U.S. patent application number 09/756367 was filed with the patent office on 2002-07-11 for table top cooking appliance.
Invention is credited to Siu, Angel Mei Lin.
Application Number | 20020088793 09/756367 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25043159 |
Filed Date | 2002-07-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020088793 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Siu, Angel Mei Lin |
July 11, 2002 |
Table top cooking appliance
Abstract
A removable platen for a sandwich maker is heated by an electric
heating element embedded in a supporting platform. The platform has
an upstanding channel that surrounds the electric heating element
and the platen has an integrally formed footprint that fits snugly
against the upstanding channel. This provides a good heat
exchanging contact surfaces for conducting heat from the heating
element to the platen in use, even though the platen can be removed
for cleaning and washing.
Inventors: |
Siu, Angel Mei Lin; (Hong
Kong, HK) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Thomas E. Sisson
JACKSON WALKER L.L.P.
Suite 2100
112 E. Pecan Street
San Antonio
TX
78205
US
|
Family ID: |
25043159 |
Appl. No.: |
09/756367 |
Filed: |
January 8, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
219/450.1 ;
219/452.13 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47J 37/0611 20130101;
A47J 37/1209 20130101; H05B 3/68 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
219/450.1 ;
219/452.13 |
International
Class: |
H05B 003/68 |
Claims
I claim:
1. A table top cooking appliance having a base, a shaped electrical
heating element supported above the base, a lid, and a self
supporting removable heatable metallic platen having an integrally
formed footprint in an undersurface thereof for snugly receiving
and partially surrounding the shaped electric heating element.
2. A table top cooking appliance according to claim 1, in which the
lid supports a second shaped electrical heating and a removable
heatable metallic platen which has an integrally formed footprint
in a upper surface thereof for snugly receiving and partially
surrounding the second shaped electrical heating element.
3. A table top cooking appliance according to claim 2, in which the
two removable platens and the two shaped electrical heating
elements have the same dimensions so as to be replaceable with one
another respectively.
4. A table top cooking appliance according to claim 1, in which the
heating element is embedded in a platform having a generally planar
surface and which is formed with an upstanding channel in which the
heating element fits and forms an image of the footprint to snugly
receive the metallic platen in the region formed by the
footprint.
5. A table top cooking appliance according to claim 1, in which the
footprint is formed with a laterally arcuate surface.
6. A table top cooking appliance according to claim 1 in which the
platen is made of aluminium alloy.
7. A table top cooking appliance according to claim 4, including a
heat sensor having a sensing probe that is mounted in a generally
central aperture formed in the platform, such that the probe can
contact a surface of the platen when the platen rests on the
footprint.
8. A table top cooking appliance according to claim 1, in the form
of a sandwich maker.
9. A table top cooking appliance according to claim 1 in the form
of deep fryer wherein the heatable platen comprises an integrally
formed base of a cylindrical cooking container of the fryer.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The invention relates to table top cooking appliances.
[0003] 2. Description of Prior Art
[0004] The invention relates to cooking appliances that typically
stand on a table top such as a work surface in a kitchen. The
invention has particular application to a toasted sandwich makers
or any appliance when it is appropriate or useful to remove heating
plates or cooking containers (as in a deep fryer) for separate
cleaning and washing that advantageously allows the plates or
containers to be completely immersed in water. Although the term
sandwich maker, is commonly used for certain types of appliances,
it is usually for the same appliance to be used for pie making,
waffle making, griddle scone making and the like. In any event the
term `sandwich maker` will be used in this specification for any
relatively small electrically heated appliance, having a hinged lid
that closes over the foodstuff. A heated plate or platen is
provided in a base and often in a hinged lid as well. The lid is
closable over the base and cooking (e.g. toasting) of foodstuffs
takes place between the lid and the base when the lid is
closed.
[0005] In sandwich makers off the prior art, if the heated platens
and not removable, it is difficult to clean the platens. This is
because heating elements in the sandwich maker cannot be wetted and
certainly not immersed in water to wash the platens clean. This
problem has been overcome or reduced by having removable or
disposable liners for the platens that can be removed and washed,
or disposed of, respectively. In the former case especially, there
is a difficulty or an expense in preparing suitably configured
liners for ensuring good, heat transfer between the heated platens
and the liner. When the liners are disposable, the procedure
required to wholly remove the liner is not always efficient, in
that parts of the liner may stick to the heated platen, and
selecting suitable liner material is neither easy or cheap in many
instances.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] It is an object of the invention to overcome or to at least
reduce these problems.
[0007] According to the invention there is provided . . .
