DESC:FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 OF 1970)

AND

THE PATENTS RULES, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(See section 10; rule 13)

DEVICE AND METHOD FOR MAKING EDIBLE CAPSULES, PRESSING AND COOKING SAID EDIBLE CAPSULES

Evochef LLP, a company organized and incorporated under the laws of India, of 1st Floor Ramaniyam Greeta Towers, Plot No.96 to 99, 109 to 112, Developed Plot Estate, Perungudi, Chennai-600096, Tamil Nadu, India

The following specification particularly describes the invention and the method by which it is to be performed
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention, in general, relates to a device and a method for cooking in an automatic manner, and more particularly relates to a device and a method for automatically making edible capsules, pressing, and cooking said edible capsules.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Machines for preparing food items are known in the art. Conventionally, separate individual machines are known to prepare diverse types of food. For example, machines capable of making food items which require kneading such as rotis, chapattis etc. are known in the art. Typically, in a roti / chapatti making machine, the powder is first kneaded to make dough balls. The said dough balls are passed through a rotator and then placed on a plate to bring the same into a flat shape and then transferred to the heating member for final cooking. However, the roti / chapati machines known in the art are capable of making only one type of food items and lack efficiency when a greater number of food items are required to be cooked. Further, the number of food items cooked in conventional machines is limited. Moreover, conventional machines are complex and are incapable of performing separate operations independently.
[0003] In view of the above, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the industry to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.
SUMMARY
[0004] In an embodiment of the present invention, a device for automatically making edible capsules, pressing, and cooking said edible capsules is described. In an embodiment, the device comprises a combination of an edible capsule kneader, a shaping unit and a cooking apparatus.
[0005] In another embodiment of the present invention, a separate capsule maker is described.
[0006] In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a separate pressing and cooking apparatus is described.
[0007] In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a semi-solid liquid food cooking method and vertical orientation of the cooking apparatus are described.
[0008] The automatic edible capsule making device works in the following steps:
[0009] First powder, water, and oil are added in respective containers. The required quantity, thickness and roasting level are selected by a user from the user interface. Now, the machine automatically dispenses the required amount of powder and water into the kneading container. The machine then kneads for a required time where the powder, water, and if required oil, is mixed, and final output in the form of edible capsule is dispensed. Then, the mixer is plunged up to form edible capsule. An ejector blade acts as the top cover plate for the kneading container. Once squeezed, the ejector blade moves backward to bring the capsule further up. The ejector system moves the capsule between the roller to press and change the cylindrical dough to elliptical shaped and then to the conveyor. In different embodiments, the dough can be square, rectangle, circle shaped etc.
[0010] The round edible dough from the kneading setup is then converted to cylindrical shaped before squeezing it between the rollers. The thickness of the shaped dough is adjusted by maintaining the gap between the top and bottom rollers. Now, the shaped dough is cooked for required time with a heater setup attached in the cooking area. The cooked food on the conveyor is automatically ejected after being cooked.
[0011] In an embodiment, the round edible dough can be squeezed in such a way that shaped dough can be used in many ways, for example in cooking rotis, in baking cookies, mini cakes or in steaming bao bread.
[0012] In an embodiment, the cooking area can be a conveyor setup or hot plate setup.
[0013] In an embodiment, the top heating unit is a detachable/approachable unit for easy cleaning purpose.
[0014] In the separate kneading unit, the process of kneading is as follows:
[0015] Powder, oil, and water are filled in the respective containers and placed in the respective area provided. The default settings is selected, and the required count of edible capsule is entered. The device automatically takes the required quantity of powder, water, and oil to start the process. A gear system and self-vibration method is used to dispense the powder in container. An oil pump is used to dispense the required quantity of oil from the oil container. A water pump is used to dispense the required quantity of water from the water container. The volume of the dispensed oil and water is measured by using a dispensing flow meter. Once the said quantity is collected in the kneading container, the machine starts to knead for the required time to prepare the edible capsule. The kneading is operated by a motor which rotates in the clockwise direction using a cam mechanism in a preferred embodiment. Now, the edible capsule mixture is prepared. Now, the motor will rotate in counterclockwise (CCW) direction which makes the plunger move up and engage in the threaded container sleeve to eject the edible capsule. In an embodiment, the user can customize by selecting the powder, oil, and water as per their required quantity for each preparation of edible capsule. Once the edible capsule is ejected from the kneading container, the slider or ejector will operate to move the capsule to the capsule collector unit for the next process. A separate collecting mechanism using motor is operated to collect the capsule at the time of ejection from the kneading system.
[0016] In the pressing and cooking apparatus, the process is as follows:
[0017] The capsule collector is fixed with the edible capsules in the machine. Then, the rack and pinion mechanism or an actuator mechanism is used to push the edible capsule from capsule collector to unload the capsule. Now the blade/ejector is used to position the edible capsule to bring it to the center of heater plates using actuator or screw rod or belt drive or motor-drive mechanism to make the pressing of edible capsule. A scissor jack mechanism is used to perform a pressing operation. The top heater plate is fixed while the bottom heater plate is movable. A single motor is used to operate the scissor jack mechanism. The scissor jack mechanism can provide variant load as per our need in required time. Heavy torque can be provided using a small motor. Once the capsule is placed in the middle of the heater plate pressing operation starts. The scissor jack mechanism moves the bottom heater plate upward for the pressing operation. The capsule is deformed to round shaped dough as required. The shape can be round, elliptical, rectangular, square or any regular or irregular shape. The scissor jack mechanism moves the bottom heater plate downward and upward for the cooking operation as per the required testing methods. The pressing and cooking operation can be done with single stage plate and scissor lift mechanism, or it can be executed as two stages. One for pressing and one for cooking separately. The capsule shape making mechanism presses the capsule in-between the flat plate or by pressing/squeezing between the rollers. Once cooking is done, the bottom heater plate goes back to the home position using the scissor lift operation. The ejector blade is used to eject the cooked food item from the heater plate.
[0018] The above-described setup can also be operated without turning on the heating unit to make shaped dough only for preparation of food items such as a poori or similar food items. The said operation can be performed by selecting the appropriate command button in the user interface.
[0019] The present invention provides an automatic edible capsule making unit comprising: one or more containers configured to store one or more ingredients; a kneading unit configured to mix the ingredients dispensed from the one or more containers into the kneading unit and to prepare one or more edible capsules; and a capsule collector for collecting and storing the one or more edible capsules prepared by the kneading unit.
[0020] In an embodiment, the capsule collector comprises a plurality of capsule collection partitions for collecting the one or more edible capsules prepared by the kneading unit.
[0021] In another embodiment, the automatic edible capsule making unit further comprises a capsule collector drive mechanism configured to rotate the capsule collector when a capsule is placed inside a capsule collection partition of the plurality of capsule collection partition.
