Automatic cooking device and automatic frying machine

Abstract

This invention discloses an automatic cooking device and an automatic stir-fry machine to solve the technical problems of slow cooking speed and low output rate in existing automatic cooking devices and stir-fry machines that rely solely on gravity when dispensing food. The automatic cooking device proposed in this invention includes a pot assembly and a spatula assembly. The pot assembly includes a pot body and a heating unit for heating the pot body. The pot body defines a cooking cavity with an opening at the top. The spatula assembly is rotatably housed in the cooking cavity about a first axis parallel to the depth direction of the pot body. The pot assembly can be rotated about a second axis perpendicular to the depth direction of the pot body to switch between a feeding state, a cooking state, and a dispensing state. In the dispensing state, the opening faces downwards, and the spatula assembly reciprocates about the first axis within a preset angle range, so that the food leaves the cooking cavity through the opening under its own weight and the action of the spatula assembly. This invention also proposes an automatic stir-fry machine, including the automatic cooking device described above.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of kitchen equipment technology, and in particular to an automatic cooking device and an automatic stir-fry machine. Background Technology

[0002] Automatic cooking devices typically consist of a pot and a spatula. The pot defines a cooking cavity for holding the food, and the spatula rotates within the cooking cavity to turn the food, thus achieving a stir-frying function. After cooking, the common way to serve the food is to tilt the pot and let the food pour out of the pot opening under gravity.

[0003] However, relying solely on gravity to pour food out has the following drawbacks: Firstly, the speed at which ingredients slide down is limited by the tilt angle of the pot and the friction between the ingredients and the pot wall, resulting in a slow food pouring speed. Secondly, some ingredients (especially those with broth or sauce) tend to stick to the inner wall of the pot, making it difficult for them to slide down completely by gravity alone. This leads to a low food cleanliness rate, with more food residue remaining in the pot, affecting the quality of subsequent dishes and increasing the cleaning burden. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To overcome the shortcomings of the prior art, this invention proposes an automatic cooking device and an automatic stir-fry machine to solve the technical problems of slow food dispensing speed and low food cleaning rate caused by relying solely on gravity when dispensing food in the prior art.

[0005] To achieve the above technical objectives, the present invention provides an automatic cooking device, comprising: A cookware assembly including a pot body and a heating unit, the pot body defining a cooking cavity with an opening at the top, and the heating unit for heating the pot body; and, A spatula assembly, which is rotatably housed in the cooking cavity about a first axis parallel to the depth direction of the pot body; The cookware assembly can be rotated around a second axis perpendicular to the depth direction of the cookware body to switch between the feeding state, the cooking state, and the serving state. In the feeding state, the opening faces upward; In cooking mode, the spatula assembly rotates and flips the ingredients in the cooking chamber; When the food is being served, the opening faces downwards, and the spatula assembly reciprocates around the first axis within a preset angle range, so that the food leaves the cooking chamber through the opening under its own weight and the action of the spatula assembly.

[0006] The automatic cooking device proposed in this invention allows the pot assembly to rotate around a second axis to switch between three states: feeding, cooking, and serving. In the serving state, the spatula assembly rotates back and forth around a first axis to push and scrape the ingredients. The back and forth rotation of the spatula assembly causes the ingredients to gather together, narrows the cross-section of the ingredients, and makes the ingredients poured out from the opening more concentrated. The ingredients can fall more easily into the container used to receive the ingredients, thus reducing spillage. At the same time, the reciprocating rotation of the spatula component causes the food to change from being spread out along the pot wall to being gathered together. The contact area between the food and the pot wall is reduced, the frictional resistance is reduced, and the food gathers and piles up, making its center of gravity further away from the pot wall. The balance of the food on the pot wall is more easily broken, and the food is easier to pour out of the opening under the dual effects of low friction and center of gravity shift. Furthermore, the gathering of ingredients narrows their cross-section, reducing the contact area between the ingredients and the pot wall as they slide out of the opening. This results in less residue on the pot wall after the ingredients are poured out, which helps improve the food output rate of the automatic cooking device.

[0007] Preferably, the spatula assembly includes a first spatula, a second spatula, and a drive shaft extending along the depth direction of the pot body. The drive shaft is at least partially located in the cooking cavity. The first spatula is oscillatingly connected to the drive shaft and oscillates in a plane parallel to the drive shaft. The second spatula is located above the first spatula in the depth direction of the pot body, and the second spatula rotates coaxially with the drive shaft to rotate circumferentially along the pot wall.

[0008] Using the aforementioned technical solution, the first spatula is mainly responsible for cooking the ingredients. During the cooking process, the first spatula simulates the stirring action by swinging, which stirs evenly and is not easy to damage the ingredients. The second spatula plays an auxiliary role in the cooking process, which is used to scrape off the ingredients sticking to the pot wall and improve the evenness of heating of the ingredients. At the same time, the second spatula plays a major role when serving the dish, which is used to push the ingredients together and pile them up, thereby improving the speed and cleanliness of serving the ingredients.

[0009] Preferably, the second spatula includes a spatula bar and a spatula plate, the spatula plate being connected to the end of the spatula bar, the spatula bar extending from the drive axis toward the side wall of the pot body, and the extension direction of the spatula bar being orthogonal to the swing path of the first spatula.

[0010] By adopting the aforementioned technical solution, the extension direction of the spatula is orthogonal to the swing path of the first spatula. When the drive shaft rotates, the mass distribution direction of the second spatula is complementary to the swing motion direction of the first spatula. The overall rotational dynamic balance of the spatula assembly is improved, the drive shaft operates more smoothly, and the shaking is reduced.

[0011] Preferably, there are multiple second spatulas, which are evenly spaced around the drive shaft. Two adjacent second spatulas form a central angle α with respect to the axis of the drive shaft, and the preset angle range forms a central angle β with respect to the axis of the drive shaft, where β≤α.

[0012] By adopting the aforementioned technical solution and limiting β to no more than α, it can be ensured that the second spatula A and the second spatula B reciprocate within their respective half-zones without crossing the boundary of the other sector, the sweeping trajectories of the spatulas do not overlap, each push of the food is an effective stroke, and the power utilization efficiency is high.

[0013] Preferably, the pot lid assembly is also included, the pot lid assembly comprising a first cover plate and a second cover plate; In the cooking state, the first cover plate and the second cover plate together cover the opening; In the feeding and dispensing states, the second cover plate moves relative to the first cover plate to reveal a partial opening.

[0014] Using the aforementioned technical solution, the pot lid assembly adopts a split structure of the first cover plate and the second cover plate. In the cooking state, the two cover plates together cover the opening to achieve closed cooking. In the feeding state and the dishing state, only the movement of the second cover plate relative to the first cover plate can expose part of the opening. Only the second cover plate needs to be driven to complete the opening and closing action. The mass and volume of the moving parts are significantly reduced, the driving load is lower, and the movement response is faster.

[0015] Preferably, the spatula assembly is mounted on the pot lid assembly.

