JP7560698B1 - Microwave steamer - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a microwave steamer suitable for cleaning in a dishwasher. [Solution] A microwave steamer 10 has a bottom surface 24 and an inner surface 28. The bottom surface 24 is disc-shaped and serves as a surface on which food is placed. The inner surface 28 surrounds the bottom surface 24. A plurality of protrusions 40 are disposed on the bottom surface 24. The plurality of protrusions 40 are disposed along a radial spiral locus. [Selected Figure] FIG.

Description

This specification discloses a microwave steamer.

Patent Document 1-16 discloses a steamer that uses a microwave oven to steam food.

In Patent Documents 15 and 16, protrusions are provided on the bottom surface of the container on which the food is placed. The protrusions lift the food off the bottom surface of the container, preventing liquids such as meat juices and oil from coming out of the food from adhering to the food.

Utility Model Publication No. 63-183078 Utility Model Publication No. 59-151517 Utility Model Publication No. 59-181069 JP 2012-75586 A JP 2007-44459 A JP 2002-336123 A Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 7-027417 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 63-273731 Utility Model Publication No. 63-153008 Utility Model Publication No. 56-157503 Publication No. 56-54598 Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 2-51831 Utility Model Publication No. 55-91405 Publication No. 49-143237 JP 2000-166762 A Registered Utility Model No. 3160143

Incidentally, microwave steamers are generally heat-resistant tableware, and therefore can often be cleaned using a dishwasher/dryer. This specification therefore discloses a microwave steamer suitable for cleaning in a dishwasher/dryer.

This specification discloses a microwave steamer. The steamer has a bottom surface and an inner surface. The bottom surface is disk-shaped and serves as a surface on which food is placed. The inner surface surrounds the bottom surface. A plurality of protrusions are disposed on the bottom surface. The plurality of protrusions are disposed along a radial spiral trajectory.

With the above configuration, the water flow from the dishwasher/dryer flows along the protrusions arranged along a spiral trajectory on the bottom surface of the microwave steamer. The protrusion arrangement acts as a guide for the water flow toward the center of the bottom surface, washing away food residue that has accumulated on the bottom surface.

In the above configuration, a spiral groove may be formed on the inner surface that is connected to the multiple protrusions.

The above configuration makes it possible to form a spiral flow from the inner surface, which increases the force of the water flow.

In the above configuration, the angle between the inner surface and the bottom surface may be an obtuse angle. Furthermore, the connection between the inner surface and the bottom surface may be a curved surface.

The above configuration makes it possible to suppress a decrease in the force of the water flowing from the inner surface to the bottom surface.

In the above configuration, the diameter of the protrusion near the inner surface may be larger than the diameter of the protrusion near the radial center.

By arranging the protrusions along a spiral trajectory, the distance between adjacent spiral rows increases the further away from the radial center. By making the diameter of the protrusions farther away from the radial center larger than that of the protrusions at the radial center, the expansion of the distance (gap) between the protrusions is suppressed.

In the above configuration, multiple measurement protrusions of different heights may be arranged near the inner surface of the bottom surface.

The above configuration allows the amount of water to be injected into the steamer to be accurately measured.

The microwave steamer disclosed in this specification provides a microwave steamer that is suitable for cleaning in a dishwasher/dryer.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a container of the microwave steamer according to the present embodiment. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a lid of the microwave steamer according to the present embodiment. FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a container and a lid. FIG. 2 illustrates a plan view of a container. FIG. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a container attached to a lid.

Referring to Figures 1 to 3, the microwave steamer 10 according to this embodiment includes a container 20 (see Figure 1) and a lid 50 (see Figure 2). Note that in Figure 2, the lid 50 is drawn at an angle looking at the inner surface (top surface 58) from below. Figure 3 illustrates the B-B cross section of Figure 2. Note that Figure 3 also illustrates the A-A cross section of the container 20 (see Figure 1). Note that the protrusions 32 and projections 40 formed on the inner surface 28 and bottom surface 24 are omitted from Figure 3.

The container 20 and the lid 50 are made of a material that is transparent to microwaves emitted from a microwave oven. The container 20 and the lid 50 are also made of a heat-resistant material that can withstand heating in a microwave oven. For example, the heat-resistant temperature of the container 20 and the lid 50 may be 140° or higher. As described below, the lid 50 is required to be elastic when attached to and detached from the container 20. For example, the container 20 and the lid 50 are made of polypropylene or silicon. Alternatively, the container 20 is made of heat-resistant glass.

The container 20 is a bowl-shaped dish that is open at the top. The container 20 has a bottom wall 23 and a side wall 22. The bottom wall 23 is disk-shaped. The side wall 22 surrounds the bottom wall 23. In other words, the inner surface 28 surrounds the bottom surface 24. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the side wall 22 and the bottom wall 23 are formed so that the angle between the side wall 22 and the bottom wall 23 is an obtuse angle. In other words, the diameter of the container 20 decreases in the depth direction toward the bottom surface 24.

