HK1202787B - Sandwich making appliance and method of making a sandwich with the same - Google Patents

Description

Sandwich making appliance and method for making sandwich using the same

The present application is a divisional application filed on application No. 201310595158.3 entitled "sandwich preparation appliance and method for preparing a sandwich using the same", which was filed on day 21/11/2013.

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to appliances, and more particularly to small cooking appliances.

Background

Whether prepared at a restaurant for ordering or at home, hot sandwiches, particularly breakfast sandwiches, are popular food items. The thermal sandwich may include a plurality of distinct, separate filled portions arranged in layers between two sheets of bread. For example, hot breakfast sandwiches may be made from english muffins, bagels, pancakes, waffles, and the like. The filling portions for hot sandwiches vary widely. Typically the filling portion of a breakfast sandwich may include ham, bacon, canadian bacon, sausage patties, vegetables, cheese, eggs, and the like, as well as various combinations thereof.

Preparing hot sandwiches, especially breakfast sandwiches, at home can be a complex and time consuming task. It is necessary to use a variety of instruments to prepare the individual parts separately and then combine them into a complete sandwich. For example, an oven may be used to bake english muffins and a microwave oven may be used to heat precooked ham. It may be desirable to cook eggs in a saucepan or frying pan device or the like on a cooktop appliance. The use of multiple appliances renders it difficult to coordinate the preparation of the individual parts to ensure that all of the individual parts are completed and ready at about the same time, thereby forming a complete sandwich in which all of the parts are properly cooked and at the desired temperature. In addition, the process of washing multiple appliances adds additional time, frustration, and complexity to the home cooking process.

It has not heretofore been found how to create a kitchen appliance capable of preparing a hot sandwich whereby all parts are heated, baked and/or cooked to present the fully assembled sandwich to a user. The appliance disclosed below achieves the above and other objects and overcomes at least the above-mentioned disadvantages of conventional kitchen appliances and methods for preparing hot sandwiches.

Disclosure of Invention

A kitchen appliance for preparing, assembling and warming/cooking hot sandwiches is disclosed herein. In one embodiment of the subject appliance, a sandwich preparation appliance comprises a lower housing, an upper housing and a ring assembly. The lower housing has an upper surface that forms a lower cooking surface of the appliance. The upper housing has a lower surface that forms an upper cooking surface of the appliance. The upper housing is movably attached to the lower housing and is movable between a closed position and an open position. The ring assembly is positioned between the upper and lower cooking surfaces when the upper housing is in its closed position. The ring assembly includes an upper ring, a lower ring, and an intermediate cooking plate. The intermediate cooking plate is movable between (i) a closed position in which the space defined by the ring assembly is divided into distinct upper and lower cooking cavities, and (ii) an open position. The upper cooking cavity is formed by the upper cooking surface, the upper ring, and the intermediate cooking plate when the upper housing and the intermediate cooking plate are in their respective closed positions. The lower cooking cavity is formed by the lower cooking surface, the lower ring and the intermediate cooking plate when the lower ring and the intermediate cooking plate are in their respective closed positions.

In one or more embodiments, the ring assembly may be selectively movably attached to the lower housing to enable the ring assembly to move between a closed position and an open position. The upper ring can be selectively movably attached to the lower housing to enable the upper ring to move between a closed position and an open position. The lower ring may be selectively movably attached to the lower housing to enable the lower ring to move between a closed position and an open position. The upper ring may be adapted to move independently of the upper housing and independently of the lower ring. The lower ring may be adapted to move independently of the upper housing and independently of the upper ring.

The intermediate cooking plate may be pivotally attached to at least one of the upper ring and the lower ring. The intermediate cooking plate is movable between its open position and its closed position when the upper and lower rings are in their respective closed positions. When the intermediate cooking plate is in its open position, at least a portion of the intermediate cooking plate may be retained between the upper ring and the lower ring while the upper ring and the lower ring are in their respective closed positions.

