Cooking plate

Abstract

This product provides a versatile cooking plate that can be used throughout all stages of food preparation, including thawing and heating. [Solution] A cooking plate 1 that can be used for both heating and cooking food and thawing frozen or refrigerated food, comprising a bottom portion 10 having an inner bottom surface 10a on which food is placed and an outer bottom surface facing the inner bottom surface, and a side wall portion 20 that extends continuously along the contour of the inner bottom surface.

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present invention relates to a cooking plate that can be used for both cooking food by heating and thawing frozen or refrigerated food.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, for cooking food, there is known a cooking plate for heating food by placing the food on its surface and heating it from the inside or the inner side (for example, Patent Document 1). Such a cooking plate uses a relatively thick metal plate such as steel or cast iron, or a non-metal plate such as a ceramic plate.

[0003] On the other hand, for thawing frozen food etc., there is known a food thawing plate for thawing food by placing the frozen food on its surface and causing heat exchange between the food and the surface (for example, Patent Document 2). The food thawing plate uses a metal material with good thermal conductivity such as aluminum or copper.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The cooking plate for heating and the food thawing plate according to the above conventional technologies had the following problems. That is, it was necessary to use different types of plates for each cooking process such as thawing and heating for food, causing annoyance in cooking.

[0006] Therefore, the main objective of the present invention is to provide a versatile cooking plate that can be used for various cooking processes, such as thawing and heating, for food. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The cooking plate according to the present invention is a cooking plate that can be used for both heating and cooking food and thawing frozen or refrigerated food, and comprises a bottom portion having an inner bottom surface on which food is placed and an outer bottom surface facing the inner bottom surface, and a side wall portion that extends continuously along the contour of the inner bottom surface. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a versatile cooking plate that can be used throughout each cooking process, such as thawing and heating, for food.

[0009] The above-mentioned objectives, other objectives, features, and advantages of the present invention will become even clearer from the following description of embodiments for carrying out the invention, with reference to the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing a cooking plate according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view showing a cooking plate according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a plan view showing a cooking plate according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in Figure 3. [Figure 5] This figure illustrates the usage state of a cooking plate according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The cooking plate of the present invention will be described below in the following embodiment.

[0012] A cooking plate according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described. Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views showing a cooking plate 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is a plan view showing a cooking plate 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of Figure 3.

[0013] The cooking plate 1 mainly comprises a bottom portion 10 having a roughly rectangular planar shape with rounded corners, and side wall portions 20 that surround the bottom portion 10 and are integrally formed with the bottom portion 10.

[0014] The following explanation is based on the Cartesian coordinates shown in each figure, in which the longitudinal direction of the base 10 is defined as the lateral direction (left-right direction), the short direction of the base 10 as the depth direction (front-back direction), and the direction perpendicular to both the lateral and depth directions, i.e., the direction perpendicular to the base 10, as the thickness direction (up-down direction).

[0015] The bottom portion 10 is a flat plate-shaped part and has an inner bottom surface 10a on which the food ingredients that are the target of the cooking plate 1 are placed and on which the side wall portion 20 is provided, and an outer bottom surface 10b that faces the inner bottom surface 10a and is exposed on the floor surface on which the cooking plate 1 is placed.

[0016] Multiple first inner ridges 11a are provided on the inner bottom surface 10a. The multiple first inner ridges 11a are arranged to form a checkerboard pattern on the inner bottom surface 10a.

[0017] The first inner undulation portion 11a is composed of a plurality of strip-shaped first protrusions 11a1 projecting from the inner bottom surface 10a. The first protrusions 11a1 are formed integrally with the bottom portion 10 and extend in the left-right direction, and are approximately semicircular portions with an upwardly convex cross-sectional shape.

[0018] The plurality of first convex ridges 11a1 are arranged parallel to each other in the front - rear direction with the positions of both ends coinciding, and the arrangement width is smaller than the length of a single first convex ridge 11a1. As a result, the first inner undulating portion 11a has an outer shape on a rectangle with the left - right direction as the longitudinal direction and the front - rear direction as the short - hand direction in a plan view (hereinafter referred to as "plan view") along the inner bottom surface 10a.

