cooking utensils

Abstract

The present invention discloses a cooking utensil, comprising a machine body, a pot body and a feeding assembly. The machine body comprises a base and a storage bin. The pot body is removably mounted on the base and has a cooking space, and the cooking space has an interface. The feeding assembly has a feeding channel, which is movably connected to the machine body and can move between an initial position and a feeding position. One end of the feeding channel is connected to the storage bin, and in the feeding position, the other end of the feeding channel can be connected to the cooking space through the interface. According to the present invention, the pot body and the machine body are arranged separately, which can reduce the volume and weight of the pot body and facilitate taking and placing. The feeding assembly is movably connected to the machine body, has a larger movable space, and can more flexibly select a suitable moving method. In addition, the connection between the feeding assembly and the machine body is simple and convenient, easy to implement, can reduce the difficulty of production and processing, and can also be more conveniently maintained in the event of a fault, avoiding the trouble of disassembling the cooking utensil as a whole.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of cooking utensils. Background Art

[0002] Smart cooking appliances are currently available on the market, some of which feature rice storage and automatic rice and water addition functions. These appliances can also automatically transfer ingredients from the storage device to the pot. However, the inclusion of these automatic transfer and storage devices results in larger appliances with complex connections, making them difficult to manufacture. Furthermore, movable components have a high failure rate and require more cumbersome maintenance, creating significant user inconvenience.

[0003] To this end, the present invention provides a cooking appliance to at least partially solve the problems in the prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The Summary of the Invention introduces a series of simplified concepts that will be further described in the Detailed Description of the Invention. The Summary of the Invention is not intended to limit the key features and essential features of the claimed technical solution, nor is it intended to determine the scope of protection of the claimed technical solution.

[0005] In order to at least partially solve the above problems, the present invention provides a cooking appliance comprising:

[0006] A machine body, comprising a base and a storage bin;

[0007] a pot body, the pot body being removably mounted on the base, the pot body having a cooking space formed therein, the cooking space having an interface communicating with the outside world; and

[0008] A material delivery component is movably connected to the machine body and can move between an initial position and a material delivery position. The material delivery component has a material delivery channel, one end of which is connected to the storage bin. At the material delivery position, the other end of the material delivery channel can be connected to the cooking space through the interface.

[0009] According to the present invention, the pot body and the main body are separated, and the material storage bin and other components are arranged on the main body, thereby reducing the weight and volume of the pot body. The provision of a feed assembly allows for automatic material transport even with the material storage bin and the pot body separated. Furthermore, because the feed assembly is movably connected to the main body, it has a larger range of motion, allowing for more flexible selection of appropriate movement methods. Furthermore, the connection between the feed assembly and the main body is simpler and more convenient, making it easier to achieve, thereby reducing the difficulty of production and processing. It also facilitates maintenance in the event of a malfunction in the feed assembly's movement, avoiding the hassle of disassembling the entire cooking appliance, thereby facilitating use.

[0010] Optionally, the feeding assembly is configured to move between the initial position and the feeding position by pivoting about a horizontally extending pivot axis, thereby enabling precise control of the movement trajectory of the feeding assembly by swinging in an up-and-down direction.

[0011] Optionally, the feeding assembly includes a feeding arm and a driving member for driving the feeding arm to move, and the pivot axis is located at one end of the feeding arm. Thus, the pivot axis being located at one end can enable the feeding arm to have a larger range of motion.

[0012] Optionally, the driving member is configured as an electric motor, which is directly connected to the feed arm and whose rotating shaft is coaxial with the rotating axis. Thus, the coaxially arranged electric motor can conveniently and accurately control the movement of the feed arm.

[0013] Optionally, the feeding assembly further comprises a transmission gear, the driving member is configured as an electric motor, and the electric motor drives the feeding arm to move via the transmission gear. Thus, the feeding arm can be smoothly rotated by transmitting power via the transmission gear.

[0014] Optionally, the material storage bin includes a solid material storage bin and a liquid material storage bin, and the feed channel includes a solid material feed channel and a liquid material feed channel, wherein the solid material feed channel is connected to the solid material storage bin, and the liquid material feed channel is connected to the liquid material storage bin. In this way, the material storage bins can be used to store materials of different properties to meet cooking needs.

[0015] Optionally, when the pot body is seated on the base, the solid material storage bin is located above the pot body, and the solid material delivery channel is connected to the bottom of the solid material storage bin. In this way, the material in the solid material storage bin can be transported to the cooking space by gravity without applying additional driving force to the material.

[0016] Optionally, when the feeding assembly is located at the feeding position, the angle between the solid material feeding channel and the horizontal plane is 15°-90°. Thus, the above angle is suitable for the solid material to fall automatically.

