Foods and beverages: apparatus – Cooking – Automatic control
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-03
2003-07-22
Alexander, Reginald L. (Department: 1761)
Foods and beverages: apparatus
Cooking
Automatic control
C099S468000, C099S516000, C099S340000, C126S369000, C219S401000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06595112
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a cooking device having a cooking chamber with at least one water inlet, at least one water outlet and at least one exhaust.
Cooking devices with a cooking chamber having at least one water inlet, at least one water outlet and an exhaust are generally known; however, the incoming water or, respectively, outgoing water cannot be exactly measured or controlled and/or regulated.
Water is needed within a cooking device for fulfilling a number of tasks. The supply of water is necessary, particularly with respect to a steaming operation in the cooking device or with respect to a quenching or chilling operation. In addition, water is used for potential automatic cleaning of the cooking device, for a decalcification means within the cooking device, for a softening apparatus or for a metering device for a hand shower or nozzle for finishing sauces.
It is desirable to determine the amount of water consumption of a cooking device or the difference between the amount of incoming water and the amount of water being removed from the cooking device, particularly for enabling a long runtime of the cooking device, for facilitating telediagnostic services with respect to the customer and for saving energy. It is also desirable with respect to the above-described specific operative range of water within a cooking device to be able to exactly acquire or determine the respectively required amount of water or, respectively, the used amount of water, so that the acquisition of water consumption data, in particular, could be advantageous via a computer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a cooking device having a device for registering the amount of water with which the supplied amount of water or the amount of water that can be supplied is determined for the cooking device and also for individual devices within the cooking device and to determine the discharge amount of water or the amount of water that can be discharged and the amount of steam and/or moisture emerging from the cooking device.
The object is inventively achieved by a device for registering the amount of water comprising at least one measuring device for acquiring the amount of water being either supplied to the cooking device or the amount of water that can be supplied to the cooking device, a measuring device for acquiring the amount of water being discharged out of the cooking device or the amount of water that can be discharged out of the cooking device and/or for acquiring the amount of steam and/or moisture emerging from the cooking device.
It can be provided that the measuring device has at least one liquid flow sensor, a water level sensor and/or a moisture sensor.
It is inventively preferred that at least one liquid flow sensor, such as a pulse counter or the like, cooperates with the water feeder and/or the outlet and/or that at least one moisture sensor is arranged in the cooking chamber in a drain or in an exhaust for the chamber.
Furthermore, the invention is characterized by at least one measuring device for a cooking device having at least one water-consuming device selected from at least one quenching or chilling nozzle, a steaming nozzle, a cleaning nozzle, a hand shower or the like, for acquiring the amount of water that can be supplied to the water-consuming device and/or the amount of water supplied to the water-consuming device, the amount of water that can be discharged out of the water-consuming device and/or the amount of water discharged out of the water-consuming device and the amount of steam and/or moisture emerging from the water-consuming device.
It can be provided that the water-consuming device comprises a cooling device, a quenching device, a steaming device, a cleaning device, a decalcification device, a softening device and/or a metering device, particularly for a hand shower for finishing sauces.
It is also inventively preferred that the device for registering the amount of water has at least one controller and/or regulating device cooperating with at least one (preferably every) measuring device, particularly for controlling and/or regulating a cooking process, a moistening process, a drying process, a cleaning process, a decalcification process, a softening process and the like.
It can be provided that the device for registering the amount of water has at least one display unit cooperating with the at least one (preferably every) measuring device, particularly for displaying a water flow amount, water consumption and/or content of moisture.
Finally, it is inventively provided that the control device and/or the regulating device and/or the at least one display unit is connected to a computer or is surrounded by it.
The embodiments of the invention can also be characterized in that the device for registering the amount of water has an interface for connecting to the internet, preferably via a computer. This is particularly useful for telediagnostic service, which diagnoses problems of a device from a remote location by using information on telephone or cable lines, providing remote maintenance and the like for the cooking device.
Therefore, the invention is based on the surprising knowledge that the amount of water which can be supplied to the cooking device or is supplied to the cooking device, as well as the amount of water, which can be discharged and/or is discharged, can be acquired with the aid of the measuring devices, whereby the measuring devices can also regulate or control individual amounts of water that are to be supplied for specific devices within the cooking device.
The inventive device for registering the amount of water in a cooking device enables a longer runtime of the cooking device. On the basis of the data displayed by the control and/or regulating device, it is also possible to facilitate the telediagnostic services for customers. Furthermore, since the amount of water required for the cooking device can be exactly regulated and/or controlled, the inventive device makes it possible to save energy. A remote monitoring is particularly facilitated by using a computer which is provided with an internet interface, and this remote monitoring enables service personnel to monitor the device and diagnose any problems which can occur.
Additional features and objects of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment, the drawing and the claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4649898 (1987-03-01), Martinson
patent: 5768982 (1998-06-01), Violi et al.
patent: 6213002 (2001-04-01), Batten et al.
patent: 6250215 (2001-06-01), Brenn
Alexander Reginald L.
Rational Aktiengeselleshaft
Schiff & Hardin & Waite
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