EP2741012A1 - Cooking device - Google Patents

Abstract

The device (1) has a cooking chamber (2) for cooking goods, and a sensor (3) e.g. humidity sensor or oxygen sensor, arranged in the cooking chamber for determining signal values (SW) of gas concentration in the cooking chamber. A control device (5) determines residue time (RG) of cooking goods by linear combination of the signal values of the gas concentration determined at different time points in the cooking chamber by the sensor. A communication interface transmits the determined residue time to a user terminal over a network, and a display device (6) displays the determined time to a user. An independent claim is also included for a method for operating a cooking device.

Description

The present invention relates to a cooking appliance, such as an oven, a microwave or a steamer. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for operating a cooking appliance.

A conventional cooking appliance has a cooking chamber for cooking food, a control device for carrying out a plurality of predetermined cooking programs and a user interface coupled to the control device for actuating the control device. The user can select a specific cooking program via the user interface. The controller then executes the selected cooking program.

It is known when cooking food to indicate the end of the cooking time to the user via a display on the cooking appliance. Furthermore, methods for determining the remaining cooking time of the food are known. For example, such methods are in the documents DE 103 27 861 B4 and DE 10 2004 049 927 A1 described. In these methods, the slopes of signal traces of gas concentrations in the cooking chamber can be evaluated to determine a remaining cooking time for cooking the food.

Against this background, an object of the present invention is to improve the determination of a residual cooking time of the food in the cooking appliance.

According to the invention, a cooking device is proposed which has a cooking chamber for cooking food, at least one sensor arranged in the cooking chamber for determining signal values of a gas concentration in the cooking chamber and a control device for determining a remaining cooking time (RG) of the cooking product by means of a linear combination of at least two At different times of the sensor has certain signal values of the gas concentration in the cooking chamber.

An advantage of the determination of the residual cooking time according to the invention is that it can be determined or calculated very precisely.

Due to the relatively simple calculation rule, a realization on a microcontroller and thus an embodiment of the control device as a microcontroller are possible.

Furthermore, in the inventive determination of the Restgarzeit no input of the user, such as the food weight, necessary.

By determining the remaining cooking time, the user can estimate the end of the cooking process and be prepared to be the expected Garende the cooking appliance to take the food or cooking food from the oven.

The Restgarzeit refers to the time that is still needed to cook the food in the oven, especially in the currently set cooking program. At the beginning of the cooking, the remaining cooking time and the total cooking time correspond.

For example, the two different times are 5 minutes after the start of cooking and 20 minutes after the start of cooking.

In one embodiment, the control device is set up to form a difference between the at least two signal values determined by the sensor at the linear link for determining the remaining cooking time (RG). Due to the difference formation, an incorrect evaluation by an offset, i. by a parallel offset of the signal values, reduced or prevented.

In another embodiment, the sensor is configured to determine an oxygen concentration in the cooking chamber, a nitrogen concentration in the cooking chamber or a moisture concentration in the cooking chamber.

In a further embodiment, the sensor is designed as a moisture sensor for determining signal values of a moisture concentration in the cooking chamber.

The use of a strength sensor is advantageous in that the timing of the maximum of moisture in the cooking chamber is at the same time the optimum end of the cooking process.

In this case, the control device is preferably set up to determine the remaining cooking time (RG) by means of the linear function y = a × x + b. In this case, y denotes the remaining cooking time, x a difference between two moisture concentration signals in the cooking chamber determined by the moisture sensor at predetermined times, a a linear factor selected as a function of the type of food to be cooked, and b an ordinate portion selected as a function of the type of food to be cooked.

In a further embodiment, the sensor is designed as an oxygen sensor for determining signal values of an oxygen concentration in the cooking chamber.

In this case, the control device is in particular configured to calculate corresponding values of a moisture concentration in the cooking chamber as a function of two signal values of the oxygen concentration determined by the oxygen sensor at predetermined times and to determine the remaining cooking time (RG) by means of the linear function y = a * x + b , In this case, y denotes the residual cooking time (RG), x denotes a difference between the two calculated values of the moisture concentration in the cooking chamber, a denotes a linear factor selected as a function of the type of food to be cooked, and b denotes an ordinate portion selected as a function of the type of cooking product of the cooking product.

• wobei F die Feuchtigkeitskonzentration und Xo2 die Sauerstoffkonzentration darstellt. Der Wert 21 ist gewählt als Prozentangabe für den Sauerstoff in der Luft des Garraums zu Beginn des Garvorgangs.

When converting the values of the oxygen concentration to values of the moisture concentration, the following equation is preferably used: $$\mathrm{F}=100\cdot \left(1-\frac{\mathit{xo}2}{21}\right)$$

• where F is the moisture concentration and Xo2 is the oxygen concentration. The value 21 is selected as a percentage of the oxygen in the air of the cooking chamber at the beginning of the cooking process.

• a = -0,6703; b = 59,581.
  Für die weitere Gargutart "Kuchen in Form" sind diese Werte:
• a = -5,3904; b = 128,67

For example, the linear factor a and the ordinate section b for the "cake on sheet" cooking product are:

• a = -0.6703; b = 59.581.
  For the further cooking product type "Cake in Form" these values are:
• a = -5.3904; b = 128.67

The data sets for the linear factors a and ordinate sections b are determined empirically in advance for the various types of food and stored in the memory. These are also updatable via a communication interface of the cooking appliance.

In another embodiment, a memory for storing a plurality of data sets of a linear factor a and an ordinate portion b is provided. In this case, the respective data record is associated with a type of cooking product of the food.

In a further embodiment, the control device is set up to select a data set from the plurality of data records for determining the remaining cooking time (RG) as a function of the type of cooking product of the food item located in the cooking space.

In one embodiment, the cooking appliance has a display device that is configured to display the determined remaining cooking time to a user. The display device is designed, for example, as a touch-sensitive screen (touchscreen) and integrated in a user interface.

The user interface is in particular coupled to the control device and set up to control the control device. In this case, the control device is set up to output a selected cooking program, the specific remaining cooking time or residual cooking time and potentially further cooking-related data to the user by means of the user interface. The user interface has, for example, input buttons and the touch-sensitive screen.

In a further embodiment, the cooking appliance has a communication interface which is set up to transmit the determined remaining cooking time (RG) via a network to a user terminal. By providing the Communication interface, the cooking device is online-enabled and can provide the current Restgarzeit the user terminal of the user.

In a further embodiment, the control device is adapted to determine the remaining cooking time of the food during the total cooking time of the food several times, in particular at predetermined time intervals. As a result, the current remaining cooking time can be updated and displayed updated.

In a further embodiment, the control device is set up to start a timer (timer) initialized with the determined remaining cooking time at the time of determining the remaining cooking time and to automatically end the cooking of the cooking appliance after the initialized timer has expired.

This stops cooking at the right time without the need for user intervention. Consequently, it is ensured that the food is cooked optimally.

In a further embodiment, the cooking appliance comprises a probe for determining the permittivity of the food in the cooking chamber. The control device can then be set up to additionally calculate the remaining cooking time of the cooking product as a function of the specific permittivity of the cooking product.

The probe is inserted into the food. The inserted probe measures the frequency-dependent permittivity (dielectric constant) of the food by means of electrical DC and AC fields. The measured data are compared with stored data in the control device. By heating the food during the measurement, the measurement results can be even clearer.

The cooking appliance is for example an oven, a microwave, a steamer or a warming drawer.

Furthermore, a method for operating a cooking appliance with a cooking space for cooking food is proposed. In a first step, signal values of a gas concentration in the cooking chamber are determined at different times. In a second step, the remaining cooking time (RG) of the food is determined by means of a linear link determined by at least two at different times determined signal values of the gas concentration in the cooking chamber.

Furthermore, a computer program product is proposed, which causes the execution of at least one step of a method for operating a cooking appliance, as explained above, on a program-controlled device.

A computer program product such as a computer program means can be provided or supplied, for example, as a storage medium, such as a memory card, USB stick, CD-ROM, DVD or in the form of a downloadable file from a server in a network. This can be done, for example, in a wireless communication network by the transmission of a corresponding file with the computer program product or the computer program means.

Further advantageous embodiments and aspects of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims and the embodiments of the invention described below. Furthermore, the invention will be explained in more detail by means of preferred embodiments with reference to the attached figures.

