Patents Examined by Reginald L. Alexander
  • Patent number: 9924737
    Abstract: A rotating blade food preparation device (10) for cutting, shaving, slicing, and peeling, vegetables and fruits, cheese, tofu, pizza, meats and other food products, includes a handle (12), a frame element (16) connected to the handle (12), and a rotating blade assembly (28) operably secured to the frame and having dual or multiple functionalities and interchangeability with other rotating blade assemblies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Inventor: Chikara R. Tateno
  • Patent number: 9924826
    Abstract: A sous-vide circulator cooker for home or small restaurant sous-vide cooking. The sous-vide circulator cooker is particularly suited for use in home kitchens and on small countertops. The sous-vide circulator cooker can be fully submersed into water and not be adversely affected. The sous-vide circulator cooker includes a detachable skirt which allows for cleaning the skirt itself and cleaning of a heater and ring clamp that can adjust the optimum output location of the pump and account for shallow pots. In at least one embodiment, the sous-vide circulator also contains electrodes that can detect water level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: Anova Applied Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Jeff Wu
  • Patent number: 9924824
    Abstract: The subject application is directed to a food processing device to extract juice. The device includes an inlet coupled to a disintegrator. The inlet is configured to accept food items and the disintegrator configured to disintegrate food items passed through the inlet. The device further includes a separator that accepts the disintegrated food items and separates out the liquid components from the food item. The device further includes a reservoir that is coupled to the separator for accepting and holding the liquid components. The reservoir includes a translucent member for viewing of liquid levels within the reservoir, and a valved outlet. The valved outlet is configured to allow or prevent the flow of liquid from the reservoir through the valved outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Inventor: Alan L. Backus
  • Patent number: 9918591
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a spatula surface having a plurality of holes. The spatula surface is configured for handling food during a cooking process and for enabling fluids to drain through the holes. An arm supports the spatula surface during the cooking process. A handle is joined to an end of the arm. A drainer is positioned generally horizontally above a top surface of the spatula surface for contacting food positioned between the spatula surface and the drainer, and for enabling a pressure to be applied to the food to substantially remove excess fluids from the food. Attaching bars support the drainer and enable movement of the drainer relative to the spatula surface. A lever is joined to the attaching bars for enabling a user to impart a relative downward movement of the drainer to apply the pressure to the food, thereby enabling the user to substantially drain the excess fluids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Inventor: Jim Wallace Sargent, III
  • Patent number: 9918587
    Abstract: An improved roasting spit comprising a frame and a handgrip. The frame comprises a frame head portion and a frame handle portion mortised in the handgrip. The head portion comprises a base portion and at least one blade, preferably three blades, extending from the base portion with each blade having a notch for interlocking with a like spit. The frame is resistant to deformation under heavy loads at high temperatures. The spit is employed vertically using a suspension hole in the handgrip or impaled in a ground surface. The spit can also be employed horizontally by interlocking the notches with a like spit, inserting the spit in a stand, or propping the spit on rocks. A tip portion of each blade tapers to a tip point along a plurality of triangular faces forming a plurality of cutting edges that allow the spit to easily impale a large mass of meat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Inventor: William Douglas Oatis
  • Patent number: 9918589
    Abstract: Provided is a food stir-frying machine that makes it possible to surely and smoothly rotate a stirrer while bringing the stirrer into elastic contact with the inner surface of a pan, and increase the durability of the stirrer. A stirring device has: a supporting member that supports a rotary shaft; a stirring frame that supports the supporting member through a horizontal shaft in a direction in which a stirrer is moved in or out of a pan; and a device frame that vertically swingably supports the stirring frame in order to evacuate the stirrer upward, and between the stirring frame and the supporting member, biasing means adapted to bias the supporting member toward the pan side so as to bring the stirrer into contact with the inner surface of the pan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignees: M.I.K. CORPORATION, DAIWA SEIKO CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Takahashi, Satoru Beppu, Hirotoshi Hamayoshi, Naoyuki Kamitani
  • Patent number: 9918484
    Abstract: An apparatus for producing soft ice cream has a storage container (1) for receiving soft ice cream raw material in liquid form and a refrigeration chamber (4) with a mechanical mixing device (5) installed therein in which the soft ice cream raw material is mixed with air and thus prepared to form soft ice cream. The storage container (1) is a bag (8) which can be inserted into the apparatus, with an integrated single use pump (9) with an opening device (19) for the bag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Dirk Ekenhorst, Dan Barron
