Abstract:
A method and apparatus for automatically basting a roasting item in an oven. A pump apparatus disposed outside of the oven provides pressure to a system of tubes which collect pan drippings and gravy (juices) from the bottom of a pan and dispense the drippings over a food item being roasted. A reservoir is provided in outside of the oven for addition of fluids to the roasting pan via the system of tubes. The reservoir is transparent for visually checking the fluid level without opening the oven. The pump apparatus is controllable manually or by an automatic timer for controlling the rate and timing of basting.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to cooking apparatus and more particularly to an apparatus for automatic basting of a roasting food item. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     It is well known to baste various food items such as turkeys and roasts to prevent drying while the food item roasts in an oven. Manual methods of basting such as spooning drippings from a roasting pan over the food item or extracting and expelling drippings using a conventional manual baster requires the constant attention of a cook. Excessive time is often allowed to elapse before basting resulting in the accidentally drying of the food being roasted. It would therefore be desirable to provide a method and apparatus for basting food without requiring a the constant attention and intervention of a cook. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,965 to Gargano, (hereinafter referred to as “Gargano &#39;965”) describes an automatic baster for a roasting pan that includes an elevated assembly for raising juices and gravy from the bottom of the roasting pan over a food item during roasting of the food item. Gargano &#39;965 describes a juice and gravy raising assembly consisting of a plurality of elongated curved flexible tubes that extend over meat. However, the Gargano &#39;965 apparatus relies on convection to raise juice and gravy up through the plurality of tubes that extend over the meat being roasted. The rate of circulation of juices is virtually uncontrollable so the Gargano &#39;965 apparatus is likely to over-baste or under-baste a roasting item in many instances. 
     Since only the low pressure of convection is applied inside of the circulation tubes of the Gargano &#39;965 apparatus, deposits of grease from juices and gravy can accumulate and block the tubes. It would therefore be desirable to provide an apparatus that and provides controllable circulation of juices and sufficient pressure to reduce grease accumulations in circulation channels. 
     Another drawback of the Gargano &#39;965 apparatus and other basting devices heretofore known is that addition of fluids and adjustments to the basting device require a user to open the oven door thereby releasing heat and moisture from the oven. In many instances, the a roasting pan becomes dry when the drippings and/or gravy evaporates before being replenished. A person must typically open the oven to check the level of fluid in the gravy or drippings (juices) in the roasting pan. The release of heat and moisture from an oven can be detrimental to the flavor and/or texture of the food item being roasted and can result in longer cooking times. Furthermore, opening the oven door is detrimental because opening or reaching into a hot oven increases the risk of burn injury. It is therefore be desirable to provide an automatic baster which allows monitoring of fluid level and adjustment of fluid flow rate without opening the oven. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a method and apparatus for automatically basting a roasting item in an oven. A pump apparatus disposed outside of the oven provides pressure to a system of tubes which collect pan drippings and gravy juices) from the bottom of a pan and dispense the drippings over a food item being roasted. A reservoir is provided in outside of the oven for addition of fluids to the roasting pan via the system of tubes. The reservoir is transparent for visually checking the fluid level without opening the oven. The pump apparatus is controllable manually or by an automatic timer for controlling the rate and timing of basting. 
     An illustrative embodiment of the invention provides an automatic baster including a collection conduit configured to collect juices from a roasting pan. The baster also includes a dispensing conduit configured to dispense juices onto a roasting item disposed in the roasting pan wherein the dispensing conduit includes at least one injector configured for injecting juices into the roasting item and at least one drip head configured for dispensing juices onto the exterior of the roasting item. The dispensing conduit also includes at least one flexible tubing branch adaptable to dispense fluids to a particular location on the roasting item. 
     The collection conduit is configured to provide a fluid flow path from the roasting pan to the dispensing conduit. The collection conduit includes a flexible tubing loop disposed adjacent to a bottom surface of the roasting pan and a plurality of intake ports for collecting juices from the bottom of the roasting pan. 
     A pump is disposed in fluid communication with the dispensing conduit and the collection conduit and provides pressure in the conduits causing the juices to flow from the collection conduit to the dispensing conduit. The pump is configurable for operation outside of an oven while the roasting pan is disposed in the oven. 
     A reservoir is disposed in fluid communication with the dispensing conduit and the collection conduit. The reservoir includes an orifice adapted to accept additional fluids to the baster and is configurable outside of an oven while the roasting pan is disposed in the oven. 
     In another illustrative embodiment of the invention an apparatus for automatically basting a roasting item includes a collection conduit configured as an outer loop disposed adjacent to the bottom of a roasting pan. The collection conduit includes at least one intake port adaptable for submersion in juice accumulating in the roasting pan. 
     A dispensing conduit is configured as an inner loop disposed adjacent to the bottom of a roasting pan and separated from the collection conduit by rigid spacers attached between the collection conduit and the dispensing conduit. In at least one illustrative embodiment, the apparatus includes a plurality of injection needles in communication with the dispensing conduit and adapted for injecting juices into a plurality of specific locations in a roasting item. At least one drip head can be provided in communication with the dispensing conduit and adapted for disposing juices onto specific locations of the roasting item. 
     Another illustrative embodiment of the invention includes an inflow conduit in communication with the dispensing conduit and providing a fluid pathway between a pump apparatus and the dispensing conduit and an outflow conduit in communication with the collection conduit. The illustrative embodiment also includes a fluid pathway between the pump apparatus and the collection conduit. The pump apparatus can be disposed outside of the oven while the dispensing conduit and the collecting conduit is disposed inside of the oven. 
     Another illustrative embodiment of the invention includes a pump apparatus having a reservoir in communication with the outflow conduit and the inflow conduit. The pump apparatus provides pressure to the reservoir which causes juices to be collected into the collection conduit and dispensed by the dispensing conduit. The pump apparatus can be adjusted for controlling the rate of fluid flow to the dispensing conduit. The reservoir includes an orifice disposed in a wall of the reservoir for addition of fluids to the apparatus and closable by a removable cover. It is desirable that the reservoir is made from a transparent material for viewing a fluid level therein. 
     Still another illustrative embodiment of the invention provides an automatic baster including pump means mountable outside of an oven. Conduit in communication with the pump means is adapted for circulating fluids from a bottom surface of a roasting pan disposed in the oven, to a selected locations of on or within a roasting item in the roasting pan in response to pressure applied by the pump means. A timer is provided with a control output connected to the pump means for controlling timing of the pump means. 
     The present invention overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art by providing a method and apparatus for basting food without requiring a the constant attention and intervention of a cook. The present invention features controllable circulation of juices and sufficient pressure to reduce grease accumulations in circulation channels. The present invention also provides an automatic baster which allows monitoring of fluid level and adjustment of fluid flow rate without opening the oven. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The objects and features of the present disclosure, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present disclosure, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objectives and advantages, may be best understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, as set forth below. 
     FIG. 1 is a top view of an automatic baster according to at least one embodiment of the present invention; and 
     FIG. 2 is perspective of an automatic baster according to at least one embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following discussion includes a description of the automatic basting apparatus, in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure. Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, which are illustrated in the accompanying figures. 
     Turning now to the figures, wherein like components are designated by like reference numerals throughout the several views, the exemplary embodiments of the automatic basting apparatus and methods of use disclosed are discussed in terms of an automatic baster disposed in a roasting pan in a conventional oven and more particularly, in terms of an automatic basting apparatus having a pump apparatus disposed outside of the oven and which may be employed with alternately configured fluid conduits. 
     Referring initially to FIG. 1, an automatic baster  10  includes a dispensing conduit  12  configured as an inner loop and a collection conduit  14  configured as an outer loop. In an illustrative embodiment, rigid spacers  16  are attached between the inner loop to provide separation therebetween and provide stiffness and form to the conduit structure. A plurality of intake ports  18  extend from the collection conduit  14 . A plurality of flexible branches  20  extend from the dispensing conduit  12 . In the illustrative embodiment, an injection needle  22  is disposed in the end of at least one of the flexible branches  20 . A drip head  24  can alternatively be installed in at least one of the flexible branches  20 . 
     An inflow conduit  26  connects a pump apparatus  28  to the dispensing conduit  12 . An outflow conduit  30  connects the collecting conduit  14  to the pump apparatus  28 . In the illustrative embodiment, the pump apparatus includes a pump  32  in fluid communication with a reservoir  33 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 2, a roasting pan  34  holds a roasting item  36  inside of an oven  38 . In the illustrative embodiment, the roasting pan  34  includes a rack  40  to elevate and support the roasting item  36  and create clearance space for accumulation of gravy and pan drippings (hereinafter referred to collectively as “juices”  42 ). 
     Intake ports  18  are disposed at the bottom of the roasting pan  34  so that they are substantially submersed in the juices  42 . Collection conduit  14  and outflow conduit  30  create a path for juices  42  to flow from the roasting pan  34  to the reservoir  33 . The pump apparatus  28  including a pump  32  provide pressure to the conduit system to circulate the juices  42 . Dispensing conduit  12  and inflow conduit  26  create a path for juices  42  to flow from the reservoir  33  to flexible branches  22  and to the roasting item  36 . Injection needles  22  create a path for juices to flow from flexible branches  22  into the roasting item  36 . A drip head  24  is configured to cause fluid to drip from flexible branches  22  onto the roasting item  36 . 