[0019] On the inner bottom surface 10a, a plurality of second inner undulating portions 12a are provided. The plurality of second inner undulating portions 12a are arranged on the inner bottom surface 10a so as to fill the locations where the plurality of first inner undulating portions 11a are not arranged, thereby forming a checkered pattern that is inverted from the plurality of first inner undulating portions 11a.

[0020] The second inner undulating portion 12a is composed of a plurality of strip - shaped second convex ridges 12a1 protruding from the inner bottom surface 10a. The second convex ridges 12a1 are portions with a substantially semi - circular cross - sectional shape that are integrally formed with the bottom portion 10 and extend in the front - rear direction, and are convex upward. That is, the second convex ridges 12a1 are formed to extend in a direction orthogonal to the first convex ridges 11a1.

[0021] The plurality of second convex ridges 12a1 are arranged parallel to each other in the left - right direction with the positions of both ends coinciding, the arrangement width is substantially the same as the left - right dimension of the first convex ridges 11a1, and is larger than the length of a single second convex ridge 12a1. As a result, the second inner undulating portion 12a has the same outer shape on a rectangle as the first inner undulating portion 11a in a plan view, with the left - right direction as the longitudinal direction and the front - rear direction as the short - hand direction. Also, the second convex ridges 12a1 have the same height as the first convex ridges 11a].

[0022] As a result, on the bottom portion 10, due to the height differences between the first convex ridges 11a1 of the first inner undulating portion 11a and the second convex ridges 12a1 of the second inner undulating portion 12a and the inner bottom surface 10a, uneven undulations are formed on the inner bottom surface 10a.

[0023] Multiple first outer ridges 11b are provided on the outer bottom surface 10b. The first outer ridges 11b are composed of multiple strip-shaped first grooves 11b1 that are formed as an inverted shape of the first inner ridge 11a of the inner bottom surface 10a, and have the same shape as the first inner ridge 11a in a plan view. The first grooves 11b1 are semi-circular portions that are formed integrally with the bottom 10 and extend in the left-right direction, and whose cross-sectional contour shape is convex upwards. The shape of the first grooves 11b1 in a plan view is the same as the first convex ridge 11a1 of the first inner ridge 11a.

[0024] Similarly, a plurality of second outer ridges 12b are provided on the outer bottom surface 10b. The second outer ridges 12b are the inverse shape of the second inner ridges 12a of the inner bottom surface 10a, and in plan view they have the same shape as the second inner ridges 12a, and are composed of a plurality of band-shaped second grooves 12b1 formed on the outer bottom surface 10b. The second grooves 12b1 are semi-circular portions that are formed integrally with the bottom 10 and extend in the front-rear direction, and the cross-sectional contour shape is convex upwards. The shape of the second grooves 12b1 in plan view is the same as the second convex ridges 12a1 of the second inner ridges 12a. In addition, the second grooves 12b1 have the same depth as the first grooves 11b1.

[0025] As a result, at the bottom 10, the difference in height between the first groove 11b1 of the first outer undulation 11b and the second groove 12b1 of the second outer undulation 12b and the inner bottom surface 10a creates an uneven surface on the outer bottom surface 10b.

[0026] Furthermore, the bottom portion 10 has different cross-sectional shapes at the first inner undulation portion 11a and the second inner undulation portion 12a, which are adjacent to each other. Specifically, the cross-sectional shapes of the first inner undulation portion 11a and the first outer undulation portion 11b are formed in a corrugated shape with uniform thickness when viewed in the front-to-back direction, due to the first convex ridge 11a1 and the first concave groove 11b1 which is its inverse shape, and are formed in a flat, uneven shape extending to the left and right when viewed in the left-to-right direction. Similarly, the cross-sectional shapes of the second inner undulation portion 12a and the second outer undulation portion 12b are formed in a corrugated shape with uniform thickness when viewed in the left-to-right direction, due to the second convex ridge 12a1 and the second concave groove 12b1 which is its inverse shape, and are formed in a flat, uneven shape extending to the front and back when viewed in the front-to-back direction.

