Patent Application
20230292953
This disclosure generally relates to a pizza warming serve tray device. More particularly, the disclosure relates to a pizza warming device comprising a pan and an induction base heating unit for retaining the temperature of pizza and extending the length of time the pizza stays at an optimum temperature for consumption.
Pizza is a common meal, enjoyed by individuals for years. Generally, when a pizza is finished cooking, it is placed on a conventional serving tray or pan and brought to a table at a restaurant where individuals will begin to eat the pizza. However, as soon as the pizza leaves the oven, the temperature of the pizza begins to drop at a rapid rate. Because the temperature of the pizza is significantly greater than the temperature of the tray, once the pizza is placed on the serving pan, heat is transferred between the pizza and the pan. Conventional pans do nothing to retain the temperature of the pizza. As such, after a period of time, the pizza is no longer hot, making it less desirable to eat. The decrease in temperature leads to a decrease in the quality of the pizza and its overall enjoyment by individuals. Thus, there is a need for a device that allows a pizza to retain its temperature by extending the length of time the pizza stays at an optimum eating temperature and thereby maintaining the quality of the pizza for consumers.
The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects described herein. This summary is not an extensive overview of the claimed subject matter. It is intended to neither identify key or critical elements of the claimed subject matter nor delineate the scope thereof. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
Conventional pizza pans commonly used in restaurants do nothing to maintain the ideal temperature of pizza for consumption and thus result in a short cooling time for pizza. Cooling time refers to the length of time food remains at an optimum temperature range before decreasing to a temperature at which point consumption is no longer desirable. Thus, the object of the invention is to provide a device that increases the pizza's cooling time, i.e. the length of time the pizza stays at an optimum temperature. Another object of the invention is to provide pizza pans that also promote manufacturability and that are not costly.
Another object of the invention is to provide a device comprising a pan of an ideal pan material chosen to significantly reduce weight while increasing thermal performance and induction heating compatibility.
Another object of the invention is to provide a device that increases the length of time pizza is maintained within the ideal temperature range.
Particular embodiments of the present invention are directed to devices for increasing the length of time the pizza is maintained at an optimum temperature for consumption.
In some embodiments, the device may comprise a pan and an induction base heating unit, wherein the material of the pan is a bonded metal alloy, and wherein the pan is coated with a molded, food-grade silicone to insulate the heat contained within the pan. The induction base heating unit may comprise an interface comprising indicator lights, wherein the indicator lights are red, yellow and green. When the indicator light is red, there is no pan on the induction base heating unit. When the indicator light is yellow, the pan is on the induction base heating unit and the induction base heating unit is heating the pan. When the indicator light is green, the pan on the induction base heating unit has reached the optimal temperature range.
In some embodiments, the induction base heating unit heats the pan to a temperature range of 190-220° F.
Further variations encompassed within the devices are described in the detailed description of the invention below.
The patent or application file contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent or patent application publication with color drawing(s) will be provided by the Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form part of the specification, illustrate various, non-limiting embodiments of the present invention. In the drawings, like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements.
The key factors that determine the length of time a pizza remains in the optimal temperature range for consumption are the initial pan temperature and the thermal mass of the pan. Thermal mass is controlled by the size and type of material. The initial temperature could be set and maintained with induction heating.
The initial temperature of the pan controls the total amount of heat added to the pan and therefore the total amount of heat that may be supplied to the pizza. The temperature supplied to the pan by the induction base heating unit cannot exceed the temperature of the pizza as it exits the oven otherwise the pan will continue to cook the pizza causing a change in the taste. Thus, the ideal temperature range of the pan is critical. Tests conducted revealed that the average pizza crust temperature is 190-200° F. and the ideal starting temperature to maximize the amount of time it takes for the pizza to cool is 220° F.
The pan 1 may include a silicone base 4. The pan 1 is coated with a molded food-grade silicone 4 to further insulate the heat contained within the pan 1 and to allow the pan 1 to be carried by hand. In some embodiments, the silicone used is an industrial grade RTV that is FDA certified for food contact and is NSF rated. In one embodiment, the silicone is RTV 102 Silicone produced by Momentive. Silicone was chosen for the present invention because it is a great thermal insulator and is safe for food and washing. Silicone prevents excess heat from escaping through the bottom of the bonded metal sheet 3. The silicone also allows for the pan 1 to be carried by bare hands when the pan 1 remains at a temperature above 200° F. In some embodiments, air pockets are designed into the silicone mold 4 to further increase thermal resistivity of the bottom of the pan as can be seen in
As pizzas may be made in various sizes, in some embodiments, the size of the pan 1 may be 12-20 inches in diameter.
In some embodiments, the pan 1 includes a handle 2 attached to each side of the pan 1 at two holes 5.
Standard induction heating technology ranges in both effectiveness and safety. When determining the heat source for the present invention, the safest route was to use a frequency controlled design to restrict compatible materials to magnetic metals. An induction base heating unit proved to be effective.
