GB2256123A - Baking equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

A baking tin (11) has walls (21, 22) and a base (23) having at least the interval wall surfaces (W) smooth, the walls (21, 22) being of non-uniform thickness due to ribbing (R) or other reinforcement of the walls (21, 22) provided on the external wall surfaces (W'). Preferably the base (23) is also smooth on its interior side (B) and is of non-uniform thickness due to ribbing (S) or other reinforcement of the base (23) provided on the external surface (B') thereof. The baking tin (21) is fabricated from magnesium or an alloy thereof or aluminium or an alloy thereof. Preferably at least some of the internal surfaces (W, B) thereof are provided with a coating of a silicone bearing material embodied in a rubber or a resin.

Description

BAKING EQUIPMENT This invention relates to baking equipment. In particular it is concerned with a baking tin which in what follows is used as a generic term to include not only a bread pan comprising a base surrounded by a wall having a height comparable with a dimension of the base but also baking pans, such as for cake and pizza, with low wall heights relative to the base dimension.

A baking operation involves the deposition of dough material for baking or cooking into a baking tin prior to the tin and contents being subjected to cooking in an oven. In commercial scale operations large numbers of filled tins are handled by way of a conveyor system which serves to pass each tin through a sequence of work stations. Typically at the first of these each tin, either as individual items or as coupled sets of items, is greased to facilitate the subsequent release of the cooked contents of the tin.

Thereafter each tin is charged with a measured amount of dough. A delay follows to enable the dough charge to rise. The tin and its contents is then conveyed through an oven region to provide for the cooking of the dough. Thereafter the cooked bread is separated from the tin and the tins are then returned to the beginning of the conveyor system for the process to be repeated.

Though the process is relatively simple a number of practical problems arise in connection with currently available bakery systems.

Firstly the use of a release agent such as grease. The grease costs money and takes time to apply. It is messy to use. Spilt on a floor or working surfaces it becomes a safety hazard as well as a presenting a hygiene problem. When baked on the tin it leaves a carbon deposit which is unsightly and in any event tins used with grease need periodic; cleaning.

To dispense with the need for a separately applied release agent it is known to use baking tins coated with a non-stick material . Such materials are generally silicone based though other materials are doubtless available.

A second problem arises in that a wall of a conventional thin walled steel tin is readily dented by impact such as with another tin or a device used for clamping a plurality of tins together or a part of the conveyor structure. Once a loaf has been baked in the tin it needs to be readily removable from the tin by an extraction system located at a workstation on the conveyor system. However an inwardly projecting dent in the wall of a tin acts to impede the ready removal of contents of the tin. Allowing that removal of a loaf from a damaged tin is eventually effected the loaf is likely to show some cosmetic damage.

Thirdly the normal working environment for a commercial working bakery is extremely noisy and a major contributor to this noise arises from the clatter of large numbers of baking tins of thin walled steel on the, or each, conveyor system.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a baking tin characterised in that at least the internal wall surfaces are substantially smooth to facilitate the removal of material cooked in the tin and the walls are of non uniform thickness due to ribbing or other projections or reinforcements of the walls provided on the external wall surfaces.

According to a first preferred version of the present invention a baking tin according to the first aspect has a base which is smooth on its interior side and is of non-uniform thickness due to ribbing or other reinforcement of the bases provided on the external surface thereof.

According to the first aspect of the present invention or the first preferred version thereof at least some of the internal surfaces of the baking tin are provided with a coating of a non-stick material, such as a silicone bearing rubber or resin.

Typically a baking tin according to the first aspect or any preceding preferred version thereof has a removable cover or lid. Typically the lid serves to provide a top boundary for material cooked in the tin on which the lid is located.

According to a second aspect of the present invention a baking tin according to the first aspect or the first preferred version thereof is characterised by being fabricated from magnesium or an alloy thereof.

According to a third aspect of the present invention a baking tin according to the first aspect or the first preferred version thereof is characterised by being fabricated from aluminium or an alloy thereof.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a baking tin assembly comprising at least two baking tins, according to the first or aspect of the present invention or any preferred version thereof or the second aspect, are coupled to one another by a strapping composed of a rigid linkage. Preferably the strapping provides for the tins it links to be spaced apart from one another to enable a heat transfer medium to transfer heat substantially uniformly into or from each tin in the assembly.

According to a first preferred version of the fourth aspect of the present invention the strapping incorporates buffering means whereby the assembly would normally contact other tins or similar assemblies or obstructions when the assembly is in use, the buffering means serving to minimise noise and/or damage by such contact.

An exemplary embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings of baking tins of which: Figure 1 a perspective view of three tins linked to one another; Figure 2 a vertical section of section II-II of Figure 1.

