Cooking medium systems having a single fill manifold, and methods of supplying a cooking medium using such systems

Abstract

A system for delivering a cooking medium of a cooking apparatus includes one or more cooking vessels. The system also includes a drain manifold in fluid communication with the cooking vessel, and a fill manifold having input valves, and output valves in fluid communication with a corresponding cooking vessel. A first flow path is connected to the fill manifold. A filter container selectively is in fluid communication with the fill manifold. A filter pump is positioned between the filter container and the fill manifold and conveys a recycled cooking medium. An overflow pump selectively is in fluid communication with the fill manifold via a second flow path and a portion of the first flow path. The overflow pump conveys a new cooking medium to the fill manifold. The first flow path conveys one of the recycled cooking medium and the new cooking medium to the fill manifold.

1 - 4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . A method for supplying a cooking medium to a cooking apparatus comprising at least one cooking vessel, the method comprising:
 determining an amount of the cooking medium in one of the at least one cooking vessels;   selecting a source of a replacement cooking medium;   activating at least one first switch to configure a fluid flow path to place the source of the replacement cooking medium into fluid communication with a fill manifold;   activating a second switch to place the fill manifold in fluid communication with the one of the at least one cooking vessel;   transferring the replacement cooking medium from the source of the replacement cooking medium to the one of the at least one cooking vessel via the fill manifold;   detecting a change in pressure in the fill manifold; and   calculating the amount of replacement cooking medium present in the source of the replacement cooking medium based on the change in pressure in the fill manifold.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 ,
 wherein detecting the change in pressure in the fill manifold comprises detecting the absence of a fluctuation in pressure due to adding the replacement cooking medium to the fill manifold, and   wherein calculating the amount of replacement cooking medium present in the source of the replacement cooking medium based on the change in pressure in the fill manifold comprises determining, in response to detecting the absence of the fluctuation in pressure due to adding the replacement cooking medium to the fill manifold, that the source of the replacement cooking medium is empty.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 ,
 wherein detecting the change in pressure in the fill manifold comprises detecting a spike in pressure due to adding the replacement cooking medium to the fill manifold, and   wherein calculating the amount of replacement cooking medium present in the source of the replacement cooking medium based on the change in pressure in the fill manifold comprises determining, in response to detecting the spike in pressure due to adding the replacement cooking medium to the fill manifold, that the source of the replacement cooking medium contains a sufficient amount of replacement cooking medium to continue transferring the replacement cooking medium to the one of the at least one cooking vessel via the fill manifold.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein selecting the source of the replacement cooking medium comprises:
 selecting the source of the replacement cooking medium from among at least a filter container storing recycled cooking medium and a new cooking medium container storing new cooking medium.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 in response to selecting the new cooking medium container as the source of the replacement cooking medium, activating a third switch to configure another fluid flow path to place the filter container storing recycled cooking medium into fluid communication with a waste container.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 determining that the recycled cooking medium stored in the filter container has been used for at least a predetermined amount of time; and   in response to determining that the recycled cooking medium stored in the filter container has been used for at least the predetermined amount of time, activating a third switch to configure another fluid flow path to place the filter container storing recycled cooking medium into fluid communication with a waste container.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 determining that the recycled cooking medium stored in the filter container has been recycled at least a predetermined number of times; and   in response to determining that the recycled cooking medium stored in the filter container has been recycled at least the predetermined number of times, activating a third switch to configure another fluid flow path to place the filter container storing recycled cooking medium into fluid communication with a waste container.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 determining that the source of the replacement cooking medium is empty based on the amount of replacement cooking medium present in the source of the replacement cooking medium calculated based on the change in pressure in the fill manifold; and   in response to determining that the source of the replacement cooking medium is empty:
 activating the at least one first switch to configure another fluid flow path to place another source of replacement cooking medium into fluid communication with a fill manifold; and 
 transferring the replacement cooking medium from the other source of the replacement cooking medium to the one of the at least one cooking vessel via the fill manifold. 
   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein transferring the replacement cooking medium from the source of the replacement cooking medium to the one of the at least one cooking vessel via the fill manifold comprises:
 transferring the replacement cooking medium from the source of the replacement cooking medium to the fill manifold through the at least one first switch; and   transferring the replacement cooking medium from the fill manifold to the one of the at least one cooking vessel through the second switch and a check valve,   wherein pressure from the replacement cooking medium in the fill manifold causes the check valve to open.   
     
     
         14 . A method for supplying a cooking medium to a cooking apparatus comprising a cooking vessel, the method comprising:
 receiving first cooking medium from at least one cooking vessel in a drain manifold, the at least one cooking vessel including the cooking vessel, and the drain manifold selectively being in fluid communication with the at least one cooking vessel;   receiving the first cooking medium from the drain manifold in a filter container, the filter container being in fluid communication with the drain manifold;   determining whether the first cooking medium is to be reused;   in response to determining that the first cooking medium is to be reused:
 actuating a selection valve, which is disposed within a first flow path between the filter container and an input valve of a fill manifold, such that the filter container becomes in fluid communication with the fill manifold via the first flow path; and 
 conveying the first cooking medium, via a filter pump disposed within the first flow path, along the first flow path from the filter container, through the selection valve, and to the fill manifold; 
   in response to determining that the first cooking medium is not to be reused:
 actuating the selection valve such that a cooking medium container becomes in fluid communication with the fill manifold, the cooking medium container storing second cooking medium that is different from the first cooking medium; 
 conveying the second cooking medium, via an overflow pump disposed within a second flow path between the cooking medium container and the input valve of the fill manifold, along the second flow path from the cooking medium container, through the selection valve, and to the fill manifold; 
 actuating a flow switching mechanism, which is disposed within a third flow path between the filter container and a waste container, such that the filter container becomes in fluid communication with the waste container rather than the fill manifold; and 
 conveying the first cooking medium, via the filter pump, along the third flow path from the filter container, through the flow switching mechanism, and to the waste container; and 
   selectively actuating at least one switch such that the fill manifold becomes in fluid communication with the cooking vessel and one or more of the first cooking medium and the second cooking medium flows from the fill manifold to the cooking vessel.   
     
     
         15 . A method for supplying a cooking medium to a cooking apparatus comprising a cooking vessel, the method comprising:
 receiving first cooking medium from at least one cooking vessel in a drain manifold, the at least one cooking vessel including the cooking vessel;   receiving the first cooking medium from the drain manifold in a filter container;   determining whether the first cooking medium is to be reused;   in response to determining that the first cooking medium is to be reused:
 actuating a selection valve, which is disposed within a first flow path between the filter container and an input valve of a fill manifold, such that the filter container becomes in fluid communication with the fill manifold via the first flow path; and 
 conveying the first cooking medium along the first flow path from the filter container, through the selection valve, and to the fill manifold; 
   in response to determining that the first cooking medium is not to be reused:
 actuating the selection valve such that a cooking medium container becomes in fluid communication with the fill manifold, the cooking medium container storing second cooking medium that is different from the first cooking medium; and 
 conveying the second cooking medium along a second flow path from the cooking medium container, through the selection valve, and to the fill manifold, the second flow path being a path between the cooking medium container and the input valve of the fill manifold; 
   selectively actuating at least one switch such that the fill manifold becomes in fluid communication with the cooking vessel and one or more of the first cooking medium and the second cooking medium flows from the fill manifold to the cooking vessel.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 determining whether the first cooking medium is to be discarded; and   in response to determining that the first cooking medium is to be discarded:
 actuating a flow switching mechanism, which is disposed within a third flow path between the filter container and a waste container, such that the filter container becomes in fluid communication with the waste container; and 
 conveying the first cooking medium along the third flow path from the filter container, through the flow switching mechanism, and to the waste container; and 
   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 in response to determining that the first cooking medium is not to be discarded, actuating the flow switching mechanism, which is also disposed within the first flow path, such that the filter container becomes in fluid communication with the selection valve rather than the waste container.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 ,
 wherein conveying the first cooking medium along the first flow path from the filter container, through the selection valve, and to the fill manifold comprises conveying the first cooking medium via a filter pump disposed within the first flow path,   wherein conveying the second cooking medium along the second flow path from the cooking medium container, through the selection valve, and to the fill manifold comprises conveying the second cooking medium via an overflow pump disposed within the second flow path, and   wherein conveying the first cooking medium along the third flow path from the filter container, through the flow switching mechanism, and to the waste container comprises conveying the first cooking medium via the filter pump.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the drain manifold is selectively in fluid communication with the at least one cooking vessel. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 ,
 wherein a portion of the first flow path extending between the selection valve and the input valve of the fill manifold is coextensive with a portion of the second flow path extending between the selection valve and the input valve of the fill manifold, and   wherein a portion of the first flow path extending between the filter container and the flow switching mechanism is coextensive with a portion of the third flow path extending between the filter container and the flow switching mechanism.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the input valve of the fill manifold connects the first flow path to the fill manifold, which is separate from the first flow path. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the selection valve is upstream of the input valve of the fill manifold along at least one of the first flow path. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the second flow path is connected to the first flow path via the selection valve. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising:
 in response to determining that the first cooking medium is not to be reused, selecting one of a plurality of cooking medium containers as the cooking medium container, each cooking medium container being in fluid communication with the selection valve via a corresponding flow path between such cooking medium container and the selection valve, wherein a corresponding overflow pump is disposed within each corresponding flow path.