WO2011066598A1

WO2011066598A1 - Baking pan and method

Info

Publication number: WO2011066598A1
Application number: PCT/AU2010/001572
Authority: WO
Inventors: Stacey Kastrounis
Original assignee: Mcpherson's Limited
Priority date: 2009-12-02
Filing date: 2010-12-01
Publication date: 2011-06-09
Also published as: ZA201204002B; GB2487885A; CA2782191A1; AU2010327355A1; NZ600328A; GB2487885B; GB201209326D0

Abstract

The present invention relates to a baking pan that includes baking cavities having base and side surfaces shaped to form baked food items of either linear or curved shape making it possible to assemble a number of such shaped baked food items to form letters of the alphabet and/or numerals. The baking pan includes a plurality of baking cavities connected to each other via a connecting portion. Each baking cavity includes a base surface, a side wall that is upstanding from the base surface and that is attached to the connecting portion. The base surface and the side surface of a first one of the baking cavities being shaped to form a baking cavity for forming a substantially linear shaped baked food item. The side surface and the base surface of a second one of the baking cavities being shaped to form a baking cavity for forming a substantially curve shaped baked food item. The present invention also relates to a method of forming baked food items of either linear or curved shape making it possible to assemble a number of such shaped baked food items to form letters of the alphabet and/or numerals.

Description

BAKING PAN AND METHOD

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for forming baked items of food in the shape of letters of the alphabet and/or numerals.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is often desirable to be able to form a baked food product such as a cake in the shape of a letter of the alphabet or a numeral. In order to achieve this end, a baked food item is typically baked in a standard shaped baking tray, such as a rectangular baking tray, and is cut into the shape of the desired letter or into portions which are then assembled to form the shape of the desired letter or numeral. A problem with this apparatus and method for forming a baked item in the shape of a letter or numeral is that it is time consuming and laborious to firstly bake the food item and then subsequently cut the food item into the desired shape. Furthermore, the outcome may be that the shape of the letter or the numeral is not neat, tidy or elegant.

Accordingly, the present invention seeks to provide a method and apparatus for forming baked letters of the alphabet and numerals by means that are less laborious and result in a better end product than the existing apparatus and method outlined above for forming baked items of food in the shape of letters of the alphabet and/or numerals.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, in a first aspect, the present invention provides a baking pan, including:

• a plurality of baking cavities connected to each other via a connecting portion;

• each baking cavity including a base surface, a side wall upstanding from the base surface and attached to the connecting portion;

the base surface and the side surface of a first one of the baking cavities being shaped to form a baking cavity for forming a substantially linear shaped baked food item and the side surface and the base surface of a second one of the baking cavities being shaped to form a baking cavity for forming a substantially curve shaped baked food item. The baking pan of the invention is advantageous in that by providing baking cavities having base and side surfaces shaped to form baked food items of either linear or curved shape it is possible to assemble a number of such shaped baked food items to form letters of the alphabet and/or numerals.

In one form, the first and second baking cavities include a base surface including a first pair of opposite spaced apart edges and a second pair of opposite spaced apart edges, a first pair of opposed side surfaces upstanding from each of the first pair of edges and a second pair of opposed side surfaces upstanding from each of the second pair of edges wherein each of the first pair of side surfaces is connected along a side edge to an adjacent side edge of one of the second pair of side surfaces.

In one form, the first pair of side surfaces of the first one of the baking cavities are substantially planar and the first pair of edges of the base of the first one of the baking cavities are linear.

In another form, the first pair of side surfaces of the second one of the baking cavities are curved and the first pair of edges of the base of the second one of the baking cavities are curved.

In one form, one of the curved side surfaces has a greater length than the other one of the curved side surfaces and one of the curved edges has a greater length than the other one of the curved edges.

In another form, the curved side surfaces have an arch shape and the curved edges have an arch shape.

In another form, the baking pan further includes instructions for forming letters of the alphabet out of food items baked in any one or more of the baking cavities.

In another form, the baking pan further includes instructions for forming numerals from baked food items formed from any one or more of the baking cavities. In one form, the baking pan includes a diagram illustrating the baked food items formed from any one or more of the baking cavities and the relative positioning of the baked food items to form any one of either a letter of the alphabet or numeral.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a method of forming letters of the alphabet and/or numerals out of baked food items, the method including:

• providing a baking pan including baking cavities for forming a linear shaped baked food item and a curve shaped baked food item;

• placing baked food batter within one or more of the baking cavities and baking the batter within the cavities to form one or more baked food items;

• removing the one or more baked food items from the cavities and assembling the baked food items into a letter of the alphabet or a numeral.

