Title of Invention	COOKING VESSEL FOR PREPARING FOOD WITH TEMPERATURE INDICATING DEVICE .
Abstract	Cooking vessel (1) for preparing food, comprising components (2,3,4) which are arranged on the outside of the vessel (1) and to which a sticker (5,6,7) is attached' which has a coating which contains thermochromatic pigments characterized in that the sticker has different shapes, and different thermal sensitivities of the pigments are associated with each of these different shapes.

Full Text

The present invention relates to a food cooking vessel for preparing food with temperature indicating devices. In using pots, it would be useful, both during and after the cooking step, to indicate that the pot has achieved a set temperature, and that the portions thereof are hot thereby allowing the user to take precautions against burns Pots or frying pans having at a central position at their bottom, a thermochromatic pigment containing coating indicating, by a color change, that the bottom has achieved a set temperature, are already commercially known. However, this prior solution has the drawback that it indicates only and exclusively the temperature corresponding to the central region of the pot bottom, but not that of pot outer regions. Moreover, with the food arranged n the pot, this chromatic indication cannot be seen, since the food being cooked covers the thermochromatic pigment coating. Another prior art approach provides to use a thermosensitive liquid crystal device, the liquid crystals of which are embedded in the pot handle, which handle is for example made of a plastic material and projects from the pot body or vessel. This prior thermosensitive liquid crystal device provides a temperature indication, which, even in this case, is measured at the inner regions of the vessel. Such prior device, however, is very complex and expensive and moreover, is susceptible to be easily degraded in operation, because of the high temperature of the cooking regions or the moisture and heat present inside a dishwasher. Summary of the invention Accordingly, the aim of the present invention is to overcome the above mentioned drawbacks of the prior art and provide a food cooking vessel including an improved means for signaling the achieved temperature, said means being adapted to be arranged outside the vessel and applied, by unexpensive methods, on outer portions thereof. This aim is achieved by a food cooking vessel, characterized in that said food cooking vessel comprises constructional components, arranged outside said cooking vessel, said constructional components being coated by a coating layer containing thermochromatic pigments. Brief description of the accompanying drawings. Further characteristics of the inventon will become more apparent hereinafter from the following disclosure. The present invention will be disclosed and illustrated obviously comprise other cooking containers or vessels, such as, for example, fraying pans, stewpans and like containers or vessels. The outer constructional parts of the vessel 1 are provided with coating layers containing thermochromatic pigments having a variable thermal sensitivity. Such a coating will further comprise pigments which, depending on the achieved temperature, will change their colors, for example from a starting black color (as the vessel 1 is at environment temperature) to a red or red-orange color, as the vessel is heated for example to the cooking temperature, which can vary from 150°C to 240°C. Thermochromatic pigment containing coatings are known in the prior art, and are made, for example, by the firm Keystone. Figure 1 shows different manners for detecting and indicating the temperature of the inside of the vessel 1. Thus, for example, the body of the fire stop tubular device 4 can be coated, before assembling it by the plate 3, by a thermochromatic pigment holding coating layer 5. It would be also possible to arrange the thermochromatic pigment holding coating at any other technically suitable places. A further possibility would be to provide the handle 2 with a thermochromatic pigment holding coating 6 and, finally, it would be also possible to apply, by glueing it on the fire stop obviously comprise other cooking containers or vessels, such as, for example, fraying pans, stewpans and like containers or vessels. The outer constructional parts of the vessel 1 are provided with coating layers containing thermochromatic pigments having a variable thermal sensitivity. Such a coating will further comprise pigments which, depending on the achieved temperature, will change their colors, for example from a starting black color (as the vessel 1 is at environment temperature) to a red or red-orange color, as the vessel is heated for example to the cooking temperature, which can vary from 150°C to 240°C. Thermochromatic pigment containing coatings are known in the prior art, and are made, for example, by the firm Keystone. Figure 1 shows