     In the illustrative embodiment, a timer  44  can be functionally connected to the pump apparatus  28  to control pump timing and pressure and thereby regulate basting of the roasting item  36 . 
     A user can configure the automatic baster  10  according to the present invention before placing the roasting pan  34  in the oven  38 . A roasting item  36  can first be placed in the roasting pan. Next, the user can place the conduit system of the automatic baster  10  over the roasting item  36  so that the collection conduit  14  and intake ports  18  lie substantially against the bottom of the roasting pan  34 . 
     Alternatively, the conduit system of the automatic baster  10  may be first installed in the roasting pan  34 , or may be permanently attached to a roasting pan  34 . Flexible branches  20  can be bent away from the center of the roasting pan  34  to allow placement of the roasting item  36  in the roasting pan  34 . After the roasting item  36  is placed in the roasting pan  34  and the conduit system is installed in the roasting pan  34 , the flexible branches  20  can be moved to desired basting cites on the roasting item  36 . 
     In illustrative embodiments of the invention, an injection needle  22  disposed at the end of at least one of the flexible arms  20  is inserted into the basting item  36  to provide juices  34  internally to the basting item  36 . Alternatively or additionally, a drip head  24  is disposed at the end of at least one of the flexible arms  20  for dripping juices  42  onto the external surface of a roasting item  36 . 
     The roasting pan  34  containing the roasting item  36  and conduit system of the invention is then placed inside an oven  38 . Inflow conduit  26  and outflow conduit  30  are configured to carry juices  42  between the roasting pan  34  and the pump apparatus  28  which is disposed outside of the oven. In one implementation of the invention, the oven door  46  is left ajar to provide clearance space for the inflow conduit  26  and the outflow conduit  30 . In an alternative implementation, the inflow conduit  26  and the outflow conduit  30  are drawn through an orifice (not shown) in an oven wall. A desired volume juices  42  can be placed in the roasting pan before or after the roasting pan is placed in an oven  38 . 
     Additional juices are added to the reservoir  33  via the orifice  48  of the reservoir  33 . A removable cover  50  is optionally provided to prevent juices from splashing out from the reservoir  33 . In at least one implementation of the present invention, the user fills the inflow channel via the reservoir. The user then energizes the pump  32  while priming the pump  32  by continuing to add juices  42  to the reservoir  33  until juices  42  return to the reservoir  33  in the outflow conduit  30 . An appropriate volume of additional juices  42  can then be added to the reservoir  33  to replace juices  42  that will typically be lost through evaporation or other system leaks. 
     The pump  32  may be left in an energized state at a preselected pressure setting or may be periodically energized for short periods by a user. Alternatively, a timer  44  can be configured to energize the pump  32  at preselected times and preselected flow rates. In the illustrative embodiment, the reservoir  33  is made from transparent materials so that the user can monitor the volume of juices  42  in the roasting pan  34  and conduit system. The user can add juices  42  to the reservoir  33  to replenish the juices  33  to an appropriate level, without opening the oven door  46 . 
     The conduits and flexible branches  20  of the invention can be manufactured using any number of heat resistant materials such as high temperature thermoplastic tubing or flexible metal tubing. The pump apparatus  28  can include any type of common fluid pumping device suitable for pumping oily materials and suitable for use in food production applications. In at least one embodiment, the pump  32  must be controllable by an external timer  44 . Alternatively, a pump  32  having a built in timer can be employed. 
     Although the various embodiments of the invention are described herein including injection needles  22  installed in flexible branches  20 , persons having ordinary skill in the art should appreciate that the flexible branches  20  themselves can serve as injection needles  22  if they include ends that are shaped for piercing into a roasting item  36 . 
     Although the various embodiments of the invention are described herein including drip-heads  24  installed in flexible branches  20 , persons having ordinary skill in the art should appreciate that in many implementations of the invention, the flexible branches  20  themselves can serve as drip heads  24  without the need for a particularly shaped element inserted therein. 
     Although the invention has been shown and described with respect to exemplary embodiments thereof, persons having ordinary skill in the art should appreciate that various other changes, omissions and additions in the form and detail thereof may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 
     It will be understood that various modifications may be made to the embodiments disclosed herein. Therefore, the above description should not be construed as limiting, but merely as exemplification of the various embodiments. Those skilled in the art will envision other modifications within the scope and spirit of the claims appended hereto.