Flexible hot plate and cooking unit
The invention provides a flexible hot plate and cooking unit, with a temperature differential of at least 40° C. between the two sides of the unit comprising a heating element sandwiched between an upper and a lower layer of flexible material wherein said upper layer provides a temperature along its upper surface of at least 80° C. for heating an object placed thereon, and said lower layer is provided with a plurality of insulating air passages.
1. A flexible hot plate and cooking unit with a first side and a second side, comprising:
an upper layer having an upper surface directed toward said first side;
a lower layer of flexible material having a plurality of inverted conical legs extending toward said second side of said hot plate and said cooking unit and a plurality of insulating air passages formed between said inverted conical legs; and
a heating element sandwiched between said upper layer and said lower layer of flexible material;
wherein said upper layer provides a temperature along said upper surface of said upper layer of at least 80° C. for heating an object placed thereon, and
wherein said hot plate and said cooking unit has a temperature differential of at least 40° C. between said first side and said second side of the hot plate and cooking unit.
2. The flexible hot plate and cooking unit according to claim 1 , wherein said flexible material is silicone.
3. The flexible hot plate and cooking unit according to claim 1 , wherein said upper layer has a thickness of about 0.5-5 mm.
4. The flexible hot plate and cooking unit according to claim 1 , wherein said lower layer has a thickness of about 5-35 mm.
5. The flexible hot place and cooking unit according to claim 1 , wherein said upper layer provides a temperature along said upper surface of between 80° C. and 180° C.
6. The flexible hot plate and cooking unit according to claim 1 , wherein said heating element is an array of heating wires or foil.
7. The flexible hot plate and cooking unit according to claim 1 , wherein said heating element has a heat load of around 0.25-0.2 watt/cm 2 .
8. The flexible hot plate and cooking unit according to claim 1 , wherein said conical legs are exposed to an environment.