Abstract:
A cooking device comprises a base and a heating element supported by the base. A cooking plate is heated by the heating element and includes at least a first cavity for receiving an item being cooked. At least a first temperature probe is disposed in the first cavity for piercing the item being cooked.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     Not applicable. 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not applicable. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to cooking devices, particularly grilling devices for cooking sausage-like foodstuffs. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Countertop grills are well-known devices for cooking foodstuffs in a similar manner to conventional outdoor gas and charcoal grills. However, countertop grills are typically powered by an electrical source (e.g., a 120V outlet) and are much smaller than conventional outdoor grills. As such, countertop grills are useful during fall, winter, and spring seasons when inclement weather may cause impractical outdoor grilling conditions. Furthermore, cleaning a conventional outdoor grill is typically more time-consuming than a countertop grill. For example, the grilling rack of a conventional outdoor grill may need to be scraped to remove remaining food particles and the grill may need to be tipped to remove grease after use. 
     Most countertop grill designs include a frame supporting a lower heating element. The lower heating element heats a lower cooking plate on which foodstuffs are placed during use. The frame pivotally connects to a lid supporting an upper heating element. The upper heating element heats an upper cooking plate that cooks foodstuffs from above during use. That is, the upper and lower cooking plates cook foodstuffs from both above and below during use, thereby providing faster cooking than conventional outdoor grills. 
     Unfortunately, previous conventional outdoor grill and countertop grill designs are typically more effective for cooking some types of foodstuffs compared to other types. For example, previous designs are highly effective for cooking foodstuffs such as hamburger patties, chicken breasts, and steaks. Conversely, previous grill designs are less effective for cooking sausage-like foodstuffs such as sausages, bratwursts, breakfast links, frankfurters, and the like, due to their shape. The outer surfaces of sausage-like foodstuffs are cooked, and in some cases even burned, by previous grill designs while the centers may be undercooked. Furthermore, it may be difficult to determine if the centers of sausage-like foodstuffs are properly cooked based on the burned appearance of the outer surfaces. A user may cut open sausage-like foodstuffs during grilling to visibly determine if the center is cooked. However, such an action causes sausage-like foodstuffs to release moisture thereby altering the flavor of the cooked product. 
     Considering the limitations of previous grill designs, it would be desirable to have an improved cooking device that reduces or eliminates one or more of the aforementioned drawbacks of previous designs. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one aspect, the present invention provides a cooking device comprising a base and a heating element supported by the base. A cooking plate is heated by the heating element, and the cooking plate includes at least a first cavity for receiving an item being cooked. The cooking device further comprises at least a first temperature probe extending through the cooking plate into the first cavity for piercing the item being cooked. 
     In another aspect, the cooking device, comprises a base and a heating element supported by the base. The cooking device further comprises a cooking plate heated by the heating element, and the cooking plate includes at least a first cavity for receiving an item being cooked. The first cavity has an arcuate cross sectional shape and an arcuate longitudinal shape. 
     In yet another aspect, the cooking device comprises a base and a lower heating element supported within the base. The cooking device further comprises a lower cooking plate heated by the lower heating element, and the lower cooking plate has at least a first arcuate cavity. A cover pivotally connects to the base, and the cover is movable between an open position spaced apart from the base and a closed position proximate the base. An upper heating element is supported within the cover, and an upper cooking plate is heated by the upper heating element. The upper cooking plate has at least a second arcuate cavity aligned with the first arcuate cavity, and in the closed position the first arcuate cavity and the second arcuate cavity define a cooking chamber for receiving an item being cooked. The cooking device further comprises at least a first temperature probe disposed in the cooking chamber. 
     The foregoing and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description. In the description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which there is shown by way of illustration preferred embodiments of the invention. Such embodiments do not necessarily represent the full scope of the invention, however, and reference is made therefore to the claims herein for interpreting the scope of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will hereafter be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements, and: 
         FIG. 1  is a top view of a cooking device according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the cooking device of  FIG. 1  in a closed position; 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of the cooking device of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the cooking device of  FIG. 1  in an open position; and 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic diagram of electrical components of the cooking device of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to now to  FIGS. 1-5 , a cooking device or grill  10  according to the present invention includes a base  12  that supports the device on a countertop, tabletop, or other appropriate work surface. The base  12  may be a heat resistant material known in the art. The base  12  includes one or more feet  14  that may also be a heat resistant material to prevent conductive heat transfer from the grill  10  to the work surface. Alternatively, the feet  14  may be a material that provides a high coefficient of friction against the work surface such that the grill  10  does not slide easily. The base  12  also mounts handles  16  on opposite sides such that the grill  10  may be lifted and repositioned by a user. 
