Abstract:
A pancake making device with a pair of opposed platens that include cooperating wells for making pancakes is provided. The wells of the lower platen receive a quantity of pancake batter. The platens are then closed and rolled over so that the batter spreads across the well of the engaged well. Rolling over the platens engages a control system that heats the platens such that the batter rises to fill both of the engaged wells, and thereby cooks and forms a cooked pancake. When the cooking is complete, the control system sounds a beeper that signals the user to roll the platens over to the starting position, so that the platens can be opened and the pancake removed.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a pancake making device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a cooking assembly, with a clam shell arrangement of cooking surfaces, which is rotated on a stand between a first position associated with not cooking and a second position associated with cooking, as well as a method thereof that uses the pancake baker to cook both side of a pancake simultaneously. 
         [0002]    Electric griddles and similar cookware for cooking pancakes, waffles, and the like are well known. These devices are generally constructed with either one or two heating plates that are typically secured to a housing and typically heated by electrical resistance heaters. 
         [0003]    Prior art griddles that have a single cooking plate require that each side of the food be cooked separately, with the food being flipped over after cooking the first side of the food, so that the second side can be cooked. Since the two sides of the food are not cooked simultaneously, they may cook different lengths of time, and therefore unevenly, and the food may fall apart during the flipping between the first and second food sides. 
         [0004]    Prior art griddles that have two cooking plates are typically hinged between the plates so that the griddle can be turned from a first position where a first of the plates located below a second of the plates to a second position where the first plate is located above the second plate. Such prior art griddles are used by cooking the first side of the food on the first plate and then flipping the food onto its second side onto the second plate, so that the food second side can be cooked. While this hinged configuration may reduce problems of the food breaking during the flipping step, since the two griddles are closed together, these devices still have the problem of each side of the food being cooked separately, which leads to uneven cooking on the two sides of the food. 
         [0005]    In commercial and institutional settings, such as hotels and college and hospital cafeterias, it is popular to allow the consumer to cook his or her own waffles. Pancakes are generally preferred over waffles by adults. However, pancakes are not amenable to these settings because the prior art griddle devices are too complex and time consuming for the consumer and take up too much counter space in the small area provided for such activities in these settings. 
         [0006]    Therefore, there is a need for a quick and simple to use pancake making device for use in commercial and institutional settings. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The present invention provides improvements in a batter based food product, or pancake, cooking device which includes a pair of opposed cooking plates which are selectively heated and which are mounted on a support frame. Each of the cooking plates has one or more recessed cooking wells, and the wells of each plate are aligned with corresponding wells of the other plate to form cooking chambers when the plates are brought together. The cooking plates are pivotally supported on the support frame in such a manner that the cooking plates form a cooking assembly which can be flipped 180 degrees about a horizontal axis. The cooking chamber has a selected depth such that a selected volume of a batter received in the chamber is simultaneously cooked on both sides after the cooking assembly is flipped 180 degrees to form the cooked food product. 
         [0008]    More particularly, the present invention is directed to a pancake baking or cooking device including opposed upper and lower platens. Each of the platens includes a body with inner and outer surfaces and pancake cooking wells recessed into the inner surface. A hinge connects the upper and lower platens such that the platen inner surfaces are directed toward one another and so that the upper platen is pivotally movable between a closed configuration engaging the lower platen and an open configuration. In the closed configuration corresponding pancake wells in the platens align to form pancake cooking chambers. 
         [0009]    The platens are engaged with respective hot plate type structures having electrical resistance heating elements therein which, when activated heat the platens to cook pancake batter positioned within the cooking chambers. The platens, hot plate structures, and hinge form a cooking assembly which is mounted on the pancake cooking device to enable the assembly to be rolled or flipped 180 degrees about a horizontal axis between a non-cooking position and a cooking position. 
         [0010]    The pancake cooking device includes control circuitry including a processor or controller which controls electrical activation of the heating elements in such a manner as to maintain a desired heating temperature. Heat sensors engage the platens and are interfaced to the processor to enable the processor to maintain the temperature. The processor may include audible and/or visual indicators to indicate operating states of the cooking device. A flip switch is engaged with the cooking assembly to detect the flipping of the assembly. The processor includes a timer circuit or a timer process to time cooking of pancakes by the device. 
         [0011]    A measured quantity of pancake batter is poured into the pancake wells of the lower platen with the cooking assembly in the non-cooking position, and the upper platen is closed, thereby aligning the pancake wells of the upper platen with corresponding wells in the lower platen. The cooking assembly is flipped to the cooking position, thereby causing the flip switch to initiate the timer and causing the processor to activate the heating elements to heat to a cooking temperature. When the timer times out, an indicator, such as a beeper, alerts the user to flip the cooking assembly to the non-cooking position and remove the cooked pancakes from the pancake wells. End surfaces of the pancake wells can be patterned to form surface patterns on the cooked pancakes. 
         [0012]    Other advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth, by way of illustration and example, certain embodiments of this invention. 
         [0013]    The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a pancake baking device of the present invention with upper and lower pancake making platens disposed in a closed position. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the pancake baking device with the upper and lower platens disposed in an open position. 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the pancake baking device with the upper and lower platens disposed in closed and 180° rotated position about an axis A. 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged perspective view of an exemplary cooked food product made using the pancake baking device of the present invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is an enlarged top plan view of a platen of the pancake baking device. 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a cooking well of a platen of the baking device. 
           [0020]      FIG. 7  is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of a lower platen of the pancake baking device taken along line  7 - 7  of  FIG. 1 , and also showing pancake batter being poured into a well of the lower platen. 
           [0021]      FIG. 8  is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the upper and lower platens of the pancake baking device of  FIG. 3 , taken along line  8 - 8  of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0022]      FIG. 9  is a view similar to  FIG. 8  illustrating cooked pancake batter filling the pancake making chamber formed by the closed platens. 
           [0023]      FIG. 10  is a block diagram illustrating exemplary control system for the pancake baking device of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0024]    As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. 
         [0025]    Referring to the drawings in more detail, the reference numeral  10  generally designates a pancake making apparatus or device, griddle, or “iron”, according to the present invention, which is referred to herein as a pancake maker  10 . The pancake maker  10  is somewhat similar to the waffle maker disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,937,742 and to the device disclosed in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/022,375, entitled WAFFLE PANINI PRESS AND METHOD and filed on Jul. 9, 2014, both of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. 
         [0026]    Referring now to  FIGS. 1-3 , the pancake maker  10  includes a support framework or base, generally  15 , and a pair of upper and lower platens or cooking plates  20  and  25  respectively. The pancake maker  10  is configured and arranged for a user to make a cooked pancake type food product  30  ( FIGS. 4 and 9 ) from un-cooked batter  35  ( FIGS. 7-8 ). The pancake maker  10  includes a control system, generally  40  (see  FIG. 10 ), that automates aspects of cooking of the pancake  30  so as to be simply and easily operated by a user with no special training. 
         [0027]    The base  15  includes a stand  45  and a housing  50  that are intersected by a horizontal axis A ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ), which is substantially parallel with a surface  55  that supports the base  15 . The housing  50  contains at least some components of a control system  40 , which is described in greater detail below. 
         [0028]    The stand  45  supports a pair of hot plate structures or hot plates  60  that are pivotally joined by a hinge  65  in an opposed or clam-shell configuration so that the hot plate structures  60  can be moved between a closed configuration or position ( FIGS. 1 and 3 ) and an open or opened configuration ( FIG. 2 ). A pivoting structure (not shown) joins the hinge  65  with the housing  50  such that the hinge  65  and the hot plates  60  can be reversibly rolled, flipped, turned over, or pivoted about the axis A, between a non-cooking position or configuration ( FIG. 1 ) and a cooking position ( FIG. 3 ). The hot plate structures  60  form a cooking assembly  67  along with the hinge  65  which is flipped about the axis A for cooking. As discussed in greater detail below, moving the hot plates  60  between the non-cooking and cooking positions is essential for evenly cooking the pancake  30 . 
         [0029]    As noted above, the pancake maker  10  includes an upper platen  20  and a lower platen  25 . The platens  20 ,  25  are removably attached to respective hot plate structures  60  so as to be opposed to one another, such as is shown in  FIG. 1-3 . Since the hot plate structures  60  are hingedly connected to each other, the attached platens  20 ,  25  are also movable between the closed and opened configurations and between the non-cooking and cooking configurations described above and shown in  FIGS. 1-3 . 