In at least one embodiment, the ring assembly may further comprise an open position stop guide for limiting movement of said intermediate cooking plate such that at least a portion of the intermediate cooking plate is retained between the upper ring and the lower ring when the intermediate cooking plate is in its open position. The ring assembly may further comprise at least one spacer element for maintaining a desired spacing between the upper and lower rings when the rings are in their respective closed positions. The ring assembly further includes a closed position stop guide such that when the intermediate cooking plate is in the closed position, the intermediate cooking plate engages the closed position stop guide such that the intermediate cooking plate completely covers the lower open end of the upper ring and the upper open end of the lower ring.

The ring assembly may be removably attached to the lower housing at a hinge point. The ring assembly may include a hinge pin about which the upper ring and the lower ring are hinged, the hinge pin including opposite ends having different diameters. The hinge point may include opposing channels for receiving opposing ends of the hinge pin, the opposing channels having different dimensions corresponding to different diameters of the opposing ends of the hinge pin. The opposing channels may be angled relative to the plane of the upper cooking surface when the upper housing is in its closed position such that the ring assembly cannot be removed from the hinge point when the upper housing is in the closed position.

The appliance may also include one or more heating elements located in at least one of the upper and lower housings to heat at least one of the upper and lower cooking surfaces. When the upper housing is in the closed position, contact may be maintained between (i) the lower cooking surface and the lower ring, (ii) the lower ring and the intermediate cooking plate, (iii) the intermediate cooking plate and the upper ring, and (iv) the upper ring and the upper cooking surface.

The appliance may further include a plurality of handles secured to each of the upper housing, the upper ring, and the lower ring, respectively, such that a user can move the upper housing, the upper ring, and the lower ring independently. To reduce heat transfer from the cooking surface, at least one of the plurality of handles has one or more through holes defined therein. One or more of the plurality of handles may also be of a hollow configuration to increase air space and further reduce heat transfer from the heating element. The appliance may further include a handle secured to the intermediate cooking plate to enable a user to slide or pivot the intermediate cooking plate.

In addition to the sandwich preparation appliance described above, other embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods for cooking a food item comprising multiple layers. The method includes (1) disposing at least a first layer of food item in a lower cooking cavity, the lower cooking cavity positioned above a lower cooking surface; (2) disposing at least a second layer of food item in an upper cooking cavity and on a movable cooking plate, the upper cooking cavity positioned above and separated from the lower cooking cavity by the movable cooking plate; (3) moving the upper cooking surface to a closed position over the upper cooking cavity; and (4) moving the movable cooking plate to a position where the movable cooking plate no longer separates the upper cooking cavity from the lower cooking cavity. The method may further include heating at least one of the upper cooking surface and the lower cooking surface; and heating the movable cooking plate by conductive heat transfer from at least one of the upper and lower cooking surfaces.

In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, an appliance for cooking a food item includes a lower housing, an upper housing, a ring assembly, an upper ring, a lower ring, and an intermediate cooking plate. The lower housing has an upper surface that forms a lower cooking surface of the appliance. The upper housing has a lower surface that forms an upper cooking surface of the appliance. The upper housing is movably attached to the lower housing and is movable between a closed position and an open position. The ring assembly is positioned between the upper and lower cooking surfaces when the upper housing is in its closed position. The ring assembly includes an upper ring, a lower ring, and an intermediate cooking plate. The upper ring is selectively movably attached to the lower housing to enable the upper ring to move between a closed position and an open position. The lower ring is selectively movably attached to the lower housing to enable the lower ring to move between a closed position and an open position. The intermediate cooking plate is movable between (i) a closed position in which the space defined by the ring assembly is divided into upper and lower cooking cavities and (ii) an open position. The upper cooking cavity is formed by the upper cooking surface, the upper ring, and the intermediate cooking plate when the upper housing and the intermediate cooking plate are in their respective closed positions. The lower cooking cavity is formed by the lower cooking surface, the lower ring and the intermediate cooking plate when the lower ring and the intermediate cooking plate are in their respective closed positions. The upper ring is adapted to move independently of the upper housing and independently of the lower ring. The lower ring is adapted to move independently of the upper housing and independently of the upper ring. The intermediate cooking plate is movable between its open position and its closed position when the upper and lower rings are in their respective closed positions.

