ES2531303B1 - Domestic cooking appliance - Google Patents

Abstract

The domestic cooking appliance is designed to drive inert gas (1) to at least one of the food containers (B) arranged in the domestic cooking appliance (1). # The domestic cooking appliance can have at least one area of heating.

Description

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DOMESTIC COOKING DEVICE

DESCRIPTION

The invention relates to a domestic cooking appliance, which in particular has a cooking space and / or a burner with at least one heating zone.

It is known that edible oil changes its composition when heated, in particular it degrades, for example by hydrolysis, oxidation and / or polymerization. These reactions produce a complex mixture of chemical substances that can modify the organoleptic properties of foods treated with edible oils and produce undesirable odors. The quantity and type of chemical substances produced depend on different factors, since the process of decomposition of edible oil is very complex. These factors include the temperature of the oil, the duration of cooking, the absorption of oxygen or aeration, the type of cooking utensils, the temperature path (if it is uniform or has ups and downs), the heating rate, the heat transmission, the presence of additives, etc.

As for the absorption of oxygen or aeration, the oxygen in the air causes an oxidation of the edible oil and generates hydroperoxides through a radical mechanism. These hydroperoxides are very unstable and react to form secondary products such as aldehldos (p. E. Acrolelna) and / or ketones. Hydroperoxides act as initiators of the breakdown of edible oil.

Studies are known to reduce or prevent the breakdown of edible oils. The content of these studies includes the pre and / or subsequent treatment of cooked food, a selection of different types of food for cooking or the use of additives in edible oil. However, these studies have not yet matured enough or have a very difficult practical application. Ace! For example, a disadvantage of the use of additives in edible oil is that they can increase the complexity of the decomposition process, which requires a high expense to investigate food safety.

It is also possible to reduce the cooking temperature, but this lengthens the cooking time and can also alter its final result.

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The objective of the present invention is to overcome, at least in part, the disadvantages of the current state of the art and, above all, to give a better option that prevents the breakdown of edible oil.

This objective is solved according to the characteristics of the independent claims. Preferred embodiments are deduced from the dependent claims.

The objective is solved by means of a domestic cooking appliance, designed to direct inert gas towards at least one container of food to be cooked, arranged next to the domestic cooking appliance. In this way the inert gas can displace at least a part of the air contained in the container and with the oxygen in the air. The liquid that covers the bottom of the food container, in particular edible oil, will also be covered, at least partially, by the inert gas that displaces the oxygen. The reduced percentage of oxygen also prevents anger / oxidation, and can avoid it altogether. In this way, decomposition reactions, in particular edible oil, and especially the formation of hydroperoxides are also avoided. Ace! therefore, inert gas also acts as passive protection of a surface covered by it.

By inert gas we mean a gas that remains stable under the usual cooking conditions, and in particular that does not react with cooked food.

An improvement is that the inert gas weighs more than the air, so that it can be deposited on the bottom of the food container. This allows the oxygen in the air to be removed from there! with especially simple methods and with only a small amount of inert gas.

One embodiment is that the inert gas contains nitrogen and / or carbon dioxide, and in particular that it is composed of these.

Another modality is that at least one food container is an open food container. In this way the inert gas can be derived to the food container easily and can penetrate it. A special container is not needed, for example a gas-tight container. Above all, if the inert gas is heavier than the air, it will be easy to cover at least the floor of the container with a small amount of inert gas.

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An improvement is that the food container is open on its upper side, and is for example a pot, a pan, a wok, a fountain, a pastry mold, etc. In such a container, free liquid such as edible oil will typically concentrate in your soil.

An alternative or further improvement is that the food container is a gas-tight food container, into which inert gas can be introduced from the domestic cooking apparatus, for example through the corresponding feed tube. This has the advantage that all cooked food can be permanently surrounded by inert gas, and not just the bottom of the container. Also the losses of inert gas can be reduced to the maximum.

Another embodiment of the invention is that the domestic cooking apparatus has a treatment space that can be closed and is designed to direct the inert gas to said space. In this way, an inert gas atmosphere can be created with little effort, also with the treatment sequence in the closed treatment space.

