GB2460491A

GB2460491A - Food handling arrangements for steaming appliances

Info

Publication number: GB2460491A
Application number: GB0810153A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Natasha Freeland; Iain Stuart-Crush; Nigel Wilkinson
Original assignee: Kenwood Ltd
Current assignee: Kenwood Ltd
Priority date: 2008-06-04
Filing date: 2008-06-04
Publication date: 2009-12-09
Also published as: GB0810153D0

Abstract

This invention relates to food-handling arrangements, especially for tiered foodsteaming systems of the kind in which food-supporting trays are stacked, one above the other, within an enclosure supported on a base containing a water heater. The food supported on each tray is exposed to, and thus cooked or heated by, steam issuing from the heater, and each tray comprises at least one chamber within which food can be exposed to steam. The chamber has upper and lower openings, and the apertured tray is disposed within the chamber and above its lower opening, to support the food during steam cooking. The chamber further comprises a base member 20 configured to fit into the lower opening so as to underlie the tray and to act as a reservoir for liquid from food cooked on the tray; the cooked food thus being presentable to table whilst remaining on its tray and in the chamber. In preferred embodiments, the base member is provided with outlet means 30 adapted to enable the liquid to be poured away when desired, and the outlet means are preferably sealable to prevent unwanted spillage and to prevent air access to the cooked food via the base member and the apertured tray.

Description

FOOD-HANDLING ARRANGEMENTS FOR STEAMING

APPLIANCES

This invention relates to food-handling arrangements for steaming appliances, and it relates especially, though not exclusively, to such arrangements in the form of food-containment wares for tiered steamer systems, wherein a plurality of food-supporting trays is stacked within an enclosure supported on a base containing a water heater, and arranged such that the food supported on each tray can be exposed to, and cooked or heated by, steam issuing from the heater. The invention relates especially, though not exclusively, to such appliances intended for use in the home.

It is well accepted that steaming is a healthy and tasty way of preparing certain foods, and current interest in healthy eating has promoted significant interest in domestic appliances of this kind. There are several such appliances available on the market, and most operate efficiently and are user-friendly. However, certain difficulties can arise in usage of such appliances, particularly as regards the physical handling of the steamed food, whether for immediate serving at table or for storage, for example in a refrigerator, for later serving and consumption.

It is an object of this invention to address such difficulties and, in accordance with one example of the invention there is provided a food-handling arrangement for a steaming appliance; the arrangement comprising at least one chamber within which food can be steam cooked; said at least one chamber having upper and lower openings; an apertured tray supportable within the chamber above its lower opening and adapted to support the food during steam cooking and being characterised by a base member configured to fit into said lower opening to underlie said tray and being adapted to act as a reservoir for liquid from food cooked on said tray and in said chamber, whereby the cooked food is presentable to table whilst remaining in said chamber and on said tray.

Preferably said base member is provided with outlet means adapted to enable said liquid to be poured therefrom when desired. The outlet means are preferably sealable to prevent unwanted spillage therefrom and to prevent air access to the cooked food via the base member and the apertured tray.

Further preferably, the upper opening of said chamber is selectively sealable, by means including a lid, to permit storage, for example refrigerated storage, of said food in the chamber and on its tray.

By this means, the food can be stored in a substantially airtight fashion, thus retaining its flavour and texture until it is required for consumption.

It will be appreciated that the facility for liquid emergent from the food to be collected in the base member prevents the food from becoming unappealingly over-moist during storage.

In some preferred embodiments, the outlet in the base member is automatically sealed when the lower opening of the chamber is placed over the base member. This may be implemented by means of a resiliently mounted flap or the like which is urged into the outlet when the base member is assembled to the chamber. Alternatively, the outlet may be closed by means of a sliding closure plate actuated by a lug on the inner surface of the lower opening of the chamber.

In another preferred embodiment, the chamber is provided with handle means to facilitate handling of the chamber. The handle means may co-operate with the lid to seal the chamber.

Since the chamber is configured to be taken direct to table, once the base member has been installed thereunder, the chamber may be made in an attractive shape, such as an ovoid, circular or elliptic shape, and/or it may be embellished or decorated in any convenient manner to make the presented package appealing to the eye. Naturally, the chosen shape of the chamber and the interior shape and dimensions of the steaming appliance are arranged to match, so that efficient steaming takes place.

In some embodiments, the chamber carries one or more designs etched, painted or otherwise provided on one or more of its external surfaces, and any such design may complement or replicate designs on other parts of the steaming appliance.

