DE202012003963U1 - Device with a cooking chamber and a tilting mechanism for tilting the cooking chamber - Google Patents

Abstract

Cooking appliance, with a cooking chamber (10) which can be filled with flowable or pourable material (11), with a motor (20), with a tilting mechanism (30) driven by the motor (20) for tilting the cooking chamber (10) from a working position in at least one further position and back, the tilting mechanism (30) allowing the cooking space (10) to be tilted at different tilting speeds, with an appliance control (40), with an operating device (50) which is connected to the appliance control (40) characterized in that the device control (40) is designed such that, depending on the actuation of the operating device (50), a first speed level or a second speed level of the motor (20) for tilting the cooking space (10) forward or tilting the cooking space back into the rest position is selectable.

Description

The invention relates to a cooking appliance with a fillable with flowable or pourable good cooking chamber, with a motor, with a motor driven tilting mechanism for tilting the cooking chamber from a working position in at least one other position and back, the tilting mechanism tilting the cooking chamber in allows different tilting speeds, with a device control, with an operating device, which is connected to the device control.

Cooking appliances with cooking chambers, in particular in the form of crucibles, are often in use, especially in the commercial kitchen sector. These crucibles are usually filled with foods that usually assume a liquid form, such as soups or a creamy or similar flowable consistency, such as sauces and goulash and similar foods.

The crucibles of these cooking devices are containers that can absorb a considerable amount of such flowable food and can have a high weight. The amount prepared therein is often to be transferred to another container after preparation, or divided into several smaller containers, to be then transported to different receivers or possibly also to another processing step.

It is therefore necessary that the liquid or creamy or creamy substance prepared in the cooking chamber or crucible or partially prepared, ie the material, in particular a food to be cooked, pour out of the cooking chamber and / or portioned.

For this purpose, the crucible, which is usually formed with a rectangular circumference, is designed to be tiltable. It is tilted about a pivoting or tilting axis so that its content can flow out over one of the edges, in particular a longitudinal edge parallel to the axis of rotation or tilting, in one of the previously placed there other, especially smaller containers, the dimensions of course must fit this pouring process.

This tilting has been done in the past by hand, for example, as in the DE 34 11 564 A1 proposed by means of a user-rotatable handwheel. But there have been proposals for some time for a supported by motor drive tilting movement, so already in the DE 9309709 U1 ,

Basically you can for the control of such tilting movements, for example, already the thoughts of the EP 0 208 854 B1 in which an arrangement for the control of such a tilting process is given, even if there has not yet been thought specifically of crucibles for prepared food.

Quite generally for the metering of flowable substances is a controllable pouring out of the DE 39 11 021 A1 known. According to this proposal, a gross weight of the filled container to be tilted is first determined prior to the initiation of the tilting operation and from this an angular position of the tilted container is automatically determined, at which the leakage of the flowable substance would begin. It is proposed to automatically set a higher angular velocity for the tilting process up to this angular position determined in this way. Then, the flowable substance is poured out with a predetermined amount also predetermined, with an adapted, slowed angular velocity. After reaching the set target amount is then reversed to interrupt the interruption of the discharge jet.

Almost the same proposal is also from the EP 2 301 392 A1 known for the movement of pots and cooking appliances.

A motor drive also has a suggestion according to the EP 1 806 993 B1 on. The EP 1 806 993 B1 suggests to place sensors on the crucibles and thus determine the rotational position of the container. The sensors can determine the end positions of the crucible, ie its untilted and its maximum tilted position, or also detect the absolute rotational position intermittently or continuously.

From these details of the sensors on the current position, a control device or device control is informed accordingly and applied to an electric drive with corresponding drive signals generated therefrom, which then change the inclination of the crucible via the electric drive.

Such concepts are quite complicated and complicated and also relatively expensive due to the use of the sensors. The large number of sensors also increases the susceptibility to errors, since erroneous measurements can lead to quite serious malfunctions. In order to avoid the malfunctions, again complex security mechanisms would have to take effect.

The object of the invention is in contrast to find a simpler way to pour a flowable wholly or partially prepared food from a cooking chamber or crucible in a cooking appliance with the aid of a motor drive.

The object is achieved in a generic cooking appliance with the invention in that the device control is designed so that depending on the operation of the operating device selectable a first speed level or a second speed level of the motor for the forward tilting of the cooking chamber or a tilting back of the cooking chamber in the rest position It proves to be particularly advantageous that the tilting speed with which the cooking chamber is moved is now adapted to the respective current process, specifically as a user wishes and judges correctly based on the current situation of the cooking appliance.

If, in fact, the tilting speed selected during pouring of the food is conventionally used in general during movements of the cooking space, this is by no means optimal. For pouring the food a much lower speed is useful or even mandatory, as for the process of an empty container or for the method of the filled cooking chamber or crucible to the moment when the pouring begins. To be considered is that during the pouring a targeted response of a second, usually smaller container is required, so that the liquid food also meets exactly this smaller container and neither too far, nor too short. The second, usually smaller container must be hit by the liquid food even if only a small amount of food is contained in the crucible and also when it is still almost completely filled.

This results in that the tilting speed during the pouring of the liquid food is or must be relatively low.

During the process of the filled container, in which there is still no pouring, in which therefore a certain angular position is only sought, however, a much higher speed can be chosen, as well as no flowable items to be lost or can be spilled.

This higher speed is particularly interesting when anyway the crucible of the cooking appliance is only slightly filled, for example because only a small amount has been prepared. For then, it would take a considerable time until the beginning of the actual pouring process with a slow tilting process. This in itself unnecessary loss of time is particularly annoying in canteens or commercial kitchens, especially since usually a user is already next to the device anyway, to monitor the process and to organize the portioning. This user then has to wait the entire time without having to do anything relevant.

By contrast, with the invention, the user can in a sense achieve a "fast forward" of the crucible by going to the second, higher speed stage and leaving the cooking device for the tilting motion at that higher speed level until the pouring process begins or is imminent easily observable.

At this moment, he can switch to the first, slower speed and thus perform the Ausgießvorgang precisely.

The first speed level and the second speed level can be adjusted to the size of the crucible for the cooking appliance at the factory by a suitable choice and adjustment of the motor and the device control.

It is particularly advantageous that a two-stage or multi-stage option for the speed of the tilting movement is also possible for cooking appliances that have no weight determination and no complex sensors. The user has a direct and direct influence and by observing the process errors can be ruled out right from the start when choosing the right speed level.

In addition to the two stages for the tilting speed of the crucible of the cooking appliance in the forward direction, there is still the rearward movement of the crucible in its home or rest position. The crucible will usually be empty, so that one, and relatively high speed is sufficient for this. Even in such cases, in which a still partially filled crucible is to be returned to its rest position, this can be done with this relatively high speed, since the problems of pouring do not occur in this tilting direction.

The solution according to the invention has a clear advantage over conventional concepts, which choose about a speed depending on a certain angular position of the crucible, since an angle-dependent speed can not distinguish whether just a portioning or pouring the food out of the crucible or just a method of the crucible to be made to a target position.

In one embodiment of the invention is provided in addition to the two speed levels for the tilting speed still a third or possibly further gradations to fill such as certain flowable substances in another pouring speed in other containers or a defined approaching a certain tilting position by a Stage with a particularly low tilting speed to make even more precise.

In some embodiments, a combination is also possible in which the tilting speed of the crucible is modified by the angular position of the crucible. In this way, in addition to the at least two stages, one of the two (or both) stages can be traversed at variable speed in order to allow an optimized tilting speed during the pouring process, which takes into account how far an emptying has already taken place.

Such a solution is practically without sensors and works with a direct control. All possibly complicated calculations or investigations take place in advance at the manufacturer of the cooking appliance, so that the user only takes place for this easy to see through movement that can not be affected by contaminated or defective sensors in any form.

The embodiment of the invention allows a cost-effective and virtually no expensive additional hardware such as sensors or other measuring devices in comparison to conventional cooking appliances requiring conception of a cooking appliance with a tiltable cooking chamber.

Any calculations of tilt angles or other data are not required by and by the user of the cooking appliance. It is directly from the engine position and the user desired information generates a control that controls the further activity of the engine and thus at the same time the further movement of the cooking chamber or crucible.

According to the invention thus large differences between minimum and maximum tilting speeds of the crucible can be achieved.

In a preferred embodiment it is provided that the operating device has a touchpad. On the touchpad, preferably two speed levels (or possibly also more speed levels) can be formed via a virtual travel path. The cooking appliance itself can be simulated approximately graphically and an animated tilting process can be additionally reproduced.

Two predefined operating points can each be assigned to one of the two speed levels. To make the display on the screen even more intuitive for the user, the control point for the slower level of the tilt speed is positioned closer to the home or idle position representation than the control point for the faster level of tilt speed.

For the user or operator, an intuitive operation is thereby achieved, in which he selects the speed level on the basis of the tilting path to be traveled.

