RU2575003C2 - Method and device with lightening system for boiling ingredients in solvent - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: chemistry.

SUBSTANCE: device comprises: container for the above ingredients, a sensor for measuring a characteristic of the above solvent; a lightening system (6) for generating a light beam (LB) propagating towards the above container; the above lightening system comprises a circuit for changing the lightening property of the above light beam on the basis of the measured characteristic.

EFFECT: providing visual indication directly based on the characteristics of the prepared drink; thereby the user obtains the more precise visual information referring to the preparation state, as well as increased quality of user's response.

8 cl, 5 dwg

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a device for cooking ingredients in a solvent.

The invention can be used in the field of beverage preparation.

State of the art

Making drinks by boiling (raw) ingredients in a solvent is a known process. For example, tea is made by boiling (i.e. brewing) tea leaves (or tea bags) used as ingredients in hot / boiling water used as a solvent. The same process can be used when drinks are prepared from various ingredients, such as a variety of herbs, plant leaves or plant roots.

After a specified period of time, the ingredients are removed from the solvent, and the resulting solvent corresponds to the prepared beverage. Such drinks are usually prepared using designated household appliances such as a kettle. To assist users in obtaining information about the operational status of such a household appliance, appliances often include some visual indication. For example, most basic directions use a green light that is on when the appliance is turned on and a red light that is on when the appliance is turned off.

More complex solutions for displaying visual indications are also known, for example, from published application WO / 2003020096A1. This document discloses a household appliance, such as a kettle, coffee maker and toaster or the like, which includes a fluid chamber that is provided with light for diffusion through the fluid, the light being visible through a transparent or translucent portion in the outer wall of the chamber. The light can be controlled in order to show the various operational states of the device and provide a visual area for indicating the operational state. For example, the first lamp emitting a specific color is turned on during heating of the water by the heating element. When the water reaches the boiling point, the heating element turns off completely or reduces the temperature in order to only maintain heat in the water. During this period, a second luminaire can be used to diffuse an excellent color through water to provide an immediate indication to the user of a change in operational status.

However, although these state-of-the-art visual display solutions can help users understand the operational state of the device, these solutions are still limited because the visual display provided is based on predefined operating modes, implying that the user cannot have any visual indication directly related to the characteristics of the prepared beverage. As a result, these visual indications are not very accurate.

Disclosure of invention

An object of the present invention is to provide a device for cooking ingredients in a solvent containing a lighting system to provide an improved visual indication.

To this end, the system according to the invention contains:

- a container for containing said ingredients,

- a sensor for measuring the characteristics of said solvent,

a lighting system for generating a light beam propagating towards said container, said lighting system comprising a circuit for changing a lighting property of said light beam based on a measured characteristic.

According to such an invention, the visual indication is based directly on the characteristics of the prepared beverage, which provides the user with more accurate visual information about the state of preparation, and also significantly increases the quality of interaction with the user using the device.

The invention also relates to a method comprising various steps carried out by the device according to the invention.

Detailed explanations and other aspects of the invention will be set forth below.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Next, specific aspects of the invention will be disclosed with reference to the embodiments described below and discussed in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which like parts or sub-steps are denoted in the same way:

on figa and figv shows a device according to the invention for cooking ingredients in a solvent,

on figs and fig.1D shows a device according to the invention for cooking ingredients in a solvent,

figure 3 illustrates an example of changes in the intensity of the LEDs used in the device according to the invention,

Figure 4 illustrates an example of changes in the intensity of the LEDs used in the device according to the invention,

5 shows a method for generating a visual indication during the cooking process of ingredients in a solvent in a container according to the invention.

The implementation of the invention

On figa and figb shows a device 1 according to the invention for cooking ingredients 2 in a solvent 3. The device contains:

- a container 4 for containing said ingredients,

- a sensor 5 for measuring the characteristics of said solvent,

- a lighting system 6 for generating a light beam propagating towards said container, said lighting system comprising a circuit 7 for changing a lighting property of said light beam based on a measured characteristic.