[0017] Optionally, the cooking appliance further comprises a transmission component, wherein the transmission component is used to transmit the material in the solid material storage bin to the solid material delivery channel, thereby conveniently transferring the material from the storage bin to the delivery channel.

[0018] Optionally, a discharge port is provided at the bottom of the solid material storage bin, and the transmission assembly comprises a transmission channel and a transmission screw, wherein the transmission channel is transversely disposed between the discharge port and the solid material delivery channel, and the transmission screw is disposed within the transmission channel. Thus, the amount of solid material removed from the solid material storage bin can be precisely controlled. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The following drawings of the present invention are incorporated herein as part of the present invention for understanding the present invention. The drawings show embodiments of the present invention and the description thereof is used to explain the principle of the present invention.

[0020] In the attached figure:

[0021] Figure 1 A perspective view of a cooking appliance according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, wherein the feeding assembly is located at an initial position;

[0022] Figure 2 for Figure 1 a vertical cutaway view of the cooking appliance shown;

[0023] Figure 3 for Figure 1 an exploded perspective view of the cooking appliance shown; and

[0024] Figure 4 It is a perspective exploded view of a material feeding assembly of a cooking appliance according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] In the following description, numerous specific details are provided to provide a more thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that embodiments of the present invention may be practiced without one or more of these details. In other instances, certain technical features well known in the art are not described to avoid confusion with embodiments of the present invention.

[0026] In order to fully understand the embodiments of the present invention, a detailed structure will be presented in the following description. Obviously, the implementation of the embodiments of the present invention is not limited to the specific details familiar to those skilled in the art.

[0027] The present invention provides a cooking appliance. The cooking appliance according to the present invention may be an electric rice cooker, an electric pressure cooker, or other cooking appliance. Besides cooking rice, the cooking appliance according to the present invention may also have various functions, such as cooking porridge, making soup, and stir-frying. Preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0028] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the cooking appliance 1 according to the present invention comprises a body 10 and a pot body 20. The body 10 forms the main frame structure of the cooking appliance 1 and is provided with a base 11. The pot body 20 can be placed on and removed from the base 11. In other words, the pot body 20 is detachable from the body 10 to facilitate its movement. Therefore, the cooking appliance according to the present invention is a split-type cooking appliance.

[0029] In addition, the body 10 is also provided with a storage bin. The storage bin may include a solid material storage bin 12, which can be used to store solid ingredients such as rice and beans required for cooking. Furthermore, the storage bin may also include a liquid material storage bin for storing liquids such as water.

[0030] like Figure 2 As shown, the pot body 20 includes a pot body base 21, a pot body lid 22, and an inner pot 23 disposed within the pot body base 21. The pot body base 21 is detachably mounted on the base 11 of the machine body 10. The inner pot 23 is removably placed within the pot body base 21. When the pot body lid 22 is closed onto the pot body base 21, a cooking space 24 is formed between the pot body lid 22 and the inner pot 23.

[0031] Furthermore, the cooking appliance 1 includes a feed assembly 30. This feed assembly 30 is used to transport materials such as food and / or water from the storage bin to the cooking space 24 of the pot body 20. For example, the feed assembly 30 can automatically add a predetermined amount of food and / or water to the cooking space 24 in response to user instructions, thereby automating the entire cooking process.

[0032] like Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the feed assembly 30 may include a feed arm 31 having a feed channel extending along its length. It is understood that the feed channel may include a solid material feed channel 32 for conveying solid food materials and a liquid material feed channel (not shown) for conveying liquid food materials. The feed arm 31 is connected to the body 10, and one end of the solid material feed channel 32 is connected to the solid material storage bin, and one end of the liquid material feed channel is connected to the liquid material storage bin.

[0033] According to the present invention, the feeding arm 31 is movably arranged. Figure 2 As shown, the feed arm 31 can be moved to a position where it docks with the pot body 20 to deliver materials into the cooking space. This position is referred to as the feed position. The pot body 20 is provided with an interface 25 that communicates with the cooking space 24. When the feed arm 31 is moved to the feed position, the solid material feed channel 32 can communicate with the cooking space 24 of the pot body 20 through the interface 25, facilitating the delivery of ingredients as needed.

[0034] In addition, if Figure 1 As shown, when there is no need to deliver material to the cooking space 24, the feed arm 31 can be moved from the feed position to a position away from the pot body 20. This reduces the possibility of interference between the feed arm 31 and the pot body 20, thereby providing more space for loading and unloading the pot body 20. The user can easily remove the pot body 20 from the base 11 or place the pot body 20 on the base 11. The position of the feed arm 31 away from the pot body 20 can be referred to as the initial position.

