Patent Publication Number: US-2013251871-A1

Title: Food Product Steamer and Method

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/683,986, filed on Jan. 7, 2010, pending, the entire disclosure of which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention generally relates to food steamers. More particularly, this invention relates to a steamer and steaming method for food products that include sandwich buns, rolls, croissants and bagels, as well as pastas, vegetables and other food products. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Steamers are used in the food service industry to treat bread and bread-type products prior to being served. When steam impregnates a bread-type food product, such as a sandwich roll, the steam tends to soften the bread product making the bread product seem fresher. 
     Steamers include both boiler-type steamers as well as flash steamers in which a volume of water is deposited or sprayed onto a hot surface, which “flashes” or converts the water to steam. A small, fixed amount of water is delivered onto a hot, dry surface which causes the water to be quickly boiled off and turned into steam. 
     A problem with prior art steamers is the removal of a food product after it has been steamed or cooked. Since many restaurants sell food products in specialized packages, it would be advantageous for a food product steamer to be able to steam a food product as well as dispense or serve the food product into a package in which the food product will be sold. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a food product steamer; 
         FIG. 2  is a front view of the food product steamer shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the food product steamer shown in  FIG. 1  with the hood opened; 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the food product steamer shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a top view of the food product steamer; 
         FIG. 6  is a side, cross-sectional view; 
         FIG. 7  is an end, cross section view; 
         FIG. 8  is an end, cross section view; 
         FIG. 9  is an end, cross section view; 
         FIG. 10A  is a perspective view of a first alternate embodiment; 
         FIG. 10B  is a cross sectional view of the alternate embodiment shown in  FIG. 10A ; 
         FIG. 11A  is a perspective view of a second alternate embodiment; 
         FIG. 11B  is a cross sectional view of the alternate embodiment shown in  FIG. 11A ; 
         FIG. 12A  is a perspective view of a third alternate embodiment; 
         FIG. 12B  is a cross sectional view of the alternate embodiment shown in  FIG. 12A ; 
         FIG. 13  is an isolated view of a food product steamer, showing placement of hinges relative to the opening  15 ; 
         FIG. 14  is a perspective view of a fourth alternate embodiment; 
         FIG. 15A  is an exploded view of another alternate embodiment wherein the food product platform can rotate in two directions; 
         FIG. 15B  is a cross-sectional front view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 15A  showing the food product platform rotated counterclockwise; and 
         FIG. 15C  is a cross-sectional front view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 15A  with the food product platform shown in  FIG. 15A , rotated clockwise. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  depicts the shape and appearance of a preferred embodiment of a food product steamer  10 .  FIG. 1  also shows that the steamer  10  is comprised of a steam-trapping hood  30  and a steam-generating/steam-emitting base  2 . 
     The hood  30  has a shape reminiscent of a Quonset in the sense that the hood  30  has a somewhat arching roof-shape. The base  2  has a shape reminiscent of a rectangular parallelepiped. 
     The base  2  has a control panel with a display and controls for electronic devices inside the base, such as a timer and water controls. The display and the controls, which are operable by a user, comprise a user interface for the steamer. 
     The base  2  has a substantially planar top face or surface  3 , a left sidewall  4 , right sidewall  5 , a front end wall  6  and a rear wall  7 . The two sidewalls  4  and  5  are provided with air vents as shown. Not visible in  FIG. 1  is an opening  14  in the top side  3  through which steam is emitted from the surface of a steam-generating platen, such as the one disclosed in the Applicant&#39;s co-pending patent application entitled, Food Product Steamer, filed on Oct. 10, 2008, and which is identified by U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/249,125. The contents of patent application Ser. No. 12/249,125 are incorporated herein by reference. 
     As shown in patent application Ser. No. 12/249,125 and as can be seen in the exploded view shown in  FIG. 4 , the opening  14  in the top side  3  of the steamer  10  is covered by a steam-trapping hood  30 . Steam that is trapped within the hood can be used to freshen bread products such as sandwich rolls and breads. The steam can also be used to cook foods, such as vegetables and pasta. 
