The present invention relates generally to the field of cooking. The present invention relates specifically to a cooking container that uses an internal resistive coating that converts electricity to heat to cook or warm food.
As the field currently stands, typically a cooking container consists of a metal pot with handles that is heated on a surface that supplies heat to the container (e.g., on a natural gas stove-top). Another approach is to use slow cookers that include their own heating elements. The heating element, rather than being a resistive coating, is commonly located inside of an outer container, and heat from the heating element is transferred to an internal container, which contains the food being cooked/heated.
One embodiment of the invention relates to a cooking device that includes a cooking container and a stand that the cooking container is placed on. The cooking container is the combination of an internal container and a slightly larger external container, which are affixed together with a cavity between them. The outer surface of the internal container is coated with a resistive coating through which electricity is conducted. The resistive coating efficiently converts electricity into heat, which allows the entire cooking container to heat up very quickly relative to other approaches. The resistive coating is electrically insulated from a body of the internal container by being coated on an insulation coating that is itself directly applied to the internal container.
In one or more embodiments, the resistive coating comprises two resistive paths, a first resistive path that is disposed on a cylindrical sidewall of the internal container, and a second resistive path that is disposed on a bottom of the internal container. A controller in the stand is configured to independently adjust the electric current(s) transiting the first and second resistive paths, although it is contemplated that the controller may in some instances provide the same power at the same time(s) to the resistive paths.
Also disposed on the outside of the internal container are several thermocouples to measure the temperature. In one embodiment a first thermocouple is disposed generally near a center of the bottom of the internal container, a second thermocouple is disposed near an outer edge of the bottom of the internal container, a third thermocouple is disposed near a lower portion of the cylindrical sidewall of the internal container, and a fourth thermocouple is disposed near a middle-to-upper portion of the cylindrical sidewall of the internal container.
The stand includes a display and input device that allows a user to select a target temperature for one or more of the thermocouples. The controller receives the target temperature, sends electricity through the appropriate one or more resistive paths, and measures the temperature at the various locations where the thermocouples are located. When the temperature reaches and/or approaches the target temperature, in one embodiment the controller adjusts the electric current(s) transiting the resistive path(s) such that only a fraction of the electric current(s) is used. Thus, the temperature of the internal container will remain at or near the target temperature. In another embodiment, the controller completely stops the electric current(s) when the target temperature is reached, and re-initiates the electric current(s) when the measured temperature is below the target temperature.
The accompanying drawings are included to provide further understanding and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate one or more embodiments and, together with the description, serve to explain principles and operation of the various embodiments.
Referring generally to the figures, various embodiments of a cooking device are shown. Various embodiments of the cooking device discussed herein use an innovative heating system whereby a cooking container is used in conjunction with a stand. The cooking container is made from two separate containers, which are affixed to each other with the external container generally peripherally surrounding the internal container. A resistive coating through which electricity runs is disposed on the outer surface of the internal container, e.g., on the surface of the internal container facing the external container. In one or more embodiments the resistive coating comprises two separate paths, one path on a sidewall (e.g., a cylindrical sidewall) of the internal container and one path on a bottom wall of the internal container. The current transiting each path is separately controllable, thus allowing different locations in the internal container to independently adjustable to different temperatures, although it is contemplated that in some instances the controller may power the resistive paths with the same power at the same times. For example, this embodiment allows the user to specific that the sidewall of the container should be warm but not as hot as the bottom wall. Alternatively, a user can specify that only one of the walls is heated (e.g., the sidewall, the bottom wall) and the other wall is not directly heated.
The body of the internal container is electrically insulated from the resistive coating by virtue of being disposed on an insulation coating, which itself is directly applied to an external surface of the internal container.
The stand includes an interface to connect with the cooking container to provide electricity to the resistive coating(s), and to receive thermal measurements from the cooking container. The stand also includes a display with an interface to accept user commands, such as a target temperature and time to cook.
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Inner container 50 includes cylindrical sidewall 52, on which is disposed first resistive path 58. Heating current input connections 60 are located at opposite ends of first resistive path 58, and are connected to wires. During use, electric current transits first resistive path 58 and is converted into heat. Thus, inner container 50, and by extension all of cooking container 22, is heated by electric current transiting first resistive path 58. Specifically, first resistive path 58 heats sidewall 52, and then the heat generated is conducted throughout inner container 50 and to food within inner container 50.
In one or more embodiments, outer container 40 is physically separated from inner container 50 by air, thus electrically insulating outer container 40 from first resistive coating path 58. A heat-resistant electric insulator may be applied to the interior surface of outer container 40, which would provide additional electric insulation between resistive paths 58 and outer container 40.
It is further considered that this separation between outer container 40 and inner container 50 may be maintained by protrusions from inner container 40 that maintain the separation (e.g., screw 88 in
Inner container 50 also includes one or more temperature sensing devices, shown as thermocouples 62, to measure the temperature at various points around inner container 50. Thermocouples 62 are electrically coupled to a communication link, shown as wires 64, over which temperature measurements are communicated to controller 30 in stand 20.
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In one or more embodiments, such as are illustrated in
Further, in the embodiments illustrated in
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In one embodiment, insulation coating 56, which may be referred to as the dielectric, comprises a compound that includes aluminum oxide. Insulation coating 56 is applied to the entire outer surface area of inner container 50, such as via thermal spraying, and the resistive coating 58 is applied in one or more paths.
The deposition of resistive coating 58 may be adjusted in any of several ways. For example, any of several adjustments to resistive coating 58 may be implemented to provide customizable heating parameters, such as the material composition of resistive coating 58, the width of resistive coating 58, and the thickness of resistive coating 58.
