EP3454701A1

EP3454701A1 - A cooking control device

Info

Publication number: EP3454701A1
Application number: EP16720859.4A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Metin OZTURK; Atakan SARIOGLU; Ulas OKTAY; Sercan SINIRLIOGLU
Original assignee: Arcelik AS
Current assignee: Arcelik AS
Priority date: 2016-05-09
Filing date: 2016-05-09
Publication date: 2019-03-20
Also published as: TR201706800A2; WO2017194077A1

Abstract

Present invention relates to a cooking control device suitable for using with a cooking pot (10) on a hob (1) which includes a heating element (4) and a controller (2) which controls the heating element (4), comprising an elongated body (20) having a handle part (22) and a sensor part (24) suitable for coming into contact with the food and/or the liquid inside the cooking pot (10).

Description

A COOKING CONTROL DEVICE

Invention relates to a cooking control device at least partly disposed inside a cooking pot and a hob controlled by a method using the same.
Cooking or heating in a cookware usually require manual user control to adapt heating temperature of the hob to prevent any spillovers or burn of the food. It is due to the different cooking characteristics based on various types of cookware options, different amount of food to be cooked or food items used according to a recipe.
Heating process performed on a cooking device is usually controlled by control means checking input parameters of the heating means of the cooking device. Control device compare data transmitted from the control means with data stored in a memory to decide heat change or shutdown the heater.
EP2003169 discloses a device for collecting data relating to a cooking and/or heating process performed on a hob. Device comprising a sensor connected to a management system for the household appliance for the purpose of automatic control of the process. Sensor is fitted at one end of a kitchen utensil suitable for coming into contact with the food to be cooked and data transmission means are arranged in a handle of the kitchen utensil.
The object of the invention is to increase control capability of a cooking control device over cooking process in a cooking pot.
In order to achieve above objective, invention is a cooking control device comprising an elongated body having a handle part and a sensor part suitable for coming into contact with the food and/or the liquid inside the cooking pot. The cooking control device of the present invention comprises, the sensor part equipped with a first sensor configured to provide a height measurement data between an upper edge of a rim of a cooking pot when the elongated body is being positioned inside the cooking pot. The height measurement data of the upper edge of the rim is used for estimation of remaining convenient empty space to be used during the cooking process and thereby facilitates control of the cooking process by providing information such as elevation of the food to a dangerous level. In a possible embodiment, elongated body can be provided in the shape of a kitchen utensil such as a fork or spoon.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the first sensor comprises a force sensor, e.g. touch sensor, being activated when the elongated body rest on the upper edge while the sensor part extend into the cooking pot. A user can freely place the elongated body inside the pot enabling the force sensor to contact with the upper edge of the rim of the cooking pot and create a position signal determining the position of the contact point of the sensor part with the cooking pot. Inclination angle of the elongated body and the position signal is converted into the height data information by calculation of a control unit. This allows use of the same cooking control device with different types the cooking pots.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the sensor part is being equipped with a second sensor which is configured to measure liquid level of the food inside the cooking pot. Therefore instant calculation of the remaining empty space inside the cooking pot is will be possible.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a control unit is provided at the handle collecting the first and second sensor data to calculate a difference value between the liquid level and upper edge height. Therefore, cooking control device independently provide a user estimated free space remained in the cooking pot itself.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a controller is provided at the hob collecting the first and second sensor data from a transmitter provided at the handle part of the cooking control device to calculate a difference value between the liquid level and upper edge height. In another version of this embodiment, the controller of the hob is having an alarm means transmitting a first alarm signal when the difference value between the liquid level and upper edge height has reached a predetermined minimum value. Alarm signal can be an audible, visual signal or any alarm data to be transmitted to a remote location. A remote display, such as television or smartphone can be used to warn a person against the alarm status.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the alarm means transmits a second alarm signal when the liquid level value is lower than a predetermined threshold value. This is an information indicates a fire risk and warn user in an above mentioned manner. The second sensor comprises a capacitive sensor. Use of capacitive sensor allows affordable control device production and easy configuration.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the elongated body is in a rigid bar form. In this form, control device can be stored together with the kitchen utensil.
According to a preferred application invention is a hob for the cooking control device, wherein the hob comprising a heating element on which the cooking pot is being arranged; a receiver adapted to communicate with the sensor part in a manner that obtaining the difference value and; a memory unit storing a threshold value and a processor initiating a control action in consequence with comparing the difference value with the predetermined threshold value and defined by sending a control signal to a controller to reduce heating temperature provided by the heater if the difference value is greater than the threshold value.
In another application of the present invention, the controller repeats the control action in predetermined control periods. The controller allow continuous monitoring of the difference value from the sensor part and initiate precautionary measures to prevent any dangerous situation such as low level of liquid that may lead to overheat of the cooking pot or elevation of the liquid inside the cooking pot which may spill out.
An embodiment of the control device will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings which are;
Figure 1 is a schematic view of a cooking control device and connected hob according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.
Figure 2 is a schematic view of a cooking control device and connected hob according to another exemplary embodiment of the invention.