[0016] By adopting the aforementioned technical solution, the spatula assembly is installed on the lid assembly, making the spatula assembly and the lid assembly an integrated module. The drive mechanism of the spatula assembly and the lid assembly share the same mounting base, eliminating the need for additional independent mounting positions and support structures for the spatula on the pot body or frame, resulting in a more compact device structure. When the lid assembly is detached from the pot body, the spatula assembly detaches from the cooking chamber along with the lid assembly. With no spatula obstructing the interior of the cooking chamber, both the cooking chamber and the spatula can be thoroughly cleaned, making maintenance convenient.

[0017] Preferably, in the cooking state, the pot body is inclined relative to the vertical line, and a portion of the bottom of the pot body and a portion of the pot wall connected thereto constitute a heating zone. The heating unit is located below the heating zone and covers at least a portion of the heating zone.

[0018] Using the aforementioned technical solution, the pot is tilted relative to the vertical during cooking. Under the influence of gravity, the food naturally gathers in the lower area of ​​the tilted pot. The heating zone is formed by a portion of the pot bottom and a portion of the pot wall corresponding to this lower area. The heating unit is located below the heating zone and surrounds at least a portion of it. With this configuration, the heat emitted by the heating unit is concentrated on the area where the food gathers, resulting in a short heat conduction path between the heat source and the food, high heat utilization, and rapid heating of the food.

[0019] Preferably, the cookware assembly further includes a housing, the heating unit is fixedly disposed relative to the housing, the pot body is rotatable relative to the housing about a first axis, the heating zone is an annular area extending circumferentially along the pot body, the heating zone rotates synchronously with the pot body, so that each part on the heating zone passes through the heating unit in sequence and is heated.

[0020] Using the aforementioned technical solution, the heating unit only needs to cover a portion of the arc of the annular heating area. As the pot rotates, each part of the heating area passes through the heating unit in sequence and is heated. The heating unit does not need to completely enclose the heating area to achieve uniform heating of the entire heating area. The size and power of the heating unit can be greatly reduced, and the manufacturing cost and energy consumption can be reduced. Moreover, each part of the heating area undergoes an alternating cycle of heating and cooling during rotation, avoiding local overheating or undercooling of the heating area, and the heating uniformity of the pot is good. In addition, the rotation of the pot body around the first axis can coordinate with the rotation of the spatula assembly: when cooking stir-fried dishes, the two rotate in opposite directions to speed up the turning and improve the uniformity of heating; when cooking fragile ingredients, the two rotate in the same direction to gently stir and keep the ingredients intact. The rotation direction of the pot body can be flexibly adjusted to adapt to the cooking needs of various dishes.

[0021] Preferably, in the dishing state, the pot body reciprocates around the first axis, and the rotation direction of the pot body is opposite to the rotation direction of the spatula assembly.

[0022] Using the aforementioned technical solution, the pot body reciprocates around a first axis during the serving phase, with the rotation direction of the pot body always opposite to that of the spatula assembly. This counter-rotation creates relative motion between the pot body and the spatula assembly. During this relative motion, the bottom of the food is subjected to friction from the pot wall, while the upper and middle parts are subjected to the pushing force of the spatula. These opposing forces create a couple, causing the food to gather and pile up towards the opening while simultaneously tumbling around itself. This tumbling action results in the food contacting the pot wall with different surfaces alternately, reducing the instantaneous contact area and friction. Furthermore, it causes the food's center of gravity to continuously shift, further reducing its stability. Under the combined effects of low friction and low stability, the food is easier to pour out quickly from the opening, resulting in faster serving speed and a higher yield.

[0023] The present invention also proposes an automatic cooking machine, including a frame, a bowl separation device, a bowl conveying device, a material preparation and feeding device, and an automatic cooking device according to any of the aforementioned technical solutions. The bowl separation device, the bowl conveying device, the material preparation and feeding device, and the automatic cooking device are installed on the frame. The material preparation and feeding device is used to put the ingredients to be cooked into the pot when the automatic cooking device is in the feeding state. The bowl separation device is used to accommodate the pile of bowls and separate the bowls at the bottom of the pile. The bowl conveying device supports the separated bowls and drives the bowls to move in a straight line. The automatic cooking device pours the cooked ingredients into the bowls when in the dispensing state. The bowl separation device and the automatic cooking device are arranged sequentially on the same side of the bowl conveying device along the direction of bowl movement.

[0024] The automatic cooking machine proposed in this invention, because it adopts an automatic cooking device of any of the above-mentioned technical solutions, has all the technical effects of all the aforementioned technical solutions; Meanwhile, the bowl separation device and the automatic cooking device are arranged sequentially on the same side of the bowl conveying device along the direction of bowl movement, making the layout of the bowl separation device, bowl conveying device and automatic cooking device in the automatic cooking machine more compact.

[0025] These features and advantages of the present invention will be disclosed in detail in the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an automatic cooking machine in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a side view of the automatic cooking machine in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 for Figure 2 Sectional view of section AA; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the automatic cooking device in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the covering opening of the automatic cooking device in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a top view of the automatic cooking device in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 for Figure 6 Sectional view of section BB; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the pot body in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the spatula assembly swinging relative to the pot body in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the bowl separation device in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 11This is a schematic diagram of the bowl separator in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 12 This is another schematic diagram of the bowl separator in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the bowl conveying device in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 14 This is another schematic diagram of the bowl conveying device in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 15 This is another schematic diagram of the bowl conveying device in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of the material preparation station in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure label: 10. Bowl; 20. Container; 100. Rack; 200. Bowl separation device; 210. Seat plate; 220. Guide mechanism; 221. Guide channel; 230. Bowl separation component; 231. First working surface; 232. Second working surface; 240. Upper end plate; 241. Guide piece; 2411. Guide surface; 2412. Cutting surface; 242. Notch. 300. Bowl conveying device; 310. Conveying assembly; 311. Mounting plate; 312. Movable plate; 3121. Support; 3122. First slide plate; 3123. Second slide plate; 320. Support assembly; 321. Elastic arm; 3211. Support wall; 3212. Support groove; 330. Separation assembly; 331. Pushing element; 332. Driver. 400. Material preparation and feeding device; 410. Material preparation table; 411. Support bracket; 4111. Support part; 4112. Support surface; 4113. Connecting part; 412. Material preparation rack; 420. Robotic arm; 421. Gripper. 500. Automatic cooking device; 510. Pot assembly; 511. Pot body; 5111. Cooking cavity; 5112. Opening; 5113. Pot bottom; 5114. Pot wall; 5115. Heating zone; 512. Heating unit; 513. Outer shell; 5131. Cavity; 514. Pot body drive unit; 520. Spare shovel assembly; 521. First spatula; 522. Second spatula; 5221. Spare shovel handle; 5222. Spare shovel plate; 523. Drive shaft; 524. Hinge shaft; 530. Pot lid assembly; 531. First lid plate; 532. Second lid plate; 600. Tilting drive mechanism; 610. Rotary shaft seat; 620. Transmission unit. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be explained and described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the following embodiments are only preferred embodiments of the present invention and not all of them. Other technical solutions obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments without creative effort are all within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0029] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "clockwise," and "counterclockwise," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0030] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" (if any) are used to distinguish similar objects, not to describe a specific order or sequence. In the description of this invention, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" or "several" means two or more, unless otherwise expressly defined.