In some embodiments, the induction base heating unit 6 may comprise an interface board 9, a housing 7, an induction coil, a printed controller board and power supply.
In some embodiments, the induction base heating unit 6 may be designed to more evenly heat the pan by expanding the size of the induction coil.
As pizzas may be made in various sizes, in some embodiments, the size of induction base heating unit 6 may be 12-20 inches in diameter. In some embodiments, the height of the induction base heating unit 6 may be 1.25-2 inches.
Experiments were conducted on test samples of the pizza warming serve tray device to determine the key performance metrics. Experiments were conducted to determine the required heating time needed to bring the pan to the optimal temperature range of 190-220° F. and to determine the ability to maintain the temperature range while the pan remains on the induction base heating unit. The pans used in the experiments were made of 430/Aluminum/430 and were coated with RTV 102 Silicone.
The first experiment examined the optimal initial temperature range for the pan and the length of time needed to heat the pan to the optimal range. Pizzas with an average crust temperature of approximately 190-200° F. were used. When the pan was heated, the results demonstrated that the optimal starting temperature to maximize cooling time of the pizza was 220° F. If the pan reached temperatures above 220° F., the pizza would continue to cook resulting in a change in taste or decrease in quality. Although the optimal starting temperature of 220° F. is above the average crust temperature, the design of the device is such that only the center of the pan was 220° F. and the pan remained at this temperature for only a few seconds when it comes into contact with the pizza. The heat of the pan quickly dissipated radially to a more even temperature distribution below 220° F. at approximately 190° F.
During the initial experiment, it was also discovered that the induction base heating unit can raise the temperature of the pan to 220° F. in approximately 25-30 seconds. The heating time is important to the functionality of the device in a kitchen environment to integrate into existing processes while mitigating potentially a decrease in peak output. Thus, it is an advantage for the device to have the ability to heat the pan quickly. An infrared thermal camera used during testing determined the temperature distribution of the pan when it was heated on the induction base heating unit.
Another experiment was conducted wherein an exemplary embodiment of a pan of the present invention was compared to a standard thin aluminum pan to examine the separate cooling times of the pizza. Specifically, the experiment was designed to examine the total length of time a pizza remains in the optimal temperature range on each pan. The cooling time for three pans was examined. The first pan was a standard thin aluminum pan. The second pan was made of 430/Aluminum/430 and coated with RTV 102 Silicone, and had a thickness of 0.075 inches. The third pan was made of 430/Aluminum/430 and coated with RTV 102 Silicone, and had a thickness of 0.120 inches. The pizza samples selected for the experiment had crusts that were approximately 0.25 inches thick. The average crust temperature of the pizza when it left the oven was 190-200° F. The minimum optimal temperature for consumption was determined to be 130° F., providing the baseline for determining the length of time the device will keep the temperature of the pizza in the optimal temperature range of 130-220° F. The results demonstrated that the average cooling time of the pizza on the standard thin aluminum pan was 14-16 minutes. Specifically, it took 14-16 minutes for the pizza on the standard thin aluminum pan to drop below 130° F. By contrast, when utilizing the heated 0.075 inch pan coated in silicone the cooling time increased to approximately 30 minutes. When utilizing the heated 0.120 inch pan coated in silicone the cooling time increased to approximately 45 minutes. The results demonstrated that the pan of the present invention drastically increased the total length of time a pizza remains in the optimal temperature range. The overall increase in the total cooling time demonstrated a great advantage of the present invention over conventional pans. The results also demonstrated a correlation between the mass of the pan and the cooling time.
An experiment was conducted to determine whether the thickness of the pizza crust had an effect on the average cooling time. Generally, thick crust pizzas maintain temperature for a longer period of time than thin crust pizzas. When comparing the average cooling time of pizzas with varying crust thicknesses, the results demonstrated that the device of the present invention dramatically extended the length of time both pizzas remained in the optimal temperature range. On average, total cooling time of both pizzas was increased by 160%. These results depicted a cooling time that more than doubled the amount of time an individual may enjoy a pizza in the optimal temperature range.
The results also illustrated that cutting and removing slices of the pizza expectedly reduced the cooling time of both pizzas. Thus, the cutting and removing of the slices reduced the cooling time regardless of the thickness of the pizza.
Embodiments of the present invention have been fully described above with reference to the drawing figures. Although the invention has been described based upon these exemplary embodiments, it would be apparent to those of skill in the art that certain modifications, variations, and alternative constructions could be made to the described embodiments within the spirit and scope of the invention.
While various embodiments have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not limitation. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited to any of the above-described exemplary embodiments. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the disclosure unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/570,512, filed Sep. 13, 2019, and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/730,845, filed Sep. 13, 2018, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62730845 | Sep 2018 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16570512 | Sep 2019 | US |
| Child | 18082830 | US |
