US20050000960A1

US20050000960A1 - Stiffened flexible mould

Info

Publication number: US20050000960A1
Application number: US10/640,920
Authority: US
Inventors: Nathalie Bergeret
Original assignee: SEB SA
Current assignee: SEB SA
Priority date: 2003-07-04
Filing date: 2003-08-14
Publication date: 2005-01-06
Also published as: EP1641344B1; FR2856892B1; US8047500B2; CA2530862A1; PL1641344T3; WO2005004610A3; RU2350081C2; DK1641344T3; WO2005004610A2; US20070120039A1; FR2856892A1; EP1641344A2; ES2360038T3; KR20060065626A; DE602004031013D1; RU2006103255A; JP2007515930A; CA2530862C; ATE494783T1

Abstract

A mould for culinary preparation comprises a hollow tray made from a flexible elastomer material and comprising a side wall, the top end of which forms an opening, and a rigid stiffener. Another stiffener, for example an annular or discoid stiffener is connected to the bottom, close to the junction with the side wall.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a mould used to make culinary preparation such as cakes, pastry, etc.
Very stiff moulds made of metallic material are known, but the fact that they are stiff does not facilitate removal of the preparation from the mould.
Silicone moulds are also known which have the advantage that they can be put into the oven, the microwave oven, the refrigerator, the freezer or the dishwasher without being damaged, but these moulds are not stiff due to the high elasticity of the material.
There are three disadvantages, all of which result from this high elasticity of elastomers: it is difficult to remove the preparation from the mould, it is inconvenient to manipulate the mould because it deforms so easily, and the uncooked preparation (frequently liquid) can easily overflow while the mould is being manipulated.
Solutions have been suggested to obtain a sufficiently flexible mould by making a local overthickness of the material. However, the resulting mould removal performances and the ability to maintain the liquid preparation in the mould are not always satisfactory.
Patent FR 2 827 494 describes a silicone elastomer mould for a culinary preparation to be baked or heated in the oven. The mould comprises a flexible hollow tray made of an elastomer material with a lower part provided with a bottom from which a side wall rises up, an opening being formed around the top end of the side wall, this opening being surrounded by a rigid annular or approximately annular stiffener connected to the said hollow tray.
The preparation is removed from the mould as follows; start with the mould the right way up (opening at the top), and place the bottom of the mould on a support. Press downwards on the stiffener towards the support, so as to curve the side wall and bring the top opening approximately to the level of the bottom.
Although this solution is attractive, it is not perfectly satisfactory, particularly for the removal of all preparations from the mould, since the curved side wall allows a rim to project upwards around the border of the bottom forming an obstacle, for example to the removal of a soft cake or for the correct insertion of a cake turner.
Therefore, the problem that arises is to make a new mould for a culinary preparation allowing very easy removal of the solid preparation from the mould, potentially facilitating resistance of the mould to deformation, particularly if it contains a baked or unbaked liquid or heavy preparation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The proposed solution is a mould for a culinary preparation of the type mentioned above characterized in that it comprises another rigid stiffener located in the lower part of the hollow tray and connected to it.
So, an object of the invention is a flexible mould for a culinary preparation, comprising:

- a tray adapted to be handled, the tray comprising a bottom wall located at a lower edge of the tray, a side wall extending upwardly from the bottom wall, the side wall having an upper edge and including a peripheral wing projecting outwardly from the upper edge, at least the side wall being made of a food-grade elastomer material (preferably silicone-based),
- a first stiffening element secured to the tray near the upper edge, for improving the handling of the tray by said edge,
- a second stiffening element secured to the tray near the lower edge of the tray,
- whereby the side wall is folded on itself and said first and second stiffening elements are brought towards each other for removing the culinary preparation out of the mould.

