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US 9,869,062 B1Granted
Method for manufacturing microwavable food containers
AssigneeFootprint International, LLC
InventorsYoke Dou Chung, Brandon Michael Moore, Yiyun Zhang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus for manufacturing vacuum forming a produce container using a fiber-based slurry. The slurry includes a moisture barrier comprising alkylketene dimer in the range of about 4% by weight, and a cationic liquid starch component in the range of 1%-7% by weight.
Claims12
A method of manufacturing a microwavable food container comprising the steps of:
- preparing a fiber-based slurry mixture including:
- i) a moisture barrier component comprising alkyl ketene dimer (AKD);
- ii) an oil barrier component comprising a water based emulsion of fluorine containing at least one of a fluorocarbon resin and a fluorine polymer;
- and iii) a rigidity component comprising liquid starch in the range of 1%-5% by weight;
- forming a wire mesh over a mold comprising a mirror image of the microwavable food container;
- immersing the wire mesh into the fiber-based slurry mixture;
- drawing a vacuum across the wire mesh to cause fiber particles to accumulate at the wire mesh surface;
- removing the wire mesh including the accumulated fiber particles in the form of the microwavable food container from the slurry mixture;
- at least partially drying the microwavable food container;
- and
- applying a vapor barrier to a surface of the at least partially dried microwavable food container, wherein the vapor barrier is different than the oil barrier component.
8 more elements
A method of manufacturing a microwavable food container, comprising:
- preparing a fiber-based slurry mixture including:
- i) a moisture barrier component in the range of about 1.5%-4% by weight;
- ii) an oil barrier component in the range of about 1-4% by weight;
- and iii) a retention aid in the range of about 0.1-0.5% by weight;
- immersing a wire mesh mold in the fiber-based slurry mixture;
- drawing a vacuum across the wire mesh mold to cause fiber particles to accumulate at the wire mesh surface;
- subsequently drying and removing the food container from the mold;
- and
- coating at least one of an inside and outside surface of the food container with a vapor barrier that is different than the oil barrier component.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.