U.S. patent number 3,834,113 [Application Number 05/139,283] was granted by the patent office on 1974-09-10 for method for forming toaster packages having pour spouts.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Nabisco, Inc.. Invention is credited to James H. Howe, Joseph Markus.
United States Patent |
3,834,113 |
Howe , et al. |
September 10, 1974 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
METHOD FOR FORMING TOASTER PACKAGES HAVING POUR SPOUTS
Abstract
Packages having pour spouts for storing food and heating the
food in a toaster including a top seal having the pour spout
incorporated therein in order to permit formation of the pour spout
after the packages are vented by tearing through the top seal to
enable food to be poured from the packages. A method of forming the
packages including folding a sheet of material upon itself to form
a top margin, a bottom margin and a longitudinal seam, sealing the
longitudinal seam, forming a bottom seal with the bottom margin,
filling the package through the top margin with food, and forming a
top seal with the pour spout by folding the top margin upon itself
twice.
Inventors: |
Howe; James H. (Long Island,
NY), Markus; Joseph (Long Island, NY) |
Assignee: |
Nabisco, Inc. (New York,
NY)
|
Family
ID: |
26837052 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/139,283 |
Filed: |
April 30, 1971 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
|
813911 |
May 7, 1969 |
3663239 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
53/410; 53/452;
493/213; 53/412; 493/200 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
81/3492 (20130101); B65D 75/5805 (20130101); B65D
75/5816 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
81/34 (20060101); B65D 75/52 (20060101); B65D
75/58 (20060101); B65b 043/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;53/14,28,29,46
;93/35R,35SB,8WA ;206/46F ;229/62 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Spruill; Robert L.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Christen & Sabol
Parent Case Text
This application is a division of U.S. Pat. application Ser. No.
813,911, filed Apr. 7, 1969 and now U.S. Pat. No. 3,663,239.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method of forming a package including a pour spout for storing
food and heating the food in a toaster comprising;
a. folding a sheet of pliable, heat resistant, tearable, thermally
conductive, non-porous material upon itself to form a longitudinal
seam, a top margin, a bottom margin, a first side having a first
gusset with a center line and a second side having a second gusset
with a center line;
b. sealing said longitudinal seam;
c. forming a bottom seal with said bottom margin;
d. inserting food through said top margin; and
e. forming a top seal incorporating said pour spout by
i. cutting said top margin to provide a first leg adjacent said
first side including said first gusset and a second leg adjacent
said first side including said first gusset,
ii. folding said first leg into the center of the package to form a
first flap,
iii. folding said second into the center of the package to form a
second flap,
iv. folding said first flap on the center line of said first
gusset,
vi. folding said top margin upon itself on a first fold line
and
vii. folding said folded top margin upon itself on a second fold
line.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention pertains to food packages and more
particularly to convenience food packages having a pour spout for
removing food after heating within the package.
Some dry foods, such as rice, flour, sugar etc., which are not
adversely affected by exposure to air have been packaged for both
storage and transportion in containers, such as cardboard boxes and
paper bags, which provide protection from moisture and foreign
matter. In the past foods that require protection from air have
been either canned or, more recently, packaged in flexible
containers that do not have the disadvantages of cans which are
relatively heavy, bulky, rigid and of fixed shape.
With the advent and popularity of frozen foods, flexible packages
have become more or less a necessity in that they permit maximum
utilization of freezer space and the packaging of foods of varying
shapes and sizes. They also are more convenient to handle during
preparation ahd heating. These advantages have made flexible
containers popular for a wide variety of foods. However, flexible
packages have not reached their full potential because they have
not as yet efficiently eliminated the inconvenience of placing the
package containing the food, on first removing the food from the
package and placing it, in suitable cooking pots or pans, heating
or cooking on a stove or in an oven and measuring out portions
before serving. This procedure consumes a large amount of time and
even more time is wasted in the cleaning of heating or cooking
equipment such as stoves, ovens, pots, and pans after use.
Moreover, misjudgment in the amounts of prepared food needed
results in too much food leftover or not enough. Misjudgments in
the amount of each serving also results in wasted food which is
left uneaten.
These problems are of considerable importance in the restaurant and
institutional industries including airlines, cafeterias, hotels,
motels, hospitals, drug stores, department stores, vending
machines, clubs, schools and the like since it it desired to serve
food to large numbers of patrons or patients in a minumum of time
with a minimum of effort and manpower.
The armed services are faced with similar problems where large
numbers of people are served meals. The problems are further
multiplied by the wide range of tastes of patrons or patients
further increasing the size and number of cooking equipment to be
used, the amount of clean-up time and effort needed and the amount
of wasted food.
Similar problems, on a smaller scale, however, are faced in the
home and the intensity of the problems varies with the size of the
family. There is great interest for the housewife in eliminating or
reducing food preparation and clean-up time and effort.
In small families or with persons living alone it is very difficult
if not impossible to purchase food for preparation in single
serving portions or even two or three portions. For such families
or persons leftovers are inevitable. Elderly people and others who
are concerned with their diet have difficulty in controlling the
size of servings consistent with their dieting needs or
objectives.
Members of most families have different likes and dislikes in
foods, thus adding to the feeding problems of the housewife and
potential waste because of leftovers and spoilage. Families having
infants or small children who are not able to consume the usual
family menu repeatedly face the problem of leftovers and potential
spoilage of baby foods. Busy families whose members have different
schedules are on the increase in out way of life and present
problems to the housewife in serving adequate nourishment to the
family in appetizing form.
As an example, meats tend to be both the highest cost and most time
consuming element of at-home meals. The housewife probably spends
more time in preparing meats and in cleaning up after preparation
of meats than any other food. Yet very little has been done to
provide modern convenience and effective economy in the meat
category. There is every indication of a great demand by the
housewife as well as institutions, restaurants and other food
servers for a high quality, pre-cooked, portion-controlled, easily
stored ready to heat-and-eat packaged meat product as well as other
food servings such as soups, sauces, gravies, vegetables, rice and
all other kinds of cooked or heated table foods.
In the past packages have been designed with the object of both
storing and cooking relatively small measured portions of food
therein. However, none of these packages have in practice proved
adequate in eliminating or reducing the problems connected with
food preparation while also providing a container that may be both
economically formed and sufficiently rigid and sturdy to withstand
the punishment concomitant with the pureying of food which includes
handling by the producer, transporter and server.