As noted above, resistive coating 58 is electrically insulated from body 51 of inner container 50. Further, outer container 40 peripherally surrounds inner container 50. Thus, electricity that transits resistive coating paths 58 will not transfer to either body 51 of inner container 50 or the body of outer container 40. Therefore, both inner container 50 and outer container 40 may be safely handled by a user without risk of electric shock or electrocution, although it should be noted that both inner container 50 and outer container 40 may of course be hot during use.
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Accordingly, the purpose of couple 70 is to prevent bolt 88 from becoming electrified. In addition to couple 70 including bolt 88, couple 70 also includes washer 80 and lead 72. Washer 80 is cylindrically-shaped and includes a recessed bottom face 82 and a protruding bottom face 84. Protruding bottom face 84 extends beyond recessed bottom face 82. When washer 80 is placed against lead 72, protruding bottom face 84 is disposed within aperture 74 of lead 72, and recessed bottom face 82 is disposed against and/or adjacent to top face 78 of lead 72. Wire 64 (not shown) is coupled to securing end 76 of lead 72. Finally, attachment piece 88 is placed through central opening 86 of washer 80 and aperture 74 of lead 72.
There are several principal aspects of the configuration of washer 80 that prevent bolt 88 from becoming electrified. First, washer 80 is disposed between the head of bolt 88 and lead 72. Thus, contact between head of bolt 88 and lead 72 is prevented. Second, the bottom surfaces 82 and 84 of washer 80 prevent contact between lead 72 and the axial body of bolt 88 (i.e., the portion of bolt 88 other than the head). When bolt 88 is secured to inner container 50, protruding face 84 is disposed within circular aperture 74 of lead 72. Protruding face 84 therefore prevents lead 72 from laterally moving to contact bolt 88. In one or more embodiments the diameter of protruding face 84 is slightly less than the diameter of circular aperture 74 of lead 72. Therefore, lead 72 is prevented from more moving more than a minimal amount. Accordingly, because washer 80 is not electrically conductive (e.g., because washer 80 is ceramic), bolt 88 is therefore electrically insulated from lead 72, and therefore bolt 88 is prevented from becoming electrified.
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Display surface 90 of stand 20 is one mechanism by which users can operate cooking device 10. In one embodiment, power indicator 96 comprises a light that is illuminated when controller 30 is operating. Heat indicator 98 comprises a light that is illuminated when cooking container 22 is actively controlling the temperature of the cooking surface (e.g., the interior food contact surface of the pan). Input buttons 94 allow users to enter cooking/heating instructions.
In one exemplary situation, a user may instruct controller 30 to heat cooking container 22 to a first temperature D1 for a first amount of time T1, and to a second temperature D2 for a second amount of time T2. The instructions to heat cooking container 22 may be presented as instructions to uniformly heat all of cooking container 22 to the specified temperature, or they may be instructions to heat only a portion of cooking container 22 (e.g., only the bottom surface but not the cylindrical sidewalls) to the specified temperature. A series of cooking/heating instructions may be entered by a user into surface 90, such that a user specifies multiple temperatures and cooking times, and identifies which portion of cooking container 22 are being heated. It is further contemplated herein that controller 30 may receive cooking instructions from other sources, such as, for example, interacting with a cell phone, such as via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth®, interacting with other computer devices through which a user can provide cooking instructions, and receiving instructions from a remote computer (e.g., a server on the internet, which has many different recipes and cooking instructions).
Although the word “container” is used in this specification, and the embodiments in the figures include containers with generally cylindrical sidewalls and flat bottom walls, it is contemplated herein that the inner and outer components of cooking container 22 may be any structures, shapes or configurations (such as both being hemisphere-shaped, both being elliptically-shaped, the inner and outer “containers” being different shapes, etc.) as would be recognized to work with the disclosure described herein.
In another alternative embodiment, inner container 50 is not peripherally surrounded by outer container 40. Thus, to prevent accidental electrical discharge from resistive coating 58, insulation coating 56 is deposited over resistive coating 58 in addition to being deposited under resistive coating 58. Insulation coating 56 is also deposited over all electrified components, such as heating current input connections 60, to prevent electrical current from being discharged other than through the designated resistive path(s) 58.
It should be understood that the figures illustrate the exemplary embodiments in detail, and it should be understood that the present application is not limited to the details or methodology set forth in the description or illustrated in the figures. It should also be understood that the terminology is for description purposes only and should not be regarded as limiting.
Further modifications and alternative embodiments of various aspects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of this description. Accordingly, this description is to be construed as illustrative only. The construction and arrangements, shown in the various exemplary embodiments, are illustrative only. Although only a few embodiments have been described in detail in this disclosure, many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter described herein. Some elements shown as integrally formed may be constructed of multiple parts or elements, the position of elements may be reversed or otherwise varied, and the nature or number of discrete elements or positions may be altered or varied. The order or sequence of any process, logical algorithm, or method steps may be varied or re-sequenced according to alternative embodiments. Other substitutions, modifications, changes and omissions may also be made in the design, operating conditions and arrangement of the various exemplary embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention.
Unless otherwise expressly stated, it is in no way intended that any method set forth herein be construed as requiring that its steps be performed in a specific order. Accordingly, where a method claim does not actually recite an order to be followed by its steps or it is not otherwise specifically stated in the claims or descriptions that the steps are to be limited to a specific order, it is in no way intended that any particular order be inferred. In addition, as used herein, the article “a” is intended to include one or more component or element, and is not intended to be construed as meaning only one. As used herein, “rigidly coupled” refers to two components being coupled in a manner such that the components move together in a fixed positional relationship when acted upon by a force.
Various embodiments of the invention relate to any combination of any of the features, and any such combination of features may be claimed in this or future applications. Any of the features, elements or components of any of the exemplary embodiments discussed above may be utilized alone or in combination with any of the features, elements or components of any of the other embodiments discussed above.