GB2238230A - Continuous processing machine assembly for meal cooking - Google Patents

Abstract

The assembly comprises means (31) for accommodating a plurality of trimmings and materials; means for sequentially delivering the trimmings and materials to a frying pan member (38) having a discharge hole (381) formed in a lower portion thereof; means for heating the pan member; means (35) for feeding frying oil into the frying pan member; means (383) having a hole and adapted to shift between a first position whereat the hole thereof is in a vertical alignment with the hole of the frying pan member and a second position whereat the hole thereof closes and seals the hole of the pan member; and means having a plurality of food containers for sequentially being shifted into a position under the frying pan member. <IMAGE>

Description

CONTINUOUS PROCESSING MACHINE ASSEMBLY FOR MEAL COOKING This invention relates to a cooking machine, and more particularly to a continuous processing machine assembly for automatic frying and grilling operations through a pre-set process control Nowaday, many women play a roll combining a house wife and an office lady. It is not an easy task for her to considerately cooking meals, especially Chinese food, for her family members in addition to her heavy works in the office. To this end, the inventor has attempted to make an improved cooking machine assembly which can be pre-set to fry and/or grill a number of materials prepared by an user into foods according the pre-set time and process so that a meal, such as dinner can be ready for taking soon after her return home.

The present preferred embodiment will be described in detail with respect to the following drawings, wherein: FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a preferred embodiment according to this invention; FIG. 2 is a rear side elevational view of this invention; FIG. 3 is an explode and perspective view of a frying device of this invention; FIG. 3A is a perspective view shown from a lower direction of a vessel-shaped container of the frying device shown in FIG. 3; FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of a feeding cover of the frying device; FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating the frying device which is in an assembled state; FIG. 5 is an enlarged and cross-sectional view illustrating a dome-shaped oil distributor and a worm gear driving means of the frying device; FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the worm gear driving means shown in FIG. 5;; FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the feeding cover in association with two sliding plate devices of which two sliding plates are in closed positions to close two openings formed in the feeding cover; FIG. 8 is a top plane view of the feeding cover in association with the two sliding plate devices of which the two sliding plates are in open positions to leave open of the two drop openings formed in the feeding cover; FIG. 9 is a top plan view showing a set of worm gear driving system including a worm engaging four gear wheel means; FIGS. 10 to 13 are cross-sectional views of the four gear wheel means shown in FIG. 9; FIG. 14 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a lower portion of the frying device in association with a sliding plate device with its driving means wherein the frying device is in a frying state; FIG. 15 is an elevational side view of FIG. 14;; FIG. 16 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a lower portion of the frying device in association with a sliding plate device with its driving means as shown in FIG. 14 wherein the frying device is in a food dropping state; FIG. 17 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a lower portion of the frying device in association with a sliding plate device wherein the frying device is in a water discharge state after water cleaning treatment therein; FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of a take-out device of this invention; FIG. 18A is an end elevational view of a shifting bar device in association with its worm gear driving means; FIG. 18B is a partial cross-sectional view of the shifting bar device shown in FIG. 18A;; FIG. 19 is a perspective view showing a tray, a food container and a shifting bar for shifting the food container of the take-out device shown in FIG. 18; FIG. 20 is an explode and perspective view of a grill device of this invention; FIG. 21 is a partial perspective view of one bottom end portion of a container of the grill device shown in FIG. 20; FIG. 22 is a partial perspective view of the container illustrated from a lower direction; FIG. 23 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a worm gear driving means having a worm engaging three gear wheel means; FIG. 24 is an end elevational view of the container of the grill device; FIG. 25 is a partial cross-sectional view showing another worm gear driving means having a worm engaging three gear wheel means; FIG. 26 is a cross-sectional view of the grill device which is in an assembled state;; FIG. 26A is a cross-sectional view showing the engagement of one end of a shaft of a grill box of the grill device; FIG. 263 is a cross-sectional view showing the end engagement of the other end of the shaft of the grill box; FIG. 27 is an explode and perspective view showing a first embodiment of a retainer of the grill device for retaining one end portion of the grill box; FIG. 28 is a partial cross-sectional view of the retainer shown in FIG. 27; FIG. 29 is a perspective view of the retainer of the grill device which is in an assembled and retaining state; FIG. 30 is a perspective view of the retainer of the grill device which is in an assembled and releasing state; FIG. 31 is an explode and perspective view showing a second embodiment of a retainer of the grill device for retaining one end portion of the grill box;; FIG. 32 is a perspective view of the retainer shown in FIG 31 which is in an assembled and retaining state; FIG. 33 is a cross-sectional view of the retainer shown in FIG. 31 which is in an assembled and releasing state; FIG. 34 is an explode and perspective view of a first embodiment of a magnetic clutch in association with a magnetic controller; FIGS. 35 and 36 are top plan views of the magnetic clutch and controller shown in FIG. 34; FIG. 37 is an explode and perspective view of a second embodiment of a magnetic clutch in association with a magnetic controller; FIGS. 38 to 41 are top plan views of the magnetic clutch and controller shown in FIG. 37; FIGS. 42 and 43 show a third embodiment of a magnetic clutch in association with a magnetic controller; and FIGS. 44 and 45 show a preferred flow chart of a process control according to this invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In an embodiment of the present invention, a continous processing machine assembly 1 for meal cooking, as shown in FIGs. 1 & 2, includes, in general, a driving system 10, a pre-set control device 20, a frying device 30, a grill device 40, a take-out device 50 and a discharge system 60.

The driving system 10 is preferably arranged in a rear portion of the assembly 1 and at least comprised of a motor 11 having mounted thereon a double pulley for driving a plurality of belt pulleys or double pulleys 12 (121), 13 (131), 15 (151), 16 to rotate through a plurality of driving belts passing therearound. The belt pulleys or double pulleys 12 (121), 13 (131), 15 (151), 18 serve as driving units of a variety of devices of this invention which will be described in details later.

