US3853112A — Vapor transfer food preparation and heating appar…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 210 words

Food preparation griddle apparatus comprising: a. means forming a sealed enclosure substantially purged of fluids which are non-condensible over the working temperature range and having along a portion thereof a food heating zone and a heat receiving zone; b. working fluid means, said fluid in the liquid phase partially filling said sealed enclosure through said range; c. means forming a combustion chamber; d. means for admitting air and fuel to said combustion chamber to provide thereto a combustible mixture; e. baffle means external of said enclosure having jet forming perforations therein and extending along said heat receiving zone closely adjacent thereto to form plenum chamber means along the side of said baffle means facing away from said heat receiving zone; and f. means for forcing combustion products from said combustion chamber to said plenum chamber, then through said perforations and onto said heat receiving zone as a plurality of discrete jets to thereby heat said heat receiving zone and vaporize working fluid within said sealed enclosure, whereby working fluid vapor substantially fills said sealed enclosure and condenses internal of said sealed enclosure on said food heating zone for heating said food heating zone to a substantially uniform temperature and transmitting heat energy to food material adjacent said food heating zone.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 210 words

Food preparation griddle apparatus comprising: a. means forming a sealed enclosure substantially purged of fluids which are non-condensible over the working temperature range and having along a portion thereof a food heating zone and a heat receiving zone; b. working fluid means, said fluid in the liquid phase partially filling said sealed enclosure through said range; c. means forming a combustion chamber; d. means for admitting air and fuel to said combustion chamber to provide thereto a combustible mixture; e. baffle means external of said enclosure having jet forming perforations therein and extending along said heat receiving zone closely adjacent thereto to form plenum chamber means along the side of said baffle means facing away from said heat receiving zone; and f. means for forcing combustion products from said combustion chamber to said plenum chamber, then through said perforations and onto said heat receiving zone as a plurality of discrete jets to thereby heat said heat receiving zone and vaporize working fluid within said sealed enclosure, whereby working fluid vapor substantially fills said sealed enclosure and condenses internal of said sealed enclosure on said food heating zone for heating said food heating zone to a substantially uniform temperature and transmitting heat energy to food material adjacent said food heating zone.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 16 words

means for admitting air and fuel to said combustion chamber to provide thereto a combustible mixture;

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 16 words

means for admitting air and fuel to said combustion chamber to provide thereto a combustible mixture;

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 31 words

Apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising means for automatically controlling the output of combustion products from said combustion chamber means in response to the pressure internal of said sealed enclosure.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 42 words

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said food heating zone comprises a relatively large flat food heating surface having a minimum dimensional extent several orders of magnitude larger than the average distance between said food heating zone and said heat receiving zone.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 43 words

baffle means external of said enclosure having jet forming perforations therein and extending along said heat receiving zone closely adjacent thereto to form at least one plenum chamber along the side of said baffle means facing away from said heat receiving zone; and

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 43 words

baffle means external of said enclosure having jet forming perforations therein and extending along said heat receiving zone closely adjacent thereto to form at least one plenum chamber along the side of said baffle means facing away from said heat receiving zone; and

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 79 words

means for forcing combustion products from said combustion chamber to said plenum chamber, then through said perforations and onto said heat receiving zone as a plurality of discrete jets to thereby heat said heat receiving zone and vaporize working fluid within said sealed enclosure; and d. means for sensing pressure internal of said sealed enclosure and automatically controlling the output of said heat source means in response thereto, thereby to control the temperature level of said food heating zone.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 79 words

means for forcing combustion products from said combustion chamber to said plenum chamber, then through said perforations and onto said heat receiving zone as a plurality of discrete jets to thereby heat said heat receiving zone and vaporize working fluid within said sealed enclosure; and d. means for sensing pressure internal of said sealed enclosure and automatically controlling the output of said heat source means in response thereto, thereby to control the temperature level of said food heating zone.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 39 words

