# How Cup Noodles Are Designed to Cook Perfectly > A 1976 patent describing the specific shape, density, and placement of dehydrated noodles inside a cup to ensure they cook evenly and quickly when hot water is added. - **Patent:** US 3997676 - **Original title:** Instant-cooking cupped noodles and a method of producing the same - **Owner:** Nissin Shokuhin KK - **Granted:** 1976 - **Status:** Public domain (expired) - **Times cited:** 22 - **Field:** consumer_electronics, mechanical ## What it does This patent details a method for creating a 'noodle lump' that fits perfectly inside a tapered, heat-insulating cup. By frying the noodles in a specific mold, the process creates a lump that is denser at the top and less dense at the bottom. When placed in the cup, the lump is suspended so it does not touch the bottom, allowing hot water to pool underneath and heat the noodles from below. The dense top layer acts as a lid to trap steam, which helps the noodles cook thoroughly in just a few minutes. ## What it does NOT cover - Does not cover instant noodles sold in plastic bags or bricks that are not pre-shaped for a specific cup. - Does not cover noodle cooking methods that rely on microwave energy rather than hot water immersion. - Does not cover non-fried noodle dehydration processes like air-drying or freeze-drying. - Does not cover cups that are not heat-insulating or do not utilize a tapered, friction-fit design. ## The clever bit The genius is in the density gradient: by making the top of the noodle lump denser, the inventor created a self-sealing heat trap that keeps the steam inside the cup, ensuring the noodles at the top cook as fast as those at the bottom. ## Real-world examples 1. Nissin Cup Noodles 2. Most standard instant noodle cups found in grocery stores ## Why it matters This patent is the technical blueprint for the modern Cup Noodles product, which revolutionized convenience food by integrating the cooking vessel with the meal itself. It solved the problem of uneven cooking in instant noodles, ensuring that a quick pour of water could hydrate a dense block of noodles without requiring a stove. ## Frequently asked questions ### What does How Cup Noodles Are Designed to Cook Perfectly cover? A 1976 patent describing the specific shape, density, and placement of dehydrated noodles inside a cup to ensure they cook evenly and quickly when hot water is added. ### Who owns patent US 3997676? Nissin Shokuhin KK owns this patent, granted in 1976. ### When does this patent expire? This patent has expired and is now in the public domain — anyone can use the invention freely. ### What is patent US 3997676 cited by? This patent has been cited by 22 later patents that build on its ideas. ### What problem does this patent solve? This patent is the technical blueprint for the modern Cup Noodles product, which revolutionized convenience food by integrating the cooking vessel with the meal itself. It solved the problem of uneven cooking in instant noodles, ensuring that a quick pour of water could hydrate a dense block of noodles without requiring a stove. ### What does this patent NOT cover? Does not cover instant noodles sold in plastic bags or bricks that are not pre-shaped for a specific cup. **Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/3997676/cup-noodles-instant-ramen-ando **Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US3997676 --- _Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._ ## Related patents Semantically similar inventions in the PatentBrief corpus: - [How Pringles Potato Chips Are Stacked and Packaged](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/3498798/pringles-stackable-chips) — A 1970 patent by Procter and Gamble describing the precise method for stacking uniform, saddle-shaped potato chips into a cylindrical container to prevent breakage. - [How the 1940 Nachumsohn Cooking Apparatus Works](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/2187888/crock-pot-slow-cooker-naxon) — A 1940 patent for a cooking device designed to heat food efficiently using an enclosed chamber and specific heat distribution methods. - [How Clarence Birdseye Invented Modern Frozen Food](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/1773079/frozen-food-birdseye) — This 1930 patent describes the process of rapidly freezing food in small packages to prevent the formation of large ice crystals that ruin texture and flavor. - [How the Modern Disposable Paper Cup Was Invented](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/1032557/dixie-cup-disposable-paper-cup) — A 1908 patent for a sanitary, single-use paper cup designed to prevent the spread of germs from shared public drinking vessels. - [How Percy Spencer Invented the Microwave Oven](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/2495429/microwave-oven-cooking) — This 1945 patent describes the process of using concentrated microwave energy to cook food, the fundamental technology behind the modern microwave oven.