Thomas A Hoese, Age 469310 County Road 140, Cologne, MN 55322

6781101, Aug 24, 2004

Feb 5, 2003

10/358988

Thomas C. Hoese - Hopkins MN
Essam Wahbah - Minneapolis MN
Peeyush Maheshwari - Plymouth MN

General Mills, Inc. - Minneapolis MN

H05B 680

219730, 219725, 229903

A reconfigurable microwave packaging container is provided for containing, heating, and crisping at least one surface of at least one food product. The container includes a reconfigurable first panel having a flap that is at least partially separable from the container, and at least a portion of the flap includes a microwave susceptor material for absorbing microwave energy to transfer to at least one food product surface. The container also includes a second panel spaced from the first panel by a first distance to accommodate at least one food product between the first and second panels. The flap of the first panel is reconfigurable to be spaced at a second distance from the second panel, wherein the second distance is smaller than the first distance.

7781036, Aug 24, 2010

Feb 8, 2007

11/672722

Gary L. Gerbeling - Minneapolis MN, US
Thomas C. Hoese - Hopkins MN, US
Scott Hemink - Deephaven MN, US
Gregory Holl - Coon Rapids MN, US
Anthony Gaylor - Lakeville MN, US

General Mills Marketing, Inc - Minneapolis MN

B29D 22/00
B29D 23/00
B32B 1/08

428 357, 428346, 428483

A flexible pouch for cooking a food item using microwave energy. The pouch includes a base configured to retain hot gases above atmospheric pressure within the pouch to heat and cook the food item when the package is exposed to microwave energy. The pouch also includes a cover comprising a sealant layer and a score layer. The score layer includes a weak portion which ruptures and vents the pouch at a predictable location when pressure within the pouch due to the hot gasses exceeds a predetermined pressure.

2004015, Aug 12, 2004

Feb 7, 2003

10/360991

Peeyush Maheshwari - Plymouth MN, US
Mary Reed - Minnetonka MN, US
Thomas Hoese - Hopkins MN, US
Essam Wahbah - Minneapolis MN, US
Nicholas Kovich - Minneapolis MN, US
Heidi Nelson - Burnsville MN, US
James Weinstein - Maple Grove MN, US

A23K001/00

426/097000

Filled dough products are provided having enhanced crispiness. In one aspect specific crispiness enhancing ingredients are added to either or both the dough composition and the filling composition to provide superior crust performance properties in the final filled dough product. In another aspect, a preferred extrusion die is provided that comprises a primary extrusion opening and a plurality of secondary extrusion openings and is positioned across an outlet of an extrusion passageway. The preferred die further includes at least one recessed region, which at least partially includes a portion of one or more secondary extrusion openings. The present invention is also directed to methods of forming filled food products.

2005028, Dec 22, 2005

Jun 3, 2005

11/145415

Chad Kubat - Woodbury MN, US
Thomas Hoese - Hopkins MN, US

A23G003/00

426128000

Methods of manufacturing packaged dough products are provided. A heat stable film is used as a processing aid and as at least a portion of a final package for the dough product. Since the heat stable film is at least a portion of the final package, the dough product can be subjected to a cooking or reheating (e.g., by conventional or microwave oven) cycle within the package, thereby also providing enhanced convenience to an end user of the dough product.

2010028, Nov 11, 2010

May 4, 2010

12/773210

ANTHONY GAYLOR - Lakeville MN, US
Thomas C. Hoese - Hopkins MN, US
Tim Reppe - Minneapolis MN, US
Steve Straus - Bloomington MN, US

B65D 81/34
B65B 11/00
B65B 51/10
B65D 90/00

426 88, 53461, 53463, 2064591

A heat-in package with doneness indicator for heating applications, such as microwave heating of foods or sterilization applications. The doneness indicator comprises indicia printed with thermochromatic ink on the heat-in packaging. The doneness indicator can be sealed from front to back on the heat-in packaging in such a way that the heat transfer to the sealed area is controlled so that the contents contained within the heat-in packaging has adequate time to heat before a color change or other visual transformation is observed in the doneness indicator. Furthermore, the sealed area containing the thermochromatic ink is not in direct contact with the contents within the packaging. The ink changes due to heat conduction through the film. A venting system can further be incorporated to prevent excessive pressure build-up within the packaging.

4190757, Feb 26, 1980

Jan 19, 1978

5/870906

Charles H. Turpin - Minneapolis MN
Thomas C. Hoese - Minneapolis MN

The Pillsbury Company - Minneapolis MN

H05B 906
B65B 2522

219 1055E

The invention provides a distribution and heating method for foodstuffs and an inexpensive disposable microwave shipping, heating and serving package for food composed of a paperboard carton and a lossy microwave energy absorber which becomes hot when exposed to microwave radiation. The absorber is associated in conductive heat transfer relationship with a food product contained in the package and is usually bonded to a structural supporting sheet such as aluminum foil. The package also includes a shield e. g. , a metal foil sheet adapted to reduce by a controlled amount the direct transmission of microwave energy into the food product. The shield may have holes of a selected size to provide a predetermined controlled amount of direct microwave energy to the food product or can be a nonperforated sheet or screen. The absorber heats the adjacent surface of the food by conduction to a sufficiently high temperature to provide searing or browning while controlled microwave exposure heats the inside. The thickness of the absorber is substantially in the range wherein absorber thickness and temperature response are positively correlated.