NL2006414C2 - Roast clips. - Google Patents

Description

P93661NL00 Title: Roast clips

The invention relates to food binders.

Food binders are known for binding food together in various ways. A well known food binder is a thread or yarn, made of fabric or steel that is wound around the food and tied together. Alternative known food binders are 5 tie-wrap like construction. Yarn or thread food binders are usually difficult to remove from the food after cooking thereby, destroying the presentation and/or the structure of the food may be damaged. As a result the yarn or thread is often left on the food for cutting consumable pieces, resulting in the likely possibility of leaving some parts of the yarn or thread hidden in the food, 10 which could be dangerous during consumption of the food. Also, food binders such as yarn or thread may become loose during the cooking of the food, in particular during food preparation processes where the bound food may shrink, for example roasting a stuffed chicken or a roulade. Food binders made of yarn or thread or tie-wrap like binders are usually tied around the food in a 15 fixed manor before cooking. However, during cooking, the food may become loose, e.g. due to shrinking, leaving the food free to shift or fall apart. Moreover, when using threads, yarns or tie-rap like food binders, they usually have to be applied at multiple places on the food to effectively bind the food together, obstructing the surface of the food in for instance searing processes. 20 Also, loose ends of yarn and/or thread may hinder the cooking of the food. In addition, a considerable yarn and/or thread length may be required to bind the food.

An object of the invention is therefore to provide a food binder that obviates at least one of the above mentioned drawbacks. An object of the 25 invention is to provide a relatively simple and reliable food binder.

Thereto, the invention provides a food binder comprising an at least partly resilient elongated strip element, wherein the strip element is provided 2 with a hooking element, further comprising a grip element at at least an end of the strip element.

By providing a food binder comprising an at least partly resilient elongated strip element makes it also possible to accommodate expansion or 5 shrinkage of the bound food during the food preparation process while keeping the bound food sufficiently tight together. For example, if a stuffed chicken, stuffed turkey or roulade is roasted, it may shrink. If the food binder is at least partly resilient it can accommodate for the shrinkage, so during the cooking of the food, the food may remain bounded together. Also expansion of the food is 10 thinkable, for example if vegetable are bound with a food binder and boiled in a fluid, they may suck up moist or the fluid and expand, resulting in stretching of the food binder.

By providing a hooking element the food binder can be tied around food, such that the hooking element hooks again onto the food binder.

15 Alternatively the strip element is provided with at least two spaced apart hooking elements arranged for clamping food inbetween.

By additionally providing at least two spaced apart hooking element for clamping food in between, the food binder can be securely fixed to the food. Preferably the hooking elements are able to securely fix the food binder to any 20 type of food surface, may it be for example tender or though meat, skin of the meat and/or any type of vegetable or other type of food. The two spaced apart hooking elements also make it possible that less length of the food binder is required without loose ends that hinder during cooking.

Providing a grip element at at least an end of the strip element 25 makes the attachment and detachment (removal) of the food binder easier, especially when the food binder is slippery, for instance if the food binder is covered in grease after for example roasting. The grip element can comprise a rib or a straight and/or curved ridges. Possible are also protruded or applied beads as grip elements. A roughened surface area at the grip element could 30 also be used. It is noted that it is also possible that the grip elements are 3 placed away from the ends of the strip element, for example near the middle of the strip element, such that the strip element extends beyond the grip element.

Preferably the hooking elements are provided near an end of the 5 strip element of the food binder to optimally use of length of the resilient strip.

In a possible embodiment the hooking elements are integrated to the strip element, such that the food binder is easy to manufacture, as there are no separate parts. A single piece food binder has the advantage that they are easy to clean as dirt can not collect between single parts, resulting in better hygiene 10 during use. For example, the strip element and hooking elements are injection molded in one single piece. Possibly the hooking elements might be of a harder material then the strip element, and also the strip element could comprise material of a different hardness.

In a preferred embodiment the hooking elements comprise one, two 15 or three hooks. For optimal clamping in the food, it may be possible that a different number of hooks may be required depending on the type of food. The hooking elements are preferably provided of metal, but could also comprise silicon material or other plastics. The hooking elements are either attached to one side of the strip element or can alternatively be fixed to the strip element 20 by clamping them around the body of the strip element or the grip element. Also, attachment of a hooking element to the strip body can be realized with a buckle or clasp connection.

In another embodiment the grip element may comprise a latch or a hole or patterned cut-out. The hole or latch may be made big enough to fit ones 25 finger through or bigger or smaller. Furthermore it may be possible to loop one end of the food binder through a hole of the grip element at the other end. Alternatively a food binder may comprise a latch or a hole or a patterned cutout and a hooking element, which hooking element can hook onto the latch, hole or patterned cut-out when wound around food.

