Abstract:
The present invention provides a cooking equipment comprising a pot, a body bracket, a rotation mechanism and a turning-over mechanism in which the pot is in shape of a barrel, a hemisphere or the like with an opening at its end, the rotation mechanism is connected to the pot to drive the pot to rotate around a rotation axis of the pot, the turning-over mechanism is connected to the pot to drive the pot to turn around a turning-over axis together with the body bracket, and when the cooking equipment is in its operating state, the angle between the rotation axis of the pot and horizontal plane is in the range of 0° to 90°.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to kitchen utensils in the cooking filed, and more specifically to a cooking equipment. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
       [0002]    At present, Chinese dishes are still prepared manually by chef, which is not only detrimental to the health of the cooker, but also can not warrant the quality of Chinese dishes themselves. 
         [0003]    Chinese patent application 02117497.0 disclosed an automatic pot used for frying dish and stewing soup. Computer controlling was employed in this application to make complex manual operations become automated operations. It possessed a series of functions such as feeding material, stir-frying, boiling, frying, adding seasoning ingredients, taking out finished dishes, pouring soup, washing pot, etc. Although this kind of automatic pot could rotate, it could rotate only along one direction, and the rotation could not be used to stir material. In addition, the direction of rotation would make the soup in the pot spill out easily if the pot was not covered tightly. 
       SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
       [0004]    The object of the present invention is to provide a cooking equipment which can perform automatic or semi-automatic cooking process without the above-mentioned disadvantages. The cooking equipment of the present invention will not only save manpower and reduce manual operations of chef but also make materials inside a pot fully mixed. 
         [0005]    To achieve the above-mentioned object the present invention employs a technical solution as following: 
         [0006]    A cooking equipment comprises a pot, a body bracket, a rotation mechanism, and a turning-over mechanism in which the pot is in shape of a barrel, a hemisphere or the like with an opening at its end, the rotation mechanism is connected to the pot to drive the pot to rotate around a rotation axis of the pot, the turning-over mechanism is connected to the pot to drive the pot to turn around a turning-over axis together with the body bracket, and when the cooking equipment is in its operating state, the angle between the rotation axis of the pot and horizontal plane is in the range of 0° to 60°. 
         [0007]    Preferably the pot is in shape of a barrel in order to make the pot have enough heating area during a heating process. 
         [0008]    In addition the above described rotation axis of the pot means a line through the centers of the cross sections of the pot. The cross sections of the pot are generally in shape of a circle or a polygon. When the cross section of the pot is in shape of circle, the center of the cross section is the center of a circle, and when the cross section is in shape of a regular polygon, the center of the cross section is the center of its circum circle or its inscribed circle of the regular polygon. 
         [0009]    The above described turning-over axis is an axis which has an angle with the rotation axis, and the angle is generally 90 degree. 
         [0010]    The pot in the present invention further comprises a stirring mechanism installed inside the pot used for mixing. The stirring mechanism comprises a plurality of protrusions, baffles or ridges to make material inside the pot mixed when the pot is rotating. 
         [0011]    When the stirring mechanism comprises a plurality of baffles the preferable number of the baffles is two. The baffles are perpendicular to the tangents of the internal surface of the pot, and there are arc transitions between the baffles and the internal surface. The baffles are so conFigured that when the baffles rotate together with the pot they will bring material inside the pot to higher positions and then throw it to lower positions to stir the material evenly. 
         [0012]    The above described rotation mechanism comprises a driving mechanism and a connection mechanism connected to the pot. Preferably the driving mechanism is a motor. The connection mechanism can be a driving shaft, and can further comprise a connecting block. The connecting block is connected to the body of the pot. The pot is driven to rotate around its axis by the connecting block, which is driven to rotate by the motor through driving shaft. 
         [0013]    The above described turning-over mechanism comprises a driving mechanism and a transmission mechanism, and the driving mechanism can drive the pot to turn over through the transmission mechanism. For example, the driving mechanism can be a motor, and the transmission mechanism can be a pot bracket. The motor drives the pot to turn over through the pot bracket. 
         [0014]    The above described cooking equipment can further comprise a feeding mechanism. The feeding mechanism is positioned on the body bracket and above the pot. It comprises a transmission mechanism, a material-tank bracket and a material-tank. The transmission mechanism comprises a motor, transmission wheels and a transmission chain. The transmission chain is positioned at the transmission wheels. The transmission wheels are driven to rotate by the motor, and the transmission chain is driven to rotate by the transmission wheels. The material-tank is positioned in the material-tank bracket, and retaining notches are set on both sides of the material-tank bracket. The rocker arms of the material-tank is positioned in the retaining notches. A stop block is positioned on the back of the material-tank bracket, and this stop block is fixedly connected to the transmission chain. 
         [0015]    The above described cooking equipment can further comprise a taking-out mechanism which is positioned at the body bracket. The taking-out mechanism comprises a taking-out container for taken out material. When a dish is finished, the pot is driven by the turning-over mechanism to turn over and material inside the pot is dumped into the taking-out container. Additionally, the taking-out mechanism can further comprise a translation mechanism on which the taking-out container is positioned. The translation mechanism is positioned on a sliding rail of the body bracket. The taking-out container can be taken out of the body bracket through the translation mechanism. 
         [0016]    The above translation mechanism can be a joint moving mechanism connected to the pot bracket, or a translation mechanism driven by a motor. Preferably the translation mechanism is a joint moving mechanism. For example, a joint moving mechanism can comprise a base bracket, slide blocks, a connecting plate, a connecting pillar and a connecting rod. The number of slide blocks can be four, which are positioned on four legs under the base bracket respectively. The slide blocks are on the sliding rail of the body bracket. The connecting plate is vertically positioned at one leg of the base bracket. The connecting pillar is positioned at the upper end of the connecting plate. One end of the connecting rod is connected to the connecting pillar, and the other end is connected to the pot bracket. The taking-out container is positioned at the base bracket. When the pot and the pot bracket is driven to turn over by the turning-over mechanism, the base bracket is driven to move backward by the connecting rod, and thus material inside the pot in dumped into the taking-out container. 
         [0017]    The above described cooking equipment can further comprise a supplying mechanism which is positioned on the body bracket. The supplying mechanism can supply other material or resource needed by a cooking process or the cooking equipment. For example, the supplying mechanism can be an oil injecting mechanism. The oil injecting mechanism is positioned above the pot, and can inject edible oil from an oil tank to the pot by controlling a valve in a oil pipe. Additionally, the supplying mechanism can be a water injecting mechanism. The water injecting mechanism can supply water resource used for washing the pot, and can inject water from a water tank to the pot by controlling a valve in a water pipe. 
         [0018]    With the cooking equipment of the present invention all cooking steps, including feeding material, stirring material, and taking out material, can be realized automatically. Furthermore, the pot has two freedoms of motion, which can make the pot rotate and turn over to reach respectively the aims of stirring evenly and taking-out material automatically. Compared to prior art, the cooking equipment of the present invention can easily control a cooking duration and perform a cooking process automatically or semi-automatically. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0019]    The embodiment of present invention will be described in details in conjunction with the attached Figures. However, although the present invention is described through specific embodiments, it is appreciated that skilled one in the art could make many modifications and variations in view of teachings of the present invention. The embodiment herein are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 1  is an explosive schematic view of a cooking equipment in an embodiment according to the present invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 2  is a structure schematic view of a rotation mechanism and a pot bracket in an embodiment according to the present invention. 
           [0022]      FIG. 3  is a structure schematic view of an automatic feeding mechanism in an embodiment according to the present invention. 
           [0023]      FIG. 4  is a structure schematic view of a taking-out mechanism in an embodiment according to the present invention. 
           [0024]      FIG. 5  is a schematic view of a cooking equipment which is in feeding state according to the present invention. 
           [0025]      FIG. 6  is a schematic view of a cooking equipment which is in cooking state according to the present invention. 
           [0026]      FIG. 7  is a schematic view of a cooking equipment which is in a state of material being taken out according to the present invention. 
           [0027]      FIG. 8  is a structure schematic view of a cooking equipment in another embodiment according to the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
       [0028]    Please refer to  FIG. 1 , an explosive schematic view of a cooking equipment in an embodiment according to the present invention. The cooking equipment disclosed in  FIG. 1  comprises a pot  1 , a rotation mechanism  2 , a body bracket  3 , a turning-over mechanism  4 , a feeding mechanism  5 , a taking-out mechanism  6  and a supplying mechanism  7 . 
         [0029]    The pot  1  is in shape of a barrel, whose cross section is in shape of a circle. It has an opening at its end. A stirring mechanism is installed inside the pot  1 . The stirring mechanism is two baffles  11  inside the pot  1 . The baffles  11  are perpendicular to the tangent of the internal surface of the pot  1 , and there is arc transitions between the baffles  11  and the internal surface. The baffles  11  are so conFigured that when the baffles  11  rotate together with the pot  1  they will bring the material inside the pot  1  to higher positions and then throw the material to lower positions to stir the material evenly. 
         [0030]    Refer now to  FIG. 2 , in which a rotation mechanism  2  comprises a driving mechanism and a connection mechanism  22  connected to a pot  1 . The driving mechanism is motor  21 . The connection mechanism  22  consists of a driving shaft  221  and a connecting block  222 . The connecting block  222  is connected to the bottom of the pot  1 . The pot  1  is driven to rotate around its axis by the connecting block  222 , which is driven to rotate by the motor  21  through the driving shaft  221 . 
         [0031]    The turning-over mechanism  4  comprises a driving mechanism  41  and a pot bracket  42 . The driving mechanism  41  can be a motor, it can drive the pot  1  to turn over through pot bracket  42 . The pot bracket  42  is installed on the body bracket  3 . 
         [0032]    The rotation mechanism  2  is positioned beneath the pot bracket  42 . 
         [0033]    A sliding rail  12  is positioned on the upper surface of the pot  1 , and correspondingly, pulleys  421  are positioned at the pot bracket  42 . When the pot  1  is driven to rotate around its axis by the rotation mechanism  2 , the sliding rail  12  and the pulleys  421  will give a support for such a rotating. 
         [0034]    Refer now to  FIG. 3 , in which the feeding mechanism  5  is positioned at the body bracket  3  and above the pot  1 . It comprises a transmission mechanism  51 , a material-tank bracket  52  and a material-tank  53 . The transmission mechanism  51  comprises a motor  511 , transmission wheels  512  and a transmission chain  513 . The transmission chain  513  is positioned at the transmission wheels  512 . The motor  511  is positioned at the body bracket  3  through the location hole  32  on the upper of the body bracket  3 . The shaft of one of the transmission wheels  512  passes through the location hole  32 , the shaft of another of the transmission wheels  512  passes through another location hole  33  of the body bracket  3 . The transmission wheels  512  are driven to rotated by the motor  511 , and the transmission chain  513  is driven to rotate by the transmission wheels  512 . The material-tank  53  is positioned in the material-tank bracket  52 , and retaining notches  521  are positioned at both sides of the material-tank bracket  52 . The rocker arms  531  of the material-tank  53  are positioned in the retaining notches  521 . Stop blocks  522  are positioned on the back of the material-tank bracket  52 , and the stop blocks  522  are fixedly connected to the transmission chain  513 . 
         [0035]    A motor  523  is positioned on the side of the material-tank bracket  52  which also has retaining notches  521 . The motor  523  is positioned at the location hole  34  on the upper of the body bracket  3 , which comprises a handle rotating around its output shaft. 
         [0036]    Refer to  FIG. 4  in which the taking-out mechanism  6  comprises a taking-out container  61  and a translation mechanism  62 . The translation mechanism  62  comprises a base bracket  621 , four slide blocks  622 , a connecting plate  623 , a connecting pillar  624  and a connecting rod  625 . The four slide blocks  622  are positioned respectively on four legs under the base bracket  621 . The slide blocks  622  are positioned in the sliding rail  31  of the body bracket  3 . The connecting plate  623  is positioned vertically at one leg of the base bracket  621 . The connecting pillar  624  is positioned at the upper end of the connecting plate  623 . One end of the connecting rod  625  is connected to the connecting pillar  624 , and the other end is connected to the pin  422  of the pot bracket  42 . The taking-out container  61  is positioned at the base bracket  621 . When the pot  1  and the pot bracket  42  is driven to turn over by the turning-over mechanism  4 , the base bracket  621  is driven to move backward by the connecting rod  625  to make the material inside the pot  1  dumped into the taking-out container  61 . 
         [0037]    Refer to  FIG. 1 . The supplying mechanism  7  is positioned on the body bracket  3 . The supplying mechanism  7  comprises an oil injecting mechanism  71 , and a water injecting mechanism  72 . The oil injecting mechanism  71  is positioned above the pot  1 , and injects edible oil from an oil tank  711  to the pot  1  by controlling a valve in an oil pipe  711 . The water injecting mechanism  72  can supply water resource used for washing the pot  1 , and inject water from a water tank  721  to the pot  1  by controlling a valve in a water pipe  722 . 
         [0038]    Refer to  FIG. 5 . At the beginning, material is put into the pot  1  by the feeding mechanism  5 , and at this moment, the pot  1  is substantially vertical. The material-tank bracket  52  moves to the position above the pot  1  driven by the transmission mechanism  51 . The rotation of motor  523  drives handle  5231  to rotate, and the rotation of the handle  5231  drives the rocker arm  531  of material-tank  53  to rotate, and the rotation of the rocker arm  531  drives the material-tank  53  to rotate around the axis of the rocker arm  531 , and the material inside the material-tank  53  is dumped into the pot  1 . Then the pot  1  turns to the position shown as  FIG. 6  driven by the turning-over mechanism  4 . At this moment, the angle between the axis of the pot  1  and the horizontal plane is 5 degree, and the pot  1  is heated by a heating mechanism while the pot  1  rotates around its own axis driven by the rotation mechanism  2 . The material inside the pot  1  is stirred by the baffles  11 . After a kind of dish is finished, the pot  1  continues to turn over driven by the turning-over mechanism (shown as  FIG. 7 ). The base bracket  621  moves backward driven by connecting rod  625 , making the taking-out container  61  on the base bracket  621  move to the position ahead of the pot  1 , and then the material inside the pot  1  is dumped into the taking-out container  61 . Then the pot  1  turns back, and the taking-out mechanism moves forward down the sliding rail  31  of the body bracket  3 , and then the taking-out container  61  is taken out. Finally, when the pot  1  needs to be washed, water is pumped by water injecting mechanism  72  from water tank to wash the pot  1 . 
         [0039]    Refer to  FIG. 8 . Compared with the embodiment in  FIG. 1 , the cooking equipment in this embodiment further comprises a material transferring mechanism  8 , a heating mechanism  9  and a material accepting mechanism  10 , in which: 
         [0040]    The material transferring mechanism  8  is a cart-structure, and the cart-structure can be a belt or chain transferring structure. 
         [0041]    The material transferring mechanism  8  comprises a stop block  81 , which is used to prevent relative movement between the taking-out container  62  and the material transferring mechanism  8 . 
         [0042]    The material accepting mechanism  10  is positioned beneath the pot  1 . The material accepting mechanism  10  comprises a material accepting tank  101 , a guiding part  102  and a stop block  103 , in which the material accepting tank  101  is against the opening of the pot  1 . 
         [0043]    The pot  1  is surrounded by an insulation layer  13 . A heating mechanism  9  is positioned on the insulation layer  13 . During a cooking process the heating mechanism  9  can rotate together with the insulation layer  13 . 
         [0044]    During operation the taking-out container  62  is moved to the position beneath the pot  1  by the material transferring mechanism  8 . And after the material inside the pot  1  is taken out, the taking-out container  62  is transferred to a pre-determined position. 
         [0045]    In still another embodiment of the present invention its only difference from the above is that the angle between the axis of the pot  1  and the horizon is 15 degree. 
         [0046]    In yet another embodiment of the present invention its only difference from the above is that the angle between the axis of the pot  1  and the horizon is 35 degree. 
         [0047]    In yet another embodiment of the present invention its only difference from the above is that the angle between the axis of the pot  1  and the horizon is 60 degree. 
         [0048]    In yet another embodiment of the present invention its only difference from the above is that the angle between the axis of the pot  1  and the horizon is 85 degree.