IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,607,077
Granted Patent B2
US 11,607,077 · App. 17/751,180 · Granted Mar 21, 2023

Cooking apparatus

Inventors: Zhenxiong Huang (Foshan, CN); Yun Yang (Foshan, CN); Jun Zhang (Vancouver, CA); Feng Deng (Vancouver, CA)
Assignee: D & J IMPORT-EXPORT LTD.
A47J37/0641A47J37/0664A47J36/165A47J36/20
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,607,077
App. No.
17/751,180
Granted
Mar 21, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A cooking apparatus includes a base, a cover with a hot air system, an inner pot, an upper temperature sensor located in the lid, and a lower temperature sensor located in the base. A processor is configured to operate in one of multiple cooking modes, and for each of the cooking modes the processor is configured to measure an upper and a lower temperature using the upper and the lower temperature sensor, respectively; compare the upper and the lower temperature to an upper and a lower temperature sensor setting, respectively; when the upper temperature differs from the upper temperature sensor setting, adjust power to the hot air heating element such that the upper temperature approaches the upper temperature sensor setting; and when the lower temperature differs from the lower temperature sensor setting, adjust power to the heating plate such that the lower temperature approaches the lower temperature sensor setting.

Claims (23)

1. A cooking apparatus comprising:

a base comprising a heating plate and an inner pot located over the heating plate such that the inner pot is heated by heat emitted by the heating plate;

a lid closable over the inner pot to form a cooking chamber, wherein the lid comprises a hot air system configured to direct hot air into the cooking chamber, wherein the hot air system comprises a hot air heating element;

an upper temperature sensor located in the lid;

a lower temperature sensor located in the base;

a processor, communicatively coupled to the upper and lower temperature sensors; and

memory, communicatively coupled to the processor, storing computer program code that is executable by the processor and that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to operate in one of multiple cooking modes, wherein for each of the cooking modes the computer program code causes the processor to perform a method comprising:

measuring an upper and a lower temperature using the upper and the lower temperature sensor, respectively;

comparing the upper and the lower temperature to an upper and a lower temperature sensor setting, respectively;

when the upper temperature differs from the upper temperature sensor setting, adjusting power to the hot air heating element such that the upper temperature approaches the upper temperature sensor setting; and

when the lower temperature differs from the lower temperature sensor setting, adjusting power to the heating plate such that the lower temperature approaches the lower temperature sensor setting.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the hot air system comprises a hot air system motor, and for at least one of the cooking modes the method further comprises activating at least one of the motors.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a flip indicator, wherein at least one of the cooking modes is associated with a total cooking time, and wherein the method further comprises, for each of at least some of the cooking modes associated with the total cooking time:

monitoring elapsed cooking time during the cooking mode;

comparing the elapsed cooking time to the total cooking time; and

when the elapsed cooking time is at least a threshold percentage of the total cooking time, activating the flip indicator.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising a lid open sensor configured to detect whether the lid is opened or closed, and wherein the method further comprises, for each of at least some of the cooking modes associated with the total cooking time, deactivating the flip indicator in response to the lid being opened.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a user interface communicatively coupled to the processor and wherein the method further comprises receiving, via the user interface, a numerically specified temperature for at least one of the upper and lower temperature sensor settings.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the method further comprises receiving a signal via the user interface to pause cooking during one of the cooking modes, and wherein the numerically specified temperature is received while cooking is paused.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the method further comprises receiving a signal via the user interface to pause cooking during one of the cooking modes, and wherein the numerically specified temperature is received while cooking is paused.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a user interface communicatively coupled to the processor and wherein the method further comprises, when the apparatus is operating in one of the cooking modes:

receiving, via the user interface, within an extension window extending from an end of the cooking mode, an extension input indicating that the cooking mode is to be extended; and

in response to the extension input, extending the cooking mode by an extension duration without ending the cooking mode.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 8, 2022
From: HUANG, ZHENXIONG; YANG, YUN
To: GUANGDONG SHUNDE OUNING TECHNOLOGY ELECTRICAL APPLIANCE CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 061900/0172 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 8, 2022
From: GUANGDONG SHUNDE OUNING TECHNOLOGY ELECTRICAL APPLIANCE CO., LTD.
To: D & J IMPORT-EXPORT LTD.
Reel/Frame 061900/0216 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 8, 2022
From: ZHANG, JUN; DENG, FENG
To: D & J IMPORT-EXPORT LTD.
Reel/Frame 061900/0221 →
Priority Claims (3)
CN 201721115465.7 · Sep 1, 2017 · national
CA 2992697 · Jan 19, 2018 · national
CA 3000125 · Mar 29, 2018 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation 16119860 · Aug 31, 2018
Related Publication 20220354303A1 · Nov 10, 2022