Some disadvantages of prior packages for both storing and cooking
food are that such packages have a considerable tendency to tear to
permit air to enter and spoil the food. Also, prior packages have
not been formed in such a manner as to facilitate handling without
unduly damaging the package and because of their structure the
venting of such packages for cooking or heating cannot be easily
and precisely accomplished. The removal of food from the prior
packages has been difficult and because of the fragile and easily
tearable nature of the metallic foil used in the construction of
such packages structural sturdiness has not heretofore been
achieved. In addition, the prior packages have been designed for
specific foods rather than having a universal design capable of
containing a large variety of foods.
Another disadvantage of prior packages is that removal of fluent
foods has been extremely difficult since the foods cannot be easily
removed from the package by simply lifting them up out of the
package due to there fluent nature and dumping the contents
normally requires holding the sides or bottom of the package which
are not designed for such handling. Furthermore, many food products
must be accurately dispensed, such as soups, gravies and beverages,
and the mess that results from dumping the contents from the
package is undesirable. In order to remove fluent food products
from prior packages it is necessary to either tear or cut the top
off the package to permit dumping; however, this is undesirable for
the reasons mentioned above and further because of the
inconvenience and waste of time. Also the tearing of prior packages
for removal of contents is imprecise and many times causes spilling
and unappetizing servings.
Pat. Nos. 2,609,301 to Lindsey, 2,633,284 to Moffett et al.,
2,807,550 to Zarotschenzeff et al., 2,881,078 to Oritt, 2,912,336
to Perino, 3,117,875 to Burns et al., 3,132,029 to Beck, 3,185,372
to Gerraro, 3,322,319 to Sweeney et al., and 3,361,576 to Jacobsen
disclose packages for storing food and cooking food in the packages
in toaster; however, the packages disclosed in these patents all
suffer from one or more of the above mentioned disadvantages. For
instance, none of these patents disclose a package that is both
compact and yet can be rendered readily accessible in a toaster.
None of these patents have overcome the main problems concomitant
to packages made of metallic foil, namely, its propensity for
undesired tearing, puncturing and mutilation and, in practice, none
have proved adequate in eliminating or reducing the problems
mentioned above. Furthermore, none of these patents provide means
for easy removal of fluent foods after heating. This is a serious
problem and has been difficult to overcome in the past due to the
characteristics of metallic foil described above even though much
effort has been directed towards solving this problem. Attempts to
provide a pour spout in a metallic foil package have been
unsuccessful due to the tendency of any protruding part of a
package to be torn or mutilated during handling and storage.
Specifically, it is desirable to package foods such that
conventional electric toasters can be utilized for cooking or
heating and such that the portions of food therein are
individualized.
The toaster is one of the most common, least expensive and probably
least used appliances commercial home, eommercial and institutional
kitchens. Almost every kitchen has one or more. The toaster also is
one of the easiest heating appliances to operate and maintain and
very seldom requires cleaning. As such it provides an almost ideal
implement of convenience in "instant" meal preparation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to food packages having pour
spouts and methods for making same providing a practical system for
storing an almost unlimited variety of cooked, partially cooked and
uncooked foods in measured or controlled portions, such as
individual servings, for prolonged periods of time while
maintaining nutritional values and in a form which permits rapid
and convenient preparation and serving with little or no loss of
tastiness, flavor and freshness. Unlike most packaging systems
currently in use, the invention provides unitary food packages
containing measured or controlled portions which can be individual
servings or low multiples of individual servings. The invention
also admits of merchandising a wide variety of foods, for example,
in combination packs of individual foods making up a balanced meal
which can be fully prepared solely through the use of any
conventional toaster.
Illustrative of foods which can be packaged in accordance with the
present invention are beef burgundy, beef stew, beef stroganoff,
barbecued beef, meat balls, meat balls in spaghetti sauce, Swedish
meat balls, mushrooms (with and without gravy), gravies (chicken,
brown, beef etc.), sauces (white, hollandaise, barbecue, etc.),
stuffings (turkey, meat, bread, etc.), cocktail franks, spaghetti
sauce, spag O's with meatballs, shrimp fried rice, chicken chow
mein, tamales, chicken a-la king, chicken fricassee, Manhattan clam
chowder, New England clam chowder, chili, ravioli, sloppy Joe, beef
gravy, cream corn, sweet peas, chocolate fudge sauce, fried clams,
clam sticks, shrimp marinara, sweet sausage and peppers, instant
mashed potatoes, instant sweet potatoes, stuffing, rice, soup
(dehydrated), coffee, baby foods, hot chocolate, cereals, scrambled
eggs, tea, pet foods, hot gravies for pet foods, pie fillings,
custards, toppings (chocolate, butterscotch, etc.), desserts
(puddings, etc.), vegetables (with and without sauces, butter,
etc.).
While some of the food products listed above, such as various meats
and fish, are not readily pourable, most of these food products are
heated in a gravy; and the pour spouts in the packages of the
present invention are utilized to pour off the gravy before
serving, if desired, and similarly to pour off cooking fats and
juices.
These foods, especially the meats, are preferably fully prepared,
pre-cooked and frozen requiring only thawing and reheating prior to
serving. In this connection it has been unexpectedly found that the
toasting times and temperatures characteristic of conventional
toasters are fully adequate for thawing and adequately reheating
frozen foods to temperatures which are high enough for serving and
eating. Foods that are amenable to storage without freezing or
refrigeration, of course, need not be frozen or refrigerated but
simply stored on the shelf in the packages of this invention.
Cereals, dehydrated soups, hot chocolate powders, tea and other
shelfstable foods fall into this category. Also, those foods which
are of the instant type requiring only the addition of hot water
and those foods which require only a small amount of cooking time
need not be pre-cooked. Cereals, rice, hot chocolate powders and
tea fall into this category.
The present invention drastically reduces the time, effort and
manpower needed for the preparation and serving of meals. It
substantially eliminates the need for measuring out portions, since
each package contains a controlled amount of food. It permits a
wide range of selectivity for serving a wide variety of personal
tastes at one sitting with almost no extra effort and in a minimum
amount of time. It also permits more precise control of food intake
without wastage for those concerned with diet and allows the
preparation of single meals which are well balanced for those who
live alone. It substantially eliminates left-overs and cuts
clean-up time to a minimum. Cleaning of cooking equipment is
obviated, since no pots and pans are used and the package after use
is simply descarded. The only heating appliance used is the
conventional toaster which, with a minimum of care, is not dirtied.
The present invention permits an ultimate of convenience in the
preparation of full, well-balanced, appetizing means without any
expenditures for expensive heating or cooking equipment.
The packages of the present invention are not only useful in the
home but find extensive utilization in commerce in restaurants,
hotels, clubs, cafeterias, vending machines, snack bars, lunch
counters, food stands, in hospitals, nursing homes, prisons,
schools, colleges, in the armed services, employees cafeterias, and
in any kitchen whether private commercial or institutional.
Specifically it is an object of the present invention to construct
a package including a pour spout for storing, heating and easily
removing and serving food.
Another object of the present invention is to incorporate a pour
spout in the top seal of a package for storing and heating food in
a toaster.
A further object of the present invention is to form a pour spout
in a package for storing and heating food by inverting a gusset in
a side of the package.
The present invention has another object in that a package is
formed with a top seal incorporating a pour spout that may be
unfolded for pouring fluent foods from the package after
heating.
Another object of the present invention to form a pour spout in a
package for storing and heating food by folding a corner of a top
margin and double folding the top margin to form a top seal whereby
the package is vented by tearing through the top seal at the folded
corner and the pour spout is formed by unfolding the folded corner
portion of the top margin.
A further object of the present invention is to fold a pair of
gusseted legs into the center of a package for storing and heating
food and to double fold a marginal flap formed by folding the legs
to provide a top seal for the package having a weakened venting
channel comprising a gap between the folded legs whereby a pour
spout is formed by unfolding one of the legs after the package is
vented by tearing through the top seal at the venting channel.
The present invention has another object in that a package having a
pour spout incorporated in its top seal has a squared bottom seal
formed by slitting the bottom margin to form four flaps which are
folded into the center of the package.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method of
packaging foods including the formation of a pour spout for removal
of the foods.
Some of the advantages of packages formed in accordance with the
present invention are that pour spouts are incorporated in the top
seal to permit removal of fluent foods without protruding flaps or
edges to avoid accidental tearing or mutilation, that the top seals
are double folded to resist tearing or mutilation during handling,
that the packages are easily and precisely vented for proper
heating of the contents, that the vents torn in the packages for
heating are utilized to form and control the size of the pour
spouts, that the bottom seals are formed in accordance with the
food to be contained in the packages, that gussets are utilized to
form the pour spouts to permit accurate dispensing of the food for
serving, and that packages are economically formed from single
sheets of material.
The present invention is generally characterized in a sealed
package including a pour spout for storing food and heating the
food by insertion into a toaster, formed of pilable, heat
resistant, tearable, thermally conductive, nonporous sheet
material, a top seal for the package having a top margin folded
upon itself, and a gusset side for the package for inverting at the
top margin to form the pour spout whereby the package may be vented
by tearing through the top seal and the food may be removed from
the package after heating through the pour spout formed in the
space between the vent and the gusseted side of the package. The
present invention is further characterized in a method of forming a
package including a pour spout for storing food and heating the
food in a toaster comprising folding a sheet of pliable, heat
resistant, tearable, thermally conductive, non-porous material upon
itself to form a longitudinal seam and top and bottom margins,
sealing the longitudinal seam, forming a bottom seal with the
bottom margin, inserting food through the top margin, and forming a
top seal incorporating the pour spout by folding the top margin
upon itself on a first fold line and folding the folded top margin
upon itself on a second fold line.
The apparatus shown and described in Griner patent U.S. Pat. No.
3,403,524 and the method shown and descirbed in Griner patent U.S.
Pat. No. 3,403,033 with modification are available for the
low-cost, automatic mass-production of filled food packages of the
present invention. Also, the conveying, collecting and metering
method and apparatus shown and described in Griner patent U.S. Pat.
No. 3,402,803 with modification are available for handling and
packing the filled food packages of this invention. It can be
readily seen that the methods, apparatus and technology are
available for producing, handling and packing the filled food
packages of this invention at high rates of production and low
cost.
Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become
apparent from the description of the preferred embodiments as shown
in the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a package according to a first
embodiment of the present invention in its filled condition.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the package of FIG. 1 in its
pouring condition.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged, broken view of sheet material utilized in
the construction of packages according to the present
invention.
FIG. 4 is a rear elevation of the partially formed package of FIG.
1 with the top and bottom margins in unfolded position.
FIG. 5 is a rear elevation of the package of FIG. 1 in condition to
be filled, the bottom margin being in folded position.
FIG. 6 is a rear elevation of the package of FIG. 1 in its filled
and closed condition with both top and bottom margins in folded
positions.
FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken on lines 7--7 of FIG. 4.
FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of the package of FIG. 1 in its
filled and closed condition.
FIG. 9 is a front elevation of the package of FIG. 1 after
venting.
FIG. 10 is a front elevation of the package of FIG. 1 in its open,
pouring condition.
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a package according to a second
embodiment of the present invention in its filled condition.
FIG. 12 is a front elevation of the package of FIG. 11 after
venting.
FIG. 13 is a front elevation of the package of FIG. 11 during
formation of a pour spout showing part of the top margin in
unfolded position.
FIG. 14 is a front elevation of the package of FIG. 11 in its
pouring condition showing the pour spout in extended, operative
position.
FIG. 15 is a rear elevation of the package of FIG. 11 in condition
to be filled with its bottom margin sealed.
FIGS. 16 and 17 are rear elevations of the partially formed package
of FIG. 11 showing the steps of closing the top of the package.
FIGS. 18, 19, 20 and 21 are broken rear elevational views of the
package of FIG. 11 at different stages in its formation.
FIG. 22 is a fragmentary, side elevational view taken along lines
22--22 of FIG. 16.
FIG. 23 is a plan view taken along lines 23--23 of FIG. 18.
FIGS. 24, 25 and 26 are rear elevations of a partially formed
package according to a third embodiment of the present invention at
different stages of its formation.
FIG. 27 is a broken rear elevational view of the package according
to the third embodiment of the present invention in its filled
condition.
FIG. 28 is a broken rear elevational view of the package according
to the third embodiment of the present invention illustrating the
condition of the package after venting.
