WO1999047033A1

WO1999047033A1 - Apparatus for dry cooking food products in multiple containers

Info

Publication number: WO1999047033A1
Application number: PCT/IB1999/000433
Authority: WO
Inventors: Vincenzo Cavallo
Original assignee: Vincenzo Cavallo
Priority date: 1998-03-19
Filing date: 1999-03-15
Publication date: 1999-09-23
Also published as: IT1299919B1; ITBO980176A1; AU2634999A; ITBO980176A0

Abstract

An apparatus (1) for cooking food products comprises a cooking chamber (2) having a heated compartment (3) provided with an opening (4) for the introduction of the products to be cooked and an opening (5) for the discharge of the cooked products; at least one cooking container (6), able to rotate around its own axis (7) of symmetry, housed in the compartment (3) and provided with an opening (8) for the introduction and discharge of the products; a movable door (9) associated with the opening (8) of the container (6); and means (16) for actuating the opening and closure of the door (9). The container (6) is movable with a revolution motion around a fixed axis (11) parallel to its own axis (7) of rotation describing a closed trajectory (12) along which it positions the opening (8) periodically in proximity of the introductory opening (4) and of the discharge opening (5) the compartment (3), correspondingly the door (9) of the container (6) being opened to receive the products to be cooked when the container (6) is proximate to the introductory opening (4) of the compartment (3), being then closed again in said position and, after a certain number of revolutions of the container (6) being opened in a new position proximate to the discharge opening (5) for the evacuation of the cooked products.

Description

1 Description

Apparatus for Dry Cooking Food Products in Multiple Containers

Technical Field

The present invention relates to apparatuses for dry cooking food products, in particular potato chips, pop corn and similar products.

Dry cooking of some characteristic food products represents a method of considerable interest, in the food services industry, because, with respect to cooking by immersing products in liquid, in particular in oil, it presents numerous advantages such as a lesser imbibition of the products with the cooking oil, the impossibility of reusing the same oil for multiple cooking cycles, to the benefit of the healthiness of the cooked product, and shorter downtime of the cooking apparatuses in the production starting and stopping transitions.

Such a cooking method is essentially performed in particular providing for the insertion of the products to be cooked in a rotating container with holed walls, and subsequently for investing the container with ventilated hot air continuously mixing, through the rotation of the container, the products, whereon, from time to time, flavouring oil is sprayed.

The present invention relates in particular to an apparatus for dry cooking food products, which corresponds to the preamble of claim 1 , and which comprises a cooking chamber having a heated compartment communicating with the external environment by means of an opening for the introduction of the products to be cooked and an opening for the discharge of the cooked products, at least one cooking container, able to rotate around its own axis of symmetry, housed in the heated compartment, and provided with at least one opening for the introduction and discharge of the products; apparatus that further comprises a movable door associated to the opening of the container; and means for controlling the opening and closure of the movable door of the container. Background Art

Such an apparatus is already known from the document IT BO92A000149, in the name of the same Applicant.

Apparatuses of the aforementioned kind have been revealed to be fully satisfactory from the standpoint of the good organoleptic quality and healthiness of the cooked product, however along with such advantages, such apparatuses present the main drawback of requiring close control over the operating temperature, which can undergo quite modest excursions with respect to a predetermined characteristic value. As a consequence thereof, dry cooking apparatuses present in general a certain productive rigidity linked to their nominal hourly production capacity, which prevents them from meeting cooked product requirements that are quite diversified from one cycle to the other.

Disclosure of Invention The aim of the present invention is to eliminate the aforementioned drawbacks.

In accordance with the invention this aim is reached by an apparatus, according to the preamble to claim 1, wherein the container for cooking the products is movable with a revolution motion around a fixed axis parallel to its own axis of rotation, and describes a closed trajectory along which it positions it own opening periodically in proximity to the opening for the introduction and the opening for the discharge of the products from the heated compartment; the door of the container being opened to receive the products to be cooked in correspondence with its reaching a position wherein the container is proximate to the introductory opening of the compartment; being then closed again in said position and, after a certain number of revolutions of the container being opened again in a position proximate to the discharge opening of the compartment for the evacuation of the cooked products from the container.

