WO2005065505A1

WO2005065505A1 - Gastronorm filter lid

Info

Publication number: WO2005065505A1
Application number: PCT/FR2003/003685
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jean-Pierre Ageorges
Original assignee: Jean-Pierre Ageorges
Priority date: 2003-12-12
Filing date: 2003-12-12
Publication date: 2005-07-21
Also published as: AU2003300582A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a removable filter lid (1) which is made from a stainless material and which is suitable for cooking containers in accordance with European standard EN 631.1. The invention is characterised in that the lid comprises: a filter part consisting of three elements, namely an opening (8) in the surface of the lid, a filter (7) and a fixing cover (2); a glass window (3); and a lid-handling button (5) which is disposed in a recess (4) in the lid and which is covered with a heat-insulating material.

Description

GASTRONORM FILTER COVER

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION:

In the field of cooking appliances for food, deep fryers and cooking pans of the sauté pan type for domestic use are widely used and used. The invention relates more particularly in this sector of cooking appliances to a new type of removable filter cover which can cover containers in Gastronorm formats defined in standard EN 631.1, allowing cooking in complete safety and intensive use.

KNOWN STATE OF THE ART:

The use of an odor filtering cover has recognized advantages for frying and prolonged cooking of various culinary preparations for which it is necessary both to avoid a large diffusion in the environment of odors and both protect cooks from splashes, especially hot oil.

Many fryers have been described previously, those available on the market for a domestic application are essentially of the type with filter cover, the filter being integrated in the cover, which cover is often tiltable and connected by hinges to the body of the fryer, this type apparatus described in particular in ITT INDUSTRIES EP 0 026 958 has several drawbacks, the main one being the difficulty of cleaning the cover, and this despite the fact that the filter elements can be removed; indeed fixing to the body of the fryer makes it difficult to clean the lower part of the cover which inevitably receives oil splashes, manual cleaning not very easy with a sponge is compulsory after each use of the fryer, this washing is made delicate by the presence of oil still usable and the possible desire of the user not to pollute the tank with detergent. In fryers for which the filter can only be dismantled for replacement after several uses the oil condensates accumulate in the course of cooking in an increasingly large amount, which gradually leads to a dissipation of odors in the environment of the fryer apart from its operation and to a progressively increasing efficiency. more reduced. To maintain a healthy environment and a high filtering capacity, users have to change the filter frequently, which quickly becomes expensive. Such a cover having a filter cartridge which can be replaced is described in the document GB 2 214 073 ELECTRO DOMESTIC BELGIUM, such a cover, by virtue of the filter cartridge used, cannot be put directly into the dishwasher.

Outside the field of fryers, different types of removable covers have been proposed allowing filtration of cooking odors, for example patent CA 2 204 041 FRAGOSO cites a removable and removable cover made up of different circular parts, one of which is filtering but cannot be cleaned; such a cover has no window, which does not allow monitoring of the cooking of food without lifting the cover. The documents EP 0 057 775 ITT INDUSTRIES and FR 2 780 627 CHANG KWEI TANG cite other examples of removable filter covers having cartridge filters and having no manholes for monitoring cooking, moreover the covers according to these inventions do not have handles or buttons for handling which makes their use difficult. All these covers with filter cartridges require disassembly of the filter part before cleaning, which is therefore inconvenient and unpleasant handling for users, in none of the previous cases the filter cover as a whole can be put directly after use in the dishwasher.

The patent FR 2 033 547 MANUFACTURE METALLURGIQUE DE TOURNUS presents a filter cover having a gripping button and a filter element of which two variants are cited, it appears however that this filter cover does not allow either the monitoring of cooking, the element filtering is very rudimentary and of limited effectiveness, moreover the steam evacuation vents are positioned under the grip button, which induces strong risks of burns for users when handling the hot cover.

In order to overcome all these drawbacks, a removable filtering part has been devised which serves as a cover during cooking, which can be completely washed in the dishwasher without disassembly, made of materials allowing improved durability and having all the qualities required for the operation, namely: ^• allow the visualization of food to determine the cooking stage allow easy access to the interior of the fryer or the preparation container, safely, during cooking, ie having a button practical grip and thermally insulated from the hot lid.

