Mould with detachable container easy to grip and support thereof

Abstract

The subject of the invention is a mold for preparing food products, in particular pastries, comprising: a support comprising a receiving structure, a raised seat and at least one through hole with a rim, the receiving structure being a tray; at least one removable container of height h for insertion into the hole, the container comprising a bottom wall and a side wall extending from the bottom wall, the side wall and the bottom wall forming a cavity for holding food, each container having on its side wall an upper gripping zone of height h1 that cannot pass through the hole; a cooperating annular line at which the container cooperates with the rim of the hole to make the container rest on the rim; and a lower stabilizing zone of height h2 that can pass through the hole; the height h1 being at least 25% of the height h of the container and not more than 45% of the height h of the container; the cooperating annular line delimiting a junction of an upper zone and a lower zone; and the area of the through hole being equal to the cross-sectional area of the container at the cooperating annular line.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of molds for food use, and more particularly to molds for cooking pastries such as muffins.

[0002] It should be noted that in this document, the terms "longitudinal", "transverse", "vertical", "parallel", "rotation", "horizontal", "vertical", "down", "up", "high", "low", "intersecting", "coaxial", "convex", "concave", and "plane" used to describe the present invention refer to the present invention when it is placed on a horizontal surface during use. Background Technology

[0003] In the field of food preparation, especially in the field of pastry making, molds are known to be used to shape and cook foods such as cakes.

[0004] Molds, traditionally known as muffin molds, have multiple containers or cavities arranged on supports, forming a single mold with multiple cavities for holding pastries. Traditionally, these one-piece molds are made from stamped plates, optionally coated with a non-stick coating. These molds come in a variety of shapes. The advantage of multi-cavity molds is that they allow multiple cakes or dishes to be made simultaneously by filling all the cavities of the mold.

[0005] However, since the mold cavities are integrated with the support components, a disadvantage of these multi-cavity molds is that demolding becomes difficult. Therefore, they cannot be operated individually, but only simultaneously.

[0006] Multi-cavity molds are also known, where each cavity is removable relative to the tray for easy demolding. However, a drawback of these molds is that they cannot guarantee optimal stability of the cavities, especially when the mold and its cooked contents are removed from the oven while still hot. In fact, the user is not capable of holding the hot cavities.

[0007] Furthermore, when cold, instability arises due to the lack of space to accommodate the user's fingers. In fact, in the case of these molds, when the user places the mold cavity in its tray, fingers interfere with removal, and the user releases the mold cavity to position it in the tray. This causes splattering, as the user's release of the mold cavity shakes the cooked food and causes it to spray out of the cavity. Summary of the Invention

[0008] Furthermore, the present invention aims to solve all or part of the above-mentioned defects, particularly by proposing a stable multi-cavity mold that facilitates the gripping of its cavities or cups, avoiding spillage and finger burns.

[0009] The inventors have demonstrated the use of molds in the form of multi-cavity molds, whose cavities have shapes and sizes that define the gripping and stabilizing areas.

[0010] The present invention provides at least one of the following decisive advantages.

[0011] Advantageously, the mold according to the invention allows for easy gripping of the mold cavity. Therefore, it is easier to fill each mold cavity individually.

[0012] Another advantage of this invention is that it facilitates handling the container when the mold is removed from the oven and is still hot. Even when the mold is very hot, users wearing protective gloves and with limited mobility can easily hold the mold cavity due to the gripping area of ​​the mold cavity.

[0013] Another advantage of the invention is that this special arrangement of the container on the receiving structure or tray allows the hot air of the oven to move evenly around the mold cavity, thereby enabling the food or food products to be cooked more evenly.

[0014] Another advantage of this invention is that each cavity can be removed individually, which allows for much easier manipulation compared to manipulating a single mold with all cavities. Everyone around the table can decorate the food items in their respective cavities according to their own taste. Different types of cakes can be made in the same batch.

[0015] Another advantage of this invention is that different shapes of cakes can be made using different mold cavities in the same batch.