Such a constructive set up allows to mix the product which, entailing a different and better exposure of the individual product parts to hot air, allows to obtain, all other conditions being equal, shorter cooking times. 3

Moreover, through the adoption of a plurality of such cooking containers the opportunity is obtained of realising machines whose productive power is diversified and able to be adjusted according to requirements as a function of the number of containers adopted by the constructive set up and employed on each occasion depending on the actual production needs.

Adopting in particular an epicycloidal rotatory mechanism to move all containers in mutual phase synchronism, the additional advantage is obtained of realising rather significant constructive and operating economies. The same machine structure can be used with modest constructive variations to adopt from one to four containers and even greater numbers thereof, thereby allowing to construct on the same basic structure apparatuses having diversified productive capacities which, moreover, can be upgraded in their productive potential, according to the needs of the user, even after their initial acquisition.

Such an apparatus with multiple containers, obtained in the same basic structure, has the additional advantage of reducing, with respect to prior art structures with a single container, also the downtime in start-up transitions and in stopping transitions. This allows on one hand to reduce the time spent waiting for production to start and on the other hand to reduce the time spent waiting for the start of the operations of periodical cleaning of the machine, operations which, given that the products are destined for human consumption, represent a very important and indispensable peculiarity.

The apparatus can further be equipped with dosing means provided to cyclically supply the cooking chamber with predetermined quantities of products to be cooked. Such a characteristic allows numerous advantages such as that of eliminating a replenishment phase, which in the current operation of prior art apparatuses entails manual intervention and that of allowing a rigorous control over the quality of the product admitted for cooking in order to maintain the optimal correlation between product quantity, cooking times and operating temperature.

Moreover, equipping the apparatus with a refrigeration cell directly associated to the cooking chamber and possibly fitted with the aforesaid dosing means it is possible to rationalise, in addition to the cooking cycle, also the entire supply cycle of the product to be cooked.

Lastly, by positioning conveyor means below the cooking chamber and managing such means with management and control means, which in particular control the entire apparatus in its characteristic operating phases, it is possible periodically and automatically to off-load the cooked products onto conveyor means and to transfer the products towards a user, with the further advantage of rendering the entire operation of the apparatus capable of being totally automated.

The technical features of the invention, according to the aforesaid aims, can clearly be observed from the content of the claims below and its advantages shall become more readily apparent in the detailed description that follows, made with reference to the accompanying drawings, which represent an embodiment provided purely by way of non limiting example.

Description of the Drawings

- Figure 1 is a view of the apparatus shown schematically in its entirety and partially sectioned the better to highlight some characteristic features;

- Figure 2 is a side view of the apparatus as per Figure 1 above;

- Figure 3 is a view of a part of the apparatus of Figure 1, shown in greater detail; - Figure 4 is a perspective overall view of an apparatus according to the invention, shown in a preferable embodiment;

- Figure 5 is a perspective view, in enlarged scale, of a preferable embodiment of the cooking containers;

- Figure 6, in the variants 6a), 6b) and 6c), is a schematic representation of the operation of dosing means with which the apparatus as per the previous figures can be equipped;

- Figure 7, in the variants 7a), 7b), 7c) and 7d), is a schematic representation of the apparatus shown in some of its characteristic operating conditions. Description of the Illustrative Embodiment In accordance with the figures of the accompanying drawings, it is observed 5 that the invention essentially concerns an apparatus, globally indicated as 1 , for dry cooking food products, such as potato chips, pop corn, cereals and/or similar products. The apparatus 1 essentially comprises (Figure 1 ) a cooking chamber 2 having a heated compartment 3, which is internally provided with conventional mechanical thermo-ventilation means 70 and communicates with the external environment by means of an opening 4 for the introduction of the products to be cooked, located in atop horizontal wall of the cooking chamber 2, and by means of an opening 5 for the discharge of the cooked products, located instead in correspondence with an opposite lower wall, horizontal, of the chamber 2. In the compartment 3 of the cooking chamber 2 are housed a plurality of cylindrical containers 6, with holed walls, each whereof is able to rotate around its own axis 7 of symmetry; is oriented horizontally with respect to the compartment 3; and is fitted with a single opening 8 provided for the introduction and discharge of the products and equipped with a movable door 9. More specifically, (Figure 2) the containers 6 are preferably four in number and are uniformly distributed around a fixed horizontal axis 1 1 , substantially central to the cooking compartment 3. The containers 6 are supported each by an arm 14 defined by two end pins 14a, 14b aligned with the axis of rotation 7 of the container 6. Each arm 14 is in turn supported in correspondence with the pins 14a, 14b by cranks 13 belonging to two cross journals supported rotatorily around the fixed axis 1 1 by two related supports 71 (Figure 3).