In all embodiments, the water reservoir of the steaming appliance may be supplied with water either directly through a filler orifice or indirectly by way of a removable tank, which may be carried to a faucet for filling. If a removable tank is used, it is preferably provided with means whereby the water level therein is rendered readily visible to a user. Such means may comprise the use of a transparent or translucent medium for part of the tank itself, or the incorporation of one or more windows through which the water level can be discerned. The tank and/or the window may advantageously bear capacity markings to enable a user to readily decide when the tank should be filled or topped up with water.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, certain embodiments thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 shows, in perspective view, part of a food-handling arrangement in accordance with one example of the invention; Figure 2 shows, in similar view to Figure 1, the assembly of various parts of the arrangement; and Figure 3 shows an underside view of a base member for the arrangement of Figure 2.

Referring now to Figure 1, there is shown a food-handling arrangement in accordance with one example of the invention; the arrangement comprising a chamber 10 within which food can be steam cooked. The chamber 10 has an upper opening 12 and a lower opening 14, and is formed, close to the lower opening 14, with an internal shoulder 16 which is provided to support an apertured tray 18 within the chamber.

The tray 18 is formed with an array of through apertures such as 19 through which steam can pass, and supports food during steam cooking.

The arrangement further comprises a base member 20 configured to releasably fit into said lower opening 14 to underlie the tray 18, and is formed with one or more fluid inlets (not shown), and hollowed to act as a reservoir for liquid emergent through apertures 19 from food cooked on the tray 18 and in the chamber 10, whereby the cooked food is presentable to table whilst remaining in the chamber 10 and on the tray 18.

It will be appreciated that a steaming appliance may be configured to accommodate just one chamber such as 10 or it may alternatively be configured to accommodate two or more chambers such as 10 in a stacked relationship. Where stacking is used, the appliance may be provided with an internal framework providing individual support for each chamber such as 10. Alternatively, each chamber may support, directly or indirectly, the next chamber above and, in one such embodiment, the wall 22 surrounding the upper opening 12 of one tray directly supports the wall 24 surrounding the lower opening 14 of the next chamber above.

In accordance with this embodiment of the invention, and as shown in Figure 2, the base member 20 is provided for selective insertion into the lower opening 14 of a chamber such as 10 containing a tray 12 bearing cooked or heated food ready for the table. The base member 20 is dimensioned to fit snugly into the said lower opening 14 so as to directly underlie the tray 18, and the base member preferably comprises a shallow reservoir, closed on all sides except for its top surface 26, which is apertured in any convenient manner to admit liquids emergent from the cooked food into the reservoir, and one side surface 28 which is formed with an outlet 30 from which the liquid can be poured or otherwise expelled from the reservoir within base member 26.

The base member 20 may be made a friction fit within the lower opening 14 of chamber 10 or it may be provided with a positive latching arrangement of any convenient kind which preferably automatically locks the base member releasably into the lower opening 16 of the chamber 10 when the base member 20 is placed on a support surface, such as a kitchen work-top, and the chamber 10 is placed thereover. In one example, small resilient protrusions on all four narrow sides of the base member 20 are positioned and configured to engage with recesses formed on the inner side wall of the chamber 10, around the lower opening 14 and beneath the shoulder 16. In some embodiments, the latching means are provided only to two opposing sides of the base member 20 and the chamber 10.

The chamber 10 is provided with handles such as 32 and 34 of any convenient kind to facilitate its removal from the steaming appliance, with its tray 18 and the food thereon in situ, and transport to the work-top for placing over and latching to the base member 20. Thence, the entire assembly comprising the chamber 10, tray 18 and base member 20 can be carried direct to the table for presentation and serving.

In this respect, it will be appreciated that there may be advantage in providing the lower surface 36 of the base member 26 with a layer 38 of thermally insulative andlor resilient material, such as felt or a rubberised material, enabling the assembly 10, 18, 20 to be placed directly upon a polished or other precious surface. In some such embodiments, the layer 38 may be such as to provide a non-slip surface. In further such embodiments, the layer 38 may, instead of totally covering the surface 36, be configured to cover merely a peripheral region of the surface 36 and/or other discrete areas of the surface 36 sufficient to provide a non-scratching, thermal barrier giving stable support to the assembly 10, 18, 20. One such arrangement is shown, purely by way of example, in Figure 3.

