GB2437914A

GB2437914A - Cooker which locks to electrical supply base

Info

Publication number: GB2437914A
Application number: GB0609346A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Chih-Wei Chang
Original assignee: Ya Horng Electronic Co Ltd
Current assignee: Ya Horng Electronic Co Ltd
Priority date: 2006-05-11
Filing date: 2006-05-11
Publication date: 2007-11-14
Also published as: GB0609346D0

Abstract

A cooking device includes an electrical supply base 1, a case 2 mounted removably on the electrical supply base, a bowl 3 arranged in the case for containing cooking material, a lid 4 for covering the bowl, and a cooking basket (5) for loading the bowl with food. A heating unit (31) is disposed on the bottom of the bowl to connect with the electrical connector of the base and heat cooking material within the bowl. Further, the base includes at least a fastener 61 and the case includes a lodged part 62 to be locked by the fastener. Therefore, the case is fixed on the base, so as to prevent it from falling off or toppling over.

Description

COOKING DEVICE

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a cooking device, and more particularly, to a cooking device that prepares food by raising the temperature of food through electrical heating.

Background of the Invention

The European patent application EP1504706 discloses a cooking device, which has an electrical supply base and a dissociable case mounted on the electrical supply base. The case also has a bowl therein, and the bottom of the bowl is connected to a heating unit. When the case is placed on the electrical supply base, the heating unit is electrically coupled to the base such that the heating unit heats food inside the bowl for cooking. The case and the bowl of such cooking device can be taken apart from the base, and hence it is convenient to clean by soaking or spraying. However, the case of the cooking device is not stably attached to the electrical supply base as being placed on the base. As such, the case and the bowl arranged therein fall off away from the base and topple over easily when being shaken violently.

Summary of the Invention

It is an object of the invention to attempt to overcome at least one of the above or other problems.

In accordance with the aforementioned objective of the invention, a cooking device is provided, of which the electrical supply base and the case are combined with or dismounted from each other by means of the fastener and the lodged part. Accordingly, the case is fixed on the base to avoid collapsing. So it is safer to use the cooking device.

Accordingly, there is provided a cooking device, in which the case is fastened on the electrical supply base, preventing itself from collapsing.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Fig. 1 is an explored diagram showing a preferred embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is an elevational view showing a bowl according to a preferred embodiment of the invention; Fig. 3 is an elevational view showing a cooking basket according to a preferred embodiment of the invention; Fig. 4 shows a combinational view according to a preferred embodiment of the invention; Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a scraping member according to a preferred embodiment of the invention; Fig. 6 is a front view of another preferred embodiment of the invention; Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of another preferred embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description of Some Preferred Embodiments

References are made to Fig. 1, Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. A cooking device of the invention includes an electrical supply base 1, a dissociable case 2 disposed on the electrical supply base 1, a bowl 3 arranged in the case 2 for containing cooking material, a lid 4 for covering the bowl 3, and a cooking basket 5 for loading the bowl 3 with food.

An upper surface 11 of the electrical supply base 1 has a cambered protruding or extruded portion 12 at a front end thereof, and includes an electrical connector 13, a temperature sensor 14, and a temperature-controlled switch 15 thereon. A bottom of a front end of the case 2 has a curvy concave portion 21. A heating unit 31 is disposed on a bottom of the bowl 3 in the case 2. When the case 2 is placed on the electrical supply base 1 for cooking, the concave portion 21 of the case 2 is integrated with the extruded portion 12 of the electrical supply base 1 spontaneously. The case 2 is thus positioned on the electrical supply base 1 accurately as shown in Fig. 4.

After the case 2 is completely installed onto the electrical supply base 1, the heating unit 31 on the bottom of the bowl 3 is electrically coupled to the electrical connector 13, and the temperature sensor 14 contacts the bottom of the bowl 3 to detect temperatures. The temperature-controlled switch 15 controls the electrical connector 13 that provides power for the heating unit 31 to heat up the bowl 3, and regulates temperatures of the bowl 3 detected by the temperature sensor 14. The detailed description thereof will not be emphasized herein.

A lid 4, which can be opened or closed, is mounted on the case 2. The lid 4 also includes a window 41 thereon. As shown in Fig. 4, while the lid 4 covers the bowl 3 in the case 2, the condition of food within the bowl 3 can be observed through the window 41.

Referring to Fig. 5, a rotatable scraping member 42 is further disposed on the window 41. The rotatable scraping member 42 includes an operating bar 421 disposed over the window 41 and a scraper 422 attached under the window 41; wherein the operating bar 421 and the scraper 422 are linked by a shaft 423 passing through the window 41. During cooking the material in the bowl 3, steam is inevitably produced and absorbed on the window 41. The scraper 422 is then driven by the operating bar 421 to scratch the steam on the window 41 for clearly viewing.

The cooking basket 5 includes a handle 51 and a sieve 52. A bottom of the sieve 52 is, for example, a wavy ragged plate 521, and a plurality of through holes 522 are set therein. A sidewall 523 of the sieve 52 is, for example, a meshed metallic partition.

