WO2016105326A1 - Methods of making energy efficient cookware - Google Patents

Methods of making energy efficient cookware Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2016105326A1
WO2016105326A1 PCT/US2014/071768 US2014071768W WO2016105326A1 WO 2016105326 A1 WO2016105326 A1 WO 2016105326A1 US 2014071768 W US2014071768 W US 2014071768W WO 2016105326 A1 WO2016105326 A1 WO 2016105326A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
cookware
fins
blank
finned
profile
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2014/071768
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Lee Lisheng Huang
Original Assignee
Lee Lisheng Huang
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Lee Lisheng Huang filed Critical Lee Lisheng Huang
Priority to PCT/US2014/071768 priority Critical patent/WO2016105326A1/en
Publication of WO2016105326A1 publication Critical patent/WO2016105326A1/en

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Classifications

    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A47FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47JKITCHEN EQUIPMENT; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; APPARATUS FOR MAKING BEVERAGES
    • A47J27/00Cooking-vessels
    • A47J27/002Construction of cooking-vessels; Methods or processes of manufacturing specially adapted for cooking-vessels
    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A47FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47JKITCHEN EQUIPMENT; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; APPARATUS FOR MAKING BEVERAGES
    • A47J36/00Parts, details or accessories of cooking-vessels
    • A47J36/02Selection of specific materials, e.g. heavy bottoms with copper inlay or with insulating inlay