FIG. 29 is a broken rear elevational view of the package according
to the third embodiment of the present invention showing its
condition at a stage during the formation of a pour spout.
FIG. 30 is a rear elevational view of the package according to the
third embodiment of the present invention in its pouring condition
showing the pour spout in extended, operative condition.
FIG. 31 is a side elevational view of the package according to the
third embodiment of the present invention in its filled and closed
condition.
FIGS. 32, 33 and 34 are rear elevational views of a partially
formed package according to a fourth embodiment of the present
invention showing the package at different stages in its
formation.
FIG. 35 is a bottom view taken along lines 35--35 of FIG. 34.
FIG. 36 is a broken rear elevational view of the top of the package
according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention
illustrating one type of top seal for said package.
FIG. 37 is a broken rear elevational view of the top of the package
according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention
illustrating a second type of top seal for said package.
FIG. 38 is a broken rear elevational view of the package according
to the fourth embodiment of the present invention having a top seal
as shown in FIG. 36 in its pouring condition showing the pour spout
in extended operative position.
FIG. 39 is a broken rear elevational view of the package according
to the fourth embodiment of the present invention having a top seal
as shown in FIG. 37 in its pouring condition showing its pour spout
in extended operative position.
FIG. 40 is a perspective view of the package according to the
fourth embodiment of the present invention showing the package in
its filled and closed condition.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
A first embodiment of a package 100 according to the present
invention is illustrated in its filled condition for transportation
and storage in FIG. 1 and in FIG. 2 in its pouring condition.
Package 100 has a top seal 102 and a bottom seal 104, and a front
panel 106 and a rear panel 108 are formed by folding a sheet of
pliable, heat resistant, tearable, thermally conductive, non-porous
material upon itself to form a longitudinal seam 110 along rear
panel 108.
An example of a pliable, heat resistant, tearable, thermally
conductive, non-porous material suitable for use with the present
invention is illustrated in FIG. 3 and includes an outer layer 112
consisting of a coating of dark colored epoxy resin approximately
one ten-thousandth of an inch in thickness, bonded to an internal
layer 114 of a coating of dielectric material having a thickness of
approximately two ten-thousandths of an inch. The internal layer
114 is bonded to a base layer 116 of metallic foil having a
thickness of approximately fifteen ten-thousandths of an inch, and
base layer 116 is bonded to an inner layer 118 of heat sealable
material approximately one ten-thousandth of an inch in
thickness.
Especially preferred as the metallic foil is aluminum foil which
can be used in the thickness given above or in thicker or thinner
sizes as desired or required for specific applications. Stainless
steel foil is also available and can be used if desired.
Substantially any heat-conductive sheet material can be used as
layer 116. For example, heat-resistant plastic films, such as
Mylar, having thin coatings of vapor deposited metals are useful.
Also, plastic films formed with substantial amounts of metallic
particles dispersed throughout are useful.
The dielectric layer 114 is for the purpose of electrically
insulating the package in the event of contact with the heating
elements of the toaster. Substantially all thermosetting plastics
and high heat-resistant thermoplastics in the absence of
electrically-conductive additives are dielectrics or electrically
insulative and any suitable thermosetting or high heat-resistant
thermoplastic can be used. For example, epoxy resins similar to
layer 112 can be used. Phenolic resins, melamine-formaldehyde
resins, urea-formaldehyde resins and polyester resins are examples
of suitable resins that can be employed in making layer 114.
The inner heat-sealable layer 118 comprises a transparent,
heat-activatable adhesive, for example, a thermoplastic material
having softening temperatures above those temperatures usually
encountered in an electric toaster, for example, above about
500.degree.F. The layer 118 is transparent so that the shiny,
reflective inner surface of base layer 116 is preserved. High
melting polyester resins, vinyl chloride resins, vinyl
chloride-vinyl acetate resins, polyacrylic resins and the like can
be employed. When thermoplastic materials are used in any of layers
112, 114 or 118, such materials should not melt or soften to any
undesirable extent at temperatures normally encountered in toasters
and preferably not below 500.degree.F.
Any type of lettering or designs such as labels, instructions,
trademarks, etc. may be placed on the front and rear panels of the
package. The outer layer 112 which, for example, may be formed of
dark blue epoxy which is primarily heat-absorptive may be
over-printed with various patterns of white which is primarily
heat-reflective to control heat absorption and distribution inside
the package in accordance with the heating requirements of the food
product contained in the package.
For example, in FIGS. 1 and 2 those portions above line 120 are of
a dark color such as dark blue and those portions below line 120
are of a light color, such as white. Although heated air rises, a
sizable proportion of heat escapes from the mouth of the toaster by
radiation or convection currents such that temperatures in the
lower portions of the conventional upright toaster tend to be
considerably higher than temperatures near the mouth. The same
considerations apply to horizontal toasters to the extent that
temperatures deep within the toaster cavity tend to be much higher
than the temperature near the mouth. In addition, the temperatures
of the central portions of a toaster pack in a toaster tend to be
high than those portions adjacent the side edges. In order to
obtain as uniform a temperature as possible throughout the package
for the purpose of more uniform heating or cooking of the contained
food, it is preferred that the primarily heat-reflective, e.g.,
white, pattern extend centrally upwardly from the bottom portion of
at least one of the panels of the package as best shown in FIGS. 1
and 2. The temperatures of the lower corner portions of the package
also tend to build up because of proportionately greater surface
area per local contained volume exposed to radiation and the higher
temperatures and lower rates of heat loss in the depths of the
toaster cavity. Thus, in order to maintain a more even temperature
distribution in the lower corner areas, they too are preferably
light colored, e.g., white, as illustratively shown in FIGS. 1 and
2. The light, primarily heat-reflective areas which extend upwardly
on the sides and in the center of the panel are preferably tapered
upwardly as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 to correspond to the temperature
gradient in the toaster cavity. The upwardly extending tapered,
primarily heat-reflective areas can be truncated with primarily
heat-absorptive areas, if desired, at any desired point to result
in a higher temperature in the truncated areas.
Package 100 has a pour spout generally indicated at 122 and has
gusseted sides 124 and 126 to permit expansion of the package to
contain varying quantities of fluid substances.
