Electrothermal cooker

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6240837
  • Patent Number
    6,240,837
  • Date Filed
    Thursday, July 13, 2000
    23 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, June 5, 2001
    23 years ago
Abstract
An electrothermal cooker comprises a casing, a cover, an inner pot, a heating device, and a pot base, and is characterized in: a plurality of heat insulators and a supporting device are disposed between the casing and the inner pot, and between the inner pot and the pot base respectively for efficient heat insulation, stable support, and cost reduction.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of the invention




This invention relates generally to electrothermal utensils, more particularly, it relates to an electrothermal cooker having a plurality of improved thermal insulator located between a casing and an inner pot, and a plurality of improved supporting means arranged between the inner pot and a pot base with better heat insulation and support effect.




2. Description of the prior art




A conventional electrothermal cooker, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,995,312, mainly comprises a metallic pot and a heat-generating resistor, wherein the resistor is used to heat the pot up to 150° C. or more; as the pot is enclosed by a generic plastic casing that cannot stand temperature higher than 150° C., hence, an air layer is formed in the circular wall and the pot base of the pot for segregation of the plastic casing; the metallic pot is isolated by the air layer except that it is connected with a thermo-insulating ring, which also contacts the upper rim of the casing.




However, as the thermo-insulating ring is made of high-priced polyurethane or polyester, the competitive capability of the foregoing electrothermal cooker is inevitably weakened. In view of the defect, this invention is to provide an improved low-cost thermo-insulating structure with excellent efficacy for the electrothermal cooker.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The primary object of this invention is to provide an electrothermal cooker having a plurality of insulators disposed between a casing and an inner pot for achieving heat insulation efficiently and reducing cost.




Another object of this invention is to provide an electrothermal cooker having a plurality of supporting means disposed between an inner pot and a pot base for holding the inner pot stably.




In order to realize above said objects, this invention comprises a casing, a cover, an inner pot, a heating means, and a pot base, and is characterized in: a plurality of heat insulators and supporting means disposed between the casing and the inner pot, and between the pot base and the inner pot respectively.











For more detailed information regarding this invention together with further advantages or features thereof, at least an example of preferred embodiment will be elucidated below with reference to the annexed drawings.




BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS




The related drawings in connection with the detailed description of this invention, which is to be made later, are described briefly as follows, in which:





FIG. 1

is a lateral view of a preferred embodiment of this invention;





FIG. 2

is a partially lateral view (


1


) of the preferred embodiment of this invention; and





FIG. 3

is a partially lateral view (


2


) of the preferred embodiment of this invention.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT




In a preferred embodiment shown in

FIG. 1

, an electrothermal cooker of this invention comprises a metallic inner pot


12


, a casing


14


, a cover


16


, a heating means


22


, and a pot base


26


, and is characterized in: a plurality of heat insulators


18


disposed between the inner pot


12


and the casing


14


; and, a plurality of supporting means


24


disposed between the pot base


26


and the inner pot


12


so as to obtain insulation and support effect.




When the electrothermal cooker is used for frying foods, oil loaded in the metallic inner pot


12


will be heated to a temperature unbearable to the plastics-made casing


14


, therefore, the heat insulators


18


are arranged between the upper rim of both the casing


14


and the inner pot


12


for heat insulation. In addition, for enhancing insulation effect, an air layer


28


is reserved in the lateral wall and bottom face of the inner pot


12


to avoid direct contact of the casing


14


to the inner pot


12


. Moreover, the supporting means


24


utilized for supporting the inner pot


12


is made of a heat-insulating material.




As illustrated in

FIG. 2

, three pieces of the heat insulator


18


arranged between the casing


14


and the inner pot


12


are made of a heat-endurable material, such as polyurethane or polyester, and equally spaced in a contained angle of 120 degrees in a plane defined by the casing


14


and the inner pot


12


and fixed by bolts


181


.




Moreover, three units of the supporting means


24


are equally distributed between the inner pot


12


and the pot base


26


in a contained angle of 120 degrees, and staggeringly positioned relative to the heat insulators


18


, wherein each of the supporting means


24


comprises an insulation portion


242


and a root portion


243


(shown in FIG.


3


), wherein the insulation portion


242


located on top of the root portion


243


is the portion that contacts the inner pot


12


, and the root portion


243


is located between two protruding pieces


261


of the pot base


26


and retained to the pot base


26


by a bolt


262


; and, a bolt stud


241


is used to fix the inner pot


12


on the supporting means


24


.




In this invention, a triple-point support of the heat insulator


18


is adopted to obtain equilibrium and save material in comparison with an annular disposition in the conventional electrothermal cooker mentioned above.




Although, this invention has been described in terms of preferred embodiments, it is apparent that numerous variations and modifications may be made without departing from the true spirit and scope thereof, as set forth in the following claims.



Claims
  • 1. An electrothermal cooker, comprising: a casing, a cover, an inner pot, a heating means, and a pot base, characterized in: a plurality of heat insulators and supporting means disposed between the casing and the inner pot, and between the pot base and the inner pot respectively.
  • 2. The electrothermal cooker according to claim 1, wherein three pieces of the heat insulator are disposed between the casing and the inner pot and distributed equally in a contained angle of 120 degrees.
  • 3. The electrothermal cooker according to claim 1, wherein three units of the supporting means are disposed between the inner pot and the pot base and distributed equally in a contained angle of 120 degrees.
  • 4. The electrothermal cooker according to claim 1, wherein the heat insulators and the supporting means are positioned staggeringly.
  • 5. The electrothermal cooker according to claim 2, wherein the heat insulators and the supporting means are positioned staggeringly.
  • 6. The electrothermal cooker according to claim 3, wherein the heat insulators and the supporting means are positioned staggeringly.
  • 7. The electrothermal cooker according to claim 1, wherein the heat insulator is made of polyurethane or polyester.
US Referenced Citations (14)
Number Name Date Kind
2219949 Childs Oct 1940
2597695 Braski et al. May 1952
2753436 Schwaneke Jul 1956
3433150 Fries Mar 1969
3463077 Lescure Aug 1969
3577908 Burg May 1971
3746837 Frey et al. Jul 1973
3801331 Saho et al. Apr 1974
4011431 Levin Mar 1977
4138606 Brown Feb 1979
4148250 Miki et al. Apr 1979
4189993 Kaufman Feb 1980
4487117 Colley et al. Dec 1984
4995312 Leiros Feb 1991