WO2015113050A2

WO2015113050A2 - Combination cooker

Info

Publication number: WO2015113050A2
Application number: PCT/US2015/013105
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jeff Wu; Frank Wu
Original assignee: ANOVA INDUSTRIES Inc
Current assignee: ANOVA INDUSTRIES Inc
Priority date: 2014-01-27
Filing date: 2015-01-27
Publication date: 2015-07-30
Anticipated expiration: 2016-07-27
Also published as: WO2015113050A3

Abstract

A precision temperature controlled hot plate heater and water pump circulator appliance for cooking food in water is disclosed. The cooker can include an upper portion including a controller, a display device and an input device coupled to the controller. The cooker can also include a middle portion connected to the upper portion. The middle portion can house a motor coupled to the controller and a fluid agitation device coupled to the motor. The middle portion can be configured for at least partial immersion in a fluid. The cooker can also include a lower portion that can be connected to the upper portion. The lower portion can house a heating element and controller that can be operated independently as a hot plate, or can be coupled to the upper portion's controller. This configuration can enable precision temperature control.

Description

COMBINATION COOKER

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/932,143, entitled Combination Cooker, filed January 27, 2014 and to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/005,885, entitled Combination Cooker with Sous Vide Functionality, filed May 30, 2014, both of which provisional applications are incorporated by reference herein.

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to food cooking devices, and more specifically, to a precision temperature controlled hot plate heater and water pump circulator appliance for cooking food in water.

BACKGROUND

[0003] Sous-vide is a method of cooking food sealed in airtight plastic bags in a water bath for longer than normal cooking times at an accurately regulated temperature much lower than normally used for cooking, typically around 55 °C (131 °F) to 60 °C (140 °F) for meats and higher for vegetables. Current sous-vide equipment are built with singular sous vide functionality such as a thermal circulator or a temperature controlled water bath and cannot be used for conventional cooking.

[0004] There have been attempts to create sous vide apparatus out of conventional cooking equipment like "crock pots", rice cookers, and slow cookers where a temperature controller apparatus attempts to modulate a slow cooker's power source. These systems have a number of drawbacks including lack of circulating fluids or have excess thermal mass such as a ceramic pot where it makes precision temperature control difficult. Also slow cookers do not have additional functionality in kitchens other than slow cooking limiting cooking functions and applicability. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] In order to describe a manner in which features of the disclosure can be obtained, reference is made to specific embodiments that are illustrated in the appended drawings. Based on an understanding that these drawings depict only example embodiments of the disclosure and are not intended to be limiting of scope, the principles herein are described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:

[0006] FIG. 1 is a combination cooker in accordance with an example embodiment;

[0007] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a combination cooker in accordance with an example embodiment; and

[0008] FIG. 3 is an isometric view of a pump apparatus of a combination cooker in accordance with an example embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0009] Various embodiments of the disclosure are discussed in detail below. While specific implementations are discussed, it should be understood that this is done for illustration purposes only. A person skilled in the relevant art will recognize that other components and configurations may be used without departing from the scope of the disclosure.

[0010] Several definitions that apply throughout this document will now be presented. "Circulating" means agitating, blending or mixing of one or more fluids. Hence a "circulator" is a device which can be configured to agitate, blend or mix a fluid. Fluids will be understood to comprise liquids. "Coupled" is defined as connected, whether directly or indirectly through intervening components and is not necessarily limited to physical connections. Coupled devices are devices which are in signal communication with one another. "Connected" means directly connected or indirectly connected.

[0011] Broadly speaking, this disclosure relates to home cooking apparatus for home food preparation with optional sous-vide cooking functionality. The disclosed devices are particularly suited for use in home kitchens and small countertops. [0012] An embodiment of this disclosure is a combination cooker assembly which includes an upper portion including a controller, a display device and an input device coupled to the controller; a middle portion connected to the upper portion, the middle portion housing a motor coupled to the controller and a fluid agitation device coupled to the motor and the middle portion configured for at least partial immersion in a fluid; a lower portion that can be connected to the upper portion, the lower portion housing a heating element and controller wherein the heating element can be operated in conjunction with or independent of the upper and middle portions; wherein the upper and middle portions form a fluidic temperature control device.

[0013] An embodiment within this disclosure is the combination cooker device described above which also includes a thermometer (which can be in signal communication with the temperature controller); and a water level sensor that connects to the upper portion, wherein the middle portion contains an agitation device that is an impeller, screw impeller, or a submersible pump.

[0014] In at least one embodiment the lower portion is a hot plate that can be operated independently and that heats and accommodates a wide range of cooking containers. In at least one embodiment the lower portion can connect to the upper portion to allow for precision power modulation of the lower portion thereby controlling the temperature of the heating element. In at least one embodiment the upper portion contains a clamp that allows for attachment to multiple containers. In at least one embodiment the middle portion is designed for partial submersion into fluid. In at least one embodiment the middle portion contains a detachable skirt that can be removed without tools to allow cleaning of submersed elements. In at least one embodiment the middle portion contains a fluid pump or agitator that can be open without tools to allow cleaning. In at least one embodiment the middle portion contains a clamp that allows for attachment to multiple containers. In at least one embodiment the middle portion is designed for full submersion into fluid.

