Apparatus and method for at least semi-autonomous meal storage and cooking

Abstract

To provide an improved apparatus and method for at least semi-autonomous meal storage and cooking.SOLUTION: A method of using a storage and cooking device having multiple thermal containers includes disposing a first food item in a first thermal container, a second food item in a second thermal container, and a third food item in a third thermal container. A volume of fluid is cooled and circulated through at least a portion of the device so that thermal energy from at least one of the first, second, or third food item is transferred to the cooled fluid. The device is transitioned from a first operating mode to a second operating mode in response to a criterion being satisfied. When in the second configuration, the volume of fluid is heated and circulated through at least a portion of the device so that thermal energy is transferred from the volume of fluid to at least one of the first, second, or third food item.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] (Cross - Reference to Related Applications)

[1001] This application claims the priority and benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 599,060, filed on September 15, 2017, entitled "Apparatus and Methods for At Least Semi - Autonomous Meal Storage and Cooking", the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002]

[1002] This application claims the priority and benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 615,136, filed on January 9, 2018, entitled "Apparatus and Methods for At Least Semi - Autonomous Meal Storage and Cooking", the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0003]

[1003] The embodiments described herein relate to apparatuses and methods for refrigerating and / or cooking meals, and more particularly, to apparatuses and methods for at least semi - autonomous meal storage, refrigeration, and cooking.

Background Art

[0004]

[1004] Food preservation devices and food cooking devices are known. However, some of the known devices do not provide means for preserving and / or cooking food via different preservation and / or cooking modalities, temperature profiles, time profiles, and / or the like. For example, in some instances, it may be desirable to preserve and / or cook food depending on the type of food (e.g., protein, starch, vegetables, sauces, and / or the like). Among the devices that provide means for preserving or cooking food in various ways, there are some that are expensive and / or not intuitive. Further, some of such devices are typically configured to preserve food (e.g., a refrigeration device, etc.) or cook food (e.g., an oven, a stove, a microwave oven, etc.), but are not configured to provide both a preservation function and a cooking function. Finally, some of the known devices can be large devices that occupy a significant amount of space in the kitchen. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0005]

[1005] Therefore, there is a need for improved devices and methods for at least semi-autonomous meal preservation and cooking. MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS

[0006]

[1006] Apparatuses and methods for at least semi-autonomous storage and cooking of food are described herein. In some embodiments, a method of using a storage and cooking device having a plurality of thermal containers includes disposing at least one of a first food product in a first thermal container, a second food product in a second thermal container, and a third food product in a third thermal container. A first volume of fluid circulating through a portion of the first thermal container and a portion of the second thermal container is cooled such that thermal energy from at least the first and second food products is transferred to the cooled fluid. In response to a first criterion being met, the first volume of fluid circulating through a portion of the first thermal container and a portion of the second thermal container is heated such that thermal energy from the heated fluid is transferred to the first and second food products. In response to a second criterion being met, a second volume of fluid is conveyed to a portion of the third thermal container such that thermal energy from the second volume of fluid is transferred to the third food product.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007]

Figure 1

[1007] Schematic diagram of a semi-autonomous storage and / or cooking device according to one embodiment.

Figure 2

[1008] Schematic diagram of a controller and electronic devices included in the semi-autonomous storage and / or cooking device of FIG. 1, each communicating with a network.

Figure 3

[1009] Shows a semi-autonomous storage and / or cooking device according to one embodiment.

Figure 4

[1009] Shows a semi-autonomous storage and / or cooking device according to one embodiment.

Figure 5

[1010] Shows at least a portion of a semi-autonomous storage and / or cooking device configured to be used with or within a kitchen appliance according to one embodiment.

Figure 6

[1010] Shows at least a portion of a semi-autonomous storage and / or cooking device configured to be used with or within a kitchen appliance according to one embodiment.

Figure 7

[1010] Shows at least a part of a semi-autonomous storage and / or cooking device configured to be used with or within a kitchen appliance according to one embodiment.

Figure 8

[1011] Various views of a semi-autonomous storage and / or cooking device according to one embodiment.

Figure 9

[1011] Various views of a semi-autonomous storage and / or cooking device according to one embodiment.

Figure 10

[1011] Various views of a semi-autonomous storage and / or cooking device according to one embodiment.

Figure 11

[1011] Various views of a semi-autonomous storage and / or cooking device according to one embodiment.

Figure 12

[1012] Perspective views of a semi-autonomous storage and / or cooking device according to respective embodiments.

Figure 13

[1012] Right side views of a semi-autonomous storage and / or cooking device according to respective embodiments.

Figure 14

[1013] Front perspective view of the semi-autonomous storage and / or cooking device of FIG. 12 shown with the lid in an open configuration.

Figure 15

[1014] Perspective views of the semi-autonomous storage and / or cooking device of FIG. 12, each shown with the lid in an open configuration and one or more food containers disposed therein.

Figure 16

[1014] Front views of the semi-autonomous storage and / or cooking device of FIG. 12, each shown with the lid in an open configuration and one or more food containers disposed therein.

Figure 17

[1015] Front perspective view of the circulation pan included in the semi-autonomous storage and / or cooking device of FIG. 12.

Figure 18

[1016] Cross-sectional view of the circulation pan shown in FIG. 17.

Figure 19

[1017] Rear perspective view of the circulation pan shown in FIG. 17.

Figure 20

[1018] Partial exploded view of a food container configured for use within a semi-autonomous storage and / or cooking device of FIG. 12.

Figure 21

[1019] Cross-sectional view of a semi-autonomous storage and / or cooking device along line 21-21 of FIG. 13.

Figure 22

[1020] Diagram showing an example of a fluid circulation system included in the semi-autonomous storage and / or cooking device of FIG. 12.

Figure 23

[1021] Flowchart showing a method of using a semi-autonomous storage and / or cooking device according to an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008]

[1022] Apparatuses and methods for at least semi-autonomous meal preparation via fluid immersion are described herein. In some embodiments, a method of using a storage and cooking device having a plurality of thermal containers includes placing a first food item in a first thermal container, a second food item in a second thermal container, and a third food item in a third thermal container. A volume of fluid is cooled and circulated through at least a portion of the storage and cooking device such that thermal energy from at least one of the first food item, the second food item, and the third food item is transferred to the cooled fluid. The storage and cooking device transitions from a first operating mode to a second operating mode in response to a criterion being met. In the second configuration, the storage and cooking device heats a volume of fluid and circulates a volume of fluid through at least a portion of the storage and cooking device such that thermal energy is transferred from the volume of fluid to at least one of the first food item, the second food item, and the third food item.

[0009]

[1023] In some embodiments, a method of using a storage and cooking device having a plurality of thermal containers includes disposing a first food item within a first thermal container, a second food item within a second thermal container, and at least one of a third food item within a third thermal container. A first volume of fluid circulating through a portion of the first thermal container and a portion of the second thermal container is cooled such that thermal energy from at least the first food item and the second food item is transferred to the cooled fluid. In response to a first criterion being met, the first volume of fluid circulating through a portion of the first thermal container and a portion of the second thermal container is heated such that thermal energy from the heated fluid is transferred to the first food item and the second food item. In response to a second criterion being met, a second volume of fluid is conveyed to a portion of the third thermal container such that thermal energy from the second volume of fluid is transferred to the third food item.

[0010]

[1024] In some embodiments, a method of using a multi-zone storage and cooking device having at least a first zone including a first thermal container and a first heating element and a second zone including a second thermal container and a second heating element includes disposing a first food item within the first thermal container and a second food item within the second thermal container. A volume of fluid circulating through a portion of the first thermal container and a portion of the second thermal container is cooled such that thermal energy from the first food item and thermal energy from the second food item are transferred to the cooled fluid. In response to a first criterion being met, the volume of fluid circulating through a portion of the first thermal container and a portion of the second thermal container is heated such that thermal energy from the heated fluid is transferred to the first food item and the second food item. In response to a second criterion being met, an electrical power flow operable to heat at least one of the first heating element or the second heating element to transfer thermal energy to at least one of the first food item or the second food item, respectively, is supplied.

[0011]

[1025] In some embodiments, the multi-zone storage and cooking device includes a housing having disposed therein at least a first zone, a second zone independent of the first zone, and a third zone independent of the first and second zones, and a fluid circulation system. The first zone includes a first thermal container configured to receive a first food item and a first heating element configured to transfer thermal energy to the first food item. The second zone includes a second thermal container configured to receive a second food item different from the first food item. The second zone is independent of the first heating element and includes a second heating element configured to transfer thermal energy to the second food item. The third zone includes a third thermal container configured to receive a third food item different from the first and second food items. The fluid circulation system is configured to circulate a volume of cooled fluid through a portion of the first thermal container and a portion of the second thermal container when the device is in a first operating mode. The fluid circulation system is configured to (1) circulate a volume of heated fluid through a portion of the first thermal container and a portion of the second thermal container and (2) convey a volume of heated fluid through a portion of the third thermal container when the device is in a second operating mode.

[0012]

[1026] As used herein, unless otherwise clearly indicated, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents. Thus, for example, the term "a member" means a single member or combination of members, and the term "a material" means one or more materials or combinations thereof.

[0013]

[1027] As used herein, the term "module" means any assembly and / or set of operably connected electrical components that may include, for example, memory, processor, electrical traces, optical connectors, software (executed within hardware), and / or the like. For example, a module executed within a processor can be any combination of a hardware-based module (e.g., a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a digital signal processor (DSP)) and / or a software-based module (e.g., a module of computer code stored in memory and / or executed by a processor) that is capable of performing one or more specific functions associated with that module.

[0014]

[1028] As used herein, the terms "feedback", "feedback system" and / or "feedback loop" relate to a system in which past or current characteristics affect current or future operation. For example, a fluid circulation system can be said to be a feedback system in which the state of the fluid circulation system (e.g., the measurable temperature of a desired medium) depends on the current or past state that is fed back to the fluid circulation system. In some examples, a feedback system can be an electromechanical system that includes one or more relays, switches, and / or the like that can open or close an electrical circuit based on a signal received from a sensor, an electrical current or the direction of an electrical current, and / or the like. In some examples, a feedback system can be controlled and / or implemented by a programmable logic controller (PLC) that can perform one or more operations using control logic based on inputs from system components, the state of an electrical circuit, and / or the flow of power. In some examples, the PLC can include a control scheme such as, for example, a proportional integral derivative (PID) controller. In this way, the output of some feedback systems can be mathematically described by the sum of a proportional term, an integral term, and a derivative term. A PID controller is often implemented in one or more electronic devices. In such a controller, the proportional term, the integral term, and / or the derivative term can be actively "tuned" to change the characteristics of the feedback system.

[0015]

[1029] Electronic devices often implement a feedback system to actively control an electromechanical system and / or a fluid system to achieve and / or maintain a desired system state. For example, the feedback system can be implemented to control a fluid system (e.g., a certain volume of water in a closed system) by opening or closing one or more valves, operating one or more pumps, increasing or decreasing the temperature of the water, and / or the like. More specifically, the feedback system can determine the current and / or past state (e.g., temperature, flow rate, volume, etc.) of at least a portion of a volume of water and return the values of the past and / or current state to, for example, a PID control scheme. In some examples, the electronic device (e.g., a controller) can implement any suitable numerical method or any combination thereof (e.g., Newton's method, Gaussian elimination, Euler's method, LU decomposition, etc.). Thus, the fluid system can be actively changed to achieve a desired system state based on the past and / or current state of at least a portion of a volume of water.

[0016]

[1030] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a storage and cooking device 100 according to an embodiment. The storage and cooking device 100 (also referred to herein as the “device”) can be any suitable cooking device, machine, and / or system. As described in more detail herein, for example, the device 100 is configured to receive one or more foods disposed within one or more sealed packages, receive or obtain information associated with the one or more foods, store the one or more foods at a first temperature (e.g., a storage temperature) prior to cooking, and cook the one or more foods according to the information associated with the foods. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the device 100 can be substantially similar or the same as the storage and / or cooking device described in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2017 / 0135383, entitled “Apparatus and Methods for At Least Semi-Autonomous Meal Storage and Cooking Via Fluid Immersion,” filed on May 18, 2017, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference (referred to herein as “Publication ’383”).

[0017]

[1031] As shown in FIG. 1, the device 100 includes at least one thermal container 120, a fluid circulation system 140, a controller 170, and a power supply 173. Although not shown in FIG. 1, the device 100 can include a housing configured to house and / or at least partially surround the thermal container 120, the fluid circulation system 140, the controller 170, and / or the power supply 173. Further, the housing can include a lid, door, or other access device configured to allow access to at least a portion of the components disposed within the housing. As described in more detail herein, the device 100 (e.g., the housing) can also include one or more user interface portions, such as, for example, a display or a touch screen display, configured to present information associated with the device 100.

[0018]

[1032] The thermal container 120 can be of any suitable shape, size, and / or configuration. In some embodiments, the device 100 can include a single thermal container 120. In other embodiments, the device 100 can include a plurality of thermal containers 120 (e.g., two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, or more thermal containers 120). By way of example, in some embodiments, the device 100 can include three thermal containers 120 each configured to receive a different type of food. Specifically, such a device can include, for example, a first thermal container configured to receive protein, a second thermal container configured to receive starch, and a third thermal container configured to receive vegetables. In some embodiments, the device 100 can optionally include a fourth thermal container 120 configured to receive, for example, a sauce, dressing, condiment, seasoning, and / or the like.

[0019]

[1033] The thermal container 120 can be formed of any suitable material or combination thereof and / or can include any suitable material or combination thereof. For example, in some embodiments, the thermal container 120 can be formed of a material having a relatively high thermal conductivity. In other words, the thermal container 120 can be formed of and / or can include a material configured to conduct and / or transfer thermal energy to and / or from a volume of water flowing through a fluid circulation system. In other embodiments, the thermal container 120 can be formed of a material having a relatively low thermal conductivity (e.g., an insulating material). In other words, each thermal container 120 can include and / or can be at least partially surrounded by an insulating material. In some embodiments, the configuration of the device 100 is such that thermal energy transfer between the thermal containers 120 and / or between the thermal containers 120 and a part of the device 100 other than the fluid circulation system 140 is limited and / or reduced, while thermal energy can be transferred between the thermal containers 120 and a volume of fluid circulating through the fluid circulation system 140.

[0020]

[1034] In embodiments including a plurality of thermal containers 120, independent temperature control of each thermal container 120 can be enabled by thermally insulating each thermal container 120. For example, in some such embodiments, while adjacent thermal containers may be in a relatively high temperature configuration (e.g., cooking configuration), they may be in a relatively low temperature configuration (e.g., storage or refrigeration configuration). Thus, by insulating each thermal container and / or at least a portion thereof, the thermal energy associated with a thermal container in a relatively high temperature configuration can be substantially isolated from a thermal container in a relatively low temperature configuration. In other words, the device 100 may have a multi-zone configuration that can independently store and / or cook, for example, foods disposed in separate thermal containers 120, in accordance with a set of instructions associated with each food.