A method of forming and using package 100 will be described with
the aid of FIGS. 4 through 10. A sheet of material such as that
described with respect to FIG. 3 is longitudinally folded upon
itself such that its lateral edges overlap along longitudinal seam
110 and its upper and lower edges are folded upon themselves to
form a top margin 128 and a bottom margin 130, respectively. Bottom
margin 130 and longitudinal seam 110 are sealed by applying heat
and pressure thereto to activate inner layer 118 as shown in FIG.
4. During the folding of the sheet of material and before sealing
of bottom margin 130 and longitudinal seam 110 gussets 124 and 126
are formed at the sides in any conventional manner such that when
viewed from the top package 100 will be as illustrated in FIG. 7.
Bottom margin 130 is then folded in half upon itself toward rear
panel 108 along a fold line 132 and then folded upon itself again
against rear panel 108 along a fold line 134 after adhesive is
applied thereto, if desired, such that the sealed portion is
secured to rear panel 108 of the package to form bottom seal 104 as
shown in FIG. 5.
Package 100 is now ready to be filled with whatever food is desired
to be contained therein. Due to the fluent nature of the contents
package 100 is filled through the top with the use of any type of
conventional chute or supply mechanism which is inserted into the
open top margin of the package; and, since the entire top margin is
open, foods such as strips and patties of meat and fish may be
inserted in the package along with cooking juices and gravies.
After insertion of the food, top margin 128 is sealed by the
application of heat and pressure thereto to activate inner layer
118. Top margin 128 is then folded upon itself along a fold line
136 and folded again upon itself along a fold line 138 to form top
seal 102 such that package 100 is in its filled condition as shown
in FIG. 6.
A hole 140 may be punched in top seal 102 simultaneously with the
cutting of a tear notch 142 in the upper edge of the top seal 102
which coincides with fold line 138 by a simple stamping process
with the realization that hole 140 and tear notch 136 may be cut
into top margin 128 prior to folding to form top seal 102 if so
desired. Hole 140 is aligned with the overlapping lateral edges of
longitudinal seal 110 such that the extra layer of material at the
seam may be utilized to provide additonal strength at the location
of the hole. Tear notch 142 may be cut into top seal 102 at any
position along the upper edge thereof dependent upon the desired
flow rate during removal of the contents from the package and the
size of the food particles contained in the package as will be
explained hereinafter.
The double folded bottom seal 104 which is pressed against rear
panel 108 provides a sturdy and tear resistant base for supporting
the package in a heating device such as a toaster and allows no
protrusions that might snag on heating elements in the toaster or
during handling. Furthermore, the double fold provides the
extremely efficient seam necessitated by the nature of the fluent
contents of the package since most of the weight and pressure
inside the package is exerted on the lower portion thereof.
Package 100 may be stored in any convenient area such as a closet
or freezer either stacking the package on a shelf or by supporting
the package on a rod extending through hole 140; and, when it is
desired to serve the contents of package 100, the package is
retrieved from storage by grasping top seal 102. The multi-layer
thickness of top seal 102 permits the package to be handled by
grapsing the top seal without the danger of tearing or
multilation.
In order to heat the contents of the package, top seal 102 is
firmly grasped by the server and torn at tear notch 142 with a
twisting motion to provide a vent 144 for the package, as shown in
FIG. 9, to permit vapor and steam to escape to the atmosphere
during heating. The size of vent 144 may vary with desired cooking
conditions; and, in order to assure proper venting a mark may be
printed on front panel 106 to indicate where tearing should be
stopped. In most cases, vent 144 will be torn just barely into the
sealed pouch portion of the package and top seal 102 will be
completely torn.
The vented package is inserted in the toaster and the toaster is
energized for a predetermined amount of time to heat the contents
of the package. After the toaster is deenergized the package is
removed therefrom by grasping the top seal 102, and the contents of
the package may be easily removed through pour spout 122. Pour
spout 122 is formed by tearing top seal 102 along a tear line 146
which normally coincides with the lower edge of the top seal, as
shown in FIG. 9. This tear is facilitated due to the fact that top
seal 102 has a thickness four times greater than the thickness of
the pouch portion of the package, and the tear will be in a
substantially straight line.
Once a portion of the top seal 102 is torn away from the package
gusset 126 is inverted at 148, as shown in FIG. 10, to form pour
spout 122, and the contents of the package may be easily removed by
simply tilting the package to permit the contents to flow through
pour spout 122 by gravity into any suitable serving dish or plate.
The double fold of top seal 102 provides sufficient strength to
permit package 100 to be easily handled thereby to tilt the package
for removal of the contents.
If package 100 contains an unpourable product, such as a hamburger
pattie, after the juices have been poured off by spout 122 the
remainder of top seal 102 may be torn from the pouch portion of the
package to permit removal of the unpourable product.
Dehydrated foods may be heated in package 100 by forming pour spout
122 prior to insertion in the toaster such that water may be easily
added to the package through the pour spout for heating by the
toaster.
By preselecting the location of tear notch 142, the size of pour
spout 122 can be controlled; and, accordingly, a large spout can be
provided for packages containing products such as stew and a small
spout can be provided for packages containing products such as
soups, beverages and gravies to permit accurate dispensing thereof
directly from the package.
A second embodiment of a package 200 according to the present
invention is shown in its filled condition for transportation and
storage in FIG. 11 and includes a top seal 202 and a bottom seal
204. A front panel 206 and a rear panel 208 are formed by folding a
sheet of material such as that described with respect to FIG. 3
upon itself to form a longitudinal seam 210 along rear panel 208.
As discussed with respect to the first embodiment any type of
lettering or designs may be placed on the front and rear panels,
and the outer layer may be overprinted with patterns of white to
control heat absorption and distribution inside the package. A pour
spout generally indicated at 212 is integrally formed with top seal
202 and its use and formation will be described hereinafter with
respect to FIGS. 12 through 23.
In order to form package 200 a sheet of material is longitudinally
folded upon itself such that its lateral edges overlap along
longitudinal seam 210 and its upper and lower edges are folded upon
themselves to form front and back top margins 214 and a bottom
margin 216, respectively, as shown in FIG. 15. Bottom margin 216
and longitudinal seam 210 are sealed by applying heat and pressure
thereto to activate the inner layer of the material. During the
folding of the sheet of material and before sealing of bottom
margin 216 and longitudinal seam 210, gussets 218 and 220 are
formed at the sides in any conventional manner to permit expansion
of package 200 to contain varying quantities of food.
