US 5,357,086 A · Microwave corn popping package

Abstract

A collapsed flexible, e.g., paper, bag is provided which contains a charge of unpopped popcorn. Popping of the corn can be carried out in a microwave oven with the bag supported upon a pre-erected or collapsible stand, usually about 2 cm high, attached to the bag. The bag includes upper and lower opposing face panels connected together by longitudinally extending, centrally projecting gussets that are integral with the face panels. Prior to popping, the gussets are folded between the under and lower face panels of the bag and the bag is sealed at each end. A microwave heating susceptor is provided in the lower panel of the bag or elsewhere in the bag if desired. During popping of the popcorn kernels, the bag increases in size and the gussets expand outwardly as the bag becomes filled with popped kernels, hot vapor and steam. In certain microwave ovens the stand is erected to elevate the bag so that microwave energy will transfer well to the popcorn, causing the popcorn to pop efficiently, and in other ovens the corn pops best with the stand collapsed. One form of stand is capable of being folded flat, i.e., collapsed for shipment and storage. In an alternative modified form of the invention, the stand is an initially detached, pre-erected tray-shaped stand. During microwave cooking, a heat-activated adhesive bonds the tray-shaped stand to the bag.

Claims14

Dependent claims

An expandable popcorn package for popping popcorn in a microwave oven comprising,

a bag body formed rom flexible microwave transparent sheet material including superimposed upper and lower face panels having parallel left and right side edges with longitudinally extending centrally projecting gussets folded between the upper and lower face panels,
a charge of popcorn and shortening contained within the bag,
said bag having top and bottom ends with top and bottom seals between the face panels adjacent to the ends of the bag,
said seals bonding the upper and lower face panels together and bonding the gussets between the face panels to thereby seal the ends of the bag,
said bag being adapted to expand to accommodate the expansion of the popcorn as it pops therein during microwave cooking,
a detached and automatically self-attaching stand that is separate from the bag for being placed below the bag to support said bag during cooking of the popcorn in a microwave oven,
said stand having a horizontally disposed supporting wall and a plurality of upright side walls at right angles to the supporting wall,
said stand rests upon a horizontal food supporting surface within the microwave oven and the bag rests on and in contact with the horizontal supporting wall of the stand during popping of the popcorn, and
a heat-activated adhesive between the bag and the horizontal supporting wall of the stand for bonding the bag to the stand in response to heat transferred to said adhesive during microwave cooking of the popcorn within the microwave oven.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Microwave corn popping package

Life of this patent

Microwave corn popping package

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14