[0022] In yet another embodiment, the capsule collector drive mechanism comprises a drive gear and a plurality of supporting rollers mounted at predetermined locations on the kneading assembly and a ring gear mounted on the inner side of the capsule collector, and wherein the drive gear and the supporting rollers mesh with the capsule collector to rotate the capsule collector in relation to the kneading assembly.
[0023] In yet another embodiment, the one or more containers comprise one or more powder containers, one or more oil containers and one or more water containers, and wherein the one or more powder containers are provided with one or more powder motors, the one or more oil containers are provided with one or more oil pumps and one or more water containers are provided with one or more water pumps to dispense the powder, oil and water respectively into the kneading unit.
[0024] In yet another embodiment, the kneading unit comprises a kneading container, a kneading plunger, one or more kneading pins, and a kneading motor, wherein the kneading container forms a kneading area therein, and wherein the kneading plunger and the one or more kneading pins are movably positioned in the kneading area for preparing the edible capsules.
[0025] In yet another embodiment, the automatic edible capsule making unit further comprises a capsule ejector for ejecting the one or more edible capsules from the kneading unit and placing the one or more edible capsules at a capsule collector or directly to a pressing and heating setup.
[0026] The present invention also provides a pressing and cooking apparatus comprising: at least a pair of pressing members for pressing one or more edible capsules; one or more heating members mounted on the at least one of the pressing members for heating the pressed one or more edible capsules; and at least one capsule pusher and ejector system for pushing the one or more edible capsules between the at least a pair of pressing members for converting the edible capsules into shaped doughs.
[0027] In an embodiment, the at least a pair of pressing members comprises a fixed top hot plate and a movable bottom hot plate.
[0028] In another embodiment, the bottom hot plate is configured to move upwards towards the fixed top hot plate for pressing the edible capsule by means of a scissor lift mechanism.
[0029] In yet another embodiment, the pressing and cooking apparatus further comprises a pair of rollers mounted upstream of the pressing members for shaping the edible capsules before entering the space between the at least a pair of pressing members.
[0030] In yet another embodiment, the pressing and cooking apparatus further comprises an opening to accommodate a capsule collector therein for supplying the one or more edible capsules to the at least a pair of pressing members.
[0031] The present invention also provides an automatic cooking device for making edible capsules and cooking food items from said edible capsules, the automatic cooking device comprising: one or more containers configured to store one or more ingredients; a kneading unit configured to mix the ingredients dispensed from the one or more containers into the kneading unit and to prepare one or more edible capsules; and a pressing and heating unit configured to convert the edible capsules into cooked food items.
[0032] In an embodiment, the pressing and heating unit comprises a top conveyor belt and a bottom conveyor belt for pressing the edible capsules to form a shaped dough, for cooking said shaped dough and transporting the cooked food item to a collecting tray.
[0033] In another embodiment, at least one of the top conveyor belt and the bottom conveyor belt is provided with one or more heating elements.
[0034] In yet another embodiment, the one or more containers comprise one or more powder containers, one or more oil containers and one or more water containers, and wherein the one or more powder containers are provided with one or more powder motors, the one or more oil containers are provided with one or more oil pumps and one or more water containers are provided with one or more water pumps to dispense the powder, oil and water respectively into the kneading unit.
[0035] In yet another embodiment, the kneading unit comprises a kneading container, a kneading plunger, one or more kneading pins, and a kneading motor, wherein the kneading container forms a kneading area therein, and wherein the kneading plunger and the one or more kneading pins are movably positioned in the kneading area for preparing the edible capsules.
[0036] In yet another embodiment, the pressing and heating unit comprises a top hot plate and a bottom hot plate.
[0037] In yet another embodiment, the one or more containers comprise one or more semi-solid liquid containers for storing a semi-solid liquid substance, and wherein the one or more semi-solid liquid containers is provided with a sprout assembly for dispensing the semi-solid liquid substance on the bottom hot plate of the pressing and heating unit.
[0038] In yet another embodiment, the automatic cooking device further comprises a plunger assembly to push out the semi-solid liquid from the one or more semi-solid liquid containers to the bottom hot plate.
[0039] In yet another embodiment, the automatic cooking device further comprises an ejector blade assembly for flattening the semi-solid liquid dispensed on the bottom hot plate.
[0040] The present invention also provides an automatic cooking device for cooking food items, the automatic cooking device comprising: one or more containers configured to store one or more ingredients; a kneading unit located below the one or more containers and configured to mix the ingredients dispensed from the one or more containers into the kneading unit and to prepare an edible capsule; and a pressing and heating unit located below the kneading unit and configured to convert the edible capsule prepared by the kneading unit into cooked food items.
[0041] In an embodiment, the kneading unit comprises a bottom closer plate for blocking and unblocking the passage under the kneading unit to stop or allow dispensing of the edible capsule from the kneading unit to the pressing and heating unit.
[0042] In another embodiment, the pressing and heating unit comprises at least a pair of slanted hot plates for heating and cooking the edible capsule dispensed by the kneading unit.
[0043] In yet another embodiment, the pressing and heating unit comprises a stopper plate blocking and unblocking the passage under the pressing and heating unit to stop or allow dispensing of the cooked food item out of the pressing and heating unit.
[0044] In yet another embodiment, the automatic cooking device further comprises a pair of rollers mounted upstream of the at least a pair of slanted hot plates for shaping the edible capsules into elliptical dough sheets before entering the space between the at least a pair of slanted hot plates.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0045] The figures mentioned in this section are intended to disclose exemplary embodiments of the claimed system and method. Further, the components/modules and steps of a process are assigned reference numerals that are used throughout the description to indicate the respective components and steps. Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description when read with reference to the accompanying drawings:
[0046] Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of a device for automatically making edible capsules, pressing, and cooking said edible capsules in accordance with one embodiment of the present subject matter.
[0047] Figure 2 illustrates an exploded perspective view of the device in accordance with one embodiment of the present subject matter.
[0048] Figure 3 illustrates a front perspective view of a separate edible capsule making unit in accordance with one embodiment of the present subject matter.
[0049] Figure 4 illustrates an exploded view of the separate edible capsule making unit in accordance with one embodiment of the present subject matter.
[0050] Figure 5 illustrates a rear perspective view of the internal parts of the separate edible capsule making unit in accordance with one embodiment of the present subject matter.
[0051] Figure 6 illustrates a perspective view of the containers and motor of the kneading unit in accordance with one embodiment of the present subject matter.
[0052] Figure 7 illustrates a sectional view of the containers and motor of the kneading unit in accordance with one embodiment of the present subject matter.
[0053] Figure 8 illustrates a perspective view of a capsule collector of the separate edible capsule making unit in accordance with one embodiment of the present subject matter.
