General Mills, Inc.

University of Maine System

General Mills Marketing, Inc.

George A Tuszkiewicz

William E Archibald

Rodney K Gwiazdon

Mark Bedard

Peter L Novotny

Jenna M Ronquillo

Thomas P Meehan

Richard L Mace

Galen Hersey

Michael Albert Bilodeau

Matthew Woodard Lorence

Mark A Paradis

Ramin Heydarpour

Randal J Monforton

Mychal Barrett Brosch

Kenneth Lin

Adam C Feigum

David W Jordan

Thomas Miller

Matt Lorence

A multilayer moisture barrier film includes a first outer layer, a second outer layer, and at least one desiccant-containing inner layer between the first and second outer layers. The inner layer can have cavities with which the desiccant particles are in communication.

Moisture barrier films

The present disclosure relates to paperboard having an improved basis weight to bending strength relationship and methods of making paperboard having an improved basis weight to bending strength relationship. In particular, a paperboard provided herein includes a refined cellulose in at least 1 ply.

Paperboard product

A carton is formed by folding and interconnecting a plurality of body pieces to establish at least front and rear panels and opposing side panels which can be joined to establish the carton with an interior cavity for containing edible products. At least two of the front, rear and opposing side panels are interconnected by one or more bridge tabs so as to constitute a unitary, single one of the separate body pieces, thereby preventing the interconnected panels from skewing during assembly of the carton.

Carton and method of creating the carton

A carton is formed from folding a unitary blank, made from paperboard, to establish a front panel, a rear panel, opposing side panels, a bottom wall and a top wall. To strengthen the carton, at least two side inserts, having a caliper which is equal to or greater than the caliper of the unitary blank, are provided within an interior cavity of the carton and against a respective one of the opposing side panels. The unitary blank has a predominate fiber orientation which is directionally different from each of the at least two side inserts. With this arrangement, the cartons have enhanced structural integrity, enabling similarly configured cartons to be effectively, vertically stacked without deformation.

Paperboard carton

In a method of ultrasonically bonding paperboard, first and second pieces of paperboard are supplied, with at least one of the first and second pieces of paperboard being provided with a clay coating. The first and second pieces of paperboard are moistened and positioned in a gap between a sonotrode and an anvil of an ultrasonic welding unit. The ultrasonic welding unit is activated and the first and second pieces of paperboard are compressed between 30-70%, more preferably between 40-60%, to cause the clay coating to mobilize and force the clay coating material into fiber matrixes of the first and second pieces of paperboard, followed by cooling of the first and second pieces of paperboard, to bond the first and second pieces of paperboard.

Method of ultrasonically bonding paperboard

A paperboard carton is formed by folding and interconnecting an even number of body pieces to establish at least a bottom wall, first and second spaced main face walls, opposing side walls and a top wall, which collectively define an interior cavity for containing edible products, with the first and second main face walls and the opposing side walls being spaced by each of the bottom wall and the top wall, each of said body pieces being formed of paperboard, and at least two of the body pieces having predominate fiber orientations which are directionally distinct from one another, thereby establishing a compression strength for each carton which enables similarly configured cartons to be directly stacked upon each other for shipping purposes.

A paperboard carton is formed by interconnecting a main body piece, folded to establish at least a bottom wall and first and second spaced side panels, with separately formed third and fourth side panels. To strengthen the carton and enable similarly configured cartons to be effectively, vertically stacked, a caliper or basis weight of each of the third and fourth side panels is made greater than the main body piece and/or an orientation of the fibers between the pieces is varied as compared to a conventional carton.

A food package kit including a plurality of trays having a bottom, a sidewall extending upwardly from the bottom and terminating at a top end, and a flange extending from the sidewall opposite the bottom, the flange includes a rim section configured to receive a sealing film, and a recessed section extending from the rim section, wherein each of the opposed longitudinal edges intersect with a lateral edge at a corner, wherein the kit also includes a sleeve adapted to contain the trays completely therein, the sleeve including a sleeve top, a first depending sleeve side, and a second depending sleeve side and a sleeve bottom, wherein the tray is completely disposed within the sleeve by frictional force between the tray and the sleeve.

Microwavable container with sleeve

Kits for constructing a modular merchandizing unit include panels, frame members, joint pieces, and a cooling device. The frame members have a lengthwise shape defining outer and inner panel mounting assemblies and a joint capture region. The mounting assemblies include opposing legs extending from a base web to define a panel engagement region. The joint pieces each include a block core and orthogonally arranged plug assemblies projecting from faces of the core. The plug assemblies mate with the joint capture region. Construction of a unit from the kit includes the frame members retaining selected panels as paired inner and outer panels within corresponding engagement regions. The joint pieces interconnect the frame members and paired panels to form a cabinet. The cooling device is mounted the cabinet. A door assembly can also be mounted to the cabinet. Optionally, foam insulation is dispensed between the paired panels.

Modular cooled product merchandizing units, kits, and methods of manufacture

A portable cooling/heating unit for cooling/heating a product container. The unit includes a thermoelectric assembly, a housing, a front side fan, and a rear side fan. The thermoelectric assembly includes a thermoelectric device, a first heat sink, and a second heat sink. The housing maintains the first heat sink and front fan within a front side channel, and the second heat sink and rear fan within a rear side channel. The housing further forms a condensation passageway segment that facilitates fluid connection between the channels. During use, the unit is removably assembled to the container such that openings of the front side channel are fluidly within the container's interior region. Accumulated condensation is directed to the rear side channel and evaporated.

Portable thermoelectric cooling/heating unit and related merchandizing system

A portable cooled merchandizing unit including a product container assembly and a thermoelectric assembly. The product container assembly includes an exterior frame and an interior container forming a floor and side panels defining an interior region. Openings to the interior region are defined opposite the floor. Airflow paths are defined at an exterior of the panels and are fluidly connected to the interior region via the opening. The thermoelectric assembly includes a thermoelectric device connected to a heat sink that is fluidly connected to the airflow path away from the opening. A fan is positioned to circulate air from the thermoelectric device and into the interior region via the airflow paths.

Portable cooled merchandizing unit

A portable cooled merchandising unit including a product container assembly and a thermoelectric assembly. The product container assembly includes an exterior frame and an interior container forming a floor and side panels defining an interior region. Openings to the interior region are defined opposite the floor. Airflow paths are defined at an exterior of the panels and are fluidly connected to the interior region via the opening. The thermoelectric assembly includes a thermoelectric device connected to a heat sink that is fluidly connected to the airflow path away from the opening. A fan is positioned to circulate air from the thermoelectric device and into the interior region via the airflow paths.

Growing community of inventors

Plymouth, MN, United States of America

George A Tuszkiewicz