Food preparation appliance

Abstract

To provide a food preparation appliance that does not present any risk of discomfort and / or burns during its operation and / or use.SOLUTION: A food preparation appliance designed to provide at least one first cooking mode comprising a pressure cooking step and at least one second cooking mode comprising a step for heating food by convection comprises at least: a housing (10); a container (30); a main lid (20) which can be moved between a closed position and an open position; and removable sealing means arranged between the housing (10) and the main lid (20) to allow the first cooking mode. The container (30) comprises at least one container handle (30A) arranged between the housing (10) and the main lid (20). The main lid (20) comprises a clearance located above the at least one container handle (30A).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention generally relates to food cooking appliances, and more specifically, to a removable inner lid of a food cooking appliance.

Background Art

[0002] Technical Level Electric food cooking appliances equipped with a pressure cooking mode and a convection cooking mode are common in the prior art. To enable pressure cooking, a removable inner lid can be added to the main lid of the food cooking appliance to seal the cooking space where the food is cooked so that air or steam cannot leak from the cooking space. However, when the heating and ventilation means required for convection cooking are provided in the main lid, a flow of hot air is required between the main lid and the cooking space, and the inner lid needs to be removed. A vent is generally provided to exhaust the flow of hot air and steam from convection cooking, but this system can cause leakage, especially around the container handle, i.e., between the main lid and the container handle, when there is no inner lid. Therefore, the container handle can eventually reach a temperature that discomfort the user handling the container during or immediately after cooking or even pose a risk of burns.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] One object of the present invention is to solve the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art, and in particular, first, to provide at least one first cooking mode including a step of pressure cooking food and at least one second cooking mode including a step of heating food by a flow of hot air, and to provide a food cooking appliance in which there is no discomfort and / or risk of burns during and / or in use thereof.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0004] For this purpose, a first aspect of the present invention relates to a food cooking appliance designed to provide at least one first cooking mode comprising a step of pressure-cooking food and at least one second cooking mode comprising a step of heating food by a flow of hot air. The food cooking appliance comprises at least, - a housing, - a compartment arranged within the housing, - a container designed to define a working space for holding food, which is used for cooking the dish and is designed to be set within the compartment of the housing, - a main lid movable between a closed position preventing access to the working space and an open position allowing access to the working space, - removable sealing means, and the removable sealing means - is arranged between the housing or the container and the main lid and enables a first cooking mode comprising a pressure-cooking step when the main lid is in its closed position, and - is designed to be removed from between the housing or the container and the main lid and enables a second cooking mode when the main lid is in its closed position, thus creating a gap through which hot air can pass between the housing and the main lid, The container comprises at least one container handle, and the at least one container handle is arranged completely or partially between the housing and the main lid when the container is installed in the cooking space, The main lid has a gap that is positioned above at least one container handle when the main lid is in its closed position. The gap can be in the form of a free area or a notch, which ensures that there is no upper wall or obstacle of the container handle above at least one end of the container handle (usually the part that is gripped or held between the fingers for handling the container), which would trap the flow of hot air. The absence of an upper wall or obstacle above the container handle allows for cooling convection generated by the surrounding air, and the heat from at least one handling interface can be dissipated by the surrounding air. Thus, the gap ensures that hot air does not flow above the container handle and escapes upward as soon as it exits the gap between the main lid and the housing.

[0005] The food preparation appliance can also have one or more of the following features, either alone or in combination.

[0006] According to one embodiment, the main lid, and / or the food preparation appliance, and / or the housing do not have a wall, and / or an obstacle, and / or an internal member, and / or a ridge, and / or an edge above at least one container handle, particularly above the end of the container handle. That is, the main lid, and / or the food preparation appliance, and / or the housing are designed to provide unobstructed access above at least one container handle, particularly above the end of the container handle and / or the gripping portion. In other words, the vertical area above at least one container handle, particularly above the end of the container handle and / or the gripping portion, is left unoccupied by the main lid, and / or the food preparation appliance, and / or the housing.

[0007] According to one embodiment, the gap above at least one container handle is left unoccupied or uncovered by an area of at least 2 centimeters, preferably at least 3 centimeters, above the container handle (starting from its end).

