FR2789285A1 - SPECIALIZED COOKING ELEMENT FOR STEAM COOKER - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention concerns a specialised element in addition to the standard elements with perforated base for cooking rice in a steam cooker, comprising a solid base. Said cooking vessel can further be used for preparing sauce or heating liquids. Said vessel is provided with slight depth, side walls sloping gently towards the base and with orifices for the passage of steam located so as to protect the user from burns while using the vessel.

Description

SPECIALIZED COOKING ELEMENT FOR STEAM COOKER

  The present invention relates to a cooking element with a solid bottom for a steam cooker, the latter comprising a heating or heated part for producing steam and a cooking volume composed of one or more cooking elements arranged vertically one above the other. on others on

  said heating or heated part.

  A steam cooker conforming to the state of the art generally comprises two main parts, namely the heating or heated steam generating part and the cooking volume part which will receive the food.

you want to cook.

  The steam generating part comprises a container of water integrating or associated with heating means. In the case of an autonomous steam cooker incorporating heating means, these can be formed by a heating body immersed in water for the production of steam. The steam rises by first passing preferably through a juice collecting container placed above the steam generating part, then rises to reach the volume

Cooking.

  The cooking volume generally comprises at least one element composed of a tubular side wall which can be provided with gripping means, for example in the form of handles, and a perforated bottom in order to let the steam pass over the food placed on this background. The steam thus passes through the different cooking element (s) to escape through a cover provided with orifices. This principle is used in particular for cooking vegetables or fish, which

  thus retain all their nutritional qualities.

  To cook food in a liquid or with its juice, the perforated bottom elements are not suitable and it is necessary to have cooking elements -2- reserved for this purpose, having a solid bottom. Such elements are used in particular for cooking rice in which the water initially placed in the container with the rice is absorbed by the rice for part and

evaporated for another part.

  Such specialized elements, known in the state of the art, have a support part composed of a tubular wall and a perforated bottom allowing the steam to pass through, and a part with a solid bottom forming a cooking container, sliding inside the support part, but without touching the bottom. The cooking container is held in its position by a collar disposed on its upper part and connecting it to the support. The steam rising through the perforated grid heats the cooking container and then escapes through orifices arranged on the circumference of the support flange. This provision is illustrated in the documents CH 330.764, CH 140. 651, GB 305.565 as well as

US 4,462,308.

  All these documents have in common the fact that they describe cooking elements of which the cooking container does not have an external handle to facilitate the extraction of the support part. This makes handling the cooking vessels difficult. In addition, these containers have a certain

  depth, which discourages the user from intervening during cooking.

  Documents CH 330.764 and CH 140.651 describe stackable cooking sets. A support is required for each solid bottom cooking container. Therefore such cookers have a large size. Document US Pat. No. 4,574,776 proposes a solid bottom cooking element having handles but in a configuration which does not allow other cooking elements to be stacked. In addition, the orifices allowing the passage of steam are placed on the circumference of the container and make the operation of pouring the contents of said container impossible. Indeed, during the tilt

  of the container, its contents would pass through the orifices in many places.

  -3- It is noted that the known cooking elements all have cooking vessels whose depth is substantially equal to their diameter, which makes them impractical for making sauces, such an operation requiring numerous interventions by the user. Even if the depth of these containers would be reduced, these containers do not meet the safety criteria for use, in particular by the distribution of the steam passage orifices on the circumference of said containers. These orifices allow steam to escape which can burn the user when accessing the content, in particular when preparing sauces, melted chocolate or melted butter, and generally during

  any bain-marie type preparation.

  The object of the present invention is to offer users an element of

  cooking offering great comfort and safety in use.

  Another object of the present invention is to offer users an element of

  cooking offering great versatility.

  Another object of the present invention is to offer users an element of

  cooking limiting the size of the steamer.

  To this end, the solid-bottom cooking element according to the invention comprises a container, at least one gripping means, a collar provided with orifices intended for the passage of steam, in which said orifices are located out of proximity. or gripping means, the container having a depth less than half of its average diameter, the depth preferably being less than a third of the average diameter. Such a container with a full bottom is well suited for the preparation of rice but also for the preparation of

  sauces gently heated by steam licking the bottom of the container.

