Cooking timer device

Details Cooking timer device Cooking timer device

2001-05-22

2003-06-17

Martin, David (Department: 2841)

Horology: time measuring systems or devices

Combined with disparate device

Ambient condition detector

C368S010000, C374S100000, C374S190000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06580662

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a timer device, and in particular to a device for timing the cooking or heating of a food item.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Cooking or heating food to the exact degree of doneness can be a tricky and frustrating everyday task. For example, boiling eggs easily ends up in sloppy undercooked eggs or in rock-hard overcooked ones.
In order to simplify such task, timers are currently employed which the user switches on to start computing the cooking time.
These known-art timers suffer from some relevant drawbacks.
The main drawback lies in the fact that they rely on the person doing the cooking to begin the timing manually. This brings inconsistent results from time to time, because, depending on the heat source, on the cooking container used and in general on the cooking conditions, the food item to be cooked takes different times to reach the ideal cooking temperature.
Furthermore, in case of boiling, the person managing the timer has to wait for the water to boil to actuate the timer. This latter task is particularly annoying and frustrating, because it results in the necessity to wait and watch continuously the cooking container, instead of completing the meal preparation or doing other business. Moreover, it still leads to inconsistent results, because it is practically impossible to discriminate by looking when the water has reached the right temperature of actual full boiling.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The technical problem underlying the present invention is that of providing a device allowing to overcome the drawbacks mentioned above with reference to the known art.
Such problem is solved by a device for timing the cooking of a food item, comprising:
timing means, apt to compute a cooking time interval, and
signalling means, actuatable by said timing means to signal that said time interval has elapsed,
characterised in that it further comprises:
temperature sensitive means, apt to be arranged in proximity of the food item and to determine the starting of computing of said time interval by said timing means at a pre-determined temperature.
In the present context, with “cooking” of a food item it is of course to be understood also the simple “warming up” of an already fully cooked item.
The present invention provides some relevant advantages. The main advantage lies in the fact that it allows an automatic starting of the cooking timing, thus providing optimal and consistent cooking results.
Other advantages, features and operation steps of the present invention will be made apparent in the detailed description of some embodiments thereof, given by way of example and not for limitative purposes. It will be made reference to the figures of the annexed drawings, wherein:


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