| Food container -> Monitor Keywords |
|
|
 
Food containerRelated Patent Categories: Food Or Edible Material: Processes, Compositions, And Products, Packaged Or Wrapped Product, Having Consumer Oriented Diverse Utility, For Cooking Or Heating FoodFood container description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070092609, Food container. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE [0001] This disclosure generally relates to a food container suitable for distribution of a food item to consumers. More particularly, the disclosure concerns a food container suitable for initial baking of a food item, subsequent distribution of that food item, and reheating or final preparation of the food item by the ultimate purchaser. BACKGROUND [0002] Many products are prepared commercially for distribution to consumers, which products require re-heating, tempering, and/or thawing before consumption. Typical products are pies, cakes, and other dessert items. With more and more frequency, such products are being created with toppings and creative embellishments to enhance their presentation to the ultimate consumer. Where the product is a baked or pre-cooked item, the normal manufacturing process includes baking or cooking in commercial cookware, removal of the prepared item from the commercial cookware, and packaging the prepared item for distribution and ultimate sale. Sometimes, an aluminum tray may be used for manufacturing. During distribution a plastic dome may or may not be used or a paperboard sleeve with shrink-wrap may be used. [0003] For some such products, reheating is required immediately before serving to finish off the cooking or baking process and/or to provide the aura of a freshly baked product. Normally, such reheating involves removal of the food item from its distribution package, application of toppings and/or embellishments, and reheating in local cookware. Occasionally, pre-decorated frozen products are served in an aluminum pan. [0004] Those processing steps tend to be both time consuming and labor intensive. For example, removal of commercial quantities of baked items from commercial cookware requires manipulation of the baked items either by hand or by additional mechanized equipment. Regardless of whether such manipulation is manual or mechanized, it gives rise to product loss through breakage and/or damage as well as a greater potential for product contamination. Moreover, such manipulation increases production costs through yield loss, increased labor costs, and/or through cost, depreciation, and maintenance of the necessary equipment including, without limitation, cleaning and sanitizing equipment. [0005] Furthermore, when toppings and/or embellishments are applied to the food item before presentation for consumption, they are typically done manually, item by item. That results not only in increased cost but also in lack of uniformity in the finished item. [0006] Accordingly, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the need continues to exist for packaging and processes which overcome one or more of such deficiencies. SUMMARY [0007] To obviate the need for removing the food item from commercial cookware, a food container according to this disclosure functions both as the baking cookware and the transportation container. Moreover, to further minimize handling of the food item, the container may also be used to reheat the food item if necessary. To effectuate those features, the body of the food container of this disclosure is fabricated from a food-grade material that maintains its structural integrity during two or more heating cycles, as well as during freezing and/or shipping. A suitable material is a thermoplastic polyester, such as crystalline polyethylene terephthalate (CPET). Depending upon the application, the body may also be fabricated from a microwave susceptor material or include a microwave susceptor coating thereon. [0008] The configuration of the food container enhances its ability to reduce handling and transfer of food product. More particularly, the food container comprises three components: a body portion, a removable bottom, and a transparent seal sheet. [0009] The body portion is preferably fabricated from, for example, CPET. Preferably, the body portion is annular with a sidewall that diverges upwardly away from a bottom flange. This arrangement eases product removal from the container. The bottom flange of the body portion defines a generally circular opening that is covered by the removable bottom element. [0010] The removable bottom element may be fashioned from CPET, corrugated board, or paperboard depending upon the required resistance to lateral deflection, required heat tolerance, and cost. As long as the food container will not be subjected to temperatures exceeding the kindling temperature of paper (about 450.degree. F.) corrugated board and paperboard are preferred. Preferably, the bottom element includes a non-stick coating. If desired, a microwave susceptor coating may also be provided on the bottom element. [0011] To protect product in the container from environmental degradation, and damage from handling, the open mouth of the body portion is preferably covered by a transparent sheet of plastic material that can be sealed to the material of the body portion. To this end, the open mouth of the body portion is circumscribed by an annular, planar sealing flange to which the transparent sheet may be sealed. Sealing may be effected in any suitable manner, e.g., by thermal bonding, adhesive, and the like. To simplify the covering process, the transparent sheet is cut with parallel sides having a quadrilateral shape, rather than in a generally circular shape to conform to the shape of the sealing flange. Nevertheless, if desired, the transparent sheet may be conform to the top of the body portion and may even include a pull tab to facilitate its removal. [0012] With the removable bottom in place, the body portion may function as cookware and can receive a food item to be baked or otherwise pre-cooked. The food item, in the body portion assembly, may be cooked for a suitable length of time. After the baking or cooking, the container and the food item are handled together, so that it is unnecessary to separate the food item from its associated cookware. After baking or cooking, the container and the food item are cooled. Suitable toppings and/or fanciful embellishments may then be applied to food item so that product uniformity exists. [0013] The cooled, decorated food item is then covered with the transparent sheet, which is sealed to the flange of the body portion. Depending upon the food item, the packaged item may be frozen. Thereafter the food item, in its original package, is distributed to the ultimate purchaser. [0014] To prepare the food item for consumption, the ultimate purchaser removes the transparent cover sheet and tempers, thaws, and/or reheats the food item, still in its original container. When the food item is finally ready for presentation to the dining person, the removable bottom is pushed upwardly while the body portion is restrained or pushed downwardly, thereby releasing the food item while continuing to support it on the removable bottom element. The food item may then be placed on a flat serving piece and presented to the dining person without further need to embellish it. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0015] Many objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art when this written description is read in conjunction with the attached drawings wherein like reference numerals are applied to like elements and wherein: [0016] FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a food container; [0017] FIG. 2 is a top view of the food container; [0018] FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2; [0019] FIG. 4 is a side view of the container; [0020] FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of a stack of container bodies; and Continue reading about Food container... Full patent description for Food container Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Food container patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Food container or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Disposable packaging for a ready-made food product Next Patent Application: Multicomponent package Industry Class: Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Food container patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.13905 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Daimler Chrysler , DirecTV , Exxonmobil Chemical Company , Goodyear , Intel , Kyocera Wireless , 174 |
 * Protect your Inventions * US Patent Office filing 
PATENT INFO |
|
