Abstract:
A self-venting microwaveable pouch, a food product, and a method of preparing a food product utilizing a rupturable or vent seal that is formed in the pouch and along an aperture formed by the pouch. Multiple pouch products can be stored or displayed by placing hanger or hook through apertures defined by the pouch panels, such as apertures in the top sections of the panels. A vent seal is formed along the aperture. Flexible insets extend between bottom sections of the panels. The insets and bottoms of the panels and outwardly extendable to form a base to support the pouch in an upright position. In use, when a food item is heated in a microwave oven, the rupturable seal is reliably broken before other pouch seals. As a result, the pouch can be conveniently shipped and displayed, and the food item can be properly cooked and maintained within the container.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to microwaveable containers, and more particularly, to a self-venting microwaveable pouch, having a seal that reliably breaks or ruptures before other pouch seals.  
       DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART  
       [0002]     Various microwave cooking products and packages have been produced using different materials and venting mechanisms. For example, one common microwaveable cooking package is a microwave popcorn bag. Microwave popcorn bags are typically sealed and configured with a vent so that steam from heated popcorn kernels and oil can be released from the bag. The vent can also facilitate opening of the bag after the kernels have popped. Other microwaveable packages include food items that are divided within tray sections. The tray is typically covered by a plastic sheet or film. In use, a consumer partially lifts the plastic sheet from the tray or punctures the plastic covering to provide an outlet for steam that is generated by the heated food items. Other microwaveable containers, such as a pouch, utilize pre-formed slits or cuts to facilitate venting of the pouch.  
         [0003]     Known microwaveable containers and pouches, can be improved. For example, they should be self-venting so that a consumer is not required to manually prepare or enable venting mechanisms. Further, they should vent reliably and predictably in a predetermined location to avoid undesirable pouch breaches. For example, edge seals of some conventional microwaveable pouches and bags may have consistent similar strength since they are sealed with a common sealing machine. As a result, when a pouch and a food item therein are heated in a microwave oven, accumulated steam from the heated food items can cause any one of the seals to randomly rupture, such as the side and/or bottom seals. In other words, various pouch seals can rupture in an unpredictable and uncontrollable manner. Consequently, the food item can inadvertently leak through the breaches in the pouch, resulting in a loss of the food item. Further, the food item remaining in the pouch may not be properly cooked, and the spilled food item can splatter onto interior surfaces of the microwave oven, requiring additional microwave cleaning by the consumer. Further, self-venting containers and pouches should be user friendly so that they can simply be inserted into the microwave without additional preparations. They should also be easy to display and store, such as on a hanger or other display stand.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0004]     In accordance with one embodiment, a self-venting pouch for use in heating a food item in a microwave oven includes a flexible front panel, a second flexible panel, and a rupturable seal formed in the panels. The panels are sealed together, thereby holding the food item therein. The rupturable seal is formed along an aperture defined by the panels. When the food item within the pouch is sufficiently heated in the microwave oven, the rupturable seal breaks to release steam from the heated food item.  
         [0005]     In another embodiment, a microwaveable food product includes a self-venting pouch and a food item contained within the pouch. The pouch includes flexible panels that are sealed together. A rupturable seal is formed in the panels and along an aperture defined by the panels. When the food item within the pouch is sufficiently heated in the microwave oven, the rupturable seal breaks to release steam generated by the heated food item.  
         [0006]     In yet a further embodiment, a method of preparing a food item in a microwave oven includes inserting the food item within a pouch having flexible panels that are sealed together, forming a rupturable seal that is formed along an aperture defined by the panels, inserting the pouch containing the food item in the microwave oven, heating the food item in the microwave oven, and breaking the rupturable seal to release steam generated by the heated food item.  
         [0007]     In various embodiments, the panels can be sealed together using various techniques, e.g., a heat seal. The panels can also have various shapes, e.g., generally rectangular (as shown), square, or other sizes depending on the desired packaging and food product contained therein. For example, in one embodiment, the panels can have a width of about 3″ to about 5″ and a height of about 6″ to about 8″. Indeed, the configuration shown in the Figures is not intended to be limiting since other embodiments may utilize other pouch shapes and sizes.  
         [0008]     The pouch can include flexible inset members that extend between the bottoms of the panel. The inset members and the bottoms of the panels can expand outward so that the bottoms of the panels form a base to enable the pouch to stand in an upright position. The panels can also define an indent so that the panels can be opened along a score or tear line defined initiated the indent.  
