Apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12193601-B2
Application number	US-201917044936-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 8, 2019
Priority date	Apr 18, 2018
Publication date	Jan 14, 2025
Grant date	Jan 14, 2025

Abstract

There is provided an apparatus ( 200, 300, 400, 500 ) comprising: a container ( 210, 310, 410, 510 ) configured to receive a food stuff, a base unit ( 220, 320, 420, 520 ) comprising a mounting member and a plurality of outer supporting members ( 324, 424, 524 ), a weight sensing unit ( 230, 330, 430, 530 ) configured to measure a weight of the food stuff contained in the container, and a connection assembly ( 240, 340, 440, 540 ) arranged between the container and the base unit. The weight sensing unit comprises a plurality of strain gauge load sensors arranged at the mounting member of the base unit, and the connection assembly is configured to provide a flexible and insulating connection between the container and the base unit so as to counteract thermal strain interference at the weight sensing unit and to reduce heat transfer between the container and the weight sensing unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a container configured to receive a food stuff;
a base unit comprising a mounting member and a plurality of outer supporting members;
a weight sensing unit configured to measure a weight of the food stuff contained in the container, the weight sensing unit comprising a plurality of strain gauge load sensors arranged at the mounting member of the base unit; and
a connection assembly comprising a connecting member arranged between the container and the base unit, wherein the connection assembly is configured to provide a flexible and insulating connection between the container and the weight sensing unit so as to counteract thermal strain interference at the weight sensing unit and to reduce heat transfer between the container and the weight sensing unit, the connecting member being configured to flexibly connect the container and the base unit such as to bring a line of gravity of a combined weight of the container and the food stuff received at the container into alignment with a center point of a shape formed by the plurality of strain gauge load sensors, the connection assembly being configured such that the flexible connection provides a bias to guide the line of gravity towards a default position that aligns the line of gravity with the center point.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of strain gauge load sensors is arranged horizontally between a respective outer supporting member of the base unit and the mounting member of the base unit.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the connection assembly is configured to flexibly connect the container and the base unit such that the line of gravity of the combined weight of the container and the food stuff received at the container aligns with the center point of the shape formed by the plurality of strain gauge load sensors.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the connection assembly comprises:
a housing unit fixedly attached to a base of the container, wherein the housing unit is configured to accommodate the mounting member of the base unit; and
a plurality of inner supporting members fixedly attached to an inner top surface of the housing unit, wherein the plurality of inner supporting members is in movable contact with the base unit such that the container and the housing unit are movable as a single part with respect to the base unit.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the connection assembly further comprises:
a plurality of pivoting units fixedly attached to the mounting member of the base unit, wherein each of the plurality of pivoting units comprises a concave surface so as to allow movable coupling with a respective inner supporting member such that the combined weight of the container and the food stuff received at the container is evenly distributed at the weight sensing unit.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the housing unit comprises a shoulder portion configured to releasably engage with at least two opposite sides of the mounting member of the base unit such that the base unit is movably integrated with the housing unit and the container.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the shoulder portion comprises a shielding member configured to shield the weight sensing unit from convective heat transfer from external surroundings.

8. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein at least one of an inner surface of the housing unit and a top surface of the mounting member comprises a reflective coating layer.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the connection assembly comprises a bellows member enclosing a space between the container and the base unit, wherein the bellows member comprises concertinaed sides so as to allow a combined weight of the container and the food stuff received at the container to be evenly distributed at the weight sensing unit.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein at least one of a first end and a second end of the bellows member comprises a reflective coating layer, wherein the first end and the second end are opposite to each other.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the connection assembly further comprises:
a first fastening member at the base of the container; and
a second fastening member at the mounting member of the base unit, wherein the first fastening member and the second fastening member are configured to be movably engaged with each other.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the container comprises a concave-shaped inner bottom surface.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a heating unit configured to heat the food stuff received at the container; and
a control unit configured to control the heating unit.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the control unit is further configured to:
determine a degree of doneness of the food stuff received at the container based on measurements from the weight sensing unit; and
perform, based on the determined degree of doneness of the food stuff, at least one of: adjusting a setting of the apparatus, switching off the apparatus, and providing an audio and/or visual indication of the determined degree of doneness.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the control unit is configured to determine the degree of doneness of the food stuff received at the container based on a measured change in weight of the food stuff.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the connecting member corresponds to one of a housing with a plurality of inner supporting members and a bellows member.

Assignees

• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Luo Zhongchi
• Xiao Weimin

Classifications

• A47J37/0676

  electrically heated · CPC title

• A47J37/067

  Horizontally disposed broiling griddles · CPC title

• A47J27/004

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

• A47J37/1209

  electrically heated · CPC title

• A47J37/105

  electrically heated · CPC title