Description:TECHNICAL FIELD
The present disclosure relates to pressure regulators for counting whistles of pressure cookers. The present disclosure also relates to pressure cookers incorporating such pressure regulators.
BACKGROUND
Pressure cooking is a well-known cooking technique that is commonly used in households and restaurants. The pressure cooking involves using a pressure cooker to cook food with water or other liquids. Compared to traditional cooking techniques, pressure cooking facilitates in reducing cooking time, and in saving energy. When the pressure cooker is in use, excess steam generated inside the pressure cooker is released into atmosphere via its steam vent valve on which a pressure regulator is mounted. The pressure regulator is lifted when a pressure of the steam generated inside the pressure cooker reaches a certain pressure, thereby causing the steam vent valve to release the excess steam (with a whistling sound). When the pressure of the steam decreases below the certain pressure, the pressure regulator is lowered and the steam vent valve is closed. For any food to be cooked using the pressure cooker, cooking time for the food is typically indicated by a number of whistles produced by the pressure regulator.
However, existing pressure regulators of pressure cookers are associated with several limitations. Firstly, users using the existing pressure regulators solely rely on manually counting the number of whistles for tracking a progress in a cooking process. This is highly inconvenient for the users as it is difficult and stressful for the users to always remember and keep a track of the number of whistles. Any mistakes in counting the number of whistles often result in errors and inconsistencies in the cooking process (for example, undercooked food or overcooked food). Moreover, overcooking also results in energy wastage. Furthermore, users who are deaf or have limited hearing abilities may not be able to properly hear a whistle sound, and thus need to maintain a constant visual contact with the pressure cooker, which is exhausting and may not always be feasible. Secondly, some existing pressure regulators employ electronic means to track and display the number of whistles produced by the pressure cooker. Such existing pressure regulators analyse frequency and intensity of a whistle sound to identify each whistle. However, such existing pressure regulators are highly error-prone in accurately recognizing the whistle sound when other surrounding sounds are also present and/or when multiple pressure cookers are being used simultaneously at a cooking place. Moreover, such existing pressure regulators are very expensive, and are prone to failure in hot and humid conditions at the cooking places.
Therefore, in light of the foregoing discussion, there exists a need to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks associated with existing pressure regulators of pressure cookers.
SUMMARY
The present disclosure seeks to provide a pressure regulator for counting whistles of a pressure cooker. The present disclosure also seeks to provide a pressure cooker incorporating such a pressure regulator. An aim of the present disclosure is to provide a solution that overcomes at least partially the problems encountered in prior art.
In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a pressure regulator for counting whistles of a pressure cooker, the pressure regulator comprising:
- a hollow counterweight, wherein an internal surface of the hollow counterweight comprises a plurality of recesses and an outer surface of the hollow counterweight has a plurality of numerals from 0 to N marked thereon at equal distances, a given numeral being indicative of a whistle count of the pressure cooker;
- a housing to be accommodated within the hollow counterweight, wherein the housing has a first opening and an internal surface of the housing has first gear teeth extending therefrom;
- a gear arrangement to be accommodated within the housing, wherein the gear arrangement comprises:
- a first gear element comprising:
a cylindrical part having a plurality of protrusions on its edge that are to be accommodated within the plurality of recesses such that the cylindrical part passes through the first opening, and
a collar part arranged on an outer surface of the cylindrical part, wherein the collar part has second gear teeth and third gear teeth extending from its ends, the second gear teeth to be engaged with the first gear teeth; and
- a second gear element having a second opening at its end and a plurality of attachment tabs extending from an outer surface of the second gear element, and wherein the second gear element has fourth gear teeth extending from its edge, the fourth gear teeth to be engaged with the third gear teeth;
- a pressure pin to be partially accommodated within the housing, wherein the pressure pin has a ring portion, and the pressure pin passes through the second opening and contacts the collar part; and
- a base element, wherein the base element has a third opening, a fourth opening, and a fifth opening, and wherein the ring portion rests on the third opening, the fourth opening accommodates a steam vent valve of a lid of the pressure cooker, and wherein an outer surface of the base element has a pointer marked thereon, the pointer indicating the given numeral,
wherein when the pressure regulator is in use and a pressure of steam generated inside the pressure cooker is above a predefined pressure, the pressure causes the pressure pin to lift and disengage the fourth gear teeth from the third gear teeth such that the first gear element is pushed in a first direction, and the second gear teeth are engaged with the first gear teeth, thereby moving the hollow counterweight and the first gear element in the first direction and rotating the hollow counterweight and the first gear element by X degrees along a second direction until the given numeral indicated by the pointer is increased by one integer step size and is changed to a succeeding numeral of the given numeral, and the steam is simultaneously released from the steam vent valve into atmosphere via the fifth opening, until the pressure of the steam reduces below the predefined pressure.
