Multi-Layer Cooking Vessel Liner for High-Heat Roaster Hotspots
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Solution Overview
Problem
Commercially available plastic liners for cooking vessels, such as electric roasters, often melt and adhere to the pan walls due to temperature hotspots exceeding their melting point, leading to damage and contamination issues.
Innovation Solution
A thermally laminated multi-layer liner composed of an aluminum foil sheet and a polymer film, specifically a biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate layer coextruded with an amorphous polyethylene terephthalate sealant layer, where the aluminum foil is laminated to the polymer film without adhesives, forming a durable and flexible liner that can withstand high temperatures without melting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional plastic liners (nylon or polyester) are used in electric roasters, then they provide barrier function and ease of cleaning, but they melt and adhere to pan walls when exposed to temperature hotspots exceeding 490°F
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining aluminum foil with polymer film layers (nylon and polyester) to create a multi-layer liner structure. The aluminum foil layer provides high-temperature stability and prevents melting, while the polymer layers provide barrier functions. This composite structure resolves the contradiction by integrating materials with complementary thermal properties, allowing the liner to withstand hotspots exceeding 490°F without melting or adhering to pan walls.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by creating a multi-layer structure where each layer serves a specific function: the aluminum foil layer handles high-temperature zones to prevent melting, while the polymer film layers provide barrier properties in lower-temperature zones. This spatial differentiation of material properties allows the liner to simultaneously resist thermal degradation and maintain its barrier function, resolving the contradiction between thermal stability and harmful adhesion effects.
2Reliability
If the liner material is made from high-temperature resistant materials, then it can withstand hotspots, but it loses flexibility and conformability to vessel contours
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite materials where aluminum foil provides high-temperature resistance while polymer film layers (nylon and polyester) provide flexibility and conformability. The bonding between these layers creates a unified structure that exhibits both thermal stability and mechanical flexibility, allowing the liner to withstand hotspots while maintaining ease of operation and conformability to vessel contours.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies flexible shells and thin films by using thin polymer film layers bonded to aluminum foil. The polymer layers maintain flexibility and allow the liner to conform to various vessel shapes, while the aluminum foil backbone provides thermal stability. This combination resolves the contradiction by using thin-film technology to preserve flexibility while achieving high-temperature resistance.
3Strength
If adhesive bonding is used to laminate aluminum foil to polymer film, then strong bonding is achieved, but adhesive degradation and contamination occur at high temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the taking out principle by removing the adhesive layer from the lamination process. Instead of using adhesive bonding between aluminum foil and polymer film, the patent employs direct thermal bonding or mechanical bonding methods. This elimination of adhesive prevents degradation and contamination issues at high temperatures while maintaining sufficient bonding strength through alternative bonding mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies the intermediary principle by using the polymer film itself as the bonding interface between aluminum foil and the liner structure. The polymer layer serves as a mediator that provides both structural integrity and thermal stability without requiring separate adhesive materials. This intermediary approach eliminates adhesive-related degradation while maintaining strong bonding through the inherent properties of the polymer film.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The liner effectively prevents melting and adhering to the electric roaster pan walls, maintaining durability and flexibility, allowing it to withstand temperatures up to 570°F without damage, while being easy to clean and reuse.
Implementation Method 1
The aluminum foil sheet can be thermally laminated to the polymer film
Implementation Method 2
The amorphous polyethylene terephthalate sealant layer has a lower melting point than the biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate layer
Data Source
AI summary
Liners for cooking vessels, cooking systems, and methods of making liners for cooking vessels are disclosed. The liner can be a multi-layer liner having a bag-like structure with a closed bottom having a bottom edge, a top opening having first and second top edges, and two sealed sides. The liner can have a first side seal extending along a first end from the top opening toward the bottom edge and a second side seal extending along a second end from the top opening toward the bottom edge. The liner material can include an aluminum foil sheet thermally laminated to a polymer film. The polymer film can include a biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate layer coextruded with an amorphous polyethylene terephthalate sealant layer.