[0031] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0032] like Figures 1 to 9 As shown, the automatic cooking machine proposed in this embodiment of the invention includes a frame 100, a bowl separation device 200, a bowl conveying device 300, a material preparation and feeding device 400, and an automatic cooking device 500. The bowl separation device 200, the bowl conveying device 300, the material preparation and feeding device 400, and the automatic cooking device 500 are installed on the frame 100.

[0033] The automatic cooking device 500 includes a cookware assembly 510 and a spatula assembly 520. The cookware assembly 510 includes a pot body 511 and a heating unit 512. The pot body 511 defines a cooking cavity 5111 with an opening 5112 at the top. The heating unit 512 is used to heat the pot body 511. The spatula assembly 520 is rotatably housed in the cooking cavity 5111 about a first axis parallel to the depth direction of the pot body 511.

[0034] The cookware assembly 510 can be rotated about a second axis perpendicular to the depth direction of the pot body 511, so that the automatic cooking device 500 can switch between the feeding state, the cooking state and the serving state.

[0035] In the feeding state, the opening 5112 of the pot body 511 faces upward, and the feeding device 400 puts the ingredients to be cooked into the cooking chamber 5111 through the opening 5112.

[0036] In cooking mode, the spatula assembly 520 rotates and flips the ingredients in the cooking cavity 5111, while the heating unit 512 heats the pot body 511 to cook the ingredients. In serving mode, the pot assembly 510 flips so that the opening 5112 of the pot body 511 faces downwards, and the spatula assembly 520 rotates back and forth around the first axis within a preset angle range. This causes the part of the spatula assembly 520 near the pot wall 5114 to sweep back and forth along the pot wall 5114, pushing and scraping the ingredients towards the opening 5112. Under the combined action of its own weight and the spatula, the ingredients can quickly leave the cooking cavity 5111 through the opening 5112, completing the serving process.

[0037] It should be noted that the first axis and the second axis are usually orthogonal. In the feeding state, the first axis extends vertically or approximately vertically, giving the opening 5112 a larger upward-opening area, facilitating the feeding of ingredients from the preparation and feeding device 400 into the cooking cavity 5111. The first axis rotates in a plane orthogonal to the second axis as the cookware assembly 510 rotates. The second axis extends horizontally or approximately horizontally, and since the cookware assembly 510 rotates around the second axis, the second axis remains unchanged.

[0038] The automatic cooking device 500 proposed in this invention has a pot assembly 510 that can rotate around a second axis to switch between three states: feeding, cooking, and serving. In the serving state, the spatula assembly 520 rotates back and forth around a first axis to push and scrape the ingredients. The back and forth rotation of the spatula assembly 520 causes the ingredients to gather together, narrows the cross section of the ingredients, and makes the ingredients poured out from the opening 5112 more concentrated. The ingredients can fall more easily into the container 20 used to receive the ingredients, thus reducing spillage. At the same time, the reciprocating rotation of the spatula assembly 520 causes the food to change from a state of being spread out along the pot wall 5114 to a state of being gathered together. The contact area between the food and the pot wall 5114 is reduced, the frictional resistance is reduced, and the food gathers together and piles up, making its center of gravity further away from the pot wall 5114. The balance of the food on the pot wall 5114 is more easily broken, and the food is easier to pour out from the opening 5112 under the dual effects of low friction and center of gravity shift. Furthermore, the gathering of ingredients narrows their cross-section, reducing the contact area between the ingredients and the pot wall 5114 as they slide out of the opening 5112. This results in less residue on the pot wall 5114 after the ingredients are poured out, which helps to improve the food output rate of the automatic cooking device 500.

[0039] In this embodiment, the ingredient preparation and feeding device 400 is used to put the ingredients to be cooked into the pot body 511 when the automatic cooking device 500 is in the feeding state.

[0040] In this embodiment, the bowl separating device 200 is used to accommodate the pile of bowls and separate the bowls 10 at the bottom of the pile.

[0041] In this embodiment, the bowl conveying device 300 supports the separated bowl 10 and drives the bowl 10 to move in a straight line. The automatic cooking device 500 pours the cooked ingredients into the bowl 10 in the dish dispensing state. The bowl separation device 200 and the automatic cooking device 500 are arranged sequentially on the same side of the bowl conveying device 300 along the movement direction of the bowl 10.

[0042] In one embodiment, such as Figures 4 to 8 As shown, the cookware assembly 510 also includes a housing 513, which defines a cavity 5131 for housing the pot body 511 and the heating unit 512. The automatic cooking machine also includes a flipping drive mechanism 600, which is rotatably connected to the housing 513 to drive the housing 513 to flip about a second axis, so that the cookware assembly 510 can be flipped about the second axis.

[0043] The flipping drive mechanism 600 includes a rotating shaft seat 610 located on opposite sides of the housing 513, a transmission unit 620, and a drive unit. The housing 513 has rotating shafts on opposite sides. The transmission unit 620 is connected between one of the rotating shafts and the drive unit. The output torque of the drive unit drives the rotating shaft to rotate through the transmission unit 620, causing the housing 513 to flip relative to the rotating shaft seat 610.

[0044] In this embodiment, the transmission unit 620 is a speed reducer, and the drive unit is a motor.

[0045] In one embodiment, such as Figures 4 to 9 As shown, the spatula assembly 520 includes a first spatula 521, a second spatula 522, and a drive shaft 523 extending along the depth direction of the pot body 511. The drive shaft 523 is at least partially located in the cooking cavity 5111, and one end of it is connected to a spatula drive motor. The drive shaft 523 is driven to rotate about a first axis.

[0046] The first spatula 521 is oscillatingly connected to the drive shaft 523 via a horizontal hinge shaft 524. The axis of the horizontal hinge shaft 524 is perpendicular to the first axis, causing the first spatula 521 to oscillate in a plane parallel to the drive shaft 523. When the drive shaft 523 rotates, the first spatula 521 oscillates back and forth around the horizontal hinge shaft 524 under the combined action of centrifugal force and the resistance of the food. The spatula surface of the first spatula 521 stirs the food at a changing angle of attack, causing the food to be continuously turned up and broken up in the cooking chamber 5111, resulting in even heating and achieving a stir-frying effect.

[0047] The second spatula 522 is fixedly connected to the drive shaft 523 and rotates synchronously with the drive shaft 523. The second spatula 522 is located above the first spatula 521 in the depth direction of the pot body 511, that is, the second spatula 522 is closer to the opening 5112 of the pot body 511 than the first spatula 521. The second spatula 522 rotates synchronously with the drive shaft 523, so that the second spatula 522 rotates circumferentially along the pot wall 5114.

[0048] The first spatula 521 is located at the bottom of the cooking cavity 5111, primarily responsible for turning and stirring the ingredients. The second spatula 522 is located in the middle or upper part of the cooking cavity 5111. During cooking, ingredients are easily thrown up and stuck to the pot wall 5114 by the turning and stirring motion of the first spatula 521. The second spatula 522, rotating with the drive shaft 523, can scrape the ingredients stuck to the pot wall 5114, thereby improving the evenness of heating during cooking. At the same time, the second spatula 522 also sweeps back and forth close to the inner wall of the pot body 511 when the food is being served, pushing the ingredients sliding down the pot wall 5114 further towards the opening 5112.