Optionally, when the pressure of the steam reduces below the predefined pressure, the pressure pin is descended in a third direction that is opposite to the first direction such that the third gear teeth are engaged with the fourth gear teeth, and the first gear teeth are disengaged with the second gear teeth, thereby moving the first gear element and the hollow counterweight in the third direction until the ring portion rests on the third opening, wherein the pointer indicates the succeeding numeral.
Optionally, the predefined pressure lies in a range of 0.8 bar to 1 bar.
Optionally, a number of the second gear teeth is (N+1)/2, a number of the third gear teeth is (N+1)/2, and a number of the fourth gear teeth is N+1.
Optionally, a profile of a given gear tooth is any one of: an involute profile, a cycloid profile.
Optionally, the pressure pin has a conical profile at its end.
Optionally, a value of X is equal to 360 degrees divided by (N+1).
Optionally, a value of N lies in a range of 1 to 20.
Optionally, at least one of: the hollow counterweight, the housing, the first gear element, the second gear element, the pressure pin, the base element, is manufactured by at least one of: a Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machining process, an injection molding process, an investment casting process.
In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a pressure cooker comprising:
- a container, the container being capable of accommodating at least one food item therein;
- a lid, wherein the lid is detachably attached to the container, the lid having a steam vent valve and a handle; and
- a pressure regulator for counting whistles of the pressure cooker of the first aspect, wherein the pressure regulator is detachably attached to the steam vent valve.
Embodiments of the present disclosure substantially eliminate or at least partially address the aforementioned problems in the prior art, and facilitate in accurately and conveniently track/count of a number of whistles produced by the pressure regulator during a cooking process, thereby resulting in precise and consistent cooking.
Additional aspects, advantages, features and objects of the present disclosure would be made apparent from the drawings and the detailed description of the illustrative embodiments construed in conjunction with the appended claims that follow.
It will be appreciated that features of the present disclosure are susceptible to being combined in various combinations without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The summary above, as well as the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments, is better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the present disclosure, exemplary constructions of the disclosure are shown in the drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to specific methods and instrumentalities disclosed herein. Moreover, those skilled in the art will understand that the drawings are not to scale. Wherever possible, like elements have been indicated by identical numbers.
Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the following diagrams wherein:
FIG. 1 illustrates an exploded view of a pressure regulator for counting whistles of a pressure cooker, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIG. 2 illustrates an isometric view of a pressure regulator for counting whistles of a pressure cooker, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIGs. 3A and 3B illustrate sectional views of a pressure regulator for counting whistles of a pressure cooker when the pressure regulator is in use, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; and
FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic illustration of a pressure cooker incorporating a pressure regulator for counting whistles of the pressure cooker, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
In the accompanying drawings, an underlined number is employed to represent an item over which the underlined number is positioned or an item to which the underlined number is adjacent. A non-underlined number relates to an item identified by a line linking the non-underlined number to the item. When a number is non-underlined and accompanied by an associated arrow, the non-underlined number is used to identify a general item at which the arrow is pointing. Moreover, numbers are only being added for convenience and should not be construed as a limitation in any way.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The following detailed description illustrates embodiments of the present disclosure and ways in which they can be implemented. Although some modes of carrying out the present disclosure have been disclosed, those skilled in the art would recognize that other embodiments for carrying out or practising the present disclosure are also possible.
In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a pressure regulator for counting whistles of a pressure cooker, the pressure regulator comprising:
- a hollow counterweight, wherein an internal surface of the hollow counterweight comprises a plurality of recesses and an outer surface of the hollow counterweight has a plurality of numerals from 0 to N marked thereon at equal distances, a given numeral being indicative of a whistle count of the pressure cooker;
- a housing to be accommodated within the hollow counterweight, wherein the housing has a first opening and an internal surface of the housing has first gear teeth extending therefrom;
- a gear arrangement to be accommodated within the housing, wherein the gear arrangement comprises:
- a first gear element comprising:
a cylindrical part having a plurality of protrusions on its edge that are to be accommodated within the plurality of recesses such that the cylindrical part passes through the first opening, and
a collar part arranged on an outer surface of the cylindrical part, wherein the collar part has second gear teeth and third gear teeth extending from its ends, the second gear teeth to be engaged with the first gear teeth; and
- a second gear element having a second opening at its end and a plurality of attachment tabs extending from an outer surface of the second gear element, and wherein the second gear element has fourth gear teeth extending from its edge, the fourth gear teeth to be engaged with the third gear teeth;
- a pressure pin to be partially accommodated within the housing, wherein the pressure pin has a ring portion, and the pressure pin passes through the second opening and contacts the collar part; and
- a base element, wherein the base element has a third opening, a fourth opening, and a fifth opening, and wherein the ring portion rests on the third opening, the fourth opening accommodates a steam vent valve of a lid of the pressure cooker, and wherein an outer surface of the base element has a pointer marked thereon, the pointer indicating the given numeral,
wherein when the pressure regulator is in use and a pressure of steam generated inside the pressure cooker is above a predefined pressure, the pressure causes the pressure pin to lift and disengage the fourth gear teeth from the third gear teeth such that the first gear element is pushed in a first direction, and the second gear teeth are engaged with the first gear teeth, thereby moving the hollow counterweight and the first gear element in the first direction and rotating the hollow counterweight and the first gear element by X degrees along a second direction until the given numeral indicated by the pointer is increased by one integer step size and is changed to a succeeding numeral of the given numeral, and the steam is simultaneously released from the steam vent valve into atmosphere via the fifth opening, until the pressure of the steam reduces below the predefined pressure.
In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a pressure cooker comprising:
- a container, the container being capable of accommodating at least one food item therein;
- a lid, wherein the lid is detachably attached to the container, the lid having a steam vent valve and a handle; and
- a pressure regulator for counting whistles of the pressure cooker of the first aspect, wherein the pressure regulator is detachably attached to the steam vent valve.
The present disclosure provides the aforementioned pressure regulator for counting whistles of the pressure cooker and the aforementioned pressure cooker incorporating such a pressure regulator. Herein, when the pressure of the steam inside the pressure cooker is above the predefined pressure, the pressure pin is lifted in the first direction and facilitates in moving the hollow counterweight and the first gear element in the first direction and rotating the hollow counterweight and the first gear element by X degrees along the second direction until the given numeral indicated by the pointer is increased by one integer step size and is changed to the succeeding numeral of the given numeral. In this way, users (including those who are deaf or have limited hearing abilities) need not rely on manually counting the number of whistles for tracking a progress in a cooking process. Using the pressure regulator is easy and is highly convenient for said users to accurately keep a track of the number of whistles. This completely eliminates manual errors in counting which potentially results in precise and consistent cooking (without any energy wastage). The pressure regulator has a simple and purely mechanical design, and thus require minimal maintenance. The pressure regulator is well-compatible with any existing pressure cooker having a standardized steam vent valve, and thus no design modifications are required for existing pressure cookers. Beneficially, the pressure regulator can be easily replaced (namely, swapped) with an existing pressure regulator of a pressure cooker in a cost-effective way. Furthermore, the functionality of the pressure regulator is not affected by any other surrounding sounds, and thus it can be easily employed even when multiple pressure cookers are to be used simultaneously. Moreover, the pressure regulator is reliable, robust, and also not prone to failure in hot and humid conditions at cooking places. The pressure regulator can be manufactured at a low cost and reduced time.
Referring to FIG. 1, illustrated is an exploded view of a pressure regulator 100 for counting whistles of a pressure cooker, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The exploded view represents individual components of the pressure regulator 100 and an assembly order of such individual components of the pressure regulator 100 (i.e., how such individual components fit together). The pressure regulator 100 comprises a hollow counterweight 102, a housing 104, a gear arrangement 106, a pressure pin 108, and a base element 110.
FIG. 1 is merely an example, which should not unduly limit the scope of the claims herein. The person skilled in the art will recognize many variations, alternatives, and modifications of embodiments of the present disclosure.
The hollow counterweight 102 has an internal surface (not shown) and an outer surface 112. The internal surface of the hollow counterweight 102 comprises a plurality of recesses (not shown). The outer surface 112 of the hollow counterweight 102 has a plurality of numerals 114 from 0 to N marked thereon at equal distances, a given numeral being indicative of a whistle count of the pressure cooker. The term "whistle count" refers to a number of times a steam vent valve (not shown) of the pressure cooker releases excess steam with a whistling sound, during a cooking process. Each whistling sound indicates that a pressure of steam inside the pressure cooker has reached a certain level, and thus the excess steam is released from the pressure cooker. It will be appreciated that the whistle count is served as an indicator of a progress in the cooking process, and helps preventing overcooking or undercooking of a food item. This is because different food items may require different number of whistles for their cooking.
Optionally, the hollow counterweight 102 has a first end 116a and a second end 116b, wherein the first end 116a of the hollow counterweight 102 is closed, and the second end 116b of the hollow counterweight 102 is open. Optionally, the first end 116a of the hollow counterweight 102 has the internal surface which comprises the plurality of recesses. Optionally, a portion of the outer surface 112 of the hollow counterweight 102 at the second end 116b has the plurality of numerals 114. It will be appreciated that the hollow counterweight 102 could be designed to have a particular mass, shape, and/or size in order to maintain a particular pressure level inside the pressure cooker, when the pressure cooker and the pressure regulator 100 are in use.
The housing 104 is to be accommodated within the hollow counterweight 102. The housing 104 has a first opening 118 and an internal surface (not shown) of the housing 104 has first gear teeth 120 extending therefrom. Optionally, the housing 104 has a first end 122a which has the first opening 118. Optionally, the housing 104 has a second end 122b which is open. Optionally, the first end 122a of the housing 104 has the internal surface of the housing 104. It will be appreciated that the housing 104 is dimensioned in a manner that the gear arrangement 106 could be easily accommodated therein, and the housing 104 itself could be easily accommodated within the hollow counterweight 102.
The gear arrangement 106 is to be accommodated within the housing 104. The gear arrangement 106 comprises a first gear element 124 and a second gear element 126. The first gear element 124 comprises a cylindrical part 128 and a collar part 130. The cylindrical part 128 has a plurality of protrusions 132 on its edge, wherein the plurality of protrusions 132 are to be accommodated within the plurality of recesses in a manner that the cylindrical part 128 of the first gear element 124 passes through the first opening 118 of the housing 104, when the pressure regulator 100 is in use. It will be appreciated that the plurality of recesses are formed in a manner that upon assembly, the first gear element 124 is attached within the hollow counterweight 102 to have a snug fit therebetween. The collar part 130 is arranged on an outer surface 134 of the cylindrical part 128. The collar part 130 has second gear teeth 136 and third gear teeth 138 extending from its ends, the second gear teeth 136 to be engaged with the first gear teeth 120, when the pressure regulator 100 is in use.
Optionally, the cylindrical part 128 has a first end (not shown) and a second end (not shown) that are open, wherein an edge of the first end has the plurality of protrusions 132. Optionally, in this regard, the cylindrical part 128 has a through-hole 140. Optionally, when the pressure regulator 100 is in use, the first end of the cylindrical part 128 passes through the first opening 118 of the housing 104. Optionally, the collar part 130 is arranged on a portion of the outer surface 134 of the cylindrical part 128 at the second end of the cylindrical part 128, wherein an edge of a first end (not shown) and an edge of a second end (not shown) of the collar part 130 has the second gear teeth 136 and the third gear teeth 138 extending therefrom, respectively.
The second gear element 126 has a second opening 142 (for example, in a form of a through-hole) at its end and a plurality of attachment tabs 144 extending from an outer surface 146 of the second gear element 126. Additionally, the second gear element 126 has fourth gear teeth 148 extending from its edge, the fourth gear teeth 148 to be engaged with the third gear teeth 138 of the first gear element 124, when the pressure regulator 100 is in use. Optionally, the second gear element 126 has a first end 150a and a second end 150b, wherein the first end 150a has the second opening 142, and the second end 150b has the plurality of attachment tabs 144 extending from a portion of the outer surface 146 of the second gear element 126. Optionally, an edge of the first end 150a of the second gear element 126 has the fourth gear teeth 148.
The pressure pin 108 is to be partially accommodated within the housing 104 via the second gear element 126. The pressure pin 108 has a ring portion 152. When the pressure regulator 100 is in use, the pressure pin 108 passes through the second opening 142 of the second gear element 126, and contacts the collar part 130 of the first gear element 124. Optionally, the pressure pin 108 is formed as an elongated portion extending between a first end 154a and a second end 154b of the pressure pin 108, wherein the first end 154a and the second end 154b are closed. Optionally, the ring portion 152 of the pressure pin 108 is located along the second end 154b of the pressure pin 108.
Optionally, the pressure pin 108 has a conical profile at its end. Optionally, in this regard, the second end 154b of the pressure pin 108 has the conical profile. The technical benefit of having the conical profile is that when the pressure is above the predefined pressure and the steam is being released from the pressure cooker, food particles in the pressure cooker could not enter into the housing 104 and the hollow counterweight 102 of the pressure regulator 100. This potentially prevents likelihood of a blockage inside the pressure regulator 100 due to the food particles, and eliminates malfunctioning of the pressure regulator 100. Resultantly, minimal maintenance of the pressure regulator 100 is required. Optionally, the first end 154a of the pressure pin 108 has a hemispherical profile.
The base element 110 has a third opening 156a, a fourth opening (not shown), and a fifth opening (not shown). When the pressure regulator 100 is in use, the ring portion 152 rests on the third opening 156a, the fourth opening accommodates a steam vent valve of a lid (not shown) of the pressure cooker, and the fifth opening is employed to release the excess steam generated inside the pressure cooker when the pressure cooker is being used. An outer surface 158 of the base element 110 has a pointer 160 (for example, in a form of an arrow) marked thereon, the pointer 160 indicating the given numeral. Optionally, the ring portion 152 and the third opening 156a are dimensioned in a manner that the ring portion 152 is capable of resting on the third opening 156a. Optionally, the base element 110 has a first end 162a and a second end 162b, wherein the first end 162a has the third opening 156a, and the second end 162b has the fourth opening and the fifth opening.
Notably, when the pressure regulator 100 is in use and the pressure of steam generated inside the pressure cooker is above a predefined pressure, the pressure causes the pressure pin 108 to lift and disengage the fourth gear teeth 148 from the third gear teeth 138 such that the first gear element 124 is pushed in a first direction. In this regard, the first direction lies along a direction from the second end 154b of the pressure pin 108 to the first end 154a of the pressure pin 108. In addition to this, due to the aforesaid lifting, the second gear teeth 136 are engaged with the first gear teeth 120. During such an engagement (namely, mating of the second gear teeth 136 and the first gear teeth 120), an impact load from the second gear teeth 136 is provided (namely, imparted) to the first gear teeth 120. Due to such an impact load, an axial force (in the first direction) and a tangential force (in a second direction) are generated, which causes the hollow counterweight 102 and the first gear element 124 to move in the first direction, and to rotate by X degrees along the second direction. Such a rotation is continued until the given numeral indicated by the pointer 160 is increased by one integer step size and is changed to a succeeding numeral of the given numeral. It is to be understood that the second direction is a direction of rotation of the hollow counterweight 102 and the first gear element 124, which could either be clockwise or counter-clockwise with respect to the first direction. Moreover, one single rotation may not be a complete 360-degree rotation, but may be up to certain degrees (namely, X degrees) only. Simultaneously, the steam is released from the steam vent valve into atmosphere via the fifth opening, until the pressure of the steam reduces below the predefined pressure. Generally, the steam is released with a whistling sound.
Optionally, when the pressure of the steam reduces below the predefined pressure, the pressure pin 108 is descended in a third direction that is opposite to the first direction such that the third gear teeth 138 are engaged with the fourth gear teeth 148, and the first gear teeth 120 are disengaged with the second gear teeth 136, thereby moving the first gear element 124 and the hollow counterweight 102 in the third direction until the ring portion 152 rests on the third opening 156a, wherein the pointer 160 indicates the succeeding numeral. In this regard, when the pressure of the steam falls back to normal, the first gear element 124 and the hollow counterweight 102 are no longer uplifted, and are back to their default positions such that the pointer 160 is now indicating the succeeding numeral. In this way, a count of the number of whistles of the pressure cooker can be done easily and conveniently. As an example, for a first rotation, when the given numeral is 1, the succeeding numeral is 2. For a second rotation, the given numeral would be 2, and the succeeding numeral is 3. It will be appreciated that when the third direction is opposite to the first direction, the third direction lies along a direction from the first end 154a of the pressure pin 108 to the second end 154b of the pressure pin 108.
Optionally, the predefined pressure lies in a range of 0.8 bar to 1 bar. In this regard, the predefined pressure is a maximum pressure of steam that is generated inside the pressure cooker that the pressure cooker is capable of holding when it is in use. Thus, when the pressure inside the pressure cooker is above the predefined pressure, excess pressure would be released from the pressure cooker via the steam vent valve and the pressure regulator 100. In an example, the predefined pressure may be from 0.8, 0.85, 0.9 or 0.95 bar up to 0.85, 0.9, 0.95 or 1 bar. It will be appreciated that the pressure regulator 100 of the present disclosure would be well-compatible with any predefined pressure that lies in the aforementioned range.
Optionally, a number of the second gear teeth 136 is (N+1)/2, a number of the third gear teeth 138 is (N+1)/2, and a number of the fourth gear teeth 148 is N+1. In this regard, in order to rotate the hollow counterweight 102 and the first gear element 124 by X degrees along the second direction, the number of the fourth gear teeth 148 (and optionally, a number of the first gear teeth 120) would be twice the number of the second gear teeth 136 and/or the number of the third gear teeth 138. Due to this, one third gear tooth from amongst the third gear teeth 138 would engage with two fourth gear teeth from amongst the fourth gear teeth 148. In an example, for N = 9, the number of the second gear teeth 136 may be 5, the number of the third gear teeth 138 may be 5, and the number of the fourth gear teeth 148 may be 10. Optionally, the number of the first gear teeth 120 is (N+1)/2. Optionally, in this regard, one second gear tooth from amongst the second gear teeth 136 would engage with two first gear teeth from amongst the first gear teeth 120.
