WO2007145516A2

WO2007145516A2 - Device for accelerated draining of food which has just been deep-fried

Info

Publication number: WO2007145516A2
Application number: PCT/NL2007/050277
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gerardus Adrianus Van Loon
Original assignee: Princess Household Appliances B.V.
Priority date: 2006-06-11
Filing date: 2007-06-11
Publication date: 2007-12-21
Also published as: WO2007145516A3

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for draining food which has just been deep-fried in a deep-frying pan (9) with heated frying medium, in particular fat or oil, and is carried by a basket (5) fitting into the pan (9), comprising drive means (11) for setting the basket into a reciprocal movement such that the medium thereby drains more quickly.

Description

DEVICE FOR ACCELERATED DRAINING OF FOOD WHICH HAS JUST BEEN DEEP-FRIED

A deep-fryer is known which comprises, among other parts, a liquid-tight pan in which deep-frying medium, in particular fat or oil, can be placed, to which pan heating means are added for heating the deep-frying medium to the desired operating temperature. The food products for deep-frying are placed in the hot liquid, carried by a separate basket of heat-resistant material, in particular metal gauze, fitting with clearance into the pan. After deep-frying it is usual for the person preparing the food to shake the basket, which is raised above the liquid level by means of a carrying handle, vigorously up and downward or back and forth, thereby enhancing rapid draining of the hot, liquid frying medium. Such movements take place in relatively uncontrolled manner in household conditions, which can result in deep-fried food being thrown over the edge of the basket and also in splashing of hot medium, whereby the user or other persons in the vicinity can sustain burn injuries. In the light of the above, the invention has for its object to allow the draining take place automatically and thus in fully controlled manner.

The invention provides for this purpose a device for draining food which has just been deep-fried in a deep-frying pan with heated frying medium, in particular fat or oil, and is carried by a basket fitting into the pan, comprising drive means for setting the basket into a reciprocal movement such that the medium thereby drains more quickly. In a determined embodiment the device has the special feature that the drive means are added to the basket.

The device can for instance have the special feature that the drive means are incorporated in a handle which forms part of the basket or can be coupled thereto. In the case of a handle which can be coupled releasably to the basket, this handle can be provided with a rechargeable battery and the handle, when not in use, can be coupled to a charging device so that the rechargeable battery is always kept in the charged state.

In another embodiment the device according to the invention has the feature that the device comprises carrying means for carrying the basket above a collecting tray for collecting dripping, hot frying medium, which carrying means are provided with the drive means. This embodiment has the practical advantage that the drive means can form part of the electrical unit which in a usual deep-fryer serves, among other purposes, for power supply to the heating element for heating the frying medium, for measuring the temperature thereof and setting a desired temperature for the deep- frying, usually in the order of magnitude of 170-200⁰C, by means of a button to be operated by the user.

According to a determined aspect of the invention, this device has the special feature that the collecting tray is the deep-frying pan, and the device forms part of or is added to a deep-fryer.

The device can be implemented such that the reciprocal movement has a substantial vertical component .

The device can also have the special feature that the reciprocal movement has a substantial horizontal component .

A combination of said two latter aspects can have the feature that the movement has components in at least two independent directions.

In accordance with the behaviour of professional chefs, the device can have the feature that the movement has an at least partially impulsive character. It has been found that most of the frying medium has drained a determined period of time after a selected number of vibrations has been completed. Particularly in an embodiment wherein use is made of a rechargeable battery, the device according to the invention can therefore advantageously have the special feature that, after being set into operation by a user, the drive means are switched off automatically after a preselected time or after a preselected number of vibrations. It is otherwise noted that there is of course no point in allowing the drive means to operate longer than necessary.

The frequency of the reciprocal movement has been found in practice not to be very critical. What is probably the most practical embodiment of the device according to the invention has in this respect the special feature that the frequency of the reciprocal movement amounts to a maximum of about 100 Hz.

An embodiment with a very simple electrical implementation has the special feature that the drive means are powered from the mains electricity, and the frequency of the reciprocal movement corresponds with the mains frequency. The mains frequency has a value of 50 Hz or 60 Hz almost everywhere in the world. Depending on the embodiment of the drive device, the frequency can for instance also be twice or half the mains frequency. In yet another embodiment the device has the special feature that the drive means comprise a rotatingly driven eccentric. With such an embodiment the frequency can in principle be freely selected. The effective frequency of the reciprocal movement can for instance be set by means of an adjusting button which controls an electronic unit.

The invention will now be elucidated with reference to the accompanying drawings of several exemplary embodiments, to which the invention is not limited. In the drawings: figure 1 shows a perspective view of a device according to the invention; figure 2 shows detail 9 of figure 1 on enlarged scale; figure 3 shows a partially transparent perspective view of a two-dimensional actuator for setting a wire basket into reciprocal movements in two dimensions; figure 4 shows a handle of a wire basket with a separate actuator handle arranged thereon; figure 5 shows the actuator handle according to figure 4 and an associated charging device for charging the rechargeable battery present in the handle; figure 6 shows a view corresponding with figure 1 of a variant; and figure 7 shows detail 14 of figure 6 on enlarged scale.

Figure 1 shows a deep-fryer 1 according to the invention. This device for deep-frying food comprises a housing 2 with support feet 3 to be placed on a worktop, a liquid-tight pan 4, for instance of stainless steel, carried by this housing 2 and thermally insulated to a greater or lesser extent therefrom, electric heating means (not drawn) co-acting with this pan and having an adjustable thermostatic control for heating frying medium placed in the pan, such as fat or oil, to the selected operating temperature set by the user, and a separate basket 5 of metal gauze which fits with clearance into pan 4 and which is provided with a plastic carrying handle 6.

