Microwave Tray with Contoured Susceptor for Irregular Food

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Solution Overview

Problem

Microwave oven trays fail to provide uniform heating and browning for food items with irregular surfaces, as they tend to warp during freezing, leading to inadequate contact and inefficient cooking results.

Innovation Solution

Design of trays with elevated portions and venting channels that accommodate irregular surfaces, using microwave interactive elements like susceptors to enhance heating and browning, and contoured shapes to maintain food items elevated, reducing heat loss and promoting even cooking.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Use of energy by moving object

If a planar base with elevated heating surface is used, then microwave heating capability is improved, but contact with irregular food surfaces is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemicrowave heating capabilityVSAvoidcontact with food surface

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The heating surface incorporates contoured raised portions with curved surfaces that conform to the irregular shapes of frozen food items. This curvature enables better contact between the microwave interactive elements and the food surface, resolving the contradiction between maintaining elevated heating capability and achieving sufficient contact with irregular food geometries.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

The tray features localized raised portions with microwave interactive elements positioned at specific contoured locations rather than a uniform surface. This local concentration of heating capability at elevated zones ensures improved microwave interaction precisely where needed on irregular food surfaces, while maintaining overall heating effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Manufacturing precision

If elevated portions are added to accommodate irregular surfaces, then browning and crisping are improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebrowning and crisping qualityVSAvoidtray structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The raised portions are formed with smooth contoured surfaces that naturally conform to irregular food shapes. This geometric approach achieves consistent browning and crisping quality across different food items without requiring complex adjustable mechanisms, thereby improving manufacturing precision while controlling device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

The contoured raised portions serve multiple functions simultaneously: they elevate irregular food surfaces for better contact, concentrate microwave energy for enhanced browning and crisping, and maintain structural simplicity. This multi-functionality achieves high manufacturing precision without proportionally increasing device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Productivity

If microwave interactive elements are brought closer to food surface, then heating efficiency is improved, but heat loss to oven floor increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheating efficiencyVSAvoidheat loss

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The contoured raised portions elevate the microwave interactive elements to optimal distances from irregular food surfaces, improving heating efficiency through better contact. The curved geometry naturally positions heating zones away from the tray base, reducing conductive heat loss to the oven floor while maintaining productive heating at the food interface.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

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 brown and crisp food items with irregular surfaces by bringing microwave energy closer to the food and venting moisture, resulting in improved cooking outcomes and reduced heat loss, achieving desired browning and crisping effects.

Implementation Method 1

a microwave energy interactive element overlies and is joined to at least a portion of the elevated portion

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMicrowave radiation heating: Dielectric Heating

Implementation Method 2

one or more venting channels extending across at least a portion of the elevated portions

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectEvaporation: Evaporation

Data Source

PatentEP2639171B1Microwave heating tray

Publication Date: 2023.10.18 GRAPHIC PACKAGING INTERNATIONAL LLC

AI summary

A tray for heating, browning, and/or crisping a food item in a microwave oven comprises 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.