Electronic controller for heating apparatus

• US 5,827,556 A
• Filed: 10/23/1996
• Issued: 10/27/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ametek Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Tridelta Industries, Inc. (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Maher, Charles A. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): STUCKER, JEFFREY J
• Application Number:
  US08/734,864
• Time in Patent Office: 734 Days
• Field of Search: 219/490, 219/492, 219/494, 219/497, 426/231, 426/233, 426/523, 364/557, 99/325, 99/330, 99/331, 99/336
• US Class Current: 426/233
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 37/1266 Control devices, e.g. to control temperature, level or quality of the frying liquid
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1951 with control of the working time of a temperature controlling device

Abstract

A controller for controlling the cooking of food within a cooking apparatus. The controller is comprised of a temperature sensor input for receiving an output of a temperature sensor and a system for initiating a cook of a food product based upon a set cook temperature and a set cook time. Plural indications of incremental energy that is absorbed by the food product during the cook are determined, wherein each of the plural indications of incremental energy is based upon a difference between a temperature determined at the temperature sensor input and a desired internal temperature of the food product. The end of the cook is established when the total of the plural indications of incremental energy is one of equal to and greater than an ideal energy to prepare the food product based upon the set cook time and the cook temperature.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the cooking of a food product within a cooking medium, said method comprising:

establishing a reference energy value corresponding to a predetermined amount of energy to be transferred to the food product;

activating a cooking cycle for heating the food product;

determining a transferred energy value corresponding to the amount of heat energy transferred to the food product during activation of the cooking cycle;

comparing the transferred energy value to the reference energy value;

deactivating the cooking cycle when the transferred energy value is equal to or exceeds the reference energy value.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of determining the transferred energy value includes the step of calculating a transferred energy value for a plurality of time intervals and summing said transferred energy values.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein said transferred energy value is determined for each said time interval by computing the difference between the temperature of the cooking medium and a predetermined reference temperature, and multiplying said difference by a predetermined time interval value corresponding to the duration of each said time interval.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein said reference energy value is based upon an ideal cook time and an ideal cook temperature for said food product.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said means for determining a transferred energy value is comprised of means for computing a transferred energy value for a plurality of time intervals and means for summing said transferred energy values computed for each said time interval.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein said means for computing a transferred energy value comprises:

means for computing a difference between the temperature of the cooking medium at said time interval and a predetermined reference temperature, and

means for computing a product of said difference and a predetermined time interval value corresponding to the duration of each said time interval.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein said controller further comprises display means for indicating the relative value of said transferred energy value as compared to said reference energy value.

8. A method for controlling the cooking of a food product in a cooking medium, said method comprising:

establishing a reference energy value to cook a food product to obtain a desired cooked food product;

activating a cooking cycle to heat the food product in a cooking medium;

computing for a plurality of time intervals a transferred energy value corresponding to the amount of energy transferred to the food product for each said time interval;

summing said computed transferred energy values for each said time interval to obtain a total transferred energy value corresponding to the total amount of energy transferred to the food product during activation of said cooking cycle;

comparing said total transferred energy value to the reference energy value; and

deactivating the cooking cycle when the total transferred energy value is equal to or exceeds the reference energy value.

9. A method for controlling the cooking of a food product within a cooking medium, said method comprising:

establishing a reference energy value corresponding to a predetermined amount of heat energy to be transferred to a food product to obtain a desired cooked food product;

initiating a cooking cycle to heat said food product in a heated cooking medium;

determining a transfer energy value corresponding to the amount of heat energy being transferred to said food product during said cooking cycle; and

causing the heating of said food product to cease when said transfer energy value is equal to or exceeds said reference energy value.

10. A method for controlling the cooking of a food product in a heated cooking medium, said method comprising:

establishing an ideal cook temperature value and an ideal cook time value for a food product;

deriving a reference energy value for the food product based upon the ideal cook temperature value and the ideal cook time value, wherein said reference energy value corresponds to an amount of heat energy to be transferred to the food product to produce a desired cooked food product;

starting a cooking cycle to heat the food product in a heated cooking medium;

monitoring the temperature of the cooking medium during the cooking cycle;

determining a heating transfer energy value from the actual temperature of the cooking medium during each of a plurality of time intervals, wherein the heat transfer energy value for a time interval relates to the amount of heat energy transferred to the food product during said time interval;

comparing the heat transfer energy values for said plurality of time intervals to said reference energy value; and

ending the cooking cycle when the cumulative value of said heat transfer energy values is equal to or exceeds said reference energy value.

11. A method for controlling the cooking of a food product in a heated cooking medium, said method comprising:

establishing an ideal cook temperature value and an ideal cook time value for a food product;

determining a reference energy value for the food product, said reference energy value for said food product being determined by calculating the difference between said ideal cook temperature value and a constant temperature value, and by multiplying said difference by the ideal cook time value;

starting a cooking cycle to heat the food product in a heated cooking medium;

monitoring the temperature of the cooking medium during a plurality of time intervals;

determining a heat transfer energy value during each of said plurality of time intervals during said cooking cycle, wherein the heat transfer energy value for a time interval is determined by calculating the difference between said constant temperature value and an actual temperature of the cooking medium during said time interval, and by multiplying said difference by said time interval;

determining a cumulative heat transfer energy value for said plurality of time intervals;

comparing said cumulative heat transfer energy value to said reference energy value; and

ending the cooking cycle when said cumulative heat transfer energy value is equal to or exceeds said reference energy value.

12. A method as defined in claim 11, wherein said constant temperature value is between about 210°

F. and 215°

F.

13. A method as defined in claim 11, wherein said constant temperature value is the boiling point of water.

14. A method as defined in claim 11, wherein each of said plurality of time intervals are of fixed and like duration.

15. A method as defined in claim 14, wherein each of said time intervals are of one (1) second duration.

16. A method as defined in claim 14, wherein each of said time intervals are of a fraction of a second duration.

17. A method for controlling the cooking of a food product in a heated cooking medium, said method comprising:

establishing an ideal cook temperature value and an ideal cook time value for a food product;

determining a reference energy value for the food product from said ideal cook temperature value, said ideal cook time value and the internal temperature of said food product cooked at said ideal cook temperature value for said ideal cook time value;

starting a cooking cycle to heat the food product in a heated cooking medium;

monitoring the temperature of the cooking medium during a plurality of time intervals;

determining a heat transfer energy value during each of said plurality of time intervals during said cooking cycle, wherein the heat transfer energy value for a time interval is determined by calculating the difference between an actual temperature of the cooking medium during said time interval and a calculated internal temperature of said food product during aid time interval, and by multiplying said difference by said time interval;

determining a cumulative heat transfer energy value for said plurality of time intervals;

comparing said cumulative heat transfer energy value to said reference energy value; and

ending the cooking cycle when said cumulative heat transfer energy value is equal to or exceeds said reference energy value.

18. A method as defined in claim 17, wherein each of said plurality of time intervals are of fixed and like duration.

19. A method as defined in claim 18, wherein each of said time intervals are of one (1) second duration.

20. A method as defined in claim 18, wherein each of said time intervals are of a fraction of a second duration.