Electric heating – Heating devices – Combined with container – enclosure – or support for material...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-18
2001-07-31
Paik, Sang (Department: 3742)
Electric heating
Heating devices
Combined with container, enclosure, or support for material...
C099S378000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06268592
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to appliances for preparing foodstuffs, and more particularly to an electric tabletop grill plate appliance especially suited for tortilla cuisine.
2. Description of Related Art
An electric grill plate appliance provides a lightweight, portable cooking appliance that a user can conveniently transport manually for table top or counter top use. It includes an electric cooking plate that is sometimes called an electric grill plate. The electric grill plate itself includes two basic components: (i) a plate component with a cooking surface (usually non-stick), and (ii) an electric heating element component in heat conducting relation to the plate component. The user simply plugs the heating element component into an electric outlet, adjusts the heating element temperature control knob to a selected range, arranges foodstuffs on the non-stick cooking surface of the plate component, and then tends the foodstuffs as needed until all is cooked as desired.
Such cooking appliances enjoy popular approval. But consumers continue to look for new healthy culinary adventures that challenge existing electric tabletop grill plate designs. Users want simpler, lighter, home-style cooking, ethnic breads/dishes, regional cooking, and fresh quality produce. They want the electric tabletop grill plate they use to help them create the new, interesting, and fun meals they envision . . . tortilla cuisine included.
Tortilla cuisine refers to edibles that include or are served with tortillas. Fajitas provide a good example. Fajitas are marinated strips (usual beef or chicken) that are usually grilled or broiled and served with flour tortillas and various savory fillings. To prepare fajitas with existing electric grill plates, the cook arranges the meat or chicken strips on the cooking surface of the grill, along with red, green, and yellow peppers, onions, tomatoes, seasonings, and so forth, while at the same time warming some tortillas on the stove top, in the oven, or in the microwave. When the foodstuffs are cooked, he adds some to a tortilla for consumption, or simply leaves the cook foodstuffs and warmed tortillas at the table for his guests to combine.
The problem is that the cook must resort to the stove top, oven, microwave, or other appliance to warm the tortilla. That means another appliance and the restrictions thereby imposed (e.g., the cost, the space, the electricity, an additional electrical outlet, and so forth). Thus, manufacturers and users need some way to alleviate that concern.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention addresses the concerns outlined above by providing an electric grill plate appliance with a built-in tortilla warming compartment. Only one appliance is needed. Everything the cook needs is conveniently group together, avoiding the additional cost, space, electricity, electrical outlet, and so forth otherwise involved.
To paraphrase some of the more precise language appearing in the claims, an electric grill plate appliance constructed according to the invention for tortilla cuisine includes (i) an electric grill plate having a plate component and a heating element component in heat conducting relation to the plate component, (ii) a first portion of the plate component that defines a cooking surface on which to cook foodstuffs, the heating element being adapted to heat the plate component for purposes of cooking foodstuffs placed on the cooking surface, (iii) a second portion of the plate component that defines a compartment adapted to hold a stack of tortillas for purposes of warming the tortillas, and (iv) a cover (preferably see-through and vented) that is adapted to rest removably on the electric grill plate in a position over the compartment.
One embodiment includes those elements and more. A removable tortilla tray within the tortilla warming compartment holds the tortillas while they warm. The cook can lift the tortilla tray from the tortilla warming compartment for purposes of transporting the tortillas elsewhere, away from the compartment. Ribs on the plate component protruded upwardly from the cooking surface in order to facilitate grease and oil drainage from the fajitas and other foodstuffs through a drainage hole in the plate component to a removable collection drawer. A separate tortilla rack holds a tortilla in a semi-folded configuration that facilitates addition of the cooked foodstuffs to it. A removable plastic base holds the electric grill plate spaced apart from the table or other support surface while readily disassembling from the electric grill plate for cleaning purposes.
Thus, the electric grill plate appliance of this invention is especially suited for preparing fajitas and other tortilla cuisine. The following illustrative drawings and detailed description make the foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention more apparent.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1871705 (1932-08-01), Keul
patent: 2362757 (1944-11-01), Lang
patent: 3098924 (1963-07-01), Salton et al.
patent: 6016741 (2000-01-01), Tsai et al.
patent: 6097004 (2000-08-01), Seul
Hu Michael G.
Huang Ming-Jen
Loyal McKinley Hanson
Paik Sang
Tsann Kuen USA Inc.
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