  • Patent number: 9913481
    Abstract: A portable tortilla press assembly for molding a food product into a flat disk with a removable, reversible molding plate that is inserted between a base and a push plate. The tortilla press assembly operates via lever, with a roller along the body of the lever. The lever attaches via a hinge, opposite to and elevated above another hinge connecting to the push plate. When the lever is in the downward position, the roller pushes down on the plates with a rolling motion, smoothly forming a uniform, even tortilla. The molding plate has two sides defining two different forming surfaces, each sized to mold a different-sized tortilla.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Inventor: Kevin McCarney
  • Patent number: 9907430
    Abstract: Devices and methods for infusing liquids and/or brewing beverages are described. The present invention relates to an apparatus for brewing beverages comprising a vessel, said vessel comprising a sealable chamber for holding a brewing material and a liquid, and a filter assembly connected to the sealable chamber; a liquid supply and conduit for introducing at least a portion of said liquid supply into said sealable chamber; and a vacuum source and conduit for reducing pressure in said sealable chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: BKON LLC
    Inventors: Dean J. Vastardis, Lou Vastardis
  • Patent number: 9902554
    Abstract: A capsule for beverages includes an external casing provided with a first base wall and with a first side wall defining a cavity that is open and suitable for containing a filtering element and a product for obtaining a beverage and a first covering element fixed to a first rim of the external casing to close hermetically the cavity. The filtering element includes a second base wall and a second side wall that extends from the second base wall to a second rim fixed to the first base wall. The product is housed in a first chamber defined between the first side wall and the second side wall. The capsule can be used in a machine for producing a beverage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: Sarong Societa' per Azioni
    Inventors: Andrea Bartoli, Elio Sanibondi
  • Patent number: 9902927
    Abstract: A bulk fluid container assembly for maturing wines or other fluid beverages comprising, a container of molded polymeric material having a plurality of sides, a bottom and a top, wherein the sides are bowed inwardly with respect to the interior of the container, the top and bottom are bowed outwardly with respect to the interior, and the sides are joined to form corners, a separate base for supporting the bottom of the container, a corner reinforcing post for each of the corners, each corner reinforcing post extending from the separate base along one of the corners. It may have a base frame for receiving the tynes of a forklift.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: FLEXTANK INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
    Inventor: Phillip Henry Slattery
  • Patent number: 9901167
    Abstract: The disclosure concerns a filter assembly adapted for use with a wide mouth carboy in the field of home brewing, and home brewing kits comprising the same. The filter assembly generally includes a carboy lid adapted to engage a fermentation carboy, a mesh filter tube extending from a bottom side of the carboy lid, wherein through an aperture of the lid and into the volume within the mesh filter tube is defined a mesh cavity. Materials can be introduced into the mesh cavity for brewing applications. An agitation probe forms part of the home brewing kit and is used for: (i) agitating the materials within the mesh cavity during a brewing process; (ii) pressing the materials to extract fluids therefrom; or (iii) a combination thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Inventor: Ryan Anderson
  • Patent number: 9895018
    Abstract: An automatic meal serving system includes a conveyer module, a transporting module, a first food serving and heating module, and an ingredient serving module. The transporting module is located on the conveyer module for sequentially positioning a plurality of vessels on the conveyer module. The first food serving and heating module provides a variety of foods, heats one of the foods that is chosen, and feeds one of the vessels on the conveyer module with the heated food. The ingredient serving module is located beside the first food serving and heating module. The transporting module, the first food serving and heating module, and the ingredient serving module are sequentially located along the conveyer module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: CHEF Automation Co. Ltd.
    Inventor: Chyi-Yeu Lin
  • Patent number: 9894908
    Abstract: The present invention is an innovative method, process and mechanism utilizing infrared energy for the process to dry/dehydrate an oil reduced avocado paste or an oil retained avocado paste into dried/dehydrated avocado powders, flakes, or sheets, with no compromise in the nutritional value of the end food product. The present invention is economical, preserves the original color and nutritional content, provides a continuous drying/dehydrating process for the avocado paste, achieves a food product with a long shelf life and easily transportable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: Bella Vado, Inc.
