Method of preparing a container for cooking food for coating and container prepared thereby

Abstract

The present invention relates, in general, to a method for preparing a container for cooking food and a respective food cooking container thus prepared. The present invention also relates to a plant for preparing a container for cooking food for coating.

Description

[0001] “METHOD FOR PREPARING A CONTAINER FOR COOKING FOOD FOR COATING AND CONTAINER SO PREPARED”

[0002] TECHINC AL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The present invention relates, in general, to a method for preparing a container for cooking food and a respective food cooking container thus prepared. The present invention also relates to a plant for preparing a container for cooking food for coating.

[0004] STATE OF THE PRIOR ART

[0005] In the state of the art, various types of containers for cooking food, or in any case cooking utensils, such as frying pans, pots, pans, casseroles, woks, steak pans and the like, are known.

[0006] Current processes for preparing containers for coating after the molding step include a first degreasing step, in which the containers that have a thin layer of molding oil enter a carpet washing tunnel comprising several tanks containing rinsing water and at least one degreasing detergent.

[0007] Subsequently, these methods include a second sandblasting step, in which the container is sandblasted in order to obtain a certain surface roughness that is subsequently necessary for the coating step of the same.

[0008] In particular, the sandblasting step can be carried out, in general, using two types of machines, namely the compressed air sandblaster or the turbine shot blasting machine.

[0009] More specifically, the compressed air sandblaster delivers granular corundum onto the surface of the container by exploiting the Venturi effect on the gun body of the sandblaster. In this regard, there is a channel in which compressed air arrives at a pressure of about 5 or 6 bar and, by exploiting the Venturi effect, the corundum is sucked through a second channel and then delivered again at high speed onto the surface of the container.

[0010] The turbine shot blasting machine, on the other hand, uses an electric motor to rotate an impeller: the shot inside the impeller accelerates, gaining speed, and is then dispensed onto the surface of the container. These methods therefore require the need to prepare both the degreasing tunnel and the subsequent sandblasting station in the operating environment.

[0011] Moreover, the expenditure of these methods both in terms of electrical and thermal energy and in terms of water and detergent is considerable.

[0012] In addition to the energy component, these methods, with particular reference to the sandblasting step, generate a non-negligible amount of waste that needs to be disposed of, such as the water and detergent used for the degreasing step and the corundum granules or in any case, the no longer suitable sand used in the sandblasting step.

[0013] It is therefore necessary to design and provide a method for preparing a container for cooking food for coating and a respective container for cooking food that allows to overcome the disadvantages of the known art listed above.

[0014] OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

[0015] The technical aim of the present invention is to improve the state of the art in the field of methods for preparing containers for cooking food for coating and the respective containers for cooking food.

[0016] Within the scope of this aim, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for preparing containers for cooking food for coating that eliminates the degreasing and sandblasting steps typical of the methods according to the state of the prior art.

[0017] A further object of the present invention is to provide a method for preparing containers for cooking food for coating that allows to reduce the overall dimensions in the operating environment.

[0018] Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for preparing containers for cooking food for coating that allows to reduce the use of electrical and thermal energy compared to the methods provided in the prior art.

[0019] Still another object of the present invention is to provide a method for preparing containers for cooking food for coating that allows to eliminate the production of waste.

[0020] Finally, another object is to provide a method for preparing containers for cooking food for coating that is more environmentally sustainable than the methods provided in the prior art.

[0021] This aim and these objects are achieved by a method for preparing a container for cooking food for coating according to claim 1.

[0022] Furthermore, this aim and these objects are also achieved by a container for cooking food according to claim 11.

[0023] The dependent claims refer to preferred and advantageous embodiments of the invention.

[0024] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Other features and advantages of the invention will be more evident from the description of a non-limiting embodiment of a method for preparing a container for cooking food for coating and a respective container for cooking food, illustrated by way of example in the attached drawings in which: figure 1 schematically shows a non-limiting embodiment of a method according to the present invention.

[0026] In the attached drawings, identical parts or components are identified by the same reference numbers or letters.

[0027] EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0028] With reference to figure 1, the letter M indicates overall a method for preparing a container C for cooking food for coating according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] The method M is particularly, but not exclusively, suitable for the production of containers for cooking food, for example usable on electromagnetic induction heat sources.

[0030] Furthermore, the method M is particularly, but not exclusively, suitable for making pots, pans, skillets, grills, casseroles, woks and similar.

