DE102010016228A1 - Method for determination of momentary energy consumption of e.g. cooker for cooking food, involves determining and outputting value for momentary power consumption, where value corresponds to average consumption of preset time interval - Google Patents

Abstract

The method involves determining and outputting a value for momentary power consumption, where the value corresponds to average consumption of a preset time interval, which depends on a determined timing of a heat source. An indicated value is averaged over a cycle of the timing of the heat source, where the indicated value corresponds to the average consumption of last thirty seconds. The determined value is stored in a memory device. Estimated total energy consumption for different operational parameters is taken place under consideration of the stored value. An independent claim is also included for a device for displaying momentary energy consumption of a household apparatus.

Description

The present invention relates to a device and to a method for displaying the energy consumption of a domestic appliance, in particular a cooker, an oven, a hob, a steamer or a microwave.

In modern home appliances today is an essential focus on the energy efficiency of the household appliance. For many equipment groups, energy efficiency is divided into different energy classes by means of a special classification, which makes it easier to compare energy efficiency when purchasing a new household appliance.

The consideration of the energy efficiency of a household appliance, of course, has economic reasons for the user on the one hand, but on the other hand, there is also an ever increasing ecological awareness among the users and also with the manufacturers of household appliances.

For example, in modern dishwashers longer maturities of rinses in favor of water and energy consumption accepted. The insulation of refrigerators and freezers has also improved greatly in recent years.

For household appliances such as dishwashers or washing machines energy consumption is almost completely pre-programmed by the selectable programs. A given program consumes the same energy almost every time under the same conditions.

The situation is different with cooking appliances, however, in the use of which the consumer can intervene in such a way that the energy efficiency can be reduced. This is the case, for example, with ovens.

Before starting a cooking process, the oven usually has to be preheated. This preheating phase can be customized by the user. Whether a preheating phase has now been carried out optimally or designed too long is irrelevant for the result of the cooking process. In terms of energy efficiency, however, the improper handling of a household appliance is reflected directly and negatively.

Another example is the opening of the oven door during a cooking process. By repeatedly opening the oven door during the cooking process, escapes a large proportion of hot air, so that the cooking chamber must be reheated. This also greatly reduces energy efficiency.

In order to alert the user to the different energy efficiency of various parameters, the DE 39 32 170 A1 a display device for household appliances, which should help a user to select a suitable program. For this purpose, the expected energy consumption for the corresponding program is displayed in a display field before the program starts. This allows the consumer to estimate an appropriate program for his purposes.

However, this type of display only shows the estimated total energy consumption of a program. As a result, such a device only makes sense for household appliances with always the same preset programs.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to inform a user of a household appliance better about the energy consumption of the household appliance.

The object is achieved by a method for determining the instantaneous energy consumption with the features of claim 1 and by a device for displaying the instantaneous energy consumption with the features of claim 10, wherein in the further claims features are listed, which further develop this solution in an advantageous manner

The method according to the invention serves to determine the instantaneous energy consumption of a domestic appliance, in particular an oven, a hob, a steamer or a microwave. For the current energy consumption, a value is determined and then output. This value corresponds to the average energy consumption of a predetermined time interval.

An energy indicator of this kind has many advantages. A significant advantage is that not the actual instantaneous energy consumption is displayed to the user, but an averaged value of a predetermined period of time. As a result, the user can relate the specified value directly to his usage behavior or to the device parameters set by him.

In a direct energy display would be in household appliances with a clocked heat source in each case in the non-heating phase, a value "zero" specified, which is not useful for the energy-economic analysis of a heating process. If, for example, the oven door is opened in a non-heating phase, a value of "zero" will continue to be displayed. In the averaged variant, the value will increase at the next calculation, which directly causes the user to Can see consequences of opening the oven door during the cooking process.

Since most domestic appliances have clocked heating and rest phases, the time interval selected for the determination of the instantaneous energy consumption preferably depends on a specific clocking of the heating operation.

In order to obtain a value for the energy consumption of the household appliance which is really easy to evaluate, it is particularly preferred to average it over at least one cycle of the clocking. As a result, the consumption value is averaged over at least one heating and one resting phase. This type of calculation is particularly useful and useful. Should a user inquire about the current energy consumption value during a rest period, a value of "zero" would be displayed. However, this would be very misleading since, while the value corresponds to the actual instantaneous consumption, it does not contain useful information for the user. For example, if the user opens the oven door during operation, with the non-clocking indicator indicating a value of "zero", the user will receive an incorrect estimate of the energy balance of his service behavior. With the inclusion of timing, the energy loss of opening the oven door is much better reflected by the displayed value. Therefore, the displayed value is averaged over at least one cycle of the timing to produce a meaningful value.

In order to keep the value as meaningful as possible, the calculation of the energy consumption value can be restarted automatically or manually when the operating mode is changed or when changing to another phase of the cooking process (eg the change from the preheat phase to the main cooking process phase).

Preferably, the displayed value may also correspond to the average consumption of the last ten minutes, preferably the last minute and more preferably the last thirty seconds. In particular, nine minutes are preferred for electromechanical devices and one minute for electronic devices.

In particular, for evaluating a complete cooking process of a cooking appliance, the displayed value may correspond to the average consumption of the entire cooking process. Also interim results are conceivable and useful, indicating the average energy consumption of the entire previous cooking process.

Preferably, however, a manual selection of an interval to be considered is also possible.

For an ecologically and economically sensible application of the values to the selection of, for example, baking programs of an oven, it is advantageous to be able to compare the determined values, in particular for a complete baking process. For this, the determined energy consumption values can preferably be stored.

Preferably, the estimated total energy consumption for different operating parameters can also be displayed. Preferably, such values can also be displayed before the start of a device program such that a user can compare different profiles according to their energy consumption and then select the most energy-efficient one. Conceivable in this context is also an automation of this process. Due to temperature and program time an optimal ratio between program time and temperature could be determined.

In addition to preset energy consumption is particularly preferred also a "learning" possible. Not only preset values but also the stored values are taken into account for the display of the expected energy consumption for various parameters.

This makes it possible to compare different combinations of, for example, heating method, temperature and program time for a device program. Often there are various possibilities, for example to design a cooking process of a baking oven or steamer. Sometimes lower temperatures can be used for a longer time, higher temperatures for a then shorter cooking time or other modes of the cooking appliance to consume less energy.

The device according to the invention serves to display the instantaneous energy consumption of a household appliance, in particular an oven, a hob, a steamer or a microwave. The value for the current energy consumption is displayed on at least one output unit. An evaluation unit determines from the average consumption of a specific time interval a value for the current energy consumption and displays it. In particular, this is done by a method according to claims 1-9.

Preferably, the output unit is a display. In this case, a separate display can be provided, but it is also conceivable that an already existing display of the household appliance is shared. Other output units are possible. This can be a data output, an interface or a device for wireless transmission to another device may be provided.

Particularly preferably, the device is assigned a memory. In particular, a control unit is provided which can access this memory.

In order to switch between different display modes, an adjusting device is provided.

Further advantages and embodiments will become apparent from the embodiment, which now with reference to the single attached 1 is explained.

1 shows: a schematic representation of a household appliance in the form of a stove.

In 1 is a household appliance 1 shown schematically. In this embodiment, it is a stove 2 with a hob 3 and with one over a door 4 lockable cooking space 5 in a common housing 6 , The four cooking zones 7 and the different functions of the household appliance 1 can over on a control panel 8th arranged controls 9 , which are in operative connection with a known and not shown here control device, are controlled. The control panel 8th additionally includes a display unit 10 , in the form of a display 11 , On the display 11 All important parameters for the current state of function of the household appliance 1 are displayed. To set or change various display modes are the display 11 , Control buttons 12 assigned. Other embodiments, such as a touch panel are within the scope of the invention.

In this preferred embodiment, the output of the determined instantaneous energy consumption takes place via a separate control panel 7 arranged output unit 13 , A value for the instantaneous energy consumption is evaluated by a known per se and not shown here evaluation over a certain period of time, which preferably comprises at least one cycle of the timing of the heating operation. The value thus determined via the output unit 13 output. This is in this embodiment as a further display 14 pronounced.

The output of a value that is averaged over at least one cycle of the timing of the heating operation provides significant benefits. The user of the household appliance 1 who, by means of such an indication of the energy consumption of his household appliance 1 with such a value can directly assess the energy consumption or even their own user behavior. For example, if the user is in a rest phase of the clocking the door 4 of the cooking space 5 of the stove 2 For this point in time, it would display a zero power consumption because the value in the idle phase is approximately zero. In reality, the stove needs 2 but in the next heating phase much more energy than when the door 4 to the cooking space 5 would not have been opened. However, since the displayed value in this exemplary embodiment is averaged over at least one cycle of the clocking, that is to say at least one heating phase and one resting phase, such influences are included in the value. This allows the energy consumption of the stove to be displayed above the displayed value 2 much improved rate.

Of course, it is also possible to display a value that corresponds, for example, to the energy consumption of the last 10 minutes, the last minute or the last 10 seconds, whereby manually selected time intervals up to statements about the entire cooking program selected by the user are conceivable. Of course, the output of the value for the current energy consumption may also be about other embodiments of the output unit 13 respectively. Particularly preferred is the integration of the display for the current energy consumption in the present case centrally on the control panel 8th of the household appliance 1 arranged display 11 , Such an integration achieves a very space-saving display of the new function.

In very modern embodiments, the current energy consumption but also via any type of interface to another here unspecified control or display device can be forwarded. Conceivable for this would be, for example, the connection via a network connection and a cable with a central control unit in the kitchen. The transmission of the values via WLAN or Bluetooth is conceivable and possible.

On the display 14 are control buttons 15 , three in the present case, via which different display modes can be selected. In addition, the control buttons 15 be occupied with additional functions. It is conceivable that one between the display of the current energy consumption of the oven and individual cooking zones 7 of the stove 2 can change the unit of the display or access to a storage device not shown here.

In this memory device, values for the total energy consumption of certain cooking programs or cooking programs or profiles can preferably also be stored by default, which are particularly preferably matched and extended with self-determined values from the memory device. As a result, individual energy profiles can be managed become. To achieve a particular cooking or cooking results, the user can thus compare advantageous different energy profiles and choose the most efficient from his point of view for him.

It is within the skill of one skilled in the art to modify the described embodiments in a manner not shown and in particular to other household appliances, such as ovens, Dampfgargeräte or microwaves to achieve the effects shown, without departing from the scope of the invention.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

household appliance

2

stove

3

hob

4

door

5

oven

6

casing

7

cooking zone

8th

control panel

9

operating element

10

display unit

11

display

12

knobs

13

output unit

14

display

15

knobs

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• DE 3932170 A1 [0009]

Claims (13)

Method for determining the instantaneous energy consumption of a household appliance ( 1 ) for cooking food, especially a cooker ( 2 ), an oven, a hob, a steamer or a microwave with at least one heat source, characterized in that a value for the current energy consumption is determined and output, which corresponds to the average consumption of a predetermined time interval. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the time interval depends on a specific timing of the heating source. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the displayed value is averaged over at least one cycle of the timing of a heat source. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the displayed value corresponds to the average consumption of the last ten minutes, preferably the last minute and particularly preferably the last thirty seconds. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the displayed value corresponds to the average consumption of the entire previous cooking or cooking process. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the displayed value corresponds to the average energy consumption of a manually selectable time interval. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the determined values are stored in a memory device. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the estimated total energy consumption for different operating parameters predicted and displayed comparable before the start of a cooking or cooking process. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the estimated total energy consumption for different operating parameters taking into account the stored values. Device for displaying the instantaneous energy consumption of a household appliance ( 1 ), in particular a hearth ( 2 ), a baking oven, a hob, a steamer or a microwave, with at least one evaluation unit, characterized in that an output unit ( 13 ), which indicates the instantaneous energy consumption corresponding to the average consumption of a particular time interval. Apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that the output unit ( 13 ) as a display ( 14 ) is trained. Apparatus according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the device is assigned a memory device and in particular a control unit is provided which can access the memory device. Device according to one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that an adjusting device is provided, via which the display can be changed between different display methods.

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