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US 8,127,605 B2Granted
Food product measuring vessel with integrated scale
AssigneePriority Worx, LLC
InventorsPaul Kolada, Chris Daniels, J. Ryan Eder
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention comprises a portable measuring vessel with a removably attached digital measuring device. The digital measuring device includes one or more load cells, one or more processors, an input unit, and an output unit. Preferably the input unit is one or more finger-actuatable switches and the output unit is a visual display, such as an LCD. The processor is connected to the input, output, load cell and power source, thereby making a convenient, portable and easily used product.
Claims27
A portable measuring device for food preparation, the device comprising:
- a. a vessel having sidewalls and a floor that define a chamber capable of containing a food material, the sidewalls defining an open top that is adapted to permit the passage of the food material into the chamber;
- b. a base portion removably mounted to the vessel;
- c. a hand-grippable handle portion removably mounted to the vessel;
- and
- d. a digital measuring component in at least one of the portions removably mounted to the vessel and including
- i. an input unit adapted to permit human users to input information about the food material in the chamber;
- ii. at least one mass sensor for measuring the mass of at least the food material in the chamber;
- iii. at least one processor connected to said at least one mass sensor and the input unit;
- and
- iv. an output unit connected to the processor to output human-perceptible information related to the mass of the food material in the chamber to the user.
7 more elements
A portable measuring device for food preparation, the device comprising:
- a. a vessel having sidewalls and a floor that define a chamber containing a food material, the sidewalls defining an open top that permits the passage of the food material into the chamber;
- b. a base portion removably mounted to the vessel;
- c. a hand-grippable handle portion removably mounted to the vessel;
- and
- d. a digital measuring component in at least one of the portions removably mounted to the vessel and including
- i. an input unit through which a human user inputs information about the food material in the chamber;
- ii. at least one mass sensor for measuring the mass of at least the food material in the chamber;
- iii. at least one processor connected to said at least one mass sensor and said input unit;
- and
- iv. an output unit connected to the processor to output human-perceptible information related to the mass of the food material in the chamber to the user.
7 more elements
A method of using a portable measuring device for food preparation, the method comprising:
- a. placing a food material in a chamber of a vessel defined by sidewalls and a floor, the sidewalls defining an open top through which the food material is placed into the chamber;
- b. removably mounting a handle portion to the vessel;
- c. removably mounting a base portion to the vessel;
- d. mounting a digital measuring component in at least one of the portions removably mounted to the vessel, the digital measuring component including
- i. an input unit through which a human user inputs information about the food material;
- ii. at least one mass sensor for measuring the mass of at least the food material;
- iii. at least one processor connected to said at least one mass sensor and said input unit;
- and
- iv. an output unit connected to the processor to output human-perceptible information related to the mass of the food material to the user;
- e. inputting information about the food material to the input unit;
- f. disposing the measuring device on a substantially horizontal surface;
- g. sensing the mass of at least the food material;
- and
- h. displaying at least one characteristic of the food material on the output unit.
11 more elements
A portable measuring device for food preparation, the device comprising:
- a. a vessel having sidewalls and a floor that define a chamber for containing a food material, the sidewalls defining an open top that permits the passage of the food material into the chamber;
- b. a hand-grippable handle portion removably mounted to the vessel, the handle portion including an input unit through which a human user inputs information about the food material;
- c. a base portion removably mounted to the vessel and mounted to the handle portion, the base portion including at least one mass sensor for measuring the mass of at least the food material;
- d. at least one processor mounted in one of the portions and connected to said at least one mass sensor and said input unit, said processor configured to calculate at least the volume of the food material;
- and
- e. an output unit mounted in one of the portions and connected to the processor to output to a user human-perceptible information related to the volume of the food material;
- wherein the vessel is configured for removal from, and replacement to, the handle portion and base portion, and, when the vessel is mounted to the handle and base portions, to permit a human hand gripping the handle portion to simultaneously lift the handle portion, the base portion and the vessel as a unified structure.