[0008] According to one embodiment, the removable sealing means comprises a handle of at least one removable sealing means. In the first cooking mode, the handle of the at least one removable sealing means is preferably disposed within the gap so as to cover at least one container handle. The central portion of the sealing means can become very hot after pressure cooking. The handle of the sealing means is usually disposed outside the appliance, ensuring safe handling of the sealing means without the risk of burns, especially during cooking operations that require a pressure cooking step and a subsequent convection cooking step.

[0009] According to one embodiment, the housing comprises at least one housing handle disposed below at least one container handle. Two container handles and two housing handles can be provided so that the housing, and more generally the entire food cooking appliance, can be easily moved.

[0010] According to one embodiment, in the first cooking mode, the handle of the at least one removable sealing means is disposed facing at least one housing handle. In other words, the handle of the at least one sealing means is disposed above the housing handle and the handle of the at least one sealing means is complementary in shape to the housing handle. This arrangement enables the user to easily move the food cooking appliance using all fingers of both hands, which helps to improve the ergonomics of the appliance as the user can firmly grip the handles of the housing and / or the sealing means.

[0011] According to one embodiment, the food cooking appliance has a space between the container handle and the housing and / or the housing handle. In particular, the housing (or its side wall) may define the housing outline, and the container handle may be designed to extend beyond the housing outline, or to be retracted from the housing outline, or to be at the same level as the housing outline (in other words, in the same plane as the housing outline). This empty space allows the user to slide their finger under the handle of the container and ergonomically grasp the container, eliminating the need to tightly grip the container to lift it.

[0012] According to one embodiment, in the first cooking mode, the gap for the hot air flow is designed to be blocked or closed by removable sealing means.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the removable sealing means forms an inner lid designed to be removably connected or coupled to the main lid. Any type of reversible coupling (such as a slide or toggle hook, a quarter-turn rotation, a bayonet, a screw-in coupling, etc.) may be provided.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the removable sealing means - comprises a pressure control valve, and / or - opening / closing safety means forming part of a pressure gauge system such as an aroma pin, and / or - a safety valve, and / or - a gasket designed to fit snugly around the edge of the housing or the container. Of course, a corresponding gap may be provided in the main lid.

[0015] According to one embodiment, when a removable sealing means is disposed between the housing or container and the main lid, the main lid includes heating means and / or cooking ventilation means disposed between the main lid and the removable sealing means, enabling a first cooking mode. The heating means and / or cooking ventilation means are disposed between the main lid and the cooking space, and more generally, when the main lid is in the closed position, the heating means and / or cooking ventilation means are disposed above the cooking space.

[0016] According to one embodiment, in the first cooking mode, when a removable sealing means is disposed between the housing or container and the main lid, the handle of at least one removable sealing means forms the handle on the main lid, enabling the first cooking mode.

[0017] Other features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description of embodiments of the present invention, provided as non-limiting examples and shown in the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] FIG. 1 shows a food cooking appliance according to the present invention, comprising a housing 10 closed by a main lid 20. The overall outline defines the outer shape of the housing 10. This relates to all the outer walls of the housing 10, and in the illustrated example, all the outer walls form a substantially cylindrical outline. The main lid 20 is hingedly attached to the housing 10 and can open and close a compartment incorporated in the housing 10, which compartment can accommodate a container and / or define a cooking space. The main lid 20 can be seen in the closed position in FIGS. 1 and 3 and in the open position in FIG. 5.

[0020] The food cooking appliance is an electrical appliance designed to operate or provide at least two cooking modes, namely at least one pressure cooking mode and at least one convection cooking mode. The cooking modes can be selected by a human-machine interface 11 which can be in the form of a touch screen and / or a thumb wheel and / or buttons.

[0021] The housing 10 is provided with a housing handle 10A so that the food cooking appliance can be easily moved. Thus, in the configuration shown in FIG. 1, the food cooking appliance includes a compartment within the housing 10 that houses the container 30 (see FIG. 5), and the container handle 30A can be visually recognized on the compartment. The container handle 30A protrudes or projects with respect to the entire shell of the housing 10. In particular, the container handle 30A is disposed outside the surface including the wall adjacent to the container handle 30A, regardless of the housing handle 10A (which is also considered to project with respect to the outer contour of the housing defined by the side wall of the housing 10). Thus, the container handle 30A is required within the container 30 and is minimally affected by the high temperatures required to cook food. This embodiment enables more comfortable use when grasping the container handle 30A. Alternatively, the container handle 30A could be designed to be recessed, i.e., inside the outer contour of the housing 10. Alternatively, the container handle 30A could be disposed at the same level as the outer contour of the housing 10.

[0022] Finally, in the configuration shown in FIG. 1, the food cooking appliance is set to operate in a convection cooking mode, i.e., without pressurizing the cooking space.

[0023] A gap 21 can be visually recognized above the container handle 30A and between the housing 10 and the main lid 20, which allows for the discharge of the hot air flow that normally occurs from cooking food within the container 30.

[0024] The main lid 20 is provided with a gap above the container handle 30A, i.e., it means that there are no obstacles or walls on the main lid 20 facing the gap 21 or at the outlet above the gap 21. This allows the hot air flow circulating within the gap 21 to dissipate as the hot air flow circulating within the gap 21 exits the gap 21 and immediately rises into the cold ambient air. Thus, the hot air flow does not cross the gap 21 and / or reach the container handle 30A disposed below the gap 21.

[0025] Figure 2 shows a detailed view of the handle of the food cooking appliance of Figure 1. There is a gap E between the container handle 30A and the housing handle 10A of the container 30, and the gap E is designed to be large enough to allow the user's finger to enter below the container handle 30A for removing the container 30 from the housing 10.

[0026] It should be noted that due to the gap in the main lid 20, the end of the container handle 30A is not covered or hidden by any wall or edge of the main lid 20. In particular, at least the last 2 to 3 centimeters of the container handle 30A may be considered to remain uncovered by the main lid 20, and the hot air escaping from the gap 21 can rise into the surrounding atmosphere without touching or heating the container handle 30A.

[0027] Figure 3 shows the food cooking appliance of Figure 1 configured to operate in a pressure cooking mode.

[0028] For this purpose, the food cooking appliance is equipped with removable sealing means in the form of a removable inner lid 40 (see Figure 5), and in Figure 3, the presence of the handle 40A of the removable sealing means on the container handle 30A in the inner lid 40 can be visually recognized.

[0029] The removable inner lid 40 can be coupled to the main lid 20 to seal the cooking space inside the food cooking appliance and enable pressure cooking in the container 30. The connection between the removable inner lid 40 and the main lid 20 is designed to be reversible to allow for a quick and simple configuration.

[0030] For this purpose, the removable inner lid 40 and the main lid have complementary locking means arranged outside the cooking space between the cooking space and the gap arranged in the main lid. The presence of the gap significantly reduces the space required to accommodate the complementary locking means.

[0031] The gap rendered unnecessary by the sealing of the cooking space provided by the removable inner lid 40 is occupied by the handle 40A of the removable sealing means, enabling easy handling of the housing by forming an additional housing handle and also enabling handling of the removable inner lid 40. When the removable inner lid 40 is removed, the gap is opened again, enabling more effective exhaust of the hot air that can move between the main lid 20 and the cooking space, thus limiting the temperature rise of the container handle 30A.

[0032] It should also be noted that the gap 21 rendered unnecessary by the sealing of the cooking space provided by the removable inner lid 40 is occupied by the removable inner lid 40 and its connection to the handle 40A of the removable sealing means.

[0033] Figure 5 shows the food cooking appliance with the main lid 20 in the open position. The removable inner lid 40 is removed (i.e., it is in the process of being assembled or disassembled) to clearly show the internal structure.

[0034] Regarding the removable inner lid 40 and its assembly to the main lid, it should be noted that in this example, the handle 40A of the removable sealing means is provided with a slide trigger for controlling the connecting hook. However, any other type of reversible connection (quarter turn, bayonet, screw-in, etc.) can be provided.

[0035] As can be understood from the position of the removable inner lid 40 shown in Figure 5, the main lid 20 has built-in heating means 22 arranged facing the cooking container 30, and convection with the food to be cooked can be generated (usually, a heating coil and cooking ventilation means can be provided).

[0036] The removable inner lid 40 itself is provided with safety components and operating components for enabling pressure cooking, that is, an opening and closing safety means equipped with a pressure control valve, a pressure gauge system such as an aroma pin, a safety valve, and a gasket designed to fit snugly around the edge of the housing 10.

[0037] The main lid 20 can be folded onto the housing 10 for cooking.