Definitions

  • the following disclosure relates to the manufacturing of energy efficient cookware. More particularly, the present invention teaches a variety of manufacturing methods for cookware that efficiently transfers thermal energy from a heating element to a cooking surface.
  • Cookware is used to hold and apply heat to food.
  • Exemplary pieces of cookware include a stock pot, a wok, and a frying pan. Although all of these have different shapes, they all include two basic elements: one surface for receiving thermal energy from a heat source (heat-receiving surface), and one surface for transferring the heat to food (cooking surface).
  • Thermal energy can be generated from many different sources. Examples include electric and gas ranges.
  • a heat source can generate thermal energy by burning gas, running electricity through a heating coil, etc.
  • the cookware When cooking food, the cookware transfers thermal energy from the heat source to a heat- receiving surface. The food in the cookware then absorbs heat from the cooking surface, which cooks the food.
  • Thermal energy transfer from combustion sources can be inefficient. For example, cooking on a gas range is reported to be only around 30% efficient. This means that a lot of energy is wasted when cooking. The inefficiency increases energy bills and releases unnecessary and undesirable C0 2 into the environment.
  • the current inventor proposed a manufacturing method to produce energy efficient cookware by impact bonding thick aluminum on stainless steel cookware, then producing fins on the thick aluminum.
  • the method of making aluminum has been mainly casting. This method, however, presents some limitations: it is difficult to create fine features, and the cast alloy material is not the best choice of material for cookware applications.
  • a piece of cookware typically has a cookware base and a cookware wall.
  • the cookware wall typically extends vertically from the perimeter of the cookware base.
  • the present inventor suggests incorporating flame guide channels into the cookware base to improve performance. It was established that finned cookware can help reduce energy consumption back in 1937 by Howlett US2085220, in which casting was proposed to produce such cookware in aluminum.
  • patent US 8037602 the current author suggested a manufacturing method to create fins on the base of stainless cookware.
  • US patent 8803637 it is suggested to form aluminum fins by forging or impact extrusion on the thick base of aluminum cookware.
  • extrusion method can produce fins in a two dimensional profile in a continuous fashion of long length.
  • the aluminum extrusion method is used especially in the construction industry to produce millions of tons of aluminum profiles. It is a low cost process to obtain fin structures needed for the cookware application as well.
  • a finned aluminum profile is then processed into a finned aluminum blank, which is then deep drawn or stamped in to the cookware.
  • FIG. 1 shows an example stainless steel cookware with fins on the base.
  • FIG. 2 shows an example of an aluminum extrusion profile.
  • FIG. 3 shows an extruded aluminum plate cut to length.
  • FIG. 4 shows a finned aluminum blank for forming cookware.
  • FIG. 5 shows a fry pan formed from a finned blank.
  • FIG. 6 shows a finned aluminum blank for forming a rectangular oven pan with fins on the wall as well.
  • FIG. 7 shows a baking pan with fins on the base as well on portions of the side walls.
  • FIG. 8 shows a process of making a finned cookware by making a finned blank.
  • a piece of cookware holding a medium such as water
  • a gas range with a burner.
  • the burner When ignited, the burner produces a flame that rises up in response to the pressure of the gas in the range's supply piping.
  • the buoyancy of the hot air causes the flame to make contact with the cookware base.
  • Thermal energy is transferred from the flame to the cookware base via convection and thermal radiation.
  • One side of the cookware base, the heat-receiving surface absorbs the thermal energy.
  • thermal conduction transfers this thermal energy to the cooking side of the cookware base.
  • the cooking side of the cookware base then transfers the thermal energy to the medium (e.g. water or food) via conduction and convection.
  • the medium e.g. water or food
  • the fin forming process is a manufacturing process on individual pot bases. Different shapes and sizes of cookware require different tooling sizes and processes, making the manufacturing process challenging. This is especially true when joining fins to a contoured base. It is desirable to be able to mass produce the fins to ensure consistency in functionality and the quality of the fins.
  • the fins will be constructed on the metal blank that is used to form cookware. It is preferable to construct fins on a continuous long sheet of metal in a continuous fashion. This allows for robust automation for consistent results.
  • the extrusion method can produce fins in a two dimensional profile in continuous fashion in long length.
  • the aluminum profile consists of fins on the sheet metal base. This finned aluminum profile is then processed into a finned aluminum blank which is then deep drawn or stamped in to a cookware. Millions of tons of aluminum profiles are produced by extrusion, especially in the construction industry. It is a mature, robust, low cost process that can be used to obtain fin structures needed for the cookware application as well.
  • the dimension control on the extrusion fin profile is much better than that of other processes such as casting.
  • the thermal conductivity of the aluminum alloys to be used in extrusion is also much better than that for aluminum casting.
  • Extruded aluminum alloys are also more robust than cast alloys, mechanically and chemically.
  • a fin profile is obtained by an aluminum extrusion foundry.
  • the profile of the extruded aluminum is show as in FIG 2.
  • the profile consists of a plate with a fin pattern in the center.
  • the width of the fin pattern corresponds to the base diameter of the cookware. Due to the nature of such extrusion, the fins are in a parallel fashion along the length of the extruded profile.
  • the fin height is in the range of 12mm (millimeter) to 20mm while the separation between the fins ranges from 5mm to 12mm.
  • the fin thickness can range from 1mm to 2mm. Typically thickness of the base of the extrusion is about 1.5mm to 6mm.
  • the fin width and separations can vary across the width of the profile.
