FR2898591A1 - Extruded cereal e.g. pellet, packaging and cooking device for micro-wave furnace, has wave reflecting unit with reflecting cover, where reflecting unit is in form of plate or rigid sheet arranged on or under base - Google Patents

Abstract

The device has a base (16), lateral walls (18), and a wave reflecting unit (22) arranged in a central part of the device so that pellets are not affected by strong radiation concentrations. The reflection unit is in the form of a plate or a rigid sheet arranged on or under the base, and has a reflecting cover on one of the faces of the reflection unit. A cavity (88) is placed under the base for favoring the cooking, where the base is moved with respect to lower ends of the lateral walls.

Description

DEVICE FOR PACKAGING AND COOKING EXTRUDED CEREALS OR

SIMILAR

  The present invention relates to a device for packaging and cooking extruded cereals or the like. Extruded cereals, hereinafter referred to as pellets, may have different shapes, for example, be in the form of balls, fries, rings, tiles, cones, corrugated plates or the like. These pellets are made from small, compact and rigid semolina-based elements that when cooked increase in volume and become porous and crisp. For cooking, these elements can be fried in oil or cooked in hot air and then sprayed with oil and / or aromatics. After cooking, these pellets are packaged in pockets or boxes bulky relative to the mass contained. Given the fragile structure of the pellets, the bags or boxes must be handled carefully to avoid crushing the pellets from the packaging station until they are consumed. On the other hand, given the volume of pellets after cooking, the latter occupy a large volume especially during transport, storage or at the level of the linear which generates additional costs, difficult to make profitable. For popcorn, there are corn grain conditioning devices for cooking said grains in a microwave so as to turn them into popcorn. An example of such devices is described in patent application PCT / FR03 / 50076 in the name of the applicant. These devices allow the marketing of popcorn in the form of corn kernels that are more resistant to crushing and less bulky. To promote the bursting of the grains of maize, the bottom of these devices is preferably made from a material absorbing the energy of microwaves.

  Alternatively, the corn kernels are arranged in a receptacle placed at the bottom of these devices, made from a material absorbing the energy of microwaves. The use of suitable devices for popcorn for pellets is unsatisfactory. Indeed, these devices do not allow a homogeneous cooking of all pellets, some of them not being cooked and others burned. Also, the present invention aims to solve the problems of the prior art by providing a packaging and cooking device for extruded cereals or the like such as for example pellets, allowing a homogeneous and satisfactory cooking. For this purpose, the subject of the invention is a device for packaging and cooking elements capable of varying in volume at the time of cooking, in particular extruded cereals such as pellets, said device comprising a bottom, at least one wall side and a top and being capable of being introduced into a microwave oven for cooking, characterized in that it comprises means for reflecting the waves arranged in the central part of the device so that said pellets are not affected by a too much concentration of radiation. Other features and advantages will emerge from the following description of the invention, a description given by way of example only, with reference to the appended drawings in which FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of the device of the invention. on a plate of a microwave oven, - Figure 2 is a schematic representation in section of the device of the invention in a chamber of a microwave oven, - Figure 3A is a section of the bottom of the device according to a first embodiment, - Figure 3B is a sectional view of the bottom of the device according to another embodiment, - Figure 4A is a perspective view of the device of the invention according to an embodiment in folded position, - the FIG. 4B is a perspective view of the device of the invention of FIG. 4A in the deployed position, FIG. 5A is a vertical section of a device according to an embodiment of the bottom, the device in the folded position, FIG. Fig. 5B is a vertical section of the device of Fig. 5A in the deployed position, prior to cooking; Fig. 5C is a vertical section of the device of Fig. 5A in the extended position after cooking; Fig. 6A is a vertical section. of a device according to another embodiment of the bottom, in the deployed position, before cooking, - Figure 6B is a vertical section of the device of Figure 6A, in the deployed position, after cooking, - Figure 7 is a top view of a blank to obtain a container that can be put into place in the device in order to obtain the configuration of FIGS. 5A to 5C; FIG. 8A is a longitudinal section of a container obtained from the blank FIG. 8B is a cross-section of a tray obtained from the blank of FIG. 7 covered with a film, FIG. 9A is a section illustrating the deployment of a device of the invention. - Figure 9B is, on the right half a 1 of the interior of the device, and to the left a half view of the outside of the device illustrating the deployment means, FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating another variant of the tray for obtaining the configuration of the device of the device. Figures 6A and 6B, and - Figure 11 is a sectional view of the device of the invention according to another variant. FIGS. 1 and 2 show at 10 an extruded cereal packaging device, hereinafter referred to as pellets, which can be placed in an enclosure 12 of a microwave oven or the like to obtain the cooking of said pellets .

