Abstract:
A rice cooker comprising several inner containers, wherein a set of cooking parameters for each inner container is independently selectable, thus, permitting the automatic and simultaneous preparation of different style, recipe or taste of rice in each of the plurality of the inner containers.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Not applicable 
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not Applicable 
       REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISC APPENDIX 
       [0003]    Not Applicable 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0005]    The invention relates generally to kitchen appliances and particularly to rice cookers. 
         [0006]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0007]    Automatic and simultaneous cooking of different styles, recipes or taste of rice using the same rice cooker is currently not feasible, since conventional rice cookers have one compartment only, and therefore, for different styles, recipes and/or tastes of rice, different rice cookers are required. This is particularly costly, cumbersome and time consuming when, for example, different members of a family, which according to its tradition prepares rice very often, or different invitees to a party, have different preferences for style, recipe and/or taste of cooked rice. Thus, there is a need for a new and improved rice cooker that addresses these problems. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key aspects or essential aspects of the claimed subject matter. Moreover, this Summary is not intended for use as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. 
         [0009]    In one exemplary embodiment a multi-sectional rice cooker is provided which may be configured to fit, three, two, or a single compartment for controlled cooking of different or same style, recipe and/or taste of rice. Thus, an advantage is that a user may simultaneously and automatically cook different style, recipe and/or taste of rice, when, for example, different members of a family prefer that the rice be cooked specifically to their taste. Another advantage is rice cooker&#39;s versatility. For example, if all members of a family agree on one particular type of rice, then, the multi-sectional rice cooker may become a one-compartment rice cooker, and thus, it may be used for cooking same rice for the entire family. 
         [0010]    In one aspect, automatic recognition is provided of how many compartments are operational at a given time. In another aspect, under the compartments, springs are provided that pop the compartments up while the main lid is fully opened. 
         [0011]    The above embodiment and advantages, as well as other embodiments and advantages, will become apparent from the ensuing description and accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]    For exemplification purposes, and not for limitation purposes, embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0013]      FIG. 1   a  illustrates a front-perspective view of a rice cooker according to an embodiment. 
           [0014]      FIG. 1   b  illustrates a back-perspective view of the rice cooker from  FIG. 1   a.    
           [0015]      FIG. 2   a  illustrates the front view of the rice cooker from  FIG. 1   a.    
           [0016]      FIG. 2   b  illustrates the top view of the rice cooker from  FIG. 1   a.    
           [0017]      FIG. 2   c  illustrates the bottom view of the rice cooker from  FIG. 1   a.    
           [0018]      FIG. 2   d  illustrates the left-side view of the rice cooker from  FIG. 1   a.    
           [0019]      FIG. 2   e  illustrates the right-side view of the rice cooker from  FIG. 1   a.    
           [0020]      FIG. 2   f  illustrates a back view of the rice cooker from  FIG. 1   a.    
           [0021]      FIG. 3   a  illustrates a front-perspective view of a rice cooker with the lid open and having a three-container configuration, according to another embodiment. 
           [0022]      FIG. 3   b  illustrates a sectional view of the rice cooker from  FIG. 3   a.    
           [0023]      FIGS. 3   c - d  illustrate the nesting during storage of the three inner containers and their lids inside the rice cooker from  FIG. 3   a,  according to another embodiment. 
           [0024]      FIG. 4   a  illustrates a front-perspective view of a rice cooker with the lid open and having a two-container configuration, according to another embodiment. 
           [0025]      FIG. 4   b  illustrates a sectional view of the rice cooker from  FIG. 4   a.    
           [0026]      FIGS. 4   c - d  illustrate the nesting during storage of the two inner containers inside the rice cooker from  FIG. 4   a,  according to another embodiment. 
           [0027]      FIG. 5   a  illustrates a front-perspective view of a rice cooker with the lid open and having a one-container configuration, according to another embodiment. 
           [0028]      FIG. 5   b  illustrates a sectional view of the rice cooker from  FIG. 5   a.    
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0029]    What follows is a detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention in which the invention may be practiced. Reference will be made to the attached drawings, and the information included in the drawings is part of this detailed description. The specific preferred embodiments of the invention, which will be described herein, are presented for exemplification purposes, and not for limitation purposes. It should be understood that structural and/or logical modifications could be made by someone of ordinary skills in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. Therefore, the scope of the invention is defined by the accompanying claims and their equivalents. 
         [0030]      FIGS. 1   a - b  illustrate a front and a back perspective view, respectively, of a rice cooker according to an embodiment. As shown, the rice cooker  100  includes a main housing  110  and a main lid  105  associated with each other through a hinge  107  ( FIG. 1   b ) located in the back of rice cooker  100 . The hinge  107  may be any standard hinge such as a barrel or a pivot hinge. When the mail lid  105  is closed as shown in  FIGS. 1   a - b,  automatic locking, or the option to lock, is preferably offered to the user so that the main lid  105  is secured (such as for safety reasons) to the main housing  110  using typically a standard locking mechanism (not shown), such as an electromagnetic lock. In combination with such a locking mechanism, a release/unlock button (such as a push button)  106  may be provided to allow for the manual or the automatic opening of main lid  107  (such as when main lid  107  is spring loaded when closed). 
         [0031]    The main housing  110  may be made from known suitable materials such as ABS plastic or aluminum. The inner containers (see for example  316  in  FIGS. 3   a - b ) may be made from materials such as stainless steel, aluminum, copper, ceramic and so on. 
         [0032]    The main lid  105  may have a transparent portion  103  made from materials such as plexiglass and sealed using, for example, a rubber gasket  104 , to the remaining portion of main lead  105 . The transparent portion  103  may improve the appearance of the cooker and it may allow for visual monitoring of the cooking, which in turn may give the user the feeling that she has better control over the cooking. Furthermore, for marketing purpose, the trademark under which the product is marketed may be placed in the product name area  102 , in the center of the transparent portion  103  of main lid  105 , by, for example, engraving it, affixing a tag, and so on. 
         [0033]    It should be noted that, as depicted in  FIGS. 1   a - b,  the rice cooker  100  has an indented handle  101  on each side, for easy and convenient grip during lifting and/or manipulation of rice cooker  100  such as for storage purposes. Furthermore, preferably in the front of main housing  110 , a control and/or display panel  108 , preferably a digital one, is available to the user. Through the panel  108  the user may set and/or monitor rice cooking parameters such as time and temperature. 
         [0034]      FIG. 3   a  illustrates a front-perspective view of a rice cooker  300  with the main lid  305  open and having a three-container configuration, according to another embodiment.  FIG. 3   b  illustrates a sectional view of the rice cooker from  FIG. 3   a.  As stated earlier, the multi-sectional rice cooker gives options to the user. For example, using a three inner container  316  configuration, the user may simultaneously cook three kinds of rice, for example, a Middle-Eastern rice (e.g., crunchy on the surface) in one container, an Eastern/Oriental rice (e.g., non-crunchy but spicy) in another container, and finally, an Italian rice (e.g., risotto). This, again, it is very convenient when, for example, a family has members, or a party has invitees, from these three different culinary cultures and regional cuisines. 
         [0035]    It would be understood by one of ordinary skills in the art that, without departing from the scope of the invention, the rice cooker  300  may be configured to have more than three inner bowls/containers  316  (e.g., four or five) and that they may be substantially equal in size as shown in  FIG. 3   a,  or they may have various sizes. For example, in a three-container configuration, one of the inner containers  316  could be smaller than the other two when a group of family members from a given culinary culture is smaller than the other two groups. To accommodate for such situations, the rice cooker  300  may be provided with, for example, a set of three equal inner containers  316  and a set of two relatively larger and one smaller container each set being configured to fit inside the rice cooker  300 . 
         [0036]    For exemplification purposes, the configuration with three equal inner containers  316  is depicted in  FIGS. 3   a - b,  and thus, will be emphasized herein. It should be noted that, when the main lid  305  is open, the upper edge  316   a,  and thus, the inner lids  316   b,  of inner containers  316  are relatively higher than the upper surface  310  a of main housing  310 . This feature is advantageous when user needs to grasp on the inner containers  316  for the purpose of, for example, removing them from the rice cooker  300 , and it is made possible by the springs (or other similarly compressible elements)  317  shown in  FIG. 3   b.  As shown, each inner container is preferably actuated by a separate spring (or plurality of springs, not shown). The springs  317  are compressed under the influence of the weight of the main lid  305  on the inner containers  316 , and thus, on springs  317 , and/or a pressure/push action on the main lid  305  by the user, combined with the locking of the main lid as explained earlier, so that the springs  317  remain compressed while the main lid  305  is closed. Upon opening of the main lid  305 , the springs  317  are decompressed and cause the lifting of the inner containers  316 . 