The pre-set control device 20 includes a plurality of control switches mounted on a control panel, control circuits, electronic parts, magnetic couplings or clutches, etc. for process operations.

Referring to FIGs. 3 & 4, the frying device 30 includes a vessel-shaped container 31 axially located with a sleeve 314 and for example, five sets of compartments surrounding the sleeve 314 and within the container 31. Each set of the compartments includes a compartment 311 having an inner chamber of larger dimension and extending axially therethrough for accommodating material (which is to be named as a material compartment hereinafter3, and a compartment 312 having an inner chamber of smaller dimension and also extending axially therethrough for accommodating trimmings (which is to be named as a trimming compartment hereinafter). The open top of the vessel 31 can be removably covered with a lid 313 and the lowermost end of the vessel 31 is circumferentially provided with a cog-wheel 32 which is adapted to be driven to rotate by means of a pinion 321.The material compartments 311 and the trimming compartments 312 are downwardly terminated with respective seal rings 3111, 3121 under the bottom of the vessel 31, as shown in FIG. 3A. A feeding cover 33 is positioned under the vessel 31 and has a central projection 331 located on a top plate 330, formed with an inner threaded axial hole 3311 and extending through the top plate 330. When the vessel 31 is mounted on the feeding cover 33, an axial rod 315 having two threaded ends is inserted into the sleeve 314 wherein the lower end of the axial rod 315 is engaged in the axial hole 3311 of the feeding cover 33 by means of screws and the upper end.of the axial rod 315 threaded with a nut 316 to retain the vessel 31 on the feeding cover 33 in a turnable state. The vessel 31 can be driven to rotate relative to the feeding cover 33 in a very slow speed by means of the pinion 321.A side opening 352 is formed in a portion of the circumferential side wall of the feeding cover 33 and a lid 333 is hinged on the feeding cover 33 for closing the side opening 352.

The top plate 330 is formed with a first trough 334 and a second trough 335 from its edge, and a first opening 336 of larger dimension and a second opening 337 of smaller dimension are respectively formed within the first trough 334 and the second trough 335. The openings 336, 337 are so arranged the they can only be corresponding to a material compartment 311 and a trimming compartment 312, one set of compartments at a time. A central inner chamber 338, as shown in FIG. 3B, is formed in the feeding cover 33 under its top plate 330 for fitting an upper ball bearing 341, a lower ball bearing 343, a gear unit 342 of a worm gear 34 fitted in the ball bearings 341, 343 therebetween in a turnable state. Said parts are secured in places in the chamber 338 by means of a retainer 344 which is formed with an axial hole extending axially therethrough.The gear unit 342 of the worm gear 34 is driven to rotate through a worm 345 which extends horizontally rearwardly through the feeding cover 33, as shown in FIG. 6. A dome-shaped oil distributor 35 and a blender 36 are attached to the retainer 344. Said blender 36 has a socket head 361 for receiving a plug end the gear unit 342 so that the dome-shaped oil distributor 35 and the blender 36 can be driven to rotate by means of the worm gear 34.

As shown in FIG. 5, the oil distributor 35 has an arcuate edge 351 with a plurality of orifices 352 evenly formed therein. An oil feeding pipe 371 extends through the feeding cover 33 and has an inlet adjacent an upper portion of the dome-shaped oil distributor 35 for dripping oil onto the distributor 35 so that oil will flow downwardly into a circumferential trough defined by the arcuate edge 351 and evenly spread in a pan 38 through the orifices 352.

The arrangement of the oil feeding pipe 371 can partially be seen in FIGs. 2 5, wherein an oil container 37 accommodates a selected oil such as peanut oil, salad oil, etc. and is led though the oil feeding pipe 371 into the position shown in FIG. 5. A magnetic valve (not shown) is provided in the oil feeding pipe 371 for operating to supply oil into the pan 38 or to shut off the pipe 371 according to the process control of the assembly 1.

Returning to FIGs. 3 4, the pan 38 is secured under the feeding cover 33 to define a frying chamber 380. Said blender 36 has a lower portion corresponding and adjacent to a lower portion of the pan 38 for blending the material being frying thereon. A heat conductor 382 having a flat bottom is integrally formed under the pan 38 and a discharge hole 381 is axially formed in the lower portion of the pan 38 and the heat conductor 382. A heater 383 connected to an electrical power source (not shown) is secured under the heat conductor 382.The heater 383 has a hole 384 corresponding to the discharge hole 381 and a tunnel transversely running thereunder for fitting a pair of opposed rail bodies 385 which are grooved with an upper rail and a lower rail in parallel for respectively receiving a first sliding plate 386 having a hole 3861 corresponding to the hole 384 and a second sliding plate 387 having a hole 3871 corresponding to the lagging hole 384, formed in a lagging portion of the plate 387 and a leading hole 3872 communicating with a water pipe 64 connected thereunder and formed in a leading portion of the plate 387.

As shown in FIGs. 2 & 4, a water container 39 accommodating fresh water is fixed in an upper portion of the assembly and a water feeding pipe 391 with one end communicatively connected to the water container 391 extends through the feeding cover 33 into an upper portion of the frying chamber 380. A magnetic valve (not shown) is provided in the water feeding pipe 391 for operating the pipe 391 to turn on the pipe 391 to supply water into the pan 38 or shut off the pipe 391 according to the process control of the assembly 1.

As shown in FIG. 6, the worm 345 of the worm gear 34 extending through the feeding cover 33 is journaled on a wheel 346 through a magnetic clutch A which is actuated to connect or disconnect through a controller Al according to the process control of the assembly 1.

The wheel 346 is journaled on a belt pulley 14 through a shaft 141.