     The base  12  houses a controller or microprocessor  18  that controls operation of the grill  10  as described in further detail below. The microprocessor  18  may be any appropriate design known in the art. The base  12  also houses a lower heating element  20  operatively connected to the microprocessor  18 . The lower heating element  20  may be any appropriate design known in the art for heating foodstuffs. Insulation (not shown) may be provided within the base  12 , e.g., between the lower heating element  20  and electronic components or the walls of the base  12 , to prevent excessive heat transfer away from foodstuffs cooked within the grill  10 . 
     The lower heating element  20  heats a lower cooking plate  22  ( FIG. 4 ) disposed there above. The lower cooking plate  22  is preferably a cast iron component having a Teflon coated upper surface  24 . The upper surface  24  includes one or more cavities  26 , each of which may support foodstuffs during cooking. Each cavity  26  preferably has a semi-circular cross sectional shape and an arcuate longitudinal shape (i.e., generally matching the shape of the bottom of sausage-like foodstuffs, such as Italian sausages, bratwursts, frankfurters, and the like.). Advantageously, providing an arcuate, rounded cavity  26  surrounds the sausage-like item with the cooking plate material to evenly heat the sausage-like item and prevent overcooking portions of the sausage-like item (e.g., the outer surface) while undercooking other portions (e.g., the center). The cavities  26  may also include projecting ribs  30  that form “grill marks” on sausage-like foodstuffs. 
     In some embodiments, the lower cooking plate  22  may be releasably connected to the base  12  (e.g., via latching mechanisms, tangs and snap clip connectors, tongue-in-clip connectors, or the like) to permit interchangeability with cooking plates having cavities appropriate for cooking smaller sausage-like foodstuffs (e.g., breakfast links) or other types of foodstuffs (e.g., hamburger patties, chicken breasts, or the like). 
     One or more narrow, cylindrical temperature probes  32  supported by the base  12  extend through the lower cooking plate  22  and are disposed above one or more of the cavities  26  to piece one or more sausage-like foodstuffs being cooked. The temperature probes  32  may include a sharp tip to facilitate piercing. Preferably, the temperature probes  32  extend midway through a sausage-like foodstuffs being cooked to sense the center temperature of the sausage-like foodstuffs. The temperature probes  32  facilitate proper cooking as described in further detail below. 
     The base  12  further includes a hinge  34  for pivotally connecting to a cover  36 . In some embodiments, the hinge  34  may be a design known in the art that permits the cover  36  to both translate vertically and pivot relative to the base  12 . In any case, the hinge  34  permits the cover  36  to pivot between a closed position ( FIGS. 1-3 ) and an open position ( FIG. 4 ). In the closed position, the cover  36  is positioned proximate the base  12  such that foodstuffs may be cooked within the grill  10 . In the open position, the cover  36  is spaced apart from the base  12  such that foodstuffs may be inserted and removed from the grill  10 . 
     The cover  36  may be a heat resistant material known in the art (e.g., the same material as the base  12 ). The side of the cover  36  opposite the hinge  34  mounts a handle  38  such that a user may easily move the cover  36  between the open and closed positions. The cover  36  also preferably mounts an operator interface  40  that provides information regarding cooked foodstuffs to a grill user. This aspect of the invention is described in further detail below. 
     The cover  36  houses a upper heating element  42  that also produces heat for cooking foodstuffs within the grill  10 . The upper heating element  42  may be any appropriate design known in the art (e.g., similar to that of the lower heating element  20 ). Furthermore, the upper heating element  42  may operatively connect to the microprocessor  18  and the lower heating element  20  via an electrical cord disposed within an extension spring  44 . Insulation (not shown) may be provided within the cover  36 , e.g., between the upper heating element  42  and the walls of the cover  36 , to prevent excessive heat transfer away from foodstuffs cooked by the grill  10 . 