The apparatus 1 is further provided with an epicycloidal rotatory mechanism having a gear train holder 15a, four planetary gears 15b and a sun gear 15c. The four planetary gears 15b are toothed externally and are individually and rigidly associated to the axis of rotation 7 of each container 6. The sun gear 15c is coaxial with the fixed axis 1 1, bears a centre of rotation 15d for the gear train holder 15a and a peripheral rolling track 15e, externally toothed whereon the planetary gears 15b enmesh. The epicycloidal rotatory mechanism defines more general means 15 for transmitting motion, which are so devised as to impart to container 6 angular rotations around the related support arms 14. These rotations are correlated, according to a precise motion transmission ratio, with the angles of rotation described by the corresponding cranks 13 during the rotation of the cross journals that incorporate them; rotation that imparts to the individual cooking containers 6 a simultaneous and consequent revolution around the sun gear 15c. The apparatus 1 comprises means 16 for actuating the opening and closure of the doors 9 of each cooking container 6, which (Figure 5) are embodied in particular by a pin 16a, able to be inserted in a hole 16b ofthe door 9; by holes 16'd and 16"d obtained on a wall ofthe container 6 in positions able to receive the pin 16a; and by means 16c for braking the relative motion of the door 9 with respect to its own container 6.

When the pin 16a of each container 6 is inserted, upon appropriate command, into the hole 16b ofthe door 9 and into one ofthe holes 16'd, 16"d ofthe container 6, the door 9 and the container 6 are made integral in mutual rotation, so that if the position ofthe holes 16'd or 16"d is such as to determine a closed condition ofthe door 9, the door 9 remains stably shut during the rotation and revolution of the container 6. If on the contrary the pin 16a is inserted into the other hole 16"d or 16'd of the container 6, then the door 9 remains stably and surely open. In the intermediate positions, wherein the pin 16a is not inserted in any hole 16'd or 16"d, the door 9 and the container 6 are instead freely movable with respect to one another. The means 16c for braking the relative motion of the door 9 with respect to the container 6 are embodied by a clutch coupling; the latter is commanded in such a way as to allow to brake the door 9 locking its rotation with respect to its own supports, thereby creating a relative sliding between the door 9 and the container 6 which allows to cause the opening and closure ofthe container 6 according to the need to load, off-load and mix the products, as shall become more readily apparent farther on in the description.

The cooking chamber 2 is further provided (Figure 4) with guides 60 for the sliding ofthe supports 70 which sustain the cross journals and the containers 6. The guides 60 are oriented parallel to the fixed axis of rotation of the heated compartment 3. The cooking chamber 2 is further provided with a vertical wall 58, 7 openable through a door 58a, for the extraction from the compartment 3 itself of the cooking containers 6 for maintenance and cleaning purposes. The openable wall 58 and the guides 60 thus allow to extract from the heated compartment 3 the containers 6 and the entire epicycloidal rotatory mechanism with a single translation motion, parallel to the fixed axis of rotation 7, as Figure 4 clearly shows.

The apparatus 1 further comprises means 17 for shutting off the introductory- opening 4 and the discharge opening 5 ofthe heated compartment 3 (which shall be better described below), managed by means 24 for managing and controlling the entire operating cycle ofthe apparatus 1, which, in turn, are schematically shown by a panel with control pushbuttons.

