Claims:
We claim,
1. An apparatus 100 for preparing an eatable, said apparatus 100 comprising:
a dispenser 102;
a plunger 104 having a base 104aand a stem 104b adapted to be connected tosaid dispenser 102; and
a flexible pouch adapted to be connected to said dispenser 102,
wherein
said flexible pouch is adapted to store batter; and
the base 104a of said plunger 104 is adapted to facilitate formation of batter in a predefined shape.
2. The apparatus 100 as claimed in claim 1 comprises a movable member 106 adapted to be movably connected to said dispenser 102.
3. The apparatus 100 as claimed in claim 2, wherein
said flexible pouch is adapted to allow passage of batter to said dispenser 102;
said dispenser 102 is adapted to allow the passage of the batter to the base 104a of said plunger 104 to enable formation of the batter in the predefined shape; and
said movable member 106 is adapted to be moved down in a direction towards the base 104a of said plunger 104 to detach the formed batter from the base 104a of said plunger 104.
4. The apparatus 100 as claimed in claim 3, wherein said dispenser 102 has a base 102a defining an inlet I adapted to facilitate entry of batter from said flexible pouch to said dispenser 102;
a body 102b extending from the base102a, where the body 102b defines an outlet O adapted to facilitate exit of batter from said dispenser 102 to the base 104a of said plunger 104; and
a plurality of holding portions 102c extending from an inner portion of at least one of the body 102b and the base 102a.
5. The apparatus 100 as claimed in claim 4, wherein the base 102a of said dispenser 102 defines a plurality of undercuts 102u adapted to restrict the leakage of batter from said flexible pouch.
6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said plurality of holding portions 102c of said dispenser 102 defines a central portion 102R,
wherein
the central portion 102R defines a plunger receiving portion R adapted to receive corresponding portion of the stem 104b of said plunger 104, where the plunger receiving portion R defines at least one locking portion T.
7. The apparatus 100 as claimed in claim 6, wherein said at least one locking portion T of the plunger receiving portion R of the central portion 102R of said dispenser 102 is at least an internal thread.
8. The apparatus 100 as claimed in claim 6, wherein said at least one locking portion T of the plunger receiving portion R of the central portion 102R of said dispenser 102 is at least a portion radially extending inwards of the plunger receiving portion R.
9. The apparatus 100 as claimed in claim 7, wherein the stem 104b of said plunger 104 defines,
at least one locking portion E corresponding to said at least locking portion T of the plunger receiving portion R of the central portion 102R of said dispenser 102.
10. The apparatus 100 as claimed in claim 9, wherein the locking portion E of the stem 104b of the plunger 104 is at least an external thread.
11. The apparatus 100 as claimed in claim 9, wherein the locking portion E of the stem 104b of the plunger 104 is at least a step.
12. The apparatus 100 as claimed in claim 6, wherein the stem 104b of said plunger 104 defines,
a locking head 104h adapted to lock said plunger 104 with said dispenser 102 to restrict the releasing of said plunger 104 from said dispenser 102.
13. The apparatus 100 as claimed in claim 12 comprises a spacer 108 adapted to be received by at least a portion of an elongated slot 104s defined by the stem 104b of said plunger 104 to maintain the lock between the locking head 104h of the stem 104b of said plunger 104 and the central portion 102R of said dispenser 102to restrict the releasing of said plunger 104 from said dispenser 102.
14. The apparatus 100 as claimed in claim 13, wherein said plunger 104 substantially defines an umbrella shape configuration,
the base 104a of said plunger 104 is substantially concave therein to facilitate formation of the batter in the pre-defined shape.
15. The apparatus 100 as claimed in claim 14, wherein the eatable is at least a vada.
, Description:CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[001] This application is a patent of addition of application number 201641019615 titled “An apparatus for preparing eatables” filed on 7th June, 2016.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[002] The embodiments herein generally relate to cooking apparatus and more particularly, to an apparatus for preparing eatables such as vada.
BACKGROUND
[003] Generally, a vada is a type of fried food made from batter, which is typically made from at least one or more of pulse, legume and lentils. The vada is usually made by, arranging the batter in a circular shape of appropriate thickness with or without a central hole and then frying the circularly shaped batter in oil. Generally, the batter used for making vada is viscous and it becomes cumbersome and difficult to obtain appropriately shaped batter for making vada, especially for a novice. Further, it becomes undesirable to manually shape the vada batter as the batter sticks to the palm of the person.
[004] Therefore, there exists a need for an apparatus to prepare eatables such as vada, which obviates the aforementioned drawbacks.

OBJECTS

[005] The principal object of an embodiment of this invention is toprovide an apparatus for preparing eatables, which can be used at least for making vada.
[006] Another object of an embodiment of this invention is to provide a user-friendly apparatus that can be used for preparing eatables such as vada.
[007] Yet, another object of an embodiment of this invention is to provide an apparatus, which enables ready to cook eatables such as vada.
[008] A further object of an embodiment of this invention is to provide an apparatus, which reduces the time in preparation of eatables such as vada.
[009] These and other objects of the embodiments herein will be better appreciated and understood when considered in conjunction with the following description and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the following descriptions, while indicating embodiments and numerous specific details thereof, are given by way of illustration and not of limitation. Many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the embodiments herein without departing from the spirit thereof, and the embodiments herein include all such modifications.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0010] The embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, throughout which like reference letters indicate corresponding parts in the various figures. The embodiments herein will be better understood from the following description with reference to the drawings, in which:
[0011] Fig. 1 depicts a perspective view of an apparatus for preparing eatables such as vada, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein;
[0012] Fig. 2 depicts a perspective view of a dispenser of the apparatus, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein;
[0013] Fig. 3 depicts another perspective view of the dispenser, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein;
[0014] Fig. 4 depicts a perspective view of a plunger of the apparatus, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein; and
[0015] Fig. 5 depicts a perspective view of a movable member of the apparatus, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0016] The embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained more fully with reference to the non-limiting embodiments that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and detailed in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein.
[0017] The embodiments herein achieve an apparatus for preparing eatables, which can be used at least for making vada. Further, embodiments herein achieve an apparatus, which enables ready to cook eatables such as vada. Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1 through 5, where similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the figures, there are shown embodiments.
[0018] Fig. 1 depicts a perspective view of an apparatus 100 for preparing eatables such as vada, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein. In an embodiment, the apparatus 100 includes a flexible pouch (not shown), a dispenser 102, a plunger 104, a movable member 106 and a spacer 108. For the purpose of this description and ease of understanding, the apparatus 100 is explained herein below with reference to making vadas. However, it is also within the scope of the invention to use the apparatus 100 for making eatables such as doughnuts or any other disc shaped eatables having a central hole, without otherwise deterring the intended function of the apparatus 100 as can be deduced from the description and corresponding drawings.
[0019] In an embodiment, the flexible pouch (not shown) is used to store batter (vada batter). The flexible pouch (not shown) is connected to the dispenser 102. The flexible pouch (not shown) is adapted to allow passage of batter to the dispenser 102. The batter stored in the flexible pouch (not shown) is typically a mixture of black grams and other ingredients used for making vada. It is also within the scope of the invention to provide the batter with any other type of ingredients that is used for making vadas. It is also within the scope of the invention to provide any other means for storing the batter.
[0020] Fig. 2 depicts a perspective view of a dispenser 102 of the apparatus 100, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein. Fig. 3 depicts another perspective view of the dispenser 102, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein. In an embodiment, the dispenser 102 is used to dispense the batter received from the flexible pouch (not shown) to a base 104a (as shown in fig. 4) of the plunger 104. The dispenser 102 is adapted to allow the passage of the batter to the base 104a of the plunger 104 to enable formation of the batter in a predefined shape. In an embodiment, the dispenser 102 has a base 102a, a body 102b and a plurality of holding portions 102c.The base 102a of the dispenser 102 is used for holding the flexible pouch (not shown). The base 102a of the dispenser 102 defines an inlet I adapted to facilitate entry of batter from the flexible pouch to the dispenser 102. The inlet I allows the batter from the flexible pouch (not shown) to flow to the body 102b of the dispenser 102. In an embodiment, the base 102a of the dispenser 102 defines a plurality of undercuts 102u adapted to at least restrict the leakage of batter from the flexible pouch (not shown). In an embodiment, each undercut 102u is provided with a height of 2 mm and a width of 2.20 mm. It is also within the scope of the invention to provide each undercut 102u in any height and any width without otherwise deterring the intended function of the undercut 102u as can be deduced from the description and corresponding drawings. The base 102a of the dispenser 102 defines a plurality of ribs 102y adapted to provide stiffness to the base 102a of the dispenser 102 and to enable easier packaging of the flexible pouch (not shown) with the base 102a of the dispenser 102. Each rib 102y is provided with a predefined height and width. For example, each rib 102y is provided with a height of 1 mm and a width of 0.35 mm. It is also within the scope of the invention to provide each rib 102y in any height and any width. The body 102b extends from the base 102a of the dispenser 102 in a direction towards the base 104a of the plunger 104. The body 102b of the dispenser 102 defines an outlet O adapted to facilitate exit of batter from the dispenser 102 to the base 104a of the plunger 104. The outlet O allows the batter from the body 102b of the dispenser 102 to flow to the base 104a of the plunger 104. Each holding portion 102c extends from an inner portion (inner side) of at least one of the body 102b and the base 102a of the dispenser 102. The plurality of holding portions 102c of the dispenser 102 defines a central portion 102R. In an embodiment, atop surface of the central portion 102R and a top surface of the base 102a of the dispenser 102 are spaced apart at least to enhance locking of the plunger 104 with the dispenser 102. In an embodiment, the distance between the top surface of the central portion 102R and the top surface of the base 102a of the dispenser 102is at least 3.5 mm. It is also with the scope of the invention to provide the top surface of the central portion 102R and the top surface of the base 102a of the dispenser 102 at any distance, without otherwise deterring the intended function of the dispenser 102 as can be deduced from the description and corresponding drawings. In an embodiment, a wall thickness of the central portion 102R isat least 2 mm. It is also within the scope of the invention to provide the central portion 102R in any other wall thickness. The central portion 102R defines a plunger receiving portion R adapted to receive corresponding portion of a stem 104b (as shown in fig. 4) of plunger 104. For the purpose of this description and ease of understanding, the locking of the plunger 104 with the dispenser 102 is as follows, the plunger receiving portion R of the central portion 102R defines at least one locking portion T adapted to facilitate lockingof the plunger 102 with the dispenser 102. In one embodiment, at least one locking portion T is at least an internal thread T (as shown in fig. 2). In another embodiment, the locking portion T is at least one a portion radially extending inwards of the plunger receiving portion R. It is also within the scope of the invention to provide the locking portion T in combination of internal threads and the portion radially extending inwards of the plunger receiving portion R, without otherwise deterring the intended function of the locking portion T as can be deduced from the description and corresponding drawings.
[0021] Fig. 4 depicts a perspective view of a plunger 104 of the apparatus 100, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein. In an embodiment, the plunger 104 is used to facilitate formation of batter (vada batter) in a predefined shape. The plunger 104 includes a base 104a and a stem 104b. The base 104a of the plunger 104 collects the batter flowing from the body 102b of the dispenser 102 to facilitate the formation of batter (vada batter) in the predefined shape, where the predefined shape of the batter formed on the base 104a of the plunger 104 is considered to be a circular shape. Further, the base 104a of the plunger 104 is substantially concave to facilitate the formation of batter (vada batter) in the predefined shape. It is also within the scope of the invention to provide the base 104a of the plunger 104 in any other shape and configuration to facilitate formation of the batter in the predefined shape without otherwise deterring the intended function of the plunger 104 as can be deduced from the description and corresponding drawings. The base 104a of the plunger 104 is spaced away from the outlet O of the body 102b of the dispenser 102. The base 104a of the plunger 104 is provided with a predefined inside radius to ensure proper flow of the batter to the base 104a of the plunger 104 to enable formation of the batter in the predefined shape. For example, the inside radius of the base 104a is at least 16. 5 mm. It is also within the scope of the invention to provide the base 104a in any other inside radius.A predefined radius is provided at the joining area of the base 104a and the stem 104b for better strength. For example, the radius provided at the joining area of the base 104a and the stem 104b is at least 2 mm. It is also within the scope of the invention to provide any radius at the joining area of the base 104a and the stem 104b.The stem 104b transversely extends from the base 104a of the plunger 104 in an upward direction towards the base 102a of the dispenser 102. The stem 104b of the plunger 104 is movably connected to the dispenser 102. The stem 104b of the plunger 104 is configured to be adjusted to a predetermined height thereby adjusting the base 104a of the plunger 104 to corresponding predefined position to adjust the distance between the base 104a of the plunger 104 and the outlet O of the body 102b of the dispenser to facilitate formation of the batter (vada batter) in corresponding size and weight. For the purpose of this description and ease of understanding, the locking of the plunger 104 with the dispenser 102 is as follows, a portion of the stem 104b defines at least one locking portion E corresponding to at least one locking portion T of the central potion 102R of the dispenser 102. The locking portion E of the stem 104b of the plunger 104 is adapted to lock the plunger 104 with the dispenser 102. In one embodiment, each locking portion E of the stem 104b of the plunger 104 is at least an external thread E (as shown in fig. 4). In another embodiment, the locking portion E of the stem 104b of the plunger 104 is at least a step. It is also within the scope of the invention to provide the locking portion E in combination of external thread and step, without otherwise deterring the intended function of the locking portion E of the stem 104b of the plunger 104 as can be deduced from the description and corresponding drawings. For the purpose of this description and ease of understanding, the locking of the plunger 104 with the dispenser 102 to restrict the releasing of the plunger 104 from the dispenser 102 is as follows, the stem 104b of the plunger 104 defines a locking head 104h adapted to lock the plunger 104 with the dispenser 102 to restrict the releasing of the plunger 104 from the dispenser 102. An outer diameter of the locking head 104h is larger than an outer diameter of the stem 104b of the plunger 104. The locking head 104h of the stem 104b of the plunger 104 engages the top surface of the central portion 102R of the dispenser 102 to restrict the releasing of the plunger 104 from the dispenser 102 when the spacer 108 is being connected to the plunger 104. The stem 104b of the plunger 104 defines an elongated slot 104s. At least a portion of the slot 104s receivesthe spacer 108 therein to maintain the lock between the locking head 104h of the stem 104b of the plunger 104 and the central portion 102R of the dispenser 102. In an embodiment, the plunger 104 substantially defines an umbrella shape configuration.
[0022] Fig. 5 depicts a perspective view of a movable member 106 of the apparatus 100, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein. In an embodiment, the movable member 106 is used to detach the formed batter (vada batter) from the base 104a of the plunger 104 to the oil that is heated in a cooking means (not shown), where the cooking means (not shown) is considered to be a kadai. It is also within the scope of the invention to provide any other type of cooking means to facilitate heating of oil to prepare vada. The movable member 106 is movably connected to the body 102b of the dispenser 102. In an embodiment, the movable member 106 includes a body 106a, a first portion 106b and a second portion 106c. The body 106a of the movable member 106 is movably connected to the body 102b of the dispenser 102. The body 106a of the movable member 106 defines a dispenser body receiving portion 106h adapted to receive at least a portion of the body 102b of the dispenser 102. The dispenser body receiving portion 106hof the movable member 106 is an opening. In an embodiment, the first portion 106b of the movable member 106 is a flange radially extending along the circumference of corresponding end of the body 106a of the movable member 106. The first portion 106b of the movable member 106 serves as a provision for applying external force therein to detach the formed batter (vada batter) from the base 104a of the plunger 104 to the heated oil in the cooking means. In an embodiment, the second portion 106c is a flange radially extending along the circumference of another end of the body 106a of the movable member 106. The second portion 106c engages the formed batter (vada batter) on the base 104a of the plunger 104 so as to detach the formed batter (vada batter) from the base 104a of the plunger 104 to the heated oil in the cooking means (not shown) as and when external force is applied to the first portion 106b of the movable member 106.
[0023] In an embodiment, the spacer 108 is received by at least a portion of the elongated slot 104sof the stem 104b of the plunger 104 to maintain the lock between the locking head 104h of the stem 104b of the plunger 104 and the central portion 102R of the dispenser 102to restrict the releasing of plunger 104 from the dispenser 102.
[0024] The assembly of the apparatus 100 is as follows. The body 106a of the movable member 106 receives the body 102b of the dispenser 102. Thereafter, the stem 104b of the plunger 104 is fastened to each holding element 102c of the dispenser 102 through the central portion 102R. Thereafter, the spacer 108 is provided to the elongated slot 104s of the stem 104b of the plunger 104. Thereafter, the flexible pouch (not shown) is connected to the base 102a of the dispenser 102, where the flexible pouch (not shown) stores the batter.
[0025] The working of the apparatus 100 is as follows. When anuser squeezes the flexible pouch (not shown), the batter from the flexible pouch (not shown) flows to the body 102b of the dispenser 102 through the inlet I of the base 102a of the dispenser 102. Thereafter, the batter from the body 102b of the dispenser 102 flows to the base 104a of the plunger 104 through the outlet O of the body 102b of the dispenser 102. The batter is collected by the base 104a of the plunger 104 to facilitate formation of batter (vada batter) in a predefined shape. As and when required formation of batter (vada batter) is obtained on the base 104a of the plunger 104, external force is applied to the first portion 106b of the movable member 106 to move the movable member 106 towards the base 104a of the plunger to engage the second portion 106c of the movable member 106 with the formed batter (vada batter) to detach the formed batter (vada batter) from the base 104a of the plunger 104 to the heated oil in the cooking means (not shown).
[0026] Therefore, a user friendly and efficient apparatus 100 for preparing eatables such as vada is provided.
[0027] The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as described herein.