Patent ID: 6607764
Filing Date: 2003-08-19
Classification: B65D

Abstract:
A microwave-safe package for storing and heating consumable goods in a microwave oven, comprising:a microwave-safe container defining an interior, said container having sufficient stability to withstand heating conditions including microwave energy, vapor pressures of up to 3 bar, and a temperature of 150Â° Celsius; a one-way microwave-safe valve for venting gas from the interior, said valve capable of venting excess pressure during storage and during heating to prevent package rupture or damage, wherein said valve has a well-defined flow resistance and a dimensionally stable valve gate at vapor pressures of up to 3 bar and at temperatures of up to 150Â° Celsius developed in the interior during heating; said one-way valve configured to enable the vapor pressure which builds up in the package during microwave heating to escape comparatively slower from the package into the ambient atmosphere primarily due to the flow resistance of said valve such that a vapor banking situation develops inside the package such that the temperature rises above 100Â° Celsius and the pressure increases above ambient such that the cooking of the consumable goods occurs quickly and gently; and consumable goods disposed in the interior of the container, said consumable goods comprising of at least two different fresh, raw foods that require different cooking times in water, and said consumable goods having an amount of water content of at least 30% by weight.