[0031] The method M according to the present invention initially comprises the step of providing a container C for cooking food comprising a main body 1 which defines an internal surface la adapted, in use, to receive or, in any case, come into contact with the food. The main body 1 may comprise a bottom and a side wall, for example annular or in any case defining together with the bottom the cooking zone for the food.

[0032] The bottom may consist of one or more layers or elements coupled together. For example, the layer or element of the bottom intended to come into contact with a heat source may be made of ferromagnetic material, for example a ferromagnetic steel, optionally a ferritic stainless steel, such as AISI 430 stainless steel, or a martensitic stainless steel, such as AISI 410 stainless steel.

[0033] The side wall, as well as the layer or element of the bottom intended to come into contact with the food and coupled above to the layer or element of the bottom intended to come into contact with the heat source, can be made of non-ferromagnetic material, for example aluminium, preferably A14006 aluminium or A13003 aluminium or even A18006 aluminium.

[0034] Alternatively, the material of the bottom layer or element intended to come into contact with food may be made of or comprise an aluminum alloy or, more generally, another non-ferromagnetic material or alloy with high thermal conductivity, good workability and compatibility for contact with food.

[0035] The step of providing a container C may be performed by known methods, for example by molding, by forming with a high-tonnage press, by impact bonding and / or similar.

[0036] The method M according to the present invention then comprises the step of providing a LASER source 2 and a computerized device 3, in electrical and / or electronic communication with the LASER source 2, which comprises a memory including at least one computer program or software designed to control the LASER source 2 according to one or more treatment parameters.

[0037] This then includes the step of setting, by means of the computerized device 3, at least one roughness value to be obtained for at least part of the internal surface la of the container C for cooking food, preferably for the entire internal surface la of the container C for cooking food.

[0038] Preferably, the at least one roughness value to be obtained is between Ra 2.5 pm and Ra 5 pm, for example about Ra 3 pm, this can clearly vary depending on the type of container for cooking food.

[0039] The term “roughness” is to be understood as the property that a surface of a body made up of intrinsic geometric micro-imperfections or resulting from mechanical processing has. In particular, such geometric micro-imperfections generally appear in the form of grooves or scratches, of variable shape, depth and direction. The roughness measurement Ra, expressed in microns, can be considered as the arithmetic mean value of the deviations (taken in absolute value) of the real profile of the surface with respect to the mean line.

[0040] Advantageously, by means of the computerized device 3 it is also possible to set further parameters with reference to the roughness, such as for example the profile of the ridges, the number of peaks, etc. The method M according to the present invention then comprises the step of generating, by means of the LASER source 2, at least one ablation LASER beam and the step of treating at least part of the internal surface la by means of the at least one ablation LASER beam so as to give it the set roughness value.

[0041] With reference to the computerized device 3, it can be or comprise any fixed computerized device, for example a desktop computer or even a mobile computerized device, for example a smartphone, a tablet, a PDA or a laptop.

[0042] In relation to this, the computerized device 3 can comprise a screen, optionally a touch screen associated with a digitizer, for example of a capacitive or resistive type, configured to allow the operator to interact with a graphical interface of the at least one computer program or software by means of the fingers or other objects. Optionally, in addition or alternatively, the computerized device 3 can also comprise a keyboard and / or a mouse configured to allow the setting of the values for the one or more treatment parameters.

[0043] Preferably, the LASER source 2 is a fiber optic LASER device.

[0044] Advantageously, the at least one ablation LASER beam is emitted with a power between 500 W and 6000 W, for example 4000 W.

[0045] This power range allows to obtain an excellent combination of efficiency, precision and versatility. Preferably, the method M does not include any degreasing or washing step of the container C for cooking food.

[0046] Even more preferably, the method M does not include any sandblasting step of the container C for cooking food.

[0047] Advantageously, the method M includes before the step of generating, the step of selecting, by means of an optical sensor and / or a camera and / or a video camera in electrical and / or electronic communication with the computerized device 3, the at least part of the internal surface la to be treated.

[0048] For example, the optical sensor and / or the camera and / or the video camera could be positioned next to the LASER source 2 so as to have a complete field of view on the processing area in which the container C for cooking food to be treated is placed. In particular, the optical sensor and / or the camera and / or the video camera could send an image of the processing area in which the container C is positioned to the computerized device 3 and an operator could, by means of the latter, select the at least part of the internal surface la to be treated.

[0049] Optionally, the treating step comprises the step of evaporating the molding oil present on the at least part of the internal surface la and superficially scratching the latter by means of the at least one ablation LASER beam.