Further aspects and concepts will become apparent to persons skilled in the art after considering the following description and claims in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, the embodiments of the invention are illustrated, which, together with a general description of the invention given above and the detailed description below, serve to exemplify embodiments of the invention:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a baking pan in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the baking pan includes a plurality of linear and curved baking cavities connected to each other by a connecting portion and a set of instructions for forming numerals out of baked goods formed within the baking cavities.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the top of baking pan of Figure 1 .

Figure 3 is a plan view of the underneath of the baking pan of Figure 1 .

Figure 4 is a front elevation view of the baking pan of Figure 1 . Figure 5 illustrates a perspective view of the numerals 1 to 9 and 0 formed by the assembly of baked goods formed within the linear and curved baking cavities of the baking pan of Figure 1 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to Figures 1 to 4, there is shown a baking pan 10 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The baking pan 10 includes a plurality of generally linear shaped baking cavities 20 and curved shaped baking cavities 22. The baking pan 10 may include any one or more of the linear baking cavities 20 and any one or more of the curved baking cavities 22. Furthermore, the baking pan 10 includes a connecting portion 15 that connects the linear baking cavities 20 and the curved baking cavities 22 together. The connecting portion 15 is in the form of a generally planar plate member formed out of any suitable material, such as a metallic material or an oven-proof polymer material. Similarly, the linear baking cavities 20 and curved baking cavities 22 may also be formed out of any suitable materials, including a metallic material or oven-proof polymer material.

Referring to Figures 1 to 4, each of the linear baking cavities 20 includes a base surface 30 which is a substantially planar and linear surface. The base surface 30 includes a pair of opposite spaced apart linear longer edges 32a, 32b and a pair of opposite spaced apart linear shorter edges 34a, 34b extending between the opposite longer edges 32a, 32b. Upstanding from the longer edges 32a, 32b are respective planar longer side surfaces 42a, 42b which are rectilinear but may be any suitable shape. The longer side surfaces 42a, 42b upstand from the base surface 30 substantially perpendicular therefrom and oppose each other. Upstanding from the shorter edges 34a, 34b are planar shorter side surfaces 41 a, 41 b which are substantially square but may be any suitable shape. The shorter side surfaces 41 a, 41 b upstand from the base surface 30 substantially perpendicularly therefrom and oppose each other. Each of the shorter side surfaces 41 a, 41 b is connected along an edge upstanding from the base 30 to an edge upstanding from the base of each of the longer side surfaces 42a, 42b. Accordingly, the shorter side surfaces 41 a, 41 b and the longer side surfaces 42a, 42b define the substantially linear shaped baking cavity 20 that is configured to receive a portion of baked food batter there within which may then be subsequently baked within an oven to form a linear shaped baked food item 70 as illustrated in Figure 5.

Referring to Figures 1 to 4, each of the curved baking cavities 22 includes a substantially planar and curved base surface 40. In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, the base surface 40 is in the shape of an arch. In other words, the base surface 40 is substantially C-shaped. The base surface 40 includes a pair of opposite spaced apart and linear shorter edges 44a, 44b and a pair of opposite spaced apart and curved longer edges 46a, 46b. As can be seen in Figure 3, each of the longer edges 46a, 46b has a substantially arched shape or C-shape and one of the longer edges 46a has a greater length than the other one of the longer edges 46b. The shorter edges 44a, 44b extend between and to each of the longer edges 46a, 46b. A planar shorter side surface 45a, 45b upstands from the base surface 40 at each of the short edges 44a, 44b thereof. A curved longer side surface 48a, 48b upstands from each of the longer edges 46a, 46b of the base surface 40. One of the curved longer side surfaces 48a has a greater length than the other one of the curved longer side surfaces 48b. Each of the shorter side surfaces 45a, 45b and the curved longer side surfaces 48a, 48b upstands from the base surface 40 substantially perpendicularly thereto. Each of the shorter side surfaces 45a, 45b and the curved longer side surfaces 48a, 48b includes side edges that upstand from the base surface 40 substantially perpendicularly thereto. The upstanding side edges of the shorter side surfaces 45a, 45b are connected to the upstanding side edges of the curved longer side surfaces 48a, 48b. Thus, the base surface 40, the shorter side surfaces 45a, 45b and the curved longer side surfaces 48a, 48b define the substantially curved shaped baking cavity 22 having a substantially arched shape or C-shape that is configured to receive a portion of baked food batter therewithin for subsequent baking in an oven to thereby form a curved substantially arch shaped or C-shaped baked food item 75 as illustrated in Figure 5.

