Integrated microwaveable heat ...

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Abstract | Drawing | Description | Claims

Abstract
An integrated microwaveable heat storage device that absorbs substantial amounts of microwave energy in a microwave oven in a relatively short period of time (one to 2 minutes) and releases this energy as heat (infrared radiation) over an extended period of time (typically 20 to 30 minutes The device includes three rigid elements, the upper element usually in the form of a container (10) such as a dish or cup cooperating with a base (14) to form a sealed enclosure or cavity. This enclosure is transparent to microwaves and encloses a mass of solid microwave absorbing material heater (12) in minimum contact with the walls of the cavity. This receptacle (enclosure) and the microwave absorbing material (the heater (12)) can have different cross sections, shapes, volumes and masses according to the specific intended use of the heat-storage device.

Patent number: 7176426
Filing date: Oct 12, 2005
Issue date: Feb 13, 2007
Inventor: Juan José Ramirez
Primary Examiner: Philip H. Leung
Application number: 11/248,713

U.S. Classification
219/730; 219/732; 219/762; 99DIG/14; 126/246; 126/275.1; 426/241

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Citations

Patent Number	Title	Issue date
2545733	CHILD S HOT FOOD DISH	Mar 1951
3065744	SCAVULLO	Nov 1962
3734077	HEAT-RETAINING FOOD SERVER	May 1973
3837330	HEAT-RETAINING SERVER	Sep 1974
3916872	HEAT STORAGE DISH	Nov 1975
4143647	Dish for holding food to be heated in a microwave cooking chamber	Mar 13, 1979
4246884	Plate warmer	Jan 27, 1981
4258695	Stored heat cooking utensil	Mar 31, 1981
4505252	Hollow dishes with meltable cores and method of making such dishes	Mar 19, 1985
4567877	Heat storage food container	Feb 4, 1986
4743726	Microwave activated heating element	May 10, 1988
4817704	Latent heat storage apparatus	Apr 4, 1989
4933534	Electrical heater and plug	Jun 12, 1990
4982722	Heat retentive server with phase change core	Jan 8, 1991
4983798	Warming devices and method using a material with a solid-solid phase change	Jan 8, 1991
5052369	Heat retaining food container	Oct 1, 1991
5107087	Cooking instrument using a microwave oven for heating a primary cooking surface	Apr 21, 1992
5125391	Heat-retaining food service container	Jun 30, 1992
5598946	Insulated fabric serving dish holder	Feb 4, 1997
5884006	Rechargeable phase change material unit and food warming device	Mar 16, 1999
6147337	Microwaveable heat retentive receptacle	Nov 14, 2000
6188053	Heat retentive server	Feb 13, 2001

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A microwaveable heat storage device capable of being embodied alternatively as a plate, a bowl, a coffee mug, a tortilla warmer and other similar heat retentive tableware, comprising:

an upper microwave transparent container-shaped means including an outer rim or a handle on the container shaped means, which remains cool to allow handling, the container shaped means having a predetermined thermal mass and cross-section for providing a container for food and liquids in no physical contact and separated by a predetermined non-uniform gap from a means for absorbing microwave energy and emitting infrared radiation and cooperating with a lower means for providing a base to enclose said means for absorbing microwave energy in a relatively tight cavity;

an encapsulated of a predetermined mass and cross-sectional shape rigid means for absorbing microwave energy and emitting infrared radiation in no physical contact and separated by an irregular predetermined gap from said upper means for providing a container and in minimum physical contact with a lower means for providing a base;

a lower rigid, hollow shaped means for providing a microwave-transparent base for said device, cooperating with said means for providing a container to enclose said means for absorbing microwave energy in a relatively tight cavity in minimum physical contact and centering said means for absorbing microwave energy, and sealingly connected to said means for providing a container;

whereby said heat storage device embodied as a piece of dinnerware can be preheated in a microwave oven in typically one minute to maintain foodstuffs and liquids hot at the table.

2. The integrated microwaveable heat storage device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said means for providing a container for food and liquids comprises a rigid, of a predetermined absorption coefficient, thermal mass, and cross-sectional shape, heat resistant container.

3. The integrated microwaveable heat storage device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said means for absorbing microwave energy and emitting infrared radiation comprises a made of microwave-absorbing material, of a predetermined energy absorption capacity, emissivity, thermal mass and cross-sectional shape heater.

4. The integrated microwaveable heat storage device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said means for providing a base for the device assembly, and cooperating with the container to enclose said heater in minimum physical contact with said heater comprises a rigid, with a predetermined absorption coefficient, mass and hollow cross-sectional-shape, heat resistant base.

5. An integrated microwaveable heat storage device capable of being embodied alternatively as a plate, a coffee mug, a tortilla warmer and other similar heat retentive tableware, comprising:

a rigid, of a predetermined mass, container-shaped, transparent to microwaves, heat resistant container, for food and liquids in no physical contact and separated by a predetermined irregular gap from an encapsulated heater, said container including an outer rim or a handle on the container, which remains cool to allow handling;

a rigid, made of microwave-absorbing material, of a predetermined thermal mass and cross-sectional shape, heater, for absorbing microwave energy and emitting infrared radiation;

a rigid, with a predetermined mass and cross-sectional hollow shape, transparent to microwaves, heat-resistant base, for providing a base for the entire device, reflecting some infrared radiation and cooperating with said container to enclose said heater in minimum physical contact with said heater, and sealingly connected to said container; whereby said heat storage device embodied as a piece of dinnerware can be preheated in a microwave oven and said means for absorbing microwave energy will radiate infrared energy at a controlled rate in a confined space to maintain foodstuffs and liquids hot at the table while being consumed, with a delayed action which can be specified in minutes to avoid overheating the food.

6. The integrated microwaveable heat storage device as recited in claim 5, wherein said container has characteristics selected from the following group: made of ceramic, made of heat resistant glass, and made of heat resistant laminated glass.

7. The integrated microwaveable heat storage device as recited in claim 5, wherein said heater has characteristics selected from the following group: made of ceramic with metal particles, made of ceramic with polar molecules, and made of ceramic and a combination of metal particles and polar molecules.

Drawings