The intermediate cooking plate may be pivotally attached to at least one of the upper ring and the lower ring. When the intermediate cooking plate is in its open position, at least a portion of the intermediate cooking plate may be retained between the upper ring and the lower ring while the upper ring and the lower ring are in their respective closed positions. The ring assembly may further comprise at least one spacer element for maintaining a desired spacing between said upper ring and said lower ring when said upper ring and said lower ring are in their respective closed positions.

The ring assembly may be removably attached to the lower housing at a hinge point. The ring assembly may include a hinge pin about which the upper ring is hinged with the lower ring. The hinge pin may have opposite ends with different diameters. The hinge point may include opposing channels for receiving opposing ends of a hinge pin. The opposing channels may have different dimensions corresponding to different diameters of the opposing ends of the hinge pin.

The opposing channels may be angled relative to the plane of the upper cooking surface when the upper housing is in its closed position such that the ring assembly cannot be removed from the hinge point when the upper housing is in the closed position.

Drawings

Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale. The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of the present disclosure, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. It should be understood, however, that the present disclosure is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a sandwich making appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 2-6 are isometric views of the sandwich making appliance of FIG. 1, showing various configurations of the appliance.

FIG. 7 is an isometric view of the sandwich preparation appliance of FIG. 1 with a portion of the upper housing removed to show internal portions.

FIG. 8 is an isometric view of the sandwich making appliance of FIG. 1 with the ring assembly removed.

FIG. 9 is a top view of the ring assembly of the sandwich making appliance of FIG. 1 removed from the appliance.

Detailed Description

Certain terminology is used in the following description for convenience only and is not limiting. The terms "lower", "bottom", "upper", and "top" denote the directions of reference numerals made in the drawings. In accordance with the present disclosure, the terms "inwardly," "outwardly," "upwardly," and "downwardly" refer to directions toward and away from the geometric center of the device, respectively, and indicate components thereof. Unless specifically stated otherwise herein, the terms "a", "an", "the" are not limited to one element, but should be understood to mean "at least one". The terminology includes the words above mentioned, derivatives thereof, and words of similar import.

Embodiments of the appliances disclosed herein provide a sandwich preparation appliance that enables a user to easily and efficiently assemble and cook a sandwich (or any suitable item of food product) and then easily remove the fully assembled and cooked sandwich from the appliance. Advantageously, the appliance is capable of applying heat to cook the individual filled portions (constituting one of the inner layers) within the sandwich. The appliance reduces the frustration, complexity and time of individually assembling such sandwiches. Moreover, among other benefits, the appliance is easy to clean relative to conventional methods of cooking, heating and/or baking individual portions of a sandwich individually.

Referring now to fig. 1-6, in which like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout, there is shown a kitchen appliance 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The appliance 10 includes an upper housing 12 and a lower housing 14. The upper housing 12 is movably attached to the lower housing 14 such that the upper housing is movable between a closed or downward position (shown in fig. 1, 4, and 5) and an open or upward position (shown in fig. 2, 3, and 6). In the illustrated embodiment, the upper housing 12 is hingedly attached to the lower housing 14. However, any suitable movable attachment structure or method (such as pivotal or prismatic) may be used to attach the upper housing 12 to the lower housing 14. The upper housing 12 has a lower surface that forms an upper cooking surface 16 of the appliance. The lower housing 14 has an upper surface that forms a lower cooking surface 18 of the appliance. The upper and lower cooking surfaces 16, 18 are generally substantially planar and typically comprise a conductive metal (conductive metal) with a non-adhesive coating. In operation, the upper and lower surfaces 16, 18 are heated by one or more heating elements positioned in the upper and lower housings (described further below), respectively.

The appliance 10 further includes a ring assembly positioned between the upper and lower cooking surfaces when the upper housing is in the closed position. The ring assembly of the illustrated embodiment includes an upper ring 20, a lower ring 22, and an intermediate cooking plate 24. In the embodiment shown here, the upper ring 20 and the lower ring 22 are movably attached to each other (see fig. 9). The ring assembly may be selectively movably attached to the lower housing such that the ring assembly is generally movable between a closed position (fully closed ring assembly shown in fig. 1, 3, and 4) and an open position (fully open ring assembly shown in fig. 6). In the illustrated embodiment, a ring assembly (including an upper ring 20 and a lower ring 22) is hingedly attached to the lower housing 14. However, any suitable movable attachment structure or method, such as pivotal or prismatic, may be used to attach the ring assembly (including the upper ring 20 and the lower ring 22) to the lower housing 14. The ring assembly is movable independently of the upper housing. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the ring assembly may be located on the lower cooking surface when in use, and sandwiched between the lower and upper cooking surfaces when the upper housing is closed and otherwise unattached to the appliance 10.

