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US 5,363,746 AGranted
Automatic food preparation device
OwnerEllis D. Gordoninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A kitchen appliance which enables automatic preparation of desserts or other food products according to instructions pre-programmed into the appliance. Programmed preparation steps can include any desired sequence of heating, cooling, and mixing of ingredients placed in a detachable container of the appliance. Accessory attachments can be provided to the appliance for automatically adding recipe ingredients to the container during automatic preparation. A dispensing pump may also be provided for dispensing a heated or frozen product from the container.
Claims28
An automated food preparation device comprising:
- a housing;
- a container engageable with said housing and adapted to contain a food product;
- means in said housing for cooling said container, whereby a food product therein is cooled;
- means in said housing for heating said container, whereby a food product therein is heated;
- means associated with said housing for mixing a food product in said container;
- and
- means in said housing for automatically actuating at least one of said cooling, heating, or mixing means, whereby the food product may be automatically processed in said container;
- wherein said means for cooling said container includes a refrigerator circuit having an evaporator plate.
5 more elements
An automated food preparation device comprising:
- a housing;
- a container engageable with said housing and adapted to contain a food product;
- means in said housing for cooling said container, whereby a food product therein is cooled;
- means in said housing for heating said container, whereby a food product therein is heated;
- means associated with said housing for mixing a food product in said container;
- and
- means in said housing for automatically actuating at least one of said cooling, heating, or mixing means, whereby the food product may be automatically processed in said container;
- wherein said device further comprises mechanical means for moving said container to a first position for cooling said container and to a second position for heating said container.
5 more elements
An automated food preparation device comprising:
- a housing;
- a container engageable with said housing and adapted to contain a food product;
- means in said housing for cooling said container, whereby a food product therein is cooled;
- means in said housing for heating said container, whereby a food product therein is heated;
- means associated with said housing for mixing a food product in said container;
- and
- means in said housing for automatically actuating at least one of said cooling, heating, or mixing means, whereby the food product may be automatically processed in said container;
- wherein said means for cooling said container includes a refrigeration circuit having a cooling plate and means for receiving an intermediate coolant within said cooling plate.
5 more elements
An automated food preparation device comprising:
- a housing;
- a container engageable with said housing and adapted to contain a food product;
- means in said housing for cooling said container, whereby a food product therein is cooled;
- means in said housing for heating said container, whereby a food product therein is heated;
- means associated with said housing for mixing a food product in said container;
- and
- means in said housing for automatically actuating at least one of said cooling, heating, or mixing means, whereby the food product may be automatically processed in said container;
- wherein said means for mixing includes at least one blade mounted on a rotatable shaft, and wherein said rotatable shaft is surrounded by a stationary hollow outer shaft carrying a temperature sensor thereon.
5 more elements
An automated food preparation device comprising:
- a housing;
- a container engageable with said housing and adapted to contain a food product;
- means in said housing for cooling said container, whereby a food product therein is cooled;
- means in said housing for heating said container, whereby a food product therein is heated;
- means associated with said housing for mixing a food product in said container;
- and
- means in said housing for automatically actuating at least one of said cooling, heating, or mixing means, whereby the food product may be automatically processed in said container;
- wherein said means for mixing includes at least one blade mounted on a rotatable shaft, and wherein said rotatable shaft is hollow, said rotatable shaft surrounding a stationary inner shaft carrying a temperature sensor thereon.
5 more elements
An automated food preparation device, comprising:
- a housing;
- a detachable container receivable within said housing;
- a refrigeration circuit within said housing for removing heat from said detachable container, said refrigeration circuit including a cold plate contactable with a surface of said container to remove heat from said container;
- at least one heating member within said housing for adding heat to said detachable container;
- a programmable control means for controlling the operation of said refrigeration circuit and said heating member to produce a desired sequence of temperatures within said detachable container;
- a mixing blade receivable within said detachable container;
- and
- means for rotating said mixing blade responsive to control commands from said programmable control means.
5 more elements
An automated food preparation device for preparing food according to a series of programmed heating and cooling steps, comprising:
- a heating member for detachably receiving a detachable food container,
- a refrigeration circuit including an evaporator plate,
- mechanical means for moving said container to a first position wherein an external surface of the container is in contact with said evaporator plate, said mechanical means also for moving said container into a second position wherein a ventilating air space is created between said container and the evaporator assembly;
- and
- controller means for activating said refrigeration circuit when said container is in said first position and for activating said heating member when said container is in said second position.
2 more elements
A food preparation device, comprising:
- a housing;
- a container adapted to receive and to hold a food product;
- cooling means in said housing operable for cooling said food product in said container;
- heating means in said housing operable for heating said food product in said container;
- mixing means in said housing operable for mixing said food product in said container;
- inhibiting means in said housing operable for inhibiting the movement of said container during the operation of said mixing means, and
- actuating means in said housing operatively connected to said cooling, heating and mixing means, and operable for automatically actuating at least one of said cooling, heating or mixing means;
- whereby, said food product is automatically processed in said container.
5 more elements
A food preparation device, comprising:
- a housing;
- a container adapted to receive and to hold a food product;
- cooling means in said housing operable for cooling said food product in said container;
- said cooling means comprising a refrigeration circuit including an evaporation plate;
- heating means in said housing operable for heating said food product in said container;
- mixing means in said housing operable for mixing said food product in said container;
- inhibiting means in said housing operable for inhibiting the movement of said container during the operation of said mixing means, and
- actuating means in said housing operable for automatically actuating at least one of said cooling, heating or mixing means;
- whereby, said food product is automatically processed in said container.
6 more elements
A food preparation device, comprising:
- a housing;
- a container adapted to receive and to hold a food product;
- cooling means in said housing operable for cooling said food product in said container;
- said cooling means comprising a refrigeration circuit including a cold plate;
- heating means in said housing operable for heating said food product in said container;
- mixing means in said housing operable for mixing said food product in said container;
- inhibiting means in said housing operable for inhibiting the movement of said container during the operation of said mixing means, and
- actuating means in said housing operable for automatically actuating at least one of said cooling, heating or mixing means;
- whereby, said food product is automatically processed in said container.
6 more elements
A food preparation device, comprising:
- a housing;
- a container adapted to receive and to hold a food product;
- cooling means in said housing operable for cooling said food product in said container;
- heating means in said housing operable for heating said food product in said container;
- mixing means in said housing operable for mixing said food product in said container;
- inhibiting means in said housing operable for inhibiting the movement of said container during the operation of said mixing means, and
- actuating means in said housing operable for automatically actuating at least one of said cooling, heating or mixing means;
- said actuating means including programming means operable for selectively sequencing said cooling, heating or mixing means according to predetermined instructions;
- whereby, said food product is automatically processed in said container.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.