The invention concerns a cooking pot to be used as a container to cook or, more generally, to heat food.
Such an pot is already known, including:
JP-A-2008142205 discloses cooking pot 2 with handle 3 including battery 10 which powers heating resistance in the thicker bottom of the pot (the reference numbers are those used in this document). The general principle of a cooking pot with a handle including an energy source which provides electrical power to a mechanism outside the handle is, therefore, known.
However, the goal of JP-A-2008142205 is to provide a solution to allow the cooking pot to be used autonomously or as a service plate, not at all to be used to cook or, more generally, as a heat source such as: an electrical plate, flame from a gas source or an induction coil for induction heating of the bowl. The solution is a hand-held portable device, which is relatively light and which apparently is easy to use and operates thermally.
Despite everything, one problem remains with respect to, in particular, thermal performance, above all if the targeted application is not particularly independent use, as is the case below. The goals targeted here include, in particular, indoor use, near an available heat source to:
One solution proposed is that the first pot described above have a substrate in its bowl made of at least one metallic layer, and that the heating electrical resistance be:
The terms:
Therefore, the radiating effect is reduced, replaced, in whole or in part, with:
In addition, it should be possible to reduce the thickness of the materials, or even select materials which are less apt to thermal distribution (stainless steel instead of aluminum, for example, while obtaining the same thermal distribution effectiveness throughout the pot), while ensuring identical, clean cooking, in particular, by limiting the thermal gradient between the bottom and the side wall, which may also increase the durability of the anti-stick coating which typically covers the internal face of the metallic layer of the bowl and often (such as with PTFE) is sensitive to very high temperatures (more than 300° C., or even 250° C.).
It will also be possible, at least when the beginning of manufacturing, to differentiate the foregoing bowls (with this electrical resistance) from those which do not have it. In this regard, the bowl in JP-A-2008142205 has the disadvantage that the electrical resistance is located in the middle of the metallic bottom wall.
To function advantageously when intense heat is used, regardless of the location (within the wall or on the surface) of the resistance, it is also advisable that the bottom of the bowl, the lower surface of which is securely placed facing an external heat source which includes one of the following: an electrical plate, flame from a gas source, or induction coil for induction heating of the pot, be designed to resist heat from said external heat source, and therefore include:
Accordingly, thermal and mechanical performance are combined, with good durability, regardless of the external heat source used from among those listed above, which can be further improved if the electrical resistance is located solely near the pot's side wall. In effect, the issues related to bottom deformation can be eliminated from those listed above on page 2 by optimizing each.
Among the possible pots (also called bowls) recommended here, therefore, it is possible to envision a bottom which is strengthened and/or suitable for induction heating. This pot with an integrated bottom and side wall made of the same metallic material (for example, aluminum) is preferably bonded with a metallic layer (such as aluminum) on the outside of the bottom which is more malleable than that making a lower dish made, for example, from ferrous steel, which is magnetizable, or ferromagnetic, covering said more malleable metallic layer. Heat forging (to create the multilayer bottom) along with stamping (to create the side wall) may then be particularly appropriate as a manufacturing technique.
However, to increase the ease of manufacturing and any maintenance on the pot, everything notwithstanding, it is recommended that the internal surface of the lateral wall be oriented to the interior recess of the substrate and a facing outside surface and that the heating electrical resistance be a deposited near the outside surface of the side wall; the electrical insulation layer will itself be a deposit attached to the metallic substrate.
To enable rapid manufacture and create a durable pot, it is further recommended that the electrical resistance, in particular if located on the surface and not incorporated into the substrate, rather than including wires individually coated with protective electrical insulation, be interposed between a flat electrical insulation layer scope placed against (one of the) metallic(s) layer(s) of the substrate and a coating layer for mechanical and/or chemical-physical protection.
If the electrical resistance is incorporated into the metallic substrate, it is preferred that it be located solely near the pot's side wall and that it be surrounded, at that location, with a layer of electrical insulation separating it from said metallic material or said metallic layers which surround it as this material or these metallic layers are preferably electrically conductive.
In this way, reliability, achieving the expected lateral heat and compliance with the desired manufacturing speeds and conditions, including in terms of controlling bottom deformation over time, are combined. If it is incorporated into the substrate, even individually insulated wires are preferred.
