EP3586063B1 - Cooking appliance comprising a receiving area for a removable sensor module - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a cooking appliance with a cooking space for cooking food according to the preamble of claim 1.

From the document DE102007048834A1 a cooking appliance with a camera for viewing the food to be cooked is known. The disadvantage of this solution is that the camera is exposed to the high temperatures of the oven. Accordingly, the maximum temperature of the oven is essentially limited to the maximum temperature of the camera, which means that operating modes required by the user, such as e.g. B. hot air at 300 ° for pizza or pyrolytic self-cleaning at 500 ° are not possible.

From the US 2017/0000292 A1 an oven is known in which a module with a camera is arranged on the outside of a door. The corresponding is from EP 2 515 044 A1 known.

From the EP 1 795 989 A1 an accessory is known which can be, for example, a temperature skewer. This is inserted from a top of the door into a space in the door.

In addition, from the US 2015/0330640 A1 a cooking appliance is known in which a camera can be arranged between an inner pane and an outer pane of a door. This camera can be provided with a heat sink or it can be cooled with its own fan.

The document EP 2 520 169 A1 relates to an oven door and an oven. A camera is arranged in the door and connected to a heat sink, which forms an outer pane of the door.

The document CN 101 435 601 A describes an oven. The oven has a screen that is arranged on the outside of the door and a camera that is arranged in the door.

The object of the invention is to improve the operation of sensors in the food, in particular to arrange the sensor so securely in the cooking device that it meets the user requirements for a cooking device, such as pyrolytic self-cleaning, as well as the environmental requirements for sensors, such as maximum temperature, and beyond ensures all operating modes.

The invention is based on a cooking appliance, in particular an oven, with a cooking space for cooking food, a door that closes the cooking space in an operating position, and a sensor module arranged in the door for recognizing properties of the food when the door is in the operating position. A cooking appliance is to be understood as meaning, in particular, an oven, a microwave appliance, or a steam cooker which is suitable for sufficiently cooking food in the form of foodstuffs for consumption. A door is to be understood in particular as the closure element which separates the cooking space from the surroundings of the cooking appliance. For this purpose, a horizontally or vertically rotatable door abutting the cooking chamber is preferably used, which door can be pivoted in rotation between an open, so-called open position and a closed, so-called operating position. A sensor module should in particular be an electronic component be understood, which is formed by means of sensors for recognizing properties and states of the food to be cooked.

It is proposed that the door have a receptacle from which the sensor module can be reversibly removed. A receptacle is to be understood in particular as a container, preferably in the form of a pocket, which is suitable for receiving and storing the sensor module. Reversibly removable is to be understood as meaning, in particular, that the sensor module can be removed without tools by the end customer in such a way that it can be removed from the cooking appliance in a non-destructive manner and can be reinserted into the receptacle. This structural design enables the cooking device to be operated with the sensor module inserted in the range of cooking temperatures that are below critical operating temperatures of the sensor module and, at the same time, to operate the cooking device with the sensor module removed at cooking chamber temperatures that are above the critical temperatures of the sensor module. It is thus possible to recognize the properties of food to be cooked during non-temperature-critical temperatures of the cooking appliance and at higher temperatures, such as. B. to take the sensor module from a pyrolytic self-cleaning of the cooking device. The holder ensures that the sensor module is securely held and positions the sensor module in the best possible way to the food.

The receptacle is preferably accessible in an open position of the door and / or inaccessible in the operating position of the door. An open position of the door is to be understood in particular as the position of the door in which the cooking space can be reached in such a way that it can be loaded with food and the door faces the user. This results in the advantage that the receptacle is arranged freely accessible to the user in the open position of the door and the sensor module can thus be comfortably pushed into the receptacle or can be removed from the receptacle. In the closed operating position of the door, the receptacle is covered by components of the cooking appliance such that the receptacle is not accessible and the sensor module can neither be inserted nor removed. Possible components that cover the receptacle would be the control panel above the door or strips on the side of the door, so-called pilaster strips.

The receptacle is arranged between an inner pane of the door and an outer pane of the door. A door on the cooking appliance consists, among other things, of at least one door pane, preferably several door panes and in particular two door panes. These door panes differ in particular in terms of their location in relation to the cooking space. An inner pane of the door is to be understood in particular as the door pane closest to the cooking space in the operating position. An outer pane of the door is to be understood as meaning, in particular, the door pane which is arranged farthest from the cooking space in the operating position. If the receptacle for the sensor module is located between the inner and outer pane, the inner pane protects the receptacle and the sensor module sufficiently well against the heat of the cooking space and the outer pane protects the receptacle and the sensor module against soiling and environmental influences, such as damage. If the door consists of more than two panes, the receptacle and the sensor module are preferably arranged between the inner pane and the subsequent intermediate panes.

