EP2295869A2 - Cooking chamber device with thick-film heating element - Google Patents

Abstract

The cooking appliance has a cooking unit (10), which has a heating element (18,20). The heating element is partly formed as thick-film element. The cooking unit is formed as space divisors. An independent claim is also included for cooking equipment, particularly baking oven.

Description

The invention relates to a cooking chamber device according to the preamble of claim 1.

From the publication DE 42 17 545 A1 an electric oven with a partition plate for dividing a cooking chamber of the oven is known, wherein the partition plate is equipped with two electric heating elements, which can form a bottom heat of an upper cooking chamber and a top heat of a lower cooking chamber area.

The object of the invention is in particular to provide a generic device with improved properties in terms of handling, weight and temperature inertia and to increase ease of use.

The object is achieved according to the invention by the features of claim 1, while advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention can be taken from the dependent claims.

The invention is based on a cooking chamber device having at least one cooking chamber unit which has at least one heating element. In this context, a "cooking unit" should be understood as meaning, in particular, a unit which is intended to be arranged in the cooking chamber during operation of the cooking appliance to achieve a desired cooking result or a desired temperature distribution, in particular food supports, cooking compartment dividers, heating levels or elements which are designed as combinations thereof. In this case, a "food support" in this context is to be understood in particular an element that carries a food during direct cooking by a direct contact with this. In this context, a "food to be cooked" is to be understood in particular as both a food to be cooked and a food to be cooked in a cooking container specially provided or equipped for cooking food, for example a cooking pot, a roasting pan or a casserole dish. In this context, a "cooking space divider" is to be understood as meaning, in particular, an element which is intended to separate the cooking space into at least two subspaces, in particular in a horizontal pitch and in particular for a thermal separation of the at least two subspaces, a thermal insulation and a substantial prevention of mass transfer between the two subspaces may have a sealing element. In this context, a "heating level" should be understood to mean, in particular, an element which has at least one heating element which is aligned essentially in one plane, in particular in a horizontal plane.

It is proposed that the at least one heating element is at least partially formed as a thick-film element. In this context, a "thick-film element" as a heating element is to be understood as meaning, in particular, an electrical resistance element in the form of a layer of a mixture of a carrier material and an electrically conductive material distributed therein, wherein an entire layer structure of a heating element has a height of less than 500 micrometers , By using a thick film element as a heating element, solutions with flexible design options in a flat design and low weight can be provided, and by a small heat capacity of the heating element small heating times can be made possible. Preferably, heating elements formed as thick-film elements can be produced by applying a thick-film paste by means of a screen-printing method and at least one subsequent firing operation or by applying a layer by plasma spraying. Advantageously, the thick-film element is applied to a carrier of a material which is intended to be temperatures up to at least 800 ° C without irreversible changes in its chemical and / or physical properties. Preferably, the support may be formed of metal, glass ceramic, glass, ceramic, earthenware or a combination of these materials; but in principle it is also conceivable to use other materials which appear reasonable to the person skilled in the art.

If the at least one cooking chamber unit is designed with at least one heating element as cooking chamber divider, advantageously the cooking chamber volume can be reduced, energy can be saved by a lower mass to be heated and a short heating time can be achieved.

In addition, it is proposed that the at least one cooking chamber unit has at least two independently controllable heating elements. In this way, by the least a cooking chamber flexible cooking options, even at different temperatures, are provided.

In an advantageous embodiment, the at least one cooking chamber unit has at least one metallic partial casing, whereby a cooking possibility with a direct contact of food to be cooked on a surface of the cooking chamber unit can be achieved.

Furthermore, it is proposed that the cooking chamber device comprises at least one sensing unit, which is provided to determine a temperature of at least a part of the cooking chamber unit. This allows a good control of an important cooking process size, in particular in a direct contact of food and the at least one cooking chamber unit can be achieved. The at least one sensing unit may preferably have a temperature sensor, for example a metal resistance known per se or a thermoelement known per se, which provides a signal dependent on the temperature of its position. It is also conceivable that a cooking appliance, in which the cooking chamber device is used, has a sensing unit which is provided to determine the temperature of at least a part of the cooking chamber unit by determining a temperature-dependent resistance of the at least one heating element.

If the at least one cooking chamber unit has at least one outwardly curved surface, a liquid emerging from a food to be cooked during a cooking process, in particular in the case of direct contact of the cooking product with the cooking chamber unit, can advantageously be derived from a cooking zone. For this purpose, the at least one cooking chamber unit preferably has discharge channels and a collecting volume. Preferably, the collection volume may be arranged in a region whose temperature during operation is below a mean temperature. Advantageously, the at least one outwardly curved surface can be provided with a coating which is as chemically inert as possible and ensures a good mechanical protection of the surface by a hardness of at least 6.0 according to the Mohs scale.

When at least one central part of a surface of the at least one cooking chamber unit has a structure which varies between at least two height levels of the surface in at least one cross-sectional direction, the product can be in direct contact with the food Garraumeinheit advantageously achieved a grill pattern and the liquid emerging from the food to be removed from a contact area between food and surface to optimize a cooking. In this context, a "central part of the surface" is to be understood as meaning, in particular, the surface of the cooking chamber unit without an edge region which is delimited on one outer side by an edge of the cooking chamber unit and has a width of 25 percent of a total width of the cooking chamber unit.

Furthermore, it is proposed that the at least one cooking chamber unit is designed as a brick. A "brick" is to be understood in this context in particular a cooking chamber unit which is equipped in a known manner with a comparatively high compared to conventional Gargutträgern heat capacity, so that when a load with a food a lowering of a temperature of the brick can be kept low , By directly heating a brick, a quick and energy-saving heating can be achieved and a risk of overheating of a heating element in an indirect heating of the brick can be avoided.

In addition, a cooking appliance, in particular an oven, with a cooking chamber, which is closable with a door, and proposed with at least one of the cooking chamber devices described, wherein the cooking appliance has a height adjustment, with which the at least one cooking chamber is adjustable in height in the cooking chamber. In principle, the height adjustment device may, for example, comprise mounting and / or guide elements fixed at different heights for changing a height of a cooking chamber element. Preferably, however, the height adjustment device for height adjustment of the at least one cooking chamber unit can have at least one element that can be moved substantially in the vertical direction, which is particularly preferably adjustable with a motor-driven drive unit. By using at least one of the described Garraumvorrichtungen in a cooking appliance with a height adjustment an optimization of a cooking result by adjusting the distance between the food and heating element and energy savings by adjusting the cooking chamber volume and a shorter heating time is achievable. Advantageously, the cooking appliance has at least two flexible electrical lines for supplying power to the at least one cooking chamber unit. As a result, the power supply can advantageously also be achieved with a height adjustment of the at least one cooking chamber unit in a simple manner and a structure of the cooking chamber unit be kept simple. Preferably, an embodiment of the power supply can be combined by exactly two flexible lines with a coupled with a movement of the door switching element for switching off the power supply, whereby material and installation costs can be saved and at the same time safety requirements can be met easily.

If the cooking appliance has at least one independently controllable heating element for heating a partial cooking space below a cooking space unit designed as a cooking space divider with two independently controllable heating elements, particularly flexible cooking possibilities can be provided in partial cooking spaces. By way of example, when the cooking appliance is equipped with a heating element integrated in a cooking chamber cover for providing a top heat and a heating element integrated in a cooking space for providing a bottom heat in an upper part cooking space above the cooking space unit with the top heat formed by the heating element integrated in the cooking space cover and one through a heating element of the cooking chamber unit formed lower heat to be cooked. In a lower Teilgarraum below the cooking chamber, a cooking with the bottom heat formed by the heating element integrated in the oven floor and a top heat formed by a heating element of the cooking chamber unit can be made possible.

It is also proposed that the cooking appliance comprises a control unit which has at least two different operating modes for operating at least two different types of cooking chamber devices, whereby cooking chamber devices of different configuration can advantageously be used in the cooking appliance without having to change the programming of the control unit. In this context, a "control unit" is to be understood as meaning in particular a device having a computing unit, a memory unit, an operating program stored therein and / or an application program stored therein.

In an advantageous embodiment, the control unit is provided to provide a signal to display the operating modes available for operating the at least one cooking chamber device with a display unit, preferably in preparation for selection by an operator, whereby a simple operation can be provided.

If the cooking device comprises at least one sensing unit for sensing at least one electrical characteristic of the cooking chamber device, advantageously an automatic detection of one type of cooking chamber device can be achieved. Preferably, the at least one electrical parameter may consist of an electrical resistance. Advantageously, to simplify and save material, the at least one sensing unit may be integrally formed with the control unit.

With particular advantage, the control unit evaluates at least one piece of information of the at least one sensing unit in order to define an operating mode for operating a cooking chamber device, whereby a particularly convenient operation of the cooking appliance can be achieved. Preferably, the at least one information from an electrical parameter, in particular an electrical resistance, exist.

Further advantages emerge from the following description of the drawing. In the drawings, embodiments of the invention are shown. The drawings, the description and the claims contain numerous features in combination. The person skilled in the art will expediently also consider the features individually and combine them into meaningful further combinations.

Fig. 1

eine einen Garraumteiler umfassende Garraumvorrichtung in einer Explosionsdarstellung,

Fig. 2

den Garraumteiler gemäß der Fig. 1 in einer Rückansicht,

Fig. 3

eine weitere Garraumvorrichtung mit einer als Kontaktgrill ausge- bildeten Garraumeinheit in drei Ansichten,

Fig. 4

eine weitere Garraumvorrichtung mit einer als Backstein ausgebil- deten Garraumeinheit in einer Ansicht von unten und in einer Rückansicht und

Fig. 5

eine perspektivische Darstellung eines Backofen mit einem hö- henverstellbaren Garraumteiler gemäß dem Ausführungsbeispiel der Fig. 1.

Show it:

Fig. 1

a Garraumteiler comprehensive cooking chamber device in an exploded view,

Fig. 2

the cooking space divider according to the Fig. 1 in a rear view,

Fig. 3

a further cooking chamber device with a cooking space unit designed as a contact grill in three views,

Fig. 4

a further cooking chamber device with a designed as a brick cooking chamber unit in a view from below and in a rear view and

Fig. 5

a perspective view of an oven with a höhenverstellbaren cooking space divider according to the embodiment of the Fig. 1 ,

Fig. 1 The cooking space divider has a substantially plate-like shape of a cuboid and has two arranged in two horizontal cross-sectional planes, independently controllable by independent contacting heating elements 18, 20 on. The heating elements 18, 20 are applied in meandering form on a top 12 and a bottom 14 of a plate 16 made of temperature-resistant glass ceramic as a carrier. This material is known to those skilled in the art from use in electric cooking appliances. The heating elements 18, 20 are formed with the exception of the lead contacts 22 as thick-film elements comprising as electrically conductive constituents in a matrix material unspecified silver and palladium. Each of the heating elements 18, 20 each has an electrical insulating layer 104 below (not shown) and above the thick-film element for producing a safety-related insulation resistance.

On the top 12 of the plate 16 made of glass ceramic is also, also formed as a thick-film element, as part of a sensing unit 34 (FIG. Fig. 5 ), which is intended to determine a temperature at a surface 24 of the cooking chamber divider, a temperature sensor 36 is mounted.

The cooking space divider comprises a metallic casing formed as a stainless steel casing which forms the outer surface 24 of the cooking space divider. Along a horizontal center line 28 of its side surfaces 26, the cooking space divider is equipped with a sealing element 30 ( Fig. 2 ), which is intended, in an operating state in the oven designed as a cooking chamber 40 cooking device 38 a substantial prevention of mass transfer between two formed by the cooking compartment Teilgarräumen 42, 44 of the cooking chamber 40 to effect. The sealing element 30 is designed to be completely circumferential. On a rear side of the cooking compartment divider, electrical contacts of the two heating elements 18, 20 and of the temperature sensor 36 of the sensing unit 34 are contacted in a plug element 32, which is surrounded by the sealing element 30.

A further cooking chamber device with a cooking space unit 46 designed as a contact grill is shown in FIG Fig. 3 shown. The contact grill has a meander-shaped heating element 48 in the form of a thick-layer element, which is provided on a lower side 50 of a stainless steel plate 52 coated with a non-stick material and having a convex surface 54 is applied. The heating element 48 each has an electrical insulating layer, not shown, below and above the thick-film element for producing a safety-related insulation resistance. Between two turns of the meander, a temperature sensor 56, likewise designed as a thick-film element with noble metal constituents, is attached. The curvature of the surface 54 is exaggerated for clarity. A central part of the surface 54 of the contact grill has a structure of connected channels 58 in the illustrated view (FIG. Fig. 3 ) which varies between two height planes 60 parallel to the outwardly curved surface 54. On two opposite sides of the contact grill is each equipped with a juice groove 62 so that a liquid emerging during cooking from a food product is removed from a contact area between the food and surface 54 and in the juice grooves 62, located in a zone with respect to a central Area of the surface 54 of the contact grill reduced temperature collects. An electrical supply of the heating element 48 is according to the embodiment of Fig. 1 designed as a plug element 64 on a rear side of the contact grill.

Fig. 4 shows a cooking chamber device with a cooking chamber unit 66, which is designed as a brick from a stoneware with glazed surface 68. On the underside of the brick in a recess 72 designed as a thick-film element heating element 70 is arranged in a meandering shape, which is contacted with electrical leads, which are guided by a rear-mounted to a plug member 74. The heating element 70 is covered with an electrical insulating layer, not shown, for producing a safety-related insulation resistance.

In Fig. 5 a designed as an oven cooking device 38 is shown with a cooking chamber 40, wherein the cooking chamber 40 is closed with a door 76. The oven has a control unit 78, an operating unit 80 and a display unit 82 and is provided with the cooking chamber unit 10 designed as cooking chamber 10 of the cooking chamber according to the Fig. 1 fitted. The sensing unit 34 of the cooking chamber device is formed integrally with the control unit 78. The oven further comprises a known per se, in a cooking chamber 84 integrated heating element for providing a top heat and a per se known, in a cooking chamber 86 integrated, independently controllable heating element to provide a bottom heat.

The oven is also equipped with a height adjustment device 88, with which the cooking space divider in the cooking chamber 40 is height adjustable. The height adjustment device 88 comprises at two different heights on both sides of the cooking chamber 40 fixed, known per se guide elements 90, in which the cooking space divider can be inserted to change a height position. On a rear wall 92 of the cooking chamber 40 of the oven in the two height positions of the guide elements 90 with sockets 94 to a power supply of the cooking chamber designed as a cooking chamber unit 10 and for contacting the temperature sensor 36 is equipped. In an operative position of the cooking compartment divider, the latter is plugged into a plug socket 94 of the oven with the plug element 32, and the sealing element 30 encircling the side surfaces 26 of the cooking compartment divider seals against side surfaces 96 of the cooking compartment 40, against the rear wall 92 of the cooking chamber 40 and against the closed door 76 from. To comply with safety regulations, the door 76 of the oven is equipped with a safety switch 98, which switches the sockets 94 of the oven in an unspecified manner with the door open 76 dead.

With the independently controllable heating elements 18, 20 of the cooking chamber divider designed as cooking chamber 10 is formed in an upper Teilgarraum 42 above the cooking compartment divider with the built-up in the oven cover 84 heating element top heat and formed by a top heating element 18 of the cooking compartment divider an upper - / Under heat cooking mode allows. In a lower part of the cooking chamber 44 below the cooking chamber heating with the bottom heat formed by a heating element integrated in the cooking chamber 86 and a top heat formed by a bottom heating element 20 of the cooking compartment divider is made possible, so that even in the lower Teilgarraum 44, largely independent of conditions upper Teilgarraums 42, a cooking option with top / bottom heat cooking mode is provided.

The control unit 78 has in its programming on different operating modes for operating the three described different types of cooking chamber devices. The control unit 78 is provided to provide a signal 100 in order to display the operating modes available for operating the at least one cooking chamber device with a display unit 82. An operator can choose from the displayed operating modes with controls 102 of the operating unit 80 make a selection from the displayed operating modes.

reference numeral

10

Garraumeinheit

12

top

14

bottom

16

plate

18

heating element

20

heating element

22

Zuleitungskontaktierung

24

surface

26

side surface

28

center line

30

sealing element

32

male member

34

Sensierungseinheit

36

temperature sensor

38

Cooking appliance

40

oven

42

Teilgarraum

44

Teilgarraum

46

Garraumeinheit

48

heating element

50

bottom

52

stainless steel plate

54

surface

56

temperature sensor

58

channel

60

height plane

62

sap groove

64

male member

66

Garraumeinheit

68

surface

70

heating element

72

recess

74

male member

76

door

78

control unit

80

operating unit

82

display unit

84

cooking compartment

86

oven floor

88

height adjustment device

90

guide element

92

rear wall

94

socket

96

side surface

98

safety switch

100

signal

102

operating element

104

insulating

Claims (12)

Cooking chamber device having at least one cooking chamber unit (10; 46; 66) which has at least one heating element (18, 20; 48; 70),
characterized in that
the at least one heating element (18, 20, 48, 70) is at least partially formed as a thick-film element. Cooking chamber device according to claim 1,
characterized in that
the at least one cooking chamber unit (10; 46; 66) is designed as a cooking space divider. Cooking chamber device according to claim 1 or 2,
characterized in that
the at least one cooking chamber unit (10; 46; 66) has at least two independently controllable heating elements (18, 20; 48; 70). Cooking chamber device according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
the at least one cooking chamber unit (10; 46; 66) has at least one metallic partial casing. Cooking chamber device according to one of the preceding claims,
marked by
at least one sensing unit (34) which is provided to determine a temperature of at least a part of the cooking chamber unit (10; 46; 66). Cooking chamber device according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
the at least one cooking chamber unit (10; 46; 66) has at least one outwardly curved surface (54). Cooking chamber device according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
at least one central part of a surface (54) of the at least one cooking chamber unit (10; 46; 66) has a structure varying between at least two height levels (60) in at least one cross-sectional direction. Cooking chamber device according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
the at least one cooking chamber unit (10; 46; 66) is designed as a brick. Cooking appliance (38), in particular oven, with a cooking chamber (40) which can be closed by a door (76), and with at least one cooking chamber apparatus according to one of the preceding claims,
marked by
a height adjustment device (88) with which the at least one cooking chamber unit (10; 46; 66) is height-adjustable in the cooking chamber (40). Cooking appliance according to claim 9,
marked by
at least one independently controllable heating element for heating a Teilgarraums below the at least one cooking chamber unit (10; 46; 66). Cooking appliance according to one of claims 9 or 10,
marked by
a control unit (78) having at least two different operating modes for operating at least two different types of cooking chamber devices. Cooking appliance according to claim 11,
characterized in that
the control unit (78) is provided to provide a signal (100) for displaying the operating modes available for operating the at least one cooking chamber device with a display unit (82).

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