Preferably, the electrical power source of the resistance, which, therefore, equips the bowl's side wall, will be provided on a handle attached to the pot to raise it and allow the pot to be held by hand. Accordingly, it is possible to take advantage of the space which is usually empty in a handle while maintaining minimum dimensions for a functional grip.
To make use even easier and the pot more compact compared to JP-A-2008142205, it is also recommended that:
In addition, and preferably, the electrical resistance extends at least most of the way around the pot's side wall and/or along its height.
The fact that the heating electrical resistance extends along the surface around most of the edge of the side wall, and not on (in) the bottom as in JP-A-2008142205 where only two wires lead to a specific location in the middle of this wall, is an advantage here since it is possible to select a location with greater flexibility to connect where the electrical power source connects to power the resistance, both in terms of radial position and it terms of its height for a handle.
Another positive aspect will be generated if, when the handle is attached, its attachment mechanism is in contact with both the internal face (food side) and with the outside of the bowl's side wall, achieving in a single attachment both an easy electrical connection of the handle, whether the contact terminals (or zones) provided for this purpose are localized (
This is even more important if the pot/handle attachment mechanism includes two bits which form a pincer by moving with respect to one another to attach the handle to the pot, wherein said secondary electrical contact terminals are located on (at least) one of these bits.
In one important implementation of this type, the attachment mechanism also includes, on the handle, the bits of a pincer and, on the bowl, a section of the side wall near its upper outside edge so that the bit will more directly pinch, from above, one of these bits which, therefore, is equipped with said secondary electrical contact terminals.
For electrical performance which permits high-quality cooking, in particular, with a frying pan which can be used to sear meat, it is recommended that the electrical contact terminals of the electrical power source of the resistance be retracted by an elastic recall mechanism and limit the contact resistance with the pot's terminals to less than 100 mOmhs, and preferably to less than 10 mOmhs.
For high quality electrical contacts, it is recommended that:
Again for electrical performance, it is recommended that each electrical contact terminal have a cross-section of at least 0.75 mm2 to resist 8 to 14 A of current.
To allow the pot to be used as a service plate, or far from a socket connected to the electricity grid, it is recommended that, if a handle is used, it consist of a hollow body and that the electrical power source with which it is equipped consist of a rechargeable electrical energy source, such as a battery, housed in said body and connected to one of the recharging terminals in the body, the handle being then equipped with watertightness means which protect said rechargeable electrical energy source from humidity.
Accordingly, if the handle is removable, it can be, if necessary, cleaned with water (even immersed in water), even though it is an “electric handle”.
The invention also covers a procedure to manufacture a cooking pot with all or part of the foregoing characteristics. Details are provided below.
Other characteristics and benefits of the invention may emerge from the description below, with reference to the drawings attached as an example. In these drawings:
Below and throughout the text and illustrations, these variations should be considered combined in whole or in part.
The cooking utensil selected can be useful for this pot (lighting, blending, carrying means, etc.). It has, in and of itself, a purpose other than (solely) electrical or induction heating of the pot. Preferably, it will be a cooking utensil that may be held by hand. Then it can be, inter alia, moved and/or held to operate it or carried and/or to carry the pot using it. A handle is, therefore, a good example.
Handle 5 is equipped with electrical power source (production) 7 connected to heating electrical resistance 9 with which the bowl is equipped to provide electrical power for this resistance.
The bowl has bottom 30 and lateral wall 300 which angles upward from the bottom edge until upper opening 10.
Electrical resistance 9 is located near the side wall, on the outside surface of the metallic layer(s) of the substrate. It is a pathway or wire.
In
Electrical resistance 9 is preferably added by depositing around the metallic substrate, here against insulation layer 3c. Accordingly, it will be attached while being placed, in this case, therefore, by depositing.
Resistance 9 may be a metallic pathway the wires of which are not sheathed by electrical insulation.
This metallic pathway may be attached by thermal projection. For chemical-physical protection, it is recommended during coating on the outside that this resistance be coated by protective coating 12, which is recommended as protection against oxidation. Electrical insulation coating 12 is preferred.
Resistance 9 could also be polymer based which, when deposited, should be protected mechanically by protective coating 12.
Other alternative: resistance 9 may have an enamel base containing conductive pots. Then it will not be absolutely necessary to use mechanical protective coating 12 and/or a chemical-physical coating to attach it because it will already be attached to the bowl during deposit around resistance 9.
Layers 3a1, 3a2, and 3a3: for example stainless steel/aluminum/stainless steel; layers 3a1, 3a2, 3a3, 3a4, and 3a5: for example, stainless steel/aluminum/stainless steel (or copper)/aluminum/stainless steel.
Colaminated layers are recommended.
On the outside, again resistance 9 is attached to the substrate in question, with electrical insulation layer 3c and possibly external protective coating 12 interposed. Interior anti-stick deposit 3b is not required on stainless steel.
On bottom 30, there is a substrate and, if necessary, this interior anti-stick coating 3b, here without layers 3c and 9; therefore, without coating 12.
In
Source 15 is one of an electrical plate, flame from a gas source or an induction coil for induction heating of the bowl, as in
Lower surface 14, and, in general, each bottom 30 is designed to resist heat from the external heat source in question.
As shown in these
Stamp 17 is free of material. It does not go outside the metallic layer in which it is formed. The same may apply to stamp(s) 170 which may exist in addition to an insert made of harder metal as in
Yet another mechanical resistance solution over time for bottom 30 is also, therefore, that corresponding to
Even if the substrate is not placed on the interior side (concave surface), electrical resistance 9 should be configured, for manufacturing performance (broader choice of the type of resistance, reliability in bowl manufacture) as substrate is arranged on exterior side 30a1 at side wall 300.
As shown in
Electrical resistance 9 shows isographic lines of similar heating.
These primary and secondary attachment mechanisms 21a and 21b may be located respectively on the handle and on base 23 mounted on the outside of the bowl and attached to it, against its outside surface 30a2 attached, for example, by screws; see
Handle 5 is equipped with secondary terminals 25b which come into contact with initial terminals 25a on electrical resistance 9 so that an electrical contact which can be broken is created when the handle and the bowl are both attached; see
It is recommended that resistance 9 then extend at least most of the way around (perimeter) of side wall 300 and/or its height H.
In the example in
Bits 210a and 210b pinch section 301 from above. One of these bits (preferably only one; stationary bit 210b) is equipped with secondary electrical contact terminals 25b.
Although it would be worthwhile to have such a pincer with a mobile bit moving in translation (see for example, EP-1991098 for more details on how to ensure this movement), the bit could, inter alia, move otherwise, and the attachment on the base could also create the electrical contact between the handle and pot. Then, initial terminals 25a would be mounted on this base to make contact with secondary terminals 25b when clamping occurs.
To move mobile bit 210a with respect to fixed bit 210a opposite it, slide 33 mounted in translation in longitudinal direction 35 compared to body 29, and primary and secondary pivoting connecting rods 37 and 39 from
With respect to primary and secondary terminals 25a and 25b,
It is further recommended that elastic recall mechanism 27 (such as springs) be provided for on (behind) the secondary contact terminal(s) to naturally push them toward the primary terminal(s). in
It is further recommended that:
In the case of removable handle 5, two contact terminals may advantageously be place on forward extremity 290 of grip body 29 of the handle (
In the case of a handle attached to the pot, therefore without terminal 25a and 25h, the wires coming from electrical power source 7 may be directly soldered to heating pathway 9 and the connector may be housed in the aforementioned attachment base 23.
With a 12V energy source, it is possible to heat a resistance of 0.3-1 Ohm at 60-100 W, which is appropriate for the stated purposes, but not for cooking food (by heating bottom 3 using a primary heat source: gas, electrical or induction) but by limiting thermal losses (radiation effect from the side wall) and even heating of the bowl.
The effective power to be provided depends on the type of pot and recipe; for example:
For a 20 cm-diameter casserole, convection losses from the side wall of a standard pot (for example, a frying pan) are 44 W (10 W/m2.° C.). For an emissive surface (example, a PTFE coating with an emission level of 0.95) heated to 100° C., radiation losses are estimated to be 36 W.