[0054] Figure 9 illustrates a perspective view of the pressing and cooking apparatus in accordance with one embodiment of the present subject matter.
[0055] Figure 10 illustrates an exploded view of the pressing and cooking apparatus in accordance with one embodiment of the present subject matter.
[0056] Figure 10A illustrates an exploded view of the pressing and cooking apparatus in accordance with one embodiment of the present subject matter.
[0057] Figure 11, which illustrates a perspective view of the mechanism for pressing and cooking apparatus in accordance with another embodiment of the present subject matter.
[0058] Figure 12 illustrates a perspective view of a device for cooking semi solid liquid food items in accordance with another embodiment of the present subject matter.
[0059] Figure 13 illustrates an exploded view of a device for cooking semi solid liquid food items in accordance with another embodiment of the present subject matter.
[0060] Figure 14 illustrates a perspective view of the sub-assembly for cooking food items from semi-solid liquid raw material in accordance with the present embodiment.
[0061] Figure 15 illustrates a perspective view of a vertically oriented cooking apparatus in accordance with one embodiment of the present subject matter.
[0062] Figure 16 illustrates an exploded view of a vertically oriented cooking apparatus in accordance with one embodiment of the present subject matter.
[0063] Figure 17 depicts the cross-sectional representation of the vertically oriented cooking apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter.
[0064] The figures depict a simplified structure only showing some elements and functional entities, all being logical units whose implementation may differ from what is shown.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0065] The following presents a detailed description of various embodiments of the present subject matter with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0066] The embodiments of the present subject matter are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present subject matter is not limited to these embodiments which are only provided to explain more clearly the present subject matter to a person skilled in the art of the present disclosure. In the accompanying drawings, like reference numerals are used to indicate like components.
[0067] The specification may refer to “an”, “one”, “different” or “some” embodiment(s) in several locations. This does not necessarily imply that each such reference is to the same embodiment(s), or that the feature only applies to a single embodiment. Single features of different embodiments may also be combined to provide other embodiments.
[0068] As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless expressly stated otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “includes”, “comprises”, “including” 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. It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “attached” or “connected” or “coupled” or “mounted” to another element, it can be directly attached or connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may be present. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations and arrangements of one or more of the associated listed items.
[0069] In the present invention, a device and a method for automatically making edible capsules, pressing, and cooking said edible capsules is described. In an embodiment, the device for automatically making edible capsules, pressing, and cooking said edible capsules comprises a dispensing unit, a kneading unit, a pressing and heating unit, a heating mechanism, an ejection mechanism, and a microcontroller. The dispensing mechanism is configured to dispense the required amount of powder, water, and oil to the kneading unit. The kneading mechanism is configured to mix the ingredients and make them in cylindrical shaped capsules in an embodiment. The squeezing mechanism is configured to squeeze/ press/ flatten the cylindrical capsules. The heating mechanism is configured to cook the flattened capsules by providing heat to the flattened capsules. The ejection mechanism is configured to eject the cooked food item from the device. The microcontroller is configured to control the kneading mechanism, squeezing mechanism the heating mechanism and the ejection mechanism.
[0070] Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of a device 100 for automatically making edible capsules, pressing, and cooking said edible capsules in accordance with one embodiment of the present subject matter. The device 100 according to the present subject matter is configured to cook a plurality of food items 102. For example and by no way limiting the scope of the present subject matter, the cooked food item comprises a flat bread, for example chapatti, roti, poori, pulkha and similar flat bread using ingredients like powder, water, oil etc. In an embodiment, the device 100 comprises but is not limited to a housing setup 104, one or more powder containers 106, one or more oil containers 108, one or more water containers 110, an output station 112, a plurality of hooks 114 and a guide tray 116. The housing setup 104 is configured to accommodate a plurality of internal components of the device 100, as shown in Figure 2. The powder container 106 is configured to store raw ingredients in the form of powder for cooking food items. In an embodiment, the powder comprises but is not limited to flour made up by milling any type of grains. In another embodiment, the powder can be a mixture of more than one grain. In an embodiment, the oil container 108 is configured to hold oil and the water container 110 is configured to hold water. In a preferred embodiment, the powder container 106, the water container 108 and the oil container 110 are also configured to dispense powder, water, and oil respectively to a kneading unit (shown in Figure 2). The output station 112 is configured to eject the cooked food item 102 from the device 100. The guide tray 116 is provided as an extended support to the cooked food item 102 and prevents the cooked product from tearing. In a preferred embodiment, the housing setup 104 can be removed for cleaning the internal components of the device 100. The plurality of hooks 114 is configured to facilitate mounting and dismounting of the housing setup 104 in a preferred embodiment. The housing setup 104 can be removed for cleaning the internal components of the device 100.
[0071] Figure 2 illustrates an exploded view of the device 100 for automatically making edible capsules, pressing, and cooking said edible capsules in accordance with one embodiment of the present subject matter. Figure 2 depicts the internal components of the device 100. As shown in Figure 2, the device 100 comprises the kneading unit 118, and a pressing and heating unit 122.
[0072] In an embodiment, the kneading unit 118 is configured to mix, press, and squeeze a mixture of powder and water to convert the powder into a capsule 120. In an embodiment, the shape of the capsule 120 may be spherical or cylindrical or any other similar shape. In an embodiment, the kneading unit 118 comprises an ejector setup 128 and kneading container 142. In a preferred embodiment, the ejector setup 128 comprises an ejector blade. The ejector setup 128 acts as the top cover plate for the kneading container 142. In an embodiment, the kneading unit 118 is controlled by a microcontroller for dispensing appropriate amount of ingredients from the respective containers 106, 108 and 110. In an embodiment, the kneading unit 118 is operated by the microcontroller for mixing and converting the ingredients into capsules 120.
[0073] In an embodiment, the pressing and heating unit 122 is configured to press the capsule 120 and convert the capsule 120 into a shaped dough 120’. In an embodiment, the pressing and heating unit 122 is also configured to cook the shaped dough 120’. In an embodiment, the shape of the shaped dough 120’ may be square, rectangle, circle etc., or any irregular shape. In a preferred embodiment, the pressing and heating unit 122 comprises a top pressing and heating assembly 124 and a bottom pressing and heating assembly 126, an ejector setup 128, and a plurality of support members 129-1, 129-2. The top pressing and heating assembly 124 and the bottom pressing and heating assembly 126 are configured to roll the capsule 120 into the shaped dough 120’ and cook said shaped dough 120’. In an embodiment, the top rolling assembly 124 comprises a pair of top rollers 130, a top belt 132, and one or more top heating elements 134. Similarly, the bottom pressing and heating assembly 126 comprises a pair of bottom rollers 136, a bottom belt 138, and one or more bottom heating elements 140. For the purpose of the present description, the top heating elements 134 and the bottom heating elements 140 are also referred to as the top heaters 134 and the bottom heaters 140 respectively.