An improvement is that the treatment space is a space for cooking, for example an oven space of a domestic cooking appliance that has an oven functionality, for example a baker's oven or a kitchen (of a combination oven of baking pan / cooktop Alternatively or additionally, the domestic cooking appliance may have a microwave functionality (for example, a microwave appliance or a combined baking oven / microwave oven appliance) and / or a cooking functionality at steam.

Inert gas can be introduced into the cooking space, for example, through inlet holes made in a lid, and / or in at least one side wall. Inert gas can be introduced into or without pressure cooking space.

Another improvement is that the domestic cooking appliance has a cooking zone with at least one heating zone, and this to drive the inert gas towards at least one food container placed on a heating zone. In this way you can also fill the kitchen utensils with inert gas. In particular, the inert gas can be channeled to a point located above the desired heating zone, so that normally open kitchen utensils can be easily filled with inert gas, located below said point. The height of that point may be adjusted, for example, to the height of a pan or pot. The height of the point is

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may vary and adjust, for example, according to the type of kitchen utensil. The variation of the point height can be done manually or by sensors.

The conduction of the inert gas to at least one heating zone may be carried out by a stream of inert gas through an unchanged section. For the conduction of the inert gas through the unchanged section, the domestic cooking apparatus may have at least one nozzle that creates a stream of inert gas in the direction of the space.

Another embodiment of the invention is that the domestic cooking appliance has an elevated area behind the cooking zone, where at least one gas outlet orifice is installed, through which inert gas can be extracted into the container. The raised zone allows inert gas to exit from a height position, which facilitates a safe filling of the container. This does not make the household appliance less manageable. On the other hand, this elevated area allows the placement of other functional elements, such as at least one indicator element (pilot light, alphanumeric indication, liquid crystal display, etc.) and / or at least one sensor. This elevated area can, for example, be extralble, for the introduction of inert gas, and for example refolding once the use of the domestic cooking appliance is finished.

Another modality is that the domestic cooking apparatus has at least one gas supply pipe to carry the inert gas to a food container. In this way the inert gas can be carried, with minimal losses, to a remote point, and this through a particularly thin gas conduit.

The gas supply tube can be removable and / or flexible or deformable. A gas supply tube can be provided for each heating zone.

For a low consumption of inert gas, the preferred embodiment is that the domestic cooking apparatus has at least one cooking vessel recognition device and the feeding tube is located above the container, and that it is also designed to direct the inert gas to a single heating zone, which the recognition device has recognized as occupied. Thus the inert gas is directed only to a heating zone on which a kitchen utensil is most likely. These devices are widely known and can be based, for example, on weight detection, resonance detection, optical recognition, etc.

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One possibility of supplying the inert gas is to provide the corresponding gas container, for example an inert gas cartridge or an inert gas bottle. Alternatively or additionally, the domestic cooking appliance will have a connection to an inert gas network, for example powered by a local inert gas production device, such as a collective installation for a building or a group of buildings. The installation for the production of inert gas may be designed, for example, for the production of nitrogen, for example on the basis of a membrane technology. Such a technology can produce nitrogen in sufficient quantity with a comparatively low expense.

The amount of inert gas flow can be measured by the domestic cooking appliance, for example by means of a gas flow meter.

Another modality is that the domestic cooking apparatus has at least one sensor for the detection of decomposition products, and the apparatus can direct the inert gas if at least one decomposition product detected (in particular a quantity and / or a concentration) reaches or exceeds a threshold value. In other words, the domestic cooking appliance can automatically recognize too high amounts (including concentrations) of at least one decomposition product and, as a reaction to this situation, supply inert gas to reduce this amount (s).

The domestic cooking appliance may be designed to supply inert gas if at least one sensor detects that the threshold value for a given decomposition product has been reached or exceeded. Alternatively or additionally, the domestic cooking apparatus may be designed to supply inert gas if at least one sensor detects that a common threshold value has been reached or exceeded by several decomposition products.

The term "sensor" can be understood as any measurement or palpation device suitable for detection. The sensor can be, for example, a spectroscopic sensor, which includes, for example, a measuring head and an evaluation device.

Such a sensor may detect, for example, at least an amount of at least one decomposition product in a closed treatment space. The domestic cooking appliance could then supply the inert gas to this treatment space.

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Another sensor of this type can detect, for example, at least an amount of at least one decomposition product above a given heating zone. The domestic cooking apparatus may then direct the inert gas towards this heating zone, in particular to a space above the fire.