         [0009]     The aperture defined by the panels can be defined through a top, middle or corner section of the panel with various shapes, e.g., circular, semi-circular, generally triangular shapes. The rupturable seal can be placed at various locations along the aperture, e.g., along a bottom, a side, and a bottom and a side of the aperture. The rupturable seal can have various suitable shapes and dimensions, e.g., a width of about 3 mm to about 10 mm along an aperture. The rupturable seal breaks before other panel seals to provide a reliable and predictable vent. For example, the vent seal may break after about 30 seconds to about 60 seconds of heating in a 1100 W microwave oven. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]     Referring now to the drawings, in which like reference numbers represent corresponding parts throughout, and in which:  
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a self-venting microwaveable pouch;  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  is a front view of an embodiment of a self-venting microwaveable pouch;  
         [0013]      FIG. 3  illustrates a self-venting pouch in an upright position in a microwave oven;  
         [0014]      FIG. 4  illustrates a break in a rupturable seal due to accumulated steam in a pouch;  
         [0015]      FIG. 5  is a side view of an embodiment of a self-venting microwaveable pouch;  
         [0016]      FIG. 6  is a top view of an embodiment of a self-venting microwaveable pouch;  
         [0017]      FIG. 7A  is a bottom view of an embodiment of a self-venting microwaveable pouch illustrating flexible inset members extending between and bottom sections of the panels;  
         [0018]      FIG. 7B  is a bottom view of the pouch shown in  FIG. 7A  with the bottom sections of the panels and the inset members outwardly expanded to forma base or support;  
         [0019]      FIG. 8  is a flow diagram illustrating a method of preparing a self-venting microwaveable pouch having a food item; and  
         [0020]      FIG. 9  is a flow diagram illustrating a method of heating a food item contained within a self-venting pouch in a microwave oven. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS  
       [0021]     Embodiments of a self-venting microwaveable pouch, a food product having a self-venting pouch and a food item, and methods for preparing and heating a food item in a microwave oven utilizing a self-venting pouch are disclosed. In the following description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which show by way of illustration specific embodiments. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized.  
         [0022]     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , one embodiment of a self-venting microwavable pouch  100  includes a first or front panel, section or side (generally “panel”)  110  and a second or rear panel  120  (not shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ). The panels  110  and  120  (generally  110 ) are sealed or secured together with a food item  125  there between. As illustrated, the panels  110  have a generally flat shape and similar sizes. The panels may be separate panels that are joined together. Alternatively, the panels  110  may be part of a uni-body or pre-formed construction. Thus, this specification refers to first and second “panels” as a reference to a side of the panel for purposes of explanation and illustration, not limitation.  
         [0023]     The exemplary pouch panels  110  shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  are generally rectangular in shape and are approximately the same size. For example, the panels  110  can have a width of about 3″ to about 5″ and a height of about 6″ to about 8″. Indeed, other panel  110  configurations and dimensions, such as square and circular configurations, can also be utilized for different applications and food items  125 . Thus, the rectangular configuration is illustrative of other shapes that can be utilized.  
         [0024]     Exemplary food items  125  that can be contained within the pouch  100  include a sauce, a meat item, and meat, a combination of a and sauce food item. One exemplary food item  125  is commonly referred to as a Manwich® or “Sloppy Joe” food item, available from ConAgra Grocery Products Company, 3355 Michelson Drive, Irvine, Calif. Other suitable food items  125  include meat and meat-substitute items such as beef, pork, chicken, tuna, soy food items, tofu, vegetables, and combinations thereof. For purposes of explanation, not limitation, this specification refers to a combination meat and sauce food item, such as a Manwich® or “Sloppy Joe” food item.  
         [0025]     The food item  125  can be inserted within the pouch  100  using various known food processing, sterilization, injection, vacuum and retort processing techniques. Accordingly, details of these known techniques are not discussed here in detail.  
         [0026]     One or more or all of the exterior pouch surfaces can be laminated to provide further support to the pouch. Exemplary laminate materials include oriented polyester, oriented nylon or combinations thereof. Additional layers can be applied to these oriented polyester and/or nylon layers, to provide barrier or air tight properties to the pouch. These additional layers may include, for example, aluminum oxide and ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH). Further, the interior surfaces of the pouch can be prepared with suitable linings or coatings to facilitate heating, storage and processing of the food item. For example, the inner surfaces can laminated with a polypropylene layer or a polyethylene layer. Accordingly, embodiments are not limited to a particular manner of preparing a pouch  100  or pouch materials. Thus, various packaging techniques and materials can provide packaged food item  125  that has a long shelf life to provide extended distribution and storage durations and that can be stored in ambient, refrigerated or frozen conditions.  
