LU81821A1 - DEVICE FOR COLLECTING AND DRAINING CONDENSATES IN KITCHEN APPLIANCES - Google Patents

Abstract

1. A culinary utensil comprising a recipient (3, 18, 30) and a lid (1, 13, 17) intended for assuming an inclined position upon being opened, said lid including around its circumference (2, 22) an annular groove (7, 14, 24, 33) opening into said lid and capable, when this lid is opened, of collecting the steam condensates formed inside the utensil, characterized in that it comprises therein at least in a zone adjacent to the lowest point of the lid, an absorbing body (8, 34) capable of absorbing the condensates (12) accumulated in the aforesaid groove, means being provided to bring said condensates into contact with said absorbing body, when the lid is opened or closed.

Description

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The present invention relates to a device for collecting aggregates in cooking appliances, and for evacuating them without manual intervention. This device applies both to pressure cooking appliances, such as pressure cooker, deep fryer, pressure coffee maker ..., as well as r.ur.is containers with a lid, such as Dutch oven, saucepan ...

In known devices of this kind, the collection * of these condensates is carried out using a metallic veil collecting the steam condensations during the cooking period with the lid closed, and channeling them peripherally or towards the point of cover joint. The condensates are then transferred to a removable independent container, which must be emptied periodically. These devices are more particularly used in fryers, in order to prevent water from suddenly returning to the hot oil bath, which causes crackling and splashes of oil! * which can be dangerous.

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Now we have noticed / if the condensed water is returned to the oil bath as it forms, or if these same waters are reindroduced in small doses, the water is reduced to a large extent noises and splashes of oil. Or. Completely eliminates these drawbacks if we transform the condensed water into water vapor, vapors which condense on the wall of the container during cooling thereof.

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- 2 - "b yes leaking from the lid when you lift it are very unpleasant. Although there are lids with a peripheral groove for collecting the condensate, this only assumes its full function if the cover is held substantially vertically, and the condensate drips off as soon as an attempt is made to replace the lid on the container.

The device according to the invention proposes to remedy * these drawbacks. In this one, in fact, and in the particular case of devices with a lid having an effective seal against gases and vapors, such as pressure cookers, fryers, coffee makers, etc., the means ensuring the seal constitutes in itself the means of collecting condensates. To avoid the unexpected return of these condensates, for example in a frying bath, preferably said collecting means is / provided with a means for slowly discharging the condensates, either by evoparation or by draining. In the case of pan-type containers where the vapor tightness is relative to the zone of cooperation of the cover with the edge of the container has a profile allowing the collection and storage of condensates in any part of the device of the cover , and is also designed to slowly drain condensate.

The device which is the subject of the invention therefore comprises, for pressure vessels, a seal made of flexible and elastic material of the lip seal type, tooth one of the lips coming to bear on the upper part of the container. This lip, inscribing itself substantially in a very flared cone, is sufficiently long for - 3 - - »*» that ^ when the cover is placed substantially vertically> the condensates closed on the internal face of the cover can be entirely contained in the part lower located between the seal and the cover, the liquid mass then having a volume comparable to a cylinder based on a segment of circle.

By replacing the cover on the container, if the lip is of the type merging with a cone oriented tip down, the condensates immediately flow into the container which can cause the aforementioned drawbacks. If the cone is oriented with the tip at the top, the condensates remain trapped in the seal and after several manipulations of the cover, these can no longer be contained between said cover and the lip of the seal.

One of the features of the present invention is precisely to cause the slow elimination of the condensates, when the lid is closed, and this during cooking or>. during the cooling of the container and its contents. For this it suffices to provide the lower part of the lip with a plurality of orifices. Another means, which can preferably be used for fryers, consists in placing a spongy body, such as a synthetic sponge (known by the name of SPONTEX) in the lower part for collecting condensates. These are absorbed by the sponge and the sponge, when the lid is closed, gradually dries up under the effect of the heat prevailing in the container.

Other features and advantages of the invent ion ressor on reading the description below, with reference to the drawings - U - attached, showing several non-limiting exemplary embodiments

In these drawings, fig. 1 is a cross section of the upper part of a fryer, in the articulatior zone FIG. 2 is a cross section of a pan in the fitting area of the cover, fig · 3 is the section of the same raised cover, fig. 4 is a cross section of a fryer cover provided with a seal having a draining means, FIG. 5 is a cross section of the upper part of a fryer having an evaporation means, FIG. 6 is the same cover raised, FIG. 7 is the front view of the lower part of this same cover, in the articulation zone, FIG. 8 is an alternative embodiment where the collecting means and the sealing means are dissociated, FIG. 9 is another alternative embodiment where the evaporation means is dissociated from the collection means.

Referring to FIG. 1, the cover 10 is hinged at 11 on the fryer tank 12. A U-shaped seal, 13, is disposed on the inside of the cover pressing against the fallen edge of the cover. χχ is composed of a thick lip 15 and a thin and flexible lip 16 leaving between them a groove 17. When the cover 10 is arranged horizontally on the tank 12, its upper face in contact with the outside air condenses the vapors d water emitted from cooked food in the container. These condensates are in the form of drops of water substantially uniformly distributed on the flat face of the cover. As soon as it is tilted, the droplets flow towards the lowest point and are collected in the groove 17. The liquid then flows in this groove 17 in the joint segment located under the plane 18 tangent to the edge lip 16.

