BACKGROUND ART Shops provide food that, to an increasing extent, is pre-cooked to a varying degree and require a varying degree of treatment in the home before the current food is ready to serve. The importance of healthy, nourishing and low-energy food has been emphasised more and more, where some cooking techniques, such as frying, have been declared to be unhealthy. Thus steamcooking, that is especially spread in certain continents, has been declared as a good cooking method as the nutritious substances are preserved and cooking may be performed without adding fat.

Steamcooking has until now required special cooking-vessels, that primarily are used in restaurant kitchens, while the private consumer in the private household seldom has chosen to buy such special equipment, that involves certain costs and demands storage space.

A package has previously been proposed, that it is equipped with a distance from a foundation, se JP 10 291 572. The associated distance means protrude from the package in storing and transporting condition as well, which means that the known package require much space.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION The purpose of the present invention is to present a food package that enables the use of steamboiling techniques for cooking food without needing any special equipment and without the package requiring unnecessary space in its storing and transporting condition.

Said purpose is achieved by means of a food package, which characterising features are apparent from the appended claim 1.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS The invention will in the following be described more in detail with different embodiment examples with reference to the independent drawings, where Fig. 1 shows a side view of the food package in a cooking phase, while Fig. 2 shows the food package according to the invention in a selling, transporting or storing condition, Fig. 3 shows the package in an end view, Fig. 4 shows the package for a second embodiment example in its storing and transporting condition, Fig. 5 shows the package according to Fig. 4 in its cooking condition, Fig. 6 shows the package of a third embodiment example in its storing and transporting condition, while Fig. 7 shows the package according to fig 6 in its cooking condition.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The food package according to the invention consists of a container 1 that is shaped like a box in the first example shown, i. e. it is equipped with a bottom 2, four sidewalls 3,4,5,6, and possibly an upper part or a lid 7. The container 1 may have many shapes, it may by way of example be a polygon, i. e. have several corners and have, for example, 3-8 sides or be round, for example circular or oval. The sidewalls 3-6 may be perpendicular to the bottom or, as in the example shown, be somewhat inclined in order to, among other things, facilitate the removal of the contents of the container.

When it for example is made in plastic, the shape provides production advantages. For further advantages, se below. Even a round container may have inclined or conical sides. When there is an upper part or a lid it may constitute a separate detachable part or else it may be opened by cutting a foil that is integrated with the other parts witch foil is perforated, if required.

The package is made in a heat-resistance material, preferably metal, such as aluminium or heat-resistance plastic or paper. The bottom 2 may be smooth and completely closed for transport, but is suitably perforated for cooking, while the upper part, if there is an upper part, is closed during storage, selling and transporting, but may thus be open during cooking.

According to the invention, the package is at least at it sides, equipped with uncoverable openings 8 in a predetermined number, suitably on at least two opposite sides, preferably all the sides. The openings may consist of a small number of larger openings, but may just as well consist of a very large number of small openings. Alternatively, the sides and possibly the bottom may be made in a steam permeable material. Possibly, the bottom 2 may also be equipped with openings.

Further, the food package according to the invention is equipped with supporting means 9,10,12 or distance means which, at a cooking phase, are arranged to carry the container of the food package at a distance from a supporting base 11, se fig 1. According to a preferred embodiment, which is shown in the figures, the supporting means consist of legs that in the phases preceding cooking are tightly connected to the sides of the package, se fig 2 and 3. As the whole outer part or the supporting part is conically inclined outwards, the container maybe"piled"in the outer part, which thus requires a minimum of space. When the supporting legs consist of legs, these are suitably arranged at each corner. Alternatively, supporting legs may consist of two wide metal edges, for example with the same width as two opposite sides and with a suitable height, which may be turned down in order to form supporting legs. The legs may as in the example shown be part of a lower stand with supporting parts that the container rests on.

Before the cooking phase, i. e. during storing, selling and transporting, the package is sealed with an outer wrap, for example some kind of foil, for example plastic foil or a paper or plastic it wrap, which closes the package

and protects it from contamination. The wrapping may either connect tightly to the shape of the container or form a bag which encloses the container.

The outer wrap may replace the uncoverable upper part or the lid and closes the openings 8 against the environment. The lower stand may alternatively be a complete box with openings.

Before the cooking phase the food package is thus well sealed and easy to handle for piling or exposing with information printed at the top and/or the sides, suitably such that the supporting legs do not protrude. The supporting legs consist, as shown, of a reversed outer part 7 that forms the lower stand and in the example shown has an outer profile that is similar to the container 1. It is placed in the similar, reversely placed outer part which has outer measures that are slightly larger than those of the container 1. Even if it has not been mentioned earlier, it shall for the matter of form be mentioned that the container encloses a container space 13 in which the food 14 may be stored and which is prepared for steam cooking. The food may be everything from meat, fish, fruit and vegetables or something else that is suitable for steam cooking. When the reversed upper part or stand is used, it has recessed sides in order to form the supporting legs, or is made to be broken through or equipped with a large number of holes or slots in order to prevent the steam that is created from lifting the whole package. The outer part may in the example be regarded as an extra bottom with legs, that in the storing position is connected to the sidewalls and is turned during cooking. This outer bottom 15 is also preferably broken through, e. g. made with one large hole or a number smaller holes.