[0074] In a preferred embodiment, the ejector setup 128 is configured to eject the capsules 120 from the kneading unit 118 to the space between the top pressing and heating assembly 124 and the bottom pressing and heating assembly 126. In an embodiment, the ejector setup 128 comprises one or more motors to eject the capsule 120 from the kneading unit 118. In a preferred embodiment, the top rollers 130 and the bottom rollers 136 are supported at both their ends by the housing setup 104, as shown in Figure 1. Further, as shown in Figure 2, the support members 129-1, 129-2 are configured in a substantially perpendicular configuration to the top rollers 130 and the bottom rollers 136. The support members 129-1, 129-2 are also supported at their ends by the housing setup 104 in a preferred embodiment. In a preferred embodiment, the top rollers 130 are circumscribed by the top belt 132 and the bottom rollers 136 are circumscribed by the bottom belt 138. In an embodiment, both the top belt 132 and the bottom belt 138 revolve in opposite directions. In an embodiment, the top heater 134 is placed between the revolving top belt 132, as shown in Figure 2. Similarly, the bottom heater 140 is placed between the revolving bottom belt 138, as shown in Figure 2. In an embodiment, more than one heater 134, 140 can be placed between the revolving top belt 132 and the bottom belt 138. In an embodiment, only one of the top heater and the bottom heater may be provided while the other heater may be eliminated from the setup.
[0075] During operation, the ingredients comprising powder, oil and water from the powder container 106, the oil container 108 and the water container 110 respectively are dispensed into the kneading unit 118 for an appropriate time period. In an embodiment, dispensing of the ingredients may be done within fifteen to twenty seconds. The mixture of the ingredients comprising the powder, oil and water is kneaded in the kneading unit 118 and converted into a capsule 120. Subsequently, the capsule 120 is ejected from the kneading unit 118 by the ejector setup 128 and placed in the pressing and heating unit 122. In the pressing and heating unit 122, the capsule 120 is converted to a shaped dough 120’. For converting the capsule 120 into the shaped dough 120’, the capsule 120 is brought in a position between the top pressing and heating assembly 124 and the bottom pressing and heating assembly 126 wherein the continuously revolving belts 132, 138 squeeze and convert the capsule 120 into the shaped dough 120’. Once the shaped dough 120’ is formed, the top belt 132 and the bottom belt 138 come to a halt in an embodiment. In a preferred embodiment, the gap between the top pressing and heating assembly 124 and the bottom pressing and heating assembly 126 can be adjusted to change the thickness of the shaped dough 120’. The shaped dough 120’is then cooked at the same place, i.e., between the top pressing and heating assembly 124 and the bottom pressing and heating assembly 126 by providing heat from top and bottom by the top heater 134 and bottom heater 140 respectively. Once the shaped dough 120’ is cooked into a cooked food item, the said cooked food item 102 is ejected from the device 100 by restarting the movement of the top belt 132 and the bottom belt 138 in the same direction.
[0076] In an embodiment, the device 100 is configured to facilitate cooking any number of cooked food items 102 by filling appropriate amount of ingredients. In an embodiment, the device 100 is also configured to keep the ingredients inside the container and cook only the desired number of cooked food items 102 as per the input provided by the user. For this purpose, the device 100 may comprise an input panel for proving input to the device 100 for entering the required number of cooked food item 102.
[0077] In an embodiment, the microcontroller is configured to control the pressing and heating unit 122. In an embodiment, the device 100 comprises one or more sensors inside the kneading unit for detecting the presence of the ingredients in the kneading unit. The device further includes one or more sensors at or near the top pressing and heating assembly 124 and / or the bottom pressing and heating assembly 126 for detecting the presence of the capsule 120 between the top pressing and heating assembly 124 and the bottom pressing and heating assembly 126. In an embodiment, one or more sensors are also configured to detect the shaped dough 120’ between the top pressing and heating assembly 124 and the bottom pressing and heating assembly 126. In an embodiment, the device 100 can also be operated through a mobile application. In another embodiment, the device 100 can be operated by presetting the machine time by the user through the user panel so that the device 100 automatically starts its process at the selected time and makes the capsules 120 ready for further pressing and cooking.
[0078] In an embodiment, the present device 100 can be configured to knead and press the edible capsules 120 for baking steaming foods, such as cookies, mini cakes etc. and other similar steaming and baking foods. The size of the edible capsules 120 can be varied as per the user selection and settings. Furthermore, the gap between the top rollers 130 and / or the bottom rollers 136 can be adjusted to increase or decrease the size of the desired shaped dough 120’.
[0079] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the kneading unit 118, and the pressing and heating unit 122 are integrated with each other. However, in another embodiment, the kneading unit 118 and the pressing and heating unit 122 can be separate units and can work independently of each other.
[0080] In an embodiment of the present invention, once the kneading process is completed in the kneading unit 118, the capsule 120 can be allowed to ferment for certain time which makes pressing mechanism easy to eject the soft rotis. This is done by delaying the transfer of the capsule 120 from the kneading unit 118 to the pressing and heating unit 122.
[0081] Figures 3 and 4 illustrate a perspective view and an exploded view of an independent edible capsule making unit 200 for making capsules 120 in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter. The edible capsule making unit 200 according to the present embodiment is configured to mix a plurality of ingredients and convert the ingredients into capsules 120 and stack the capsule in the capsule collector for further process. In an embodiment, the edible capsule making unit 200 comprises a plurality of containers, i.e., one or more powder containers 106, one or more oil containers 108, one or more water containers 110, for storing and dispensing a plurality of ingredients comprising powder, oil and water respectively, as described in the embodiments shown in Figure 1 and 2. In an embodiment, the edible capsule making unit 200 further comprises a capsule collector 202 and a user interface 204. In an embodiment, the capsule collector 202 comprises a plurality of capsule collection partitions 2021, as shown in Figure 8, and is configured to collect the capsules 120 prepared by the edible capsule making unit 200. The user interface 204 facilitates the user to provide inputs related to the kneading operation.
[0082] Figure 5 illustrates a schematic representation of the internal components of the separate edible capsule making unit 200 in accordance with one embodiment of the present subject matter. Figures 6 and 7 illustrate a perspective view and an exploded view respectively of a kneading unit container 222 and kneading motor 216 assembly of the separate edible capsule making unit 200 in accordance with one embodiment of the present subject matter.
[0083] As shown in Figures 3 to 7, the edible capsule making unit 200 comprises a capsule collector drive mechanism 206, one or more powder motors 208 attached to the one or more powder containers 106, one or more oil pumps 210 attached to the one or more oil containers 108, one or more water pumps 212 attached to the one or more water containers 110, a capsule ejector 214, a kneading motor 216, a dirt water collector 218, a power board 220, a kneading container 222, and a kneading setup platform and box housing 224. The internal components of the edible capsule making unit 200 comprising the powder motor 208, the oil pump 210, the water pump 212, the capsule ejector 214, the kneading motor 216, the dirt water collector 218, the power board 220, the kneading container 222, and the kneading setup platform and box housing 224 are accommodated in a kneading unit body 201.
[0084] In an embodiment, the capsule collector drive mechanism 206 is configured to rotate the capsule collector 202 when a capsule 120 is placed inside a capsule collection partition 2021 of the plurality of capsule collection partition 2021. In an embodiment, one or more motors are employed to drive the capsule collector drive mechanism 206. In an embodiment, the capsule collector drive mechanism 206 comprises a drive gear 206a and two supporting rollers 206b, 206c mounted at predetermined locations on the edible capsule making unit 200, and a ring gear 206d mounted on the inner side of the capsule collector 202. In an embodiment, the drive gear 206a and the supporting rollers 206b, 206c comprise external teeth and the capsule collector 202 comprises internal teeth so that the external teeth of the drive gear 206a and the supporting rollers 206b, 206c mesh with the internal teeth of 206d of the capsule collector 202 to rotate the capsule collector 202 in relation to the edible capsule making unit 200.
[0085] In an embodiment, the powder motor 208 is attached to the powder container 106 and is configured to operate the powder container 106 to dispense the power into the kneading container 222. Similarly, the oil pump 210 and the water pump 212 are attached to the oil container 108 and the water container 110 respectively. The oil pump 210 and the water pump 212 are configured to operate the oil container 108 and the water container 110 respectively for dispensing oil and water respectively into the kneading container 222. In an embodiment, one or more dispensing flow meters 236 are employed for metering the volume of oil and water from the oil container 108 and the water container 110 respectively into the kneading container 222. The dispensing of powder from the powder container 106 into the kneading container 222 is dependent on the rotation of the motor. In particular, for every rotation of the motor, fixed quantity of powder is dispensed from the powder container 106 into the kneading container 222.
[0086] In another embodiment, a gear system and a self-vibration method is used to dispense the powder from the powder container 106 into the kneading container 222. In an embodiment, the kneading container 222 comprises a kneading area 226 in which the ingredients are added, one or more kneading pins 228 for mixing the ingredients present in the kneading area 226, a plunger 230, a cam mechanism 232 and a threaded sleeve 234.
[0087] The kneading motor 216 is connected to the kneading container 222 and is configured to knead the mixture present in the kneading container 222. In an embodiment, the kneading motor 216 is configured to rotate in both clockwise and anti-clockwise directions. In an embodiment, while moving in the clockwise direction, the kneading motor 216 rotates the kneading pins 228 for kneading the mixture present inside the kneading area 226 to prepare a capsule 120 in the kneading area 226. However, while moving in the anti-clockwise direction, the kneading motor 216 moves the plunger 230 upward while engaging the plunger 230 in the threaded sleeves 234 to eject the capsule 120 from the kneading area 226. In an embodiment, the kneading motor 216 rotates in the clockwise direction by using the cam mechanism 232.
[0088] The dirt water collector 218 is configured to collect the mixture of remaining water, oil, and powder present in the kneading container 222 during the kneading process. The power board 220 is configured to provide supply to the kneading unit 200 in an embodiment. The kneading platform and gear box housing 224 is configured to provide a base to the kneading motor 216 and the kneading container 222. In an embodiment, the kneading platform and gear box housing 224 is also configured to cover the gear box employed to transmit power from kneading motor 216 to the one or more kneading pins 228.
[0089] Once the capsules 120 are prepared in the kneading area 226, the capsules 120 are ejected from the kneading container 222 and can be collected by a user for the next process in an embodiment. In another embodiment, the capsules 120 ejected from a kneading container 222 are directly transferred into the next processing station automatically. In yet another embodiment, the capsules 120 can be shifted to the next processing station by the capsule collector 202 with the help of the capsule ejector 214. For shifting the capsules 120 from the edible capsule making unit 200 to the next processing station, the capsules 120 are stacked in the partitions 2021 of the capsule collector 202, as shown in Figure 8, and this capsule collector 202 can be manually shifted to the next processing station. Figure 8 illustrates a perspective view of the capsule collector 202 having a plurality of compartments 2021, wherein each compartment 2021 accommodates a single capsule 120, in accordance with one embodiment of the present subject matter.
[0090] In a preferred embodiment, the next processing station comprises a pressing and heating unit 300 as shown in Figures 9 and 10, which illustrate a perspective view and an exploded view of a separate pressing and cooking apparatus 300 in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter.
[0091] For the purpose of the present description, the “separate pressing and heating unit” is also referred to as the “pressing and cooking apparatus” and these expressions are used interchangeably hereinafter. According to the present embodiment, the pressing and cooking apparatus 300 is configured to convert the capsules 120 prepared in the edible capsule making unit 200 into a cooked food item 102. The pressing and cooking apparatus 300 of the present embodiment comprises an outer casing 302 for covering the internal components of the pressing and cooking apparatus 300. The pressing and cooking apparatus 300 further comprises a user interface 304 for providing inputs to the pressing and cooking apparatus 300 by a user. In an embodiment, the pressing and cooking apparatus 300 comprises an opening 301 to accommodate the capsule collector 202 therein for supplying the capsules 120 to the pressing and cooking apparatus 300, as shown in Figure 9. As also shown in Figure 9, the capsule collector 202 can be placed in a vertical position so that the pressing and cooking apparatus 300 has access to the compartments 2021 for transferring the capsules 120 present in said compartments 2021 one by one to the pressing and cooking apparatus 300. For this purpose, the capsule collector 202 may be rotated so that once a capsule from a compartment 2021 is transferred to the pressing and cooking apparatus 300, the next compartment 2021 containing the capsule is positioned at the transferring location. In an embodiment, the capsule collector 202 may be automatically rotated by the microcontroller. In one embodiment, a sensor may be provided to detect the presence of a capsule in a compartment of the capsule collector 202 and to send the signals to the microcontroller. In case of detection of an empty compartment, the microcontroller may rotate the capsule collector 202 to place the next compartment with the capsule present therein at the transferring location. In another embodiment, the capsules 120 may be supplied to the pressing and cooking apparatus 300 manually by the user.
[0092] The pressing and cooking apparatus 300 further comprises an ejector system 306, a capsule pusher 308, a pressing and heating setup 310, and a power board 320 in an embodiment. The capsule pusher 308 is configured to eject the capsules 120 from the capsule collector 202 and the ejection system 306 is configured to transfer the capsules 120 to the pressing and heating setup 310. In an embodiment, the capsule pusher 308 may employ any mechanism like actuator, screw rod, belt drive, motor driven mechanism for ejecting the capsules 120 from the capsule collector 202. In an embodiment, motor with screw rod method is used in the capsule ejector system 306 to push a capsule 120 and place said capsule at the pressing and heating setup 310. In an embodiment, the ejector system 306 comprises a longitudinal blade capable of moving in the horizontal direction. In a preferred embodiment, the pressing and heating setup 310 comprises a top hot plate 312, a bottom hot plate 314, one or more supports 316 and a scissor lift mechanism 318. After ejecting the capsule 120 from the capsule collector 202, the capsule ejector system 306 places the capsule 120 at the center of the bottom hot plate 314. Thereafter, the bottom hot plate 314 moves up to press the capsule 120 placed at the center of the bottom hot plate 314 between the bottom hot plate 314and the top hot plate 312 to convert the capsule 120 into the shaped dough 120’ and to cook the shaped dough 120’. In an embodiment, the top plate 312 together with the bottom plate 314 is configured to provide a pressing effect to the capsule 120 placed on the bottom plate 314. After formation of the shaped dough 120’ on the bottom plate 314, the top plate 312 supplies heat to the shaped dough 120’ for converting the shaped dough 120’ into the cooked food item 102. In an embodiment, the top plate 312 is fixed and the bottom plate 314 is configured to move upwards so that the capsule 120 is pressed between the top plate 312 and the bottom plate 314. In an embodiment, the bottom plate 314 is configured to heat to the shaped dough 120’ formed after pressing the capsule 120.
[0093] During operation, the capsule 120 from the capsule collector 202 is pushed to the bottom plate 314 by the capsule pusher 308. Thereafter, the ejector system 306 pushes the capsule at the center of the bottom plate 314. The scissor lift mechanism 318 is provided below the bottom hot plate 314 to lift the bottom plate 314 for bringing the bottom plate 314 in contact with the top plate 312. In an embodiment, the scissor lift mechanism 318 comprises a screw jack mechanism, as shown in Figures 10 and 10A. In an embodiment, a motor M is employed to operate the scissor lift mechanism 318. In another embodiment, the motor M is configured to provide a variant load to the scissor lift mechanism 318. The varying load assists in controlling the thickness of the shaped dough 120’. When the bottom plate 314 comes the contact with the top plate 312, both the plates exert a pressure on the capsule 120 sandwiched therebetween. Due to exerted pressure, the capsule 120 gets converted to the shaped dough 120’ of any shape. In an embodiment, the shape of the dough 120’ may be round, elliptical, rectangular, square or any regular or irregular shape.
[0094] Once the capsule 120 is converted to the shaped dough 120’, the one or more heaters 322 provided at both the top and bottom plates 312, 314 supply heat to the shaped dough 120’ through the top and bottom plates 312, 314 for cooking the shaped dough 120’. While the heaters are shown to be provided both at the top plate and the bottom plate, it is clarified that in another embodiment, one or more heaters may be provided on either of the top plate 312 and the bottom plate 314.
[0095] In an embodiment, the one or more supports 316 are configured to hold the lower hot plate 314 and facilitate movement of the longitudinal blade of the ejector system 306 there along. The power board 320 is configured to supply electricity to the pressing and cooking apparatus 300. In an embodiment, the pressing and cooking is done with single stage plate and scissor lift mechanism 318. In another embodiment, the pressing and the cooking processes are executed as two different stages.
[0096] In an embodiment, the pressing and heating unit 122 of the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, and the pressing and cooking apparatus 300 of the embodiment shown in Figures 9, 10 and 10A are interchangeable. In another embodiment, any of the rollers 130, 136 of the pressing and heating unit 122 of the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2 and any hot plate 312, 314 of the pressing and cooking apparatus 300 of the embodiment shown in Figures 9 and 10 are also interchangeable. For example, the capsule 120 can be pressed and cooked by using a combination of the roller 130, 136 of the embodiment shown in Figure 1 and 2 and one of the hot plates 312, 314 of the embodiment shown in Figure 9 and 10. In yet another embodiment, both the rollers 130, 136 of the pressing and heating unit 122 of the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2 and both the hot plates 312, 314 of the pressing and cooking apparatus 300 of the embodiment shown in Figure 9 and 10 can be used together, wherein the rollers 130, 136 are used to convert the capsule 120 into the shaped dough 120’ and the hot plates 312, 314 are used to convert the shaped dough 120’ into the cooked food item 102, as described in Figure 11, which illustrates a perspective view of the mechanism for pressing and cooking apparatus 300 in an embodiment. As shown in Figure 11, the capsule pusher 308 is configured to push the capsule 120 between the top roller 130 and the bottom roller 136 for converting the capsule 120 into the shaped dough 120’. In an embodiment, as shown in Figure 11, the capsule pusher 308 comprises a pusher motor 308A and a rack and pinion arrangement 308B for pushing the capsules 120 towards the rollers 130, 136. Subsequently, the shaped dough 120’ gets placed between the top plate 312 and the bottom plate 314. In an embodiment, one or both of the top plate 312 and the bottom plate 314 comprise one or more heating elements and act as heating plates. These heating plates provide heat to the shaped dough 120’ placed between them, thereby converting the shaped dough 120’ into the cooked food item 102 that is dispensed through the guide tray 116. As shown in Figure 11, an ejector arm 324 is provided to eject the cooked product from the pressing and cooking apparatus 300 in a preferred embodiment.
[0097] In an embodiment, the top plate 312 and bottom plate 314 are fixed. In another embodiment, the top plate 312 is fixed while the bottom plate is movable in upward and downward direction. In yet another embodiment, the bottom plate 314 may be fixed while the top plate 312 may be movable in upward and downward direction. In the embodiment shown in Figure 11, the heaters 322 are shown in the bottom plate 314.
[0098] Figures 12 and 13 illustrate a perspective view and an exploded view of a device 400 for cooking food items in accordance with another embodiment of the present subject matter. The device 400 according to the present embodiment comprises a plurality of components. For example and by no way limiting the scope of the present invention, major components of the device 400 include but are not limited to an edible capsule kneader, a shaper, an automatic cooking apparatus and a sub-assembly for cooking food items, such as dosa, crepe, omelette etc. from semi-solid liquid raw material. The device 400 according to the present embodiment comprises a semi-solid liquid container 402 for storing a semi-solid liquid, a plunger assembly 404, a sprout assembly 406, one or more magnet read switches, a plunger motor 408 with gears for movement of the plunger and a sprout motor 410 for movement of the sprout assembly. In an embodiment, the semi-solid liquid container 402 is provided with a lid 412. As can be seen from Figures 12 and 13, a separate casing 414 may be provided for supporting the semi-solid liquid container 402. The device 400 further comprises a control panel 416 for controlling the operation of the device 400 and a hot plate 418 for cooking for food item from the semi-solid liquid substance. In an embodiment, the hot plate 418 may be the top hot plate 312 or the bottom hot plate 314 of the previous embodiments. In a preferred embodiment, the hot plate 418 of the present embodiment is the bottom hot plate 314 of the previous embodiments. The magnet read switches are provided in the device 400 for sensing and confirming positions of the semi-solid liquid container 402 and the sprout assembly 406 at their desired locations inside the device 400.
[0099] Figure 14 illustrates a perspective view of the sub-assembly for cooking food items from semi-solid liquid raw material in accordance with the present embodiment. As shown herein, only limited internal components of the device 400 are depicted for the ease of explanation of the sub-assembly for cooking food items, such as dosa, crepe, omelette etc. from semi-solid liquid raw material. During operation, the semi-solid liquid is filled in the semi-solid liquid container 402. Thereafter, the type of food item to be cooked is selected by the user. In a preferred embodiment, a desired mode may be selected in the control panel to select the kind of food item, such as dosa, crepe, omelette, etc. to be prepared. Once the desired mode is selected, the hot plate 418 starts to heat and moves down to its bottom most position. Simultaneously, the user can select the quantity, roasting level, thickness and size requirements through the control panel 416. Once the pre-heating is completed, the sprout motor 410 rotates and moves the sprout assembly 406 to its dispense position to dispense the semi-solid liquid substance on the hot plate 418 through the semi-solid dispense mouth 419. The dispensed semi-solid liquid substance on the hot plate 418 is marked as SSL in Figure 14. Now, the plunger motor 408 activates the plunger assembly 404 to push out the semi-solid liquid from the semi-solid liquid container 402 to the surface of the hot plate 418. Once the required volume of semi-solid liquid substance is dispensed from the semi-solid liquid container 402, it automatically cuts off and the sprout motor 410 rotates to its home position. Then the scissor lift mechanism 420 moves the hot plate 418 upwards to maintain the gap between the ejector blade assembly 422 and the hot plate 418 as per the required thickness selected by the user. Then the ejector blade assembly 422 moves from right to left to flatten the semi-solid liquid on the surface of the hot plate 418 and comes back to its home position. Once the cooking is completed, the hot plate 418 moves upwards until the ejection position is achieved. Now, the ejector blade assembly 422 moves from left to right to eject the cooked food item 424 from the hot plate 418. This cooked food item is collected on the collecting tray 426. The device 400 according to a preferred embodiment also comprises an electronic board 428 for supplying power to the device 400. In an embodiment, the microcontroller is also mounted on the board 428. In a preferred embodiment, the board 428 is also provided with controls for controlling the operation of the device 400.
[0100] Figures 15 and 16 illustrate a perspective view and an exploded view of a vertically oriented cooking apparatus 500 in accordance with one embodiment of the present subject matter. Figure 17 depicts the cross-sectional representation of the vertically oriented cooking apparatus 500 in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter. In the present embodiment, the capsule kneader, shaping and cooking segments of the apparatus 500 are oriented in the vertical manner to save the foot space and make the setup more compact. The powder container 502, the water container 504 and the oil container 506 are first filled with the required ingredients and placed on the top of the apparatus 500. Once the user selects the output requirements through the control panel 508, the hot plate 510 starts to heat. The apparatus 500 comprises a kneading setup 514 bottom plate is in closed position at this point. The required volume powder, water and oil are dispensed into the kneading container 512 through the inlet provisions in the top of the kneading setup 514. Then the kneading motor rotates in clockwise direction to mix the ingredients to make the dough capsule 515. After making the dough mix, the kneading setup bottom plate is moved to open position to allow the dough mix to be pushed out. Now the kneading motor rotates in anti-clockwise direction so that the plunger 517 moves downwards to push out the dough mix completely from the kneading setup 514. The dough is pushed to the surface of the roller 516 and the rotation of the roller 516 converts the dough capsule DC in to the elliptical dough sheet. In an embodiment, two mating rollers 516 are provided with gears for controlled rotation of the rollers 516. This elliptical shaped dough is directly cooked on the surface of the hot plate 510. In an embodiment, a stopper plate or holder 518 may be provided at the end of heater plate 510 to hold the dough sheet on the heater plate 510. Once the cooking process is completed, the stopper plate 518 moves downwards so that the cooked food item 520 is ejected automatically by the gravity and collected on the collection tray 522. The device 500 of the present embodiment also comprises the control board 524 for supplying power to and controlling the device 500. The device 500 of the present embodiment also comprises a bottom closer plate 526 for closing the opening at the bottom of the kneading setup 514. In the event of dispensing a desired quantity of the kneaded dough between the hot plates for cooking, the bottom closer plate 526 slides away from the opening at the bottom of the kneading setup 514. After the desired quantity of the kneaded dough is dispensed between the hot plates 510, the bottom closer plate 526 again blocks the opening at the bottom of the kneading setup 514. A bottom closer motor 526 is provided to enable sliding of the bottom closer plate 526 in an embodiment. As shown in Figure 15, the components of the apparatus 500 are enclosed in a machine housing 528.
[0101] While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described hereinabove, it should be understood that various changes, adaptations, and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims. It will be obvious to a person skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. ,CLAIMS:I/WE CLAIM
1. An automatic edible capsule making unit 200 comprising:
one or more containers 106, 108, 110 configured to store one or more ingredients;
a kneading unit 118 configured to mix the ingredients dispensed from the one or more containers 106, 108, 110 into the kneading unit 118 and to prepare one or more edible capsules 120; and
a capsule collector 202 for collecting and storing the one or more edible capsules 120 prepared by the kneading unit 118.
2. The automatic edible capsule making unit 200 as claimed in claim 1, wherein the capsule collector 202 comprises a plurality of capsule collection partitions 2021 for collecting the one or more edible capsules 120 prepared by the kneading unit 118.
3. The automatic edible capsule making unit 200 as claimed in claim 2 further comprises a capsule collector drive mechanism 206 configured to rotate the capsule collector 202 when a capsule 120 is placed inside a capsule collection partition 2021 of the plurality of capsule collection partition 2021.
4. The automatic edible capsule making unit 200 as claimed in claim 3, wherein the capsule collector drive mechanism 206 comprises a drive gear 206a and a plurality of supporting rollers 206b, 206c mounted at predetermined locations on the kneading assembly 200 and a ring gear 206d mounted on the inner side of the capsule collector 202, and wherein the drive gear 206a and the supporting rollers 206b, 206c mesh with the capsule collector 202 to rotate the capsule collector 202 in relation to the kneading assembly 200.
