GB2586372A

GB2586372A - Egg cooking appliance

Info

Publication number: GB2586372A
Application number: GB2014829.2A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Stanley Powell Brian
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2018-02-20
Filing date: 2019-02-20
Publication date: 2021-02-17
Also published as: WO2019162661A1; GB202014829D0

Abstract

An egg cooking appliance (10) having a first recess (11) for the receipt of water. The first recess further includes a first heater positioned below the first recess. A second recess (12) for the receipt of at least one de-shelled egg, further having a second heater positioned below the second recess. A temperature sensor is affixed to the second recess and distanced from the second heater. A processor is provided for the receipt of input from a user and from the temperature sensor for providing output to the first and second heaters, and a lid sized to substantially cover the first and second recesses and for passage of steam from the first recess to the second recess and for expelling steam from the appliance.

Claims

1 An egg cooking appliance comprising: a first recess for the receipt of water, said first recess further comprising a first heater positioned below said first recess; a second recess for the receipt of at least one de-shelled egg, further comprising a second heater positioned below said second recess, said first and second heaters being either separate elements or a single continuous element below both first and second recesses; a temperature sensor affixed to said second recess and distanced from said second heater; a processor for the receipt of input from a user and from said temperature sensor for providing output to said first and second heaters; and a lid sized to substantially cover said first and second recesses and for passage of steam from said first recess to said second recess and for expelling steam from said appliance.

2 The appliance of claim 1 wherein the temperature sensor is spaced from the second heater to enable the sensor to sense the temperature of the recess without interference from the second heater.

3. The appliance of either claim 1 or 2 wherein the second recess is formed in a plate and the temperature sensor is distanced from said second heater by a distance greater than the thickness of the plate.

4. The appliance of any preceding claim wherein said first recess is of a size and said first heater is of a power to enable said appliance to produce steam delivered to said second recess for approximately up to 180 seconds .

5. The appliance of any preceding claim wherein said first and second heaters are approximately of equal power output, such as 500 W each.

6 The appliance of any preceding claim wherein said processor is configured to determine the presence or absence of a de-shelled egg in said second recess by monitoring the rate of increase of temperature detected by the sensor when power is provided to said second heater.

7. The appliance of claim 6 wherein said processor is configured to begin a preheat cycle when the appliance is activated by a user wherein the processor provides power to said first and second heaters to heat up the appliance and turns off power to said first and second heaters when the temperature detected by the sensor reaches a first predetermined temperature and/or controls power to said first and second heaters to maintain the temperature detected by the sensor at a first predetermined temperature, if the processor determines that no egg has been introduced to said second recess.

8. The appliance of claim 7 wherein the processor is configured to maintain the first predetermined temperature for a predetermined period of time and to turn off power to the first and second heaters if no egg is detected within that period of time.

9. The appliance of any of either of claims 7 or 8 wherein said processor is configured to initiate a boost, increasing the power supplied to said first and second heaters during or after said preheat cycle, to commence a cooking cycle, when the processor determines that an egg has been introduced into the second recess.

10 The appliance of claim 9 wherein, when the boost is initiated, the processor is arranged to calculate a boost time period which depends on the difference between a target temperature and the temperature measured by the sensor when the boost is initiated.

11. The appliance of either claim 9 or 10 wherein the boost causes the first and second heaters to heat the appliance so that the temperature detected by the sensor is greater than the first predetermined temperature.

12. The appliance of any of claims 9 to 11 wherein, on completion of the boost, the processor is configured to control the first and second heaters according to a predetermined cooking cycle.

13. The appliance of any of claims 9 to 12 wherein said processor controls the length of said cooking cycle as a result of the mass of said at least one de-shelled egg and user selected cooking characteristics of said at least one de-shelled egg.

The appliance of any preceding claim wherein said processor periodically terminates power to said first heater for regulation of steam generation from said first recess.

15. The appliance of any preceding claim wherein said processor is configured to receive the approximate size of the egg to be introduced within the second recess by a user and / or to receive an intended degree of cooking of said de-shelled egg by a user.

16. The egg cooking appliance of claim 15 wherein said processor controls power to said first and second heaters based upon said user-selected egg size and/or cooking preference.

17. The egg cooking appliance of either of claims 15 or 16 wherein said processor retains egg size and/or cooking preferences upon completion of a cooking cycle.

18. The appliance of any of claims 15 to 17 wherein said degree of cooking provides for a de-shelled egg to be soft poached, fully cooked or souffled.

19. The egg cooking appliance of any of claims 15 to 18 wherein said processor monitors the temperature of said second recess through said sensor and adjusts power to said second heater if an egg contained within said second recess differs in mass from the egg size received by the processor from a user.

20 The egg cooking appliance of any preceding claim wherein said sensor provides temperature information to said processor sufficient to enable the cooking appliance to know whether a de-shelled egg is contained in the second recess .

21. The egg cooking appliance of claim 20 wherein when said processor is configured so that when it determines that the second recess contains a de- shelled egg, it causes said first heater to increase the temperature of said first recess to at least 100° C. for the production of steam.

22. The appliance of any preceding wherein said first and second recesses are configured within a single plate or said first and second recesses are configured within individual plates, said individual plates being housed in a frame to enable said plates to be individually removed from said frame.

23. The appliance of claim 22 wherein said plate or plates is/are comprised of aluminium and said lid is comprised of stainless steel.

24. The appliance of any preceding claim wherein said first recess is shaped so that as long as there is water in said first recess, said water is always proximate said first heater.

25. The appliance of any preceding claim wherein said second recess is shaped so that when there is an egg in said recess said egg is always proximate said sensor.

26. The appliance of any preceding claim wherein said second recess is approximately 10 mm in depth and has a volume of approximately 100 ml.

27. The appliance of any preceding claim wherein said first recess is of a size to receive at least approximately 20 ml of water.

28. The appliance of any preceding claim arranged to produce steam for up to about 60 seconds from approximately 5ml of water placed in the first recess.

29. The appliance of any preceding claim arranged to produce steam for up to about 150 seconds from approximately 7.5ml of water placed in the first recess.