The means 17 for shutting off the introductory opening 4 and discharge opening 5 are operatively interconnected also with means 16 for opening and closing the doors 9, in order to intervene in suitable phase correlation with the motion that the containers 6 receive from the epicycloidal rotatory mechanism. The apparatus 1 moreover, comprises also dosing means 31 to cyclically supply the cooking chamber 2 with predetermined quantities of products to be cooked, accurately dosed.

The dosing means 31 comprise more in particular a container 32 for the products to be cooked (Figures 1 and 6), of cylindrical shape, positioned above the cooking chamber 2, able to rotate around an axis of rotation 33 parallel to the fixed axis 7 of the cooking chamber 2 and provided with a single opening 34 for the introduction and removal ofthe product to be cooked. The container 32 of products to be cooked is further provided with a first external door 35 associated to its own opening 34. The door 35 is so devised as to be openable by relative sliding with respect to the wall 36 of the container 32, in circumferential sense to the axis of rotation 33 of the container 32 itself. The capability of rotation possessed by the container 32 allows to align the opening 34 ofthe container 32 with the underlying introductory opening 4 ofthe cooking chamber 2. Once this condition is reached, the corresponding actuation ofthe relative sliding ofthe door 35, suitably commanded by the means 24 for managing and controlling the apparatus 1 , allows to feed by 8 gravity the various cooking containers 6, when they are open and aligned on the vertical ofthe container 32 ofthe product to be cooked.

The container 32 is also internally provided with a compartment 36 for dosing the product to be cooked (Figures 1 and 6b). This compartment 37 is delimited: by a pair of fixed walls 38, which radially project from the peripheral wall 36 of the container 32; by the first door 35 described above, and by a second, movable door 39, opposite to the first door 35. Actuator means 41 constituting for instance two coaxial shafts 41a,41b, independently motorised and connected to the two doors 35,39 allow to actuate the motion ofthe doors 35,39 in suitable mutual phase, around the axis 33 in such a way as to separate a quantity of product to be cooked, dosed, with respect to the totality ofthe product contained in the container 32 through the rubbing ofthe second door 39 with the fixed walls 38.

In other words, the quantity of product dosed corresponds to the quantity of product that remains enclosed in the dosing compartment 37 between the fixed walls and the two doors 35,39; dosed quantity that is lastly allowed to fall into the underlying cooking container 32 by the opening ofthe first door 35 in the manner described above.

The apparatus 1 preferably also comprises a refrigeration cell 45 for containing the product to be cooked, which intercommunicates with the cooking compartment 3 through an intermediate opening 46, which can be shut off by suitable shutting means 47 and also contains the dosing means 31 within itself.

The shut off means 47 comprise a first closure valve associated with the intermediate opening 46 and positioned in correspondence with a lateral wall 49, horizontal, ofthe refrigeration cell 45 and a second closure valve 50 associated to the intermediate opening 46 in correspondence with a wall 51 ofthe cooking chamber

2. The valves 48,50 comprise shutter elements embodied by alternatively translatable diaphragms 52a;52b which are operatively interconnected with the means 25 for the management and control of the apparatus 1 and operate in such a way as to be operatively offset in phase with respect to one another to prevent a direct communication to be formed between the cooking compartment 2 and the overhanging refrigeration cell 45, and vice versa.

The apparatus 1 further comprises conveyor means 55 positioned below the cooking chamber 2, which receive the products cooked by the cooking container 6 and move them away from the apparatus 1. Such conveyor means 55 can be realised with a simple drawer extractable with manual action from the case ofthe apparatus 1 as shown in a first embodiment in Figures 2 and 3, or, in a more advanced form schematically shown in Figures 1 and 4, they can be so structured as to provide for a continuous transportation of the received cooked product. In this case, the conveyor means 55 comprise a continuous conveyor having a flexible element 56 enclosed in a horizontally elongated loop, which is positioned below the cooking chamber 2 and cyclically receives therefrom the cooked products through a discharge opening 5 which can be shut off by a diaphragm shutter 57 appropriately commanded by the means 24 for controlling and managing the apparatus 1.

