GB2576472A

GB2576472A - Spoon and fork

Info

Publication number: GB2576472A
Application number: GB1800773.2A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Vrkic Matija
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2018-01-17
Filing date: 2018-01-17
Publication date: 2020-02-26
Also published as: GB201800773D0

Abstract

A spoon or fork comprising a hollow cavity 2, forming a heat pipe whereby a liquid which may be water at the base 1 travels through the cavity in a vapour form where it condenses. The utensil may incorporate a porous grain material 3 with good thermal conductivity. This enables cooling of a substance by heat transfer from the bowl of a spoon or the tines of a fork to the tip of the handle.

Description

S poon and fork

This invention relates to a spoon and fork, as a cutlery, that has an inbuilt mechanism for enhanced transfer of heat between parts, according to the international classification (IPC) classified as:

A47G 21/02 and A47G 21/04

In cooking and in other means of food thermal processing, there is an issue when introducing hot sample to the mouth, for taste trial or plain eating. In order for content to be safe and comfotable to consume it has to cooled down to an acceptable temperature.

The usual way to accelerate cooling is by blowing. For several reasons it is inappropriate; the risk of blowing away the finer parts or droplets and small efficiency are some. Other mean is to wait, or use a chilled accessory that is capable of taking adequate amount of heat.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a simple way to accelerate heat transfer along the body of spoon or fork in order to chill the sample more efficiently.

Secondary, the invention can be used for cooling and for purposes otherthan tasting and eating. Larger quantities of the heat processed media can be more efficiently cooled down.

It is possible to make the body of a typical spoon or fork directly as heat pipe. In doing so, part of the utensil body that contains a sample comprises the hot interface or heat absorber, and a part which is normally handle comprises condenser or heat despenser.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the best mode embodiment of the invention, and help to explain the basic principles of the invention.

Figure 1 is a plan view spoon and fork.

Below are cross sections of spoon and fork with details

Heat pipe is a mechanism to transfer heat which combines principles of thermal conduction and phase transition of the media for efficient heat transfer between two solid surfaces.

Kitchenware like spoon and fork can be used to transfer heat between the bowl of a spoon or fork tines to the opposite side of the utensil. In a typical utensil form and structure heat transfer is mainly by conduction, which is due to the shape of utensil itself restrictive.

In order to speed up the heat transfer along the utensil axis one can create an utensil that is itself a heat pipe. The bowl of a spoon of fork tines than consist a collector or a heated side, and a part which is normally a handle comprises a condensator.

Utensil body 2 is formed with a cavity partially filled with heat carrier medium fluid 1 (typically water), and typically but not necessarily a grain infill 3 on the condenser side.

A heat transfer medium 1 contained in utensil cavity is saturated liquid and vapour at room temperature and vapourises further when part is heated throught conductive solid surface. The remaining inner surface of utensil body condenses the created vapuor, transferring heat throught the surface and liquid returns to heated portion by gravity or capillary action. The heat flux, due to medium phase transition is many times larger than solid body utensil.

Heat transfer is continued until thermal equilibrium is achived.

Methods of Application of the Invention

Utensil described matches all external characteristics of the usual utensil, with additional abillity of rapid heat transfer along the body of utensil.

One obvious application of this feature is food sampling that is at too high temperature to be consumed safely and comfortably.

The described mechanism allows the user after grasping sample to quickly feels handle warming up, which enables the proper estimation of temperature of sample.

The use of this accessory can be for other applications in addition to the above, such as cooling of larger volumes. With addition of thermal conductor of heat to handle, cooling of larger volumes is also feasible.

Claims

1. Spoon and fork comprising a body made with a longitudinal cavity partially filled with liquid.

2. Fork and spoon according to claim 1 comprising handle part or the entire volume of the cavity coated with a porous filler.