[0016] The subject of this invention is a mold for preparing food, particularly pastries, comprising:

[0017] - A support member, which includes a tray receiving structure, a riser, and at least one through hole with an edge;

[0018] - At least one removable container of height h for insertion into the hole, the container comprising a bottom wall and side walls extending from the bottom wall, the side walls and the bottom wall forming a cavity for holding food;

[0019] Each container has on its sidewalls

[0020] The upper gripping area, which cannot pass through the hole and has a height of h1;

[0021] A matching annular line, at which the container mates with the edge of the hole to support the container on the edge; and

[0022] A lower stable region with a height of h2 that can pass through the hole;

[0023] The height h1 is at least 25% and no more than 45% of the container's height h; a ring line defines the junction of the upper and lower regions; and

[0024] The area of ​​the through-hole is equal to the cross-sectional area of ​​the container at the mating annular line. Therefore, the support includes a receiving structure for receiving, gathering, and supporting the container, which itself is used to receive the food product. This structure allows all the components of the mold, especially the container, to be secured to each other. The support and the container are two separate elements joined together in one another. The support has a riser, allowing the container to be raised and held at a distance from the surface on which the support is placed, such as a worktable, grill, or drip tray of a cooking oven. Therefore, when the container is placed in the support, the bottom wall of the container does not contact either the worktable or the grill. Because direct contact with the grill is avoided, heat that would otherwise propagate through the bottom wall and cause uneven cooking is not directly transferred through the metal components of the oven. This avoids the risk of overcooking in the bottom of the container. This advantageous arrangement allows heat to be distributed around the usable surface of the container. Therefore, cooking is carried out by heat diffused through the air surrounding the container in the oven, which promotes even cooking of the entire food product.

[0025] According to another feature of the invention, the mating loop entirely or partially mates with the edge of the hole.

[0026] According to another feature of the invention, the only contact surface between the removable container and the support is a mating annular line that mates wholly or partially with the edge of the hole, and the container does not contact the surface of the receiving structure. The only contact between the container and the support is the edge of the hole.

[0027] According to another feature of the invention, the riser is arranged laterally on each side of the support. Advantageously, the riser supports the weight of the receiving structure of the mold according to the invention, with or without a removable container.

[0028] According to another feature of the invention, the riser is present on at most two sides of the receiving structure, preferably facing each other, while the other two sides remain free to allow air circulation.

[0029] According to another feature of the invention, the riser has a generally L-shaped form, and its legs rest on a workbench or oven. The legs of the riser are advantageously arranged in a plane parallel to the plane accommodating the receiving structure.

[0030] According to another feature of the invention, the support member of the mold according to the invention, its receiving structure and its raising seat are configured to raise the container relative to the placement surface on which the mold is arranged and define an air layer between the bottom wall of the container and the placement surface of the mold.

[0031] According to another feature of the invention, the support of the mold according to the invention includes an air circulation channel arranged below the receiving structure. This configuration of the mold according to the invention, particularly the air layer between the container and the placement surface on which the mold is arranged, such as a workbench or cooking pan, allows the bottom surface of the cooked food received in the container to be sufficiently isolated from radiation from the lower heating element of the cooking oven, thus slowing down the cooking and browning of the bottom surface of the cooked food.

[0032] According to another feature of the invention, the riser has a height h3 greater than height h2, preferably at least 10%, more preferably at least 15%, greater than the value of height h2. Height h3 corresponds to the sum of heights h2 and h4. Therefore, the containers are raised, and their bottom walls remain in no contact with any component. Once the containers are mounted on the mold's support, the bottom walls never contact any component. Thus, the bottom walls never contact any component of the cooking oven, worktable, or support.

[0033] According to another feature of the invention, the mold according to the invention has a retaining area of ​​height h4, which extends from the placement surface of the workbench to the bottom wall of the container. Height h4 exists when the container is inserted into the through-hole. Height h4 corresponds to the difference h3-h2. Advantageously, this retaining area receives an air layer and allows air circulation, which allows hot air to circulate better between the containers and provides gentle and even cooking without the formation of localized hot spots due to contact with the bottom wall, which could lead to scorched areas due to overheating.

[0034] According to another feature of the invention, when the sidewall mates with the edge of the hole in the support, the center of gravity of the container is located above the mating annular line. The mating annular line of the container mates wholly or partially with the periphery of the edge of the hole to hold the container in place. Due to gravity, the container is assembled into the through hole and mates wholly or partially with the annular line. The position of the center of gravity above the annular line allows space to be reserved for use as an upper gripping area.