  • the base thickness can also vary across the width of the profile.
  • An extruded aluminum profile is typically in the length of tens of meters.
  • the aluminum alloys to be used can be lxxx series alloy, 3xxx series alloys or 6xxx series alloys. While the 1050 and 3003 alloys are good for cookware applications, 6063 is a very common alloy for extrusion. Other special series of material such as 5xxx and 7xxx alloys can be used as well.
  • a fry pan can be made via an extruded profile shown in FIG 2.
  • the fry pan to be made is 260mm in width and 40mm in depth, with a base diameter of 200mm.
  • the fin pattern for this is located at the center of the extruded profile and has a width of 200mm, which corresponds to the diameter of the base of the fry pan.
  • the area of the plate beside the fin pattern corresponds to the wall of the fry pan. Therefore the width 201 of the extruded aluminum plate for this fry pan is 340mm.
  • the base plate thickness 202 will be 2.8mm, which is typical for a fry pan.
  • the fin thickness 203 is 1.5mm, the height 203 is 15mm, and the separation 204 is 6.5mm.
  • the aluminum alloy to be used is 3003 or 3004. It is also possible to use 6063 or other alloys.
  • the extruded profile can be cut into a blank at length of 340mm, which equals the width of the profile, as shown in FIG3.
  • the extra fins in the plate outside of the center area of 200mm diameter will be machined off as shown in FIG 4.
  • the process of machining off the excess fins can be done through traditional machining, e.g. saw cutting, end mill cutting, surface mill cutting.
  • Proper fixture with features that are complimentary to the fin structure is needed to reduce the vibration of cutting the fins.
  • the fins can be removed effectively by cutting horizontally on the fins at the location joining them to the blank base using a saw, followed by a shear cut downward by a special round blade.
  • the corners at the ends of the fins will then be properly chamfered.
  • the base of the plate is then sheared into a circle.
  • This circular plate material with fins in the middle shown in FIG 4, will serve as the blank to be further formed into cookware.
  • One way to form the cookware is deep drawing or stamping.
  • the mold used to form the blank to cookware will be specially designed to provide space to accommodate the fins in the center.
  • the space allowed for the fins can be an open space or a space complementary to the fin pattern. Alternatively, spinning can be used to form the cookware.
  • FIG 5 shows the resulted fry pan from this forming process.
  • fins on the wall portion of the blank can be reserved by trimming the fins in only the folding area during the forming the cookware as shown in FIG 6.
  • the fins in region 602 of the finned blank 600 are trimmed off. This will result in a cookware with fins on portions of the side wall as shown in FIG 7.
  • the folded area 702 corresponds to area 602 on the blank.
  • a special drawing mold will be used to allow the space in the center to accommodate the fins in the base, and a pattern structure complementary to the side wall fins so the mold can push the base of the blank to form the wall of the cookware.
  • the fins on the side wall will be slanted due to the material movement during the deep drawing. The fins are closer to each other on the top rim area 703 of the cookware than that in area 704 at base of the cookware.
  • the design of the mold should also accommodate this effect.
  • While this manufacturing process can be used make all kinds of cookware such as woks or sauce pots, it is especially effective in making fry pans, saute pans, and oven baking pans where the side wall is not tall.
  • the amount of fins needed to be trimmed off is less for fry pans, saute pans, and oven baking pans, compared to sauce pots and stock pots with taller walls.
  • the fin pattern 803 is arranged on the sheet metal.
  • the metal fins in the pattern are obtained separately and are arranged on the sheet metal by a special automated machine.
  • the metal fins are then welded on to the sheet metal by an array of flux core welding heads.
  • Other methods of welding can be used, such as spot welding, laser welding, metal inert gas welding, etc.
  • the fins can also be brazed on the flat metal using a special brazing machine.
  • the heat necessary for brazing the fins can be provided by high intensity IR sources so that the entire finned area can reach the desired temperatures quickly.
  • the pattern will continue to move along the production line to be sheared into a circular blank 804 by a special blanking tool.
  • This special blanking tool will have the space to preserve the fins during the shearing process.
  • the finned blank 804 is then further formed into cookware 805 by stamping, deep drawing, or spinning.
  • the roll of sheet metal can also be cladded with brazing solder on the top surface.
  • a related art using clad cookware by the current author is referenced here PCT/US2014/035763.
  • the roll of the sheet metal is placed in front of entrance of a convey belt brazing furnace. Fins are arrayed on the top of the sheet metal before they are fed into the brazing oven. As the sheet metal with the fin pattern rolls through the brazing oven, the high temperature inside the oven will melt the solder to braze the fins to the sheet metal. Fin patterns are arrayed on the sheet metal at a distance equal to the width of the sheet metal in a continuous fashion.
  • the finned sheet metal exiting the brazing oven will be punched to a finned blank for the cookware. While it is possible to run a pot with fins through the oven, as suggested in the aforementioned patent application, it is much more robust to run the sheet metal through the furnace. In the case of making a cookware with curved base such as a wok, it is necessary to cross cut the fins into smaller segments on the blank to allow for the curved shape during the forming of the wok. Again, the stamping method can be used to form the wok out of the finned blank.
  • the forming of the contour can be achieved through manual hammering. It is conceivable that the contoured mold under the wok for hammering will have the complementary pattern of the fin pattern so that the hammering can be performed without damaging the fins.
  • the fin pattern can be arranged in any pattern, including radial and linear patterns. The blank will then be sheared into the corresponding shape of the cookware.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Food Science & Technology (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Cookers (AREA)