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In the case of a non-vapor tight lid / container as shown in fig. 2 and 3, there is no seal which can form a groove, this is then formed by a constriction 21 of the fallen edge 22 To prevent condensate from pouring out instantly as soon as the cover is placed horizontally, a groove 23 extends the constriction 21.

Several orifices 24 are drilled at the bottom of the groove 23. The condensates can then flow drop by drop into the container as soon as the cover is replaced on it.

This means of slow evacuation can also be achieved / for covers provided with a seal. FIGS. 4 and 5 represent a cover 30 of the same type as that of FIG. 1. The seal 31 here comprises only one lip 32 but this consists of the intersection of two conical surfaces 32a and 32b and thus form a circular channel inscribed in a plane. The line of intersection of the cones is pierced by a few orifices 34 of a diameter such that the condensates do not slowly eoculate.

Evacuation by draining can have some drawbacks. Figures 5, 6 and 7 show a cover 30 - G - hinged in 3M on a tank 35. The joint sector located to the right of this axis of articulation has a lip whose two constituent surfaces 32b and 36 are inscribed in a segment (See fiq. 7) of circle A, B, C / The condensing capacity is therefore significantly increased compared to the device described above, and allows several consecutive openings. Indeed, the volume 38 located behind the lip 36 + 32b is substantially equal to the volume 39 formed by the concavity of the lip 32a + 32b. It is therefore possible to close the cover, the condensates located at 38 are distributed peripherally at 39, and vice versa during a second opening.

To ensure the slow evacuation of this liquid mass, a spongy body 37 is held against the cover 30 by a removable fixing means, such as a lug 38 of the false collar button type. This spongy body can be, for example, a sic cell sponge. When the throat A, B, C contains condensates, these are absorbed by the sponge 37. Once the cover closed, the condensates evaporate under the action of the heat necessary for cooking the food contained in the container. Thus the sponge 37 is dry when the appliance is used again.

Although the invention has been described with several forms of particular embodiments, it is understood that it is in no way limited thereto, and that it is possible to make various modifications to it in terms of shapes, materials and combinations of these various elements, without departing from the framework and the spirit of 3'invention.T'e thus had the collection means and the sealing means are not necessarily merged into a single • '- 7 - organ as it has been previously described. One can just as easily, depending on the embodiment, differentiate each function. Figure 8 gives an example of such an embodiment. The cover 40 has a fallen edge 41 folded along a parallel plane 42, itself provided with a retaining groove 43. This groove 43 maintains a seal 44 whose lip 45 is directed towards the outside of the cover so as to s 'Engage in the container 46. It is understood that under these conditions the groove formed by the surfaces 40, 41, 4 ensures the collection of condensate while the seal does not participate. not to this collection. This arrangement can be used in particular in vacuum devices.

The means of slow evacuation are not limited to those presently described. It is possible to rapidly discharge the condensates collected in the peripheral groove into an auxiliary volume, and it is this which diffuses the condensate. FIG. 9 is an exemplary embodiment of this embodiment in which we see the lip 50, locally perforated with a large orifice 51. opening into a container 52 removably fixed along the wall 53 of the container. This reservoir can contain a spongy body 54 or be replaced itself by the spongy body.

The wall 53 of the tank being substantially at the temperature of the frying bath or of the product being cooked, the evaporation of the condensates is accelerated.

Claims (1)

- 8 - * »Claim 1 Removable or articulated cooking container cover provided with a sealing means relating particularly to the vapors, and preferably from the inside to the outside of the container, characterized in that said means of sealing is in itself a means of collecting condensate. Claim 2 Cover according to claim 1, characterized in that the condensate collecting means is provided with a means for slowly discharging said condensates. Claim 3 Lid according to claim 1, characterized in that the sealing means constitutes by itself a groove of a depth such that at least all of the condensate trickles · on the internal face of the lid when the latter has been removed is from the container during cooking and / maintained substantially vertically, can be fully contained therein. Λ Reyendication 4 Cover according to claim 1, characterized in that, for a cover opening along a preferred axis of articulation, the sealing means constitutes a groove of a depth such that at least all of the trickling condensates '' on the internal face of the lid when the latter is opened by rotation during cooking, momentarily maintained at an angle - 9 - * between the horizontal position and the vertical position, then brought back to the horizontal closed position, may there be fully contained Claim 5 Lid according to claim 4, characterized in that the sealing means has a concavity facing the lid. Claim 6 Lid according to claim 4, characterized in that the sealing means present in the zone closest to the hinge axis, and constituting the low point when the lid is open, a concavity turned towards the lid and whose shape in plan is substantially in a segment of a circle. Claim 7 Lid according to claim 2, characterized in that the slow evacuation means consists of / a plurality of orifices! having a small passage section. Claim 8 Lid according to claim 2, characterized in that the evacuation means consists of a spongy body of which all or part is immersed by the condensates, and is located in a preferential accumulation zone of said condensates. Claim 9 ° cover according to claim 1, characterized in that the sealing means and the condensate collection means: • ». v "