The first and second stiffening elements can especially be made of one of a rigid plastic material and metal.
Inward radial distortion of the material in the vicinity of the location of the second stiffening element (especially the bottom wall) is prevented.
According to a preferable feature, the first and second stiffening elements are covered with a protective layer adapted for allowing the mould to be heated in a microwave oven.
For preventing the polymerization process of the material to generate decomposition by-products when the mould is manufactured, the flexible, food grade elastomer material of the tray will advantageously comprise a silicone obtained by a process of cross-linking with platinum, as explained in U.S. Pat. No. 6,197,359 enclosed in the present description by reference.
According to another preferable feature, the side wall has an essentially uniform thickness, preferably the bottom wall too.
According to another preferable feature, the side wall and bottom wall have an inner surface adapted to be in contact with the culinary preparation, said inner surface being free of any undercut.
According to another preferable feature:

- the bottom wall and the peripheral wing of the tray are also made of a food-grade elastomer material,
- the tray is a one-piece sheet-like self-supporting tray, and
- the second stiffening element is a ring located in the vicinity of the junction between the bottom wall and the side wall.

If said second stiffening element is a ring, at least one of the bottom wall and the side wall of the tray can be provided with an open seat (or groove), and said ring can be (possibly removably) secured in said open seat.
Optionally, the wing of the tray can also be provided with such an open seat (or groove),and the first stiffening element is then disposed within said seat.
Alternatively, the second stiffening element can be embedded within the flexible elastomer material near the periphery of the bottom wall.
According to an alternative embodiment, the second stiffening element is a plate defining at least a part of the bottom wall of the tray.
In such a case, the bottom wall having an upper surface directed to the inside of the tray, and a lower surface, said upper surface being preferably covered with an anti-adhesive layer including polytetrafluorethylene.
It can be understood that with this particular arrangement of the two stiffeners, the advantages of the maximum flexibility of moulds, especially made of a silicone type material, are maintained, particularly if the upper and lower stiffeners are both annular (ring) or approximately annular, the lower stiffener then preferably being fixed to the bottom and located close to the junction between this bottom and the side wall. The result is that the entire mould remains flexible, thus improving some mould removal operations.
But some preparations may continue to cause a weight problem, and/or a mould removal problem.
The invention then proposes that the “lower” rigid stiffener should be in the form of at least one plate at the bottom of the mould.
If this bottom plate extends radially around the outside periphery, approximately as far as the junction between the bottom and the side wall, the hinge effect between the bottom and the side wall during mould removal will be reinforced (as in the previous solution with a bottom ring), particularly if the “bottom” stiffener around the external periphery continues around the entire periphery of the lower portion of the hollow tray. Furthermore, if the said plate extends inwards as far as the centre of the bottom, thus occupying most or all of the surface of this bottom, the mechanical behavior of the bottom will be facilitated preventing “belly” effects under the weight and assuring some stability in the bottom mould under all circumstances.
One aspect of the invention also relates to the link between the hollow tray and the “bottom” stiffener, when it is a plate.
The preferred solution for combining mould removal quality, mould cost price and ease of manufacturing, consists of:

- doubling up the plate at least on one of its two faces by an anti-adhesive (typically PTFE) coating that is visible on the inside on the bottom of the mould;
- and the plate is connected to the hollow tray by moulding around its periphery, where it is trapped in a peripheral groove in the hollow tray defining an inner rim.

Due to all or some of the above characteristics, two mould removal techniques are recommended in particular, in relation with the basic problem that arises.
In the first case, pressure is applied on the mould that tends to bring the level of the bottom and the “top” stiffener surrounding the opening towards each other, thus bending the side wall of the mould which turns on itself, until the bottom rises above the top end of the mould.
To complete mould removal in some cases, it is even recommended that the bottom can be raised above the level of the said top end, until the side wall is unfolded upwards. The mould is then fully turned inside out like a glove.
In the second case, the mould is firstly put inside out and then pressure is applied on the two stiffeners to bring the bottom and the opening towards each other, thus forcing the preparation out of the mould.
In all cases, the mould assembly is stiff enough to be able to use gripping utensils, for example removable handles.
Other special features and advantages of the invention will become clear after reading the following description of an embodiment given as a non-limitative example.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the attached drawings:
FIG. 1 shows a three-quarter bottom perspective view of a mould according to the invention;
FIG. 2 shows a sectional view along line II-II in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 shows detail III in FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 shows a top view of a rigid stiffener used in a mould according to this invention;
FIG. 5 shows a sectional view along axis V-V of the stiffener in FIG. 4; and
FIGS. 6, 7, 8 and 9 each represent a local section of a possible adapted embodiment of the mould, along the same section as in FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

