Cooking appliance

Abstract

A cooking appliance comprising a container for containing a cooking liquid, an electrical heating element for heating cooking liquid in the container, and a food receptacle supported in the container for angular movement about a horizontal pivot axis. The receptacle has a portion that is perforated to let in cooking liquid in the container for cooking the food articles. A drive mechanism serves to move the food receptacle about the pivot axis. The food receptacle includes a wall extending at least partially around the pivot axis. The wall includes a plurality of fixed traps for trapping and carrying the food articles out of the cooking liquid upon relative upward movement of the receptacle and then allowing the food articles to fall back down upon further upward movement of the receptacle.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A cooking appliance comprising: 
 a container for containing a cooking liquid;    an electrical heating element associated with the container for heating cooking liquid in the container;    a food receptacle supported in the container for angular movement about a substantially horizontal pivot axis, the receptacle having a portion that is perforated to let in cooking liquid in the container for cooking food articles received in the receptacle; and    a drive mechanism for moving the food receptacle about the pivot axis;    wherein the food receptacle includes a wall extending at least partially around the pivot axis, the wall including a plurality of traps fixed thereto for trapping and carrying said food articles out of said cooking liquid upon relative upward movement of the receptacle and then allowing said food articles to fall back down upon further upward movement of the receptacle.    
     
     
         2 . The cooking appliance as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the food receptacle has a substantially at least part circular cross-section at right angles to the pivot axis, and a central axis coinciding with the pivot axis.  
     
     
         3 . The cooking appliance as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the container has a cross-section that is substantially the same as but marginally larger than that of the food receptacle, together sharing a common central axis.  
     
     
         4 . The cooking appliance as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the food receptacle comprises a screen basket.  
     
     
         5 . The cooking appliance as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the receptacle portion and wall comprise screen parts.  
     
     
         6 . The cooking appliance as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the receptacle wall has a general shape that is substantially at least part cylindrical and has a central axis coinciding with the pivot axis.  
     
     
         7 . The cooking appliance as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the traps are spaced apart angularly about the pivot axis.  
     
     
         8 . The cooking appliance as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the traps comprise protrusions on an inner surface of the receptacle wall.  
     
     
         9 . The cooking appliance as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the receptacle wall has a substantially at least part cylindrical general shape that extends equidistantly round the pivot axis and has opposite ends, across which ends at least some of the protrusions extend.  
     
     
         10 . The cooking appliance as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein at least two, upper and lower ones of the protrusions have respective generally triangular cross-sections each having opposite sides, the sides of the upper protrusion being inclined at a relatively larger angle to the receptacle wall than those of the lower protrusion.  
     
     
         11 . The cooking appliance as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the receptacle wall extends at least partially around the pivot axis, and the traps comprise recesses in an inner surface of the receptacle wall.  
     
     
         12 . The cooking appliance as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the receptacle wall extends equidistantly at least partially around the pivot axis and are bent in a wavy manner to form the traps.  
     
     
         13 . The cooking appliance as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the food receptacle has a generally semi-cylindrical shape about the pivot axis, and the drive mechanism is adapted to pivot the food receptacle in a reciprocating manner.  
     
     
         14 . The cooking appliance as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the food receptacle has a generally cylindrical shape about the pivot axis, and the drive mechanism is adapted to rotate the food receptacle continuously in one direction.