^• filter odors during cooking and avoid environmental contamination. Be easy to clean. Fit on standard cooking vessels, which are not exclusively fryers.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION:

The filter cover according to the invention is composed of three essential parts: a zone allowing the evacuation of the vapor and containing the filter, a central part with a button for the manipulation of the hot cover, finally, a glass porthole allowing the monitoring of cooking without opening the lid. The filter cover having previous functions consists of a plate of stainless material shaped so generally rectangular with the four very rounded angles, cuts are made on the two short sides of the cover to allow on one side the passage of a thermoplastic resistance and on the other the sliding of the uprights of the wire basket containing the food in a fryer type use.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the dimensions of the filter cover have been designed to adapt to cooking pans of common sizes, according to the Gastronorm standard of dimension GN 1/4 or of larger sizes, and to close this type of container substantially sealed. Preferably, the three essential elements of the invention are distributed as follows: the button for handling the cover is located in the center of the assembly, the glass window and the filtering part on either side of the button. This configuration has the advantage of placing the glass door sufficiently far from the steam outlet so that it can be used by cooks without risk of burns or inconvenience.

According to the invention the porthole is constituted by a toughened glass, which can optionally be tinted for aesthetic reasons, of a thickness and of a quality sufficient to withstand the high temperatures, thermal shock and inevitable mechanical shock during the use of such an appliance and when it is in the dishwasher. For all these reasons, as well as the necessary sealing function, the porthole is encased in a plastic frame for fixing to the cover made of stainless material.

The filtering part is obtained by the assembly of three elements: a particular cutout of the surface of the cover, so as to form openings in the latter for the evacuation of the vapor, which openings are preferably shaped in the form of 'vents forming fins deflecting steam; a filter, preferably made of stainless material and which has a very large contact surface with the vapor, and, a cover pierced with orifices to allow the evacuation to the outside of the vapor free of odors and particles 05/065505

suspension. The function of the cover is mainly to hold the filter in place against the cover and thus force a tortuous path of the vapor through the filter assembly. This configuration promotes the condensation of fatty droplets on the deflecting fins, the finer particles remaining trapped in the filter.

More particularly according to the invention the openings on the cover are made by cutouts perpendicular to the major axis of the cover, then the metal strips thus formed in the stainless material are deformed to be positioned in a plane parallel to that of the cover and towards the inside the container when the lid is used. In this way a tortuous path for the vapor is formed which protects the overlying filter from oil splashes. Such openings in the cover are in the form of gills.

The filter is made of stainless material deployed so as to have a large contact surface with the oily vapor and to promote oil-vapor separation on the whole, the condensed oil gradually flowing down the filter during cooking. Such a filter has the decisive advantage of being able to be placed in the dishwasher directly with the cover in current use, or, in the case of too much clogging alone, after dismantling of the fixing assembly; or finally, to be changed without difficulty, due to its size and standard nature, common to different types of devices, in the event of clogging or irreversible fouling.

The main function of the molded plastic cover is to hold the filter in place against the cover made of stainless material and to ensure the evacuation of steam through the openings in its surface. More precisely, these vents have circular shapes for the convenience of industrial production and to force a longer path of the vapor through the filter assembly. 05/065505

The central part of the cover is formed in depression with respect to the plane of the cover so that the presence of a button or a gripping handle allowing the handling of the hot cover does not hinder the covering by a standard additional cover. Such a standard cover allows the closure of the container alone or of the container with the filter cover in place outside the periods of use of the cooking assembly. Thus a mushroom-shaped button covered with a thermal insulator will be preferred, for example in molded plastic which may be bakelite or another suitable material. A single central button or handle in the center of the lid has the advantage that it can be operated with one hand. The button surface will be rather flattened to allow easy closing with a standard additional cover. Several buttons or handles can be envisaged without departing from the scope of the invention, likewise the depressed portion, stamped, can have various shapes and dimensions, functionally it is only preferable that the depression is sufficiently large and the button sufficiently prominent to facilitate handling of the cover without risk of burns for users. Thus it can be envisaged to use in an additional manner, and without departing from the scope of the invention, a washer made of insulating material at the base of the grip button and made of the same material as this for better protection of the fingers during handling the cover.

Such a filter cover is robust enough to pass many times in the dishwasher without significant degradation, so the filter part remains permanently clean and effective for the elimination of cooking odors.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES:

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge from the description which follows with reference to the appended drawings which are given only by way of nonlimiting examples. An example of the invention is detailed through the three figures which represent a filter cover according to a preferred embodiment.