5. The automatic edible capsule making unit 200 as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more containers 106, 108, 110 comprise one or more powder containers 106, one or more oil containers 108 and one or more water containers 110, and wherein the one or more powder containers 106 are provided with one or more powder motors 208, the one or more oil containers 108 are provided with one or more oil pumps 210 and one or more water containers 110 are provided with one or more water pumps 212 to dispense the powder, oil and water respectively into the kneading unit 118.
6. The automatic edible capsule making unit 200 as claimed in claim 1, wherein the kneading unit 118 comprises a kneading container 222, a kneading plunger 230, one or more kneading pins 228, and a kneading motor 216, wherein the kneading container 222 forms a kneading area 226 therein, and wherein the kneading plunger 230 and the one or more kneading pins 228 are movably positioned in the kneading area 226 for preparing the edible capsules 120.
7. The automatic edible capsule making unit 200 as claimed in claim 1 further comprises a capsule ejector 214 for ejecting the one or more edible capsules from the kneading unit 118 and placing the one or more edible capsules at a capsule collector 202 or directly to a pressing and heating setup 310 .
8. A pressing and cooking apparatus 300 comprising:
at least a pair of pressing members 312, 314 for pressing one or more edible capsules 120;
one or more heating members 322 mounted on the at least one of the pressing members 312, 314 for heating the pressed one or more edible capsules 120; and
at least one capsule pusher 308 and ejector system 306 for pushing the one or more edible capsules 120 between the at least a pair of pressing members for converting the edible capsules 120 into shaped doughs 120’.
9. The pressing and cooking apparatus 300 as claimed in claim 8, wherein the at least a pair of pressing members comprises a fixed top hot plate 312 and a movable bottom hot plate 314.
10. The pressing and cooking apparatus 300 as claimed in claim 9, wherein the bottom hot plate 314 is configured to move upwards towards the fixed top hot plate 312 for pressing the edible capsule 120 by means of a scissor lift mechanism 318.
11. The pressing and cooking apparatus 300 as claimed in claim 8 further comprises a pair of rollers 130, 136 mounted upstream of the pressing members 312, 314 for shaping the edible capsules 120 before entering the space between the at least a pair of pressing members 312, 314.
12. The pressing and cooking apparatus 300 as claimed in claim 8 further comprises an opening 301 to accommodate a capsule collector 202 therein for supplying the one or more edible capsules 120 to the at least a pair of pressing members 312, 314.
13. An automatic cooking device 100, 400 for making edible capsules 120 and cooking food items from said edible capsules 120, the automatic cooking device 100 comprising:
one or more containers 106, 108, 110, 402 configured to store one or more ingredients;
a kneading unit 118 configured to mix the ingredients dispensed from the one or more containers 106, 108, 110 into the kneading unit 118 and to prepare one or more edible capsules 120; and
a pressing and heating unit 122 configured to convert the edible capsules 120 into cooked food items 102.
14. The automatic cooking device 100, 400 as claimed in claim 13, wherein the pressing and heating unit 122 comprises a top conveyor belt 132 and a bottom conveyor belt 138 for pressing the edible capsules 120 to form a shaped dough 120’, for cooking said shaped dough 120’ and transporting the cooked food item to a collecting tray.
15. The automatic cooking device 100, 400 as claimed in claim 14, wherein at least one of the top conveyor belt 132 and the bottom conveyor belt 138 is provided with one or more heating elements 134, 140.
16. The automatic cooking device 100, 400 as claimed in claim 13, wherein the one or more containers 106, 108, 110 comprise one or more powder containers 106, one or more oil containers 108 and one or more water containers 110, and wherein the one or more powder containers 106 are provided with one or more powder motors 208, the one or more oil containers 108 are provided with one or more oil pumps 210 and one or more water containers 110 are provided with one or more water pumps 212 to dispense the powder, oil and water respectively into the kneading unit 118.
17. The automatic cooking device 100, 400 as claimed in claim 13, wherein the kneading unit 118 comprises a kneading container 222, a kneading plunger 230, one or more kneading pins 228, and a kneading motor 216, wherein the kneading container 222 forms a kneading area 226 therein, and wherein the kneading plunger 230 and the one or more kneading pins 228 are movably positioned in the kneading area 226 for preparing the edible capsules 120.
18. The automatic cooking device 100, 400 as claimed in claim 13, wherein the pressing and heating unit 122 comprises a top hot plate 312 and a bottom hot plate 314.
19. The automatic cooking device 100, 400 as claimed in claim 19, wherein the one or more containers 106, 108, 110, 402 comprise one or more semi-solid liquid containers 402 for storing a semi-solid liquid substance, and wherein the one or more semi-solid liquid containers 402 is provided with a sprout assembly 406 for dispensing the semi-solid liquid substance on the bottom hot plate 314 of the pressing and heating unit 122.
20. The automatic cooking device 100, 400 as claimed in claim 13 further comprises a plunger assembly 404 to push out the semi-solid liquid from the one or more semi-solid liquid containers 402 to the bottom hot plate 314.
21. The automatic cooking device 100, 400 as claimed in claim 13 further comprises an ejector blade assembly 422 for flattening the semi-solid liquid dispensed on the bottom hot plate 314.
22. An automatic cooking device 500 for cooking food items, the automatic cooking device 100 comprising:
one or more containers 106, 108, 110 configured to store one or more ingredients;
a kneading unit 118 located below the one or more containers 106, 108, 110 and configured to mix the ingredients dispensed from the one or more containers 106, 108, 110 into the kneading unit 118 and to prepare an edible capsule; and
a pressing and heating unit 122 located below the kneading unit 118 and configured to convert the edible capsule prepared by the kneading unit 118 into cooked food items 102.
23. The automatic cooking device 500 as claimed in claim 22, wherein the kneading unit 118 comprises a bottom closer plate for blocking and unblocking the passage under the kneading unit 118 to stop or allow dispensing of the edible capsule from the kneading unit 118 to the pressing and heating unit 122.
24. The automatic cooking device 500 as claimed in claim 22, wherein the pressing and heating unit 122 comprises at least a pair of slanted hot plates 510 for heating and cooking the edible capsule dispensed by the kneading unit 118.
25. The automatic cooking device 500 as claimed in claim 24, wherein the pressing and heating unit 122 comprises a stopper plate 518 blocking and unblocking the passage under the pressing and heating unit 122 to stop or allow dispensing of the cooked food item out of the pressing and heating unit 122.
26. The automatic cooking device 500 as claimed in claim 22 further comprises a pair of rollers 516 mounted upstream of the at least a pair of slanted hot plates 510 for shaping the edible capsules 120 into elliptical dough sheets before entering the space between the at least a pair of slanted hot plates 510.

Dated this 16th day of March 2024

_______________________
ABHISHEK MAGOTRA
IN/PA No. – 1517
of MS LAW PARTNERS
Agent for the Applicant