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] A sandwich maker and a fryer according to the invention will
now be described by way of example with reference to the accompany
drawings in which:
[0009] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the sandwich maker;
[0010] FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the sandwich maker with
heatable platens removed;
[0011] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional electric of the sandwich
maker;
[0012] FIG. 4 is an isometric underside view of a platen;
[0013] FIG. 5 is an isometric view of a waffle making platen;
[0014] FIG. 6 is an isometric view of a griddle plate platen;
and
[0015] FIG. 7 is an isometric exploded view of a fryer.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0016] Referring to the drawings, in FIG. 1 the sandwich maker
includes a base 10 and a hinged lid 11. Removable aluminium alloy
platens 12 and 13 are supported on the base and the lid
respectively. The platens are shaped for retaining (four)
sandwiches between the platens when the lid is closed. According to
well-known arrangements, when the platens are heated the sandwiches
are toasted and the contents of the sandwich cooked to some extent
in most cases. When the sandwiches are ready, usually after a timed
heating cycle, the lid is manually lifted and the sandwiches are
removed. The sandwich maker also includes a thermostat and other
safety features, and a controller, known in the art but not shown
in FIG. 1. The platens are of self-supporting (robust) material and
are releasable so that the platens can be easily removed for
cleanings when separated from the rest of the sandwich maker.
[0017] In FIG. 2, the platens have been removed and support
platforms 14 and 15 can be seen mounted in the base 10 and in the
lid 11, respectively. The platforms have generally planar exposed
surfaces formed with upstanding channels 16 and 17. Electric
heating elements 18 and 19 are embedded under and in the channels
(as seen in FIG. 3). Pairs of spring clips 20 and 21 are provided
for releasably retaining the platens in position in the sandwich
maker. A thermal sensor probe 22 is mounted in the lid 11 (but
could be mounted in the base) and exposed through a central
aperture in the platform 15 for triggering a thermostat (not shown)
in a well-known manner. Generally, the probe 22 will contact the
upper surface of the platen 13 during normal use. The probe may be
resilient biased, by a light spring, say, to ensure good physical
contact with the platen 13.
[0018] In FIG. 4, one platen 12 (or 13) is shown. The platens each
have an integrally formed footprint 23 in their undersurfaces that
fit snugly in use against the respective channels 16 and 17. This
is clearly shown in FIG. 4. The platens also have a pair of shaped
tongues 24 for engaging with the clips 20 and 21, as
appropriate.
[0019] It will be noted that the footprint 23 has an arcuate
lateral cross-section (see FIG. 3) so that the platens sit snugly
onto the tops of the channels 16 and 17. Other than at the
footprint, the platens are somewhat separated from the platforms.
This ensures that continuous physical contact is always established
between the whole of the region formed by surfaces of the
footprints and of the channels. It can been clearly seen in FIG. 3,
that the formations 16 and 17 effectively surround the respective
heating elements and that the footprint 23 virtually surrounds the
channels 16 and 17. This is to provide good heat
exchanging/conducting conditions between the electric heating
elements and the platens.
[0020] Although heat will also radiate between other parts of the
platforms and the platens in normal use, the heat is mainly
transferred via the footprints. This is particularly the case in
the described embodiment because the platen is relatively deep and
made of good conductive material. Also the footprint is surrounded
by a substantial body of solid platen material that heats up
quickly in use and conducts heat rapidly to the rest of the
platen.
[0021] A waffle making platen is shown in FIG. 5 and a griddle
platen is shown in FIG. 6. A pie making platen is also possible. In
each case the platens are made, conveniently by molding, and
integrally formed with a footprint as shown at 23 in FIG. 4. As
such the `sandwich maker` can be used for preparing various
different foods by selecting one of the platen types shown in
Figures.
[0022] If a more convoluted shaped electric element is required,
the channels in the support platforms, if present, and the
footprints are suitably formed and shaped to envelope and fit
snugly against such an electric element as required.
[0023] It is possible for the footprint 23 to be arranged to rest
directly on suitably supported heating elements. However, the
provision of the support platforms is normally preferred so as to
retain the heating element in a manner which is electrically safer
and more appropriate in a domestic appliance. This is especially
the case for the deep fryer shown in FIG. 7, because a `normal`
food container 25 used in the fryer may be quite heavy, especially
when partially filled with fat and with food for cooking. The food
container is integrally formed with a base 26 comprising the
so-called "heatable metallic platen". Such a platen is integrally
formed with a footprint 27, as defined above, to snugly fit over a
shaped electrical heating element to provide good heat-exchanging
contact with the heating element, in the manner described above.
The container 25 is removable up and out of an outer cabinet 28 of
the fryer (together with its platen base) for ease of cleaning and
washing the container as required. The cabinet 28 has hinged lid 29
and the fryer has a food basket 30.
* * * * *