EP2466211A1 - Cooking device and method for operating same - Google Patents

Abstract

The cooking appliance (1) has a cooking chamber (2) that is heated by a heat source. A door (4) is provided to close the cooking chamber. An opening unit is provided to open the door automatically based on control signal from a control unit. A blower is arranged in the housing (24) to direct fresh air into cooking chamber. An independent claim is included for method of operating cooking appliance.

Description

The present invention relates to a cooking appliance with an opening device for the particular automatic opening of the cooking chamber and a method for operating such a cooking appliance.

Cooking appliances are subject to a constant process of development in order to meet the ever-increasing requirements for energy efficiency. For this purpose, the cooking chamber of cooking appliances is getting better and better insulated. This has the consequence that the temperature in the cooking chamber sinks only very slowly, even if the radiators are completely switched off.

In some situations, however, just such a temperature stability is not desired or even disturbing. If a cooking appliance has, for example, a pyrolysis-based cleaning function, under certain circumstances it may take a long time for the cooking appliance to be ready for use again, since the temperature of the cooking chamber must fall below a certain temperature until the cooking-chamber door can be reopened. This limits the ease of use.

But even with normal cooking processes, such as the baking of a cake, the slow sinking of the oven temperature may be undesirable. If the dough has reached a desired degree of browning, the radiators automatically turn off, for example, in the case of an automatic program. However, the only slowly decreasing residual heat in the cooking chamber can lead to a further undesirable browning. As a result, it can happen in the worst case that a food is inedible by excessive browning, if the user does not promptly remove the food from the oven or at least the cooking chamber door opens.

Even within a cooking process, it may be advantageous to cool the oven quickly. If, for example, an oven is used to roast a roast, it must first be run very hot in order to achieve a crust with a desired browning. Subsequently, however, the cooking space must be lowered quickly to a relatively low temperature in order to continue to cook the roast with a low temperature for several hours in the oven. Even in such a case, the user must actively intervene in the cooking process and, for example, open the door of the cooking chamber to cool the cooking chamber.

Such intervention is annoying for a user. In addition, the intervention in the cooking process, for example opening the door, can also be easily forgotten or in some situations not possible when the user is about to do other things. As a result, the cooking result can be greatly deteriorated.

For automatic cooling of the cooking chamber describes, for example, the DE 10327420 A1 the use of a humidifier. By means of the Beschwadungsvorrichtung liquid is passed to the fan of the blower device of the cooking appliance, whereby small liquid droplets are introduced into the cooking chamber by the rotational movement of the fan wheel. Due to the evaporative cooling of the droplets, the cooking space is cooled. A disadvantage of such a method for cooling the cooking chamber, however, is that the humidity of the cooking chamber is significantly changed. This can possibly lead to a deterioration of the cooking result.

Another method for cooling the cooking chamber shows the DE 102008012681 A1 , Here, using a specific valve, the hot air blower of the cooking chamber is used either for circulating the air in the oven or for the intake of fresh air. It should be generated in the same line an opposite flow of incoming fresh air and outflowing moist cooking chamber air. The disadvantage here, however, is that the fresh air is sucked in from the negative pressure area behind the hot air blower. As a result, only a small air flow can be used for cooling, whereby long periods are required for cooling, in which the cooking process continues.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a cooking appliance available that allows effective and rapid effective cooling of the cooking chamber even with well insulated devices.

This object is achieved by a cooking appliance having the features of claim 1 and by a method for operating a cooking appliance having the features of claim 10.

The cooking appliance according to the invention comprises at least one cooking chamber which can be heated by means of at least one heating source. So that the heat is held in the cooking chamber, at least one door closing the cooking chamber is provided in order to close the cooking chamber. In order to enable a rapid cooling of the cooking chamber, at least one opening device is further provided which is suitable and designed to automatically open the cooking chamber door at least.

Such ausgestaltetes cooking appliance offers many advantages. A significant advantage is that the opening of the cooking chamber door provides an effective way for rapid cooling of the oven. In particular, the automatic opening of the door is a significant advantage, since the opening of the door to cool the cooking chamber can not be forgotten. Even with long and / or complex cooking processes, which are controlled, for example, by automatic programs with highly fluctuating temperature profiles, the user no longer has to stay within reach of the cooking appliance for the entire time. A possibly provided manual opening of the door for rapid cooling of the cooking chamber can be done automatically by the cooking appliance according to the invention.

It is also advantageous that the door of the opening device can be closed again. This makes it possible to briefly open the cooking chamber during a cooking process for cooling and then close it again. This is particularly useful when a cooking process is started with very high heat, then should be cooked at a low temperature.

An automatic opening of the door is particularly useful at the end of a cooking process. Thus, a cooking process can be started and a user no longer has to remove the finished cooked food, for example a cake, directly from the oven at the end of the cooking process. The door is automatically opened at least a gap, allowing the cooking chamber to cool down.

In order to use the automatic opening of the door effectively, a control device is advantageously provided, which is in communication with the opening device. As a result, the function of the rapid cooling of the cooking chamber can also be easily integrated into existing operating profiles or linked to various functions.

So that the rapid cooling can also be controlled manually, it is preferred that an actuating device is provided which is in communication with the opening device. It is also preferred that the actuating device is connected to the control device, and that the control device activates the opening device upon actuation of the actuating unit.

The opening device can be realized by many functions. It is particularly preferred that the opening device is provided by motor, hydraulic, pneumatic and / or magnetic. The door can be opened, for example, via the method of a rack and closed again. The opening by means of a printing cylinder is useful. The door can, for example, by relieving the Pressure cylinder to be closed again. It may also be provided a spring, which pulls the door back to the closed position. But other suitable mechanisms, such as a motorized rotation axis on the door, can be provided for opening and closing the cooking chamber door.

It is also preferred that the opening device is arranged as inconspicuous as possible for design-technical reasons. For this purpose, opening devices such as toothed racks or pressure cylinders can be arranged in the bars of the cooking appliance housing. As a result, the opening devices would be housed substantially hidden.

Depending on the oven temperature, it may be useful and / or necessary to open the door more or less. It is therefore provided in particularly preferred embodiments that the opening device is suitable and adapted to set different opening widths. For this purpose, for example, a rod or a slider which is provided for opening the door, be moved out to different heights to realize different gap widths between the door and the cooking chamber opening. In particular, the door does not have to be opened very far. A gap between 0.5 - 5 cm, preferably between 1 - 3 cm and particularly preferably a gap of 1.9 cm is sufficient in most cases to achieve an effective cooling of the cooking chamber. Of course, also conceivable smaller gap widths, and larger gap widths to fully open the cooking chamber door.

So that not too much and / or too hot air can flow out of the cooking chamber, wherein in particular a jerky escape of hot moist air is to be avoided, it is preferred that the cooking chamber door is opened stepwise by the opening device. By such a stepwise opening can then be better avoided even a possible heating of the control panel and / or condensation on the control panel or other parts of the cooking appliance. In particular, a continuous opening of the door is possible.

In order to achieve a particularly effective cooling of the cooking chamber, a fan may be provided that is suitable and designed to press the hot air from the cooking chamber. In particular, with large temperature differences in a short time, for example when cooling from 220 ° C to 120 ° C in about 3 minutes, the support of such a fan may be advantageous. As a blower, for example, an existing recirculation fan could be used, which mixes hot and cold air in the oven, the air for cooling along the cooking chamber walls along and pushes hot air from the oven.

It is also preferable to use at least one fan, which may also be provided externally. In this case, in particular a blower is preferred, which is arranged outside the cooking chamber and is connected to the cooking chamber either directly or via an intermediate piece. As a result, the blower can direct cold fresh air into the cooking chamber which pushes the hot air out of the cooking chamber through the door which is at least one gap wide open. As a result, a particularly effective cooling can be achieved. It is also preferable to direct cold fresh air into the cooking chamber before the door is automatically opened by the opening means. As a result, the jerky escape of hot vapor can be better prevented.