  Thanks to the reduced depth of the container the user can easily stir the contents of the container while observing the result. In addition, the user tends to

  stir the preparation by placing his hand on the right or left of the container.

  As the user also tends to place the handle (s) to the right or to the left, rather than in front of him or opposite, therefore the user

  do not risk getting burned by doing so.

  Advantageously, the cooking element comprises two gripping means arranged in a diametrically opposite manner and the orifices are located substantially halfway between the gripping means. The passage of the hand, whether for a right-handed or a left-handed, is carried out near the handles, these being naturally arranged on the left and the right of the device for an easy grip. Due to their positions, the steam does not

  will not burn the user's hand or wrist.

  Advantageously, the bottom of the container is slightly concave and its side walls flare gently. The container thus obtained resembles a soup plate, with a shallow depth, a slightly concave bottom and gently sloping side walls. This form offers many advantages, such as the ease of access to the content due to its shallow depth, the concentration of the content in its center whatever its quantity, thanks to the shape of the slightly concave bottom, as well as great ease. cleaning by the absence of angle. Therefore, the preparation of sauce in small quantities becomes possible in the same way as in a salad dish. This shape is particularly well suited to uniform heating of the bottom since the vapor no longer abuts on a flat bottom to then rise along the vertical side wall of the container but comes to lick the bottom of the container and

  slides along the inclined side wall to reach the passage openings.

  Advantageously, a base provided on the outer surface of the container makes it possible to place the cooking element on a surface, for example for table service, or to continue to stir the preparation outside the steam cooker. Another characteristic of the cooking element is its one-piece construction. While other elements of this kind distinguish three parts, namely the lateral support wall, the crown where the orifices and the container are located, the present invention describes an element in a single block. This facilitates handling, maintenance and storage. The cooking element is for example

made of polycarbonate.

  Another advantage of the invention is its small size. Indeed, the cooking element comprises a support wall capable of being stacked on or under another cooking element. In addition, the height of the part of the support wall disposed under the flange is less than the depth of the

  container, and preferably less than half the depth of the container.

  This has the effect of slightly enhancing the assembly of the other cooking elements already arranged above the heating part. The natural depth of the cooking element placed below is exploited

  to accommodate the container of the cooking element according to the invention.

  Its shallow shape allows another application. It was mentioned previously that a juice collecting container could be placed above the heating part. Thus the food juice from the various cooking elements disposed above the heating part flows through the different grids of each element and ends up in this juice-collecting container. This can prohibit the simultaneous cooking of food in the case where the juice of the upper food should not alter the taste of the food placed in a lower level. Thanks to the element of the present invention, placed between two elements containing foods whose mixture of their juices is not desired, it is possible to cook these foods simultaneously. The juice produced in the upper element is retained in the

  cooking according to the invention and does not reach the lower element.

  This invention also extends to a cooking element comprising a spout. Indeed, its shape makes it ideal for preparing sauces, reheating in a double boiler, that is to say handling liquids. These, once prepared, will be poured into a suitable dish thanks to the spout. To properly fulfill its office, it must be located out of reach of the orifices intended for steam otherwise the liquid could escape through these orifices and flow along the outer wall of the container. This is what happens with the containers described in the state of the art. This beak is located approximately 45 degrees from one of the handles, that is to say between the holes and the handle. In another embodiment, the orifices are removed on one of the sides of the element in order to be able to place the spout at 90 degrees from the two handles. Advantageously, the container has graduations intended by

  example to measure the liquid level or the amount of rice.

  The invention will be better understood thanks to the detailed description of the drawings,

  taken in no way limiting, in which: - Figure 1 is a sectional view of a set of cooking elements in which the cooking element according to the invention is placed in the upper part, - Figure 2 is a sectional view of a set of cooking elements in which the cooking element according to the invention is placed in the lower part, - Figure 3 is a perspective of the cooking element according to the invention provided

a spout.

