Food cooking apparatus
AssigneeArthur D. Little, Inc.
InventorsHerbert H. Loeffler, Samuel W. Tishler
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An automatic cooking apparatus wherein a rotating wide-mouthed vessel closed with a lid is supported in a stationary, handle-equipped basket frame by the frame and the lid which engages driving means. Heating means are provided along a portion of the vessel circumference and are controlled to maintain food contained within the vessel at a predetermined temperature for a preset time. Means are provided to sense the temperature of the cooking food and to generate a signal to which both temperature controlling and timing means are responsive. In one embodiment of the apparatus microprocessing control means are used to achieve a desired cooking protocol.
Claims37
An automatic food cooker comprising
- (a) an open-mouthed, rotatable cooking vessel, the bottom of which has a centrally positioned internally directed indentation;
- (b) driving means to rotate said vessel;
- (c) vessel lid means arranged to be directly engageable with said driving means to rotate said vessel;
- (d) housing means having a drive housing end in which said driving means is located, being configured to envelope a portion of the circumference of said vessel when engaged for rotation, and having a heat reflective surface facing said vessel;
- (e) vessel heating means mounted in said housing means;
- (f) basket frame means surrounding said vessel and having a longitudinally extending handle, means to engage said basket frame means with said housing means to lock said vessel into engagement with said drive means, and a centrally positioned bottom projection engageable with the wall of said vessel indentation, whereby the engagement of said basket frame projection and said vessel indentation in conjunction with the engagement of said lid means with said drive means provides support for said vessel during rotation;
- (g) temperature sensing means including a temperature probe extending from said drive housing through said lid means to sense the temperature of food within said vessel and to develop a signal indicative of said temperature;
- and
- (h) programable temperature/elapsed time control means responsive to said temperature to control said heater means.
An automatic food cooker comprising a rotatable, open-mouthed cooking vessel, means to support said vessel for rotation, lid means to close said vessel, housing means, heater means external of said vessel and mounted in said housing means to apply thermal energy to food contained within said vessel, driving means to rotate said vessel, means to sense the temperature of said food and to develop a temperature signal indicative of said temperature, and programable temperature/elapsed time control means responsive to said signal to control said heater means, characterized in that said lid means is directly engageable with said driving means to rotate said vessel;
- the bottom of said vessel has a centrally positioned internally directed indentation;
- and said means to support said vessel for rotation comprises
- (a) basket frame means surrounding said vessel and having a longitudinally extending handle, means to engage and lock said basket frame means into said housing means and thus to lock said vessel into engagement with said drive means, and a centrally positioned bottom projection engageable with the wall of said vessel indentation;
- and
- (b) said lid means when engaged with said drive means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.