[0021]

[1035] As described above, each heat container 120 is configured to receive one or more food packages. For example, in some embodiments, the first heat container 120 may be configured to receive a first type of food (e.g., meats and / or other proteins), the second heat container may be configured to receive a second type of food (e.g., vegetables), and the third heat container may be configured to receive a third type of food (e.g., starches, carbohydrates, and / or the like). Additionally, in some embodiments, the device 100 may optionally include a fourth heat container configured to receive a fourth type of food (e.g., sauces, dressings, condiments, seasonings, and / or the like). In some examples, one or more foods may be pre-packaged (e.g., in a liquid-tight package or cartridge) and then inserted into one of the heat containers 120. Although not shown herein, the food cartridge may be of any suitable shape, size, and / or configuration. For example, in some embodiments, the food cartridge may be similar to the food cartridges described in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2017 / 0238750, filed Apr. 14, 2017, titled "Modular Food Cartridges for Use in a Cooking Device" (referred to herein as "Publication '750"), and / or International Application No. PCT / US2018 / 041819, filed Jul. 12, 2018, titled "Food Cartridges and Carriers for Use in a Cooking Device" (referred to herein as "Application '819"), the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0022]

[1036] In some embodiments, the thermal container 120 can be configured to receive thermal energy from a volume of fluid disposed within the thermal container 120, or a volume of fluid flowing through the thermal container 120, or a volume of fluid flowing past the thermal container 120, and / or to transfer thermal energy to a volume of fluid. For example, in some embodiments, a volume of fluid can be transferred to one or more thermal containers 120 such that thermal energy can be transferred to and / or from food disposed therein. In other embodiments, a volume of fluid can flow through a fluid flow path (defined by the fluid circulation system 140) that is external to the thermal container 120. In such embodiments, at least a portion of the volume of fluid can contact the outer surface of the thermal container 120 such that thermal energy can be transferred therebetween. In some embodiments, the device 100 can include thermal containers 120 having any suitable combination of configurations. For example, in some embodiments, the device 100 can include at least one thermal container 120 configured to receive a volume of fluid and at least one thermal container 120 having an outer surface configured to contact a fluid flow flowing outside the thermal container 120.

[0023]

[1037] In still other embodiments, the thermal container 120 can include a first portion or volume configured to receive one or more food items and a second portion or volume configured to receive a volume of fluid or a flow of a volume of fluid. In such embodiments, the first portion or volume and the second portion or volume may be in fluid communication and thermal communication, or in thermal communication and fluidly isolated. In some embodiments, such a configuration can limit and / or substantially prevent contamination of a volume of fluid in the event of leakage, tear, rupture, and / or opening of a food package (e.g., a food package containing meat or protein).

[0024]

[1038] The fluid circulation system 140 of the device 100 can be of any suitable shape, size, and / or configuration. The fluid circulation system 140 is configured to adjust the temperature of a working fluid, such as water, that is contained within or flows through the device 100. For example, the fluid circulation system 140 can include any number of fluid conduits, tubes, pipes, valves, solenoids, pumps, fluid reservoirs, and / or the like that collectively define any suitable number of fluid flow paths within the device 100. Additionally, the fluid circulation system 140 can include any number of heat exchangers and / or heat exchanger assemblies, heat sinks, heating elements, steamers, heat diffusers, cooling elements, chillers, and / or the like. In some embodiments, the fluid circulation system 140 and / or a portion thereof can be similar in form and / or function to those described in Publication '383. In this manner, the fluid circulation system 140 can receive signals and / or power, respectively, from a controller 170 and / or a power source 173 that are operable to control, change, maintain, and / or otherwise adjust the temperature of a volume of fluid contained within the device 100.

[0025]

[1039] As an example, in some embodiments, the fluid circulation system 140 can include a fluid reservoir configured to contain a volume of fluid, such as water, for example, whereby it is selectively in fluid communication with at least one thermal container 120 (e.g., either the interior volume of the thermal container 120 or the outer surface of the thermal container 120) via any suitable number and / or configuration of fluid conduits, valves, pumps, solenoids, and / or the like. Similarly, the fluid circulation system 140 can include any suitable number and / or configuration of fluid conduits, valves, pumps, solenoids, and / or the like configured to selectively transfer a volume of fluid through one or more heat exchangers, coolers, and / or heat sources. For example, in response to inputs such as user input (e.g., either local input or input via a network), a predetermined schedule and / or event, and / or inputs associated with the like, the controller 170 can send a signal to the fluid circulation system 140 to adjust the flow and / or temperature of water within the device 100. In this way, as described in more detail herein, the device 100 can transition between a first operating mode of storing food disposed within one or more thermal containers 120 below a predetermined storage temperature and a second operating mode of cooking food disposed within one or more thermal containers 120 at a predetermined cooking temperature or to a predetermined cooking temperature.

[0026]

[1040] Although not shown in FIG. 1, in some embodiments, the fluid circulation system 140 can form any suitable number of fluid flow paths and / or circulation loops. For example, in some embodiments, the fluid circulation system 140 can include and / or form a single fluid flow path and / or circulation loop through which fluid flows into, through, and / or around each thermal container 120. In other embodiments, the fluid circulation system 140 can include and / or form a plurality of fluid flow paths and / or circulation loops. For example, in some embodiments, the fluid circulation system 140 can include a fluid flow path and / or circulation loop for each thermal container 120 included in the device 100. In such embodiments, the fluid flow path and / or circulation loop for each thermal container 120 can be an independent fluid flow path and / or circulation loop. In other embodiments, the fluid flow path and / or circulation loop can include one or more similar and / or combined portions. In such embodiments, the flow of fluid through the fluid flow path and / or circulation loop can be controlled by any suitable number of pumps, valves, solenoids, junctions, switches, and the like.

[0027]

[1041] In some embodiments, the use of a plurality of fluid flow paths can enable independent cooling and / or heating of each thermal container 120. For example, in some embodiments, it may be desirable to transfer a first amount of thermal energy to a first food item disposed within a first thermal container 120 and a second amount of thermal energy (different from the first amount of thermal energy) to a second food item disposed within a second thermal container 120. Further, it may be desirable for both the first food item and the second food item to have a similar or substantially similar end time. Thus, with a plurality of fluid flow paths, the device 100 can cook the first food item and the second food item according to instructions and / or data associated with each food item. In some examples, the controller 170 can control the flow of fluid through the plurality of fluid flow paths and / or circulation loops to ensure that the cooking and / or substantial cooking of each food item is completed substantially simultaneously.

[0028]

[1042] Controller 170 can be any suitable electronic and / or electromechanical device configured to at least semi-autonomously control at least a portion of device 100. For example, in some embodiments, controller 170 can include any suitable electronic and / or electromechanical device configured to control at least a portion of device 100. Controller 170 can perform any number of processes for storing and cooking food disposed within device 100, and / or execute any suitable instructions or code associated with the control of a portion of device 100 (e.g., via a feedback control system, PLC, PID, etc.).

[0029]

[1043] More specifically, the controller 170 may include, for example, at least a power supply 173, a memory, a processor, and an input / output (I / O) interface. The memory may be, for example, a random access memory (RAM), a memory buffer, a hard drive, a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), and / or the like. In some embodiments, as described above, the memory stores instructions for causing the processor to execute modules, processes, and / or functions associated with the control of one or more portions of the device 100. The processor of the controller 170 may be any suitable processing device such as a general-purpose processor (GPP), a central processing unit (CPU), an accelerated processing unit (APU), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and / or the like. The processor may be configured to run or execute an instruction set or code associated with the operation of one or more portions of the device 100 stored in the memory. The I / O interface may be, for example, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 1394 interface (FireWire), a Thunderbolt (trademark) interface, a Serial ATA (SATA) interface or an external Serial ATA (eSATA) interface, a network interface card (including one or more Ethernet ports, and / or a wireless communication device such as a Wi-Fi (registered trademark) radio, a Bluetooth (registered trademark) radio, a near field communication (NFC) radio, a ZigBee protocol radio, a Thread protocol radio, a radio frequency identification (RFID) radio, and / or the like). The I / O interface is configured to send signals to and / or receive signals from the processor.Similarly, the I / O interface can be configured to receive signals from, and / or transmit signals (e.g., data, power, etc.) to, any suitable electrical and / or electronic devices included in the device, such as, for example, one or more sensors (e.g., fluid level sensors, flow sensors, thermometers, thermistors, etc.), thermoelectric coolers (e.g., Peltier coolers, etc.), compressors, liquid heat exchangers, heaters, boilers, steam generators, pumps, optical scanners, barcode scanners, quick response (QR) code scanners, RFID transmitters, inter-integrated circuit (I2C), universal asynchronous receiver / transmitter (UART) devices, serial peripheral interface (SPI) devices, and / or the like.

[0030]

[1044] As described above, in some examples, the controller 170 can perform and / or execute one or more processes associated with maintaining the food contained within the thermal container 120 at a predetermined temperature (e.g., refrigeration) prior to cooking the food. In such examples, the controller 170 can send and / or receive signals associated with maintaining a volume of fluid disposed within or flowing through the fluid circulation system 140 at a substantially predetermined temperature to, for example, any number of pumps, valves, solenoids, heat exchangers or heat exchanger assemblies, sensors, etc. For example, the controller 170 can send one or more signals to the fluid circulation system 140 to cause the fluid to flow through a chiller, chiller assembly, heat exchanger, cooler, refrigeration unit, etc. The cooled fluid can then flow into one or more of the thermal containers 120 and / or flow around at least a portion of the outer surface of one or more of the thermal containers 120. In this way, the fluid can maintain the volume defined by the thermal container 120 at a substantially predetermined storage temperature, thereby removing thermal energy from the food disposed therein and maintaining the food at a substantially predetermined temperature. In some examples, the predetermined temperature can be, for example, about 40°F. In other words, the controller 170 can be configured to perform one or more processes associated with refrigerating the food within the thermal container 120 prior to cooking the food.

[0031]

[1045] In some embodiments, the fluid circulating through the fluid circulation system 140 is water. In such embodiments, since water can also be used as the heating fluid, it may be desirable to use water as the cooling fluid. Further, during one or more stages of the cooking operation, water can be drained from the fluid circulation system 140. For example, in some embodiments, it may be desirable to drain the fluid (e.g., water) during the last phase or stage of cooking where one or more heating elements are used to transfer a relatively large amount of thermal energy to the food. In such embodiments, draining the fluid (e.g., water) can limit and / or substantially prevent the generation of unwanted boiling and / or high-pressure steam of the fluid and / or the like. When the cooling fluid is a refrigerant (e.g., r134a, etc.), it is also not desirable to expose the fluid (e.g., refrigerant) to the relatively large amount of thermal energy released by the heating element. Thus, in some embodiments, it may be desirable to use water as the cooling fluid and the heating fluid configured to circulate through the fluid circulation system 140.

[0032]

[1046] In some examples, the controller 170 can perform and / or execute one or more processes associated with cooking food disposed within the thermal container 120. In such examples, the controller 170 can be configured to send and / or receive signals associated with maintaining a volume of fluid within the thermal container 120 at a substantially predetermined temperature to and / or from, for example, any number of pumps, valves, solenoids, heat exchangers or heat exchanger assemblies, heating elements, sensors (e.g., fluid level sensors, temperature sensors, and / or the like), and the like. As described above with respect to the cooling configuration, the heated fluid can then flow into one or more of the thermal containers 120 and / or flow around at least a portion of the outer surface of one or more of the thermal containers 120. In this way, the fluid can maintain the internal volume defined by the thermal container 120 at a substantially predetermined cooking temperature, thereby transferring thermal energy to the food disposed therein and cooking the food at a substantially predetermined temperature (e.g., any suitable cooking temperature such as a temperature between 140°F and 212°F).

[0033]

[1047] As described above, the fluid used to transfer thermal energy to the food and / or used to receive thermal energy from the food can be water. In some examples, it may be desirable to use water as the heating fluid because a portion of the water flowing through one or more fluid flow paths can be used to cook one or more foods via different modalities. For example, in some embodiments, the device 100 can be in a cooking configuration such that the heated fluid flows through the fluid circulation system 140 in a substantially closed loop. In such embodiments, a portion of the fluid circulation system 140 and / or the fluid flow path can pass through and / or around one or more thermal vessels 120 and transfer thermal energy to the internal volume of the thermal vessel 120. In this way, the food disposed within the thermal vessel 120 can be cooked. However, in some embodiments, it may be desirable to transfer a portion of the fluid to the internal volume of the thermal vessel 120 and bring it into contact with the food (or the package containing the food) disposed therein. Thus, the fluid circulating through the fluid circulation system 140 can at least partially cook the food by heating the internal volume of the thermal vessel 120 (e.g., similar to baking), while the fluid transferred to the thermal vessel 120 can be configured to at least partially cook the food via fluid immersion, sous-vide, Bain Marie, boiling, and / or any other suitable cooking modality. Additionally, in some examples, a portion of the fluid can be heated to a relatively high temperature and injected or transferred to the thermal vessel 120 in the form of steam (e.g., for steaming vegetables or any other suitable cooking process).

[0034]

[1048] In some embodiments, the device 100 can be configured to preserve and / or cook food via different modalities. For example, in some embodiments, a first thermal container 120 that houses a first food such as meat or protein can be configured to cook the first food via a first cooking modality. As used herein, the term modality can refer to a method, manner, and / or process of performing an operation and / or, alternatively, one or more characteristics associated with a method, manner, and / or process of performing an operation.

[0035]

[1049] The first cooking modality can include, for example, transferring (or circulating a volume of fluid through the first portion) a volume of fluid in a first portion of the first thermal container 120 in thermal communication with, and fluidly isolated from, a second portion of the first thermal container 120 in which the first food is disposed. In some such embodiments, the first food (e.g., meat or protein) can be disposed within a cartridge or package that can contain or house a volume of fluid. In this way, a volume of fluid transferred to or circulated through the first portion of the thermal container 120 can be heated to a predetermined and / or desired temperature. The thermal container 120 can be configured to transfer thermal energy from the first portion of the thermal container 120 to the second portion of the thermal container 120. At least a portion of the thermal energy transferred to the second portion of the thermal container 120 is then transferred to the first food and / or the fluid within the cartridge or package housing the first food, thereby cooking the first food to a predetermined and / or desired temperature and / or degree.

[0036]

[1050] In some embodiments, the second thermal container 120 of the device 100 that houses a second food item, such as starch or carbohydrate, can be configured to cook the second food item via a second cooking modality that is different from the first cooking modality. In such embodiments, the device 100 can be configured to transfer a heated fluid to the second thermal container 120 and / or a cartridge, package, and / or carrier that houses the second food item to cook the second food item via fluid immersion, sous vide, and / or poaching. For example, in some embodiments, the second food item can be disposed within a cartridge and / or carrier similar to those described in application ’819. Further, in such embodiments, the device 100, the second thermal container 120, and / or the cartridge or carrier that houses the second food item can include a siphon configuration as detailed in application ’819.

[0037]

[1051] In some embodiments, the third thermal container 120 of the device 100 that houses a third food item, such as a vegetable, can be configured to cook the third food item via a third cooking modality that is different from the first cooking modality and / or the second cooking modality. For example, in some embodiments, the device 100 can be configured to transfer and / or circulate a heated fluid around the outer surface of the third thermal container 120, thereby configuring at least a portion of the thermal energy of the heated fluid to be transferred to the third food item. In some embodiments, the thermal energy transferred to the third food item can be sufficient to cook the third food item to a desired temperature and / or to a desired degree. In some embodiments, the device 100 can be configured to selectively inject a volume of fluid (e.g., in liquid form or in vapor form) into the third thermal container 120, thereby increasing the humidity within the third thermal container 120. In some examples, the increase in humidity can improve and / or facilitate the cooking of the third food item.

[0038]

[1052] In some embodiments, device 100 may optionally include a fourth thermal container 120 configured to contain a fourth food item, such as a source, dressing, etc., and cook the fourth food item via a fourth cooking modality different from the first, second, and / or third cooking modalities. For example, in some embodiments, the fourth food item disposed within the fourth thermal container can receive thermal energy from, for example, the flow of ambient air within device 100. In such embodiments, the heated fluid flowing inside and / or around the first, second, and / or third thermal containers 120 transfers a portion of its thermal energy to the ambient environment within the device, thereby heating and / or transferring thermal energy to the fourth food item. In other embodiments, the fourth thermal container 120 can be configured to transfer thermal energy to / from the fourth food item via any suitable modality, such as, for example, the first, second, and / or third cooking modalities.

[0039]

[1053] As described above, the first food, the second food, and the third food can each be cooked via different cooking modalities. In some embodiments, the multi-zone and / or multi-modal configuration of device 100 can, for example, enhance the safety in the use of device 100. For example, in some instances, while transferring thermal energy between the first food (e.g., meat and / or protein) and a volume of fluid disposed within and / or circulating through a portion of fluid circulation system 140, by fluidly separating and / or isolating the first food from the volume of fluid, contamination of the volume of fluid can be limited and / or substantially prevented if the package and / or cartridge containing the first food is opened, torn, ruptured, and / or otherwise unsealed. In this way, device 100 can use at least a portion of a volume of fluid to transfer thermal energy between the second food and at least a portion of the volume of fluid and / or between the third food and at least a portion of the volume of fluid. The multi-zone and / or multi-modal configuration of device 100 can also enhance the cleanability of device 100 by limiting the potential modes of contaminating a volume of fluid and / or by directly discharging at least a portion of the volume of fluid after cooking one or more foods (e.g., after cooking the second food as described in application ’819).

[0040]

[1054] In addition to being cooked via different modalities, in some examples, the first food, the second food, and / or the third food (and / or optionally, the fourth food) can each be cooked for a predetermined time and / or at a predetermined temperature or to a predetermined temperature. The cooking time and / or cooking temperature can be based on, for example, instructions and / or information associated with each food. In some examples, the cooking temperature and / or cooking time can vary for each individual food. In other examples, the cooking temperature and / or cooking time associated with two or more foods can be the same or substantially the same. In other embodiments, two foods and / or all foods can be cooked via the same cooking modality and / or can be cooked at the same cooking time or the same cooking temperature. Further, in some embodiments, the device 100 can be configured to cook one or more foods in multiple stages. For example, in some embodiments, the device 100 can be configured to at least partially cook one or more foods via any of the modalities described above during a first stage of the cooking process. In such embodiments, the device 100 can be configured to at least partially cook one or more foods via a different modality during a second stage of the cooking process according to a predetermined time and / or a predetermined or predefined profile associated with the one or more foods. For example, in some embodiments, the device 100 can include one or more heating elements that can be used during a second stage of the cooking process to heat, cook, bake, roast, grill, brown, toast, etc., one or more foods. The one or more heating elements can be disposed at any suitable location within the device 100. For example, in some embodiments, the device 100 can include a heating element above or below one or more thermal containers and can be spaced at a desired distance to enable grilling, toasting, and / or any other desired cooking mode.

[0041]

[1055] As shown in FIG. 2, in some embodiments, the controller 170 of the device 100 may include an I / O interface, such as a network interface card configured to communicate the controller 170 with a network 171 (e.g., including at least one of an Ethernet port and a wireless communicator). The network 171 may be any suitable network, such as, for example, a wide area network (WAN), a local area network (LAN), a virtual local area network (VLAN), the Internet, a cellular data network such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), etc. The network 171 may be implemented as a wired or wireless network. In this way, a user can remotely transmit signals to the controller 170 via the network 171 and a remote electronic device 172, such as a handheld controller, a mobile device, a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop computer, a personal computer (PC), and / or the like. For example, the remote electronic device 172 can include at least a processor, a memory, and a display, and can run, for example, a personal computer application, a mobile application, a web page, and / or the like. In this way, the user can operate the remote electronic device 172 such that data associated with the device 100 is graphically shown on the display of the remote electronic device 172 (e.g., via an application, i.e., an "app"). Accordingly, the user can interact with the app, transmit signals to the controller 170 of the device 100 via the network 171, and / or receive signals from the controller 170 of the device 100.In such an example, the user can use the remote electronic device 172 to set, for example, the target time at which food should be cooked and / or ready to eat, override a pre-programmed process, turn the device 100 on or off (e.g., to a “turned on” state or a “turned off” state, respectively), and / or control the controller 170 and / or any other suitable function of the device 100.

[0042]

[1056] As described above, the controller 170 and / or the device 100 may include any suitable sensors, encoders, scanners, and / or the like configured to collect data associated with some operations or lack of operations of the device 100 and transmit this data to the controller 170. For example, in some embodiments, the device 100 may include scanners such as barcode scanners, QR code scanners, NFC devices or radios, RFID devices or radios, and / or the like configured to scan, detect and / or otherwise receive data associated with food items disposed within the device 100. More specifically, in some embodiments, the food items are disposed within one or more packages, and each of the packages may include at least one barcode, QR code, and / or RFID tag configured to identify the food item contained therein. The device 100 may include barcode, QR code scanners, and / or RFID transceivers configured to scan the codes on the packages when the food items are inserted into the device 100 and / or otherwise receive signals from the packages and identify information associated with the food items contained within the packages based on the data associated with the scanned codes or signals. Such information or data may be stored, for example, in the memory of the controller 170 and / or a database operably coupled to the memory of the controller 170. As described in more detail herein, the information and / or data may include, for example, storage and / or cooking instructions, time, temperature, expiration date, and / or any other suitable information.

[0043]

[1057] Although not shown in FIG. 1, in some embodiments, device 100 can be configured to be used in and / or with one or more additional devices (e.g., oven, stove, range, refrigerator, etc.) configured to store and / or cook food. By way of example, in some embodiments, device 100 can be an insertable or modular device configured to be inserted and / or “plugged in” to, for example, an oven. In such embodiments, a portion of device 100 can be housed within the oven and / or otherwise be part of the oven. For example, at least a portion of fluid circulation system 140 and / or controller 170 can be included in the oven and / or otherwise integrated with the oven. In this way, device 100 can utilize, for example, the heating element of the oven to heat a volume of fluid disposed within fluid circulation system 140 or flowing through fluid circulation system 140. Additionally, device 100 can utilize the heating element of the oven to heat and / or cook food via different cooking modalities (e.g., bake and grill). Further, in some embodiments, any suitable portion of a cooling assembly (e.g., heat exchanger, refrigeration unit, compressor, chiller, etc.) can be housed in and / or otherwise integrated with an oven or the like.

[0044]

[1058] In some such embodiments, device 100 may include any suitable interface, port, connector, etc. configured to connect or couple a portion of device 100 to one or more portions of an oven. For example, in some embodiments, device 100 can be inserted into the oven such that one or more ports of device 100 are physically and / or fluidly coupled to one or more ports of the oven. In such embodiments, device 100 may include one or more thermal vessels 120 and one or more flow paths (as described above), while the oven or other equipment may include other portions of device 100 (e.g., controller 170, a portion of fluid circulation system 140, one or more heating elements, one or more cooling assemblies, and / or the like). Thus, when device 100 is inserted into the oven, the one or more flow paths defined by device 100 are in fluid communication with portions of fluid circulation system 140 disposed within or integrated with the oven, etc. Accordingly, such a device 100 can be inserted into and / or "plugged into" an oven, etc., and food items contained therein can be stored or cooked in a manner substantially similar to the manner described above.

[0045]

[1059] Device 100 was described above as being inserted or "plugged into" an oven, but in other embodiments, Device 100 may be configured to be disposed outside of one or more devices while still utilizing a portion of the one or more devices. For example, in some embodiments, Device 100 may be configured to be used with an oven and / or a refrigerator, among other things. In such embodiments, Device 100 may include one or more ports, connectors, couplers, etc. configured to establish selective fluid communication between one or more fluid channels of Device 100 and one or more portions of the oven and / or refrigerator. For example, Device 100 may be configured to heat a volume of fluid using a heating element of the oven and may be configured to utilize a cooling element and / or a refrigeration element of the refrigerator. Thus, Device 100 can be included as part of a larger food preservation and / or food cooking system, and / or can otherwise be formed.

[0046]

[1060] FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a semi-autonomous preservation and / or cooking device 200 according to one embodiment. The preservation and / or cooking device 200 (also referred to herein as the "device") can be any suitable cooking device, machine, and / or system. As described in more detail herein, for example, the device 200 can be configured to receive one or more foods disposed within one or more sealed packages, receive or obtain information associated with the one or more foods, store the one or more foods at a first temperature (e.g., a storage temperature) prior to cooking, and cook the one or more foods according to the information associated with the foods. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the device 200 can be substantially similar or identical to the preservation and / or cooking device 100 described above with respect to FIG. 1. Thus, portions of the device 200 are not described in further detail herein.

[0047]

[1061] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the device 200 includes a housing 210, a set of thermal containers 220, and a fluid circulation system 240. Although not shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the device 200 may also include a controller and a power source, which may be respectively similar to the controller 170 and the power source 173 described above with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2, at least in form and / or function. As shown, the housing 210 of the device 200 is configured to house a set of thermal containers 220, the fluid circulation system 240, and / or any other suitable part of the device 200, and / or at least partially surround them. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the housing 210 is substantially rectangular and may have a size suitable for placement on or within, for example, a kitchen countertop, cabinet, and / or the like. In some embodiments, the housing 210 may have a size suitable for placement within one or more other appliances, such as an oven. The housing 210 includes a lid, a door, and / or an access member (referred to herein as the "lid 212") that is movably coupled to the housing 210 and can be moved from a closed configuration to an open configuration to allow a user to access the components housed within the housing 210. In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the device 200 has a "front loading" configuration that allows access to the inner portion of the housing 210 through the front of the device 200 by moving the lid 212 from the closed configuration (FIG. 3) to the open configuration (FIG. 4). In other embodiments, the housing 210 and / or the lid 212 may have any suitable configuration. For example, in some embodiments, the device 200 may include a housing having a separate lid for each thermal container included in the device 200.

[0048]

[1062] As described above, at least a portion of the set of thermal containers 220, at least a portion of the fluid circulation system 240, and at least a portion of the controller are configured to be disposed within the housing 210. The thermal container 220 can be formed of and / or include any suitable materials and / or combinations thereof. For example, in some embodiments, the thermal container 220 can be formed of a metal such as aluminum, stainless steel, and / or the like. In such embodiments, the constituent material of the thermal container 220 can have a relatively high thermal conductivity (e.g., about 10 watts / meter kelvin (W / mk) to about 250 W / mk, as described above). In other embodiments, the thermal container 220 is formed from a material having a relatively low thermal conductivity (e.g., about 0.1 W / mk to about 1.8 W / mk, as described above). As described above with respect to the thermal container 120, the insulating material can thermally isolate each thermal container 220 such that the temperature associated with each thermal container 220 can be independently controlled, for example, without substantially transferring thermal energy to an adjacent thermal container 220 or other portions of the device 200. In other words, the device 200 can have a multi-zone configuration in which, for example, foods disposed within separate thermal containers 220 can be independently stored and / or cooked according to a set of instructions associated with each food.

[0049]

[1063] In this embodiment, the device 200 includes three thermal containers 220. Each thermal container 220 is configured to receive one or more food packages. For example, in some embodiments, the first thermal container 220 (e.g., the upper right thermal container shown in FIGS. 3 and 4) may be configured to receive a first type of food (e.g., meats and / or other proteins), the second thermal container (e.g., the upper left thermal container shown in FIGS. 3 and 4) may be configured to receive a second type of food (e.g., vegetables), and the third thermal container (e.g., the bottom thermal container shown in FIGS. 3 and 4) may be configured to receive a third type of food (e.g., starches, carbohydrates, and / or the like). In some examples, one or more foods can be pre-packaged (e.g., within a liquid-tight package or cartridge), whereby they are inserted into one of the thermal containers 220. In other embodiments, the food need not be pre-packaged before being placed within the thermal container 220. Although not illustrated herein, the food cartridge can be of any suitable shape, size, and / or configuration. For example, in some embodiments, the food cartridge can be similar to the food cartridges described in "Publication '750" and / or "Application '819" at least in form and / or function.

[0050]

[1064] In some embodiments, the thermal container 220 can be configured to receive thermal energy from a volume of fluid disposed within the thermal container 220, or a volume of fluid flowing through the thermal container 220, or a volume of fluid flowing past the thermal container 220, and / or to transfer thermal energy to a volume of fluid. For example, in some embodiments, a volume of fluid can be transferred to one or more thermal containers 220 to enable the transfer of thermal energy among the foods disposed therein. In other embodiments, a volume of fluid can flow through a fluid flow path (defined by the fluid circulation system 240) outside the thermal container 220. In such embodiments, at least a portion of the volume of fluid can contact the outer surface of the thermal container 220 to enable the transfer of thermal energy therebetween. In some embodiments, the device 200 can include thermal containers 220 having any suitable combination of configurations. For example, in some embodiments, the device 200 can include at least one thermal container 220 configured to receive a volume of fluid and at least one thermal container 220 having an outer surface configured to contact a fluid flow flowing outside the thermal container 220. In still other embodiments, the thermal container 220 can include a first portion or volume configured to receive one or more foods and a second portion or volume configured to receive a volume of fluid or a flow of a volume of fluid. In this way, the thermal container 220 can be substantially similar to the thermal container 120 described above with respect to FIG. 1, at least in form and / or function, and thus will not be described in further detail herein.

[0051]

[1065] The fluid circulation system 240 of the device 200 can be of any suitable shape, size, and / or configuration. The fluid circulation system 240 is configured to adjust the temperature of a working fluid, such as water, that is at least temporarily disposed within the fluid reservoir 241. For example, the fluid circulation system 240 can include any number of fluid conduits, tubes, pipes, valves, solenoids, pumps, and / or the like configured to fluidly couple the fluid reservoir 241 to any suitable number of fluid flow paths within the device 200. Further, although not shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the fluid circulation system 240 can include any number of heat exchangers and / or heat exchanger assemblies, heat sinks, heating elements, steamers, heat spreaders, cooling elements, chillers, and / or the like. In some embodiments, the fluid circulation system 240 and / or portions thereof can be similar in form and / or function to the fluid circulation system 140 described in detail above with respect to FIG. 1. Accordingly, the fluid circulation system 240 is not described in further detail herein.

[0052]

[1066] As shown in FIG. 4, in some embodiments, device 200 and / or one or more thermal containers 220 may include heating elements or the like configured to transfer thermal energy to the food contained therein. For example, in some embodiments, rather than via a heated fluid, the food may be roasted, baked, grilled, browned, toasted, and / or cooked in other ways via a heating element, where it may be desirable to change the appearance of the food. In some such embodiments, the cooking procedure can be split, for example, into two operations. In a first operation, the food can be cooked via the methods described above. In a second operation, the food can be cooked via a heating element and / or the like. In some examples, the user can remove the food after the first operation, reconfigure the package, and / or remove the food from the package before starting the second operation. In other examples, such transfer and / or reconfiguration can be automatically performed by device 200. In some examples, the first operation can be performed at a relatively low temperature, which can, for example, allow the user to be away from device 200 during the first operation. In some examples, the second operation can be performed at a relatively high temperature, such that the user may desire to be present during the second operation. In other examples, the method of performing the first and second operations can allow the user to be away from device 200 between the first and second operations.

