Microwave cooking bag with extension as handling vehicle

Microwave cookware of flexible, transparent material displaying an expandable bottom and two opposing walls, one wall containing an aperture, the other opposing wall displaying an extension, the objective being to manually pull the extension through the aperture rendering the bag closed and, vented, leaving the extension as a handling vehicle.

BACKGROUND 
Many patents have been issued for flexible cookware to be used in a 
microwave oven. It has been found that much of this cookware is only 
available in microwave ready packages and as such requires additional 
members or special devices be added to the configuration to provide for 
filling the cookware, sealing it shut or, providing for a venting or 
handling mechanism. These microwave ready packages most often pre-package 
the comestible inside. This pre-packaging tends to limit the comestible to 
being either frozen or vacuum packaged with a dated shelf life. As a 
result, much of the cookware has become complex and costly and limits the 
choice of comestibles. 
Prosise et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,316,070 Feb. 16, 1982 describes the use of a 
vented enclosure surrounded by a liquid inner layer which surrounds the 
cooking comestible. 
Anderson U.S. Pat. No. 4,810,844 Mar. 7, 1989 describes edible popcorn 
being placed inside the bag after which the upper edges of side panels are 
joined in a seam, it being advantageous, this seam should be made to open 
partially during the cooking process. It is indicated that the closing 
seam be specially configured to allow vapor pressure release by applying a 
heat seal or water sensitive adhesive in a pattern which provides weak 
spots. 
Engstrom et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,734,288 Mar. 28, 1988 describes a package 
of an expandable food pouch within a container. The expandable food pouch 
employing a designed fault along its peripheral edge to facilitate the 
controlled release of pressure formed within the pouch. 
McHam U.S. Pat. No. 4,292,332 utilizes an expandable container comprising a 
closed bag of flexible sheet material having its upper side provided with 
a pattern of weakness that serves as an excessive vapor pressure release. 
Cage et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,571,337 discloses a bag for cooking popcorn in 
a microwave oven in which the top edge seal opens before popping is 
completed to release steam and prevent the popcorn from becoming too 
heavy. 
Black Jr. et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,011,299 Apr. 30, 1991 describes the 
construction of a bag with a fin like extension secured by heat sensitive 
adhesive allowing the extension to expand which seems to improve the 
microwave cooking operation. The popcorn kernels are inserted into the 
interior of the bag through an open top end after which the top end is 
heat sealed. 
Maxwell et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,864,090 Sep. 5, 1989 describes a package in 
which a second portion constituting a flap that extends during the cooking 
process and remains quite cool so it may be grasped to effect safe 
handling. 
Spencer U.S. Pat. No. 2,528,251 describes a recepticle in which the 
comestible is pre-sealed within, then, utilizing a member added to the 
configuration, allows one to get a firm grip on. A ripcord is also 
incorporated into the configuration of the cookware which is grasped and 
pulled resulting in tearing or ripping of the bag. 
SUMMARY 
While all of these previously mentioned patents utilize various methods for 
closing, venting, handling and opening the cookware, none allows for the 
manual performance of all of those functions necessary to render the 
cookware filled, with a comestible of choice, and handling vehicle ready 
for a microwave cooking operation. 
As an improvement of the cookware that presently exists in the prior art, 
the present invention brings to flexible, transparent cookware in the form 
of a storage type bag which can be manually activated whenever a microwave 
cooking operation is desired. 
One objective of this invention is to allow choice of the desired 
comestible to be cooked. 
Another objective is to employ a manual closing mechanism that will close, 
vent and produce a handle for the cookware by employing a single-step 
operation. 
Yet another objective is that the configuration be such that the use of 
additional members, heat sensitive devices or the like normally employed 
for closing, venting handling or opening the cookware are eliminated.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Illustrated in FIG. I an item of microwave energy cookware in the form of a 
bag (10) containing a quantity of food (ear of corn), this said bag (10) 
displaying a gusseted bottom (11), two opposing walls (12) and (13), one 
of these walls (12) having a folded back panel (14), said folded back 
panel (14) containing an aperture (15), the other opposing wall (13) being 
constructed as having an extension (16). 
The cookware in the preferred embodiment (FIG. I) is made from an intucked 
flat bag tube which may be made by one of the automatic bag making 
machines well known in the art. The same machine is also capable of making 
the aperture (15) in the folded back panel (14). The extension (16) 
located on one wall (13) of the bag (10) can also be made to a 
configuration which will allow it to be easily pulled through the aperture 
(15). 
The cookware generally displays a rectangular shape although variations are 
possible. The material from which the cookware is formed must be flexible, 
substantially transparent to microwave energy and should be able to 
withstand the high temperature reached during the microwave cooking 
process, particularly when comestibles containing flat, such as a 
hamburger, or comestibles requiring the addition of fat, such as popcorn, 
are being cooked. A variety of polyethylene or polypropylene films 
currently available would be suitable for this purpose. 
FIG. II illustrates the manual operation of the closure wherein the 
extension (16) is pulled through the aperture (15) located in the folded 
back panel (14). This action causes the folded back panel (14) to overlap 
the opposing wall (13). This now leaves the bag (10) in a closed position; 
but, allows the aperture (15) to function as a pre-opened venting 
mechanism for the bag (10) the improvement being no special or additional 
devices were necessary to accomplish the venting or closing process. In 
addition, the same action that renders the bag closed and vented, also 
allows the extension (16) to be utilized for handling purposes eliminating 
additional mechanisms normally employed for this purpose. 
FIG. III illustrates the closed bag (10) displaying the folded back panel 
(14) having overlaped the wall (13) with the aperture (15) now functioning 
as an open venting mechanism and the extension (16) now functioning as a 
handling vehicle the improvement being manual control of all functions 
necessary to render the bag (10) ready for a microwave cooking operation 
with a handling vehicle is achieved, an option not normally available in 
previous patents. In addition, once the comestible has been cooked, the 
cookware is opened by reversing the action of the closing process allowing 
the closing mechanism to be employed in a dual function eliminating the 
necessity of an additional opening mechanism. It is contemplated that 
various modifications of the preferred embodiment could be made without 
deviating from the spirit of the invention.