Apparatus for preparing food and comprising an air cooling system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10729282-B2
Application number	US-201615736527-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 20, 2016
Priority date	Jun 29, 2015
Publication date	Aug 4, 2020
Grant date	Aug 4, 2020

Abstract

The present application relates to an apparatus ( 1 ) for preparing food. The apparatus ( 1 ) comprises a housing ( 2 ), and a food preparation chamber ( 3 ) arranged in the housing ( 2 ) and having an outer wall ( 3 A). The apparatus ( 1 ) further comprises an air cooling system comprising a fan ( 4 ), a first air inlet ( 5 A, 5 B) arranged at an upper part of the housing ( 2 ), a second air inlet ( 6 A, 6 B) arranged at a lower part of the housing ( 2 ), and an air outlet ( 7 ). A first air channel (C 1 ) is formed between said housing ( 2 ) and said outer wall ( 3 A) for fluidly connecting said first air inlet ( 5 A, 5 B) and said fan ( 4 ). A second air channel (C 2 ) is formed between said housing ( 2 ) and said outer wall ( 3 A) for fluidly connecting said second air inlet ( 6 A, 6 B) and said fan ( 4 ). A third air channel (C 3 ) fluidly connects said fan ( 4 ) and said air outlet ( 7 ). The fan ( 4 ) is arranged to convey air through said first air channel (C 1 ) between said first air inlet ( 5 A, 5 B) and said fan ( 4 ), to convey air through said second air channel (C 2 ) between said second air inlet ( 6 A, 6 B) and said fan ( 4 ), and to convey air through said third air channel (C 3 ) between said fan ( 4 ) and said air outlet ( 7 ). The third air channel (C 3 ) is arranged such that air passing through said third air channel (C 3 ) is directed onto said outer wall ( 3 A) of the food preparation chamber ( 3 ) before being vented from said air outlet ( 7 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for preparing food comprising a housing and a food preparation chamber arranged in the housing, wherein the food preparation chamber includes an outer wall, the apparatus further comprising an air cooling system that comprises:
a fan;
a pair of first air inlets arranged at an upper part of the housing;
a pair of second air inlets arranged at a lower part of the housing;
an air outlet arranged at an exterior wall of the housing;
a pair of first air channels formed within the housing between said housing and said outer wall of the food preparation chamber for fluidly connecting said pair of first air inlets and said fan;
a pair of second air channels formed between said housing and said outer wall of the food preparation chamber for fluidly connecting said pair of second air inlets and said fan; and
a third air channel formed within the housing for fluidly connecting said fan and said air outlet,
wherein a geometry of the pair of first air channels, the pair of second air channels and the third air channel is symmetrical in the housing,
wherein said fan is arranged to convey air through said pair of first air channels between said pair of first air inlets and said fan, to convey air through said pair of second air channels between said pair of second air inlets and said fan, and to convey air through said third air channel between said fan and said air outlet, and
wherein said third air channel is further arranged such that air passing through said third air channel is directed onto a portion of said outer wall of the food preparation chamber before being vented from said air outlet.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the air outlet is arranged on the housing between said upper part and said lower part.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said outer wall of the food preparation chamber includes a top wall of the food preparation chamber, and wherein air in the third air channel is directed onto a portion of said top wall.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a side wall and the outer wall of the food preparation chamber includes a side wall of the food preparation chamber, and wherein each channel of the pair of second air channels is formed between said side wall of the housing and said side wall of the food preparation chamber.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a reflective heat shield that is configured to reflect heat towards the food preparation chamber.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the reflective heat shield is located at the side wall of the food preparation chamber.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a motor that is configured to drive the fan, wherein the motor is arranged within the housing such that air flowing in at least one of the pairs of first and second air channels cools the motor.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising a food preparation fan located within the food preparation chamber for circulating air in the food preparation chamber, wherein the motor is configured to drive the food preparation fan.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an electronic circuit for controlling operation of the apparatus, wherein the electronic circuit is arranged within the housing such that air flowing in at least one of the pairs of first and second air channels cools the electronic circuit.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the pairs of first and second air channels converge between respective pairs of the first and second air inlets and the fan.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an internal wall that is disposed within the housing between (i) the pair of second air channels and (ii) the third air channel.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each inlet of the pair of first air inlets comprises a respective gap between a side wall and a top wall of the housing.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each inlet of the pair of second air inlets extends through at least one of a side wall and a bottom wall of the housing.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the air outlet extends through a rear wall of the housing.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is an air-based fryer.

16. An apparatus for preparing food comprising:
a housing;
a food preparation chamber arranged in the housing, wherein the food preparation chamber includes an outer wall; and
an air cooling system that comprises:
a fan;
a pair of first air inlets arranged at an upper part of the housing;
a pair of second air inlets arranged at a lower part of the housing, wherein each inlet of the pair of second air inlets extends through at least one of a side wall at the lower part of the housing and a bottom wall of the housing;
an air outlet arranged at an exterior wall of the housing;
a pair of first air channels formed within the housing extending between said housing and said outer wall of the food preparation chamber for fluidly connecting said pair of first air inlets and said fan;
a pair of second air channels formed between said housing and said outer wall of the food preparation chamber for fluidly connecting said pair of second air inlets and said fan, wherein the housing includes a side wall and the outer wall of the food preparation chamber includes a side wall of the food preparation chamber, and further wherein each channel of the pair of second air channels is formed between said side wall of the housing and said side wall of the food preparation chamber; and
a third air channel formed within the housing for fluidly connecting said fan and said air outlet,
wherein said fan is arranged to convey air through said pair of first air channels between said pair of first air inlets and said fan, to convey air through said pair of second air channels between said pair of second air inlets and said fan, and to convey air through said third air channel between said fan and said air outlet,
wherein said third air channel is further arranged such that air passing through said third air channel is directed onto a portion of said outer wall of the food preparation chamber before being vented from said air outlet, and
wherein a geometry of the pair of first air channels, the pair of second air channels and the third air channel is symmetrical in the housing.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16 , further comprising a reflective heat shield that is configured to reflect heat towards the food preparation chamber, wherein the reflective heat shield is located at the side wall of the food preparation chamber.

18. The apparatus according to claim 16 , further comprising a motor that is configured to drive the fan, wherein the motor is arranged within the housing such that air flowing in at least one of the pairs of first and second air channels cools the motor.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18 , further comprising a food preparation fan located within the food preparation chamber for circulating air in the food preparation chamber, wherein the motor is configured to drive the food preparation fan.

20. The apparatus according to claim 16 , further comprising an internal wall that is disposed within the housing between (i) the pair of second air channels and (ii) the third air channel.

Assignees

• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Bonaccorso Davide

Classifications

• A47J37/07 Primary

  Roasting devices for outdoor use; Barbecues · CPC title

• A47J37/0754 Primary

  with blowers providing forced air circulation · CPC title

• A47J37/0641 Primary

  with forced air circulation, e.g. air fryers · CPC title