Bread baking machine

• US 20040020372A1
• Filed: 04/22/2003
• Published: 02/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hanada, Toru, Oshita, Takahiro, Yamaguchi, Shigeru
• Granted Patent: US 6,761,107 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 99/348
• CPC Class Codes: A21B 7/005 in combination with mixing or kneading devices

Abstract

A bread baking machine of the invention has a gasket for sealing and a magnetic metal fitting A constituting a locking means, both provided on a container cover which opens and closes an opening above a lid container placed in an outer cover for storing supplementary ingredient of bread and for entering it automatically. The bread baking machine can thus lock the lid container and the container cover while keeping the gasket depressed against a sealing surface. Since this structure ensures the gasket to seal a space between the lid container and the container cover, it can prevent dew condensation and thermal deformation of components due to leakage of hot steam.

Claims

1. A bread baking machine comprising:

a bread container for mixing, kneading and heating bread ingredients;

a baking chamber provided with a heater;

a lid for opening and closing said baking chamber;

a lid container provided in said lid for storing a supplementary ingredient of bread;

a container cover for opening and closing said lid container;

a gasket provided between said lid container and said container cover;

enter means for opening the bottom of said lid container to enter said supplementary ingredient into said bread container;

control means for controlling a baking process; and

locking means for locking said lid and said container cover,

wherein said bread baking machine uses said locking means to lock said lid and said container cover for preventing substantially hot air from escaping to the outside through the periphery of said container cover.

2. The bread baking machine according to claim 1, wherein said gasket is attached to said container cover.

3. The bread baking machine according to claim 1, wherein an inner cover for opening and closing an opening of said lid container is mounted to said container cover in a movable manner.

4. The bread baking machine according to claim 3, wherein said gasket is attached to at least one of said container cover and said inner cover.

5. The bread baking machine according to one of claim 1, wherein said locking means is disposed between a hinge of said container cover and a controller panel, and said gasket is disposed between said locking means and said hinge.

6. The bread baking machine according to any of claim 3, wherein said inner cover is mounted in a movable manner to said container cover via a fixing member.

7. The bread baking machine according to any of claim 3, wherein said lid container is placed in said lid in a removable manner, a lid container receptacle for placing said lid container is arranged around the outer periphery of said lid container, and said inner cover is substantially in abutment with one of said lid container receptacle and said lid container over the entire periphery at an interior side of said gasket.

8. The bread baking machine according to claim 6, wherein said lid container is placed in said lid in a removable manner, a lid container receptacle for placing said lid container is arranged around the outer periphery of said lid container, and said inner cover is in abutment with one of said lid container receptacle and said lid container substantially over the entire periphery at an interior side of said gasket.

9. The bread baking machine according to claim 7, wherein said gasket comes in abutment with said lid container receptacle to provide sealing.

10. The bread baking machine according to claim 8, wherein said gasket comes in abutment with said lid container receptacle to provide sealing.

12. The bread baking machine according to one of claim 1, wherein an inner wall of said lid container comprises any of a wavy surface and a plurality of ridges and ditches.

13. The bread baking machine according to claim 7, wherein an inner wall of said lid container comprises any of a wavy surface and a plurality of ridges and ditches.

14. The bread baking machine according to claim 8, wherein an inner wall of said lid container comprises any of a wavy surface and a plurality of ridges and ditches.

15. The bread baking machine according to claim 9, wherein an inner wall of said lid container comprises any of a wavy surface and a plurality of ridges and ditches.

16. The bread baking machine according to claim 10, wherein an inner wall of said lid container comprises any of a wavy surface and a plurality of ridges and ditches.

17. The bread baking machine according to claim 7 further comprising a latching member for latching said enter means in the bottom of said lid container, and a grip to be held when removing and replacing said lid container,

wherein said latching member and said grip are arranged at same side surface of said lid container.

18. The bread baking machine according to claim 8 further comprising a latching member for latching said enter means in the bottom of said lid container, and a grip to be held when removing and replacing said lid container,

wherein said latching member and said grip are arranged at same side surface of said lid container.

19. The bread baking machine according to claim 17, wherein a solenoid for driving said latching member is disposed inside a controller panel, and said latching member and said grip are arranged next to said controller panel.

20. The bread baking machine according to claim 18, wherein a solenoid for driving said latching member is disposed inside a controller panel, and said latching member and said grip are arranged next to said controller panel.

21. The bread baking machine according to claim 17, wherein said controller panel is located at the right side of said baking machine as facing toward a front panel thereof.

