Dish

Abstract

A dish includes: a food accommodator which accommodates a food therein; and a heat medium accommodator which is provided in a part of the food accommodator and accommodates a heat medium therein to keep the food accommodated in the food accommodator warm and cool.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2007-0136241, filed on Dec. 24, 2007, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] Apparatuses consistent with the present invention relate to a dish, and more particularly, to a dish which keeps a food warm or cool to maintain an original taste of the food.

[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0005] Generally, a dish is used to serve food cooked by a cooking tool to people.

[0006] The dish includes a food accommodator to accommodate the food therein and an extension part extending along a circumference of the food accommodator to be gripped by a user.

[0007] If a food which is heated to a predetermined temperature, e.g. a steak, barbeque or grilled beef is served from the conventional dish, the temperature of the dish is quickly lowered by the ambient temperature while people eat the food. Thus, the food becomes cold and the original flavor of the food is lost.

[0008] Thus, a user should warm the cold food with an additional heating tool or throw away the food if the additional heating tool is not available.

[0009] Meanwhile, if a cold food, e.g., sashimi, salad or ice cream is served from the conventional dish, the food absorbs the ambient heat. Thus, the food becomes less fresh and loses its original taste.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Accordingly, it is an aspect of the present invention to provide a dish which maintains an original taste of a food for a particular time.

[0011] Additional aspects of the present invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the present invention.

[0012] The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present invention are also achieved by providing a dish, comprising: a food accommodator which accommodates a food therein; and a heat medium accommodator which is provided in a part of the food accommodator and accommodates a heat medium therein to keep the food accommodated in the food accommodator warm and cool.

[0013] The food accommodator may comprise an internal wall and an external wall which have the heat medium accommodator therebetween, and one of the internal wall and the external wall has an injection hole to inject the heat medium to the heat medium accommodator.

[0014] The injection hole may be sealed not to leak the heat medium accommodated in the heat medium accommodator therefrom.

[0015] The heat medium may comprise a sodium acetate liquid.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] The above and/or other aspects of the present invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

[0017] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dish according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and

[0018] FIG. 2 is a sectional view, taken along line II-II in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT

[0019] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like elements and repetitive descriptions will be avoided as necessary.

[0020] Hereinafter, a dish according to the present invention will be described in detail.

[0021] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dish according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a sectional view, taken along line II-II in FIG. 1. As shown therein, a dish 10 according to the present invention includes a food accommodator 20 accommodating a food therein and an extension part 30 extending along a circumference of the food accommodator 20 to be gripped by a user.

[0022] A heat medium accommodator 40 is provided in a lower part of the food accommodator 20 to accommodate a heat medium. The heat medium keeps the food accommodator 20 warm and cool.

[0023] The food accommodator 20 includes an internal wall 21 and an external wall 25 to form the heat medium accommodator 40.

[0024] An injection hole 25a is formed in the external wall 25 of the food accommodator 20 to inject the heat medium to the heat medium accommodator 40.

[0025] The injection hole 25a is sealed not to leak the heat medium accommodated in the heat medium accommodator 40 therefrom.

[0026] The injection hole 25a according to the present embodiment is finished with the same material as that of the external wall 25 of the food accommodator 20. The injection hole 25a may be coupled with a cap or a plug to easily replace the heat medium accommodated in the heat medium accommodator 40. The cap and the plug may be detachable from the injection hole 25a.

[0027] Preferably, the heat medium accommodated in the heat medium accommodator 40 includes a sodium acetate liquid.

[0028] The amount of the heat medium accommodated in the heat medium accommodator 40 is approximately 90% of a total volume of the heat medium accommodator 40.

[0029] With the foregoing configuration, if the warm food is to be served on the dish 10 according to the present invention, the dish 10 is heated to a temperature close to the boiling point of the heat medium and then the warm food is accommodated in the food accommodator 20 of the heated dish 10.

[0030] The food accommodated in the food accommodator 20 maintains its heat for a particular time by the heat of the heat medium accommodated in the heat medium accommodator 40. Thus, the food may maintain its original taste.

[0031] If the cold food is to be served on the dish 10 according to the present invention, the dish 10 is cooled to a temperature close to a solidifying point of the heat medium and then the cold food is accommodated in the food accommodator 20 of the cooled dish 10.

[0032] The food accommodated in the food accommodator 20 maintains its cool for a particular time by the cool of the heat medium accommodated in the heat medium accommodator 40. Thus, the food may maintain its original taste.

[0033] As described above, the heat medium accommodator 40 accommodating the heat medium therein is provided in a part of the food accommodator 20 to keep the food accommodator 20 warm and cool. Thus, the food may maintain its original taste for a particular time.

[0034] Meanwhile, the heat medium of the dish 10 according to the present invention may include water, a salt solution having a predetermined concentration or oil other than a sodium acetate liquid.

[0035] According to the foregoing exemplary embodiment, the food accommodator 20 has a round section, but not limited thereto. Alternatively, the food accommodator 20 may have various types of sections including polygonal, round, elliptical, starry and heart shapes.

[0036] The present invention may be applicable to a bowl and cup, too.

[0037] Although a few exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these exemplary embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A dish, comprising: a food accommodator which accommodates a food therein; and a heat medium accommodator which is provided in a part of the food accommodator and accommodates a heat medium therein to keep the food accommodated in the food accommodator warm and cool.

2. The dish according to claim 1, wherein the food accommodator comprises an internal wall and an external wall which have the heat medium accommodator therebetween, and one of the internal wall and the external wall has an injection hole to inject the heat medium to the heat medium accommodator.

3. The dish according to claim 2, wherein the injection hole is sealed not to leak the heat medium accommodated in the heat medium accommodator therefrom.

4. The dish according to claim 3, wherein the heat medium comprises a sodium acetate liquid.

5. The dish according to claim 2, wherein the heat medium comprises a sodium acetate liquid.

6. The dish according to claim 1, wherein the heat medium comprises a sodium acetate liquid.