4 more elements
A portable measuring device for food preparation, the device comprising:
- a. a vessel having sidewalls and a floor that define a chamber for containing a food material, the sidewalls defining an open top that permits the passage of the food material into the chamber;
- b. a hand-grippable handle portion removably mounted to the vessel;
- c. a base portion removably mounted to the vessel and mounted to the handle portion, the base portion including at least one mass sensor for measuring the mass of at least the food material;
- d. at least one processor mounted in one of the portions and connected to said at least one mass sensor, said processor configured to calculate at least the volume of the food material;
- and
- e. an output unit mounted in one of the portions and connected to the processor to output to a user human-perceptible information related to the volume of the food material;
- wherein the vessel is configured for removal from, and replacement to, the handle portion and base portion, and, when the vessel is mounted to the handle and base portions, to permit a human hand gripping the handle portion to simultaneously lift the handle portion, the base portion and the vessel as a unified structure.
4 more elements
A portable measuring device for food preparation, the device comprising:
- a. a vessel having sidewalls and a floor that define a chamber for containing a food material, the sidewalls defining an open top that permits the passage of the food material into the chamber;
- b. a base and a hand-grippable handle removably mounted to the vessel and including at least one mass sensor for measuring the mass of at least the food material and at least one processor connected to said at least one mass sensor, wherein said processor is configured to calculate at least the volume of the food material;
- c. an output display unit mounted to the handle and connected to the processor to display information related to the volume of the food material;
- and
- wherein the vessel is configured for removal from, and replacement to, the base and handle with at least one connector, and, when the vessel is mounted to the base and handle, to permit a human hand gripping the handle to simultaneously lift the base, handle and vessel as a unified structure.
2 more elements
A portable measuring device for food preparation, the device comprising:
- a. a vessel having sidewalls and a floor that define a chamber capable of containing a food material, the sidewalls defining an open top that is adapted to permit the passage of the food material into the chamber;
- b. a base portion removably mounted to the vessel;
- c. a hand-grippable handle portion removably mounted to the vessel;
- and
- d. a digital measuring component in at least one of the portions removably mounted to the vessel and including
- i. at least one mass sensor for measuring the mass of at least the food material in the chamber;
- ii. at least one processor connected to said at least one mass sensor;
- and
- iii. an output unit connected to the processor to output human-perceptible information related to the volume of the food material in the chamber to the user.
6 more elements
A portable measuring device for food preparation, the device comprising:
- a. a vessel having sidewalls and a floor that define a chamber containing a food material, the sidewalls defining an open top that permits the passage of the food material into the chamber;
- b. a base portion removably mounted to the vessel;
- c. a hand-grippable handle portion removably mounted to the vessel;
- and
- d. a digital measuring component in at least one of the portions removably mounted to the vessel and including
- i. at least one mass sensor for measuring the mass of at least the food material in the chamber;
- ii. at least one processor connected to said at least one mass sensor;
- and
- iii. an output unit connected to the processor to output human-perceptible information related to the volume of the food material in the chamber to the user.
6 more elements
A method of using a portable measuring device for food preparation, the method comprising:
- a. placing a food material in a chamber of a vessel defined by sidewalls and a floor, the sidewalls defining an open top through which the food material is placed into the chamber;
- b. removably mounting a handle portion to the vessel;
- c. removably mounting a base portion to the vessel;
- d. mounting a digital measuring component in at least one of the portions removably mounted to the vessel, the digital measuring component including
- i. at least one mass sensor for measuring the mass of at least the food material;
- ii. at least one processor connected to said at least one mass sensor;
- and
- iii. an output unit connected to the processor to output human-perceptible information related to the volume of the food material to the user;
- e. disposing the measuring device on a substantially horizontal surface;
- f. sensing the mass of at least the food material;
- and
- g. displaying at least one characteristic of the food material on the output unit.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.