[0027] Furthermore, legs 13 are provided protruding from the outer bottom surface 10b. The legs 13 are formed integrally with the bottom surface 10 and consist of four parts that extend along the contour of the outer bottom surface 10b: a first sub-leg 13a, a second sub-leg 13b, a third sub-leg 13c, and a fourth sub-leg 13d.

[0028] The first sub-legs 13a to the fourth sub-legs 13d have the same shape, being roughly L-shaped in plan view and rectangular in cross-section, and are positioned on the four vertices of the outer bottom surface 10b in a posture rotated by 90 degrees each.

[0029] The first sub-leg 13a is a portion that extends from the left front apex angle of the outer base surface 10b toward the right and rear. The second sub-leg 13b is a portion that extends from the left rear apex angle of the outer base surface 10b toward the front and right. The third sub-leg 13c is a portion that extends from the right rear apex angle of the outer base surface 10b toward the left and front. The fourth sub-leg 13d is a portion that extends from the right front apex angle of the outer base surface 10b toward the left and rear.

[0030] The first sub-leg 13a and the second sub-leg 13b are separated by a first gap 13w on the left short side of the outer bottom surface 10b. The second sub-leg 13b and the third sub-leg 13c are separated by a second gap 13x on the rear long side of the outer bottom surface 10b. The third sub-leg 13c and the fourth sub-leg 13d are separated by a third gap 13y on the right short side of the outer bottom surface 10b. The fourth sub-leg 13d and the first sub-leg 13a are separated by a third gap 13z on the front long side of the outer bottom surface 10b. In other words, the leg 13 is configured to extend intermittently along the contour of the outer bottom surface 10b, with the first gap 13w to the fourth gap 13z in between.

[0031] As a result, as shown in Figure 5, when the cooking plate 1 is placed on the floor surface F, the legs 13 are in direct contact with the floor surface F, while the outer bottom surface 10b is separated from the floor surface F. Furthermore, the space between the outer bottom surface 10b and the floor surface F is in communication with the outside through the first gap 13w to the fourth gap 13z.

[0032] The side wall portion 20 has a wall body 21 that is erected diagonally upward from the periphery of the inner bottom surface 10a of the bottom portion 10, and an edge portion 22 that extends continuously from the periphery of the wall body 21 in a direction parallel to the inner bottom surface 10a and the outer bottom surface 10b of the bottom portion 10.

[0033] The edge portion 22 has a roughly rectangular frame-like outer shape in plan view, with the left central portion bulging to form a handle portion 22a, and the right central portion bulging to form a handle portion 22b.

[0034] The handle portions 22a and 22b are parts for the user to grip when handling the cooking plate 1. A through slit 22x for suspension is opened on the right handle portion 22b. However, the through slit 22x may be provided on the handle portion 22a or omitted.

[0035] Preferably, the bottom portion 10 and side wall portion 20 of the cooking plate 1 are integrally formed as the plate body by processing such as forging or casting of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, and the plate body is covered with a coating film containing fluororesin.

[0036] The plate body preferably has heat resistance in the range of at least 250°C to 300°C. This allows the cooking plate 1 to be used not only for heating and cooking in an oven, but also for thawing frozen foods.

[0037] Furthermore, it is preferable that the plate body has heat resistance in the range of 380°C to 400°C. This allows the cooking plate 1 to be used not only for cooking with direct gas flames, but also for thawing frozen foods.

[0038] The thickness of the plate body, i.e., the thickness of the bottom portion 10 and the side wall portions 20, is preferably in the range of 2.3 mm to 5.0 mm. A greater thickness is preferable because it can shorten the thawing time of frozen food.

[0039] The coating on cooking plate 1 contains fluororesin, which provides heat resistance and antibacterial properties to the plate body. When the plate body has heat resistance in the range of 250°C to 300°C, it is preferable for the coating thickness to be in the range of 20 to 25 μm to improve heat resistance. When the plate body has heat resistance in the range of 380°C to 400°C, it is preferable for the coating thickness to be in the range of 25 to 30 μm to improve heat resistance.

