GB2459901A - Mesh basket for cooking food - Google Patents

Abstract

A basket for cooking food is constructed from a sheet of flexible temperature resistant mesh, with corners formed by folding the mesh and connecting adjacent sides by means of a helical spring. The mesh may be made of glass fibre coated a fluoropolymer or a fluorosilicone.

Description

I 1.

NON-STICK COOKERY BASKET AND METHOD

OF FORMING AND USING THEREOF.

This invention relates to the cooking of food items using a container made from a flexible heatproof material that allows free circulation of air to the surface of the foodstuff.

Any given foodstuff can be heated in either a conventional oven or in a microwave oven. However, a suitable container for loose items such as potato chips that allows air to circulate freely while cooking and is flexible for easy removal of the foodstuff is not evident. Trays available for use in a microwave oven will not withstand the higher temperatures encountered in a conventional oven. Moreover, they are not designed to allow the free circulation of air around the foodstuff while cooking, which increases the crispness and improves the quality of the finished article. A further use for the current * ** invention is in connection with open air cooking, whether on a barbecue range *.** or over a campfire. The material will withstand the high temperatures encountered provided care is taken not to overexpose said material to direct *** * flame. Burgers, steaks, sausages and many other food items may be * ** successfully cooked in this manner with increased ease of handling near the S..

heat source and reduced chance of injury from burns.

In an earlier application GB0520391 UNWIN the inventor set forth a basket for use in a conventional or microwave oven that was found to be similar to the prior invention of W02005/065457 TURBOCHEF in that it featured substantially vertical peripheral walls. Said earlier invention is hereby incorporated by reference thereto. The current invention differs both in shape and construction from these instances of prior art. There are numerous instances of items that perform the function of containing foodstuffs within an oven but none of which feature the desirable qualities of the invention here set forth. Being formed as a basket and not as a tray having rigid side walls it provides benefits to the user in transferring the cooked foodstuff to another receptacle by allowing the mesh material to fold along the centre line and then tipping the basket so that the foodstuff is able to slide outwardly. However, while being supported the basket maintains adequate rigidity to retain the foodstuff. The material is formed with a coating of one or a plurality of members of the fluoropolymer family well known for their low friction characteristics such as Polytetrafluoroethylene (or PTFE), or with another material having similar characteristics such as a member of the Fluorosilicone family. It is noteworthy that the mesh indicated in the TURBOCHEF patent is indicated at forty-five degrees to the form of the tray, while the present basket S...

is enabled by the orientation of the warp and weft of the mesh. A search of prior art disclosed W02005/065457 TURBOCHEF and GB1159021 S..

MERCER, which if taken together would render a tray formed of silicone as *...* known. The few silicone-based mouldings suitable for use in the oven or microwave have a much higher ratio of surface-to air than the loose mesh presented here, thus presenting a restriction to the air circulation that makes the finished food less crisp. In the case of oven chips this can seriously detract from the quality of the finished product. A further benefit of the present S * 3 invention over existing baking trays and containers is that its low coefficient of heat retention allows for the early removal of the container from the oven or other heat source without the usual risk of burning the hands.

The method of cooking using the present invention consists of the stages of: placing the foodstuff (e.g. potato chips) into the basket; placing the basket into the heating appliance or environment (e.g. oven or open fire); applying heat thereto for the appropriate length of time and turning the foodstuff therein as required; removal of the basket from the heating means and; removing the foodstuff from the container by allowing the concave form of the basket to fold centrally when holding in both hands thus forming a chute for the food, down which the food will slide when the basket is tipped.

According to the present invention, there is provided a basket formed from a sheet of glassfibre or other temperature resistant mesh coated with I...

Polytetrafluoroethylene or other fluoropolymer or silicone compound having high temperature resistance coupled with low friction coefficient and light weight. In order to allow circulation of air the mesh of the substrate must be sufficiently wide that an air gap exists between strands of weft and warp, with * ...

an ideal size of approximately 4 mm. The size of the basket may vary to suit the application but will generally be within the range of sizes suitable for a domestic oven, e.g. less than 400 mm. square and 100 mm. in height. The invention will thus improve the quality of cooked foodstuffs in a variety of high temperature environments by increasing the ventilation afforded to the foodstuff while being both lightweight and having low thermal conductivity.

Either material has the properties of chemical inertness and heat resistance, low friction co-efficient and easy cleaning coupled with resistance to chemical corrosion, moisture, mildew and fungus, Ultra-Violet, Infra-Red, and microwave radiation with outstanding electrical, insulative and di-electric properties and is non combustible and self extinguishing.

In order to form the basket, a square or rectangular sheet of material having been defined, a notch or slit is formed in the material a certain number of interstices from each corner by cutting or removing a number of strands so that the flap thus formed can be rotated to overlap the adjacent side forming a double layer when brought together. The number of strands may vary but if the number of strands removed is x then the distance from the edge parallel with which they are removed is x. In this way a corner upstand is formed which creates a gentle curvature from the centre of the basket thus formed to its edges. The structure thereby formed may be held together in a variety of * * S... . ways such as welding a PTFE or similar fluoropolymer patch on one or both sides of the material at the corner, similarly welding a vertical fluoropolymer ** strip at the corner or welding a horizontal or vertical fluoropolymer strip around * S. the corner, welding a fluoropolymer strip around the entire edge to form a *.

hem, embedding the joined surfaces in a molten material such as silicone or forming a strip of molten material to the same effect, or using separate connecting means such as a helical spring, a clip or by means of weaving a length of heatproof material between the warp and weft of the two adjacent portions of material.