In one embodiment, the upper ring 20 is selectively movably attached to the lower housing 14 along with the lower ring 22. This configuration enables the upper ring 20 to be movable between a closed position (see fig. 1, 3, 4 and 5) and an open position (shown in fig. 2 and 6). Similarly, the lower ring 22 is movable between a closed position (shown in fig. 1-5) and an open position (see fig. 6). The upper ring may be movable independently of the upper housing and independently of the lower ring, and the lower ring may be movable independently of the upper housing and independently of the upper ring. In the illustrated embodiment, the upper housing 12, upper ring 20, and lower ring 22 are all hingedly attached at a common hinge point 60.

In an alternative embodiment, the upper ring and the lower ring are not movably attached to each other but only to the lower housing. In the alternative embodiment described above, in which the ring assembly is not attached to the appliance 10, the upper and lower rings are not movably attached to the lower housing. In this embodiment, the upper and lower rings may be movably attached to each other, may be pivotally attached to each other, may be attached to each other in any other suitable manner, or may be in contact but otherwise not attached to each other at all. In this embodiment, where the upper and lower rings are not attached to each other or to the lower housing, the upper ring may be stacked on the lower ring. Suitable guides or other structures may be present on the upper and/or lower rings to help retain the rings in this stacked configuration.

The intermediate cooking plate 24 is movable between a closed position and an open position. The closed position of the intermediate cooking plate is most broadly defined by the position at which the intermediate cooking plate 24 overlaps the periphery of at least one of the upper or lower rings 20, 22 (see fig. 2). In the closed position of the intermediate cooking plate 24, the intermediate cooking plate 24 is positioned between the upper ring 20 and the lower ring 22 when the upper ring 20 and the lower ring 22 are also in their respective closed positions (see fig. 1, 3 and 4). The open position of the intermediate cooking plate 24 is a position in which the intermediate cooking plate 24 does not completely overlap at least the periphery of the upper ring 20 or the lower ring 22 or a position in which part or all of the intermediate cooking plate 24 is not positioned between the upper ring 20 and the lower ring 22 (see fig. 5 and 6). In one embodiment, the intermediate cooking plate 24 is pivotally movable between its open position and its closed position. Alternatively, the intermediate cooking plate 24 may be slidably movable between its open and closed positions. Advantageously, the intermediate cooking plate 24 is movable between its open position and its closed position when the upper and lower rings are in their respective closed positions. In the embodiment of fig. 5, with the upper and lower rings in their respective closed positions and the intermediate cooking plate in its open position, the intermediate cooking plate 24 is pivotally attached to the upper ring 20 at pivot point 26. The intermediate cooking plate 24 can be pivoted about the pivot point 26 to its closed position without moving the upper ring 20 or the lower ring 22. Alternatively, the intermediate cooking plate 24 may be pivotally attached to the lower ring 22 at a pivot point (not shown).

The upper and lower cooking surfaces 16, 18 together with the ring assembly selectively form upper and lower cooking cavities. The upper cooking cavity is formed by the upper cooking surface 16, the upper ring 20, and the middle cooking plate 24, each when properly positioned (see, e.g., fig. 1 and 2). For example, an upper cooking cavity exists when the upper housing and the intermediate cooking plate are in their respective closed positions. The lower cooking cavity is formed by lower cooking surface 18, lower ring 22 and intermediate cooking plate 24, each when properly positioned. For example, a lower cooking cavity exists when the lower ring and the intermediate cooking plate are in their respective closed positions and the intermediate cooking plate is positioned parallel to the lower cooking surface (see, e.g., fig. 1 and 3).