Abstract

A method of making energy efficient cookware by providing a finned blank wherein a fin pattern is created on sheet metal and formed into cookware from that finned blank. In particular, the finned blank can be formed by first creating an extruded aluminum profile wherein the fin pattern is in the middle of the profile. Then the profile is cut to length, and excess fins are removed to create the finned blank. The cookware is then formed from the finned blank. Alternatively fins are brazed on a piece of clad sheet metal to create the finned blank which is then formed into a finned cookware.

Description

U.S. PATENT APPLICATION
FOR
METHODS OF MAKING ENERGY EFFICIENT COOKWARE
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The following disclosure relates to the manufacturing of energy efficient cookware. More particularly, the present invention teaches a variety of manufacturing methods for cookware that efficiently transfers thermal energy from a heating element to a cooking surface.
BACKGROUND
Cookware is used to hold and apply heat to food. Exemplary pieces of cookware include a stock pot, a wok, and a frying pan. Although all of these have different shapes, they all include two basic elements: one surface for receiving thermal energy from a heat source (heat-receiving surface), and one surface for transferring the heat to food (cooking surface).
Thermal energy can be generated from many different sources. Examples include electric and gas ranges. A heat source can generate thermal energy by burning gas, running electricity through a heating coil, etc.
When cooking food, the cookware transfers thermal energy from the heat source to a heat- receiving surface. The food in the cookware then absorbs heat from the cooking surface, which cooks the food.
Thermal energy transfer from combustion sources can be inefficient. For example, cooking on a gas range is reported to be only around 30% efficient. This means that a lot of energy is wasted when cooking. The inefficiency increases energy bills and releases unnecessary and undesirable C02 into the environment. The current inventor proposed a manufacturing method to produce energy efficient cookware by impact bonding thick aluminum on stainless steel cookware, then producing fins on the thick aluminum. The method of making aluminum has been mainly casting. This method, however, presents some limitations: it is difficult to create fine features, and the cast alloy material is not the best choice of material for cookware applications.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A piece of cookware typically has a cookware base and a cookware wall. The cookware wall typically extends vertically from the perimeter of the cookware base. By way of example, in PCT patent application no. PCT/US07/07276, the present inventor suggests incorporating flame guide channels into the cookware base to improve performance. It was established that finned cookware can help reduce energy consumption back in 1937 by Howlett US2085220, in which casting was proposed to produce such cookware in aluminum. In patent US 8037602, the current author suggested a manufacturing method to create fins on the base of stainless cookware. In US patent 8803637 it is suggested to form aluminum fins by forging or impact extrusion on the thick base of aluminum cookware. Other methods involve attaching fins to the base of the cookware by welding and brazing. The methods so far have been to create the fins after forming the cookware or during the forming process of the cookware itself. The fin forming process is a manufacturing process on individual pot bases. Different shapes and sizes of cookware require different tooling sizes and processes, making the manufacturing process challenging. This is especially true when joining fins to a contoured base. It is desirable to be able to produce the fins in a mass manufacturing means to ensure the consistency in functionality and the quality of the fins. In the current proposal of the manufacturing process, the fins will be formed on the metal blank that is used to form the cookware. This process is performed on flat sheet metal surface in a continuous flow fashion. In particular, extrusion method can produce fins in a two dimensional profile in a continuous fashion of long length. The aluminum extrusion method is used especially in the construction industry to produce millions of tons of aluminum profiles. It is a low cost process to obtain fin structures needed for the cookware application as well. A finned aluminum profile is then processed into a finned aluminum blank, which is then deep drawn or stamped in to the cookware.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
Objectives and advantages disclosed herein will be understood by reading the following detailed description in conjunction with these drawings:
FIG. 1 shows an example stainless steel cookware with fins on the base.
FIG. 2 shows an example of an aluminum extrusion profile.
FIG. 3 shows an extruded aluminum plate cut to length.
FIG. 4 shows a finned aluminum blank for forming cookware.
FIG. 5 shows a fry pan formed from a finned blank.
FIG. 6 shows a finned aluminum blank for forming a rectangular oven pan with fins on the wall as well.
FIG. 7 shows a baking pan with fins on the base as well on portions of the side walls.
FIG. 8 shows a process of making a finned cookware by making a finned blank.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Although the following detailed description contains many specifics for the purpose of illustration, anyone of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that many variations and alterations to the following exemplary details may be made. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that the concepts and techniques disclosed herein can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or in combination with other components, etc. In other instances, well-known implementations or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of various examples disclosed herein.
