EP2639513A1 - Cooking device - Google Patents

Abstract

The cooking appliance (1) has a cooking appliance muffle, a cooking appliance door (10) and a glazing countertop of a kitchen. An optical element is provided at the glazing for improving the visibility in the cooking appliance muffle. The optical element is aligned in a muffle interior (20). Two cooking supports are located in adjacent guides (30) of the muffle. A corresponding section is defined for each cooking support receptacle.

Description

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

In cooking appliances, particularly in ovens, barbecues or microwave ovens, a window is often provided in the cooking appliance door to allow the user to look inside the appliance while observing and assessing the condition and progress of cooking.

The user often has the problem that he can not look at the food good, since the angle is laterally and thus relatively flat on the food. Furthermore, the cooking appliances are often installed in depth below the working surface of a kitchenette, so that the window is approximately at the knee or thigh height of a person standing in front, so that this person only has a reasonably good view, if they are considerably in front of the window stooping. Thus, the problem arises in the connection with the lighting that the user can not look at the food good.

Object of the present invention is to provide a cooking appliance, in which the known disadvantages are eliminated. Furthermore, the solution should be simple and inexpensive to produce and be well usable in the cooking mode of the device.

This object is achieved with the cooking appliance of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments will be apparent from the dependent claims.

According to the invention, a cooking appliance has a cooking appliance muffle, a cooking appliance door and a glazing of the cooking appliance door, wherein an optical element for improving the view into the cooking appliance muffle is provided on the glazing. The optical element preferably works with refraction of the light. In particular, improving the view means that it allows the user to see areas of the muffle that he would otherwise not or only worse see from his given viewpoint. This can also include the enlargement of otherwise poorly visible areas. This allows the user to directly and improved the condition and especially the degree of browning of the food to recognize.

In addition, the cooking appliance is suitable for installation below the worktop of a kitchenette. In this case, the glazing on an optical element which is adapted to deflect a diagonally from above on the glazing of the cooking appliance door and thus in the muffle interior view of a viewer so that in particular improves the view of cooking food contained in the cooking appliance. This embodiment makes it possible for a deep installation of the cooking appliance that the user has a good view of the muffle interior, without having to stoop excessively deep.

In particular, the optical element is set up to divert an obliquely from above onto the glazing and thus into the muffle interior directed view of a viewer, that in the event that two food supports are located in adjacent guides of the muffle, the view of the viewer to a further back lying portion of the lower food support meets as would be given in the view without the optical element. Especially with the use of multiple food supports, the vertical gap between them is often very low, that the user practically has to bend down to the level of the food support in the deep installation of the cooking appliance to take a look at the rear, ie the equipment inside, lying area of the bottom To get food carrier.

Alternatively, the cooking appliance has a glazing of the cooking appliance door with an optical element, wherein in the event that two food supports are located in adjacent guides of the muffle, a view of a viewer whose eyes lie in the vertical direction at the height of the distance of the food support, through the optical element is deflected downward so that the viewer gets the impression as if he would look from a higher position on the bottom of the food support. In this variant, which is particularly suitable for high installation of the cooking appliance, the user's perspective is deflected for a better view of the top of the food.

Preferably, the optical element is arranged such that, in the event that two food supports are located in adjacent guides of the muffle and the eyes of a viewer are in the vertical direction in the range of the distance of the food support, to divert an angle of view rising from the eye against the horizontal in such a way in that it falls off the horizontal. In addition, an angle of vision sloping from the eye to the horizontal can be deflected in such a way that it drops more sharply than the horizontal. It should be noted that the Observer does not necessarily get the impression as if he would look from a higher position on the bottom of the food support.

At least one region of the magnification of the view is preferably provided in the optical element. In particular, the location of the enlargement of the position of at least one food item is assigned, which is suitably added to a food support in the cooking appliance muffle. This allows just people with bad eyes to get a better view of the food.

In particular, at least one section is defined in the optical element, the vertical height and position of the distance and the position of adjacent Gargutträgeraufnahmen the Gargerätemuffel is assigned, wherein at the upper end of the section a first beam deflection and at the lower end of a second beam deflection is provided and the intervening intermediate region a gradually increasing and / or decreasing or constant beam deflection is provided. With a constant beam deflection within one of the sections and an identical beam deflection in the adjacent sections or at all sections, a continuous region of identical sections is created. As a Gargutträgeraufnahme particular leadership of a baking sheet is referred to the muffle wall. Since the positions of the food supports are determined by the guides provided on the muffle, the optical element can be adapted to its position for the best possible view of the food to be cooked. In particular, gradual gradually means progressive and without step-like or abrupt changes

Preferably, a corresponding section is defined for at least two and in particular for each of the product supports, so that the user can easily look at the product to be cooked, which is accommodated on at least two food carriers.

In particular, the beam path at the upper end of each of the at least one section is deflected less than at the lower end of the same section. This beam path is particularly suitable for deep installation in order to enable the user to better look into the rear area of the muffle.

In addition, the optical element extends substantially over the entire width of the view into the cooking appliance muffle permitting glazing of the cooking appliance door and the gradually increasing and / or decreasing beam deflection is provided in each layer with respect to the width of the glazing. However, the deflection does not have to be constant across the width. The described width of the optical element avoids that the optical element ends within the glazing and a corresponding step or edge is visible.

In particular, the glazing has multiple glazing and the optical element is disposed along one side of the glazing panes facing another pane of the multiple glazing. Since the optical element lies in the middle of the sandwich construction of the discs, it is well protected against damage or soiling. If the optical element is glued onto the pane in the form of a plastic film, in particular the inner side of the outer pane is suitable for the optical element due to the temperature stresses.

In addition, the optical element has a Fresnel lens and / or a gradient index lens and / or a pinhole optical system. In this case, the optical element may be formed as an embossment provided in one of the disks, or the optical element may be designed as a film with a Fresnel lens which is glued onto a pane of the glazing.

Fig. 1

eine frontale Ansicht eines Gargeräts mit Blick in das Muffelinnere,

Fig. 2

einen seitlichen Schnitt durch die Gargerätetür,

Fig. 3

den Strahlengang eines Blicks von vorne oben in das Innere der Gargerätemuffel und

Fig. 4

den Strahlengang eines Blicks von vorne mittig in das Innere der Gargerätemuffel.

In the following, the invention will be described by way of example with reference to the drawings based on preferred embodiments. Show it:

Fig. 1

a frontal view of a cooking appliance looking into the muffle interior,

Fig. 2

a lateral section through the cooking appliance door,

Fig. 3

the beam path of a view from the top front into the interior of the cooking appliance muffle and

Fig. 4

the beam path of a view from the front centered in the interior of the cooking appliance muffle.

Fig. 1 shows in the closed state, a cooking appliance 1 with a cooking appliance door 10, which can be opened pivoting down. The view into the muffle interior 20 shows next to the fan on the left and the right side in each case a guide 30 in the food supports 31, 32 and 33 can be added. As a food support especially baking trays or grates or grill grids on which food can be placed.

Fig. 2 shows a side section through the cooking appliance door 10. Right, the outer pane 12 is shown, which is attached to the frame 13, in particular glued. On the frame 13, the hinge 11 is fixed, with which the door can be hung in a corresponding receptacle of the muffle and fastened there. The inner pane 14 is adjacent to the muffle. On the inner side 12a of the outer pane 12, that is, the side facing the muffle, an optical element 15 is glued. This optical element 15 is a transparent plastic film embossed in the form of a Fresnel lens. Alternatively, the film may also be provided on the outer side 14b of the inner pane 14. In further alternative embodiments, additional intermediate disks (not shown) may be provided between the outer disk 12 and the inner disk 14. Also on these washers, the optical element 15 may be attached. As it turned out Fig. 1 results, the outer pane has a viewing window, or a viewing area in which it is transparent and the view releases into the muffle interior. The cooking appliance door has an opaque edge area around the viewing window on all sides. The optical element extends completely over the viewing window.

Cooking appliances are installed in the kitchen in different places. First, the deep installation is common. In this case, the upper side of the cooking appliance ends with the lower edge of the work surface. For a typical height of the work surface of 85 to 95 cm, the viewing window, for example, in the amount of about 40 to 60 cm. In order to have a good view into the interior of the cooking appliance when the cooking appliance door is closed, a user must therefore bend down significantly and still have a view obliquely from above onto the interior of the muffle, as is the case with the eye 90 in FIG Fig. 3 is shown.

In addition, the high installation is common. In this case, the underside of the cooking appliance can be at the height of the work surface or above, so that the user can operate the cooking appliance without bending down and look in. In particular, it is possible for the user to be with his eyes at the height of the muffle, as in Fig. 4 is shown.

FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 show the cooking appliance 1 each in a schematic side view. The cooking appliance door 10 is shown as a rectangle in front of the muffle interior 20 and for reasons of clarity, the outer and inner pane are not shown, but only the optical element 15 or 15 '. On the side walls of the muffle are guides 30 (see Fig. 1 ) for holding food carriers. For clarity, show 3 and 4 only the food supports 31, 32 and 33, ie in particular the baking trays, which are received in the guides 30, as a simple line and without the guides 30th

Fig. 3 shows the typical view of an observer in the interior of the cooking appliance in a deep installation. The viewing angle is approximately 30 ° to the vertical. In the muffle three food supports 31, 32 and 33 are included and Fig. 3 also shows reference points P1 to P4. P1 designates the front edge of the upper food support 31. The point P2 results from the straight line extension from the eye 90 of the observer via the point P1 to the food support 32 underneath. The point P2 is thus the furthest rearward point of the food support 32 that the observer could see from the indicated position if no optical element 15 was attached to the cooking appliance door and thus the viewer's gaze would not be deflected there.

The optical element 15, however, diverts the view of the observer. In this case, a different beam deflection of the light can be provided at each position in the z-direction. There are two beam paths drawn with a dotted line and the angle spanned therebetween corresponds to the viewer's perspective on the middle food support 32. The upper of these beam paths first strikes the optical element 15 and is deflected there so that it passes at the point P1 on meets the middle food support at the point P3. The point P3 is much further back than the point P2. Thus, the viewer gets through the beam deflection a better view into the interior of the cooking appliance. The lower drawn beam path strikes the optical element 15 at another location and is deflected there so that it falls to the point P4 as the front edge of the middle food carrier 32. Intermediate beam paths of the viewing angle strike the optical element in the area with the height h. This area is assigned in this sense in its position and height of the position of the food supports 31 and 32. This area, as in Fig. 3 shown to be vertically offset against the food support. Also, the height h does not have to be identical to the distance of the food supports 31 and 32. Rather, it results from the desired and realized in the optical element beam deflection exactly predetermined position and size of the area h.

The incident upper beam has an angular orientation α ₁ and is deflected at the angle β ₁ . The incident lower beam has an angular orientation α ₂ and is deflected at the angle β ₂ . The beam deflection can be defined as the ratio of the beams to be dropped. Out Fig. 3 α ₁ / β ₁ > α ₂ / β ₂ . Parts of the viewing angle lying further above are therefore deflected more strongly than those located further down. For the sake of clarity, the beam path is defined by the eye of the observer, whereby, of course, the light follows the opposite path.

Below the area designated h, a further area can be defined which likewise has a corresponding beam deflection in order to improve the view of the food support 33. Its beam deflection does not have to be identical to that of the area h already described. However, within each of the areas, a continuously and successively changing beam deflection is provided. At the transition from the area designated by h to above or below lying areas of the beam deflection, a sudden change in the deflection is provided.

Fig. 4 shows the variant for the high installation of the cooking appliance, in which it is easy for the user to be with his view at the height of the food support. In the high installation, another optical element 15 'is used, which has a significantly different beam deflection. Again, a range h 'is defined, which is associated with the Gargutträgern 31 and 32 in its height and location, but its height and the vertical position does not have to be identical to that of the food support.

First, consider the case that no optical element 15 'is present. In this case, the viewer could view the entire food support 32 from a given viewpoint. However, the viewing angle is almost horizontal, so he just in the case does not have a good view that food is placed on the carrier, because then he would see practically only the front area and not the top.

By the optical element h ', the beam path of the viewing angle is deflected. An optical path which hits the eye at the angle α ₁ to the horizontal is deflected in such a way that it is directed at the angle β ₁ into the muffle interior. This beam deflection, which transforms a beam at a rising angle to the horizontal into a sloping one, can not be considered as a classical refraction, but rather as a reflection on an approximately horizontal boundary or reflection surface. An optical path which hits the eye of the observer at angle a ₂ becomes β ₂ in the angle Muffle interior headed. The observer gets the impression as if he were viewing the food at an angle of β ₁ to β ₂ . This angle range is a view obliquely from above, and so the user can better look at the food. Since cooking often requires the top and its degree of browning, the user can get a much better impression of the state of the cooking.

The above was related to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 considered the beam deflection. Additionally or alternatively, an enlargement of the food can be achieved via the optical element. This can initially happen that the section h or h 'is chosen to be larger in width than the associated distance of the food support. Since the height of the viewing window is related to the number of food support, a similar magnification effect can not be achieved in this way for each food support, but this means is used, for example. For a middle food support. Also, within a given range h or h ', the beam deflection may be so different that, for example, the central area is displayed enlarged.

The above was the beam deflection in the vertical direction, ie z-direction (see Fig. 3 ). Also in the y-direction, a variation of the beam deflection can be realized. As a result, for example, an enlargement of specific areas can be achieved. A resulting distortion of the image may possibly be accepted, since it does not depend on the specific shape of the food, but usually rather on the degree of browning when checking the state of the cooking.

As an optical element, for example, a Fresnel lens can be used. Also refractive optical elements (ROE) or diffractive optical elements (DOE) can be used. ROEs can be considered as microlenses or microlens arrays, and virtually any refractive structure can be achieved hereby. Multi-layered Frensnel elements are also possible for a more complex beam deflection.

DOEs are often optical elements as glass substrates in which microstructures have been applied by photolithography. By diffraction, ie by diffraction of the rays of the light beam can be deflected in the desired manner. Since the diffraction depends on the wavelength of the light, it is preferable to use monochromatic light for muffle illumination.

Furthermore, a gradient optic can be used as the optical element. In this case, the refractive index is varied as a function of the position within the optical element, and thus a position-dependent change of the beam deflection is achieved. The gradient optics can be achieved by ion exchange, in which a sodium-containing glass comes into contact with liquid lithium and, depending on the position, part of the Na ⁺ ions is exchanged for Li ⁺ ions by diffusion.

Claims (11)

Cooking appliance (1) with a cooking appliance muffle (5), a cooking appliance door (10) and a glazing (12, 14) of the cooking appliance door characterized in that on the glazing, an optical element (15, 15 ') to improve the view in the cooking appliance muffle ( 20) is provided. Cooking appliance (1) with a cooking appliance muffle (5), a cooking appliance door (10) and a glazing (12, 14) of the cooking appliance door for installation below the worktop of a kitchenette, wherein the glazing has an optical element (15, 15 ') that is set up is to deflect a diagonally from above on the glazing of the cooking appliance door and thus in the muffle interior view of an observer so that improves the view of food contained in the cooking appliance. Cooking appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the optical element (15) is arranged to divert an obliquely from above onto the glazing and thus into the muffle interior directed view of a viewer so that in the case that two food supports (31, 32) are located in adjacent guides of the muffle (20), meets the gaze of the viewer on a more rearward portion of the lower Gargutträgers (32), as would be given in the view without the optical element (15). Cooking appliance (1) with a cooking appliance muffle (5) and a cooking appliance door (10) and a glazing (12, 14) of the cooking appliance door characterized in that the glazing has an optical element (15 '), wherein in the case that two food supports ( 31, 32) are located in adjacent guides of the muffle (20), a view of a viewer whose eyes lie in the vertical direction at the height of the distance of the food support, is deflected by the optical element (15 ') down so that the viewer gives the impression as if he would look from a higher position on the bottom (32) of the food support. Cooking appliance according to claim 1 or 4, wherein the optical element (15) is arranged that in the case that two food supports (31, 32) are located in adjacent guides of the muffle (20) and the eyes of a viewer in the vertical direction in the area the distance of the food support are to deflect a starting from the eye starting from the horizontal angle of view such that he relative to the horizontal drops and / or divert from the eye starting from the horizontal sloping perspective so that it falls more towards the horizontal. Cooking appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the optical element (15, 15 ') at least one region of enlargement of the view is provided, wherein in particular its position is associated with the position of at least one item to be cooked on a food support in the Gargerätemuffel is included. Cooking appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the optical element (15, 15 ') at least one section is defined whose vertical height (h, h') and position is associated with the distance and the position of adjacent Gargutträgeraufnahmen the Gargerätemuffel in that a first beam deflection is provided at the upper end of the section and a second beam deflection is provided at the lower end thereof and a gradually increasing and / or decreasing or constant beam deflection is provided in the intermediate region between them. Cooking appliance according to claim 7, wherein for at least two and in particular for each of the Gargutträgeraufnahmen a corresponding section is defined. Cooking appliance according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the beam path at the upper end of each of the at least one portion is deflected less than at the lower end of the same portion. Cooking appliance according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the optical element (15, 15 ') extends substantially over the entire width of the glazing of the cooking appliance door allowing the view into the cooking appliance muffle and in particular the gradually increasing and / or decreasing jet deflection of one of claims 7 9 is provided in each position with respect to the width of the glazing. Cooking appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the glazing has a multiple glazing (12, 14) and the optical element (15, 15 ') along at least one side (12a, 14b) of the discs Multiple glazing is arranged, which is directed to another disc (14, 12) of the multiple glazing.

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