With heating resistance 9 of 80 W (without loss to the exterior, as favorably shown in
In all cases, the radiation effect is reduced. To do so, it is clear that, when resistance pathway 9 is powered with electricity, it heats and transmits heat to side wall 300 on which it is mounted, and which is therefore no longer heated only by conduction of the heat also transmitted to bottom 30 (gas, electrical or induction source), which, therefore, has no electrical resistance (see
In
Watertightness means 43, which make electrical energy source 7 watertight against humidity, or even liquids, may be applied to grip body 29. It may include joint 45 located between the (two) shells 29a and 29b which collectively create body 29 which are tightened together by screws 47; see
In another possible implementation shown in
With respect to the manufacture of such a cooking pot, and in particular bowl 3 if it is designed based on one of the scenarios in
This allows the technique for placing resistance 9, its form and its dimensions, to be easily selected without interference with deposited coating 3b or surface 13 which must be uniform. Heating pathway 9 may, in particular, be placed by silk-screening, pad printing, decaling, or thermal projection.
However, it is recommended that this resistance be attached to the pot by depositing. It is even recommended that the resistance be obtained by the depositing of silkscreened pathways with at least one electrically conductive material. The expected effectiveness and reliability will be all the better achieved.
In addition, with respect to this resistance 9 as already indicated, it will be then connected to electric power source 7 with which the cooking pot is equipped.
The bowl may be created by, inter alia, stamping, flow forming, tempering, and casting, in particular, hot stamping.
To incorporate resistance 9, cold or hot stamping, colaminating with multiple metallic layers, or even casting or brazing may be used. If colaminating is used, insulation 3c may not fully surround resistance 9: a liner opposite two adjacent metallic layers (for example, 3a1 and 3a2 in
In this case, the pot may be manufactured as follows to increase expected effectiveness and reliability:
It is therefore recommended that resistance 9 be incorporated into substrate 31 by creating said two metallic electrically conductive layers between them, without adhesive, using deformation and/or a metallic chemical-physical bond.
In this description, “metallic” means a metal or metal alloy.
Electrical resistance 9 is still located on side wall 300.
However, it is now incorporated into said substrate, within:
In these cases, to reliably and safely manufacture the bowl so the resistance continues to operate over time, the use of resistance 9 surrounded by electrical insulation sheathing or layer 3c is recommended. Metallic material 3a1 (
In
In
Layer 3b may be applied prior to or after substrate deformation.
It should be noted that, in general, it is possible that, in connection with the pressure formation of side wall 300 and the placement of resistance 9, bottom 3 should, therefore, be reinforced prior to or thereafter, by adding an insert such as 19 (
In
In
The position of handle 5 attached to the bowl (here with vertical contacts) allows heating location and power to be selected: the further one moves away from the U formed here (see the diagram), the greater the heated zone and electrical power.
Accordingly, lateral resistance 9, in particular on a deposited heating pathway, may include multiple resistances. In the first case, these resistances are independent, i.e., there are separate connections terminals. In the second case, they are interconnected and may be heated simultaneously.
To recharge electrical source 7, there is a rechargeable battery, preferably electromagnetic connection mechanism 60 accessible from the outside of removable handle 5.
This mechanism 60 may include “jack” type female socket 61 as shown in
This socket is located on grip body 29. It can be connected to the electricity grid using a power cord with a “jack” type male plug. As shown in this
In one variation as shown in
Grip body 29 includes a cavity opening to its external surface. Cavity 75 is surrounded by secondary induction coil 69 which is housed within grip body 29. The energy is transferred from the primary induction coil to secondary 69 without them coming into contact. These magnetic connection means ensure that grip body 7 is watertight and forms a watertight connection.
As already seen, rather than on a handle, electrical source 7 could therefore be generally located, for example, on a cover.
It is then possible that, in a cover placed on outside edge 303, the terminal contacts (such as 25b), with which it would be equipped along with terminal contact(s) 25a of the pot, could combine the heating of side wall 300 with simmering food placed in the bowl by low heating of the bottom by source 15.
It should also be noted from the foregoing that the bottom of the pot will not have a coil or an electrical resistance.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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1156376 | Jul 2011 | FR | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/FR2012/051637 | 7/11/2012 | WO | 00 | 3/19/2014 |