[0035] According to another feature of the invention, the lower stabilizing zone extends below the edge of the hole. Therefore, the user can fill all the mold cavities with liquid formulations and place the filled cavities in the support without tipping over. When the container is inserted into the hole of the mold support, the stabilizing zone no longer contacts the worktable or baking tray, but only contacts the mold support via the mating ring line.

[0036] According to another feature of the invention, the upper gripping area extends above the edge of the hole. Since the user's fingers can be accommodated between the receiving structure of the support and the top of the container's sidewall, the container is easy to pick up. The user can then lift the container, which is easily detached from the support, because there is no retaining element to hold the container on the support.

[0037] According to another feature of the invention, each container has a demolding angle α of at least 5°. Therefore, the sidewalls have an inclination angle α, which facilitates demolding when the container is inverted so that its openings and cavities face downwards. For demolding the pastry, this demolding angle α is preferably 10°.

[0038] According to another feature of the invention, each container has a progressive cross-section between a minimum and a maximum, covering a variable area along the longitudinal axis (A) of the container, thereby giving each container a generally truncated conical or frustum pyramidal geometry. This geometric arrangement will facilitate demolding, but also facilitate heat circulation around the container.

[0039] According to another feature of the invention, the area of ​​the minimum cross-section of the container is smaller than the area of ​​the hole. Therefore, this size difference between the two areas allows the container to be naturally introduced into the hole, that is, by gravity without any external force.

[0040] According to another feature of the invention, the area of ​​the container's largest cross-section is greater than the area of ​​the hole. Therefore, this size difference between the two areas allows the container to not completely pass through the through-hole and to be held in place by the edge of the hole.

[0041] According to another feature of the invention, the height h of the container is equal to the sum of heights h1 and h2.

[0042] According to another feature of the invention, the height h2 is greater than 15 mm, preferably greater than 20 mm.

[0043] According to another feature of the invention, the height h2 accounts for at most 75% of the container height h and at least 55% of the container height h.

[0044] According to another feature of the invention, each container includes a locking system for locking with the receiving structure. This locking system may be in the form of a notch (e.g., a groove on the sidewall to engage with a support) or a lug and bayonet arrangement (e.g., short and long lugs with notched supports to engage with bayonets). This allows for container stability in the event of lateral or vertical movement of the support.

[0045] According to another feature of the invention, each container is removable. Each cavity is independent and can be removed individually, which allows for easier manipulation compared to manipulating a whole mold with all cavities. Thus, a user can hold a single cavity, tilt it, and easily fill it with, for example, a spoon.

[0046] According to another feature of the invention, the edge of the through hole has an arrangement that facilitates container docking, such as a rounded edge or a beveled surface.

[0047] According to another feature of the invention, the support and container are made of a rigid material that maintains their shape, such as metal or steel.

[0048] It is also conceivable that the support and container are made of stainless steel, silicone, or aluminum. Advantageously, they would be covered with a non-stick coating. It is also conceivable that the support and container are made of different materials, for example, the support could be made of metal or wood, and the container of glass or ceramic.

[0049] According to another feature of the invention, the containers have a shape that allows them to be stacked to facilitate their storage.

[0050] According to another feature of the invention, the riser of the support can be folded under the support.

[0051] According to another feature of the invention, the riser of the support member can be detached and disassembled from the support member. According to another feature of the invention, the receiving structure and the riser are the same continuous element. Attached Figure Description

[0052] The objects, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will be better understood from the following description of specific embodiments of the invention, presented by way of non-limiting example, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0053] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the mold according to the present invention.

[0054] Figure 2 This is a perspective view of a mold support member according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0055] Figure 3 This is according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the container of the mold.

[0056] Figure 4 This is according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the container of the mold.

[0057] Figure 5 This is according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the container of the mold.

[0058] Figure 6 This is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the mold according to the present invention.

[0059] Figure 7 This is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the mold according to the present invention.

[0060] Figure 8 This is a partial perspective view of the fourth embodiment of the mold according to the present invention.

[0061] Figure 9 This is a cross-sectional view of the fifth embodiment of the mold according to the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0062] refer to Figures 1 to 7 A mold 1 for preparing food, especially pastries, is proposed, which mainly includes a support 2 and at least one container 7.

