GB2148543A

GB2148543A - Control means for controlling of heating times and power in a cooker

Info

Publication number: GB2148543A
Application number: GB08417113A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Julius Husslein; Gunther Wittauer; Helmut Waigand
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-08-12
Filing date: 1984-07-05
Publication date: 1985-05-30
Also published as: DE3329300A1; NL8402026A; IT8422194A0; DE3329300C2; FR2550680A1; FR2550680B1; IT1176547B; GB8417113D0; GB2148543B

Abstract

Control means for controlling heating times and power in a cooker comprises electronic switching equipment with wiring connections for the input of different time-controlled modes of operation. The electronic switching equipment is associated with an automatic system selector equipment which is wired with the variant wiring connections of the electronic switching equipment. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Control means for controlling of heating times and power in a cooker The present invention relates to control means for controlling heating times and power in a cooker.

In electrically operated ovens and cooking equipment, as well as in gas-operating ovens and cooking equipment, the input of the heating regions and the respective heating power is normally carried out manually. Various steps for automation of this operation have, however, become known. Thus, for example, it is known to use time switches, by which the termination and the duration of this cooking process can be set and performed. Parallel thereto, the selection of the heating elements and a temperature selection or power selection is to be done manually. However, it is also known for heating and/or cooking processes to be performable partly or fully automatically through the use of appropriate controls.In dependence on criteria specific to the food to be cooked, there is selected a cooking program which is performed automatically by a correspondingly programmed program control in conjunction with the power units of the cooker.

Automatic controls of that kind for heating and/or cooking processes are used for conventional radiant heaters with or without circulating air, as well as for microwave heaters. Since different forms of heat and fields of application require different programs, it is necessary to provide differently programmed electronic control units.

It would therefore be desirable to provide contrl means for controlling heating times and power, which makes possible a number of variants of use with little effort for adaptation.

According to the present invention there is provided control means for controlling heating times and power in a cooker, comprising electronic switching equipment with a time control function, power selection control units and dimensioning control units, the electronic switching equipment comprising wiring connections for the input of different kinds of operation controllable in time and being associated with automatic system selecting equipment with switching paths which are wired together with said wiring connections of the electronic switching equipment.

Control means with these features may have the advantage that universally usable electronic switching equipment can be brought into use, which through external wirings can be adapted to the respective use conditions in a simple and cost-saving manner. Through this combination of electronic switching equipment with the selecting equipment, the electronic switching equipment can be used with varied selecting equipment, for example in an oven with radiant heating alone or an oven with microwave heating alone or an oven with both modes of heating.

Moreover, the possibility of hotplate connections remains open.

Preferably, the selecting equipment, apart from the switching paths for the wiring connections of the electronic switching equipment, includes power switching paths for the wiring with the wiring connections of the cooker. Thus, apart from the appropriate information input to the electronic switching equipment, a suitable connection of the heating elements and other functional elements can be performed by the selecting equipment. Through appropriate wiring measures, advantageous functional combinations can also be excluded.

The selecting equipment can comprise, for example, a rotary switch with a plurality of camcontrolled switch contacts or a push button input switching mechanism. If certain functions are redundant in a particular use situation, for example as in the case of a pure microwave oven, and other functions come into use, then correspondingly pre-arranged bridge members and open paths can provide the wiring of the electronic switching equipment.

A mode of construction which is simple in respect of the effort for the wiring connections and measures is achieved if the variant wiring connections are parallel inputs for binary-coded switching states of the switching paths of the selecting equipment.

It is also possible to structure the selecting equipment as a component of the power selection control unit so that the electronic switching equipment can be used expediently also in this connection.

Apart from the control function of the electronic switching equipment for the different heating and/or cooking processes, an indication of time of day and/or a short-time indication in conjunction with an acoustic signal can also be effected by way of a cooker display indicating set values.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be more particularly described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a view of an operating panel for a universal cooker; Figure 2 is a view of an operating panel for a microwave cooker; Figure 3 is a circuit diagram of the switch path of an automatic system selection switch and a power selection control switch in control means embodying the invention; and Figure 4 is a circuit diagram of such control means in a universal baking oven with radiant heating and microwave heating.

Referring now to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows the operating and indicating field of an electronic switching equipment with time control function. According to the mode of the operation, which is preselectable by way of an automatic system selector switch 2, time values, power values for the heating and/or cooking process and program selection criteria can be input by way of an operating keyboard 3 and a rotary input knob 4 of a bit generator. The time input is required for, for example, the predetermination of the duration and the end of a cooking process. Optionally, also, times of day can be corrected and short-alarm times can be input. In the case of microwave operation, the switches are associatied with three different levels of microwave heating power. On actuation of each of these switches, the time duration for the associated heating power can be input through the rotary knob 4.The microwave program can be started by way of a start switch 5 of the operating panel.