When the food is about to be cooked in the home, the wrapping is removed and it is seen to that the supporting legs point downwards, for example by turning the outer part 7 such that the supporting legs 9,10,12 point downwards and the outer bottom 15, forms a supporting means for the food container 1. Thus the lower stand mentioned above is activated. The whole package with the food container 1 and the stand with the legs are placed in a

conventional saucepan or casserole 16, se fig 1. The package is thus placed on the bottom of the vessel on the supporting legs in such a way that the food package is supported at a distance from the bottom. Before or after of the placement of the package, the casserole is equipped with a few centimetres of water that has a level 18 below the level of the container\'s bottom. Normally, a lid 17 shall be placed on the cooking vessel during the steam cooking, that normally takes place by placing the cooking vessel on a hot plate on a stove where cooking takes places during a predetermined number of minutes. Steam is created, which penetrates the walls 3-6 of the package, more closely through its openings 8, thus does heating and steam- preparing the food. When the steam cooking has been finished, the package which thus forms an inner vessel in the cooking vessel, may be lifted out and placed on an underlay and may either form serving vessel or the food may be placed on a plate for serving, possibly the container may replace the plate.

In the second example according to fig 4 and 5, the container 101 is round, for example with circular bottom 102 for adapting it to the circular standard shape of cooking-vessels. The sidewall 103 thus runs continuously around the container space and may be somewhat conical or cylindrical. Like the first example, the sidewall 103 is equipped with steam inlet openings 108. The supporting means 109,110,111 consist of a suitable number of legs 120, 121,122 that in the example shown are three, and a supporting means 115 that unites the legs and is intended to carry the container in the cooking phase (see fig 5). The supporting means 115 consists of radial parts 123, 124,125 that start from the centre 126 of the bottom 102 and are diverted from the bottom plane in order to be transferred to the supporting legs. The supporting means thus form the bottom stand 107, that is turnable into one single unit in order to convert the package from the storing and transporting condition according to fig 4 to its cooking condition according to fig 5. As the lower stand is broken and does not cover all of the surface of the bottom 102, the lower stand may be made with a low weight and with a small amount of material. It also enables that the bottom is equipped with the steam inlet

openings 108 for inlet of the steamed water with a minimum of obstruction by the lower stand.

As disclosed in fig 4, the supporting legs 120,121,122 and the supporting means 115 are dimensioned to connect tightly towards the outer surface of the container 101 without visibly protruding outside the outer contour of the container in the storing and transporting condition. Besides that the legs do not protrude above the upper edge 127 of the container, the stand is made in a material with a limited thickness. Further, the legs are suitably made with the same angle of inclination as the side wall 103. In the example shown, the container 101 is also made with countersinks 128 in the bottom 102 with a shape and dimensions chosen to receive a corresponding part of the lower stand 115 in the storing phase such that it, almost, or completely is "absorbed"by the outer shape of the container 101. In the example shown, the sidewall has an edge facing outwards at the top, which edge suitably protrudes outside the supporting legs. The countersinks 128 also form guides in the bottom 102 for the stand in the cooking phase according to fig 6. The package is converted to this phase by turning the stand is such a way that the legs 120,121,122 are directed downwards, such that their outer end 129 or foot may rest against a foundation, e. g. in the bottom of the cooking vessel.

The third example according to fig 6 and 7 shows an embodiment where the separate lower stand is replaced with removable distance means or supporting means 209,210, which are shown folded against the underside of the container 201. I. e. The bottom wall 202, in the storing and transporting condition for the package, as shown in fig 6.

Each supporting means 209,210 suitably consists of a metal piece or a thread piece which is applied at the sidewalls 204,205 of the container by means of glueing, spot welding, or similar, and it is made of a material, e. g. aluminium or steel wire, which may be folded to a position that remains, i. e.

to be permanently deformed. If the metal piece or thread piece has an extension in width, i. e. along the sides 204,205 it is sufficient with two supporting means, alternatively the legs may be four, one in each corner, when the container has a box shape.

In the storing condition, among other things in the shelves were they are for sale, packages according to the invention may thus be piled close to each other as suggested with doted lines in fig 6.

For conversion to the cooking condition, the supporting means 204,205 are folded out or folded down with a simple manipulation in order to point straight downwards or obliquely downwards to rest against the foundation with its free ends 122, which foundation is the bottom of a conventional cooking vessel.

Even in the third example, the container may even have another shape than box shape, e. g. round with a suitable adaptation of the supporting leg arrangement.

The package is to be regarded upon as a disposable package which has a pure packing function together with a wrapping in phases before cooking without space demanding, protruding supporting means and which simply may be converted to be a disposable steam cooking means of assistance in a conventional cooking vessel.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments shown above and on the drawing. Several food packages may easy be piled on each other in the cooking vessel for cooking larger amounts or different kinds of foods at the same time. It is thus possible to choose if only the lower package shall have its distance means in an active position or if the packages which are placed above shall have a distance to the package below. The legs or the whole outer part or the lower stand may be made in metal wire. The stand according to the second embodiment may have another design, e. g. have a ring shaped support, which supports the bottom of the container.