Micro-Active Thermoelastomer Heated Food Accessories

Abstract

Microwave safe accessories heat up without melting or burning the user and will use conduction to keep food and liquids hot/warm. Specifically, the disclosure relates to a thermoplastic elastomer that includes microwave activated materials (such as graphite or carbon black). The thermoplastic elastomer can include an overmold, which can be inert (e.g. Santoprene, TipSiv, or the like) or can also be combined with microwave activated materials.

Claims

1. A cooking implement including at least a first thermoplastic elastomer layer, the thermoplastic elastomer being mixed with a microwave activated material comprising about 10-30% by weight of the first thermoplastic elastomer layer so as to absorb energy from a dielectric source so as to a deliver an effective amount of heat to a foodstuff or foodstuff container.

2. The cooking implement of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic elastomer of the first thermoplastic elastomer layer is HDPE.

3. The cooking implement of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic elastomer of the first thermoplastic elastomer layer is silicone.

4. The cooking implement of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic elastomer of the first thermoplastic elastomer layer is PET.

5. The cooking implement of claim 1, wherein the microwave activated material is graphite.

6. A cooking implement including at least a first thermoplastic elastomer layer and a second overmold plastic layer, the first thermoplastic elastomer being mixed with a microwave activated material comprising about 10-30% by weight of the first thermoplastic elastomer layer so as to absorb energy from a dielectric source so as to a deliver an effective amount of heat to a foodstuff or foodstuff container.

7. The cooking implement of claim 6, wherein the thermoplastic elastomer of the first thermoplastic elastomer layer is polypropylene.

8. The cooking implement of claim 6, wherein the thermoplastic elastomer of the first thermoplastic elastomer layer is silicone.

9. The cooking implement of claim 6, wherein the thermoplastic elastomer of the first thermoplastic elastomer layer is PET.

10. The cooking implement of claim 6, wherein second overmold plastic layer is Santoprene.

11. The cooking implement of claim 6, wherein the thermoplastic elastomer of the first thermoplastic elastomer layer is TipSiv.

12. The cooking implement of claim 6, wherein the microwave activated material is graphite.

13. A cooking implement including at least a first thermoplastic elastomer layer and a second overmold plastic layer, the first thermoplastic elastomer being mixed with a microwave activated material comprising about 10-30% by weight of the first thermoplastic elastomer layer, and the second overmold plastic layer is mixed with a microwave activated material comprising about 10-30% by weight of the second overmold layer so as to absorb energy from a dielectric source so as to a deliver an effective amount of heat to a foodstuff or foodstuff container.

14. The cooking implement of claim 13, wherein the thermoplastic elastomer of the first thermoplastic elastomer layer is HDPE.

15. The cooking implement of claim 13, wherein the thermoplastic elastomer of the first thermoplastic elastomer layer is silicone.

16. The cooking implement of claim 13, wherein the thermoplastic elastomer of the first thermoplastic elastomer layer is PET.

17. The cooking implement of claim 13, wherein second overmold plastic layer is Santoprene.

18. The cooking implement of claim 13, wherein the thermoplastic elastomer of the first thermoplastic elastomer layer is TipSiv.

19. The cooking implement of claim 13, wherein the microwave activated material is graphite.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] FIG. 1a is an perspective view of heating support dish assembly form factor in accord with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] FIG. 1b is a cut away side view of the heating support dish of FIG. 1a.

[0022] FIGS. 2a and 2b are top and side views of a knife/utensil form factor in accord with another preferred embodiment of the invention;

[0023] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a cup form factor in accord with another preferred embodiment of the invention;

[0024] FIG. 4 is a perspective view is a perspective view warming tray form factor in accord with another preferred embodiment of the invention; and

[0025] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a warming support plate form factor assembly in accord with another preferred embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0026] As can be seen in FIG. 1, one embodiment of the present invention comprises a warming assembly 100 comprising a warming tray 110 and a dish 120, such as a casserole dish. The warming tray 110 is most preferably of small enough dimensions to be placed in conventional microwave oven chambers. Additionally, those of skill in the art will understand that the dish 20 may be composed of glass, silicone or a similar, microwave safe material that allows the safe retention of heat for foodstuffs.

[0027] In a first preferred embodiment, the warming tray 110 includes a first thermoplastic layer 112 preferably made of a rigid, strong yet lightweight material, such as HDPE, silicone or polypropylene, or other alternatives such as described above. Also included in this embodiment is a second thermoplastic layer 114 made of a thermoplastic elastomer mixed with a conductor such as graphite or a powdered alloy. An example of this mixture may be found, for example in Santoprene, PRE-ELEC 1502 or in Preseal TPE 5010, or which is available through Premix Thermoplastics, Inc. This second thermoplastic layer is overmolded onto the surface of the first layer, and the graphite or metallic coated graphite or similar conductor in that second layer better enables the quick and controllable conduction of heat from the microwave through the dish 120 to provide a sustained about of heat (at least 120 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 15 minutes) after being placed in a microwave for only to 2 minutes.

[0028] The first layer 112 or portion of the warming tray 110 preferably includes a thickness of between about 1/16-1 of polypropylene or similar material mixed with about 10-30% by weight carbon black so as to absorb microwave energy, with a second overmolded layer 114 or portion of up to in thickness that is a mixture of Santoprene impregnated or mixed with about 10-30% by weight carbon black so as to absorb microwave energy, though the second layer may optionally be inert. The combination of these layers and their varying thermal coefficients are thus believed to provide for the quick accumulation of microwave energy to heat the tray 110, while still slowly bleeding that thermal energy back through the second portion or layer so as to provide a modulated delivery of heat to the dish for application to the foodstuffs.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 1b, this preferred embodiment provides for the first portion or layer 112 to be encapsulated within the overmold portion or layer 114. This provides the ability of the surface temperature of the overmold layer 114 to actually increase over a period of minutes after been removed from the microwave (e.g., 3-5 minutes) to provide a prolonged delivery of an effective amount of heat from the first layer 112 through the overmold layer 114 to the dish. A variant of this first embodiment would be to have a side of the first layer 112 open or uncovered by the overmold layer 114 so as to more promptly deliver its heat load to an adjacent dish 120 or a thermally conductive ceramic or glass layer (not shown).

[0030] In a second preferred embodiment, the warming dish 110 may comprise a single layer 112 corresponding to the second layer identified above. It should be noted that in various embodiments, this assembly may involve versions whereby the warming dish 110 alone is placed in the microwave for keeping the dish 120 warm after the dish 120 is removed from an oven or some other cooking source. Thus, the method of the use of the present invention can involve the steps of heating a warming dish 110 in a microwave oven for about 30 seconds to 2 minutes, placing the dish in a food station where the first layer begins to further heat the conductive surface of the warming dish to a warmer temperature than when the microwave stopped, and then placing the dish 120 in the warming dish 110 for receiving an effective amount of heat. This method has the benefits of (among other things) allowing a user to remove and place the warming dish 100 before its surface achieves its highest temperature (so as to lessen risk to the user), as well as providing the effective deliver of heat to the dish 120 for a much longer period than the time for which the warming dish was placed in the microwave.

[0031] Still other form factors can be understood from this disclosure, and with reference to FIGS. 2-5. Such form factors can include: knives 200 (e.g., to provide a heated blade for better cutting performance); a cup 300; a serving tray 400; or a dish assembly 500 including a support dish 510 for holding a paper plate or the like.

[0032] While the disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific exemplary embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and have herein been described in detail. It should be understood, For instance, there is a number of variants on the form factors involved, and there is no intent to limit the disclosure to the particular embodiments disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims.