초록 ▼

A frozen or refrigerated precooked meal formed from a number of food components is packaged in a compartmented tray which is transparent to radiant energy such as that from microwave or infrared energy sources. Each of the tray compartments is defined by ridges and side walls formed integrally with

A frozen or refrigerated precooked meal formed from a number of food components is packaged in a compartmented tray which is transparent to radiant energy such as that from microwave or infrared energy sources. Each of the tray compartments is defined by ridges and side walls formed integrally with the tray and the different component foods of the meal are disposed within selected different tray compartments. A radiation transparent film is secured over the tray and is bonded to the upper edge of the tray side wall and ridges to seal each compartment. Selected areas of the seals between the film and portions of the ridges and/or tray side walls are weakened so that they may rupture in response to excessive water vapor pressure build up to enable the water vapor to escape. The sealed food tray may be placed in a specially formed shielding box which controls the quantity of radiation to which each of the food components are exposed within a given time.

대표청구항 ▼

A package comprising: a tray formed from a material transparent to electromagnetic radiation, said tray having a bottom wall, a peripheral upstanding side wall and ridge means extending upwardly from the bottom wall and cooperative with said bottom wall and said peripheral side wall to define a plur

A package comprising: a tray formed from a material transparent to electromagnetic radiation, said tray having a bottom wall, a peripheral upstanding side wall and ridge means extending upwardly from the bottom wall and cooperative with said bottom wall and said peripheral side wall to define a plurality of at least three compartments; said compartments each containig a food component, at least two, but less than all of said compartments containing food components which will give off water vapor when heat conditioned, said at least two, but less than all of said compartments defining ventable compartments; a radiation transparent cover extending over said tray and being sealed to the upper edge of said ridge means and said peripheral side wall to isolate said compartments from each other; means communicating said ventable compartments with each other to permit communication of said water vapor from one of said ventable compartments to the other of said ventable compartments; and at least one portion of the seal between said cover and said peripheral wall associated with a selected one of said ventable compartments being constructed to be weaker than the other portions of said seal, said one portion of the seal being sufficiently weak as to rupture in response to build up of water vapor pressure in said ventable compartments beyond a predetermined magnitude whereby the water vapor generated in each of said ventable compartments may vent, sequentially, through said ventable compartments and through the ruptured seal in a predetermined direction.