A preferred embodiment features a spring or similar helical form which is helically threaded around two co-aligned strands of mesh into the spaces between warp and weft of the material, parallel to the top edge formed as described above. This naturally presumes that the material is cut squarely along the warp and weft of the material, and forms a secure connection between the adjacent sides that enables the formation of raised corners thus creating the three-dimensional form of the basket. The spring or helix will be of a similar pitch to the mesh size of the material, and may be formed of any material, although the preferred material is stainless steel. By this means an effective connection may be formed by simply spinning the spring helically onto the material and if necessary securing the ends of said spring to prevent its release.

Similarly, said connection may be effected by weaving a thread or strand of material through the above mentioned spaces between warp and weft in such a way as to hold the adjacent edges together. It has been found that a length of silicone string of a suitable diameter when threaded through the material will adhere to the said material without further means of securing. The corners * S. of the basket may also be formed by other means. They may be inwardly cut S..

at an angle of 45 degrees, said cut defining the height of the upstand at each corner by means of Pythagoras' theorem. In high volume production it is anticipated that welding or similar adhesion of the corner flaps will be utilised in preference to the method first above described.

The present invention provides a means of effectively heating a range of foodstuffs without limiting the flow of air to the surface of the foodstuff. It is also easy to handle with minimal protection and conveniently shaped to move the contents when cooked to a separate bowl or plate. When removing the basket from e.g. an oven with both hands it is easy to let the weight of the foodstuff deform the basket downwardly so that when tipped, the food slides into the desired receptacle. Specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the device; Figure 2 shows the preferred way of cutting the material to form the corner sections; Figure 3 shows a preferred means of joining the corner sections.

Referring to Figure 1, the fabric mesh 1 is formed into a container by means of creating slits or notches 2 near the corners 3 of the sheet of mesh 1. The S...

edges of the sheet are then drawn together and fastened with a helical form or spring 5 horizontally, vertically or diagonally, or otherwise conjoined so that each flap 4 formed by the notches 2 overlaps the adjacent edge section 11 of * *5 the mesh ito form a corner 3 defining an upstand 6 and thereby forming a *5S basket 7 by giving some rigidity to said basket 7. As explained in the description, other effective means of conjoining the adjacent edges are not excluded. Because the mesh is aligned with the edges of the basket 7 the basket is enabled to fold centrally while retaining sufficient rigidity to contain the foodstuff.

Referring to Figure 2, as mentioned earlier the sheet of material is cut at eahch corner along the lines of warp or weft so that when strands 10 of the mesh I are removed to form a slit or notch 2 with edges 8 and 9 the flap 4 so formed may be overlaid onto the adjacent section of mesh 11 defined here by the dotted line 12. The flap 4 is preferably overlaid on the inward side of the other section of mesh 11 to present a neater finish. It will be obvious that such a manipulation will form a vertical section or upstand 6 at each corner of the proposed basket 7 while allowing flexibility in the form of said basket 7 permitting easy handling of the foodstuffs.

Referring to Figure 3, the preferred method of forming the corners 3 is shown.

The fabric mesh I is formed into an upstand 6 by means of folding the flap 4 against the adjacent section of mesh 11 thus bringing the adjacent sides together after cutting said fabric mesh 1 to form a notch 2. The weave will be found to align vertically in such a manner that a spring 5 of suitable pitch may be threaded helically through the gaps between warp and weft to form the S..

corner 6. The spring 5 is preferably inserted horizontally but may equally be * inserted vertically or diagonally, being rotated into place within the mesh.

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Claims (3)

1. CLAIMS1. A basket for cooking food in a conventional or fan assisted oven or barbecue that permits the removal of the foodstuff by folding said basket that is formed from a sheet of temperature resistant mesh with an air gap between the strands of weft and warp that allows free circulation of air whose corners are formed by connection of the adjacent sides by means of a helical spring of a pitch suitable to conform to the mesh of the material, said mesh being aligned on the same axis as the form itself.
2. 2. A basket as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the mesh is formed of glass fibre;
3. 3. A basket as claimed in Claim 1 or 2 where the coating is PolyletraFluoroEthylene or other member of the Fluoropolymer *:*::* family of thermally and electrically inert materials; I... * * ****4. A basket as claimed in Claim 1 or 2 where the mesh is formed from *S* or coated with Silicone or another member of the Fluorosilicone * ** family of thermally and electrically inert materials; *** * 5. A method of cooking as herein described utilising a basket formed substantially as herein described; 6. A device substantially as herein described and with reference to the accompanying drawings. * ** * * S * ** *.** * * * *.* * * * * * S.. S *S *S ** * . . * S.