The receptacle is preferably arranged in or on a top panel of the door or in or on a side wall of the door. A top panel is to be understood in particular as a strip-shaped element which is arranged horizontally on the upper end of the door panes facing the user. The top cover serves as a cover element, which secures the door panes against removal and prevents contamination from getting between the door panes. A side cheek is to be understood in particular as a strip-shaped element which is arranged vertically on the left and right edges of the door panes. The side cheek serves as a frame element which guides and / or holds the door panes laterally and prevents contaminants from getting between the door panes. Attaching the receptacle for the sensor module to the top panel or side panel is particularly advantageous since these locations are particularly easily accessible to the user when the door is open and have sufficiently good ventilation or cooling, which ensures the functional reliability of the sensor module. The lateral insertion of the sensor module into the side wall or the insertion of the sensor module from above into the top panel takes place with the door at least partially open.

The receptacle is arranged in a cooling air stream of the door. A cooling air flow is to be understood in particular as the exchange of air by means of older ambient air in the door, which serves to prevent the high temperatures of the cooking space from reaching the outer pane of the door via the inner pane and other door components. For this purpose, a volume of air is blown through a gap out of the door or into the door by means of a motor with a fan wheel arranged in the cooking device. Such a cooling air flow avoids an undesired increase in the front temperature of the cooking appliance front and thus the risk of burns for the user. In order to also protect the sensor module from the high temperatures of the cooking space, it is advantageous to position the receptacle for the sensor module on the door in such a way that the cooling air flow that is present cools the receptacle or the sensor module located therein or removes heat. For this purpose, it is particularly advantageous if the receptacle has holes so that the air flow reaches the sensor module located therein.

The receptacle is preferably in contact with at least one heat sink. A heat sink is to be understood in particular as an element which, due to its material and / or its mass, is suitable for absorbing excess heat or for conducting it away from the object to be cooled. The front of the door, the outer pane or the door handle are particularly suitable for this purpose. Alternatively, the heat sink can also be an actively cooling element, such as a cooling unit. If the receptacle is in operative connection with such a heat sink, both the heat generated by the sensor module and the unwanted waste heat from the cooking chamber, which loads the sensor module, can be transferred to the heat sink via the receptacle, which has a positive effect on the measurement quality of the sensor and its service life.

The receptacle preferably has at least one housing element, in particular to protect the sensor module against soiling or environmental influences. A housing element is to be understood as meaning, in particular, a housing that surrounds and fixes the sensor module and is suitable for securing the sensor module sufficiently well against environmental influences, such as vibrations or dirt.

The receptacle preferably has at least one means for fastening the sensor module in the receptacle, preferably detachable without tools, this fastening based in particular on a snap connection or a push-pull mechanism. This configuration of the receptacle enables the user to remove the sensor module from the cooking appliance or to insert it again without the aid of a tool. In this way, complex auxiliary tools and wear parts can be avoided.

The surface of the receptacle facing the cooking space in the operating position of the door preferably has a functional surface, in particular a reflective coating, which is preferably recessed in the area of a beam path of the sensor. In order to protect the receptacle and the sensor module located therein from heat, the surface of the receptacle facing the cooking space has a coating that reflects the thermal radiation. In order not to negatively influence the functioning of the sensor, this coating has a recess in the area of the beam path of the sensor.

The receptacle preferably has an electrical interface, in particular for the transmission of data and / or electrical energy. An electrical interface is intended to mean, in particular, the link which is arranged between two systems and serves to exchange them. The exchange takes place in the form of physical (e.g. electrical voltage, current strength) or logical quantities (data) and can be analog or digital. A receptacle designed in this way can both supply the sensor module with electrical voltage, in particular for operating the sensor, and also receive and forward information from the sensor module in the form of image material. For example, it is possible to query whether the sensor module has been removed from the holder before a temperature-critical self-cleaning process is started.

The sensor module preferably has at least one sensor, which is preferably an optical sensor, in particular a camera, an NIR sensor and / or a pyrometer. Such optical sensors are particularly suitable for recording properties and states of the food to be cooked, with the camera recording images, an NIR sensor detecting the food category or a pyrometer being able to determine the temperature.

The outer pane or an intermediate pane preferably has a cover, in particular printing, which covers the receptacle and the sensor module from the outside of the door. A cover is to be understood in particular as a covering layer which is suitable for covering in particular the receptacle and the sensor module from the view of the user of the type so that the user does not see the components but the cover, preferably the printing.

At least the inner pane preferably has a surface coating, in particular a reflective surface coating, which is recessed in the area of the beam path of the sensor. In order to protect the receptacle and the sensor module located therein from heat, the inner pane has a coating, preferably on the side facing the cooking space, which reflects the thermal radiation. In order not to negatively influence the functioning of the sensor, this surface coating has a recess in the area of the sensor.

The inner pane preferably has a layer or a coating with a high degree of transparency for the sensor-specific wavelength, in particular in the area of the beam path of the sensor. So that the inner pane, which protects the sensor module and the receptacle from high temperatures, does not have any negative effects on the measurement result of the sensor, the inner pane has a layer or a coating, preferably with low light refraction, through which the sensor's beam path can be largely unhindered and measurement tolerances be as low as possible.

The cooking appliance preferably has a detector system which determines the presence of the sensor module in the receptacle, the detector system preferably determining the presence via the consumption current of the sensor module or via an end position of a locking hook. A detector system is to be understood in particular as a device which is suitable for determining the presence of the sensor module in the receptacle. The location of the sensor module can be determined by querying the required operating voltage of the sensor module. An alternative provides that the detector system interrogates the end position of a locking hook on the device side. Can this be in its preferably rotatory Swivel the rotary movement into its end position, there is no sensor module in the holder. If this locking hook cannot pivot into its end position, the sensor module has been pushed into the receptacle.

A cooking appliance control is preferably designed in such a way that it allows different operating modes depending on the presence of the sensor module in the receptacle. A device control is to be understood in particular as the program that controls the operating modes and temperatures in the cooking device. The device control queries the location of the sensor module in the receptacle from the user or directly from the detector system and, depending on its operating modes, such as self-cleaning, food detection, temperature measurement, etc., allows or rejects these. A pyrolytic cleaning process is therefore not permitted for a sensor module located in the receptacle and a pyrolytic cleaning process is permitted if the sensor module is not located in the receptacle.

Fig. 1

Eine schematische perspektivische Darstellung eines Gargeräts;

Fig. 2

eine schematische perspektivische Darstellung eines Sensormoduls;

Fig. 3

eine schematische Schnittdarstellung eines Gargeräts; und

Fig. 4

eine schematische perspektivische Darstellung des Sensormoduls in bevorzugter Einbaulage.

Further features of the invention emerge from the figures and the description of the figures. It shows:

Fig. 1

A schematic perspective illustration of a cooking appliance;

Fig. 2

a schematic perspective illustration of a sensor module;

Fig. 3

a schematic sectional view of a cooking appliance; and

Fig. 4

a schematic perspective illustration of the sensor module in a preferred installation position.

Identical or functionally identical elements are provided with the same reference symbols in the figures.

In Fig. 1 is shown in a perspective view of a cooking device 1 for preparing food, which is an oven in the embodiment. The cooking appliance 1 comprises a cooking space 2 which is delimited by side walls 3 of the oven. On the front side, the cooking chamber 2 has a loading opening which can be closed by a door 4. On the side walls 3 there is a side grille 5, which is suitable for food support 6, such as. B. to include grids or baking trays on which the food to be cooked 7 rests. A sensor module 8 is provided in the door 4 for recognizing properties of the food to be cooked 7. This installation position has proven to be particularly good, since it comes closest to the viewing angle into the cooking appliance 1 or the food to be cooked 7 that the user is accustomed to.

Fig. 2 shows the sensor module 8 in the form of a camera in a perspective illustration. The sensor module has a housing 9, a sensor 10 arranged therein being arranged in the region of a recess in the housing 9 in order to be able to view the food to be cooked through this recess. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the sensor 10 is designed as an optical sensor in order to acquire image information, in particular in the form of a digital image or a video stream. The housing 9 has a grip element 11, with the aid of which the sensor module 8 can be removed from the cooking appliance 1. The user of the cooking appliance 1 can thus remove the sensor module 8, which is in the installed position, from the cooking appliance without tools.

Fig. 3 shows a schematic sectional view of a cooking appliance 1 and its door 4 in the operating position. The door 4 has two door panes running essentially parallel to one another, the inner pane 12 facing the cooking space 2 and the outer pane 13 facing away from the cooking space 2. To cover the panes 12, 13, a top panel 14 is attached to the upper end of the panes 12, 13. This top panel 14 has an opening 15 through which a receptacle 16 is equipped with the sensor module 8. The receptacle 16 is arranged between the two disks 12, 13 in such a way that the sensor 10 with its beam path S has a clear view of the food 7 to be cooked. An air flow L acts between the inner pane 12 and the outer pane 13 Lowering of the front temperature on the outer pane 13, which is used at the same time to cool the sensor module 8. To protect the receptacle 16 and the sensor module 8, the inner pane 12 has a coating 17 which reflects the infrared radiation back into the cooking space 2. In addition, on its side facing the cooking space 2, the receptacle 16 has a coating 18 which reflects the infrared radiation back into the cooking space 2. Both the coating 17 and the coating 18 have cutouts in order to keep the beam path S free. The outer pane 13 has a coating 19 which covers the sensor module 8 in such a way that the sensor module 8 cannot be seen from the outside by the user when the door 4 is in the operating position.

Fig. 4 shows the sensor module 8 in its installation position in the receptacle 16 with the door 4 open. The top panel 14 has an opening 15 that is released when the door 4 is open and is designed for inserting or removing the sensor module 8 between the panes 12, 13. The installation position of the sensor module 8 in the door 4 is selected so that the sensor 10 has a clear view of the food 7 to be cooked. In the exemplary embodiment, the receptacle 16 and the top panel 14 are formed in one piece.

REFERENCE LIST

1

Cooking device, oven

2

Cooking space

3

Side wall

4th

door

5

Side rails

6th

Food carrier

7th

Food

8th

Sensor module, camera

9

casing

10

sensor

11

Handle element

12th

Inner pane

13th

Outer pane

14th

Top panel

15th

opening

16

admission

17th

Coating of the inner pane

18th

Coating of the recording

19th

Cover, printing on the outer pane

L.

Airflow

S.

Beam path of the sensor

Claims (15)

1. Cooking appliance (1), in particular a baking oven, comprising a cooking compartment (2) for cooking food to be cooked (7), a door (4) which closes off the cooking compartment (2) in an operating position and a sensor module (8) arranged in the door (4) for identifying properties of the food to be cooked (7) when the door (4) is situated in the operating position, wherein the door (4) has a receptacle (16), from which the sensor module (8) is reversibly removable, characterised in that the receptacle (16) is arranged between an inner pane (12) of the door (4) and an outer pane (13) of the door (4), wherein the receptacle (16) is arranged in an air stream (L) for cooling the door (4).
2. Cooking appliance (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the receptacle (16) is accessible in an open position of the door (4) and/or is not accessible in the operating position of the door (4).
3. Cooking appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the receptacle (16) is arranged in or on a top panel (14) of the door (4) or in or on a side support of the door (4).
4. Cooking appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the receptacle (16) is in contact with at least one cooling element.
5. Cooking appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the receptacle (16) has at least one housing element, in particular for protecting the sensor module (8) from contamination or environmental influences.
6. Cooking appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the receptacle (16) has at least one means for fastening the sensor module (8) in the receptacle (16) in a manner which is preferably releasable without tools, wherein this fastening is particularly based on a snap-fit connection or a push-pull mechanism.
7. Cooking appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the area of the receptacle (16) facing the cooking compartment (2) in the operating position of the door (4) has a functional surface, in particular a reflective coating (18), which is preferably recessed in the region of a beam path (S) of the sensor (10).
8. Cooking appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the receptacle (16) has an electrical interface, in particular for the transmission of data and/or electrical energy.
9. Cooking appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the sensor module (8) is an optical sensor module and has at least one optical sensor (10), in particular a camera, an NIR sensor and/or a pyrometer.
10. Cooking appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the outer pane (13) or an intermediate pane has a cover (19), in particular a printed section, which hides the receptacle (16) as well as the sensor module (8) on the outer side of the door (4).
11. Cooking appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that at least the inner pane (12) has a surface coating (17), in particular a reflective surface coating, which is recessed in the region of the beam path (S) of the sensor (10).
12. Cooking appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that at least the inner pane (12), in particular in the region of the beam path (S) of the sensor (10), has a layer or a coating which has a high degree of transparency for the sensor-specific wavelength.
13. Cooking appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the cooking appliance (1) has a detector system, which ascertains the presence of the sensor module (8) in the receptacle (16), wherein the detector system preferably ascertains the presence via the consumer current of the sensor module (8) or via an end position of a lock hook.
14. Cooking appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that a cooking appliance controller is designed such that it permits different operating modes as a function of the presence of the sensor module (8) in the receptacle (16).
15. Cooking appliance (1) according to claim 14, characterised in that the cooking appliance controller is designed such that

    - if the sensor module (8) is situated in the receptacle (16), pyrolytic cleaning processes are not permitted and

    - if the sensor module (8) is not situated in the receptacle (16), pyrolytic cleaning processes are permitted.

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