[0040] Furthermore, it is preferable that the thickness of the coating on the cooking plate 1 differs between the inner bottom surface 10a and the outer bottom surface 10b, depending on the heat resistance of the plate body. Specifically, if the plate body has a heat resistance in the range of 250°C to 300°C, it is preferable that the ratio of the thickness on the inner bottom surface 10a to the thickness on the outer bottom surface 10b is 2:1. On the other hand, if the plate body has a heat resistance in the range of 380°C to 400°C, it is preferable that the ratio of the thickness on the inner bottom surface 10a to the thickness on the outer bottom surface 10b is 1:1.

[0041] Furthermore, the coating film may be formed by any known and conventional material or method, such as baking paint, as long as it contains fluororesin; however, it is more preferable, in terms of low cost and safety, that it be formed by applying water-based paint.

[0042] The cooking plate 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, having these configurations, provides the following effects. Specifically, the cooking plate 1 can be used as a plate for thawing frozen foods and ingredients, and can also be used as a cooking plate for heating food or ingredients processed with a knife, etc., by placing them on the cooking plate 1 and heating them in an oven or over a gas flame.

[0043] Therefore, there is no need to use different types of plates for each cooking step, such as thawing and heating, eliminating the hassle of using them during cooking. As a result, it is possible to provide a versatile cooking plate that can be used throughout all cooking steps, including thawing and heating.

[0044] Furthermore, the cooking plate 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention provides the following unique effects.

[0045] In other words, the cooking plate 1 has a shape in which the inner bottom surface 10a of the bottom 10 is arranged in a checkerboard pattern with a first inner undulation 11a having a plurality of parallel strip-shaped first protrusions 11a1 and a second inner undulation 12a having a plurality of parallel strip-shaped second protrusions 12a1 perpendicular to the first protrusions 11a1, and the outer bottom surface 10b has a shape in which the first outer undulation 11b having a plurality of parallel strip-shaped first grooves 11b1 and a second outer undulation 12b having a plurality of parallel strip-shaped second grooves 12b1 perpendicular to the first grooves 11b1, and the shape of the first grooves 11b1 is the inverse shape of the first protrusions 11a1, and the shape of the second grooves 12b1 is the inverse shape of the second protrusions 12a1.

[0046] As a result, when the cooking plate 1 is used to heat food, the contact surfaces with the food on the inner bottom surface 10a become the first protrusions 11a1 and the second protrusions 12a1, which reduces contact between the food and any juices or fats released from the food during heating, allowing the food to be heated without compromising its flavor or appearance.

[0047] Furthermore, since the extension directions of the first inner ridge 11a, which has the first protrusion 11a1, and the second inner ridge 12a, which has the second protrusion 12a1, are perpendicular to each other, the risk of food placed on the inner bottom surface 10a sliding within the surface is reduced, and it can be held stably. As a result, food can be heated without compromising its appearance and with good operability.

[0048] On the other hand, when the cooking plate 1 is used as a plate for thawing frozen food or ingredients, the outer bottom surface 10b, which serves as the heat dissipation surface, is composed of the first convex ridge 11a1 and the second convex ridge 12a1, resulting in a corrugated cross-sectional shape. This increases the heat dissipation area compared to the area of ​​the flat portion of the outer bottom surface 10b in a plan view, allowing food or ingredients to be thawed more efficiently in a shorter amount of time.

[0049] Furthermore, the first outer undulation portion 11b and the second outer undulation portion 12b, which has a plurality of band-shaped second grooves 12b1 perpendicular to the first groove 11b1 and parallel to each other, are arranged in a checkerboard pattern. This suppresses the occurrence of uneven heat dissipation on the outer bottom surface 10b, allowing food and ingredients to be thawed efficiently.

[0050] Furthermore, in the cooking plate 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, legs 13 are provided protruding from the outer bottom surface 10b of the bottom 10, and the legs 13 are configured to extend intermittently along the contour of the outer bottom surface 10b, with a first sub-leg 13a to a fourth sub-leg 13d in between, and a first gap 13w to a fourth gap 13z in between.