[0053]

[1067] In some examples, use of the heating element can result in a relatively high temperature (e.g., above 300°F, above 400°F, above 500°F or more) within at least a portion of device 200. In some examples, heating to such temperatures can result in breakage or melting of commonly used insulation materials (e.g., insulation materials configured to facilitate refrigeration or storage of food disposed within thermal container 220) used to insulate thermal container 220. Thus, as described above, by using fluid for both cooling and heating of the food, it is possible to cook via multiple modalities over a relatively wide temperature range.

[0054]

[1068] As described in detail above with respect to device 100, device 200 can perform and / or execute one or more processes associated with maintaining food contained within heat container 220 at a predetermined temperature (e.g., refrigeration) prior to cooking the food. In such an example, the controller can send one or more signals to fluid circulation system 240 such that cooled fluid can flow into one or more heat containers 220 and / or flow around at least a portion of the outer surface of one or more heat containers 220. In this way, the fluid can maintain the internal volume defined by heat container 220 at a substantially predetermined storage temperature, thereby removing thermal energy from the food disposed within heat container 220 and maintaining the food at a substantially predetermined temperature. In some examples, the predetermined temperature can be, for example, about 40°F. Additionally, device 200 can perform and / or execute one or more processes associated with cooking food disposed within heat container 220. In such an example, the controller can send a signal to fluid circulation system 240 such that heated fluid can flow into one or more heat containers 220 and / or flow around at least a portion of the outer surface of one or more heat containers 220. In this way, the fluid can maintain the internal volume defined by heat container 220 at a substantially predetermined cooking temperature, thereby transferring thermal energy to the food disposed therein and cooking the food at a substantially predetermined temperature (e.g., any suitable cooking temperature such as a temperature between 140°F and 212°F).

[0055]

[1069] Although not described in detail herein, device 200 may be configured to store and / or cook food disposed within thermal container 220 via any suitable modality. Similarly, device 200 may be configured to store and / or cook food disposed within thermal container 220 at any suitable temperature or to any suitable temperature, and / or for any suitable time. For example, in some embodiments, device 200 may store and / or cook food disposed within thermal container 220 in a manner substantially similar to the manner described above with respect to device 100. Accordingly, the operation of device 200 is not described in further detail herein.

[0056]

[1070] In some embodiments, any of the devices described herein can be used in conjunction with and / or disposed within any suitable appliance, such as a refrigerator or an oven. In such embodiments, the device can utilize any suitable aspect of the appliance as described above with respect to Device 100. For example, as shown in FIGS. 5 - 7, in some embodiments, Device 300 can be substantially similar to Device 100 and / or 200 and can be configured, for example, for use within an oven. As shown in FIGS. 5 - 7, Device 300 can include a connector 301 configured to couple to a corresponding connector of the oven. In some embodiments, such a coupling can include coupling any suitable number of fluid flow paths, any suitable number of mechanical and / or electrical connections, and / or the like. Further, while Device 200 includes and / or is disposed within a housing 210, in embodiments (such as Device 300) configured to be inserted into an oven or other appliance, Device 300 need not be disposed within an outer housing. In some embodiments, components 302 of Device 300 (such as electrical and / or electronic components, such as a controller) can be disposed, for example, within a drawer of the oven and / or the like (FIG. 7). In yet other embodiments, any of Devices 100, 200, and / or 300 can be (e.g., permanently) incorporated into an appliance, thereby forming a composite appliance having any suitable number of functions.

[0057]

[1071] Figures 8 to 11 show a semi-autonomous storage and / or cooking device 400 according to one embodiment. The storage and / or cooking device 400 (also referred to herein as the "device") can be any suitable cooking device, machine, and / or system. As described in more detail herein, for example, the device 400 is configured to receive one or more foods disposed within one or more sealed packages, receive or obtain information associated with the one or more foods, store the one or more foods at a first temperature (e.g., a storage temperature) prior to cooking, and cook the one or more foods according to the information associated with the foods. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the device 400 can be substantially similar or the same as the storage and / or cooking devices 100 and 200 described above with respect to FIGS. 1, 3, and 4. Accordingly, the portions of the device 400 are not described in further detail herein.

[0058]

[1072] As shown in FIGS. 8 to 11, the device 400 includes a housing 410, a set of thermal containers 420, and a fluid circulation system 440. Although not shown in FIGS. 8 to 11, the device 400 can also include a controller and a power source, which can be similar to the controller 170 and the power source 173 described above with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2, respectively, at least in form and / or function. As shown, the housing 410 of the device 400 is configured to house a set of thermal containers 420, a fluid circulation system 440, and / or any other suitable portion of the device 400, and / or at least partially surround them. Further, the device 400 and / or the housing 410 of the device 400 can be configured to receive and / or at least temporarily house one or more food packages 435 selectively disposed within the device 400 and / or within the housing 410 of the device 400.

[0059]

[1073] The housing 410 can be of any suitable shape and can have, for example, a size appropriate for placement on or within a kitchen countertop, cabinet, and / or the like. The housing 410 includes a lid, door, and / or an access member (referred to herein as the "lid 412") that is movably coupled to the housing 410 and can transition from a closed configuration to an open configuration to allow a user access to the components housed within the housing 410. As described above with respect to the housing 210, the device 400 has a "front-loading" configuration that allows access to the inner portion of the housing 410 through the front of the device 400 by moving the lid 412 from a closed configuration (FIG. 8) to an open configuration (FIG. 9).

[0060]

[1074] As described above, at least a portion of the set of thermal containers 420, at least a portion of the fluid circulation system 440, and at least a portion of the controller are configured to be disposed within the housing 410. The thermal container 420 can be formed of and / or include any suitable material and / or combinations thereof, as described above with respect to the thermal containers 120 and / or 220. As described above, the configuration of the thermal container 420 can allow for independent control of the temperature associated with each thermal container 420 without substantially transferring thermal energy to an adjacent thermal container 420 or other portion of the device 400. In other words, the device 400 can have a multi-zone configuration that can independently store and / or cook food disposed within separate thermal containers 420 according to a set of instructions associated with each food item.

[0061]

[1075] In this embodiment, device 400 includes two thermal containers 420 (also referred to as "circulation pans"). Each thermal container 420 or circulation pan is configured to receive one or more food packages 435 (e.g., food cartridges, food containers, food packs, food pans, and / or any other suitable element configured to house and / or hold one or more foods). For example, in some embodiments, the first circulation pan 420 (e.g., the upper right circulation pan 420 shown in FIGS. 10 and 11) can be configured to receive a first food package 435 that houses a first type of food (e.g., meats and / or other proteins), and the second circulation pan 420 (e.g., the upper left circulation pan 420 shown in FIGS. 10 and 11) can be configured to receive a second food package that houses a second type of food (e.g., vegetables). In some examples, one or more foods can be pre-packaged (e.g., within a liquid-tight package or cartridge) and thereby inserted into one of the circulation pans 420 (see, e.g., FIGS. 10 and 11). The food package and / or cartridge can be of any suitable shape, size, and / or configuration. For example, in some embodiments, the food cartridge can be similar to the food cartridge described in "Publication '750" and / or "Application '819" at least in form and / or function. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, device 400 can also receive a third food package 435 (e.g., the lower right food package 435 shown in FIGS. 10 and 11) configured to house a third type of food (e.g., starches, carbohydrates, and / or the like), and a fourth food package 435 (e.g., the lower left food package 435 shown in FIGS. 10 and 11) configured to receive a fourth type of food (e.g., sauce, dressing, etc.).

[0062]

[1076] In some embodiments, the food package 435 disposed within the circulation pan 420 can be configured to receive thermal energy from a volume of fluid disposed within the food package 435 and / or a portion of the circulation pan 420, or a volume of fluid flowing through the circulation pan 420, or a volume of fluid flowing past the circulation pan 420, and / or to transfer thermal energy to a volume of fluid. For example, in some embodiments, a volume of fluid can be transferred through one or more inlets 445 to at least a portion of one or more food packages 435 so as to transfer thermal energy to and / or from the food disposed therein. In other embodiments, a volume of fluid can be transferred to a fluid flow path outside of the food package 435 (defined by the fluid circulation system 440) and / or can flow through the fluid flow path. For example, a volume of fluid can be transferred from one or more inlets 450 to one or more circulation pans 420 and discharged from one or more outlets 455. In some embodiments, the fluid can flow from one or more outlets 455 to one or more discharge reservoirs 442 or any other portion of the fluid circulation system 440 (e.g., back to the fluid reservoir 441, to a different circulation pan, a different food package 435, and / or the like). In some embodiments, at least a portion of a volume of fluid disposed within the circulation pan 420 can contact an outer surface of the food package 435 disposed therein, allowing thermal energy to be transferred therebetween. In some embodiments, one or more circulation pans 420 and / or one or more food packages 435 can include a siphon configuration 430 (e.g., the lower right food package 435 shown in FIGS. 10 and 11). The siphon configuration 430 can be the same as or substantially the same as the siphon configuration described in detail in Application '819.

[0063]

[1077] In some embodiments, device 400 may include a circulation pan 420 having any suitable combination of configurations. For example, in some embodiments, device 400 may include at least one circulation pan 420 configured to receive a volume of fluid through inlet 450 within a volume of the circulation pan 420 in which food package 435 is disposed. Further, fluid circulation system 440 may transfer a different volume of fluid through a different inlet 445 to a volume defined at least in part by food package 435 and may be configured such that the fluid contacts the food contained within food package 435 and the outer surface of food package 435 (e.g., a “double boil” or “double cooking” configuration as described in detail in application ’819). In this way, food package 435 and / or circulation pan 420 may be substantially similar in at least form and / or function to the food cartridge or package and / or thermal container 120 and / or 220 described above with respect to FIGS. 1 and / or 3 and 4. Accordingly, food package 435 and circulation pan 420 are not described in further detail herein.

[0064]

[1078] As defining a volume that receives a flow of fluid such that the fluid contacts the outer surface of food package 435 disposed therein, one or more circulation pans 420 are described herein with respect to FIGS. 8 through 11, but in some embodiments, one or more circulation pans 420 may have any suitable configuration while providing a similar or substantially the same function. For example, in some embodiments, device 400 may include a series of coils that contact the outer surface of one or more food packages 435 and through which the fluid circulation system can provide a flow of cooled or heated fluid (e.g., water).

[0065]

[1079] The fluid circulation system 440 of device 400 can be of any suitable shape, size, and / or configuration. The fluid circulation system 440 is configured to adjust the temperature of a working fluid, such as water, that is at least temporarily disposed within the fluid reservoir 441. For example, the fluid circulation system 440 can include any number of fluid conduits, tubes, pipes, valves, solenoids, pumps, and / or the like configured to fluidly couple the fluid reservoir 441 to any suitable number of fluid flow paths within the device 400. The fluid circulation system 440 can also include a discharge reservoir 442 configured to receive (e.g., from one or more outlets 455 or one or more fluid flow paths) a volume of fluid that has been used to cool and / or heat one or more food items. Additionally, the device 400 and / or the fluid circulation system 440 can include any number of heat exchangers and / or heat exchanger assemblies, heat sinks, heating elements, steamers, heat diffusers, cooling elements, chillers, and / or the like. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, the device 400 and / or the fluid circulation system 440 can include a cooling member 475 (e.g., a chamber, flow path, volume, element, and / or the like) disposed around the circulation pan 420. In other embodiments, the device 400 and / or the fluid circulation system 440 can include any number of heating members and / or cooling members (e.g., one or more heating elements 460 or cooling members 475 shown in FIG. 11) disposed within any suitable location and / or in any other suitable configuration. In some embodiments, a series of cooling members 475 (e.g., chambers, flow paths, volumes, elements, etc.) can be disposed within the device 400 so as to surround, or substantially surround, the internal volume of the device 400 that is configured to receive the food package 435.

[0066]

[1080] In some embodiments, the fluid circulation system 440 and / or a part thereof may be similar in form and / or function to the fluid circulation system 140 and / or 240 described in detail above with respect to FIGS. 1 and / or 3 and 4. In some embodiments, the fluid circulation system 440 may be similar in form and / or function to the fluid circulation systems described in detail in Publication ’383, Publication ’750, and / or Application ’819, which are incorporated by reference above. Accordingly, the fluid circulation system 440 is not described in further detail herein.

[0067]

[1081] As shown in FIG. 11, in some embodiments, the device 400 and / or one or more circulation pans 420 may include a heating element 460 configured to transfer thermal energy to the foodstuffs contained therein. For example, in some embodiments, the device 400 can heat the heating element 460 to a desired temperature and receive instructions (e.g., from a controller, etc.) to roast, bake, grill, brown, toast, and / or cook the foodstuffs in other ways via the heating element 460, in addition to, or in place of, the heated fluid. In some such embodiments, the cooking procedure can be split into, for example, two operations as described above. Further, although the heating element 460 is specifically shown in FIG. 11, in some embodiments, the device 400 may include any suitable number of heating elements disposed at any desired location within the device 400. For example, in some embodiments, the device 400 may include heating elements in spaces and / or portions disposed above or below one or more circulation pans 420 and / or food packages 435. As a specific example, the device 400 may include a heating element in a space 465 below the lower right food package 435 (e.g., a food package containing starch) shown in FIG. 11.

[0068]

[1082] Figures 12 through 21 illustrate a semi-autonomous storage and / or cooking device 500 according to one embodiment. The storage and / or cooking device 500 (also referred to herein as the "device") can be any suitable cooking device, machine, and / or system. As described in more detail herein, for example, the device 500 can receive one or more food items (e.g., food items disposed within one or more sealed packages, loose food, and / or the like), receive or obtain information associated with the one or more food items, store the one or more food items at a desired temperature (e.g., a first temperature such as a cold or low-temperature storage temperature) prior to cooking, and be configured to cook and / or warm the one or more food items according to the information associated with each food item.

[0069]

[1083] The device 500 includes a housing 510, one or more thermal containers 520 (also referred to herein as circulation pans), a fluid circulation system 540, and a controller 570. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the device 500 can be the same as or substantially the same as the storage and / or cooking devices 100, 200, and / or 400 described above. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the device 500 can be the same as or substantially the same as the storage and / or cooking device described in Publication '383, which is incorporated by reference above. Accordingly, similar portions of the device 500 may not be described in further detail herein.

[0070]

[1084] For example, in some embodiments, controller 570 may be similar to controller 170 described above with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2, at least in form and / or function. As described above with respect to controller 170, controller 570 may include any suitable electronic and / or electromechanical device configured to at least semi-autonomously control at least a portion of device 500. Specifically, controller 570 may include at least a processor, a memory, and an input / output (I / O) interface, each of which may be similar and / or substantially the same as those described above with respect to controller 170. Thus, the processor may be configured to run or execute a set of instructions or code stored in the memory associated with the operation of one or more portions of device 500, and the I / O interface may transmit signals to and / or receive signals from the processor and / or any other suitable electrical and / or electronic device or component included in device 500 (e.g., one or more sensors, heat exchangers, heating elements, chillers, compressors, boilers, grills, steam generators, pumps, valves, solenoids, scanners, etc.).

