IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,239,255
Granted Patent B2
US 12,239,255 · App. 16/838,540 · Granted Mar 4, 2025

Modular cooking appliance

Inventors: Philip R. McKee (Dallas, TX); Scott Smith (Richardson, TX); Andrew Podevels (Wauwatosa, WI); Harold Hansen (Plano, TX); Lee Vanlanen (McKinney, TX); Harold Sackett (Lucas, TX)
Assignee: AUTOMATION TECH, LLC
A47J27/12A21B1/245A21B1/26A21B2/00A21B3/07A47J36/04A47J37/015A47J2201/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,239,255
App. No.
16/838,540
Granted
Mar 4, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A modular cooking apparatus is disclosed. The modular cooking apparatus includes a housing for containing a first and second interchangeable cooking modules. The first interchangeable cooking module contains a first oven, and the second interchangeable cooking module contains a second oven. The second oven is different from the first oven. The modular cooking apparatus also includes a control panel for receiving cooking inputs, a controller for controlling the first and second interchangeable cooking modules, and a single power plug for receiving electrical power from a wall outlet.

Claims (58)

1. A modular cooking apparatus, comprising:

a housing having a first interchangeable cooking module and a second interchangeable cooking module;

a first oven contained within said first interchangeable cooking module;

a second oven contained within said second interchangeable cooking module, wherein said second oven is different from said first oven;

a control panel on said housing for receiving cooking inputs;

a controller within said housing for controlling said first interchangeable cooking module and said second interchangeable cooking module, wherein:

said controller includes a memory for storing:

a food entry table containing a list of types of food items to be cooked within said modular cooking appliance and their respective cook settings; and

a current drawn history table which includes a plurality of time units and which contains currents drawn by said first oven in said plurality of time units when said first oven is cooking a type of food item listed in said food entry table and currents drawn by said second oven in said plurality of time units when said second oven is cooking a type of food item listed in said food entry table; and

said controller is configured to control oven temperatures of said first oven and said second oven using said currents contained in said plurality of time units of said current drawn history table; and

a single power plug for receiving electrical power from a wall outlet.

2. The modular cooking apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first interchangeable cooking module is associated with a first food loading mechanism for transporting food in and out of said first oven.

3. The modular cooking apparatus of claim 2 , wherein said first food loading mechanism includes a belt drive mechanism having a belt, a belt drive motor, a belt drive wheel driven by said belt drive motor, and an opposing belt wheel.

4. The modular cooking apparatus of claim 2 , wherein said second interchangeable cooking module is associated with a second food loading mechanism for transporting food in and out of said second oven.

5. The modular cooking apparatus of claim 4 , wherein said second food loading mechanism includes a belt drive mechanism having a belt, a belt drive motor, a belt drive wheel driven by said belt drive motor, and an opposing belt wheel.

6. The modular cooking apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first oven is an impingement oven and said second oven is a convection oven.

7. The modular cooking apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first oven is an impingement oven and said second oven is a microwave oven.

8. The modular cooking apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first oven is a convection oven and said second oven is a microwave oven.

9. The modular cooking apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first interchangeable cooking module includes a first heating and airflow system.

10. The modular cooking apparatus of claim 9 , wherein said second interchangeable cooking module includes a second heating and airflow system.

11. The modular cooking apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first interchangeable cooking module is symmetrical along a longitudinal axis.

12. The modular cooking apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said second interchangeable cooking module is symmetrical along a longitudinal axis.

13. The modular cooking apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first interchangeable cooking module includes at least two heat-insulating surfaces filled with sand or salt held in silicone.

14. The modular cooking apparatus of claim 13 , wherein said second interchangeable cooking module includes at least two heat-insulating surfaces filled with sand or salt held in silicone.

15. The modular cooking apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said controller includes a multiplexor for selectively directing current to said first and second interchangeable cooking modules.

16. The modular cooking apparatus of claim 15 , wherein said controller includes a processor for controlling said multiplexor.

17. The modular cooking apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said current drawn by said first oven and/or said second oven in said plurality of time units comprises an average current drawn by said first oven and/or said second oven in said plurality of time units for a predetermined number of most recent cooks of said type of food item listed in said food entry table.

18. The modular cooking apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of said first oven and said second oven includes a different set of electrical connectors for connecting to corresponding ones of connectors within said first interchangeable cooking module and said second interchangeable cooking module.