As shown in FIG. 3, a first sliding plate 3341 and a second sliding plate 3351 are adapted to slide radially inwardly and outwardly along the first trough 334 and the second trough 335 respectively between open positions to leave the openings 336, 337 therein opened or close positions to close the openings 336, 337.

As shown in FIGs. 7 & 8, a control mechanism 33A is provided for operating the first sliding plate 3341 and the second sliding plate 3351. The control mechanism 33A is provided with a first rails 3342 and a second rails 3352 running radially with respect to the feeding cover 33. The first sliding plate 3341 is slidably mounted on the first rails 3342 and an interconnecting rod 3344 has one end upwardly pivotally connected to a lagging end of the first sliding plate 3341 and the other end downwardly pivotally connected to an outer portion of a rotating wheel 3343. The rotating wheel 3343 rotates to drive the first sliding plate 3341 through the interconnecting rod 3344 into its close position, as shown in FIG. 7, or to drive the first sliding plate 3341 into its closed position with a lagging portion of the first sliding plate 3341 locating over a part of the rotating wheel 3343, as shown in FIG. 8. The second sliding plate 3351 is slidably mounted on the second rails 3352 and an interconncting rod 3354 has one end upwardly pivotally connected to a lagging end of the second sliding plate 3351 and the other end downwardly pivotally connected to an outer portion of a rotating wheel 3353. The rotating wheel 3353 rotates to drive the second sliding plate 3351 through the interconnecting rod 3354 into its close position, as shown in FIG. 7, or to drive the second sliding plate 3351 into its open position, as shown in FIG. 8.Said operations are actuated according to the process control of the assembly 1.

Synchronous opening operations or closing operations of the sliding plates 3341, 3351 are not necessary. As memtioned above, only one set of compartments including a material compartment 311 and a trimming compartment 312 is allowed to locate in the position where the material compartment 311 and the trimming compartment 312 are respectively in axial alignments with the first opening 336 and the second opening 337, and the material in the material compartment 311 or the trimmings in the trimming compartment 312 is allowed to drop into the frying chamber 380 only when the first sliding plate 3341 of the second sliding plate is operated into its open position.

The control mechanism 33A is correspondingly superimposed on a driving mechanism 33B, as shown in FIG. 9. FIG. 9 shows a worm 3A journaled on a double pulley 13, 131. The worm 3A gears with four gear wheels 3B, 3C, 3D, 3E which are going to be described in details one after another below. As shown in FIG. 10, the gear wheel 3B is engaged with the worm 3A and is sleeved on one end of a shaft 3B1 in a free roation state with respect to the shaft 3B1. A magnetic clutch 3B2 is provided for connection and disconnection actuations between the shaft 3B1 and the gear wheel 3B.

Said actuations are operated by means of a magnetic controller 3B3 which is to be described in detail later. The other end of the shaft 3B1 extends through a base plate of the control mechanism 33A and is journaled on the rotating wheel 3353. It is to be noted that the rotating wheel 3353 is driven to rotate only 180 degrees (a half circle) each time through the actuation of the magnetic clutch 3B2 that complete a closing movement or an opening movement of the sliding plate 3351.

As shown in FIG. 11, the gear wheel 3C is engaged with the worm 3A and is sleeved on one end of a shaft 3C1 in a free rotation state with respect to the shaft 3C1. A magnetic clutch 3C2 is provided for connection and disconnection actuations between the shaft 3C1 and the gear wheel 3B. Said actuations are operated by means of a magnetic controller 3C3 which is to be described in detail later. The other end of the shaft 3C1 extends through the base plate of the control mechanism 33A and is journaled on the pinion 321 with its teeth engaging the teeth of the cog-wheel 32 of the vessel 31. The tooth number of the pinion 321 is one fifth of the tooth number of the cog-wheel32 while there is five sets of compartments in the vessel 31.

The pinion 321 is driven to rotate 360 degrees (one full circle) each time through the actuation of the magnetic clutch 3B2 that renders the vessel 31 to move a next set of compartments into the stand-by position.

As shown in FIG. 12, the gear wheel 3D4 is engaged with the worm 3A through a gear wheel 3D and is sleeved on one end of a shaft 3D1 in a free rotation state with respect to the shaft 3D1. A magnetic clutch 3D2 is provided for connection and disconnection actuations between the shaft 3D1 and the gear wheel 3D4.

Said actuations is operated by means of a magnetic controller 3C3 which is to be described in detail later. The other end of the shaft 3D1 extends through the base plate of the control mechanism 33A and is journaled on the rotating wheel 3343. It is to be noted that the rotating wheel 3343 is driven to rotate only 180 degrees (a half circle) each time through the actuation of the magnetic clutch 3D2 that complete a closing movement or an opening movement of the first plate 3341.

As shown in FIG. 13, the gear wheel 3E is engaged with the worm 3A and is sleeved on one end of a shaft 3E1 in a free rotation state with respect to the shaft 3E1. A magnetic clutch 3E2 is provided for connection and disconnection actuations between the shaft 3E1 and the gear wheel 3E. Said actuations is operated by means of a magnetic controller 3E3. The shaft 3E1 extends downwardly and is journaled on a gear wheel 3E4 engaging another gear wheel 511 which serves as a driving wheel of the take-out device 50 of the assembly 1 and is to be described later.

FIGS. 14 & 15 show the operations of the first sliding plate 386 and the second sliding plate 387 fitted under the pan 38. A worm 122 is journaled on a double pulley 12, 121 and is engaged with two spaced gear wheels 3F, 3G. One of the two gear wheels is sleeved on a shaft 3G1 in a free rotation state with respect to the shaft 3Ga. A magnetic clutch 3G2 is provided for connection and disconnection actuations between the shaft 3G1 and the gear wheel 3G. Said actuations are operated by means of a magnetic controller 3G3. The shaft 3G1 extends downwardly through a base plate 123 and is journaled on a rotating wheel 3G4. One end of an interconnecting rod 3G5 is upwardly pivotally connected to an outer portion of the rotating wheel 3G4 and the other end thereof is downwardly pivotally connected to a lagging end of the first sliding plate 386.