4

Optionally the strip element could have patterned cut-outs, for example flower patterns or others. Applying a food binder with patterned cut-outs during a roasting process of for example a stuffed chicken, will result in a mark according to the patterned cut-out on the chicken. This is due the 5 fact that the skin or meat portion covered by the food binder will generally be of a lighter color then parts of the food that where not covered by the food binder. Relatively thin and slender strip elements have a minimal color foot print on the food and could be preferred in case marks on the food are not appreciated.

10 Preferably the food binder has an elongated strip that comprises heat resistant plastic material, wherein the material is heat resistant up to a temperature of at least 270°C and wherein the heat resistant plastic material comprises silicon material. This can be advantageous during cooking at high temperatures in the oven or use in a dish washer to safely clean and re-use the 15 food binder. Another advantage of using silicon material is the non-stick property on the food, so that removal of the silicon food binder after cooking is effortless and without destroying the presentation of the food. Alternatively an anti-stick coating could be added on the strip of the food binder.

The invention will further be elucidated on the basis of exemplary 20 embodiments which are represented in the drawings. The exemplary embodiments are given by way of non-limitative illustration of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. la-lc show a first embodiment of a food binder according to the invention with different grip elements.

25 Fig. 2a-2c show a second embodiment of a food binder according to the invention having various attachments of hooking elements.

Fig. 3a-3d show a third embodiments of a food binder according to the invention with a hole as gripping means.

Fig. 4 shows a fifth embodiment of a food binder according to the 30 invention where the strip elements comprises four arms.

5

Fig. 5a shows a first application of a food binder according to the invention on a piece of food.

Fig. 5b shows a first application of multiple food binders according to the invention on a piece of food.

5 Fig. 6 shows a second application of multiple food binder according to the invention on a piece of food.

Fig. 7 shows another application of a food binder according to the invention on another type of food.

It is noted that the figures are only schematic representations of 10 embodiments of the invention that are given by way of non-limited example. In the figures, the same or corresponding parts are designated with the same reference numerals.

Figures la-lc show a first embodiment according to the invention, showing a food binder comprising an at least partly resilient elongated strip 15 element 1, wherein the strip element 1 is provided with a hooking element 2, further comprising a grip element 3 at at least an end of the strip element 1.

Figures la-lc show a first embodiment according to the invention wherein the partly resilient elongated strip element 1 has a rectangular shape. In a second embodiment, figures 3a-3d show different shapes for the strip 20 element 1 of the food binder. In figure 3a the strip element 1 has curved sides, whereas the strip element in figures 3b to 3d as also figures 5a and 5b are long and slender. The strip element 1 may comprise a tube like or rectangular or any other cross-sectional shape. In a different fifth embody shown in figure 4, the strip element 1 comprises four arms 13. Of course the number of arms can 25 be three or five or six etc.

Figure 3d shows a food binder with a spring 12 inserted in between a section of the elongated strip element 1, such that if the strip element 1 consist of for example a non-resilient thin steel wire, a resilient part for the strip element 1 is created.

6

By providing hooking elements 2 on the strip element 1, food can be clamped therein between. The hooking elements 2 may be applied to the elongated strip element 1 in many different ways. Figures la and lb show hooking elements 2 with three hooks 7 that are pointed radially outward, seen 5 from the lower side of the strip element 1 and wherein the hooking elements 1 are each provided near an end of the strip element.

Figure lc depicts an alternative hooking element 2 with two hooks 7, whereby the tips of the hooks 7 of the hooking members 2 of the strip element 1 preferably point towards each other.

10 The hooking elements 2 can be attached to the elongated strip element 1 during an injection molding process or could also be glued or clamped. In case injection molding is used to attach the hooking elements 2 to the strip element 1, the hooking elements may be integrated to the strip element.

15 A second embodiment according to the invention of clamping or attaching the hooking element 2 to the strip element 1 is shown in figures 2a-c. Figure 2a shows that the strip element 1 is equipped with supports 8 that divide the attachment area for the hooking elements into sections 9. The hooking elements 2, being movably clamped around the strip element 1, can be 20 shifted into a different segment 9 by applying a force to push the hooking element 2 over supports 8, therefore reducing or increasing the distance between at least two hooking elements 2 on the strip element 1.