         [0030]    Each hot plate  60  includes a heating element which is denoted by box  70  in  FIG. 10 . When actuated by a heating element driver  72  (see  FIG. 10 ), the heating elements  70  heat the respective platen  20 ,  25  to a selected cooking temperature for a selected period of cooking time. The cooking temperature and the cooking time are selected so as to cooperate with a selected quantity of batter  35 , so as to produce a fluffy and tender pancake  30 . The platens  20 ,  25  are fabricated of a metal of other heatable material, such as is known in the art, so as to be quickly and efficiently heated by the respective hot plates  60 . Suitable cooking temperatures may range from about 350° F. (175° C.) to about 450° F. (235° C.). The length of cooking time that the platens  20 ,  25  are heated depends upon the cooking temperature used to cook the pancake  30  and the volume of batter  35  being cooked. For example, depending upon the selected cooking temperature, suitable cooking times may range from about 90 seconds to about 3 minutes. It is foreseen that longer or shorter cooking times may be used, depending upon the temperature of the platens  20 ,  25 . In an exemplary embodiment, the platens  20 ,  25  are heated to 390° F. (200° C.) for 2.5 minutes, so as to cook 6 ounces ( 170   g ) of a pancake batter  35 . 
         [0031]    Referring now to  FIGS. 5-6 , each of the platens  20 ,  25  includes a body  75  with an inner surface  80  and an outer surface  85 . A side surface  90  joins the inner and outer surfaces  80 ,  85 . The body is fabricated of a heatable and coolable material, such as a heat conductive metal or other such materials known in the art. At least some of the surfaces  80 ,  85  and  90  may be coated with a non-stick coating, such as is known in the art, to prevent batter  35  and a cooked pancake  30  from sticking thereto. 
         [0032]    The platens  20 ,  25  are fastened to the hot plate structures  60  such that the outer surfaces  85  engage a respective hot plate  60  and the platen inner surfaces  80  face one another (see  FIGS. 1-3 ). When in the closed position (see  FIGS. 1 and 3 ), the platen inner surfaces  80  cooperatively contact and engage one another. 
         [0033]    Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 5-9 , each platen  20 ,  25  includes at least one recessed pancake well or form  95  that is sized and shaped to receive a quantity of pancake batter  35  so as to make a pancake-shaped cooked pancake food product  30 , which is generally circular or ovular when viewed from above (see  FIG. 4 ). In some embodiments, the volume of batter  35  may be about is 6 ounces. In other embodiments, the wells  95  may be sized to receive more or less than 6 ounces of batter  35 . The wells  95  may be coated with a non-stick material, such as is known in the art, to facilitate removal of the pancake  30  after cooking. In the illustrated embodiment, each of the platens  20 ,  25  includes three pancake recession wells  95 , with two of the wells  95  being somewhat circular and a third well  95  being more ovate than the others. The wells  95  are inset into the inner surface  80  of the respective platen  20 ,  25 . Further, the wells  95  are sized and spaced apart, or located, such that when the platens  20 ,  25  are in the closed configuration ( FIGS. 1 and 3 and 8-9 ) the platen inner surfaces  80  are cooperatively engaged and the opposed pancake wells  95  of the upper and lower platens  20 ,  25  align as to form pancake cooking chambers  100  ( FIGS. 8-9 ). 
         [0034]    It is noted that when the platens  20 ,  25  are in the open configuration shown in  FIG. 2 , the inner surfaces  80  are spaced apart a distance sufficient for a user to pour a quantity of batter  35  into the well  95  of the lower platen  25  (see  FIGS. 2 and 7 ). After the user has poured batter  35  into at least one of the wells  95 , the user closes the platens  20 ,  25  so as to form the pancake cooking chambers  100  ( FIGS. 8-9 ). 
         [0035]    Still referring to  FIGS. 2 and 5-9 , each of the wells  95  includes a bottom portion or pancake-making end surface  105  joined to the respective platen inner surface  80  by a curvate pancake making side surface  110 . The side surface  110  may be irregularly shaped so as to mimic a pancake cooked on a griddle. The side surface may also be slanted and fluted, and may include additional irregularities. 