     An elongated continuous hinge  34 , also known as a piano hinge  34 , rotatably connects the hood  30  to the base  2 . In the embodiment shown, the hinge  34  is attached to the left side  4  of the base  2  and just below the top surface  3 . A handle  31  attached to the hood  30  through a stem  32  allows an operator to rotate the hood counterclockwise (when viewed from the front panel  6 ) to open the hood  30 . 
     When the hood  30  is in its closed position, as shown in  FIG. 1 , the bottom of the hood  30  and the top surface  3  of the base  2  are substantially co-planar. Stated another way, the angle θ 1  defined by the bottom surface of the hood  30  and the top surface  3  of the base  2 , as measured around a geometric axis defined by the pivot of the piano hinge  34  is zero degrees or nearly zero degrees. 
       FIG. 2  is a front view of the steamer  10  shown in  FIG. 1 . The angle θ 1  between the hood  30  and the top surface  3  of the base  2  is more clearly visible in  FIG. 2  in that, the top surface  3  of the base  2  and the bottom face or edge of the hood  30  are contiguous. As shown in the figure, the angle formed between the bottom edge or surface of the hood and the top  3  of the base  2  is identified in the figure by θ 1 . 
       FIG. 3  is a different perspective view of the food product steamer  10 . In  FIG. 3 , the hood  30  is shown in its full-open position. A geometric plane defined by the edges  35  of the hood  30 , is substantially parallel to a geometric plane defined by the top side  3  of the base  2 . A second, larger angle identified as θ 4  exists between the plane defined by the bottom edges  35  of the hood  30  and the plane defined by the top surface  3  of the base  2 . As the figure shows, θ 4  is substantially equal to 180°. Those of ordinary skill will recognize that when the hood  30  is closed, θ 1  is zero or nearly zero. When the hood  30  is fully open, the second angle θ 4  is much larger, typically 180 degrees or nearly 180 degrees. 
     In  FIG. 3 , food products  25  embodied as bread rolls are shown resting on top of relatively thin, planar and substantially rectangular-shaped food product support platforms which are identified by reference numeral  20 . The platforms  20  are perforated with several holes  24 , shown in  FIG. 4 . The holes  24  are sized, shaped and arranged to allow steam to pass through them. The holes  24  in the platforms  20  are thus considered herein to be “steam-passing” holes. 
     A side edge of each food product platform  20  is attached to a hinge  26 , which is in turn attached to the base  2  at the top surface  3  thereof. The axes of the hinges  26  define geometric axes around which the food product platforms  20  rotate when the platforms  20  are lifted using one of the handles  21 , which are attached to the platforms by stems  23 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the food product platforms  20  rest at a position such that the angle θ between the food product platform  20  and the top side  3  of the base  2  is substantially equal to 0°. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the food product platforms  20  are horizontal or substantially horizontal and located above the steam generating basin  12  from which steam is emitted. 
     As stated above, the platforms  20  can be rotated about the hinge  26  by an operator lifting a handle  21  attached to the platform  20  through a stem  23 . In the embodiment shown, rotating the platform  20  counterclockwise around the axis defined by the hinge  26  lifts the food products  25  around the axis to a point where the food product  25  will eventually slide off or fall off the food product platform  20  due to gravity acting on the food product  25 . 
       FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the food product steamer shown in  FIGS. 1-3 . The base  2  can clearly be seen to have a top surface  3 , left sidewall  4 , right sidewall  5 , a front end wall  6  and a rear end wall  7 . An elongated “piano” hinge  34  for the hood  30  is attached to the left sidewall  4  and to the hood  30  to allow the hood  30  to rotate about the axis defined by the hinge  34 . Rotating the hood clockwise around the hinge  34  lowers the concave-shaped portion of the hood over a food product  25  resting on a platform  20 . Steam is generated by water that flows onto the inclined heated surfaces  33  and  37  of the basin/heated platen  12  through a hole  42  in the apex  38  of the two inclined surfaces  33 ,  37 . The water is provided to the basin/heated platen  12  by a water conduit  44  that extends upwardly through the base  2  and supplied by a source not shown in the figure. 
     As used herein, the open top of the basin  12  is considered to be an opening  14  from which steam is emitted. Steam that is generated over the heated surfaces  33  and  37  passes through a venturi plate  16 , which like the platform  20 , is provided with numerous, steam-passing small holes  17 . The holes  17  in the venturi plate  16  are also considered to be steam-passing holes or openings through which steam is emitted. 
     The basin  12  shown in  FIG. 4  is substantially rectangular. An exterior rim  15  of the basin  12  is considered herein to define a limit of the opening  14 . Stated another way, the rim  15  defines where the opening  14  begins and ends. The space or area inside the rim  15  is therefore considered to be an opening from which steam is emitted. 
       FIG. 5  is a top view of the food product steamer  10  shown in  FIGS. 1-4 . The hinge  34  to which the hood  30  is attached, is itself attached to the left side wall  4  of the base  2  through the aforementioned hinge  34 . The hinges  26  that attach the platforms  20  to the base  2  are themselves attached to the top surface  3  of the base  2 . As can be seen in  FIG. 5  as well as  FIG. 3 , notches  36  formed in the hood  30  allow the hood  30  to close over the stems  23  by which the handles  21  for the platforms  20  are attached to the platforms  20 . 
     As described above, a geometric axis about which the platform  20  rotates is defined by the hinges  26 . In  FIG. 5 , the hinges  26  and its corresponding axes are separated from the edge  15  of the basin  12 , i.e., from the opening from which steam is produced, by a first distance identified in the figure by D 1 . The hinge  34  for the hood  30  is attached to the left sidewall  4  of the base  2 , such that the axis defined by the hood hinge  34  is separated from the lip or edge  15 , and hence the opening from steam is emitted, by a greater distance identified as D 2 . 
       FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the steamer  10  shown in  FIG. 5 , taken through lines  6 - 6  of  FIG. 5 . It can be seen that water dispensed onto the heated surfaces  33  and  37  through a port  44  flows from the apex  38  downwardly, boiling off as it runs over the heated surfaces  33  and  37 . Water that is thus flashed into steam passes through holes  17  in the venturi plate  16 , through the steam-passing holes  24  in the platforms  20  and into a bread product or other food product on the platforms  20 . 
       FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of the steamer  10  shown in  FIG. 5  taken through section lines  7 - 7 . The different separation distances of the hinges  26  and  34  from the opening  14  in the top  3  and which is defined by the edge  15 , are more clearly visible in  FIG. 7 . The first separation distance D 1  of the platform hinges  26  from the edge  15  is clearly seen to be less than the second separation distance D 2 , D 2  being the separation distance of the second hinge  34  from the edge  15 . 
     In  FIG. 7 , the food product support platform  20  is shown at a resting angle position θ 1  where it supports a food product  25  over the venturi plate  16  and the opening  14  in the basin  12 .  FIG. 8  shows the platform  20  rotated in a counterclockwise direction to a second angle identified as θ 2 . As the inclination angle increases toward θ 3  as shown in  FIG. 9 , the food product  25  on the platform eventually falls or slides off the platform and into the concave space defined by the hood  30 , which is rotated to its full open position. In order to facilitate food product removal, the surface of the platform  20  is highly polished. 
     Collectively,  FIGS. 7 ,  8  and  9  show that when the steam-trapping hood  30  is rotated from a closed position where it covers a food product  25  on the platforms  20 , to an open position, such as the one shown in  FIG. 7 , a food product  25  on the platform  20  can thereafter be rotated on the platform  20  and “dropped” into the hood  30  or a package  50  for the food product, such as a point-of-sale package  50 , simply by lifting the platform  20  by its handle  21 . 
       FIGS. 10A and 10B  depict a first alternate embodiment of the steamer  10 . The steamer  10 A shown in  FIGS. 10A and 10B  differs from the steamer  10  shown in  FIGS. 1-8  in that the single hood  30  shown in  FIGS. 1-8  is replaced with two separate and individually operable hoods  30 A and  30 B. As with the single hood  30 , each hood  30 A and  30 B is formed with notches  36  that allow the hoods to rotate to a clockwise position and close relatively tightly over the food product  25  and the platforms  20  on which they rest. 
