Cooking medium management system

• US 6,009,794 A
• Filed: 05/06/1999
• Issued: 01/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Henny Penny Corporation
• Original Assignee: Henny Penny Corporation
• Inventors: Jones, Richard L., Stirling, Robert W., Casey, William M., Winter, David B.
• Primary Examiner(s): SIMONE, TIMOTHY F
• Application Number:
  US09/306,423
• Time in Patent Office: 243 Days
• Field of Search: 99/325, 99/330-336, 99/337, 99/338, 99/403-410, 99/411-418, 219/448, 219/492, 219/483, 219/501, 219/486, 219/494, 219/506, 364/400, 364/557, 364/143-146, 426/233, 426/438, 426/523, 126/391, 126/300, 126/299 D
• US Class Current: 99/330
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 5/11 using oil
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 37/1266 Control devices, e.g. to control temperature, level or quality of the frying liquid
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 210/08 Fat fryer

Abstract

A cooking medium management system and method from manipulating a cooking medium during cooking operations. The system has a controller generating a lock-out signal and a transfer signal, and selectively generating one control signal selected from the group consisting of a discard signal, a fresh fill signal, a drain signal, a filtration signal, and a polish signal. The system also has a cooking medium transfer pump and a transfer conduit for transferring the cooking medium to and from a frypot, wherein the transfer pump activates in response to the transfer signal. The system further includes a lock-out device, which receives the lock-out signal and disables a fryer heater. Moreover, this system includes a discard device, which receives the discard signal and includes the frypot, the drain pan, a drain valve and a cooking medium drain. The frypot and the drain pan are placed in communication with the transfer conduit via the drain valve. Subsequently, the drain pan and the cooking medium drain are placed in communication with the transfer conduit to discard used cooking medium. In addition, the system includes a fresh fill device, which receives the fresh fill signal and includes the frypot and a cooking medium source. The frypot and the cooking medium source are placed in communication with the transfer conduit to fill the frypot with fresh shortening. The system also includes a filtration device, which receives the filtration signal and places the frypot and drain pan in communication with the transfer conduit to filter the cooking medium. Finally, the system includes a polish device, which receives the polish signal and places the frypot and the drain pan in communication with the transfer conduit in response to the polish signal, fills the frypot to a predetermined level, and places the frypot and the drain pan in communication with the transfer conduit for a predetermined time period, and places the frypot and the drain pan out of communication with the transfer conduit after completion of the predetermined time period.

Claims

1. A cooking medium management system for manipulating a cooking medium during cooking operations, comprising:

a controller generating a lockout signal and a transfer signal and selectively generating at least one control signal selected from the group consisting of a discard signal, a fresh fill signal, a filtration signal, a polish signal, and combinations thereof;

a cooking medium transfer pump and a transfer conduit for transferring said cooking medium to and from at least one frypot and to and from at least one drain pan, wherein said transfer pump activates in response to said transfer signal;

a lockout device, which receives said lockout signal and disables at least one fryer heater;

a discard device, which receives said discard signal and includes said at least one frypot, said at least one drain pan, a drain valve and a cooking medium drain, wherein said at least one frypot and said at least one drain pan are placed in communication with said transfer conduit via said drain valve, and, subsequently, said at least one drain pan and said cooking medium drain are placed in communication with said transfer conduit in response to said discard signal;

a fresh fill device, which receives said fresh fill signal and includes said at least one frypot and a cooking medium source, wherein said at least one frypot and said cooking medium source are placed in communication with said transfer conduit in response to said fresh fill signal;

a filtration device, which receives said filtration signal and includes said at least one drain pan, wherein said drain pan is placed in communication with said transfer conduit in response to said filtration signal; and

a polish device, which receives said polish signal and places said at least one frypot and said at least one drain pan in communication with said transfer conduit in response to said polish signal, fills said at least one frypot is to a predetermined level, and places said at least one frypot and said at least one drain pan in communication with said transfer conduit for a predetermined time period, and said at least one drain pan out of communication with said transfer conduit after completion of said predetermined time period.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said transfer signal is a drain signal.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said transfer signal is a refill signal.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said cooking medium is selected from the group consisting of shortening, lard, vegetable oil, canola oil, butter, margarine, peanut oil and water and with combinations thereof.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one frypot includes a cooking medium temperature sensing device generating a temperature value.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one frypot includes a cooking medium level sensing device generating a level value.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said cooking medium drain further comprises a waste tank.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said waste tank is placed in communication with said transfer conduit in response to said discard signal.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said cooking medium source further comprises a storage tank and said storage tank is placed in communication with said transfer conduit in response to said fresh fill signal.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said cooking medium source further comprises a storage tank and wherein said storage tank is placed in communication with said transfer conduit in response to said polish signal.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a warning signal generated when an error occurs in said cooking management system, wherein said transfer signal and said at least one control signal is pre-empted in response to said warning signal.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said cooking medium transfer pump and said transfer conduit are deactivated in response to said warning signal.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said drain valve is closed in response to said warning signal.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising a continue signal, wherein said at least one control signal is reselected in response to said continue signal.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising an abort signal, wherein said controller generates another said lockout signal and said transfer signal in response to said abort signal.

16. The system of claim 1, said drain pan comprising at least one filter tank placed in communication with said transfer conduit in response to said filtration signal and wherein each of said at least one filter tank includes a filter screen for removing particles and foreign matter from said cooking medium and wherein said filter screen is removable from each of said at least one filter tank.

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising a keypad, wherein said keypad interfaces with said controller.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said keypad receives manual input from an operator.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said keypad displays information about said at least one control signal to said operator.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein said filtration device further comprises a drain pan transfer pump, said drain pan transfer pump is activated and is placed in communication with said at least one frypot and said drain pan in response to said filtration signal.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein said lockout signal, said transfer signal and said at least one control signal are generated at intervals by said controller.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said controller is programmed with said intervals.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein said drain valve is electrically operated in response to said controller.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein said drain valve is selected from the group consisting of a globe-type valve and a ball-type valve.

25. The system in claim 1, wherein said transfer conduit is adapted for removal from said devices.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein said transfer conduit includes a manual drain and at least one check valve.

27. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one drain pan is positioned below said at least one frypot and said transfer conduit.

28. The system of claim 11, wherein said warning signal is generated in response to said fresh fill signal when said at least one frypot is full.

29. The system of claim 28, further comprising a warning device, which receives said warning signal and pre-empts said at least one control signal.