FR2676609A1 - Apparatus for cooking individual food portions - Google Patents

Abstract

Device intended for cooking or reheating individual food portions. The invention relates to a device making it possible to monitor, with precision, the simultaneous cooking of food portions using individual trays checked by indicator lights. It consists of a cooking vat (1) in which there is a guide support receiving a series of metal trays (3) with unit content, each of them being assigned lights (7) and (9). The trays are fitted with a lug (5) which, by means of a contactor (6), controls the electric cycle which supplies the data on the progress of the cooking by means of the lights (7) and (9). The device according to the invention is particularly intended for conventional or fast-food catering.

Description

 The present invention relates to an apparatus for cooking or reheating individual food portions, by boiling or frying, for catering.

 Traditionally, catering equipment is used to cook large quantities of food grouping together several portions which are cooked together then divided and divided (Dutch oven, deep fryers, pressure cookers, etc.). Sometimes (pasta cookers) individual baskets are slipped into collective baskets, a device for separating different items but imposing a common and unique cooking time. When, to overcome this drawback, the baskets are placed successively at times tl t2 t3 etc ... it quickly becomes impossible to know for each of them when tl 't2' t3 'etc ... the cooking ends .

 The device according to the invention overcomes this drawback. It makes it possible to cook several individual portions jointly and to know the precise moment when the cooking of each of them came to an end regardless of when it was cooked.

 It includes a rectangular tray in which is aligned a series of baskets of capacity equal to one portion. These baskets are placed on a guide support on which they are held side by side, in parallel but where they retain freedom of movement in the front / rear direction. On the outside of the tray, to the right and below each basket, there are indicator lights which allow you to follow the progress of cooking: after the food to be cooked is introduced, a green indicator light comes on and indicates that the cooking time countdown has started. When it comes to an end, a red light turns on and warns the user that the food is ready.

 As soon as the user removes the basket, the indicators go off.

 According to a particular embodiment, a third indicator light comes into play after the first two and indicates that the cooking time has been exceeded by a known value (time limit).

 Figure 1 shows, in front section, the device according to the invention.

 Figure 2 shows, in cross section, the guide support, a basket and its indicators.

 With reference to these drawings, the device comprises, placed inside a rectangular container (1), a guide support whose horizontal components (2) support the baskets (3) at a good height within the cooking liquid. and the vertical components (4) ensure the parallelism of these baskets while limiting their transverse mobility.

 Each basket is provided with a lug (5) whose action is zero when the basket is in place on its support.

 When the food is introduced, the user pushes the basket forward, causing the lug (5) to slide under the edge of the cooking tray and act on a contactor (6). The latter lights the indicator (7) indicating that cooking has started. At the same time it supplies a time relay (8) which, after a preset period of time, lights up the indicator (9) indicating the end of cooking.

To serve the food, the user takes the basket out of the tray, an action which has the effect of moving the lug (5) backwards to cut off the power supply: the lights go out and the device is ready to control the next cooking cycle.

 According to a particular destination of the device, the contact established by the lug (5) makes it possible to actuate a solenoid valve ensuring an additional supply of water, sweeping water, brine or any other ingredient.

 The device according to the invention is particularly intended for classic or fast food.

Claims (2)

CLAIMS 1) Device for cooking food portions characterized by a rectangular pan (1) inside which is a guide support receiving a series of metal baskets (3) each of them assigned indicator lights (7) and (9) which allow precise control of the cooking progress of the food placed inside.  20) Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the handle of each of the baskets (3) is provided with a lug (5) which slides under the edge of the cooking tray (1) actuates a contactor (6) which engages the cooking control process and which, at the end of this, brings the device back into the standby position for a new cycle.  30) Device according to claim 2 characterized in that the action of the lug (5) on the contactor (6) controls a solenoid valve ensuring the supply of complementary ingredients.