Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Measuring – testing – or controlling by inanimate means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-05
2001-10-09
Hendricks, Keith (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Measuring, testing, or controlling by inanimate means
C426S233000, C426S523000, C099S3290RT, C099S331000, C099S344000, C099S422000, C219S706000, C219S710000, C219S711000, C374S149000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06299920
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
The present invention relates to cooking apparatuses and method for cooking food products, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for assessing the cooked status of the food product during cooking, using non-invasive sensing devices and systems.
The demand for fast food is increasing more than ever before, and the necessity of quality fast food is also increasing with the demand. A significant concern with the increasing demand for fast food, is the potential that the meats (hamburger patties, chicken breast portions, etc.) Being rapidly prepared are not all being cooked sufficiently or to the proper temperatures. This could lead to the insufficient destruction of microorganisms in the food, which could cause sickness or disease if eaten. Cooking the foods to the proper temperatures (as specified by FDA) will destroy such harmful microorganisms in the food.
Since most fast food meats remain frozen until it is time for the food to be cooked, it is difficult to ensure that the inner-most section of food is properly cooked. A common means of checking internal temperature is using a thermometer or a thermocouple. This is a contact type of process where the probe will have to physically enter the food to measure the temperature. Such processes are time consuming and difficult to perform in a fast-food preparation atmosphere.
Accordingly there is a need for automated, non-contact methods and apparatuses for effectively measuring or estimating the internal temperature of food being cooked. These methods will measure/estimate core temperature on-line, tremendously reducing the chances of undercooked food being served and, thereby, reducing the risk of disease/virus/bacteria carry over with food.
One possible contact-less method could be assessment of reduction of weight of food. This is based on decrease in weight of food as it is cooked. The reduction primarily comes from evaporation of moisture from food. Here we are expecting to have near constant moisture content in food, which seems little too much to expect. Also, differential evaporation may occur, i.e., food may lose too much water from the surface and adjacent area (which may indicate adequate cooking) while core may still be under cooked. Also the accuracy and repeatability required for such an instrument is not currently available. Then there are possible methods like LASER and Laser ultrasound, but these at present times may not financially viable.
SUMMARY
The present invention provides a non-contact system and method for effectively approximating the internal temperature of food being cooked upon a cooking surface of a cooking apparatus, such as a grill or griddle. Ultrasound or infrared, non-contact measurement devices may be directly installed onto the cooking apparatus, and in concert with a computerized monitoring/control system, are used to monitor the status of the food being cooked, or to control the heat input to the cooking surface using a feedback loop. The non-contact measurement devices may be permanently positioned above the cooking surface or may be mounted to arms that can be pivoted, or otherwise moved into position over the cooking surface.
One aspect of the present invention is a method for determining an internal temperature of a food product being cooked upon a cooking surface comprising the steps of: (a) positioning an ultrasonic transducer over a food product being cooked upon a cooking surface; (b) activating the ultrasonic transducer to generate ultrasonic waves targeted to the food product; (c) positioning an ultrasonic probe over the food product; (d) activating the ultrasonic probe to detect ultrasonic waves reflected from the food product; and (e) processing the reflected ultrasonic waves to obtain an approximate internal temperature of the food product. Preferably, the approximate internal temperature is obtained by utilizing signal processing algorithms/devices to extract an approximation of the change in natural frequency of the food product from the reflected ultrasonic waves. The ultrasonic transducer and probe can be incorporated into a single measurement device, or may be separate devices. The output of the signal processing algorithms/devices may be fed to a computerized control system responsible for controlling the temperature of the cooking surface; and/or may be fed to an alarm or signal device used to inform the cook when the food products are sufficiently cooked.
Another aspect of the present invention is a method for determining an internal temperature of a food product being cooked upon a cooking surface comprising the steps of: (a) positioning an infrared sensor over a food product being cooked upon a cooking surface; (b) obtaining a first surface temperature reading of the food product at a first point in time with the infrared sensor; (c) obtaining a second surface temperature reading of the food product at a second point in time with the infrared sensor; and (d) approximating an internal temperature of the food product using the first and second temperature readings. Preferably, surface temperature readings are obtained continuously and the internal temperature is approximated by signal processing algorithms/devices that determine the rate of rise of the surface temperatures of the food product surface temperature. In one embodiment, to approximate the internal temperature of the food product, the rate of rise is compared against a predefined curve.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a non-contact system and method for effectively approximating the internal temperature of food being cooked upon a cooking surface of a cooking apparatus, such as a grill or griddle. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a cooking apparatus and system that utilizes non-contact, ultrasound or infrared measurement devices, which may be installed directly onto the cooking apparatus. And it is also an object of the present invention to provide a computerized monitoring/control system, that works in concert with the ultrasound or infrared measurement devices to monitor the status of the food being cooked, and to provide an alarm to the user when the food product is determined to be cooked or to control the heat input to the cooking surface using a feedback loop. These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, the attached drawings and the appended claims.
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Becker Drew
Hendricks Keith
Premark FEG L.L.C.
Thompson Hine LLP
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