Uppermost edges of the shorter side surfaces 41 a, 41 b and the longer side surfaces 42a, 42b of the linear baking cavity 20 are attached, either integrally or by any other suitable means, to the connecting portion 15. Similarly, uppermost edges of the shorter side surfaces 45a, 45b and the curved longer side surfaces 48a, 48b of the curved baking cavity 22 are attached to, either integrally or by any other suitable means, to the connecting portion 15. Accordingly, as illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, the connecting portion 15 is adapted to connect and hold together a plurality of the linear baking cavities 20 and the curved baking cavities 22 to facilitate baking a plurality of linear baked food items 70 and curved baked food items 75 simultaneously to enable the formation of the baked food items 70, 75 into one or more of the numerals 1 to 9 and 0 by assembling a plurality of linear baked food items 70 and/or curved baked food items 75 relative to each other as illustrated in Figure 5.

The baking pan 10 further includes instructions 80 for a user to indicate the number and relative positioning of linear baked food items 70 and/or curved baked food items 75 to form any one of the numerals 1 to 9 and 0 as illustrated in Figure 4. The instructions 80 are in the form of the numerals 1 to 9 and 0 embossed into the surface 16 of the connecting portion 15. In particular, the instructions 80 include each of the numerals 1 to 9 and 0 respectively formed from the shapes of a plurality of the linear baked food items 70 and/or the curved baked food items 75 and the relative positioning thereof to form the respective numerals 1 to 9 and 0.

As mentioned above, the baking pan 10 may be formed out of any suitable material. For example, the baking pan 10 may be formed out of a sheet of metal that is stamped to form the plurality of linear baking cavities 20 and curved baking cavities 22, the connecting portion 15 and the embossed instructions 80. Furthermore, the metal sheet forming the baking pan 10 may be coated with a non-stick material such as Teflon or the like.

Although not illustrated in the figures, it is to be appreciated that the baking pan 10 or a variation thereof, could be used to form linear baked food items 70 and/or curved baked food items 75 for subsequent assembly into any one or more of the letters of the alphabet. Accordingly, another embodiment of the baking pan 10, not illustrated in the figures, could include instructions 80 in the form of any one or more of the letters of the alphabet formed from the shapes of any one or more of a plurality of the linear baked food items 70 and/or the curved baked food items 75.

The invention has been described herein with reference to preferred embodiments. Modifications and alterations may occur to persons skilled in the art upon reading and understanding this specification. It is intended to include all such modifications and alterations insofar as they fall within the scope of the following claims or equivalents thereof.

Claims

Claims:

1 . A baking pan, including:

• each baking cavity including a base surface, a side wall upstanding from the base surface and attached to the connecting portion; the base surface and the side surface of a first one of the baking cavities being shaped to form a baking cavity for forming a substantially linear shaped baked food item and the side surface and the base surface of a second one of the baking cavities being shaped to form a baking cavity for forming a substantially curve shaped baked food item.

2. The baking pan of claim 1 , wherein the first and second baking cavities include a base surface including a first pair of opposite spaced apart edges and a second pair of opposite spaced apart edges, a first pair of opposed side surfaces upstanding from each of the first pair of edges and a second pair of opposed side surfaces upstanding from each of the second pair of edges wherein each of the first pair of side surfaces is connected along a side edge to an adjacent side edge of one of the second pair of side surfaces.

3. The baking pan of claim 2, wherein the first pair of side surfaces of the first one of the baking cavities are substantially planar and the first pair of edges of the base of the first one of the baking cavities are linear.

4. The baking pan of claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the first pair of side surfaces of the second one of the baking cavities are curved and the first pair of edges of the base of the second one of the baking cavities are curved.

5. The baking pan of claim 4, wherein one of the curved side surfaces has a greater length than the other one of the curved side surfaces and one of the curved edges has a greater length than the other one of the curved edges.

6. The baking pan of claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the curved side surfaces have an arch shape and the curved edges have an arch shape.

7. The baking pan of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the baking pan further includes instructions for forming letters of the alphabet out of food items baked in any one or more of the baking cavities.

8. The baking pan of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the baking pan further includes instructions for forming numerals from baked food items formed from any one or more of the baking cavities.

9. The baking pan of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the baking pan includes a diagram illustrating the baked food items formed from any one or more of the baking cavities and the relative positioning of the baked food items to form any one of either a letter of the alphabet or numeral.

10. A method of forming letters of the alphabet and/or numerals out of baked food items, the method including: