FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to food preparation. More particularly, although not exclusively it discloses an improved apparatus for cooking pancakes or similar food items.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The cooking of pancakes both domestically and in commercial restaurants is often still done by hand using a hotplate and spatula. This requires personnel to pour a measured amount of batter onto the cooking surface, carefully monitor the underside of the pancakes for the correct colour and texture and then manually turn them to cook the other side. Unless the cook has a certain amount of skill and experience the operation is time consuming and messy with consistant high quality being pancakes difficult to obtain. This causes problems for both amateur cooks in domestic kitchens and for commercial restaurants where labour costs and quality control are important.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of this invention to ameliorate the aforementioned disadvantages and accordingly an apparatus is disclosed for cooking a food item, said apparatus including at least one cooking surface arranged, while in a substantially horizontal orientation, for movement along a closed path from a refill position for receiving a measured amount of said food item to an oven

for heating said cooking surface and food item and then subsequently to an off-load position at which said cooking surface is tilted to deliver said food item for consumption.

Preferably there are a plurality of cooking surfaces arranged for movement along a closed circular path.

It is further preferred that said cooking surfaces comprise a plates or pan shaped surfaces which are mounted on support shafts extending out radially from a carousel.

It is further preferred that said carousel includes a motorised drive mechanism for moving said cooking surfaces around the circular periphery thereof.

It is further preferred that said apparatus further includes a reservoir for holding said food item prior to dispensing onto said cooking surfaces.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

One currently preferred embodiment of the invention will not be described with reference to the attached drawings in which:- figure 1 is a schematic perspective front view of an apparatus according to said invention for cooking pancakes, figure 2 shows the apparatus of figure 1 with the

cover removed from the batter tank, figure 3 is a perspective view of the apparatus of figure 1 with the housing opened to show the oven, figure 4 is a schematic view of the mechanism for the dispensing nozzle, figures 5 to 8 are detailed views of the drive assembly for the carousel .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring first to figures 1 to 3 the apparatus may comprise a housing 1 with a carousel 2 built into the centre front. This carousel mounts four cooking pans 3 which are held on laterally extending support shafts 4. Two of the pans are shown outside the housing and the other are inside the internal oven 5 (see figure 3) . The carousel 2 with this embodiment turns in the clockwise direction as shown by arrow A so that the pans enter the internal oven 5 through slot 6 in the housing and subsequently exit through slot 7. Although the invention is not restricted to any particular rotational speed for the carousel with this embodiment it preferably turns at about 1 RPM. Just prior to entering the oven through slot 6 each horizontal pan in turn passes under a nozzle 8 which dispenses a measured amount of premixed pancake batter onto it. Although the invention is not resticted to any particular amount of dispensed batter with pans having a diameter of about 150 mm as may be used with this embodiment 40 ml of batter

may be dispensed. Preferably the pans are coated with any suitable form of non-stick material such as teflon to avoid the requirement to oil the cooking surfaces. The battered pan then passes in slot 6 and through the oven 5 where top and bottom elements 5A and 5B simultaneously cook both the top surface of the batter and the bottom surface through the heated pan. Preferably the heat outputs of the top and bottom elements are separately adjustable as well as is the cooking time spent passing through the oven. As mentioned earlier it is currently preferred that the carousel rotate at about 1 RPM so that the time spent in the approximately 180 degrees of travel through the oven is about 1/2 minute.

Immediately after leaving the oven through exit slot 7 the cooked pancakes at 7A are off-loaded onto a plate or serving platter by means of a tilting mechanism in the carousel (described in more detail later) which tilts the pans through 90 degrees to the vertical position shown.

Each pan as it moves past the off-load position is returned to the horizontal before passing under the nozzle 8 for fresh batter and re-entry to the oven to repeat the cycle. With the preferred carousel rotation of about 1 RPM and four pans it is envisaged that a consistant output of four high quality pancakes per minute would be achieved.

The batter nozzle assembly as shown in detail in figure 4

preferably comprises a motor powered plunger 9 which moves vertically in a nozzle/cylinder 8. The drive mechanism may comprise an electric motor 11 mounted to a platform 12 which has an offset roller 13 engaging in a slotted horizontal bar 15 fixed across the top of the plunger shaft 16. As the motor rotates the offset roller 13 moves the plunger shaft down through the platform 12 against spring 17 or back up with the biase of said spring. In order to maintain alignment of the plunger shaft there are guide shafts 18 on each side of the plunger which are secured to the platform 12 and extend up slidably through the horizontal bar 15. The assembly is positioned within the lower forward portion of the batter tank 18 (see figure 2) and is accessed for cleaning by removal of cover 19. When the plunger 9 is moved to the upper position shown a measured amount of liquid batter fills the volume of the plunger nozzle/cylinder 8 by flowing under the circular flange 22. When the plunger and flange are subsequently moved downward the contents are forced downward and out through nozzle/cylinder 8 (see figure 3) onto the pan 3. Returning the plunger and flange to the raised position allows the cylinder to refill with batter for the next pan. The required synchronised operation of the batter nozzle and pans is preferably achieved by any suitable type of electronic circuitry which may include an optical ot other type of sensor to determine the correct postion of the pan before the batter is dispensed. Although it is not

essential to the invention one preferred method of operation would be to use two optical sensors. One sensor would determine when the leading edge of a moving pan passes under the nozzle outlet so that the batter dispensing operation can start. The second sensor would determine when the trailing ege of the pan passes out from under the nozzle so that batter dispensing is to stop.

The currently preferred carousel drive mechanism located within housing 2 is shown in figures 5 to 8. There is an internal drive base 20 and electric motor 21 which by means a gear arrangement or other suitable mechanism rotates a circular cowling 22 through which the pan shafts 4 and pans 3 extend radially. Each pan shaft at its stepped inner end 22A (see figure 6) is fitted with a bearing block 23, an arcuate roller mounting bracket 24, a pair of rollers 25 and a trip finger 26. With this embodiment the components are assembled using the spring pins 26A and roller spindles 26B. In figure 7 the shafts 4 are shown in the assembled form with the bearing blocks secured inside the cowling 22. The shafts extend through these blocks 23 and mount the brackets 24 so that said rollers 25 run along a fixed circular centre rim 27. This rim is shown in more detail by figure 8. While the top 27A of the rim is flat over the majority of its surface there is a dip portion 28 with sloping sides 29 and a flat bottom 30. In figure 7 a fixed trip lug 31 is also shown above and just inside the dip

portion. In operation of the carousel the cowling 22 together with the pan shafts, bearing blocks and rollers are rotated around the fixed centre rim 27. For most of their travel around the rim which corresponds to the batter dispensing and cooking operations each pan remains horizontal with its associated rollers running on the flat portion of the rim surface. When however a pan shaft assembly encounters the dip 28 the trip lug 31 bears against the trip finger 26 to rotate said assembly by 90 degrees. The position of this dip on the carousel is chosen to cause each pan to tilt as it emerges from the oven through slot 7 to off-load its cooked pancake as described earlier. Further rotation of the carousel then causes the lower roller of the tilted assembly to engage an upward sloping side 29 of the dip which returns the roller bracket, pan and shaft assembly to its previous horizontal orientation before passing under and receiving fresh batter from the nozzle 8.

Although the invention is not restricted to any particular type of operating controls for the apparatus, with this embodiment as best shown in figures 1 and 2 there is an inclined control panel 32 just above the oven exit slot 7 with start button 33, stop button 34, inching button 35, emergency stop 36 and touch pad 37 for setting the oven temperature and quantity of pancakes to be cooked. With this embodiment the stop button is preferably adapted to

terminate only the operation of the batter delivery nozzle so that the carousel and oven continue functioning to complete the cooking and off-loading of any pancakes already in the pans, the emergency stop button 36 however is preferably adapted to immediately terminate all operations.

It is further preferred that the pans and attached shafts are removable from the carousel for cleaning or replacement with other sizes. With the example described pans having a diameter of about 50 to 165 mm may be fitted. The nozzle assembly is also preferably replaceable in order to change the amount of batter dispensed in accordance with the size of pans fitted.

Height adjustable feet 38 may also be fitted to the underside of the housing for leveling purposes.

It will thus be appreciated that this invention at least in the form of the embodiment disclosed provides a novel and useful apparatus for cooking pancakes. Clearly however the example described is only the currently preferred form of the invention and modifications may be made which would be apparent to a person skilled in the art. For example the shape of the housing, the number and configuration of the cooking pans, the construction of the oven, the mechanisms used to operate the carousel and dispensing nozzle and the

arrangement of the controls may all be changed according to design preference or the type of food item to be cooked. Also, while it is currently preferred to construct the apparatus primarily from a mouldable plastic and metal where necessary for heat resistance the invention extends to the use of any other suitable material.