The ingredients, for example, may correspond to any type of tea, coffee, herb, root, fruit leaf, or may be a mixture of these components. For example, the solvent may correspond to water, mineral water, tap water, salted water, alcohol, or a mixture of these solvents. The solvent may be heated by a heating system located at the bottom of the container (not shown).

1B, the light beam is illustrated by a large arrow LB that exits the lighting system 6, wherein the light beam LB propagates inside the container 4. Preferably, the container 4 is made of a transparent material such as glass or PVC so that the light beam LB is visible for user tracking or using device 1.

In a first embodiment, the sensor 5 is a pH sensor, wherein the measured characteristic is the pH value of the solvent. As is known in the art, pH measures the acid / base balance of a given solution. In the present case, a pH sensor is dedicated to measure the pH of the solvent. During cooking, if the amount (i.e. concentration) of solid particles / constituents recovered from the ingredients increases with time, the pH of the solvent may decrease with time. Any type of known pH sensor may be used. The pH sensor is placed, for example, along the wall of the container 4, and connected to the circuit 7, for example, is electrically connected if the pH sensor is configured to transmit a voltage / current signal representing the pH value of the solvent. The voltage / current signal may, for example, be proportional to the pH of the solvent. Scheme 7 is configured to change the lighting property of the light beam LB based on the voltage / current signal. The light beam LB can be formed by any type of lamp L, if the property of the light beam LB formed by these lamps can be changed by circuit 7. Preferably, the lighting system comprises light emitting diodes (LEDs) to form the light beam LB. For example, three LEDs (not shown) are placed next to each other: one red LED, one green LED, one blue LED. When three LEDs are turned on simultaneously, an independent change in the intensity of each LED will lead to a change in the lighting property of the light beam. In the present case, the voltage / current signal is used by circuit 7 directly to change (i.e., increase or decrease) the LED intensity.

The lighting property that changes may correspond to the color of the light beam LB. Figure 2 illustrates an example of a change in the intensity of two LEDs, one red LED (R) and one blue LED (B) depending on the pH of the solvent. At time t1 (the start of the cooking process), the pH value is pH1, the red LED intensity is I = Imin = 0, and the blue LED intensity is I = Imax, resulting in the blue color of the light beam LB. At time t2 (end of the cooking process), the pH value is pH2, the red LED intensity is I = Imax, and the blue LED intensity is I = Imin = 0, resulting in a red color of the light beam LB. Between these t1 and t2, the resulting light of the light beam gradually changes from blue to red. With this change in the lighting structure, the user can directly observe the change in the state of the cooking process in relation to time.

The lighting property that changes may also correspond to the intensity of the light beam LB. Figure 3 illustrates an example of a change in the intensity of one green LED (G) depending on the pH of the solvent. At time t1 (the start of the cooking process), the pH value is pH1, the green LED intensity is I = Imin, which results in an LB light beam having a low green intensity. At time t2 (end of the cooking process), the pH value is pH2, the green LED intensity is I = Imax, which results in a light beam LB having a high green intensity. Between these t1 and t2, the resulting light beam intensity gradually changes from a low green intensity to a high green intensity. Preferably, an LED having the same dominant color as the ingredients can be used, for example, a green LED can be used if the ingredients match the leaves of green tea. With such a change in the intensity of the light beam, the user can directly observe the change in the concentration of the solvent with respect to time during cooking.

The lighting property that changes may also correspond to the lighting structure of the light beam. For example, based on the description given for FIG. 3, the lighting structure may correspond to fast flickering in terms of LED intensity when the pH of the solvent reaches pH2, or gradually changing flicker when the flicker frequency changes with the pH value (for example, a low flicker frequency during t1 gradually changes to a high flicker frequency during t2). With this change in the lighting structure, the user can directly observe the change in the state of the cooking process in relation to time.