         [0036]    The side surfaces  110  include a height. When the cooking chamber  100  is formed, the side surfaces  110  of the engaged wells  95  provide a distance D (see  FIGS. 8-9 ) between the surfaces  105  of the aligned wells  95 . The distance D separates the opposed pancake-making surface  105 , such that the batter may rise during cooking pancakes so that the product  30  (see  FIGS. 8-9 ) becomes fluffy and tender, such as is typical of pancakes known in the art, but not of waffles which are generally crispy. In an exemplary embodiment, the pancake-making surfaces  105  may be spaced apart a distance D of about 0.625-inches (16 mm). It is foreseen that the distance D may be slightly more or less than 0.625-inches, so long as the resulting pancake  30  is suitably cooked. 
         [0037]    In some embodiments, the pancake-making surface  105  may be flat and smooth, so that the cooked pancake  30  has smooth upper and lower surfaces. In other embodiments, at least one of the pancake-making surfaces  105  may include a shallow pattern  115  that is sized and shaped to provide a design on a surface of the cooked pancake food product  30 . Such a pattern  115  can include raised or embossed portions  120  and recessed or relieved portions  125  ( FIGS. 6-9 ). In an exemplary embodiment, the pattern  115  may be a grid pattern  130  ( FIGS. 5-6 ) that produces shallow recesses  135  on the surface  140  of the pancake  30  ( FIG. 4 ) that prevents syrup from running off of the pancake  30 . It is foreseen that the pattern  115  can include other shapes or designs. For example, the pattern  115  may include a decorative shape, such as a flower or smiley face, or a logo of a hotel or restaurant. It is also foreseen that the pancake wells  95  can be alternatively decoratively shaped, so as to produce a decorative pancake  30  in the shape of a flower, an animal, a smiley face and the like. The platens  20 ,  25  may be unfastened and removed from the hot plate structures  60 , as needed. Therefore, it is foreseen that sets of platens  20 ,  25  with various designs, such as seasonal or holiday designs, may be interchangeable. 
         [0038]    Referring again to  FIGS. 1-3 , the hinge  65  can be opened and closed, depending upon the cooking position of the platens  20 ,  25 . In particular, as shown in  FIGS. 1-2 , the hinge is reversibly openable when the pancake maker  10  is in a non-cooking position. However, when the closed platens  20 ,  25  are flipped about the axis A, the hinge  65  prevents the pancake maker  10  from being opened. With reference to  FIG. 2 , the hinge  65  includes movable and fixed components  145 ,  150  respectively that are pivotally joined by an axle or binge pin  155 . The hinge components  145 ,  150  each include a metal flashing or cover  160  that prevents batter  35  from getting into the hinge  65  and clogging it up. 
         [0039]    The hot plates  60  each include a stand engagement member  165  opposed to the hinge  65 . The stand engagement members  165  have curved outer surfaces which pivotally engage a curved front end bearing  170  of the stand  45 . The stand engagement members  165  and bearing  170  form one end of a pivot structure to enable the cooking assembly  67  to be flipped about the axis A. An opposite end (not shown) of the pivot structure is mounted within the housing  50 . The stand engagement member  165  of the upper hot plate  60  includes a handle  175  extending therefrom. The user uses the handle  175  to open and close the platens  20 ,  25  and to flip the platens about the axis A. 
         [0040]    Referring to  FIG. 10 , the pancake batter  35  in the device  10  is cooked by heat from the resistance heating elements  70  positioned within the hot plate structures  60  of the cooking assembly  67  to thereby heat the cooking platens  20  and  25 . The heating elements  70  may be powered by alternating current (AC), such as from an AC source or outlet  200  by way of an on/off or power switch  202  and the heating element driver  72  of the control circuitry  40 . The heating elements  70  may be connected in parallel for simultaneous operation by power conductors (not shown) which are positioned within a protective, flexible conductor sheath  203  ( FIG. 1 ). In the illustrated circuitry  40 , the driver  72  may be a solid state power controller such as a properly rated power transistor, a thyrister, or a triode for AC (TRIAC), by an electromagnetic relay, or by a similar power control component which is activated by a controller or processor  204  of the circuitry  40 . A low voltage power supply  206  provides the required voltage or voltages to the processor  204  and receives power from the AC outlet  200 . 