Figure 1 is a top view of the filter cover which shows the three essential parts of the invention: the support of stainless material 1 with the filter part 2 pierced with vents 6, the glass window 3 and a central part 4 stamped containing a cover gripping button 5.

Figure 2 is a sectional view along line A - A of Figure 1 showing the various elements which constitute the filtering part of the cover, that is, with reference 8 of the openings in the form of gills made on the plate of stainless material 1 from the lid holder, and deflected to the bottom of the lid, which corresponds to the inside of the cooking container. A metal filter referenced 7, steam evacuation vents 6 drilled in the plastic cover 2, which cover being fixed to the support made of stainless material by screws 9. Said cover constituting the upper part of the cover facing outwards .

Figure 3 is a sectional representation of a type of gripping button according to the invention, in the form of a flattened mushroom on the upper part, and fixed in the plate of stainless material serving as support.

EXAMPLE:

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the filter cover according to the invention is made with a 18/10 quality stainless material, the large dimension according to the Gastronorm GN 1/3 standard is 32.5 centimeters and the small one 17.6 centimeters. This cover includes a glazed window 3 made with a tempered glass 4 mm thick so as to withstand high temperatures and projections inside the cooking pan. Such a glass can be washed in the dishwasher without suffering significant damage a large number of times. This porthole, which has a clear surface for viewing the inside of the 10 cm X 5 cm tank, is kept fixed to the plate made of stainless material serving as a support using a peripheral plastic seal which provides sealing and protection against impact during use and in the dishwasher and by screws which allow easy disassembly and possible replacement of the part. The glass is bronze for a more pleasant aesthetic appearance.

The central part of the filter cover, 4, is mechanically stamped so as to form a depression, according to the top view presented in FIG. 1, whose objective is to allow easy gripping of a plug handle 5 in the form of a mushroom while authorizing closure with an additional cover without the need for a closure element specifically adapted to the filter cover. In this embodiment of the invention, any cover having a size suitable for the gastronorm container can be used in addition to the filter cover, for transporting the cooking assembly or when the latter is not used.

In the example shown, the button 5, a characteristic shape of which is shown in FIG. 3, is dimensioned so that its height does not exceed that of the stamping and is shaped like a mushroom so that the cover is easy to grasp and handle, especially when it is hot during cooking; for this function the button is made with a non-conductive and temperature-resistant coating, preferably certain plastics which meet these conditions will be used, bakelite, ABS or PBT plastics, for example.

The essential element of the filter cover is composed of the filter part 2 shown in section in FIG. 2 and mainly characterized by openings 8 in the form of gills formed in the plate made of stainless material serving as support 1, a filter 7 and a closure cover 2 pierced with vents 6 in molded plastic.

More precisely, the openings in the form of louvers 8 have the form of fins, the functions of which are essentially to open a sufficient space for the evacuation of the vapor through the cover, to create tortuosities and turbulence for the steam circuit by the baffles thus created and to ensure protection of the filter by the deflection of projections of cooking oil.

Above these openings in the form of gills is placed a metal filter deployed in stainless material 7 which can be easily replaced by removing the fixing screws 9 from the cover 2. In normal use the filter does not have to be removed from its fixing frame for cleaning since the filter cover as a whole goes to the dishwasher, if however the replacement of the filter were necessary, it being of a size and nature considered as standard, users would have no problem with perform this maintenance themselves and for a small fee.

The expanded metal filter 7 opposes the vapor current charged with oil droplets a large specific surface with numerous meanders, which leads to the condensation of the particles and a thorough elimination of frying odors, the constitution of stainless material allows a longevity improved filter and easier degreasing by washing in the dishwasher.

The filter 7 is held against the plate of stainless material 1 and the openings in the form of gills 8 using a plastic fixing cover 2, resistant to high temperatures and pierced with steam evacuation vents 6. These circular holes 6 typically have a dimension of 6 mm in diameter.

The filter cover thus formed adapts to GN 1/3 Gastronorm containers and cooking can be carried out with significant operating comfort since odors are filtered very effectively, the porthole allows food to be cooked safely and cover, thanks to its grip button, can be easily manipulated. When the cooking set is no longer used, the filter cover is introduced into the dishwasher for washing and a standard cover can close the pan during this time. 05/065505 10

period, or, in the event that the filter cover is held in place on the cooking container, a standard cover fits over it to close the assembly.

A filtering cover as previously described has many advantages for users, the main ones being the removable appearance and the possibility of passing the assembly through to the dishwasher, which is not allowed with the covers of fryers, the filter is integrated in a folding assembly or with the filter covers having a filter in the form of a cartridge, for example with activated carbon, which must be dismantled before washing; cleaning these devices is therefore delicate, tedious and unpleasant by the necessary handling of fatty elements.

Due to the constitution of stainless material and the choice of materials for the different elements, the filter cover is very robust and particularly suitable for intensive use. The longevity of such a product is therefore very important, in addition all the parts which could deteriorate are easily replaceable at a modest cost.

With a filter design as previously presented, vapor filtration and odor removal is extremely effective, no contaminants are released into the atmosphere, the use of a deep fryer or cooking vessel with such a cover can be frequent without disturbing the environment. Cleaning the assembly in the dishwasher after each use keeps the filtering capacity of the lid intact, which is not possible with cartridge filters to be replaced when saturation is reached.

Finally, the failure of such a cover, in the event of the porthole breaking or the filter becoming completely clogged, does not lead to the failure of the cooking assembly and more particularly of the fryers, as occurs on most of the models present on the market. The replacement or maintenance of the cover is possible without the need to buy a cooking pan again with basket, heating device ... 05/065505 11

The filter cover is designed to fit on standard containers which is of great interest for many users, especially those who wish to use it for the filtration of cooking odors in applications different from that of deep fryers.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiment described and shown by way of example, but it also includes all the technical equivalents as well as their combinations.

Thus according to this principle of removable filter cover several variants can be imagined without departing from the scope of the invention. It may in particular be envisaged to produce a filtering part with another configuration, for example by drilling holes in the support made of stainless material in place of the openings in the form of gills or by modifying the shape of these, or even by using a filter of another nature, or also by making a fixing cover pierced with slots and not with holes ... many variants are possible at this level.

It can likewise be proposed the use of a handle or a button of different shape to replace the grip button, or even to place two handles at the two ends of the cover although this leads to a less functional assembly and to the impossibility of handling the cover with one hand.

An important variant of the invention consists of a different device for closing the cover covering the expanded metal filter of the filtering part, in place of the screw fixing device, closing with pawls or any other closing-opening system. without tools can be considered. Such a variant would allow easier access to the filter and therefore a more thorough washing thereof, although in the state the passage in the dishwasher of the filter cover in its entirety, without disassembly, is preferred.

It is also quite possible to position the essential elements of the invention differently on the support made of stainless material and in particular the porthole and the filtering part side by side, or separate the filtering part into two sets, even if the cover becomes more difficult to manufacture and less functional. Likewise, the respective sizes and shapes of the different parts can be adjusted differently without departing from the scope of the invention.

The filter cover thus designed is more particularly adaptable on containers in Gastronorm format from size 1/4 (162 X 265 mm), that is to say that it can be manufactured in sizes larger than that provided in the example. previous, for GN 2/3 (354 X 325 mm), 2/4 (162 X 530 mm), 1/2 (265 X 325 mm), 1/1 (325 X 530 mm) or 2/1 standards (530 X 650 mm), for example, without departing from the scope of the invention and with the same functional advantages.

Claims

1- Filter cover made of stainless material, suitable for cleaning in the dishwasher without disassembly, removable and adaptable to cooking vessels according to standard EN 631.1, characterized by:

^• a filtering part made up of three elements: a particular cutout of the surface of the cover, a filter and a fixing cover,

- a glass porthole,

^• a button for handling the cover inserted in a depressed part of the cover and covered with a thermal insulating material.

2- filter cover according to claim 1 characterized in that the filter of the filtering part is made of stainless material.

3- filter cover according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that the filtering part is composed of three elements:

. openings in the form of gills shaped in the cover which ensure the evacuation of the vapor and a tortuous path of the latter,

. a metal filter made of expanded metal made of overlying stainless material,. a filter fixing cover pierced with steam evacuation vents allowing the filter to be held on the cover.

4- filter cover according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the window is a toughened glass pane. 5- filter cover according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the cover handling button is covered with a thermal insulating material for handling the hot cover.

6- filter cover according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the button for handling the cover is located in a hollow stamped part and so that the upper part of the button fixed on the cover not exceed the plan of it.

7- Filter cover according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the button for handling the cover is in the center thereof and the filter part and the window on either side of the button.

8- Filter cover according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that its dimensions are designed for Gastronorm formats GN 1/4 or higher.