[0038] When the removable inner lid 40 is coupled (FIGS. 3 and 4), pressure cooking is possible, the cooking space is prevented from leaking by the removable inner lid 40, and since it closes the gap 21 itself, hot air does not flow through the gap 21.

[0039] When the removable inner lid 40 is removed (FIGS. 1 and 2), convection cooking is possible, and any high-temperature gas (usually cooking steam) can escape through the gap 21 without heating the container handle 30A. This returns to the gap in the main lid that prevents the high-temperature gas from heating the container handle 30A. Also, the gap allows the container handle 30A, which would be heated by heat conduction from the container body 30, to be cooled by the surrounding air itself. Industrial Use The food cooking device according to the present invention and its manufacture are suitable for industrial use.

[0040] It will be understood that various changes and / or improvements obvious to those skilled in the art can be made to the different embodiments of the present invention described herein without departing from the scope of the present invention. In particular, it should be noted that the gap 21 for hot air flow and the gap can be arranged in other places around the edge of the main lid 20.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0041] 10 ··· Housing 10A ··· Housing Handle 20 ··· Main Lid 21 ··· Gap 22 ··· Heating Means 30 ··· Container 30A ··· Container handle 40 ··· Inner lid 40A ··· Handle of removable sealing means

Claims

1. 1. A food preparation appliance designed to provide at least one first cooking mode comprising pressure cooking a food product and at least one second cooking mode comprising heating the food product by a hot air flow, said food preparation appliance comprising at least: A housing (10); A compartment disposed within the housing (10); a container (30) designed to be placed within a compartment of said housing (10) defining a working space for holding food to be used to prepare the dish; a main lid (20) that can be moved between a closed position in which access to the working space is prevented and an open position in which access to said working space is permitted; and a removable sealing means, the removable sealing means comprising: disposed between said housing (10) or said container (30) and said main lid (20) to enable a first cooking mode comprising a pressure cooking process when said main lid (20) is in its closed position; and is designed to be removed from between said housing (10) or said container (30) and said main lid (20) and to enable a second cooking mode when said main lid (20) is in a closed position, thus creating a gap (21) between said housing (10) and said main lid (20) through which hot air can pass; The container (30) comprises at least one container handle (30A), the at least one container handle (30A) being disposed completely or partially between the housing (10) and the main lid (20) when the container (30) is placed in the cooking space; The food preparation appliance, wherein the main lid (20) comprises a gap disposed above the at least one container handle (30A) when the main lid (20) is in its closed position.

2. 2. The food preparation appliance of claim 1, wherein the removable closure comprises at least one removable closure handle (40A); In said first cooking mode, a handle (40A) of said at least one removable sealing means is preferably positioned in said gap so as to cover said at least one container handle (30A).

3. 3. The food preparation appliance of claim 2, wherein the housing (10) comprises at least one housing handle (10A) disposed below the at least one container handle (30A).

4. 4. The food preparation appliance according to claim 3, characterized in that in the first cooking mode, a handle (40A) of the at least one removable sealing means is positioned facing the at least one housing handle (10A).

5. 5. The food preparation appliance according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that it comprises a gap (E) between the container handle (30A) and the housing (10) and / or the at least one housing handle (10A).

6. 6. Food preparation appliance according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that in the first cooking mode, a gap (21) for hot air flow is designed to be occupied or closed by the removable sealing means.

7. 7. Food preparation appliance according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the removable sealing means forms an inner lid (40) designed to be removably connected to the main lid (20).

8. 8. The food preparation appliance according to claim 1, wherein the removable sealing means comprises: A pressure control valve, and / or Open / close safety means with a pressure gauge system such as an aroma pin, and / or A safety valve, and / or A food preparation appliance comprising a gasket designed to fit snugly around the edge of the housing (10) or container (30).

9. 9. The food preparation appliance according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the main lid (20) comprises heating means (22) and / or cooking ventilation means arranged between the main lid (20) and the removable sealing means when the removable sealing means is arranged between the housing (10) or the container (30) and the main lid (20), thereby enabling the first cooking mode.

10. A food preparation appliance as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5 or any one of claims 6 to 9 dependent on claim 2, characterized in that in the first cooking mode, when the removable sealing means is disposed between the housing (10) or the container (30) and the main lid (20), a handle (40A) of the at least one removable sealing means forms a handle on the main lid (20).

Images