[0049] The first spatula 521 is mainly responsible for cooking the ingredients. During the cooking process, the first spatula 521 simulates the stirring action through swinging motion, stirring evenly and not easily damaging the ingredients. The second spatula 522 plays an auxiliary role in the cooking process, used to scrape off the food sticking to the pot wall 5114, improving the evenness of the food heating. At the same time, the second spatula 522 plays a major role when serving the food, used to push the food together and pile it up, improving the speed and cleanliness of serving the food.

[0050] In this preferred embodiment, such as Figures 4 to 9 As shown, the second spatula 522 includes a spatula bar 5221 and a spatula plate 5222. The spatula plate 5222 is connected to the end of the spatula bar 5221. The spatula bar 5221 extends radially from the drive shaft 523 toward the side wall of the pot body 511. The plane containing the swing path of the first spatula 521 about the horizontal hinge axis 524 extends approximately along the depth direction of the pot body 511, while the extension direction of the spatula bar 5221 is approximately perpendicular to this plane. That is, the extension direction of the spatula bar 5221 is orthogonal to the swing path of the first spatula 521, so that the first spatula 521 and the second spatula 522 do not interfere with each other when they move, and their movement spaces are independent of each other.

[0051] In this embodiment, the extension direction of the spatula 5221 is orthogonal to the swing path of the first spatula 521. When the drive shaft 523 rotates, the mass distribution direction of the second spatula 522 is complementary to the swing motion direction of the first spatula 521. The overall rotational dynamic balance of the spatula assembly 520 is improved, the drive shaft 523 operates more smoothly, and the shaking is reduced.

[0052] In another preferred embodiment, such as Figures 4 to 9 As shown, there are two second spatulas 522, which are evenly spaced around the circumference of the drive shaft 523. The two adjacent second spatulas 522 form a central angle α with respect to the axis of the drive shaft 523, where α is 180°. In other embodiments, there may be three or four second spatulas 522, where α is 120° or 90° respectively.

[0053] In the food dispensing state, the drive shaft 523 drives the second spatula 522 to rotate back and forth within a preset angle range. This preset angle range forms a central angle β with respect to the axis of the drive shaft 523, and β≤α.

[0054] The two second spatulas 522 are designated as second spatulas 522a and second spatulas 522b. As shown in the diagram, with the opening 5112 facing downwards in the serving state, when the drive shaft 523 rotates clockwise, the second spatulas 522a moves downwards along the circumference of the cross-section of the pot wall 5114, pushing the food towards the opening 5112. When the drive shaft 523 rotates counterclockwise, the second spatulas 522b moves downwards along the circumference of the cross-section of the pot wall 5114, pushing the food towards the opening 5112. The drive shaft 523 rotates back and forth in this manner, with the second spatulas 522a and 522b alternately performing the pushing action, causing the food to continuously gather and pile up towards the opening 5112 under the alternating pushing action.

[0055] It is worth noting that during cooking, the drive shaft 523 rotates continuously, and the second spatula 522 rotates around the entire circumference with the drive shaft 523. The spatula 5222 scrapes along the inner side of the pot wall 5114 throughout the cooking process. The food on the pot wall 5114 is scraped off by the second spatula 522 in real time during cooking and flipped back into the main body of the food. Therefore, after cooking, there is almost no sticky food residue on the pot wall 5114, and the pot wall 5114 is already in a relatively clean state when the dish is ready to be served.

[0056] In this way, the reciprocating rotation of the second spatula 522 in the food-dispensing state does not need to cover the entire circumference of the pot wall 5114. Its primary task is to gather and push the main body of the food in the cooking cavity 5111 towards the opening 5112. By limiting β to no more than α, it can be ensured that the second spatula 522a and the second spatula 522b reciprocate within their respective half-zones without crossing the boundary of the other sector. The sweeping trajectories of the spatula 5222 do not overlap, and each push stroke is an effective stroke, resulting in high power utilization efficiency.

[0057] Furthermore, the smaller the β value, the shorter the single reciprocating stroke of the second spatula 522, the less time is required to complete one pushing action, the more times the food is pushed per unit time, and the faster the food gathers and piles up. However, if β is too small, it will reduce the gathering and piling effect of the second spatula 522 on the food. Therefore, in practical applications, a suitable β value should be selected by comprehensively considering factors such as the type and quantity of food and the diameter of the pot 511 to achieve a balance between the pushing amplitude and the gathering speed.

[0058] In one embodiment, such as Figures 4 to 9 As shown, the automatic cooking device 500 also includes a lid assembly 530, which includes a first cover plate 531 and a second cover plate 532. The first cover plate 531 is fixedly disposed relative to the pot body 511, and the second cover plate 532 is movably connected to the first cover plate 531. In the cooking state, the first cover plate 531 and the second cover plate 532 together cover the opening 5112 of the cooking cavity 5111 to reduce heat loss during the cooking process and prevent food from splashing; in the feeding state and the serving state, the second cover plate 532 moves relative to the first cover plate 531 to expose part of the opening 5112 for food to be added or discharged.

[0059] In this embodiment, the movement of the second cover plate 532 relative to the first cover plate 531 is limited to the virtual space defined by the virtual extension of the outer periphery of the first cover plate 531 along the depth direction of the pot body 511. That is, the movement of the second cover plate 532 does not exceed the outer periphery of the pot lid assembly 530. When the pot lid assembly 530 exposes the opening 5112, it does not need to occupy additional external space of the automatic cooking device 500, which is conducive to the compactness of the overall structure of the device.

[0060] The movement mode of the second cover plate 532 relative to the first cover plate 531 can be flexibly selected according to the actual structural design requirements, specifically including at least one of the following specific embodiments. For ease of description, the geometric plane where the opening 5112 of the cooking cavity 5111 is located is defined as a virtual plane.

[0061] In the first specific implementation, the second cover plate 532 rotates relative to the first cover plate 531 around an axis perpendicular to the virtual plane. The second cover plate 532 rotates horizontally relative to the first cover plate 531 around this axis. In this way, the second cover plate 532 covers or exposes part of the opening 5112 by horizontal swinging. The movement trajectory is compact and suitable for scenarios where the space above the cover plate is limited.

[0062] In the second specific implementation, the second cover plate 532 translates relative to the first cover plate 531 along a direction parallel to the aforementioned virtual plane, and slides relative to the first cover plate 531 along a straight line parallel to the plane where the opening 5112 is located. The opening 5112 is covered or exposed by sliding into or out of the area below the first cover plate 531. In this method, the movement of the second cover plate 532 is smooth, and the driving structure is simple.

[0063] In the third specific implementation, the second cover plate 532 is rotated relative to the first cover plate 531 about an axis parallel to the aforementioned virtual plane. Specifically, the second cover plate 532 rotates relative to the first cover plate 531 about an axis parallel to the plane containing the opening 5112. When switching from the cooking state to the serving state or the ingredient feeding state, the rotation angle of the second cover plate 532 is not less than 90° to ensure that the opening 5112 is fully exposed. In this method, the orthographic projection of the movement trajectory of the second cover plate 532 does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the first cover plate 531, and the movement of the second cover plate 532 is less likely to interfere with other components mounted on the first cover plate 531, resulting in strong adaptability.