The appliance 10 may include a handle 30 secured to the upper housing 12, a handle 32 secured to the upper ring 20, and a handle 34 secured to the lower ring 22. These separate and independent handles enable the user to move the upper housing, upper ring, and lower ring independently. The appliance 10 may also include a handle 36 secured to the intermediate cooking plate 24 to enable a user to slide or pivot the intermediate cooking plate 24 relative to the upper or lower rings 20, 22. One or more of the handles 30, 32, 34, 36 may have one or more through holes 38 defined therein to inhibit heat transfer to portions of the handle that a user may grasp. The handles 30, 32, 34, 36 may also include a hollow configuration to further insulate the handles. A latch (not shown) or other type of locking mechanism (such as in conjunction with the upper housing handle 30) may be included to hold the appliance in the fully closed position during cooking.

The appliance 10 includes a display/control panel 40. The display/control panel 40 may include any desired combination of user input elements (e.g., buttons, switches, knobs, dials, etc.) to enable a user to control the operation of the appliance 10 and/or display elements (e.g., lights, alphanumeric displays) to provide information to the user. For example, the display/control panel 40 may include a "power" indicator light and a "preheat" light. As another example, the display/control panel 40 may include any suitable means for turning the appliance on and off (e.g., a simple on/off switch) and/or for controlling cooking time (e.g., a timed on/off switch). Alternatively, an on/off switch or the like may be omitted, and the appliance may be turned on and off only by turning the appliance on and off the power supply. In addition, the display/control panel 40 may include a timer (electromechanical or digital) that simply times the cooking time of the food item but does not control the power source of the appliance.

The ring assembly of the appliance 10 may include at least one spacer element for maintaining a desired spacing between the upper ring and the lower ring. The desired spacing corresponds to the thickness of the intermediate cooking plate. The spacing should be large enough to allow the intermediate cooking plate to easily slide or pivot between its open and closed positions when the upper and lower rings are in their respective closed positions, and small enough to reduce the likelihood of food items, particularly uncooked eggs, from inadvertently falling out when the intermediate cooking plate is in its closed position. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, a spacer element upper portion 70 is secured to the upper ring 20 and a spacer element lower portion 72 is secured to the lower ring 22. The mounting positions of the spacer element upper portion 70 and the spacer element lower portion 72 are selected such that when the upper and lower rings are in their closed positions, the upper portion 70 engages the lower portion 72 and such that the desired spacing between the upper and lower rings is maintained when the intermediate cooking plate is in its open position.

The ring assembly of the appliance 10 may include a closed position stop guide to ensure that the intermediate cooking plate properly overlaps the lower open end of the upper ring and the upper open end of the lower ring when the intermediate cooking plate is in its closed position. Thus, the upper and lower cooking cavities are properly defined, and thereby the likelihood of food items, such as uncooked eggs, inadvertently falling out when the intermediate cooking plate is in its closed position is reduced. The spacer element upper portion 70 may function as a closed position stop guide. For example, the handle 36 of the intermediate cooking plate 24 may contact the spacer element upper portion 70 when the intermediate cooking plate 24 is in its fully closed position.

FIG. 7 is an isometric view of the sandwich preparation appliance of FIG. 1 with a portion of the upper housing removed to show internal portions. The appliance 10 may include one or more heating elements 50 in the upper housing, the lower housing, or both. The heating element 50 may comprise any known type of heating element, such as a resistive heating element, capable of heating one or more of the upper and lower cooking surfaces. The heat sink 51 may be interposed between the heating element 50 and an inner surface of the upper cooking surface 16 (i.e., the surface opposite the cooking surface). This heat sink facilitates conductive heat transfer between the heating element 50 and the upper cooking surface 16. In embodiments of the invention where the heating element is provided in both the upper and lower housings, a similar part may be located in the lower housing of the appliance (not shown).

In embodiments of the invention where the heating elements are disposed in the upper and lower housings, the upper heating element will conductively heat the upper cooking surface and the lower heating element will conductively heat the lower cooking surface. When the upper housing is in the closed position, contact is maintained between (i) the lower cooking surface and the lower ring, (ii) the lower ring and the intermediate cooking plate, (iii) the intermediate cooking plate and the upper ring, and (iv) the upper ring and the upper cooking surface. Also, conductive heat transfer occurs from the upper and/or lower cooking surfaces to the upper, lower and intermediate cooking plates.