Gear wheel 3F is sleeved on a shaft 3F1 in a free rotation state with respect to the shaft 3F1. A magnetic clutch 3F2 is provided for connection and disconnection actuations between the shaft 3F1 and the gear wheel 3F. Said actuations is operated by means of a magnetic controller 3F3. The shaft 3F1 extends downwardly through the base plate 123 is journaled on a gear wheel 3F4 which drives a rotating wheel 3F6 under and next to the second sliding plate 387 to rotate through a gear wheel 3F5 engaged with the gear wheel 3F4. One end of an interconnecting rod 3F7 is upwardly pivotally connected to a lagging end of the second sliding plate 387 and the other end of the rod 3F7 is downwardly pivotally connected to an outer portion of the rotating wheel 3F6.

In the embodiment, there are three arrangements of the sliding plates 386, 387 in compliance with the process of the frying device 30. In an frying state, as shown in FIG. 14, although the larger hole 3871 is positioned vertically in alignment with the discharge hole 381 of the pan 38, said discharge hole 381 is closed and sealed by the first sliding plate 386. This position is to be named as a sealing position for the first sliding plate 386 and a stand-by position for the second sliding plate 387. In a food discharge state, as shown in FIG. 15, the rotating wheel 3G4 rotates to drive the first sliding plate 386 through the rod 3G5 to slide from its sealing position into a discharge position where both of the holes 3861, 3871 of the first and the second slide plates are simultaneously vertically in alignment with the discharge hole 381 of the pan 38. Fried food is allowed to drop into a takeout means 52 which will be described later. In a cleaning water discharge state, as shoen in FIG.17, the rotating wheel 3F6 rotates to drive the second sliding plate 387 through the rod 3F7 to slide from its standby position into a water discharge position after a water cleaning treatment in the pan 38 wherein both of the holes 3861, 3872 of the first and the second sliding plates are simultaneously vertically in alignment with the discharge hole 381 of the pan 38, the water discharge pipe 64 is communicating with the frying chamber 380 of the pan 38. The water feeding pipe 391 will supply clean water for cleaning the pan 38 whilst in frying interval that serves as a frying preparation for the following material frying, and washing water will discharge through the water discharge pipe 64.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 18 & 19, the take-out device 50 locates below and beside the frying device 30. The take-out device 50 has a disc tray 51 evenly divided with raised keels 512 into five sections 513 corresponding to five sets of compartments of the vessel 31. The edge of the tray 51 is opened (flat) and the keels 512 are arranged in a way that five food containers are fittingly rested within the sections 513 on the tray 51 and can be moved in or out along a radial direction with respect to a central axis of the tray 51. The outer and the lower most edge of the case of the food container 51 is formed with a grooved 522 running therethrough and adjacent a curved outer side wall 521 and two lips 523 extending outwrdly from its open top. The tray 51 is circumferentially provided with a cog-wheel 511 which is engaged with and driven to rotate by the gear wheel 3E4 as shown in FIG. 13.

The tray 51 is further provided with an.axial hole 514 for turnably engaging on a projector 532, which is formed with inner-threaded hole, of a cover member 531 of a water container 53 which serves as a supporter for the tray 51 as well as a strainer. The water container 53 has a vessel having an open top covered by means of the cover member 531 to define an inner chamber 533 for accommodating water. The axial hole of the projector 532 of the cover member 531 is communicated with the inner chamber 533 for refilling water thereinto and removably closed with a bolt 534.An exhaust pipe 61, which is also shown in FIG. 4, led from the frying chamber 380 is communicatively connected to a lower portion of lthe water strainer 53 and an outlet pipe with one of its ends communicatively connected to an upper portion of the water strainer 53 and the other end connected to the water discharge pipe 64. The exhaust pipe 61 is further provided with an oil bottle 62 for collecting oil evaporated during frying treatment and led out from the frying chamber 380 through the exhaust pipe 61. It is well known to those skilled in the art that a great amount of steam mixed with gasified oil may be generated during a frying treatment and should be properly discharged. The inventor intends to diminish air pollution to the environment such as kitchen by providing such a strainer 53 to purify the discharge gas passing therethrough.

The take-out device 50 includes a shift mechanism adapted to move a food container 52 radially with respect to the tray 51 and mounted under the frying device 30. The mechanism includes a curved bar 549 corresponding to a section of the circumference of the tray 51 and a drive unit 54. The drive unit 54 has a side plate 541, a pair of spaced rails 542 extending from the side plate 541 towards the tray 51, a worm 543 extending through the side plate 541 towards the tray 51 and having one of its ends journaled on a gear wheel 544 which is engaged with a worm 547 driven to rotate by a reversible motor 545 through a shaft 546, as clearly shown in FIG. 18A. As shown in FIG. 18b, one end of the curved bar 549 is secured to a slider 548 which is sleeved around the worm 543 and slidably fitted in one of the rails 542.The slider 548 in association with the curved bar 549 can be driven to slide back and forth by rotating the worm 543 along a direction parallel to the rail 542. When the slider 548 is shifted to its front position, it is a left-most position, as shown in FIG. 18, which isto be named as an engagement position hereinafter, the curved bar 549 will be inserted into a groove 522 of a food container 52. Siad engagement allows the slider 548 to draw the engaged food container 52 out of the tray 51 into a receiving position vertically in alignment with the discharge hole 384 of the the pan 38, as shown in FIGS.

14 & 16. When food has dropped into the food container 52, the motor 545 is reversed to push the food container 52 back to its original position on the tray 51. After that, the tray 51 is driven to rotate in a range of 72 degrees through the engaging gear wheel 3E4 and cog wheel 511 exactly allowing the following food container 52 to take over the engagement position of the prior food container 52 which disconnect the curved bar 549 through turning movement for another food take-out working cycle. A heating resistance means (not shown) is fitted under the tray 51 for keeping foods accommodating in food containers in a warm state.

The grill device 40, as shown in FIG. 1, is assembled beside the frying device 30 and is put under process control of the pre-set control device 20.

Referring to FIGS. 20 to 26, the grill device 40 includes a vessel-shaped container 41 of rectangular in cross-section, having an electrical-powered heater 411, as shown in FIG. 22, and three gear wheel casings 412, as shown in FIG. 21, attached to a bottom thereof for receiving gear wheels 42. Said gear wheels 42 are respectively engaged with a worm 421 which is journaled on a double pulley 15, 151, which is clearly shown in FIG. 2, so as to drive the gear wheels 42 to rotate through the worm 421. One ends of three shafts 422 are respectively journaled on the three gear wheels 42 through magnetic clutches 423 which is operated to connect or disconnect by means of a magnetic controller 424. The other ends of the shafts 422 are respectively journaled on three rotating wheels 425.Two opposed side walls are vertically formed with three sections 414 each of which is defined with a pair of keels 413 and provided with a slot 415 extending vertically. Each pair of keels 413 are mounted with rail bodies 416 to form a pair of rails extending vertically and adapted to slidably fitting a slider 417. Each of the sliders 417 is formed with an opening 418 therein for pivotally connecting one end of an interconnecting rod 419 of which the other end is pivotally connected to an outer portion of the rotating wheel 425. The slider 417 can be driven to slide up and down along the rails defined by the rail bodies 416 by means of the rotating wheels 425 through the interconnecting rods 419.The rotating wheels 425 are operated to rotate only 180 degrees (a half circle) under the control of the magnetic controller 424 so that the sliders 417 will move only from their lower-most position to their upmost position or from their upmost positions to their lower-most positions in one action.

The inner surface of the opposed side wall are slidably and turnably mounted with retainers 43 each of which has a shaft 431 extending through a corresponding slot 415 and the opening 418 of the slider 417. The retainers 43 will move up and down synchronously with the sliders 417.

An intermediate plate 441 and an outer plate 45 are sequentially secured to one of the opposed side walls which adjacent to the gear wheels 42. The intermediate plate 44 is properly spaced from the side wall and the outer plate is also properly spaced from the intermediate plate 44. The intermediate plate 44 is formed with three transverse holes 441 and three brackets 422 are attached in an inner surface of the plate 44 correspondingly under the holes 441. The inner side wall of the outer plate 45 is formed with three gear wheel housings 451 for having three gear wheels 452 therein. The lower portions of the gear wheels 452 engage a worm 453 which is turnably and transversely mounted on the outer plate 45 and of which one end is journaled on a belt pulley 16.

Three shafts 454 are journaled on the gear wheels 452 through respective magnetic clutches 455 which are controlled to connect and disconnect through magnetic controllers 456.

As shown in FIG. 26A, each shaft 454 has a pair of flat faces 4541 protruding inwardly from the intermediate plate 44 and further engaged in a corresponding notch 4311 axially formed in an outer end of the shaft 431 of the retainer 43 so as to drive the shaft 431 in association with the retainer 43 to rotate. Each pair of the opposed retainers 43 can be mounted with a grill box 46 formed with two half cover bodies. The grill boxes 46 mounted on retainers 43 can be driven to rotate as well as to be shifted up and down.

In practice, the grill boxes 46 can be lifted up to a higher position in the vessel 41 and turned up side down (180 degrees) and then lowered onto the bottom plate of the vessel so as to be heated through contact conductivity. Said shifting and turning movement of the grill box 46 can be conducted alternatively for evenly grilling the material such as a fish or chicken, accommodated in the grill box 46. When the grill box 46 is lowered, the shaft 431 of the retainer 43 is also lowered with respect to the shaft454 which is maintained in the same height as usual. The notch 4311 of the shaft 431 will slide downwardly to disconnect from the flat faces 4541 of the shaft 451 and slide downwardly along the brackets 422 with its notches 4311 mounting on the brackets 422, as shown in FIG. 26B, so that there will be no turning movement during its lowering movement.Vice versa, when the grill box 46 is lifted, the shafts 431 slide upwardly along brackets 422 and further engaged with the flat faces 4541 of the shafts 451 as located in their up-most positions.

A variety of retainers 43 can be used in this invention for retaining the grill box 46. A first embodiment of the retainer 43, as shown in FIG. 27, includes a body 43 of a shape similar to a sofa, having a base plate, a pair of opposed side walls and a back wall more in height than the side walls thus defines a recess 432 having an open front which is adapted for receiving an end portion of the grill box 46.

A substantially U-shaped groove 433 is formed in an inner surface of a portion above the side walls of the back wall. A retain frame 436 of substantially Ushape has a beam 4363 with its two end terminated with two eye portions 4361, equally bent in right angle to form two parallel side bars 4362. The front bar 4363 is bent to form a finger portion 4364 and a transverse bar 4360 is located between the two parallel side bars 4362. A coil spring 435 has one end portion bent radially for abutting against the back wall of the body 43 and the other end also bent radially for abutting against the transverse bar 4360. A tunnel 4381 extends transversely through the back wall of the body 43 across the bottom portion of the groove 433, and a lock pin 437 has one end terminated with an eye portion 4371 and the other end formed with a head 4372.

In assembly, a positioning pin 438 is inserted into the tunnel 4381 wherein the positioning pin 438 is also inserted through the eye portions 4361, 4371 of the retain frame 436 and the lock pin 437 and the coil spring 435 to hold these parts in position. While the retain frame 436 is in release state, as shown in FIG.