         [0041]    The processor  204  is programmed to control operation of the baking device  10 . The illustrated processor  204  controls the temperature of the heating elements  70  by the use of temperature sensors  208  which are in thermal communication with the heating elements  70 . The processor  204  also controls the cooking time by the operation of a timer  210  which may, although shown as a separate component in  FIG. 10 , may be a programmed process within the processor  204 . The circuitry  40  may also incorporate a sonic alert, such as a beeper  212 , and/or a visual alert or indicator  214 , such as a light bulb, a light emitting diode (LED), or an alphanumeric display (not shown). A flip switch  216  is interfaced to the processor  204  is positioned within the housing  50  and engages the cooking assembly  67  in such a manner as to detect whether the assembly  67  is in the non-cooking position or has been flipped about the axis A to the cooking position. 
         [0042]    In an embodiment of the pancake baking device  10 , when the circuitry  40  is connected to the AC source  200  and the power switch  202  is operated, the processor  204  causes the heating elements  70  to heat up the cooking platens  20  and  25  to a desired preheat temperature. When the desired preheat temperature is reached, the indicator  214  may be illuminated and the beeper  212  sounded to indicate readiness for cooking. When pancake batter  35  is placed in the wells  95 , the upper platen  20  closed over the lower platen  25 , and the cooking assembly  67  flipped to the cooking position, the flip switch  216  causes the timer  210  to initiate and for the processor  204  to heat the platens  20  and  25  to a cooking temperature higher than the preheat temperature for a length of time to properly cook the batter  35 . The indicator  214  may, for example, blink to indicate that the cooking cycle is occurring. When the timer  210  times out, the beeper  212  sounds and the processor  204  controls the heating elements  70  to cause the temperature of the platens  20  and  25  to coast back to the preheat temperature. At this time, the user flips the cooking assembly  67  back to the non-cooking position, raises the upper platen  20 , and removes the cooked pancakes  30  from the device  10 . Alternatively, other configurations of circuitry  40  and methods of operation thereof for the device  10  are foreseen. 
         [0043]    A method of making a cooked pancake food product  30  with a pancake making device  10  having a pair of platens  20 ,  25  with cooperatively engageable recessed pancake forms  95 , wherein a first of the forms  95  includes a first bottom surface  105  and a second of the forms  95  includes a second bottom surface  105 , the method comprising pouring a quantity of batter  35  into the first form  95  such that the batter  35  spreads across the first bottom surface  105  ( FIG. 7 ); placing the platens  20 ,  25  in a closed position ( FIG. 1 ) such that the first and second forms  95  are cooperatively engaged and aligned to form pancake cooking chambers  100  with the first and second bottom surfaces  105  spaced apart from each other; flipping the closed platens in a first direction denoted by the arrow X ( FIG. 8 ) about the axis A such that a portion of the batter spreads  35  across the second bottom surface  105  ( FIG. 8 ); and heating the platens  20 ,  25  such that the batter  35  on the first and second bottom surfaces  105  rises and fills the pancake cooking chamber  100  ( FIG. 9 ), whereby the cooked pancake food product  30  is produced. 
         [0044]    In a further embodiment, the step of flipping the closed platens  20 ,  25  in the first direction X includes actuating a control assembly  40  ( FIG. 10 ). 
         [0045]    In a further embodiment, the method includes actuating a timer  210 , and actuating a heating element  72  engaged with each of the platens  20 ,  25  whereby the platens are 20, 25 heated to a cooking temperature, such as described above. 
         [0046]    In a further embodiment, the step of placing the platens  20 ,  25  in a closed position ( FIG. 1, 3, 8-9 ) includes spacing apart the first and second bottom surfaces  105  a distance D of about 0.625 inches. 
         [0047]    In a further embodiment, the step of pouring a quantity of batter  35  into the first form  95  includes pouring about 6 ounces of batter  35  into the first form  95 . 
         [0048]    In a further embodiment, the method includes the steps of rolling the closed platens  20 ,  25  in a direction reverse to the direction X; and placing the platens  20 ,  25  in an open position ( FIG. 2 ) so as to disengage the first and second forms  95  from the cooked pancake  30 . 
         [0049]    In a further embodiment, the step of pouring a quantity of batter  35  into the first form  95  includes pouring another quantity of batter  35  into another form  95  of the first platen  20 . 
         [0050]    It is to be understood that while certain forms of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, it is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangement of parts described and shown.