in the form of relatively stiff or rigid dish or tray, or in the form of a flexible bag structure, to enable the desired microwave heating of the foodstuff to be achieved.
  • FIG. 1 to 3 there is shown therein a pot pie dish 10 constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.
  • Figure 3 shows the blank for the dish 10 prior to stamping or other suitable forming operation).
  • the dish is of conventional shape, having a circular base 12, an upwardly and outwardly flared side wall 14 and an outwardly-extending lip 16.
  • the pot pie dish 10 is formed from a laminate of an outer layer 18 of paperboard of suitable thickness to provide structural support to the dish 10, an inner layer 20 of heat-resistant polymeric film and a layer 22 of aluminum foil or similar flexible microwave-opaque electroconductive material sandwiched therebetween.
  • the layer 22 of aluminum foil has a plurality of elongate narrow thermal energy-producing apertures 24 formed therethrough.
  • the apertures 24 are provided in a star-like array in the aluminum foil layer, with arms radiating in a uniform pattern from the centre of the base 12 of the dish.
  • the presence of the microwave-opaque aluminum foil in the side wall 14 limits the proportion of the incident microwave energy which can pass through the side wall 14 into the contents of the pot pie dish.
  • the pot pie may be cooked by microwave energy for consumption and an adequate degree of browning both to the side wall and bottom of the pot pie achieved, without overcooking the pie filing and causing significant moisture loss.
  • the apertures 24 are rectangular in outline shape and are of the same width, although differing in length and having a significantly longer longitudinal dimension than transverse dimension.
  • Figures 4, 5 and 6 illustrate alternative arrangements of apertures in a blank from which a pot pie dish may be formed by a suitable forming operation, in which the apertures are elongate and of regular geometric shape but not rectangular.
  • the apertures 24 are formed as a plurality of series of concentric rings.
  • the apertures 24 are formed in the shape of two discontinuous spirals.
  • the aperture 24 takes the form of a single spiral, with an additional small counter-spiral formed near the center to enhance thermal energy generation at that location.
  • Figures 10 and 11 illustrate further alternative structures for the arrangement of apertures.
  • Each of the arrangements of apertures shown in Figures 1 to 11 is useful for a microwave oven pot pie dish.
  • the specific arrangement employed, or whichever alternative arrangement is employed, depends on the desired proportion of incident microwave energy to be converted into thermal energy, to be reflected by the microwave-opaque aluminum foil or to be permitted to pass through into the pie filling.
  • a bag structure 40 for heating a foodstuff by microwave energy such as french fries or apple turnovers.
  • the bag structure is formed of a laminate of outer and inner layers of paper and a layer of aluminum foil or similar flexible microwave-opaque electroconductive material sandwiched therebetween.
  • a plurality of elongate thermal energy-generating apertures 42 is formed through the aluminum foil in a regular parallel array.
  • the laminate may comprise only one side of the bag structure.
  • the desired outer crispening of the foodstuff by thermal energy produced in the apertures 42 may be achieved while the shielding effect of the remainder of the continuous aluminum foil layer slows down the heating of the interior of the foodstuff, decreasing moisture loss and avoiding boil-over.
  • Various modifications to the numbers, geometry, dimensions and spacing of the apertures 42 may be effected, along the lines discussed above with respect to the pot pie dish structure of Figures 1 to 11, to achieve any desired microwave heating effect with respect to the foodstuff packaged in the bag structure.
  • a chicken pot pie was cooked for 6 minutes in a standard microwave oven packaged in a pot pie dish as illustrated in Figure 1 and also as illustrated in my aforementioned copending U.S. patent No.5 239 153 (application No. 442,153) ("Pot Pie Dish").
  • a vegetable pastry was cooked for 31 ⁇ 2 minutes in a microwave oven in a bag structure as illustrated in Figure 11 and in a bag structure as illustrated in EP-A-0 365 247 corresponding to U.S. patent application Serial No. 421,668 filed October 16, 1989 ("Ele-Met Bag”), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
  • the product was cooked, ready to-eat and had a browned exterior.
  • the moisture loss was 14%, as compared with 26% for the prior structure, i.e. considerably less in the case of the present invention.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Food Science & Technology (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Package Specialized In Special Use (AREA)
  • Cookers (AREA)
  • Control Of High-Frequency Heating Circuits (AREA)
  • Constitution Of High-Frequency Heating (AREA)
  • Laminated Bodies (AREA)

Claims (23)

  1. Fertigungsgegenstand mit mehreren Schichten, der so ausgebildet ist, daß er in eine Verpackungsstruktur geformt werden kann, in welcher ein Nahrungsmittel durch Mikrowellenenergie in einen eßbaren Zustand erhitzt werden kann, und welcher aufweist:
    eine Schicht (22) aus flexiblem elektrisch leitendem Material, die auf einer Substratschicht (18) gestützt ist, wobei die Schicht (22) aus flexiblem elektrisch leitendem Material eine Dicke hat, die normalerweise im wesentlichen undurchlässig für Mikrowellenstrahlung ist, und eine Mehrzahl von Öffnungen (24, 42) aufweist, die sich durch die ganze Dicke der elektrisch leitenden Materialschicht (22) erstrecken, um es der Mikrowellenenergie zu ermöglichen, durch diese hindurchzugelangen, wobei die Substratschicht (18) aus Mikrowellenenergie durchlässigem Material gebildet ist und in einem haftenden die Struktur stützenden Verhältnis zu der flexiblen Schicht aus elektrisch leitendem Material (22) steht, so daß eine Verpackungsstruktur (10, 40) aus dem Gegenstand gebildet werden kann, in welche das Nahrungsmittel gegeben werden kann,
    dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Öffnungen (24, 42) längliche Öffnungen aufweisen, die Wärmeenergie in den Öffnungen erzeugen können, wenn der Gegenstand Mikrowellenenergie ausgesetzt ist und die Nahrung in Kontakt mit oder nahe der genannten Mehrzahl der Öffnungen ist, wobei jede Öffnung der Mehrzahl von Öffnungen (24, 42) eine Breite von mindestens lmm und eine Länge hat, die mindestens 1,75 cm beträgt und größer ist als die Breite, wobei benachbarte Öffnungen um mindestens 0,5mm von dem elektrisch leitenden Material beabstandet sind, wobei die Öffnungen (24, 42) eine solche Größe haben und so in der Schicht (22) aus flexiblem elektrisch leitendem Material angeordnet sind, daß Wärmeenergie in ausreichendem Maß erzeugt wird, um eine gewünschte Oberflächenbräunung des Nahrungsmittels zu bewirken, während es möglich ist, daß ein ausreichendes Maß an Mikrowellenenergie durch die Schicht aus flexiblem elektrisch leitendem Material durch die Öffnungen in das Nahrungsmittel hindurchdringt, so daß das Nahrungsmittel auf ein gewünschtes Maß erwärmt wird, wodurch das Nahrungsmittel in einem eßbaren Zustand bereitgestellt werden kann.
  2. Gegenstand nach Anspruch 1, bei dem die Schicht (22) aus flexiblem elektrisch leitendem Material eine Dicke von mindestens 1 Mikrometer hat.
  3. Gegenstand nach Anspruch 2, bei dem die Schicht (22) aus elektrisch leitendem Material eine Aluminiumfolie mit einer Dicke von zwischen 1 bis 15 Mikrometern ist.
  4. Gegenstand nach Anspruch 3, bei dem die Aluminiumfolie (22) eine Dicke von 3 bis 10 Mikrometern hat.
  5. Gegenstand nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, bei dem die Substratschicht (18) aus Papier oder Pappe gebildet ist.
  6. Gegenstand nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, bei dem die Substratschicht (18) auf einer Seite der Schicht (22) aus elektrisch leitendem Material und ein Polymerfilm (20) auf der anderen Seite vorgesehen ist.
  7. Gegenstand nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, bei dem die Substratschicht (18) auf beiden Seiten der Schicht (22) aus elektrisch leitendem Material vorgesehen ist.
  8. Gegenstand nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, welcher in Taschenstruktur (40) geformt ist, die dazu geeignet ist, das Nahrungsmittel zu umschließen.
  9. Gegenstand nach Anspruch 8, bei dem die genannte Mehrzahl der Öffnungen eine Mehrzahl von individuellen parallelen länglichen Öffnungen (42) aufweist, die voneinander beabstandet sind.
  10. Gegenstand nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 7, der in Form einer Schüssel (10) ausgebildet ist.
  11. Gegenstand nach Anspruch 10, bei dem die Schüssel eine Pasteten-Schüssel mit einer Bodenwand und einer Seitenwand ist und die genannte Mehrzahl von Öffnungen (24) so angeordnet ist, daß sie sich radial von dem Zentrum der Bodenwand der Schüssel aus und in die Seitenwände der Schüssel erstrecken, so daß sie mit der Pastete, wenn sie in der Schüssel ist, in Eingriff stehen.
  12. Gegenstand nach Anspruch 10 oder 11, bei dem jede der genannten Öffnungen (24) dieselbe Breite hat.
  13. Gegenstand nach Anspruch 10, bei dem die Schüssel eine Pasteten-Schüssel mit einer Bodenwand und einer Seitenwand ist und die genannte Mehrzahl von Öffnungen (24) eine längliche Spirale aufweist, die sich von der Seitenwand der Pasteten-Schüssel zum Zentrum der Bodenwand erstreckt.
  14. Gegenstand nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, bei dem eine weitere Schicht aus elektrisch leitendem Material mit einer Dicke, die ausreichend gering ist, um die Umwandlung eines Teils der auftreffenden Mikrowellenenergie in Wärmeenergie zu bewirken, in Eingriff mit der Substratschicht angeordnet ist, um eine verstärkte Erhitzungswirkung in der genannten Mehrzahl von Öffnungen zu erzielen, indem die weitere Schicht aus elektrisch leitendem Material der Mikrowellenenergie ausgesetzt wird.
  15. Gegenstand nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, bei dem die Schicht aus elektrisch leitendem Material (22) zwischen äußeren Schichten aus Polymermaterial (20) laminiert ist.
  16. Gegenstand nach Anspruch 15, bei dem mindestens eine der Polymermaterial-Schichten (20) aus stabilem formbarem Material gebildet ist.
  17. Gegenstand nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, bei dem die für Mikrowellen durchlässige Schicht eine Polymerfilmschicht aufweist, an welcher die Schicht aus elektrisch leitendem Material durch Laminieren von Klebstoff angeklebt ist.
  18. Gegenstand nach Anspruch 17, bei dem die genannte Mehrzahl von länglichen Öffnungen in der Schicht aus elektrisch leitendem Material durch selektive Demetallisierung gebildet ist.
  19. Gegenstand nach Anspruch 18, bei dem die Schicht aus elektrisch leitendem Material nach der selektiven Demetallisierung mit einer Schicht aus nicht-klebend machendem Material für das Laminieren von Klebstoff beschichtet ist.
  20. Gegenstand nach Anspruch 19, bei dem eine Schicht aus einem Nahrungsmittel freigebenden Material an Bereichen der Polymerfilmschicht, die mit dem Nahrungsmittel in Berührung kommen, auf deren Seite vorgesehen ist, die zu der Seite entgegengesetzt ist, mit der das elektrisch leitende Material verbunden ist.
  21. Gegenstand nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche in Kombination mit dem darin verpackten Nahrungsmittel, wobei die genannte Mehrzahl von Öffnungen in einem Wärmeenergie erzeugenden Verhältnis mit dem Nahrungsmittel angeordnet ist.
  22. Verwendung bei einer Verpackungsstruktur mit mehreren Schichten von einer Mehrzahl von länglichen Öffnungen (24, 42) in einer Schicht (22) aus flexiblem elektrisch leitendem Material, die auf einer Substratschicht (18) gestützt ist, um beim Aussetzen an Mikrowellenenergie in dem Bereich der Öffnungen Wärmeenergie zu erzeugen, um eine gewünschte Oberflächenbräunung des Nahrungsmittels zu bewirken, während es erlaubt wird, daß ausreichend Mikrowellenenergie durch die Öffnungen in das Nahrungsmittel dringt, um ein gewünschtes Maß an Erwärmung des Nahrungsmittels zu bewirken, wodurch das Nahrungsmittel in einem eßbaren Zustand bereitgestellt werden kann, wobei die Schicht (22) aus flexiblem elektrisch leitendem Material eine Dicke aufweist, die normalerweise im wesentlichen undurchlässig für Mikrowellenstrahlung ist, und die länglichen Öffnungen (24, 42) aufweist, die sich durch die ganze Dicke der elektrisch leitenden Materialschicht (22) erstrecken, um es der Mikrowellenenergie zu ermöglichen, durch diese hindurchzugelangen,
    wobei die Substratschicht (18) aus für Mikrowellenenergie durchlässigem Material gebildet ist und in haftendem die Struktur stützenden Verhältnis zu der flexiblen Schicht aus elektrisch leitendem Material (22) steht, wobei jede Öffnung der genannten Mehrzahl von Öffnungen (24, 42) eine Breite von mindestens lmm und eine Länge hat, die mindestens 1,75cm beträgt und größer ist als die Breite, wobei benachbarte Öffnungen um mindestens 0,5mm von dem elektrisch leitenden Material beabstandet sind.
  23. Verwendung nach Anspruch 22, bei welcher die Verpackungsstruktur mit mehreren Schichten einen Gegenstand gemäß einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 21 aufweist.
EP91902970A 1990-02-02 1991-01-31 Geregeltes heizen von nahrungsmitteln durch mikrowellen Expired - Lifetime EP0513076B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (5)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA002009207A CA2009207A1 (en) 1990-02-02 1990-02-02 Controlled heating of foodstuffs by microwave energy
CA200920 1990-02-02
US53516890A 1990-06-08 1990-06-08
US535168 1990-06-08
PCT/CA1991/000031 WO1991011893A1 (en) 1990-02-02 1991-01-31 Controlled heating of foodstuffs by microwave energy

