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US 6,187,353 B1Granted
Hot air popcorn machine
AssigneePop-N-Go, Inc.
InventorsMelvin J. Wyman, Roger C. Young, Bobby Dillon, Dwight A. Moody, Vernon L. M. Brokke
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hot air popcorn machine including a programmable control system for precisely controlling various operating parameters including air flow and air temperature to enable the machine to consistently produce high quality popcorn in a low maintenance environment, e.g., a free-standing vending machine.
Claims13
Apparatus for preparing popcorn comprising:
- a cooking chamber;
- a heater;
- a blower actuatable to deliver a heated air flow to said cooking chamber;
- a control system for controlling the flow rate and temperature of said airflow delivered to said cooking chamber, said control system including a microprocessor based controller for defining operating parameters including an air flow setpoint;
- an air flow sensor;
- and wherein
- said controller is responsive to said air flow sensor for controlling the flow rate of said heated air flow to conform to said air flow setpoint.
4 more elements
A method of preparing popcorn comprising the steps of:
- delivering a quantity of hard corn kernels into a cooking chamber;
- providing a heat source;
- producing a flow of heated air to said cooking chamber to pop said kernels and blow popped kernels along an output path;
- defining a desired air flow setpoint;
- sensing the actual air flow rate;
- and
- controlling the produced air flow to conform the sensed air flow rate to the air flow setpoint.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.