[0050] In this way, it is possible to obtain the set roughness value by eliminating the degreasing or washing and sandblasting steps typical of the methods provided in the prior art, which were energetically expensive and environmentally unsustainable.

[0051] Subject-matter of the present invention is also a container C for cooking food obtained with a method according to the present invention or according to non-limiting embodiments of the present invention which comprises a main body 1 which defines an internal surface la designed, in use, to receive or come into contact with food, in which at least part of the internal surface la comprises a plurality of LASER scratches and / or engravings which determine a roughness value for the at least part of the internal surface la.

[0052] Furthermore, subject-matter of the present invention is also a plant for preparing a container C for cooking food for coating. This plant comprises one or more production stations adapted to provide a container C for cooking food comprising a main body 1 which defines an internal surface 1 a designed, in use, to receive or come into contact with the food, and a LASER treatment station which includes a LASER source 2 and a computerized device 3, in electrical and / or electronic communication with the LASER source 2, which comprises a memory including a computer program or software designed to control the LASER source 2 in function of one or more treatment parameters.

[0053] In particular, the LASER treatment station is designed to set, by means of the computerized device 3, at least one roughness value to be obtained for at least part of the internal surface la of the container C for cooking food, to generate, by means of the LASER source 2, at least one ablation LASER beam and to treat at least part of the internal surface la by means of the at least one ablation LASER beam so as to give it the set roughness value.

[0054] It should be considered that, advantageously, the plant does not include any degreasing or washing station for the container C for cooking food.

[0055] Moreover, preferably, the system does not include any sandblasting station for the container C for cooking food.

[0056] The method M for preparing a container C for cooking food for coating according to the present invention eliminates the degreasing and sandblasting steps typical of the methods according to the state of the prior art.

[0057] With reference to this last aspect, the method M for preparing a container C for cooking food for coating as well as the respective plant allow to reduce the overall dimensions in the operating environment.

[0058] The method M for preparing a container C for cooking food for coating as well as the respective plant allow to reduce the use of electrical and thermal energy compared to the methods provided in the prior art.

[0059] Moreover, the method M for preparing a container C for cooking food for coating and the respective plant allow to eliminate the production of waste, resulting in fact more environmentally sustainable than the methods provided in the prior art.

[0060] It has thus been seen how the invention fully achieves the proposed objects. Modifications and variations of the invention are possible within the scope of protection defined by the claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. Method (M) for preparing a container (C) for cooking food for coating, including the steps of: providing a container (C) for cooking food comprising a main body (1) which defines an internal surface (la) designed, in use, to receive or come into contact with food, providing a LASER source (2) and a computerized device (3), in electrical and / or electronic communication with said LASER source (2), which comprises a memory including a computer program or software designed to control said LASER source (2) in function of one or more treatment parameters, setting, using said computerized device (3), at least one roughness value to be obtained for at least part of said internal surface (la) of said container (C) for cooking food, generating, using said LASER source (2), at least one ablation LASER beam, treating at least part of said internal surface (la) using said at least one LASER ablation beam so as to give it said set roughness value.

2. Method according to the previous claim, wherein no degreasing or washing step of said container (C) for cooking food is included.

3. Method according to the previous claim, wherein no sandblasting step of said container (C) for cooking food is included.

4. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said LASER source (2) is a fiber optic LASER device.

5. Method according to any one of the previous claims, wherein said at least one ablation LASER beam is emitted with a power between 500 W and 6000 W.

6. Method according to any one of the previous claims, comprising before the step of generating, the step of selecting, through an optical sensor and / or a camera and / or a video camera in electrical and / or electronic communication with said computerized device (3), said at least part of the internal surface (la) to be treated.

7. Method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said step of treating includes the step of evaporating the molding oil present on said at least part of theinternal surface (la) and superficially scratching the latter by means of said at least one LASER ablation beam.

8. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said one or more treatment parameters comprise at least one roughness value.

9. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said at least one roughness value to be obtained is between Ra 2.5 pm and Ra 5 pm.

10. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said computerized device (3) is configured to also set the profile of the ridges and / or the number of peaks with reference to the roughness value to be obtained on at least part of said internal surface (la) of said container (C) for cooking food.

11. Container (C) for cooking food obtained with a method according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a main body (1) which defines an internal surface (la) designed, in use, to receive or come into contact with food, wherein at least part of said internal surface (la) includes a plurality of LASER scratches and / or engravings which determine a roughness value for said at least part of internal surface (la).

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