[0064] In a more preferred embodiment, such as Figures 4 to 9 As shown, the spatula assembly 520 is mounted on the lid assembly 530 and works together with the cookware assembly 510. Specifically, the drive shaft 523 of the spatula assembly 520 passes through the first cover plate 531 of the lid assembly 530 and extends downward into the cooking cavity 5111. The spatula drive motor is mounted above the lid assembly 530.

[0065] In this embodiment, the pot lid assembly 530 further includes a first driving assembly for driving the second cover plate 532 and a second driving assembly for driving the spatula assembly 520. The first driving assembly includes a hollow outer shaft that passes through the first cover plate 531 along the depth direction of the pot body 511 and is rotatably connected to the first cover plate 531. The lower end of the outer shaft is fixedly connected to the second cover plate 532 to drive the second cover plate 532 to rotate horizontally relative to the first cover plate 531. The second driving assembly includes the driving shaft 523 in the aforementioned embodiment and the spatula driving motor in the aforementioned embodiment. The driving shaft 523 is rotatably sleeved in the hollow cavity of the outer shaft and passes through the outer shaft. The lower end of the driving shaft 523 extends out of the outer shaft and connects to the first spatula 521 and the second spatula 522. The upper end of the driving shaft 523 extends out of the outer shaft and is drively connected to the spatula driving motor.

[0066] With the coaxial arrangement of the outer shaft and drive shaft 523 nested together, the first drive assembly and the second drive assembly are stacked axially, making full use of the longitudinal space above the lid assembly 530. This avoids the first and second drive assemblies being planarly spread on the surface of the first cover plate 531, which helps to reduce the overall area occupied by the lid assembly 530 and makes the device more compact. At the same time, the outer shaft and drive shaft 523 rotate independently without interfering with each other, driving the second cover plate 532 and the spatula assembly 520 to perform their respective actions. The control logic is clear and the operation is reliable.

[0067] In this embodiment, the first drive assembly further includes a first motor and a first transmission mechanism. The first motor is connected to the outer shaft via the first transmission mechanism. For example, the first motor drives the outer shaft to rotate via a synchronous belt drive or gear drive. The second drive assembly further includes a second transmission mechanism. The spatula drive motor is connected to the upper end of the drive shaft 523 via the second transmission mechanism. For example, the spatula drive motor drives the drive shaft 523 to rotate via a synchronous belt drive or gear drive. The first motor and the spatula drive motor can be respectively installed in the device housing above the lid assembly 530, and the device housing is fixed to the first cover plate 531.

[0068] In this embodiment, the lid assembly 530 and the cookware assembly 510 are detachably connected, for example, by means of a snap-fit ​​(such as a quick-lock). When the lid assembly 530 is connected to the cookware assembly 510, the spatula assembly 520 is mounted on the cookware assembly 510 along with the lid assembly 530. The first spatula 521, the second spatula 522, and at least part of the drive shaft 523 extend into the cooking cavity 5111. When cleaning or maintenance is required, the lid assembly 530 can be detached from the cookware assembly 510, and the spatula assembly 520 detaches from the cooking cavity 5111 along with the lid assembly 530, making it convenient to clean the spatula assembly 520 and the cooking cavity 5111 separately.

[0069] By integrating the spatula assembly 520 into the lid assembly 530 and adopting a dual-drive layout with the outer shaft and drive shaft 523 coaxially mounted, the opening and closing of the lid assembly 530 and the rotation of the spatula assembly 520 are controlled by two independent drive components, sharing the same longitudinal installation space. The spatula assembly 520 and the lid assembly 530 can be disassembled together, resulting in a simplified structure, convenient disassembly and assembly, and easy maintenance.

[0070] In one embodiment, during cooking, the pot body 511 is tilted relative to the vertical, causing the food in the cooking cavity 5111 to gather in the low-lying area at the bottom of the tilted pot body 511 under the influence of gravity. Figure 8As shown, a portion of the bottom 5113 of the pot body 511 and a portion of the pot wall 5114 connected thereto constitute a heating zone 5115. This heating zone 5115 corresponds to the inner surface of the pot body 511 where the food is concentrated in a low-lying area. The heating zone 5115 is jointly formed by a portion of the bottom 5113 and a portion of the pot wall 5114, resulting in an outwardly convex arc shape on the outer surface of the heating zone 5115.

[0071] The heating unit 512 is located below the heating zone 5115, and the side of the heating unit 512 closest to the heating zone 5115 is recessed, forming a concave side that complements the convex shape of the heating zone 5115. The heating unit 512 surrounds at least a portion of the heating zone 5115 through this concave side. With this configuration, the heat emitted by the heating unit 512 is concentrated on the portion of the pot body 511 corresponding to the area where the food is concentrated. An efficient heat conduction path is formed between the heating zone 5115 and the food, allowing the food to quickly reach cooking temperature and resulting in high heat utilization. Simultaneously, the concave side of the heating unit 512 complements the convex shape of the heating zone 5115, ensuring uniform spacing between the heating unit 512 and the heating zone 5115, resulting in balanced heating intensity at different locations, and allowing food in low-lying areas to be heated evenly.

[0072] In addition, the rest of the pot body 511 (i.e., the pot bottom 5113 and pot wall 5114 areas other than the heating zone 5115) is not covered by the heating unit 512. This part has a relatively low temperature during cooking and loses less heat, which is beneficial to the overall heat preservation of the cookware assembly 510.

[0073] In a specific example, the heating unit 512 can be configured as an electromagnetic heating module, the pot body 511 is made of ferromagnetic material, and the heating unit 512 heats the pot body 511 without contact through electromagnetic induction, which has high heating efficiency and avoids wear and heat transfer medium loss in contact heating.

[0074] In other embodiments, the heating unit 512 may also be configured as an electric heating tube or an infrared heating device.

[0075] In this preferred embodiment, such as Figures 4 to 9 As shown, the heating unit 512 is fixedly installed at the bottom of the cavity 5131 defined by the outer shell 513. The pot body 511 is rotatably supported in the cavity 5131 defined by the outer shell 513 and can rotate relative to the outer shell 513 about the first axis (i.e., the axis parallel to the depth direction of the pot body 511).

[0076] The heating zone 5115 extends circumferentially along the pot body 511, forming an annular strip-shaped area around the first axis. Specifically, the heating zone 5115 closes around the pot body 511 in the circumference, and its radial cross-section is the aforementioned convex arc surface formed by part of the pot bottom 5113 and part of the pot wall 5114. The heating unit 512 only covers a portion of the arc of the annular heating zone 5115 in the circumferential direction (e.g., a fan-shaped area of ​​60° to 120°), rather than completely surrounding it.

[0077] The cookware assembly 510 also includes a pot body drive unit 514, the output shaft of which is connected to the central area of ​​the pot bottom 5113. During cooking, the pot body 511 is driven by the pot body drive unit 514 to rotate continuously around a first axis, and the heating zone 5115 rotates synchronously with the pot body 511. Each part of the heating zone 5115 passes through the heating unit 512 in sequence and is heated by the heating unit 512. Each time the pot body 511 rotates once, all parts of the heating zone 5115 complete one heating cycle.

