WO1996019934A1

WO1996019934A1 - A deep-fryer structure

Info

Publication number: WO1996019934A1
Application number: PCT/IT1995/000219
Authority: WO
Inventors: Cristano Giacomini
Original assignee: Hifood Distribution Limited
Priority date: 1994-12-23
Filing date: 1995-12-13
Publication date: 1996-07-04
Also published as: ITTV940140A0; AU4187496A; IL116426A0; IT1273923B; ITTV940140A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a deep-frying pan structure comprising a container (12) for oil and food to be fried, which is superiorly closeable by means of a lid possibly exhibiting means for aspiration and filtration of fumes, said container exhibiting a lateral aperture (13) for expulsion of cooked foods. The container is partially contained in and removably associated with a body (8) containing heatable liquid. A conical disc element (23) is situated internally of the container, provided with radial separators (24) and cooperates with means for rotating same and means for vertically moving same.

Description

Desc π pt ι on .

A DEEP-FRYER STRUCTURE.

Technical Field.

The application relates to a deep-frying pan structure, especially for automatic fried food dispensers such as potato chips, chicken pieces, croquets, sma l fish and ether fryable products.

Background Art .

Prior-art deep-fryers are essentiallv constituted by a container into which food oil is poured, /hich container is electrically connected to means for heating and temperature-control , normallv comprising an electrical resistance element.

Known-type deep-fryers are also equipped with one or more baskets for containing the product to be fried, which are placed inside the container so as to immerse the product in the oil In some realizations the baskets a re fixed, while in others they are rotated by means of manual or automatic action. The prior art teaches Italian Industrial Invention no. 1192101 , granted on ÷-he '-1.03.1988, which discloses a deep-fryer comprising a container lβtemal 1 of which there is a carousel for a plurality of baskets which are raised and tilted by mechanical means situated externally and internally of the container respectively. The above invention further internally comprises a first conveyor of the product to be fried, as well as an aspiration pipe for the fumes created, as well as a removabl e lid. The same applicant is also owner of Italian patent no. 1236335, filed on 31.10.1989 relating to a deep-fryer internally comprising a holed separator wall exhibiting a - 2 -

spiral conformation which αevelops from a first lateral wall up to the top of a second lateral wall . The deep-fryer further comprises a motorized axle conntect to a support to which one or more articulated oars a re hinged, said bars bearing nuαging paddles for pusmng the cooked food out of the fryer.

A drawback encountered -n the above-αesc ι oed known-type deep-fryers consists in the fact that the means for heating a re either in direct contact -with the oil or . th the oil container: this characterI sti c contributes to rapid deterioration of the condition of the oil , as it is liable to exceed the temperature at which t begins smoking, especially in the region in proximit. to the heating elements. This situation leads not only to the formation of fumes and the problem of how to fi lter same, but also to the need for frequent filter maintenance and substitution after a certain number of cooking operations. Obviously a further consequence is that the oil suffers in quality after relatively few operations.

Disclosure of Invention.

The main aim of the present " nvention is to resolve the technical problems mentioned above, obviating the drawbacks in the cited prior art by providing a deep-fryer which safeguards the food qualities of the oil even after a considerable number of cooking operations and consequent reheati ngs .

A further important aim is to provide a deep-fryer in which the frying oil can work at a temperature kept consistently below the "smoke-point" and thus limit the formation of fumes.

A still further important aim is to realize a deep-fryer which is structurally simple, which comprises devices for the filtering of the very limited quantity of fumes / 219

generated, ana winch is therefore economical to maintain and cl ean .

A still further important aim is to provide a deep-fryer which can be cleaned using common dish-washing machines, rendering hygiene easily-obtainable, fast and economical . The aoove aims and objectives, as wel as others which wi l oetter emerge from the following description, are attained by a deep-fryer structure comprising a container for oil and a food to be fried, which container is superiorly closeable by means of a lid possibly exhibiting means for aspiration and filtration of fumes, and provided with a lateral aperture, -which deep-fryer is characterized in that said container is removably associated with and partially contained ^n body containing a beatable liquid; said container containing also a conical disc element exhibiting radial separators and cooperating with means for rotating said conical element and means for di spl aci ng same. Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will better emerge from the detailed description that follows, of an embodiment of the invention, illustrated in the form of a non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, in which: figure 1 illustrates the deep-frver in a partial 1 v- sectioned lateral view; figure 2 shows the deep-fryer in a second lateral view; figure 3 shows the deep-fryer in a section made according to line 111-111 of figure 1 ; figure 4 shows the deep-fryer in a partially-sectioned three-quarter lateral view, in which some components have been left out better to evidence others.

