Patterned Dual Susceptor for Microwave Packaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional microwave packaging materials fail to effectively contact food products, leading to suboptimal heating and often result in soggy food due to the separation of susceptors from the food, which impairs browning and crisping.
Innovation Solution
A microwave packaging material comprising multiple structural layers, including two susceptors with a patterned adhesive creating sealed air pockets and a paper board for rigidity, which traps moisture and expands to enhance contact with the food, ensuring increased browning and crisping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the susceptor is separated from the food product by a gap, then the microwave packaging material structure is simpler and easier to manufacture, but the ability of the susceptor to heat the food product is diminished and the food product becomes soggy
Solution Approach 1:
The susceptor is designed to expand dynamically during microwave heating, transitioning from a compact state that allows easy packaging to an expanded state that contacts the food product for effective heating. This dynamic transformation resolves the contradiction by enabling both easy manufacture and reliable heating performance at different stages.
Solution Approach 2:
The physical parameters of the susceptor (volume, shape, position) are changed during the heating process through microwave-induced expansion. This parameter change allows the susceptor to move from a non-contact state during packaging to a contact state during heating, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing simplicity and heating effectiveness.
2Device complexity
If the susceptor is separated from the food product by a gap, then the packaging material structure is less complex, but browning and crisping of the food product are impaired
Solution Approach 1:
The susceptor expands dynamically during heating to achieve contact with the food product, enabling browning and crisping functions without requiring a complex pre-configured contact structure. This dynamic approach maintains structural simplicity while achieving the desired cooking quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The susceptor is pre-positioned in a compact state within the packaging material, ready to expand into the food contact position. This preliminary positioning simplifies the overall structure while ensuring the susceptor will achieve the necessary contact for browning and crisping during heating.
3Manufacturing precision
If the susceptor contacts the food product directly, then browning and crisping are improved, but the risk of the food product becoming soggy increases due to moisture accumulation
Solution Approach 1:
The susceptor incorporates a porous structure that allows moisture to pass through during heating. This porosity enables the susceptor to contact the food product for effective browning and crisping while simultaneously allowing moisture to escape, preventing the accumulation that causes sogginess.
Solution Approach 2:
The susceptor utilizes a thin film structure that provides flexibility and permeability. This thin film allows the susceptor to conform to and contact the food product surface for effective heating while permitting moisture vapor transmission, thereby preventing moisture accumulation and sogginess.
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 solution effectively directs heat to the food, preventing sogginess and achieving browned and crisped results, improving the overall quality of microwave-cooked food products.
Implementation Method 1
The metal foils and metal deposits are known as interactive materials that provide enhanced surface heating
Implementation Method 2
the susceptor is not in contact with the food product and cannot brown or crisp the food product
Implementation Method 3
The paper may include a small amount of water that generates moisture in the form of steam that escapes when cooking in the microwave
Implementation Method 4
a patterned adhesive is laminated between the susceptors against each paper of the plastic films... creating sealed air pockets
Data Source
AI summary
A microwave packaging material including a plurality of susceptors is disclosed. Each susceptor includes a plastic film or polymer with a metal layer on one surface of the plastic film and a paper adhered to the plastic film opposite the metal layer. A patterned adhesive is bonded between a first susceptor layer and a second susceptor layer in a pattern bond creating sealed air pockets. A paper board substrate is adhered using an adhesive in a bond pattern to one of the susceptor layers facing the metal of the respective susceptor layer to provide the microwave packing material rigidity. Upon exposure to microwave energy in a microwave oven, moisture is trapped between the paper board substrate and the susceptor layer creating a vapor pressure that causes the sealed air pockets to form expanded air pockets.