Top margins 214 are stamp cut to remove rectangular portions from
the front and back panels as shown in FIG. 15, thereby forming a
pair of legs 222 and 224 having gussets 218 and 220, respectively,
at each side of the package.
Bottom seal 204 is double folded and pressed against rear panel 206
in the same manner as previously described with respect to bottom
seal 104 in the formation of package 100. After bottom seal 204 is
formed and rectangular portions are removed by cutting through top
margins 214 in the front and back panels, package 200 is filled
with food through the top with the use of any type of conventional
chute or supply mechanism which is inserted into the open top
margin of the package; and, since the entire top end of open, foods
such as strips and patties of meat and fish may be inserted in the
package along with cooking juices and gravies.
Top seal 202 is formed after the package is filled; and, as shown
in FIGS. 16 and 22, leg 224 is folded along fold lines 226, 228 and
230 towards the center of the top end of the package such that its
portion of gusset 220 is opened and lies flat along the top of the
package with its center line 232 approximately centered at the top
of the package. Fold line 226 is disposed across gusset 220
trasverse to the longitudinal axis of package 220, as best shown in
FIGS. 22 and 23. When the package is in its flatened condition as
shown in FIG. 15, fold lines 228 and 230 are disposed substantially
parallel to each other at an approximate angle of 45.degree. to the
side edges of package 200 on the rear and front panels,
respectively. In folding leg 224 towards the center of the top end
of the package, the fold lines 228 and 230 are caused to extend
obliquely from the plane of the front and back panels to form a top
flap 234 and bottom flaps 235 and 237 which extend transversely
from the front and rear panels as best shown in FIGS. 18 and 23. As
best shown in FIG. 22, top flap 234 consists of the portions of leg
224 (including portions of both) front panel 206 and rear panel
208) extending above fold lines 228 and 230 as well as the portion
of gusset 220 included in leg 224 extending above fold line
226.
Bottom flap 235 consists of the area of the front panel 206 which
is bounded by fold lines 230 and 240, a line drawn between the
upper ends of said fold lines and a line drawn between the lower
ends of said fold lines. Bottom flap 237 consists of the area of
the rear panel 208 which is bounded by fold lines 228 and 238, a
line drawn between the upper ends of said fold lines and a line
drawn between the lower ends of said fold lines. Parts of the
bottom flaps 235 and 237 are formed by folding leg 224 as explained
above and the remaining parts are formed by folding leg 222 as
described hereinafter.
Leg 222 is folded towards the center of the upper end of the
package along fold lines 236, 238 and 240, as shown in FIG. 17,
such that its portion of gusset 218 is opened and lies falt along
the top of the package with its center line 242 approximately
centered at the top of the package. Fold line 236 is disposed
across gusset 218 transverse to the longitudinal axis of package
200, as best shown in FIG. 23. When the package is in its flattened
condition, as shown in FIG. 15, fold lines 238 and 248 are disposed
substantially parallel to each other at an approximate angle of
45.degree. to the side edges of package 200 on the rear and front
panels, respectively. In folding of leg 222 towards the center of
the top end of the package, the fold lines 238 and 240 are caused
to extend obliquely from the plane of the front and back panels to
form top flap 244 and the remaining parts of bottom flaps 235 and
237 which extend transversely from the front and rear panels, as
best shown in FIGS. 18 and 23. Top flap 244 consists of the
portions of leg 222 (including portions of both front panel 206 and
rear panel 208) extending above fold lines 238 and 240 as well as
the portion of gusset 218 included in leg 222 extending above fold
line 236.
The length of each of legs 222 and 224 is preferably slightly less
than half the width of the package such that after the legs are
folded a gap 246 is provided between top flaps 234 and 244;
however, bottom flaps 235 and 237 extend across the entire width of
the package.
Flaps 234, 235, 237 and 244 are folded on center lines 232 and 242
so that bottom flaps 235 and 237 cover top flaps 234 and 244 to
form a marginal flap extending vertically from the package, as
shown in FIG. 19. The marginal flap is then folded upon itself
toward rear panel 208 on a fold line 248 which is disposed between
the upper and lower ends of the marginal flaps, and a coating of
adhesive is applied to the surface of the fold, as shown in FIG.
20. Since bottom flaps 235 and 237 completely cover top flaps 234
and 244 a continuous surface is provided for sealing the package
and gap 246 is not exposed. The marginal flap is then folded upon
itself toward rear panel 208 along a fold line 250 which is aligned
with the lower end of fold lines 228 and 238 to complete top seal
202, as shown in FIG. 21.
Package 200 may be stored in any convenient are such as a closet or
freezer, and when it is desired to serve the contents of package
200 the package is retrieved from storage by grasping top seal 202.
The integral formation of top seal 202 and its multi-layer
thickness permits the package to be handled by the top seal without
the danger of tearing or mutilation.
In order to heat the contents of the package top seal 202 is firmly
grasped by the server and torn directly down the center or
otherline which may be marked by a dashed line printed on front
panel 206 intermediate the side edges of the package, with a
twisting motion to provide a vent 252 as shown in FIG. 12 to permit
vapor and steam to escape to the atmosphere during venting.
When package 200 is vented at the center, vent 252 is aligned with
gap 246 which forms a venting channel to facilitate tearing of the
vent and to also provide a guide to assure that vent 252 is torn in
a straight line. The length of vent 252 must be sufficient to
completely tear through top seal 202 in order to permit the
formation of pour spout 212 after heating; however, the size of
vent 252 may be varied with desired cooking conditions. In order to
assure proper venting a mark may be printed on front panel 206 to
indicate where tearing should be stopped.
The vented package is inserted in the toaster and the toaster is
energized for a predetermined amount of time to heat the contents
of the package. After the toaster is deenergized, the package is
removed therefrom by grasping top seal 202 and the contents of the
package may be easily removed by means of pour spout 212 which is
formed by unfolding the marginal flap of part of top seal 202 as
shown in FIG. 13, lifting out the insert formed by the folding of
leg 224 and inverting gusset 220 such that center line 232 lies in
the bottom of the pour spout as shown in FIG. 14. The contents of
the package may be easily removed by simply tilting the package to
permit the contents to flow through the pour spout 212 by gravity
into any suitable serving dish or plate. The multi-layer thickness
of the top seal 202 provides sufficient strength to permit package
200 to be handled thereby to tilt the package for removal of the
contents.