[0035] In this embodiment, when the pot body 20 is located on the base 11, the storage bin—particularly the solid material storage bin 12—is preferably located above the pot body 20. When the feeding assembly 30 is in the feeding position, at least the solid material feeding channel 32 connects the solid material storage bin 12 with the cooking space 24 in a generally inclined manner. This allows for automatic conveying of solid materials using gravity. Preferably, when the feeding assembly 30 is in the feeding position, at least the angle between the solid material feeding channel 32 and the horizontal plane can be 15°-90°. Depending on the specific circumstances, such as the size of the cooking utensil and the type of material being conveyed, the aforementioned angle can be 30°, 45°, 60°, 75°, or any value within the aforementioned range.

[0036] According to the present invention, the feed assembly 30 is configured to be movably connected to the body 10. Preferably, the entire or a substantial portion of the feed assembly 30 is movably disposed outside the body 10. This allows for greater flexibility in the movement of the feed assembly 30, without being restricted by the various components of the body 10. This allows for greater flexibility in the selection of the movement of the feed assembly 30. Compared to a case where the feed assembly 30 is disposed internally, the connection and assembly of the feed assembly 30 and the body 10 of the cooking utensil according to the present invention is easier to perform and requires lower assembly precision, thereby improving production efficiency and reducing manufacturing costs. Furthermore, during use, movable components are more susceptible to failure than fixed components. Since the feed assembly 30 is movably disposed externally to the body 10, in the event of a malfunction, only the feed assembly 30 needs to be disassembled, without having to disassemble the entire body, making maintenance more convenient.

[0037] In the illustrated embodiment, the feed arm 31 is preferably configured to pivotally move about a generally horizontally extending pivot axis. In other words, the feed arm 31 moves between an initial position and a feed position in an up-and-down manner. Therefore, the interface 25 of the cooking space 24 is preferably located at the top of the pot body 20 to facilitate connection with the feed channel. In other words, the interface 25 is preferably located on the pot body lid 22.

[0038] Further preferably, the pivot axis is located at one end of the feed arm 31. This allows the feed arm 31 to have a larger swing radius and a wider range of motion, allowing the initial position to be set further away from the pot body 20, further increasing the access space around the pot body 20. Preferably, a groove 13 can be provided at the bottom of the solid material storage bin 12. When the feed arm 31 is in the initial position, it is accommodated in the groove 13. This allows the feed arm 31 to be further away from the pot body 20.

[0039] like Figure 3 As shown, the feed assembly 30 further includes a drive member 33 for driving the feed arm 31. In this embodiment, the drive member 33 is configured as an electric motor, which is readily available and relatively inexpensive. Specifically, the motor is arranged with its rotating shaft coaxial with the pivot axis of the feed arm 31. In other words, the motor and the feed arm 31 are arranged side by side in the horizontal direction. This allows for flexible control of the movement of the feed arm 31 via the motor, and the side-by-side arrangement facilitates efficient use of space within the machine body 10, resulting in a compact overall structure.

[0040] Figure 4 Another embodiment of the cooking utensil according to the present invention is shown. In which, the feeding assembly 130 further includes a transmission member 134, which is used to transmit the driving force of the driving member 133 to the feeding arm 131. Thus, by using the transmission member 134 as a transmission medium, the driving member 133 and the feeding arm 131 can have a more flexible setting method. In this embodiment, the transmission member 134 is constructed as a transmission gear. Therefore, the transmission member 134 can also be called a transmission gear 134, which includes a driving gear 136 and a driven gear 135. In which, the driving gear 136 is mounted on the driving shaft of the driving member 133, and the driven gear 135 is mounted on the feeding arm 131. The driving gear 136 is engaged with the driven gear 135 to transmit the driving force. Through gear transmission, the transmission speed can be changed, thereby better controlling the moving speed of the feeding arm 131 and making it run more smoothly.

[0041] Then go to Figure 3In order to smoothly transfer the material stored in the solid material storage bin 12 to the solid material delivery channel 32 for delivery to the cooking space 24, the cooking appliance 1 further includes a transmission component 40. Specifically, the transmission component 40 is arranged on the body 10, and includes a shell 41 and a transmission screw 42. Among them, the shell 41 is roughly cylindrical in shape, and has a transmission channel 411 extending in the axial direction. The inlet end of the transmission channel 411 is connected to the discharge port (not shown) of the solid material storage bin 12, and the outlet end is connected to the solid material delivery channel 32. The transmission screw 42 is located in the transmission channel 411 to transport solid materials. It can be understood that for liquid materials, they can usually be transported by means of a liquid pump or vacuum suction. Therefore, the transmission component 40 here is used for transporting solid materials.

