FR2638957A1 - Combined containers for cooking or (and) defrosting foodstuffs, particularly in a microwave oven - Google Patents

Abstract

Container for cooking and/or for defrosting: It is composed of an outer dish 1 made from glass which is resistant to temperature variations, such as a borosilicate glass or a glass ceramic, and of a removable tray 2 made from heat-resistant plastic, such as polyethylene terephthalate, this tray including a peripheral collar (flange) 3 adapted in order to rest over the periphery of the dish and having, moreover, dimensions such that, when it is nested into the dish, a gap is provided between the sides of the dish and the tray, and also between the respective bases of the two objects. Application to all food-preparation operations.

Description

 The invention relates to containers intended to serve as supports for food to be cooked or defrosted in an oven, in particular in a microwave oven.

 Certain plastics, such as those derived from polyethylene terephthalate, resist relatively high temperatures (of the order of 20 ° C.), and lend themselves fairly well to the manufacture by molding of trays of various shapes which can be used for application considered. However, these trays do not have good mechanical strength, especially if we want to make them, by economy, with a small thickness and, moreover, overshoots of the limit temperature, such as they can occur in household use, fairly quickly lead to their deterioration.

 The invention makes it possible to obtain a protection of these trays, both thermal and mechanical, by combining them with a glass bowl resistant to temperature variations such as a borosilicate glass, or alternatively in glass-ceramic, so that the glass or glass-ceramic bowl serve as a support for the tray which, fitted into the bowl with a certain gap between the sides and the respective bottoms, rests by a peripheral flange on the sides of the bowl.

In such a combination, the tray is protected against excessive heating and lton also obtains the following advantages
1. It is possible to compensate for a low rigidity of the tray by the rigidity of the glass or glass-ceramic, which makes it possible to produce the trays with a small thickness of the order of a few tenths of a millimeter.

 2. Trays of various shapes can be combined with the same cuvette allowing multiple applications. To switch from one application to another, simply replace the tray with another suitably suitable.

 The description which follows with reference to the appended drawing, given by way of example, will make it possible to understand clearly how the invention can be implemented.

 Figure 1 shows in perspective a first embodiment of a combination according to the invention.

 Figure 2, relating to the same combination, shows separate the glass bowl and the tray.

 Figure 3 is a section of the bottom of the tray along line III-III and shows the grooves arranged on this bottom.

 Figure 4 shows in perspective a second embodiment.

 Figure 5 also shows, in perspective, a third embodiment.

 Figure 6 is a section along VI-VI.

 In Figures 1 to 3, we see in 1 the bowl of borosilicate glass or glass ceramic and in 2 the tray of polyethylene terephthalate associated therewith.

 These two pieces have a rectangular shape, but could have different shapes.

 The bowl 1 is relatively thick and can therefore have the rigidity that is expected of culinary containers to facilitate their handling.

 The tray 2 is on the contrary thin, its thickness being of the order of 5 to 6 tenths of a millimeter.

 On its edge, the tray 2 has a flange 3 by which it comes to rest on the upper edge of the bowl 1 when the tray is placed in the bowl. The dimensions of the tray are also such that when it is introduced into the bowl, there is a certain gap between the sides of the tray and those of the bowl, as well as between the bottoms of the two objects, so that the contact of the tray and the bowl is made only by the support of the collar 3 on the periphery of the bowl.

 Not only do the intervals thus created facilitate the nesting of the two objects, but they also avoid the direct transmission of heat between the glass and the plastic.

 In this arrangement, the tray is provided with two compartments 4, 5, separated by a partition 6, so that it is possible to cook two different foods separately or two portions of a mSmeplat, in the two compartments. On other trays, having the same external dimensions, it would moreover be possible to provide a different compartmentalization making it possible to cook more than two different portions separately or even to have no compartmentalization.

 Note in Figure 3 that the bottom of compartments 4 and 5 of the tray is provided with grooves forming reliefs and hollows, which facilitates the exudation of fats and juices during cooking or liquids released during thawing frozen food.

 FIG. 4 shows another combination according to the invention which lends itself to steam cooking and is also suitable for thawing foodstuffs releasing a certain amount of liquid during this operation.

 The tray 2 is in this case pierced with holes 8 which open into the gap formed between the bottom of the tray and the bowl. If you put water in this interval, its vapor will heat the product placed in the tray and it will also be advantageous to mount the whole with a lid, which is possible thanks to the rigidity of the bowl.

 But the same combination can also be used for defrosting food which releases a certain amount of liquid during this operation. This liquid, drained by the holes, accumulates in the appropriate volume interval, formed between the tray and the bottom of the bowl.

 The embodiment shown in Figures 5 and 6 relates to the case where one wants to remove excess fat during cooking. The tray is provided with a bottom 9 which is raised relative to the base of its sides, so that a channel 10 used to collect the fat is arranged around the bottom, for example on three sides as is the case in Figures 5 and 6.

This is provided with grooves 11 through which the greases can flow into the channel 10.

 The various embodiments described can be combined with one another and, for example, the tray of FIG. 4 could be subdivided into separate compartments, as described with reference to FIG. 1.

 Other embodiments of the trays could also be imagined without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (6)

 10) Cooking or defrosting container characterized in that it consists of an external bowl (1) made of glass resistant to temperature variations, such as no borosilicate glass or ceramic glass and a removable tray (2 ) in heat-resistant plastic such as polyethylene terephthalate, this tray comprising a peripheral flange (3) adapted to come to rest on the periphery of the bowl and having, in addition, dimensions such that when it fits into the bowl, a interval is arranged between the sides of the bowl and the tray, as well as between the respective bottoms of the two objects.  20) Container according to 10 characterized in that the tray is thin, its thickness being of the order of a few 1/10 of mm.  30) Container according to 10 or 20 characterized in that the tray is subdivided into separate compartments (4, 5).  40) Container according to one of claims 1 to 3 characterized in that the bottom of the tray or at least one of its compartments is provided with grooves.  50) Container according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the bottom of the tray is pierced with holes (8).  60) Container according to one of claims 1 to 4 characterized in that the sides of the tray extend below the bottom to provide a channel (10) which can collect the exudates.