Slow cooker and method of operation

• US 20070210062A1
• Filed: 02/28/2006
• Published: 09/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hamilton Beach Brands Incorporated (Hamilton Beach Brands Holding Co.)
• Original Assignee: Hamilton Beach/Proctor-Silex Incorporated (Hamilton Beach Brands Holding Co.)
• Inventors: Gaynor, Jim, Olson, Yvonne, Steinman, Adam
• Granted Patent: US 7,605,349 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/442
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 27/004 with integral electrical heating means drinking cups with integral heating means A47J36/2466

Abstract

A cooking appliance for cooking a foodstuff over a period of time including a shell having a heating cavity and a heating element to heat the heating cavity. A container is removably positionable within the heating cavity and includes a food cavity for receiving the foodstuff. A temperature probe is removably insertable into the foodstuff and a controller is mounted to the shell. The controller controls operation of the cooking appliance in a probe mode wherein the temperature probe is inserted into the foodstuff and transmits foodstuff temperatures to the controller for controlling the heating of the foodstuff, a program mode wherein the controller actuates the heating element to heat the container at a temperature for a selected amount of time and subsequently at a lower temperature and a manual mode wherein the controller actuates the heating element to heat the container at a selected temperature.

Claims

1. A cooking appliance for cooking a foodstuff over a period of time, the cooking appliance comprising:

a shell including a heating cavity;

a heating element to heat the heating cavity;

a container removably positionable within the heating cavity, the container including a food cavity for receiving the foodstuff;

a temperature probe removably insertable into the foodstuff; and

a controller mounted to the shell, the controller controlling operation of the cooking appliance in a probe mode wherein the temperature probe is inserted into the foodstuff and transmits foodstuff temperatures to the controller for controlling the heating of the foodstuff, a program mode wherein the controller actuates the heating element to heat the container at a temperature for a selected amount of time and subsequently at a lower temperature and a manual mode wherein the controller actuates the heating element to heat the container at a selected temperature.

2. The cooking appliance of claim 1 further comprising:

a control panel for mounting the controller to the shell, the control panel including a display and a plurality of control buttons, each control button being in communication with the controller, the control buttons including at least one of a probe button, a manual button, a program button, an enter button, an on/off button and increase and decrease buttons.

3. The cooking appliance of claim 1 further comprising:

a pair of U-shaped handles mounted to opposing sides of the shell; and

a lid removably mountable to a mouth of the container, the lid including a probe hole extending therethrough that removably receives a shaft of the temperature probe, the temperature probe being insertable through the probe hole for insertion of at least a tip of the temperature probe into the foodstuff.

4. The cooking appliance of claim 3 wherein the lid includes a gripping knob on a top surface.

5. The cooking appliance of claim 1 further comprising:

a probe storage cavity located proximate a bottom surface of the shell, the probe storage cavity being shaped and sized for removably receiving the temperature probe when the temperature probe is in a storage position.

6. The cooking appliance of claim 1 further comprising:

a probe outlet exposed on a side surface of the shell, the temperature probe including a shaft, a body, a cord and a plug, the shaft extending from the body and including a tip at a distal end, the cord extending from the body and the plug mounted to a distal end of the cord, the plug being removably insertable into the probe outlet to establish communication between the controller and the temperature probe.

7. The cooking appliance of claim 1 wherein the shell includes a base, an external wrap and a bucket-shaped liner, an air gap being defined by the liner, the base and the external wrap, the heating element being secured to the liner within the air gap.

8. The cooking appliance of claim 7 wherein the external wrap and the liner are constructed of a metallic material and the base is constructed of a polymeric material, the liner including a fastener to secure the liner to the base.

9. The cooking appliance of claim 1 wherein the temperature probe includes a body, a shaft, a cord and a plug.

10. The cooking appliance of claim 9 wherein the body includes a cord groove for removable receipt and storage of the cord proximate the body.

11. The cooking appliance of claim 9 wherein the body includes at least one plug storage hole therein for removable receipt and storage of the plug proximate the body.

12. A cooking appliance for cooking a foodstuff over a period of time, the cooking appliance comprising:

a shell including an external wrap and a liner, an air gap being defined between the external wrap and the liner, the external wrap including an exposed surface and a controller depression;

a heating element secured to the liner; and

a control panel including a display face for mounting a controller to the shell, the control panel being mounted in the controller depression such that the display face is positioned one of flush with the exposed surface of the shell and inwardly toward the liner relative to the exposed surface of the shell, the control panel pivotably mounted to the shell and being sealed to generally prevent fluids from coming into contact with the controller, which is located within the control panel.

13. The cooking appliance of claim 12 wherein the controller depression is comprised of a shelf and a controller hole in the external wrap.

14. The cooking appliance of claim 13 wherein the control panel includes a display panel, a hinge panel and a hinge mounting the display panel to the hinge panel, the hinge panel including a first mounting hole therein and the display panel including a second mounting hole and a clearance hole therein, the first and second mounting holes having a smaller diameter than the clearance hole.

