US 10,064,424 B2Granted

Food movement and control within a container for food preparation

AssigneeLegupro AB

InventorsDavid Storek, Robert P. Otillar, Antonia L. Sequeira

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Abstract

An apparatus and method for controlling the movement of a food product in a container is described. The apparatus can be cleanable, portable, and fully automated. It can include a main container for holding the food product and one or more other containers for holding a substance, such as liquid. The main container can be moved between the one or more other containers so that the food product is immersed in the substance (e.g., liquid) in the one or more other containers. Any of the containers can be heated to heat the food product. This movement of the main container can be used run fully automated cycles (e.g., sprouting, rinsing, soaking, cooking, cleaning, etc.) that do not require user interaction.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An automated method for preparing a food product in a portable apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving a food product into a main container of the apparatus, the food product comprising dry beans;
receiving at the apparatus one or more settings input by a user;
moving, by the apparatus, at least a part of the main container into a first position inside a first liquid container containing a first liquid, wherein the food product comes into contact with the first liquid of the first liquid container;
moving, by the apparatus, at least a part of the main container into a second position inside a second liquid container containing a second liquid, wherein the food product comes into contact with the second liquid of the second liquid container;
and
heating the second liquid container while at least a part of the main container is inside the second liquid container, wherein the heating of the second liquid container heats the second liquid and the second liquid heats the food product.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/230,302Filed 5 Aug 2016 · continuation
Priority: 18 Aug 2011
Published: US 2016/0338539 A124 Nov 2016
Granted: 4 Sep 2018
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification17 codes

A23L 5/13
General methods of cooking foods, e.g. by roasting or frying: using water or steam
A23L 5/11
General methods of cooking foods, e.g. by roasting or frying: using oil
A23L 5/55
Preparation or treatment of foods or foodstuffs, in general; Food or foodstuffs obtained thereby; Materials therefor: rehydration or dissolving of…
A23L 11/01
Pulses, i.e. fruits of leguminous plants, for production of food; Products from legumes; Preparation or treatment thereof: pulses or legumes in…

Family

Application61/524,767Us provisional application · filed 18 Aug 2011
Application61/658,879Us provisional application · filed 12 Jun 2012
PCT/US2012/051510Parent of this continuation · filed 17 Aug 2012
US 2016/0338539 A1Pre-grant publication · published 24 Nov 2016
Application14/238,723Parent of this continuation
US 9,445,614 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2014/0199454 A1Published application
US 10,064,424 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.