APPARATUS FOR FRYING OR WARMING ARTICLES OF FOOD, PARTICULARLY FRENCH FRIES

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for frying or warming articles of food (22) which mainly comprise small parts which are loose with regard to each other, particularly french fries, chips, little potato balls, croquettes and similar. The apparatus comprises a recipient (1) where the articles of food may be introduced and at least the bottom (4) of which may be subjected to a rotation around its central axis (2). This axis (2) is obliquely arranged with regard to the vertical line (3) and the bottom (4) is provided with roughnesses (5) in such a way that during said rotation the articles of food (22) which are to be fried may roll at least partially over these roughnesses (5).

Description: APPARATUS FOR FRYING OR WARMING ARTICLES OF FOOD. PARTICULARLY FRENCH FRIES The invention relates to an apparatus for frying or warming articles of food which mainly comprise small parts which are loose with regard to each other, particularly french fries, potato chips, little potato balls, croquettes c and similar, said apparatus comprising a recipient where the articles of food may be introduced and at least the bottom of said recipient may be subjected to a rotation around its central axis. Particularly the invention relates to an apparatus -10 which may be employed in an automatic distribution apparatus of warmed or fried articles of food, especially of fr 6 ied french fries which are fried or warmed in dry conditions, namely by means of hot air and/or infra-red rays. With such an apparatus it is important to fry or to 15 warm the articles of food as homogeneously and regularly as possible. So it is important that the articles of food are almost continuously moving with regard to each other and with regard to the bottom of the recipient where they are introduced in order to avoid frying them too much at some o places and unsufficiently at other places. It is an object of the invention to provide a similar apparatus the construction and working of which are very simple and which allows to achieve good results concerning both the frying homogeneity and the frying c velocity in an efficient way. With this object the central axis of the bottom of the recipient where the articles of food may be introduced to be fried or to be warmed, is obliquely arranged with regard to a vertical line, and, besides, the bottom is provided with roughnesses in such a way that during said rotation the articles of food which are to be fried or to be warmed, may roll at least partially over these roughnesses. It is appropriate that the angle of inclination of said axis with regard to a vertical line is comprised between 30 and 50 * and preferably in the range of 45 * In a particular way of carrying out the invention the roughnesses show ribs which extend almost radially over at least part of said bottom of the recipient. Other particularities and advantages of the invention will become clear from the here-after following description of a particular way of carrying out the invention; this description is only given as an example and does not limit the scope of the invention; the here-after used reference numbers relate to the here-by attached figures. Figure -1 is a schematic representation of a vertical cross-section of a specific way of carrying out an apparatus for frying french fries according to the invention. Figure 2 is a top view according to line II-II of the recipient shown in figure 1. Figure 3 is on a larger scale a partial cross-section of said recipient. In these three figures the same reference numbers relate to the same elements. Although the invention rel tes to an apparatus for frying or warming of all sorts of articles of food which mainly comprise small parts which are loose with regard to each other, an apparatus for frying french fries is here-after more specifically described. This apparatus comprises a cylindrical recipient 1 where the french fries 22 to be fried are introduced and which is subjected to a rotation around its central axis 2. According to the invention this axis 2 is obliquely arranged with regard to the vertical line 3 and the bottom 4 of the recipient 1 is provided with roughnesses 5 in such a way that during said rotation of the recipient 1 the french fries to be fried may roll at least partially over these roughnesses 5 and, in this way, may be fried in a homogeneous and rapid way. In this connection ^~ry good results have been obtained when the angle of inclination of the axis 2 with regard to a vertical line 3 is comprised between 30 and 50 β and preferably in the range of 45". In the shown way of execution the roughnesses are formed by ribs extending radially over the whole bottom 4 of the recipient 1 and having a triangular cross-section as becomes clear from figures 2 and 3, in such a way that the bottom displays a zigzag lined cross-section (see figure 3). An additional not unimportant advantage of the bottom 2 shown in figures 2 and 3 is that in this way the surface has increased with at least one third with regard to a complete flat bottom, which enables a better heat-release from the