15. The cooking appliance of claim 14 wherein the hinge panel includes a first face and a second face and the display panel includes an internal face and the display face, a portion of the internal face and the first face in facing engagement with the shelf in an assembled configuration.

16. The cooking appliance of claim 15 wherein the hinge panel is pivoted about the hinge such that the second face is in facing engagement with the internal face in a mounting position, the clearance hole aligning with the first mounting hole in the mounting position.

17. The cooking appliance of claim 16 further comprising:

a first fastener extending through the clearance hole and the first mounting hole in the assembled configuration; and

a second fastener extending through the second mounting hole in the assembled configuration;

the first and second fasteners mounting the control panel to the shell.

18. The cooking appliance of claim 14 wherein the hinge is comprised of a living hinge.

19. The cooking appliance of claim 18 wherein the control panel is constructed of a polymeric material.

20. The cooking appliance of claim 12 wherein the control panel includes a display panel, a hinge panel, a hinge mounting the display panel to the hinge panel and a cover removably mounted to an internal face of the display panel, the controller mounted between the display panel and the cover.

21. The cooking appliance of claim 20 further comprising:

an electrical cord in communication with the controller, the cover including a cord hole, the electrical cord extending through the cord hole, a sealant sealing the cord hole with the electrical cord therein in an assembled configuration to generally prevent fluids from coming into contact with the controller mounted within the control panel.

22. A cooking appliance for cooking a foodstuff over a period of time, the cooking appliance comprising:

a shell including an external wrap and a liner, an air gap being defined between the external wrap and the liner, the external wrap including a controller depression;

a heating element secured to the liner;

a controller mounted to the shell, the controller actuating the heating element to heat the liner; and

a control panel including a living hinge, the control panel pivotably mounting the controller in the controller depression.

23. The cooking appliance of claim 22 wherein the control panel includes a hinge panel and a display panel, the living hinge securing the hinge panel to the display panel.

24. The cooking appliance of claim 23 wherein the controller depression includes a shelf and a controller hole, a peripheral portion of the display panel mounted proximate the shelf in an assembled configuration.

25. The cooking appliance of claim 23 wherein the hinge panel includes a first mounting hole therein and the display panel includes a clearance hole therein, the first mounting hole and the clearance hole being aligned in a mounting position.

26. The cooking appliance of claim 25 wherein the control panel is mounted to the shell by a first fastener that extends through the first mounting hole and the clearance hole, the display panel being pivotable relative to the hinge panel and shell.

27. The cooking appliance of claim 26 wherein the hinge panel includes a second mounting hole therein, a second fastener extending through the second mounting hole to mount the control panel to the shell in an assembled configuration.

28. The cooking appliance of claim 22 wherein the controller is comprised of a programmable controller.

29. A method of cooking a foodstuff in a kitchen appliance over a period of time, the kitchen appliance including a shell having a heating cavity, a heating element to heat the heating cavity, a container removably positionable within the heating cavity, a controller to control heating of the heating cavity, a display in communication with the controller;

a lid and a temperature probe, the method including the steps of;

a) inserting a foodstuff into the container;

b) positioning the container in the heating cavity;

c) inserting at least a portion of the temperature probe into the foodstuff;

d) selecting a probe set temperature and storing the probe set temperature in the controller;

e) actuating the controller to operate the kitchen appliance in a probe mode;

f) automatically heating the heating cavity at a cooking temperature using the heating element;

g) detecting a foodstuff temperature with the temperature probe;

h) transmitting the foodstuff temperature to the controller;

i) comparing the foodstuff temperature to the probe set temperature using the controller;

j) automatically directing the heating element to heat the heating cavity at a warm temperature when the detected foodstuff temperature is equal to or greater than the probe set temperature; and

k) automatically cutting power to the heating element after a maximum time elapses.

30. The method of cooking a foodstuff in a kitchen appliance of claim 29 comprising the further steps of:

l) cutting communication between the temperature probe and controller;

m) automatically sounding a tone indicating that the temperature probe is not in communication with the controller;

n) automatically directing the heating element to heat the heating cavity at a high temperature;

o) automatically resuming steps (g)-(j) when communication is re-established between the temperature probe and controller.

31. The method of cooking foodstuff in a kitchen appliance of claim 29 including the further steps of:

l) indicating the probe set temperature on the display for a first time period;

m) indicating the foodstuff temperature on the display for a second time period at the conclusion of the first time period; and

n) repeating steps (l) and (m) until step (k).

32. The method of cooking foodstuff in a kitchen appliance of claim 31 wherein the first and second time periods are five seconds (5 s).

33. The method of cooking foodstuff in a kitchen appliance of claim 29 wherein a tone is sounded at step (f), at step (j), and at step (k).