# US 12,108,909 B2 · Autonomous apparatus for cooking food, and corresponding method

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- Number: US 12,108,909 B2
- Document ID: US12108909B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/323,502
- Filed: 2017-08-02
- Published: 2020-06-18
- Granted: 2024-10-08
- Earliest claimed: 2016-08-05
- Assignees: De'Longhi Appliances S.R.L. Con Unico Socio
- Applicants: De'longhi Appliances S.R.L. Con Unico Socio
- Inventors: Giuseppe De' Longhi; Renzo Mazzon
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12108909B2

## CPC

- A47J 37/0641: {with forced air circulation, e.g. air fryers}
- A47J 37/0664: {Accessories}
- A23L 5/17: {in a gaseous atmosphere with forced air or gas circulation, in vacuum or under pressure}
- A47J 36/165: {Stirring devices operatively connected to cooking vessels when being removably inserted inside (mixing, whipping, or beating devices A47J43/00)}
- A47J 37/0611: {the food being cooked between two heating plates, e.g. waffle-irons}
- A47J: KITCHEN EQUIPMENT; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; APPARATUS FOR MAKING BEVERAGES
- A23L: FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PREPARATION OR TREATMENT THEREOF (preservation thereof A23B)

## Abstract

An autonomous apparatus for cooking food includes a support body, an openable lid, an internal container which can be extracted/inserted with respect to said support body and open at the top, at least a heating device and at least an element for generating a flow of air toward the inside of the container.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An autonomous apparatus for cooking food, comprising:
a support body having an upper edge,
an openable lid having a lower edge cooperating at least partly with the upper edge of the support body when the lid is closed,
an internal container which can be extracted/inserted with respect to said support body and is open at the top,
a heater, and
a fan for generating a flow of air toward the inside of said container, said fan being connected to a sending aperture present in said lid,
wherein said sending aperture has a hollow ring shape defining a hollow toroidal cavity, the sending aperture sized for mating with said upper edge of the support body, said hollow toroidal cavity having, an entrance disposed in cooperation with said heating device, said sending aperture cooperating, when said lid is in the closed position on said container, with a peripheral edge of said container and communicating with the inside of said container, said sending aperture further comprising a circumferential slit formed on a lower portion of the sending aperture and forming an annular path for the flow of air about a periphery of the sending aperture, the circumferential slit sized and positioned to direct the flow of air circulating in the hollow toroidal cavity of the sending aperture toward the inside of said container; and
wherein the circumferential slit is configured to be disposed at least partly within the internal container when the lid is closed; and
further wherein the support body includes a return exit comprising an annular pipe installed between said support body and said internal container to discharge the flow of used air from said internal container.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The autonomous apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said circumferential slit has edges shaped to send a flow of air toward said container in a direction incident on the food.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The autonomous apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said annular pipe has a plurality of fissures disposed along the development of the annular pipe and in relation to an upper edge of the support body.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The autonomous apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said circumferential slit develops on a lower circumference with respect to said peripheral edge.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The autonomous apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said container is rotatable around an axis of rotation.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The autonomous apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising a motor configured to rotate the internal container.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The autonomous apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lid has an outer wall and a circumferential inner wall spaced radially inwardly of the outer wall, the outer wall including the lower edge that cooperates at least partly with the upper edge of the support body, and the sending aperture being defined by the circumferential inner wall.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The autonomous apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sending aperture comprises a plurality of the circumferential slits.