         [0037]    It should be noted that the inner containers may be heated, so that the cooking of the rice is possible, by any standard means known in the art, such as by using heating elements (not shown), including induction heating elements, resistors, etc, and the supporting circuitry (not shown) including but not limited to microprocessor for controlling cooking cycles, and other components (switches, sensors, etc) for, for example, turning the power on and off, controlling the power level, the cooking temperature, the cooking time, and so on. As described earlier, from the control panel  308  the user may preferably be provided the option to set and/or monitor rice cooking parameters such as time, temperature and/or power level, and so on, or a combination thereof. The setting of the cooking parameters is preferably individual for each inner container  316 , such that different settings may be selected for each container, and thus, different types of rice may be cooked in each container. Furthermore, the heating element&#39;s supporting circuitry may be programmed such that the user may have the option to select from a list of rice types, by, for example, providing a push button for each type of rice on the control panel  308 , which when activated, automatically sets the cooking parameters for the respective type of rice, desired to be cooked in a given inner container  316 . It should be understood that in the inner containers  316 , dishes other than rice, such as soup, stew, porridge, and so on, may potentially be cooked the same way as explained above. 
         [0038]    The rice cooker  300  is also preferably configured to provide automatic recognition, and displaying on the display portion of panel  308 , of how many inner containers  316  are operational at a certain time. This means one less concern or task to be performed by the user, who in most parts may be a non-technical person. The automatic recognition may be achieved by, for example, detecting, such as by using weight/load sensors, the weight load pressing on springs/compressible elements  317 . As shown in  FIG. 3   b,  the rice cooker may have three springs/compressible elements  317 , one for each of three inner containers  316 . Thus, for example, when only the two distal elements ( 317 ) are actuated, such as when the three inner containers  316  are replaced with only two larger inner containers  440  (see  FIGS. 4   a - b ), the middle element is free, therefore, its sensor, switches, etc, will not detect any weight load, and thus, the display of panel  408  will show that only two inner containers are in operation. 
         [0039]    In another example, when, of the three inner containers  316 , only the one on the left is operational, the display portion of panel  308  may show, for example, “ 1 L.” Similarly, when the containers in the center and on the right are in use, “ 1 C” and “ 1 R” may be shown to user. 
         [0040]    Yet another example, when the three inner containers  316  from  FIG. 3   a  are replaced with a single large bowl  550  as shown in  FIGS. 5   a - b,  then the weight of the one container  550  will be distributed to the three springs/compressible elements  517 . Thus, each spring/compressible element  517  will have a different weight load when compared to the weight load coming from three individual containers  316 . Hence, this will be the determining factor for the controls to know whether one container or three containers are used. 
         [0041]    Alternatively, other approaches may be adopted for achieving the automatic recognition described above. For example, instead of a weight load approach, a combination of contact sensors could be used. 
         [0042]    It should be noted that the main housing  310  may be double-walled such that a gap  310   a  is created in between. The gap may be filled with, for example, air, and may contribute to the increase in the thermal insulation of the inside of the main housing  310 , and thus, to the improvement of the cooking process. 
         [0043]      FIGS. 3   c - d  illustrate the nesting during storage or shipping of the three inner containers  316  and their lids inside the rice cooker from  FIG. 3   a,  according to another embodiment. As shown, the three inner containers  316  may be configured such that they may be placed inside each other, and at one end of the inside of the main cooker housing  310 , while their lids  316   b  may be stacked at the other end of main housing  310 . This configuration may facilitate storage and/or shipping. 
         [0044]      FIG. 4   a  illustrates a front-perspective view of a rice cooker with the lid open and having a two-container configuration, according to another embodiment.  FIG. 4   b  illustrates a sectional view of the rice cooker from  FIG. 4   a.  Except for the differences noted therein, the description above referring to the rice cooker having three inner bowls and depicted in  FIGS. 3   a - b  applies to the two-container rice cooker depicted in  FIGS. 4   a - b,  and is therefore incorporated herein by reference. 
