FR3096878A1 - Tableware including thermal storage means - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to ceramic tableware (1) comprising at least one ceramic shell (2) and at least one thermal storage means (4); said article of tableware is notable in that said thermal storage means (4) comprises at least a first zone (3a) in which said thermal storage means has a first thermal conductivity and a first density and at least a second zone (3b) in which said thermal storage means has a second thermal conductivity greater than the first thermal conductivity and / or a second density greater than the first density. Figure for the abstract: Fig. 1

Description

Tableware comprising thermal storage means

The present invention relates to a dishware article and more particularly a dishware article of the plate, flat or hollow type, serving dish, or the like, made of ceramic, such as porcelain or earthenware for example, making it possible to maintain the temperature the food served in said tableware.

State of the art

In the field of tableware, it is well known crockery items to maintain temperature, hot or cold, the food served in said crockery. Indeed, ceramic, porcelain or earthenware crockery items usually used in restaurants or the like have the disadvantage of rapidly cooling the food they contain due to their large heat exchange surface with the surrounding air. on the one hand and the food they contain on the other hand, but also because of the low thermal conductivity, whether porcelain (1.04 W/M.K at 95°C) or earthenware . This observation has led to the proposal of various solutions to improve the maintenance of the temperature of dishes.

Thus, several technical solutions are known such as those described in the documents US2014/041647, US7176426, US4505252, WO2006/101643 and FR3046722.

Document US2014/041647 describes a dish having an integrated heating zone, used to keep food and drink warm, making food and drink more pleasant to eat or drink. The integrated heating zone uses a phase change material (PCM) such as a supersaturated solution of sodium acetate.

The document US7176426 describes a device integrating a microwave heat absorber and releasing this energy in the form of heat by infrared radiation over a long period of time, of the order of 20 to 30 minutes. This device comprises three rigid elements, an upper element generally in the form of a container, such as a dish or a cup cooperating with a base to form a sealed enclosure or cavity. This receptacle is transparent to microwaves and surrounds a solid mass of heating absorption material in minimal contact with the walls of the microwave cavity. This receptacle and the microwave absorbing material can have different cross-sections, shapes, volumes and masses depending on the particular intended use of the heat storage apparatus.

Patent US4505252 describes another example of a tableware item in the form of a hollow dish with a core formed by a wax base and comprising upper and lower elements welded together at their periphery, with a fusible wax core confined inside a cavity.

All these prior art solutions are not very satisfactory. More particularly, the dishes incorporating a phase change material do not allow manufacture according to traditional earthenware techniques, involving firing at high temperatures which cause the vaporization of materials such as wax.

Document WO2006/101643 is also known which describes an integrated microwaveable heat storage device absorbing substantial amounts of microwave energy in a microwave oven for a relatively short period, of the order of one minute, and releasing this energy in the form of heat, for an extended period, of the order of 20 to 30 minutes. The device comprises three rigid elements, an upper element generally in the form of a container such as a dish or a cup cooperating with a base in order to form a sealed envelope or a cavity. This closure is microwave transparent and encapsulates a heating element mass of solid microwave absorbing material in minimal contact with the cavity walls. This container (or envelope) and the microwave absorbing material (the heating element) can have different embodiments or cross-sections, different shapes, volume and mass, depending on the specific intended use or embodiment.

Similarly, the document FR3046722 describes a ceramic tableware item comprising a passive thermal storage means, comprising at least one ceramic shell defining an internal cavity housing the thermal storage means, said shell defining an internal rim delimiting a communication orifice between the internal volume of the shell and the exterior of the article, the article comprising a means for sealing the communication orifice made of a thermosetting material filling the communication orifice flush with the wall outer shell.

Although these solutions allow use identical to that of a traditional tableware article while limiting the cooling of the food it contains, and allow manufacture according to the usual techniques in the field of porcelain and earthenware , the crockery items thus obtained have the disadvantage of being fragile and of cracking due to the high thermal gradients imposed on the different parts of the crockery items and the small thickness of the different parts.

