Cooking utensil

Details Cooking utensil Cooking utensil

2001-07-10

2003-10-07

Paladini, Albert W. (Department: 2125)

Data processing: generic control systems or specific application

Specific application, apparatus or process

Specific application of temperature responsive control system

C700S299000, C099S403000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06631311

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cooking utensil such as a fryer for cooking a food using a cooking timer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A cooking utensil such as a fryer is used for performing cooking basically in accordance with a preset time for each predetermined food. Such a cooking utensil also causes a cooking timer to be operated in accordance with a detected, predetermined cooking temperature (e.g. oil temperature as for a fryer) in consideration of the lowering of an oil temperature because of putting a food in the cooking utensil Thus, as a result, the completion time of the cooking timer is corrected from the original preset time. Although a set time of the cooking timer can be changed arbitrarily, in general, a target time is set as a proper value according to a food. Thus, the fryer executes the following procedures so that the completion time of the cooking timer varied by correction, i.e. an actually elapsed time, coincides with the target time.
<1> A specified mass of the food is put in the fryer at a specified oil temperature, and a cooking timer is started.
<2> Measurement of the actually elapsed time is started by a stopwatch at the same time when the cooking timer is started.
<3> Measurement of the actually elapsed time is completed at the same time when the time of the cooking timer corrected depending on the oil temperature is up.
<4> The measured actually elapsed time is compared with the target time, the set time is corrected so as to eliminate the difference between the elapsed time and the target time, and the corrected time is stored in a computer of the cooking utensil.
As described above, the adjustment of the set time according to the cooking timer is made based on the actually elapsed time manually measured. In addition, the set time is manually corrected. Thus, the set time may be incorrectly stored due to incorrect measurement or calculation. Further, such measurement or calculation is cumbersome and troublesome.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in order to solve the foregoing problem. In order to achieve the foregoing object, it is an object of the present invention to provide a cooking utensil capable of easily and precisely measuring completion time of a cooking timer according to adjustment of the set time without any trouble or mistake.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cooking utensil comprising a cooking timer for counting a preset time, wherein there is provided actually elapsed time counting means for automatically starting to count the corrected completion time of said cooking timer at the same time when said cooking timer starts.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in addition to an effect of the first aspect, in order to calculate a set time based on an actually elapsed time easily and precisely without any trouble or mistake, there is provided a cooking utensil, comprising computation means for comparing an actually elapsed time obtained by actually elapsed time counting means with a preset target time, and computing a newly set time of the cooking timer so that said actually elapsed time coincides with said target time according to the comparison result.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in addition to an effect of the second aspect, in order to update a set time easily and precisely without any trouble or mistake, there is provided a cooking utensil comprising update means capable of updating a newly set time obtained by computation means as the set time of the cooking timer.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in addition to an effect of any of the first to third aspects, there is provided a cooking utensil, wherein, when a pulse burner is employed for cooking means, the counting of the cooking timer is not started during initial combustion after power has been turned ON in order to obtain a set time or an actually elapsed time precisely.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.


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