Contoured Microwave Tray with Susceptor and Venting Channels

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Solution Overview

Problem

Microwave ovens struggle to evenly heat and crisp food items with irregular shapes, as existing packages fail to maintain contact and achieve the desired balance of heating and browning due to warping during the freezing process.

Innovation Solution

The development of microwave energy interactive trays with elevated portions and venting channels that accommodate irregular food surfaces, using susceptor materials to enhance heating and browning, and featuring contoured designs to maintain contact and reduce heat loss.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If food items are frozen, then they can be stored and transported conveniently, but they warp and lose their original shape

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconvenience of storage and transportVSAvoidoriginal shape

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies curvature by designing the heating surface to be contoured rather than flat. The heating surface includes raised and recessed areas that conform to the curved, domed shape of frozen food items, allowing proper contact and heat distribution despite the warping that occurs during freezing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

2Ease of manufacture

If flat heating surfaces are used, then manufacturing is simple, but contact with irregular food surfaces is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesimplicity of heating surfaceVSAvoidcontact with food surface

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The heating surface is designed with varying local properties - some areas are raised while others are recessed. This local variation in surface geometry allows different portions of the heating surface to make contact with different areas of the irregular food surface, ensuring reliable contact throughout

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If elevated portions are added to accommodate food contours, then heating contact is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheating contactVSAvoidconstruct complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The heating surface is implemented as a thin, flexible membrane that can be formed into complex three-dimensional shapes with raised and recessed portions. This allows the creation of contoured surfaces that adapt to food shapes without requiring complex mechanical structures or multiple components

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The trays effectively heat and crisp food items with irregular shapes by maintaining microwave energy proximity and venting moisture, resulting in a balanced and even cooking outcome.

Implementation Method 1

using susceptor materials to enhance heating and browning

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMicrowave energy conversion to thermal energy: Dielectric Heating

Implementation Method 2

one or more features that allow moisture generated during the heating process to be vented away from the food item

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectEvaporation: Evaporation

Data Source

PatentUS8680448B2Microwavable construct with contoured heating surface

Publication Date: 2014.03.25 GRAPHIC PACKAGING INTERNATIONAL LLC

AI summary

A tray for heating, browning, and/or crisping a food item in a microwave oven includes a substantially planar base, a platform extending upwardly from the base, and a microwave energy interactive element overlying at least a portion of the platform.