Disclosure of Invention

One of the aims of the invention is therefore to remedy these drawbacks by proposing a ceramic tableware article making it possible to maintain the temperature of the food served, of simple and inexpensive design, providing uniform maintenance of the temperature and not cracking. .

To this end, and in accordance with the invention, a ceramic tableware article is proposed comprising at least one ceramic shell and at least one heat storage means; said article of tableware is remarkable in that said thermal storage means comprises at least a first zone in which said thermal storage means has a first thermal conductivity and a first density and at least a second zone in which said the thermal accumulation has a second thermal conductivity greater than the first thermal conductivity and/or a second density greater than the first density.

According to a particular embodiment, the second zone is called peripheral and extends around the first zone.

Preferably, the second zone is concentric with the first zone.

According to a first alternative embodiment of the tableware article according to the invention, said shell comprises at least two parts, a so-called upper shell and a so-called lower shell, defining between them at least one internal cavity in which said means is positioned thermal storage.

Preferably, said upper shell and/or the lower shell comprises a shoulder on which rests the lower shell and/or the upper shell respectively, the upper and lower shells being assembled by a so-called food-grade glue.

Advantageously, the bottom of the lower shell is covered with a layer obtained from a thermally insulating material, in order to limit the loss of calories through the bottom of the crockery item.

Furthermore, the lower shell and/or the upper shell comprises at least one separating wall delimiting at least a first volume in which the thermal accumulation means of the first zone are positioned and a second volume in which the heat storage means of the first zone are positioned. thermal accumulation of the second zone.

Said thermal storage means consists of a liquid and/or solid thermal storage means.

Said thermal accumulation means consists of a eutectic liquid contained in a sealed pocket of the same shape as the first zone and of the same shape as the second zone.

Said thermal accumulation means consists of a eutectic gel contained in a sealed pocket of the same shape as the first zone and of the same shape as the second zone.

Preferably, the thermal accumulation means comprises at least one solid material having a thermal conductivity greater than or equal to 5 Wm ^-1 .K ^-1 , a density greater than or equal to 2000 kg/m ³ .

Said accumulation means is obtained in a natural stone such as steatite and/or cordierite and/or feolite.

Furthermore, the accumulation means may be in a powder form and/or in a compacted powder form.

According to a second alternative embodiment of the tableware article according to the invention, said thermal accumulation means is embedded in the paste and/or the clay and kaolin slip in which the ceramic is obtained by molding and/or or pouring.

Said thermal accumulation means comprises at least one solid material having a thermal conductivity greater than or equal to 5 Wm ^-1 ·K ^-1 , a density greater than or equal to 2000 kg/m ³ .

Preferably, the accumulation means is obtained in a natural stone such as steatite and/or cordierite and/or feolite for example.

In addition, the accumulation means is in a powder and/or granular form in order to be easily incorporated into the paste and/or the slip.

Other advantages and characteristics will emerge better from the following description of several variant embodiments, given by way of non-limiting examples, of the tableware article in accordance with the invention, with reference to the appended drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic radial sectional view of a dinner plate forming an article of tableware according to the invention.

Figure 2 is an exploded view in schematic exploded radial section of a dinner plate forming an article of tableware according to the invention.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic radial sectional view of an alternative embodiment of a dinner plate forming a tableware item according to the invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of a food management system using a tableware item according to the invention.

Figure 5 is a schematic sectional view of an article of tableware according to the invention for the implementation of said food management system.

Mode of carrying out the invention

In the following description of the tableware article according to the invention, the same reference numerals designate the same elements. The various views are not necessarily drawn to scale. Furthermore, the article of tableware according to the invention essentially consists of a flat or deep plate; however, it is obvious that the article of crockery according to the invention can be adapted for any other type of crockery well known to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention.

