GB2221135A

GB2221135A - Automatic breakmaking machines

Info

Publication number: GB2221135A
Application number: GB8916297A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Terence Gordon Royle
Original assignee: Kenwood Ltd
Current assignee: Kenwood Ltd
Priority date: 1988-07-20
Filing date: 1989-07-17
Publication date: 1990-01-31
Also published as: GB8817260D0; GB8916297D0

Abstract

A breadmaking machine consists of a heatable outer casing 1 within which there is a container 3 for holding the ingredients for breadmaking. Housed within the container 3 are two rotatable beaters 4, 5 for kneading the ingredients of the bread. The beaters are driven by a motor 14, the interaction of the boaters with each other providing an effective kneading action. <IMAGE>

Description

AUTOMATIC BREADMAKING MACHINES This invention relates to breadmaking machines and, in particular, to automatic bread making machines for automatically baking a small amount of bread, mainly at home.

The process of breadmaking starts with the preparation of dough by kneeding the ingredients of bread, i.e. wheat flour, a yeast fungus and small amounts of butter and sugar, with water.

The dough is primary - fermented, degassed, secondary-fermented, degassed and fermented for shaping, thereafter being baked.

Usually, two to four hours are needed for baking bread after starting the kneading of the ingredients.

Domestic breadmaking machines which carry out one or more of the above functions are known. A known conventional breadmaking machine comprises a kneader, a fermenter and a baking oven, assembled together. However, such machines suffer from the disadvantage that the dough produced by the kneader has to be transferred manually to the fermenter and the fermented dough has to be transferred manually to the oven. In addition, control of the fermenter and oven is manual.

Another known kind of bread maker comprises a container for the ingredients of the bread and a water tank, both of which are dernountably mounted in a housing. The ingredients and water are kneaded by rotating a single rotary vane to obtain a dough which is then fermented and baked by the heat fron a heater positioned under or around the container.

While such breadmaking machines function reasonably well, the duration of kneadtime is long due to the kneading action of the dough by the kneading vane, which does not simulate hand kneading closely enough to produce bread of the desired texture in a short time. Also because of the beater arrangement in these machines, the size of the loaves produced is limited, as is their shape which tends to be cubic.

In addition, such machines are usually belt driven and controlled by microprocessors, which makes manufacture rather costly.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an automatic breadmaking machine which can produce bread closely resembling handmade bread in texture the loaves being larger in size than can be produced by known machines and in which the manufacturing cost of the machine is relatively low.

According to the present invention there is provided an automatic breadmaking machine comprising : an outer housing provided with a heating means for the proving and baking of bread made therein; a mixing container removably mounted within said housing; mixing means for mixing and kneading ingredients for breadmaking placed within said mixing container, said mixing means comprising at least two power driven beaters mounted for co-operative rotation about parallel axes; the arrangement being such that the interaction of the beaters with each other provides an effective kneading action.

Thus in the breadmaking machine of the invention two 'rotary' beaters act together to simulate the action of hand kneading, whereas in prior art machines only one beater is provided.

Consequently, it has been found that a machine embodying the invention produces bread having a texture more closely resembling hand made bread, in a shorter time than bread produced by prior art machines.

In addition the provision of at least two beaters instead of the conventional single beater, enables the machine of the invention to produce loaves of much larger size than prior art machines and also of more traditional European shape, that is they are more cuboidal in shape than cubic.

In order to enhance the kneading effect of the beaters still further, the beaters preferably rotate in opposite directions relative to each other.

Preferably, the beaters are removably secured to respective shafts which are attachable to a single drive means arranged to receive a rotational drive connection from a motor.

Preferably also, the motor is a shaded pole motor having a single gear attached to it, the single gear being co-operable with a gearing arrangement attached to the shafts, in order to provide direct drive to the single drive means.

The provision of a direct drive mechanism to connect the motor to the drive means of the beaters, instead of the conventional belt drive mechanism used in prior art bread making machines, enables the machine of the invention to be manufactured more economically than prior art devices.

In order to make the breadmaking machine of the invention yet more economical to manufacture, the mixing and heating means are preferably controlled by electro-mechanical means. Prior art breadmaking machines incorporate more expensive microprocessors to control these means.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Figure 1 shows a schematic cross sectional view of the breadmaking machine of the invention, along with a part-sectional view of its internal parts; and Figure 2 is a schematic circuit diagram of the control means for the machine.

Referring to Figure 1, the automatic breadmaking machine shown generally at 1 includes an outer housing 2 provided with a heating element (not shown). A mixing pot 3 fabricated from metal, preferably a die cast metal is removably mounted within the housing 2. Beaters 4 and 5 effective to mix ingredients for breadmaking placed within the pot 3 are mounted on respective shafts 6 and 7, are in turn removably attachable to drive shafts 8 and 9.