  These extruded cereals can have different volume shapes, for example being in the form of balls, fries, rings, tiles, cones or other. These extruded cereals are made from small, compact and rigid semolina-based elements that when cooked increase in volume and become porous and crisp.

  Generally, a microwave oven comprises a rotating plate 14 on which the device of the invention may be placed, with a flange 15 at the periphery. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the device forms a container with a bottom 16. , side walls 18 and a cover 20. According to one embodiment, the device has a parallelepiped shape, preferably with a shape slightly flared upwards. The device is preferably made from a cardboard blank.

  However, the device can have different shapes and be made from another material, its volume being adjusted according to the volume of the pellets after cooking. According to the invention, the device comprises means 22 for reflecting the waves arranged in the central part of the device. Unlike the devices of the prior art which comprise at least one element called susceptor capable of absorbing the waves to restore the heat by radiation and / or conduction, the reflection means 22 are not intended to absorb the waves but to reflect them so that they do not directly reach the pellets in the central part of the device but only after reflection on the walls of the enclosure of the microwave oven. Thus, the reflection means 22 make it possible to prevent the pellets from being affected by an excessive concentration of radiation. Microwave waves are generally concentrated in the center of the chamber 15 and generally come directly or after reflection from the lower central part of the chamber. To avoid too excessive cooking, the reflection means 22 are arranged either inside the device on the bottom 16, as illustrated in FIG. 3A, or outside the device under the bottom 16, as illustrated in FIG. Figure 3B. Depending on the case, the reflection means 22 are in the form of a plate or a substantially rigid sheet glued on the bottom or under the bottom 16, comprising on at least one of its faces a reflective coating or being a reflective material. Alternatively, the reflection means 22 could be in the form of a coating directly applied to or under the bottom 16 of the device. According to one embodiment, the reflection means 22 comprise a cardboard sheet with a reflective coating, for example based on an aluminum alloy.

  Preferably, the reflection means 22 are arranged in central part, at the bottom of the device. Advantageously, the reflection means 22 extend over the entire width of the device and cover on the order of 10 to 40%, and preferably of the order of 25%, the bottom surface 16 of the device. As an indication, for a device having a bottom 16 with a length of the order of 24 cm and a width of the order of 12.5 cm, the reflection means have a substantially rectangular shape, with rounded corners, and a length of the order of 12.5 cm and a width of about 6 cm.

  However, these dimensions are given by way of example and are in no way limiting. In order to avoid excessive cooking, the device comprises means for positioning it centrally in the enclosure. For this purpose, the device has a base whose shapes are adapted to those of the plate so that the device is substantially immobilized by the rim 15 of the plate 14. Thus, the bottom has a rectangular shape with appropriate dimensions so that the diagonals have dimensions slightly less than or equal to the diameter delimited by the rim 15 of the plate. Thus for a plate 28 cm in diameter, the bottom of the device has a length of the order of 24 cm and a width of about 12.5 cm. Advantageously, as shown in Figures 4A and 4B, the device is foldable. Thus, it comprises in the lower part a first non-foldable portion 24 in which the uncooked pellets may be stored, and a second foldable portion 26 capable of occupying two states, a first folded state 25 in which the second part is substantially flat and a second expanded state, illustrated in Figure 4B, wherein the second portion 26 forms with the first portion 24 a container whose volume is adapted to that of the cooked pellets.

  According to this embodiment, the first part 24 comprises a substantially square or rectangular bottom and the lower part of the side walls. The second portion 26 is foldable in the folded state to form a lid to define with the first part a reservoir whose dimensions are adapted to the volume of uncooked pellets. This arrangement makes it possible to reduce the volume of the device of the packaging line up to the moment of cooking. The second portion 26 is formed by the remainder of the sidewalls and the top of the device. The second portion 26 is connected to the first portion 24 at each side wall by a first fold line 28. Said side walls each comprise a second fold line 30 substantially parallel to the bottom, arranged equidistant from the first fold line 28 and above. Two opposite side walls 32 comprise third diagonal fold lines 34 for folding the second portion 26. Preferably, the third diagonal fold lines 34 are provided at the smaller side faces of the device corresponding to the width. According to one embodiment, the second fold line 30 comprises in central part of the side walls 32, a cutout 36 for folding the second portion 26 when the latter has a slightly flared shape. In order to prevent this cutout 36 from tearing at its ends, cutouts 38 are provided at the ends of the cutout 36, extending perpendicularly and on either side of said cutout 36. Preferably, the thirds fold lines 34 each extend from the ends of the blanks 38 to their respective vertices. Advantageously, as illustrated in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the device comprises a resealable cover 20 consisting of at least two flaps 40, 40 'whose shapes cooperate in such a way as to keep the lid in the closed position after a first opening.