[0071]

[1085] In some examples, when the device 500 is in a first operating mode, the controller 570 can implement and / or execute one or more processes (refrigeration and / or storage modes) associated with maintaining one or more foods contained within the device 500 below a predetermined temperature. In response to an input (e.g., user input, automatic schedule, and / or satisfaction of one or more criteria), the device 500 can transition to a second operating mode in which the controller 570 can implement and / or execute one or more processes associated with cooking one or more foods contained within the device 500. As described in more detail herein, in both the first operating mode and the second operating mode, the controller 570 can send and / or receive signals from any number of devices and / or components to transfer thermal energy from and / or to one or more foods (e.g., cooling or the first operating mode) and / or to transfer thermal energy to one or more foods (e.g., cooking or the second operating mode).

[0072]

[1086] As another example, in some embodiments, the fluid circulation system 540 and / or a portion thereof can be similar in form and / or function to the fluid circulation systems 140, 240, and / or 440 described in detail above, and / or can be similar to the fluid circulation systems described in detail in Publication ’383, Publication ’750, and / or Application ’819, which are incorporated by reference above.

[0073]

[1087] As described above with respect to fluid circulation systems 140, 240, and / or 440, fluid circulation system 540 is configured to adjust the temperature of a working fluid, such as water, that is at least temporarily disposed within fluid reservoir 541. Fluid circulation system 540 can be of any suitable shape, size, and / or configuration and can include any suitable components or combinations of components. For example, fluid circulation system 540 can include any number of fluid conduits, tubes, pipes, valves, solenoids, pumps, and / or the like configured to fluidly couple fluid reservoir 541 to any suitable number of fluid flow paths within device 500. Further, device 500 and / or fluid circulation system 540 can include any number of heat exchangers and / or heat exchanger assemblies, heat sinks, heating elements, boilers, steamers, heat diffusers, cooling elements, chillers, compressors, evaporators, condensers, and / or the like. Fluid circulation system 540 can also include a drain reservoir 542 configured to receive (e.g., from one or more outlets or one or more fluid flow paths) a volume of fluid that has been used to cool and / or heat one or more food items, as described in further detail herein.

[0074]

[1088] As shown in FIGS. 12 through 16, housing 510 of device 500 is configured to house and / or at least partially surround one or more thermal containers 520, fluid circulation system 540, and / or any other suitable portions of device 500. Further, device 500 and / or housing 510 of device 500 can be configured to receive and / or at least temporarily house one or more food containers that are selectively disposed within device 500 and / or within housing 510 of device 500, as described in further detail herein.

[0075]

[1089] The housing 510 can be of any suitable shape and can have a size appropriate for placement on and / or within, for example, a kitchen countertop, cabinet, and / or the like. As shown in FIGS. 12 through 14, the housing 510 includes a lid, door, and / or access member (referred to herein as the "lid 512") that is movably coupled to the housing 510 and can transition from a closed configuration to an open configuration to allow a user access to components housed within the housing 510. More specifically, the lid 512 can have and / or be coupled to a handle 513, and the handle 513 can be engaged by a user to move the lid 512 between the open and closed configurations. As described above with respect to housings 210 and 410, the device 500 has a "front-loading" configuration that allows access to the inner portion of the housing 510 through the front of the device 500 by moving the lid 512 from the closed configuration (FIGS. 12 and 13) to the open configuration (FIG. 14).

[0076]

[1090] Device 500 and / or housing 510 includes and / or defines a plurality of zones, and these portions can be independently controlled to store and / or cook one or more foods based on information and / or instructions associated with the foods. As shown in FIG. 14, device 500 and / or housing 510 includes and / or defines a first zone 515, a second zone 516, a third zone 517, and a fourth zone 518. In some embodiments, each zone can be configured to receive a given and / or predetermined type of food. For example, in some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the first zone 515 can be configured to receive a first type of food (e.g., protein such as meat protein) disposed within a first food container 535A, the second zone 516 can be configured to receive a second type of food (e.g., vegetables) disposed within a second food container 535B, the third zone 517 can be configured to receive a third type of food (e.g., starch such as pasta, rice) disposed within a third food container 536, and the fourth zone 518 can be configured to receive a fourth type of food (e.g., sauce, condiment, seasoning) disposed within a fourth food container 537.

[0077]

[1091] Device 500 is shown and described as having zones 515, 516, 517, and / or 518 arranged in a particular manner and / or configuration, but it should be understood that such a configuration is presented by way of example only and is not limiting. Zones 515, 516, 517, and 518 are described as being configured to receive food containers having and / or containing a particular type of food, but in other embodiments, each zone 515, 516, 517, and / or 518 can include any suitable features and / or components that enable that zone to store and / or cook any suitable food and / or type of food.

[0078]

[1092] Each zone 515, 516, 517, and / or 518 may include one or more elements and / or features configured to store and / or cook a particular type of food it receives via one or more modalities. For example, as shown in FIG. 16, the first zone 515 may include an inlet 545 configured to convey a volume of heated fluid (e.g., water) to a food container 535A, and a heating element 560A configured to transfer thermal energy to food disposed within the food container 535A (e.g., via conduction). Similarly, the second zone 516 may include a heating element 560B configured to transfer thermal energy to food disposed within the food container 535B (e.g., via conduction). The third zone 517 may include an inlet 546 configured to convey a volume of heated fluid (e.g., boiling or near-boiling water) to a food container 536, and a heating element 561 (see, e.g., FIG. 14) configured to transfer thermal energy to food and / or fluid disposed within the food container 536 (e.g., via conduction). In some embodiments, the fourth zone 518 does not include elements and / or features for storing and / or cooking a fourth food disposed within a fourth food container 537. In such embodiments, the device 500 may be configured to transfer heat, warmth, and / or thermal energy in other ways to the fourth food disposed within the fourth zone 518 by the ambient temperature within at least a portion of the housing 510. For example, in some instances, the fourth food container 537 may be configured to receive a source intended to be warmed. Thus, the ambient heat within the housing 510 can be used, for example, as a source of thermal energy to warm a source disposed within the fourth food container 537. In other embodiments, the fourth zone 518 may include any suitable elements and / or features such as those described herein.

[0079]

[1093] As described above with respect to devices 100, 200, and / or 400, device 500 includes one or more thermal containers 520 configured to receive one or more food containers. More specifically, in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 12 to 21, device 500 includes one thermal container 520 (also referred to herein as a circulation pan 520) having a first portion 520A configured to receive a first food container 535A and a second portion 520B configured to receive a second food container 535B. In some embodiments, the first portion 520A of the circulation pan 520 and the first food container 535A may collectively be, for example, a first thermal container configured to store and / or cook a first food, and / or may collectively form a first thermal container configured to store and / or cook a first food. Similarly, in some embodiments, the second portion 520B of the circulation pan 520 and the second food container 535B may collectively be, for example, a second thermal container configured to store and / or cook a second food, and / or may collectively form a second thermal container.

[0080]

[1094] The circulation pan 520 can be formed of and / or include any suitable materials and / or combinations thereof, as described above with respect to thermal containers (or circulation pans) 120, 220, and / or 420. As described above, the configuration of the circulation pan 520 can allow for independent control of the temperature associated with each of portions 520A and 520B without substantially transferring thermal energy. In other words, device 500 can have a multi-zone configuration that can independently store and / or cook food disposed within separate portions 520A and 520B according to a set of instructions associated with each food.

[0081]

[1095] As shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the circulation pan 520 includes a first member 521 (e.g., a lower member) and a second member 522 (e.g., an upper member). In some embodiments, the first member 521 and the second member 522 can be connected to each other and / or arranged adjacent to each other, and a first portion 521A of the first member 521 and a first portion 522A of the upper member 522 collectively define and / or collectively form an opening, a container, a cavity, a pan, and / or the like (referred to herein as cavity 523A). Similarly, a second portion 521B of the first member 521 and a second portion 522B of the second member 522 collectively define and / or collectively form an opening, a container, a cavity, a pan, and / or the like (referred to herein as food cavity 523B). As described in more detail herein, the food cavity 523A is configured to receive a first food container 535A, and the food cavity 523B is configured to receive a second food container 535B (see, e.g., FIG. 17).

[0082]

[1096] As shown in FIG. 18, the first portion 521A of the first member 521 defines a first circulation volume 526A, and the first portion 522A of the second member defines a first circulation volume 527A. The circulation volumes 526A and 527A of the first portion 520A of the circulation pan 520 surround the food cavity 523A and are configured to receive a volume of fluid that circulates through a part of the fluid circulation system 540. More specifically, the first portion 521A of the first member 521 includes an inlet 550A and an outlet 555A, each of which can be connected to any suitable piping or conduit of the fluid circulation system 540. Next, the piping and / or conduit can be connected to any suitable solenoid, valve, pump, etc., thereby enabling the fluid circulation system 540 to circulate a volume of fluid through the circulation volume 526A. Similarly, the first portion 522A of the second member 522 includes an inlet 525A and an outlet 526A that can be connected to any suitable piping or conduit of the fluid circulation system 540, thereby enabling the fluid circulation system 540 to circulate a volume of fluid through the circulation volume 527A.

[0083]

[1097] As shown in FIG. 19, the first portion 522A of the second member 522 is connected to the inlet 545 and the heating element 560. Although not shown, the inlet 545 can be connected to any suitable piping or conduit of the fluid circulation system 540. Further, the inlet 545 is configured to extend through the second member 522 and be disposed at least partially within the food cavity 523A (see, for example, FIGS. 16 and 21). Thus, the inlet 545 can be configured to convey a volume of fluid into the food container 535A disposed within the food cavity 523A. The heating element 560A can be physically and / or electrically connected to the controller 570 (and / or its power source). Similar to the inlet 545, the heating element 560A is configured to extend through the second member 522 and be disposed at least partially within the food cavity 523A (see, for example, FIGS. 16, 18, and 21). Thus, in response to the flow of electricity, the heating element 560A can be heated, whereby thermal energy is transferred to the food disposed within the food container 535A. In some embodiments, the heating element 560A can be configured to at least partially bake or grill the food disposed within the food container 535A.

[0084]

[1098] The second part 520B of the circulation pan 520 can be substantially the same as the first part 520A of the circulation pan 520. Thus, the second part 521B of the first member 521 is the same as the first circulation volume 526A but defines an independent second circulation volume 526B, and the second part 522B of the second member 522 is the same as the second circulation volume 527A but defines an independent second circulation volume 527B. The circulation volumes 526B and 527B of the second part 520B surround the food cavity 523B and are configured to receive a volume of fluid that circulates through a part of the fluid circulation system 540. As shown, the second part 521B of the first member 521 includes an inlet 550B and an outlet 555B, and the second part 522B of the second member 522 includes an inlet 525B and an outlet 526B, and as described above with respect to the first part 520A, these are each operable to place the circulation volumes 526B and 527B in fluid communication with the fluid circulation system. Further, a temperature sensor 524A (e.g., a thermometer) can be disposed within the food cavity 523A, and a temperature sensor 524B (e.g., a thermometer) can be disposed within the food cavity 523B, and these are each configured to sense, detect, and / or monitor the temperature within the food cavities 523A and 523B.

[0085]

[1099] As described above with respect to the first portion 520A, the second portion 522B of the second member 522 is connected to a heating element 560B that is at least partially disposed within the food cavity 523B and / or, alternatively, includes the heating element 560B (see, for example, FIGS. 16, 18, and 21). Thus, in response to the flow of electricity, the heating element 560B can be heated, whereby thermal energy is transferred to the food disposed within the food container 535B, as described above with respect to the first portion 520A. In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 12 through 21, the second portion 522B of the second member 522 is not connected to or, alternatively, does not include an inlet such as the inlet 545 described above with respect to the first portion 522A. For example, in some embodiments, the second zone 516 can be configured to preserve and / or cook the food disposed within the food container 535B via one or more modalities that do not include conveying a volume of fluid to the food container 535B. However, in other embodiments, the second portion 522B can include and / or be connected to an inlet configured to convey a volume of fluid to the food container 535B disposed within the food cavity 523B.

[0086]

[1100] The circulation pan 520 has been described above as including a lower member 521 having portions 521A and 521B and an upper member 522 having portions 522A and 522B, but in other embodiments, the device 500 can include a plurality of circulation pans. For example, in such embodiments, the first portion 520A and the second portion 520B of the circulation pan 520 would be formed independently. In some such embodiments, the plurality of circulation pans can be connected to each other within the housing 510 or, alternatively, assembled independently. In this way, a device having a plurality of circulation pans can be functionally similar or identical to the circulation pan 520.

[0087]

[1101] As described above, the food cavities 523A and 523B are each configured to receive food containers 535A and 535B, respectively. The food containers 535A and / or 535B can be of any suitable shape, size, and / or configuration. In some embodiments, the food containers 535A and 535B can be substantially similar, while in other embodiments, the food container 535A can have a different size, shape, and / or configuration than the food container 535B. Further, the configuration of the food containers 535A and / or 535B can be such that when the food containers 535A and / or 535B are inserted into the food cavities 523A and / or 523B, one or more surfaces of the food containers 535A and / or 535B can contact or be relatively close to one or more surfaces of the circulation pan 520. In some embodiments, such a configuration can facilitate the transfer of thermal energy to or from one or more foods disposed within the food containers 535A and / or 535B.

[0088]

[1102] In some embodiments, the food containers 535A and / or 535B may be pre-packaged (e.g., within a liquid-tight package or cartridge), whereby they are each inserted into one of the food cavities 523A and / or 523B. For example, in some embodiments, the food containers 535A and / or 535B may be similar to the food cartridges described in Publication ’750 and / or Application ’819, at least in form and / or function. In some embodiments, the food containers 535A and 535B may be disposable bread pans, trays, packages, and / or the like. In some examples, such food containers can be sealed via a removable cover, lid, seal, cellophane, and / or any other suitable package prior to use and removed when the food containers are placed in the device 500. In other embodiments, the food containers 535A and 535B may be reusable bread pans, trays, and / or the like into which a user can place one or more foods. In other words, the food containers 535A and / or 535B may contain pre-packaged food or be able to receive one or more loose foods and / or foods not pre-packaged in any other way.

[0089]

[1103] In some embodiments, food container 535A can be configured to receive and / or contain a first type of food, such as protein, and food container 535B can be configured to receive and / or contain a second type of food, such as vegetables. In some examples, the food within food container 535A and / or 535B can be packaged according to one or more cooking modalities used to cook that type of food. For example, in some embodiments, the food (e.g., protein) contained in food container 535A can be placed in a sealed pouch and placed within food container 535A, and device 500 can be configured to cook the food at least in part via sous vide cooking (e.g., vacuum cooking). In other embodiments, the food need not be contained in a sealed pouch, and device 500 can be configured to cook the food at least in part via one or more other modalities. In some embodiments, the food (e.g., vegetables) placed within food container 535B can be loose (e.g., not placed within a further package such as a pouch), and device 500 can be configured to cook the food (e.g., vegetables) via steaming, roasting, grilling, and / or the like. Further, the food placed in and / or contained by food container 535A and / or 535B can be pre-packaged via a meal preparation and / or delivery service, or can be user-supplied (e.g., the user places food purchased from a grocery store into food container 535A and / or 535B).

[0090]

[1104] As described above, the third zone 517 includes an inlet 546 and a heating element 561 (see, e.g., FIG. 14) and is configured to receive a third food container 536 (see, e.g., FIGS. 15, 16, 20, and 21). In some embodiments, the third food container 536 can be, for example, a third thermal container 520 configured to contain and / or receive a third type of food (e.g., starches, carbohydrates, and / or the like), and / or can form the third thermal container 520. In some examples, the food can be pre-packaged and provided via a meal preparation and / or meal delivery service, or provided by the user. In some examples, the food can be removed from any package, etc., and poured and / or placed into the food container 536. That is, the food container 536 can be configured to receive "loose" or unpackaged food.

