Slow cooker

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11825975-B2
Application number	US-201716308760-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 7, 2017
Priority date	Jun 8, 2016
Publication date	Nov 28, 2023
Grant date	Nov 28, 2023

Abstract

A slow cooking appliance device. The device including: a body having a base, the body receives within it a removable cooking vessel; a movable heating element supported by the base; and a lift mechanism within the base for raising and lowering the movable heating element, such that the heating element is movable between an upper position and a lowered position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A slow cooking appliance device, the device including:
a body having a base, the body receives within it a removable cooking vessel;
a movable heating element supported by the base; and
a lift mechanism within the base for raising and lowering the movable heating element, such that the heating element is movable between an upper position and a lowered position,
wherein the cooking vessel has a substantially flat floor and a side wall, and further wherein an underside of the floor includes a single heat-inhibiting circumferential groove that inhibits flow of heat to the side wall, the heat-inhibiting circumferential groove located radiantly outward of an outer edge of the heating element, and
wherein the heat-inhibiting circumferential groove is a circumferential indentation, a depth of the indentation extending inwardly into the underside of the floor of the cooking vessel such that a floor of the indentation forms an area of reduced thickness relative to a substantially uniform thickness of the floor of the cooking vessel.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein, when the movable heating element is in the upper position, the movable heating element is substantially conductively thermally coupled to the removable cooking vessel.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein, when the movable heating element is in the lowered position, the movable heating element defines a gap such that the removable cooking vessel is substantially heated by the movable heating element through a process of convection heating.

4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the lift mechanism uses a jack screw assembly to raise and lower the movable heating element.

5. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the lift mechanism is operated by a motor that is controlled by a processor for raising and lowering the movable heating element.

6. The device according to claim 5 , wherein the lift mechanism is manually operated by a movable lever that acts to raise and lower the movable heating element.

7. The device according to claim 1 , wherein an upper surface of the movable heating element substantially conforms to an underside of the vessel for enabling conductive heating there between.

8. The device according to claim 1 , the device further including a temperature sensor that is in thermal communication with the vessel.

9. The device according to claim 8 , the device further including a sensor plate that carries the temperature sensor, sensor plate is adapted to make thermal contact with the lower surface of the vessel floor.

10. The device according to claim 8 , wherein the temperature sensor transmits a temperature signal to a processor for regulating a cooking processes.

11. The device according to claim 8 , wherein the temperature sensor is located above an electric fan.

12. The device according to claim 1 , the device further including an electric fan that assists convection heat transfer from the heating element.

13. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the lift mechanism further comprises:
a first thread carried on an inner surface of an outer ring engaged with the base, and a second thread formed on an outside surface of an inner ring, the inner ring carrying the heating element; and
wherein the first thread and the second thread cooperate to move the heating element between the upper position and the lowered position.

14. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the heat-inhibiting circumferential groove is spaced radically outwardly of the heating element.

Assignees

• Breville R & D Pty Ltd

Inventors

• Mcclean Stephen John
• Barnard Pierce James
• Hellmers Duncan Bruce

Classifications

• A47J27/002 Primary

  Construction of cooking-vessels; Methods or processes of manufacturing specially adapted for cooking-vessels · CPC title

• A47J27/004

  with integral electrical heating means (drinking cups with integral heating means A47J36/2466) · CPC title

• F24H3/04

  the air being in direct contact with the heating medium, e.g. electric heating element · CPC title

• F24H9/2071

  using electrical energy supply · CPC title