Patents Examined by Timothy F. Simone
  • Patent number: 7628108
    Abstract: A juicing apparatus is provided in which a single actuating element (2) drives a multiple number, such as three, of movable peeler cups (4), against their respective paired or matched fixed peeler cups (3), in a manner such to simultaneously provide for the extraction of juice from a number of fruit (19), one in each of the matched pairs of fixed and movable peeler cups (3, 4), said matched pairs of peeler cups being subjected to substantially the same force and reciprocating action as the other. Blades (38, 39) of the fixed and movable peeler cups (3, 4) engage the peel of the fruit (19) and provide for its removal. In certain embodiments, within each fixed peeler cup (3) is a filtering device (7) comprising a sharpened end (43) that meets the fruit (19), and a plurality of slits in the wall(s) of the filtering device for passage of juice compressed from the fruit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Inventor: Carlos Mendes Neto
  • Patent number: 7624674
    Abstract: A household appliance for cooking under pressure, the appliance being provided with bistable calibrated leakage means suitable for taking up an open position in which the pressure inside the appliance is allowed to increase continuously to above a determined pressure P0, while also allowing air to be bled from the appliance, and a closed position corresponding to an absence of leakage of air to the outside, the open position being sustained until a predetermined pressure value P1 is reached. Rather than being sustained until the predetermined pressure P1 is reached, the open position is sustained for one of a predetermined time interval ?t after P0 is reached, and until a predetermined temperature value T1 is reached. The appliance is provided with at least one closure/opening safety means whose position is sensitive to pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Assignee: SEB S.A.
    Inventors: Eric Chameroy, Pascal Roland Clément Murat
  • Patent number: 7624676
    Abstract: Frying ingredients are fry-cooked within a frying oil layer used for fry cooking, under the conditions meeting a relationship of HA/SA1/2=0.6 to 3.5, where SA denotes the surface area of the frying oil layer and HA denotes the height from the bottom to the surface of the frying oil layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Assignee: Nisshin Oillo Group, Ltd.
    Inventors: Minoru Nishida, Akira Okumura, Toshiyuki Inui
  • Patent number: 7624677
    Abstract: An apparatus for preparing curd and feeding same to a curd processing apparatus, comprising a number of curd tanks and a pipe system connected with the curd tanks and provided with pumping means to feed curd from the curd tanks to the curd processing apparatus, wherein at least a number of curd tanks are provided with a first outlet and a second outlet, the pumping means being connected with the two outlets of said curd tanks, such that a curd tank can be pumped out via both outlets simultaneously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Assignee: Tetra Laval Holding & Finance S.A.
    Inventor: Steven Acreman
  • Patent number: 7621213
    Abstract: A salad spinner is disclosed, comprising an outer bowl; an inner basket receivable in the outer bowl; a lid placed over the outer bowl; a drive and brake mechanism combination comprising a rotary drive plate, a drive assembly engageable with the rotary drive plate, and a brake assembly; and a foldable handle operatively connected with the drive and brake mechanism combination, wherein the handle is allowed to be folded up to a locked position where the brake assembly interferes with the rotary drive plate to prevent spinning operation of the inner basket, and to be opened to an unlocked position where the brake assembly disengages from the rotary drive plate and manipulation of the handle in a horizontal direction enables the drive assembly to cause rotation of the driving rotation of the rotary drive plate and the inner basket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2009
    Assignee: King's Flair Development Ltd.