With reference to Figures 1 and 2, the article of tableware according to the invention consists of a so-called flat plate 1 comprising a shell 2 of ceramic or the like. Said shell comprises at least two parts, a so-called upper shell 2a and a so-called lower shell 2b, defining between them at least one internal cavity 3 in which is positioned a thermal accumulation means 4. In this particular embodiment, the shell upper 2a comprises, at its bottom, a shoulder 5 on which rests the upper edge of the lower shell 2b, the upper and lower shells being assembled by a so-called food glue deposited at the level of said shoulder 5 and/or of the upper edge of the lower shell before their assembly. Said food-grade glue may consist of an epoxy glue, such as the two-component epoxy glue 9466 A&B marketed under the LOCTITE® brand for example, or any other similar glue well known to those skilled in the art.

It is obvious that said upper shell 2a and / or the lower shell 2b may include a shoulder 5 on which rests the lower shell 2b and / or the upper shell 2a respectively without departing from the scope of the invention.

Furthermore, the lower shell 2b comprises a partition wall 6 extending from the bottom of said lower shell 2b to the level of the upper edge of said lower shell 2b. In this particular embodiment, in which the flat plate 1 is circular, the said separating wall 6 has a substantially cylindrical shape and thus delimits a first central volume called the first zone 3a in which is positioned a first thermal accumulation means 4 and a second peripheral volume, concentric, called second zone 3b in which is positioned a second thermal accumulation means 4.

It is obvious that the flat plate 1 may have any shape, such as a square or rectangular shape for example, and that said plate may comprise a plurality of separation walls 6 of any shape delimiting several zones without however leaving of the scope of the invention.

According to a variant embodiment, not shown in the figures, the separation wall 6 extends from the underside of the bottom of the upper shell 2a.

According to another embodiment variant, not shown in the figures, the upper shell 2a and the lower shell 2b respectively comprise at least one dividing wall 6, said dividing walls 6 then extending either opposite one of the the other is staggered, in order to delimit at least a first zone 3a in which the thermal storage means 4 is positioned and a second zone 3b in which the thermal storage means 4 is positioned.

Furthermore, said thermal storage means 4 comprises at least a first zone in which said thermal storage means 4 has a first thermal conductivity and a first density and at least a second zone in which said thermal storage means 4 has a second thermal conductivity greater than the first thermal conductivity and/or a second density greater than the first density. Thus, in this particular embodiment, said thermal storage means 4 has in the central zone 3a a thermal conductivity and a density lower than the thermal conductivity and the density of the thermal storage means 4 of the concentric zone 3b. In this way, the conservation of the heat of the food positioned in the plate 1 is more homogeneous because the loss of heat is greater on the edges of the plate 1 than in its central part.

Furthermore, said thermal storage means 4 consists of a liquid and/or solid thermal storage means 4. For example, said thermal accumulation means 4 consists of a eutectic liquid contained in sealed pockets of the same shape as the volumes delimited between the upper shell 2a, the lower shell 2b and the separating wall(s) 6. Similarly, said thermal accumulation means 4 may consist of a eutectic gel contained in sealed pockets of the same shape as the volumes delimited between the upper shell 2a, the lower shell 2b and the separation wall(s) 6. The liquid or the eutectic gel may consist of any composition capable of restoring a temperature of at least 60° C. and well known to those skilled in the art.

Said sealed pockets, flexible or rigid, have a thickness substantially equal to the height separating the bottom of the upper shell 2a and the bottom of the lower shell 2b.

According to a variant embodiment, the thermal accumulation means 4 comprises at least one solid material having a thermal conductivity greater than or equal to 5 Wm ^-1 ·K ^-1 and a density greater than or equal to 2000 kg/m ³ . Preferably, the accumulation means is obtained in a one-piece natural stone or in powder form, compacted or not. For example, the thermal storage means 4 is obtained in steatite and/or cordierite and/or feolite.

