The Frymaster Corporation

Electric Power Research Institute Incorporated

John R Davis

John A Meister

John M Kinch

Gerald F Waugh

John Sullivan

Charley Myers

Lynn L Stark

Randy C Roberts

Ralph L Macy, Jr

Robert L Hilger

An automated deep fat frying apparatus comprises a plurality of cooking vats in a housing having a filter pan pump assembly. The apparatus has an oil distribution system and a control system having a computer programmed to operate and control oil transfer functions. Motor operated drain and return valves with position sensors are installed on each vat in the oil distribution system and operated by the control system to provide an automatic filter function and an oil transfer function whereby oil is drained from a first vat and transferred to a second vat according to selection inputs from the operator. The system includes operator selectable automated fill and dispose functions. In addition to valve position sensors, the system includes oil level sensors in the vats and filter pan, a pan position sensor and may include level sensors in a supply or dispose tank tied in to the control system which prevent mishaps during oil transfer operations. An error routine signals the opertor and aborts the process if a malfunction is detected that might result in danger resulting from hot oil transfer.

Deep fat frying apparatus with automated oil management and methods

An automated deep fat frying apparatus comprises a plurality of cooking vats in a housing having a filter pan pump assembly. The apparatus has an oil distribution system and a control system having a computer programmed to operate and control oil transfer functions. Motor operated drain and return valves with position sensors are installed on each vat in the oil distribution system and operated by the control system to provide an automatic filter function and an oil transfer function whereby oil is drained from a first vat and transferred to a second vat according to selection inputs from the operator. The system includes operator selectable automated fill and dispose functions. In addition to valve position sensors, the system includes oil level sensors in the vats and filter pan, a pan position sensor and may include level sensors in a supply or dispose tank tied in to the control system which prevent mishaps during oil transfer operations. An error routine signals the operator and aborts the process if a malfunction is detected that might result in danger resulting from hot oil transfer.

Deep fat frying apparatus with automated oil management

The present invention relates to a system to warn of early removal of food from a cooking medium. The system is a combination of a frypot, a basket sensor and an alarm where the frypot is a container holding a cooking medium such as oil or shortening. Food items to be cooked are placed in a control zone in the cooking medium and held by a basket that holds the food submersed in the cooking medium. The basket sensor is installed to detect the presence of a basket in the container. The basket sensor is monitored by a cooking computer that controls the alarm, activating the alarm if there is no basket in the frypot when a cook cycle is initiated or when the basket is removed before the cook cycle is completed. The cooking computer monitors the cooking cycle by using a preprogrammed cook time and adjusting the time based on variations measured in the cooking medium temperature or other factors.

Early product removal alarm

In accordance with the present invention a cooking appliance 10 is disclosed comprising heating element 14 in thermal communication with a cooking medium 12 for cooking food, temperature sensing element 18 for detecting a cooking medium temperature and control 20 connected to the temperature sensing element 18 for receiving the cooking medium temperature, wherein the control 20 is operable to generate a working temperature which may differ from the cooking medium temperature in order to account for a thermal transit time between the heating element 14 and the temperature sensing element 18, and further operable for regulating the heating element 14 in accordance with the working temperature. Other devices, systems and methods are disclosed.

Temperature controller for cooking appliance

A pasta cooking system including an automatic control which permits a cooking vat containing water to be automatically filled to a predetermined level in response to turning the system on, maintained at a constant level by the addition of water during repeated cooking cycles, remove the starchy froths resulting from a cooking cycle in response to a manual input by adding additional water to cause water to rise above the automatically maintained level and overflow a skimming weir, drained by manually opening a valve and automatically rinsed by leaving the control system on during the drain time as water is continually added by the automatic fill system to clean the pot. The water is introduced by the automatic system in such a manner to cause surface agitation during the skim procedure, and to rinse the walls of the vat during the drain cycle. A water level sensing uses a single stainless steel probe and a low voltage a.c. current between the probe and a stainless steel vat to prevent cathartic corrosion.

Spaghetti cooking system

A deep fat frying system has heating elements controlled by triacs operated in the zero switching mode by a programmed digital processor. The triacs are switched, and thus power is delivered to the heating elements, at a rate substantially faster than the thermal cycle of the heating elements to create a constant or uniform temperature on the surface of the heating elements, which avoids temperature fluctuations, particularly excessive peak temperatures, in the heating elements that scorch fat in contact with the elements and that cause temperatures of the fat to overshoot a desired cooking set point temperature.

Electric deep fat frying method

An Improved Deep Fat Frying System is disclosed which utilities heating elements controlled by triacs operated in the zero voltage switching mode by a programmed digital processor which can be used in a deep fat fryer and operated in a manner to minimize the maximum surface temperatures of the heating element surfaces during all phases of operation. The triacs together with the programmed digital processor allows the fryer to be controlled in all modes of operation to advantageously reduce peak power demand at various times during the daily operating cycle, to minimize maximum temperature required for efficient heat transference to the oil, and to reduce temperature overshoot. A method of operation has also been disclosed by which the maximum power consumption of a battery of two or more of the units can be minimized by maintaining a low power heat up during melt cycle or initial warm up all the way to a set point temperature.

Electric deep fat frying system

A cooking appliance includes a heating source to provide heat to a cooking medium for cooking food, temperature sensing circuitry for detecting the cooking medium temperature and control circuitry connected to the temperature sensing circuitry for cooking the food according to data stored in the control circuitry by controlling the heating source and removing the food from the cooking medium in accordance with the data. A temperature sensing apparatus is also disclosed that includes a temperature probe for measuring temperature and a reference circuit indicating a referenced temperature. Circuitry is alternately connected to the temperature probe and the reference circuit for alternately providing a first and second output signal indicative of the measured temperature and the referenced temperature respectively. Data processing circuitry is also provided that receives the output signals and computes the measured temperature from the first and second output signals.

Intelligent cooking appliance

A temperature controller for a deep fat fryer including a temperature sensing circuit that determines the temperature of cooking oil in the deep fat fryer and which is connected to a temperature control circuit that controls the deep fat fryer heat source in providing heat to the cooking oil in response to a set temperature from an external input device. The control circuit also includes an anticipation circuit that variably modulates the heating source before the cooking oil temperature approaches the set temperature. The temperature control circuit further includes a resistor divider network that provides selected voltages representing reference temperatures and which are input to several operational amplifiers for controlling the heat source.

Growing community of inventors

Shreveport, LA, United States of America

John R Davis