  In FIG. 1 is illustrated in section an assembly comprising a first cooking element 3, directly placed on the steam generating part (not shown) with its perforated grid 30 and its handles 31, of a second cooking element 2 with its perforated grid 20 and its handles 21, these two elements allowing the steam to pass to reach the cooking element 1 according to the invention. The cooking element 1 forms a container 13 with a full bottom, intended to receive the food to be cooked or else the ingredients to be heated or reheated. The steam runs along the flared walls of the container 13 to escape through the orifices 10. The cooking element 1 is completed by two handles 12. Note the position of the orifices 10 which are located on the near horizontal support part 14 of the support wall 15. These orifices are arranged at approximately 90 degrees from the handles 12 to give the user complete freedom to access the content without receiving steam on the hands. The part of the support wall 15 disposed under the flange 14 has a height less than half the depth of the container 13. The container 13, -7- due to its new applications, is added a base 11 to ensure good stability when placed on a table. All of these cooking elements 2, 3, 1 is terminated by a cover 4 in which

  orifices (not shown) are arranged to allow steam to escape.

  FIG. 2 is a variant use of the different elements with the cooking element 1 placed between two standard cooking elements 2, 3. The juice produced by the food of the element 2 passes through the grid 20 to be collected in the container 13. The juice produced in the lower element 3 can be collected by a juice collecting container (not shown) placed under said

element.

  Figure 3 is a perspective view of the cooking element 1 having a pouring spout 16. Thus, sauces and other liquids can be easily harvested. A depression 17 concentrates the liquid during the pouring operation and brings it towards the pouring spout 16. The holes 10 are noted on each side in a median region with respect to the handles 12. The depth of the container is also less than the third of its diameter

  way. Graduations 18 are provided on the wall of the container 13.

  Preferably the cover 4 or the cooking element 2 provided to be superimposed on the cooking element 1 comprising a pouring spout have a skirt or a skirt portion intended to take place inside the wall 15 above the flange 14 in front of the pouring spout 16, to avoid

  steam outlet through the spout.

  In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the cooking element 1 is made of polycarbonate. Other materials can be used such as for example stainless steel or a combination of these materials, for example the polycarbonate structure and the bottom of the stainless steel container for

  to favor the thermal exchanges between this one and the vapor.

-8-

Claims (12)

  1. Cooking element (1) with a solid bottom for a steam cooker, comprising a container (13), at least one gripping means (12), a flange (14) provided with orifices (10) intended for the passage of steam, characterized in that the orifices (10) are located outside the proximity of the gripping means or (12) and in that the container (13) has a depth less than half of its mean diameter, the depth being   preferably less than a third of the average diameter.   2. Solid bottom cooking element according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises two gripping means (12) arranged diametrically opposite and in that the orifices (10) are located   substantially midway between the gripping means.   3. Solid bottom cooking element according to one of claims 1 or 2,   characterized in that the bottom of the container (13) is slightly concave and   that its side walls flare gently.   4. Solid bottom cooking element according to one of claims 1 to 3,   characterized in that it comprises a base (11) on the outer surface of the container (13).   5. Solid bottom cooking element according to one of claims 1 to 4,   characterized in that the gripping means (12), the collar (14)   supporting the orifices (10) and the container (13) are in one piece.   6. Solid bottom cooking element according to one of claims 1 to 5,   characterized in that it comprises a support wall (15) capable of being   stacked on or under an identical cooking element.   7. solid bottom cooking element according to one of claims 1 to 6,   characterized in that the height of the part of the support wall (15) disposed under the flange (14) is less than the depth of the container   (13), and preferably less than half the depth of the container.   8. Solid bottom cooking element according to one of claims 1 to 7,   characterized in that it comprises a pouring spout (16).   9. solid bottom cooking element according to claim 8, characterized in that the spout (16) is located midway between the orifices (10) and one gripping means (12).   10.Full bottom cooking element according to claim 8, characterized in that the spout (16) is located midway between the means of   gripping (12), the orifices (10) being removed in this portion.   11.Full bottom cooking element according to one of claims 5 to 10,   characterized in that it is made of polycarbonate.   12.Full bottom cooking element according to one of claims 1 to 11,   characterized in that the container (13) has graduations (18).