Package for increasing the volumetric yield of microwave cooked popcorn

Claim 1

A package for shipping and popping popcorn within a microwave oven comprising, a bag formed from flexible sheet material transparent to microwave energy and having two opposed face panels including a first relatively large face panel with side edges and a second parallel face panel of reduced width including side edges spaced centrally from the side edges of the first panel, sections of extensible interconnecting folded sheet material defining centrally projecting gussets extending between the side edges of the first and second panels, a transverse end seal on at least one end of the bag bonding the sheet material together, a change of popcorn and fat is contained therein intermediate the ends of the bag and spaced apart from said ends, said charge being located between the centrally projecting gussets and said second face panel, said centrally projecting gussets approaching each other closely enough to divide the bag into a pair of collateral tubes including a first longitudinally extending tube including said first panel and of a relatively large cross-sectional area and a second longitudinally extending tube including said second panel and of a smaller cross-section, the charge of popcorn and fat is confined substantially entirely in the tube of smaller cross-section, said tubes being in communication with each other between the gussets so that the popcorn can pass from the smaller tube to the larger tube during popping within the bag, means as part of the bag to temporarily restrain the charge at the center of the bag and in only one tube, the charge of popcorn and fat confined in the small tube having a broad face adapted to rest adjacent a floor portion of said microwave oven during popping whereby microwave energy is efficiently absorbed to achieve a popped volume on the order of 10% to 15% or more greater than an equivalent package with tubes of equal cross-section.