Automatic top-off for deep fat fryers
View Patent ↗A system for automatically filling and maintaining fryer pots with oil in a deep fryer having a deep fryer and a plurality of fryer pots disposed within the deep fryer. Each of the plurality of fryer pots contains a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor. The second temperature sensor is enabled to commence a filling cycle of a fryer pot in response to said first temperature sensor when said first temperature sensor senses a first predetermined temperature.
1. A system for automatically filling and maintaining fryer pots with oil in a deep fryer comprising:
a deep fryer;
a reservoir containing cooking oil;
a plurality of fryer pots disposed within said deep fryer, each of said plurality of fryer pots containing a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor, wherein said first temperature sensor enables operation of said second temperature sensor based upon a first predetermined temperature sensed by said first temperature sensor, wherein said first predetermined temperature is indicative of the presence of oil in the fryer pot
a pump and a plurality of valves, each of said plurality of valves being operatively associated with one of said plurality of fryer pots;
an alarm that indicates said reservoir is empty; and
a device that activates said alarm and that is associated with one of said pump and said reservoir.
2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said pump and ones of said plurality of valves are actuated when said second temperature sensor of said plurality of fryer pots senses a second predetermined temperature.
3. The system according to claim 2 , wherein said pump and ones of said plurality of valves are deactivated when said second temperature sensor in each of said plurality of fryer pots senses a third predetermined temperature that is greater in value than said second predetermined temperature.
4. The system according to claim 2 , wherein said second temperature sensor is not enabled to commence a filling cycle of a fryer pot when said first temperature sensor does not sense said first predetermined temperature.
5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said first temperature sensor is located proximate a heating element at a bottom surface of said fryer pot.
6. The system according to claim 5 , wherein said second temperature sensor is located in said fryer pot at a location further from the bottom surface of said fryer pot than said first temperature sensor.
7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said first predetermined temperature ranges from approximately 250° F. to 280° F.
8. The system according to claim 2 , wherein said second predetermined temperature ranges from approximately 260° F. to 290° F.
9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein when said first temperature sensor senses a temperature in a range from approximately 5° F. to 25° F. below said first predetermined temperature, said first temperature sensor does not enable said second temperature sensor.
10. The system according to claim 2 , wherein said plurality of valves are a plurality of solenoid valves.
11. A system for automatically filling and maintaining fryer pots with oil in a deep fryer comprising:
a deep fryer; and
a plurality of fryer pots disposed within said deep fryer, each of said plurality of fryer pots containing a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor, wherein said first temperature sensor enables operation of said second temperature sensor based upon a first predetermined temperature sensed by said first temperature sensor, wherein said first predetermined temperature is indicative of the presence of oil in the fryer pot;
a pump and a plurality of valves, each of said plurality of valves being operatively associated with one of said plurality of fryer pots, wherein said pump and ones of said plurality of valves are actuated when said second temperature sensor of said plurality of fryer pots senses a second predetermined temperature, and wherein said pump and ones of said plurality of valves are deactivated when said second temperature sensor in each of said plurality of fryer pots senses a third predetermined temperature that is greater in value than said second predetermined temperature; and
a third temperature sensor in said fryer pot operatively associated with said second temperature sensor, wherein said third temperature sensor disables said second temperature sensor when said second temperature sensor does not detect said third predetermined temperature.
12. The system according to claim 11 , wherein said third predetermined temperature ranges from approximately 300° F. to 330° F.
13. The system according to claim 11 , wherein said first temperature sensor, said second temperature sensor and said third temperature sensor are mechanical thermal switches.
14. A system for automatically filling and maintaining fryer pots with oil in a deep fryer comprising:
a deep fryer;
a reservoir containing cooking oil;
a plurality of fryer pots disposed within said deep fryer, each of said plurality of fryer pots containing a first thermal switch that senses a first predetermined temperature indicative of the presence of oil in said fryer pot and a second thermal switch; and
a pump and a plurality of valves, each of said plurality of valves associated with one of said plurality of fryer pots to provide cooking oil to said pots;
wherein said second thermal switch in ones of said plurality of fryer pots is enabled to commence a filling cycle in a fryer pot after said first thermal switch senses said first predetermined temperature and said second thermal switch opens said pump and ones of said plurality of valves in response to a second predetermined temperature, and
a spring upon which said reservoir sits, wherein as said pump removes oil from said reservoir, said spring expands to raise said reservoir.
