Patent Application
20220256905
The present disclosure relates to the food processing technology and, more particularly, to a food mold for use in food processing and a method for food processing using the food mold.
Heat-and-eat food made of wheat or rice is usually processed and packaged in packs for sale for one consumer or few consumers. Tedious cooking procedures are not required for a consumer to enjoy such heat-and-eat food. All he/she has to do is heat up the heat-and-eat food using simple procedures such as microwave heating or hot water heating. During food processing, most food manufacturers process and shape food into blocks such that the block-shaped food can be placed in food containers and then packaged for display and sale in the market. For example, instant noodles that are edible when brewed in hot water and noodles that need to be boiled first, and then mixed with sauce to be edible both belong to this kind of heat-and-eat food. Therefore, heat-and-eat food is quite popular among the public in the fast and busy modern life.
In the prior art, most heat-and-eat food is presented in a dense block shape, which leads to some heating problems such as incomplete heating due to uneven heating of the food itself or lengthy heating process.
In view of the above, one object of the present disclosure is to provide a food mold for use in food processing, which is capable of enhancing heating efficiency when heating heat-and-eat food to overcome the problems of incomplete heating due to uneven heating of the food itself or lengthy heating process.
One further object of the present disclosure is to provide a method for food processing, which is capable of enhancing heating efficiency when heating heat-and-eat food to overcome the problems of incomplete heating due to uneven heating of the food itself or lengthy heating process.
In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a food mold including a bottom portion, a sidewall and a protruding structure. The bottom portion includes a peripheral edge and a bottom surface. The peripheral edge surrounds the bottom surface. The sidewall includes a lower edge and an upper edge opposite to the lower edge. The sidewall surrounds the bottom portion. The lower edge is connected to the peripheral edge. The protruding structure is disposed on the bottom surface.
In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the protruding structure includes a first post centrally disposed on the bottom surface.
In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the protruding structure further includes plural second posts disposed on the bottom surface and surrounding the first post.
In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the protruding structure further includes plural ribs disposed on the bottom surface. Each of the plural ribs has an end connected to the first post and the other end connected to a corresponding one of the second posts.
In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the second posts are spaced apart equidistantly.
In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first post has a first height relative to the bottom surface, each of the second posts has a second height relative to the bottom surface, and the first height is higher than the second height.
In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first post has a first diameter on the bottom surface, each of the second posts has a second diameter on the bottom surface, and the first diameter is larger than the second diameter.
In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the food mold further includes a brim portion surrounding the sidewall and being connected to the upper edge.
In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the brim portion extends from the upper edge in a direction away from the sidewall.
In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the peripheral edge and the sidewall take on wavy outlines from a projective perspective.
In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the bottom surface has plural through holes.
In one further aspect, the present disclosure provides a method for food processing, and the method includes the following steps. A food mold including a bottom portion, a sidewall and a protruding structure is first provided. A mixed edible material is then placed in the food mold before the mixed edible material is fully hardened such that the protruding structure is inserted into the mixed edible material. The mixed edible material is removed from the food mold after the mixed edible material becomes slightly or fully hardened such that the mixed edible material corresponds in shape to the bottom portion and the sidewall.
In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the mixed edible material form a central channel centrally therein and the central channel corresponds in shape, outline and size to the first post.
In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the protruding structure further comprises a plurality of second posts disposed on the bottom surface and surrounding the first post such that the mixed edible material forms peripheral channels around the central channel, and the peripheral channels correspond in shape, outline and size to the second posts.
In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the protruding structure further comprises a plurality of ribs disposed on the bottom surface, each of the plurality of ribs having an end connected to the first post and the other end connected to a corresponding one of the second posts, such that the mixed edible material forms thereon dent channels connecting the central channel to the peripheral channels, and the dent channels correspond in shape, outline and size to the ribs.
In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the second posts are spaced apart equidistantly such that the peripheral channels are spaced apart equidistantly.
In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first post has a first height relative to the bottom surface, each of the second posts has a second height relative to the bottom surface, and the first height is higher than the second height, such that the central channel is deeper than the peripheral channels.