In embodiments of the invention, the heating elements are provided in the upper and lower housings, in addition to a power cord from the lower housing to an electrical wall socket (not shown) to provide electrical power to the appliance, and a power cord 82 is routed from the lower housing to supply electrical power to the upper heating element.

FIG. 8 is an isometric view of the sandwich making appliance of FIG. 1 with the ring assembly removed. In the embodiment shown herein, the ring assembly is selectively removably secured to the lower housing, and thus is removable as a unit (e.g., for cleaning) while the upper housing remains movably attached to the lower housing. The upper housing 12 includes two elongated upper posts 84 extending substantially perpendicularly from the upper cooking surface 16. Similarly, the lower housing 14 includes two elongated lower struts 86 extending substantially perpendicularly from the lower cooking surface 18. The pivot point 60 about which the upper housing 12, upper ring 20 and lower ring 22 all pivot together is formed at a location where the distal ends of the upper struts 84 meet or overlap the lower struts 86. The elongated configuration of the plurality of struts enables the ring assembly to fit between the upper and lower housings and enables the upper cooking surface to be substantially parallel to the lower cooking surface when the upper housing is in its closed position. A first hinge pin (not numbered) or similar mechanism hingedly engages the upper strut with the lower strut on one side and a second hinge pin (not numbered) or similar mechanism hingedly engages the upper strut with the lower strut on the opposite side.

The upper ring 20 and the lower ring 22 are hingedly attached to each other via hinge pins 76. As shown in fig. 8, the upper post 84 has opposing channels 62 to receive opposing ends of the hinge pin 76 therebetween when the ring assembly is selectively attached to the appliance 10. The hinge pin 76 has opposite ends, each of which has a different diameter (see fig. 9). The opposing channels each have a different width corresponding to one of the different diameters of the opposite ends of hinge pin 76 (the dimensions described herein as the width of the channels are indicated by the arrows in the inset of fig. 8). The different diameters of the opposite ends of hinge pin 76 and the corresponding different widths of the opposite channels 62 may ensure that the ring assembly can only be attached to the appliance 10 in one particular direction, thereby ensuring proper up/down orientation of the ring assembly within the appliance 10.

Referring to the inset shown in fig. 8, there is shown a close-up view of the distal end of one upper strut 84 in an orientation in which the struts 84 would be inside when the upper housing 12 is in its closed position. As further shown in the inset of fig. 8, the channel 62 is angled upwardly when the upper housing 12 is in its closed position. Although not shown, the opposing channels have the same angle. When the ring assembly is attached to the appliance 10 and the upper housing is in its closed position, the ends of the hinge pins 76 are positioned at the upper ends of the respective channels. The ring assembly will be sandwiched between the upper and lower housings 12, 14. The ring assembly may be removed by simply applying a force along a plane parallel to the upper or lower cooking surfaces 16, 18. Thus, if a user attempts to pull the ring assembly outside of the appliance 10 when the upper housing 12 is in its closed position (which may be when cooking an item of food), the angle of the channel 62 when the upper housing is in its closed position may interfere with this movement, thereby making it impossible to remove the ring assembly from the hinge point.

Figure 9 is a top view of only the ring assembly, such as for cleaning, as removed from the appliance 10. The upper ring 20 is opened 180 degrees apart from the lower ring 22 and the intermediate cooking plate 24 is pivoted open. The ring assembly may further include an open position stop guide 78 as part of the structure supporting the pivot point 26. The open position stop 78 defines and limits how far the cooking plate 24 can pivot. Specifically, the open position stop guide 78 engages the intermediate cooking plate 24 to form a rotational limit. A portion of the intermediate cooking plate 24 contacts an open position stop guide 78 (shown in fig. 9) so that the intermediate cooking plate cannot pivot further outward. The size and shape of the intermediate cooking plate 24, the location of the pivot point, and the limits set by the open position stop guide 78 all combine to ensure that when the intermediate cooking plate 24 is in its open position, at least a portion of the intermediate cooking plate 24 is retained between the upper and lower rings 20, 22 when the upper and lower rings 20, 22 are in their closed position in the appliance 10. This overlap, shown at 80 in fig. 9, also helps to maintain a desired spacing between the upper and lower rings 20, 22 or otherwise facilitates the ability to easily pivot the intermediate cooking plate 24 from its open position to its closed position when the upper and lower rings 20, 22 are in their respective closed positions.