Optionally, a profile of a given gear tooth is any one of: an involute profile, a cycloid profile. Herein, the term "profile" of the given gear tooth refers to a shape or a contour of the given gear tooth. The involute profile and the cycloid profile are well-known in the art. The technical benefit of having the involute profile is its ability to provide a constant speed ratio between gears during meshing of the gears, thereby resulting in a smooth and reliable power transmission. Additionally, the involute profile enables gears to operate with minimal backlash, ensuring precise and efficient motion transfer. The involute profile is relatively easy to manufacture and has well-known design guidelines. The technical benefit of having the cycloid profile is that it offers smoother and quieter operation due to an absence of sharp corners or cusps. The cycloid profile also allows for high contact ratios, resulting in improved load distribution and reduced wear/tear. It will be appreciated that when selecting the profile of the given gear tooth, certain factors, for example such as, a load capacity, a noise level, manufacturing feasibility, and the like, could be considered during manufacturing.
Optionally, a value of X is equal to 360 degrees divided by (N+1). In this regard, the plurality of numerals 114 are marked to the outer surface 112 of the hollow counterweight 102 according to the value of X, and the rotation of the hollow counterweight 102 and the first gear element 124 is also according to the value of X so that only one integer step size is increased per rotation (as discussed earlier). In an example, for N = 9, the value of X would be 30 degrees. Thus, the hollow counterweight 102 and the first gear element 124 would be rotated by 30 degrees per rotation, in order to increase the given numeral by one integer step size.
Optionally, a value of N lies in a range of 1 to 20. In an example, the value of N may be from 1, 2, 5, 8 or 12 up to 4, 10, 15 or 20. More optionally, the value of N lies in a range of 1 to 10. Yet more optionally, the value of N lies in a range of 1 to 5.
Optionally, at least one of: the hollow counterweight 102, the housing 104, the first gear element 124, the second gear element 126, the pressure pin 108, the base element 110, is manufactured by at least one of: a Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machining process, an injection molding process, an investment casting process. The "CNC machining process" is a manufacturing process that utilizes computer-controlled machines to remove material from a workpiece to create a desired shape and to achieve high precision. This process involves the use of cutting tools such as drills, mills, and lathes, which are controlled by computer programs to perform accurate and repeatable machining operations. The "injection molding process" is a manufacturing process where molten material (for example, a thermoplastic polymer) is injected into a mold cavity under a high pressure. The injected material cools and solidifies within the mold cavity, thereby forming a desired shape. The "investment casting process" (also known as lost-wax casting process) is a manufacturing process that involves creating a wax pattern of a desired component. The wax pattern is coated with a ceramic shell, which is then heated to remove wax of the wax pattern, and to harden the ceramic shell. Thereafter, molten metal is poured into the hardened ceramic shell, which solidifies to form a final component. It will be appreciated that the aforesaid processes are well-known in the art, and could be used for manufacturing complex and high-quality components with accurate surface finish and dimensional accuracy. The aforesaid processes could also be used for mass production. Optionally, at least one of: the hollow counterweight 102, the housing 104, the first gear element 124, the second gear element 126, the pressure pin 108, the base element 110, of the pressure regulator 100 is made from a corrosion-resistant, high strength, high heat-resistant material. Such a material could, for example, be a plastic material, a composite material, a metallic material, a ceramic material, an alloy. Additionally, a benefit of employing such a material is that wear and tear of aforesaid components of the pressure regulator 100 would be minimal, thereby potentially increasing their operational life.
Referring to FIG. 2, illustrated is an isometric view of the pressure regulator 100 for counting whistles of the pressure cooker, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The isometric view represents only some components of the pressure regulator 100, and other remaining components of the pressure regulator 100 are already shown in FIG. 1. With reference to FIG. 2, the pressure regulator 100 comprises the hollow counterweight 102 and the base element 110. For sake of clarity and simplicity, it is shown that the pointer 160 marked on the outer surface 158 of the base element 110 points to a numeral "4" marked on the outer surface 112 of the hollow counterweight 102, thus indicating that a whistle count of the pressure cooker as 4. Optionally, the outer surface 158 of the base element 110 has at least one machining hole 202. Such a machining hole 202 may be a through-hole.
FIG. 2 is merely an example, which should not unduly limit the scope of the claims herein. The person skilled in the art will recognize many variations, alternatives, and modifications of embodiments of the present disclosure.
Referring to FIGs. 3A and 3B, illustrated are sectional views of the pressure regulator 100 for counting whistles of the pressure cooker when the pressure regulator 100 is in use, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. For sake of simplicity and clarity, only some components (for example, such as the hollow counterweight 102, the housing 104, the first gear element 124, the second gear element 126, the pressure pin 108, and the base element 110) of the pressure regulator 100 are marked in FIG. 3A and 3B.
With reference to FIG. 3A, the sectional view of the pressure regulator 100 represents how components of the pressure regulator 100 are arranged therein when the pressure of steam generated inside the pressure cooker is below the predefined pressure i.e., when the pressure of the steam is normal. In this scenario, since no excess steam is being generated inside the pressure cooker, the ring portion 152 of the pressure pin 108 rests on the third opening 156a, thereby closing the steam vent valve (not shown) accommodated in the fourth opening 302a along with closing the fifth opening 302b. The first gear element 124 and the hollow counterweight 102 are at rest (namely, at their default positions) and are not in an uplifted state. Due to this, the third gear teeth 138 (shown in FIG. 1) of the first gear element 124 are engaged with the fourth gear teeth 148 (shown in FIG. 1) of the second gear element 126, and the first gear teeth 120 (shown in FIG. 1) of the housing 104 are disengaged with the second gear teeth 136 (shown in FIG. 1) of the first gear element 124.
With reference to FIG. 3B, the sectional view of the pressure regulator 100 represents how components of the pressure regulator 100 are arranged therein when the pressure of the steam generated inside the pressure cooker is above the predefined pressure. In this scenario, since excess steam is being generated inside the pressure cooker, the pressure of the steam causes the pressure pin 108 to lift and disengage the fourth gear teeth 148 of the second gear element 126 from the third gear teeth 138 of the first gear element 124. Due to the aforesaid lifting, the first gear element 124 is pushed in the first direction, and the second gear teeth 136 of the first gear element 124 are now engaged with the first gear teeth 120 of the housing 104. As explained earlier with respect to FIG. 1, due to such an engagement (namely, mating of the aforesaid gear teeth), the hollow counterweight 102 and the first gear element 124 are moved along the first direction (for example, to be in an uplifted state as shown), and are rotated by X degrees along the second direction. Simultaneously, the steam is released from the steam vent valve into atmosphere via the fifth opening 302b, until the pressure of the steam again reduces below the predefined pressure. A path of the steam being released from the steam vent valve is shown using dashed arrows.
FIGs. 3A and 3B are merely examples, which should not unduly limit the scope of the claims herein. The person skilled in the art will recognize many variations, alternatives, and modifications of embodiments of the present disclosure.
Referring to FIG. 4, illustrated is a schematic illustration of a pressure cooker 400 incorporating the pressure regulator 100 for counting whistles of the pressure cooker 400, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The pressure cooker 400 comprises a container 402, a lid 404, and the pressure regulator 100. The container 402 is capable of accommodating at least one food item therein. The lid 404 is detachably attached to the container 402. The lid 404 has a steam vent valve 406 and a handle 408. The pressure regulator 100 is detachably attached to the steam vent valve 406. Optionally, an inner periphery (not shown) of the lid 404 has a gasket (not shown) in order to create an airtight seal between the lid 404 and the container 402, when the pressure cooker 400 is closed and is in use. As an example, the gasket is in a form of a rubber or silicone sealing ring. Optionally, the lid 404 has an over-pressure or over-temperature safety release valve 410, which is provided as a backup for releasing excess steam in case of a failure of the pressure regulator 100. Optionally, the at least one food item comprises at least one of: a vegetable, a fruit, lentils, water or any other liquid, rice, grains, pulses, meat, a poultry item.
FIG. 4 is merely an example, which should not unduly limit the scope of the claims herein. The person skilled in the art will recognize many variations, alternatives, and modifications of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be appreciated that the pressure regulator 100 of the present disclosure does not need any design modifications to be done on existing pressure cookers (or on lids of such pressure cookers), and thus is well-compatible with any existing pressure cooker having a standardized/typical steam vent valve. In this way, the pressure regulator 100 of the present disclosure could beneficially replace (namely, swapped with) an existing pressure regulator of a pressure cooker, in a cost-effective and convenient manner.
Modifications to embodiments of the present disclosure described in the foregoing are possible without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the accompanying claims. Expressions such as "including", "comprising", "incorporating", "have", "is" used to describe and claim the present disclosure are intended to be construed in a non-exclusive manner, namely allowing for items, components or elements not explicitly described also to be present. Reference to the singular is also to be construed to relate to the plural.
, Claims:CLAIMS
What is claimed is:
1. A pressure regulator (100) for counting whistles of a pressure cooker (400), the pressure regulator comprising:
- a hollow counterweight (102), wherein an internal surface of the hollow counterweight comprises a plurality of recesses and an outer surface (112) of the hollow counterweight has a plurality of numerals (114) from 0 to N marked thereon at equal distances, a given numeral being indicative of a whistle count of the pressure cooker;
- a housing (104) to be accommodated within the hollow counterweight, wherein the housing has a first opening (118) and an internal surface of the housing has first gear teeth (120) extending therefrom;
- a gear arrangement (106) to be accommodated within the housing, wherein the gear arrangement comprises:
- a first gear element (124) comprising:
a cylindrical part (128) having a plurality of protrusions (132) on its edge that are to be accommodated within the plurality of recesses such that the cylindrical part passes through the first opening, and
a collar part (130) arranged on an outer surface (134) of the cylindrical part, wherein the collar part has second gear teeth (136) and third gear teeth (138) extending from its ends, the second gear teeth to be engaged with the first gear teeth; and
- a second gear element (126) having a second opening (142) at its end and a plurality of attachment tabs (144) extending from an outer surface (146) of the second gear element, and wherein the second gear element has fourth gear teeth (148) extending from its edge (150a), the fourth gear teeth to be engaged with the third gear teeth;
- a pressure pin (108) to be partially accommodated within the housing, wherein the pressure pin has a ring portion (152), and the pressure pin passes through the second opening and contacts the collar part; and
- a base element (110), wherein the base element has a third opening (156a), a fourth opening (302a), and a fifth opening (302b), and wherein the ring portion rests on the third opening, the fourth opening accommodates a steam vent valve (406) of a lid (404) of the pressure cooker, and wherein an outer surface (158) of the base element has a pointer (160) marked thereon, the pointer indicating the given numeral,
wherein when the pressure regulator is in use and a pressure of steam generated inside the pressure cooker is above a predefined pressure, the pressure causes the pressure pin to lift and disengage the fourth gear teeth from the third gear teeth such that the first gear element is pushed in a first direction, and the second gear teeth are engaged with the first gear teeth, thereby moving the hollow counterweight and the first gear element in the first direction and rotating the hollow counterweight and the first gear element by X degrees along a second direction until the given numeral indicated by the pointer is increased by one integer step size and is changed to a succeeding numeral of the given numeral, and the steam is simultaneously released from the steam vent valve into atmosphere via the fifth opening, until the pressure of the steam reduces below the predefined pressure.
2. A pressure regulator (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the pressure of the steam reduces below the predefined pressure, the pressure pin (108) is descended in a third direction that is opposite to the first direction such that the third gear teeth (138) are engaged with the fourth gear teeth (148), and the first gear teeth (120) are disengaged with the second gear teeth (136), thereby moving the first gear element (124) and the hollow counterweight (102) in the third direction until the ring portion (152) rests on the third opening (156a), wherein the pointer indicates the succeeding numeral.
3. A pressure regulator (100) as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the predefined pressure lies in a range of 0.8 bar to 1 bar.
4. A pressure regulator (100) as claimed in any of claims 1-3, wherein a number of the second gear teeth (136) is (N+1)/2, a number of the third gear teeth (138) is (N+1)/2, and a number of the fourth gear teeth (148) is N+1.
5. A pressure regulator (100) as claimed in any of claims 1-4, wherein a profile of a given gear tooth is any one of: an involute profile, a cycloid profile.
6. A pressure regulator (100) as claimed in any of claims 1-5, wherein the pressure pin (108) has a conical profile at its end (154b).
7. A pressure regulator (100) as claimed in any of claims 1-6, wherein a value of X is equal to 360 degrees divided by (N+1).
8. A pressure regulator (100) as claimed in any of claims 1-7, wherein a value of N lies in a range of 1 to 20.
9. A pressure regulator (100) as claimed in any of claims 1-8, wherein at least one of: the hollow counterweight (102), the housing (104), the first gear element (124), the second gear element (126), the pressure pin (108), the base element (110), is manufactured by at least one of: a Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machining process, an injection molding process, an investment casting process.
10. A pressure cooker (400) comprising:
- a container (402), the container being capable of accommodating at least one food item therein;
- a lid (404), wherein the lid is detachably attached to the container, the lid having a steam vent valve (406) and a handle (408); and
- a pressure regulator (100) for counting whistles of the pressure cooker as claimed in any of claims 1-9, wherein the pressure regulator is detachably attached to the steam vent valve.