Abstract:
A process and device are disclosed for creating a low adhesion cooking surface. The process involves placing a hydrogen containing substance on a cooking surface; and extracting the hydrogen from the substance so that the hydrogen remains in recesses on the cooking surface. The hydrogen may be extracted by creating an electric charge on the surface, the electric charge drawing hydrogen into pores or recesses in the surface. The device preferably includes a housing which contains a high voltage generator. The output end of the generator is positioned so as to generate an electric arc when activated.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a cooking surface and, more particularly, to a process and device for forming a low adhesion cooking surface. 
     BACKGROUND 
     One of the primary annoyances with cooking is the cleaning of the cooking articles. As food cooks it has a tendency to adhere to the cooking surface. The reason for this is that the surface itself is not smooth on a microscopic level. Hence, the heating of the food causes food particles to bake onto the rough areas on the cooking surface. 
     To prevent food from adhering, a layer of liquid is generally added during the cooking process. This liquid is usually an oil, lard, or butter which has low friction and not prone to sticking to the cooking surface. 
     However, cooking fats, oils, and butter begin to scorch and smoke at about 392° F. (200° C.), and also begin to evaporate during the cooking process or absorb into the food. Since meat is usually cooked at temperatures between 400-450° F. (200-230° C.), the result is that the fats or oils eventually evaporate leaving the food once again in direct contact with the cooking surface. As such, even when cooking fats and oils are used, the food eventually sticks to the cooking surface. 
     Another drawback of cooking oil and grease is that they do not prevent sticking unless they are heated. Oil naturally has impurities, such as water. The applicant has determined that, when heated, the water in the oil rises to the surface of the oil. This creates a barrier layer between the food and the oil. It is this barrier layer of water that prevents the sticking to the pan. Many cook books describe the heating of the oil until it shimmers. The shimmering is the barrier layer of water on top of the oil. 
     One of the biggest advances over the last several decades in food preparation has been the development of what has been called “non-stick” coatings. The most well known of these is polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) sold under the trademark Teflon® by the DuPont company. The vast majority of cooking surfaces are coated with Teflon or similar non-stick coatings. Teflon® material itself is chemically inert and non-toxic. Teflon® material has a coefficient of friction of about 0.1 or less which is the lowest of any known solid material. Thus, Teflon® material provides a very efficient non-stick surface. 
     However, at least one report states that Teflon begins to deteriorate after the temperature of cookware reaches about 460° F. (237° C.), and begins to significantly deteriorate when the temperature of the cookware reaches about 680° F. (350° C.). See, definition of Teflon found at Wikipedia.org. Since the material can degrade at higher temperatures, there are heat constraints which might negatively affect cooking requirements. 
     Also, some recent reports have identified some health concerns with the use of PTFE material. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teflon. Further Teflon material tends to be a relatively fragile material, thus requiring protective handling to prevent scratching. As such, there is a need to find a replacement technology for providing a non-stick cooking surface. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A process for forming a low adhesion cooking surface is disclosed. In one embodiment, the process involves the steps of placing a treatment material or hydrogen containing substance on a surface, and extracting or causing hydrogen ions from the substance to remain on the cooking surface. 
     The hydrogen containing substance may be a hydrogenated oil applied to the surface and the step of extracting hydrogen involves creating an electric charge on the surface, the electric charge drawing or driving hydrogen into pores or recesses in the surface. The electric charge may be created through the use of a probe or applicator connected to a power source, where a portion of the surface may be grounded prior to creating the electric charge. 
     In another embodiment of the invention, an applicator is provided that include a mechanism for generating a high voltage arc to a cooking surface. The high voltage drives hydrogen ions out of the treatment material, such as a hydrogenated oil, that is applied to the cooking surface, and causes the charged ions to adhere to the cooking surface. 
     The foregoing and other features of the invention and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent in light of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, as illustrated in the accompanying figures. As will be realized, the invention is capable of modifications in various respects, all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and the description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For the purpose of illustrating the invention, the drawings show a form of the invention that is presently preferred. However, it should be understood that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown in the drawings. 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a cooking surface according to an aspect of the present invention. 