Publications (2)

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EP0513076A1 EP0513076A1 (de) 1992-11-19
EP0513076B1 true EP0513076B1 (de) 1996-08-28

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JP (1) JPH05500133A (de)
AR (1) AR246491A1 (de)
AT (1) ATE142073T1 (de)
AU (1) AU645777B2 (de)
DE (1) DE69121698T2 (de)
NZ (1) NZ236962A (de)
WO (1) WO1991011893A1 (de)

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FR2839630A1 (fr) 2002-05-15 2003-11-21 Rational Ag Support de produit a cuire ayant au moins une surface de contact.
US8026464B2 (en) 2004-03-01 2011-09-27 Nestec S.A. Multi-purpose food preparation kit

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US5185506A (en) * 1991-01-15 1993-02-09 Advanced Dielectric Technologies, Inc. Selectively microwave-permeable membrane susceptor systems
CA2041062C (en) * 1991-02-14 2000-11-28 D. Gregory Beckett Demetallizing procedure
CA2046836C (en) * 1991-05-06 2000-04-04 D. Gregory Beckett Pizza box
GB9201932D0 (en) * 1992-01-29 1992-03-18 Beckett Ind Inc Novel microwave heating structure
US5800724A (en) * 1996-02-14 1998-09-01 Fort James Corporation Patterned metal foil laminate and method for making same
AU742877B2 (en) * 1997-05-19 2002-01-17 Commonwealth Scientific And Industrial Research Organisation Microwave browning of vegetables
US6682764B1 (en) 1997-05-19 2004-01-27 Commonwealth Scientific And Industrial Research Organization Microwave browning of vegetables
US6492009B1 (en) * 2001-09-20 2002-12-10 Graphic Packaging Corporation Manufacture and method for obtaining accurately dimensioned features from a metal-containing web processed with a continuous etch process
EP1993928B1 (de) 2006-03-10 2011-05-11 Graphic Packaging International, Inc. Behälter mit interaktivem mikrowellennetz
CN101636620B (zh) * 2007-01-22 2013-04-24 印刷包装国际公司 均匀加热的微波容器
EP2296999B1 (de) 2008-07-11 2014-03-05 Graphic Packaging International, Inc. Mikrowellenheizbehälter

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US3845266A (en) * 1973-07-09 1974-10-29 Raytheon Co Microwave cooking utensil
FR2359695A1 (fr) * 1976-07-27 1978-02-24 Commissariat Energie Atomique Piece de revolution de forme plate obtenue par enroulement d'un filament impregne d'un polymere durcissable
US4268738A (en) * 1977-09-28 1981-05-19 The Procter & Gamble Company Microwave energy moderator
CA1153069A (en) * 1979-03-16 1983-08-30 Oscar E. Seiferth Food receptacle for microwave cooking
GB2211380A (en) * 1987-10-21 1989-06-28 Int Paper Co Flexible package for microwave cooking
US4896009A (en) * 1988-07-11 1990-01-23 James River Corporation Gas permeable microwave reactive package

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2839630A1 (fr) 2002-05-15 2003-11-21 Rational Ag Support de produit a cuire ayant au moins une surface de contact.
DE10221471B4 (de) * 2002-05-15 2005-08-25 Rational Ag Gargutträger mit zumindest einer Kontaktfläche
US8026464B2 (en) 2004-03-01 2011-09-27 Nestec S.A. Multi-purpose food preparation kit
US8525087B2 (en) 2004-03-01 2013-09-03 Nestec S.A. Multi-purpose food preparation kit

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
ATE142073T1 (de) 1996-09-15
WO1991011893A1 (en) 1991-08-08
NZ236962A (en) 1993-08-26
EP0513076A1 (de) 1992-11-19
AU645777B2 (en) 1994-01-27
AR246491A1 (es) 1994-08-31
DE69121698D1 (de) 1996-10-02
JPH05500133A (ja) 1993-01-14
AU7150291A (en) 1991-08-21
DE69121698T2 (de) 1997-03-20

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