It is obvious that said natural stone may consist of any other material well known to those skilled in the art such as pozzolana, refractory ceramics or the like without departing from the scope of the invention.

Thus, the heat storage means 4 positioned in the central zone 3a has the shape of a disk and the heat storage means 4 positioned in the peripheral zone 3b, concentric, has the shape of a crown.

Incidentally, and advantageously, the bottom of the lower shell 2b is covered with a layer, not shown in the figures, obtained from a thermally insulating material, in order to limit the loss of calories through the bottom of the tableware article 1.

According to a last alternative embodiment of the tableware article according to the invention, with reference to FIG. 3, the ceramic tableware article, in this case a flat plate, comprises in the same way as previously at least a ceramic shell 2 and at least one thermal storage means 4, said thermal storage means comprising at least a first zone 3a in which said thermal storage means 4 has a first thermal conductivity and a first density and at least at least a second zone 3b in which said thermal storage means 4 has a second thermal conductivity greater than the first thermal conductivity and/or a second density greater than the first density. In the same way as previously, the second zone 3b could be peripheral and extend around the first zone 3a, or even concentric with the first zone 3a in the case of a circular plate.

Said article of crockery differs from that previously described in that the shell 2 is not in two blocks but in a single block and that said heat storage means 4 is embedded in the paste and/or the clay slip and kaolin in which the ceramic is obtained, usually by molding and/or casting.

Said thermal accumulation means comprises at least one solid material having a thermal conductivity greater than or equal to 5 Wm ^-1 ·K ^-1 , a density greater than or equal to 2000 kg/m ³ . Preferably, the accumulation means is obtained in a natural stone such as steatite and/or cordierite and/or feolite for example. In addition, the accumulation means is in a powder and/or granular form in order to be easily incorporated into the paste and/or the slip. It will be observed that, if necessary, the thermal accumulation means 4 may be coated in a so-called bonding material before being incorporated into the paste and/or the slip of clay and kaolin or the like.

It is obvious that said natural stone may consist of any other material well known to those skilled in the art such as pozzolana, refractory ceramics or the like without departing from the scope of the invention.

Furthermore, with reference to Figures 4 and 5, the tableware item according to the invention can advantageously be integrated into a food management system in which each plate 1 comprises several compartments, in this case three compartments 7a, 7b and 7c , suitable for receiving vegetables, starchy foods and meat and substitutes respectively, as well as pressure and/or weight sensors 8a, 8b and 8c connected to a central unit 9 comprising at least one transmitter of the data measured by the sensors 8a , 8b and 8c in each of the compartments 8a, 8b and 8c. Incidentally, each plate 1 may also include temperature sensors in order to measure the temperature in each of the compartments 8a, 8b and 8c in order to verify that the temperature of the food is well preserved over time by the thermal accumulation means of the plate according to the invention. For example, said transmitter will consist of a transponder of the RFID type or any other equivalent device making it possible to transmit data wirelessly to a receiver.

Thus, when food is positioned in each of the compartments 8a, 8b and 8c, during service, a first measurement of the weight of the food in each of the compartments 8a, 8b and 8c is carried out and transmitted to a server 10 in which said measurement, with a timestamp, associated with an identifier of the person who is going to eat the food. At the end of the meal, or after a determined time, one hour for example, a second measurement of the weight of the food in each of the compartments 8a, 8b and 8c is carried out and transmitted to said server 10 in which said second measurement is recorded, with a timestamp, associated with the same identifier. Subsequently, the management system makes it possible to determine the ratio between the quantities served and the quantities consumed for each of the compartments, thus allowing a nutritionist or a doctor to determine the cause of any deficiencies in a person (vitamin deficiencies or iron for example) but also to determine a person's appetite for certain foods and, ultimately, to limit waste. The information thus recorded in the server can be consulted, via a computer of the PC 11 type, a tablet, a smartphone or the like, said PC 10 being connected to the server 10 either directly or via an internet connection, or transmitted via the internet network. , or a wireless telecommunications network, to any predefined person, such as the dietician or the doctor of a determined patient for example.