[0015] One embodiment within this disclosure in a combination cooking range device for both conventional and sous vide precision cooking having a plurality of heating burners or griddles located on the range; a high precision temperature controller including a heater controller for modulating heating power of the burners, a display device and an input device coupled to the controller; and a wired or wireless temperature sensor coupled to the controller and a fluid agitation device coupled to the motor configured for partial or full immersion in a fluid. [0016] In at least one embodiment the controller can control multiple burners. In at least one embodiment the display device can be configured to change between sous vide temperature read or standard cooking readouts of heat intensity. In at least one embodiment the heating element can be any type of element from electric, inductive to gas. In at least one embodiment the controller is connected to the temperature sensor and can modulate the temperature and heat output of the burners.

[0017] In at least one embodiment the fluid agitation device can be motorized stirrer, pump, air- blower or immersion stirrer. In at least one embodiment the fluid agitation and motor can be designed for partial or full submersion into fluid. In at least one embodiment the controller includes a wireless radio can that can communicate with external personal computing devices when cooking in sous vide mode. In at least one embodiment the combination cooking range can be standalone or can be imbedded into a counter.

[0018] FIGS. 1-3 illustrate a combination cooker 100 in accordance with an example embodiment. In the example shown, a lower portion 10 is in communication with an attachable fluidic control device 20 connected by connection cord 35 that communicably attaches the lower portion 10 to the control device 20. The control device 20 can include a thermostat 23 and a pump apparatus 25. A cooking container 40 can be placed on a heating element 11 of the lower portion 10 or other suitable heat source. The cooking container 40 can be any suitable container which can receive water or other suitable fluid. In at least one embodiment, the cooking container 40 can be a pot, steamer, or skillet.

[0019] At least one embodiment within this disclosure is a combination cooker 100 having a heating element 11 and attachable fluidic temperature control device 20 for both conventional and sous-vide cooking. The control device 20 can have an upper portion 50 including a controller 21, a display device 26 and an input device 27. The control device 20 can also include a middle portion 30 connected to the upper portion 22. The middle portion can house a motor 28 coupled to the controller 21 and a fluid agitation device 29 coupled to the motor 28. In at least one embodiment, the motor 28 and the fluid agitation device comprise the pump apparatus 25. The middle portion 30 can be configured for at least partial immersion in a fluid 42. The cooker 100 can also include a lower portion 10 that can be connected to the upper portion 50 by a connection cord 35. The lower portion 10 can house the heating element 11 and lower controller 12 that can be operated independently as a hot plate or can be coupled to the upper portion's controller 21 via the connection cord 35. This can enable precision temperature control. In alternative embodiments, the lower portion 10 and the fluidic temperature control device 20 can be coupled wirelessly using WIFI™, BLUETOOTH™, or other suitable connection.

[0020] In at least one embodiment within this disclosure, a combination cooker device can include a thermometer 23 and a water level sensor 31 that connects to the upper portion 50. The thermometer 23 can be configured to maintain the fluid 42 at a precise temperature. The water level sensor 31 can be configured to alert a user if the water level is too high or if the water level drops below an acceptable level due to evaporation or the like. Also, the middle portion 30 can contain an agitation device 29. In the illustrated embodiment, the agitation device 29 is an impeller. In alternative embodiments, the agitation device 29 can be a screw impeller or a submersible pump.

[0021] In at least one embodiment, the lower portion 10 of a combination cooker 100 can be a hot plate that can be operated independently. The hot plate can heat and accommodates a wide range of cooking containers 40 from pots, bamboo steamers to skillets. The lower portion 10 can connect to the upper portion 50 to allow for precision power modulation of the lower portion 10.

[0022] In at least one embodiment, the upper portion 50 of a combination cooker device 100 can contain a clamp 22 that allows for attachment to multiple cooking containers 40 of various sizes and shapes.

[0023] The lower portion 10 can operate independently from the fluidic control device 20. In at least one embodiment, the heating element 11 can be controlled by the lower controller 12 when disconnected from the fluidic control device 20. In at least one embodiment, a combination cooker 100 has the ability to operate as a standard burner cooking surface when the fluidic control device 20 is not connected. In an alternative embodiment, the combination cooker 100 can operate as a hot plate when the fluidic control device 20 is not connected.

[0024] In at least one embodiment, a combination cooker 100 includes an attachable fluidic temperature control device 20 which consists of a thermometer 23 and a pump apparatus 25 that clips or clamps onto the side of the cooking container 40. The thermometer 23 and pump apparatus 25 act to ensure adequate circulation of a homogenous temperature distribution for the fluid 42 during sous vide cooking.

