Patents Examined by Timothy F. Simone
  • Patent number: 7104188
    Abstract: A fruit press containing a centrally arranged element projecting upward from a base to a tip. The element base has an outer annular surface for the pressing of fruit. The annular surface having ridges on the outer surface that run from the base to the tip. The outer surface having trough-like recesses between the ridges with a cross-section substantially in the form of a circle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeraete GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Steffl, Marko Areh, Stanislav Mazej, Igor Zibret, Peter Brezovnik, Henrik Pavlovic
  • Patent number: 7089851
    Abstract: A fruit juicer includes an additional switch that determines the speed at which the fruit juicer, i.e., the element that receives the fruit to be squeezed out, revolves. A button, disposed on the outer wall of the housing, actuates a microcontroller such that more power is supplied to the electric motor to make it revolve at a higher speed. The inventive fruit juicer, therefore, allows the juice to be squeezed out from the pulp already removed from the fruit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2006
    Assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte
    Inventors: Marko Areh, Peter Brezovnik, Siegmund Kramer, Stanislav Mazej, Henrik Pavlovic, Michael Steffl, Igor Zibret
  • Patent number: 7089850
    Abstract: A holding cabinet assembly for holding pre-processed food products and a process for maintaining the product appearance of a pre-processed food product for a predetermined amount of time includes a steamer assembly and a cabinet housing coupled to the steamer assembly. As a result of controlling and maintaining the temperature of the water in the steamer assembly and air in the food cabinet housing, the relative humidity of the food cabinet housing is maintained at a substantially fixed value. In this holding cabinet assembly, compartments are arranged in the housing with each compartment including an openable and closeable drawer. A carrier insert is adapted to be removably supported in each of the drawers with each carrier insert being capable of holding pre-processed food products whereby the food products in the carrier inserts can be conditioned at the fixed relative humidity of the food cabinet housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2006
    Assignee: Burger King Corporation
    Inventors: Myong J. Lee, Duane Crisp
  • Patent number: 7086326
    Abstract: A thermally insulated cooking pot consists of an outer pot and an inner pot. The inner pot is suspended within the outer pot by hanging from the top inner circumferential area of the outer pot with its own top outer circumferential area. The space between the inner and outer pots becomes an insulation cavity. The contact point between the two pots is sealed by a pliable packing ring with an L-shaped cross-section, thereby sealing the insulation cavity. This sealed insulation cavity provides excellent thermal insulation. The packing ring contains a plurality of protrusions on the surface that come into contact with the inner pot to prevent the packing ring from sticking to the inner pot. The gap formed between the packing ring protrusions and the inner pot prevents the inner pot from sticking to the packing ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Inventor: Katsunori Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 7082871
    Abstract: The invention relates to a closing device for a container with an opening, in particular for a cooking pot with an outwardly protruding pouring edge, said closing device comprising a lid for closing the opening of the container, a closing element arrangement with at least a first closing element, and a movement device for moving the first closing element, said first closing element being able to be moved in an inward direction upon actuation of the movement device and moving upward at least in parts during the inwardly directed movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: Synkrona AG
    Inventor: Horst Schultz
  • Patent number: 7080594
    Abstract: A food and vegetable processing device includes a body with a motor so as to drive a processing unit which is attached by a lower cap with an outlet. A top cap is mounted to the lower cap and includes a feeding passage for feeding food and vegetable to the processing unit. The processing unit includes a blade disk, which has a convex top surface thereon cutting teeth are located. The convex top surface drives the food and vegetable to be processed move outward so as to obtain a satisfied result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2006
    Inventor: Wei-Chih Lin
  • Patent number: 7077055
    Abstract: A steaming device for an oven including a water supply unit for supplying drinking water, a boiler chamber for heating the drinking water supplied from the water supply unit while performing a secondary heating operation for heating steam flowing through a main steam supply pipe extending through at least one of through holes provided at a heat exchanger installed in the boiler chamber, thereby generating and supplying steam of a higher temperature, a cooking chamber for receiving the higher-temperature steam from the main steam supply pipe of the boiler chamber, thereby cooking food, a burner for heating the heat exchanger of the boiler chamber, and a control panel for controlling the burner. In accordance with this configuration, it is possible to supply steam of a high temperature, thereby achieving cooking of food such as steamed food, and to rapidly cook a large amount of food.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2006
    Inventor: Sung-Gon Kim
  • Patent number: 7077558
    Abstract: A dough treatment facility comprises, among other things, a dough kneading arrangement, which comprises an inner kneading drum, an outer kneading drum which is moved in relation thereto within the scope of a kneading motion, and a plurality of kneading compartments which are at least partially defined by the kneading drums. The kneading motion is actuated by means of a kneading drive. This drive comprises a first drive component for rotation of the inner kneading drum, a second drive component for rotation of the outer kneading drum, and a third drive component for periodic motion of the outer kneading drum relative to the inner kneading drum, this motion having a motional component parallel to the longitudinal axis of the kneading drums. A kneading drive gear actuates the driving motions of the three drive components, derived from the motion of a single transmission shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2006
    Assignee: Werner & Pfleiderer Lebensmitteltechnik GmbH
    Inventor: Ferdinand Bodenstorfer
  • Patent number: 7077058
    Abstract: A fruit and vegetable peeler which is suitably used in general homes for peeling a small amount of fruits and vegetables, which is small-sized and light-weight, and which is further convenient in carrying and storage. A pair of clamp members are supported by a housing to lie in opposed relation, and a handle is fixed to a handle shaft extended externally of the housing. The housing accommodates a speed increasing gear mechanism for transmitting rotation of the handle shaft to a cup-shaped rotating blade, a transmission gear mechanism for transmitting the rotation of the handle shaft to the rotary shaft of the clamp member, and a rotating-blade swinging mechanism for converting the rotation of the handle shaft into a swing motion of the rotating blade along the circumference of a fruit/vegetable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2006
    Assignee: Muro Corporation
    Inventor: Giichiro Muro
  • Patent number: 7077057
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for a meat processing plant includes an injecting station (10) for injecting meats with brine, a macerating station (20) for massaging the injected meat including movable, plural resting tasks (24) and means (26) for moving these tables with respect to an accumulating and loading station (40) for repeated processing of the injected mean in a rotating drum (22) of the macerating station (20). A packing station (30) can accept treated meat from the resting tanks (24) for final packing in one or more packing machines (32). The method and apparatus can continuously process one or more types of meat products without interruption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2006
    Assignee: Metalquimia, S.A.
    Inventor: Narcís Lagares Corominas
  • Patent number: 7073428
    Abstract: An automatic tea maker comprises a cover body, a tube base, and a bottom base, wherein the cover body is covered on the tube base, which is eccentrically disposed on the bottom base. A partition is disposed on an interior of the tube base to partition an independent drainage area. A vent disposed on the partition communicates with the tube base. Each of water exits, provided with a stopping members, are disposed on a base surface of the tube base. A baffle extends from an internal periphery of the bottom base with push rods placed on the baffle protruding outward from the water exits. The push rods placed on the baffle extend corresponding to the stopping members of the water exits, is able to push the stopping members away from the water exits, when the tube base is slanted corresponding to the bottom base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Inventors: Ming-Chi Chung, Chin-Jen Lin
  • Patent number: 7069843
    Abstract: A heating and emulsifying device (10), particularly for heating and optionally emulsifying air and milk in milk-based products and having the capability to regulate the air-flow and the milk-flow jointly and proportionally, comprises an emulsification chamber (12) having an opening (14) for the delivery of the product and a steam-inlet duct (20) which opens into the emulsification chamber (12). A milk-inlet duct (28) and an air-inlet duct (30) communicate with the steam inlet duct (20), the air and the milk being drawn in by the partial vacuum created by the flow of steam. An air-flow regulator (38) and a milk-flow regulator (40) are operatively associated with the air-inlet duct (30) and with the milk-inlet duct (28), respectively, the air-flow and milk-flow regulators being structurally connected and being suitable for varying the respective flow-rates in proportion with one another and the emulsion/milk ratio in the final product, without affecting its temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2006
    Assignee: SPIDEM S.p.A.
    Inventor: Luciano Paoletti
  • Patent number: 7069838
    Abstract: A catalytic converter designed to be integrated into a food-cooking appliance and to act, during a cooking cycle in a closed atmosphere and without oxygen being admitted from the outside, to treat the odors in the cooking fumes before the fumes are discharged to the outside, the converter comprising a basic substrate (30) provided with perforations (31) for passing the cooking fumes to be treated, the substrate (30) being coated with an intermediate layer (32) having a large surface area, itself provided with a surface component (33) formed of an inorganic solution based on precious metals so as to form the catalytic active layer of the converter, the intermediate layer (32) comprising alumina and cerine so as to form an intermediate layer (32) with a surface area of not less than 150 square meters per gram (m2/g), the amount of alumina/cerine added to the basic substrate (30) lying in the range 30 g/m2 to 35 g/m2, including 15 g/m2 of cerine to 25 g/m2 of cerine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2006
    Assignee: SEB S.A.
    Inventor: Jean-Marc Payen
  • Patent number: 7069842
    Abstract: A barbecue grill device includes a container and a housing disposed on a base, a platter attached to the housing for supporting a heat source, a shaft rotatably attached to the container, and a motor driving member for driving the shaft to rotate relative to the container. One or more axles are rotatably attached to the container and engaged with the shaft, so as to be rotated by the motor driving member via the shaft. One or more barbecue tools may be used for supporting food to be barbecued, and each includes a mandrel attached to the axle, so as to be rotated by the motor driving member via the shaft and the axle. An air circulating device may be used to discharge smoke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2006
    Inventor: Shun I Liao
  • Patent number: 7069846
    Abstract: An installation for the treatment of products in bulb or tuber form in relation to the removal of the outermost layer thereof, comprising a channel through which the products can be transported between an inlet and an outlet that are at different levels, which channel is delimited by a first series of rotary treatment elements arranged alongside one another and extending transversely to the direction of transport, and by an opposing boundary opposite the series of treatment elements. The opposing boundary is determined by a second series of rotary treatment elements while the input is at a higher level than the output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2006
    Assignee: Van Der Schoot Engineering B.V.
    Inventor: Peter Willem Carolus Van der Schoot
  • Patent number: 7069845
    Abstract: Equipment for the automatic tray positioning of single cylindrical or spherical pieces. The equipment includes a first conveyor for the feeding of a sequence of single pieces along a first direction and a second intermittent advancement conveyor for the feeding of single trays along a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction. There are also provided a first sensor for the detection of the passage of the single pieces, a second sensor for the detection of the passage of the single trays, and an electronic control device that receives signals from the sensors and controls an advancement step of the second conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2006
    Assignee: REFIN s.r.l.
    Inventor: Giovanni Battista Righele
  • Patent number: 7066082
    Abstract: A juice extractor (10) having a base (11) upon which there is mounted an electric motor (13). The electric motor (13) drives a grating disc (32). Extending upwardly from the disc (32) is a delivery chute (24) via which food is delivered to the disc (32). A food engaging member is pivotally mounted in a lower portion of the chute (24) and is movable between an extended position projecting into the passage (25) of the chute (24) and a retracted position clearing the passage (25). The member (34) inhibits at least larger pieces of food, such as fruit and vegetables, from engaging the disc (23) until the plunger (33) engages the food to move the food towards the disc (32).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: Sunbeam Corporation Limited
    Inventor: Nicholas M. O'Loughlin
  • Patent number: 7066079
    Abstract: An automatic coffee machine (1) includes a sliding block (28) fixedly connected to a housing (2). A brewing unit (5) includes an upper and a lower locking element (7, 8) and a vertical tube section (4). The upper locking element (7) is alternately moved in a brewing position, a stand-by position and a parking position. The upper locking element (7) in the brewing position protrudes into the tube section (4) to attain a brewing chamber (6). The upper locking element (7) in the stand-by position does not protrude into the tube section (4) and the axis of the upper locking element (7) is aligned with the axis (9) of the tube section (4). The upper locking element (7) in the parking position does not protrude into the tube section (4) and the axis of the upper locking element (7) is not aligned with the axis (9) of the tube section (4). A pivot column (15) connected to the upper locking element (7) is moved in an axial direction, and it is rotated about its axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: HGZ Maschinenbau AG
    Inventor: Peter Sager
  • Patent number: 7066639
    Abstract: A tool for use in a food processing machine. This tool has a cover tube (11) and a shaft (13) for driving in rotation a member for processing food products, which shaft is mounted in the cover tube (11), the cover tube (11) being provided at a first end with a mechanism (21, 25) for latching onto a machine body (3). The mechanism (21, 25) for latching the cover tube (11) onto the machine body (3) has at the first end, at least one flexible axial resilient arm (21) provided with a hook (25) which can cooperate with a complementary shoulder (33) of the machine body in such a manner as to form a snap-in connection. Also, a machine for processing food products and containing such a tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: Dito Sama
    Inventors: Georges Naud, Christophe Lagier, Bruno Paturel
  • Patent number: RE39256
    Abstract: A drum cooker for cooking granular products comprises a vessel mounted to rotate about an axis. At least two nozzle groups are provided opening into said vessel. One of said nozzle groups is arranged in that it opens into a first area of said vessel covered by that granular product. A second nozzle group opens into a second area of said vessel not covered by said granular product. For enhancing the quality of the cooking process, a control means is provided for supplying said gaseous heat-carrying medium at any time to said nozzle group only that opens into that first area covered by said product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2006
    Inventor: Rudolf Bichsel