Alarm device for telling end-of-cooking timing

In a cooker for cooking food items in a cooking medium, said cooker including a pot filled with said cooking liquid medium, a heat source for heating said cooking medium, controlling means for controlling said heat source, and an alarm device for informing an operator of an end-of-cooking timing,

• said alarm device comprising
• temperature detecting means for detecting temperature of said cooking medium,
• accumulation means for accumulating a heating amount based on the temperature detected by said temperature detecting means and a heating time,
• slope comparing means for comparing a downward slope in the detected temperature of said cooking medium with a predetermined limit,
• accumulation control means for controlling said accumulation means to initiate accumulation of a heating amount when said downward slope becomes equal to or greater than said predetermined limit, and
• alarm means for informing said operator of said end-of-cooking timing when said heating amount accumulated by said accumulation means reaches a predetermined value.

In a fryer apparatus for deep frying food items in cooking oil, said fryer apparatus including a frypot filled with said cooking oil, a pulse combustor for heating said cooking oil in said frypot, combustion controlling means for controlling said pulse combustor, and an alarm device for informing an operator of an end-of-cooking timing,

• said alarm device comprising
• temperature detecting means for detecting temperature of said cooking oil,
• accumulation means for accumulating a heating amount based on the temperature detected by said temperature detecting means and a heating time,
• slope comparing means for comparing a downward slope in the detected temperature of said cooking oil with a predetermined limit,
• accumulation control means for controlling said accumulation means to initiate accumulation of a heating amount when said downward slope becomes equal to or greater than said predetermined limit, and
• alarm means for informing said operator of said end-of-cooking timing when said heating amount accumulated by said accumulation means reaches a predetermined value.

A cooking apparatus having a frypot containing a cooking medium and a pulse combustor for heating said cooking medium, said apparatus including an alarm device for determining a heating time for food products heated in said cooking medium, said alarm device comprising

• temperature sensor means for monitoring the temperature of said cooking medium,
• heat accumulation means coupled to said temperature sensor means for accumulating heat to a selected mount, said selected mount being based upon said temperature detected by said temperature sensor means and a selected heating time,
• alarm means coupled to said heat accumulation means for generating a cooking completion signal when said heat accumulated by said heat accumulation means attains said selected amount, and
• temperature slope comparator means coupled to said temperature sensor means for comparing a rate of change of said temperature of said cooking medium measured by said temperature sensor means with a predetermined value.