Circulator cooker with alarm system

• US 9,826,855 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2014
• Issued: 11/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2013
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Anova Applied Electronics, Inc. (AB Electrolux)
• Original Assignee: Anova Applied Electronics, Inc. (AB Electrolux)
• Inventors: Wu, Jeff
• Primary Examiner(s): MICHALSKI, SEAN M
• Application Number:
  US14/559,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20150150403A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,091 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 27/10 Cooking-vessels with water-bath arrangements for domestic use
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 36/321 the electronic control being performed over a network, e.g. by means of a handheld device

Abstract

A sous-vide circulator cooker that sounds an audible alarm when the system raises the temperature of the water to a determined temperature. The sous-vide circulator cooker includes temperature sensors, heaters and a pump to circulator temperature controlled fluids. The system also contains a speaker or buzzer that can play alarms or music when the system comes to a predetermined temperature. In at least one embodiment, the sous-vide circulator can also distinguish between self-heating and user-induced temperature changes, and will sound alarms accordingly.

Claims

1. A fluidic temperature control device for sous-vide cooking comprising:

an upper portion and a middle portion including a controller, a display device, an input device coupled to the controller and a motor coupled to the controller;

a lower portion releasably connected to the upper and the middle portions, the lower portion housing a fluid agitation device coupled to the motor and passing through a heating element, the heating element coupled to the controller, and the lower portion configured with a plurality of vertical perforations and a plurality of horizontal perforations and for at least partial immersion in a fluid.

2. The fluidic temperature control device of claim 1, wherein the upper portion contains a speaker that is connected to the controller, wherein the controller is configured to send a signal to the speaker to sound an alarm when a detected temperature of the device rises to a first predetermined temperature.

3. The fluidic temperature control device of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to send a signal to the speaker to sound an alarm when a detected temperature of the device cools to a second predetermined temperature.

4. The fluidic temperature control device of claim 3, wherein the cooling to the second predetermined temperature is caused by convective cooling.

5. The fluidic temperature control device of claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to recognize a user-induced heating and a user-induced cooling by data received from a temperature sensor at least partially submerged in the fluid, and is further configured to override the signals until the detected temperature begins to normalize.

6. The fluidic temperature control device of claim 1, wherein the upper portion contains a radio transmitter that is connected to the controller, wherein the controller is configured to send a signal to the radio transmitter to send an alert signal to an electronic device in signal communication with the radio transmitter when a detected temperature of the fluidic temperature control device rises to a first predetermined temperature.

7. The fluidic temperature control device of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to send a signal to the radio transmitter to send an alert signal to the electronic device in signal communication with the radio transmitter when a detected temperature of the fluidic temperature control device cools to a second predetermined temperature.

8. The fluidic temperature control device of claim 7, wherein the cooling to the second predetermined temperature is caused convective cooling.

9. The fluidic temperature control device of claim 7, wherein the controller is further configured to recognize a user-induced heating and a user-induced cooling by data received from a temperature sensor at least partially submerged in the fluid, and is further configured to override the signals until the detected temperature begins to normalize.

10. The fluidic temperature control device of claim 1, wherein the upper portion contains a buzzer that is connected to the controller, wherein the controller is configured to send a signal to the buzzer to sound an alarm when a detected temperature of the device rises to a first predetermined temperature.

11. The fluidic temperature control device of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to send a signal to the buzzer to sound an alarm when a detected temperature of the device cools to a second predetermined temperature.

12. The fluidic temperature control device of claim 11, wherein the cooling to the second predetermined temperature is caused naturally by convective cooling.

13. The fluidic temperature control device of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to recognize a user-induced heating and a user-induced cooling by data received from a temperature sensor at least partially submerged in the fluid, and is further configured to override the signals until the detected temperature begins to normalize.