In the illustrated position, the selector switch 2 is disposed in the zero position. This means that only conventional manual inputs of cooking processes can be performed. The power selector switch 6 is available for controlling the baking oven with radiant heating. In settings other than the zero setting, it is possible to select normal baking operation, grilling operation, grilling with circulating air operation and baking with circulating air operation. The corresponding symbols are shown in sequence in counterclockwise sense on the switch 6.

Through appropriate setting of the selector switch 2, the electronic switching equipment is usable for the performance of a pure time control for the baking oven BO, for pyrolytic selfcleaning SR, for microwave operation M, for an automatic roasting program BA and for timelimited control of cooking places KO (the switch for the power control of the cooking plates is not illustrated in Fig. 1; they can follow in sequence at the switch 6.) Apart from the cooking operation, the baking oven operation is also possible without switching to the electronic switching equipment. Self-cleaning operation, microwave operation and automatic roasting thereagainst require connection to this electronic switching equipment.

Through appropriate circuit measure, it is ensured that a manual input in the performance of automatic roasting and the self-cleaning operations for the oven functions is excluded.

Thereagainst, it is possible during the microwave operation to additionally manually switch on the radiant heating and the circulating air operation by way of the switch 6.

As already mentioned, the start of the microwave program is effected through actuation of the switch 5, a signal lamp 7 serving for indication. The microwave program can be stopped through rotation of the selector switch 2 out of the microwave setting, preferably into the zero setting.

Fig. 2 shows a switching and indicating panel of electronic switching equipment for pure microwave operation. Power values are input through the press switches 3 and time spans for these power values are simultaneously input by way of the rotary knob 4. The input of the values takes place by way of the display. The initial numeral sequence 1 to 4 is shown associated with the individual switches 3. The switch 5 serves for the start of the microwave program and the required stop switch 8 in the present case serves to discontinue the microwave program. Input elements (not shown) for the power stages are arranged in the lower part of the operating and indicating panel.

A partial cross-connection of the contact paths of the switch 6 and the switch 2 is evident from Fig. 3. Contacts awl 4, al 5 and a16 of the switch 2 are used for the input of timecontrollable variants of mode of operation to the electronic switching equipment. The phase connections of the current supply are designated by L1, L2 and L3 (Fig. 4).

A detailed circuit diagram for the energy control of an oven with conventional radiant heating and microwave heating is illustrated in Fig. 4. The circuit part SH, framed by chain-dotted lines, contains the circuit components for the radiant heating, wherein heating resistors RI and R2 provide lower heat and a resistor R3 upper heat or grill radiation. Selectable switching-on takes place by way of contact paths a of the switch 2 and contact paths f of the switch 6. The temperature regulation for the baking operation takes place by way of a settable thermostat Th.

A temperature monitors SR limit the temperature in self-cleaning operation. A regulator BA is associated with the automatic baking system.

A circulating air blower is driven by a motor M3 to effect circulation of air. A temperaturecontrolled motor M4 is connected with a cooling fan.

Electronic switching equipment ES is connected to a radiant heater SH by way of the position, illustrated in Fig. 4, of change-over contacts a2,3 and a4,5. When the switch 2 is set to microwave operation, both contacts a2,3 and a4,5 switch over so that microwave heating equipment MH, framed in chain-dotted lines, is set into operation. Apart from the required switching measures for the control of a magnetron Mg, the microwave heating equipment MH includes necessary door contacts t1, t2, t3 and 4 and well as fuses si and a temperature monitor. The magnetron Mg is controlled in known manner by a relay E, controlled by way of the electronic switching equipment ES, and the associated switch contact e. A further relay D responds when the oven door is closed, thus in the illustrated setting of the door contacts, and thereby makes possible current supply to the magnetron switching unit.The mictowave aerial is driven by a motor M1 and the magnetron fan is operated by way of a motor M2.

The automatic function to be performed can be input through the switch contacts a14, a 1 5 and a16 to the electronic control ES, starting from the rotary setting of the switch 2, according to the following binary-coded association: Setting A Operation S, S2 S3 O Manual O 0 0 BA Automatic roasting system 0 0 1 BO Automatic baking oven system 0 1 0 SR Self-cleaning 0 1 1 KO Cooking plate above 1 0 0 the clock M Microwave 1 0 1 The input of the start command for the performance of the microwave program takes place through the contact st to the electronic control equipment ES. The radiant heater unit SH is activated in accordance with the time input into the electronic switching equipment ES. The equipment ES controls the corresponding unit correctly in time by way of the switch uk.

