Apparatus for Cooking Food in an Airtight Bag

• US 20130240500A1
• Filed: 02/25/2013
• Published: 09/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unovo, LLC
• Original Assignee: Ehsan Alipour, Farshad Moinzadeh, Joseph Benjamin Strecker
• Inventors: Alipour, Ehsan, Strecker, Joseph Benjamin, Moinzadeh, Farshad
• Granted Patent: US 9,282,846 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/438
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 27/004 with integral electrical heating means drinking cups with integral heating means A47J36/2466
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 27/10 Cooking-vessels with water-bath arrangements for domestic use
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 27/18 heated by water-bath , e.g. pasta-cookers
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 36/16 Inserts
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 36/2483 with electrical heating means
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 31/04 Evacuating, pressurising or gasifying filled containers or wrappers by means of nozzles through which air or other gas, e.g. an inert gas, is withdrawn or supplied
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 33/25 Riveting; Dovetailing; Screwing; using press buttons or slide fasteners

Abstract

A cooking apparatus includes a dual-chamber container with an inner container for holding a food item to be cooked and an outer container for maintaining contact between a temperature-controlled heat transfer liquid and the inner container while the food is being cooked. The dual-chamber container includes an inlet fluid port and outflow fluid port which may be coupled directly to corresponding fluid port connectors on a temperature control unit, or an intervening fluid coupling assembly may convey heat transfer liquid between the control unit and the dual-chamber container. Some control units are adapted to simultaneously control cooking temperature for more than one dual-chamber container. Some dual-chamber containers have a flexible inner container that is separable from an outer container which may be a rigid container or a flexible container.

Claims

1. A cooking apparatus, comprising:

a control unit, comprising;

a reservoir for holding a heat transfer liquid, comprising a heating element;

a temperature controller connected to said heating element and adapted to control a temperature of a liquid in said reservoir;

a fluid outflow port in fluid communication with said reservoir; and

a fluid return port in fluid communication with said reservoir;

a dual-chamber container;

comprising;

an inner container formed with an internal chamber for holding food to be cooked;

an outer container formed with an internal chamber for holding said inner container;

a fluid inlet port in fluid communication with said internal chamber in said outer container and not in fluid communication with said internal chamber in said inner container; and

a fluid outflow port in fluid communication with said internal chamber in said outer container and not in fluid communication with said internal chamber in said inner container;

wherein said fluid inlet port on said dual chamber container is adapted for fluid communication with said fluid outflow port on said control unit and said fluid outflow port on said dual chamber container is adapted for fluid communication with said fluid return port on said control unit.

2. The cooking apparatus of claim 1, comprising:

said dual-chamber bag further comprising a vacuum port in fluid communication with said internal chamber in said inner container; and

said control unit further comprising;

a vacuum pump; and

a vacuum port,

wherein said vacuum port on said dual-chamber bag is adapted for fluid communication with said vacuum port on said control unit.

3. The cooking apparatus of claim 1, wherein said inner container comprises a flexible inner bag having a mouth sealable with a zip lock.

4. The cooking apparatus of claim 1, wherein said outer container comprises a flexible outer bag.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said inner container is joined to said outer container.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said inner container is separable from said outer container.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, where said outer container is formed with a pocket for holding said inner container.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said outer container is formed with rigid sides.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said outer container further comprises a heating element.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said outer container further comprises a pump for circulating liquid inside said outer container.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said outer container comprises a flexible bag comprising:

a front panel having two side edges and an interior surface;

a rear panel having an interior surface integrally formed with said front panel interior surface and joined to said front panel along said two side edges, thereby forming said internal chamber in said outer container;

a flow barrier disposed between said fluid inlet port and said fluid outflow port.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a fluid coupler assembly for establishing fluid connections between said dual-chamber container and said control unit, where said fluid coupler assembly comprises:

a liquid return connector adapted for fluid communication with said fluid outflow port on said dual-chamber container;

a liquid outflow connector adapted for fluid communication with said fluid inlet port on said dual-chamber container; and

a tubing assembly connected to said liquid return connector and to said liquid outflow connector on said fluid coupler assembly.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said tubing assembly is fabricated from flexible tubing.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said tubing assembly is attached to said control unit, said tubing assembly is removably connectable to said dual-chamber container, and said tubing assembly is fabricated from rigid tubing.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a stackable fluid coupler assembly, comprising:

a manifold;

a liquid return connector attached to said manifold and adapted for connection to a corresponding connector on another of said stackable fluid coupler assembly;

a liquid outflow connector attached to said manifold and adapted for connection to a corresponding connector on another of said stackable fluid couple assembly; and

a tubing assembly in fluid communication with said manifold.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising more than one stackable fluid coupler assembly, thereby enabling more than one dual-chamber container to be coupled to said fluid outflow port and said fluid return port on said control unit.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said control unit further comprises:

at least two of said fluid outflow port in fluid communication with said reservoir; and

at least two of said fluid inlet port in fluid communication with said reservoir.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said control unit further comprises at least two of said vacuum port.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a heat transfer liquid inside said outer container and outside said inner container.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said inner bag is heat sealed to form an airtight and watertight seal.

21. A dual-chamber container;

comprising;

an inner container formed with an internal chamber for holding food to be cooked;

an outer container formed with an internal chamber for holding said inner container;

a fluid inlet port in fluid communication with said internal chamber in said outer container and not in fluid communication with said internal chamber in said inner container; and

a fluid outflow port in fluid communication with said internal chamber in said outer container and not in fluid communication with said internal chamber in said inner container.

22. The dual-chamber container of claim 21, wherein said inner container comprises a flexible inner bag having a zip lock.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said inner container is joined to said outer container.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said inner container is separable from said outer container.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, where said outer container is formed with a pocket for holding said inner container.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said outer container is formed with rigid sides.

27. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said outer container further comprises a heating element.

28. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said outer container further comprises a pump for circulating liquid inside said outer container.