Hob
Controller
Memory unit
Heating element
Alarm means
Receiver
Processor
Control unit

10. Cooking pot
12. Bottom wall
14. Rim
16. Upper edge
18. Liquid level
20. Elongated body
22. Handle part
24. Sensor part
26. First sensor
28. Second sensor
h1 Pot height
In this detailed description, the subject matter improvement is explained with references to examples without forming any restrictive effect only in order to make the subject more understandable.
With reference to the drawings, a hob (1) is equipped with a heating element (4) and connected to a controller (2) controlling the output power of the heating element (4). A cooking pot (10) is arranged on the heating element (4) and partially filled with a liquid material such as a mixture of water and other food items to be boiled or cooked. The cooking pot (10) has a rim (14) surrounding the main cavity of the cooking pot (10) where the items to be cooked, e.g. boiled, will be stored. Height of the pot in other words pot height (h1) is equal to the height of the rim (14) measured from a bottom (12) of the cooking pot (10). An upper edge (16) of the rim (14) provided at the upper end of the cooking pot (10) where a cover (not shown) sized to fit to the cooking pot (10). The upper edge (16) of the rim (14) also the limit for the inner volume of the cooking pot (10) so that increase of a liquid level (18) will result spill of the liquid outside the cooking pot (10).
A cooking control device of the present invention comprises a bar shaped elongated body (20) which immersed into the liquid stored inside the cooking pot (10). Lower end of the elongated body (20) is supported by an edge between the bottom wall (12) and inner wall of the rim (14). Upper end of the elongated body (20) rests on the upper edge (16) of the rim (14). Thus, elongated body (20) is provided inside the cooking pot (10) in an inclined position. In order to obtain a pot height (h1) value, elongated body (20) is equipped with a first sensor (26) along a sensor part (24) which defined by the bottom side of the elongated body (20). In another version of this embodiment, the first sensor (26) comprises a force sensor and a gyroscope to measure the pot height (h1).
The pot height (h1) is calculated by detecting the sinus of the angle of the elongated body (20) inside the cooking pot (10) multiplied by length of the sensor part (24) from bottom end to contact area resting to the upper edge (16) detected by the first sensor (26) at the contact area.
In an embodiment of the present invention cooking control device comprises a second sensor (28) which provided along the sensor part (24) of the elongated body (20) to measure a liquid level (18) inside the cooking pot (10). In another version of this embodiment, the second sensor (28) is in the type of a capacitive sensor.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the controller (2) also comprises a central processing unit (CPU) as a processor (7), a memory unit (3) and a receiver (6) connected to the processor (7). Calculation of the pot height (h1) is done by the controller (2) receiving angle and length data from the elongated body (20) by means of a transmitter (not shown) provided at the handle part (22) and calculated pot height (h1) information is stored inside the memory unit (3).
In another embodiment of the present invention, cooking control device comprises a control unit (8) provided at the handle part (22) collecting the first and second sensor (26, 28) data and calculating a difference value between the liquid level (18) and upper edge height in other words the pot height (h1). In this embodiment, calculation of the height differences are realized internally in the cooking control device, thus cooking control device can be used in any hob (1) which does not have a controller (2) or a processor (7). In a version of this embodiment control unit (8) warns the user when liquid level (18) inside the cooking pot (10) get close to the pot height (h1), i.e. before spilling and when the liquid level (18) inside the cooking pot (10) go under the threshold value determined by the producer, i.e. before burning out.
Two constant data values are preliminary defined by producer and embedded into the control unit (8) of the cooking control device or the memory unit (3) of the controller (2) of the hob (1), namely, critical measure of a lowest liquid level (18) and a highest liquid level (18). Such two values can be defined by one critical difference value from bottom wall (12) or pot height (h1) set as a threshold. Preferably, a predetermined threshold value is stored inside the control unit (8) of the cooking control device and the memory unit (3) of the controller (2) of the hob (1), because the cooking pot (10) can be different for any cooking process. By using the predetermined threshold value, cooking control device can be used in any cooking pot (10) regardless of different pot heights (h1). The control means i.e. the control unit (8) or the controller (2) takes the height data and compares the difference between the liquid level (18) and the pot height (h1) with the predetermined threshold value for spilling or compares the liquid level (18) with the predetermined threshold value for burning of the food inside the cooking pot (10).
In another embodiment of the present invention, the hob (1) comprising an alarm means (5) providing an audible alarm and electrically connected to the controller (2). In a version of this embodiment the alarm means (5) transmitting a first alarm signal when the difference value between the liquid level (18) and upper edge height i.e. the pot height (h1), reached a predetermined minimum value i.e. the predetermined threshold value. In another version of this embodiment, the alarm means (5) transmits a second alarm signal when the liquid level (18) value is lower than a predetermined threshold value.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the controller (2) periodically repeats the control action in other words checks the liquid level (18) inside the cooking pot (10) to compare decrease or increase amount of the previous received value stored inside the memory unit (3). If the difference value between the pot height (h1) and the liquid level (18) is lower than the threshold, the controller (2) send a signal to the alarm means (5) to create an audible alarm. Moreover, the controller (2) reduces the temperature or completely shut down the heating element (4) to prevent spill of the liquid from the upper edge (16). In case of liquid level (18) is lower than the threshold value than controller (2) again take same precautionary measures, i.e. shut down the heating element (4) to prevent damages by means of overheating the cooking pot (10).

