Cooking appliance

Details Cooking appliance Cooking appliance

2000-09-26

2001-08-28

Simone, Timothy F. (Department: 1761)

Foods and beverages: apparatus

Cooking

Automatic control

C099S348000, C099S352000, C099S357000, C099S455000, C099S468000, C099S476000, C099S483000, C099S486000, C099S517000, C219S400000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06279464

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cooking appliance which is also capable of keeping food or ingredients for making food fresh.
2. Description of the Related Art
Food related appliances designed to either keep food cold for storage or heat food to cooking temperatures are well known. Some appliances are intended to cook food and then keep the food hot. Other appliances may be intended to keep pre-cooked food warm, e.g., hot plate, chafing dishes, etc.
Many cooking appliances have timers that allow the appliance to start and cook food according to a pre-set schedule. For example, a microwave oven that has a timer allowing the microwave to be set before the owner leaves for work in the morning. Such an appliance presents the hazard that any perishable ingredient included in the microwave remains at room temperature all day and is subject to bacterial growth. As a result, the owner is limited to non-perishable ingredients or a limited lead-time to prevent spoilage.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a cooking appliance having a housing providing a cooking chamber, a cooking mechanism associated with the chamber for cooking food therein, and a peltier unit arranged to alter the temperature of the interior of the chamber. The peltier unit comprises a solid-state refrigeration/heating unit including first and second heat conducting parts. The peltier device relies on the peltier effect, a known heat moving effect of electric current passing through certain types of semiconductor junctions. As used in this application, the term peltier device refers to a known, self contained semiconductor device with the capability to absorb or radiate heat from opposed thermally conductive parts, depending on the direction of electric current passing through the device. The heat conducting parts are preferably constructed of metal, due to the excellent thermal conductivity of metals, but other materials may be substituted. The first heat conducting part is arranged near the cooking chamber, while the second heat conducting part is separated from the cooking chamber and arranged at an opposed side of the peltier device. A semiconductor junction is formed between the heat conducting parts.
The peltier device may be operated to, upon the passage of an electrical current across the semiconductor junction in one direction, absorb heat from the first heat conducting part and liberate heat by the second heat conducting part.
The first heat conducting part is preferably arranged in a sub-chamber near the cooking chamber. A fan may be arranged to pass ambient air over the heated or cooled first heat conducting part. A passage is preferably provided to communicate the heated or cooled air to the cooking chamber.
In this manner the temperature of the cooking chamber may be lowered to a temperature between 0° and 4° C. for food storage or, with a reverse flow of an electrical current through the peltier device, raised to a temperature of 70° C. to keep food warm following cooking or assist in the cooking process.
Preferably, the peltier unit includes a heat transfer chamber having an interior to which the first metal part of the peltier device is exposed, said heat transfer chamber being in thermal communication with the cooking chamber.
More preferably, the heat transfer chamber is provided with a motor driven fan for driving air therefrom into the cooking chamber.
More preferably, the peltier unit has a casing providing the heat transfer chamber, said casing being separated from the cooking chamber but connected thereto by means of a passage to enable thermal communication between the two chambers.
In a preferred embodiment, the peltier unit includes a first heat-exchanging member in contact with the first metal part of the peltier device to facilitate the absorption and liberation of heat.
More preferably, the peltier unit further includes a heat transfer chamber having a wall which is formed with an aperture for receiving the first metal part of the peltier device, wherein the first heat exchanging member is mounted within the heat transfer chamber.
In a preferred embodiment the peltier unit further includes a second heat-exchanging member in contact with the second metal part of the peltier device to facilitate the absorption and liberation of heat from the second metal part.
More preferably, the peltier unit further includes a motor-driven fan arranged to drive air past the second heat-exchanging member to facilitate the absorption and liberation of heat from the second heat-exchanging member.
It is preferred that the peltier unit further includes a support formed with an aperture for receiving and locating the peltier device in position, said support having opposite sides on which the first and second heat exchanging members are mounted.
More preferably, the support is formed by a pair of parallel walls formed with respective apertures receiving the first and second metal parts of the peltier device, said walls having opposite outer sides on which the first and second heat exchanging members are mounted.
An object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved cooking appliance that can cool the cooking chamber sufficiently to store perishable ingredients therein until cooking.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved cooking appliance that will permit the delayed preparation of foods including perishable ingredients.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5771788 (1998-06-01), Lee et al.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Cooking appliance does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Cooking appliance, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Cooking appliance will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2479591