It will be observed that the food management system according to the invention can also be implemented with a plate not comprising any means of thermal accumulation as described above, without however departing from the scope of the invention.

Finally, it is quite obvious that the examples which have just been given are only particular illustrations in no way limiting as to the fields of application of the invention.

Claims (20)

Ceramic tableware (1) comprising at least one ceramic shell (2) and at least one heat storage means (4), characterized in that said heat storage means (4) comprises at least a first zone (3a) wherein said thermal storage means has a first thermal conductivity and a first density and at least one second region (3b) wherein said thermal storage means has a second thermal conductivity greater than the first thermal conductivity and /or a second density greater than the first density. Tableware according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the second zone (3b) is said to be peripheral and extends around the first zone (3a). Tableware according to Claim 2 , characterized in that the second zone (3b) is concentric with the first zone (3a). Article of crockery according to any one of Claims 1 to 3 , characterized in that the said shell (2) comprises at least two parts, a so-called upper shell (2a) and a so-called lower shell (2b), defining between them at least a internal cavity in which said heat storage means (4) is positioned. Crockery according to Claim 4 , characterized in that the upper shell (2a) and/or the lower shell (2b) comprises a shoulder (5) on which the lower shell (2b) and/or the upper shell (2a) bears ) respectively, the upper shells (2a) and lower (2b) being assembled by a so-called food glue. Crockery according to any one of Claims 4 or 5 , characterized in that the bottom of the lower shell (2b) is covered with a layer obtained from a thermally insulating material. Tableware according to any one of Claims 4 to 6 , characterized in that the lower shell (2b) and/or the upper shell (2a) comprises at least one separating wall (6) delimiting at least a first volume in which is positioned the thermal storage means (4) of the first zone and a second volume in which is positioned the thermal storage means (4) of the second zone. Tableware according to any one of Claims 4 to 7 , characterized in that the thermal storage means (4) consists of a liquid and/or solid thermal storage means. Crockery according to Claim 8 , characterized in that the said thermal accumulation means (4) consists of a eutectic liquid contained in a sealed pocket of the same shape as the first zone (3a) and of the same shape as the second zone (3b). ). Article of crockery according to Claim 8 , characterized in that the said thermal accumulation means (4) consists of a eutectic gel contained in a sealed pocket of the same shape as the first zone (3a) and of the same shape as the second zone (3b ). Crockery according to Claim 8 , characterized in that the thermal accumulation means (4) comprises at least one solid material having a thermal conductivity greater than or equal to 5 Wm ^-1 .K ^-1 , a density greater than or equal to 2000 kg/ ^m3 . Crockery according to Claim 11, characterized in that the thermal accumulation means (4) is obtained from a natural stone. Crockery according to Claim 12 , characterized in that the thermal accumulation means (4) is obtained from steatite and/or cordierite and/or feolite. Tableware according to any one of Claims 11 to 13 , characterized in that the heat storage means (4) is in powder form. Crockery according to Claim 14 , characterized in that the heat storage means (4) is in the form of a compacted powder. Tableware according to any one of Claims 1 to 3 , characterized in that the said thermal accumulation means (4) is embedded in the paste and/or the clay and kaolin slip in which the ceramic is obtained by molding and/or casting. Tableware according to Claim 16, characterized in that the heat storage means (4) comprises at least one solid material having a thermal conductivity greater than or equal to 5 Wm ^-1 .K ^-1 , a density greater than or equal to 2000 kg/ ^m3 . Crockery according to Claim 17, characterized in that the thermal accumulation means (4) is obtained from a natural stone. Crockery according to Claim 18 , characterized in that the thermal accumulation means (4) is obtained from steatite and/or cordierite and/or feolite. Crockery according to any one of Claims 17 to 19 , characterized in that the thermal storage means (4) is in powder and/or granular form.