    Inventor: Sui Wah Wong
  • Patent number: 7617765
    Abstract: The replacement of used cooking fat in frying devices which comprise a container for the items which are to be cooked and a cooking device, i.e. a frying drum, requires a considerable amount of time and cleaning energy. The loss of cooking fat can also soil the place where the frying machine is installed. The invention thus relates to a frying device whereby the disadvantages of the known frying devices with a cooking fat outlet are avoided since the cooking drum, in the inventive frying device, is exchanged with the cooking fat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Inventor: Ulrich Maurer
  • Patent number: 7617764
    Abstract: A remote controllable automatic apparatus for preparing fried potato product from dehydrated potato, frying the potato product prepared with addition of at least water in subsequent operational cycles. The apparatus comprising a frying unit with a frying oil container and electric means for heating the frying oil; and also including electronic sensors (2) for measuring and storage devices for registering selected parameters of the frying process. Further comprises a status register (3) for storing status data and frying parameters relating to actual and former operational cycles, and also enabling data; and an interface (4) connected to a telecommunication network (7) for on-line transmitting and for on-line modifying the status register (3) content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Inventor: László Kovács
  • Patent number: 7610850
    Abstract: An apparatus for slicing apples is provided. The slicer utilizes thinner blades than known in the art, with a thickness less than 300 microns, and preferably between 180 and 220 microns. Each of the thinner blades is supported against bending, warping or twisting by a novel clinch buckle which rigidly supports the outer end or ends of each blades. The clinch buckle is rigidly connected to bent tabs formed at the outer end or ends of each blade and supports the outer ends across the full width of the blades. The clinch buckle is supported by an outer blade support ring and is captured by the outer support ring to prevent rotation of the clinch buckle. The thinner blade reduces cell damage, reduces the amount of sealant or neutralizer needed to slow or prevent oxidation of enzymes released from cells ruptured by slicing, and delays the onset of browning. A serrated blade is used to further reduce the extent of cell damage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2009
    Assignee: Atlas Pacific Engineering Company
    Inventors: Frank E. Jensen, Tim R. Vaughan, David C. Bullock, William L. Thompson, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7607388
    Abstract: The invention relates to a fruit feeding device, or fruit conveyor, for fruits like melons and pine-apples, which is used to supply peeling machines, coring machines, and peeling-coring machines with such fruits; the feeding device allows to work safely since it prevents the operator's hands from coming near the moving members, though the fruits are manually loaded on the fruit conveyor. In particular, it is suitable in those cases where the fruits have to be manually loaded because their automatic orientation is difficult and expensive to perform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: A.B.L. s.r.l.
    Inventors: Carlo Ascari, Luca Ascari
  • Patent number: 7603945
    Abstract: An apparatus constituted by a plurality of dispensing assemblies for automatically preparing and dispensing espresso coffee, each assembly of the plurality being of the type comprising a kinematic arrangement having a connecting rod and crank for moving the members responsible for preparing and dispensing the coffee in a prescribed operating sequence. The kinematic arrangement comprises a pair of connecting rods which are connected, at one end, to a respective crank and motor means for actuating at least one of the cranks. The dispensing assemblies are beside each other and the connecting rod of an assembly is provided with means which can function as the connecting rod of the adjacent assembly and transfer the rotational movement to the relevant crank so that all the dispensing assemblies are actuated at the same time by means of a single motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2009
    Assignee: Gruppo Cimbali S.p.A.
    Inventor: Maurizio Beretta
  • Patent number: 7600469
    Abstract: A barbecue device includes two cooking plates. The first cooking plate has two hinge joints at both rear ends, with each joint including an elliptical cavity, a shoulder on its inner wall, and a rib projected from the inner wall. The second pivotal cooking plate has two arc rabbets corresponding to the hinge joint, with each arc rabbet adapted to fit onto the joint and slide thereon. An inverted U-shaped handle is pivotally secured to the first cooking plate and has two rotation portions at both ends. Each rotation portion includes a projecting pin inserted into the elliptical cavity, disposed at one end of the elliptical cavity, and being lengthwise slidable therein, and a projecting stop member being parallel to the pin. The hinge is adapted to adjust an angle between the cooking plates in response to different thickness of foodstuffs or the number of foodstuffs to be broiled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: Uni-Splendor Corp.
    Inventor: Yu-Yuan Lin
  • Patent number: 7600466
    Abstract: An apparatus for filling and emptying a brewing chamber (19) comprises a brewing chamber (19) which is open on one side and in which is arranged a displaceable base (12) which can be moved in relation to an opening of the brewing chamber (19) for emptying purposes. The brewing chamber (19) can be pivoted together with the base (12) such that the opening can be filled from above with portion packs. The apparatus according to the invention and the process provide for easy handling by way of preferably just one actuating element (17) for the purpose of initiating the necessary movements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: Eldom Rothrist AG
    Inventor: Stephan Ruckstuhl
  • Patent number: 7600467
    Abstract: Automatic apparatus for treating milk by means of steam comprises a steam-generating source, a reservoir containing the milk to be treated, a mixing chamber into which a flow of milk with a predetermined flow-rate and at least one flow of steam with a predetermined flow-rate are brought through respective ducts opening into the mixing chamber, the chamber being provided with an opening for the delivery of the mixture produced, as well as a peristaltic pump operating on the milk duct between the reservoir and the chamber and driven by an electric motor with adjustable speed. The flow-rate of the pump and consequently the ratio between the flow of milk and the flow of steam can thus be varied so as to achieve the desired temperature in the final product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: Gruppo Cimbali S.p.A.
