Smart fryer

Abstract

This smart fryer comprises: a case having an oil tank for accommodating frying oil, a level sensor for detecting the oil level of the oil tank, and an outlet which is disposed in the lower portion of the oil tank and can be opened and closed so as to discharge oil from the oil tank; a purification unit having a purification filter, connected to the outlet, for purifying frying oil discharged therefrom, and a purification tank, disposed in the lower portion of the case, for storing oil purified by the purification filter and returning same to the oil tank; an oil replenishment unit disposed adjacent to the purification unit inside the case and having an oil replenishment tank for storing fresh oil and a replenishment pump for additionally providing same to the oil tank by connecting the oil replenishment tank therewith; a control unit for controlling the purification unit and the oil replenishment unit by verifying the level of the oil tank provided by the level sensor, wherein the control unit may maintain the oil level of the oil tank by operating the replenishment pump on the basis of data provided by the level sensor and supplying replenishment oil from the oil replenishment tank to the oil tank.

Description

Smart fryer

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a smart fryer. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention relate to a smart fryer capable of frying food using frying oil.

[0002] Generally, deep fryers are devices used to cook food by heating oil, and in recent years, the demand for such devices has been increasing due to the trend of household diets becoming more Westernized.

[0003] At this time, quality control of frying oil is an important factor that directly affects the taste and safety of food. Conventional frying appliances required manual purification and replenishment of oil, which resulted in a waste of time and labor and made it difficult to maintain consistent quality. Therefore, there is a need for the development of technology that can automatically purify frying oil and automatically replenish insufficient frying oil.

[0004] To solve the above-mentioned problems, embodiments of the present invention provide a smart fryer capable of automatically refining and replenishing frying oil to always maintain an optimal state.

[0005] A smart fryer according to embodiments of the present invention comprises: an oil tank for receiving frying oil; a level sensor for detecting the oil level of the oil tank; a case disposed at the bottom of the oil tank and having an openable / closable discharge port for discharging oil from the oil tank; a purification unit having a purification filter connected to the discharge port for purifying frying oil discharged from the discharge port and a purification tank disposed at the bottom of the case for storing oil purified by the purification filter and circulating it to the oil tank; a replenishment oil unit disposed inside the case adjacent to the purification unit and having a replenishment oil tank for storing new oil and a replenishment pump connecting the replenishment oil tank and the oil tank to additionally supply new oil to the oil tank; and a control unit that controls the purification unit and the replenishment oil unit by checking the level of the oil tank supplied from the level sensor, wherein the control unit can maintain the oil level of the oil tank by operating the replenishment pump based on data provided by the level sensor to supply replenishment oil from the replenishment oil tank to the oil tank.

[0006] In one embodiment of the present invention, the purification filter may include a paper filter or an activated carbon filter.

[0007] In one embodiment of the present invention, the case may include a cover portion that is folded horizontally in a two-stage folding manner and protrudes from the front.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present invention, the basket may further include a mesh structure having a bottom portion in the shape of a square plate, a pair of side portions extending upward from the left and right sides of the bottom portion, and a cover portion connected to the upper portion of the side portions and capable of opening and closing in a hinge manner.

[0009] Here, a driving unit may be additionally provided between the case and the frying net, configured to move the frying net up and down along a vertical direction to immerse the frying net into the oil tank or to raise the frying net from the oil tank to the upper surface of the oil tank to expose the contents inside the frying net to the air.

[0010] Here, the control unit can control the drive unit so that the basket is repeatedly raised and lowered relative to the oil level of the oil tank, thereby repeatedly performing an immersion process and an exposure process to the air for the food to be cooked stored inside the basket.

[0011] According to the smart fryer of the embodiments of the present invention, by including a purification unit that purifies used frying oil and resupplies it to an oil tank, and a replenishing oil unit that provides replenishing oil to maintain a constant oil level in the oil tank, the quality of the frying oil is maintained consistently to improve the taste and quality of food, while reducing labor requirements and increasing work efficiency through the automation of frying oil management.

[0012] Furthermore, proper management of frying oil not only reduces costs by optimizing oil usage but also provides a stable cooking environment by maintaining a consistent oil level inside the tank.

[0013] In addition, by including a drive unit configured to move the basket vertically so that it can be immersed into the oil tank or raised from the inside of the oil tank to the upper surface of the oil tank to expose the food to be cooked inside the basket to the air, uniform cooking and a crispy texture of the food to be cooked can be achieved simultaneously. Furthermore, operator safety can be improved and consistency in the quality of the cooked product can be ensured.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the exterior of a smart fryer according to embodiments of the present invention.