As can be seen particularly in FIGS. 1 and 2, the culinary preparation mould 1 according to this invention is in the form of a hollow tray la made of a flexible (easily deformable), elastomer material (therefore with elastic characteristics) for example made of silicone. This hollow tray forms the receptacle inside which the preparation may be placed. It includes a bottom wall 2, a side wall 3 that stands up from the bottom and a top ring (or wing) 4 defining an outer stiffening and gripping rim that extends radially from the top part of the side wall 3 around the opening 5.
The mould 1 may have different shapes, for example round, rectangular, elliptical.
The thickness of the side wall(s) is preferably essentially uniform (a few millimeters everywhere), and said side wall is free of any undercut for receiving the article to be heated or for improving local bending of the tray. The bottom wall has advantageously the same features.
If it is round as shown in the figure, the thickness of the ring 4 for an opening diameter 5 of the order of 240 mm, is usually between 0.5% and 1.5% of this diameter, and preferably 1%. In one preferred embodiment, the thickness of the ring 4 is of the same order of magnitude as the thickness of the bottom 2 and side wall 3, and is preferably between 1.5 mm and 4 mm.
The top end of the side wall 3 delimits the opening 5 through which the preparation can be added into tray 1 a. The annular part 6 of the top ring 4 located at the opening 5 comprises a first rigid stiffener 7 (or top stiffener).
For example, the stiffener 7 may be made of a plastic material (particularly a type PA 6.6 thermoset material) or a metal such as stainless steel or aluminum. In particular, the stiffener 7 may be a wire with a diameter of between 1 mm and 5 mm.
The stiffener 7, advantageously placed around the entire mould periphery, is located at the same level as the opening 5. It is connected to the side wall 3 only through the ring 4, at a distance from the opening 5. This distance is typically between 10 mm and 40 mm. For a mould with an opening 5 with a diameter of 240 mm and with a height of about 50 mm, the stiffener 7 will preferably be located at a distance from the opening 5 equal to between 0.08 and 0.14 times this diameter, and preferably 0.12 times.
In the embodiment illustrated, the peripheral wing 4 is connected to the top part of the side wall 3 through a rim 8 that is convex upwards.
This area 8 facilitates mould removal, by initiating curvature of the side wall 3 to enable mould removal. The largest force which consists of smoothing the angle between the ring 4 and the side wall 3 is no longer necessary.
In the example shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the shape of the stiffener 7 is circular, including in section.
In the example shown in the figures, the ring 4 is formed continuously and is made of the same material as tray la. However, a removable ring 4 could be used.
In FIG. 1, the stiffener is embedded in the material forming the ring 4, at the location of the projection 6 at the radial end of it. In FIGS. 2 and 3, the stiffener 7 is fixed removable to the ring, by forced fitting in a peripheral groove, or seat, 9 partially open towards the inside.
Although not shown in the figures, means suitable for cooperating with removable gripping utensils could be placed at the stiffener 7.
The mould described above typically corresponds to the mould disclosed in FR-A2 827 494.
The mould according to the invention is different from the mould described in the prior application, particularly due to the presence of another rigid stiffener mark 11 in FIG. 1, 11′ in FIG. 2 and 11″ in FIG. 9.
This second stiffener is located in the lower portion of the hollow tray 1 a and connected to it to facilitate removal of the culinary preparation from the mould, or even to stabilize the shape of the bottom 2, during mould removal or when carrying the mould when full.
Like the upper stiffener 7, the lower stiffener may be a ring, annular or approximately annular, with a round section, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.
In this case, it is recommended as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, that the rigid ring 11 should be fixed to the bottom 2, being approximately at the junction between this bottom and the side wall 3.