In the example ofthe apparatus 1 described herein, constant reference has been made to containers 6 with cylindrical shape and circular cross section. However, it is possible to adopt for such containers 6 an alternative, more advantageous embodiment, shown in Figure 5. According to this embodiment, each container 6 is realised with a metal mesh so shaped as to identify a contour wall 61 that presents a certain number of lobes 62 distributed along the contour ofthe container 6. The lobes 62 allow to increase the effectiveness ofthe mixing whereby the products are mixed during cooking as a consequence of the rotation and revolution motion characteristically imparted to the container 6 by the epicycloidal rotatory mechanism. The cooking container 6 is more specifically defined by at least two shells

63a,63b removably assembled in correspondence with a plane 64 of mutual junction containing the axis of rotation 7 ofthe container 6.

The shells 63a,63b are translatably mounted in mutual guide 65 in such a way as to allow the assembly and disassembly ofthe container 6 as a whole with relative sliding motions directed parallel to the axis 7 of rotation ofthe container 6. 10

The possibility of separating the shells 63a,63b is particularly advantageous since it considerably facilitates an easy and thorough cleaning of the container 6, which allows to obtain conditions ofthe utmost hygienic safety.

In use, the operation of the apparatus 1 can be described with reference to Figures 6 and 7, starting from an initial condition of the apparatus 1 wherein the refrigeration cell 45 (Figure 6a) receives, through a door 72, a certain quantity of product to be cooked which arrives inside the container 32 and through the related introduction and discharge opening 34, which is open and located in a position proximate to the top ofthe refrigeration cell; the diaphragms 52a,52b ofthe valves 48 and 50 are in the meantime commanded by the management and control means 24 into the position where they shut off the communication opening 4, placed between the refrigeration cell 45 and the cooking chamber 2.

Once the loading operations of the refrigeration cell 45 are completed, the container of the product to be cooked is made to rotate so as to position the introduction and discharge opening 34, closed by the first door 35, adjacent to the introductory opening 4 ofthe cooking chamber 2 (Figure 6b). Through the rotation of the second door 39, the content of product to be cooked, already housed in the dosing compartment 37, is separated from the remaining quantity of product contained in container 32 (Figure 6c). Subsequently, the diaphragm 52a ofthe first valve 48 opens, whilst the opening ofthe first door 35 allows to eject by dropping the dosed quantity which, under the effect of gravity, is deposited on the shutter 52b of the second valve 50. The subsequent translations of the shutters 52a and 52b, in opposite directions, allow then on one side to shut off the refrigeration cell 45 and on the other to allow free transit to the products to be cooked towards the underlying cooking chamber 2.

Therein, in the meantime, a generic container 6 (shown in position 1 of Figure 7a) is ready to receive the products to be cooked being stopped and in the loading position, with its door 9 open. Simultaneously, a second container 6 is in opposite position and proximate to the discharge opening 5 of the cooking chamber 2 (Position 3). The doors 9 of both containers 6 shown in position 1 and 3 are open and 11 locked by the engagement ofthe related pins 16a with a hole 16"d ofthe cooking container 6; consequently the container 6 in position 1 receives the products to be cooked, whereas the container 6 in position 3 off-loads the cooked products. Two other containers 6, shown in position 2 and 4, are instead closed in an intermediate phase ofthe cooking operation and are placed in a condition of orthogonal alignment to the alignment presented by the containers 6 in position 1 and 3.

Once the loading ofthe container 6 in position 1 is completed, the control and management means 24 initiate the rotation ofthe cross journals, for instance counterclockwise, making them describe a certain angle around the fixed axis 1 1, whilst the brakes 16c are activated so as to lock the absolute rotation of the doors 9 on the related supports. The motion ofthe cross journals generates a rotatory movement of the containers 6 around their own fixed axes 7 which determines a relative sliding ofthe open containers 6 with respect to the related doors 9 kept motionless. Through the possible effect, it is therefore possible to open and close the containers 6 according to the needs ofthe set cyclical sequence.

