ZA200602815B

ZA200602815B - Stirring arrangement

Info

Publication number: ZA200602815B
Application number: ZA200602815A
Authority: ZA
Inventors: Jones Liem; Jones Hanlie
Original assignee: Jones Liem; Jones Hanlie
Priority date: 2005-01-14
Filing date: 2006-04-12
Publication date: 2007-06-27

Description

TITLE OF INVENTION

Stirring arrangement.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to a stirring arrangement.

More particularly, the present invention relates to a stirring arrangement for stirring contents provided in a container bowl! located inside a microwave oven.

BACKGROUND TO INVENTION

In a microwave oven heat energy is created by electromagnetic energy (microwaves) that are produced by a magnetron and directed by wave guides into the oven compartment. The microwaves cannot pass through the oven compartment’s metal casing and are reflected within the compartment. To assist in heating food in a container bowl placed into the oven is evenly, the microwave oven includes a fan to disperse the microwaves and optionally also has a turntable inside the compartment to rotate the bowl.

However, it is often found that the food is not heated uniformly and that so-called “hotspots” tend to be formed. These hotspots cause the food to be heated/cooked unevenly and that, for example, food in one part of a bowl may be boiling while at another part of the bowl! the food is still frozen. To overcome this problem, many recipes require that during the cooking process the food must be taken out of the oven and manually stirred to ensure that the hotspots are dispersed. This obviates many of the benefits of microwave cooking, such as being quick and hassle free.

It is an object of the invention to suggest a microwave oven stirring arrangement, which will assist in overcoming these problems.

DRG Ref: 653014

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

According to the invention, a stirring arrangement, for use with a microwave oven having a base and a rotor located on the base, . includes a receptacle being adapted to be supported by the base; a stirring unit extending into the receptacle; and engagement means being adapted to operatively join the stirring unit to the rotor, to cause rotation of the stirring unit within the receptacle during use.

The receptacle may be a container bowl.

The receptacle may have a non-slip coating on its surface touching the base.

The receptacle and the base of the microwave oven may have co- operating peg and socket formations being adapted to prevent rotation of the receptacle relative to the base.

A number of stirring elements may extend from the stirring unit into the receptacle.

The receptacle may have an integrally formed shaft mantle.

The shaft mantle may be centrally located in the bowl and may be substantially cylindrical.

The shaft mantle may have a height projecting beyond the bowl rim.

The stirring arrangement may include a drive shaft extending through the shaft mantle.

The stirring arrangement may include a gearbox operatively located between the drive shaft and the rotor.

The gearbox may be integrally formed with the rotor.

The stirrer unit may be integrally formed with the drive shaft.

DRG Ref: 653014

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The invention extends to a microwave oven provided with a stirring arrangement as set out herein.

Also according to the invention, a method of operating a microwave oven having a base and a rotor located on the base includes the steps of inserting a receptacle into the microwave oven and immovably ) securing the receptacle to the oven base; of operatively joining a stirring unit to the rotor; and of allowing rotation of the rotor to cause rotation of the stirring unit to thereby stir the contents of the receptacle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings.

In the drawings there is shown in:

Figure 1: A perspective view of a microwave oven stirring arrangement according to the invention;

Figure 2: A sectional side view seen along arrows II-II in Figure 1; and

Figure 3: On a reduced scale, an exploded perspective view of the stirring arrangement shown in Figure 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Referring to the drawings, a microwave oven stirring arrangement in accordance with the invention, generally indicated by reference numeral 10, is shown. The stirring arrangement 10 is shown located on a normal microwave base 12 but with the side walls, roof, door and other working parts of the microwave being omitted.

DRG Ref: 653014

On the base 12 is a motorised carousel or rotor 14 that normally rotates a turntable located on the base 12. However, in the stirring arrangement 10 the turntable has been removed from the base 12 and replaced by a container bowl 16. The bowl 16 is adapted to be located 5 over the rotor 14 but not to be in operative engagement therewith so that the bowl 16 remains stationary. The bowl 16 has a centrally located, substantially cylindrical shaft mantle 18 that is integrally formed therewith. The shaft mantle 18 may have a height so that it projects beyond the bowl rim.