In a typical process for cooking food, a piece of cookware holding a medium, such as water, is placed on a gas range with a burner. When ignited, the burner produces a flame that rises up in response to the pressure of the gas in the range's supply piping. The buoyancy of the hot air causes the flame to make contact with the cookware base. Thermal energy is transferred from the flame to the cookware base via convection and thermal radiation. One side of the cookware base, the heat-receiving surface, absorbs the thermal energy. In the cookware base, thermal conduction transfers this thermal energy to the cooking side of the cookware base. The cooking side of the cookware base then transfers the thermal energy to the medium (e.g. water or food) via conduction and convection.
It is established that finned cookware can help reduce energy by Howlett US2085220, in where casting was the proposed method to produce such cookware. In patent US 8037602, the current author suggested a manufacturing method to create fins on the base of stainless cookware. FIG 1 shows cookware with linear fins produced using this method. Alternatively, US patent 8803637 suggests forming aluminum fins by forge or impact extrusion on the thick base of an aluminum cookware. Other methods involve attaching fins to the base of the cookware by welding and brazing. Some others attached a cast fin structure on the base of a cookware such as a wok. The methods so far have comprised of making the fins after forming the cookware or during the forming of the cookware itself. The fin forming process is a manufacturing process on individual pot bases. Different shapes and sizes of cookware require different tooling sizes and processes, making the manufacturing process challenging. This is especially true when joining fins to a contoured base. It is desirable to be able to mass produce the fins to ensure consistency in functionality and the quality of the fins.
In the current proposal of the manufacturing process, the fins will be constructed on the metal blank that is used to form cookware. It is preferable to construct fins on a continuous long sheet of metal in a continuous fashion. This allows for robust automation for consistent results. In particular, the extrusion method can produce fins in a two dimensional profile in continuous fashion in long length. The aluminum profile consists of fins on the sheet metal base. This finned aluminum profile is then processed into a finned aluminum blank which is then deep drawn or stamped in to a cookware. Millions of tons of aluminum profiles are produced by extrusion, especially in the construction industry. It is a mature, robust, low cost process that can be used to obtain fin structures needed for the cookware application as well. The dimension control on the extrusion fin profile is much better than that of other processes such as casting. The thermal conductivity of the aluminum alloys to be used in extrusion is also much better than that for aluminum casting. Extruded aluminum alloys are also more robust than cast alloys, mechanically and chemically.
In the current proposed process, a fin profile is obtained by an aluminum extrusion foundry. The profile of the extruded aluminum is show as in FIG 2. The profile consists of a plate with a fin pattern in the center. The width of the fin pattern corresponds to the base diameter of the cookware. Due to the nature of such extrusion, the fins are in a parallel fashion along the length of the extruded profile. The fin height is in the range of 12mm (millimeter) to 20mm while the separation between the fins ranges from 5mm to 12mm. The fin thickness can range from 1mm to 2mm. Typically thickness of the base of the extrusion is about 1.5mm to 6mm. The fin width and separations can vary across the width of the profile. Similarly, the base thickness can also vary across the width of the profile. An extruded aluminum profile is typically in the length of tens of meters. The aluminum alloys to be used can be lxxx series alloy, 3xxx series alloys or 6xxx series alloys. While the 1050 and 3003 alloys are good for cookware applications, 6063 is a very common alloy for extrusion. Other special series of material such as 5xxx and 7xxx alloys can be used as well. Once the profile is produced, which is typically tens of meters long, a blank of suitable length is cut from the profile. Some portion of the fins will be trimmed off, such that the fins in the center area of the pieces remain, which then serve as the blanks for forming the cookware. This finned blank is then deep drawn to form a piece of cookware with fins.
For example, a fry pan can be made via an extruded profile shown in FIG 2. The fry pan to be made is 260mm in width and 40mm in depth, with a base diameter of 200mm. The fin pattern for this is located at the center of the extruded profile and has a width of 200mm, which corresponds to the diameter of the base of the fry pan. The area of the plate beside the fin pattern corresponds to the wall of the fry pan. Therefore the width 201 of the extruded aluminum plate for this fry pan is 340mm. The base plate thickness 202 will be 2.8mm, which is typical for a fry pan. The fin thickness 203 is 1.5mm, the height 203 is 15mm, and the separation 204 is 6.5mm. The aluminum alloy to be used is 3003 or 3004. It is also possible to use 6063 or other alloys.
Once the extruded profile is obtained, it can be cut into a blank at length of 340mm, which equals the width of the profile, as shown in FIG3. As the fins are extruded to the full length of the plate, the extra fins in the plate outside of the center area of 200mm diameter will be machined off as shown in FIG 4. The process of machining off the excess fins can be done through traditional machining, e.g. saw cutting, end mill cutting, surface mill cutting. Proper fixture with features that are complimentary to the fin structure is needed to reduce the vibration of cutting the fins. Alternatively, the fins can be removed effectively by cutting horizontally on the fins at the location joining them to the blank base using a saw, followed by a shear cut downward by a special round blade. The corners at the ends of the fins will then be properly chamfered. Once the fins are processed into the correct pattern, the base of the plate is then sheared into a circle. This circular plate material with fins in the middle, shown in FIG 4, will serve as the blank to be further formed into cookware. One way to form the cookware is deep drawing or stamping. The mold used to form the blank to cookware will be specially designed to provide space to accommodate the fins in the center. The space allowed for the fins can be an open space or a space complementary to the fin pattern. Alternatively, spinning can be used to form the cookware. During spinning, the blank is pressed on the spinning lathe by a special chuck that has a complementary pattern of the fins as to protect the fins when pressing the finned blank on the spindle of the lathe. Once the blank is securely pressed onto the spindle, the wall will be formed. FIG 5 shows the resulted fry pan from this forming process.