Although the upper and lower cooking surfaces 16, 18 are described above as generally planar, any or all of the upper and lower cooking surfaces 16, 18 may include one or more ridges, rims, ridges or any other suitable protrusions to engage the lower edge of the lower ring 22 and/or the upper edge of the upper ring 20, respectively, to help limit side-to-side or other movement of the ring assembly, particularly during opening and closing of the middle cooking plate 24. Alternatively, any or all of the upper and lower cooking surfaces 16, 18 may include one or more channels, indentations, or any other suitable recesses for correspondingly engaging one or more corresponding ridges, rims, bumps, or other suitable protrusions on the lower and/or upper rings 22, 20. As noted above, this structure for engagement between the ring assembly and the upper and lower cooking surfaces 16, 18 may be particularly desirable in embodiments where the ring assembly is not attached to the appliance 10, but merely rests on the lower cooking surface 18. Further, either or both of the upper and lower cooking surfaces 16, 18 may be ridged or ribbed rather than planar.

The embodiments of the appliance shown here have a generally circular horizontal cross-sectional shape which is well suited for preparing sandwiches made with round bread such as english muffins and bagels. However, alternative embodiments of the appliance may have any other desired horizontal cross-sectional shape. For example, one alternative embodiment of the appliance may have a generally square horizontal cross-sectional shape. Another alternative embodiment of the appliance may have a horizontal cross-sectional shape (i.e., three straight sides and one convex side) similar to a standard bread slice.

A method of cooking an item of food product comprising a plurality of layers will now be described with reference to fig. 1-6. Typically, appliance 10 is preheated a few minutes before cooking of the food item begins. As shown in fig. 1, preheating may occur when the appliance 10 is in the fully closed position. The upper and lower cooking surfaces 16, 16 are heated, such as by the heating element 50 of fig. 7. When the appliance 10 is in the fully closed position, the heated upper surface 16 and the heated lower surface 18 will transfer heat to the upper ring 20 and the lower ring 22, respectively, by conductive heat transfer. The upper ring 20, together with the lower ring 22, heats the movable cooking plate 24 by conductive heat transfer. The appliance 10 may include an indicator light for indicating when the appliance has reached a desired pre-heat temperature. This indication may be based on the temperature actually measured within the appliance or may be based only on time.

As shown in fig. 2, when the appliance is preheated, the upper housing 12 and upper ring 20 are raised to their open positions and the lower ring 22 remains closed. The lower tier of food items is disposed in the lower ring 22 such that the lower tier is positioned on the lower cooking surface 18. For example, this lower layer may be one half of an english muffin. One or more additional layers may be disposed on an upper portion of the lower food product layer. As shown in fig. 3, after the desired layer is disposed in the lower ring 22, the upper ring 20 is lowered (via the attached intermediate cooking plate) to its closed position. With the intermediate cooking plate in its closed position, a lower cooking cavity is now defined by the lower cooking surface 18, the lower ring 22 and the intermediate cooking plate 24. Alternatively, with the intermediate cooking plate 24 pivotally attached to the lower ring 22, the lower cavity may be defined to the closed position by rotating the intermediate cooking plate 24 independently of the lowered upper ring 20.

Once the intermediate cooking plate 24 is in the closed position and the upper ring 20 is lowered, additional layers of food product may be disposed in the upper ring 20 such that the first additional layer of food product is directly on the intermediate cooking plate. Advantageously, since the intermediate cooking plate is heated, this food layer may comprise food items requiring cooking or heating, although this food layer is not required. For example, uncooked eggs may be arranged on the intermediate cooking plate 24. The heated intermediate cooking plate may suitably cook or heat the egg to a food safe temperature. One or more additional layers of food items may then be disposed on the upper portion of the food layer directly above the intermediate cooking plate 24. For example, the upper layer (i.e., the last layer to be disposed in the upper ring) may be the other half of the english muffin.

