Foods and beverages: apparatus – Cooking – Boiler or deep fat fryer type
Patent
1998-12-17
2000-05-16
Simone, Timothy
Foods and beverages: apparatus
Cooking
Boiler or deep fat fryer type
99407, 99408, 99409, 99416, A47J 3712
Patent
active
06062132&
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to cooking apparatus, and is particularly applicable to frying apparatus, the apparatus as shown in the present Applicant's co-pending UK Patent Application No. 9515167.6.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
Known types of frying apparatus include a vessel for containing hot oil or fat, and a basket for holding the items of food to be fried. The basket can be lowered part way into the vessel so as to immerse the items of food in the liquid, and includes a handle which enables it to be removed once the food has been cooked.
Ideally, each item of food needs to be completely immersed in the frying liquid in order to ensure that it is evenly cooked. However, certain larger items of food can float to the surface of the frying liquid, and effect which is enhanced by the expansion of any air in the food, and as a result those items may not be evenly cooked.
The problem is not solved by the total immersion of the basket in the frying liquid, since then the food can simply float out of the basket.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention, there is provided apparatus for cooking food, the apparatus comprising a vessel for containing hot liquid in which the food is to be cooked, a basket for holding an item of food to be cooked, support means for supporting the basket in a position in which it is immersed in the liquid, and a retaining member for retaining food in the basket during cooking, the retaining member and basket being moveable relative to each other, between a closed position, in which the retaining member extends across at least part of the top of the basket to retain food therein, and an open position in which the retaining member is positioned sufficiently clear of the basket to allow food to be placed therein or removed therefrom.
Thus, even if an item of food being cooked in the basket is less dense than the cooking liquid, it will be prevented from floating out of the basket by the retaining member. Accordingly, the retaining member allows the basket to be immersed totally in the cooking liquid so as to ensure that the food in the basket is evenly cooked.
Preferably, the retaining member is mounted on the support means and the basket is removably mounted on the support means so that the retaining member and basket are in said closed position when the basket is mounted on the support means and in said open position when the basket is removed from the support means.
This avoids the need for any relatively complex opening or closing mechanism for the retaining member, since the user will automatically have access to the contents of the basket on removal from the support means, since the retaining member remains on the support means after the basket has been removed.
Preferably, the retaining member comprises a lid.
The support means may to advantage be moveable relative to the vessel to lower the basket into or raise the basket from the vessel, and in such a case the support means is preferably connected to drive means for moving the support means, and thereby automatically raising or lowering the basket.
Preferably, the support means comprises a rotary member, and the drive means comprises a motor for rotating the rotary member about an axis spaced from the basket and lid, so that said rotation in a given sense lowers the basket and lid into and then raises the basket and lid from the vessel.
In such a case, the basket and lid are preferably rotatable relative to the rotary member so that their attitude remains substantially unchanged as the rotary member rotates.
To that end, the basket, when mounted on the support member, may to advantage be so connected to the lid that both basket and lid are rotationally located relative to each other so as to prevent relative rotation of the basket and lid in use.
This ensures that, during cooking, the lid does not rotate clear of the basket as a result of, for example, eddy currents in the cooking liquid.
Preferably, the rotary member is attached to a rod which is substantially parallel to the axis of rotatio
REFERENCES:
patent: 1814784 (1931-07-01), Bennett
patent: 2616359 (1952-11-01), Pierson
patent: 3078786 (1963-02-01), Arvan
patent: 3643588 (1972-02-01), Schwarz et al.
patent: 4031820 (1977-06-01), Reed
patent: 4153736 (1979-05-01), Lents
patent: 4287818 (1981-09-01), Moore et al.
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