WO2011066618A1

WO2011066618A1 - A ceramic ware

Info

Publication number: WO2011066618A1
Application number: PCT/AU2010/001630
Authority: WO
Inventors: Karen Shema Powell
Original assignee: Karen Shema Powell
Priority date: 2009-12-02
Filing date: 2010-12-02
Publication date: 2011-06-09
Also published as: AU2010327318A1; AU2010327318B2

Abstract

A ceramic ware (1) comprising: a first layer (3) manufactured of a first ceramic material and to form a base (2) of said ware (1); a second layer (4) manufactured of a second ceramic material and to form a top surface (6) of said ware (1); a third layer (8) manufactured of a third material and to be located between said first and second layers (3, 4); means (10, 11) to interlock said first and second layers (3, 4) about said third layer (8), and wherein; said third material includes heat retentive properties so that said third layer (8) acts as a heat sink to disburse heat to said top surface (6).

Description

A CERAMIC WARE

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a ceramic ware and in particular to a heat retentive ceramic plate or dish.

Background of the Invention

Wares such as plates, dishes and other servingpresentation tableware or kitchenware are commonly used throughout the world. At dinner parties or in

commercial establishments it is typical for plates for example to be located in a hot box, oven or the like prior to serving to keep those plates or trays warm during plating and servicing. However, by the nature of a common plate, the plate rapidly cools once out of the heated area limiting the time the chef has to get the food prepared and in front of the consumer. A cold plate also reduces the consumer's enjoyment as the food gets cold quicker while on a cold plate than when on a hot plate. Accordingly, there is a need to extend the period of time within which a plate retains heat providing further time for a chef to serve a meal to a consumer.

In an attempt to overcome the above problem some heat storage dishes have been developed having a cavity in the base of the dish into which a heat storage sink is located. However, the existing heat dishes utilize heat sinks of a metal material or dispersed metal filings.

Object of the Invention

It is an object of the present invention to substantially overcome or at least ameliorate one or more of the disadvantages of the prior art, or to at least provide a useful alternative.

Summary of the Invention

There is firstly disclosed herein a ceramic ware comprising:

a first layer manufactured of a first ceramic material and to form a base of said ware;

a second layer manufactured of a second ceramic material and to form a top surface of said ware;

a third layer manufactured of a third material and to be located between said first and second layers; means to interlock said first and second layers about said third layer, and wherein;

said third material includes heat retentive properties so that said third layer acts as a heat sink to disburse heat to said top surface.

Preferably, said third material includes an insulating material.

Preferably, said interlocking means includes a flange extending from said second layer operatively associated with a flange extending from said first layer.

Preferably, said first and second layers are connected together by hermetic sealing.

Preferably, said first and second layers are connected by a glass based sealer.

Preferably, said layers are moulded integrally together.

Preferably, said ware is a plate or dish.

Brief Description of the Drawings

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a partial cut-away view of the ware of the present invention;

Figures 2a to 2c are exploded side views of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a partial cut-away view of the top member of the present invention as shown in Figure 2a;

Figure 4 is a partial cut-away view of the bottom member of the present invention as shown in Figure 1;

Figures 5a and 5b show cooling curves for the present invention;

Figure 6 is a partial cut-away view of one embodiment of the ware of the present invention;

Figure 7 is a section view of the ware of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a detail view of the circled area of Figure 7; and

Figures 9 to 12 are a further embodiment of a ware in accordance with the present invention.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments

There is schematically depicted herein, a ceramic ware 1 shown in the form of a plate or dish. The ceramic ware 1 comprises a first layer 3 manufactured of a first ceramic material and forming a base 2 of the ware 1. A second layer 4 manufactured of a second ceramic material and forming a top surface 6 of the ware 1. A third layer 8 manufactured of a third material is located between the first and second layers 3, 4. The first and second layers 3, 4 can include corresponding cavities 9 into which the third layer 8 is located. The first and second layers 3, 4 are interlocked together about the third layer 8 by means of flanges 10, 11. The material of each of the layers 3, 4, 8 can be the same or different. However, the third layer 8 is manufactured of a material having heat retentive properties such that the third layer 8 acts as a heat sink or the like to absorb and disperse heat through the top surface 6 of the second layer 4. In a preferred form, the first, second and third layers 3, 4, 8 would be manufactured separately and assembled and refired/moulded so that the ware 1 would be moulded integrally together. In the embodiments shown in the drawings, the third layer 8 including heat retentive properties is located within the recesses 9 positioned between the two flanges 10, 11 extending upwardly and downwardly from the layers 3, 4. However, the recess 9 and flanges 10, 11 could be located in only one layer 3, 4. As shown in Figures 1 and 7, the flanges 10, 11 each have a vertical edge 13, 14 and a horizontal edge 15, 16. The horizontal edges 15, 16 must contact each other. There must be minimal gap between the vertical edges 13, 14. This ensures the layers 3, 4 fit tight together. The second layer 4 is then placed over the first and third layers 3, 8 by positioning flanges 10 extending downwardly from the top surface 6 and positioned on either side of the upwardly extending flanges 11 of the base layer 3. It should however be understood that various other forms of interconnecting the layers 3, 4, 8 together could be utilized. It should also be appreciated that the ware 1 does not have to be a plate or dish and could be utilized for any type of homeware or kitchenware. In a preferred form the layers 3, 4, 8 would be connected together by hermetic sealing or a glass based sealer. The insulating material 8 can be used as loose powders, platelets, micro-spheres and granulated form of inorganic and organic insulating materials. The insert material in loose or solid form can consist of alumina, silica, zirconia, aluminasilicate, zirconiasilicate, aluminates, titanates or mixture of these but not restricted to those only. It can also consist of organic materials such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polymethylmtacrilate, acrylics, PVA and styrene or mixed co-polymers. These polymers can be used as particles or as binder between inorganic materials. The amounts used are between 50 to 90 percent inorganic and 10 to 50 percent organic material. In use, a plate 1 designed in accordance with the present invention allows a commercial kitchen more time than existing plates to plate and serve customers. Such a plate 1 would also retain the food at the correct temperature while in front of the customer. Such a plate 1 could also provide a chemical free structure, be microwave, oven, dishwasher safe and be non-toxic. The invention could also be utilized in manufacturing a tile or the like for use in dwellings, commercial areas or the like.

Advantageously, the present invention does not include any metal or metal filings within the materials.

Figures 5a and 5b show cooling curves, which highlight the efficiency to extension cooling time provided by the ceramic plate 1 of the present invention versus the control for the centre of the plate 1 to maintain a temperature of 30 degrees Celsius for 1 hour. In particular, Figure 5a shows the effect of oven temperature on cooling an unfilled plate and Figure.5b shows the temperature v time for ceramic plates 1 with different insert materials.

Although the invention has been described with reference to specific examples, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied in many other forms. For example, Figures 6 to 8 show a circular ware, and Figures 9 to 12 show a square ware.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A ceramic ware comprising:

a third layer manufactured of a third material and to be located between said first and second layers;

means to interlock said first and second layers about said third layer, and wherein;

2. The ceramic ware according to claim 1 , wherein said third material includes an insulating material.

3. The ceramic ware according to claim 1 , wherein said interlocking means includes a flange extending from said second layer operatively associated with a flange extending from said first layer.

4. The ceramic ware according to claim 1 , wherein said first and second layers are connected together by hermetic sealing.

5. The ceramic ware according to claim 1 , wherein said first and second layers are connected by a glass based sealer.

6. The ceramic ware according to claim 1 , wherein said layers are moulded integrally together.

7. The ceramic ware according to claim 1 , wherein said ware is a plate or dish.