After all desired layers are disposed in the upper ring 20, the upper housing 12 is lowered to its closed position, as shown in fig. 4. With the upper housing 12 in its closed position, the upper cooking cavity is now fully defined by the upper cooking surface, the upper ring 12 and the intermediate cooking plate 24. The appliance 10 is maintained in this fully closed position for a period of time to toast the upper or lower layers or to enable heating/cooking of any internal food items if necessary. The time may be predetermined, and this predetermined may be based on any one or more of several factors (e.g., type of food item, type and/or number of layers, desired end temperature, user preferences, etc.). When the cooking time has elapsed, the appliance may track the cooking time and notify the user, such as via a timer. Alternatively, the user may manually track the elapsed time as the upper housing 12 is closed.

After a sufficient time has elapsed, the intermediate cooking plate 24 moves to its open position in which the movable cooking plate 24 no longer separates the upper and lower cooking cavities, as shown in fig. 5. Moving the intermediate cooking plate 24 from its closed position to its open position causes the tiers in the upper cooking cavity to separate from the intermediate cooking plate 24 such that the tiers in the upper cooking cavity are stacked on any food items in the lower cooking cavity. Thus, the upper food product layer is polymerized onto the food product layer positioned in the lower cooking cavity. Thus, a fully cooked sandwich is now combined. As shown in fig. 6, the upper housing 12, upper ring 20 and lower ring 22 are now raised into their respective open/upper positions, such that the assembled sandwich is easily removed from the appliance 10.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The ring assemblies disclosed herein are by way of example only and not by way of limitation, and any other shape of assembly is possible so long as the objectives of the present invention are achieved.

The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Various modifications and alterations will become apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.

Claims (9)

1. An appliance for cooking a food item, the appliance comprising:

a lower housing having an upper surface forming a lower cooking surface of the appliance;

an upper housing having a lower surface forming an upper cooking surface of the appliance, the upper housing movably attached to the lower housing, the upper housing movable between a closed position and an open position; and

an assembly positioned between the upper and lower cooking surfaces when the upper housing is in its closed position, the assembly comprising an upper assembly portion, a lower assembly portion, and an intermediate cooking plate between the upper assembly portion and the lower assembly portion;

wherein an upper cooking cavity is formed within the upper assembly portion when the assembly is selectively positioned between the upper and lower cooking surfaces and when the upper housing is in its closed position; and wherein a lower cooking cavity is formed within the lower assembly portion when the assembly is selectively positioned between the upper cooking surface and the lower cooking surface, and

wherein the upper assembly portion is stackable on the lower assembly portion.

2. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the upper assembly portion and/or the lower assembly portion includes a guide to help retain the upper assembly portion and the lower assembly portion in a stacked configuration.

3. The appliance of claim 1, wherein one or more recesses are defined in the lower cooking surface for engaging the lower assembly portion.

4. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the assembly is located on the lower cooking surface but is not otherwise attached to the appliance when the appliance is in use.

5. An appliance for cooking a food item, the appliance comprising:

a lower housing having an upper surface forming a lower cooking surface of the appliance;

an upper housing having a lower surface forming an upper cooking surface of the appliance, the upper housing movably attached to the lower housing, the upper housing movable between a closed position and an open position; and

an assembly selectively positionable between the upper cooking surface and the lower cooking surface when the upper housing is in its closed position, the assembly including an intermediate cooking plate dividing a space within the assembly into an upper cooking cavity and a lower cooking cavity,

the assembly further comprises an upper assembly portion and a lower assembly portion;

wherein the intermediate cooking plate is selectively positioned between the upper assembly portion and the lower assembly portion;

wherein the upper cooking cavity is formed within the upper assembly portion; and

wherein the lower cooking cavity is formed within the lower assembly portion.

6. The appliance of claim 5, wherein the upper assembly portion is stackable on the lower assembly portion.

7. The appliance of claim 5, wherein the upper assembly portion and/or the lower assembly portion includes a guide to help retain the upper assembly portion and the lower assembly portion in a stacked configuration.

8. The appliance of claim 5, wherein one or more recesses are defined in the lower cooking surface for engaging the lower assembly portion.

9. The appliance of claim 5, wherein the assembly is located on the lower cooking surface but is not otherwise attached to the appliance when the appliance is in use.