If package 200 contains an unpourable product such as a hamburger
pattie, after the juices have been poured off by spout 212 both
halves of top seal 202 may be torn from the pouch portion of the
package to permit removal of the unpourable product.
Dehydrated foods may be heated in package 200 by forming pour spout
212 prior to insertion in the toaster such that water may be easily
added to the package through the pour spout for heating by the
toaster.
Due to the simple construction of package 200 either side of the
package may be utilized to form pour spout 212; and furthermore,
the length of legs 222 and 224 may be varied in order to provide a
smaller pour spout on one side and a larger pour spout on the other
side. This may be simply accomplished during the cutting of top
margin 214 by making one leg larger than the other and since gap
246 will be displaced from the center of top margin 202, the
package will be vented at an off center position thereby permitting
either the selection ofthe larger or the smaller spout for removal
of the contents of the package.
No tear notch is required for venting of package 200 due to gap 246
being folded upon itself to form a weakened channel through top
seal 202 without adversely affecting the sealing characteristics of
the package. If it is desired to provide a hole in top seal 202 for
storage of package 200 on a rod, flaps 234,235 and 244 may be
double folded with smaller widths such that top seal 202 does not
overlap the pouch portion, and a hole may be punched through the
top seal without fear of ruining the sealing of the package. By
folding top seal 202 to overlap the pouch portion of the package,
the dimensions of the package may be reduced while retaining a
maximum capacity.
In order to further facilitate insertion and removal of the package
from the toaster, the first step in forming pour spout 212, as
shown in FIG. 13, may be performeed after venting such that the
unfolded flaps may be used as a handle to insert the package in the
toaster and remove the package from the toaster if the heating of
the contents does not require only a small vent.
A third embodiment of a package 300 according to the present
invention is illustrated in its pouring condition in FIG. 30 and
includes a top seal 302 and a bottom seal 304, and a front panel
306 and a rear panel 308 are formed by folding a sheet of material
such as that described with respect to FIG. 3 upon itself to form a
longitudinal seam 310 along rear panel 308. As discussed with
respect to the first embodiment any type of lettering or designs
may be placed on the front and rear panels, and the outer layer may
be overprinted with patterns of white to control heat absorption
and distribution inside the package. A pour spout generally
indicated at 312 is integrally formed with top seal 302 and its use
and formation will be described hereinafter with respect to FIGS.
24 through 29.
In order to form package 300 a sheet of material is longitudinally
folded upon itself such that its lateral edges overlap along
longitudinal seam 310 and its upper and lower edges are folded upon
themselves to form a top margin 314 and a bottom margin 316,
respectively, as shown in FIG. 24. Bottom margin 316 and
longitudinal seam 310 are sealed by applying heat and pressure
thereto to activate the inner layer of the material.
While the sides of package 300 are not illustrated as containing
gussets, it is clear that gussets may be included therein, during
the longitudinal folding of the sheet of material, if it is desired
to provide a package of greater holding capacity and to increase
the accuracy of the pour spout.
Bottom margin 316 is not folded upon itself as were the bottom
margins of the first and second embodiments in order to illustrate
that, due to the extremely sturdy, thick, tear resistant top seal
302, bottom margin 316 may be simply sealed without folds since all
handling during transportation, storage and serving may be
accomplished by grasping top seal 302.
After bottom seal 304 is formed package 300 is filled with food
through the top with the use of any type of conventional chute or
supply mechanism which is inserted into the top margin of the
package; and, since the entire top margin is open, foods such as
strips and patties of meat and fish may be inserted in the package
along with cooking juices and gravies.
Top seal 302 is formed by applying heat and pressure to top margin
314 after the package is filled to activate the inner layer of the
material and then folding one corner of top margin 314 toward front
panel 306 along a fold line 318 disposed preferably at an angle of
about 45.degree. to the side edges of package 300, as shown in FIG.
25. Top margin 314 is then folded upon itself toward rear panel 308
on a line 320 as shown in FIG. 26 and then folded again upon itself
toward rear panel 308 on a fold line 322 as shown in FIG. 27.
A hold 324 may be punched in top seal 302 simultaneously with the
cutting of a tear notch 326 in the upper edge of the top seal 302
which coincides with fold line 322 by a simple stamping process
with the realization that hole 324 and tear notch 326 may be cut
into top margin 314 prior to folding to form top seal 302 if so
desired. Hole 324 is preferably aligned with the overlapping
lateral edges of longitudinal seam 310 such that the extra layer of
material at the seam may be utilized to provide additional strength
at the location of the hole. Tear notch 326 may be disposed at any
position between the side edge of the package at which the pour
spout 312 is located and that part of top margin 314 which is
disposed substantially longitudinally by folding on fold line 318,
thus permitting control of the size of pour spout 312.
Package 300 may be stored in any convenient area such as a closet
or freezer by either stacking the package on a shelf or by
supporting the package on a rod extending through hole 324; and,
when it is desired to serve the contents of package 300, the
package is retrieved from storage by grasping top seal 302. The
multi-layer thickness of top seal 302 permits the package to be
handled by grasping the top seal without the danger of tearing or
mutilation.
In order to heat the contents of the package, top seal 302 is
firmly grasped by the server and torn at tear notch 326 with a
twisting motion to provide a vent 328 for the package, as shown in
FIG. 28, to permit vapor and steam to escape to the atmosphere
during heating. The size of vent 328 may vary with desired cooking
conditions; and, in order to assure proper venting a mark may be
printed on front panel 306 to indicate where tearing should be
stopped.
The vented package is inserted in the toaster and the toaster is
energized for a predetermined amount of time to heat the contents
of the package. After the toaster is deenergized the package is
removed therefrom by grasping top seal 302, and pour spout 312 is
formed as shown in FIGS. 29 and 30, by unfolding the small portion
of top seal 302 which is severed during venting along fold lines
322 and 318. The closer vent 326 is to the longitudinal edge of the
folded corner of top margin 314, the larger pour spout 312 will be.
If gussets are formed in the sides of package 300, pour spout 312
will be formed with the inverted gusset as shown by dashed line 330
in FIG. 30 to provide a larger and more accurate pour spout.
The contents of package 300 may be easily removed by simply tilting
the package to permit the contents to flow through pour spout 312
by gravity into any suitable serving dish or plate. The double fold
of top seal 302 provides sufficient strength to permit package 300
to be handled thereby to tilt the package for removal of the
contents.