With reference to the figures, the deep-fryer of the invention is denoted in its entirety by 1; it is particularly utilizable in automatic dispensers of fried foods such as potato chips, chicken pieces, croquets, small fish, as well as other like products.

The structure of the deep-fryer is constituted by a container 2 exhibiting at least a first aperture 3 for unloading the product by means of a hopper 4. The container 2 is superiorly open, and is provided with a removable lid 5 exhibiting a closeable second aperture 6 through which food can be loaded, and a conduit 7, equipped with a filter, for aspirating fumes. The container 2 is partially contained in a preferaDly cylindrical body 8 having an internal diameter which is slightl larger than an external diameter of sai container 2. The body 8 has a liquid-tight bottom 9. One or more possiblv armoured electrical resistance elements 10 are positioned inside the body 8 and connected to a plug 11 for connection to an external electrical supp v .

A temperature sensor 12 is also advantageously provided. A first sleeve 13 is positioned axiallv of the body 8 and is advantageously welded only at the bottom 9 of said body 8. The sleeve 13 exhibits an end which projects interiorly from the bottom 9 of the body 8.

A second sleeve 26 is made solid to and projects axially and internally of the container 2. The second sleeve 26 is coaxial to the first sleeve 13 and has a greater diameter than same.

An end of the first sleeve 13 is situated internallv of the container 2 and projects to a height such as to project beyond said second sleeve 26, which latter is of such a height that an upper end thereof is positioned at a slightly higher level than a height reached by lateral walls 15 of the body 8.

A diathermic liquid 16 is poured between the container 2 and the body 8 in such quantities that the maximum level of same does not exceed a lie plane containing the upper end of the second sleeve 26. - o

Internally of the first sleeve 13 a snaft 14 can be positioned rotatably and axially slidably. The shaft 14 can be polygonal or splineo and at an end thereof projects infeπorly of the bottom 9 of the body 8 and is connected thereto to means for rotating and means for vertically displacing said body 8, said means for rotating being for example constituted by a con rod-crank mechanism -7 and said means for vertically displacing being constituted by a motor 18 exhibiting a first cogwheel 19 for transmitting motion, by means of a pulley or chain 20, to a second cogwheel 21 keyed to a bottom end of the shaft 14. The shaft 4 can therefore slide vertically internally of the first sleeve 13, hile the second cogwheel 21 does not rotate. The shaft 14 is connected at an upper end 22 thereof to and upper end 22 of a conical disc element 23 exhibiting a plurality of radial separators 24 distanced radially one from a next on said disc 23 such as to define there¬ between a plurality of compartments destined to contain separate portions of food.

The movement induced on the shaft 14 rotates and can raise a conical disc 23 exhibiting separators 24 defining compartments in which the food to be fried can be

The container 2 is of such a height that the conical disc 23 can be raised from its lower position (resting on the base) to a point where its flat bottom 25 is above the lateral walls 15 of the body 8, and at the height of the first aperture 3; at this height the conical disc 23 does not superiorly touch the lid 5.

The invention functions as follows. First the user introduces the food to be fried through the second aperture 6 (afforded in the lid 5) into the compartment situated between two of the separators 24. The second aperture 6 is advantageously positioned such that the - D

compartment into which new food is introduced i i .e the compartment directly below the second aperture 6) is next to another compartment containing already-fried food and conveniently positioned at the first aperture 3 and the hopper 4 associated thereto, so that unloading and loading can take place simultaneously.

It follows that the rotation direction of the shaft 14 and thus the conical disc 23 is, in the illustrated embodiment, anticlockwise and the time taken by one compartment to travel from the position corπsponding to the first aperture 6 to that corπsponding to the second aperture is equal to the ideal cooking time for the food. Once the food to be fried has been introduced the conical disc 23 is lowered to rest on the bottom of thee container 2 and thus immersed in an oil bath already prepared therefor .

The oil is not heated directly by the electrical resistance elements 10, but througn the diathermic liquid 16 which heats the bottom and part of the wall of the contai ner 2.

Logical units control the times of rotation and raising of the shaft 14. Once the cooking period is complete, during which operation the conical disc 23 is rotated such as to position the food under the first aperture 3, the conical disc 23 is raised and (thanks to the inclined conformation of the conical disc 23 itself), the by-now fried product is expelled from the container 2 through the first aperture 3 and the hopper 4 The operative cycle then restarts, as described above. Thus, with each angle of rotation predetermined such as to be equal to a distance between one separator 24 and a next, followed by a raising of the conical disc 23, at an end of each cooking operation a quantity of uncooked food can be loaded contemporaneously with an unloading of a quantity of cooked food. - 7 -

If the conical disc 23, separated into compartments, is loaded with a portion in each of said compartments, each of the portions will be ready for unloading (l .e. will be cooked) in a time proportional to a number of compartments on the conical disc 23.