A drive shaft 20 is rotatably located within the shaft mantle 18 and is operatively joined to the rotor 14 by a gearbox 22. The free end of the drive shaft 20 projects slightly beyond the shaft mantle 18 and is operatively joined to a stirring unit 24. The gearbox 22 can be provided with various gear ratios allowing the stirring unit 24 to rotate at various selective speeds.

The stirring unit 24 has a central hub 26 for being joined to the drive shaft 20 and which can either be supported by the drive shaft 20 itself or the hub 26 can rest on the end of the shaft mantle 18. A number of stirring elements 28 extend from the hub 26 downwardly into the bowl 16.

In use, food to be cooked is placed into the bowl 16 and the stirring arrangement is assembled in a microwave oven. As the bowl 16 is placed directly onto the base 12 (not onto a turntable), the bowl 16 does not rotate relative to the base 12. While the food is being heated, the rotor 14 causes the stirring unit 24 to rotate relative to the bow! 16, thereby letting the stirring elements 28 stir the food. This stirring disrupts the formation of any hotspots and allows even heating of the food.

DRG Ref: 653014

6 ERE

The bottom of the bowl 16 can optionally be provided with a non-slip coating so that it does not slip on the base 12.

The amount and speed of stirring can be regulated by the gearbox 22 or by replacing the stirring unit 24 with other units having a greater or lesser stirring effect.

In another embodiment of the invention, the gearbox 22 and rotor 14 can be integrally formed allowing control (activation, deactivation, speed selection) thereof to be regulated as one of the microwave functions operable from the control panel. This will remove the need to open the microwave oven to change these settings. In this embodiment the drive shaft 20 will be integrally formed with the stirring unit 24

DRG Ref: 653014

Claims

1. A stirring arrangement, for use with a microwave oven having a base and a rotor located on the base, including a receptacle being adapted to be supported by the base; a stirring unit extending into the receptacle; and engagement means being adapted to operatively join the stirring unit to the rotor, to cause rotation of the stirring unit within the receptacle during use.

2. A stirring arrangement as claimed in claim 1, in which the receptacle is a container bowl.

3. A stirring arrangement as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which the receptacle has a non-slip coating on its surface touching the base.

4. A stirring arrangement as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which the receptacle and the base of the microwave oven have co-operating peg and socket formations being adapted to prevent rotation of the receptacle relative to the base.

5. A stirring arrangement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which a number of stirring elements extend from the stirring unit into the receptacle.

6. A stirring arrangement as claimed any one of the preceding claims, in which the receptacle has an integrally formed shaft mantle.

7. A stirring arrangement as claimed in claim 6, in which the shaft mantle is centrally located in the bowl and is substantially cylindrical.

8. A stirring arrangement as claimed in claim 6 or 7, in which the shaft mantle has a height projecting beyond the bow! rim. DRG Ref: 653014

9. A stirring arrangement as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 8, which includes a drive shaft extending through the shaft mantle. ’

10. A stirring arrangement as claimed in claim 9, which includes a } gearbox operatively located between the drive shaft and the rotor.

11. A stirring arrangement as claimed in claim 10, in which the gearbox is integrally formed with the rotor.

12. A stirring arrangement as claimed in claim 9 to 11, in which the stirrer unit is integrally formed with the drive shaft.

13. A stirring arrangement substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying schematic drawings.

14. A microwave oven provided with a stirring arrangement as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 14.

15. A method of operating a microwave oven having a base and a rotor located on the base includes the steps of inserting a receptacle into the microwave oven and immovably securing the receptacle to the oven base; of operatively joining a stirring unit to the rotor; and of allowing rotation of the rotor to cause rotation of the stirring unit to thereby stir the contents of the receptacle. 2) Date: 12 April il Otto C. Gerntholtz ,/ DR GERNTHU INC Patent Attorneys of! Applicant(s) POBox 8; Cape Town 8000; South Africa Union Raad; Milnerton 7441; South Africa Tel: (021) 551 2650 Fax: (021) 551 2960 DrG Ref.: 653014 30 t:\files\14\653014\653014spec.doc DRG Ref: 653014