The mixing pot 3 has two holes (not shown) in its base through which the drive shafts 8 and 9 may protrude via suitable seal and bearing means (not shown) when the mixing pot 3 is in position. The parts of the drive shafts 8 and 9 outside the mixing pot 3 are provided with gears 10 and 11 respectively.

These gears 10 and 11 are arranged to mesh together and are rotationally driven by a further gear 12 attached to a shaft 13 of a motor 14.

In use of the machine the lid 15 of the housing 2 is opened and the ingredients required for breakmaking are placed in the mixing pot 3.

Referring now to Figure 2 the machine is then switched on and from then on all its functions, for example, mixing and beating are controlled by an electro-mechanical timer 17 interconnected with an electro-mechanical thermostat 19. If desired, a separate delay start electro-mechanical timer 21 may be included. This enables the user to switch on the machine and leave it while allowing the ingredients to settle for a while before kneading commences. A warning light 25 indicates operation of the machine.

Once the machine is switched on kneading commences immediately unless as stated above the delay short timer 21 is provided. The kneading action is provided by the beaters 4 and 5 which are caused to rotate by the engagement of drive shafts 8 and 9 with their shafts 6 and 7. The drive shafts 8 and 9 are themselves driven by the motor 14, the interconnection being provided by gears 10 and 11, one of which is connected to gear 12 of the shaded pole motor 14.

The beaters 4 and 5 are typically rotated at a fixed speed between 60-200 rpm and rotate in opposite directions to stretch and knead the dough in a breadmaking manner.

While the kneading process continues, the environment surrounding the mixing pot 3 is maintained at a predetermined optimum temperature by the heating element 23 provided in the housing 2 in combination with the electromechanical thermostat 19.

Kneading continues for a predetermined period of time, controlled by the electro-mechanical timer 17 and timer motor 27 at the end of which time the mixture is left to 'prove' for a second predetermined period of time, typically 20 minutes.

The thermostatically controlled heating element 23 maintains the environment surrounding the mixing pot 3 at the optimum temperature for proving". The dough is then re-kneaded for a short time and allowed to rise again.

Once the dough has risen the mixture is ready for baking.

The baking stage is initiated by the electro-mechanical timer 7 in combination with the heating element thermostat 19. The typical baking temperature is around 190-2200C.

The mixing pot 3 is designed to hold enough ingredients to produce a two pound loaf, however mixing pots of various sizes can be used and their shape can be varied to produce loaves of different shapes.

It will be appreciated that in some circumstances it may be appropriate for the gears in a machine in accordance with the invention to be such that the beaters 4 and 5 rotate in the same direction, relative to each other instead of opposite directions, and at different speeds instead of the same speed.

In a more sophisticated machine, the beater drive shafts 8 and 9 may be belt driven from any kind of motor (instead of being directly driven from a shaded pole motor) with the timing and temperature functions being controlled by an electronic control with mechanical power switching. However, such changes to the basic design tend to make manufacture of the machine more expensive whereas it may be important to provide such a machine at minimal cost.

It is found that bread produced by the machine of the invention, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, is of a consistancy for European tastes in s shorter time than bread made by prior art automatic machines and more closely resembles hand made bread.

Claims

1. An automatic breadmaking machine comprising: an outer housing provided with a heating means for the proving and baking of bread made therein; a mixing container removably mounted within said housing; mixing means for mixing and kneading ingredients for breadmaking placed within said mixing container, said mixing means comprising at least two power driven beaters mounted for co-operative rotation about parallel axes; the arrangement being such that the interaction of the beaters with each other provides an effective kneading action.

2. An automatic breadmaking machine according to Claim 1, wherein the beaters are arranged so as to rotate in opposite directions relative to each other.

3. An automatic breadmaking machine according to either one of the preceding claims wherein the beaters are removably secured to respective shafts which are attachable to a single drive means arranged to receive a rotational drive connection from a motor.

4. An automatic breadmaking machine according to Claim 3 in which the shafts are attachable to the single drive means via respective apertures in the mixing container.

5. An automatic breadmaking machine according to Claim 3 or Claim 4 wherein the motor is a shaded pole motor having a single gear attached to it, the single gear being co-operable with a gearing arrangement attached to the shafts, in order to provide direct drive to the single drive means.

6. An automatic breadmaking machine according to any preceding claim wherein the means for mixing and heating the contents of said machine are controlled by electromechanical means.

7. An automatic breadmaking machine according to Claim 6 wherein said electromechanical means is effective to control the time of operation of the machine.

8. An automatic breadmaking machine substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.