Fig. 1

eine schematische Ansicht eines ersten Ausführungsbeispiels eines Gargeräts;

Fig. 2

eine schematische Ansicht eines zweiten Ausführungsbeispiels eines Gargeräts;

Fig. 3

eine schematische Ansicht eines dritten Ausführungsbeispiels eines Gargeräts;

Fig. 4

ein schematisches Ablaufdiagramm eines Ausführungsbeispiels eines Verfahrens zum Betreiben eines Gargeräts; und

Fig. 5

ein Beispiel mit sieben Signalverläufen von sieben verschiedenen Gargutarten.

It shows:

Fig. 1

a schematic view of a first embodiment of a cooking appliance;

Fig. 2

a schematic view of a second embodiment of a cooking appliance;

Fig. 3

a schematic view of a third embodiment of a cooking appliance;

Fig. 4

a schematic flow diagram of an embodiment of a method for operating a cooking appliance; and

Fig. 5

an example with seven signal curves of seven different types of food.

In the figures, the same or functionally identical elements have been given the same reference numerals, unless stated otherwise.

In Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a first embodiment of a cooking appliance 1 is shown. The cooking appliance 1 has a cooking chamber 2 for cooking food (not shown). For example, the cooking appliance 1 is designed as a baking oven. In this embodiment, the cooking chamber 2 can then be referred to as a stovepipe.

In the cooking chamber 2, a sensor 3 is arranged, which determines signal values SW of a gas concentration and thus a current signal curve of the gas concentration in the cooking chamber 2. For example, the sensor 3 is configured to determine an oxygen concentration in the cooking chamber 2, a nitrogen concentration in the cooking chamber 2 or a moisture concentration in the cooking chamber 2.

Furthermore, the cooking chamber 2 has a control device 5. The control device 5 is designed to control the cooking appliance 1 and in particular to carry out a plurality of predetermined cooking programs for cooking the food. The control device 5 is embodied, for example, as an embedded system or as a microcontroller.

The control device 5 is further configured to determine a residual cooking time RG of the cooking product by means of a linear combination of at least two signal values SW of the gas concentration in the cooking chamber 2 determined at different times by the sensor 3.

Furthermore, the cooking appliance 1 has a display device 6, which is coupled to the control device 5 and is adapted to display the specific remaining cooking time RG to a user.

The control device 5 determines the remaining cooking time RG of the food during the total cooking time of the food preferably several times, in particular in a predetermined Intervals. The predetermined time intervals can be a few seconds or even a few minutes.

Furthermore, the control device 5 can also be set up to start a timer or timer initialized with the remaining cooking time RG at the time of determining the remaining cooking time RG and to automatically and automatically stop cooking the food after the initialized timer has expired. The timer can also be integrated in the control device 5.

Fig. 2 shows a second embodiment of a cooking appliance 1. The second embodiment of the Fig. 2 is based on the first embodiment of Fig. 1 and shows that the cooking apparatus 1 additionally has a memory 4 for storing a plurality of data sets D1-D3 of a linear factor a and an ordinate portion b. The respective data record D1-D3 is associated with a type of cooking product of the food.

The memory is for example a read-only memory. In particular, the memory 4 comprises a database for storing the data records. Without limiting the generality stores the memory 4 of the cooking device 1 three records D1-D3 for three Gargutarten. The number of stored records D1-D3 in the memory 4 may also be a few hundred or a thousand.

In Fig. 3 a third embodiment of a cooking device 1 is shown. The third embodiment of Fig. 3 is based on the second embodiment of the Fig. 2 and has all the features of the second embodiment. In addition, the cooking appliance 1 has the Fig. 3 a communication interface 7. The communication interface 7 is adapted to transmit the determined Restgarzeit RG via a network 8 to a user terminal 9. The user terminal 9 is for example a mobile phone, a smartphone or a PC. The network 8 is, for example, a mobile network or the Internet.

In Fig. 4 is a schematic flow diagram of an embodiment of a method for operating a cooking appliance 1 is shown (see Fig. 1 ). The cooking appliance 1 has a cooking chamber 2 for cooking food to be cooked, a sensor 3 arranged in the cooking chamber 2 for determining signal values SW of a gas concentration the cooking chamber 2 and a control device 5 for performing a plurality of predetermined cooking programs.

In step 401, signal values SW of the gas concentration in the cooking chamber 2 are determined at predetermined different times.

In step 402, a remaining cooking time RG of the cooking product is determined by means of a linear combination of at least two signal values SW of the gas concentration in the cooking chamber 2 determined at different times.

Fig. 5 shows an example with seven waveforms 501-507 of seven different Gargutarten. Biscuit roll, water biscuit, marble cake, Linzertorte on tin, Linzertorte in Springform, crumble cake and Gugelhupf. It shows the Fig. 5 in particular, that the seven waveforms 501-507 have different slopes and different peaks.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to embodiments, it is variously modifiable.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

Cooking appliance

2

oven

3

sensor

4

Storage

5

control device

6

display

7

Communication Interface

8th

network

9

user terminal

401-402

step

501-507

waveform

D1-D3

record

RG

The remaining cooking time

SW

signal value

Claims (14)

Cooking appliance (1) with a cooking chamber (2) for cooking food, a sensor (3) arranged in the cooking chamber (2) for determining signal values (SW) of a gas concentration in the cooking chamber (2) and a control device (5) for determining a Restgarzeit (RG) of the food by means of a linear linkage of at least two at different times by the sensor (3) determined signal values (SW) of the gas concentration in the cooking chamber (2). Cooking appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that the control device (5) is adapted, in the linear link for determining the remaining cooking time (RG), a difference between the at least two signal values (SW) determined at different times by the sensor (3). to build. Cooking appliance according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the sensor (3) is adapted to determine an oxygen concentration in the cooking chamber (2), a nitrogen concentration in the cooking chamber (2) or a moisture concentration in the cooking chamber (2). Cooking appliance according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the sensor (3) is designed as a moisture sensor for determining signal values (SW) of a moisture concentration in the cooking chamber (2). Cooking appliance according to claim 4, characterized in that the control device (5) is adapted to determine the Restgarzeit (RG) by means of the linear function y = a x x + b, where y the Restgarzeit (RG), x is a difference between two from the moisture sensor (3) at predetermined times determined signal values (SW) of the moisture concentration in the cooking chamber (2), a denotes a selected depending on the Gargutart of Garguts linear factor and b a selected depending on the Gargutart of Garguts Ordinatenabschnitt. Cooking appliance according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the sensor (3) is designed as an oxygen sensor for determining signal values (SW) of an oxygen concentration in the cooking chamber (2). Cooking appliance according to claim 6, characterized in that the control device (5) is adapted to calculate corresponding values of a moisture concentration in the cooking chamber (2) as a function of two signal values (SW) of the oxygen concentration determined by the oxygen sensor (3) at predetermined times and to determine the remaining cooking time (RG) by means of the linear function y = a × x + b, where y is the residual cooking time (RG), x is a difference between the two calculated values of the moisture concentration in the cooking space (2), a is a function of the Gargutart of the food selected linear factor and b denotes a selected depending on the Gargutart of Garguts Ordinatenabschnitt. Cooking appliance according to claim 5 or 7, characterized in that a memory (4) for storing a plurality of data sets (D1-D3) of a linear factor a and an ordinate section b is provided, wherein the respective data set (D1-D3) a Gargutart of the food is assigned. Cooking appliance according to claim 8, characterized in that the control device (5) is adapted to a record (D1-D3) from the plurality of data sets (D1-D3) for determining the Restgarzeit (RG) depending on the Gargutart of the cooking chamber (2) food to be selected. Cooking appliance according to one of Claims 1 to 9, characterized by a display device (6) which is set up to display the determined remaining cooking time (RG) to a user. Cooking appliance according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized by a communication interface (7), which is adapted to transmit the determined Restgarzeit (RG) via a network (8) to a user terminal (9). Cooking appliance according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the control device (5) is adapted to the Restgarzeit (RG) of the food during the Total cooking time of the food several times, especially at predetermined intervals to determine. Cooking appliance according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the control device (5) is adapted to start at the time of determining the Restgarzeit (RG) with the particular Restgarzeit (RG) initialized timer and the cooking of the food after expiration automatically terminate the initialized timer. Method for operating a cooking appliance (1) with a cooking chamber (2) for cooking food, comprising the steps of: Determining (401) signal values (SW) of a gas concentration in the cooking chamber (2) at different times, and Determining (402) a residual cooking time (RG) of the cooking product by means of a linear combination of at least two signal values (SW) of the gas concentration in the cooking chamber (2) determined at different times.

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