[0015] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the cover portion illustrated in FIG. 1 in an open state.

[0016] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the basket shown in FIG. 2 raised to a standby position.

[0017] FIG. 4 is a right side view illustrating the state in which the basket of FIG. 2 is raised to a standby position.

[0018] Fig. 5 is a front view showing the basket of Fig. 2 raised to a standby position and the door opened.

[0019] FIGS. 6a to 6c are right-side views illustrating the standby position, immersion position, and exposure position of the basket.

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Since the present invention is susceptible to various modifications and may take various forms, specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the text. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to the specific disclosed forms, and it should be understood that the invention includes all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention. Similar reference numerals have been used for similar components in the description of each drawing. In the attached drawings, the dimensions of the structures are shown enlarged compared to the actual dimensions for the clarity of the present invention.

[0021] Terms such as "first," "second," etc., may be used to describe various components, but said components should not be limited by said terms. These terms are used solely for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, the first component may be named the second component, and similarly, the second component may be named the first component.

[0022] The terms used in this application are used merely to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention. The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this application, terms such as "comprising" or "having" are intended to specify the existence of the features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and should be understood as not precluding the existence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0023] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as generally understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology, and should not be interpreted in an ideal or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined in this application.

[0024] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the exterior of a smart fryer according to embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the state in which the lid portion shown in FIG. 1 is opened. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the state in which the basket shown in FIG. 2 is raised to a standby position. FIG. 4 is a right side view illustrating the state in which the basket of FIG. 2 is raised to a standby position. FIG. 5 is a front view illustrating the state in which the basket of FIG. 2 is raised to a standby position and the door is opened.

[0025] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5, a smart fryer (100) according to embodiments of the present invention includes a case (110), a purification unit (170), a replenishing unit (180), and a control unit (150).

[0026] The case (110) has an openable top and an oil tank (115) installed inside. The oil tank (115) provides a storage space for storing oil.

[0027] The above case (110) includes a level sensor (112) and an outlet (114).

[0028] A level sensor (112) may be installed on the lower side of the oil tank (115). The level sensor (112) may include, for example, a capacitive level sensor. A capacitive level sensor measures the change in capacitance between a probe and the wall of the oil tank. When the oil level rises, the capacitance increases, and when it falls, it decreases. That is, the level sensor (112) can measure the oil level by converting the change in capacitance into an electrical signal.

[0029] When the level sensor (112) detects that the oil level in the oil tank (115) is below a lower limit value, the control unit (150) can provide a command signal to the oil replenishment unit (180) to supply replenishment oil into the oil tank.

[0030] The discharge port (114) is formed at the bottom of the oil tank (115) so as to be openable and closable. Frying oil used for a certain period of time can be discharged through the open discharge port (114).

[0031] The purification unit (170) is positioned at the bottom of the oil tank (115) of the case (110). The purification unit (170) purifies the discharged oil discharged from the oil tank (115). That is, by separately providing a purification unit (170) for purifying the discharged oil, pollution and waste of oil can be suppressed.

[0032] Here, the purification unit (170) may include a purification filter (171), a purification tank (173), and a flow path (175, see FIG. 1).

[0033] A purification filter (171) is positioned on the lower inner side of the case (110). The purification filter (171) removes by-products from the discharge oil discharged from the oil tank (115). The purification filter (171) may be made of, for example, paper material. Alternatively, the purification filter (171) may be made of, for example, activated carbon material.

[0034] The purification tank (173) can temporarily store the oil purified from the purification filter (171).

[0035] The oil pipe (175) can replenish refined oil from the refinement tank (173) to the oil tank (115, see FIG. 1). To this end, the oil pipe (175) may additionally be equipped with a circulation pump (not shown).

[0036] The replenishment unit (180) is located inside the case (110) and is positioned on one side of the purification tank (173). The replenishment unit (180) includes a replenishment tank (181) and a replenishment pump (183).

[0037] The above supplementary oil tank (181) can temporarily store supplementary oil to replenish the insufficient frying oil in the oil tank.

[0038] The replenishment pump (183) is connected to the replenishment oil tank (181). The replenishment pump (183) may include, for example, a gear pump having a pair of gear teeth that rotate in opposite directions and mesh with each other, and open and close by adjusting the gap. In this case, the replenishment oil unit (180) can supply a certain amount of oil to the oil tank at a certain speed.

[0039] The replenishment pump can be driven according to the operation signal of the control unit (150) to supply replenishment oil from the replenishment oil tank into the oil tank. In this case, the level sensor feeds back data regarding the oil level inside the oil tank to the control unit, thereby allowing the control unit to control the operation of the replenishment pump.