Claims

A cooking control device suitable for using with a cooking pot (10) on a hob (1) which includes a heating element (4) and a controller (2) which controls the heating element (4), comprising an elongated body (20) having a handle part (22) and a sensor part (24) suitable for coming into contact with the food and/or the liquid inside the cooking pot (10) characterized in that the sensor part (24) is equipped with a first sensor (26) configured to provide height measurement of the cooking pot (10) from an upper edge (16) of a rim (14) of the cooking pot (10) when the elongated body (20) is being positioned inside the cooking pot (10).
A cooking control device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor part (24) is being equipped with a second sensor (28) configured to measure liquid level (18) of the food inside the cooking pot (10).
A cooking control device according to claim 2, wherein a control unit (8) provided at the handle part (22) collecting the first and second sensor (26, 28) data and calculating a difference value between the liquid level (18) and pot height (h1).
A cooking control device according to claim 2, a transmitter is provided at the handle part (22) collecting the first and second sensor (26, 28) data and transmitting to the controller (2) of the hob (1) for calculating a difference value between the liquid level and upper edge height.
A cooking control device according to claim 4, wherein the controller (2) is having an alarm means (5) transmitting a first alarm signal when the difference value between the liquid level (18) and upper edge height i.e. the pot height (h1), reached a predetermined minimum value.
A cooking control device according to claim 5, the alarm means (5) transmits a second alarm signal when the liquid level (18) value is lower than a predetermined threshold value.
A cooking control device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first sensor (26) comprises a force sensor being activated when the elongated body (20) rest on the upper edge (16) while the sensor part (24) extend inside the cooking pot (10).
A cooking control device according to claims 2 to 7, wherein the second sensor (28) comprises a capacitive sensor.
A cooking control device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the elongated body (20) is in a rigid bar form.
A hob (1) suitable to be used with the cooking control device according to claim 4, wherein the hob (1) comprising a receiver (6) adapted to communicate with the transmitter at the handle part (22) in a manner that obtaining a difference value and; a memory unit (3) storing a threshold value and a processor (7) initiating a control action in consequence with comparing the difference data with the predetermined threshold value and defined by sending a control signal to a controller (2) to reduce heating temperature provided by the heating element (4) if the difference value is greater than the threshold value.
A hob (1) according to claim 10, wherein the controller (2) repeats the control action in predetermined control periods.