Back to results
US 10,092,128 B2Granted
Variable speed steam cooker
AssigneeAccuTemp Products, Inc.
InventorsCraig A. Seitz, Larry R. Wolf
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A user-manipulable apparatus uses a steam generator responsive to pressure while also allowing the user to increase or decrease cooking speed, water consumption and energy efficiency of a steam cooker as desired. In one exemplary embodiment, a steam cooker includes a variable-area vent orifice and a steam generator responsive to pressure in the cooking chamber. If the pressure in the cooker is lower than desired, more steam is generated until the pressure reaches a predetermined set point. If the pressure is higher than desired, steam generation is slowed or stopped until the pressure lowers to a predetermined set point.
Claims22
A steam cooker comprising:
- a cooking chamber having a vent orifice in fluid communication with and extending between an interior of the cooking chamber and an atmosphere outside the cooking chamber to vent steam from the interior of the cooking chamber to the atmosphere as a function of a pressure of the interior of the cooking chamber, the vent orifice positioned in an upper half of the cooking chamber and defining a variable effective orifice area;
- a pressure sensor in fluid communication with the cooking chamber, the pressure sensor defining a first state corresponding to pressure below a pressure set point and a second state corresponding to pressure above the pressure set point, the pressure sensor outputting a pressure signal indicative of whether the pressure sensor is in the first state or the second state;
- and
- a steam generator including a heater, the steam generator being in fluid communication with the cooking chamber, such that the steam generator is configured to inject steam into the cooking chamber,
- a controller operably connected to the pressure sensor and the steam generator, the controller receiving the pressure signal from the pressure sensor and programmed with a predetermined deviation from the pressure set point indicative of a need to activate the steam generator,
- the controller programmed to output an activation signal to the steam generator when the pressure sensor is in the first state such that the steam generator injects steam into the cooking chamber until the pressure in the cooking chamber reaches a pressure within the predetermined deviation from the set point, and programmed to not output the activation signal when the pressure sensor is in the second state such that the steam generator does not inject steam into the cooking chamber until the pressure in the cooking chamber falls to a pressure not within the predetermined deviation from the set point,
- the controller reacting to a change in pressure in the cooking chamber resulting from an adjustment of the variable effective orifice area by selectively outputting or not outputting the activation signal depending on the size of the variable effective orifice area.
4 more elements
A steam cooker comprising:
- a cooking chamber having a vent orifice in fluid communication with and extending between an interior of the cooking chamber and an atmosphere outside the cooking chamber to vent steam from the interior of the cooking chamber to the atmosphere as a function of a pressure of the interior of the cooking chamber, the vent orifice positioned in an upper half of the cooking chamber and defining a variable effective orifice area;
- means for generating steam, the means for generating steam being in fluid communication with the cooking chamber;
- means for comparing pressure in the cooking chamber to a set point and outputting a pressure signal indicative of whether the pressure in the cooking chamber is above or below the set point;
- means for controlling an injection of steam produced by the means for generating steam, based on results of a comparison performed by the comparing means, the means for controlling injection of steam comprising a controller programmed to activate the means for generating steam to inject steam into the cooking chamber when the means for comparing pressure determines that the pressure in the cooking chamber is below the set point, the controller further programmed to deactivate the means for generating steam when the means for comparing pressure determines that the pressure in the cooking chamber is at or above the set point;
- and
- means for selectively varying the effective orifice area, the controller reacting to a change in pressure in the cooking chamber resulting from an adjustment of the varying means by selectively activating or deactivating the means for generating steam depending on the size of the variable effective orifice area.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.