The thermal energy necessary for keeping the oil at the predetermined frying temperature is thus transmitted from the diathermic liquid contained in the body 8 through the surface of the container 2 immersed therein. In this way the invention achieves its set aims, by providing a deep-fryer structure which enables food to be cooked easily and perfectly, rapidly and according to a controlled and continuous cvcle, in wmch the cooking oil does not come into direct contact with the electrical resistance elements and thus remains in usable state for much longer than in traditional structures.

Furthermore, the structure is very solid and the parts of it which come into contact with the oil are easy to clean. An operator has very easy access to the conical disc 23, which is removable from the shaft 14, as well as to the inside of the container 2 for carrying cut the necessary cleaning operations,

The container 2, being removable from the body 8, can thus be placed, together with its conical disc 23, inside dishwashers, facilitating hygiene considerably.

Obviously the invention is susceptible to numerous modifications and variations, all entering within the inventive idea as expressed herein. The dimensions, constituent materials, and single components thereof can be adapted according to specific needs .

Claims

1. A deep-fryer structure comprising a container for oil and for a food to be fried, characterized in that said container is partially contained within a body also containing a heatable liquid; said oil in said container being heated by means of said heatable liquid.

2. A structure as in claim 1 , characterized in that: said container exhibits, at a lateral surface thereof, at least a first aperture for unloading the food; said container internally exhibits an element having an inclined surface and means for vertically sliding said element; said element being brought bv said means for vertically sliding into a position whereat said food can be unloaded from said deep-frying structure through said first aperture; said inclined surface of said element favouring such unloading operation.

3. A structure as in claim 2, characterized in that said element exhibits a conical disc shape and is provided with radial wall separators affording separate compartments on said element inside each of which a portion of food can be positioned; said element being rotatable about an axis thereof by means for rotating.

4. A structure as in claim 3, characterized in that: said means for rotating comprise a shaft exhibiting an end which projects infenorly of a bottom of said body and another end which is internal of said container and connected to said element; a rotating organ, driven by a motor and constrained to said end projecting infenorly such as to set said shaft in rotation and in such a way as to enable said shaft to be vertically slid with respect to said rotating organ; - 9 -

said means for vertically sliding said element being associated to said shaft.

5. A structure as in claim 4, characterized in that said disc element is removably constrained at an upper end thereof to said shaft.

6. A structure as in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that: a first sleeve is solidly constrained axially of said body; a second sleeve is axially constrained internally of said container; said second sleeve being coaxial to said first sleeve and having an internal diameter which is greater than an external diameter of said first sleeve; an end of said first sleeve, said end being internal of said container, projects superiorly beyond said second s eeve; an end of said second sleeve is positioned slightly above lateral walls of the body; said heatable liquid is situated between said container and said body, at a maximum level which does not exceed a lie plane of the end of the first sleeve internal of said container; said heatable liquid being usable for heating a bottom and part of a lateral wall of said container; said cooking oil contained inside said container reaching a maximum level which is lower than said end of said first sleeve and said end of said second sleeve.

7. A structure as in claims 6 and 4, characterized in that said shaft is positioned internally of said first sleeve.

8. A structure as in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said container is superiorly open and closeable by means of a lid exhibiting a second aperture for introduction of the food.

9. A structure as in claims 8 and 3, characterized in that said first aperture, said second aperture and said radial separators are conformed and arranged such that following a rotation of said element, when a compartment comprised in a space between two separators and containing a cooked portion of food is positioned at said first aperture, ready to be unloaded, an empty compartment, adjacent to the compartment situated below said first aperture and previously unloaded of food thereat, is situated below said second aperture, at which it can be refilled with uncooked food; a passage of said compartment from a loading operation to an unloading operation being timed exactly such as to permit of perfectly cooking the food 1oaded therei n .

10. A structure as in claim 9, characterized in that said first aperture and said second aperture are conformed and arranged in such a way that said compartment comprised between two adjacent separators and situated below said second aperture is radially next to said compartment situated at said first aperture.

11. A structure as in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that means for heating said heating liquid, which is diathermic, are situated inside said body .

12. A structure as in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said container is removably associable to said body.