Filter pump system for liquid convection cooker

Claim 2

Apparatus for circulating and filtering hot cooking liquid contained within a cooking vat of a deep fat fryer, said fryer including an open topped liquid containing vat having integral side and bottom walls and means to heat cooking liquid contained in said vat; an open topped hemispherically shaped well connected by its upper peripheral edge to a centrally located portion of said bottom wall of said vat with said open top in liquid communication with said vat; a filter element spanning said opeN topped well; pump means located in said vat adjacent a side wall thereof, said pump means including a pump housing having an intake port adjacent said bottom wall and an outlet spaced above said bottom wall and below the surface of said cooking liquid, a conduit having an inlet opening on one end positioned at said upper peripheral edge of said well beneath said filter and the other end connected to said intake port, said conduit extending adjacent said bottom wall between said well and the intake port of said housing, and impeller means in said pump housing adapted to pass liquid between said inlet and said outlet, whereby said pump means drawing off the liquid from the upper peripheral edge of the well causes creation of a vortex directed toward the well to insure circulation and filtration of all the liquid within the vat as well as maintaining the temperature of the liquid by keeping it at all times within the vat.

Claim 3

The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said filter element comprises a planar filter element having an outer dimension greater than said open topped well.

Claim 4

The apparatus according to claim 2 further comprising handle means attached to said filter element.

Claim 5

The apparatus according to claim 2 further comprising an annular recess in said bottom wall surrounding the upper peripheral edge of said well, a peripheral edge of said filter element engaging in said annular recess.

Claim 6

The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said pump housing includes a cylindrical member having a chamber therein, said intake port and said outlet opening into said chamber; said impeller means including a shaft with at least one blade fixedly attached thereto; bearing means mounting the shaft of said impeller means for rotation within said housing with said blades positioned within said chamber; and drive means operatively connected to drivingly rotate said shaft.

Claim 7

The apparatus according to claim 5 further comprising nozzle means fixed to the outlet of said pump housing extending parallel to the bottom of said vat and at an angle of substantially 45* with respect to at least one side wall of said vat.

Claim 8

The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said bearing means comprises first and second bearings vertically spaced within said pump housing defining a second chamber therebetween; and a pair of opposing slots formed in said pump housing providing liquid communication to said second chamber, the longitudinal axes of said slots lying in a plane parallel to that of the adjacent vat wall whereby motion is imparted to the liquid in the vat by rotation of said shaft.

Claim 9

The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said well has an annular recess formed about the upper peripheral edge thereof; said conduit having said inlet opening profiled to conform to the shape of said well and stepped to conform to the shape of said annular recess; said pump housing including a cylindrical member positioned vertically in said vat with said intake port at the bottom end of said cylindrical member; means to rotatably drive said impeller means; and nozzle means fixed to said housing outlet parallel with the bottom of said vat and at an angle of approximately 45* with respect to a side wall of said vat whereby liquid in said vat is circulated both by the vortex formed in drawing liquid from said well and by returning filtered liquid to said vat at said angle.

Claim 10

In combination with a deep fat fryer including an open topped vat having integral side and bottom walls for retaining a quantity of hot cooking liquid therein and means to heat the liquid within said vat, an apparatus for circulating and filtering the hot cooking liquid within said vat comprising; an open topped hemispherically shaped well connected by its peripherial edge so as to be substantially centered in a bottom wall of said vat with said open top of said hemispherically shaped well in liquid communication wIth the vat; filter means extending completely across said open top of said well; pump means mounted in said vat adjacent a side wall thereof, said pump means including a cylindrical housing having an intake port adjacent the bottom wall of the vat and a horizontal outlet spaced above the bottom wall of the vat and below the surface of the cooking liquid, impeller means mounted in said cylindrical housing adapted to move liquid from said intake port to said outlet, means to rotatably drive said impeller means, and conduit means having one end connected to said intake port of said cylindrical housing and the other end opening at said upper peripheral edge of said hemispherically shaped well below said filter, said conduit means lying within said vat adjacent the bottom wall thereof; whereby said pump means drawing off said liquid from the upper peripherial edge of said well causes creation of a vortex directed toward said well thus insuring circulation of all the liquid within said vat while maintaining the temperature of the liquid by keeping it within the vat at all times during the circulating and filtering process.

Claim 11

In combination with a deep fat fryer including an open topped vat having integral side and bottom walls for retaining a quantity of hot cooking liquid therein and means to heat the liquid within said vat, an apparatus for circulating and filtering the hot cooking liquid within said vat comprising; an open topped hemispherically shaped well connected by its peripherial edge so as to be substantially centered in a bottom wall of said vat with said open top of said hemispherically shaped well in liquid communication wIth the vat; filter means extending completely across said open top of said well; pump means mounted in said vat adjacent a side wall thereof, said pump means including a cylindrical housing having an intake port adjacent the bottom wall of the vat and a horizontal outlet spaced above the bottom wall of the vat and below the surface of the cooking liquid, impeller means mounted in said cylindrical housing adapted to move liquid from said intake port to said outlet, means to rotatably drive said impeller means, and conduit means having one end connected to said intake port of said cylindrical housing and the other end opening at said upper peripheral edge of said hemispherically shaped well below said filter, said conduit means lying within said vat adjacent the bottom wall thereof; whereby said pump means drawing off said liquid from the upper peripherial edge of said well causes creation of a vortex directed toward said well thus insuring circulation of all the liquid within said vat while maintaining the temperature of the liquid by keeping it within the vat at all times during the circulating and filtering process.