Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
325 words
A food frying apparatus comprising: a housing having a front side accessible to the exterior for cleaning and maintenance; a vessel mounted within said housing and adapted to contain oil for the frying of food, said vessel having an expansion zone adjacent said front side for containing foam resulting from frying; an oil heating container connected to said vessel, said container being positioned adjacent said front side and being in communication with said expansion zone; electric heating means mounted on the exterior of said container for indirectly heating oil therein; means for forcibly circulating oil between said vessel and said container, such that oil to be heated is passed from said vessel to said container and heated oil is passed from said container to said vessel, said circulating means comprising a motor mounted beneath said container, and a rotor coaxially mounted within said container and operatively coupled to said motor to be rotated thereby within said container; and means for removably mounting said rotor within said container and coupling said rotor to said motor in a manner to ensure that said rotor is uncoupled from said motor prior to disconnection of said rotor from said container, said mounting means comprising a plug axially slidably insertable into and removable from the top of said container between closed and open positions thereof, said rotor having an upper end connected to said plug in a manner to enable relative rotation therebetween and to prevent relative axial movement therebetween, said rotor having a lower end connected to said motor in a manner to enable relative axial movement of said rotor with respect to said motor between engaged and disengaged positions and to prevent relative rotary movement therebetween in said engaged position, and the axial length of said engagement position between said motor and said lower end of said rotor being less than the axial length of movement of said plug between said closed and open positions of said container.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
325 words
A food frying apparatus comprising: a housing having a front side accessible to the exterior for cleaning and maintenance; a vessel mounted within said housing and adapted to contain oil for the frying of food, said vessel having an expansion zone adjacent said front side for containing foam resulting from frying; an oil heating container connected to said vessel, said container being positioned adjacent said front side and being in communication with said expansion zone; electric heating means mounted on the exterior of said container for indirectly heating oil therein; means for forcibly circulating oil between said vessel and said container, such that oil to be heated is passed from said vessel to said container and heated oil is passed from said container to said vessel, said circulating means comprising a motor mounted beneath said container, and a rotor coaxially mounted within said container and operatively coupled to said motor to be rotated thereby within said container; and means for removably mounting said rotor within said container and coupling said rotor to said motor in a manner to ensure that said rotor is uncoupled from said motor prior to disconnection of said rotor from said container, said mounting means comprising a plug axially slidably insertable into and removable from the top of said container between closed and open positions thereof, said rotor having an upper end connected to said plug in a manner to enable relative rotation therebetween and to prevent relative axial movement therebetween, said rotor having a lower end connected to said motor in a manner to enable relative axial movement of said rotor with respect to said motor between engaged and disengaged positions and to prevent relative rotary movement therebetween in said engaged position, and the axial length of said engagement position between said motor and said lower end of said rotor being less than the axial length of movement of said plug between said closed and open positions of said container.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
35 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said vessel further includes a discharge conduit extending from the bottom of said vessel and having a valve for controlling the discharge of oil from said vessel.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said vessel bottom converges downwardly toward said discharge conduit, and further comprising a filter above the said discharge conduit.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
33 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said vessel and said container are connected by upper and lower passages, and said lower passage includes at least a portion of said discharge conduit.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
37 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein oil to be heated passes from said vessel to said container through said lower passage, and heated oil passes from said container to said vessel through said upper passage.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said upper passage opens into said vessel at a position below the level of oil therein.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
53 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rotor comprises a central shaft, a plurality of vanes connected to said shaft and extending radially therefrom, and a plurality of rods mounted to extend substantially parallel to said shaft and to rotate therewith at positions closely adjacent an inner surface of said container.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
15 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said rods are connected to said vanes.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
19 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein said rods are connected to radially outer edges of said vanes.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
28 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said vanes are of generally semicircular shape and are arranged in pairs opposite each other with respect to said shaft.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
20 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein said vanes are inclined with respect to the axis of said shaft.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein said pairs of vanes are spaced equally along the length of said shaft.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
26 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said rods are positioned at locations diametrically opposite each other with respect to the axis of said shaft.