Electric cooking system and a cooking method using the same

• US 10,226,146 B1
• Filed: 08/17/2015
• Issued: 03/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smartstr, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Smartstr, Inc.
• Inventors: Zeder, Roland
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoang, Tu B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Vy T
• Application Number:
  US14/827,500
• Time in Patent Office: 1,303 Days
• Field of Search: 99275, 99280, 99323, 99330, 99331, 99332, 426231, 426115, 426394, 426433, 426 16, 426523, 426 11, 426405, 426 44, 426466, 426549, 426 87, 219401, 219502
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 5/13 using water or steam
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 36/321 the electronic control being performed over a network, e.g. by means of a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/06 Heater elements structurally combined with coupling elements or holders
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/68 Heating arrangements specially adapted for cooking plates or analogous hot-plates

Abstract

An electric cooking device includes a food holding portion, the food holding portion configured to receive a food product for cooking; an electric heating device thermally coupled to the food holding portion, the electric heating device configured to heat the food product disposed in the food holding portion; and a control unit operatively coupled to the electric heating device, the control unit configured to control the electric heating device such that the food product is heated for a predetermined amount of time. An electric cooking system includes the electric cooking device and a smart digital device operatively coupled to the electric cooking device.

Claims

1. An electric cooking device comprising, in combination:

a food holding portion, said food holding portion configured to receive a food product for cooking, said food holding portion comprising a cooking bowl assembly, said cooking bowl assembly comprising a cooking bowl body portion, a cooking bowl lid, and at least one handle portion;

a housing with at least one retention element for preventing movement of said at least one handle portion of said cooking bowl assembly relative to said housing;

an electric heating device thermally coupled to said food holding portion, said electric heating device configured to heat said food product disposed in said food holding portion, said electric heating device contacting said food holding portion, said electric heating device defining a central aperture, and said electric heating device comprising a plurality of female threaded bosses;

a control unit operatively coupled to said electric heating device, said control unit configured to control said electric heating device such that said food product is heated for a predetermined amount of time, said control unit including an electronic controller and a data interface, said data interface configured to operatively couple said electronic controller to a remote digital device, said electronic controller configured to receive cooking settings for said electric cooking device from said remote digital device via said data interface, process said cooking settings from said remote digital device, and control said electric heating device based upon said cooking settings from said remote digital device;

a drip dish member having a peripheral rim and a plurality of holes disposed through said drip dish member, said drip dish member disposed between said food holding portion and said control unit, said peripheral rim of said drip dish member circumscribing said electric heating device, and said electric heating device disposed between said food holding portion and said drip dish member;

a plurality of fastener devices, each of said plurality of fastener devices comprising male threads, said male threads on each of said plurality of fastener devices configured to be inserted through said holes in said drip dish member and into said female threaded bosses of said electric heating device so as to trap said drip dish member;

a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of said food holding portion proximate to said food product during the heating thereof, said temperature sensor being operatively coupled to said electronic controller, and said temperature sensor being disposed in said central aperture of said electric heating device; and

a heat shield member disposed over a portion of said control unit, said heat shield member being disposed between said drip dish member and said control unit, and said heat shield member configured to protect one or more electronic components of said control unit from heat generated by said electric heating device;

wherein said electric cooking device does not comprise any moving components that contact said food product.

2. The electric cooking device according to claim 1,

wherein said electronic controller is further configured to manage a power supply of said electric cooking device, monitor said temperature of said food holding portion by means of said temperature sensor, and monitor cooking time by an internal clock.

3. The electric cooking device according to claim 2, wherein said control unit further comprises one of:

(i) a proportional-integral (PI) controller, (ii) a proportional-derivative (PD) controller, and (iii) a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller, said control unit configured to provide a control loop feedback mechanism for the monitoring of said temperature and the monitoring of said cooking time.

4. The electric cooking device according to claim 1, further comprising an eating dish integrated into said electric cooking device, said eating dish configured to engage with said cooking bowl assembly of said electric cooking device, and said eating dish comprising at least one handle notch for receiving said at least one handle portion of said cooking bowl assembly in said at least one handle notch.

5. The electric cooking device according to claim 4,

wherein said at least one handle portion of said cooking bowl assembly is part of a handle subassembly, said handle subassembly comprising a thermally insulated handle ring portion, said cooking bowl body portion configured to toollessly engage said thermally insulated handle ring portion.