     The upper heating element  42  heats an upper cooking plate  46  ( FIG. 4 ) disposed there below. The upper cooking plate  46  is preferably a cast iron component having a Teflon coated lower surface  48 . The lower surface  48  includes one or more cavities  50 , each of which is aligned with one of the lower cavities  26  on the lower cooking plate  22  in the closed position. The cavities  50  generally have the same shape as the lower cavities  26  and face the opposite direction. As such, each set of cavities  26  and  50  defines a cooking chamber  52  having a circular cross sectional shape and an arcuate longitudinal shape (i.e., generally matching the arcuate, rounded shape of sausage-like foodstuffs). The shape of the cooking chambers  52  is effective for properly and uniformly cooking sausage-like foodstuffs. That is, the cooking plates  22  and  46  surround and heat the entire circumference of sausage-like foodstuffs to prevent overcooking some portions of the sausage-like foodstuffs while undercooking other portions. The cavities  50  may also include projecting ribs  54  that form “grill marks” on sausage-like foodstuffs. 
     In some embodiments, the upper cooking plate  46  may be releasably connected to the cover  36  (e.g., via latching mechanisms, tangs and snap clip connectors, tongue-in-clip connectors, or the like) to permit interchangeability with cooking plates having cavities appropriate for cooking smaller sausage-like foodstuffs (e.g., breakfast links) or other types of foodstuffs (e.g., hamburger patties, chicken breasts, or the like). 
     One or more narrow, cylindrical temperature probes  56  supported by the cover  36  extend through the upper cooking plate  46  and are disposed above one or more of the cavities  50  (i.e., within the cooking chambers  52 ) to pierce one or more sausage-like foodstuffs being cooked. The temperature probes  56  may include a sharp tip to facilitate piercing. Preferably, the temperature probes  56  extend midway through a sausage-like foodstuffs being cooked to sense the center temperature of the sausage-like foodstuffs. 
     The microprocessor  18  may supply electricity to the heating elements  20  and  42 , and thereby control cooking, in several different manners. For example, the microprocessor  18  may simply energize the heating elements  20  and  42  until the temperature probes  32  and  56  sense a sufficient internal temperature within the cooked foodstuffs (e.g., 160° F. for sausages). As another example, the temperature sensed by the temperature probes  32  and  56  may be used by the microprocessor  18  to determine the level to which foodstuffs have been cooked (e.g., rare, medium rare, medium, and so forth). Such information may then be displayed on the operator interface  40 . Similarly, the operator interface  40  may receive user input (e.g., via a keypad or touch-sensitive display) regarding a desired cooking level for foodstuffs. In these embodiments, the microprocessor  18  may de-energize the heating elements  20  and  42  after the internal temperature of the cooked foodstuffs reaches a value corresponding to the desired cooking level. 
     As yet another example, the operator interface  40  may receive user input regarding the type of foodstuffs being cooked and a desired cooking level. Such an embodiment may be useful for cooking foodstuffs in which sufficient internal cooking temperatures differ (e.g., chicken and steak are well cooked at about 165° F. and 175° F., respectively). As yet another example and if temperature probes  32  and  56  are positioned in each cooking chamber  52 , the operator interface  40  may indicate if individual foodstuffs are sufficiently cooked. Such an embodiment may be useful for simultaneously cooking different types of foodstuffs (e.g., bratwursts and frankfurters). 
     The structure and operation of the grill  10  may be modified without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the grill  10  may include one or more temperature probes extending through only one of the lower cooking plate  22  and the upper cooking plate  46 . In such embodiments, the temperature probe is preferably an upper temperature probe  56  such that foodstuff juices do not leak downwardly from the hole formed by the probe  56 . As another example, the temperature probes  32  and  56  may fixedly connect to the lower cooking plate  22  and the upper cooking plate  46 , respectively, and the probes  32  and  56  may operatively connect to the microprocessor  18  by releasable electric leads. As another example, the heating elements  20  and  42  may undergo a “pre-heating” process when power is initially supplied to the grill  10 . As yet another example, the grill  10  may cook foodstuffs for a predetermined time period at a predetermined temperature and provide an audible indication when foodstuffs are properly cooked. 
     While there has been shown and described what is at present considered the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention defined by the appended claims.