[0040] The upper part of the above case (110) can be covered with a cover part (117, 119) when the smart fryer is not in use or is in operation. When the upper part of the above case (110) is open, a cook can put food to be cooked into the fryer or take out food that has been cooked.

[0041] The above case (110) may include rollers and anchors on the bottom so that the operator can easily move and fix the smart fryer (110) to a desired location.

[0042] The above case (110) may, for example, have an overall rectangular column shape. A user interface (152) is installed on the front of the above case (110) so that an operator can manually input the desired frying temperature, time, recipe, etc.

[0043] Meanwhile, a door opening / closing part (111) is installed on the front part (110a) of the case (110), and an emergency stop button (159) may be provided in case of emergency.

[0044] The basket (130) is detachably attached to the inside of the oil tank (115). The basket (130) can be attached to the drive unit (160) using a hook. For example, the basket (130) can be attached to the drive unit (160) using a bracket having a hook shape.

[0045] The basket (130) has a mesh structure. For example, the basket (130) may have a mesh structure in which a plurality of wires are arranged in a mutual matrix form.

[0046] At this time, the basket (130) may have a stainless steel material and a wire having a diameter in the range of 0.8 to 1 mm. The basket may have an opening ratio in the range of 60 to 70%. By doing so, the basket can improve durability and oil drainage.

[0047] Fig. 6a is a right-side view illustrating the waiting position of the basket.

[0048] Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 6a, the basket (130) includes a bottom portion (131), a side portion (132), and a cover portion (133). At this time, the front and rear of the basket (130) are open. This allows a worker to easily introduce food to be cooked into the basket (130) or easily remove cooked food from the basket (130).

[0049] The bottom portion (131) has a square plate shape. The bottom portion (131) has a mesh structure. Thus, excess oil can fall from the food being cooked through the bottom portion (131) and be easily removed.

[0050] The above side (132) extends upward from the left and right sides of the bottom part (131). The above side is provided on the left and right sides of the bottom part (131), respectively. The above side (132) may also have a mesh structure.

[0051] The cover portion (133) is connected to the upper portion of the side portion (132). The cover portion (133) can prevent the food to be cooked introduced into the oil tank (115) from rising while frying. Therefore, heat can be transferred evenly across the surface of the food to be cooked introduced into the basket (130).

[0052] Meanwhile, the cover portion (133) can be opened and closed in a hinge manner. The cover portion (133) can be opened and closed in a hinge manner by rotating around a rotation axis (not shown) that interconnects the rear upper ends of each of the side portions (132).

[0053] The cover portion (133) may be provided with a handle portion (135) so that a worker can easily open and close the cover portion (133) by hand. The handle portion (13) may have a 'C' shape.

[0054] A drive unit (160) is disposed inside the case (110). The drive unit (160) is configured to raise and lower the basket (110) along a vertical direction. The drive unit (160) provides vertical driving force to the basket (110). For example, the drive unit (160) includes a cylinder, a ball screw, or a step motor that generates linear driving force.

[0055] Thus, the driving unit (160) can raise the basket (130) along a vertical direction to immerse the basket (130) into the oil tank (115) or to raise the basket (130) from the inside of the oil tank (115) to the upper surface of the oil tank to expose the food to be cooked inside the basket (130) to the air. Consequently, the driving unit (160) can implement an immersion process in which the food to be cooked is immersed into the oil tank (115) as the basket (130) is raised, and an exposure process in which the food to be cooked is withdrawn upward from the oil tank (115) to expose the food to the air.

[0056] In one embodiment of the present invention, the driving unit (160) may include a cylinder pump (161), a rod (163), and a bracket (165).

[0057] The cylinder pump (161) is fixed to the inner wall of the case (110). The cylinder pump (161) may use, for example, hydraulic pressure using oil or pneumatic pressure using air. By using the pressure of a fluid such as oil or air, the rod (163) can be extended or retracted.

[0058] The rod (163) can be extended along the vertical direction by receiving driving force from the cylinder pump (161). The rod (163) can have a stroke of 400 to 600 mm.

[0059] The bracket (165) connects the tip of the rod (163) to the basket (130). This allows the basket (130) to move up and down along the vertical direction according to the extension / contraction of the rod (163).

[0060] FIGS. 6a to 6c are right-side views illustrating the standby position, immersion position, and exposure position of the basket.

[0061] Referring to FIG. 6a, the case where the bottom of the basket (130) is at the same height as the top of the oil tank (115) is defined as the standby position. At this time, the food to be cooked can be drawn into the basket (130), and furthermore, any excess oil attached to the food can fall through the bottom. Additionally, the food to be cooked can be drawn out of the basket (130).