[0051] This results in the following effect: In the kitchen, which is the main place where general defrosting plates are used, the countertops and other items on which the defrosting plates are expected to be placed are made of materials such as stainless steel, synthetic resin, and wood, which have variations in specific heat, thermal conductivity, and other thermal constants. Therefore, when the defrosting plate is placed in direct contact with these items, the heat exchange between the defrosting plate and the items will be mainly carried out by heat conduction, and variations in defrosting time may occur depending on the thermal constant of the material of the item, potentially making stable defrosting impossible.

[0052] In contrast, in the cooking plate 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Figure 5, the space sandwiched between the outer bottom surface 10b and the floor surface F forms an air layer in which most of the outer bottom surface 10b, including the first outer undulation portion 11b and the second outer undulation portion 12b, is in contact. Air has a specific heat of approximately 1.00 ((J / Kg)°C) and a thermal conductivity of approximately 0.024 ((W / m)K) at room temperature (0~40°C), and is slower to heat up and cools down compared to other substances, especially metals (e.g., stainless steel (SUS304): specific heat (0.50), thermal conductivity (16.3)). Therefore, the influence of the material of the utensil on which the cooking plate 1 is placed is reduced by the air layer. Furthermore, heat exchange between the cooking plate 1 and the utensil mainly relies on heat radiation from the outer bottom surface 10b.

[0053] Therefore, according to the cooking plate 1 of the present invention, the degree of dependence on the thermal constant of the material of the product can be reduced, thereby suppressing variations in thawing time and achieving stable thawing.

[0054] Furthermore, according to the cooking plate 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the first sub-legs 13a to the fourth sub-legs 13d of the leg portion 13 are configured to extend intermittently along the contour of the outer bottom surface 10b with the first gap 13w to the fourth gap 13z in between, thereby achieving the following effects. That is, as shown in Figure 5, the space sandwiched between the outer bottom surface 10b and the floor surface F, which forms the air layer, is in communication with the outside through the first gap 13w to the fourth gap 13z. Therefore, heat exchange occurs between the air layer inside the leg portion 13 and the outside through the first gap 13w to the fourth gap 13z, making it possible to shorten the thawing time and achieve more efficient thawing.

[0055] Furthermore, the cooking plate 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention provides the following unique effects.

[0056] In other words, the bottom portion 10 and side wall portion 20 of the cooking plate 1 are integrally formed as a plate body by processing aluminum or an aluminum alloy, and the plate body is covered with a coating film containing fluororesin.

[0057] This makes it possible to obtain a cooking plate 1 that is suitable for both heating and thawing frozen foods, and that also has heat resistance and antibacterial properties.

[0058] (modified version) In the leg portion 13, the positions of the first gap 13w to the fourth gap 13z may be any location on the periphery of the outer bottom surface 10b. For example, the apex angle and the position of the gaps may coincide. Furthermore, the leg portion may be configured in a way that omits all gaps. Moreover, the leg portion may have any shape, number, and arrangement, as long as it allows the outer bottom surface 10b to be separated from the floor surface when the cooking plate is placed on the floor.

[0059] In the bottom portion 10, the inner bottom surface 10a has a shape in which a first inner relief portion 11a having a plurality of parallel strip-shaped first protrusions 11a1 and a second inner relief portion 12a having a plurality of parallel strip-shaped second protrusions 12a1 perpendicular to the first protrusions 11a1 are arranged in a checkerboard pattern. However, the relief of the inner bottom surface only needs to be accompanied by the relief of the outer surface with its inverted shape, and may be any shape. For example, the protrusions may be arranged in all the same direction, or they may be composed of curves, bent lines, or other arbitrary figures or patterns in plan view.

[0060] In the bottom portion 10, the first outer undulation portion 11b and the second outer undulation portion 12b on the outer bottom surface 10b are formed as inverse shapes of the first inner undulation portion 11a and the second opposite undulation portion 12a on the inner bottom surface 10a, respectively. However, the undulations of the outer bottom surface and the undulations of the inner bottom surface do not necessarily have to be inverse shapes. That is, the undulations of the outer bottom surface and the undulations of the inner bottom surface may be composed of different shapes or patterns. However, as in the above embodiment, having the undulations of the inner bottom surface have an inverse shape as the undulations of the outer surface is more preferable because it has advantages such as simplification of design and manufacturing process.