By means ofthe counter-clockwise rotation ofthe cross journals, by a certain angle, the container 6 of position 1 and the container 6 of position 3 are progressively closed. After the locking ofthe related doors 9 and the unlocking ofthe brakes 16c, ofthe containers 6 that are in the aforesaid positions, the cross journals are made to rotate clockwise initiating a sequence of rotations that entails the execution of a certain number of revolutions around the fixed axis 11 while all containers 6 remain closed, rotate around their own axis of rotation 7 and the contained products are simultaneously subjected to cooking with continuous mixing.

After a certain number of complete rotations and a fraction of rotation linked to the number of containers 6 employed (for instance after 7 and ³ rotations according to the example in Figures 7) the containers 6 that in Figure 7a were in position 2 and 4 move one in proximity to the introductory opening and the other one in proximity to the discharge opening 5 ofthe cooking chamber 2 (Figure 7b). In this case as well, the opening ofthe containers 6 is obtained, after unlocking the pin 16a, by means of braking the doors 9 suitably to uncover progressively the opening 4 of 12 said container 6.

Once the product to be cooked is loaded from one side and the cooked product is discharged from the other side, after the closure ofthe doors 9, the cross journals repeat the sequence of clockwise rotations anew, in the same manner described above.

Operating in this way all the containers 6 are regularly brought to loading and discharging, as shown in Figures 7a,7b,7c,7d.

After an initial transitory period in the order of magnitude of 12 minutes, necessary to bring the apparatus 1 to steady state, the apparatus 1 makes available to the user a dose of cooked product every 3 minutes or so.

In short, in the use of the apparatus 1 , each container 6 is movable with a revolution motion around the fixed axis 11 parallel to its own axis 7 of rotation, and describes a close trajectory 12 along which it positions its own opening 8 periodically in proximity to the introductory opening 4 and to the discharge opening 5 of the products of the heated compartment 3. The door 9 of the container 6 is opened to receive the products to be cooked in correspondence with its reaching a position wherein the container 6 is proximate to the introductory opening 4 ofthe compartment 3; it is then closed again in said position and, after a certain number of revolutions of the container 6 it is opened anew in a position proximate to the discharge opening 5 ofthe compartment 3 for the evacuation ofthe cooked products from the container 6.

The invention thus conceived can be subject to numerous modifications and variations, without thereby departing from the scope of the inventive concept. Moreover, all components can be replaced with technically equivalent elements.

Claims

13CLAIMS

1. Apparatus (1) for cooking food products comprising a cooking chamber (2) having a heated compartment (3) communicating with the outside environment by means of an opening (4) for the introduction of the products to be cooked and an opening (5) for the discharge ofthe cooked products; at least one cooking container

(6), able to rotate around its own axis (7) of symmetry, housed in the heated compartment (3), and provided with at least one opening (8) for the introduction and the discharge ofthe products; a movable door (9) associated to the opening (8) ofthe container (6); and means (16) for controlling the opening and closure ofthe movable door (9) ofthe container (6); characterised in that the container (6) is movable with a revolution motion around a fixed axis (11) parallel to its own axis (7) of rotation, describing a closed trajectory (12) along which it positions its own opening (8) periodically in proximity to the introductory opening (4) and to the discharge opening (5) of the products of the heated compartment (3), said door (9) of the container (6) being open to receive the products to be cooked in correspondence with its reaching a position wherein the container (6) is proximate to the introductory opening (4) ofthe compartment (3), being then closed again in said position and, after a certain number of revolutions of the container (6) being again opened in a position proximate to the discharge opening (5) of the compartment (3) for the evacuation ofthe cooked products from the container (6).

2. Apparatus, according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises at least one crank (13) able to rotate around said fixed axis (1 1 ) and provided with an arm (14) that supports a said container (6), mounted with the related axis of rotation (7) in alignment with the arm (14), said apparatus (1) comprising means (15) for transmitting motion so devised as to impart to the container (6) angular rotations with respect to the arm (14) correlated with the angles of rotation described by the crank (13).

3. Apparatus, according to one of the previous claims, characterised in that it 14 comprises a plurality of containers (6) uniformly distributed around said fixed axis (11).

