Automatic bread-making device

• US 5,076,153 A
• Filed: 12/05/1989
• Issued: 12/31/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Zojirushi Corporation
• Original Assignee: Zojirushi Corporation
• Inventors: Sasaki, Toshinori, Takahashi, Yoshinori, Nishikawa, Tsutomu, Naoi, Yasuo, Misaki, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Simone, Timothy F.
• Application Number:
  US07/446,582
• Time in Patent Office: 756 Days
• Field of Search: 99/348, 99/327, 99/331, 99/332, 99/352, 99/329 R, 99/467, 99/468, 99/483, 99/484, 99/357, 366/144-146, 366/149, 366/69, 366/98, 366/205, 366/314, 366/343, 366/601
• US Class Current: 99/327
• CPC Class Codes: A21B 7/005 in combination with mixing or kneading devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 366/601 Motor control

Abstract

An automatic bread-making device comprises a housing, a cooking vessel removably arranged therein and provided at its bottom with a rotating shaft, a kneading blade removably attached to the rotating shaft, and a driving means for rotating the kneading blade through the rotating shaft. The kneading blade is providing with at least one crescent-shaped projection at a wall surface of a bore for attachment of the blade to the rotating shaft, while the rotating shaft is provided at its upper portion with at least one groove extending in the direction parallel to a line which intersects the axis of the shaft to form a head with a figure similar to that of an opening formed between the inner wall of the bore and a free end of the projection. The kneading blade is attached to the rotating shaft so that the head of the rotating shaft is engaged with the projection of the blade when the head of the shaft is arranged in the bore of the blade. The device further comprises a sequence control system for controlling the driving means and heaters, and a coupling means between the rotating shaft and the driving shaft. During kneading, the driving shaft is rotated in such a manner that, when revolution of the blade is to be reversed, the driving shaft is reversely driven and stopped just before engagement of the driving disk with the coupling member, and then redriven in the same direction.

Claims

1. An automatic bread-making device, comprising:

a housing with a baking chamber;

a cooking vessel removably arranged in said chamber and provided at its bottom with a rotating shaft;

a cooking heater arranged in said cooking chamber to heat said vessel;

a kneading blade removably attached to said rotating shaft; and

a driving means for rotating said kneading blade through the rotating shaft, wherein said kneading blade is provided with a bore for attachment to the rotating shaft, said bore having at least one crescent-shaped projection formed therein, and wherein said rotating shaft is provided at its upper portion with at least one groove extending in the direction parallel to a line which intersects with an axis of the shaft at a right angle to form a head adapted to be engaged with said projection of the blade when said shaft is in revolution, said head being partially cut in such a manner that it may pass through an opening defined by an inner wall of the bore and a free end of said projection.

2. An automatic bread-making device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a sequence control system for controlling said driving means and cooking heater in sequence to perform a series of bread-making steps including a first kneading step, a first leavening step, a second kneading step, a second kneading step, a third leavening step, and a baking step of a bread material, said sequence control system including a temperature detecting element for detecting a temperature of the cooking vessel, means for determining a time required for the third leavening step and baking conditions on the basis of the surrounding temperature of the device detected at the initial stage of the third leavening step of said temperature detecting element in such a manner that the remaining time of the third leavening step is shortened as the surrounding temperature of the device rises, and that the baking temperature and time are respectively made higher and longer as the surrounding temperature rises.

3. An automatic bread-making device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said kneading blade is provided with two crescent-shaped projections extending inwardly from an inner surface of the bore to form an oblong opening with rounded corners, and wherein said rotating shaft is provided at its upper portion with two parallel grooves extending in the direction parallel to a line which intersects with an axis of the shaft at right angles to form a head with a T-shaped cross section, said head being partially cut so as to have a shape bound by opposed arcs and parallel straight lines which join the ends of the opposed arcs.

4. An automatic bread-making device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the kneading blade is attached to said rotating shaft in such a manner that said rotating shaft runs idle until a bottom edge of said at least one groove comes in contact with the projection of the blade, every time the direction of rotating of the rotating shaft is reversed.