Three-dimensional stirring/mixing utensils

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10123656-B2
Application number	US-201314759113-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2013
Priority date	Jan 4, 2013
Publication date	Nov 13, 2018
Grant date	Nov 13, 2018

Abstract

The invention provides stirring and/or mixing utensils such as pots, pans and the like, for preparing foodstuffs for consumption by mixing and possibly also heating them in an environment in which they can be tumbled or otherwise moved in three-dimensions. Utensils in accordance with some embodiments of the invention comprise cooking or frying utensils incorporating a food chamber that is mounted for rotation about three orthogonal axes. Utensils in accordance with other embodiments of the invention use, in combination, a food chamber mounted for rotation about two mutually orthogonal axes and a stirring device driven about the third axis.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A stirring/cooking utensil comprising
a stationary support structure supporting at least one electric motor,
a chamber for containing foodstuffs to be stirred and/or cooked,
a heater,
at least two drive members operatively connected with the at least one motor to rotate the chamber simultaneously about at least two substantially orthogonal and intersecting axes during a cooking/stirring procedure,
wherein each drive member is arranged to rotate the chamber about one of the at least two axes and is arranged to allow simultaneous rotation about another of the at least two axes caused by another of the drive members.

2. A utensil according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two drive members are configured to rotate the chamber through 360 degrees about all three axes.

3. A utensil according to claim 1 , wherein the heater comprises one or more of an infra-red source, a microwave radiating device, induction coil heat transfer device, thermal conduction device, or thermal convection device.

4. A utensil according to claim 1 , wherein a speed of the motor can be varied.

5. A utensil according to claim 1 , further comprising a user programmable control to define one or more predetermined cycles of operation.

6. A utensil according to claim 1 , wherein the stationary support structure and/or the chamber is/are arranged to cause the chamber to adopt a predetermined attitude following termination of a cooking/stirring procedure, thereby to facilitate removal of prepared foodstuffs from the chamber.

7. A utensil according to claim 1 , wherein at least the outer surface of the chamber is substantially spherical, and wherein the stationary support structure comprises a closable casing adapted to contain the chamber and carries three compound wheel assemblies conditioned to support the chamber and to rotate the chamber about three substantially orthogonal and intersecting axes.

8. A utensil according to claim 7 , wherein each of the compound wheel assemblies comprises a main wheel portion rotatable about a respective one of the axes and formed with a plurality of circumferentially spaced gaps in its periphery; each gap housing a respective smaller wheel portion rotatable about a respective axis perpendicular to a respective radius of the main wheel portion, with the smaller wheel portions being located such that the overall compound wheel assembly has a defined circumference.

9. A utensil according to claim 8 , wherein each of the main wheel portions has associated therewith six smaller wheel portions evenly distributed around its circumference.

10. A utensil according to claim 7 , wherein each compound wheel assembly is driven in rotation about its axis by means of a respective motor.

11. A utensil according to claim 1 , wherein the stationary support structure supports the chamber for rotation within an outer yoke; the utensil arranged so the motor drives the outer yoke in rotation about a first of the axes and further comprising a drive relay mechanism mounted to the outer yoke to rotate the chamber about a second of the axes.

12. A utensil according to claim 11 , further comprising an inner yoke configured as a paddle arrangement and mounted within the chamber for rotation about the third of the axes.

13. A utensil according to claim 12 , further comprising a second drive relay mechanism mounted to the chamber and adapted to rotate the paddle arrangement about the third of the axes.

Assignees

• Kenwood Ltd

Inventors

• Shanmugam Sivaprakash

Classifications

• A47J36/2488

  having infrared radiating elements · CPC title

• A47J44/02 Primary

  with provisions for drive either from top or from bottom, e.g. for separately-driven bowl · CPC title

• B01F9/0001

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• A47J36/2483

  with electrical heating means · CPC title

• B01F15/067

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic