Circulator cooker with alarm system

Abstract

A sous-vide circulator cooker that sounds an audible alarm when the system raises the temperature of the water to a determined temperature. The sous-vide circulator cooker includes temperature sensors, heaters and a pump to circulator temperature controlled fluids. The system also contains a speaker or buzzer that can play alarms or music when the system comes to a predetermined temperature. In at least one embodiment, the sous-vide circulator can also distinguish between self-heating and user-induced temperature changes, and will sound alarms accordingly.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application 125 126 which is in turn connected to the motor housed within the motor housing 120 (see FIG. 1). The lower portion can include one or more temperature detection sensors or thermometers or both.

In at least one embodiment, a sous-vide circulator cooker 10 includes a stainless steel skirt that can be removed without tools for cleaning. In another embodiment, the sous-vide circulator cooker stainless steel skirt, once removed, will expose the water pump's impellers for cleaning

In at least one embodiment, a sous-vide circulator cooker 10 can receive recipe specifications from external devices like phones, tablets and PCs. The specifications can then direct the cook time, water pump speed and cook temperature of the device 10.

In at least one embodiment, a sous-vide circulator cooker 10 stores a plurality of recipe specifications and user generated data files. Users of the device 10 can recall recipe specifications from an internal recipe book. In at least one embodiment, the sous-vide circulator cooker 10 categorizes stored recipe specifications and user generated data files which can be searched based on specification.

In at least one embodiment, a sous-vide circulator cooker 10 interface dynamically changes color depending on temperature of the water circulated by the impeller or other agitation device.

In at least one embodiment, a sous-vide circulator cooker 10 includes a housing that defines the shape or form of the device. The housing also encloses and supports internally various electrical components (including motors, fans, and electronics). The housing and shape can also be various shapes rather than cylindrical in appearance.

In one or more embodiments, there is disclosed herein a fluidic temperature control device for sous-vide cooking which includes an upper portion including a controller, a display device and an input device coupled to the controller; a middle portion connected to the upper portion, the middle portion housing a motor coupled to the controller; a steam-removal fan coupled to the motor; a lower portion connected to the middle portion, the lower portion housing a fluid agitation device coupled to the motor, a heating element coupled to the controller, and the lower portion configured for at least partial immersion in a fluid.

In some embodiments, the upper portion of the fluidic temperature control is configured to protect the controller, display device and input device from steam during use. In some embodiments, the agitation device is an impeller, or a rotatable blade.

In some embodiments, the lower portion the fluidic temperature control device wherein is composed of at least stainless steel. Additionally, the lower portion can contain slits running along at least a portion of a length of the lower portion. In some embodiments, the lower portion is removable from the middle portion and removal of the middle portion exposes the agitation device. In some embodiments, the upper portion of the fluidic temperature control device is rotatable with respect to the middle portion.

In some embodiments, the heating element 125 is proximate the agitation device. Additionally, the heating element can be housed substantially within the agitation device. In some embodiments, the controller is configurable to control the temperature of the heating element. In some embodiments, the controller is configurable to control the speed of the agitation device. In some embodiments, the controller is configurable to receive data inputs inputted via the input device, the inputs comprising control commands to control the temperature of the heating element. In one or more embodiments, there is disclosed herein a sous-vide circulator cooker which includes a rotatable head controller; a stainless steel skirt connected to the rotatable head controller; a wireless radio device within the rotatable head controller; and recipe specifications stored in non-volatile memory within the rotatable head controller. In some embodiments the rotating head controller can turn left or right.

In some embodiments the stainless steel skirt can be removed without tools. Additionally, in some embodiments, removal of the stainless steel skirt exposes pump impellers. In some embodiments the rotatable head controller includes a Wi-Fi/Blue tooth radio device. Additionally, in some embodiments, the rotatable head controller is configurable to also store user-input specifications. Moreover, in some embodiments the head controller includes display elements that change color based on water temperature. In some embodiments the head controller is configurable to search stored recipes based on the stored user-input specifications.

At least one embodiment within this disclosure is a fluidic temperature control device for sous-vide cooking. The control device can include an upper portion including a controller, a display device, an input device and speaker/buzzer coupled to the controller. The control device can also include a middle portion connected to the upper portion. The middle portion can in some embodiments, house a motor coupled to the controller. The control device can also include a lower portion which is connected to the middle portion, the lower portion housing a fluid agitation device coupled to the motor, a heating element coupled to the controller. The lower portion can be configured for at least partial immersion in a fluid.

In at least one embodiment, the upper portion can contain a speaker or a visual alarm or both that is connected to the controller. The controller can configured to send a signal to the speaker to sound an alarm, or send a signal to the visual alarm, when a detected temperature of the device rises to a first predetermined temperature.

In at least one embodiment, the controller can be configured to send a signal to the speaker (or other suitable apparatus) to sound an alarm when a detected temperature of the device cools to a second predetermined temperature. In at least one embodiment, the cooling to the second predetermined temperature can be caused naturally by convective cooling.

In at least one embodiment, the controller can be configured to recognize a user-induced heating and a user-induced cooling, and can be further configured to override the above discussed alert signals until the detected temperature begins to normalize. In at least one embodiment, the normalization of the detected temperature can be determined by estimating temperature trends of a fluid within the lower portion.

In at least one embodiment, the upper portion can contain a radio transmitter that is connected to the controller. The controller can be configured to send a signal to the radio transmitter to send an alert signal to an electronic device in signal communication with the radio transmitter when a detected temperature of the fluidic temperature control device rises to a first predetermined temperature, such as a suitable cooking temperature.

In at least one embodiment, the controller can be configured to send a signal to the radio transmitter to send an alert signal to the electronic device in signal communication with the radio transmitter when a detected temperature of the fluidic temperature control device cools to a second predetermined temperature. As above, the cooling to the second predetermined temperature can be caused naturally by convective cooling.

In at least one embodiment, the controller can be configured to recognize a user-induced heating and a user-induced cooling, and can be configured to override the previously discussed alert signals until the detected temperature begins to normalize. Again, the normalization can be determined by estimating temperature trends of a fluid within the lower portion.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a fluidic temperature control device 10 for sous-vide cooking comprising: an upper portion 130 including a controller 400, and a display device 132 and an input device 133 which are coupled to the controller 400; a middle portion 120 connected to the upper portion 130, the middle portion 120 housing a motor 150 coupled to the controller 400; and a lower portion 112 connected to the middle portion 120. As shown, the lower portion 112 can house a fluid agitation device 104 coupled to the motor 150, and a heating element 125 coupled to the controller 400. The lower portion 400 can be configured for at least partial immersion in a fluid. Also as shown in FIG. 4, the upper portion 130 can contain a speaker 402 that is connected to the controller 400. The controller 400 can be configured to send a signal to the speaker to sound an alarm when a detected temperature of the device 10 rises to a first predetermined temperature.

The various embodiments described above are provided by way of illustration only and should not be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure. Modifications and changes that may be made using the principles described herein without departing from the scope of the disclosure or the following claims.

Claims

1. A fluidic temperature control device for sous-vide cooking comprising:

an upper portion and a middle portion including a controller, a display device, an input device coupled to the controller and a motor coupled to the controller;

a lower portion releasably connected to the upper and the middle portions, the lower portion housing a fluid agitation device coupled to the motor and passing through a heating element, the heating element coupled to the controller, and the lower portion configured with a plurality of vertical perforations and a plurality of horizontal perforations and for at least partial immersion in a fluid.

2. The fluidic temperature control device of claim 1, wherein the upper portion contains a speaker that is connected to the controller, wherein the controller is configured to send a signal to the speaker to sound an alarm when a detected temperature of the device rises to a first predetermined temperature.

3. The fluidic temperature control device of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to send a signal to the speaker to sound an alarm when a detected temperature of the device cools to a second predetermined temperature.

4. The fluidic temperature control device of claim 3, wherein the cooling to the second predetermined temperature is caused by convective cooling.

5. The fluidic temperature control device of claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to recognize a user-induced heating and a user-induced cooling by data received from a temperature sensor at least partially submerged in the fluid, and is further configured to override the signals until the detected temperature begins to normalize.

6. The fluidic temperature control device of claim 1, wherein the upper portion contains a radio transmitter that is connected to the controller, wherein the controller is configured to send a signal to the radio transmitter to send an alert signal to an electronic device in signal communication with the radio transmitter when a detected temperature of the fluidic temperature control device rises to a first predetermined temperature.

7. The fluidic temperature control device of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to send a signal to the radio transmitter to send an alert signal to the electronic device in signal communication with the radio transmitter when a detected temperature of the fluidic temperature control device cools to a second predetermined temperature.

8. The fluidic temperature control device of claim 7, wherein the cooling to the second predetermined temperature is caused convective cooling.

9. The fluidic temperature control device of claim 7, wherein the controller is further configured to recognize a user-induced heating and a user-induced cooling by data received from a temperature sensor at least partially submerged in the fluid, and is further configured to override the signals until the detected temperature begins to normalize.

10. The fluidic temperature control device of claim 1, wherein the upper portion contains a buzzer that is connected to the controller, wherein the controller is configured to send a signal to the buzzer to sound an alarm when a detected temperature of the device rises to a first predetermined temperature.

11. The fluidic temperature control device of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to send a signal to the buzzer to sound an alarm when a detected temperature of the device cools to a second predetermined temperature.

12. The fluidic temperature control device of claim 11, wherein the cooling to the second predetermined temperature is caused naturally by convective cooling.

13. The fluidic temperature control device of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to recognize a user-induced heating and a user-induced cooling by data received from a temperature sensor at least partially submerged in the fluid, and is further configured to override the signals until the detected temperature begins to normalize.