A property of lighting that changes may also correspond to the direction of the light beam. In the first example, as illustrated in FIGS. 1C and FIG. 1D, showing a device based on device 1, as in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the lamps L are divided into two separate lamp units L1 and L2 that are located on different parts of the container 4. L1 is placed on the horizontal bottom of the container, while L2 is placed along the vertical wall of the container. L1 is intended to form a light beam LB1 extending along the vertical direction, while L2 is intended to form a light beam LB2 extending along the horizontal direction. In this case, circuit 7 turns on the lamp L1 only when the pH value of the solvent is above a predetermined threshold value (for example, a predetermined value), and turns on the lamp L2 only when the pH value of the solvent is below a predetermined threshold value. Changing the direction of the light beam from vertical to horizontal (or vice versa) gives a visual indication to the user about the cooking status, for example, if this change in the direction of the light beam occurs when cooking is nearing the end.

In the second example, as illustrated in FIG. 4, in addition to the elements described referring to FIG. 1, this device comprises a brewing grid IF placed in the container 4, wherein the brewing grid is intended to contain ingredients 2. B a pump P is located at the bottom of the container 4, and the pump outlet is connected to a PP pipe reaching the top of the brewing net IF. A pump, for example, an electric pump, is designed to pump solvent 3 from the bottom of the container 4 to the top of the brewing net. The solvent leaving the PP tube, as illustrated by arrows A1, flows into the brewing grid IF, where the ingredients are cooked. The solvent from the brewing grid IF then flows back into the container 4, as illustrated by arrows A2. Stages: pumping the solvent from the container 4 into the PP tube, then brewing the ingredients in the brewing grid IF in the solvent contained in the brewing grid, and then draining the solvent from the brewing grid back into the container, represent a closed cooking cycle, which continues until the process cooking is not stopped. In this case, circuit 7 turns on the lamp L1 only when the pH of the solvent is above a predetermined threshold value (for example, a predetermined value), reflecting the fact that brewing must be continued, and turns on the lamp L2 only when the pH of the solvent is lower than this a predetermined threshold value, reflecting the fact that the cooking is finished. Changing the direction of the light beam from the first horizontal direction to the second horizontal direction gives a visual indication to the user about the cooking status.

In a second embodiment of the device, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the sensor 5 is a conductivity (EM) sensor, and the measured characteristic is the value of the solvent EL. As is known in the art, EP evaluates the ability of a given solution to conduct an electric current. In the present case, the EP sensor is dedicated to measure the solvent EP value. During cooking, if the amount (i.e. concentration) of solid particles / constituents extracted from the ingredients increases with time, the value of the solvent EP increases with time. Any type of EP sensor, generally known in the art, can be used, such as electrode sensors based on the so-called voltammetric methods, inductive sensors based on the principle of induction. An EP sensor is placed, for example, along the wall of the container 4, and is connected to a circuit 7, for example, is electrically connected if the EP sensor is configured to transmit a voltage / current signal displaying the value of the EP of the solvent. The voltage / current signal may, for example, be proportional to the value of the solvent EC. Scheme 7 is configured to change the lighting property of the light beam LB based on this voltage / current signal. The light beam LB is generated by any type of lamp L, if the property of the light beam generated by these lamps can be changed by circuit 7. Preferably, the lighting system comprises light emitting diodes (LEDs) to form the light beam LB. For example, three LEDs (not shown) are placed next to each other: one red LED, one green LED, one blue LED. When three LEDs are turned on simultaneously, a change in the intensity of each of the LEDs results in a change in the lighting property of the light beam LB. In the present case, the voltage / current signal is used by circuit 7 directly to change (i.e., increase or decrease) the LED intensity.

This type of sensor can be used in a similar way as in the case of a pH sensor to change the lighting property of the light beam LB, i.e. either color, intensity, lighting structure, or direction.