It is preferable for the spout or other outlet 30 of the base member 20 to be automatically sealed when the chamber 10 is placed or latched thereto, so that the liquids in the reservoir within the base member 20 do not leak out or otherwise become expelled whilst the assembly 10, 18, 20 is in transit or when it is placed on the table. Such automatic sealing may, for example, be implemented by means of a resiliently mounted flap or the like which is urged into the outlet 30 when the base member 20 is assembled to the chamber 10. In an alternative configuration, the outlet may be closed by means of a sliding closure, plate (not shown) actuated by a lug on the inner surface of the lower opening 14 of the chamber 10.

In some alternative embodiments, however, a slideable or hinged closure plate is manipulated by the user to open and close the outlet 30.

In some circumstances, it may be desired, instead of presenting the food contained in assembly 10, 18, 20 directly to table, to refrigerate the food for later use.

To facilitate this, the chamber 10 is preferably also provided with a lid member or closure 40 which can be applied to (or inserted into) the upper opening 12 of the chamber 10 to seal the upper part of the chamber. The handles 32, 34 may be configured to participate in the sealing operation.

With the lid sealed and the water outlet 30 of the base member 20 being also sealed, the cooked food does not dry out, and remains of a pleasant consistency as excess fluid can continue to migrate through the apertured upper surface 26 of the base member 20 and be retained in the reservoir.

In the foregoing embodiments, the base member 20 has taken the form of a hollow reservoir, to contain fluids dripping from within or around the cooked food on the tray 18, such that the fluids may later be poured out via the outlet 30 as previously described. It may be preferred, however, to provide within the reservoir an absorbent material, for example in sheet form, which can be inserted and removed by way of one of the thin sides of the base member 20; which side is made movable or removable (for example being slideable or hinged) for that purpose. By this means, disposable or cleanable and re-usable materials may be used within the reservoir to absorb the liquids entering therein, and risks associated with spillage, either as a result of leakage from the reservoir or during attempts to remove the liquids by pouring, are reduced.

In such embodiments, the absorbent material may be impregnated with deodonsers and/or aroma enhancers and/or substances promoting hygiene.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A food-handling arrangement for a steaming appliance; the arrangement comprising at least one chamber within which food can be steam cooked; said at least one chamber having upper and lower openings; an apertured tray supportable within the chamber above its lower opening and adapted to support the food during steam cooking and being characterised by a base member configured to fit into said lower opening to underlie said tray and being adapted to act as a reservoir for liquid from food cooked on said tray and in said chamber, whereby the cooked food is presentable to table whilst remaining in said chamber and on said tray.
2. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said base member is provided with outlet means adapted to enable said liquid to be poured therefrom when desired.
3. An arrangement according to claim 2, wherein said outlet means is sealable to prevent unwanted spillage therefrom and to prevent air access to the cooked food via the base member and the apertured tray.
4. An arrangement according to claim 2, wherein shutter means are provided for automatically sealing the outlet in the base member when the lower opening of the chamber is placed over the base member.
5. An arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the shutter means comprises a resiliently mounted flap member which is urged into the outlet when the base member is assembled to the chamber.
6. An arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the shutter means comprises a sliding closure plate actuated by a lug on an inner surface of the lower opening of the chamber.
7. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein absorbent means is provided within the reservoir comprised in said base member.
8. An arrangement according to claim 7, wherein said absorbent means is disposable.
9. An arrangement according to claim 7, wherein said absorbent means is cleanable and re-usable.
10. An arrangement according to any of claims 7 to 9, wherein said absorbent means is,provided in sheet form and is insertable into and removable from said reservoir by way of a closable opening in a side of the base member.
11. An arrangement according to any preceding claim, wherein the upper opening of said chamber is selectively sealable, by means including a lid, to permit storage, for example refrigerated storage, of said food in the chamber and on its tray.
12. An arrangement according to any preceding claim, wherein the chamber is provided with handle means to facilitate handling of the chamber.
13. An arrangement according to any preceding claim, wherein the chamber conforms to an aesthetically pleasing shape for presentation at table, and/or is embellished or decorated to make the presented package appealing to the eye.
14. An arrangement according to any preceding claim, wherein the lower surface of the base member is provided with at least a partial layer of thermally insulative and/or resilient material, to permit its placement directly upon a polished or other precious surface.
15. An arrangement according to claim 14, wherein the layer is configured to provide a non-slip surface.
16. An arrangement according to claim 14 or claim 15, wherein the layer is configured to cover merely a peripheral region of said lower surface and/or other discrete areas thereof sufficient to provide a non-scratching, thermal barrier providing stable support for the arrangement.
17. A food-handling arrangement for a steaming appliance; said arrangement being substantially as herein described with reference to and/or as shown in the accompanying drawings.