Another modality consists, in particular, in that the domestic cooking appliance has a sensor for the detection of decomposition products for the corresponding heating zone, and that the domestic cooking appliance is designed to supply the inert gas in that direction, if At least one decomposition product reaches or exceeds a certain threshold value in this heating zone. In this way the decomposition processes, especially the decomposition of edible oils, can be detected and avoided independently in different heating zones.

One modality of said sensor is that at the same time it is a sensor for the detection of at least one hydroperoxide, at least one aldehldo and at least one ketone or other products of the decomposition of edible oils.

In general, the domestic cooking apparatus may conduct the conduction or supply of the inert gas in a fully automated manner, for example after detecting an excessive amount of decomposition products.

However, it is also possible that, for example, the supply or supply of inert gas must be previously authorized by a user. The user may be instructed to do so, for example, the detection of an excessively high amount of decomposition products. The user of the domestic cooking appliance can authorize the supply of inert gas, for example, by activating an activation element. The conclusion of the gas supply through the domestic cooking apparatus can be carried out automatically, for example after detecting that the amount of decomposition products has decreased below threshold value.

Another improvement is that the inert gas supply is carried out purely manually by the user, for example while the user presses the corresponding actuator element. This avoids an involuntary supply of inert gas by the user.

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The domestic cooking apparatus described above can be manufactured so compactly that it can be used instead of a traditional domestic cooking appliance, and that it can be embedded, in particular in a modular kitchen, without for example exceeding the dimensions of others. Kitchen furniture.

The properties, characteristics and advantages of this invention described above, and the way in which they are obtained, are clearer and more understandable with the following schematic description of an example of realization, explained in more detail in combination with the drawings. For a better understanding, the same elements, or the elements with the same effects, are designated with the same references.

The Figure shows, in oblique front view, a domestic cooking appliance according to the invention, consisting of a kitchen 1 with a treatment space with closure, in the form of an oven space 2, and with a cooking plate 3. The kitchen 1 presents, therefore, at least one functionality as a baker's oven and a cooking plate functionality.

The oven space 2 can be closed by a front oven door 4. The cooktop on the upper side 3 has three heating zones 5a, 5b and 5c. In the heating zone 5a there is an open kitchen utensil in the form of a pan B, while the other two heating zones 5b and 5c are not occupied. In the front part, above the oven door 4, there is a control panel 6 for operating the oven 2. Behind the cooktop 3 there is a zone 7 or panel, raised in relation to the cooktop 3.

The cooker 1 is designed to supply inert gas I (eg nitrogen and / or carbon dioxide) to at least one food container located on the cooktop 1. The inert gas I can be directed to the cooker 1 through a connection of gas 8. Inert gas I is heavier than air.

For example, a food container located in the oven space 2 (see drawing) can be filled with inert gas or surrounded by it, in particular by flooding the entire space of the oven 2 with the inert gas I, with the door 4 closed.

The inert gas I can also be directed to the pan B, as explained in more detail below: in the elevated zone 7 there are three identical functional groups 9a, 9b and 9c, assigned respectively to fires 5a, 5b and 5c . Its design is described to

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continuation based on the functional group 9a, which is assigned to the fire 5a, covered in turn by the pan B. This description can be applied analogously to the other functional groups 9b and 9c, with their heating zones 5b and 5c.

The functional group 9a has a gas outlet orifice 10 in the form of a groove, through which inert gas I is expelled into a space located above the heating zone 5a, and in particular above the pan B. this, behind the gas outlet orifice 10 there may be one or more nozzles, capable of expelling under pressure the inert gas I in the desired direction. If the inert gas I gets to be placed on the pan, it descends due to its greater weight towards the pan B. Alll will remain a time, due to its high weight, even with the pan B open.

The functional group 9a also has a sensor 11, for example a camera, to detect the presence of the pan B on the heating zone 5a ("Presence detection above"). The sensor will detect, for example, the pan B by treating at least one image registered by the camera. The cooker 1 is configured so that the inert gas I will only be expelled through the outlet orifice 10 of the functional group 9a if the sensor 11 has detected a cooking utensil on the heating zone 5a. In addition, inert gas I can be expelled only if authorized by a user.