[0042] Preferably, the discharge port of the solid material storage bin 12 can be set at the bottom of the solid material storage bin 12, and the inlet end of the transmission channel 411 can be located below the discharge port of the solid material storage bin 12. In this way, the solid material can automatically enter the transmission channel 411 under the action of gravity. In order to better control the transportation of solid materials, such as Figure 3 As shown, the transmission channel 411 can preferably be configured to extend laterally. This allows the movement of solid material within the transmission channel 411 to be powered entirely by the transmission screw 42, unaffected by gravity and easier to control. Furthermore, the solid material delivery channel 32 has an inlet 321 that opens laterally toward the transmission assembly 40. The outlet end of the transmission channel 411 can extend from the inlet 321 into the solid material delivery channel 32, facilitating the entry of material into the solid material delivery channel 32.

[0043] In addition, although not shown in the drawings, it is understood that the transmission assembly 40 may further include a transmission driving member for driving the transmission screw 42 to rotate.

[0044] In the embodiment described above, the feed assembly includes a feed channel. However, as an alternative, the feed assembly may also include a water channel, a steam channel, and / or a vacuum channel. Accordingly, the body may be provided with a water source such as a water tank, a steam generator, and / or a vacuum pump. Thus, when the feed assembly is in the feed delivery position, it can also deliver water and / or steam to the cooking space, or extract air from the cooking space to lower the pressure within the cooking space below a predetermined pressure.

[0045] Furthermore, different valves may be provided at the interfaces of the pot body so that the above-mentioned channels are connected to the cooking space through different valves to maintain the airtightness of the cooking space.

[0046] Unless otherwise defined, the technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art in the art of the present invention. The terms used herein are only for describing specific implementation purposes and are not intended to limit the present invention. Terms such as "setting" appearing in this article can mean that one component is directly attached to another component, or that one component is attached to another component through an intermediate component. Features described in this article in one embodiment can be applied to another embodiment alone or in combination with other features, unless the feature is not applicable in the other embodiment or otherwise specified.

[0047] The present invention has been described through the above embodiments, but it should be understood that the above embodiments are for illustrative and illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the present invention to the described embodiments. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various variations and modifications may be made based on the teachings of the present invention, and such variations and modifications fall within the scope of protection claimed in the present invention.

Claims

1. A cooking utensil, characterized in that: The cooking appliance comprises: A machine body (10), the machine body (10) comprising a base (11) and a storage bin; A pot body (20), the pot body (20) is detachably mounted on the base (11), a cooking space (24) is formed in the pot body (20), and the cooking space (24) has an interface (25) communicating with the outside world; and A material delivery component (30) is movably connected to the machine body (10), and the material delivery component (30) can move between an initial position and a material delivery position by pivoting around a horizontally extending pivot axis, and the material delivery component (30) has a material delivery channel, one end of which is connected to the material storage bin, and at the material delivery position, the other end of the material delivery channel can be connected to the cooking space (24) through the interface (25).

2. The cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein The feeding assembly (30) comprises a feeding arm (31) and a driving member (33) for driving the feeding arm (31) to move, and the pivot axis is located at one end of the feeding arm (31).

3. The cooking appliance according to claim 2, wherein: The driving member (33) is configured as an electric motor, which is directly connected to the feeding arm (31) and has a rotating shaft coaxial with the rotating axis.

4. The cooking appliance according to claim 2, wherein: The feeding assembly (30) further comprises a transmission gear (134), and the driving member (33) is configured as an electric motor, which drives the feeding arm (31) to move via the transmission gear (134).

5. The cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein The storage bin comprises a solid material storage bin (12) and a liquid material storage bin, the feed channel comprises a solid material feed channel (32) and a liquid material feed channel, the solid material feed channel (32) is communicated with the solid material storage bin (12), and the liquid material feed channel is communicated with the liquid material storage bin.

6. The cooking appliance according to claim 5, characterized in that When the pot body (20) is seated on the base (11), the solid material storage bin (12) is located above the pot body (20), and the solid material delivery channel (32) is connected to the bottom of the solid material storage bin (12).

7. The cooking appliance according to claim 6, characterized in that When the feeding component (30) is located at the feeding position, the angle between the solid material feeding channel (32) and the horizontal plane is 15°-90°.

8. The cooking appliance according to claim 5, wherein: The cooking appliance further comprises a transmission component (40), wherein the transmission component (40) is used to transmit the material in the solid material storage bin (12) to the solid material delivery channel (32).

9. The cooking appliance according to claim 8, characterized in that A discharge port is provided at the bottom of the solid material storage bin (12), and the transmission component (40) has a transmission channel (411) and a transmission screw (42). The transmission channel (411) is arranged transversely between the discharge port and the solid material conveying channel (32), and the transmission screw (42) is arranged in the transmission channel (411).

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