Apparatus according to claim 3 further comprising capillary means internal of said sealed enclosure covering said heat receiving zone for distributing working fluid in the liquid state over said second zone to thereby facilitate evaporation of said working fluid.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 65 words

Food preparation griddle apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said sealed enclosure comprises a first flat plate means forming said food heating zone and a second plate means substantially parallel to and coextensive with said first plate means forming said heat receiving zone, the minimum dimensional extent of said first and second plates being several orders of magnitude larger than the distance between said plates.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 56 words

Cooking apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said combustion chamber is positioned immediately adjacent a portion of said heat receiving zone thereby to transfer heat energy directly from the products of combustion in said combustion chamber to a portion of said second plate means prior to passage of the products of combustion through said baffle means.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 28 words

Cooking apparatus according to claim 6 further comprising means for automatically controlling the output of said energizing means in response to the pressure internal of said sealed enclosure.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 147 words

Food preparation griddle apparatus comprising: a. means forming a sealed enclosure substantially purged of fluids which are non-condensible over the working temperature range of said device and having along a portion thereof a food heating zone and a heat receiving zone; b. working fluid means, said fluid means in the liquid state partially filling said enclosure throughout said range, substantially the entire remainder of said enclosure being filled by working fluid vapor; c. heat source means Positioned externally of said sealed enclosure adjacent said heat receiving zone for heating said heat receiving zone and vaporizing working fluid within said sealed enclosure, whereby working fluid vapor substantially fills said sealed enclosure and condenses internal thereof on said food heating zone for heating said food heating zone to a substantially uniform temperature and transmitting heat energy to food material on said food heating zone; said heat source means comprising:

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 147 words

Food preparation griddle apparatus comprising: a. means forming a sealed enclosure substantially purged of fluids which are non-condensible over the working temperature range of said device and having along a portion thereof a food heating zone and a heat receiving zone; b. working fluid means, said fluid means in the liquid state partially filling said enclosure throughout said range, substantially the entire remainder of said enclosure being filled by working fluid vapor; c. heat source means Positioned externally of said sealed enclosure adjacent said heat receiving zone for heating said heat receiving zone and vaporizing working fluid within said sealed enclosure, whereby working fluid vapor substantially fills said sealed enclosure and condenses internal thereof on said food heating zone for heating said food heating zone to a substantially uniform temperature and transmitting heat energy to food material on said food heating zone; said heat source means comprising:

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 65 words

Food preparation griddle apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said sealed enclosure comprises a first flat plate means forming said food heating zone and a second plate means substantially parallel to and coextensive with said first plate means forming said heat receiving zone, the minimum dimensional extent of said first and second plates being several orders of magnitude larger than the distance between said plates.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 71 words

Food preparation griddle apparatus according to claim 9 further comprising structural support means internal of said enclosure for maintaining said first plate flat and in parallel relationship to said second plate, said first and second plates having a thickness dimension sufficient only to provide structural integrity throughout said working temperature range for enhancing heat transfer through said enclosure from said heat source means to material supported upon said first plate means.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 64 words

Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein: a. said combustion chamber means comprises a single combustion chamber; and b. said air and fuel introducing means comprises: i. a single fuel line, and ii. flow control means responsive to said pressure sensing means for controlling fuel input from said fuel line to said combustion chamber means as a function of the pressure internal of said enclosure.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 24 words

Apparatus according to claim 11 further comprising capillary means covering said second plate means for distributing working fluid means in the liquid state thereover.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 12 words

Apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said heat transfer fluid is organic.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 28 words

Apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said baffle means comprises a plurality of baffles each having a multiplicity of said perforations and each forming a said plenum chamber.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1977-12-09	1978-06-10	1978-12-10	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1981-12-09	1982-06-10	1982-12-10	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1985-12-09	1986-06-10	1986-12-10	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Vapor transfer food preparation and heating apparatus

Abstract

Inventors

Bibliographic Details

Claims Analysis

References Cited (Backward Citations)

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Assigned Categories & Tags

Assign Category Tag