Automatic bread-making device

• US 4,984,512 A
• Filed: 10/11/1989
• Issued: 01/15/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Zojirushi Corporation
• Original Assignee: Zojirushi Corporation
• Inventors: Takahashi, Yoshinori, Karaki, Takayuki, Misaki, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Simone, Timothy F.
• Application Number:
  US07/419,794
• Time in Patent Office: 461 Days
• Field of Search: 99/328, 99/327, 99/329 R, 99/331, 99/348, 99/332, 99/467, 99/468, 99/352, 99/353, 99/483, 99/484, 99/486, 366/69, 366/98, 366/144-146, 366/96, 366/97, 366/601, 426/504, 426/512, 364/143, 364/146, 364/154, 364/192, 364/184, 364/400, 364/557
• US Class Current: 99/327
• CPC Class Codes: A21B 7/005 in combination with mixing or kneading devices
• CPC Class Codes: A21C 1/02 with vertically-mounted tools; Machines for whipping or beating
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 2035/99 Heating
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/80 with stirrers rotating about a substantially vertical axis
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/3213 at the lower side of the axis, e.g. driving the stirrer from the bottom of a receptacle
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 366/601 Motor control

Abstract

An automatic bread-making device comprises a housing, a cooking vessel, a kneading apparatus for kneading ingredients for bread in the vessel, a heating apparatus for heating the cooking vessel, and a control system for controlling the kneading apparatus and heating apparatus in sequence. The control system comprises a control memory for storing a sequence of standard operations for a bread-making process, a time-setting apparatus for manually setting a time at which a step to be executed in the bread-making process is proceeded to the next step, a storage apparatus for storing a sequence of operations set by the time-setting apparatus, and a control apparatus responsive to the program stored in the control memory apparatus or the program stored in the storage apparatus.

Claims

1. An automatic bread-making device comprising a housing having a cooking chamber, a cooking vessel removably arranged in said cooking chamber for containing all the ingredients of bread, kneading means arranged in said cooking vessel for kneading said ingredients of bread into a dough, heating means arranged in said cooking chamber to bake the dough in said cooking vessel, means for cooling the bread, and a control system for controlling said kneading means and said heating means to automatically carry out, in sequence, a series of steps in the bread-making process including a first kneading step in which all the ingredients are kneaded into a dough, a first leavening step for leavening the dough, a second kneading step for degassing the dough, a second leavening step for leavening the dough, a third kneading step for degassing the dough, a third leavening step for shaping the dough, a baking step for baking the dough, and a cooling step for cooling the produced bread, said control system comprising:

program memory means for storing a basic program for carrying out, in sequence, all the steps of said bread-making process;

manually operated switch means for selecting a manual operation mode and for forwarding the operating step of said bread-making process from one of said steps to the subsequent step;

a timer adapted to be started to count a time every time said switch means is operated so as to determine the period of time required for performance of each step of said bread-making process;

data storage means for storing data on the period of time determined by said timer to modify said basic program for future operation; and

controlling means responsive to the program stored in said program memory means or in said data storage means.