[0025] In at least one embodiment within this disclosure, the middle portion of a combination cooker device can be designed for partial or full submersion into fluid. Alternatively or additionally, the middle portion can contain a detachable skirt that can be removed without tools to allow cleaning of submersed elements. Alternatively or additionally, the middle portion can contain a fluid pump or agitator that can be open without tools to allow cleaning.

[0026] FIG. 2 illustrates a fluidic temperature control device 20 in an exploded view. FIG. 3 illustrates a pump apparatus 25 of fluidic temperature control device 20. The fluidic temperature control device 20 can have an upper portion 50 and a middle portion 30. The upper portion can have a display device 26 and an input device 27. The display device 26 can be configured to provide information about current settings including, but not limited to, power, water temperature, cook time remaining, current time, and food being cooked. The input device 27 can be configured to change the settings or information of the fluidic temperature control device 20. The input device can adjust the water temperature, the food being cooked, or turn the fluidic temperature control device 20 between an on/off position. The upper portion 50 can further include a controller 21. The controller 21 can be configured to operate the fluidic temperature control device 20 as it communicates with a lower portion 10 (shown in FIG. 1). In at least one embodiment, the controller 21 is a microprocessor. The controller 21 can send and receive signals from the lower portion via the connection cable. See FIG. 1.

[0027] The middle portion 30 can include a thermometer 23, motor 28, and impeller 29. In the illustrated embodiment, the motor 28 and impeller 29 can collectively comprise the pump apparatus 25. The pump apparatus 25 can be configured to ensure the cooking fluid is a homogenous mixture with a consistent temperature throughout. The pump apparatus 25 can be in communication with the controller 21 to circulate the fluid appropriately in response to feedback from the thermometer 23 and the lower portion. The middle portion 30 can also include a clamp 22 configured to assist in coupling the fluidic temperature control device 20 to a container 40 (shown in FIG. 1). In the illustrated embodiment, the clamp 22 is a screw-type clamp. In alternative embodiments, the clamp 22 can be a hinge clamp, a pressure clamp, or a c-shaped protrusion.

Claims

1. A combination cooker assembly comprising:

an upper portion including a controller, a display device and an input device coupled to the controller;

a middle portion connected to the upper portion, the middle portion housing a motor coupled to the controller and a fluid agitation device coupled to the motor and the middle portion configured for at least partial immersion in a fluid;

a lower portion that can be connected to the upper portion, the lower portion housing a heating element and controller wherein the heating element can be operated in conjunction with or independent of the upper and middle portions; wherein the upper and middle portions form a fluidic temperature control device.

2. The combination cooker device of claim 1, further comprising: a thermometer; and

a water level sensor that connects to the upper portion,

wherein the middle portion contains an agitation device that is an impeller, screw impeller, or a submersible pump.

3. The combination cooker device of claim 1, wherein the lower portion is a hot plate that can be operated independently and that heats and accommodates a wide range of cooking containers.

4. The combination cooker device of claim 1, wherein the lower portion can connect to the upper portion to allow for precision power modulation of the lower portion thereby controlling the temperature of the heating element.

5. The combination cooker device of claim 1, wherein the upper portion contains a clamp that allows for attachment to multiple containers.

6. The combination cooker device of claim 2, wherein the middle portion is designed for partial submersion into fluid.

7. The combination cooker device of claim 2, wherein the middle portion contains a detachable skirt that can be removed without tools to allow cleaning of submersed elements.

8. The combination cooker device of claim 2, wherein the middle portion contains a fluid pump or agitator that can be open without tools to allow cleaning.

9. The combination cooker device of claim 1, wherein the middle portion contains a clamp that allows for attachment to multiple containers.

10. The combination cooker device of claim 2, wherein the middle portion is designed for full submersion into fluid.

11. A combination cooking range device for both conventional and sous vide precision

cooking comprising:

a plurality of heating burners or griddles located on the range;

a high precision temperature controller including a heater controller for modulating heating power of the burners, a display device and an input device coupled to the controller;

a wired or wireless temperature sensor coupled to the controller and a fluid agitation device coupled to the motor configured for partial or full immersion in a fluid.

12. The combination cooking range device of claim 11, wherein the controller can control multiple burners.

13. The combination cooking range device of claim 11, wherein the display device can be configured to change between sous vide temperature read or standard cooking readouts of heat intensity.

14. The combination cooking range device of claim 11 wherein the heating element can be any type of element from electric, inductive to gas.

15. The combination cooking range device of claim 11, wherein the controller is connected to the temperature sensor and can modulate the temperature and heat output of the burners.

16. The combination cooking range device of claim 11, wherein the fluid agitation device can be motorized stirrer, pump, air blower or immersion stirrer.

17. The combination cooking range device of claim 11, wherein the fluid agitation and motor can be designed for partial or full submersion into fluid.

18. The combination cooker device of claim 11, wherein the controller includes a wireless radio can that can communicate with external personal computing devices when cooking in sous vide mode.

19. The combination cooker device of claim 11, wherein the combination cooking range can be standalone or can be imbedded into a counter.