different manners for detecting and indicating the temperature of the inside of the vessel 1. Thus, for example, the body of the fire stop tubular device 4 can be coated, before assembling it by the plate 3, by a thermochromatic pigment holding coating layer 5. It would be also possible to arrange the thermochromatic pigment holding coating at any other technically suitable places. A further possibility would be to provide the handle 2 with a thermochromatic pigment holding coating 6 and, finally, it would be also possible to apply, by glueing it on the fire stop body 4, or on the handle 2, a label 7 coated by a thermochromatic pigment holding layer. Such a label 7 would provide the advantage that, after a given period of use of the vessel 1, and upon deteriorating the thermochromatic pigment, the label 7 could be removed and replaced by a new one. Moreover, said labels provide the advantage that they can be series made at a low cost and can be quickly and easily applied. Moreover, said thermochromatic pigment holding labels can have different patterns, for a better disposal of thereof. As shown in figure 2, the label 7 has a circular configuration, whereas a label 8 can have a square configuration and a label 9, for example, a triangular configuration. The different configurations of said labels 7, 8 and 9 allow moreover to make and facilitate the use of different thermal sensitivity labels. Thus, for example, a label could comprise thermochromatic pigments changing their colors at temperatures of about 80-100°C. A further label can have a coating changing its color at a temperature of about 150°C and yet another label could hold therein a thermochromatic pigmentation changing its color starting from 180°C to 240°C, and this only to provide some examples. The great advantage provided by the present invention should be envisaged in the fact that the thermal indicating means are arranged inside the vessel. The indicating coating can be applied on different outer components of the vessel, for example on the projecting fire stop body, on the fire stop body mounting plate or directly on the handle, fitted in the tubular body of the fire stop body or device. It would also be possible to apply to adjoining regions said thermochromatic pigment holding coatings, which would be sensitive to different temperatures. In a particularly advantageous manner, the thermal indicating or signalling coating is applied by a spraying type of applying method. It would be furthermore advantageous to apply said thermochromatic pigment holding coating by a screen printing method. Moreover, it has been found as advantageous to apply the thermal signalling or indicating pigment holding layer by a buffering system and, finally, it would be also advantageous and possible to apply the thermochromatic pigment holding coating layer by using transfer printing methods. We claim: 1. Cooking vessel (1) for preparing food, comprising components (2,3,4) which are arranged on the outside of the vessel (1) and to which a sticker (5,6,7) is attached which has a coating which contains thermochromatic pigments, characterized in that the sticker has different shapes, and different thermal sensitivities of the pigments are associated with each of these different shapes. 2. Cooking vessel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coating which contains thermochromatic pigments is applied by means of a spraying method. 3. Cooking vessel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coating which contains thermochromatic pigments is applied using a screen-printing method. 4. Cooking vessel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coating which contains thermochromatic pigments is applied by means of buffering methods. 5. Cooking vessel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coating which contains thermochromatic pigments is applied using decals. Cooking vessel (1) for preparing food, comprising components (2,3,4) which are arranged on the outside of the vessel (1) and to which a sticker (5,6,7) is attached' which has a coating which contains thermochromatic pigments characterized in that the sticker has different shapes, and different thermal sensitivities of the pigments are associated with each of these different shapes.

Documents:

433-KOL-2004-FORM-27.pdf

433-kol-2004-granted-abstract.pdf

433-kol-2004-granted-claims.pdf

433-kol-2004-granted-correspondence.pdf

433-kol-2004-granted-description (complete).pdf

433-kol-2004-granted-drawings.pdf

433-kol-2004-granted-examination report.pdf

433-kol-2004-granted-form 1.pdf

433-kol-2004-granted-form 18.pdf

433-kol-2004-granted-form 2.pdf

433-kol-2004-granted-form 26.pdf

433-kol-2004-granted-form 3.pdf

433-kol-2004-granted-form 5.pdf

433-kol-2004-granted-priority document.pdf

433-kol-2004-granted-reply to examination report.pdf

433-kol-2004-granted-specification.pdf

433-kol-2004-granted-translated copy of priority document.pdf