         [0045]    It should be noted in  FIGS. 4   a - b  that the lids  440   b  of the inner containers  440  may have a handle  440   c  for easy grip and manipulation by user. 
         [0046]      FIGS. 4   c - d  illustrate the nesting during storage or shipping of the two inner containers  440  inside the rice cooker from  FIG. 4   a , according to another embodiment. As shown, when the main lid  405  is opened fully ( 449 ), similarly as described above when referring to the three-container cooker, the two inner containers  440  may be nested ( 441 ) inside the cooker on one side and their lids (not shown) on the other side. Again, this configuration may facilitate storage and/or shipping. 
         [0047]    It should be noted that the rice cooker and its inner containers may be sized such that, for example, the two bowls/inner containers  440  ( FIGS. 4   a - b ) can be nested inside the one half of the large bowl  550  ( FIGS. 5   a - b ) while the three bowls  316  ( FIGS. 3   a - b ) may be nested inside the two bowls, and all lids for the two ( 440   b ) and three ( 316   b ) sets may be nested inside the other half of the large bowl  550 , and the lid  550   b  of the large bowl  550  on top of everything; in other words, a configuration that allows all bowls and their lids to be nested inside the cooker for convenient and space saving storage in the user&#39;s kitchen and for savings on shipping costs. 
         [0048]      FIG. 5   a  illustrates a front-perspective view of a rice cooker with the lid open and having a one-container configuration, according to another embodiment.  FIG. 5   b  illustrates a sectional view of the rice cooker from  FIG. 5   a . As described earlier, the user may replace the three inner containers  316  (see  FIGS. 3   a - b ) or the two inner containers  440  (see  FIGS. 4   a - b ) with one large container  550  (see  FIGS. 5   a - b ) such as when, for example, everybody agrees on the style, recipe and/or taste of the rice to be prepared. Thus, the rice cooker disclosed herein provides superior versatility as it can be used to simultaneously prepare two, three or more styles of rice, or, if needed, only one style of rice for everybody. 
         [0049]    It may be advantageous to set forth definitions of certain words and phrases used in this patent document. The term “couple” and its derivatives refer to any direct or indirect communication between two or more elements, whether or not those elements are in physical contact with one another. The terms “include” and “comprise,” as well as derivatives thereof, mean inclusion without limitation. The term “or” is inclusive, meaning and/or. The phrases “associated with” and “associated therewith,” as well as derivatives thereof, may mean to include, be included within, interconnect with, contain, be contained within, connect to or with, couple to or with, be communicable with, cooperate with, interleave, juxtapose, be proximate to, be bound to or with, have, have a property of, or the like. 
         [0050]    As used in this application, “plurality” means two or more. A “set” of items may include one or more of such items. Whether in the written description or the claims, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “carrying,” “having,” “containing,” “involving,” and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limited to. Only the transitional phrases “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of,” respectively, are closed or semi-closed transitional phrases with respect to claims. Use of ordinal terms such as “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., in the claims to modify a claim element does not by itself connote any priority, precedence or order of one claim element over another or the temporal order in which acts of a method are performed. These terms are used merely as labels to distinguish one claim element having a certain name from another element having a same name (but for use of the ordinal term) to distinguish the claim elements. As used in this application, “and/or” means that the listed items are alternatives, but the alternatives also include any combination of the listed items. 
         [0051]    Throughout this description, the embodiments and examples shown should be considered as exemplars, rather than limitations on the apparatus and procedures disclosed or claimed. Although many of the examples involve specific combinations of method acts or system elements, it should be understood that those acts and those elements may be combined in other ways to accomplish the same objectives. Acts, elements and features discussed only in connection with one embodiment are not intended to be excluded from a similar role in other embodiments. 
         [0052]    Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein for the purpose of disclosing the preferred embodiments, someone of ordinary skills in the art will easily detect alternate embodiments and/or equivalent variations, which may be capable of achieving the same results, and which may be substituted for the specific embodiments illustrated and described herein without departing from the scope of the invention. Therefore, the scope of this application is intended to cover alternate embodiments and/or equivalent variations of the specific embodiments illustrated and/or described herein. Hence, the scope of the invention is defined by the accompanying claims and their equivalents. Furthermore, each and every claim is incorporated as further disclosure into the specification and the claims are embodiment(s) of the invention.