    Inventors: Corinne da Silva, Ciriaco da Silva
  • Patent number: 9888807
    Abstract: A kitchen appliance includes a first reservoir for receiving a liquid to be used for preparing a beverage. A hot water generator (‘HWG’) has an inlet end, an outlet end and a passageway extending therebetween. The inlet end of the HWG is connected to the first reservoir. Liquid from the first reservoir flows into the HWG through the inlet end. A second reservoir is connected to the outlet end of the HWG. The second reservoir includes a discharge port, a gas vent and a skirt extending from a wall of the second reservoir further than the gas vent. The skirt at least partially surrounds the gas vent. At least a portion of the skirt is spaced laterally inwardly from an outer sidewall of the second reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: Hamilton Beach Brands, Inc.
    Inventors: William D Starr, Patrick T Mulvaney, Adam Hanes, Larry Olson
  • Patent number: 9883765
    Abstract: It comprises an infusion chamber (2) for housing a dose of product and means for supplying a liquid under pressure to said infusion chamber, said supply means comprising a hydraulic accumulator device (4a, 4b) susceptible of storing under pressure a liquid from liquid injection means (8, 8a, 8b, 9, 25) of said machine (1, 1?), characterised in that said liquid injection means (8, 8a, 8b, 9, 25) and said hydraulic accumulator device (4a, 4b) are configured and disposed interconnected to the infusion chamber (2), so that a first fraction of injected liquid is susceptible of being stored under pressure in a cavity (5) of said accumulator device (4a, 4b), while a second fraction of the injected liquid is simultaneously distributed or supplied to the exterior through the infusion chamber (2) of the machine (1, 1?), allowing said accumulator device (4a, 4b) to store a fraction of liquid configured to ensure the continuous supply of a certain flow (Qc) during a predetermined beverage preparation time or distribution
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: Minimma Espresso, S.L.
    Inventor: Xavier Samsó Besora
  • Patent number: 9883770
    Abstract: A vertical grill comprises a back chimney within the housing having an inlet and an outlet. The inlet is in the form of one or more first openings in the back frame member, and the outlet being a second opening which is higher than the inlet. A first air intake located in at least one of the grill's panels. A removable tray module comprises a slide positioned at an incline between the front and back sides, configured to direct fats and break away solids to the front side of the tray. At least one channel is covered by the slide and configured for air flow. An external receptacle is positioned at the front side of the tray, wherein the slide leads into the receptacle so that fats and break away solids may be channeled into the external receptacle after traveling downwards along the incline of the slide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Inventors: Bonnie Lee Buzick, Robert James Bair
  • Patent number: 9883768
    Abstract: An electrically operated kitchen appliance with a cooking vessel and a lid for the cooking vessel, wherein: the lid can be locked in the closed position against the cooking vessel; the cooking vessel has a cooking vessel base and a cooking vessel wall extending upwards from the base; the cooking vessel wall transitions into a radially projecting cooking vessel edge; the lid has a lid edge, which covers the cooking vessel edge in the closed position; and the lock is formed by a locking part acting on the lid. In order to further improve a kitchen appliance of the type mentioned, particularly with respect to handling the lid of the cooking vessel, according to the invention a hinged section, which can be operated by an electric motor, is provided to interact with the lid edge, such that the lid can be pivoted by the motor out of a closed position into an open position and the lid can be removed from the hinged section by the user non-destructively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: Vorwerk & Co. Interholding GmbH
    Inventor: Frank Starflinger
  • Patent number: 9867495
    Abstract: The present invention provides an auto coffee drip apparatus comprising: a housing; a dripper tray module which is fixed to an external one side of the housing and in which a dripper storing the coffee powders is seated; a drip head module which is provided on an upper part of the dripper tray module so as to be spaced apart by a predetermined interval and injects water into the dripper; and a boiler module which is provided inside the housing and is connected to the drip head module to supply the heated water to the drip head module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Inventor: Sun-Ho Choi
  • Patent number: 9861997
    Abstract: A belt conveyor including a conveyor belt that has hollow injectors for injecting a process fluid into a conveyed layer of bulk products and a method for injecting a process fluid into a layer of bulk products conveyed on a conveyor belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Laitram, L.L.C.
    Inventor: David W. Bogle