GB2432509A

GB2432509A - A meshed baking tray

Info

Publication number: GB2432509A
Application number: GB0520391A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Guy Darell Unwin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-10-07
Filing date: 2005-10-07
Publication date: 2007-05-30
Also published as: GB0520391D0

Abstract

A meshed baking tray 1 formed from a sheet of temperature resistant and electromagnetically inert mesh that is coated with a material having a high temperature resistance and a low friction coefficient. The meshed baking tray allows air to freely circulate the food placed on the baking tray. Preferably the mesh is formed of glass fibre. The coating may be polytetafluoroethylene, a member of the fluoropolymer family, silicone or a member of the silicone family.

Description

NON-STICK OVEN BASKET AND METHOD OF FORMING THE SAME.

This invention relates to the cooking of food items in either oven or microwave cookers in a heatproof flexible material allowing the free circulation of air to the surface of the foodstuff.

Any given foodstuff, e.g. potato chips, can be heated in either a conventional oven or in a microwave oven. However, a suitable container for loose items such as potato chips may not serve this dual purpose because of the material used in its construction. A conventional baking tray will be made of metal and therefore not suitable for insertion into a microwave oven, while those trays available for use in a microwave oven will not withstand the higher temperatures encountered in a conventional oven. Moreover, neither kind is designed to allow the free circulation of air around the foodstuff while cooking, which tends to improve the crispness and quality of the finished article. In a conventional oven the air transfers the heat to the foodstuff, while in a microwave oven air is required simply to carry away the water vapour produced when the energised foodstuff heats up. Any foodstuff requiring to be crisp or crunchy will suffer in quality from being heated in a microwave unless the vapour is completely removed.

There are numerous instances of items that perform the function of containing foodstuffs within an oven but none of which feature the desirable qualities of the invention here set forth. The material is formed with a coating of one or a plurality of members of the fluoropolymer family well known for their low friction characteristics such as PTFE or Polytetrafluoroethylene, or with another material having similar characteristics such as a member of the silicone family. A search of prior art did not disclose any inventions sufficiently similar to the present invention to cite herein as prior art, since the prior art refers either to high temperature applications of metallic construction that are thereby rendered unsuitable for microwave usage or to low temperature mouldings suitable for use in a microwave oven but incapable of being heated to conventional oven temperatures. The few silicone-based mouldings suitable for usage in either oven or microwave had a surface-to air ratio much lower than the loose mesh presented here. This presents a restriction to the air circulation that makes the finished food less crisp. A further benefit of the present invention is that its low coefficient of heat retention allows for the early removal of the container from the oven without the usual fear of burning the hands.

According to the present invention, there is provided a tray formed from a sheet of glassfibre or other temperature resistant mesh coated with Polytetrafluoroethylene or other fluoropolymer or silicone compound having high temperature resistance coupled with low friction coefficient and light weight. The material has the properties of chemical inertness and heat resistance, low friction co-efficient and easy cleaning coupled with resistance to chemical corrosion, moisture, mildew and fungus, Ultra-Violet, lnfra-Red, and microwave radiation with outstanding electrical, insulative and di-electric properties and is non combustible and self extinguishing. In order to allow circulation of air the mesh of the substrate must be sufficiently wide that an air gap exists between strands of weft and warp, with an ideal size of approximately 4 mm. The size of the tray and the height of the edge wall may vary to suit the application but will generally be within the range of sizes suitable for a domestic oven, e.g. less than 400 mm. square and 100 mm.

high. In order to so form the material, the corners of the sheet having been defined will be inwardly cut at an angle of 45 degrees, said cut defining the height of the edge wall by means of Pythagoras' theorem. The flaps so formed will when overlapped create a corner upstand, which may then be stitched along its edge or held together by other known means. Alternatively corner tags functioning as handles may be provided by connecting the flaps without overlapping so that the upper face of each flap contacts the upper face of the adjacent flap. The resulting triangular projections may be trimmed as required.

The present invention provides a means of effectively heating a range of foodstuffs without being limited to one form of cooking implement and without limiting the flow of air to the surface of the foodstuff. Specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the device. 4.

Referring to Figure 1, the fabric mesh 1 is formed into a container by means of creating diagonal slits 2 at the corners 3 of the sheet of mesh 1. The edges of the sheet are then drawn together and stitched with a string 5 of similar heat resistant material along the outer edge or otherwise conjoined so that the flaps 4 formed by the slits overlap one another to form a corner defining an edge wall and thereby forming a container and giving rigidity to the said container.

Should flaps 4 be desired at each corner as an aid to handling, the flaps 4 above are folded outwardly from the conjoined intersection of the side walls and trimmed as desired, the remainder of the invention being identical to the above embodiment.

Claims

CLAIMS

1. A tray formed from a sheet of temperature resistant and electro-magnetically inert mesh with an air gap between the strands of weft and warp that allows free circulation of air, coated with a material having high temperature resistance coupled with low friction coefficient and light weight such as one or a plurality of members of the fluoropolymer or silicone families of chemicals.

2. A tray as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the mesh is formed of glass fibre.

3. A tray as claimed in Claim 1 or 2 where the coating is PolyletraFluoroEthylene or other member of the Fluoropolymer family of thermally and electrically inert materials.

4. A tray as claimed in Claim 1 or 2 where the coating is Silicone or another member of the Silicone family of thermally and electrically inert materials.

5. A device substantially as herein described and with reference to the accompanying drawing.