Lid locking system and cooking apparatus having lid lock

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9161650-B2
Application number	US-201213621920-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 18, 2012
Priority date	Sep 18, 2012
Publication date	Oct 20, 2015
Grant date	Oct 20, 2015

Abstract

A cooking apparatus includes a cooking chamber for receiving a. cooking medium, a lid configured to cover the cooking chamber, and a lid locking system. The lid locking system includes a pressure lock pin coupled to a movable diaphragm, an electronic lock pin coupled to the lid, and a latch. The latch includes a pressure lock pin aperture formed therein to accommodate the pressure lock pin, and an electronic lock pin aperture formed therein to accommodate the electronic lock pin. The pressure lock pin engages the latch in response to pressure in the cooking chamber exceeding a predetermined threshold, and the electronic lock pin engages the latch in response to a lock signal from a controller.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cooking apparatus comprising:
a cooking chamber configured to receive a cooking medium therein;
a lid configured to cover the cooking chamber, the lid comprising a diaphragm; and
a lid locking system comprising:
a pressure lock pin coupled to the diaphragm;
an electronic lock pin coupled to the lid; and
a latch comprising:
a pressure lock pin aperture formed therein configured to accommodate the pressure lock pin, and
an electronic lock pin aperture firmed therein configured to accommodate the electronic lock pin,

wherein the pressure lock pin is configured to automatically engage with the pressure lock pin aperture in response to flexing of the diaphragm when pressure in the cooking chamber exceeds a predetermined threshold, and the electronic lock pin is configured to selectively engage with electronic lock pin aperture in response to a lock signal from a controller generated in response to at least one of a cook cycle start and feedback from a pressure sensor configured to detect when the pressure in the cooking chamber exceeds another predetermined threshold.

2. The cooking apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a pressure lock pin sensor configured to detect whether the pressure lock pin is engaged with the latch,
wherein the electronic lock pin is configured to disengage from the latch when the pressure lock pin sensor detects that the pressure lock pin is disengaged from the latch.

3. The cooking apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the pressure lock pin sensor is a limit switch wired with normally closed contacts.

4. The cooking apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined threshold is substantially equal to the another predetermined threshold.

5. The cooking apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the lid locking system further comprises:
a motor configured to receive a drive signal generated by the controller; and
a link assembly configured to transfer a driving force from the motor to move the electronic lock pin.

6. The cooking apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the lid locking system further comprises:
a first electronic lock pin sensor configured to detect whether the electronic lock pin is in an extended position engaged with the electronic lock pin aperture.

7. The cooking apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the lid locking system further comprises:
a second electronic lock pin sensor configured to detect whether the electronic lock pin is in a retracted position not engaged with the electronic lock pin aperture.

8. The cooking apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the first electronic lock pin sensor and the second electronic lock pin sensor are limit switches.

9. The cooking apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine that at least one of the first electronic lock pin sensor and the second electronic lock pin sensor is malfunctioning, and to generate, in response to determining the malfunctioning, at least one of: an error message to be displayed, an alarm signal, and an error log stored in a memory.

10. The cooking apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine that one of the first electronic lock pin sensor and the second electronic lock pin sensor is a malfunctioning sensor and that the other of the first electronic lock pin sensor and the second electronic lock pin sensor is a functioning sensor, and to position the electronic lock pin at the malfunctioning sensor by causing a motor to run for one half revolution time from when a signal is returned from the functioning sensor.

11. The cooking apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the latch is configured to prevent the electronic lock pin from being inserted into the electronic lock pin aperture when the latch is not in a lowered position.

12. The cooking apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pressure lock pin aperture and the electronic lock pin aperture extend substantially orthogonally to each other.

13. A lid locking system for locking a lid of a cooking chamber, comprising:
a pressure lock pin coupled to a diaphragm of the lid;
an electronic lock pin coupled to the lid; and
a latch comprising:
a pressure lock pin aperture formed therein configured to accommodate the pressure lock pin, and
an electronic lock pin aperture formed therein configured to accommodate the electronic lock pin,

wherein the pressure lock pin is configured to automatically engage with the pressure lock pin aperture in response to flexing of the diaphragm when pressure in the cooking chamber exceeds a predetermined threshold, and the electronic lock pin is configured to selectively engage with electronic lock pin aperture in response to a lock signal from a controller generated in response to at least one of a cook cycle start and feedback from a pressure sensor configured to detect when the pressure in the cooking chamber exceeds another predetermined threshold.

14. The lid locking system of claim 13 , further comprising:
a pressure lock pin sensor configured to detect whether the pressure lock pin is engaged with the latch,
wherein the electronic lock pin is configured to disengage from the latch when the pressure lock pin sensor detects that the pressure lock pin is disengaged from the latch.

15. The lid locking system of claim 13 , wherein the the predetermined threshold is substantially equal to the another predetermined threshold.

16. The lid locking system of claim 13 , further comprising:
a motor configured to receive a drive signal generated by the controller; and
a link assembly configured to transfer a driving force from the motor to move the electronic lock pin.

17. The lid locking system of claim 13 , further comprising:
a first electronic lock pin sensor configured to detect whether the electronic lock pin is in an extended position engaged with the electronic lock pin aperture.

18. The lid locking system of claim 17 , further comprising:
a second electronic lock pin sensor configured to detect whether the electronic lock pin is in a retracted position not engaged with the electronic lock pin aperture.

19. The lid locking system of claim 13 , wherein the pressure lock pin aperture and the electronic lock pin aperture extend substantially orthogonally to each other.

Assignees

• Wood Robert T
• Landwehr Tim A
• Henny Penny Corp

Inventors

• Wood Robert T
• Landwehr Tim A

Classifications

• A47J27/09

  Safety devices · CPC title

• A47J27/0804 Primary

  Locking devices · CPC title

• A47J27/0817

  Large-capacity pressure cookers; Pressure fryers · CPC title