ELEMENT HAVING REDUCED THERMAL DISPERSION FOR PIZZA

Abstract

The invention describes a covering element (10) for pizza, in a material with a reduced thermal dispersion or thermally insulating, comprising an upper surface (1) and a side surface (2) that extends orthogonally to the upper surface (1) substantially along the perimeter of the same upper surface (1), said covering element (10) being characterized in that the upper surface (1) is provided with an opening (3), preferably with an opening with a triangular section (3).

Claims

1. A covering element for a pizza, in a material with a reduced thermal dispersion or thermally insulating, comprising an upper surface and a side surface that extends orthogonally to the upper surface, substantially along the perimeter of the same upper surface, said covering element being characterized in that the upper surface is provided with an opening with a triangular section, said opening being adapted to allow a portion of pizza to be reached through said opening, without lifting the covering element, and adapted for allowing a subsequent portion of pizza to be reached through rotation of the covering element or of the pizza, thus arranging a new portion of pizza at said opening.

2. The covering element according to claim 1, wherein the side surface is integral with the upper surface and is suitable for resting on a base, keeping said upper surface raised, said base being preferably an external surface not pertaining to the covering element.

3. The covering element according to claim 1, wherein the opening of the upper surface extends to the side surface, which extends orthogonally to the portion of upper surface which forms the opening.

4. The covering element according to claim 2, wherein the upper surface is circular and is provided with an opening with a triangular section.

5. The covering element according to claim 1, comprising a lower rest base integral with the side surface, said upper surface, side surface and lower base forming a takeaway container.

6. The covering element according to claim 5, wherein the upper surface has a substantially square or rectangular form and is provided with a triangular opening, defined by pre-cut lines or punching.

7. The covering element according to claim 6, wherein the triangular opening of the upper surface is formed at a moment of consumption, by breaking the precut lines or punching.

8. The covering element according to claim 5, wherein the upper surface is hinged to the side surface along a side of said upper surface.

9. The covering element according to claim 1, wherein the covering element has a gripping element positioned at the centre center of the upper surface or at least two gripping elements arranged in diametrically opposite positions of the side surface.

10. The covering element according to claim 5, wherein said opening defined by precut lines or punching has an invitation or flap suitable for facilitating the breakage of the precut lines or punching thus creating the opening by the user.

11. A method for consuming pizza, having reduced cooling rate of the temperature of the pizza, comprising the following steps: a) extracting the pizza from the oven and arranging the pizza under a covering element for pizzas, comprising an upper surface and a side surface, which extends orthogonally to the upper surface substantially along the perimeter of the same upper surface, the upper surface of said covering element being provided with an opening with a triangular section; b) consuming the portion of pizza able to be reached through said opening, without lifting the covering element, c) rotating the same covering element or the pizza below, thus arranging a new portion of pizza at said opening, d) consuming the new portion of pizza able to be reached through the opening; e) repeating steps c) and d) until the consumption of the pizza has ended.

12. The covering element according to claim 1, with the triangular section having a dimension ranging from a sixth to an eighth of the total dimension of the upper surface.

13. The covering element according to claim 4, with the triangular section having a dimension ranging from a sixth to an eighth of the total dimension of the upper surface.

14. The covering element according to claim 6, with the triangular section having a dimension ranging from a sixth to an eighth of the total dimension of the upper surface.

15. The covering element according to claim 7, wherein the triangular opening of the upper surface and of the side surface is formed at the moment of consumption by breaking the precut lines or punching.

Description

[0049] FIG. 1 represents a perspective view of a covering element according to the present invention suitable for being used when the pizza is arranged directly on the plate for consumption, as soon as it is extracted from the oven or from the takeaway container.

[0050] FIG. 2 represents a perspective view of a covering element according to the present invention suitable for being used when the pizza is consumed directly in a takeaway container of which said covering element constitutes an integral part.

[0051] With reference to the aforementioned FIGS. 1 and 2, reference numeral 10 indicates the covering element according to the invention as a whole.

[0052] In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the covering element 10 for pizzas, in a material with a reduced thermal dispersion or thermally insulating, comprises an upper surface 1 and a side surface 2 that extends orthogonally to the upper surface 1, substantially along the perimeter of the same upper surface 1. The upper surface 1 is provided with an opening with a triangular section 3 that also extends on the corresponding portion of side surface 2.

[0053] The side surface 2 is used to give rigidity and thickness to the covering element 10 according to the present invention, ensuring the necessary thickness so that the covering element 10 does not make contact with the pizza arranged on the plate, said plate being able to constitute the base 4, thus not belonging to the covering element 10, and on which said side surface 2 of the covering element 10 rests. The base 4, not belonging to the covering element 10, can also consist of the table itself on which the plate containing the pizza is rested.

[0054] The side surface 2 is indeed integral with the upper surface 1 and suitable for resting on a base 4, keeping said upper surface 1 raised.

[0055] In FIG. 1, the upper surface 1 is circular in shape and is provided with an opening with a triangular section 3 having a dimension equal to about one sixth of the total dimension of the surface itself 1.

[0056] With reference to FIG. 1, the base 4 (not shown in the figures) can be substantially the plate on which the pizza is arranged. The covering element 10 is thus arranged to cover the pizza as soon as the pizza itself is extracted from the oven or from the takeaway container and arranged on the dinner plate.

[0057] The opening with a triangular section 3 exposes only a portion of pizza corresponding to the dimensions of the opening itself 3 to the outside and makes it available to the consumer, thus drastically reducing the surface of pizza exposed for heat exchange with the air. Most of the surface of the pizza thus remains covered by the covering element 10 according to the present invention and, thanks to this, the temperature of the pizza decreases more slowly.

[0058] The user, once the consumption of the portion of pizza able to be reached through said opening 3 has ended, without lifting the covering element 10, is capable of rotating/moving the remaining part of pizza with cutlery, thus arranging a new portion of pizza at said opening 3 and ready for consumption. Alternatively, when the covering element 10 has a gripping element arranged at the center of the upper surface 1 (not shown in the figures) or at least two gripping elements arranged in diametrically opposite positions of the side surface 2 (not shown in the figures), the user can proceed to move the covering element 10 (instead of the pizza below) to reveal a new portion of pizza at the opening 3, which can thus be consumed.

[0059] By proceeding in this way, the decrease in temperature of the pizza with respect to the starting temperature of the pizza that has just been taken out from the oven can be limited or slowed down and the entire pizza can be consumed at a higher temperature with respect to what it would be in the absence of the covering element 10 according to the present invention.

[0060] The tests carried out have indeed made it possible to verify that, for the same time periods, the decrease in temperature of the pizza in the case of use of the covering element according to the present invention, is about ten degrees less with respect to the decrease in temperature of a pizza arranged on the dinner plate without any covering element. A temperature difference of about ten degrees less allows the entire pizza to be consumed with characteristics of appeal and flavor closer to those of the pizza just taken out from the oven.

[0061] In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the covering element 10 comprises a lower rest base 4 integral with the side surface 2, and said upper surface 1, side surface 2 and lower base 4 form a takeaway container 5.

[0062] The upper surface 1 is substantially square in shape and is provided with a triangular opening 3, defined by pre-cut lines or punching 6, having a dimension roughly equal to one eighth of the total dimension of the surface itself 1.

[0063] Moreover, the upper surface 1 is hinged to the side surface 2 along a side of said upper surface 1.

[0064] With reference to FIG. 2, the base 4 is therefore the base of the takeaway container 5 on which the pizza is arranged.

[0065] In the covering element 10 according to the present invention shown in FIG. 2, the triangular opening 3 is made at the moment of consumption by breaking the pre-cut lines or punching 6. The user, indeed, thanks to an invitation or flap not shown in the figures, breaks the pre-cut lines or punching 6 and makes the opening 3.

[0066] Also in such an embodiment, therefore, the opening with a triangular section 3 exposes only a portion of pizza corresponding to the dimensions of the opening itself 3 to the outside and available to the consumer, thus drastically decreasing the surface of pizza exposed to heat exchange with the air. Most of the surface of the pizza remains covered by the covering element 10 and, thanks to this, the temperature of the pizza decreases more slowly.

[0067] The user, once the consumption of the portion of pizza able to be reached through said opening 3 has ended, without lifting the covering element 10, is capable of rotating/moving the remaining part of pizza with cutlery, thus arranging a new portion of pizza at said opening 3 and able to be consumed. By proceeding in this way, the decrease in temperature of the pizza with respect to the starting temperature of the pizza that has just been taken out from the oven is limited or slowed down and the entire pizza can be consumed at a higher temperature with respect to what it would be in the absence of the covering element 10 according to the present invention.