     As with the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1-8 , the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 10A and 10B  also permits the rotation of a support platform  20  from a first acute angle that is equal to or nearly equal to 0° to a second larger angle θ 2  at which a food product  25  will slide off or drop off the platform into a hood or a point of sale carton. 
     As with the first embodiment,  FIG. 10B  shows that the hinge  26  for the platform  20  is separated from the edge  15  of the opening  14  in the basin  12  by a first distance identified as D 1 . The hood hinge  34 , which is attached to the left side  4  of the base  2  is separated from the edge  15  by a greater distance identified as D 2  of the opening. 
       FIGS. 11A and 11B  depict a third embodiment of a food product steamer  10 B. In this embodiment, a single hood  30  is attached to the right side  5  of the base  2  through a piano hinge identified by reference numeral  34 A. As with the embodiments described in  FIGS. 1-9B , the platforms  20  are attached to the top surface  3  of the base  2  with the hinges  26  adjacent or approximate to the left side  4 . 
     The third embodiment shown in  FIGS. 11A and 11B  differs from the other embodiments in that rotation of the platform  20  around the axis defined by the hinges  26  drops the food product  25  into a package  50  resting on the surface on which the steamer itself rests. In  FIGS. 11A and 11B , the hood  30  rotates clockwise from its closed position to its open position. 
     Note that in the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 11A and 11B , the separation distance between the platform hinge  26  and the edge  15  of the opening  14  is identified as D 1 . The separation distance between the edge  15  of the opening  14  and the piano hinge  34 A for the hood  30  is identified as D 2 . Since the piano hinge  34 A is attached to the right side whereas the platform hinge  26  is attached inside the left side  4 , D 2  is greater than D 1  in  FIG. 10B . Since the hinges are on opposite sides of the opening defined by the edge  15  of the basin  12 , in an alternate embodiment of that shown in  FIGS. 11A and 11B , D 2  could also be less than or equal to D 1 . 
       FIGS. 12A and 12B  depict yet another embodiment of a food product steamer  10 C. In this figure, the piano hinge  34 A for the hood  30  is attached to the right side  5  as with the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 11A and 11B . In  FIGS. 12A and 12B , however, the platforms  20 A and  20 B rotate clockwise and counterclockwise respectively around corresponding piano hinges  26 A and  26 B. 
     As can be seen in  FIG. 12B , the separation distances D 1  of the hinges  26 A and  26 B from the edge  15  of the opening  14 , are substantially the same. In an alternate embodiment, however, the separation distances of the hinges  26 A and  26 B from the edge  15  can be different. 
     The separation distance D 2  of the hinge  34 A for the hood is greater than D 1  owing to the fact that the hinge  34 A is attached to the right sidewall  5 . In an alternate embodiment, the hinge  34 A could also be attached to the top surface  3 , on the right-hand side of the opening  14 . 
       FIG. 13  is a close-up view of the steamers shown in  FIGS. 11A through 12B . This figure shows the spacing and location of the hinges  26  relative to the edge  15 . The venturi plate  16  can also be seen to be just inside the edge  15  of the basin  12 . 
       FIG. 14  is another perspective view of yet another alternative embodiment of a steamer  10 D.  FIG. 14  also shows dimension lines extending from the axes of the various hinges and the determination of the corresponding separation distances D 1  and D 2 . 
       FIG. 15A  is an exploded view of another alternate embodiment of a steamer  10 E. Unlike the embodiments depicted in  FIGS. 1-14 , in  FIGS. 15A-15C , the food product platform  20  can rotate in two directions by attaching the platform  20  to a double-acting hinge  60  assembly. A double-acting hinge is sometimes referred to as a “saloon-door hinge” in that a saloon door can swing in two directions. The double-acting hinge mechanism  60  shown in  FIGS. 15A-15C  permits the food support platform  20  to rotate away from the steam-emitting opening  14  of the base  2 , in two directions. 
