Cooker

• US 5,386,102 A
• Filed: 08/13/1991
• Issued: 01/31/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoshio, Yoshida, Ise, Shinsuke, Takikawa, Hiroyoshi, Kakimoto, Nobuko
• Primary Examiner(s): Reynolds, Bruce A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOANG, TU BA
• Application Number:
  US07/752,598
• Time in Patent Office: 1,267 Days
• Field of Search: 219/10.75, 219/10.55 F, 219/10.55 B, 219/10.79, 219/10.71, 219/620, 219/621, 219/622, 219/625, 219/626, 219/627, 219/652, 99/331, 99/348, 99/427
• US Class Current: 219/620
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/062 for cooking plates or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/1227 for wok pans and wok pans supports for induction cooking plates

Abstract

A cooker in which a receptacle with a pot for holding ingredients and a heater for induction heating the pot is supported by a main unit so that it can be inclined freely, consists of an angle control unit which provides driving force for inclining the receptacle to the receptacle, a controller for controlling the angle control unit, and shall be capable of automatically inclining the receptacle and uniformly sauteing the ingredients.

Claims

1. A cooker comprising:

a receptacle for holding a pot which holds ingredients;

means for heating the pot in the receptacle;

means for supporting the receptacle so that the pot is inclinable;

a motor for providing a driving force to the means for supporting to incline the receptacle; and

a controller for controlling the motor.

2. The cooker of claim 1 wherein the means for supporting comprises:

a bracket rigidly coupled to the receptacle;

a first gear rigidly coupled to the bracket for rotating the bracket about an axis when the first gear rotates; and

means for coupling the motor to the first gear.

3. The cooker of claim 1 further comprising a limit switch positioned to be contacted by the receptacle at a predetermined angle, and means for changing operation of the motor in response to activation of the limit switch.

4. The cooker of claim 1 further comprising:

means, coupled to the controller, for maintaining the receptacle at a desired angle.

5. The cooker of claim 1 wherein the pot has a bottom portion and side portions, the cooker further comprising a heater which comprises:

heating coils including

a first coil for heating the bottom portion of the pot, and

a second coil for heating the side portion of the pot; and

means for controlling and switching the coils so that the first and second coils are operable separately or simultaneously.

6. The cooker of claim 1 further comprising an angle detector for detecting the angle of the receptacle, and memory for storing an angle setting program, wherein the controller controls the angle of incline of the receptacle in response to the detected angle and the angle setting program.

7. The cooker of claim 6 further comprising a timer and memory for storing an activation time setting program, wherein the controller controls the heater so that the heater heats the receptacle for a time indicated by the activation time setting program.

8. The cooker of claim 1 further comprising means for rotating the pot relative to the receptacle when the pot is in the receptacle.

9. A cooker having a receptacle for receiving a pot for holding ingredients, wherein the receptacle is supported by a main unit so that the pot is freely inclinable, the cooker comprising:

an angle control unit having a motor which provides a force; and

means for coupling the motor to the receptacle so that the motor causes the receptacle to incline.

10. The cooker of claim 9 further comprising a controller for controlling the angle control unit.

11. The cooker of claim 9 wherein the pot has a bottom portion and side portions, the cooker further comprising a heater which comprises:

heating coils including

a first coil for heating the bottom portion of the pot, and

a second coil for heating the side portion of the pot; and

means for controlling and switching the coils so that the first and second coils can be selectively controlled to are operable separately or simultaneously.

12. The cooker of claim 9 further comprising an angle detector for detecting the angle of the receptacle, and memory for storing an angle setting program, wherein the controller controls the angle of incline of the receptacle in response to the detected angle and the angle setting program.

13. A cooker having a receptacle for receiving a pot for holding ingredients and a heater for heating said pot by induction, wherein the receptacle is supported by a main unit so that the pot is inclinable, the cooker comprising:

an angle control unit which provides a driving force for inclining said receptacle; and

a controller for controlling said angle control unit wherein the pot has a bottom portion and side portions, wherein the heater comprises;

heating coils including

a first coil for heating the bottom portion of the pot, and

a second coil for heating the side portions of the pot; and

means for controlling and switching the coils so that the first and second coils are operable separately or simultaneously.

14. The cooker of claim 13 further comprising a timer and memory for storing an activation time setting program, wherein the controller controls the heater so that the heater heats the receptacle for a time indicated by the activation time setting program.

15. The cooker of claim 13 further comprising means for rotating the pot relative to the receptacle when the pot is in the receptacle.