[0091]

[1105] The food container 536 disposed within the third zone 517 can be of any suitable shape, size, and / or configuration. For example, in some embodiments, the food container 536 can be substantially similar to the food container 535A and / or the food container 535B. In other embodiments, the food container 536 can be similar and / or substantially the same as, for example, the food containers described in detail in application '819. As shown in FIG. 26, the food container 536 includes a container portion 536A configured to receive one or more foods and a siphon portion 530 configured to selectively discharge a volume of fluid from the container portion 536A. Although not shown, in some embodiments, the container portion 536A can include an internal screen, mesh, and / or at least a semi-permeable member configured to allow fluid to pass through the screen, mesh, and / or semi-permeable member while holding the food within a volume defined by the screen, mesh, and / or semi-permeable member.

[0092]

[1106] In some embodiments, the third zone 517 can be configured to cook food disposed within the food container 536 by boiling and / or by fluid immersion in a volume of hot water or near-boiling water. As described above, the third zone 517 can include an inlet 546 (see, e.g., FIGS. 16 and 21) coupled to any suitable piping and / or conduit of the fluid circulation system 540, which can in turn be coupled to any suitable solenoid, valve, pump, etc. In this way, the device 500 and / or the fluid circulation system 540 can be configured to convey a volume of hot fluid (e.g., boiling or near-boiling water) to the food container 536 in which a third type of food (e.g., pasta, rice, etc., starches) is disposed, thereby cooking the food. Additionally, the third zone 517 includes a heating element 561 configured to transfer thermal energy to the food and / or the fluid disposed within the food container 536. In some embodiments, the heating element 561 can be, for example, a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heater and / or any other suitable heater. In some embodiments, the food container 536 can be disposed within the third zone 517 such that the surface of the food container 536 contacts and / or is in proximity to the heating element 561. In this way, in some examples, the fluid circulation system 540 can be configured to convey a volume of fluid at a first temperature (e.g., below the boiling point of the fluid) to the food container 536, as described in more detail herein, and the heating element 561 can be configured to transfer additional thermal energy to a volume of fluid to raise the temperature of a volume of fluid (e.g., near the boiling point of the fluid, at the boiling point, or above the boiling point of the fluid).

[0093]

[1107] As shown in FIG. 20, the siphon 530 is connected to and / or integrally formed with the container portion 536A. In some embodiments, the siphon 530 includes a siphon tube 532 and a cover 531 configured to cover and / or protect the siphon tube 532. The siphon tube 532 is in fluid communication with the container portion 536A via an outlet (not shown) disposed at or near its bottom. As described in detail in application '819, the siphon 530 can be configured to discharge at least a portion of the fluid disposed within the container portion 536A in response to a volume of fluid exceeding a predetermined volume and / or a threshold volume. For example, in some embodiments, a predetermined volume and / or a desired volume of fluid can be conveyed to the container portion 536A (e.g., via the inlet 546). The predetermined volume of fluid may be sufficient to submerge the food disposed within the container portion 536A but may be insufficient to initiate a predetermined volume of suction (e.g., discharge). Thus, the predetermined volume of fluid can be configured to cook the food (e.g., pasta, etc.). After cooking the food to the desired amount, an additional volume of fluid can be conveyed to the container portion 536A (e.g., via the inlet 546), thereby increasing a volume of fluid within the container portion 536A to an extent that exceeds the threshold volume of fluid sufficient to activate and / or initiate the siphon 530. Accordingly, the siphon 530 can be configured to discharge the fluid from the container portion 536A, for example, to a discharge reservoir 542 (see, e.g., FIGS. 14 and 21), in response to an increase in the volume of fluid disposed therein.

[0094]

[1108] As described above, the fourth zone 518 of the device 500 and / or the housing 510 are configured to receive a fourth food container 537. The food container 537 can be of any suitable shape, size, and / or configuration. In some embodiments, the food container 537 can be similar and / or substantially the same as any of the food containers 535A, 535B, and / or 536 described herein. More specifically, in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 12 to 21, the food container 537 can be a bread, tray, bin, receptacle, and / or any other suitable container. In some embodiments, the food container 537 can be disposable, while in other embodiments, the food container 537 can be washable and reusable. In some embodiments, the food container 537 is configured to receive one or more packaged foods (e.g., foods within separate or additional pouches, bags, containers, cups, etc.). For example, as described above, the food container 537 can be configured to receive a fourth type of food such as a sauce, dressing, seasoning, topping, condiment, and / or the like, and thereby can be disposed within a disposable package such as a pouch.

[0095]

[1109] Device 500 can be configured to transfer thermal energy to or from food disposed within food container 537 via any suitable modality. For example, in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 12-21, fourth zone 518 can be configured to transfer thermal energy between food disposed within food container 537 and the ambient environment within at least a portion of housing 510. More specifically, when device 500 is in the first operating mode or the storage operating mode, a cold or cooled fluid can be circulated through a portion of circulation pan 520, thereby reducing the ambient temperature within housing 510. Accordingly, when device 500 is in the first operating mode, the relatively cold ambient temperature can cool the food disposed within food container 537. Conversely, when the device is in the second operating mode or the cooking operating mode, a hot or heated fluid can be circulated through a portion of circulation pan 520, thereby increasing the ambient temperature within housing 510. Accordingly, when device 500 is in the second operating mode, the relatively warm ambient temperature can warm the food disposed within food container 537. Fourth zone 518 has been described as one in which thermal energy is transferred between food disposed within food container 537 and the ambient environment within at least a portion of housing 510, but in other embodiments, fourth zone 518 can include any of the components and / or features described above with respect to zones 515, 516, and / or 517.

[0096]

[1110] The following describes an example of a device 500 in operation. In some embodiments, a user can provide information associated with one or more foods stored and / or prepared by the device 500. In some examples, for instance, the one or more foods can be pre-packaged foods provided by a meal preparation and / or delivery service. In such embodiments, the package and / or food container can include a communication tag or device that can communicate with the controller 570 when placed within a predetermined proximity of a scanner or reader of the controller 570. For example, in some embodiments, the package and / or food container can include an RFID tag, a QR code, a barcode, an NFC tag or device, and / or the like (e.g., as described in and / or incorporated by reference above in Publication ’383, Publication ’750, and / or Application ’819). In other embodiments, the food need not be pre-packaged and / or need not be placed within a package or container having a communication tag or device in some other manner. In such embodiments, the user can provide an input to the controller 570, for example, to identify the food. For example, the user can operate a user interface of the controller 570 to select a food from a list of foods. In other examples, the user can operate a remote control device such as a mobile device, a smartphone, a tablet, a computer, a smart home digital assistant, and / or the like using an application, a program, a web browser, and / or the like.

[0097]

[1111] When the controller 570 identifies the food, the food can be placed within the food container and / or the food container can be inserted into the device 500. For example, as described above, one or more proteins can be placed within the food container 535A and then inserted into the food cavity 523A (e.g., of the first zone 515), one or more vegetables can be placed within the food container 535B and then inserted into the food cavity 523B (e.g., of the second zone 516), one or more starches or carbohydrates (e.g., pasta) can be placed within the food container 536 and inserted into the third zone 517, and one or more sauces, dressings, toppings, etc. can be placed within the food container 537 and inserted into the fourth zone 518.

[0098]

[1112] In some examples, the user can provide input to the controller 570 that can initiate the device 500 (e.g., directly via the user interface of the controller 570 or via a remote device such as a mobile device, smartphone, tablet, computer, smart home digital assistant, etc.). In some examples, the user can select to have the device 500 immediately cook the food. In response to the user input, the controller 570 can put the device 500 into a second mode of operation (e.g., a cooking mode of operation) to cook the food according to instructions associated with the food identified by the device 500, as described in further detail herein.

[0099]

[1113] In other examples, the user can input the desired time when they want to eat the food. In such examples, the controller 570 can determine the time at which one or more cooking operations should be performed so that the food is cooked and ready to be eaten at the desired time. In some examples, prior to cooking the food, the controller 570 can be configured to put the device 500 into a first operating mode (e.g., a storage operating mode) in which the device 500 stores the food for a desired period. For example, in some examples, the device 500 and / or the fluid circulation system 540 can cool a volume of fluid (e.g., at least a portion of the fluid in the fluid reservoir 541), and circulate a volume of the cooled fluid through the fluid circulation system 540 and, for example, the circulation volumes 526A and 527A of the first zone 515 and the circulation volumes 526B and 527B of the second zone 516. Thus, thermal energy can be transferred from the relatively warm food disposed within the food container 535A to the relatively cold volume of fluid circulating through the circulation volumes 526A and 527A, and also from the relatively warm food disposed within the food container 535B to the relatively cold volume of fluid circulating through the circulation volumes 526B and 527B. In some examples, the food disposed within the food container 535A and / or 535B can be cooled to a desired refrigeration temperature, such as, for example, about 40°F.

[0100]

[1114] As described above, the cooling fluid circulating through the circulation pan 520 (e.g., through the first zone 515 and the second zone 516) can lower the ambient temperature within at least a portion of the housing 510. The relatively cold ambient temperature within the housing 510 can thereby be operable to cool the food disposed within the food containers 536 and / or 537. More specifically, in some embodiments, the food disposed within the third zone 517 can be, for example, dry pasta or other dry starches that are not generally refrigerated foods. Similarly, the food disposed within the fourth zone 518 can be, for example, a source that can be pre-packaged in a sealed pouch or container, thereby reducing and / or eliminating the need to refrigerate the food. In this way, the cooling of the food disposed within the third zone 517 and / or the fourth zone 518 via the relatively cold ambient environment within the housing 510 can be sufficient for a given food type and / or item.

[0101]

[1115] In some examples, the controller 570 can be configured to transition the device 500 from a first operating mode to a second operating mode. For example, in some examples, the controller 570 can cause the device 500 to transition in response to one or more criteria being met. Such criteria can be, for example, a predetermined time to start cooking, an input provided by the user (either directly or via a remote device such as a smartphone, tablet, computer, smart home digital assistant, and / or the like), and / or any other suitable criteria. Accordingly, the controller 570 can execute one or more processes associated with putting the device 500 into the second operating mode.

[0102]

[1116] In some examples, device 500 and / or fluid circulation system 540 can heat a volume of fluid (e.g., a portion of the cooled fluid or another volume of fluid from fluid reservoir 541), and can circulate a volume of heated fluid through fluid circulation system 540 and, for example, at least the circulation volumes 526A and 527A of the first zone 515. Thus, thermal energy can be transferred from the relatively cold food disposed within food container 535A to the relatively warm volume of fluid circulating through circulation volumes 526A and 527A (see, for example, FIG. 21). In some examples, device 500 and / or fluid circulation system 540 can also convey a volume of heated fluid to inlet 545 (see, for example, FIG. 21), whereby a volume of heated fluid is conveyed into food container 535A disposed within the first zone 515 such that food (e.g., protein) is at least partially submerged or immersed in a volume of fluid within food container 535A. In this way, a volume of fluid disposed within food container 535A can transfer thermal energy to the food disposed therein. Additionally, a volume of fluid circulating through circulation volumes 526A and 527A can transfer thermal energy to the food and a volume of fluid disposed within food container 535A. In some examples, the thermal energy transferred from the fluid circulating through circulation volumes 526A and 527A can consistently maintain a volume of fluid within food container 535A at a predetermined and / or desired temperature, which otherwise would be subject to losses due to heat transfer to the food and / or the surrounding environment. Thus, in this example, device 500 can be configured to cook food disposed within the first zone 515 via fluid immersion or sous vide cooking.

[0103]

[1117] Device 500 and / or fluid circulation system 540 can also heat a volume of fluid (e.g., a portion of the heated fluid circulating through the first zone 515 or another volume of fluid from the fluid reservoir 541), and can circulate a volume of heated fluid through the first circulation system 540 and, for example, at least the circulation volumes 526B and 527B of the second zone 516 (see, e.g., FIG. 21). Thus, thermal energy can be transferred from the relatively cold food disposed within the food container 535B to the relatively warm volume of fluid circulating through the circulation volumes 526B and 527B. In this way, the second zone 516 can be configured to bake or roast the food disposed within the food container 535B. Although not shown herein, in some embodiments, the second zone 516 can include, for example, a steam outlet configured to convey a volume of steam into the food container 535B to steam the food disposed therein. Such a steam outlet can be fluidly coupled to the fluid circulation system 540 and can receive a flow of steam from one or more portions of the fluid circulation system 540 (e.g., a steam generator, etc.).

[0104]

[1118] Device 500 and / or fluid circulation system 540 can also heat a volume of fluid (e.g., a portion of the heated fluid circulating through the first zone 515 and / or the second zone 516 or another volume of fluid from the fluid reservoir 541), and can convey a volume of heated fluid to, for example, an inlet 546 disposed within the third zone 517 (see, e.g., FIG. 21). Thus, without activating and / or starting the siphon 530, a desired volume of heated fluid sufficient to substantially submerge the food disposed within the food container 536 can be transferred into the food container 536. As described in detail above, in some examples, the heated fluid can have a boiling point or a temperature near the boiling point, thereby boiling the food disposed within the food container 536. In other embodiments, the heated fluid can have a temperature below the boiling point, and the heating element 561 can be configured to transfer thermal energy to a volume of fluid within the food container 536 to raise the temperature of a volume of fluid to a temperature near, at, or above the boiling point of the fluid (e.g., about 212°F for water). Thus, the third zone 517 can be configured to boil or substantially boil the food disposed within the food container 536.

[0105]

[1119] In some examples, device 500 and / or fluid circulation system 540 can be configured to convey an additional volume of fluid into the food container 536 after the food within the food container 536 has been cooked for a desired time and / or a desired amount. As described above, an increase in the volume of a volume of fluid can be sufficient to activate and / or start the siphon 530 such that a volume of fluid is discharged from the food container 536 to the discharge reservoir 542 (via the siphon tube 532) (see, e.g., FIG. 21).

[0106]

[1120] Device 500 is further configured to transfer thermal energy to food disposed within the fourth zone 518. As described above, in some embodiments, the fourth zone 518 is configured to transfer thermal energy between the food disposed therein and at least a portion of the ambient environment within the housing 510. Thus, by transferring and / or circulating a volume of heated fluid to at least one of, or through at least one of, the first zone 515, the second zone 516, and / or the third zone 517, at least a portion of the thermal energy associated with the circulating fluid is transferred to the ambient environment within the housing 510, thereby increasing the ambient temperature. As described above, in some examples, the relatively warm ambient temperature may thereby be operable to warm food disposed within a food container 537 disposed within the fourth zone 518.

[0107]

[1121] In some examples, device 500 can circulate heated fluid substantially simultaneously through the first zone 515, the second zone 516, and / or the third zone 517. Further, in some embodiments, the fluid circulating through the first zone 515, the second zone 516, and / or the third zone 517 can flow through one or more similar flow paths and / or can be at least partially shared among zones 515, 516, and / or 517. In other embodiments, the fluid circulation system 540 can independently control and / or circulate a separate volume of fluid flowing through each of zones 515, 516, and / or 517. In other words, device 500 can convey, circulate, and / or maintain a volume of fluid within the first zone 515 at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time according to cooking instructions associated with food disposed within the first zone 515, device 500 can convey, circulate, and / or maintain a separate volume of fluid within the second zone 516 at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time according to cooking instructions associated with food disposed within the second zone 516, and device 500 can convey, circulate, and / or maintain a separate volume of fluid within the third zone 517 at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time according to cooking instructions associated with food disposed within the third zone 517.