Alternatively, fins on the wall portion of the blank can be reserved by trimming the fins in only the folding area during the forming the cookware as shown in FIG 6. The fins in region 602 of the finned blank 600 are trimmed off. This will result in a cookware with fins on portions of the side wall as shown in FIG 7. The folded area 702 corresponds to area 602 on the blank. A special drawing mold will be used to allow the space in the center to accommodate the fins in the base, and a pattern structure complementary to the side wall fins so the mold can push the base of the blank to form the wall of the cookware. It is also noted that the fins on the side wall will be slanted due to the material movement during the deep drawing. The fins are closer to each other on the top rim area 703 of the cookware than that in area 704 at base of the cookware. The design of the mold should also accommodate this effect.
While this manufacturing process can be used make all kinds of cookware such as woks or sauce pots, it is especially effective in making fry pans, saute pans, and oven baking pans where the side wall is not tall. The amount of fins needed to be trimmed off is less for fry pans, saute pans, and oven baking pans, compared to sauce pots and stock pots with taller walls. In making an oven pan, it is preferable to have a thinner base thickness on the pan. It is preferable have an extruded base thickness of 1.5mm. In the case that the thickness of the extruded base is thicker than what is desired for the application, it is possible to thin down the base of the blank before forming the cookware. Thinning down can be achieved readily by machining, e.g. surface milling, grinding.
After the cookware vessel is drawn, appropriate surface treatments are applied such as sanding, polishing, anodizing, and non-stick coating application. Handles will also be attached to complete the cookware. Another way to construct fins on sheet metal blank for finned cookware is to attach fins on a sheet metal blank by welding or brazing. It is preferable to construct fins on a continuous sheet of metal in a continuous fashion. This allows for robust automation for more consistent results, as compared with attaching fins to already made pots. A process flow of such a production method for new finned pots is depicted in FIG 8. In this new production line, the process starts with a roll of sheet metal 801 that is unrolling by a machine to a flat area 802. As the sheet metal is rolled out, the fin pattern 803 is arranged on the sheet metal. The metal fins in the pattern are obtained separately and are arranged on the sheet metal by a special automated machine. The metal fins are then welded on to the sheet metal by an array of flux core welding heads. Other methods of welding can be used, such as spot welding, laser welding, metal inert gas welding, etc. The fins can also be brazed on the flat metal using a special brazing machine. The heat necessary for brazing the fins can be provided by high intensity IR sources so that the entire finned area can reach the desired temperatures quickly.
Once the fins are attached to the sheet metal, the pattern will continue to move along the production line to be sheared into a circular blank 804 by a special blanking tool. This special blanking tool will have the space to preserve the fins during the shearing process. The finned blank 804 is then further formed into cookware 805 by stamping, deep drawing, or spinning.
In particular for the brazing method, the roll of sheet metal can also be cladded with brazing solder on the top surface. A related art using clad cookware by the current author is referenced here PCT/US2014/035763. The roll of the sheet metal is placed in front of entrance of a convey belt brazing furnace. Fins are arrayed on the top of the sheet metal before they are fed into the brazing oven. As the sheet metal with the fin pattern rolls through the brazing oven, the high temperature inside the oven will melt the solder to braze the fins to the sheet metal. Fin patterns are arrayed on the sheet metal at a distance equal to the width of the sheet metal in a continuous fashion. The finned sheet metal exiting the brazing oven will be punched to a finned blank for the cookware. While it is possible to run a pot with fins through the oven, as suggested in the aforementioned patent application, it is much more robust to run the sheet metal through the furnace. In the case of making a cookware with curved base such as a wok, it is necessary to cross cut the fins into smaller segments on the blank to allow for the curved shape during the forming of the wok. Again, the stamping method can be used to form the wok out of the finned blank.
For a large sized wok, the forming of the contour can be achieved through manual hammering. It is conceivable that the contoured mold under the wok for hammering will have the complementary pattern of the fin pattern so that the hammering can be performed without damaging the fins. The fin pattern can be arranged in any pattern, including radial and linear patterns. The blank will then be sheared into the corresponding shape of the cookware.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the preceding examples are exemplary and not limiting. It is intended that all permutations, enhancements, equivalents, and improvements thereto that are apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the specifications and included drawings are within the true spirit and scope of the present disclosure. It is therefore intended that the following appended claims include all such modifications, permutations and equivalents that fall within the true spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