Referring to Fig. 1, the electrical supply base 1 includes two symmetric fasteners 61, and the case 2 includes lodged parts 62 to be locked by the fasteners 61. The fastener 61 may be in the form of a plate, one end of which is pivotally disposed in an inserting trench 16 outside the electrical supply base 1 and another end has a clasp 611. The lodged part 62 is fixed in a containing trench 22 outside the case 2.

As the case 2 is positioned on the electrical supply base 1, the inserting trench 16 of the electrical supply base 1 is inset to the containing trench 22 of the case 2. The clasp 611 of the fastener 61 is next pulled up to fasten the lodged part 62 such that case 2 is fixed on the electrical supply base 1 immovably.

Thus, the case 2 does not depart from the electrical supply base 1 and topple over due to vibration. On the other hand, after pulling open the fastener 61 to withdraw the clasp 611 from the lodged part 62, the case 2 can be lifted up easily to be out of the electrical supply base 1.

Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 show a fastening accessory between the electrical supply base 1 and the case 2 according to another preferred embodiment of the invention. The accessory comprises a fastener 71 disposed on the electrical supply base 1 and a lodged part 72 disposed on the case 2.

The fastener 71 includes an operating button 711 and a clipping board 712. The clipping board 712 is placed inside the cambered protruding portion 17 on a side of the electrical supply base 1. The clipping board 712 includes a clasp 713 on its top, a horizontal pole 714 in its middle penetrating through the protruding portion 17 of the electrical supply base 1, and an elastic member 715 providing elasticity on its bottom.

The button 711 is placed outside the protruding portion 17 of the electrical supply base 1, and is connected with the pole 714 of the clipping board 712 in the one-piece form. The lodged part 72 is bulged inside the case 2 and is positioned above the curvy concave portion 23 on the bottom of the case 2.

As the case 2 is positioned on the electrical supply base 1, the protruding portion 17 of the electrical supply base 1 and the curvy concave portion 23 of the case 2 are integrated with each other. The elastic member 715 also forces the clipping board 712 of the fastener 71 such that the clasp 713 of the clipping board 712 lodges in the lodged part 72 of the case 2.

As a result, the case 2 is fixed on the electrical supply base 1 immovably. On the other hand, after pressing the button 711 to release the elasticity applied to the clipping board 712 by the elastic member 715, the clasp 713 is removed away from the lodged part 72. So the case 2 can be lifted up easily to be out of the electrical supply base 1.

As described above, the electrical supply base 1 and the case 2 are combined with or dismounted from each other by means of the fasteners 61, 71 and the lodged parts 62, 72. It is safer to use the device while cooking, so the device has utility.

Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment(s) as mentioned above, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claim or claims will cover such modifications and variations that fall within the true scope of the invention.

Attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification

(including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) , or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Claims

What is claimed is: 1. A cooking device, comprising: an electrical

supply base having an electrical connector disposed thereon; a dissociable case placed on the electrical supply base; a bowl arranged in the case, wherein a heating unit is disposed on the bottom of the bowl to be electrically connected with the electrical connector of the electrical supply base; and a lid, being able to be opened or closed, disposed on the case to cover the bowl; characterized in that the base and the case include IS cooperating portions that releasably fasten the base and case together
2. A cooking device as claimed in claim 1 in which the cooperating portions include the electrical supply base comprising at least one fastener and the case comprising a ledged part to be locked by the fastener.

3. The cooking device of Claim 2, characterized in that the fastener comprises an end pivotally positioned outside the electrical supply base, and another end having a clasp to fasten the ledged part of the case.

4. The cooking device of Claims 2 or 3, characterized in that the fastener is pivotally disposed in an inserting Lrench outside the electrical supply base, and the ledged part is disposed in a containing trench outside the case.

5. The cooking device of Claim 4, characterized in that the inserting trench of the electrical supply base and the containing trench of the case are lodged in each other.

6. The cooking device of Claim 2, characterized in that the fastener comprises an operating button and a clipping board, the clipping board clasps the ledged part of the case, and the clipping board moves away from the ledged part of the case when the operating button is pressed.

7. The cooking device of Claim 6, characterized in that the clipping board moves toward the ledged part of the case due to elasticity applied by an elastic member.

8. The cooking device of Claims 6 or 7, characterized in that the operating button is disposed outside the electrical supply base, and the clipping board is disposed inside the electrical supply base.

9. The cooking device of Claim 8, characterized in that the clipping board is disposed inside a cambered protruding portion on a side of the electrical supply base and comprises a clasp on a top thereof, and a horizontal pole in a middle thereof passing through the cambered protruding portion on the side of the electrical supply base to link with the operating button.

10. The cooking device of Claim 9, characterized in that the lodged part is bulged inside the case, and is positioned above a curvy concave portion on a bottom of the case.

11. The cooking device of Claim 10, characterized in that the cambered protruding portion on the electrical supply base and the curvy concave portion on the case are integrated with each other.