Cooktop steamer with self-filling cup

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10143327-B2
Application number	US-201514803144-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 20, 2015
Priority date	Jul 20, 2015
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

A domestic steaming appliance for steaming food items is provided. The domestic steamer appliance includes a base; a steamer insert mounted in the base; a steamer cup located below the steamer insert; a removable water tank configured to hold water for feeding to the steamer cup, the water tank having a top that forms an air tight seal with the water tank when the top is in place on the water tank; and a feeder tube fluidly connecting the water tank to the steamer cup, the feeder tube being connected to the steamer cup at a steamer cup inlet. The water in the water tank is fed to the steamer cup by way of the feeder tube under gravitational force only.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A domestic steaming appliance for steaming food items, the domestic steamer appliance comprising:
a base;
a steamer insert mounted in the base;
a steamer cup located below the steamer insert;
a removable water tank configured to hold water for feeding to the steamer cup, the water tank having a top that forms an air tight seal with the water tank when the top is in place on the water tank;
a feeder tube fluidly connecting the water tank to the steamer cup, the feeder tube being connected to the steamer cup at a steamer cup inlet,
wherein the water in the water tank is fed to the steamer cup by way of the feeder tube under gravitational force only,
wherein the feeder tube is the only fluid connection between the water tank and the steamer cup when the top is in place on the water tank; and
a valve in the water tank, the valve fluidly connecting the water tank to the feeder tube,
wherein the steamer cup inlet has a vertically highest point and the highest vertical point of the steamer cup inlet is below the valve when the water tank is in the operating position, and the steamer cup inlet has a vertically lowest point that is above a floor surface of the steamer cup such that air is permitted to travel from the steamer cup to the water tank when a water level of the water in the steamer cup is below the vertically highest point to thereby permit a flow of the water from the water tank to the steamer cup and maintain a proper amount of water in the steamer cup to produce steam for steaming the food items.

2. A domestic steaming appliance for steaming food items, the domestic steamer appliance comprising:
a base;
a steamer insert mounted in the base;
a steamer cup located below the steamer insert;
a removable water tank configured to hold water for feeding to the steamer cup, the water tank having a top that forms an air tight seal with the water tank when the top is in place on the water tank; and
a feeder tube fluidly connecting the water tank to the steamer cup, the feeder tube being connected to the steamer cup at a steamer cup inlet,
wherein the water in the water tank is fed to the steamer cup by way of the feeder tube under gravitational force only,
wherein the feeder tube is the only fluid connection between the water tank and the steamer cup when the top is in place on the water tank,
wherein when water in the steamer cup covers the steamer cup inlet, air is prevented from traveling from the steamer cup to the water tank by the water covering the steamer cup inlet, and
wherein the steamer cup inlet has a vertically lowest point that is above a floor surface of the steamer cup such that air is permitted to travel from the steamer cup to the water tank when a water level of the water in the steamer cup is below the vertically highest point to thereby permit a flow of the water from the water tank to the steamer cup and maintain a proper amount of water in the steamer cup to produce steam for steaming the food items.

3. A method of filling a steamer cup in a domestic steaming appliance for steaming food items, the domestic steamer appliance comprising a base, a steamer insert mounted in the base, a steamer cup located below the steamer insert, a removable water tank configured to hold water for feeding to the steamer cup, the water tank having a top that forms an air tight seal with the water tank when the top is in place on the water tank, and a feeder tube fluidly connecting the water tank to the steamer cup, the feeder tube being connected to the steamer cup at a steamer cup inlet, wherein the water in the water tank is fed to the steamer cup by way of the feeder tube under gravitational force only, and wherein the feeder tube is connected to a side of the steamer cup at the steamer cup inlet, the method comprising:
removing the water tank from the domestic steamer appliance;
adding water to the water tank;
placing the water tank with water in the base, the placement of the water tank in the base causing water to flow from the water tank to the steamer cup; and
limiting an amount of the water that enters the steamer cup by preventing air from flowing from the steamer cup to the water tank through the feeder tube when the water in the steamer cup covers the steamer cup inlet,
wherein the water in the water tank is fed to the steamer cup by way of the feeder tube under gravitational force only.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein, when the top is in place on the water tank, the water can flow to the steamer cup from the water tank only through the feeder tube and air can flow from the steamer cup to the water tank only through the feeder tube.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising
controlling a flow of water from the water tank with a valve;
holding the valve in a closed position when the water tank is removed from the domestic steamer appliance; and
holding the valve in an open position when the water tank is in an operating position in the domestic steamer appliance.

6. A domestic steaming appliance for steaming food items, the domestic steamer appliance comprising:
a base;
a steamer insert mounted in the base;
a steamer cup located below the steamer insert;
a removable water tank configured to hold water for feeding to the steamer cup, the water tank having a top that forms an air tight seal with the water tank when the top is in place on the water tank; and
a feeder tube fluidly connecting the water tank to the steamer cup, the feeder tube being connected to the steamer cup at a steamer cup inlet,
wherein the water in the water tank is fed to the steamer cup by way of the feeder tube under gravitational force only, and
wherein the steamer cup is removable from the base.

7. A domestic steaming appliance for steaming food items, the domestic steamer appliance comprising:
a base;
a steamer insert mounted in the base;
a steamer cup located below the steamer insert;
a removable water tank configured to hold water for feeding to the steamer cup, the water tank having a top that forms an air tight seal with the water tank when the top is in place on the water tank; and
a feeder tube fluidly connecting the water tank to the steamer cup, the feeder tube being connected to the steamer cup at a steamer cup inlet,
wherein the water in the water tank is fed to the steamer cup by way of the feeder tube under gravitational force only, and
wherein the steamer cup and the feeder tube form a removable steamer cup assembly that is removable from the base.

8. A domestic steaming appliance for steaming food items, the domestic steamer appliance comprising:
a base;
a steamer insert mounted in the base;
a steamer cup located below the steamer insert;
a removable water tank configured to hold water for feeding to the steamer cup, the water tank having a top that forms an air tight seal with the water tank when the top is in place on the water tank; and
a feeder tube fluidly connecting the water tank to the steamer cup, the feeder tube being connected to the steamer cup at a steamer cup inlet,
wherein the water in the water tank is fed to the steamer cup by way of the feeder tube under gravitational force only, and
wherein the feeder tube is connected to a side of the steamer cup at the steamer cup inlet.

9. A domestic steaming appliance for steaming food items, the domestic steamer appliance comprising:
a base;
a steamer insert mounted in the base;
a steamer cup located below the steamer insert;
a removable water tank configured to hold water for feeding to the steamer cup, the water tank having a top that forms an air tight seal with the water tank when the top is in place on the water tank;
a feeder tube fluidly connecting the water tank to the steamer c

Assignees

• Bsh Home Appliances Corp
• Bsh Hausgeraete Gmbh

Inventors

• Freeman John
• Hanna Charlie
• Nash Jeremiah
• Staley Dennis

Classifications

• A47J27/04 Primary

  for cooking food in steam; Devices for extracting fruit juice by means of steam {; Vacuum cooking vessels (steam-heated vessels for hotels, restaurants or canteens A47J27/16)} · CPC title

• A47J2027/043

  for cooking food in steam · CPC title

• A47J27/16

  heated by steam · CPC title

• A23L5/13

  using water or steam · CPC title

• A23L1/0121

  Human Necessities · mapped topic