         FIG. 1A  cross-sectional side view of the cooking surface of  FIG. 1  illustrative a process for forming a low adhesion cooking surface according to one embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 1B  cross-sectional side view of the cooking surface of  FIG. 1  illustrating an alternate location for a probe for use in forming a low adhesion cooking surface according to the invention. 
         FIG. 2A  is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of the cooking surface of  FIG. 1A  prior to application of a pretreatment material. 
         FIG. 2B  is a schematic cross-sectional view of the portion of the cooking surface of  FIG. 2A  after the application of a pretreatment material. 
         FIG. 2C  is a schematic cross-sectional view of the portion of the cooking surface of  FIG. 2A  illustrating the application of a charge for loading the cooking surface with hydrogen according to one embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 2D  is a schematic cross-sectional view of the portion of the cooking surface of  FIG. 2A  illustrating the cooking surface loaded with hydrogen according to one embodiment of the invention. 
         FIGS. 3A and 3B  are cross-sectional views of a charging station for use in loading a cooking surface with a treatment material. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates one embodiment of the charging station for storing multiple cooking pans. 
         FIG. 5A  illustrates a perspective view of a device for creating the low adhesion surface according to one embodiment of the invention.  FIG. 5B  illustrates the device of  FIG. 5A  in an open position. 
         FIG. 6A  is the side view of the device of  FIG. 5A  and  FIG. 6B  is a side view of the device as depicted in  FIG. 5B . 
         FIG. 7A  is a cross-sectional view of the device in  FIG. 6A  taken along lines  7 A- 7 A. 
         FIG. 7B  is a cross-sectional view of the device in  FIG. 7A  taken along lines  7 B- 7 B. 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of an alternate embodiment of a device for creating the low adhesion surface. 
         FIG. 9  illustrates an embodiment of the invention that includes a charging base. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a process for creating a non-stick surface on a cooking surface and a device that produces that surface. The cooking surface may be made from any suitable material such as metal, that can withstand the high temperatures and surface contacts, such as scraping with a cooking utensil, that are anticipated in a conventional cooking operation. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , in one preferred embodiment, the cooking surface is in the form of a frying pan. However, the invention is not limited to that particular configuration, but can be applied to any suitable cooking device, such as baking sheets, pots, etc. Thus, the illustrated embodiment is simply intended to present one example of cooking surface according to the present invention. 
     As will be discussed below, the present invention includes the application of a treatment material which includes hydrogen. At standard temperature and pressure, hydrogen is colorless, odorless, nonmetallic and tasteless. One preferred treatment material is conventional hydrogenated oil, such as in vegetable oils. 
     It is also contemplated that the pan can have a mechanism for producing hydrogen or otherwise have the hydrogen stored inside the pan. See for example, US Patent Publication No. 2008/0210693, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     It is contemplated that the atmospheric humidity that naturally exists on the surface of the cooking device may be sufficient to produce the desired amount of hydrogen to provide the treatment material, thus eliminating the need to include a separate source of the material. 
     Furthermore, if may be desirable to supply other treatment materials to enhance the cooking depending on the food being cooked. For example, it may be preferable to use one particular treatment material for meats and a different treatment material for fish. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  1 A,  1 B and  2 A- 2 D, a process for forming a low adhesive surface is disclosed. In this embodiment, a conventional cooking surface  110 , such as a pan or pot can be used. As discussed above, all metals tend to have some degree of porosity on a microscopic layer, such as between grain layers and on the surface itself, which appears pitted when viewed under a microscope (see,  FIG. 2A ). Both are referred to herein as forms of porosity or pores in the material surface. The pores in the metal provide cavities within which hydrogen can be stored or loaded for later use in a cooking process, thus eliminating the need to permeate the hydrogen from within. This process is illustrated in  FIG. 2A-2D . 
     As discussed above, hydrogen can be liberated from various treatment liquids and gases, such as water, hydrogenated oils and even the ambient air to the extent it contains some degree of humidity. Since extracting hydrogen from air is a very slow process, the preferred treatment materials for use in extracting hydrogen are hydrogenated oils or water. 
     In order to extract the hydrogen from the water or oil molecules, it is necessary to charge the pot or pan. To do so, the present invention contemplates applying either a negative or positive charge to the pan. This can be done by preferably grounding the pan  110 , such as through the conventional stove top grates  112  or a separate grounding wire  114  connected to the cooking surface and through the stove structure to a grounding point. A negative charge is then be applied to the top surface of the pan through use of a probe or electrode  116 , for example, a corona discharge probe, that is connected to a power source  118  which supplies the voltage to produce the negative charge. In the present invention, only a small amount of voltage is necessary, well within safe levels for use in a residential environment. The power source could be a battery (DC source) or from a conventional home outlet (AC source) suitably stepped down to provide a safe voltage level. As shown in  FIGS. 1A and 1B , the probe can be located in close proximity to the surface ( FIG. 1A ), or it can be located distance from the surface so that the charge is directed toward the surface. 
     The probe or wand  116  will generate an arc when it is placed in close proximity to the grounded cooking surface  110 . This causes the surface of the pan to become positively (or negatively) charged. If the surface of the pan is first treated with a treatment material  120 , such as water, or more preferably hydrogenated oil, the charge will draw hydrogen molecules out of the oil and into the pores  122  in the pan. The application of the treatment material is depicted in  FIG. 2B . A thin layer of treatment material is all that is needed to load the surface. Once the voltage is applied and the charge is created ( FIG. 2C ), the hydrogen molecules  124  will be drawn into the pores of cavities in the cooking surface ( FIG. 2D ). The longer that the charge is applied to the pan surface, the more hydrogen that will be pulled in from the oil and stored in the pores of the pan. However, at some point, depending on the size and number of the pores, the pan becomes fully treated (fully loaded) and cannot store significantly more hydrogen. Testing has shown that application of a charge for as little as a few seconds is sufficient to draw enough hydrogen into the pores of the pan for use in a cooking sequence. Of course, larger cooking surfaces will take longer to draw sufficient hydrogen into the pores than smaller surfaces. 
     Once the pan is hydrogenated or loaded, the natural charge in the material of the pan will keep the hydrogen attached to the pores. The cooking surface can then be stored for later use or can be used immediately. The longer the pan is stored the more likely that the hydrogen in the pores will begin to liberate to the atmosphere. So it is preferable that the pan is loaded shortly before use. 
     During use of the loaded cooking surface, the application of heat to the cooking surface will cause the hydrogen to become liberated out of the pores (outgassing) and form a layer on the surface of the cooking surface. This is due to the fact that the adhesion produced by the applied charge is less effective at elevated temperatures, i.e., heat reduces the adhesive force caused by the charge. 
     It is expected that certain cooking surfaces, such as glass or ceramic, will need a higher voltage to cause the surface to be positively charged. Thus, the voltage and corona discharge times can be tailored to the material of the cooking surface. 
     While the illustrated embodiment depicts the use of a corona discharge probe to load the cooking surface, it is also contemplated that the cooking surface can be charged in many other ways, such as by moving a brush or pad that is connected to the power source over the surface. Also, the particular material chosen for the cooking surface may be one that more readily retains hydrogen. 
       FIGS. 3A and 3B  illustrate an embodiment of the present invention for automatically loading a flat cooking pan, such as a griddle of baking sheet. This embodiment includes a charging station  200  which includes a housing  202  that has at least one treatment applicator  204  and at least one charging applicator  206 . The treatment applicator  204  preferably is arranged so as to apply the treatment material along a linear path on one side of the pan  208 . The treatment applicator  204  may me an absorbent sponge or foam that is designed to contact the face  210  of the pan  208 . A refillable treatment material storage reservoir  212  is connected to the treatment applicator  204  for supplying the treatment material. 
     The charge applicator  206  preferably has one of more charging probes  214  that are arranged to be in contact with or close proximity to the face  210  of the pan  208  when it is inserted into the charging station. The charging probe  214  is adapted to be connect to a power source, such as a conventional outlet. The pan  208  is preferably in contact with a grounded support  215   
     The charging station housing  202  includes a slotted opening  216  for receiving the pan. In use, the pan is slid into the opening  216  such that the cooking surface  210  comes into contact with the treatment applicator or dispenser  204 . As the pan is slid past the treatment applicator  204 , the treatment material is automatically applied to the cooking surface. The surface continues past the charge applicator  206  which applies a charge to the cooking surface either continuously while the pan is being slid in or is configured to only apply the charge once the pan has been completed inserted into the housing and treated with the treatment material. It is also contemplated that the arrangement can be reversed and the charge is applied upon the cooking surface being removed from the charging station. In this embodiment, the treatment applicator would be positioned on the opposite side of the charge applicator in  FIGS. 3A-3B . 
     It is contemplated that the charging station may include a stand  220  as shown in  FIG. 4  and be configured to accept multiple baking pans  208 , each passing through a separate treatment applicators and charge applicators. The stand permits the multiple pans to be charged and stored on the stand for convenience. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5A ,  5 B,  6 A,  6 B,  7 A and  7 B, another embodiment of an applicator  300  is shown. In this embodiment, the applicator is a handheld device configured to apply both the treatment material, such as hydrogenated oil, and the high voltage electrical charge. The applicator  300  includes a housing  302  that includes a voltage generator  304 , preferably capable of producing voltage in excess of 1000 volts and more preferably greater than 5000 volts and most preferably above 10000 volts. One such generator is a Marx generator, such as a high voltage power supply YD-010S sold by Yui DA Electronics, which is capable of generating between 3000 and 18000 volts at a frequency of 18K to 35K Hz. The current produced is less than 150 μA. A power source  306  provides the necessary input voltage to the generator  304 . In the depicted embodiment, the power source is a DC power source, such as a battery. However, it is also contemplated that the power could be a residential or commercial AC power source with appropriate circuitry (e.g., an AC-DC converter) to provide the necessary voltage to the generator  304 . The power source could be a rechargeable battery. 
     An output wire or conductor (preferably the cathode)  308  from the generator is preferably positioned within the housing so as to be in close proximity to the cooking surface when the housing is placed on top of the surface. The position of the conductor is such that an arc of electricity is created between the terminal end of the conductor and the surface. This arc has the effect of boiling off the hydrogenated oil causing the charged hydrogen ions to bind to the cooking surface. Applicant notes that many metals have an inherent anodic potential or galvanic charge that has the innate ability to accept an ionic charge. The electrical arc from the output conductor sends a charge to the treatment material, charging the hydrogen molecules. The charged ions electrically bond to the cooking surface. 
     While is it contemplated that the terminal end of the output conductor could be positioned so as to directly contact the surface, doing so could cause any hydrogenated oil located between the end of the conductor and the surface from minimizing the generation of an arc. Thus, it is more preferable that there be a spacing between the output conductor end and the surface that is sufficient to create an electrical arc. Those skilled in the art would be readily able to suitably position the terminal end of the output conductor given the applied voltage. In the illustrated embodiment, a plurality of output conductors are positioned in the middle of the housing. However, it is also contemplated that a single conductor could be located in the housing so as to cause a single arc to be generated. 
     The oppositely charged wire from the generator (the ground or anode wire) need not be grounded since applicant has determined that the atmosphere in most cases provides a sufficient grounding effect. Alternatively, the grounding wire could be connected to contact surfaces  310  formed on the housing that are designed to come into contact with the cooking surface. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, there are two semi-circular contacts  310  which provide a conductive path between the second output wire and the cooking surface. The contacts make be made of any suitable material, such as aluminum bristles or rubber with a conductive carrier. 
     To minimize the transmission of RF energy from the applicator, a RF shield (not shown) could be installed between the cathode and anode wires. 
     The applicator  300  may also include a treatment dispenser  312  for applying the treatment material. (For simplicity, the dispenser is only shown in  FIGS. 6A ,  6 B,  7 A and  7 B which in this embodiment is located on the located on the inside surface of doors  316 .) One preferred dispenser  312  is a sponge or similar dispenser that stores a supply of treatment material, such as hydrogenated oil. Since only a small amount of oil is needed to treat a cooking surface, the sponge could be loaded to contain a supply of oil sufficient for the life of the applicator. Alternately, the applicator can be designed to reload the dispenser with additional oil. The dispenser  312  is positioned so as to contact the cooking surface during use or is actuated during use to dispense the necessary amount of treatment material. It is also contemplated that the applicator may not include a specific device that stores treatment material for applying but, instead, requires the user to manually apply the fluid. The applicator may still include the dispenser  312  which operates to spread the treatment materials across the cooking surface. 
     The applicator preferably includes a switch  314  that may be connected to the power supply or the generator to control supply of power to the generator. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the contacts  310  are mounted to the housing  302  on rotatable doors  316 . As shown, the doors  316  are attached to ears  318  on a slide arm  320  that is attached to the switch  314 . When the switch is slid to the downward position (corresponding to the “on” position), it causes the slide arm  320  to translate downward. The doors  316  are rotatably mounted to the housing  302  at  317  and include offset pins  319  that are slidably disposed within slots  321  formed in the ears  318 . In this embodiment, downward translation of the slide arm  320  causes the ears  318  to rotate the pins  319  about pivot point  317 . This causes the doors  316  to rotate from their closed position (shown in  FIG. 13  A) to their open position (shown in  FIG. 13B ) thereby positioning the contacts to touch the cooking surface. A spring (not shown) could be incorporated into the housing and connected to the doors  316  or the slide arm  320  to urge the slide arm upward and the doors  316  into their closed position. In its closed position, the doors  316  function to prevent access to the end of the first output wire  308 , thus minimizing the chance of inadvertent shock. 
     It is also contemplated that the applicator  300  can be designed with the doors  316  shaped such that when the applicator  300  is touching the cooking surface, further downward motion will cause the doors to rotate open, thus causing the output end  308  of the first wire to be brought into close proximity to the cooking surface and the contacts  310  (to the extent they are included) to rest on the cooking surface. Other mechanisms could, of course, be used to cause the contacts  310  to contact the surface. Also, it is contemplated that the contacts  310  may be fixedly mounted to the applicator housing  302 . 
     The applicator  300  preferably includes a cover  322  which is removably attached to the housing  302  so as to permit access to the power source  306  in the embodiments that include a replaceable DC power source. 
       FIG. 8  illustrates another embodiment of the applicator  400 . In this embodiment, there are no doors on the housing  402 . Instead, the housing  402  is cylindrical in shape and terminates in an open bottom. As in the prior embodiment, the housing  402  includes a generator  404  that is connected to a power source  406 . The output wires, such as the multiple cathodes  408  shown in the figure, lead from the generator and terminate with their ends  408   E  located inside the housing  402 , preferably recessed from the opening so as to prevent inadvertent contact by a user. A protective cover (not shown) that permits the passage of an electrical charge, may be positioned between the terminate ends  408   E  and the opening so as to further inhibit a user from touching the exposed ends of the wires. A switch  414  may be included to control operation of the generator  404 . The switch can be any conventional switch, including a slide switch as illustrated or a depression switch. 
     As shown, in order to help apply the treatment material, the applicator may include a dispenser  412 , which in the illustrated embodiment is depicted as an annual sponge that functions to store the treatment material for applying to the cooking surface and also assisting is dispensing (or spreading) the treatment material prior to or during application. 
     If the applicator includes a rechargeable battery, it is contemplated that the applicator may include a recharging base  500  as shown in  FIG. 9  for recharging the battery. The base may include a seat  502  into which the housing bottom is placed. The seat  502  can have a reservoir connected to it for channeling a supply of treatment material to refill or recoat the dispenser. The base includes conventional recharging circuitry inside the housing  504  and an external cord  506  for connecting to an AC power source. 
     Although the invention has been described and illustrated with respect to the exemplary embodiments thereof, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and various other changes, omissions and additions may be made therein and thereto, without parting from the spirit and scope of the present invention.