15. The system according to claim 14 , wherein said second thermal switch closes said pump and ones of said plurality of valves in response to a third predetermined temperature.
16. The system according to claim 14 , wherein said first predetermined temperature ranges from approximately 250° F. to 280° F.
17. The system according to claim 14 , wherein said second predetermined temperature ranges from approximately 260° F. to 290° F.
18. The system according to claim 14 , wherein said third predetermined temperature ranges from approximately 300° F. to 330° F.
19. The system according to claim 14 , wherein when said first temperature sensor senses a temperature in a range from approximately 5° F. to 25° F. below said first predetermined temperature, said first temperature sensor does not enable said second temperature sensor.
20. The system according to claim 14 , wherein said spring is capable of activating an alarm after a predetermined degree of expansion to thereby indicate a low reservoir oil volume.
21. A system for automatically filling and maintaining fryer pots with oil in a deep fryer comprising:
a deep fryer;
a plurality of fryer pots disposed within said deep fryer, each of said plurality of fryer pots containing a first thermal switch that senses a first predetermined temperature indicative of the presence of oil in said fryer pot and a second thermal switch; and
a pump and a plurality of valves, each of said plurality of valves associated with one of said plurality of fryer pots, wherein said second thermal switch in ones of said plurality of fryer pots is enabled to commence a filling cycle in a fryer pot after said first thermal switch senses said first predetermined temperature and said second thermal switch opens said pump and ones of said plurality of valves in response to a second predetermined temperature, wherein said second thermal switch closes said pump and ones of said plurality of valves in response to a third predetermined temperature; and
a third thermal switch that is operatively associated with said pump to deactivate said pump when said second thermal switch does not sense said third predetermined temperature.
22. A system for automatically filling and maintaining fryer pots with oil in a deep fryer comprising:
a deep fryer;
a reservoir containing cooking oil;
a timer that activates an alarm to indicate that said reservoir is empty;
a plurality of fryer pots disposed within said deep fryer, each of said plurality of fryer pots containing a first thermal switch that senses a first predetermined temperature indicative of the presence of oil in said fryer pot and a second thermal switch;
a pump and a plurality of valves, each of said plurality of valves associated with one of said plurality of fryer pots;
an alarm that indicates said reservoir is empty;
a device that activates said alarm and that is associated with one of said reservoir and said pump; and
wherein said second thermal switch in ones of said plurality of fryer pots is enabled by said first thermal switch in ones of said plurality of fryer pots to commence a filling cycle of a fryer pot when said first predetermined temperature is sensed and said second thermal switch opens said pump and ones of said plurality of valves to provide oil to said fryer pot in response to a second predetermined temperature.
23. The system according to claim 22 , wherein a third predetermined temperature is sensed by said second thermal switch, and wherein said third predetermined temperature indicates that said second thermal switch is submerged in oil.
24. The system according to claim 23 , further comprising a plurality of fill tubes, each of said plurality of fill tubes being disposed in one of said fryer pots, wherein each of said plurality of fill tubes is disposed higher than said oil level in said fryer pot.
25. The system according to claim 22 , wherein said first predetermined temperature ranges from approximately 250° F. to 280° F.
26. The system according to claim 22 , wherein said second predetermined temperature ranges from approximately 260° F. to 290° F.
27. The system according to claim 22 , wherein said third predetermined temperature ranges from approximately 300° F. to 330° F.
28. The system according to claim 22 , wherein when said first thermal switch senses a temperature in a range from approximately 5° F. to 25° F. below said first predetermined temperature, said first temperature sensor does not enable said second thermal switch.