     The double-acting hinge  60  is comprised of two hinges  26 A and  26 B and a substantially rectangular, platform base plate  27 . One “side” of a first hinge  26 A is attached to the top surface  3  of the base  2  while the other “side” of the first hinge  26 A is attached along one edge of the platform base plate  27 , preferably to the bottom or underside of the platform base plate  27 , not visible in the figure. One “side” of a second hinge  26 B is attached to the platform base plate  27  along a second opposite edge of the platform base plate  27  as shown. The second “side” of the second hinge  26 B is attached to the food product support platform  20 , preferably to the bottom or underside of the food support platform  20 . 
     As can be seen in  FIG. 15A , the two hinges  26 A and  26 B are configured to allow the platform base plate  27  and the platform to rotate “away” from the steam-emitting opening  14 , in opposite directions. As shown in  FIGS. 15A and 15B , the first hinge  26 A is connected between the base  2  and the platform base plate  27 . The first hinge  26 A allows the platform base plate  27 , and anything attached to the platform base plate  27 , to rotate “away” from the steam-emitting opening  14 , in counterclockwise direction (when viewed from the front) around an axis of rotation defined by the first hinge  26 A. Since the second hinge  26 B is attached to the platform base plate  27 , it will rotate counterclockwise with the platform base plate  27 , around the first hinge  26 A, as the platform base plate  27  is rotated “away” from the opening  14  in a counterclockwise direction. 
     As shown in  FIG. 15C , when the platform base plate  27  is “down” and resting against the top  3  of the base  2 , the second hinge  26 B, which is attached to the platform base plate  27  along an edge opposite the first hinge  26 A, allows the food product support platform  20  to rotate away from the opening  14  in a clockwise direction, leaving the platform base plate  27  against the top  3  of the base  2 . The two hinges  26 A and  26 B and the platform base plate  27  thus comprise a double-acting hinge, which effectively allows the food product support platform  20  to rotate together with the platform base plate  27  in a first direction (counterclockwise in the figure) and to rotate without the platform base plate  27  in a second direction (clockwise in the figure). 
     It should be noted that the centers of the platform base plate  27  are open, providing large steam-passing openings or holes  29 . Steam passes through the holes  29  in the platform base plate  27  and into the steam passing holes  24  formed in the food product support platform  20 . The large openings  29  in the platform base plate  27  allow the steam to pass through the food product support platform  20  with minimal heat loss. 
     As with the other embodiments described above, a steam-trapping hood  30  is attached to one side of the base  2  by an elongated piano hinge  34 . When the hood  30  is open, as shown in  FIGS. 15B and 15C , food products on the platform  20  can be removed from the platform  20  by rotating the platform  20  in either clockwise or counterclockwise direction. 
     Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that while the second distance D 2  is shown in various figures as being greater than the first separation distance D 1  an alternate and equivalent embodiment includes using small, individual hinges instead of a piano hinge, which permit the attachment of the hood  30  to the same surface of the base  2  that the platforms  20  are attached to. The location of such hinges relative to the edge  15  of the opening  14  could therefore be a design choice, i.e., less than or equal to D 1 . Such embodiments would include attaching both hinges to the top side  3  of the base  2 . In yet another alternate embodiment, both hinges  26  and  34  can be attached to the same side of the base such that D 1  and D 2  would be equal or substantially equal. 
     In each of the embodiments, the hood  30  is preferably a rigid plastic but can also be comprised of a flexible plastic sheet or even a water permeable membrane so long as the hood is able to enclose or substantially enclose a food product on the platform and retain steam that is generated in the base  2 . 
     For the sake of completeness, those of ordinary skill will recognize that in order to remove the food product  25  from the platform  20 , the hood  30  is first rotated around an axis defined by the hinge  34 , from a first, closed position to a second open position. As shown in several figures, the hood  30  is depicted in a closed position when the angle between its lower edges  35  and the top  3  is zero or substantially equal to zero degrees. The fully open position is preferably when the angle between the edges  35  and the top  3  is parallel or nearly parallel to the top face  3  of the hood  2  such that the concave shape of the hood  30  will retain a food product  25 , with or without a point-of-sale package  50  placed into the hood  30 . 
     The foregoing description is for purposes of explanation and illustration. The true scope of the invention is defined by the appurtenant claims.