  The device may include vents to allow the evacuation of steam, especially at the end of the cooking, to prevent the user from getting burned. The various folding lines for folding the device, the vents and the lid are not more detailed because they are described in particular in patent application PCT / FR03 / 50076. The device also comprises means 42 for deployment, for example tabs, provided at two opposite lateral faces, in particular those having the third fold lines 34. Depending on the cooking times, the device may furthermore comprise means 22 of FIG. reflection at least one means for absorbing waves such as a susceptor. However, providing no means to absorb the waves such as a susceptor helps to reduce costs. According to another characteristic of the invention, the device comprises at the bottom 16 means for distributing the uncooked pellets outside the central zone of the device so that at the beginning of cooking the pellets are not arranged above means 22 for reflection. This arrangement prevents uncooked pellets from clumping in the center of the bottom and are not exposed to radiation and remain uncooked. According to an embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 5A to 5C, 7 and 8A, the bottom 16 of the device comprises two flaps 44, 44 ', with pivot axes 46 substantially parallel to the width and arranged on either side of the reflecting means 22, said flaps tending to push the pellets on both sides of the reflection means 22. As illustrated in FIG. 5A, when the device is in the folded position, the free ends of the flaps 44, 44 'abut the folded part of the device. When the device is in the deployed position, before cooking, the flaps 44, 44 'are arranged substantially vertically, as shown in Figure 5B and tend to push the pellets on both sides of the reflection means 22. After cooking or at the end of cooking, the pellets occupy the volume defined by the device so that they tend to press the flaps 44, 44 'against the means 22 for reflection. At this time, even if the pellets are disposed above the reflection means 22, this has no effect at the end of cooking because the pellets disposed above said means 22 are generally cooked. Depending on the case, the shutters can be reported and glued to the bottom. According to a preferred embodiment, the flaps 44, 44 'are formed at the bottom of a tray 48 placed on the bottom of the device. In Figure 7, there is shown a blank for forming a tray 48 10 equipped with flaps. The tray 48 comprises a bottom 50 with periphery of the longitudinal side walls 52 and transverse side walls 54, the side walls 52 and 54 being connected to the bottom by means of fold lines. Depending on the case, the adjacent side walls are connected by bellows or a flap 56. Preferably, the tray has dimensions to be immobilized at the bottom of the device, the side walls of the tray being able to be pressed against the side walls of the device. To form the flaps 44, 44 ', the bottom 50 of the tray comprises an I-shaped cutout, the intermediate portion 58 is disposed in substantially central position, the end portions 60 being preferably arranged at the line folding connecting the bottom to the longitudinal side walls. According to another embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 6A, 6B and 10, the device comprises, at the bottom 16, means for distributing the uncooked pellets outside the central zone of the boss-shaped device 62 provided for in FIG. above the reflection means 22. Advantageously, the boss 62 has at least one inclined section 64 allowing the pellets to slide along the arrows 66 to cover the boss 62 as and when baking. This arrangement prevents the pellets from getting stuck between the side wall (s) and the boss during cooking. According to one embodiment, a sheet of cardboard 68 is pressed against the bottom 16 of the device, said sheet having dimensions greater than those of the bottom and comprising two fold lines 70 so as to form a boss 62 with inclined faces 64 between said fold lines. According to the variants, the boss can be provided at the bottom of the device or at the bottom of a tray 48, in this case, the tray and the portion forming the boss can be made in one piece.

  According to a preferred embodiment, the tray 48 and the boss 62 are made using two separate blanks, assembled by interlocking as illustrated in FIG. 10. The tray 48 is substantially identical to that described above with reference to FIGS. 8A, without however including the I-cut to form the shutters. It comprises two substantially parallel slits 72 arranged at the ends of the boss 62. The boss is in the form of a plate or cardboard sheet substantially square or rectangular with a width equal to that of the tray 48 and a length greater than the distance separating the slots 72 with, at the edges delimiting the length, tabs 74 which can be introduced into a slot 72 each.

  According to a feature of the invention, the use of a tray 48 allows the use of fat for cooking pellets without necessarily providing a sealed device. Preferably, the side walls of the tray 48 are sealingly connected by means of bellows provided in the corners of the blank of the tray 48, as illustrated in FIG. 10. As illustrated in FIG. 8B, the tray 48 may comprise a film 76 connected to the side walls of the tray so as to cover the pellets stored in the tray may be disposed at the bottom of the device of the invention. This solution allows the use of fat for cooking pellets. Advantageously, the film 76 is connected to the lateral edges of the tray with a hot melt glue, so as to allow the film to separate from the edges of the tray during cooking to allow the expansion of the pellets. The tray is not limited to the embodiments described and could be obtained by molding methods.

