Automatic bread maker

• US 6,186,053 B1
• Filed: 05/17/2000
• Issued: 02/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Noda, Kouji, Maeda, Tosikatu, Nakano, Akihisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Simone, Timothy F.
• Application Number:
  US09/508,575
• Time in Patent Office: 272 Days
• Field of Search: 993/25--33, 993/37, 993/38, 993/48, 993/52--55, 994/67, 994/68, 994/83, 994/84, 994/86, 366/69, 366/96-98, 366/144-147, 366/314, 366/601, 426/504, 426/512, 364/143, 364/146, 364/188, 364/477.01, 364/192, 364/400, 219/492, 219/494, 219/497
• US Class Current: 99/327
• CPC Class Codes: A21B 7/005 in combination with mixing or kneading devices

Abstract

In an automatic bread maker, after the temperature of temperature control means (7) reaches a predetermined temperature, the rate of energization of a heater (2) is fixed by control means (14), and by doing so, bread, having a predetermined baking color, can be stably prepared.

Claims

1. An automatic bread maker, comprising:

a baking chamber having a heater;

a bread baking vessel removably mounted within said baking chamber;

temperature detection means for detecting a temperature within said baking chamber; and

control means responsive to an output of said temperature detection means so as to control said heater and others;

wherein after the temperature of said temperature control means reaches a predetermined temperature in a baking step, the rate of energization of said heating means is kept constant.

2. An automatic bread maker according to claim 1, further comprising timer means for measuring a rising temperature gradient of said temperature detection means at a temperature-rising stage of said baking step, and after the temperature of said temperature detection means reaches a predetermined temperature, the rate of energization of said heating means is determined in accordance with a time period measured by said timer means.

3. An automatic bread maker according to claim 2, wherein in accordance with a time period measured by said timer means, said control means determines the energization rate before the detection temperature reaches a predetermined temperature, and determines the energization rate after the detection temperature reaches a predetermined temperature.

4. An automatic bread maker according to claim 2, wherein said control means determines a predetermined temperature in accordance with a time period measured by said timer means.

5. An automatic bread maker according to claim 2, wherein the time measurement is effected by said timer means, and subsequently in accordance with a time period measured by said timer means, said control means determines a time period before the energization rate is changed.

6. An automatic bread maker according to claim 1, wherein the rate of energization of said heating means after the detection temperature of said temperature detection means reaches a predetermined temperature is determined in accordance with an amount of change of the detection temperature with the lapse of a predetermined time.

7. An automatic bread maker according to any one of claims 1 to 6, in which there is provided baking color selection means for selecting a baking color of bread, and said control means determines the rate of energization of said heating means in accordance with the baking color selected by said baking color selection means.

8. An automatic bread maker according to any one of claims 1 to 6, in which there is provided volume selection means for selecting a volume of bread, and said control means determines the rate of energization of said heating means in accordance with the volume selected by said volume selection means.