4. Apparatus, according to claim 3, characterised in that it comprises four said containers (6).

5. Apparatus, according to claim 2, characterised in that said transmission means (15) are constituted by an epicycloidal rotatory mechanism that mutually connects said one or each crank (13) with a corresponding said one or each container (69.

6. Apparatus, according to claim 5, characterised in that said epicycloidal rotatory mechanism comprises a gear train holder (15a) that incorporates said one or each crank (13), a planetary gear (15b) associated to said one or each container (6) and a sun gear (15c), fixed, which bears a centre of rotation (15d) for the gear train holder (15a) and a rolling track ( 15e) of the planetary gear ( 15b).

7. Apparatus according to claim 1 characterised in that said means (16) for controlling the doors (9) are so devised as to render the door (9) and the container (6) mutually integral during the revolutions performed by the container (6) for cooking the products and to brake the door (9) making it slide in rotation, with respect to the container (6), to cause it to open in correspondence with the product loading and discharging conditions.

8. Apparatus, according to claim 7, characterised in that said actuator means ( 16) comprise a pin ( 16a) able to be inserted upon appropriate command into a hole ( 16b) ofthe door (9) and into corresponding holes (16'd,16"d) ofthe container (6) so as to render the door (9) and the container (6) respectively integral in rotation or freely movable, said actuator means (16) further comprising means (16c) for braking the relative motion ofthe door (9) with respect to the container (6). 15

9. Apparatus, according to claim 1 , comprising means (17) for actuating the shutting off of the introductory opening (4) and the discharge opening (5) of the heated compartment (3), characterised in that it comprises management and control means (24) interconnected with the actuating means (17) in such a way as to command the shutting off of the introductory opening (4) and the discharge opening

(5) ofthe compartment (3) with correlated motion in phase with the motion ofthe container (6) along said closed trajectory (12).

10. Apparatus, according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises dosing means (31) to cyclically supply the cooking chamber (2) with predetermined quantities of products to be cooked.

11. Apparatus, according to claim 10, characterised in that said dosing means comprise a container (32) of products to be cooked, positioned above the cooking chamber (2) able to rotate around an axis of rotation (33) parallel to the fixed axis

(7), provided with at least one opening (34) for the introduction and discharge ofthe product and with a first door (35) associated to said opening (34) and openable by relative sliding with respect to the wall (36) of the container (32) in a direction circumferential to the axis of rotation (33) ofthe container (32), said container (32) rotating in such a way as to align its own opening (34) with the introductory opening

(4) ofthe cooking chamber (2) and to release the product in correspondence with the opening of its own first door (35).

12. Apparatus, according to claim 1 1 , characterised in that said container (32) is provided with a compartment (37) for dosing the product to be cooked, delimited by a pair of fixed walls (38), which project from the wall (36) ofthe container (32); by the first door (35); and by a second, movable, door (39), opposite to the first door (35), and in that it comprises actuating means (41 ) to drive the motion ofthe doors (35,39) in appropriate mutual phase to separate a quantity of product to be cooked, dosed, with respect to the totality ofthe product contained in the container (32), to 16 enclose it in the dosing compartment (37) between the fixed walls (38) and the doors (35,39), and lastly to let it fall into the underlying cooking container (32) by the opening ofthe first door (35).

13. Apparatus, according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises a refrigeration cell (45) for containing the product to be cooked, which intercommunicates with the cooking compartment through an intermediate opening (46), able to be shut off by suitable shutting means (47).

14. Apparatus, according to claim 13, characterised in that the shutting means comprise a first closure valve (48) associated to the intermediate opening (46) and positioned in correspondence with a lateral wall (49) ofthe refrigeration cell (45).

15. Apparatus, according to claim 13, characterised in that the shutting means comprise a second closure valve (50) associated to the intermediate opening (46) in correspondence with a wall (51) ofthe cooking compartment (3).

16. Apparatus, according to claim 13, characterised in that said shutting means (47) comprise a first closure valve (48) associated to the intermediate opening (46) in correspondence with the wall (49) of the refrigeration cell (45) and a second closure valve (50) associated to the intermediate opening (46) in correspondence with the wall (51) ofthe cooking compartment (3).