[0108]

[1122] In some examples, the device 500 may be configured to transfer thermal energy to food disposed within the first zone 515 and the second zone 516, respectively, via the heating elements 560A and 560B, and / or otherwise at least partially cook them. For example, in some examples, the device 500 may be configured to drain a volume of fluid from the food container 535 after cooking a desired amount of food disposed within the first zone 515 via a first modality (e.g., sous vide cooking). In other examples, the device 500 may be configured to provide the user with a notification indicating that the device 500 has completed a desired amount of cooking via the first modality. Accordingly, the user may be able to remove the food container 535A (e.g., the device 500 may be able to automatically pause one or more operations to enable the user to remove the food container 535A), and also drain the fluid from the food container 535A (e.g., by pouring it into the fluid drain reservoir 542 and / or a sink or bowl external to the device 500). The device 500 may be configured to supply an electric power flow operable to activate or heat the heating element 560A to the heating element 560 once draining and replacement within the food cavity 523A has occurred. In some examples, the device 500 may be configured to heat the heating element 560A to a desired temperature and for a desired time sufficient to finish cooking the food disposed within the food container 535A. In some examples, the use of the heating element 560A may result in a desired color of the food, one or more parts becoming crispy, and / or the like.

[0109]

[1123] In some examples, device 500 can be configured to transfer thermal energy to food disposed within second zone 516 and / or otherwise at least partially cook the food in a manner substantially similar to that described above with respect to the first zone 515. In some examples, the cooking modality used to at least partially cook food disposed within the second zone 516 does not include submerging the food in a volume of fluid (e.g., is not sous vide cooking modality). Thus, in some examples, device 500 does not need to drain a volume of fluid from food container 535B, and in this way, device 500 can be configured to supply an electrical current to heating element 560B (as described above with respect to the first zone 515) to finish cooking the food disposed within food container 535B.

[0110]

[1124] In some examples, device 500 can be configured to cook food disposed within at least the first zone 515 and the second zone 516 in at least a partially parallel process such that cooking of a desired amount of food is completed substantially simultaneously. In such examples, device 500 can be configured to provide a notification indicating that device 500 has completed cooking of a desired amount. As described above, in response to the notification, device 500 or the user can drain a volume of fluid from food container 535A, and once drained (and replaced in food cavity 523A), device 500 can supply an electrical current to heating elements 560A and 560B, thereby transferring thermal energy to the food disposed within the first zone 515 and the second zone 516 substantially simultaneously.

[0111]

[1125] In some examples, device 500 can be configured to cook food disposed within at least two or more of the first zone 515, the second zone 516, the third zone 517, and / or the fourth zone 518 via the same or different modalities based on cooking instructions associated with the food. In some examples, a predetermined temperature and / or a predetermined time can be the same or different based on cooking instructions associated with the food and can be performed substantially simultaneously, at least partially in parallel, or sequentially. Further, in some examples, device 500 can be configured to substantially simultaneously finish cooking (or finish a cooking step) of the food disposed within the first zone 515, the second zone 516, the third zone 517, and / or the fourth zone 518. Thus, the user can remove the food from device 500 and eat the freshly cooked food while it is still warm.

[0112]

[1126] In this way, controller 570 can control one or more parts of device 500 to cook and / or heat one or more foods at a desired temperature or to a desired temperature for a desired time. Further, in some examples, controller 570 can be configured to maintain one or more foods at a predetermined holding temperature (e.g., a temperature less than the cooking temperature) after cooking the food until the user removes the food from device 500.

[0113]

[1127] FIG. 22 is a diagram showing the configuration of a fluid circulation system 540, for example. As described above and as shown in FIG. 22, the fluid circulation system 540 includes a fluid reservoir 541, a cooling element 548, a fluid heater 549, a flow meter 551 (labeled "FLW" 551 in FIG. 22), a temperature sensor 552 (labeled "NTC" 552 in FIG. 22), a series or set of solenoids S1 - S7, and a series or set of pumps P1 - P2. The cooling element 548 can be any suitable cooling element such as those described herein. In some embodiments, for example, the cooling element 548 can be a plate heat exchanger (PHE) and / or can include a plate heat exchanger (PHE) or the like. The fluid heater 549 can be any suitable heating element such as those described herein. For example, in some embodiments, the fluid heater 549 can be a flow-through tube heater rather than a boiler (which may not be included in the fluid circulation system 540 or can be a separate component). The flow meter 551 can be any suitable fluid flow sensor configured to detect the flow of fluid. In some examples, the flow meter 551 can be configured to sense, for example, the flow rate of fluid or its lack (e.g., when there is excessive air in the system) and / or a frozen state where frozen fluid impedes the flow of fluid. The temperature sensor 552 can be any suitable temperature sensor, thermometer, thermistor, and / or the like. For example, in some embodiments, the temperature sensor 552 can be a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistor or the like. As shown in FIG. 22, the fluid circulation system 540 can also include a plug 553 (labeled "back plug" 553). The plug 553 can be a manual plug that can be used by a user and / or technician to manually drain fluid from the fluid circulation system 540.

[0114]

[1128] The fluid reservoir 541 can be a removable tank configured to receive a volume of fluid used during one or more storage and / or cooking processes, such as those described in detail herein. As shown in FIG. 22, the fluid reservoir 541 can include an outlet and an inlet. The outlet is configured to supply the flow of fluid circulated through the fluid circulation system 540. The inlet is configured to allow the return flow of fluid to the fluid reservoir. Additionally, by including an inlet (or recirculation port or section), a volume of air can be introduced into the fluid circulation system 540, which can, in some embodiments, facilitate the drainage and / or any other appropriate operation of the fluid circulation system 540.

[0115]

[1129] In some embodiments, the pump P1 can be configured to pump and / or direct the flow of fluid within the normal or default circulation loop. In this way, the pump P1 can be directly primed by the fluid reservoir 541 and can direct the flow of fluid in a clockwise direction along the figure. The pump P2 can be used to pump and / or direct the flow of fluid from the first zone 515 and / or the second zone 516 to the third zone 517 (e.g., to an inlet 546 configured to convey the fluid to the food container 536 as described above with respect to FIG. 21).

[0116]

[1130] In some embodiments, the solenoid S1 may be configured to control and / or direct the flow of fluid to at least one of the first zone 515 or the second zone 516. More specifically, the solenoid S1 can control the flow of fluid to the first circulation volumes 526A and 527A of the first zone 515 and / or the first circulation volumes 526B and 527B of the second zone 516. In some embodiments, the default mode may be to send the fluid flow to the circulation volumes 526B and 527B of the second zone 516. However, in some examples, the solenoid S1 can be actuated to send the fluid flow to the first zone 515 or to the first zone 515 and the second zone 516.

[0117]

[1131] In some embodiments, the solenoid S2 is used to control and / or direct the flow of fluid from either the first zone 515 and / or the second zone 516 back to the fluid reservoir 541 or through one or more other parts of the fluid circulation system 540. In some examples, the use of the solenoid S2 can limit and / or substantially prevent the mixing of a volume of fluid flowing through the first zone 515 and a volume of fluid flowing through the second zone 516 (which can occur, for example, by the use of a Y connector). In this way, the first zone 515 and the second zone 516 can be kept substantially thermally and fluidly isolated. In some embodiments, the default mode may be to send the fluid flow received from the circulation volumes 526B and 527B of the second zone 516. However, in some examples, the solenoid S2 can be actuated to send the fluid flow from the first zone 515 and / or the second zone 516.

[0118]

[1132] In some embodiments, solenoid S3 is configured to control and / or direct the flow of fluid to and / or from the cooling element 548 and to and / or from the fluid heater 549. For example, when solenoid S3 is in the default mode, solenoid S3 enables and / or directs the flow of fluid from pump P1 through the cooling element 548, the fluid heater 549, or both, into at least one circulation volume of the first zone 515 and / or the second zone 516 and back to pump P1 through a normal circulation path. In some examples, solenoid S3 can be actuated to control and / or direct the flow of fluid from the first zone 515 and / or the second zone 516 to pump P2 that conveys the fluid to the inlet 546 of the third zone 517. In other examples, solenoid S3 can be actuated in conjunction with solenoid S5 (described below) to block a volume of fluid within the fluid heater 549, thereby enabling the generation of steam.

[0119]

[1133] In some embodiments, solenoid S4 is configured to control and / or direct the flow of fluid back to the inlet of the fluid reservoir 541 or to pump P1. In the default mode, solenoid S4 can be configured to direct the flow to the inlet of the fluid reservoir 541. In some examples, circulating the flow of fluid through the fluid reservoir 541 can facilitate purging air from the fluid circulation system 540. Actuating solenoid S4 can direct the flow of fluid to the pump, which in some examples can result in higher heating and / or cooling efficiency than when the fluid is sent through the fluid reservoir 541.

[0120]

[1134] In some embodiments, the solenoid S5 can be configured to control and / or direct the flow of fluid to or from the fluid heater 549. For example, in the default mode, the solenoid S4 allows fluid to flow from the pump P1 to the fluid heater 549 (e.g., as part of normal circulation). However, as described above, when the solenoid S5 is actuated in conjunction with the solenoid S3, a volume of fluid within the fluid heater 549 can be blocked, thereby enabling the generation of steam. Further, the solenoid S5 can be actuated to direct the steam towards the steam outlet 528. As described above, although not shown in FIGS. 12 to 21, in some embodiments, the second zone 516 can include a steam outlet 528 that can be used to convey a volume of steam into a food container 535B (e.g., containing one or more vegetables).

[0121]

[1135] In some embodiments, the solenoid S6 can be configured to control and / or direct the flow of fluid to and / or from at least one of the first zone 515 and / or the second zone 516 in conjunction with the solenoids S1 and / or S2. In some embodiments, the default mode returns the flow of fluid exiting the circulation volumes 526B and / or 527B of the second zone 516 to the solenoid S1 and thus back to the circulation volumes 526B and / or 527B. As described above, the solenoid S6 is actuated in cooperation with the solenoids S1 and S2 to direct the flow of fluid to or from the first zone 515 and / or the second zone 516, thereby enabling, for example, independent heating or cooling of the first zone 515 and / or the second zone 516.

[0122]

[1136] In some embodiments, solenoid S7 can be configured to control and / or direct the flow of fluid to fluid heater 549. In the default mode, solenoid S7 can cooperate with solenoids S5 and S3 to direct the flow of fluid from pump P1 through fluid heater 549, for example, during normal circulation. In some examples, solenoid S7 can be actuated to control and / or direct the flow of fluid from pump P1 such that the flow bypasses fluid heater 549 (e.g., the fluid flows from solenoid S7 to solenoid S3 without passing through fluid heater 549).

[0123]

[1137] In some examples, the diagram shown in FIG. 22 can illustrate how fluid is pumped through the fluid circulation system to enable the device to function in a manner similar to that described above with respect to device 500. Thus, fluid circulation system 540 shown in the diagram of FIG. 22 can enable device 500 described above with respect to FIGS. 12 - 21 to store and / or cook one or more foods at least semi - autonomously.

[0124]

[1138] Referring now to FIG. 23, a flowchart showing a method 10 of using at least a semi - autonomous storage and / or cooking device according to an embodiment is shown. The storage and / or cooking device (also referred to herein as the "device") can be substantially similar in form and / or function to any of those described herein. Further, the device can be substantially similar to the devices described in Publication '383, Publication '750, and / or Application '819 incorporated by reference above, and / or can include one or more parts that are substantially similar to the device. Thus, the device is not described in further detail herein.

[0125]

[1139] Method 10, at 11, includes placing at least one of a first food item in a first thermal container, a second food item in a second thermal container, and a third food item in a third thermal container. In some embodiments, the food items can be any suitable pre-packaged or loose food items. More specifically, in some examples, the first food item can be meat or protein, the second food item can be one or more vegetables, and the third food item can be starch or a carbohydrate, such as pasta, etc.

[0126]

[1140] The thermal container can be similar to any of those described herein. For example, in some embodiments, the thermal container can be similar to that described above with respect to device 500. In some embodiments, for example, the thermal container can be collectively formed by and / or otherwise include parts such as a food container and a circulation pan. In other embodiments, the thermal container can be formed by and / or otherwise include only the food container. In still other embodiments, the thermal container can define a volume configured to receive a food package or cartridge and a volume of fluid, such as that described in publication ’383. In other embodiments, the thermal container can have any suitable shape, size, and / or configuration.

[0127]

[1141] In 12, the fluid of the first volume that circulates through a part of the first heat container and a part of the second heat container is cooled such that at least the thermal energy from the first food and the second food is transferred to the cooled fluid. For example, in some embodiments, the device may be in a first operating mode (e.g., a storage mode) in which the device maintains the temperature of the food below a threshold temperature. In some embodiments, the device may include a fluid circulation system configured to circulate the fluid of the first volume. Further, in some embodiments, the heat container may define one or more circulation volumes configured to receive the circulated cooled fluid. In some embodiments, the fluid may be physically in contact with an outer surface such as a food container. In other embodiments, the walls or structures of the circulation pan that define the circulation volume may be physically and / or at least thermally in contact with the food container and / or the food. As described above with respect to FIG. 22, in some embodiments, the controller of the device may be configured to control one or more solenoids, pumps, cooling elements, fluid heaters, and / or the like such that the cooled fluid circulates through a part of the first and second heat containers through the fluid circulation system.

[0128]

[1142] In 13, in response to the first criterion being met, the first volume of fluid circulating through a portion of the first thermal container and a portion of the second thermal container is heated such that thermal energy from the heated fluid is transferred to the first food item and the second food item. For example, in some embodiments, the controller of the device can execute one or more processes that cause the device to transition from a first operating mode to a second operating mode (e.g., a cooking mode) in which the device cooks the food item at or to a desired temperature for a desired period of time, and / or the like. As described above, in some embodiments, the criterion can be based on, for example, a scheduled cooking time and / or the time at which the user intends to eat the cooked food item. In other embodiments, the criterion can be, for example, an input provided by the user (e.g., direct input via a user interface of the controller and / or indirect input via a remote device such as a mobile device, smartphone, tablet, computer, smart home digital assistant, etc.).

[0129]

[1143] As described in detail above, the device can be configured to circulate a heated fluid through one or more parts of the device to cook food within the device when the device is placed in a second operating mode. In some embodiments, the fluid circulation system and / or the controller can be configured to move and / or operate one or more solenoids and / or pumps such that the heated fluid is sent, conveyed, and / or circulated through a part of the thermal container (e.g., one or more circulation volumes as described above with respect to the device 500 shown in FIGS. 12 to 21 and the flow diagram shown in FIG. 22). As described above with respect to devices 100, 200, 400, and / or 500, the heated fluid circulating through a part of the thermal container can have a predetermined and / or desired temperature based at least in part on the food placed within the thermal container. Thus, the device can be configured to cook the first food and the second food at or to a desired temperature for a desired time. Further, as described above with respect to device 500, the device can be configured to cook the first food and the second food via different modalities or the same modality based at least in part on information associated with the first food and the second food.

[0130]

[1144] In 14, in response to the second criterion being met, the fluid in the second volume is conveyed to a part of the third thermal container such that thermal energy from the fluid in the second volume is transferred to the third food. For example, in some embodiments, the second criterion can be based on a predetermined cooking time of at least one of the first food, the second food, and / or the third food. In other examples, the second criterion can be associated with the desired time for the third food to be fully cooked. In yet other embodiments, the second criterion can be associated with user input as described above with respect to the first criterion.