[0063] Figure 1 An example of a mold 1 according to the invention is shown. This is a mold 1 for pastries, particularly for muffins. The mold 1 has a support 2 provided with a receiving structure 3, which is a receiving tray 3. The tray 3 has two risers 4, which are legs formed of metal wire, for supporting the weight of the tray 3. The risers are arranged laterally on each side of the support 2. The tray 3 has six generally conical containers 7. The tray 3 has nine holes 5, according to... Figure 1 The mold 1 has identical and circular holes. These holes 5 are through holes and pass through the surface of the tray 3. The holes 5 have edges 6 and a cross-sectional area (in the circumferential line 12 of the container 7) with respect to the container. Figure 3 (As can be seen in the image) Equal cross-sectional areas.

[0064] Six containers 7 are inserted into six of the nine through holes 5. When the containers 7 come into contact with the edge 6, their movement through the holes is stopped by the edge 6. This is a particularly advantageous technical arrangement that allows the tray 3 to hold the containers 7.

[0065] Figure 2 A variant example of a support 2 for another type of mold 1 is shown. Here, the support 2 is provided with a receiving tray 3. The tray 3 has two risers 4, which are legs formed of metal wire for supporting the weight of the tray. The risers are arranged laterally on each side of the support 2. The tray 3 has three generally parallelepiped-shaped through holes 5, which are arranged according to... Figure 2 The molds are the same.

[0066] Figure 3 It shows in Figure 1 An example of a container 7 of height h implemented in mold 1. The container 7 has a gripping area 11 and a lower stabilizing area 13. At approximately one-third of the container's height, starting from its upper edge, the container has a mating annular line 12. The gripping area 11, with a height of h1, is advantageously located above the annular line 12. The lower stabilizing area 13, with a height of h2, is advantageously located below the annular line 12.

[0067] The container 7 also has side walls 9 and bottom walls 8 forming the cavity 10. The container 7 has a height h1 of about 1.3 cm, which accounts for about 30% of the total height h of the container 7, which is about 4 cm. A mating annular line 12 defines the junction between the upper region 11 and the lower region 13.

[0068] Figure 4 An embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 1 The container 7 of the mold mates with the tray 3 of the mold 1. The container 7 is held and retained at its annular line 12 by the edge 6 of the tray 3. The bottom wall 8 and the side walls 9 extend below the annular line 12. When the side walls mate with the edge of the hole in the support, the center of gravity of the container is located above the mating annular line 12.

[0069] Figure 5 An embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 1 The container 7 of the mold 1 has a demolding angle α. The container 7 has a demolding angle α of 10°.

[0070] Figure 6 A second embodiment of the mold 1 according to the invention is shown. The tray 3 has nine generally truncated pyramidal containers 7. The tray 3 has nine holes 5, according to... Figure 1 Mold 1, the holes are identical and rectangular.

[0071] Figure 7 A third embodiment of the mold 1 according to the invention is shown. The tray 3 has six containers 7 of different shapes, which are either generally frustum pyramidal or generally truncated cone. The containers 7 have a generally rectangular cross-section.

[0072] Tray 3 has three holes 5, according to Figure 7 Mold 1, the holes are identical and roughly rectangular.

[0073] Figure 8 A fourth embodiment of the mold 1 according to the invention is partially shown. The receiving support is a tray 3 comprising an L-shaped riser 4 with legs 14. The legs 14 contact the worktable or baking tray, thus improving the stability of the mold when placed on the surface.

[0074] Figure 9A fifth embodiment of the mold 1 according to the invention is partially shown. The receiving support is a tray 3 comprising an L-shaped riser 4 with legs 14. The legs 14 are arranged in a plane parallel to the plane of the tray 3. The riser 14 has a height h3 greater than the height h2, where h2 occupies approximately 1 / 3 of h3. The receiving structure 3 of the mold 1 includes an airflow channel 15 disposed below the receiving structure 3. The mold 1 has a retention area 16 of height h4 extending from the surface of the workbench to the bottom wall 8. The height h3 corresponds to the sum of heights h2 and h4. The retention area 16 allows airflow in the channel 15, which allows hot air to circulate better between the containers 7 and provides gentle and even cooking without the formation of localized hot spots due to contact with the bottom wall 8, which could lead to scorched areas due to overheating.

