Food appliance and a coding system therefor

• US 6,196,113 B1
• Filed: 08/30/1999
• Issued: 03/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Simon K.C. Yung
• Original Assignee: Simon K.C. Yung
• Inventors: Yung, Simon K. C.
• Primary Examiner(s): SIMONE, TIMOTHY F
• Application Number:
  US09/385,162
• Time in Patent Office: 554 Days
• Field of Search: 993/25--35, 993/48, 994/67, 994/68, 994/83, 994/84, 994/86, 366/69, 366/96-98, 366/144-146, 366/149, 366/341, 366/314, 366/601, 426/504, 426/512
• US Class Current: 99/327
• CPC Class Codes: A21B 7/005 in combination with mixing or kneading devices
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6435 Aspects relating to the user interface of the microwave heating apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6438 allowing the recording of a program of operation of the microwave heating apparatus

Abstract

A versatile food appliance includes a set of hardware components common to a plurality of single-purpose food appliances. The set of hardware components is controlled by a microcontroller executing a program from a repertoire thereof stored in the general-purpose food appliance. Many processing programs are stored for operating the appliance in different modes and for processing different kinds of food by using different ingredients. Each processing program is assigned a code and can be selected by specifying the code associated with it from a control panel. The programs may be further modified parametrically by a group of process parameters. Ingredients to be used in each of the programs may be in a premixed form in a package with the code optionally labeled thereon. The repertoire of programs is updatable by the user. In the preferred embodiment, a memory card interface allows updated programs to be introduced via a removable flash memory card.

Claims

1. A food appliance, comprising:

a chamber for processing food therein;

one or more food processing functional units inside said chamber;

a controller for controlling operations of said one or more food processing functional units;

a first memory for storing a repertoire of preprogrammed processes;

an input for receiving input data into said food appliance, including data designating a preprogrammed process among said repertoire of preprogrammed processes;

control means for operating said controller according to the designated preprogrammed process; and

a port for updating said repertoire of preprogrammed processes with one or more additional preprogrammed processes.

2. A food appliance as in 1, wherein said one or more food processing functional units include a radiant heater.

3. A food appliance as in 1, wherein said one or more food processing functional units include a microwave heater.

4. A food appliance as in 1, wherein said one or more food processing functional units include a mechanical actuator.

5. A food appliance as in 1, wherein said port is a memory port connectable to a removable memory.

6. A food appliance as in 1, wherein said port is a data port connectable to a data source.

7. A food appliance as in 1, wherein said one or more additional preprogrammed processes are obtainable from said removable memory.

8. A food appliance as in 1, wherein said one or more additional preprogrammed processes are obtainable from a website.

9. A food appliance as in 5, wherein said removable memory includes read only memory.

10. A food appliance as in 5, wherein said removable memory includes EPROM.

11. A food appliance as in 5, wherein said removable memory includes EEPROM.

12. A food appliance as in 5, wherein said removable memory includes flash EEPROM.

13. A food appliance as in 5, wherein said removable memory includes a magnetic storage medium.

14. A food appliance as in 5, wherein said removable memory includes an optical storage medium.

15. A food appliance as in anyone of 1-14, further comprising:

a pan inside said chamber for receiving ingredients therein.

16. A food appliance as in anyone of 1-14, further comprising:

a rack inside said chamber for supporting the food being processed.

17. A food appliance as in anyone of 1-14, further comprising:

a magnetron for providing microwave heating in said chamber.

18. A food appliance as in anyone of 1-14, including a preprogrammed process that operates said food appliance in a baking mode.

19. A food appliance as in anyone of 1-14, including a preprogrammed process that operates said food appliance in a broiling mode.

20. A food appliance as in anyone of 1-14, including a preprogrammed process that operates said food appliance in a toasting mode.

21. A food appliance as in anyone of 1-14, including a preprogrammed process that operates said food appliance in a microwave heating mode.

22. A food appliance as in anyone of 1-14, including a preprogrammed process operates said food appliance as a rotisserie.

23. A food appliance as in anyone of 1-14, including a preprogrammed process that operates said food appliance as a breadmaker.

24. A food appliance as in anyone of 1-14, including a preprogrammed process that operates said food appliance as a rice cooker.

25. A food appliance as in anyone of 1-14, including a preprogrammed process that operates said food appliance as a slow cooker.

26. A food appliance as in anyone of 1-14, including a preprogrammed process that operates said food appliance as a steamer.

27. A food appliance as in anyone of 1-14, including a preprogrammed process that operates said food appliance in a high-heat, self-cleaning mode.

28. A food appliance as in anyone of 1-14, including an input/output interface for one or more peripheral devices to operate with the food appliance.

29. A food appliance as in 28, wherein said one or more peripheral devices include a multimedia system.

30. A food appliance as in 29, wherein said multimedia system include a personal computer.

31. A food appliance as in 29, wherein said multimedia system include a television.