For example, if the cooking chamber to be tilted only by a small angle, for example, to move from an angular position another angular position with the exact position at which the food is right at the Ausgußkante, the user will intuitively and automatically a point close to the starting position choose.

If, on the other hand, the crucible is to pass through a large angular range during the next movement, and thus make a considerable part of the tilting movement, for example to empty a residual quantity from the starting position, the user will intuitively and automatically select the remote switching point with the rapid tilting movement.

The fastest possible speed, which allows the motor for driving the tilting movement, is usually driven as a maximum when tilting. When resetting it makes sense to always make the tilting movement with the maximum speed.

In a preferred embodiment, the slower tilt speed of the first speed stage used in particular for portioning is not chosen to be constant. In this embodiment, the device control of the cooking appliance adjusts the tilting speed of the selected first, lower speed step of the current crucible position, so that a constant volume flow during pouring out is achieved.

All embodiments have the particular advantage that the operation of the cooking appliance is kept simple and at the same time the greatest possible efficiency is achieved. A special manual or a thorough understanding of the corresponding movements are not required in order to perform the optimal and intuitive use of the cooking appliance according to the invention can.

It is also particularly preferred that it is also ensured by a fixed, fast return speed that the spout jet tears off immediately and largely without dripping.

The user of the cooking appliance has it at all times even in the hand to choose the tilting speed of the crucible of his cooking appliance. That's the way it is Of course, it is also possible to select the speed level for a fast tilting movement when there is only a small amount of filling material or food to be cooked in the cooking space, ie an accelerated emptying of small residues is quite desirable, since these residues do not show any uncontrolled surge effect. Here, the user can also choose the appropriate speed depending on his assessment of the consistency and remaining amount.

Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified and explained in the subclaims and the following description of the figures.

In the following an embodiment of the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the drawing. Show it:

1 a schematic representation of an embodiment of the invention;

2 a first possible position of a crucible in an embodiment of the invention;

3 a second possible position of a crucible in an embodiment of the invention;

4 a third possible position of a crucible in an embodiment of the invention;

5 a fourth possible position of a crucible in an embodiment of the invention;

6 a fifth possible position of a crucible in an embodiment of the invention; and

7 a schematic view of an operating device of an embodiment of a cooking appliance according to the invention.

In the 1 is schematically shown a cooking appliance, which has a cooking chamber 10 in the form of a crucible. In this oven 10 Flowable or pourable goods, especially foods are prepared, for example, soups or creamy or creamy foods such as goulash or sauces. In the figures, these contents are in the oven 10 as food 11 located.

The cooking appliance in question is particularly suitable for large kitchens, in which a large number of portions are prepared at the same time, possibly also groups of portions, which are then to be transported to other locations in the same or in another building.

This means that in the cooking chamber 10 of cooking appliance after preparation from the pan into smaller containers 15 must be filled, these smaller containers can be of different types and are usually transportable. The containers 15 can also be plates on which the cooked food 11 is given, or slightly larger containers containing the entire food 11 from the oven 10 can accommodate the cooking appliance.

It is therefore necessary in many cases, from the cooking appliance 10 the good, so in particular the food in these other containers 15 to refill, being a container 15 not the entire volume of the food in the oven 10 can record.

Now in the oven 10 or crucible existing pourable or pourable food from the oven 10 in smaller containers 15 to be able to fill, the cooking space 10 tilted. This is a tilt mechanism 30 provided, the cooking space 10 around a rotation axis 31 tilts. The rotation axis 31 runs horizontally and parallel to an overflow edge of the cooking chamber 10 , It is perpendicular to the leaf of the 1 ,

To the tilting mechanism 30 to put into action is an engine 20 intended. At the engine 20 is a potentiometer in the embodiment shown here 21 connected, showing the current position of the engine 20 picks up, so determines in which position the engine 20 is straight and how he thus the tilting mechanism 30 has pressed.

The value of the potentiometer 21 becomes a device control 40 fed. The device control 40 can perform various functions that are desired in connection with the cooking appliance. In particular, it also controls the engine 20 ,

In addition, an actuating device 50 provided on which a user of the cooking appliance indicates which tasks should now be fulfilled. These data are also the device control 40 fed. About this actuator 50 can be entered how many portions of the cooking space 10 or crucible located amount of flowable food to be filled. This indication is very meaningful to ensure that not just in every container 15 the same amount is filled, but that even in the last container to be filled nor the same amount of food 11 is filled and on the other hand no food 11 in the oven 10 remains after the filling and portioning process.

In the state of the art, erroneous estimates often lead to undesired bottling results.

On the control or actuator 50 , which may be about a touchpad or a touchscreen, can also be an input option for a desired tilting speed of the cooking chamber 10 or crucible are entered, as will be discussed below.

Further, in the illustrated embodiment, a display device 55 provided the values of the device control 40 be supplied and on the user different information can be made. This of course includes the confirmation that a certain order in a certain form has been interpreted by the cooking appliance in such a way to show the user that actually the desired operations are now also carried out.

Likewise, on the display device 55 but also be displayed, which total volume is determined by the findings of the device control 40 actually in the oven 10 of the cooking appliance are located.

The tipping process of the cooking chamber 10 or crucible can namely be performed with different tilting speeds. Different tilting speeds in different phases of the tilting process are advantageous.

Thus, the tilting of the horizontal basic position with a food 11 whose surface is horizontal and parallel to the edge of the cooking chamber 10 runs, up to a situation with a tilted position of the cooking chamber, during the pouring of the food 11 via one of the edges of the cooking chamber s10, take place relatively quickly. This phase does not require a particularly precise balancing and because the food 11 during this portion of the tilting process within the cooking chamber 10 By the way, no special caution is required.

Likewise, even after emptying and pouring the cooking chamber 10 the Rückkippvorgang, ie the return of the now emptied cooking chamber 10 in the resting position, done relatively quickly.

Depending on the level of the cooking chamber 10 with food 11 This path can form the vast majority of the entire tilting process.

In contrast, the process of actual pouring requires significantly higher precision and lower speed of tilting. Would the pouring of the food over the edge of the cooking chamber 10 At the same speed as the process up to this process, the food would be tipped over the edge with a large surge and could hardly be accurately placed in smaller or different containers standing there 15 can be filled.

Due to the greater speed, not only a surge, but also a less precisely defined introduction and a less well-defined end of this pouring process.

The pouring out of the food 11 in other containers 15 should therefore be done at a significantly reduced speed in another stage. This is also possible, because the engine 20 is from the outset designed so that it can be operated in different speed levels or he is due to the device control or possible gear stages designed so that he can set the tipping speed different.

Would now this slower speed can be used to perform the free travel of the cooking chamber back to its rest position or even the introductory way, with the cooking chamber 10 or crucible ever driven into the pouring position, so this would be very slow. In addition, this tilting disturbs because of its slowness even subjectively, since the users who supervise the pouring process and organize even during and still in this time next to the cooking appliance to observe this critical process. Then unnecessarily long phases without relevant processes are subjectively particularly disturbing.

In the embodiments according to the invention are now two different speed levels 1 and 2 intended. Of course, standing next to the cooking appliance user or operator sees, of course, exactly whether the cooking chamber 10 or pots now just pours and / or portions or whether he is only in the phase on the way to this section or whether he is already on the way back. It is therefore readily and easily possible for the user, the speed of the tilting process depending on the current phase on the operating or operating device 50 to select the speed level in which the current operation should be performed.

In the following figures, a movement sequence is shown schematically, the one possible control sequence during a discharge process for the food 11 in a container 10 explained.

You first see in 2 again the position from the 1 , now limited to alone the cooking space 10 or crucible. In the oven 10 is a flowable food or food 11 , which is not yet up to the edge of the cooking chamber 10 stands or has to stand.

The user now wants the food 11 pour over the edge there to the right. The process is not critical and can therefore with a very fast tilting movement about the tilting axis perpendicular to the page plane 31 be performed, which is why the user on the in 1 schematically indicated operating device 50 the faster speed level 2 chooses.

The tilting movement in the speed level 2 is by an arrow to the right of the oven 10 underlined schematically.

The tilting operation is performed by the user at this speed level 2 performed up to the moment in which the surface of the flowable food in the oven 10 exactly at the Ausgusskante pending, without dumping.

This moment is in the 3 indicated.

At that moment, the user will realize that from now on a slower speed is appropriate to prevent the food being cooked 11 with a large surge over the right upper longitudinal edge of the cooking chamber 10 is distributed and largely uncontrolled miss the container standing there or will only partially meet. So he becomes the speed level 1 for the tilting speed, which is indicated by a corresponding arrow on the right side of the cooking compartment 10 in the 3 is indicated.

You see in the 4 now, that in the 1 indicated elements such as the engine 20 and the tilting mechanism 30 an even more intensive inclination of the cooking chamber 10 have brought about. This has meant that part of the volume of the flowable food from inside the cooking chamber 10 over the longitudinal edge on the right side of the cooking chamber 10 in the in 1 to be recognized underneath container 15 has been bottled.

At least in the illustrated embodiment, the emptying of the cooking chamber 10 of food 11 now so far advanced that the user recognizes here or assumes that now again a higher tilt speed of the speed 1 is appropriate, since a smaller remaining amount of food can be poured out again at a higher speed, without causing the above-mentioned surge effect. So the user becomes on the operating device 50 again the speed level 2 choose. This is indicated by an arrow to the right of the oven 10 indicated.

You see in the 5 that the cooking space 10 now occupies an even more inclined position and that between the position in the 4 and the position in the 5 the volume inside the cooking chamber 10 again has a difference. This difference is now again in the or a (other) container 15 drained.

For a change in the procedure, the user sees no cause and therefore sets the tilting movement in the tilting speed of the speed 2 continued.

This leads to the situation in the 6 is shown. The entire food 11 is now out of the oven 10 removed and placed in one or more containers 15 been convicted.

This is now the cooking chamber 10 completely emptied and may for example be subjected to a cleaning.

In the 7 is a schematic view of an operating device 50 represented in a preferred embodiment of a cooking appliance. You can see that the operating device 50 Here is designed as a touchpad or touch screen and allows the user to visualize the operation.

Shown is schematically a tilting crucible, this presentation should of course be on a touchscreen in perspective or at least for the user immediately recognizable.

In addition, a quarter circle is indicated on the three possible speed levels 1 . 2 and R are drawn.

These three speed levels stand for a fast or slow forward movement or for a retraction of the cooking chamber 10 ,

For the operator or user is immediately understandable that a close to the cooking chamber 10 position indicates a fine adjustment, or slow speed, while one is further away from the oven 10 arranged position a higher or the faster speed level 2 shows.

So he can simply trigger the desired operation in the desired speed level by touching the appropriate area or change the current speed.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the user is provided with a field on the quadrant, which field he can select and move by touching and thus grasping. Then, by touching and dragging this field on the quadrant to the positions of the first or second speed step, the speed is intuitively adjusted. Of course, to achieve the faster speed level, this field first has to be pulled over the slower first speed level, which additionally intuitively enables the user to recognize from a zero position via a slow in a faster movement is passed.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

first speed level

2

second speed level

10

oven

11

be cooked

15

container

20

engine

21

potentiometer

30

tilt mechanism

31

axis of rotation

40

device control

50

actuator

55

display

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 3411564 A1 [0006]
• DE 9309709 U1 [0006]
• EP 0208854 B1 [0007]
• DE 3911021 A1 [0008]
• EP 2301392 A1 [0009]
• EP 1806993 B1 [0010, 0010]

Claims (6)

Cooking appliance, with one with pourable or pourable goods ( 11 ) fillable cooking space ( 10 ), with a motor ( 20 ), with one of the engine ( 20 ) driven tilting mechanism ( 30 ) for tilting the cooking space ( 10 ) from a working position in at least one further position and back, wherein the tilting mechanism ( 30 ) a tilting of the cooking chamber ( 10 ) in different tilting speeds, with a device control ( 40 ), with an operating device ( 50 ) with the device control ( 40 ), characterized in that the device control ( 40 ) is designed so that, depending on the operation of the operating device ( 50 ) a first speed level or a second speed level of the motor ( 20 ) for the forward tilting of the cooking chamber ( 10 ) or tilting back of the cooking chamber in the rest position can be selected. Cooking appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that the operating device ( 50 ) and the device control ( 40 ) are designed and matched to one another that the cooking chamber ( 10 ) reversed after each pouring and avoids hunting. Cooking appliance according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the operating device ( 50 ) is designed as a touch screen or touchpad. Cooking appliance according to claim 3, characterized in that on the touch screen or touchpad a schematic representation of a cooking chamber ( 10 ) is reproduced that on or above or next to the cooking chamber ( 10 ) a circular arc is shown on the touchscreen, that several positions are highlighted on the circular arc, and that the positions in each case correspond to the speed levels ( 1 . 2 , R) are assigned. Cooking appliance according to claim 4, characterized in that the positions for the speed levels ( 1 . 2 ) of the slow and fast tilting speed can be selected by touching and pulling. Cooking appliance according to claim 5, characterized in that the positions of the speed levels ( 1 . 2 ) are arranged so that to achieve the faster speed level ( 2 ) over the slower speed level ( 1 ).

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