In order to achieve a good coordination between the door opening and the supporting air flow, the blower (s) can also be connected to the control device.

In particularly preferred embodiments, at least one sensor is associated with the opening device and / or the control device. As a result, on the one hand, the opening state of the door can be determined; on the other hand, the size of the gap can also be matched to the current situation. If the cooking space is particularly hot, for example, after a pyrolysis operation, it may be useful to gradually and slowly open the cooking chamber to avoid the jerky discharge of extremely hot air.

The inventive method is suitable for operating a cooking appliance with at least one thermally heated cooking chamber. In this case, at least one door closes the cooking chamber is provided, which closes the at least one cooking chamber. At least one opening device is provided for the at least one cooking chamber door, by means of which the cooking chamber door can be automatically opened at least one gap in order to support a rapid cooling of the cooking chamber.

Such a configured method is very advantageous. A considerable advantage is that the door of the cooking chamber can be opened automatically by means of the opening device at least one gap. The automatic opening of the cooking chamber a significant gain in convenience for a user is achieved, which does not have to remove a finished cooked food after launching a cooking process directly from the oven.

Cooking appliances are now so well insulated that a food would continue to cook even with complete shutdown of the heating sources. This could make the food inedible at worst. By automatic programs for cooking food in combination with the method according to the invention, it may be possible, for example, to start a cooking process, such as baking a cake, without having to remain within reach of the cooking appliance to the cake after reaching the desired degree of browning from the oven or to open the door by hand.

It is particularly preferred that the cooking chamber door is opened automatically only after a predetermined time or from a predetermined temperature. As a result, it can be avoided that excessively hot and / or excessively moist air can escape from the cooking chamber in an abrupt manner. As a result, the heating of, for example, the control panel of the cooking appliance and also condensate formation can be better avoided. It is also conceivable that the cooking chamber door is initially only one step wide open and only after a predetermined time or from a predetermined cooking chamber temperature is opened to the provided for cooling gap width. Particularly advantageous, in addition to the opening of the cooking chamber door at the same time the hot air blower or the fan outside the cooking chamber blows the cold air from the outside into the oven, operated. Alternatively, in addition to the opening of the cooking chamber door simultaneously the external fan and the hot air blower can be operated.

In particular, after a pyrolysis process, it may be useful to wait a certain time before the oven door is opened. For this purpose, in particular also determined values of one or more sensors for measuring e.g. the cooking space temperature or the humidity in the cooking space are taken into account.

In a further particularly preferred embodiment, the automatic opening of the cooking chamber door is integrated into an operating profile. In this case, the opening of the door can represent the completion of a profile in order to avoid a Weiterergaren a food. However, it is also conceivable to provide for opening the door during a cooking profile. In particular, when cooking large pieces of meat, such as a roast, the food could be seared at very high temperatures directly in the oven until a crust with the desired browning is formed. Subsequently, the cooking chamber must be cooled as quickly as possible to a low temperature. This could be effectively achieved by automatically opening the door.

It is also preferred that the opening device is controlled manually in order to allow the cooking space to cool down as needed.

Figur 1

eine schematische perspektivische Ansicht eines erfindungsgemäßen Gargerätes, das als Backofen ausgeführt ist; und

Figur 2

eine schematische Darstellung eines Gargerätes in einer geschnittenen Ansicht mit einer Öffnungsvorrichtung zur Schnellabkühlung des Garraumes.

Further advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the embodiment, which will be explained below with reference to the accompanying figures. Showing:

FIG. 1

a schematic perspective view of a cooking appliance according to the invention, which is designed as a baking oven; and

FIG. 2

a schematic representation of a cooking appliance in a sectional view with an opening device for rapid cooling of the cooking chamber.

FIG. 1 shows a cooking appliance 1 according to the invention that is designed here as oven 30 for installation in a furniture body. The oven 30 comprises a housing 24 in which a cooking chamber 2 which can be closed with a door 4 is arranged, in which food can be prepared using different operating profiles. Among other things, it is possible to select between different operating modes via a control panel 23 shown here only schematically. In this case, different heat sources 3 can be used to prepare the food. For example, a recirculating air mode, top and bottom heat, and a grill function can be used. The temperature can also be adjusted. The control panel 23 may be designed as a touch panel or include controls not shown in detail.

Due to ever increasing requirements regarding the energy efficiency of household appliances, the cooking appliance 1 and in particular the cooking chamber 2 are very well insulated, whereby the heated cooking chamber 2 loses the introduced heat even after switching off the heat source 3 only very slowly. Although this is a great advantage for the energy balance of a cooking appliance 1, but also brings disadvantages in some situations.

For example, a user must immediately, or for example in automated programs with automatic detection of the finish time of the food, remove a food from the cooking chamber once it has finished cooking in order to prevent re-tanning or even burning of the food. Optionally, the cooking chamber door must be opened by hand and, in particular, the food support accommodating the food item must additionally be pushed out at least as far as possible in order to release the hot air from the cooking space. In particular, the cooking chamber walls must be cooled. They store much more heat than the hot cooking air.

Even if initially a very high temperature is used to heat the oven air and the cooking chamber walls, which then has to be reduced quickly, so far the intervention of the user is required. This is not very practical for a user. In addition, for example, the opening of the door at the end of a cooking process can also be easily forgotten. Especially with the use of automatic programs, it would be very convenient for a user if he no longer had to intervene in the cooking process after starting the program.

Also in the pyrolysis operation can cause loss of comfort for the user. If the device is finished with the pyrolysis operation, it may take a very long time until the cooking appliance is ready for use again. For safety reasons, the door can only be opened again after a certain temperature, which can take a long time to cool down up to 500 ° C.

In order to allow rapid cooling of the cooking appliance 1, which cools the cooking chamber 2 on the one hand fast, but on the other hand also reliable, is in FIG. 2 an opening device 10 is provided which is suitable and designed to open the cooking chamber door 4 at least one gap 7 far. An intervention of the user is then no longer necessary, since the opening device 10, the cooking chamber door 4 can open automatically.

The opening device 10 can have a wide variety of configurations. For example, the opening device 10 may be operated by a motor which, for example, displaces a rod and thus urges the door 4 a gap 7 far. Also, a hydraulic, pneumatic and / or magnetic mechanism is advantageous for the formation of the opening device 10.

Other suitable mechanisms, such as a motorized rotation axis on the door, may be provided for opening and closing the cooking chamber door. In any type of opening device 10 is also preferred that the opening device is arranged as inconspicuous as possible for design-technical reasons. For this purpose, opening devices 10 such as toothed racks or pressure cylinders can be arranged in the bars of the cooking appliance housing 24. As a result, the opening devices 10 would be housed substantially hidden.

In the in FIG. 2 illustrated embodiment, the opening via a controllable pressure cylinder 26 which opens by means of a rod 27, the door 4 a bit wide. In this case, different opening widths 7 can be adjusted by the opening device 10. A particularly preferred opening width 7 is between 0.5 cm and 5 cm, wherein in FIG. 2 a gap 7 of 1.9 cm is set. Even larger and smaller opening widths 7 may be advantageous.

Through the door 4, which is so easily opened, the hot air 8 can escape quickly and effectively from the cooking chamber 2, as a result of which a cooling of the cooking chamber 2 takes place. When the desired temperature is reached, the rod 27 can again move back into the cylinder 26, whereby the door 4 is closed again. The necessary force to close the door 4 can come either from the door 4 itself, but it is also conceivable that one here Not shown in detail pulling device, such as a spring is provided, which pulls the door 4 back to the cooking chamber 25.

In order to be able to set different opening widths 7 of the opening device 10, a control device 5 is provided in the exemplary embodiment shown here. This controls the automatic opening of the door 4 and can integrate the automatic opening of the door 4 in various operating profiles.

The manual rapid cooling of the cooking chamber 2 is possible because an actuator 6 is provided which can trigger the opening device 10. This can be done either directly or via the control device 5.

It can also be provided on the cooking chamber 21 further openings, can escape via the hot air 8 from the cooking chamber 2. Such an opening 21 is then provided with a closure device 22, by means of which an automatic opening and closing of the opening 21 can be achieved. An advantageous arrangement of an additional opening 21 would be, for example, the lateral and / or rear region of the cooking chamber 2.

Furthermore, in the in FIG. 2 shown cooking appliance 1 at least one sensor 11 is provided, which can determine, for example, the position of the door 4, the temperature of the cooking chamber 2 and other parameters. Taking into account the values determined by the sensor 11, the control device 5 can also suppress, for example, the opening of the door 4 or else it can be carried out stepwise if, for example, the temperature in the cooking chamber 2 is above a critical value. Then the door 4 would first open a small gap 7, so that the jerky escape of too hot vapor is avoided. After a first cooling, the door 4 can then be opened either directly to the desired opening width 7 or even gradually to cool the cooking chamber 2 as quickly as possible.

To cool the cooking chamber 2 even better, for example, the hot air blower 31 or another fan of the cooking appliance 1 can support the cooling. Particularly effective, the cooking chamber 2 can be cooled when outside the cooking chamber 2, a fan 20 is arranged, which is suitable and oriented to direct cold fresh air 9 into the cooking chamber 20. The cold air 9 cools the cooking chamber 2 on the one hand effectively, on the other hand, the incoming air 9 presses the hot air 8 from the cooking chamber, whereby the cooling of the cooking chamber 2 can be done quickly.

In the embodiment shown here, the blower 20 is designed as a radial fan 12, whereby a very effective air delivery is ensured. In particular, air volumes are greater than 800 l / min. The blower shown here can deliver about 1000 l / min. Even larger or smaller amounts of air can be advantageous depending on the application.

In preferred embodiments, the fan 20 is further designed as a DC fan 14, whereby a stepless control is possible. In this case, the control device 5 can also control the fan 20, wherein the sensor 11 in the example shown here can also determine the state of the blower 20.

The blower 20 is arranged here in a housing 13 and blows the cold fresh air 9 via a connecting channel 19 in the cooking chamber. So that the air flow 17 is not attenuated too much, preferably at most one arc 28 is provided in the connection channel 19. Of course, several bends may be provided, which, however, a stronger fan 20 may be necessary. It should also be ensured that the connecting channel 19 is not laid out too long. In order not to impair the performance of the blower 20, a length of less than 30 cm is preferred. Also shorter or longer connecting channels 19 are conceivable, but possibly the fan 20 would have to be tuned to ensure adequate cooling.

The connecting channel points in the in FIG. 2 embodiment shown, a seal 15 between the blower 20 and the cooking chamber 2. In this case, a flap device 16 is provided which closes the access 29 to the cooking chamber 2. The flapper device 16 is designed to be held in a closed position by, for example, a spring when the fan 20 is not turned on. The air flow 17 of the blower 20 can then press the flap device 16 and thus release the access 29 to the cooking chamber. Such a flap device 16 prevents hot air 8 from escaping from the cooking chamber 2 into the region between cooking chamber 2 and housing 24.

The fan 20 may also be optionally, e.g. be used by the flap device 16 for cooling electrical and electronic components or for air injection into the cooking chamber, for the rapid cooling, or both at the same time.

The cooking appliance 1 can also have the external fan 20 for rapid cooling in addition to the usual and required component cooling fans and Wrasenabsauggebläsen the cooking appliance 1 not shown here.

In other embodiments, an electronically controlled flap device may be provided. This could for example be related to the controller and be opened and closed as needed. Other seals 15 acting essentially as a valve are also conceivable.

Furthermore, some cooking appliances, for example, in the upper part of the Garraummuffel an opening through which the dehumidification of the cooking chamber takes place during a cooking process. This opening can be designed as a hole pattern. Since the fan 20 can replace the function of Garraumentfeuchtung, it is also possible in particular to use the space provided for Garraumentfeuchtung hole pattern as access 29 for the air flow 17. Eventually, the hole pattern must be adjusted in size so that a sufficient amount of cold fresh air 9 can be pressed into the cooking chamber 2. In the embodiment shown here, an access of about 11 cm ^{2 is} provided, which corresponds here to a hole pattern of 5.2 cm diameter with about 28 holes. It is thereby also possible to retrofit cooking appliances with a fan 20 for cooling the cooking chamber 2.

It is within the skill of one skilled in the art to modify the described embodiments in a manner not shown in order to achieve the effects described, without departing from the scope of the invention.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

Cooking appliance

2

oven

3

heating source

4

oven door

5

control device

6

actuator

7

Opening width / gap

8th

air derived from the cooking chamber

9

fresh air

10

opening device

11

sensor

12

centrifugal blower

13

casing

14

DC fan

15

seal

16

flap device

17

airflow

18

electronically controlled flap device

19

connecting channel

20

fan

21

opening

22

closure device

23

control panel

24

Gargerätgehäuse

25

cooking compartment

26

pressure cylinder

27

pole

28

bow

29

Access

30

oven

31

Heat Guns

Claims (16)

Cooking appliance (1) with at least one cooking chamber (2) which can be heated via at least one heating source (3), and with at least one door (4) closing the cooking chamber (2), characterized
that for rapid cooling of the cooking chamber (2) at least one opening device (10) is provided, which is suitable and designed to open the cooking chamber door (4) automatically. Cooking appliance (1) according to claim 1,
characterized,
in that a control device (5) is provided which is connected to the opening device (10). Cooking appliance (1) according to the preceding claim,
characterized,
in that an actuating device (6) is provided which is connected to the opening device (10) and / or the control device (5). Cooking appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized,
that the opening device (10) is motor-driven, hydraulic, pneumatic and / or magnetically provided. Cooking appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized,
in that the opening device (10) is suitable and arranged for setting different opening widths (7). Cooking appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized,
in that the opening device (10) is suitable and designed to open the cooking chamber door (4) in a stepwise manner. Cooking appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized,
in that at least one fan (20, 31) is provided, which is suitable and designed to press air (8) out of the cooking chamber. Cooking appliance (1) according to the preceding claim,
characterized,
that a fan (20) outside the cooking chamber (2) and is adapted and configured to guide the fresh air (9) into the cooking chamber (2). Cooking appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized,
in that at least one sensor (11) is associated with the opening device (10) and / or the control device (5). Method for operating a cooking appliance (1) with at least one thermally heated cooking chamber (2), with at least one door (4) closing the cooking chamber (2) and with at least one opening device (10) for the at least one cooking chamber door (4),
characterized,
in that the cooking chamber door (4) is automatically opened by means of the at least one opening device (10) at least one gap (12) in order to support rapid cooling of the cooking chamber (2). Method for operating a cooking appliance (1) according to claim 10,
characterized in that the cooking chamber door (4) is opened automatically only after a predetermined time or from a predetermined temperature in the cooking chamber (2). Method for operating a cooking appliance (1) according to claim 10 or 11,
characterized,
that the cooking chamber door (4) is first opened only one step and is opened only after a predetermined time or from a predetermined cooking chamber temperature on the provided gap for cooling gap. Method for operating a cooking appliance (1) according to at least one of claims 10 to 12,
characterized,
that in addition to the opening of the cooking chamber door (4) at the same time the hot air blower (31) or the blower (20) outside the cooking chamber (2), the cold air blows from the outside into the cooking chamber (2) operated. Method for operating a cooking appliance (1) according to claims 13,
characterized,
that the cooking chamber door (4) is opened and both blowers (20, 31) are operated. Method for operating a cooking appliance (1) according to at least one of claims 10 or 14, characterized in that the automatic opening of the cooking chamber door (4) is integrated into an operating profile. Method for operating a cooking appliance according to at least one of claims 10, 11 or 12, characterized in that the opening device (10) is controlled manually.

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