         [0027]     The panels  110  can be secured together using known heat, ultrasonic, and adhesive sealing techniques, as necessary. For example, with the exemplary rectangular panel configuration, the panels  110  are secured together with side or lateral seals  131  and  132 , and one or more top seals or seal sections  133  and  134 . If necessary, the top sections of the panels  110  can also be sealed together with a top middle seal section  135 . Persons of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that various other seal and seal section configurations can be utilized. Persons of ordinary skill in the art will also appreciate that a sealing device can be configured to provide a single seal or multiple seals to cover the seal sections, however, the seals are illustrated as bottom, top and side sections for purposes of illustration.  
         [0028]     As shown in  FIGS. 2, 5 ,  7 A and  7 B, flexible inset members  160 a-b (generally  160 ) extend between bottom sections of panels  110  and upward into the pocket or pouch interior where they meet at  162 . As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , line  162  can have a contour shape to form a “pocket” for holding the food item. Indeed, other shapes can be utilized. The ends of the bottoms of panels  110  are sealed with end seals  130   a - b  (generally  130 ). Thus, the mid-sections of the bottoms of the panels  110  are not sealed together and are moveable. As a result, the base members  160  and bottoms of panels  110  can freely expand outward ( FIG. 7B ).  
         [0029]     An aperture or slot  140  is formed through the panels  110 . The aperture  140  can have a shape, such as a rectangular or triangular shape, so that the pouch  100  or multiple pouches can be placed on a hanger or other store display. Indeed, other aperture  140  shapes and sizes may be utilized depending on the particular pouch configuration and display or storage application. For example, other suitable aperture  140  shapes may be circular, elliptical and vertical and horizontal slot shapes. Additionally, although the aperture  140  is shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  as being located in the middle of the top sections of the panels  110 , other suitable aperture locations may include corners and sides of the panels  110 . Additionally, the aperture may be formed by removing panel material or by cutting or scoring material that is not completely removed to form a flap.  
         [0030]     A rupturable or vent seal  150  is formed in the panels  110  and along the aperture  140 . Various vent seal  150  configurations may be suitable depending on the shape and location of the aperture  140 . In one embodiment, as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the vent seal  150  generally follows the bottom  141  and sides  142  and  143  of an aperture  140 . In this embodiment, the width W of the seal  150  can range from about 3 mm to about 10 mm. Indeed, different vent seal  150  configurations and dimensions can be used with different aperture  140  shapes and sizes.  
         [0031]     In use, referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , a pouch  100  with a food item  125  is placed in a microwave oven  300  and heated. As the food item  125  is heated, it releases steam  305 , which accumulates within the pouch  100 . Before the seal  150  is broken, the accumulated steam  305  can further cook the food item  125  in conjunction with microwave energy. As the steam  305  continues to accumulate within the pouch.  100 , the resulting forces generally (shown by arrows) are higher on the vent seal  150  due to the pouch geometry. Since the smaller area seal  150  has a larger concentration of steam  305  forces compared to longer bottom, side and top seals  130 - 134 .  
         [0032]     The steam  305  forces eventually form a breach or break  310  in the rupturable seal  150 , preferably before one of the other bottom, top or side seals  130 - 134  break in this embodiment. With this configuration, the seal  150  predictably and reliably breaks somewhere along the aperture, before the other pouch seals, thereby maintaining the integrity of the bottom and side pouch seals  130 - 132 . Further, once the seal  150  has broken, the integrity of the bottom and side seals  130 - 132  is maintained since steam  300  is released through the seal break  310 .  
         [0033]     For example, in one implementation, a pouch  100  was prepared with a Manwich® type product having a meat and a sauce. The panel seals  130 - 134  and the rupturable or vent seal  150  were prepared using known heat seal techniques. The filled and sealed pouch  100  was placed in a 1100 W microwave  300  and heated for about 30 to about 60 seconds. The seal  150  ruptured, thereby releasing steam  305  from the pouch  100  through the break  310 . Persons of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that other food items  125  having different moisture contents may generate different amounts of steam  305 , which in turn, can alter the vent, real configuration and the duration of microwave  300  heating that is required to rupture the vent seal  150 . For example, foods with a higher fat content may be heated more quickly than foods with lower fat contents.  
