Cooker

• US 5,512,733 A
• Filed: 06/02/1994
• Issued: 04/30/1996
• 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: Ise, Shinsuke, Takikawa, Hiroyoshi, Yoshida, Yoshio, Kakimoto, Nobuko
• Primary Examiner(s): HOANG, TU BA
• Application Number:
  US08/254,651
• Time in Patent Office: 698 Days
• Field of Search: 219/618, 219/620, 219/621, 219/622, 219/624, 219/625, 219/626, 219/627, 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, 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 having a receptacle with a pot for holding ingredients and a heater for heating the pot supported by a main unit so that the pot is inclinable, the cooker comprising:

an angle control unit coupled to the receptacle and having a motor which provides a driving force for inclining said receptacle,

a controller coupled to said angle control unit for controlling the angle control unit,

a thermometer having a heat sensor for measuring the temperature of the pot and for providing a temperature signal,

means for storing cooking programs, and

means, coupled to the storing means and the thermometer, for controlling cooking conditions, the controlling means being responsive to the cooking programs and to the temperature signal.

2. A cooker according to claim 1 wherein the pot has a bottom portion;

and

said heat sensor is placed in the receptacle so that the heat sensor is at the center of the bottom portion of said pot when said pot is placed in the receptacle.

3. A cooker according to claim 1 wherein the cooking programs indicate cooking conditions and cooking procedures for automatically cooking ingredients.

4. An apparatus for cooking ingredients held in a pot, the apparatus comprising:

a receptacle for holding the pot;

a heater mounted in the receptacle for heating the pot;

an angle control unit coupled to the receptacle and having a motor for inclining the receptacle at desired angles;

a controller coupled to the angle control unit for controlling the angle of the angle control unit; and

a thermometer having a heat sensor mounted in the receptacle, the thermometer for measuring the temperature of the pot and for providing an indication of the temperature of the pot.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising:

cooking condition control means including

means for receiving an input regarding a type of cooking,

means for storing cooking programs, and

means for controlling cooking conditions according to the cooking programs in response to the temperature detected by the thermometer and the input received by the means for receiving.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the receptacle has a bottom portion which contacts a bottom portion of the pot, and wherein the heat sensor is positioned centrally in the receptacle to measure the temperature at the center of the bottom portion of the pot.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising:

cooking condition control means including

means for receiving an input regarding a type of cooking,

means for storing cooking programs, and

means for controlling cooking conditions according to the cooking programs in response to the temperature detected by the thermometer and the input received by the means for receiving.

8. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the receptacle has a bottom portion which contacts a bottom portion of the pot, and wherein the heat sensor is spring mounted in the bottom portion of the receptacle.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the spring mounted heat sensor is coupled to a pot detection switch which provides an indication of whether there is a pot in the receptacle.

10. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising a memory for storing a plurality of cooking programs, and wherein the controller controls the desired angles in response to one of the plurality of cooking programs.

11. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising a second motor for providing a rotating force to rotate the pot.

12. An apparatus for cooking ingredients held in a pot, the apparatus comprising:

a receptacle for holding the pot;

a heater mounted in the receptacle for heating the pot;

a thermometer having a heat sensor mounted in the receptacle for contacting the pot when the pot is held by the receptacle, for measuring the temperature of the pot, and for providing an indication of the temperature of the pot; and

means, coupled to the receptacle, for moving the receptacle so that the pot moves with the receptacle, the moving means including a motor.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising:

cooking condition control means coupled to the receptacle and the thermometer and including

means for receiving an input regarding a type of cooking,

means for storing cooking programs, and

means for controlling cooking conditions based on the cooking programs and in response to the temperature detected by the thermometer and to the input received by the means for receiving.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the receptacle has a bottom portion which contacts a bottom portion of the pot, and wherein the heat sensor is positioned centrally in the receptacle to measure the temperature at the center of the bottom portion of the pot.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising:

cooking condition control means coupled to the receptacle and the thermometer and including

means for receiving an input regarding a type of cooking,

means for storing cooking programs, and

means for controlling cooking conditions based on the cooking programs and in response to the temperature detected by the thermometer and to the input received by the means for receiving.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the heat sensor is spring mounted in the bottom portion of the receptacle.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the spring mounted heat sensor is coupled to a pot detection switch which provides an indication of whether there is a pot in the receptacle.

18. An apparatus for cooking ingredients held in a pot, the apparatus comprising:

a receptacle for holding the pot;

a heater mounted in the receptacle for heating the pot; and

a thermometer having a heat sensor mounted in the receptacle for contacting the pot when the pot is held by the receptacle, for measuring the temperature of the pot, and for providing an indication of the temperature of the pot; and

means for rotating the pot when the pot is positioned in the receptacle, the rotating means including a motor.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising an angle control unit for inclining the receptacle at an angle;

and

a controller for controlling the angle of the receptacle.

20. An apparatus for cooking ingredients held in a pot, the apparatus comprising:

a receptacle for holding the pot;

a heater mounted in the receptacle for heating the pot, wherein the heater comprises;

a first heating coil mounted in the receptacle for heating the bottom of the pot, and

a second heating coil mounted in the receptacle for heating the side of the pot;

a thermometer having a heat sensor mounted in the receptacle for contacting the pot when the pot is held by the receptacle, for measuring the temperature of the pot, and for providing an indication of the temperature of the pot;

an angle control unit having a first motor for inclining the receptacle;

a rotary control unit having a second motor for rotating the pot;

a memory for storing at least one cooking program; and

a controller for controlling the first motor, the second motor, the first heating coil, and the second heating coil in response to the cooking program stored in the memory.

21. An apparatus for cooking ingredients held in a pot having a bottom portion and side portions, the apparatus comprising;

a receptacle for holding the pot;

a heater mounted in the receptacle for heating the pot;

a thermometer having a heat sensor mounted in the receptacle for contacting the bottom portion of the pot, measuring the temperature of the pot, and for providing an indication of the temperature of the pot; and

means for applying a force to the side portions of the pot to rotate the pot, wherein the applying means includes a motor.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 further comprising a wheel, wherein the motor is coupled to the wheel and the wheel contacts the pot to apply a circumferential force to the side portions of the pot to rotate the pot.

23. The apparatus of claim 21 further comprising an eccentric pulley, wherein the motor is coupled to the eccentric pulley.