[0078] In this way, the heating unit 512 can achieve uniform heating of the entire heating area 5115 without completely enveloping it. The size and power of the heating unit 512 can be significantly reduced, lowering manufacturing costs and energy consumption. At the same time, the different parts of the heating area 5115 are alternately heated and cooled during rotation, avoiding local overheating or undercooling and ensuring good heating uniformity.

[0079] Understandably, the drive shafts 523 of both the pot body 511 and the spatula assembly 520 are designed to rotate along the first axis, allowing the pot body 511 and the second spatula 522 to rotate coaxially. The end of the second spatula 522 (i.e., the end of the spatula plate 5222 near the pot wall 5114) can maintain a constant gap with the pot wall 5114 of the pot body 511. Both are driven by two independent drive components. However, in actual products, due to processing errors, installation errors, and differences in thermal expansion and contraction rates caused by different materials, the drive shafts 523 of the pot body 511 and the spatula assembly 520 cannot actually guarantee absolute coaxiality, but rather maintain a roughly coaxial positional relationship.

[0080] Furthermore, the rotation direction of the pot body 511 can be adjusted according to the dish to be cooked. For stir-frying, the rotation direction of the pot body 511 is opposite to that of the spatula assembly 520, allowing the ingredients to be turned more quickly under the combined action of the rotation of the pot body 511 and the spatula assembly 520, further improving the evenness of heating. For ingredients that require slow simmering or gentle turning (such as tofu, fish pieces, and other fragile ingredients), the rotation direction of the pot body 511 can be consistent with that of the spatula assembly 520. The relative speed between the spatula and the pot wall 5114 is smaller, and the stirring force on the ingredients is gentle, making it less likely for them to be broken or their shape to be damaged. At the same time, the co-rotation allows the ingredients to slowly tumble synchronously with the pot body 5111 and the spatula assembly 520 in the cooking cavity 5111, ensuring that all parts of the ingredients are heated evenly while maintaining their integrity. This is especially suitable for cooking dishes that require high integrity of the ingredients.

[0081] In a more preferred embodiment, such as Figures 1 to 9 As shown, in the food dispensing state of the automatic cooking device 500, the pot body 511 rotates back and forth around the first axis, and the rotation direction of the pot body 511 is always opposite to the rotation direction of the spatula assembly 520 (i.e., the rotation direction of the drive shaft 523). It should be noted that in the food dispensing state, the part of the spatula assembly 520 that participates in gathering and piling up the food is the second spatula 522, specifically the spatula plate 5222 of the second spatula 522.

[0082] In the food dispensing state, the pot body 511 is driven by the pot body drive unit 514 to reciprocate around the first axis, and the second spatula 522 reciprocates around the first axis within a preset angle range. The two are uniformly controlled by the control unit of the automatic cooking machine and synchronously alternate directions to ensure that the rotation directions of the pot body 511 and the second spatula 522 are always opposite in each food pushing stroke.

[0083] The pot body 511 and the second spatula 522 rotate in opposite directions, creating relative motion. During this relative motion, the bottom of the food comes into contact with the pot wall 5114. The friction between the bottom of the food and the pot wall 5114 causes the food to move with the rotation of the pot body 511. The upper middle part of the food is pushed by the second spatula 522, and the direction of this pushing force is the same as the direction of rotation of the second spatula 522. The pot body 511 and the second spatula 522 rotate in opposite directions, and the friction force on the bottom of the food is opposite to the direction of the pushing force on the upper middle part. These two forces form a pair of opposite-direction couples acting on the lower and upper middle parts of the food. Under the action of this couple, the food gathers and piles up towards the opening 5112 while also tumbling around itself.

[0084] The beneficial effects of flipping the ingredients are as follows: as the ingredients are continuously flipped, the original surface contact between the ingredients and the pot wall 5114 is broken. The ingredients contact the pot wall 5114 with different surfaces alternately, significantly reducing the instantaneous contact area and further decreasing friction. Simultaneously, the center of gravity of the ingredients shifts continuously during the flipping process, constantly disrupting the balance maintained on the pot wall 5114, further reducing the stability of the ingredients. Under the combined effects of low friction and low stability, the ingredients are more easily and quickly poured out of the opening 5112 under their own weight and the pushing force of the second spatula 522, resulting in faster serving speed and a higher emptying rate.

[0085] It should be noted that the rotational angular velocity of the pot body 511 should not be too high, and is generally lower than that of the second spatula 522. If the rotational angular velocity of the pot body 511 is too high, it will accelerate the movement of the food, causing it to be easily thrown out of the opening 5112 or onto the spatula assembly 520, thus reducing the yield. With the pot body 511 rotating at a lower angular velocity than the second spatula 522, the food moves at a relatively suitable speed along with the pot body 511. The pushing force on the upper and middle parts of the food is the dominant driving force, and the food is always orderly propelled towards the opening 5112 during the tumbling and gathering process. The ratio of the angular velocities of the pot body 511 to the second spatula 522 can be adjusted according to the type and quantity of the food and the diameter of the pot body 511 to achieve a better balance between tumbling effect, gathering efficiency, and pushing speed.

[0086] In one embodiment, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 16 As shown, the material preparation and feeding device 400 includes a material preparation table 410 and a robotic arm 420. The material preparation table 410 includes multiple sets of support trays 411 and a material preparation rack 412 for mounting the support trays 411. The robotic arm 420 is mounted on the frame 100, and its end is provided with a gripper 421 for gripping the container 20. The support tray 411 includes a support portion 4111, and the upper end of the support portion 4111 forms a support surface 4112, which is used to support the rolled edge of the container 20 containing the ingredients. The multiple sets of support trays 411 are arranged sequentially in a horizontal direction and are arranged in a stepped manner. There is a first height difference H1 between two adjacent sets of support trays 411. The first height difference H1 makes a vertical distance between the containers 20 supported by the two adjacent sets of support trays 411, which allows the gripper 421 of the robotic arm 420 to extend into.

[0087] Multiple sets of support trays 411 are independent of each other, and containers 20 containing different ingredients can be placed on each set of support trays 411. When picking up ingredients, the robotic arm 420 controls the grippers 421 to move along a stepped arrangement according to the cooking program. Only the height and feed depth of the grippers 421 need to be adjusted to complete the positioning and picking up of any container 20. The movement path is simple and straightforward, and each container 20 is independently supported and does not obstruct each other. The robotic arm 420 can flexibly select any container 20, which takes into account both the flexibility of picking up ingredients and the simplicity of the movement path of the robotic arm 420.

[0088] In this preferred embodiment, the support portion 4111 includes two arc-shaped plates, which are spaced apart and form a positioning groove for positioning the outer periphery of the container 20. The upper surfaces of the two arc-shaped plates together constitute the support surface 4112. The positioning groove has a first side and a second side opposite to each other in the lateral direction of movement of the gripper 421. The fixed ends of the two arc-shaped plates are located on the first side and form a first notch on the first side, while the free ends of the two arc-shaped plates are located on the second side and form a second notch on the second side. Both the first notch and the second notch expose the outer wall of the container 20. When the gripper 421 picks up material, it extends below the rolled edge of the container 20, and the two gripping fingers directly contact and clamp the outer walls on both sides of the container 20 through the first notch and the second notch, respectively. This eliminates the need to first push the container 20 upward away from the support portion 4111 before clamping, simplifying the clamping action.

