Bread making apparatus

• US 5,584,230 A
• Filed: 03/30/1995
• Issued: 12/17/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yoshida, Shinji, Shimokubo, Hironobu, Hironaka, Yasumasu, Tanaka, Hisanobu
• Primary Examiner(s): Simone, Timothy F.
• Application Number:
  US08/413,481
• Time in Patent Office: 628 Days
• Field of Search: 99/325-328, 99/329 R, 99/331-333, 99/337, 99/338, 99/348, 99/352, 99/353, 99/467, 99/468, 99/483, 99/484, 99/486, 366/69, 366/96-98, 366/144-147, 366/601, 366/314, 426/504, 426/512
• US Class Current: 99/326
• CPC Class Codes: A21B 7/005 in combination with mixing or kneading devices

Abstract

A bread baking apparatus makes dough by kneading raw ingredients tossed into a bread baking case installed in an oven, and baking after fermentation. The object of this invention is to conveniently provide attractive-appearing bread having a specified expanded volume and a prespecified color when baked. Namely, in order to prevent undesirable results, such as expanding more or less than specified in the fermenting process, or being affected by external room temperature and humidity which has penetrated the oven through a glass lid installed on the baking oven, this apparatus is provided with means for detecting fermenting conditions while fermenting, and means for extending the fermenting process time. This apparatus is further provided with baking timer means for defining the color of the final baked product by applying temperature measuring means. Furthermore, air ventilating and heating means, especially uniform heating means during baking are provided in this apparatus to prevent unwanted changes in the baking bread.

Claims

1. Bread making apparatus comprising;

a bread baking oven having an upper opening;

a bread baking case detachably installed in said baking oven;

a lid installed on said baking oven to selectively open and close said upper opening;

control means comprising a micro computer and read-only-memory for storing and executing a programmed sequence of steps including a primary kneading step, a pausing step, a secondary kneading step, a fermentation step and a baking step, said control means further comprising temperature detecting means for detecting the dough temperature, color setting means for setting the desired color of the processed bread, and timer means for setting a new baking time starting from the time when a specified standard dough temperature corresponding to said baked color set by said color setting means is reached after detection by said temperature detection means of the dough reaching a preselected temperature.

2. A bread making apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control means is further provided with air supply means for supplying air into said enclosed bread baking oven for dehumidifying said baked bread, and heating means for intermittently heating said baked bread at specified intervals of ON-OFF action while said air supply means is operated.

3. A bread making apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said heating means comprises a heater installed around said bread baking case in a shape of ring-like form, both ends of said heater being placed at the power inputting side crossing each other, whereby lower heat-generating portions of said heater are not installed around said bread baking case.

4. A bread making apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the center of said heater is placed at a position shifted from the center of said bread baking case so that the lower heat generating portions of said heater placed near the power inputting portion are more nearly located around said bread baking case than other higher heat-generating portions of said heater.

5. A bread making device provided with a bread baking case installed in a baking oven and provided with a lid openably mounted on said baking oven, in which bread baking steps including kneading raw ingredients to make a dough, fermentation of the dough, baking bread and cooling baked bread are performed sequentially, comprising:

temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature in the oven before the start of kneading;

preheating control means, which is provided with a first ROM, for memorizing a plurality of temperature ranges of which the highest value is a predetermined temperature at which said kneading step starts and which successively decrease;

means for determining a particular temperature range to which said detected temperature in the oven belongs, and a second ROM for memorizing duty ratios of current flow for a heater corresponding to each temperature range; and

means for heating the oven up to said predetermined temperature with the duty ratio corresponding to said temperature range when said detected temperature in the oven is below the predetermined temperature.

6. A bread making device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said pre-heating control means is further provided with means for keeping the temperature of the heated oven at its temperature for a predetermined time period before starting the kneading step.