[0131]

[1145] As described in detail above with respect to device 500, the device can be configured to convey a heated fluid in a volume that is at least partially in a third thermal container (which can be similar to food container 536 in this example). In some embodiments, a volume of fluid can be sufficient to substantially submerge a third food item disposed therein, as described above with respect to food container 536, but may be insufficient to activate and / or initiate a siphon contained in and / or coupled to the third thermal container (food container). In some embodiments, the heated fluid can have a temperature at or near the boiling point of the fluid (e.g., about 212°F for water). In other embodiments, the heated fluid can have a temperature below the boiling point of the fluid. In such embodiments, the device can include a heating element (similar to heating element 561, for example) configured to transfer thermal energy to a second volume of fluid disposed within a portion of the third thermal container. In some examples, such a heating element can be configured to heat the second volume of fluid to a temperature near, at, or above the boiling point of the fluid.

[0132]

[1146] In some examples, when the third food item is cooked to a desired amount, the device can be configured to convey an additional volume of fluid into the third thermal container. In some examples, the additional volume can be such that the total volume of fluid in the third thermal container exceeds a threshold volume of the fluid. In such examples, by exceeding the threshold volume of the fluid, a siphon of the third thermal container can be initiated and / or activated as described in detail above with respect to food container 536. Thus, the device can be configured to cook the third food item to a desired amount and can also be configured to initiate and / or activate a siphon of the third thermal container such that a volume of fluid is discharged from a portion of the third thermal container.

[0133]

[1147] As described above, in some examples, the device can be configured to cook a first food, a second food, and / or a third food according to instructions associated with these foods. In some embodiments, the device can be configured such that the cooking of the foods ends substantially simultaneously. Further, in some embodiments, the device can include one or more additional elements, components, and / or features configured to transfer thermal energy to at least one of the first food, the second food, and / or the third food. For example, in some embodiments, the first thermal container and the second thermal container can include and / or be coupled to one or more heating elements configured to transfer thermal energy to the first and second foods, respectively, as described in detail above with respect to heating element 560.

[0134]

[1148] In some embodiments, a user can subscribe to a meal delivery service (e.g., via a PC application, a mobile application, a web browser, and the Internet, a telephone service, etc.) where the user selects the foods they desire to eat and receives the foods by delivery. In such embodiments, the foods and / or meals can be pre-packaged prior to delivery. In this way, the user can receive the foods and place the foods within device 100 and / or device 200 without the need to, for example, refrigerate the foods for storage. Such a regular delivery service can be based on, for example, the desired number of meals per week and / or any other suitable criteria. In other examples, a user can purchase one or more meals "on demand." For example, the user can place an order via the Internet and a web browser, a PC or a mobile application, etc.

[0135]

[1149] Some embodiments described herein relate to a computer storage product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium (which may also be referred to as a non-transitory processor-readable medium) having instructions or computer code for performing various operations implemented by a computer. The computer-readable medium (or processor-readable medium) is non-transitory in the sense that it does not include transitory propagation signals (e.g., propagating electromagnetic waves that carry information on a transmission medium such as space or a cable). The medium and the computer code (also referred to herein as code) may be designed and configured for one or more specific purposes. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include, but are not limited to, magnetic storage media such as hard disks, optical storage media such as compact discs / digital video discs (CD / DVDs), compact disc read-only memories (CD-ROMs), magneto-optical storage media such as optical discs, carrier signal processing modules, and hardware devices specially configured to store and execute program code, such as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), read-only memories (ROMs), and random access memory (RAM) devices. Other embodiments described herein relate to, for example, computer program products that may include the instructions and / or computer code described herein.

[0136]

[1150] Examples of computer code include, but are not limited to, microcode or microinstructions generated by a compiler, machine instructions, code used to create web services, and files containing higher-level instructions that are executed by a computer using an interpreter. For example, embodiments may be implemented using imperative programming languages (e.g., C, FORTRAN, etc.), functional programming languages (Haskell, Erlang, etc.), logic programming languages (e.g., Prolog), object-oriented programming languages (e.g., Java (registered trademark), C++, etc.), or other programming languages and / or other development tools. Further examples of computer code include, but are not limited to, control signals, encryption code, and compression code.

[0137]

[1151] Some electronic device systems are described herein as receiving signals from any suitable sensor and / or the like and having a portion of the device perform the following operations based on the execution of a set of instructions by a processor. In other examples, however, a signal from a sensor may be operable to cause a portion of the device to perform the following operations. For example, in some examples, a signal transmitted from a sensor may be operable to cause a switch, fuse, breaker, and / or any other suitable logic device to transition from a first state in which a portion of the device receives an electrical current flow to a second state in which a portion of the device substantially does not receive an electrical current flow, or vice versa. For example, a sensor may be able to transmit a signal based on a volume of fluid contained within a thermal vessel exceeding a predetermined threshold value, and this signal may be operable to open or close another valve configured to control the flow of fluid entering and / or exiting the thermal vessel and to keep the temperature of a volume of fluid within a range of the predetermined threshold value. Similarly, a filling sensor or the like may be able to transmit a signal based on a filling level of a volume of fluid contained within a thermal vessel exceeding a predetermined filling limit, and this signal may be operable to open one or more valves to provide fluid communication between the volume defined by the thermal vessel and a discharge reservoir. In this way, at least a portion of the fluid may be discharged from the thermal vessel until a volume of fluid is within a range of the predetermined filling limit.

[0138]

[1152] Although various embodiments have been described above, it should be understood that these are presented by way of example only and not by way of limitation. The above-described drawings and / or embodiments show specific components arranged in a specific orientation, position, and / or configuration, but the arrangement of the components may be changed. Although embodiments have been particularly shown and described, it will be understood that various changes may be made in form and detail. Similarly, although various embodiments have been described as having specific features and / or combinations of components, other embodiments having any of the features and / or combinations of components of any of the above-described embodiments are possible.

[0139]

[1153] For example, one or more circulation pans 420 are described herein with respect to FIGS. 8 - 11 as defining a volume that receives a fluid flow such that the fluid contacts an outer surface of a food package 435 disposed therein. However, in some embodiments, the one or more circulation pans 420 can have any suitable configuration while providing a similar or substantially the same function. For example, in some embodiments, the device 400 can include a series of coils that contact an outer surface of one or more food packages 435 and through which a fluid circulation system can provide a flow of cooled or heated fluid (e.g., water). In other embodiments, the device 400 can include one or more circulation pans similar to the circulation pan 520 described with respect to the device 500. In such embodiments, for example, a volume of fluid can be used to cool or heat one or more surfaces of the circulation pan, which can in turn contact an outer surface of a food package or container. In still other embodiments, a volume of fluid circulating within and / or through the circulation pan can cool and / or heat a cavity in which a food package and / or container is disposed.

[0140]

[1154] Some of the containers, packages and / or cartridges for containing food are not specifically illustrated and / or described herein, but it should be understood that such packages and / or cartridges can have any suitable arrangement and / or configuration. In some embodiments, for example, the package can contain meat and / or other protein products in a first fluid-sealed portion and can contain vegetables, starches, carbohydrates, etc. in one or more sealed or unsealed portions. In some embodiments, the package and / or cartridge can include an absorbent material or the like configured to absorb excess fluid generated by cooking the food. In some embodiments, the package and / or cartridge can be substantially similar to any of those described in Publication '750 and / or Application '819. In other embodiments, the food can be placed within a device (e.g., devices 100, 200, 300, and / or 400) without being placed within a package, cartridge, and / or the like. For example, in some embodiments, one or more loose foods can be placed in a thermal container and / or a circulating pan. In other embodiments, one or more loose foods can be at least temporarily placed within or on a tray, carrier, pan, and / or any other suitable holding device configured for use within devices 100, 200, 300, and / or 400. Thus, while specific examples of food packaging are presented herein, it should be understood that such food packaging is presented by way of example only and not by way of limitation. Devices 100, 200, 300, and / or 400 described herein can be configured to store and / or cook food placed within any suitable package or the like, or can be configured to store and / or cook unpackaged or loose food.

[0141]

[1155] The above-described methods and / or drawings illustrate certain events and / or flow patterns that occur in a particular order, but the order of certain events and / or flow patterns may be changed. Additionally, certain events may be performed sequentially, as well as, if possible, simultaneously in a parallel process. For example, as described above with respect to device 500, a device such as those described herein may be configured to cook one or more foods in at least a partially parallel process such that the cooking of each food starts at different times but ends at substantially the same time. It should be understood that the methods of operation and / or use described herein are provided by way of example and not for limitation. Further, although specific examples of cooling and / or heating (cooking) foods are described herein, it should be understood that the operation of the device (e.g., storing and / or cooking foods) is not limited thereto.

Claims

**Claim 1** A method of using a storage and cooking device having a plurality of thermal containers, comprising: placing at least one of a first food product into a first thermal container, a second food product into a second thermal container, and a third food product into a third thermal container; cooling a first volume of fluid circulating through a portion of the first thermal container and a portion of the second thermal container such that thermal energy from at least the first food product and the second food product is transferred to the cooled fluid; heating the first volume of fluid circulating through the portion of the first thermal container and the portion of the second thermal container in response to a first criterion being met such that thermal energy from the heated fluid is transferred to the first food product and the second food product; conveying a second volume of fluid to a portion of the third thermal container in response to a second criterion being met such that thermal energy from the second volume of fluid is transferred to the third food product; A method comprising the above steps. **Claim 2** The method according to claim 1, wherein the first criterion is associated with a predetermined schedule. **Claim 3** The method according to claim 1, wherein the first criterion is associated with a signal indicating an instruction to heat the fluid of the volume. **Claim 4** The method according to claim 1, wherein the second criterion is associated with a predetermined cooking time of at least one of the first food product, the second food product, or the third food product. **Claim 5** The method according to claim 1, wherein the rate of thermal energy transfer to the third food product is greater than the rate of thermal energy transfer to the first food product and the rate of thermal energy transfer to the second food product. **Claim 6** The storage and cooking device includes a first heating element at least partially aligned with the first thermal container and a second heating element at least partially aligned with the second thermal container, and the method includes: supplying an electric power flow operable to heat at least one of the first heating element or the second heating element to transfer thermal energy to at least one of the first food product or the second food product in response to a third criterion being met. **Claim 7** The method according to claim 1, further comprising conveying a third volume of fluid to the portion of the third thermal container in response to a third criterion being met. **Claim 8** The method according to claim 7, wherein by transporting the fluid of the third volume to the part of the third heat container, a siphon action of the fluid from the part of the third heat container to the discharge pipe of the storage and cooking device is started.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the third criterion is associated with a predetermined cooking time of the third food.

10. A method of using a multi-zone storage and cooking device having at least a first zone including a first heat container and a first heating element, and a second zone including a second heat container and a second heating element, placing a first food in the first heat container; placing a second food in the second heat container; cooling a volume of fluid circulating through a part of the first heat container and a part of the second heat container so that thermal energy from the first food and thermal energy from the second food are transferred to the cooled fluid; heating the volume of fluid circulating through the part of the first heat container and the part of the second heat container in response to a first criterion being met, so that thermal energy from the heated fluid is transferred to the first food and the second food; supplying an electric power flow operable to heat at least one of the first heating element or the second heating element to transfer thermal energy to at least one of the first food or the second food respectively in response to a second criterion being met; A method comprising.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the first criterion is associated with a predetermined schedule.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the first criterion is associated with a signal indicating an instruction to heat the volume of fluid.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the second criterion is associated with a predetermined cooking time of at least one of the first food or the second food.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein the rate of heat energy transfer from the first heating element or the second heating element is greater than the rate of heat energy transfer from the heated fluid.

15. The multi-zone storage and cooking device has a third zone including a third heat container, and the method includes placing a third food in the third heat container; In response to a third criterion being satisfied, conveying a volume of fluid to a portion of the third heat container such that thermal energy from the fluid of the second volume is transferred to the third food item; The method according to claim 10, further comprising. **Claim 16** The volume of fluid circulating through the portion of the first heat container and the portion of the second heat container is a first volume of fluid flowing through a first portion of the first heat container and a first portion of the second heat container, the method comprising: further comprising conveying a second volume of fluid to a second portion of the first heat container such that the first food item is substantially submerged in the second volume of fluid; The method according to claim 10, wherein the temperature of the second volume of fluid is substantially equal to the temperature of the first volume of fluid. **Claim 17** At least one of the first heating element or the second heating element includes heating the first heating element, the method comprising: The method according to claim 16, further comprising discharging the second volume of fluid from the second portion of the first heat container before supplying the flow of power. **Claim 18** A multi-zone storage and cooking device, comprising: a housing; a first zone disposed within the housing, the first zone including a first heat container configured to receive a first food item, the first zone including a first heating element configured to transfer thermal energy to the first food item; a second zone disposed within the housing and independent of the first zone, the second zone including a second heat container configured to receive a second food item different from the first food item, the second zone including a second heating element configured to transfer thermal energy to the second food item, the second heating element being independent of the first heating element; a third zone disposed within the housing and independent of the first zone and the second zone, the third zone including a third heat container configured to receive a third food item different from the first food item and the second food item; A fluid circulation system disposed within the housing, wherein the fluid circulation system is configured to circulate a volume of cooled fluid through a portion of the first heat container and a portion of the second heat container when the device is in a first operating mode, and the fluid circulation system is configured to (1) circulate a volume of heated fluid through a portion of the first heat container and a portion of the second heat container and (2) convey a volume of heated fluid to a portion of the third heat container when the device is in a second operating mode. A device comprising the same. **Claim 19** The device according to claim 18, wherein the fluid is water. **Claim 20** The portion of the first heat container is a first portion of the first heat container. The first heat container includes a second portion configured to receive the first food item. The device according to claim 18, wherein the first portion of the first heat container surrounds at least a portion of the second portion of the first heat container. **Claim 21** The device according to claim 20, wherein when the device is in the first operating mode, thermal energy is transferred from the second portion of the first heat container to the first portion of the first heat container. **Claim 22** The device according to claim 20, wherein when the device is in the second operating mode, thermal energy is transferred from the first portion of the first heat container to the second portion of the first heat container. **Claim 23** The volume of heated fluid conveyed to a portion of the third heat container when the device is in the second operating mode is a first volume of heated fluid conveyed to the portion of the third heat container, and The device according to claim 18, wherein the fluid circulation system is configured to convey a second volume of heated fluid to the portion of the third heat container when the device is in a third operating mode. **Claim 24** The device according to claim 23, wherein conveying the second volume of fluid to the portion of the third heat container initiates a siphoning action of the fluid from the portion of the third heat container to the discharge pipe of the device. **Claim 25** The third zone includes a third heating element configured to transfer thermal energy to the third food item. The device according to claim 18, wherein the third heating element is independent of the first heating element and the second heating element. **Claim 26** The part of the second heat container is a first part of the second heat container, The second heat container includes a second part configured to receive the second food, The device according to claim 18, wherein the first part of the second heat container surrounds at least a part of the second part of the second heat container. **Claim 27** The device according to claim 26, wherein the fluid circulation system is configured to convey the vapor of the volume in the second part of the second heat container when the device is in the second operating mode. **Claim 28** The device according to claim 18, further comprising a fourth zone disposed within the housing, the fourth zone including a fourth heat container configured to receive a fourth food, the fourth zone being configured such that when the device is in the second operating mode, the ambient temperature within the housing warms the fourth food.

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