claimed is:
1. A method of making a piece of energy efficient cookware comprising:
a. providing a metal blank where a fin pattern is constructed on one side of the blank;
b. forming the finned blank to create a cookware where the fin pattern is on the outer surface of the cookware.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the finned blank is constructed by attaching fins on a pieces of sheet metal.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the fins are attached by welding
4. The method of claim 2, wherein the fins are attached by brazing.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the finned blanks are constructed by attaching fins to pieces of clad sheet metal.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the finned blank is constructed by
a. extruding an aluminum profile consisting of a plate and a fin pattern along the center;
b. cutting the extruded profile in length to a plate;
c. removing some portion of the fins on the plate;
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the forming process is deep drawing or
stamping.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the tooling for forming of the cookware has a pattern complementary to the fin pattern on the finned blank.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the forming of the cookware is achieved by spinning.
10. A method of making a piece of energy efficient cookware comprising:
a. Extruding an aluminum profile consists of a long profile and a parallel fin pattern on one side of the profile in the center along the whole length of the profile; where the width of the fin pattern corresponding to the diameter of the base of the cookware to be made and the widths on the side corresponding to the wall height of the cookware; b. Cutting said aluminum profile into a blank with a length equal to the width of the profile;
c. Removing fins in some area of the blank;
d. Deep drawing the blank to form a cookware such that the fins are on the outer surface of the cookware.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the base thickness of the blank is further
machined to the desired thickness before forming into a cookware.
12. The method of the claim 10, wherein the fins are removed on the blank in such a way that some fins are on the walls of the cookware.
13. The method of the claim 10, wherein the fins are machined into small sections so that a cookware with curved base can be formed.
PCT/US2014/071768 2014-12-21 2014-12-21 Methods of making energy efficient cookware WO2016105326A1 (en)

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Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0928588A1 (en) * 1998-01-09 1999-07-14 Meyer Manufacturing Co., Ltd Article of cookware with non-stick coating and method of forming the same
US20100084412A1 (en) * 2008-10-06 2010-04-08 Lee Lisheng Huang Energy efficient range
US20100242282A1 (en) * 2009-03-27 2010-09-30 Lee Lisheng Huang Methods of making energy efficient cookware
CN103978371A (en) * 2014-04-16 2014-08-13 苏州萃田精密机械有限公司 Extrusion and cutting integrated machine for aluminum profile

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0928588A1 (en) * 1998-01-09 1999-07-14 Meyer Manufacturing Co., Ltd Article of cookware with non-stick coating and method of forming the same
US20100084412A1 (en) * 2008-10-06 2010-04-08 Lee Lisheng Huang Energy efficient range
US20100242282A1 (en) * 2009-03-27 2010-09-30 Lee Lisheng Huang Methods of making energy efficient cookware
CN103978371A (en) * 2014-04-16 2014-08-13 苏州萃田精密机械有限公司 Extrusion and cutting integrated machine for aluminum profile

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