Microwave Package with Separated Steam and MEIM Heating Zones
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing microwave oven packaging lacks efficient solutions for simultaneous steam and microwave heating, leading to uneven cooking and limited control over heating patterns for frozen or chilled foods.
Innovation Solution
A multi-sectional, at least partially separable package incorporating microwave energy-interactive materials (MEIMs) such as susceptors, shields, and resonating patch antennas, which allows for simultaneous steam and microwave cooking by separating the steam source and food during manufacturing, storage, and cooking, and includes perforations for even steam penetration and browning/frying of food.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional microwave packaging is used, then microwave heating can be achieved, but heating is uneven and control over heating patterns is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The package is divided into multiple sections with different MEIM configurations. The outer container has MEIM for steam generation, while the inner container has different MEIM patterns for specific heating zones. This segmentation allows independent control of steam heating and microwave heating patterns, resolving the contradiction between heating pattern control and heating uniformity.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the package are assigned different MEIM properties. The outer container bottom has MEIM for steam generation, while the inner container has MEIM patches at specific locations for targeted microwave heating. This local differentiation enables precise control over where and how heating occurs, achieving both pattern control and uniformity.
2Ease of manufacture
If steam source and food are combined in one container, then manufacturing is simpler, but control over steam penetration and cooking process is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The package separates the steam source (outer container) from the food (inner container) while maintaining functional integration. The outer container generates steam, and the inner container with perforations receives and distributes steam to the food. This segmentation provides control over steam penetration while keeping manufacturing relatively simple through modular assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner container acts as an intermediary between the steam source and the food. It receives steam from the outer container, distributes it through perforations, and protects the food. This intermediary structure enables controlled steam penetration while maintaining a simple two-container manufacturing approach.
3Productivity
If MEIMs are added to control heating, then heating efficiency improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The MEIM materials serve multiple functions: they generate microwave heat, control heating patterns, and work in conjunction with steam for combined cooking. The same MEIM layers in the containers perform both structural and heating control functions, improving cooking efficiency without proportionally increasing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The MEIM properties (material composition, thickness, pattern) are optimized to achieve rapid heating. By carefully selecting MEIM parameters, the package achieves fast cooking speeds while keeping the overall structure relatively simple through standardized material applications.
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 package enables rapid, even, and controlled volumetric heating of food, balancing microwave and steam heating effects for efficient cooking of frozen or chilled foods, ensuring thorough steaming and partial browning/frying.
Implementation Method 1
The outer container may include a susceptor and/or resonating patch antenna strategically located to induce rapid evolution of steam and/or volatile flavor from frozen/chilled water-based components
Implementation Method 2
The outer container may include a susceptor and/or resonating patch antenna strategically located to induce rapid evolution of steam
Implementation Method 3
The perforations, or more generally the holes, in the basket may be arranged for allowing penetration of steam into the basket at the bottom, sidewall, and/or top
Implementation Method 4
The MEIMs may include one or more of a susceptor, shield, and/or resonating patch antenna
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 1A
Figure 3
AI summary
A package for combined steam and microwave heating of food, wherein the package may include microwave energy interactive materials ("MEIMs") configured for providing rapid, simultaneous microwave and steam cooking in a domestic microwave oven. The MEMs may be configured for controlling the heating pattern within the package and to control volumetric heating of food in the package. The MEIMs may include one or more of a susceptor, shield, and/or resonating patch antenna. The package may be paper-based, or it may be manufactured of any other suitable material. One or more of the different sections of the package may comprise separate chambers respectively for the steam source and the food to be steamed, so that the steam source and the food to be steamed are separated from one another during manufacturing, storage, and cooking.