Cooking utensil with improved heat retention
Abstract
A cooking utensil with improved heat retention includes an inner pot received within an outer pot and separated in a closely spaced-apart relationship to form a volume or chamber there between. The chamber is evacuated and sealed with foil leaves at the upper edges of the inner and outer pot. The vacuum created between the inner and outer pot, along with the minimum of thermal contact between the inner and outer pot, and the reduced radiative heat transfer due to low emissivity coatings on the inner and outer pot, provide for a highly insulated cooking utensil. Any combination of a plurality of mechanisms for selectively disabling and re-enabling the insulating properties of the pot are provided within the chamber. These mechanisms may include: a hydrogen gas producing and reabsorbing device such as a metal hydride, a plurality of metal contacts which can be adjusted to bridge the gap between the inner and outer pot, and a plurality of bimetallic switches which can selectively bridge the gap between the inner and outer pot. In addition, phase change materials with superior heat retention characteristics may be provided within the cooking utensil. Further, automatic and programmable control of the cooking utensil can bemore »
- Inventors:
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Midwest Research Institute, Kansas City, MO (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 512411
- Patent Number(s):
- 5643485
- Application Number:
- PAN: 8-343,081
- Assignee:
- Midwest Research Inst., Kansas City, MO (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC36-83CH10093
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 1 Jul 1997
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION; FOOD PROCESSING; CONTAINERS; DESIGN; VACUUM SYSTEMS; SEALS; CONTROL EQUIPMENT; RADIANT HEAT TRANSFER
Citation Formats
Potter, T F, Benson, D K, and Burch, S D. Cooking utensil with improved heat retention. United States: N. p., 1997.
Web.
Potter, T F, Benson, D K, & Burch, S D. Cooking utensil with improved heat retention. United States.
Potter, T F, Benson, D K, and Burch, S D. Tue .
"Cooking utensil with improved heat retention". United States.
@article{osti_512411,
title = {Cooking utensil with improved heat retention},
author = {Potter, T F and Benson, D K and Burch, S D},
abstractNote = {A cooking utensil with improved heat retention includes an inner pot received within an outer pot and separated in a closely spaced-apart relationship to form a volume or chamber there between. The chamber is evacuated and sealed with foil leaves at the upper edges of the inner and outer pot. The vacuum created between the inner and outer pot, along with the minimum of thermal contact between the inner and outer pot, and the reduced radiative heat transfer due to low emissivity coatings on the inner and outer pot, provide for a highly insulated cooking utensil. Any combination of a plurality of mechanisms for selectively disabling and re-enabling the insulating properties of the pot are provided within the chamber. These mechanisms may include: a hydrogen gas producing and reabsorbing device such as a metal hydride, a plurality of metal contacts which can be adjusted to bridge the gap between the inner and outer pot, and a plurality of bimetallic switches which can selectively bridge the gap between the inner and outer pot. In addition, phase change materials with superior heat retention characteristics may be provided within the cooking utensil. Further, automatic and programmable control of the cooking utensil can be provided through a microprocessor and associated hardware for controlling the vacuum disable/enable mechanisms to automatically cook and save food. 26 figs.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1997},
month = {Tue Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1997}
}