Patent Document

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to electron sources and specifically to electron sources for food treating apparatus and method for treating food. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,356,646 to Simic-Glavaski (hereinafter Simic-Glavaski), which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, discloses that the ingestion of externally generated oxidative products such as food cooked by a thermal process may be carcinogenic. When food is cooked by a thermal process it may tend to have a carcinogenic effect due to the depletion of electrons in the food. It is believed that the food is depleted of electrons during a cooking process due to thermal excitation and oxidation. Simic-Glavaski discloses by adding electrons to food that is in a cooking vessel or in contact with a grill carcinogenic effect can be reduced. Simic-Glavaski discloses a cooking apparatus and a method of supplying electrons to food that is contained in the vessel or that is in contact with the grill. 
     In an embodiment disclosed by Simic-Glavaski, respective electrodes are placed in a cooking medium, such as oil, water or the like, and electric potential and electric current are provided thereby to food. It would be desirable to integrate the electron source into a food treating apparatus, such as a cooking apparatus such as a pot, a grill or the like. In the embodiment of disclosed by Simic-Glavaski, the electrons are provided from a relatively localized source. It would be advantageous to increase the area over which the electrons are provided in the food treating apparatus. By increasing the area over which the electrons are supplied, more electrons are provided over a larger portion of the food product. 
     Therefore, there is a strong need in the art to improve the distribution of electrons into a food product in a food cooking, cooling, storing, or the like apparatus and process. There also is a need to enhance the countering of the carcinogenic effect that occurs during a food treating process, such as, for example, cooking, cooling, storing, serving, etc. 
     As used herein the term “food treating” is broadly understood to mean cooking, cooling, storing, serving, or the like, as are further described below. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An aspect of the invention relates to a food treating apparatus wherein an electric current is provided by an electric circuit, the food treating apparatus including a vessel and a handle, and wherein at least part of the electric circuit is integral with the handle and is operative to provide electrons to food in the vessel. 
     Another aspect of the invention relates to a food treating apparatus having a handle and a vessel for food, comprising a circuit for providing electrons for distribution via the vessel to food, the circuit including an anode, a resistive element and a connection to the vessel, and wherein at least part of the anode is in the handle. 
     Another aspect of the invention relates to a method of providing electrons for absorption by an oxidizing medium including the step of providing an electric current by an electric circuit wherein at least part of the electric circuit is integral with a handle and is operative to provide electrons to food in a vessel. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a food treating apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of the handle of the food-treating apparatus of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a handle for a food treating apparatus. 
     FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a food treating apparatus with a handle on the apparatus lid. 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of the handle of the food treating apparatus of FIG.  4 . 
     FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of yet another embodiment of a handle for a food treating apparatus. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a food treating apparatus  10  for providing electrons for absorption by a food material  12  is shown. The food treating apparatus  10  includes a vessel  14  having sufficient volume to contain the food material  12 . The vessel  14  may be a storage container, cooling container, preparing container, warming container, serving dish or any of a variety of cooking vessels; non-limiting examples include a pot, pan, cookware, grill, skillet, kettle, dish, bowl, wok, appliance or the like and associated utensils. Non-limiting examples of utensils may include a probe, a skewer, a spit or the like. The vessel  14  may be made of any conductive material, e.g., metal, stainless-steel, iron, copper, aluminum, aluminum alloy or the like. The vessel  14  may act as a cathode. The vessel  14  may be coated with a nonstick conductive coating to prevent the food medium  12  from sticking to a surface. The food material  12  may be placed in the vessel  14  in a quantity of a medium  16 . The medium  16  may be an oxidizing medium, e.g., water, sauce, oil, fat, or other medium used in a boiling, cooling, warming, steaming, basting, skewering, sauteing, baking, roasting, frying or deep frying process or other cooking, storing, cooling, preparing or treating process. 
     A handle  18  may be permanently or temporarily attached to the vessel  14 . The handle  18  includes a passage  20  running through at least a part of the handle  18 . An anode  22  may be contained partly within the passage  20 . An end  24  of the anode  22  is electrically coupled with a resistive element  26 . The resistive element  26  is electrically coupled with the vessel  14  by a conductive fastener  28 . The anode  22  may be made of a conductive material such as, for example, metals like copper, zinc, aluminum or some other conductive material or possibly a semiconductive material. The passage  20  includes a passage opening  30  at the surface  32  of the handle  18 . The passage opening  30  may be closed with a removable plug  34 . The conductive fastener  28  may be, for example, a flat head screw, clamp, rivet, conductive weld or the like. 
     A circuit  35  is formed. The circuit  35  includes the anode  22  electrically coupled with the resistive element  26 , which in turn is electrically coupled with the vessel  14 . The vessel  14  acts as a cathode in the circuit  35 . When the electrolyte  36  is introduced into the passage  20  containing the anode  22 , a primary electrochemical battery  37  is formed due to the potential differential between the anode  22  and the cathode, i.e., vessel  14 . The anode  22  may be formed of a conductive material with a higher electrical potential than the electrical potential of the vessel  14  so the vessel becomes the cathode of the circuit  35  and battery  37 . The resistive element  26  may be a resistor or some other impedance that cooperates with the anode  22  and vessel  14  (cathode) to provide current flow. Thus, the vessel  14  (cathode) in circuit  35  is supplied with electrons for delivery directly into the cooking medium  16  and to the food medium  12 . Although circuit  35  is shown to include the anode  22 , the resistive element  26  and the vessel  14  (cathode), it is understood that the circuit could include other elements, for example, switches, other resistors, a capacitor, an inductor or the like. 