bottom to the french fries. By having the recipient rotated around the axis 2 with an almost constant velocity, for example in the direction of arrow 6, the french fries are taken along until a certain height, due to the presence of the ribs 5, to slip and roll down afterwards and, as a consequence, continuously change the direction of lying. In this way the french fries are warmed and fried along all sides by both the hot air current and the bottom in a very efficicient way. In this way sticking of the french fries to the bottom or the side wall when frying is also prevented. The rotation velocity of the axis 2 is among others function of the angle of inclination alpha, the diameter of the bottom 4 and the shape and dimensions of the roughnesses 5, particularly the ribs. Mostly the rotation velocity is accepted to be comprised between 10 and 15 rotations per minute. If the velocity is too low, the articles of food to be fried remain down on the bottom, whilst if the velocity is too high the articles of food shift, due to the centrifugal force, against the exterior wall of the recipient and heap up. With an automatic distribution apparatus for french fries, as shown in figure 1, the french fries to be fried are introduced in the recipient 1 by way of a funnel 8 which may be blocked by a slide 9. Above this recipient is a bell-glass 10 which forms a kind of cover for the recipient 1 and where the electrical heating means 11 and a ventilator 13 which rotates around an axis 12 are located. During the rotation of this ventilator, for example in the direction of arrow 14, a hot air current is created in the room 15 which is partitioned off by the recipient and the bell-glass 10, as was shown by the arrows 16. This hot air flows around the french fries to be fried and warms them and also the bottom itself of the recipient 1. After a specified and adjusted time, i.e. when the french fries have been fried, the recipient 1 undergoes a turning as indicated by the arrows 17 until a position which is shown by means of dash lines and which is indicated by reference number 1'. At that moment the french fries fall down in a small box 19 which is located underneath the apparatus and may be taken out from the apparatus by way of a pigeon-hole 20. Both the recipient 1 and the ventilator 13 are driven by means of a system of gears and transmissions from a not shown motor. The recipient 1 with the bell-glass 10 are further located in an insulated frame 21 above the pigeon-hole 20. By the fact that, in the frying position, as was illustrated in full lines in figure 1, the recipient 1 is already in an oblique position, it only has to undergo a limited rotation to be emptied, i.e. transferred to its position 1'. This gives among others the advantage that the room where the recipient is moving may be kept relatively limited, which enables the apparatus to be carried out in a relatively compact way. In some cases it may be useful, especially in order to allow easy cleaning, that the recipient 1 is made from a separate basket which is removably placed on or in a set which is rotatable around said axis 2. Obviously the invention is in no way limited to the way of carrying out which is described hereabove and which is shown in the figures and several amendments may be considered within the scope of the invention, amongst others concerning the form and the dimensions of the roughnesses 5 on the bottom 2 of the recipient.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. An apparatus for frying or warming articles of food (22) which mainly comprise small parts which are loose with regard to each other, particularly french fries, chips, little potato balls, croquettes and similar, said apparatus comprising a recipient (1) where the articles of food may be introduced and at least the bottom (4) of which may be subjected to a rotation around its central axis (2), characterized in that this axis (2) is obliquely arranged with regard to the vertical line (3) and the bottom (4) is provided with roughnesses (5) in such a way that during said rotation the articles of food (22) which are to be fried may roll at least partially over these roughnesses (5). 2. An apparatus according to claim 1 characterized in that the angle of inclination of said axis (2) with regard to the vertical line (3) is comprised between 30 and 50", and preferably in the range of 45". 3. An apparatus according to one of claims 1 or 2 characterized in that the roughnesses show ribs (5) which extend almost radially over at least part of said bottom (4) of the recipient (1) . 4. An apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in ~ that the upper surface of said bottom (4) displays a zigzag lined cross-section according to a direction which is traverse with regard to the ribs (5). 5. An apparatus according to one of the previous claims 0 characterized in that the recipient (1) is made from a separate basket which is removably placed on or in a set which is rotatable around said axis (2).

Inventors: HOEBERIGS RUDOLF, HOEBERIGS, RUDOLF
Applicants: HOEBERIGS RUDOLF, HOEBERIGS, RUDOLF
Application year: 1989
Main classification: A47J37
IPC codes: A47J37