Automatic meat cooking system

Claim 2

An automatic meat cooking system for use with an oven comprising: input means adapted to be connected with a source of electricity; a temperature sensing probe connected with said input means for insertion into a piece of meat to sense the internal temperature thereof; an indicator assembly including internal temperature indicating means in a first circuit with said probe and said input means and responsive to said probe to indicate the internal temperature of the meat, adjusting means for selecting a desired doneness, and anticipation means adjustable by said adjusting means and responsive to said internal temperature indicating means; said anticipation means including first and second spaced coils, and said internal temperature indicating means being movably disposed in the space between said first and second coils; load means adapted to control the temperature in the oven; and detecting means in a second circuit with said load means and said input means, said detecting means being connected with said anticipation means and responsive to said internal temperature indicating means to energize said load means when a predetermined internal temperature of the meat is obtained whereby the temperature in the oven is controlled in accordance with the internal temperature of the meat and the internal temperature of the meat is continuously displayed by said indicator assembly.

Claim 3

The invention as recited in claim 1 wherein said probe includes a thermistor having a resistance varying with temperature, and said internal temperature indicating means includes a member movable in response to the resistance of said thermistor.

Claim 4

The invention as recited in claim 2 wherein said member includes a vane disposed adjacent said anticipation means and movable with respect to said anticipation means in accordance with the internal meat temperature.

Claim 5

The invention as recited in claim 3 wherein said adjusting means includes a movable pointer, and wherein said first and second coils are mounted in spaced relation on said pointer, said first coil having a first end coupled to a reference potential and a second end coupled through a pulsing network to said input means, said second coil having a first end coupled to said reference potential and a second end coupled to said detecting means, and said vane is movable in the space between said first and second coils.

Claim 6

The inventiOn as recited in claim 4 wherein said detecting means includes a controlled rectifier having a gate electrode connected with said second end of said second coil.

Claim 7

The invention as recited in claim 5 wherein said pulsing network includes a breakdown device having a first terminal coupled with said second end of said first coil and a second terminal, a capacitor coupled between said first end of said first coil and said second terminal of said breakdown device, and a resistor coupled with said second terminal of said breakdown device and said input means.

Claim 8

The invention as recited in claim 6 wherein said breakdown device is a unidirectionally conducting diode having a predetermined breakdown voltage.

Claim 9

The invention as recited in claim 7 wherein said input means supplies an AC voltage, and said diode is poled to conduct on positive half cycles only.

Claim 10

The invention as recited in claim 3 wherein said internal temperature indicating means includes a bimetal arm having a stationary end and a movable end connected with said member, and a heating element adjacent said bimetal arm, said heating element being connected in series with said thermistor whereby the heat from said heating element is controlled in accordance with the internal temperature of the meat such that said bimetal arm moves said member to indicate the internal temperature of the meat.

Claim 11

The invention as recited in claim 9 wherein a bimetal compensating network is connected in series with said heating element and said thermistor to compensate for variations in electricity from the source.

Claim 12

An automatic meat cooking system for use with an oven comprising: an input means adapted to be connected with a source of electricity; a temperature sensing probe connected with said input means for insertion into a piece of meat to sense the internal temperature thereof; an indicator assembly including internal temperature indicating means connected with said probe and movable to indicate the internal temperature of the meat, set temperature indicating means adjustable to indicate a set temperature and including proximity means operable to provide a signal in response to movement of said internal temperature indicating means, and mounting means movably supporting said internal temperature indicating means and said set temperature indicating means such that said proximity means is stationary and said internal temperature indicating means is movable toward and away from said proximity means; said proximity means including first and second spaced coils, and said internal temperature indicating means being movably disposed in the space between said first and second coils; load means connected with said input means and adapted to control the temperature in the oven; and detecting means connected with said proximity means and said load means and responsive to the signal from said proximity means to energize said load means to cool the oven when the internal temperature of the meat is at a predetermined level with respect to the set temperature whereby cooking of the meat during cooling of the oven is anticipated.

Claim 13

An automatic meat cooking system for use with an oven comprising: an input means adapted to be connected with a source of electricity; a temperature sensing probe connected with said input means for insertion into a piece of meat to sense the internal temperature thereof; an indicator assembly including internal temperature indicating means connected with said probe and movable to indicate the internal temperature of the meat, set temperature indicating means adjustable to indicate a set temperature and including proximity means operable to provide a signal in response to movement of said internal temperature indicating means, and mounting means movably supporting said internal temperature indicating means and said set temperature indicating means such that said proximity means is stationary and said internal temperature indicating means is movable toward and away from said proximity means; said proximity means including first and second spaced coils, and said internal temperature indicating means being movably disposed in the space between said first and second coils; load means connected with said input means and adapted to control the temperature in the oven; and detecting means connected with said proximity means and said load means and responsive to the signal from said proximity means to energize said load means to cool the oven when the internal temperature of the meat is at a predetermined level with respect to the set temperature whereby cooking of the meat during cooling of the oven is anticipated.

Claim 14

The invention as recited in claim 11 wherein said first coil is connected with said input means through pulsing means and said second coil is connected with said detecting means.

Claim 15

The invention as recited in claim 12 wherein said detecting means includes a controlled rectifier having a gate electrode connected with said second coil, and said internal temperature indicating means includes a vane movable in the space between said first and second coils to suppress air coupling therebetween whereby a pulse is coupled from said first coil to said second coil when the internal temperature of the meat is at said predetermined level to render said controlled rectifier conducting to energize said load means.

Claim 16

The invention as recited in claim 14 wherein said probe includes a thermistor, and said internal temperature indicating means includes a heatiNg element in a first circuit with said thermistor and said input means, and said load means, said detecting means and said proximity means are in a second circuit with said input means whereby said internal temperature indicating means continuously indicates the internal temperature of the meat independent of the operation of said load means, said detecting means and said proximity means.

Claim 17

The invention as recited in claim 15 wherein a bimetal compensating network is connected in said first circuit to compensate for variations in the electricity from the source, and said pulsing means includes a breakdown diode in series with said first coil, a capacitor connected in parallel across said first coil and said breakdown diode and a resistor connected at one end with said capacitor and said breakdown diode and at the other end with said input means.