Electric heating – Heating devices – Combined with container – enclosure – or support for material...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-28
2001-11-20
Walberg, Teresa (Department: 3742)
Electric heating
Heating devices
Combined with container, enclosure, or support for material...
C219S430000, C219S428000, C219S440000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06320166
ABSTRACT:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED ART
This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No.
2000-13183,
filed on May 9, 2000, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
This application also incorporates by reference co-pending application Ser. No. 09/449,156 filed on Nov. 24, 1999.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cooking apparatus, and particularly, to a cooking apparatus having a double-layered wall structure which enables to heat a heat conductive medium filling a cavity format between the double-layered structure by an electrical heating element.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Various types of cooking apparatus are known and used in a kitchen. Such cooking apparatus is made of one or more layers of stainless steel and has a single-layered bottom. The single-layered bottom is good for directly transmitting heat to the food contained in the utensil, but also causes burning of the food when carefully not attended to.
Generally, cooking pots are heated by external flames or by electrical heating devices. Such pots of the related art enable to cook food contained inside by heating the bottom surface thereof, thereby causing problems such that the cooking substances tend to scorch and stick to the bottom of the pot due to the direct heating. As a result, the genuine flavor of the cooked food is lost due to the abrupt cooling of the pot after the external heat is removed.
To solve the above problems, a cooking apparatus having a double-layered structure has been proposed for preventing burnt food and to improve food flavor. One of such ideas is published in Korean Utility Laid-Open Publication Nos. 85-7307 and 95-24398 which teaches that paraffin is injected between a space provided by a double-layered structure and an air-hole is established thereon. Moreover, a pot having a double-layered structure into which a working fluid is injected is illustrated in Japanese Laid-Open Publication Nos. 56-169825 and 63-48526.
The pots according to the related art fail to be sealed completely, contaminate the food inside due to the leakage of the heat conductive medium from the falty or leaky sealing of the double wall.
Accordingly, the pots according to the related arts provide poor heat efficiency, have short life-expanse due to poor mechanical strength, and fail to provide effective heat insulation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a cooking apparatus in the form of a container that substantially obviates one or more of the problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
An object of the present invention is to provide a double-layered cooking container having a secured sealing between the inner and outer shells.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a double-layered cooking container to improve heat efficiency by indirectly heating the heat conductive medium, thus providing long durability and even-heat distribution to the inner shell.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, a cooking apparatus comprises a container having an outer shell and an inner shell, wherein a cavity is provided by coupling and sealing edges of the outer and inner shells. The container comprises an electric heating element installed at a lower portion of the container between the bottom inner and outer shells, wherein the heating element is not in contact with the inner shell; and a heat conductive medium at least partially filling the cavity. The outer shell of the container defines a clamping hole for installing therein a pressure controlling member. The pressure controlling member is opened when a cavity pressure exceeds a predetermined value.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the pressure controlling member comprises a spring housing defining a spring device hole and a pressure controlling hole connected thereto, wherein the spring housing has a screw thread on a circumference thereof and a screw head at one end of the spring housing; a nut coupling the spring housing to the outer shell; a pressure control valve in the spring device hole to block the pressure controlling hole; a spring placed in the spring housing to bias the pressure control valve against the pressure controlling hole; and a spring suspension member having a through-hole and is being threadably coupled with the the spring housing to control the biasing force of the spring, wherein the through hole is in fluid communication with the spring device hole.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the pressure controlling member comprises a spring housing defining a spring device hole and a pressure controlling hole connected thereto, wherein the spring housing has a groove around the outer circumference thereof; a pressure control valve in the spring device hole to block the pressure controlling hole; a spring placed in the spring housing to bias the pressure control valve against the pressure controlling hole; and a spring suspension member having a through hole and is being coupled with the the spring housing with a step ring being placed in the groove of the spring housing.
In the preferred embodiment, the outer and inner shells are rolled together to provide a sealed structure. In addition, the cooking apparatus further includes a container lid covering the container and a heat insulation cover covering over the container. The container lid comprises a dome-shaped disk of tempered glass of which edge is surrounded by a guard ring. The heat insulation cover is preferably made of a stainless steel plate.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, the cooking container comprises an outer shell having an opening; an inner shell disposed inside the outer shell through the opening, forming a cavity between the outer and inner shells, wherein the cavity is formed substantially along the height of the inner shell and at least partially contains a heat conductive medium; a first heat conductive plate being in contact with both an inner bottom surface of the outer shell and an outer bottom surface of the inner shell to allow even distribution of heat through out the bottom surface of the inner shell; a second heat conduction plate affixed to and in contact with an outer bottom surface of the outer shell; a support cover configured to fit in surrounding relation to the second heat conduction plate; and a pressure controlling member coupled with a side of the outer shell. The pressure controlling member is similar to the ones described in connection with the first embodiment of the present invention.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.
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Dahbour Fadi H.
Lee & Hong
Walberg Teresa
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