6. The electric cooking device according to claim 1, further comprising a bottom plate member and a base flange member, said housing of said electric cooking device configured to be assembled to said bottom plate member and said base flange member of said electric cooking device by means of clamping without a use of fastener devices.

7. The electric cooking device according to claim 1, further comprising one or more light emitting devices configured to provide a visual indicator to said user indicative of at least one of the following operational states of said electric cooking device:

(i) said electric cooking device being connected to said remote digital device, (ii) said electric cooking device being activated and in a standby mode for cooking at a later time, (iii) said electric cooking device currently cooking said food product, and (iv) said electric cooking device currently keeping said food product warm after the cooking thereof.

8. The electric cooking device according to claim 7, wherein said one or more light emitting devices comprise one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

16. The electric cooking device according to claim 2, further comprising a power relay operatively coupled to said power supply of said electric cooking device and said electronic controller, said electronic controller being configured to activate and deactivate power to said electric heating device of said electric cooking device by controlling said power supply of said electric cooking device via said power relay.

17. The electric cooking device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one retention element of said housing is a notch in said housing for receiving said at least one handle portion of said cooking bowl assembly in said notch.

9. An electric cooking system comprising, in combination:

an electric cooking device, which includes;

a food holding portion, said food holding portion configured to receive a food product for cooking;

an electric heating device thermally coupled to said food holding portion, said electric heating device configured to heat said food product disposed in said food holding portion, said electric heating device contacting said food holding portion, said electric heating device defining a central aperture, and said electric heating device comprising a plurality of female threaded bosses;

a control unit operatively coupled to said electric heating device, said control unit configured to control said electric heating device such that said food product is heated for a predetermined amount of time, said control unit including an electronic controller and a data interface, said electronic controller comprising one of;

(i) a proportional-integral (PI) controller, (ii) a proportional-derivative (PD) controller, and (iii) a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller, said electronic controller configured to provide a control loop feedback mechanism for the monitoring of said temperature and the monitoring of said cooking time;

a drip dish member having a plurality of holes disposed through said drip dish member, said drip dish member disposed between said food holding portion and said control unit, and said electric heating device disposed between said food holding portion and said drip dish member;

a plurality of fastener devices, each of said plurality of fastener devices comprising male threads, said male threads on each of said plurality of fastener devices configured to be inserted through said holes in said drip dish member and into said female threaded bosses of said electric heating device so as to trap said drip dish member;

a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of said food holding portion proximate to said food product during the heating thereof, said temperature sensor being operatively coupled to said electronic controller, and said temperature sensor being disposed in said central aperture of said electric heating device; and

a heat shield member disposed over a portion of said control unit, said heat shield member being disposed between said drip dish member and said control unit, and said heat shield member configured to protect one or more electronic components of said control unit from heat generated by said electric heating device;

wherein said electric cooking device does not include a visual display device for displaying cooking settings to a user, and wherein said electric cooking device does not comprise any moving components that contact said food product; and

a remote digital device operatively coupled to said control unit of said electric cooking device, said remote digital device being programmed to allow said user to adjust said cooking settings of said electric cooking device;

wherein said data interface of said electric cooking device is configured to operatively couple said electronic controller to said remote digital device, said electronic controller of said electric cooking device configured to receive said cooking settings for said electric cooking device from said remote digital device via said data interface, process said cooking settings from said remote digital device, and control said electric heating device based upon said cooking settings from said remote digital device.

10. The electric cooking system according to claim 9, wherein said data interface of said electric cooking device is in the form of a wireless data interface for wirelessly communicating with said remote digital device.

11. The electric cooking system according to claim 10, wherein said wireless data interface of said electric cooking device is configured to wirelessly communicate with said remote digital device.

12. The electric cooking system according to claim 9, wherein said remote digital device comprises one of:

(i) a cellular phone, (ii) a tablet device, (iii) a laptop computing device, (iv) a palmtop computing device, and (v) a desktop computing device.

13. The electric cooking system according to claim 9, wherein said remote digital device comprises a touchscreen user interface, and said remote digital device is programmed so as to enable said user to adjust said cooking settings of said electric cooking device using said touchscreen user interface.

14. The electric cooking system according to claim 9, wherein said electric cooking device comprises a single user interface button on an outside thereof, said single user interface button only enabling basic user interactions, which include initiating an execution of a last-used time or temperature parameter and termination of an ongoing cooking cycle.

15. The electric cooking system according to claim 9, wherein said electric cooking device does not utilize a plurality of networked computers in order to communicate with said remote digital device.