Automatic Bread Machine and Process for Producing Bread Using the Same
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Europäisches Patentamt *EP001597990A1* (19) European Patent Office Office européen des brevets (11) EP 1 597 990 A1 (12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION published in accordance with Art. 158(3) EPC (43) Date of publication: (51) Int Cl.7: A47J 37/00 23.11.2005 Bulletin 2005/47 (86) International application number: (21) Application number: 04712200.7 PCT/JP2004/001850 (22) Date of filing: 18.02.2004 (87) International publication number: WO 2004/073470 (02.09.2004 Gazette 2004/36) (84) Designated Contracting States: (72) Inventors: AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR • FUKUMORI, Koichi c/o Shitogi Japan Co., Ltd. HU IE IT LI LU MC NL PT RO SE SI SK TR Abeno-ku, Osaka-shi Osaka 545-0037 (JP) Designated Extension States: • SHIRAI, Yoshinari, Tottori Sanyo Elec. Co., Ltd. AL LT LV MK Tottori-shi, Tottori 680-8634 (JP) • FUKUNAKA, Mitsuyo, 9-1, Ishitera Morinoshita (30) Priority: 19.02.2003 JP 2003041599 Soraku-gun, Kyoto 619-1221 (JP) • SHIONO, Shunji, Tottori Sanyo Elec. Co., Ltd. (71) Applicants: Tottori-shi, Tottori 680-8634 (JP) • Tottori Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. Tottori 680-8634 (JP) (74) Representative: Uchida, Kenji et al • SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD. S.A. Fedit-Loriot et Autres Moriguchi-shi, Osaka 570-8677 (JP) Conseils en Propriété Industrielle • Shitogi Japan Co., Ltd. 38, avenue Hoche Osaka-shi, Osaka 545-0037 (JP) 75008 Paris (FR) (54) AUTOMATIC BREAD MACHINE AND PROCESS FOR PRODUCING BREAD USING THE SAME (57) An automatic bread maker capable of improv- baking process, and a keep-warm process (not shown). ing the quality of bread made by the automatic bread When rice flour is used in place of wheat flour as the maker and a bread making method using such automat- main bread ingredient, the automatic bread maker suc- ic bread maker are provided. When wheat flour is used cessively performs, as shown in Fig. 11(B), a kneading as the main bread ingredient, the automatic bread mak- process, a dough resting process, a dough rounding er successively performs, as shown in Fig. 11(A), a process, a shaping and fermenting process, a baking kneading process, a primary fermentation process, a process, and a keep-warm process (not shown). In ei- degassing process, a dough resting process, a dough ther case, a stirring blade is operated intermittently in rounding process, a shaping and fermenting process, a the last part of the kneading process to beat the bread dough against the inner wall of a pan. EP 1 597 990 A1 Printed by Jouve, 75001 PARIS (FR) (Cont. next page) EP 1 597 990 A1 2 1 EP 1 597 990 A1 2 Description ring operation for continuously stirring the bread ingre- dients held in the pan and a second stirring operation TECHNICAL FIELD for intermittently stirring the bread ingredients after the first stirring operation. [0001] The present invention relates to an automatic 5 [0008] In this aspect of the present invention, when bread maker, and more particularly, to an automatic bread ingredients are held in the pan, the bread ingre- bread maker for automatically performing processes dients are continuously kneaded and then beat against from kneading to baking of bread ingredients and a the wall surface of the pan by having the stirring unit bread making method using the same. intermittently perform a stirring operation. 10 [0009] In the automatic bread maker, formation of glu- BACKGROUND ART ten in bread dough is promoted in the process of knead- ing the bread ingredients to strengthen the bread dough. [0002] An automatic bread maker for home use is a The strong bread dough improves the quality of the re- convenient device that only requires a user to prepare sulting bread. bread ingredients so that the bread maker automatically 15 [0010] Another aspect of the present invention is an performs processes from kneading to baking of the automatic bread maker for automatically performing bread ingredients. processes from kneading to baking of bread ingredients. [0003] For this type of an automatic bread maker, var- The automatic bread maker includes a case for covering ious techniques have been proposed, such as the pro- the exterior of the automatic bread maker, a pan accom- posal for a technique providing a special sequence of 20 modated in the case for holding bread ingredients, a stir- processes for preparing pasta dough (see Patent Doc- ring unit for stirring the contents held in the pan, an input ument 1). unit for inputting that an ingredient containing rice flour [0004] In recent years, there has been a demand for is included in the bread ingredients held in the pan, and developing new uses of rice flour other than convention- a stirring control unit for having the stirring unit continu- al uses, such as dumplings. Therefore, a technique for 25 ously stir the bread ingredients in the pan from when the using rice flour as a substitute for wheat flour has been stirring is started when there is an input to the input unit proposed (e.g., see Patent Documents 2 and 3). that an ingredient containing rice flour is included in the bread ingredients held in the pan. (Patent Document 1) [0011] In this aspect of the present invention, when Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 30 bread ingredients are held in the pan, the bread ingre- 10-94485 dients are continuously stirred from when the stirring op- (Patent Document 2) eration of the stirring unit is started. Japanese Patent Publication No. 07-100002 [0012] Thus, when rice flour, which not only absorbs (Patent Document 3) water more rapidly than wheat flour but also loses the Japanese Patent No. 3076552 35 absorbed water more rapidly, is used as the main bread ingredient, the bread ingredients are mixed more quickly DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION to make bread dough. This makes it possible to bake the bread dough before the rice flour loses water and [0005] There is always a demand for improving the improves the quality of bread made by the automatic quality of the bread made by such an automatic bread 40 bread maker. maker. [0013] A further aspect of the present invention is an [0006] Further, as described above, rice flour may be automatic bread maker for automatically performing used as a bread ingredient. In such a case, there is also processes from kneading to baking of bread ingredients. a demand for improving the quality of the bread thus The automatic bread maker includes a case for covering made. 45 the exterior of the automatic bread maker, a pan accom- [0007] The present invention has been made in view modated in the case for holding bread ingredients, a stir- of such circumstances. It is an object of the present in- ring unit for stirring the contents held in the pan, a stirring vention to improve the quality of the bread made by an control unit for controlling operation of the stirring unit, automatic bread maker and to provide a bread making a temperature control unit for controlling temperature in method using such an automatic bread maker. An auto- 50 the pan, and a central control unit for controlling the stir- matic bread maker according to one aspect of the ring control unit and the temperature control unit to ex- present invention automatically performs processes ecute a predetermined control that successively per- from kneading to baking of bread ingredients. The au- forms a process of kneading the bread ingredients in the tomatic bread maker includes a case for covering the pan to make bread dough, a process of resting the bread exterior of the automatic bread maker, a pan accommo- 55 dough, a process of rounding the bread dough, a proc- dated in the case for holding bread ingredients, a stirring ess of shaping and fermenting the bread dough, and a unit for stirring the contents held in the pan, and a stirring process of baking the shaped and fermented bread control unit for having the stirring unit perform a first stir- dough. 3 3 EP 1 597 990 A1 4 [0014] In this aspect of the present invention, the ex- Fig. 6 is a plan view showing the console display ecution of the predetermined controls omits the primary panel of the automatic bread maker of Fig. 1; fermentation process and the degassing process that Fig. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a state would be performed on the bread ingredients in the pan before the pan is locked to a water vessel of a boiler during a normal bread making process using wheat flour 5 arranged in the automatic bread maker of Fig. 1; as the main bread ingredient. Fig. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a state [0015] Thus, when rice flour, which not only absorbs after the pan is locked to the water vessel of the water more rapidly than wheat flour but also loses the boiler arranged in the automatic bread maker of Fig. absorbed water more rapidly, is used as the main bread 1; ingredient, bread dough is made more quickly from the 10 Fig. 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along bread ingredients and baked. This makes it possible to line A-A in Fig. 7; bake the bread dough before the rice flour loses water Fig. 10 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the and improves the quality of bread made by the automat- automatic bread maker of Fig. 1; and ic bread maker. Fig. 11 is a diagram illustrating the contents of [0016] Further, the automatic bread maker according 15 processing executed during the automatic bread to the present invention further has an input unit for in- making operation of the automatic bread maker of putting that an ingredient containing rice flour is included Fig.