It should be noted that in the solution in FIGS. 6 and 7, the annular retaining ring 11 may be embedded inside the elastomer material of the hollow tray 1 a, or may be added onto it inside a groove (or open seat) made in the outer surface of the bottom wall with a narrow retaining neck 13 extending as an annular ring around the periphery of the bottom 2, with an access opening preferably facing outwards (under the bottom) as shown in FIG. 7.
However, the solution of an embedded ring 11 in FIG. 6 will be preferred for cost reasons, for ease of cleaning and therefore for keeping the mould clean. Furthermore, if the stiffener is arranged in this manner, it must be present when making the hollow tray I a itself that is typically made by moulding.
Another solution consists of using a rigid stiffener in the form of a plate 11′ or 11″ at the bottom of the mould, instead of a retaining ring 11 (FIGS. 2, 8 and 9).
The plate 11′ (or 11″) preferably extends over the entire surface of the bottom 2.
The connection between the tray I and the plate may be made particularly in two different ways: either the plate is embedded in the flexible material of the tray located at the bottom 2 (FIG. 8), or the plate is connected to tray I at its periphery by inserting said plate into a horizontal peripheral groove 15, facing the inside and belonging to a rim 17 of the tray.
In both cases, the tray 1 a is made by moulding, the plate being placed in the mould before the flexible material is poured into it; in the second case, shrinkage and elasticity of the material block the plate with respect to the rim 17.
In the first case, the plate 11′ may be made of a piece of sheet metal or a rigid plastic plate (preferably thermosetting).
In the second case, it is a “coated” plate lined on at least its top face 19 by an anti-adhesive coating 21 such as polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE).
In this case, almost the entire bottom 2 is then formed by a solid disk with an anti-adhesive surface fixed to tray 1 a.
The advantage of a solution with a discoidal shaped plate like that in FIGS. 2, 8 and 9, instead of a solution with an annular retaining ring like that shown in FIGS. 1, 6 and 7, is that the bottom is stiffer and cannot deform, either during mould removal or under the weight of the preparation.
Furthermore, during mould removal, the user does not need to think about where to put his or her fingers on the bottom; there is always a rigid area that will resist finger pressure.
It should be noted that a solution in which the bottom is locally reinforced by several well-positioned plates linked together by a retaining ring if necessary, could be satisfactory in this respect (solution not shown).
The preparation in the figures can be removed from the moulds in two main manners, depending on whether the preparation is removed from the mould the right way down or upside down.
First assumption: mould the right way down and horizontal. The user pushes the upper stiffener 7 downwards and the bottom upwards, acting on the stiffener 11, 11′ or 11″. Without necessarily placing the mould on a support, he or she continues the movement until the bottom 2 passes above the level of the ring 4, in other words above the opening 5, and finishes by turning the mould inside out like a glove finger, the elasticity and deformability of the side wall 3 making it possible.
The retaining ring 11 and particularly the plates 11′ or 11″ then enable a utensil to be inserted along the top wall completely separated from the bottom, if necessary. There is no rim to make the operation more difficult.
When being turned inside out like a glove finger, the arrangement of the retaining ring or the peripheral edge of the plate at the location of the slope change between the side wall 3 and the bottom 2 accentuates the hinge effect at this location.
Second assumption: mould inside out, held by the user. The user pushes on the periphery of the bottom at the same time as he pulls on ring 4, preferably lifting the mould slightly. The side wall folds outwards on itself. The preparation is pushed outside the mould which once again tends to fold back like a glove finger, this time downwards.
To sum up, two methods for removing the culinary preparation from the mould 1 are preferably proposed thanks to the advantageous features of the invention:

- a pressure is applied on the mould tending to bring the level of the bottom wall and the first stiffening element 7 towards each other, thus bending the side wall typically inwardly. During removal of the preparation from the mould, the bottom rises above the level of the opening 5. Typically, this removal operation is done by continuously lifting the bottom wall above the level of the opening 5, until the side wall is unfolded upwards.

The mould is upside down, pressure is applied on the first and second stiffening elements 7, 11, 11′, 11″ to bring the bottom wall and the opening 5 towards each other.
Due to the stiffness of the bottom, the bottom keeps its shape and will not become wavy and create a risk of damaging the preparation, particularly if the preparation is a fragile cake.

Claims

1. A flexible mould for a culinary preparation, comprising:

a tray to be handled, the tray comprising a bottom wall located at a lower edge of the tray, a side wall extending upwardly from the bottom wall, the side wall having an upper edge and including a peripheral wing projecting outwardly from the upper edge, at least the side wall being made of a food-grade silicone material,

a first stiffening element secured to the tray near the upper edge for improving the handling of the tray by said upper edge,

a second stiffening element secured to the tray near the lower edge of the tray, whereby the side wall is folded on itself and said first and second stiffening elements are brought towards each other for removing the culinary preparation out of the mould.

2. The flexible mould according to claim 1, wherein the first and second stiffening elements are covered with a protective layer for allowing the mould to be heated in a microwave oven.

3. The flexible mould according to claim 1, wherein the side wall has an essentially uniform thickness.

4. The flexible mould according to claim 1, wherein the side wall and bottom wall have an inner surface in contact with the culinary preparation, and said inner surface is free of any undercut.

5. The flexible mould according to claim 1, wherein:

the bottom wall and the peripheral wing of the tray are also made of a food-grade silicone material,

the tray is a one-piece sheet-like self-supporting tray,

the side wall has a uniform thickness, and

the second stiffening element is a ring located in the vicinity of a junction between the bottom wall and the side wall.

6. The flexible mould according to claim 1, wherein the second stiffening element is a plate defining at least a part of the bottom wall of the tray.

7. The flexible mould according to claim 6, wherein:

the bottom wall has an upper surface directed to the inside of the tray, and a lower surface, and

at said upper surface, the plate is covered with an anti-adhesive layer.

8. The flexible mould according to claim 3, wherein:

at least one of the bottom wall and the side wall of the tray has a groove, and

the second stiffening element is a ring secured in said groove.

9. The flexible mould according to claim 1, wherein:

at least one of the bottom wall and the side wall of the tray has a groove, and

the second stiffening element is removably disposed in said groove.

10. A flexible mould for food, comprising:

a flexible one-piece sheet-like tray to be handled and made of a food-grade silicone material, the tray comprising a bottom wall located at a lower edge of the tray, a side wall extending upwardly from the bottom wall, the side wall having an upper edge and including a peripheral wing projecting outwardly from the upper edge,

a second stiffening element secured to the tray near the lower edge of the tray, the first and second stiffening elements being covered with said silicone material, for allowing the mould to be heated in a microwave oven.

11. The flexible mould according to claim 10, wherein the side wall and bottom wall have an inner surface adapted to be in contact with a culinary preparation, and said inner surface is free of any undercut.

12. The flexible mould according to claim 10, wherein the second stiffening element is embedded within said silicone material near the periphery of the bottom wall for preventing inward radial distortion of the silicone material in the vicinity of the location of the second stiffening element.

13. The flexible mould according to claim 10, wherein the second stiffening element is a plate extending along the bottom wall.

14. A flexible mould for food, comprising:

a tray to be handled and made of a flexible, food grade elastomer material to be heated in one of a conventional culinary oven and a microwave culinary oven, the tray comprising a bottom wall located at a lower edge of the tray, a side wall extending upwardly from the bottom wall, the side wall having an upper edge and including a wing projecting outwardly from the upper edge,

a second stiffening element secured to the tray near the lower edge of the tray, so that, for removing out of said tray a culinary preparation previously disposed therein and heated in said oven, the side wall is folded on itself and said first and second stiffening elements are brought towards each other.

15. The flexible mould according to claim 14, wherein the side wall and the bottom wall have an inner surface in contact with the culinary preparation, and said inner surface is free of any undercut.

16. The flexible mould according to claim 14, wherein:

the tray is a flexible one-piece sheet-like tray, and

the first and second stiffening elements are covered with the material of the tray for allowing the mould to be heated in a microwave oven.

17. The flexible mould according to claim 14, wherein the flexible, food grade elastomer material comprises a silicone obtained by a process of cross-linking with platinum.

18. The flexible mould according to claim 14, wherein the side wall has an essentially uniform thickness.

19. The flexible mould according to claim 14, wherein the tray is heated in a microwave oven and both the first and second stiffening elements are covered with a protective layer for allowing the mould to be heated in said microwave oven.

20. The flexible mould according to claim 19, wherein the tray is made of a silicone material, and the protective layer of the first and second stiffening elements is made of the silicone material of the tray.

21. The flexible mould according to claim 14, wherein the side wall of the tray has a uniform thickness.

22. The flexible mould according to claim 14, wherein the wing of the tray is provided with an open seat and the first stiffening element is disposed within said seat.

23. The flexible mould according to claim 14, wherein the first and second stiffening elements are made of one of a rigid plastic material and metal.

24. The flexible mould according to claim 7, wherein the anti-adhesive layer includes polytetrafluorethylene.