FIGURE 1 This shows three baking tins 11, 12, 13 demountably linked to one another by strapping 14. The strapping 14 provides for the three tins 11, 12, 13 to be spaced apart from one another to enable heat to be applied substantially uniformly to all sides of each tin when being heated in use.

The baking tins 11, 12, 13 are die cast and of magnesium metal and have walls and bases similar in form and function. Consequently tin 11 will now be considered in more detail in relation to Figure 2. In addition the strapping can incorporate a buffer such as a resilient arm or leaf which, in use, serves to minimise the generation of noise and! our damage arising from contact between the assembly and another tin, assembly or obstruction occurring during use on a conveyor system.

FIGURE 2 This shows a vertical section through the tin 11 with walls 21, 22 and base 23. Interior surface W of walls 21, 22 and interior surface B of base 23 are generally smooth and coated with a silicone coating marketed under the name RILON (registered trade mark) to provide for the ready release of the contents of the tin 11 once it has been baked. The use of this coating obviates the need for a discrete release agent to be applied during each usage of the tin 11. The edges and corners of the interior of the tin are rounded to improve the appearance of a product baked in the tin and to facilitate the cleaning of the tin.

The wall 21 (wall 22 being similar) has an outer surface W' which incorporates integral ribs R. These serve to considerably stiffen the wall 21 so that it is not prone to denting as commonly occurs with existing thin wall baking tins with consequent intrusion into the interior of the tin 11 and subsequent problems with extraction of baked material from the interior of a conventional tin. In addition the ribs R serve to increase the surface area of the die cast tin 10 to which heat is applied during baking and from which heat is lost during cooling. The thickness T of the wall 21 is chosen to ensure that heat transfer into the material during baking is rendered as uniform as possible over material. If necessary the thickness can be varied to create a particular temperature gradient over the baking material. The upper and lower external parts of the tin 11 are shaped to accommodate the strapping 14 (Figure 1).

The tin assembly described in connection with Figures 1 and 2 is readily used on a conventional conveyor system as described earlier. The use of coatings on the interior of tins 11, 12, 13 dispenses with the need for each tin to undergo a discrete coating of a release agent before each operating period. As mentioned earlier the ribbed walls of the tins serve to minimise, if not eliminate, the effect of denting arising with conventional thin walled tins. Further more the noise generated by a number of the units according to the present invention in use on a baking conveyor is several orders of magnitude less than that associated with current systems making use of thin walled baking tins.

By making use of magnesium the weight of the tin 11 is kept to a minimum despite the increased wall thickness of the tin 11 by comparison with a thin walled steel tin. By way of comparison the density of magnesium is 1.74 g/cc, aluminium 2.70 glce and iron 7.87 g/cc. The melting point of magnesium is similar to that of aluminium. The use of a light material such as magnesium or aluminium has advantages over and above that of steel tins. Typically the lighter weight leads to a reduction in the load that has to be moved by the conveyor. The improved thermal conductivity provides for a reduction in the cooking period required.

Insofar as information is currently readily available it would appear that magnesium, unlike aluminium, is not known to have a long term deleterious effect on humans.

Claims (10)

1 A baking tin characterised in that at least the internal wall surfaces are substantially smooth, the walls are of non uniform thickness due to ribbing or other reinforcement of the walls provided on the external wall surfaces.

2 A baking tin as claimed in Claim 1 having a base which is smooth on its interior side and the base is of non-uniform thickness due to ribbing or other reinforcement of the bases provided on the external surface thereof.

3 A baking tin according as claimed in any preceding claim wherein at least some of the internal surfaces thereof are provided with a coating of a non-stick material such as a silicone bearing rubber or resin.

4 A baking tin as claimed in any preceding claim having a removable cover or lid.

5 A baking tin as claimed in any preceding claim fabricated from magnesium or an alloy thereof.

6 A baking tin as claimed in any of preceding claims 1 to 4 fabricated from aluminium or an alloy thereof.

7 A baking tin as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

8 A baking tin assembly comprising at least two baking tins according to any preceding claim coupled to one another by a strapping composed of a rigid linkage.

9 A baking tin assembly as claimed in Claim 8 wherein the strapping provides for the tins to be spaced apart from one another to enable a heat transfer medium to transfer heat substantially uniformly into or from each tin in the assembly.

10 A baking tin assembly as claimed in Claim 8 or Claim 9 wherein the strapping incorporates a buffer whereby the assembly would normally contact other tins, assemblies or obstructions when the assembly is in use, the buffer serving to minimise the generation of noise and/or damage arising from such contact.