    Inventors: Andrea Coccia, Dario Sala
  • Patent number: 7581491
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an improvement effected in the peeling and coring machines used for peeling and coring melons and pineapples, the improvements being that the machine: is able to indifferently peel one or the other type of fruit, after a simple replacement of a kit of sharp blades; is able to remove the peel (skin) of the fruit, by acting on the inside of the fruit; is able to separate the pips and the central part of melons which contains these pips, and to remove the fibrous inner stem of the pineapple.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2009
    Assignee: A.B.L. s.r.l.
    Inventors: Carlo Ascari, Luca Ascari
  • Patent number: 7490543
    Abstract: An oven for baking batter goods, in particular, a wafer oven, has several baking plates assigned to one another in pairs, and at least one heat source for tempering or heating the baking plates. Particularly efficient production of wafers or similar products can be achieved in that the baking plates are mounted in a wheel-like carrier that can be rotated about an axis so that they extend essentially radially away from the axis, at a distance from it. Furthermore, at least one heat exchanger may be assigned to the baking plates, in each instance, through which a medium tempered by a heat source and supplied by way of a ring line flows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2009
    Assignees: Topsy Turvy Corporation
    Inventor: Ulrich Bott
  • Patent number: 7487715
    Abstract: The invention concerns a utensil for slow-cook cycles, comprising an annular wall (14) enclosing a cooking vessel (15), and a lid (30), the annular wall and the lid being designed to be arranged on another annular wall (12) pertaining to the steam-cooker. The invention is characterized in that the lid (30) forms with the cooking vessel (15) a sealed cooking chamber (13), the lid (30) comprising at least a vent (31) provided outside the cooking chamber (13).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2009
    Assignee: SEB S.A.
    Inventor: Fabrice Rossi
  • Patent number: 7487714
    Abstract: In a steam cooker, for heating of a food which is a mass of granular matters or linear matters such as rice or chow mein, a steam superheater is not turned on or is turned on with a very weak electric power so that steam supplied from steam supply pipes (94A to 94C) is substantially not superheated. Steam of 80° C. to 90° C. derived from the steam supply pipe (94B) is jetted out right downward from an opening (111a) of a steam jet pipe (111). Then, steam located around an end portion of the steam jet pipe (111) in a tray-shaped case (51) is pulled in by steam jetted out from the opening (111a), so that a large amount of steam is jetted against a bowl of rice or a dish of chow mein. As a result, surfaces of, for example, rice grains are prevented from immediately going beyond 100° C., so that condensation at the surfaces of the rice grains is efficiently achieved, and supply of condensed latent heat and penetration of condensed water (hot water) to the rice grains is efficiently achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2009
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuji Andoh, Shinya Ueda, Kazuyuki Matsubayashi
  • Patent number: 7487711
    Abstract: A steam automatic dispensing device for preparing hot and/or frothed drinks, includes a first duct (13) for introducing steam inside a drink; a second duct (15) for introducing air inside the drink; an electronic control unit (51) for controlling the introduction of steam and/or air through said first and second duct, the control unit being programmable to carry out a predetermined control cycle depending on the desired drink to be obtained and on the drink temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2009
    Assignee: Rancilio Macchine per Caffe' S.p.A.
    Inventor: Carlo Carbonini
  • Patent number: 7484456
    Abstract: A kitchen vessel, having a thermochromatic sensor, comprises, in one or more outward extending lugs thereof, a thermal sensing device, such as an additional sensing element, made of a material holding thermochromatic pigments therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2009
    Assignee: Ballarini Paolo & Figli S.p.A.
    Inventor: Jacopo Ferron
  • Patent number: 7484455
    Abstract: A pasta cooker has a base carrying a bowl having an electrical heater. A basket can move between a lower position immersed in water in the bowl and an upper position largely out of the bowl. A stirring element rotatably mounted on the basket carries a paddle projecting upward into the basket. A controller energizes the heater to bring the water in the bowl to a boil, then lowers the basket into it. The stirring element fits with a drive in the base so it can rotate and stir the water and any foodstuff in the bowl in the boiling water. After an interval preset in a timer elapses, the controller lifts the basket out of the bowl.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2009
    Assignee: De'Longhi S.p.A.
    Inventor: Giuseppe De'Longhi