[0062] Referring to FIG. 6b, the drive unit can lower the basket from the standby position to the immersion position. At this time, the oil supplied into the oil tank may be preheated to a constant temperature, for example, 180 degrees Celsius. Accordingly, the food to be cooked located inside the basket can be fried.

[0063] Referring to FIG. 6c, the driving unit raises the basket from the standby position so that the bottom part is positioned at a height higher than the oil level of the oil tank, thereby positioning the workpiece to be cooked at an exposure position where it is exposed to air. In this way, an exposure process in which the workpiece is partially exposed to air can be performed. Through this exposure process, moisture remaining on the workpiece can easily evaporate.

[0064] By repeating the above immersion process and the above exposure process multiple times, the inversion process in which an operator inverts the food to be cooked can be omitted. Furthermore, the food to be cooked can be cooked uniformly throughout, while simultaneously having a crispy texture.

[0065] That is, by repeating the lifting and lowering motion through the immersion process, all sides of the food to be cooked are cooked uniformly, and the food can have a crispy texture through periodic exposure to air.

[0066] In particular, if the lifting and lowering movements are performed automatically according to a programmed cycle, fried dishes of consistent quality can be produced.

[0067] Referring again to FIG. 5, the case (110) may include a cover portion (117, 119) that is folded horizontally in a two-stage folding manner and protrudes from the front.

[0068] When the above cover portions (117, 119) are folded in two stages, they can be used as a shelf to temporarily support the workpiece. In order to fold the above cover portions (117, 119) in two stages, the above cover portions (117, 119) can be interconnected by a hinge (118a).

[0069] According to the smart fryer of the embodiments of the present invention, by including a driving unit configured to move a basket up and down along a vertical direction to immerse the basket in the oil tank or to raise the basket from the inside of the oil tank to the upper surface of the oil tank to expose the food to be cooked inside the basket to the air, uniform cooking and a crispy texture of the food to be cooked can be achieved simultaneously.

[0070] Although this specification contains details of a number of specific embodiments, they should not be understood as limiting the scope of any invention or claimables, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to a particular embodiment of the invention. In the context of individual embodiments, specific features described in this specification may be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented in multiple embodiments individually or in any suitable sub-combination. Furthermore, while features may operate in a specific combination and may be described as initially configured as such, one or more features from the configured combination may be excluded from the combination in some cases, and the configured combination may be changed to a sub-combination or a variation of the sub-combination.

[0071] Meanwhile, the embodiments of the present invention disclosed in this specification and drawings are merely specific examples provided to aid understanding and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that other variations based on the technical concept of the present invention are possible in addition to the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. An oil tank for receiving frying oil, a level sensor for detecting the oil level of the oil tank, and a case disposed at the bottom of the oil tank and having an openable / closable discharge port for discharging oil from the oil tank; A purification unit having a purification filter connected to the above-mentioned discharge port for purifying frying oil discharged from the above-mentioned discharge port, and a purification tank disposed at the bottom of the above-mentioned case for storing oil purified from the purification filter and circulating it to the above-mentioned oil tank; A supplementary oil section disposed adjacent to the purification section inside the above case and having a supplementary oil tank for storing new oil and a supplementary pump connecting the supplementary oil tank and the oil tank to additionally supply new oil to the oil tank; and A control unit that checks the level of the oil tank supplied from the level sensor and controls the purification unit and the replenishment unit; is included. A smart fryer characterized by the control unit operating the replenishment pump based on data received from the level sensor to supply replenishment oil from the replenishment oil tank to the oil tank to maintain the oil level of the oil tank.

2. A smart fryer according to claim 1, characterized in that the purification filter comprises a paper filter or an activated carbon filter.

3. The smart fryer according to claim 1, characterized in that the case includes a cover portion that is folded horizontally in a two-stage folding manner and protrudes from the front.

4. The smart fryer according to claim 1, further comprising a basket having a mesh structure, a bottom portion having a square plate shape, a pair of side portions extending upward from the left and right sides of the bottom portion, and a cover portion connected to the upper portion of the side portions and capable of opening and closing in a hinge manner.

5. A smart fryer according to claim 4, further comprising a driving unit provided between the case and the frying net, configured to be able to raise and lower along a vertical direction to immerse the frying net into the oil tank or to raise the frying net from the oil tank to the upper surface of the oil tank to expose the contents inside the frying net to the air.

6. A smart fryer according to claim 5, wherein the control unit controls the drive unit so as to repeatedly raise and lower the basket based on the oil surface of the oil tank to repeatedly perform an immersion process and an exposure process to the air for the food to be cooked stored inside the basket.

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