GB2231486A

GB2231486A - Cooking apparatus for eggs

Info

Publication number: GB2231486A
Application number: GB9006514A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Leslie Robert Tucker; Robin Tucker
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1989-03-23
Filing date: 1990-03-23
Publication date: 1990-11-21
Also published as: GB9006514D0; GB8906762D0

Abstract

Food (e.g. eggs) to be cooked is placed on a carrier (shelf 14) which is displaceable into a cooking liquid. This actuates rapid heating. Boiling of the liquid may be detected by the bubbles displacing a flapper plate 34, which triggers a reduction in the rate of heating and starts a timer. After a set time, the carrier 14 is displaced out of the liquid. <IMAGE>

Description

COOKING APPARATUS The present invention relates to cooking apparatus for cooking food by immersion in a heated liquid. It particularly relates to apparatus for boiling eggs.

Thus the present invention provides cooking apparatus having a volume for-holding a cooking liquid; a food carrier displaceable to carry food into and out of said volume; means for heating liquid in the volume; and means for determining when food in the said volume has received predetermined cooking treatment, and actuating displacement of the carrier to carry the food out of the volume.

The predetermined cooking treatment may involve cooking for a predetermined time and/or bringing the cooking liquid to a predetermined temperature. The heating means may have two components: a rapid heater for bringing the liquid temperature to a desired value or range (e.g. for bringing water to boiling); and a secondary heater for containing the temperature of the liquid. Of course, the two forms of heating could be performed by the same heater. Particularly for an egg boiling apparatus, the arrangement may be such that when the carrier takes eggs into the liquid (which will generally be water), this initiates rapid heating of the water until boiling is reached, whereupon this is detected.This may start a timer to determine the predetermined cooking treatment; and may also cause a change in the manner of heating, so that the water is kept at about its boiling point, without boiling violently.

Detection of the boiling of the water may employ a member which is located in the volume and is displaceable by a stream of bubbles produced by boiling of the liquid.

The food carrier may be a shelf which is displaceable downwardly to carry food into the volume.

This displacement may cause displacement of the boiling detector member to its detecting configuration, and actuation of heating.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an egg cooking apparatus embodying the invention; and Fig. 2 is a similar view cut away.

The apparatus 10 has a body within which is defined a volume 12 for holding water. A carrier comprises a shelf 14, whose surface is a perforated plate. This shelf 14 is displaceable downwardly, against the force of compression springs 16. It is fast with an upwardly extending push member 18 including a screw 20 having a notch 22. A bent metal strip 24 has a tongue 26 which engages in the notch 22 when the push member 18 and shelf 14 are pushed downwardly to a cooking configuration. The metal strip 24 is a bimetallic strip, and is encircled by a small heating coil 28.

In a lower region of the water volume 12, there are a highpower water heater 30 and a low-power water heater 32. A flapper plate 34 is a metal plate with two limbs connected at an angle of about 60". It is pivoted near their connecting line to an upright wall delimiting the volume 12. The lower (and shorter) limb 35 carries a magnet 36. There is a fixed iron 38 within the volume 12 so that it can be attracted by the magnet. Thus, as shown in Fig. 2, the flapper plate can adopt a configuration with the magnet adjacent to the fixed iron 38. From this, the flapper plate can be pivoted (clockwise as shown in Fig. 2) so that the main limb 37 moves generally downwardly, until the short limb 35 rests against the wall of the volume 12. A reed switch 40 is located adjacent to the wall, to detect the proximity of the magnet.This switch is arranged to actuate the highpower water heater 30.

In operation, the volume contains water which is initially cold. The shelf 14 is in the raised position shown in Fig. 2. The cover 42 is removed, and the required number of eggs are placed on the shelf 14. The cover 42 is replaced and the push member 18 is depressed, thus lowering the shelf and eggs into the water. The descent compresses the springs 16, and continues until the tongue of the bimetallic strip 24 engages in the notch 22. In its movement the shelf 14 has displaced the flapper plate 34 so that the magnet on the short limb is now adjacent the reed switch. The shelf is still spaced some way above the floor of the volume 12, clear of the heaters 30,32, and not interfering with the flapper plate's operation. The reed switch 40 senses the- magnet and switches on the power to the high power water heater 30. The low power water heater 32 is also operational, suitably being controlled by a switch actuated by depression of the push member 18. When thev water begins to boil vigorously, the ascending bubbles carry the flapper plate anti-clockwise, so that the magnet 36 leaves the reed switch 40 and returns to the fixed iron 38, and power to the high-power heater 30 is cut off. It also actuates a timer, whose period may be set by means of a switch 44. After the predetermined period, this causes the heating coil 28 on the bimetallic strip 24 to be actuated. The strip 24 is thus caused to bend away from the notched screw 20. The force of the springs 16 now causes the shelf and its load of correctly cooked eggs to rise out of the water. The rising of the shelf may cut off the power supply, so that the low-power heater 32 also ceases to operate.

Claims

1. Cooking apparatus having a volume for holding a cooking liquid; a food carrier displaceable to carry food into and out of said volume; means for heating liquid in the volume; and control means for determining when food in the said volume has received predetermined cooking treatment, and actuating displacement of the carrier to carry the food out of the volume.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said control means is arranged to determine when food has been cooked for a predetermined time.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said control means determines that the cooking liquid is brought to a predetermined temperature.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the control means is arranged to detect when the cooking liquid reaches boiling point and then to allow a predetermined cooking time before actuating displacement.

5. Apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the heating means is arranged to provide a high heat input for bringing the liquid temperature to a desired value or range; and a low heat input for maintaining the temperature of the liquid.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 having a rapid heater and a secondary heater for providing said high and low heat inputs.

7. Apparatus according to claim 5 or 6 wherein the control means is arranged to detect displacement of the carrier to take food into the liquid and, in response thereto, to actuate the heating means to supply said high heat input; the control means detecting when boiling commences and switching the heating means to low input for maintaining boiling; and starting a timer to determine the predetermined cooking treatment.

8. Apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the control means includes means for detection of the boiling of the cooking liquid comprising a member which is located in the volume and is displaceable by a stream of bubbles produced by boiling the liquid.

9. Apparatus according to any preceding claim for boiling eggs, said food carrier being adapted to carry one or more eggs.

10. Cooking apparatus subsequently as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.