     The electrochemical battery  37  produces a current wherein electrons  38  flow to a surface  40  of the vessel  14 . The electrons  38  may be absorbed by the food material  12  where the food material  12  comes in contact with the surface  40 . Excess electrons  38  flowing from anode  22  to the vessel  14  are absorbed by the food material  12  to replace electrons lost by the thermally-induced oxidation of the cooking process, and may result in the food material  12  being electron enriched at the end of the cooking process or at least in effect less electron depleted than would otherwise be the case. Although the absorption of electrons by the food material  12  is described in relationship to a cooking process, it would be understood by those skilled in the art that the invention may be used during cooling, storing, preparing or other food treating processes. Alternatively or additionally, the electrons and/or negative ions (sometimes collectively referred to herein as “electrons”)  38  may flow from the cathode, i.e., the vessel  14  all through the medium  16  to the food material  12  to be absorbed by the food material. 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged drawing of the handle  18  illustrating several wires and connections in the circuit  35  leading to the vessel  14  (not shown). A wire  42  from an end of the resistive element  26  is electrically coupled with the end  24  of the anode  22  by an electrical connection  44 , e.g., solder, conductive adhesive, threaded connection or by some other means as is known by those who have ordinary skill in the art. Another electrical connection  44  electrically couples a wire  46  from another end of the resistive element  26  with a first end of a wire  48 . A second end of the wire  48  is electrically coupled by yet another electrical connection  44  with the conductive fastener  28 . The wires  42 ,  46  and  48  may be made of a conductive material, e.g., aluminum, copper, or the like. Further, the wire  48  may be insulated by an insulating material which encases the conductive material. Additionally, the wire  48  may be partially contained within the handle and isolated from the passage  20  containing the anode  22 . 
     The handle  18  may be made of any material that is suitably used for cookware, etc. For example, the handle may be of an insulative material, electrically nonconductive material, thermally insulative material, thermally nonconductive material, plastic, phenolic, glass, ceramic, wood or some other material that has suitable strength and rigidity characteristics for the desired purpose or desired use with cookware, food storage containers, etc., as are mentioned elsewhere herein. The handle may be electrically conductive, e.g. metal, with suitable electrical insulation provided. 
     The handle  18  may be formed of a substantially solid material that is drilled out to provided the passage  20  for the anode  22 . Additionally, the handle  18  may be drilled out to provide the passage opening  30  for delivering the electrolyte  36  into the passage  20  for contact with the anode  22 . If desired, the handle  18  may be molded in such a way as to provide the passage  20  for the anode  22  and also the passage opening  30  for the electrolyte  36 , as described. Additionally, the handle  18  may be drilled to provide space for the various wires and connections illustrated or may be molded to provide the various passages for the wires and/or connections. Moreover, the handle  18  may be molded directly to the respective anode  22  and wires, as well as the various connections provided, for example, as is illustrated in FIG.  2 . Such direct molding enhances the integrity of the handle and may provide for protection of the various connections between the wires, etc. To provide adequate space in the passage  20  for both the anode and electrolyte, standoffs or the like may be used to locate the anode in the passage  20  as the passage itself is defined during the molding process. These are just examples of various ways in which the handle  18  may be made and of materials of which the handle may be made. However, it will be appreciated by those having ordinary skill in the art that the handle  18  may be made of other materials and/or using other processes or methods. 
     FIG. 3 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a handle  18 ′ of an electron generating cooking apparatus such as described above. In this embodiment, the wire  48  is mounted on an outside surface of the handle  18 ′. An advantage of this embodiment is the reduction of the number of manufacturing steps required to manufacture of the handle  18 ′. Another advantage of this embodiment is the accessability of the wire  48  and electrical connections  44  should a repair or replacement be required. 
     FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate another embodiment of food treating apparatus  10 ′ of the invention wherein electrons are provided to the vessel  14  via an electron source provided in a lid  50 , a cover or the like. The circuit  35  is formed by the anode  22  electrically coupled with the resistive element  26  which in turn is electrically coupled with the vessel  14  acting as a cathode as described above. In this embodiment, the resistive element  26  is electrically coupled with a conductive fastener  28  which may be permanently or temporary attached to the lid  50 . The lid  50  provides a path for the electrons to reach the vessel  14  when placed on a rim  52  which is formed on the vessel  14 . The lid  50  and the rim  52  may be made of the same electrically conductive material as the vessel  14  or another suitable material which allows the electrons to flow to the vessel  14 . FIG. 5 illustrates a more detailed drawing of the handle  18 ″. 
     FIG. 6 illustrates an alternate embodiment of a handle  18 ″′ for an electron producing food treating apparatus  10 , for example. In this embodiment, a current source to the anode  22  and vessel  14  is provided by a solar cell  54  mounted integrally upon the handle  18 ″′. The term “solar cell” is understood to mean any device that provides an electrical output in response to one or more of visible light, UV, IR or the like. In this embodiment, solar cell  54  can produce a current of, for example, five microamps to 500 nanoamps sufficient to provide an adequate source of electrons to flow which can be absorbed by the food being cooked to maintain or supplement electron content of the food material  12 . An advantage of this embodiment is the availability of ambient energy to replace or to supplement a battery or other source. Alternatively, the solar cell  54  may be integrally formed in the handle  18 ″′ such that the upper surface of the solar cell  54  is flush with the surface  32  of the handle  18 ″′. 
     While the invention has been described in conjunction with exemplary embodiments herein, it is evident that many equivalents, alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly it is intended to embrace all such equivalents, alternatives, modifications and variations within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

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