[0089] The support bracket 411 also includes a connecting part 4113, on which the fixed ends of the two arc-shaped plates are connected. The arc-shaped plates are fixed relative to the material preparation rack 412 through the fixed connection of the connecting part 4113 and the material preparation rack 412.

[0090] In another preferred embodiment, the material preparation rack 412 is provided with a plurality of through holes, each through hole being disposed opposite to a support part 4111. The lower end of the container 20 extends from the top to the bottom through hole, and the through hole provides a horizontal limit to the lower end of the container 20 to prevent the container 20 from swinging due to equipment vibration.

[0091] In this embodiment, the container 20 used for preparing materials is a paper cup.

[0092] In one embodiment, such as Figures 1 to 3 , Figures 10 to 12As shown, the bowl separation device 200 includes a base plate 210, a guide mechanism 220, and a bowl separation member 230. The base plate 210 has a through hole in the thickness direction. The guide mechanism 220 defines a guide channel 221 passing through the through hole, which is used to receive and circumferentially limit the bowl stack. The bowl separation member 230 is rotatably connected to the base plate 210 and connected below the guide channel 221. The outer periphery of the bowl separation member 230 has a first working surface 231. Along the rotation direction of the bowl separation member 230, the first working surface 231 gradually extends downward in the axial direction of the bowl separation member 230, so that it can push against the upper surface of the rolled edge of the bowl 10 as the bowl separation member 230 rotates, thereby pushing the lowermost bowl 10 in the bowl stack to separate downward.

[0093] In this embodiment, bowl 10 is a paper bowl.

[0094] In some other embodiments, the bowl 10 may also be made of other materials, such as a plastic bowl, a metal bowl, etc.

[0095] The bowl separation device 200 also includes an upper end plate 240 disposed on the upper end of the bowl separation member 230. The upper surface of the upper end plate 240 supports the lower surface of the rolled edge of the unseparated bowl 10 in the bowl stack to maintain the height of the bowl stack. The side of the upper end plate 240 is partially broken to form a circumferentially extending notch 242 to provide a channel for the rolled edge of the currently separated bowl 10.

[0096] Preferably, the bowl separating device 200 further includes a guide plate 241, which is disposed at the upper end of the bowl separating member 230 and extends upward. At least part of the lower surface of the guide plate 241 forms a guide surface 2411 that connects to the first working surface 231. When the bowl separating member 230 rotates, the lower surface of the guide plate 241 sweeps across the area below the pile of bowls in the circumferential direction, which can actively capture the rolled edge of the bottommost bowl 10 to the area below the guide plate 241. The rolled edge slides along the guide surface 2411 and is naturally guided to the first working surface 231, and then the first working surface 231 pushes the bowl 10 downward to separate it, thus avoiding the jamming or damage to the bowl 10 that may be caused by the first working surface 231 directly impacting the rolled edge of the bowl 10 in the prior art.

[0097] The guide plate 241 is integrally formed on the upper end plate 240. Specifically, the guide plate 241 extends upward from the notch 242 along the spiral direction of the rear edge and is integrally formed on the upper end plate 240.

[0098] More preferably, the lower surface of the guide plate 241 away from the first working surface 231 is configured as a cutting surface 2412 connecting the guide surface 2411. The cutting surface 2412 can be configured as a horizontal surface. When the bowl separator 230 rotates, the cutting surface 2412 wedges between the rolled edges of the two adjacent bowls 10, first pre-positioning the rolled edges below the guide plate 241, and then guiding them to the first working surface 231 by the guide surface 2411. The cutting surface 2412 and the guide surface 2411 transition smoothly, and the separation action is smooth.

[0099] More preferably, the outer periphery of the bowl separator 230 also has a second working surface 232, which is located below the first working surface 231. The first working surface 231 and the second working surface 232 are spaced apart along the axial direction of the bowl separator 230 and together form a separation groove that connects to the notch 242 of the upper end plate 240. When the rolled edge of the bowl 10 is guided by the guide surface 2411 and passes through the notch 242 into the separation groove, the rolled edge is located between the first working surface 231 and the second working surface 232. During the continuous rotation of the bowl separator 230, the first working surface 231 pushes against the upper surface of the rolled edge, applying a downward thrust to the bowl 10 to drive the bowl 10 to move downward; at the same time, the second working surface 232 supports the lower surface of the rolled edge, applying an upward supporting force to the bowl 10 to prevent the bowl 10 from falling directly due to gravity.

[0100] In one specific embodiment, a spiral groove is provided on the outer periphery of the bowl separator 230, with a first working surface 231 being the upper groove wall surface of the spiral groove and a second working surface 232 being the lower groove wall surface of the spiral groove. This spiral groove constitutes the aforementioned separator groove.

[0101] In another specific embodiment, a spiral flange is provided on the outer periphery of the bowl separator 230, the first working surface 231 is the lower surface of the spiral flange, and the second working surface 232 is the upper surface of the spiral flange.

[0102] In another preferred embodiment, multiple bowl separators 230 are provided, and the multiple bowl separators 230 are distributed circumferentially around the through hole. For example, four bowl separators 230 are provided, arranged in pairs opposite each other and orthogonally. Guide plates 241 are provided on at least one set (two oppositely arranged) of bowl separators 230, ensuring that at least two guide plates 241 in opposite positions synchronously guide the rolled edge into the first working surface 231 from both sides. The rolled edge is guided simultaneously from both sides, and the force is symmetrical, making the separation process smoother. The multiple bowl separators 230 are synchronously driven by a drive unit via a drive wheel, a synchronous belt, and each synchronous pulley. The rotation speed of each bowl separator 230 is consistent, the phase relationship is constant, and the structure is compact.

[0103] In one embodiment, such as Figures 1 to 3 , Figures 13 to 15As shown, the bowl conveying device 300 is used to support the bowl 10 separated by the bowl separating device 200 and drive the bowl 10 to move in a straight line to the serving position of the automatic cooking device 500. The bowl conveying device 300 includes a conveying component 310 and a supporting component 320 for supporting the bowl 10.

[0104] The conveying assembly 310 includes a mounting plate 311 and a movable plate 312. The movable plate 312 can reciprocate relative to the mounting plate 311 along a first direction (the direction of movement of the bowl 10). The movable plate 312 has a support portion 3121 extending laterally in the first direction. A supporting assembly 320 is mounted on this support portion 3121, such that the supporting assembly 320 and the bowl 10 it supports are located laterally in the direction of movement of the movable plate 312. With this arrangement, the bowl 10 remains to the side of the movable plate 312 during its reciprocating motion. When the automatic cooking device 500 dispenses food, the ingredients are poured into the bowl 10 without falling onto the movable plate 312. Furthermore, spilled food during the movement of the bowl 10 is less likely to fall onto the movable plate 312, reducing the probability of contamination of the movable plate 312.

[0105] In this preferred embodiment, the movable plate 312 includes a first sliding plate 3122 and a second sliding plate 3123. The first sliding plate 3122 is slidably connected to the mounting plate 311, and the second sliding plate 3123 is slidably connected to the first sliding plate 3122. A support portion 3121 is disposed on the second sliding plate 3123. The first sliding plate 3122 can reciprocate relative to the mounting plate 311 in a first direction, and the second sliding plate 3123 can reciprocate relative to the first sliding plate 3122 in a first direction. The superposition of the two sliding strokes allows the supporting component 320 to obtain a larger movement stroke, meeting the needs of large-span transportation without increasing the single-stage sliding length.

[0106] Furthermore, the conveying assembly 310 also includes a first synchronous pulley, a second synchronous pulley, and a synchronous belt. The first synchronous pulley is rotatably connected to one end of the first slide plate 3122, and the second synchronous pulley is rotatably connected to the other end of the first slide plate 3122. The synchronous belt is fitted onto the first and second synchronous pulleys and tensioned to form opposing first and second moving sides. The second slide plate 3123 is driven by the first moving side, and the mounting plate 311 is driven by the second moving side. By utilizing the reverse movement on both sides of the synchronous belt, the second slide plate 3123 achieves a multiplied stroke relative to the mounting plate 311, resulting in a larger transport stroke with a smaller drive stroke.

[0107] The supporting component 320 includes a supporting wall 3211, which extends circumferentially along the bottom of the bowl 10 to form a supporting groove 3212 for supporting the bowl 10. The supporting wall 3211 has an arc-shaped curved structure with a bending angle greater than 180°, which can adapt to the shape of the bowl 10 and provides good supporting stability. The supporting wall 3211 is partially broken to form a separation opening.

[0108] The bowl conveying device 300 also includes a separation assembly 330, which includes a pusher 331 and a driver 332. The driver 332 is used to drive the pusher 331 to move. The driver 332 can be a motor, with its output shaft connected to the pusher 331 to drive the pusher 331 to move; the driver 332 can also be a combination of a reducer and a motor, with the output shaft being the reducer shaft, which is connected to the pusher 331 to drive the pusher 331; the driver 332 can also be a cylinder, with the piston rod of the cylinder connected to the pusher 331 to drive the pusher 331 to move.

[0109] When the supporting component 320 moves to the separation position (i.e., the food dispensing position), the driver 332 drives the pusher 331 to move. The pusher 331 pushes the bowl 10 on the supporting component 320 to separate laterally from the supporting component 320 through the separation port, thus completing the food dispensing action. The whole process is completed automatically without the need for manual food retrieval.

[0110] The movement mode of the pusher 331 can be flexibly selected according to the actual structural design requirements: for example, the pusher 331 is driven by the driver 332 to make a oscillating reciprocating motion around an axis, and the oscillation pushes the bowl 10 away from the support component 320, and the movement trajectory is compact; for another example, the pusher 331 is driven by the driver 332 to make a reciprocating motion in a straight line, and the drive structure is simple and the control logic is clear.

[0111] In this preferred embodiment, the supporting wall 3211 includes at least one elastic arm 321. When the pushing member 331 pushes the bowl 10 to move, the bowl 10 pushes the elastic arm 321 along the separation port direction, causing it to elastically deform, thus widening the separation port and allowing the bowl 10 to smoothly detach from the supporting assembly 320. The elastic arm 321 utilizes the thrust of the bowl 10 itself to widen the separation port, eliminating the need for a separate drive mechanism for widening the separation port, resulting in a simple and reliable structure.

[0112] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention includes, but is not limited to, the contents described in the accompanying drawings and the specific embodiments above. Any modifications that do not depart from the functional and structural principles of the present invention will be included within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An automatic cooking device, comprising: A cookware assembly including a pot body and a heating unit, the pot body defining a cooking cavity with an opening at the top, and the heating unit for heating the pot body; as well as, A spatula assembly, which is rotatably housed in the cooking cavity about a first axis parallel to the depth direction of the pot body; The pot assembly is characterized in that it can be rotated around a second axis perpendicular to the depth direction of the pot body to switch between the feeding state, the cooking state and the serving state. In the feeding state, the opening faces upward; In cooking mode, the spatula assembly rotates and flips the ingredients in the cooking chamber; When the food is being served, the opening faces downwards, and the spatula assembly reciprocates around the first axis within a preset angle range, so that the food leaves the cooking chamber through the opening under its own weight and the action of the spatula assembly.

2. The automatic cooking device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The spatula assembly includes a first spatula, a second spatula, and a drive shaft extending along the depth direction of the pot body. The drive shaft is at least partially located in the cooking cavity. The first spatula is oscillatingly connected to the drive shaft and oscillates in a plane parallel to the drive shaft. The second spatula is located above the first spatula in the depth direction of the pot body, and the second spatula rotates coaxially with the drive shaft to rotate circumferentially along the pot wall.

3. The automatic cooking device as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The second spatula includes a spatula bar and a spatula plate. The spatula plate is connected to the end of the spatula bar. The spatula bar extends from the drive axis toward the side wall of the pot body. The extension direction of the spatula bar is orthogonal to the swing path of the first spatula.

4. The automatic cooking device as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The second spatula is provided in multiple ways, and the multiple second spatulas are evenly spaced around the circumference of the drive shaft. The central angle α is formed between two adjacent second spatulas and the axis of the drive shaft. The preset angle range forms a central angle β with respect to the axis of the drive shaft, where β≤α.

5. The automatic cooking device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a pot lid assembly, which includes a first cover plate and a second cover plate; In the cooking state, the first cover plate and the second cover plate together cover the opening; In the feeding and dispensing states, the second cover plate moves relative to the first cover plate to reveal a partial opening.

6. The automatic cooking apparatus as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The spatula assembly is mounted on the pot lid assembly.

7. The automatic cooking apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that, In the cooking state, the pot body is tilted relative to the vertical line, and part of the bottom of the pot body and part of the pot wall connected thereto form a heating zone. The heating unit is located below the heating zone and covers at least part of the heating zone.

8. The automatic cooking apparatus as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The cookware assembly also includes a shell, the heating unit is fixedly disposed relative to the shell, the pot body is rotatable relative to the shell around a first axis, the heating zone is an annular area extending circumferentially along the pot body, the heating zone rotates synchronously with the pot body, so that each part on the heating zone passes through the heating unit in sequence and is heated.

9. The automatic cooking apparatus as described in claim 8, characterized in that, When the food is being served, the pot body reciprocates around the first axis, and the direction of rotation of the pot body is opposite to the direction of rotation of the spatula assembly.

10. An automatic cooking machine, characterized in that, The device includes a frame, a bowl separating device, a bowl conveying device, a material preparation and feeding device, and an automatic cooking device as described in any one of claims 1 to 9. The bowl separating device, the bowl conveying device, the material preparation and feeding device, and the automatic cooking device are installed on the frame. The material preparation and feeding device is used to put the ingredients to be cooked into the pot body when the automatic cooking device is in the feeding state. The bowl separating device is used to accommodate the pile of bowls and separate the bowls at the bottom of the pile. The bowl conveying device supports the separated bowls and drives the bowls to move in a straight line. The automatic cooking device pours the cooked ingredients into the bowls when in the dish dispensing state. The bowl separating device and the automatic cooking device are arranged sequentially on the same side of the bowl conveying device along the direction of bowl movement.

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