Kitchen appliance for cooling and/or heating foodstuff
AssigneeHamilton Beach Brands, Inc.
InventorsDavid Schandel, Jim Gaynor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A kitchen appliance for cooling and heating foodstuff including a housing that defines a cooling and heating cavity within the housing. A container is removably mountable within the cooling and heating cavity of the housing and the container is capable of retaining foodstuff therein. A conduction plate is disposed within the housing. The conduction plate is in thermal engagement with the container when the container is mounted within the housing. A heating element is disposed within the housing and is in thermal engagement with a conduction plate to heat the cooling and heating cavity. A cooling element is disposed within the housing and is in thermal engagement with the conduction plate to cool the cooling and heating cavity.
Claims16
A kitchen appliance for cooling and heating foodstuff, said appliance comprising:
- a housing having a base and a side wall extending therefrom to define a cooling and heating cavity therein, said housing further having a housing rim defining an opening to said cooling and heating cavity;
- a container removably mountable within said housing, said container having a generally hollow interior and a container rim defining an opening for accessing the interior thereof, said interior being capable of retaining said foodstuff therein, said container being sized and shaped to fit within said cooling and heating cavity;
- a lid removably mountable to said housing rim of said housing, said lid being sized and shaped to cover said opening of said container when placed on said housing rim;
- a heating element disposed within said housing sufficiently proximate said cooling and heating cavity to heat said cooling and heating cavity;
- and
- at least one cooling element disposed within said housing sufficiently proximate said cooling and heating cavity to cool said cooling and heating cavity.
A kitchen appliance for cooling and heating foodstuff, said appliance comprising:
- a housing defining a cooling and heating cavity therein;
- a container removably mountable within said cooling and heating cavity, said container being capable of retaining said foodstuff therein;
- a conduction plate disposed within said housing;
- said conduction plate in thermal engagement with said container when said container is mounted within said housing;
- a heating element disposed within said housing and in thermal engagement with said conduction plate to heat said cooling and heating cavity;
- and
- at least one cooling element disposed within said housing and in thermal engagement with said conduction plate to cool said cooling and heating cavity.
A method of cooling and heating foodstuff in a kitchen appliance over a period of time, said kitchen appliance including a housing defining a cooling and heating cavity therein, a controller to control cooling and heating of said cooling and heating cavity, a display in communication with said controller, a container removably mountable within said cooling and heating cavity, said container being capable of retaining said foodstuff therein, a heating element disposed within said housing to heat said cooling and heating cavity;
- at least one cooling element disposed within said housing to cool said cooling and heating cavity, the method including the steps of:
- a) inserting foodstuff into said container;
- b) positioning said container in said cooling and heating cavity;
- c) selecting an operating mode on said display to operate said kitchen appliance in a program mode;
- d) selecting a heating duration time on said display to operate said heating element for said heating duration time;
- e) selecting an operation sequence on said display to operate said at least one cooling element before operating said heating element;
- f) selecting a cooling duration time on said display to operate said cooling element for said cooling duration time;
- g) automatically actuating said cooling element to cool said cooling and heating cavity for said cooling duration time;
- h) automatically actuating said heating element when said cooling duration time is complete to heat said cooling and heating cavity for said heating duration time;
- and
- i) automatically cutting power to the heating element after a maximum time elapses.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.