Cooking Appliance
First Claim
1. A cooking apparatus, comprising:
- a food vessel, comprising;
a receptacle for holding food;
a stored identity for said food vessel; and
a program module adapted to transmit said stored identity; and
a base unit, comprising;
a thermal element;
a controller electrically connected to said thermal element;
a plurality of stored operating parameters, at least one of said plurality of stored operating parameters assigned to said stored identity; and
a vessel ID receiver electrically connected to said controller;
wherein, when said food vessel is attached to said base unit, said vessel ID receiver is adapted to receive said stored identity continuously from said program module and said base unit is adapted to select at least one of said plurality of stored operating parameters assigned to said stored identity and control said thermal element according to said selected operating parameter.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An example of a cooking apparatus includes a food vessel with a receptacle for holding food, a stored identity for selecting operating parameters related to the food vessel, for example safe operating limits, a program module adapted to transmit the stored identity, and a base unit adapted to detect the stored identity and control a thermal element according to parameters assigned to the stored identity. The program module may transmit the stored identity to the base unit by mechanical contact or by wired or wireless communication. Another embodiment of the invention comprises a food vessel with an outer housing and an inner receptacle separated from the outer housing by an air gap. A program module with a stored identity may be removably connected to the food vessel in the gap between the inner receptacle and outer housing.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A cooking apparatus, comprising:
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a food vessel, comprising; a receptacle for holding food; a stored identity for said food vessel; and a program module adapted to transmit said stored identity; and a base unit, comprising; a thermal element; a controller electrically connected to said thermal element; a plurality of stored operating parameters, at least one of said plurality of stored operating parameters assigned to said stored identity; and a vessel ID receiver electrically connected to said controller; wherein, when said food vessel is attached to said base unit, said vessel ID receiver is adapted to receive said stored identity continuously from said program module and said base unit is adapted to select at least one of said plurality of stored operating parameters assigned to said stored identity and control said thermal element according to said selected operating parameter. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An apparatus, comprising:
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an outer housing having a side wall; and an inner receptacle attached to said outer housing, said inner housing comprising a side wall separated from said side wall of said outer housing, thereby forming a space between said side wall of said outer housing and said side wall of said inner receptacle; a program module attached to said outer housing and positioned between said side wall of said inner receptacle and said side wall of said outer housing, said program module comprising; a first pin extending outward from said program module; a second pin extending outward from said program module; a resistor electrically connected to said first pin and said second pin; a third pin extending outward from said program module; a fourth pin extending outward from said program module; and a sensor electrically connected to said third pin and said fourth pin and positioned to measure a selected parameter from said inner receptacle, wherein a value of resistance of said resistor corresponds to a stored identity for said apparatus.
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20. An base unit for a cooking appliance, comprising:
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a cooktop for supporting a food vessel; a thermal element positioned below said cooktop; a controller electrically connected to said thermal element and adapted for controlling said thermal element; a vessel ID receiver electrically connected to said controller; and a plurality of stored operating parameters, wherein said controller is adapted to continuously receive a stored identity for a food vessel from said vessel ID receiver, select at least one of said plurality of stored operating parameters assigned to said stored identity, and control said thermal element by said selected operating parameter.
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Specification