19. The modular cooking apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said single power plug receives single-phase 50-Amp current.

20. A modular cooking apparatus, comprising:

a housing having a first interchangeable cooking module, a second interchangeable cooking module, and a third interchangeable cooking module;

a first oven contained within said first interchangeable cooking module;

a second oven contained within said second interchangeable cooking module;

a third oven contained within said third interchangeable cooking module, wherein said third oven is different from said first and second ovens;

a control panel on said housing for receiving cooking inputs;

a controller within said housing for controlling said first interchangeable cooking module, said second interchangeable cooking module, and said third interchangeable cooking module, wherein:

said controller includes a memory for storing:

a food entry table containing a list of types of food items to be cooked within said modular cooking appliance and their respective cook settings; and

a current drawn history table which includes a plurality of time units and which contains currents drawn by said first oven in said plurality of time units when said first oven is cooking a type of food item listed in said food entry table, currents drawn by said second oven in said plurality of time units when said second oven is cooking a type of food item listed in said food entry table, and currents drawn by said third oven in said plurality of time units when said third oven is cooking a type of food item listed in said food entry table; and

said controller is configured to control oven temperatures of said first oven, said second oven, and said third oven using said currents contained in said plurality of time units of said current drawn history table; and

a single power plug for receiving electrical power from a wall outlet.

21. The modular cooking apparatus of claim 20 , wherein said first interchangeable cooking module is associated with a first food loading mechanism for transporting food in and out of said first oven.

22. The modular cooking apparatus of claim 21 , wherein said first food loading mechanism includes a belt drive mechanism having a belt, a belt drive motor, a belt drive wheel driven by said belt drive motor, and an opposing belt wheel.

23. The modular cooking apparatus of claim 21 , wherein said second interchangeable cooking module is associated with a second food loading mechanism for transporting food in and out of said second oven.

24. The modular cooking apparatus of claim 23 , wherein said second food loading mechanism includes a belt drive mechanism having a belt, a belt drive motor, a belt drive wheel driven by said belt drive motor, and an opposing belt wheel.

25. The modular cooking apparatus of claim 23 , wherein said third interchangeable cooking module includes a third food loading mechanism for transporting food in and out of said third oven.

26. The modular cooking apparatus of claim 25 , wherein said third food loading mechanism includes a crank-and-cam mechanism.

27. The modular cooking apparatus of claim 20 , wherein said first oven is an impingement oven.

28. The modular cooking apparatus of claim 27 , wherein said second oven is a convection oven.

29. The modular cooking apparatus of claim 28 , wherein said third oven is a microwave oven.

30. The modular cooking apparatus of claim 20 , wherein said first interchangeable cooking module includes a first heating and airflow system, and said second interchangeable cooking module includes a second heating and airflow system.

31. The modular cooking apparatus of claim 20 , wherein said first interchangeable cooking module includes at least two heat-insulating surfaces filled with sand or salt held in silicone.

32. The modular cooking apparatus of claim 31 , wherein said second interchangeable cooking module includes at least two heat-insulating surfaces filled with sand or salt held in silicone.

33. The modular cooking apparatus of claim 20 , wherein said controller includes a multiplexor for selectively directing current to said first and second cooking modules.

34. The modular cooking apparatus of claim 33 , wherein said controller includes a processor for controlling said multiplexor.

35. The modular cooking apparatus of claim 20 , wherein said current drawn by said first oven, said second oven, and/or said third oven in said plurality of time units comprises an average current drawn by said first oven, said second oven, and/or said third oven in said plurality of time units for a predetermined number of most recent cooks of said type of food item listed in said food entry table.

36. The modular cooking apparatus of claim 20 , wherein each of said first oven, said second oven, and said third oven includes a different set of electrical connectors for connecting to corresponding ones of connectors within said first interchangeable cooking module, said second interchangeable cooking module, and said third interchangeable cooking module.

37. The modular cooking apparatus of claim 20 , wherein said single power plug receives single-phase 50-Amp current.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 23, 2021
From: APPLIANCE INNOVATION, INC.
To: AUTOMATION TECH, LLC
Reel/Frame 055682/0671 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 2, 2020
From: MCKEE, PHILIP R.; SMITH, SCOTT; PODEVELS, ANDREW; HANSEN, HAROLD; VANLANEN, LEE; SACKETT, HAROLD
To: APPLIANCE INNOVATION, INC.
Reel/Frame 052298/0868 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210307553A1 · Oct 7, 2021
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