         [0034]     Persons of ordinary skill in the art will also appreciate that while the vent seal  150  predictably and reliably fails before the bottom and side pouch seals, different sections and lengths of the vent seal  150  can break. A seal break  310  can occur along the entire vent seal  150  or portions thereof. For example, a break  310  can occur at one of the ends of the vent seal, e.g., at the ends  143  and  144  of the aperture  140 . A break  310  can also occur at middle section of the vent seal, e.g., at the bottom  141  of the aperture  140 . Alternatively, a break  310  can occur at side and a middle section of the seal  150 .  
         [0035]     After the food item  125  is prepared and the seal  150  has been broken, the pouch  100  can be opened to access the food item  125  therein. For example, in one embodiment, one or more sides or edges of the panels  110  define one or more score line or tear indents  136  and  137  (generally  136 ). As shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , the indents  136  are located towards the top of the pouch  100  and generally define a tear line  138  along a top section of the panels  110 . In the illustrated embodiment, the tear line  138  is below the seal  150  and the aperture  140 . In use, after the food item  125  is prepared in a microwave oven, a user applies force above and below the indent  136  to tear the panels  1 . 10  to access the heated food item  125 .  
         [0036]     Referring to FIGS.  7 A-B, the bottoms of the pouch panels  110  and  120  are flexible inset members  160  can be expanded outward as needed to form a base or a support. The outwardly extending bottom section of the panels  110  and  120  form a base that allows the pouch  100  to stand in a stable, upright position ( FIG. 3 ). In the illustrated embodiment, the seal  150  is positioned at the top of the pouch  100 . This configuration allows a consumer to simply place the food-filled pouch in the microwave oven in an upright position without worrying about the pouch filling over or a side or bottom pouch seal breaking.  
         [0037]     In various embodiments, the food item  125  may be stored throughout the entire interior or pocket of the pouch  100  or portions thereof when in storage or when not heated, for example, depending on the orientation of the pouch and the particular food item (e.g. liquid, semi-solid solid) food items. Thus, the weight of the food item  125  within the bottom portion of the pouch  100  and the resulting low center of gravity provide further support to a vertically oriented pouch. When an upright or standing is heated, the food item  125  may totally or partially liquefy and settle towards the bottom of the pouch  100 . Further, when a user opens the pouch using along the tear line  138 , the heated food item  125  remains within the bottom of the pouch  100  and does not leak from the opened top section.  
         [0038]     Having described embodiments of a self-venting microwaveable pouch and a food product according to the present invention, this specification now describes methods of preparing and heating a food item using a pouch having a rupturable vent seal as previously discussed.  
         [0039]     Referring to  FIG. 8 , in step  800 , a food item is placed or injected within a pouch having flexible front and back panels using, for example, known retort processing or other sterilization techniques. In step  805 , the panels are secured or sealed together so that the food item is contained within the pouch between the panels. In step  810 , an aperture is formed within the panels. The aperture can be used to hang the pouch from a display stand. In step  815 , the top of the pouch is sealed with a vent seal that is formed along the aperture. Persons of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that these steps can be performed in different orders. For example, the aperture formation can be done before filling. Further, a pouch can be filled with a food item after most of the seals have been made.  
         [0040]     Referring to  FIG. 9 , in use, in step  900 , the pouch containing the food item is inserted into the microwave oven. In step  905 , the microwave oven is activated to heat the food item. In step  910 , the heated food item releases steam, which can also cook the food item in addition to the microwave heating. In step  915 , the steam accumulates within the pouch until sufficient pressure builds within the pouch so that in step  920 , the rupturable seal breaks and releases the steam from the pouch.  
         [0041]     Persons of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the inventive concepts and embodiments described herein can be utilized with different panel, aperture, and rupturable vent seal configurations and different food items and products. For example, various configurations and sizes pouch panels can be utilized. Further, various sizes and shapes of apertures and vent seals can be utilized. Further, although this specification refers to a meat and sauce product, other food items can be prepared with the present invention including, but not limited to, various sauces to be added to a food item (e.g., marinara, meat, and alfredo sauces), meat (e.g., beef, chicken, pork and tuna) and meat substitute products (soy-based products and tofu), and vegetables. Accordingly, persons of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the invention is not limited to the particular exemplary embodiments described and illustrated, but that insubstantial modifications, alterations, and substitutions can be made to the described embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention, as recited in the accompanying claims.