The electronic switching unit can also be selectably activated for the indication of time of day through the bridge B.

When the microwave unit MH is switched to the electronic switching equipment ES through the switching contacts a2,3 and a4,5 of the switch 2, then it is possible by way of the radiant heater equipment (SH) to perform, together with the microwave heating operation, a radiant heating operation with or without circulation of hot air.

From the circuit arrangement of Fig. 4 it can be recognised that the electronic switching equipment ES can, with simplified cross-wiring for the performance of the variants of mode of operation, be associated with an oven with microwave heating alone or with radiant heating alone. The switch 2 can be dispensed with in the case of a microwave oven. The automatic system selector equipment requires, in place of the switching contact a14, a1 5 and a16, a respective bridge member in the region of the connecting point for the switching contact a14 and the switching contact a1 6. Since, due to the absence of the automatic system selector switch, this cannot be set back into a zero setting, it is necessary to use a stop switch with the stop switch contact sp.

In the case of an oven with radiant heating alone, the automatic system selector switch is again required, but with only two switch contacts, namely the switch contacts al 5 and a1 6, for control of the electronic switching equipment ES. The first wiring input of the equipment ES merely requires a "LOG" zero (a14 unwired) according to the aforenamed table of association.

In the case of the embodiment of Fig. 4, the inputs of the electronic switching equipment are wired with a view to facilitating understandability. In practice, the circuit arrangement will be in the most expedient form. An analog zero voltage and a digital zero voltage are present at the outputs Oa and Od, respectively, of the electronic switching equipment ES.

Claims

1. Control means for controlling heating times and power in a cooker, comprising electronic switching equipment with a time control function, power selection control units and dimensioning control units, the electronic switching equipment comprising wiring connections for the input of different kinds of operation controllable in time and being associated with automatic system selecting equipment with switching paths which are wired together with said wiring connections of the electronic switching equipment.

2. Control means as claimed in claim 1, wherien the selecting equipment comprises further power switching paths for wiring with the power selection control units and dimensioning control units.

3. Control means as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the selecting equipment is constructed as a rotary switch with a plurality of cam-controlled switch contacts.

4. Control means as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the selecting equipment is constructed as a push button switch.

5. Control means as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the selecting equipment comprises bridge members.

6. Control means as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said wiring connections of the electronic switching equipment are parallel inputs for binary-coded switching states of the switching paths of the selecting equipment.

7. Control means as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the selecting equipment is a component of the power selection control unit.

8. Control means as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the selecting equipment is arranged for use as a multi-purpose or universal cooker control.

9. Control means as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the switching equipment comprises a switching contact for the selectable switching of one heater unit or of another heater unit.

10. Control means as claimed in claim 9, wherein said one heating unit is a microwave heater device and said other heater unit is a baking oven heater element.

11. Cooking apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

11. Control means as claimed in either claim 9 or claim 10, wherein the switching contact is provided for automatic switching from a first heating operation to a second heating operation different therefrom.

12. Control means as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprising at least one signalling device to signal the end of the working process in dependence on the selected mode of operation.

1 3. Control means as claimed in claim 12, wherein the at least one signalling device is an acoustic device.

14. Control means as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprising a device associated with a timing member and operable to effect time inputs in dependence on the selecting equipment.

1 5. Control means substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

CLAIMS (29 Nov. 1984) Amendments to the claims have been filed, and have the following effect: New or textually amended claims have been filed as follows: CLAIMS 1. Cooking apparatus having a plurality of different operating modes and comprising an electronic control unit to control each of the operating modes in dependence on time, the control unit being provided with input means to receive different input signals respectively characterising the different operating modes and being settable on receipt of any one of such signals to institute the corresponding mode of operation of the apparatus, and selector means operable to cause a selectable one of the input signals to be applied to said input means.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising means to provide different levels of heating power and forms of heat transmission in at least some of the operating modes of the apparatus, the selector means being operable to select the heating power level and form of heat transmission to be provided.

3. Apparatus as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2, the selecting means comprising a rotary switch with a plurality of cam-controlled switch contacts.

4. Apparatus as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2, the selecting means comprising a plurality of push button switches.

5. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, said input means of the control unit comprising parallel inputs for the input signals in binary coded form.

6. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the control unit comprises a switching contact for controlling two heater units respectively of two heating sections of the apparatus.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein one of the heating sections is a microwave oven and the other heater section is a baking oven.

8. Apparatus as claimed in any of the preceding claims, comprising signalling means to signal the end of operation of the apparatus in accordance with at least one of said modes of operation.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8, the signalling means comprising as acoustic device.

10. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprising means operable to determine the time dependence of the control by the control unit.