Baking sheet with slide-off ramp
View Patent ↗A substantially flat, heat-resistant baking sheet has a baking surface, a rolled periphery and a baking area within that periphery. The baking area has numerous through-holes. A generally upright wall, integrally formed with the sheet, extends along the first part of the periphery, defining an upper edge. The height of the wall varies from a maximum to a minimum predetermined height, and the wall substantially encloses the baking area along the first part of the periphery. In the example shown, the baking sheet is rectangular: the wall extends along three sides and the fourth side has no wall. A baked product can be slid or pushed off this fourth side without being lifted, the side serving as a slide-off chute or ramp. Condensation between the baking sheet and the baked product evacuates through the holes to allow the surface against the sheet to bake to a crisper consistency.
1. A baking sheet comprising a sheet of substantially flat heat-resistant material forming a baking surface in a first plane and defining a peripheral edge and a baking area within said peripheral edge, said flat sheet being formed with a plurality of through holes or apertures; a generally upright wall integrally formed with said sheet material and extending along only a first portion of said periphery and defining an upper edge contained within a second plane that is inclined relative to said first plane substantially along a second portion of said periphery thereby providing said upright wall with a variable vertical height relative to said first plane from a maximum predetermined height to a minimum predetermined height relative to said first plane, the baking sheet deflected upwardly from said first plane in proximity to said second peripheral portion in order to accommodate a rolled edge that extends continuously around the entire periphery of the baking sheet, the portion of the sheet deflected upwardly forming a slide-off chute or ramp, wherein the rolled edge that extends continuously around the entire periphery of the baking sheet lies within the second plane, whereby said variable height wall substantially encloses said baking area along said first portion of said peripheral edge, and a baked product can be slid or pushed off into a receptacle without lifting the baked product along said second peripheral portion, whereby condensation that may be formed between said flat sheet and the baked product can be evaporated and evacuated, expelled or removed through said holes or apertures to allow the surface in contact with said flat sheet to bake to a crisper consistency.
2. A baking sheet as defined in claim 1 , wherein said sheet and baking surface are substantially rectangular and said first portion of said periphery includes three sides of said rectangular surface and said second portion of said periphery includes the fourth side of said rectangular surface.
3. A baking sheet as defined in claim 2 , wherein said sheet and baking surface define two opposing longer sides and two opposing shorting sides, said first portion of said periphery including said two opposing longer sides and one of said opposing shorter sides, and said second portion of said periphery comprises the other of said opposing shorter sides.
4. A baking sheet as defined in claim 3 , wherein said baking surface is coated with a non-stick coating.
5. A baking sheet as defined in claim 1 , wherein said second portion of said periphery is substantially co-extensive with said first plane of said baking surface.
6. A baking sheet as defined in claim 4 , wherein said coating is PTFE.
7. A baking sheet as defined in claim 1 , wherein said holes are arranged in at least one array of holes.
8. A baking sheet as defined in claim 7 , wherein said holes are arranged in circular arrays.
9. A baking sheet as defined in claim 7 , wherein said holes are provided substantially over the entire effective baking surface.
10. A baking sheet as defined in claim 7 , wherein said holes densely populate said effective baking surface.
11. A baking sheet as defined in claim 7 , wherein said holes are spaced distances from each other that are on the order of magnitude of the dimensions of said holes.
12. A baking device comprising:
a baking sheet of heat-resistant material forming a baking surface in a first plane and defining a peripheral edge and a baking area within the peripheral edge, the baking sheet having a back end, sides, and a front end; and
a generally upright wall extending continuously along the entire peripheral edge and defining a rolled upper edge contained within a second plane thereby providing the upright wall with a variable vertical height relative to the first plane from a maximum height at the back end, to a minimum height at the front end;
wherein the baking sheet in proximity of the front end is deflected upwardly from the first plane in order to accommodate the rolled upper edge, and forming a slide-off chute or ramp; and
whereby the variable height wall substantially encloses the baking area, and a baked product can be slid or pushed off into a receptacle without lifting the baked product at the front end.
13. A baking device as defined in claim 12 , the baking sheet having a substantially rectangular shape so that the upright wall provides three sides of the baking sheet, and the front end having a chute in the region of the minimum height of the upright wall, forming a generally smooth and gradual transition between the baking surface in the first plane, and the upright wall in the second plane, for allowing a baked product on the baking surface to be slid off or pushed off the baking surface over the peripheral edge without lifting or damaging the baked product.
14. A baking device as defined in claim 12 , the baking sheet being formed with a plurality of through holes or apertures, whereby condensation that may be formed between the baking sheet and the baked product can be evaporated and evacuated, expelled or removed through the holes or apertures to allow the surface in contact with the baking sheet to bake to a crisper consistency.
15. A baking device as defined in claim 12 , wherein the baking surface is coated with a non-stick coating.
16. A baking device as defined in claim 12 , wherein said coating is PTFE.
17. A baking device as defined in claim 14 , wherein the holes are arranged in circular arrays.
18. A baking device as defined in claim 14 , wherein the holes densely populate the baking area.
19. A baking device as defined in claim 14 , wherein the holes are spaced distances from each other that are on the order of magnitude of the dimensions of the holes.
20. A baking sheet comprising a sheet of substantially flat heat-resistant material forming a baking surface in a first plane, wherein the baking sheet further comprises a portion deflected upwardly from the first plane which serves as a slide-off chute or ramp, and defining a peripheral edge and a baking area within the peripheral edge, the flat sheet being formed with a plurality of through holes, wherein the holes are arranged in at least one array of holes, and wherein the holes are circular and the spacing between the holes is approximately equal to the diameters of the holes; a generally upright wall integrally formed with the sheet material and extending along only a first portion of the periphery and defining an upper edge contained within a second plane that is inclined relative to the first plane substantially along a second portion of the periphery thereby providing the upright wall with a variable vertical height relative to the first plane from a maximum predetermined height to a minimum predetermined height relative to the first plane, whereby the variable height wall substantially encloses the baking area along the first portion of the peripheral edge, and a baked product can be slid or pushed off into a receptacle without lifting the baked product along the second peripheral portion, whereby condensation that may be formed between the flat sheet and the baked product can be evaporated and evacuated, expelled or removed through the holes or apertures to allow the surface in contact with the flat sheet to bake to a crisper consistency.