If package 300 contains an unpourable product, such as a hamburger
pattie, after the juices have been poured off by spout 312 top seal
302 may be torn from the pouch portion of the package to permit
removal of the unpourable product.
Dehydrated foods may be heated in package 300 by forming pour spout
312 prior to insertion in the toaster such that water or other
cooking fluids such as milk or frying fats and oils may be easily
added to the package through the pour spout for heating by the
toaster.
A fourth embodiment of a package 400 according to the present
invention is shown in its filled condition for transportation and
storage in FIG. 40 and includes a top margin 402 and a bottom
margin 404. A front panel 406 and a rear panel 408 are formed by
folding a sheet of material such as that described with respect to
FIG. 3 upon itself to form a longitudinal seam 410 along rear panel
408. As discussed with respect to the first embodiment any type of
lettering or designs may be placed on the front and rear panels,
and the outer layer may be overprinted with patterns of white to
control heat absorption and distribution inside the package.
In order to form package 400 a sheet of material is longitudinally
folded upon itself such that its lateral edges overlap along
longitudinal seam 410 and its upper and lower edges are folded upon
themselves to form a top margin 412 and a bottom margin 414,
respectively, as shown in FIG. 32. During the folding of the sheet
of material and before or after sealing of longitudinal seam 410,
gussets 416 and 418 are formed at the sides in any conventional
manner to permit expansion of package 400 to contain varying
quantities of food.
As shown in FIG. 32, a pair of slits 420 and 422 are cut in the
bottom of margin 414 in alignment with the longitudinal axis of
package 400 preferably to a depth of about two thirds the thickness
of the package to form a front flap 424, a rear flap 426 and side
flaps 428 and 430. Side flap 428 is folded towards the center of
the side edges of the package along a fold line 432 which is
disposed along a side and transverse to the longitudinal axis of
the package, as best shown in FIG. 35, and along fold lines 434 and
436 which are disposed substantially parallel to each other on the
front and rear panels, respectively, when the package is flattened
as shown in FIGS. 32 and 33, at an approximate angle of 45.degree.
to the side edges of the package and are connected with the upper
ends of slits 422. Side flap 430 is folded towards the center of
the side edges of the package along fold lines 438, 440 and 442 in
a similar manner as previously described with respect to side flap
428, as shown in FIG. 33. In folding side flaps 428 and 430 as
described above, those portions of side flaps 428 and 430
originally included in front panel 406 and rear panel 408,
respectively, become disposed on front flap 424 and rear flap 426,
respectively, and serve to greatly strength bottom seal 404 which
is ultimately formed.
Next, front flap 424 is folded towards the center of the package
over side flaps 428 and 430 along a fold line 444, and rear flap
426 is folded towards the center of the package over side flaps 428
and 430 and front flap 424, as shown in FIGS. 34 and 35. Adhesive
may be coated on front flap 424 and rear flap 426 prior to folding,
and a pressure block may be inserted through the opening in top
margin 412 to hold side flaps 428 and 430, front flap 424 and rear
flap 426 while pressure is applied from the outside to provide
airtight bottom seal 404.
After bottom seal 404 is formed package 400 is filled with food
through the top with the use of any type of conventional chute or
supply mechanism which is inserted into the open top margin of the
package; and, since the entire top margin is open, foods such as
strips and patties of meat and fish may be inserted in the package
along with cooking juices and gravies.
Top seal 402 may be formed by any of the methods described with
respect to the first, second and third embodiments of the present
invention; and, accordingly, top seal 402 shown in FIG. 36 is
formed in the same manner as top seal 302 of package 300. Top seal
402' shown in FIG. 37 is formed in the same manner as top seal 102
of package 100.
In order to serve the contents of package 400, it is retrieved from
storage such as in a closet or freezer, and the top seal is vented
in the manner described above with respect to the various top seals
of packages 100, 200 and 300. After venting, package 400 is
inserted in the toaster, and bottom seal 404 provides an extremely
stable base to support the package in an upright position. The
squared configuration of bottom seal 404 permits a greater amount
of the contents of the package to be exposed to the heat in the
inner most confines of the toaster to provide extremely efficient
heating. Furthermore, there are no protrusions or flaps associated
with bottom seal 404 and, therefore, package 400 is not apt to be
snagged by the toaster.
After heating, package 400 is removed from the toaster and the
contents are removed in the same manner as described with respect
to the associated top seal of packages 100, 200 or 300 depending on
the particular form of top seal used. As an example, FIG. 38
illustrates a pour spout 450 similar to pour spout 312 of package
300 formed from top seal 402 as shown in FIG. 36. As another
example, FIG. 39 illustrates a pour spout 451 similar to pour spout
122 of package 100 formed from top seal 402' shown in FIG. 37.
The dimensions of packages 100, 200, 300 and 400 should be less
than those of the heating compartment of conventional household
toasters; however, the dimensions of these packages are determined
by the particular heating appliances in which they are desired to
be heated, and consequently, packages according to the present
invention may be desired for larger and different heating
appliances in order to accommodate larger portions of food or to
provide quicker heating.
Various features of the embodiments of the present invention may be
combined with other features of other embodiments in order to
provide a package having dimensional stability in accordance with
the foods to be contained therein; and having a pour spout to
provide simple and accurate removal of the contents. For instance,
when the contents of the package are entirely liquid such as soups,
gravies or beverages a long narrow pour spout having a center line
such as that provided by packages 200 and 300 will be desirable;
however, for foods such as stew a spout such as that included in
package 100 would be best suited for removal of the contents.
Similarly, the weight of the contents of the package can be
utilized to determine the type of bottom seal to be utilized with
the package. With the bottom seal of package 400 being utilized for
heavier and bulkier contents and the bottom seal of package 300
being utilized for lighter and slimmer contents.
The use of a gusset in at least one side of the packages of the
present invention permits expansion of the side walls to permit the
packages to hold greater amounts of food and fluids without
deforming the package. This is especially important for toaster
packages since the physical dimensions of the packages are limited
by the toaster heating compartment. The gussets also greatly
decrease spillage due to their formation of a well defined pour
spout. Packages 100, 200, 300 and 400 may be formed without
gussetted sides with the realization that the advantages attendant
the use of gussets will not be obtained.
* * * * *