Automatic cooking machine

An apparatus for automatically frying food stored in an open-top cartridge, the apparatus comprising:

• a cooking vat containing a cooking medium;
• a basket for holding the food in the vat;
• a receptacle for holding a cartridge, the receptacle being accessible from the exterior of the apparatus to allow insertion of a cartridge therein;
• means for automatically dumping the food out of the cartridge and into the basket for cooking;
• means for automatically dumping the cooked food out of the basket and back into the same cartridge;
• and
• a fire extinguisher mounted in the apparatus, the fire extinguisher being directed at the cooking vat to dispense fire retardant into the cooking vat, the fire extinguisher including means for automatically actuating the fire extinguisher when the temperature within the apparatus reaches a predetermined level.

An apparatus for automatically frying food stored in an open-top cartridge, the apparatus comprising:

• a cooking vat containing a cooking medium;
• a basket for holding the food in the vat;
• a receptacle for holding a cartridge, the receptacle being accessible from the exterior of the apparatus to allow insertion of a cartridge therein;
• means for automatically dumping the food out of the cartridge and into the basket for cooking;
• means for automatically dumping the cooked food out of the basket and back into the same cartridge;
• a fire extinguisher mounted in the apparatus, the fire extinguisher being directed at the cooking vat to dispense fire retardant into the cooking vat, the fire extinguisher including means for automatically actuating the fire extinguisher when the temperature within the apparatus reaches a predetermined level;
• and
• means for monitoring the functions of the apparatus and preventing its operation unless the fire extinguisher is fully charged.

An apparatus for automatically frying food stored in an open-top cartridge, the apparatus comprising:

• a cooking vat containing a cooking medium;
• a basket for holding the food in the vat, the basket including a main body portion for holding food with the cooking vat and upper side portions which extend upwardly and outwardly from the mainbody portion to deflect food into the basket when the food is automatically dumped into the cooking vat;
• a receptacle for holding a cartridge, the receptacle being accessible from the exterior of the apparatus to allow insertion of a cartridge therein;
• means for automatically dumping the food out of the cartridge and into the basket for cooking;
• means for automatically dumping the cooked food out of the basket and back into the same cartridge;
• and
• means for automatically flushing the cooking vat at preset time intervals to replenish the cooking medium within the cooking vat.

An apparatus for automatically frying food stored in an open-top cartridge, the apparatus comprising:

• a cooking vat containing a cooking medium;
• a basket for holding the food in the vat;
• a receptacle for holding a cartridge, the receptacle being accessible from the exterior of the apparatus to allow insertion of a cartridge therein, the receptacle having a main body portion for receiving the cartridge and a deflector plate extending inwardly and upwardly from the front of the main body portion, the deflector plate extending across substantially the entire front of the receptacle to deflect food particles into the cartridge during dumping;
• means for automatically dumping the food out of the cartridge and into the basket for cooking;
• means for automatically dumping the cooked food out of the basket and back into the same cartridge;
• and
• means for automatically flushing the cooking vat at preset time intervals to replenish the cooking medium within the cooking vat