22. The bread baking machine according to claim 18, wherein said controller panel is located at the right side of said baking machine as facing toward a front panel thereof.

23. The bread baking machine according to claim 17, wherein said grip comprises a concavity formed in an upper surface of said lid container, and a rib is formed on the upper surface next to said grip.

24. The bread baking machine according to claim 18, wherein said grip comprises a concavity formed in an upper surface of said lid container, and a rib is formed on the upper surface next to said grip.

25. The bread baking machine according to claim 17, wherein said latching member is turnably attached to said lid container via a leaf spring, said leaf spring has a fixing tab formed thereon for attaching said latching member to said lid container, and a periphery of said leaf spring and said fixing tab is encircled with any of a rib and a barrier formed on said lid container.

26. The bread baking machine according to claim 18, wherein said latching member is turnably attached to said lid container via a leaf spring, said leaf spring has a fixing tab formed thereon for attaching said latching member to said lid container, and a periphery of said leaf spring and said fixing tab is encircled with any of a rib and a barrier formed on said lid container.

27. The bread baking machine according to claim 17, wherein said latching member is turnably attached to said lid container via a leaf spring, said leaf spring has a fixing tab formed thereon for attaching said latching member to said lid container, and a periphery of said leaf spring and said fixing tab is encircled with any of a rib and a barrier formed on said lid container.

28. The bread baking machine according to claim 18, wherein said latching member is turnably attached to said lid container via a leaf spring, said leaf spring has a fixing tab formed thereon for attaching said latching member to said lid container, and a periphery of said leaf spring and said fixing tab is encircled with any of a rib and a barrier formed on said lid container.

29. The bread baking machine according to claim 17, wherein said latching member attached turnably to said lid container has a hook formed at one end thereof for engagement with a shutter plate, and said hook is provided with a protrusion at a tip end thereof.

30. The bread baking machine according to claim 18, wherein said latching member attached turnably to said lid container has a hook formed at one end thereof for engagement with a shutter plate, and said hook is provided with a protrusion at a tip end thereof.

31. The bread baking machine according to claim 25, wherein said latching member attached turnably to said lid container has a hook formed at one end thereof for engagement with a shutter plate, and said hook is provided with a protrusion at a tip end thereof.

32. The bread baking machine according to claim 26, wherein said latching member attached turnably to said lid container has a hook formed at one end thereof for engagement with a shutter plate, and said hook is provided with a protrusion at a tip end thereof.

33. The bread baking machine according to claim 27, wherein said latching member attached turnably to said lid container has a hook formed at one end thereof for engagement with a shutter plate, and said hook is provided with a protrusion at a tip end thereof.

34. The bread baking machine according to claim 28, wherein said latching member attached turnably to said lid container has a hook formed at one end thereof for engagement with a shutter plate, and said hook is provided with a protrusion at a tip end thereof.

35. The bread baking machine according to claim 3, wherein said container cover is provided with a mounting constituting a wire rod engagement portion in engagement with a wire rod, said inner cover is provided with a fixing member in connection with said wire rod, and said inner cover is attached in a movable manner to said container cover with said wire rod.

36. The bread baking machine according to claim 35, wherein said wire rod engagement portion comprises a rib and a groove having an opening at one side, and said wire rod is attached to said container cover via engagement with said rib and said groove.

37. The bread baking machine according to claim 35, wherein said wire rod engagement portion comprises a rib and a hole having an opening at one side, and said wire rod is attached to said container cover via engagement with said rib and said hole.

38. The bread baking machine according to claim 3, wherein said inner cover is provided with a fixing tab, and said container cover is provided with a fixing tab mount for engagement to said fixing tab, and said inner cover is attached to said container cover in a movable manner with a space provided around said fixing tab.

39. The bread baking machine according to claim 38 further having a heat reflecting material placed on an inner surface of said container cover above said inner cover.

40. The bread baking machine according to claim 38, wherein said container cover is provided with a plurality of vent openings formed in an area above said inner cover.

41. The bread baking machine according to claim 38, wherein said container cover has a rib formed in a protruding manner toward and adjacent to said inner cover to a height sufficient to overlap with said inner cover.

11. A bread baking machine having a temperature detector for sensing a temperature inside a baking chamber,

wherein said bread baking machine controls power supply during a bread baking process in a manner to discontinue said power supply to a heater when a time required for the temperature detected by said temperature detector to rise from a predetermined temperature to another predetermined temperature is shorter than a predetermined time.