29, the coil spring 435 biases to force the retain frame 436 to press on the grill box 46. While the retain frame 436 is locked, as shown in FIG. 30, the frame 436 is turned about the pin 438 to overcome the biasing force of the coil spring 435 into a substantially up-raised position and retained in said position by means of the lock pin 437 which is positioned in a lock groove 434 fromed transversely in the back wall of the body 43.

An alternate embodiment of the retainer, as shown in FIG. 31, which includes a body 43' having opposed side walls and a back wall. A bracket 431' having two spaced and parallel tunnel portions 432' for turnably retaining bottom portions of two U-shaped members 435' is secured to an inner side wall of one of the opposed side walls by means of screws. The other side wall of the opposed side walls is symmetrically formed with two slots 433'. Each slot 433' has a vertical passage widen to form opposed grooves 434'. The U-shaped members 435' can be turned about their bottom portions and further press the free ends of the members 435' respectively with fingers so that the free ends of the members 435' are allowed to pass through the passages of the slots 433' and further release the free ends so that the free end portions of the members 435' are engaged in the grooves 434'.One end portion of the grill box 46' can be sandwiched between the U-shaped members 435' so as to retain said end portion of the grill box 46' in the retainer 43', as shown in FIG. 32. Vice versa, said end portion of the grill box 46' can be released from the retainer 43 by releasing U-shaped member 435' from the slot 433'of the side wall, as shown in FIG. 33. The free ends of each U-shaped members 435' can be laterally provided with projectors 436' for firmly engaging the free ends in the grooves 434' of the slot 433'.

The magnetic clutches mentioned above includes magnetic clutches A, 3B2, 3C2, 3D2, 3E2, 3G2, 3F2, 423 and 455, which are operated to connect or disconnect by respective magnetic controllers Al, 3B3, 3C3, 3D3, 3E3, 3G3, 3F3, 424 and 456, wherein the magnetic clutches 3C2 and 3E2 are operated to connect so as to drive output shafts or driven shafts thereof to rotate only a half circle (180 degrees), which are to be named as a half circle magnetic clutch, and the magnetic clutches 3B2, 3D2, 3G2, 3F2, 423, 455 are operated to connect so as to drive output shafts or driven shafts thereof to rotate only one circle (360 degrees), which are to be named as an one circle magnetic clutch.

As shown in FIG. 34, a half circle magnetic clutch 3B2 includes a gear wheel 3B having three slots 3B4 evenly located around an axial ring thereof. A guide disc 3B26 is mounted over the pinion 3B and remained in a static condition. The guide disc 3B26 has an axial hole with its internal circumference corresponding to the outer edges of the three slots 3B4. The axial hole is surrounded with a track which is sequentially divided into a causeway portion 3B29, a slope portion 3B28 slanting from one end of the causeway portion 3B29 into a flat portion 3B27 which leads to connect the other end in a form of a cut edge 3B2A of the causeway portion 3B29.

In the track, the cut edge 3B2A is opposed to the slope portion 3B28. A rotor 3B21 has a shaft 3B1 and is formed with a pair of opposite grooves 3B22, 3B22' extending axially therethrough in outer portions thereof. The grooves 3B22, 3B22' are slidably fitted with thrusters 3B23, 3B23' which are retained in positions by means of retainers 3B25, 3B25'. The thrusters 3B23, 3B23' have heads 3B2B, 3B2B' bent outwards in right angle from the top ends thereof and supporting respective coil spring means 3B24, 3B24'.

A magnetic controller 3B3 is provided with a sliding rod having a head portion 3B31 protruding therefrom and actuated to reciprocate therein.

In assembly, the gear wheel 3B is mounted on a base 33B where the gear wheel 3B is engaged with the worm 3A, as shown in FIGs. 9 & 10, the lower portion of the shaft 3B1 of the rotary 3B21 is rotatably fitted in an axial hole of the guide disc 3B26. It means that, normally, the gear wheel 3B and the rotor 3B21 are in a disconnection state therebetween, the rotor 3B21 is static although the gear wheel 3B is driven to rotate by the worm 3A.The guide disc 3B26 is sleeved around the rotor 3B21 where the top end of the rotor 3B21 is on a level with the causeway portion 3B29 and the magnetic controller 3B3 is positioned beside the guide disc 3B26 where the sliding rod of the magnetic controller 3B3 extends radially with respect to the guide disc 3B26 and one side of the head portion 3B31 of the sliding rod normally abuts the cut edge 3B2A.

As shown in FIGs. 35 & 36, a head 3B2B of one of the thrusters is normally supported on the head portion 3B31 of the sliding rod of the magnetic controller 3B3.

In operation, the sliding rod of the magnetic controller 3B3 is actuated to withdraw the head portion 3B2B thereof and the head portion 3B2B is held in its withdrawn position for only a short period of time, the thruster 3B23 is pushed to slide dowards along the groove 3B22 by the spring means 3B24 which is compressedly mounted between a cover 3353 and the head 3B2Bof the thruster 3B23. As the gear wheel 3B has been driven to rotate, the thruster 3B23 may insert itself into one of the three slots 3B4 thus to drive the rotor 3B21 to rotate in association with the gear wheel 3B.

During the rotation of the rotor 3B21, the head 3B2B of the thruster 3B23 traces along the track from the flat portion 3B27 and is gradually lifted along the slope portion 3B28 upon the causeway portion 3B29 where the thruster 3B23 releases itself from the engagement with the gear wheel 3B and the other thruster 3B23' opposed to the thruster 3B23 is rested on head portion 3B31 of the sliding rod of the magnetic controller 3B3 after a half circle rotation of the rotor 3B21.

As shown in FIG. 37, the construction of the one circle magnetic clutch is similar to that of the half circle magnetic clutch except that a causeway portion 3C29 of a track of a gear wheel 3C26 thereof is in a range of 120 degrees and the rest of the track including a slope portion 3C28 slanting from one end of the causeway portion 3C29 and a flat portion 3C27 leading to connect the other end of causeway portion 3C29 in a form of a cut edge 3C2A is in a range of 240 degrees, and a pair of grooves 3C22, 3C22'formed in outer portions of a rotor 3C21 are 120 degrees apart.

In normal situation, as shown in FIG. 38, the head portion 3C2B of the thruster 3C22 is supported a head projection 3C31 of a sliding rod of a magnetic controller 3C3 while a head portion 3C2B' of the other thruster 3C22' lagging 120 degrees behind the first thruster 3C22 is rested on an end portion of the causeway portion 3C29.

In connect operation, as shown in FIGs. 38 & 39, a sliding rod of a magnetic controller 3C3 is actuated to withdraw a head portion 3C31 thereof, one of thrusters 3C23, 3C23' is pushed to slide downwards along its mounting groove 3C22 by a spring means 3C24. As a gear wheel 3C has been driving to rotate, the thruster 3C23 may insert itself into one of the three slots 3C4 in the gear wheel 3C and thus to drive the rotor 3C21 to rotate in association with the gear wheel 3C. FIG. 39 shows a state when the rotor 3C21 is in one-third circle, 120 degrees, rotation where the head portion 3C23' of the thruster 3C2B' is superimposed on the head portion 3C31.As the thruster 3C23 remains plugging in a slot 3C4 of the gear wheel 3C, the rotor 3C21 goes on rotating and the thruster 3C23' will be pressed to slide downwards along its mounting groove 3C22' by a spring means 3C24' and insert itself into one of the rest two slots 3C4 in the gear wheel 3C when the thruster 3C23' pass over the head portion 3C31 of the sliding rod of the magnetic controller 3C3. In this stage, both of the thrusters 3C22, 3C22' are plugging in slots 3C4 of the gear wheel 3C.

As shown in FIG. 40, the thruster 3C23 is gradually lifted to withdraw from the slot 3C4 of the gear 3C through the slope portion 3C28, and when the thruster 3C23 reach the position on the head portion 3C31, the other thruster 3C23 has just withdrawn from its corresponding slot 3C4 of the gear wheel 3C to automatically disconnect this magnetic clutch 3C2 after an one-circle rotation of its output shaft.

Please refer to FIGs. 4t, 42, 43 in accompany with FIG. 8, the clutch A serves without auto disconnect function of, for example, the half-circle clutch or one-circle clutch. The construction of this magnetic clutch A is all the same as that of the half circle magnetic clutch, yet the magnetic controller Al for operating the magnetic clutch A is different in construction to the magnetic controller 3B3 for operating the half circle magnetic clutch. The sliding rod All of the magnetic controller Al is formed with a hole A12 in a mid portion thereof. The sliding rod All is actuated to reciprocate by means of a magnetic core Al.When the sliding rod All is actuated to withdraw, a pin A21 vertically and slidably mounted in a second magnetic core A2 at a higher postition will slide downwardly and plug into the hole A12 to keep the sliding rod All in its withdrawn position, the opposed thrusters of the magnetic clutch A which plug into the slots of the gear wheel of the clutch A in alternation so that the rotor thereof will keep rotating in association with gear wheel of the clutch A.

In disconnect operation, the second magnetic core A2 can be operated to withdraw the pin A21 so that the sliding rod All is released to return its disconnect position where the rotor will disconnect from the gear wheel.

The facilities of the frying device 30, grill device 40 and take-out device 50 can be continuously alternately and automatically operated through a preset precess control according to his or her demands.

A number of conventional thermal detectors and safty valves are properly fitted in the assembly of this invention for security reason. These skills are well known to those who are skilled in this art and the description of thses auxiliaries is therefore omitted.

The following is a brief description of the process contol of this invention, as shown in FIGs. 44 & 45, wherein: P1: pre-seting process control according to user's demand; P2: automatically turning on a power switch according to the P1 pre-setting; P3: turning on an electrical heater 383 as a heating source for the frying device 30; P4: turning on an electical heater 411 as a heating source for the grill device 40; PS: detecting temperature through thermal detectors; PB: turning on a driving motor as a power source of this assembly when pre-set temperatures are reached; P7: driving the blender 36 to rotate in the pan 38; P8: turning off the power switch if temperatures detected through a second thermal detector is overheating; P9: feeding frying oil through the oil feeding pipe 371; P10: spreading oil on the pan 38 through the oil distrubutor 35; F11: starting frying process for the first trimming compartment; P12: driving the rotating wheel 3353 to turn a half circle so as to slide the sliding plate 3351 outwards into its open position; P13: dropping the trimmings accommodated in the first trimming compartment into the pan 38; P14: blending the trimmings with frying oil so that the trimmings can be evenly fried; P15: driving the rotating wheel 3353 to turn another half circle so as to slide the sliding plate 3351 inwards into its close position; P16: completing frying treatment of the trimmings; P17: turning off the blender 36 if necessary, such that the pan 38 is going to cook a soup: P18: starting frying process for the first material compartment; Pls: driving the rotating wheel 3343 to turn a half circle so as to slide the slide plate 3341 outwards into its opening position; PSO: dropping the material accommodated in the first material compartment into the pan 38; P21: driving the rotating wheel 3343 to turn another half circle so as to slide the slide plate 3341 inwards into its closed position; P22: opening outlet of the water container 39; P23: feeding fresh water into the pan 38; P24: opening outlet of the oil container 37; P25: feeding frying oil into the pan 38; P26: driving the pinion 321 to rotate one circle where a following compartment set including a trimming compartment and a material compartment in the vessel 31 is shifted into stand-by position; P27: keep driving the blender 36 to rotate for frying treatment; P28: turning off the blender 37 for cooking a soup; P29: keep driving the blender to rotate for frying treatment; P30: turning off the electrical heater 383 temporarily; P31: shifting the sliding plates 386, 387 so that the openings 3861, 3871 are vertically in alignment with the hole 384 of the pan 38; P32: starting the take-out device 50; P33: positioning the curved bar 549 and the slider 548 in stand-by position; P34: driving the tray 51 to rotate where a food container 52 is shifted into an engagement position; P35: inserting the curved bar 549 into the groove 522 of the food container 52; P 36 & 37: drawing the engaged food container 52 out of the tray 51 into a receiving position vertically in alignment with the drop hole 381 of the pan 38; P38: loading food dropped through the openings 3861, 3871; P39 & 40: pushing the food container 52 back to its original position on the tray 51; P41: releasing the curved bar 549 from the food container 52; P42: holding and warming the food container 52 on the tray 51; P43: pouring out foods from food containers into dishes; P44: repeating the frying cycles for compartment sets; P45: completion of the frying process; P46: detecting steam pressure in the frying pan 38; P47 & 48: releasing steam pressure from the frying pan 38 through a safty valve; P49: leading exhaust steam and oily gas through the discharge pipe 61; P50: collecting oil from the exhaust oily gas in a bottle 62; P51, 52 & 53: purifying the exhaust steam and oily gas through strainer 533; P54: refilling water into the water container 39; P55:feeding water into the pan 38; P56: driving the blender 36 to rotate so as to blend the water for cleaning the pan 38; P57: shifting the sliding plates 386, 387 so that the openings 3861, 3872 are vertically in alignment with the hole 384 of the pan 38; P58: positioning the water discharge pipe 64 in communication with the pan 38; P59 & 60: discharging the washing water from the pan through the water discharge pipe; P61: detecting temperatures through thernmal detectors; P62: turning off the power switch of this assembly when any overheat is detected; P63: descending the grill box 46 of the gril device 40 for being heated; P64: lifting the grill box 46; P65: turning the grill box 46 for being evenly heated; P66: repeating said descending, lifting and turning movements; P67: completing grill treatment of the grill device 40; P68: pouring foods from grill boxes into dishes; P69: completing cooking process of this assembly and turning off the power switch hereof.