  According to another characteristic of the invention, as illustrated in FIGS. 5A to 5C, a substantially waterproof sheet 78, for example made of cardboard or the like, whose dimensions are adjusted to those of the device, is provided above the pellets to improve cooking. . This sheet 78 prevents the dispersion of steam through the lid during cooking to obtain a steaming. In FIGS. 9A and 9B, the deployment means 42 are illustrated in detail. The latter comprise an outer portion 80 forming a tongue and acting as a handle and an inner portion 82, which forces the unfolding of the side walls during deployment of the device, called stiffener.

  Advantageously, the tabs 80 pass through the cutouts 36 provided at the side walls 18 having the fold lines diagonally. During deployment by the user of the device, illustrated in Figure 9A, the stiffener 82 is pressed against the inside of the side wall 18 having the third fold lines 34 diagonally.

  On the other hand, as illustrated in FIG. 9B, the edges 84 of the stiffener 82 ensure the unfolding of the two lateral faces comprising only the folding line 30 and keeping them in the unfolded position. For this purpose, the distance separating the ridges 84 of the stiffener 82 is slightly smaller than or equal to the width of the device so as to move the other side walls and to cause an arching of said walls on the ridges 84 at their second line. bending 30, the device thus being held in the deployed position. In order to ensure the deployment, the stiffener 82 extends on both sides of the fold line 30. According to a preferred embodiment, the means 42 are connected to the tray 48. As illustrated in FIG. the stiffeners 82 are connected to the transverse side walls 54 through a fold line. On each side of the tray, the tabs 80 are cut in part in the stiffeners 82 and 10 are articulated relative to the latter through a fold line 86. These cuts and this fold line 86 allow the stiffeners 82 of s' extend beyond the fold line 30 to promote deployment. According to another characteristic of the invention illustrated in FIG. 11, the device 10 comprises a recess 88 placed under the bottom 16 to promote cooking, the bottom being offset with respect to the lower ends of the side walls 18. realization, a return 90 is interposed between the side walls and the bottom 16 so as to raise said bottom and delimit the recess 88. Of course, the invention is obviously not limited to the embodiment shown and described hereinafter above, but covers all variants, especially with respect to the shapes and dimensions of the device and / or the tray.

Claims (13)

  1. Device for conditioning and cooking elements that may vary in volume at the time of cooking, in particular extruded cereals such as pellets, said device comprising a bottom (16), at least one side wall (18) and a top (20) and being capable of being introduced into a microwave oven for cooking, characterized in that it comprises means (22) for reflecting the waves, arranged in the central part of the device so that said pellets are not affected by too much radiation concentration.   2. Packaging and cooking device according to claim 1, characterized in that the means (22) for reflection are in the form of a plate or a substantially rigid sheet attached to the bottom or bottom (16). ), comprising on at least one of its faces a reflective coating or being made of a reflective material.   3. Packaging and cooking device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the means (22) for reflection cover on the order of 10 to 40%, and preferably of the order of 25%, the surface from the bottom (16) of said device.   4. Packaging and cooking device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises means for positioning it centrally in the enclosure.   5. Packaging and cooking device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises at the bottom (16) means for distributing the uncooked pellets outside the central zone of the device so that At the beginning of cooking, the pellets are not arranged above the reflection means (22).   6. Packaging and cooking device according to claim 5, characterized in that the bottom (16) comprises two flaps (44, 44 '), with pivot axes (46) substantially parallel to the width and arranged on the side and other means (22) for reflection, said flaps tending to push the pellets on both sides of the means (22) of reflection.   7. Packaging and cooking device according to claim 5, characterized in that the bottom (16) comprises a boss (62) provided above the means (22) for reflection with at least one inclined section (64) allowing the sliding pellets to cover the boss (62) as and when cooking.   8. Packaging and cooking device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a tray (48) may be arranged at the bottom (16).   9. Packaging and cooking device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is foldable and comprises in the lower part a first non-foldable portion (24) in which the uncooked pellets may be stored. and a second foldable portion (26) capable of occupying two states, a first folded state in which the second portion is substantially flat and a second expanded state, wherein the second portion (26) forms with the first portion (24). a container whose volume is adapted to that of the cooked pellets.   10. Packaging and cooking device according to claim 9, characterized in that it comprises means (42) for deployment provided at two opposite side faces.   11. Packaging and cooking device according to claim 10, characterized in that the means (42) for deployment comprise an outer portion (80) forming a tongue and an inner portion (82) which forces the unfolding of the side walls during the deployment of the device.   12. Packaging and cooking device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a sheet (78) substantially sealed, provided above the pellets to prevent the dispersion of the steam and to obtain a baking. stewed.   13. Packaging and cooking device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a recess (88) placed under the bottom (16) to promote cooking, the bottom being offset from the lower ends. sidewalls (18).