[0061] Furthermore, the bottom portion 10 may have an outer bottom surface 10b and an inner bottom surface 10a that do not have any uneven surfaces. Even in this case, the present invention provides a versatile cooking plate that can be used as a plate for thawing frozen foods and ingredients, and as a plate for heating food in an oven or on a gas flame, allowing it to be used throughout each cooking process, such as thawing and heating.

[0062] The shape of the inner bottom surface 10a of the bottom portion 10 in plan view is described as a roughly rectangular shape with rounded corners, but it may be a circle, oval, polygon, or any other arbitrary shape.

[0063] The bottom portion 10 and the side wall portion 20 may be made of copper or other metal material as the plate body. If the plate body is made of processed aluminum or aluminum alloy, the coating on the plate body may be made of any well-known and commonly used material as long as it has heat resistance and antibacterial properties. In addition, although the cooking plate 1 is made by covering the plate body with a coating containing fluororesin, the plate body may also be ceramic coated. In this case, the cooking plate 1 will have the effect of being less prone to burning and scratching.

[0064] As described above, embodiments of the present invention are disclosed in the above description, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0065] In other words, without departing from the scope of the technical idea and objectives of the present invention, various changes can be made to the embodiments and each of the modifications described above in terms of mechanism, shape, material, quantity, position or arrangement, etc., and these are included in the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 1 Cooking plate 10 bottom 10a Inner bottom surface 10b Outer bottom surface 11a First inner undulation 11a1 First convex stripe 11b First outer undulation 11b1 First groove 12a Second inner undulation 12a1 Second convex stripe 12b Second outer undulation 12b1 Second groove 13 Legs 13a First sub-leg 13b Second Sub-Leg 13c Third sub-leg 13d Fourth sub-leg 13w First gap 13x Second gap 13y Third gap 13z Fourth gap 20 Side wall section 21 Wall Unit 22 Edge 22a, 22b handle part 22x Through-slits

Claims

1. A cooking plate that can be used for both heating and cooking food and thawing frozen or refrigerated food, A bottom having an inner bottom surface on which food is placed and an outer bottom surface facing the inner bottom surface, It comprises a side wall portion that extends continuously along the contour of the inner bottom surface, Cooking plate.

2. The inner bottom surface and the outer bottom surface each have an uneven surface formed thereon. The cooking plate according to claim 1.

3. The undulations of the irregularities formed on the outer bottom surface have an inverse shape to the undulations of the irregularities on the inner bottom surface. The cooking plate according to claim 2.

4. The above-mentioned outer bottom surface is provided with legs, The cooking plate according to claim 1.

5. The leg portion extends intermittently along the contour of the outer bottom surface. The cooking plate according to claim 1.

6. The unevenness of the inner bottom surface is In a plan view along the inner bottom surface, the shape is such that a first inner relief portion has a plurality of parallel, band-shaped protrusions, and a second inner relief portion has a plurality of parallel, band-shaped protrusions perpendicular to the protrusions of the first inner relief portion, arranged in a checkerboard pattern. The undulations of the aforementioned outer bottom surface are, In a plan view along the inner bottom surface, the shape is such that a first outer ridge portion has a plurality of parallel, band-shaped grooves, and a second outer ridge portion has a plurality of parallel, band-shaped grooves perpendicular to the grooves of the first outer ridge portion, arranged in a checkerboard pattern. The shape of the groove in the first outer undulation is the inverse shape of the convex ridge in the first inner undulation. The shape of the groove in the second outer undulation is the inverse shape of the convex ridge in the second inner undulation. The cooking plate according to claim 3.

7. The bottom portion and the side wall portion are integrally formed as a plate body made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy. The plate body is covered with a coating containing fluororesin, or is ceramic coated. The cooking plate according to claim 1.

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