Housing 2 has on its underside a free space which is situated under the bottom of pan 4 and is heated thereby during operation. A separate warming drawer 8 can be pushed into the free space and removed slidably therefrom, which drawer 8 is intended for temporary storage of deep-fried food 9 in the heated free space. Basket 5 is drawn in raised position in figure 1. It is supported in this position by upper edge 11 of pan 4. In this situation it is gripped by drive means which can set basket 5 into a reciprocal movement such that the medium thereby drains relatively quickly from the food which has just been deep-fried. The movement in question has a reciprocal character and has a vertical and a horizontal component. Figure 2 shows that in the raised position according to figure 1 the wire basket 5 is in mechanical contact with fork 10 of a two-dimensional actuator to be described hereinbelow with reference to figure 3. Fork 10 is carried by a rod 11 which, in a manner to be described hereinbelow, acquires both a vertical and a horizontal movement component. The horizontal component is designated with reference numeral 12 and the vertical component is designated with reference numeral 13.

A bearing 16 fixedly connected to an electronic unit 28 carries a ball joint 15 which is situated at the end of the actuator rod.

The actuator shown in figure 3 comprises a horizontal solenoid 18 and a vertical solenoid 19- The solenoids comprise respectively a horizontal ferromagnetic core 20 and a vertical ferromagnetic core 21. These cores 20 and 21 are connected to actuator rod 11 via respectively a horizontal flexible coupling 22 and a vertical flexible coupling 23. The alternating voltage supply wires of solenoids 18 and 19 are designated 24 and 25 respectively. These cables 24 and 25 are connected to an electronic control unit 26 which feeds an electric alternating voltage of a desired value, for instance selected by a user, to the two solenoids 18, 19.

As a result of this control the movement of fork 10 will correspond with a known Lissajous figure. In the case of equal frequencies the Lissajous figure can be an oblique line. This is not generally the most desirable reciprocal movement. With a suitable difference in phase it is possible to realize a circle, or an ellipse with said oblique line as axis, which line extends at 45° relative to the horizontal and the vertical.

Equal frequencies and different amplitudes will produce an ellipse, the long axis of which extends either horizontally or vertically. Mutually differing frequencies are also suitable, in which case the Lissajous figure has a complicated form in per se known manner.

It would appear that the circular form is the simplest and most effective form. This can further be realized in very simple manner by making use of the mains frequency for both solenoids 18, 19.

Figure 4 shows a wire basket 125 on which a metal handle 124 is mounted. A handle actuator 121 is coupled to this handle 24, which consists of one bent, thick wire. This actuator comprises a battery (not drawn) and a motor, which can drive an eccentric wheel 123 rotatingly such that basket 125 is set into a shaking movement corresponding to the above described circular Lissajous figure.

A control button 122 provides for activation of the motor. The energizing of the motor is switched off after for instance 5-10 s by means of electronic provisions (not drawn) .

Figure 5 shows the manner in which handle actuator 121 can be coupled to a charging station 126, which is provided with a charging terminal 127. A mains lead is designated with reference numeral 128.

Figure 6 shows an alternative embodiment corresponding with figure 1 in which, as is apparent from the enlarged detail of figure 7, use is made of the same eccentric technique as in the embodiment according to figure 4. In the embodiment according to figure 4 handle actuator 121 is provided with a rotatingly drivable eccentric 123. In the present embodiment according to figures 6 and 7, electronic unit 128 carries a rotatingly drivable output shaft 317 which in turn rotatingly drives a wheel 316 mounted eccentrically on shaft 317, whereby wire basket 315 is set into a vigorous shaking movement with a component in both vertical and horizontal direction, corresponding with a circular Lissajous figure. The rotating drive is designated with arrow 318.

With the draining device according to the invention deep-fried products are less greasy, which provides advantages in respect of both health and taste. According to the invention the shaking drainage is further performed in very controlled manner, whereby there is no danger of frying medium splashing about, whereby the risk of burn injuries occurring is practically reduced to zero. As a result hereof the upper part of the deep-fryer and the surrounding area will also become less contaminated with oil.

Claims

1. Device for draining food which has just been deep-fried in a deep-frying pan with heated frying medium, in particular fat or oil, and is carried by a basket fitting into the pan, comprising drive means for setting the basket into a reciprocal movement such that the medium thereby drains more quickly.

2. Device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the drive means are added to the basket.

3. Device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the drive means are incorporated in a handle which forms part of the basket or can be coupled thereto.

4. Device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device comprises carrying means for carrying the basket above a collecting tray for collecting dripping, hot frying medium, which carrying means are provided with the drive means .

5. Device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the collecting tray is the deep-frying pan, and the device forms part of or is added to a deep-fryer.

6. Device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reciprocal movement has a substantial vertical component .

7. Device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reciprocal movement has a substantial horizontal component .

8. Device as claimed in claims 6 and 7, wherein the movement has components in at least two independent directions.

9. Device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the movement has an at least partially impulsive character.

10. Device as claimed in claim 1, wherein after being set into operation by a user, the drive means are switched off automatically after a preselected time or after a preselected number of vibrations.

11. Device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the frequency of the reciprocal movement amounts to a maximum of about 100 Hz.

12. Device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the drive means are powered from the mains electricity, and the frequency of the reciprocal movement corresponds with the mains frequency.

13. Device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the drive means comprise a rotatingly driven eccentric.