Changing the position of the hooking elements 2 on the strip element 1 can also be realized by a buckle like construction, as depicted in 25 figure 2b. The strip element 1 acts as a latch going through a buckle 10, such that the buckle 10 can be placed anywhere on the strip element 1, including the area of or around the grip element 3. Figure 3c depicts in a special way that the hooking elements 2 is applied over or in the region of the gripping elements 3. Figure 2c and figure 3b and 3c show a simple alternative of 30 attaching a hooking element 2 to the elongated strip member 1, by bending or 7 winding for example a steel wire around the strip element 1 or part of the grip element 3. An end part of the thread like hooking element 2 of figure 2c acts as hook 7.

Alternative ways of being able to move the hooking element 2 on the 5 strip element 1 include for example spaced apart small holes in the strip element 1. The hooking elements 2 are then able to removable catch in those holes and placed in a different hole.

The hooking elements 2 can be manufactured of steel or other metals or plastics. Steel hooking elements 2 can be attached to the strip 10 element 1 during or after an injection molding process. In another embodiment the hooking elements 2 may be made of a plastic and integrally manufactured with the strip element 1, as to form one single piece.

The elongated strip elements 1 also comprises grip elements 3 at at least an end portion of the strip element. Providing a grip element 3 makes the 15 attachment and detachment (removal) of the food binder easier, especially when the food binder is slippery.

Figures la and lb show a first embodiment according to the invention where the grip element 3 is provided with a rib 4 for improved grip. The rib 4, can be applied after or during manufacturing of the elongated strip 20 1, for example by injection molding the elongated strip 1 with grip element 3 and rib 4. In figure lb the elongated strip element 1 is additionally provided with a bead 5 that can be either glued or formed as one piece with the rib 4 during manufacturing. Of course the strip element 1 can also be manufactured as just mentioned without the rib 4 and at least one bead 5 to enhance the 25 grip.

Figure lc shows a food binder with formed ridges 6 on the grip elements 3 of the elongated strip 1. The ridges 6 can be glued on the strip element 1 or manufactured in one piece with the strip element 1. It should be clear that the same or any combination of grip element 3 with grip enhancing 8 means like a rib 4, bead 5, or ridge 6 or any other means lies within the scope of the invention.

An alternative grip element 3 design is a food binder wherein the grip element 3 comprises a hole 11. In a third embodiment, depicted in figures 5 3a-3c, different variants of food binders with holes 11 as grip elements 3 are shown. The holes 11 enhance the gripping ability during use, for example when the food binder is covered in grease. The hole 11 may be big enough to fit ones finger through or comprise a smaller or bigger size. The hole 11 may be circular, oval or any other type that is understood to be comprised within the 10 scope of the invention

Possible applications for a food binder according to the invention are shown in figures 5 and 6, where figure 5 shows a first application of binding rolled up food 14, like stuffed meat, for example a roulade, together with a food binder. In figure 5a one food binder is used with a long slender strip member 1 15 and wound around the roulade 14, providing sufficient clamping to hold the roulade 14 together. Alternatively multiple food binder with shorter and possible wider elongated strip members 1 can be used to bind a roulade 14 together as depicted in figure 5b.

In a second application for a food binder according to the invention a 20 second type of food 15, like a stuffed turkey or chicken, can be held together by the food binder, as shown in figure 6.

The invention also provides in the binding together of other food in other application areas like the binding together of vegetables 16, like asparagus or others, as shown in figure 7. When for example the vegetables 25 are cooked and absorb water or moist or the like, such that they expand, the food binder will be able to accommodate the expansion and maintain the vegetables tightly bound, without damaging the vegetables or the like by pressing into the food. It should be understood that this applies to any type of food that can expand during cooking or other food preparation process.

9

To be able to withstand the temperatures that arise when using a food binder according to the invention on food that is prepared at elevated temperatures, the food binder may be manufactures of heat resistant plastic material, comprising silicon material, as to withstand temperatures of up to at 5 least 270°C.

Many variants will be apparent to the skilled person in the art. The invention is not limited to meat or vegetables. Any type of stuffed or non stuffed food that has to be held together could be provided with food binders of any type described in the above. All variants are understood to be comprised 10 within the scope of the invention defined in the following claims.

Claims (9)

A food binder comprising an at least partially resiliently elongated strip element, wherein the strip element is provided with a hook element, further comprising a grip element at at least one end of the strip element. Food binder according to claim 1, wherein the strip element is provided with at least two spaced-apart hook elements adapted to clamp food in between. Food binder according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the hook element is integrated in the strip element. Food binder according to claims 1-3, wherein the hook element is integrated in the strip element. The food binder of claim 1, wherein the grip element comprises a hole. 6. Food binder according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the elongated strip element comprises heat-resistant plastic material. The food binder of claim 6, wherein the material is heat resistant to a temperature of at least 270 °. A food binder according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the heat-resistant plastic material comprises silicone material. A food binder according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the hook element is provided with metal.