[0075] Under operating conditions, the user can, for example, hold the container 7 to pour the food into it. The user will hold each container 7 through the gripping area 11 or side wall 9 and fill the cavity 10 with the food. He will then place the filled container into any hole 5 of the tray 3, roughly along the longitudinal axis (A). The container 7 then comes into contact with the edge 6 of the hole 5, and when the ring line 12 contacts the edge 6, the ring line engages with the edge 6 and stops the longitudinal movement of the container 7. The user can then release the container 7 and repeat this operation for each container to fill all the holes 5 of the mold 1. Once the container 7 is placed in the hole 5 of the support 2, it no longer contacts the worktable but is supported by the support 2 by the engaging ring line 12 that engages with the edge 6. Therefore, once the container 7 is mounted on the support 2 of the mold 1, the container 7 is raised or lifted, and its bottom wall 8 remains free and does not contact any component. Thus, the bottom wall 8 never contacts the cooking oven or the worktable or any component of the support 2.

[0076] Depending on the recipe followed, the user can heat or cool the mold 1. The specific connection between the container 7 and the hole 5 ensures the assembly stability of the mold 1, support, and container under conditions of expansion (cooking) or contraction (cooling) of the mold 1. Once cooking or cooling is complete, the user can easily detach the container 7 from the support 2 by pulling upwards along the longitudinal axis (A) through the gripping area of ​​the container. The container is thus removed from the support 2. The user can then unmold the cooked product (i.e., the cake) without the risk of damaging it.

[0077] Although the invention has been described with reference to specific examples of implementation and application, it is clear that the invention is by no means limited thereto.

[0078] Modifications are still possible without departing from the scope of protection of this invention, particularly from the viewpoint of the arrangement and construction of various elements or by substitution with technical equivalents.

Claims

1. A mold (1) for preparing food, comprising: - Support member (2), which includes a receiving structure (3) for a tray (3), a riser (4) and at least one through hole (5) having an edge (6); - At least one removable container (7) of height h for insertion into the hole (5), the container (7) comprising a bottom wall (8) and a side wall (9) extending from the bottom wall (8), the side wall (9) and the bottom wall (8) forming a cavity (10) for holding food; Each container (7) has an upper gripping area (11) on its sidewall (9) that cannot pass through the hole and has a height of h1; a mating ring line (12) at which the container (7) mates with the edge (6) of the hole (5) so that the container (7) is supported on the edge (6); and a lower stabilizing area (13) that can pass through the hole (5) and has a height of h2. Its features - The height h1 is at least 25% of the height h of the container (7) and does not exceed 45% of the height h of the container (7); - The junction of the upper region (11) and the lower region (13) is defined by the ring line (12); and - The area of ​​the through hole (5) is equal to the cross-sectional area of ​​the container (7) at the mating annular line (12). The height-increasing seat (4) has a height h3 that is greater than the height h2, and the height h3 is at least 10% greater than the height h2.

2. The mold (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the sidewall (9) mates with the edge (6) of the hole (5) of the support (2), the center of gravity of the container (7) is located above the mating ring line (12).

3. The mold (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The lower stabilizing region (13) extends below the edge (6) of the hole (5).

4. The mold (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The upper gripping area (11) extends above the edge (6) of the hole (5).

5. The mold (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The mold has a retention area of ​​height h4, which extends from the placement surface of the workbench to the bottom wall of the container.

6. The mold (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, Each container (7) has a progressive cross section between minimum and maximum, covering a variable area along the longitudinal axis (A) of the container (7), so that each container (7) has a generally truncated conical or frustum-shaped geometry.

7. The mold (1) according to claim 6, wherein, The area of ​​the minimum cross-section of the container (7) is smaller than the area of ​​the hole (5).

8. The mold (1) according to claim 6, wherein, The area of ​​the maximum cross-section of the container (7) is greater than the area of ​​the hole (5).

9. The mold (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The height h of the container (7) is equal to the sum of heights h1 and h2.

10. The mold (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The height h2 is greater than 15mm.

11. The mold (1) according to claim 10, characterized in that, The height h2 is greater than 20mm.

12. The mold (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Each container (7) includes a locking system for locking with the receiving structure (3).

13. The mold (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The support (2) and the container (7) are made of steel.

14. The mold (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The mold (1) is used to prepare pastries.

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