The upper end 22A of the side wall 22 is structured to open outward compared to its lower portion. A handle 26 is provided at this point where the inclination angle changes. The handle 26 extends radially outward of the container 20. For example, a pair of handles 26, 26 arranged opposite each other are formed on the container 20. As illustrated in FIG. 6 described later, the claw 55 of the lid 50 is inserted between the upper end 22A of the side wall 22 and the handle 26. In other words, the claw 55 engages with the upper end 22A.

Referring to Figures 2, 3, and 6, the lid 50 is placed on the container 20. The lid 50 has an upper wall 52 and a side wall 54. The upper wall 52 is disk-shaped. The side wall 54 surrounds the upper wall 52. The connection between the side wall 54 and the upper wall 52 is curved.

Referring to FIG. 3, the side wall 54 is provided with a handle 56. The handle 56 extends radially outward from the lid 50. For example, the handle 56 is provided at the lower end of the side wall 54. The number of handles 56 may be different from the number of handles 26 of the container 20. For example, three handles 56 are equally spaced apart on the lid 50.

Furthermore, a claw 55 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the side wall 54 so as to face the handle 56. The claw 55 protrudes radially inward. The circumferential lengths of the claw 55 and the handle 56 may be, for example, the same.

Referring to FIG. 3, the inner diameter R1 of the side wall 54 is larger than the outer diameter R3 of the upper end 22A of the side wall 22 of the container 20. In addition, the outer diameter R3 of the upper end 22A is larger than the inner diameter R2 of the claw 55. In other words, the inner diameter R1, the inner diameter R2, and the outer diameter R3 have a relationship of R1>R3>R2.

In other words, referring to FIG. 6, when the lid 50 is attached to the container 20, the claw 55 climbs over the upper end 22A. That is, the claw 55 fits between the upper end 22A and the handle 26. In other words, the claw 55 engages with the upper end 22A. This fitting structure (engagement structure) prevents the lid 50 from coming off the container 20 even if the internal pressure of the microwave steamer 10 rises during steam cooking.

In addition, because the number of handles 56 on the lid 50 and the number of handles 26 on the container 20 are different and the spacing between them is also different, there are areas where the handles 26 and 56 overlap and areas where they are misaligned. By pulling up the handles 56 from these misaligned areas, the lid 50 can be easily opened (removed) from the container 20.

In addition, a steam hole 60 is drilled in the top surface 58 of the lid 50. The steam hole 60 penetrates the upper wall 52. For example, the steam hole 60 is drilled in the center of the top surface 58.

Referring to Figures 1, 4, and 5, the bottom surface 24 of the container 20 is disk-shaped and serves as a surface on which food is placed. A number of protrusions 40 are arranged on the bottom surface 24. Referring to Figure 5, the protrusions 40 have, for example, a hemispherical upper end. By making the protrusions 40 hemispherical, the protrusions 40 come into point contact with the bottom surface of the food. In other words, the contact area between the protrusions 40 and the bottom surface of the food is smaller compared to, for example, when the upper end of the protrusions 40 is disk-shaped. As a result, steam can be applied over a wide area of the bottom surface of the food.

Referring to Figures 1 and 4, the protrusions 40 are arranged along a radial spiral trajectory from the center of the bottom surface 24. In other words, this trajectory is drawn in accordance with two conditions: (1) it is radial, and (2) it extends spirally. A central protrusion 40A is disposed at the center of the bottom surface 24. A plurality of spiral rows are formed by the protrusions 40 from the central protrusion 40A. The spiral rows are arranged at intervals of 10°, for example. In this case, 36 spiral rows are formed.

For example, the spiral trajectory is drawn along the so-called Archimedes spiral. That is, the spiral trajectory is determined based on the equation r = aθ expressed in polar coordinates. Here, r is the radius, a is an arbitrary constant, and θ is the argument. For example, the argument θ can take values between 0° and 180°. That is, each spiral trajectory can be about half a revolution.

By arranging the protrusions 40 in a spiral pattern, a spiral flow path is formed on the bottom surface 24. The water flow from the dishwasher flows along this spiral flow path toward the central protrusion 40A. This flow washes away food residue adhering to the bottom surface 24.

The further away from the center the spiral rows are, the greater the distance between adjacent rows. Here, the diameters of the protrusions 40 may be different in order to make the distance between the protrusions 40 uniform. For example, the diameter of the protrusions 40 near the inner surface 28 (i.e., on the terminal side) is larger than the diameter of the protrusions 40 near the radial center. For example, referring to FIG. 4, the diameter of the terminal protrusion 40B is larger than the diameter of the central protrusion 40A. For example, the diameter of the protrusions 40 may gradually increase from the central protrusion 40A at the radial center to the terminal protrusion 40B. For example, the diameter of the protrusions 40 is 2.0 mm or more and 4.0 mm or less.

