Patent Description:
Air-based fryers are known, for instance from <CIT>.

Typically, they comprise a cooking chamber and an air-permeable basket for supporting food ingredients to be cooked. The basket defines a food receiving chamber. A flow of hot air is circulated around and through the food ingredients in the food receiving chamber with relatively high speed, providing the heat needed to cook the food. Thus, the food can be cooked in a healthy manner, with no or much less fat compared to conventional deep-fat frying.

Air-based fryers can be used for preparing a large variety of food ingredients. The general operation involves placing the food items in a basket with a perforated base, so that air can flow through the food from beneath. The base may be removable from the remainder of the basket for easy cleaning.

It would be desirable to be able to cook a greater variety of food types in an air-based fryer.

It is known to provide a cooking pot accessory which can be inserted into the cooking chamber so that food items with a liquid content can be cooked. It is also known to provide a grill pan accessory. This comprises a base with a ridged or otherwise profiled surface, which is used to provide a grilled appearance, such as stripes, to the food. It is typically used for cooking meat.

None of these known accessories are suitable for cooking pizza, for example frozen pizza. Cooking of a pizza requires particular attention to the heating of the bottom surface, and for this reason simply placing the pizza in the basket, or alternatively on a grill pan accessory, does not give the required cooking results.

There is therefore a need for an air-fryer accessory which is suitable for cooking pizza.

<CIT>, <CIT> and <CIT> each disclose vessel designs for an air-fryer. <CIT> also shows an accessory for an air fryer according to the preamble of claim <NUM>.

According to examples in accordance with an aspect of the invention, there is provided an accessory for an air-based fryer, comprising:.

This accessory has a perforated base, for example in the form of a grid or mesh, on which a pizza can be mounted. The grid allows air to flow to the pizza base. The suspension above the cooking chamber base allows sufficient air to flow to cook the pizza base. The open side allows air to flow around the outer crust of the pizza.

By "open side" is meant there is no side wall around the outer edge of the perforated base, for at least the <NUM> degrees. This means air is able to flow over and around the edge of the pizza resting on the perforated base. There may for example only be a side wall where the handle connects to the perforated base. This connection area may extend to much less than the remaining <NUM> degrees, for example less than <NUM> degrees. Preferably, the connection area is minimized so that the open side can be more than <NUM> degrees, more preferably can be close to <NUM> degrees. In this way, air may flow over and around almost the entire edge of the pizza.

The perforated base is non-circular, with two diagonals and four sides between the diagonals, wherein the handle comprises two connectors for connecting to the perforated base at two locations in the vicinity of two adjacent diagonals.

The term "diagonal" is used to denote a line which passes through the center of area, which has a locally maximum length. Thus, it does not imply a polygon with straight sides. By way of example, the perforated base may have a generally square shape with rounded corners, and more gently curved sides. The diagonals are then between the rounded corners. By connecting the handle to the corners (i.e. in the vicinity of one end of each of the two diagonals) these connections do not reduce the maximum circular pizza size that can be fitted, since this is constrained by the distance between the sides rather than the diagonals.

The handle comprises an opening between the two connectors in the vicinity of one of the sides. This opening ensures that the handle does not contribute to a limitation to the maximum pizza size. It means the handle has a double shafted connection to the perforated base. A pizza may project into the opening to maximize the pizza size that can fit.

The perforated base preferably has a minimum diameter of at least <NUM>, for example at least <NUM>. The term "diameter" is used to denote the length of any line which passes through the center of area between opposite sides (or corners). It does not imply a circular shape.

This minimum diameter means that a standard size circular pizza of <NUM> diameter for a small design of appliance, and <NUM> diameter for a larger design of appliance, is able to fit on the perforated base.

The perforated base is preferably removable from the handle, e.g. for easy cleaning.

The accessory may further comprise a top plate mountable above the perforated base and supported by the handle. This top plate may be used to protect a heating element above the cooking chamber from being contacted by light weight food items on the pizza which may be lifted by the air flows. It may also be used to adjust the air flow dynamics in the cooking chamber, for example reducing the airflow directly above the pizza.

The top plate may comprise a solid plate or a perforated plate. A smaller solid plate may be used or a larger perforated plate, again for example in the form of a mesh or grid. A grid may for example have a combined area of openings which is at least <NUM>% of the total area. The holes should have a small size to act as a filter, for example with a diameter less than <NUM>.

The top plate may for example be mountable with a maximum height of at least <NUM> above the perforated base. This allows a thick pizza to be mounted between the perforated base and the top plate. The handle may be arranged to support the top plate at various heights above the base plate. Thus, a user may adjust the height between the perforated base and top plate to the height of the pizza or, more generally, the food to be accommodated in the accessory.

The top plate for example has a maximum diameter of at least <NUM>. In the case of a grid, it may have the same size and shape as the perforated base.

The top plate is preferably also removable from the handle, e.g. for cleaning.

The invention also provides an air-based fryer, comprising:.

This air fryer has an accessory for cooking pizzas, which provides the required air flow to the base, sides and top of the pizza. The handle of the accessory may function both to position the accessory within the cooking chamber and also to insert and remove the cooking chamber from a main body of the air-based fryer.

The perforated base is for example mounted at least <NUM> above the base of the cooking chamber. This provides a sufficient air flow beneath the pizza base to provide desired cooking of the pizza base.

The air-based fryer may comprise a food receiving chamber for use as the food receiving unit in place of the accessory, wherein the food receiving chamber comprises a base, and a side wall, wherein the base of the food receiving chamber is interchangeable with the perforated base of the accessory.

This food receiving chamber may be the normal basket of the air-based fryer. The bottom of the basket may thus be reused as the pizza perforated base. In this way, only the handle is needed to implement the pizza accessory, in addition to the normal components of the air-based fryer.

When the accessory further comprises a top plate, the base of the food receiving chamber may be interchangeable with the top plate of the accessory. Thus, the perforated base of the accessory may be specially designed, and the top plate is reused from the basket.

The top plate, perforated base and basket base may all be identical so that the fitting is made easier for the user, in that they cannot select the wrong component.

Thus, a versatile set of options is created with shared components.

The invention provides an accessory for an air-based fryer (and the air-based fryer with the accessory) which comprises a perforated base with an open side and a handle for mounting the perforated base in a cooking chamber of the air-based fryer, with the perforated base suspended above a base of the cooking chamber. This accessory is suitable for cooking pizzas, although it may be used for other food products such as toasted sandwiches or other bread based food products. The reference to pizzas are thus for ease of description and are not intended to be limited.

<FIG> shows a known design of air-based fryer <NUM> in cross-sectional view. The air-based fryer <NUM> comprises a cooking chamber <NUM> with sidewalls <NUM>, a bottom wall <NUM> and a top wall <NUM>. A basket <NUM> is disposed within the cooking chamber <NUM> to support food F to be cooked.

The basket <NUM> comprises an air-permeable bottom <NUM> and solid side walls <NUM>. It has an open top, although a permeable cover plate may also be provided. The bottom <NUM> for example comprises a wire mesh which is a snap fit into the base of the basket within the side walls <NUM>. The wire mesh is for example removable for cleaning, e.g. in a dishwasher, whereas the remainder of the basket is typically wiped clean by the user.

A mounting structure <NUM> is provided to detachably mount the basket <NUM> in the cooking chamber <NUM>. The mounting structure <NUM> is designed to allow air to circulate all around the basket <NUM> in the mounted condition. The mounting structure <NUM> is designed such that in mounted condition a bottom gap 16a is provided between the air-permeable bottom <NUM> and the bottom wall <NUM> of the cooking chamber <NUM>. Furthermore, a lateral gap 16b is provided between the sidewalls <NUM> of the cooking chamber <NUM> and the perimeter of the air-permeable bottom <NUM>. The bottom gap 16a and lateral gap 16b together form part of an air circulation channel.

The mounting structure <NUM> is designed to minimize obstruction of said air circulation channel.

In some embodiments, as illustrated in <FIG>, the mounting structure <NUM> comprises a handle, with which the basket <NUM> may be suspended from a sidewall <NUM> of the cooking chamber <NUM>. The handle allows a user to easily remove the basket <NUM> from the cooking chamber <NUM>.

The air-based fryer <NUM> further comprises an air circulation system comprising a fan <NUM>, a motor <NUM> and an air heater <NUM> for circulating hot air in the cooking chamber <NUM>. The air heater <NUM> may be disposed above the basket <NUM>. In such a case, the air heater <NUM> may radiate heat directly to the food ingredients F in addition to heating the air in the cooking chamber <NUM>.

The air circulation system may also be disposed above the basket <NUM> for example above the air heater <NUM>.

The air circulation system is designed to pass hot air through the air-permeable bottom <NUM> of the basket <NUM> such that food F disposed thereon will be prepared by a through-streaming of hot air.

The air circulation system in this example is designed to draw air upward through the basket <NUM> as shown by arrows <NUM>. The air may subsequently be passed along the air heater <NUM> to heat the air. The air heater <NUM> may be any appropriate heating source, such as an electric heater which can heat air to, for example, between roughly <NUM> and <NUM> by controlling the power supplied to the air heater.

As shown by arrows <NUM>, the air circulation system is designed to pass hot air downward along an inner surface of the cooking chamber <NUM> and an outer surface of the basket <NUM>. The bottom gap 16a and lateral gap 16b together form an air circulation channel for guiding the flow of hot air from the air circulation system to the bottom <NUM> of the basket <NUM>.

The bottom wall <NUM> of the cooking chamber <NUM> may be flat or as shown in <FIG> the bottom wall <NUM> may be provided with an air guide member <NUM> configured to direct the hot air flow towards and/or through the air-permeable bottom <NUM> of the basket <NUM>.

The air guide member <NUM> may have a substantially conical, or frusto-conical outer contour or it may comprise ribs or arms. The air guide member <NUM> may be integrally formed in the bottom wall <NUM> of the cooking chamber or be provided as a separate insert.

In the example shown, a deflector plate <NUM> is provided in an upper part of the cooking chamber <NUM> above the basket <NUM>, to further enclose a volume enclosed by the basket <NUM>, and to help guiding air from the air circulation system <NUM> around the basket into the air circulation channel formed by the bottom gap 16a and lateral gap 16b.

The cooking chamber <NUM> is shown with an upper section 2a and a lower section 2b, separable from each other to enable access into the cooking chamber <NUM>. The upper section 2a thus functions as a cooking chamber lid. In some embodiments, the lower section 2b may be arranged stationary and the upper section 2a may be releasably or hingedly arranged, e.g. in the form of a lid. In some embodiments, the upper section 2a may be arranged stationary and the lower section 2b may be releasably arranged, e.g. in the form of a drawer. In such case, the lower section 2b may comprise a handle <NUM> to aid removal of the lower section 2b from the air-based fryer <NUM>, as illustrated in <FIG>. The mounting structure, more particularly, the handles <NUM> may couple together with handle <NUM> to define a single handle for the user to manipulate.

The air-based fryer <NUM> may comprise a vent (not shown), defining an air outlet from the cooking chamber <NUM> to outside the air-based fryer <NUM>.

In use, a variety of food types may be prepared in the air-based fryer <NUM>. In case where the food is a bulk type of food, the individual food ingredients F may form a pile as illustrated in <FIG>, with the height, density and consequently the flow resistance being highest in the center of the pile and decreasing towards the periphery.

The bottom <NUM> of the basket <NUM> may for example be designed to have a flow resistance that reversely mirrors the flow resistance of the pile, so is lowest in the center and increases towards the periphery. Thus, the total flow resistance of the bottom <NUM> and pile together may be more or less constant over the entire cross section of the basket <NUM>, resulting in a more homogeneous air flow through the basket <NUM> and, ultimately, in more homogeneous cooking results.

The invention provides an accessory for an air-based fryer, and an air-based fryer having the accessory, the accessory having a perforated base with an open side. A handle is provided for mounting the perforated base in a cooking chamber of the air-based fryer, with the perforated base suspended above a base of the cooking chamber. Thus, the handle functions as the mounting structure <NUM> of <FIG>. The handle may cooperate with a handle <NUM> of the cooking chamber to define a single handle for the user to manipulate, as described above. Alternatively, the handle of the accessory may function, in mounted condition, as handle for manipulating the cooking chamber itself.

<FIG> shows an example of the lower section 2b of the cooking chamber with the accessory <NUM> suspended by its handle <NUM> above the base <NUM> of the cooking chamber. The handle <NUM> supports a perforated base <NUM> on which a food item <NUM> such as a pizza may be placed.

The perforated base <NUM> is open all around, and thus comprises a generally planar support plate. It is removably attached to the handle <NUM> by a connection arrangement <NUM>. This connection arrangement <NUM> creates a local side wall portion, but it is sufficiently narrow that the remaining area around the perforated base is open around at least <NUM> degrees. The outer edge of the perforated base is spaced from the inner wall of the inner sidewalls <NUM> of the cooking chamber <NUM>. For example, the spacing around the outer edge (i.e. around the open region of the perforated base) when the accessory is in position within the cooking chamber may be at least <NUM>, or at least <NUM>.

The perforated base may be fully supported by the handle, or there may be a support element <NUM> so that the perforated base also rests on the base <NUM> of the cooking chamber. The perforated base is for example mounted at least <NUM> above the base of the cooking chamber, for example <NUM> above, for example in the range <NUM> to <NUM> above the base.

The handle <NUM> supports the perforated base <NUM> and it also clips to the lower part 2b of the cooking chamber, for example at the connection area <NUM>. Thus, a single handle <NUM> is used to hold the lower part of the cooking chamber and the perforated base as a single connected unit.

<FIG> shows the perforated base <NUM> and the handle <NUM> separated. The perforated base <NUM> has the same shape as the outer contour of the cooking chamber. This is for example generally square with sharply rounded corners and gently curved sides. It thus has two diagonals <NUM> and four sides between the diagonals. The diagonal is a locally maximum width passing through the center of area <NUM>.

The connection arrangement comprises two connectors <NUM> for connecting to the perforated base at two adjacent corners. By connecting at regions of locally maximum diameter, the circular pizza size which can be fitted on the perforated base is not reduced by the connection arrangement <NUM>.

The handle comprises an opening <NUM> (most clearly seen in <FIG>) between the two connectors <NUM>.

The perforated base preferably has a minimum diameter (e.g. from the middle of one side to the middle of an opposing side) of at least <NUM> in one example and at least <NUM> in another example. Standard sizes of circular pizza of <NUM> or <NUM> diameter are thereby able to fit on the perforated base.

<FIG> shows the perforated base <NUM> connected to the handle <NUM>. It can then be clipped over the outer wall of the lower portion 2b of the cooking chamber to create the connected assembly of <FIG>.

<FIG> shows the accessory and lower portion of the cooking chamber in plan view on the left and in end view on the right. It shows the pizza <NUM> as circular. It also shows that a part <NUM> of the pizza extends through the opening <NUM> so that the handle and its connection to the perforated base does not impact the maximum pizza size. It also shows that the pizza may overlap the perforated base where the perforated base has its narrowest diameter. Thus, the pizza may be slightly larger than the minimum diameter of the perforated base.

<FIG> shows a modification to the design of <FIG> in which a top plate <NUM> is mounted above the perforated base <NUM> and supported by the handle <NUM>. This top plate may be used to protect the heating element <NUM> (<FIG>) above the cooking chamber from being contacted by light weight food items on the pizza which may be lifted by the air flows. It may also be used to adjust the air flow dynamics in the cooking chamber, for example reducing the airflow directly above the pizza.

The top plate may comprise a solid plate or another perforated plate. A smaller solid plate may be used or a larger grid plate. A grid may for example have a combined area of openings which is at least <NUM>% of the total area. The holes should have a small size to act as a filter to any small food items which have become caught in the air flow, for example with a diameter less than <NUM>.

<FIG> shows the assembly of the handle <NUM>, perforated base <NUM> and top plate <NUM> in perspective view. The top plate may be mountable at different heights above the perforated base, for example in steps of between <NUM> and <NUM>. A set of attachment features may for example be provided at different heights, and the top plate may be mounted to any chosen one of these attachment features. The top plate is for example mounted with a maximum height h of at least <NUM> above the perforated base. This allows a thick pizza to be mounted between the perforated base and the top plate.

The top plate for example has a maximum diameter of at least <NUM>. In the case of a grid, it may have the same size and shape as the perforated base as shown in <FIG>.

An air-based fryer generally includes the basket as the main cooking chamber accessory. The basket has a removable bottom part, for cleaning purposes, as mentioned above.

The accessory may make use of the same bottom part. Thus, the perforated base <NUM> may comprise the bottom part of the main basket. Thus, the basic accessory of <FIG> may be implemented only with the specially designed handle. The accessory with both top plate and perforated base of <FIG> may be implemented only with the specially designed handle and one extra plate to be used as the top plate.

Alternatively, the top plate <NUM> may be interchangeable with the bottom of the main basket. Thus, the accessory with both top plate and perforated base may be implemented only with the specially designed handle and one extra plate to be used as the perforated base.

As a further alternative, the top plate and the perforated base may be identical. This makes assembly easier.

The invention may be applied to different types of air-based fryer, of which <FIG> is only one example.

Claim 1:
An accessory (<NUM>) for an air-based fryer, comprising:
an air permeable perforated base (<NUM>) with an open side around at least <NUM> degrees, wherein the perforated base comprises a mounting for supporting a pizza for cooking in the air-based fryer, wherein the open side is for allowing air to flow around the outer crust of the pizza; and wherein the perforated base (<NUM>) is non circular;
a handle (<NUM>) for mounting the perforated base in a cooking chamber (<NUM>) of the air-based fryer, with the perforated base suspended above a base (<NUM>) of the cooking chamber,
the accessory being characterized in that
the handle (<NUM>) comprises two connectors (<NUM>) and an opening (<NUM>) there between, with two diagonals (<NUM>) and four sides between the diagonals, wherein the two connectors (<NUM>) are arranged for connecting the handle to the perforated base at two locations in the vicinity of two adjacent diagonals.