While the invention has been described with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiment, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, which scope is to be accorded the broadest interpretations so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structure.

Claims (11)

CLAIMS:

1. A continuous processing machine assembly for meal cooking comprising: means for accommodating a plurality of trimmings and materials; means for sequentially delivering the trimmings and materials to a frying pan member having a discharge hole formed in a lower portion thereof; means for heating the pan member; means for feeding frying oil into the frying pan member; means having a hole and adapted to shift between a first position whereat the hole thereof is in a vertical alignment with the hole of the frying pan member and a second position whereat the hole thereof closes and seals the hole of the pan member; means having a plurality of food containers for sequentially being shifted into a position under the frying pan member whereat the food container is in vertical alignment with the hole of the frying pan member for taking out foods dropped through the holes of the pan member and the means in its first position.

2. A continuous processing machine assembly for meal cooking as claimed in Claim 1 wherein means for accommodating a plurality of food trimmings and materials comprises a container evenly divided into a plurality of sets of compartments, each with an inner chamber extending vertically therethrough, each set having at least a compartment for accommodating material and a compartment for accommodating trimmings and mounted on a cover means in a turnable state about a vertical axis, the cover means being formed with holes for vertically communicating the frying pan member and one set of the compartments through open bottoms thereof.

3. A continuous processing machine assembly for meal cooking as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the cover means is mounted on the frying pan member and comprises a top plate and a side wall extending downwardly from an outer edge of the top plate, the side wall is formed with an opening adapted to be closed with a lid for feeding trimmings and materials into the frying pan member in addition to the compartments.

4. A continuous processing machine assembly for meal cooking as claimed in Claim 2, wherein shelter members are provided to be moved radially with respect to the vertical axis between first positions to close the holes in the cover means and second position to leave open of the holes in the cover means.

5. A continuous processing machine assembly for meal cooking as claimed in Claim 1, wherein a water pipe is provided for feeding fresh water into the frying pan member for cooking or cleaning the pan member after cooking treatment and has a water outlet pointing toward and fixed over the pan member.

6. A continuous processing machine assembly for meal cooking as claimed in Claim 1, wherein a dome-shaped member is provided for evenly distributing frying oil fed by the oil feeding means pointed thereto in the pan member and fixed over the pan member and has an arcuat edge formed with a plurality of orifices.

7. A continuous processing machine assembly for meal cooking as claimed in Claim 1, wherein a blender is provided for blending material fried in the pan member and mounted in the pan member in a rotatable state about the vertical axis.

8. A continuous processing machine assembly for meal cooking as claimed in Claim 1, wherein means for taking out foods from the frying pan member comprises: a tray member evenly separated into a plurality of sections for resting the food containers and mounted on a basement in a rotatable state about a second vertical axis; means for driving the tray member to rotate once at a predetermined range to place a food container thereon into a stand-by position; and means for catching the food container and shifting the food container from said stand-by position into the position under the frying pan and further returning the food container to the stand-by position therefrom.

9. A continuous processing machine assembly for meal cooking as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the food container is formed with a groove in an outer portion thereof which is adapted to be engaged with a head portion of the food container catching means during a placement of the food container into its stand-by position by rotating the tray member.

10. A continuous processing machine assembly for meal cooking as claimed in Claim 1, wherein a grill means is further provided, which comprises: a vessel-shaped container made of a material of good thermal conductivity; means for heating the container; a plurality of case members for accommodating materials to be grilled; means for retaining two end portions of the case members mounted on inner sides of a pair of opposit side walls of the container in a vertically slidable state between first positions allowing one side of each case members to rest on a bottom wall of the container, and second positions to hold the case members over the bottom wall of the container; and means for turning the case members locating in second positions for an even grill treatment.

11. A continuous processing machine assembly for meal cooking substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.