In addition, as the spiral trajectory approaches the radial center, the distance between adjacent protrusions 40, 40 becomes narrower. Therefore, for example, two spiral trajectories may be combined and replaced by one large protrusion. For example, the protrusions 40 in the third and fifth stages counting from the central protrusion 40A will have a relatively large diameter.

When steaming, the height of the protrusions 40 is determined based on the amount of water poured into the container 20. With reference to FIG. 5, the height H1 of the protrusions 40 is, for example, 5 mm or less. The distance D1 between adjacent protrusions 40, 40 is, for example, 2.8 mm or less.

A spiral groove 34 is formed radially outward of the terminal projection 40B. That is, the central end of the spiral groove 34 is formed in the bottom surface 24. The spiral groove 34 extends from the bottom surface 24 to the inner surface 28. The spiral groove 34 is formed by a plurality of ridges 32. The ridges 32 are connected to the spiral trajectory of the projections 40. In other words, the groove formed by the projections 40 is connected to the spiral groove 34. That is, a single spiral trajectory is formed by the projections 40 and the ridges 32.

The water flow in the dishwasher/dryer flows from the inner surface 28 to the bottom surface 24 while being guided by the spiral groove 34. The water then flows along the spiral trajectory of the protrusions 40 to the central protrusion 40A. With reference to FIG. 3, the angle between the inner surface 28 and the bottom surface 24 is set to be an obtuse angle. In addition, the connection between the inner surface 28 and the bottom surface 24 is a curved surface. This shape allows the water to flow smoothly from the inner surface 28 to the bottom surface 24.

The height H2 of the ridge 32 may be equal to the height of the protrusion 40. The groove width D2 of the spiral groove 34 may be equal to the distance D1 between the protrusions 40, 40.

In addition, an annular connecting groove 36 is formed on the bottom surface 24 so as to intersect the multiple spiral grooves 34. For example, the protrusion 32 is cut out in the middle, thereby forming the connecting groove 36. The connecting groove 36 reduces the uneven distribution of water between adjacent spiral grooves 34, 34.

Referring to FIG. 5, metering protrusions 48A, 48B, and 48C are arranged in the communication groove 36 of the bottom surface 24. The metering protrusions 48A, 48B, and 48C are arranged near the inner surface 28. For the purpose of improving the visibility of the metering protrusions 48A, 48B, and 48C, for example, the groove width of the communication groove 36 at the location where the metering protrusions 48A, 48B, and 48C are arranged may be expanded. The metering protrusions 48A, 48B, and 48C may be cylindrical. In other words, the upper end surfaces of the metering protrusions 48A, 48B, and 48C may be disks parallel to the bottom surface 24.

Metering protrusions 48A, 48B, and 48C have different heights H3, H4, and H5, respectively. Here, H3>H4>H5. For example, when water is poured into container 20 for steaming, when the water level is level with the top end of metering protrusion 48C, the amount of water poured is 5 cc. When the water level is level with the top end of metering protrusion 48B, the amount of water poured is 10 cc. When the water level is level with the top end of metering protrusion 48A, the amount of water poured is 15 cc.

To determine whether the container 20 is placed on a horizontal surface, the measuring projections 48A, 48B, and 48C are provided at multiple locations on the bottom surface 24. For example, referring to FIG. 4, three groups of measuring projections 48A, 48B, and 48C are arranged on the bottom surface 24 at intervals of 120°.

10 microwave steamer, 20 container, 22 container side wall, 23 container bottom wall, 24 bottom surface, 28 inner surface, 32 ridge, 34 spiral groove, 36 connecting groove, 40 projection, 40A central projection, 40B end projection, 48A, 48B, 48C measuring projections, 50 lid.

Claims (5)

A bottom surface having a disk shape and serving as a food placement surface;
An inner surface surrounding the bottom surface;
Equipped with
A plurality of protrusions are disposed on the bottom surface,
The plurality of protrusions are arranged along a radial helical locus.
Microwave steamer. 2. The microwave steamer according to claim 1,
The inner surface is formed with a spiral groove connected to the plurality of protrusions.
Microwave steamer. 3. The microwave steamer according to claim 2,
The angle between the inner surface and the bottom surface is an obtuse angle, and a connection portion between the inner surface and the bottom surface is a curved surface.
Microwave steamer. A microwave steamer according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
a diameter of the protrusion near the inner surface is greater than a diameter of the protrusion near the radial center;
Microwave steamer. 2. The microwave steamer according to claim 1,
A plurality of measurement protrusions having different heights are disposed on the bottom surface near the inner surface.
Microwave steamer.