The functional group 9a also has a sensor 12, for example a sensor working on spectroscopic basis or infra-red rays, to recognize the presence of decomposition products (especially, an amount and / or a concentration) above the pan B , in particular of decomposition products of edible oils, for example, at least one hydroperoxide, at least one aldehldo and / or at least one ketone.

The cooker 1 has an electronic equipment, for example a central control device (not shown) connected with the sensors 11 and 12 and with the corresponding instrument for the supply of inert gas I, for example a valve. The electronic equipment releases the gas by opening a valve of the functional group 9a, for example, after the detection by the sensor 11. Alternatively, the electronic equipment may open the valve at the start of the activation of the heating zone 5a, so that the inert gas I is expelled through the corresponding gas outlet orifice 10 towards the pan B. Alternatively, the electronic equipment may open the valve if the sensor 12 of the functional group 9a has detected that it is above the heating zone 5a an amount or a concentration of at

less a hydroperoxide, at least one aidehldo and / or at least one ketone that reaches or exceeds the predetermined threshold value.

The opening of the valve and the expulsion of the inert gas through the gas outlet orifice 10 5 can occur for a predetermined time or until the amount or concentration of at least one of the detected decomposition products reaches again (from above) ) the default threshold value or exceed it below.

Obviously the present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiment shown here.

10 In general, by the words "one", "one", etc. the singular or plural can be understood, especially in the sense of "at least one" or "one or more", etc., unless this possibility is explicitly excluded, for example with the expression "exactly one," etc.

In the same way, a numerical indication may include the exact indicated figure or a usual tolerance margin, unless this is explicitly excluded.

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Reference List

 1 kitchen

 2 oven

 5

 3 Cooktop

 4 Oven door

 5a-c Heating zone

 6 Control Panel

 7 Elevated Zone / Panel

 10

 8 Gas connection

 9a-c Functional group

 10 Gas outlet hole

 11 Sensor

 12 Sensor

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 B Pan

 I inert gas

Claims (11)

5 10 fifteen twenty 25 30 1. Domestic cooking appliance (1), characterized in that it has an inert gas outlet (10) for directing inert gas (I) to at least one food container (B) located in the domestic cooking appliance (1) ). 2. Domestic cooking appliance (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one food container (B) is an open food container. 3. Domestic cooking appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has a treatment space (2) with closure to which inert gas (I) can be supplied through the inert gas outlet orifice (10) . 4. Domestic cooking appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the domestic cooking appliance (1) has a cooking zone (3) with at least one heating zone (5a, 5b, 5c), and You can direct inert gas (I) through the inert gas outlet orifice (10) to at least one food container (B) placed over a heating zone (5a, 5b, 5c). 5. Domestic cooking appliance (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the domestic cooking appliance (1) has a raised area (7) behind the cooking zone (3), in which the outlet opening of gas (10) directed towards the cooking zone (3), through which the inert gas (I) is expelled into the container (B). 6. Domestic cooking apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that the domestic cooking apparatus has at least one gas supply tube for directing the inert gas (I) to a food container (B). 7. Domestic cooking appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the domestic cooking appliance (1) has a detection device (11), for detecting the container disposed on the heating zone (5a, 5b, 5c) and can direct inert gas (I) through the inert gas outlet orifice (10) to the container disposed on said heating zone. 10 fifteen twenty 8. Domestic cooking appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the domestic cooking appliance (1) has at least one sensor (12) for the detection of decomposition products and directs inert gas (I) to the product through the inert gas outlet orifice (10) if at least the decomposition product detected reaches or exceeds a predetermined threshold value. 9. Domestic cooking appliance (1) according to a combination of claims 4 and 8, characterized in that the domestic cooking appliance (1) has a sensor (12) for detecting decomposition products for the corresponding heating zone (5th) , 5b, 5c), and because the domestic cooking apparatus (1) can direct inert gas (I) through the inert gas outlet orifice (10) towards said heating zone (5a, 5b, 5c) if detected that at least one decomposition product reaches or exceeds a predetermined threshold value in said heating zone (5a, 5b, 5c). 10. Domestic cooking appliance (1) according to one of claims 8 or 9, characterized in that the domestic cooking appliance (1) has at least one sensor (12) for the detection of at least one hydroperoxide, of at least one aldehldo and / or at least one ketone. 11. Domestic cooking appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the inert gas (I) has nitrogen and / or carbon dioxide.