In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first post has a first diameter on the bottom surface, each of the second posts has a second diameter on the bottom surface, and the first diameter is larger than the second diameter, such that the central channel is wider than the peripheral channels.
In conclusion, after the mixed edible food is processed and shaped with the food mold in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the processed, shaped food forms therein one or more channels. The channels are conducive to the passage of steam or hot water through the processed, shaped food and thereby enhance its cooking efficiency, so as to cook the food uniformly, fully and speedily.
Fine features and advantages of the present disclosure are described in detail below to enable persons skilled in the art to understand and implement the technical features of the present disclosure. Persons skilled in the art may refer to the specification, claims and drawings of the present disclosure and thereby easily understand the objectives and advantages of the present disclosure.
The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed descriptions of the invention, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. In the drawings:
The following embodiments when read with the accompanying drawings are made to clearly exhibit the above-mentioned and other technical contents, features and effects of the present disclosure. Through the exposition by means of the specific embodiments, people would further understand the technical means and effects of the present disclosure adopted to achieve the above-indicated objectives. Moreover, as the contents disclosed herein can be readily understood and implemented by a person skilled in the art, all equivalent changes or modifications which do not depart from the concept of the present disclosure shall be encompassed by the appended claims.
Furthermore, the ordinals recited in the specification and the claims such as “first”, “second” and so on are intended only to describe the elements claimed and imply or represent neither that the claimed elements have any proceeding ordinals, nor the sequence between one claimed element and another claimed element or between steps of a manufacturing method. The use of these ordinals is merely to differentiate one claimed element having a certain designation from another claimed element having the same designation.
Furthermore, the terms recited in the specifications and the claims such as “above”, “over”, or “on” are intended not only directly contact with the other element, but also intended indirectly contact with the other element.
Referring to
For example, the mixed edible material is placed in the food mold 10 before it is fully hardened so as to be shaped. Meanwhile, the protruding structure 300 is inserted into the mixed edible material. After the mixed edible material becomes slightly or fully hardened, the mixed edible material is removed from the food mold 10. After being processed and shaped, the mixed edible material corresponds in shape to the bottom portion 100 and the sidewall 200. The mixed edible material forms channels therein because of the protruding structure 300. The channels correspond in position and shape to the protruding structure 300 and are conducive to the passage of a heating medium, such as steam or hot water, through the mixed edible material.
Referring to
As shown in
Referring to
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
Referring to
As shown in
Referring to
The food container 20 includes a receiving space 21, a rim 22 and an opening 23. After being processed and shaped with the food mold 10, the heat-and-eat food is placed in the receiving space 21 of the food container 20. Then, the opening 23 is covered with specific packaging film, and the edges of the packaging film are fixed to the rim 22, so as to hermetically seal the receiving space 21. To cook the heat-and-eat food, a consumer places the food container 20 in a food heater such that an injection element of the food heater penetrates the packaging film and then injects steam and hot water into the receiving space 21. As mentioned before, the heat-and-eat food now has channels and impressions corresponding in position to the first post 310, the ribs 330 and the second posts 320, and in consequence the steam and hot water pass through the channels and impressions so as to be uniformly distributed throughout the heat-and-eat food.
In conclusion, a food mold and a method for food processing using the food mold are provided in the present disclosure. After being processed and shaped with the food mold, heat-and-eat food forms thereon one or more channels and dent impressions. The channels and impressions are conducive to the passage of steam and/or hot water through the heat-and-eat food such that the cooking efficiency of the heat-and-eat food is enhanced, so as to cook the heat-and-eat food uniformly, fully and speedily.
Although the present disclosure is disclosed above by preferred embodiments, the preferred embodiments are not restrictive of the present disclosure. Changes and modifications made by persons skilled in the art to the preferred embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure must be deemed falling within the scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the legal protection for the present disclosure should be defined by the appended claims.
This application is a Continuation of copending application Ser. No. 16/997,664, filed on Aug. 19, 2020, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/890,700, filed on Aug. 23, 2019, all of which are hereby expressly incorporated by reference into the present application.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62890700 | Aug 2019 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16997664 | Aug 2020 | US |
| Child | 17733711 | US |