17. Apparatus, according to one ofthe claims from 13 to 16, characterised in that said shutting means comprise at least one shutter element constituted by a diaphragm

(52a;52b) alternatively translatable.

18. Apparatus, according to one ofthe claims from 11 to 15, characterised in that said shutting means (47) are operatively interconnected with the means (25) for managing and controlling the apparatus (1 ). 17

19. Apparatus, according to claim 1 , characterised in that it comprises a refrigeration cell (45) for containing the product to be cooked, which intercommunicates with the cooking compartment (3) through an intermediate opening (46), able to be shut off, by suitable shutting means (47) and contains dosing means (31) to cyclically supply the cooking chamber (2) with predetermined quantities of products to be cooked.

20. Apparatus, according to claim 19, characterised in that said dosing means comprise a container (32) for supplying the product to be cooked positioned above the cooking chamber (2), able to rotate around an axis of rotation parallel to the fixed axis (7), provided with at least one opening (34) for the introduction and discharge ofthe product and with a first door (35) which is associated to said opening (34) and is openable by relative sliding with respect to the wall (36) ofthe container (32) in a direction circumferential to the axis of rotation (33), said container (32) rotating in such a way as to align its opening (34) with the opening (4) of the cooking chamber (2) and to release the product in correspondence with the opening of its own first door (35).

21. Apparatus, according to claim 20, characterised in that said container (32) for supplying the product to be cooked is provided with a dosing compartment (37) delimited by a pair of fixed walls (38) which project from the contour wall (36) of the container (32); by the first door (35) and by a second movable door (39) opposite to the first door (35), and it that it comprises actuating means (41) to drive the motion ofthe doors (35,39) in appropriate mutual phase in such a way as to separate a quantity of product to be cooked, dosed, with respect to the totality ofthe product contained in the supply container (32), to enclose it in the dosing compartment (37) between the fixed walls (38) and the doors (35,39), and lastly to let it fall into the underlying cooking container (6) by the opening ofthe first door (35).

22. Apparatus, according to claim 1 , characterised in that it comprises conveyor 18 means (55) positioned below the cooking chamber (2), which receive the cooked products from the cooking container (6) and move them away from the apparatus (1).

23. Apparatus, according to claim 1, characterised in that said conveyor means comprise a continuous conveyor having a flexible element (56) enclosed in a horizontally elongated loop, which is positioned below the cooking chamber (2) wherefrom it cyclically receives the cooked products through a discharge opening (5) able to be intercepted by shutting means (57) controlled by the means (24) for controlling and managing the apparatus (1).

24. Apparatus, according to claim 1 , characterised in that said heated compartment (3) is provided with an openable wall (58) for extracting from the compartment (3) said at least one cooking container for maintenance and cleaning purposes.

25. Apparatus, according to claim 24, characterised in that said openable wall (58) is oriented transversely to the axis of rotation (7) of said at least one cooking container (6).

26. Apparatus, according to claim 24, characterised in that said one or each container (6) is supported on sliding guides (60) which are oriented parallel to said axis of rotation (7) and allow the extraction of said one or each container (6) from the heated compartment (3).

27. Apparatus, according to any one ofthe previous claims, characterised in that said cooking container (6) is provided with a contour wall (61 ) which presents lobes

(62) for mixing the products during the motion ofthe container (6).

28. Apparatus, according to claim 27, characterised in that said cooking container (6) presents the shape of an internally hollow revolution solid. 19

29. Apparatus, according to claim 27, characterised in that said cooking container (6) is defined by at least two shells (63a, 63b) assembled in correspondence with a plane (64) of mutual junction containing the axis (7) of rotation ofthe container (6).

30. Apparatus, according to claim 29, characterised in that said shells (63a,63b) are translatably mounted in guide (65) one with the other in a manner suitable to allow the assembly and disassembly of the container (6) as a whole with relative sliding motions directed parallel to the axis (7) of rotation ofthe container (6).