In a third embodiment of the device, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the sensor 5 is a color sensor, and the measured characteristic is a color value of a solvent, for example, expressed in three RGB components (red / green / blue). In the present case, the color sensor is dedicated to measure the color value of the solvent. During cooking, if the amount (i.e. concentration) of solid particles / constituents recovered from the ingredients increases with time, the color value of the solvent increases with time. Any type of known color sensor may be used. The color sensor is placed, for example, along the wall of the container 4, and is connected to the circuit 7, for example, electrically connected if the color sensor is configured to transmit a voltage / current signal that displays the color value of the solvent. The voltage / current signal may, for example, be proportional to the color value of the solvent. Scheme 7 is configured to change the lighting property of the light beam LB based on the voltage / current signal. The light beam LB is generated by any type of lamp L, if the property of the light beam generated by these lamps can be changed by circuit 7. Preferably, the lighting system comprises light emitting diodes (LEDs) to form the light beam LB. For example, three LEDs (not shown) are placed next to each other: one red LED, one green LED, one blue LED. When three LEDs are turned on simultaneously, a change in the intensity of each of the LEDs results in a change in the lighting property of the light beam. In the present case, the voltage / current signal is used by circuit 7 directly to change (i.e., increase or decrease) the intensity of each of the LEDs.

The light beam illumination property that changes may be the color of the light beam LB. For example, circuitry 7 can set the intensity of the RGB LED components as those of the RGB components formed by the color sensor so as to form a light beam of the same color as the solvent. Scheme 7 can also set the intensity of the RGB components of the LEDs so as to be complementary in terms of value (for example, according to the standard and well-known “RYB color circle”) for the RGB components formed by the color sensor in order to form a light beam, color which is complementary to the color of the solvent. The light beam illumination property that changes may also be the light beam intensity LB. For example, circuit 7 may set the intensity of the RGB LED components in such a way as to produce a light beam having a high intensity if the color sensor indicates a dark color for the solvent, or so as to form a light beam having a lower intensity if the color sensor indicates a bright color for solvent.

The light beam illumination property that changes may also be a light beam illumination structure. For example, circuit 7 may periodically turn on the LEDs at a predetermined frequency so as to cause flicker if the color of the solvent reaches a predetermined threshold value, or it can generate this frequency in proportion to the color value indicated by the color sensor, so as to cause flicker so as to accelerate over time during cooking.

In a preferred embodiment, instead of using a lighting system comprising L, L1, L2 lamps corresponding to three (or other amounts) of light emitting diodes (LEDs) for forming a light beam LB, a so-called envelope light element essentially known in the art can be used technicians. The cladding light element is the equivalent of a two-dimensional LED array that can be individually controlled by circuit 7 in the same way as a display with an LED screen. The light envelope has a very small thickness of the order of one millimeter and can be applied to non-planar structures, for example, in order to cover part of the structure of the device 1, such as the outer part of the lighting system 6 and / or part of the container 4, as illustrated by the rectangles L, L1 and L2 . Similar to the case of the three separate LEDs mentioned earlier, the light beam LB formed by the light shell has a lighting property that is changed by the circuit 7, for example, by changing its color and / or intensity in a uniform manner depending on the current / voltage generated by the sensor 5. Alternatively, the light beam LB formed by the light sheath has a lighting property that is changed by the circuit 7, for example, by changing its color and / or intensity in an uneven manner depending on the current / voltage, sensor 5 be formed so that the first region of the light casing had a first color / intensity, and the second cladding region had light second color / intensity capable of generating an effect of a smooth increase / decrease of the color / intensity between the two areas. By using a cladding light element for lamps L, L1, and L2, various lighting effects can be generated to reflect the cooking state of the solvent.

Figure 5 illustrates a method for generating a visual indication during the cooking process of ingredients in a solvent in a container according to the invention. Said method comprises the steps of:

- measure (S1) the characteristic of said solvent,

- form (S2) a light beam (LB) propagating towards said container, said light beam having a lighting property based on a measured characteristic.

This method corresponds to the steps performed by the device according to FIG. 1A, FIG. 1B, FIG. 1D or FIG. 4.

Other changes to the disclosed embodiments may be understood and made by those skilled in the art in the practice of the claimed invention by studying the drawings, description and appended claims. In the claims, the term “comprising” does not exclude other elements or steps, and the singular does not exclude a plurality. A single unit may fulfill the functions of several elements set forth in the claims. The fact that certain agents are listed in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these agents cannot be used to achieve an advantage. Any reference position in the claims should not be construed as limiting its scope.

Claims (8)

1. A device (1) for cooking ingredients in a solvent, the device comprising:
- a container (4) for containing said ingredients,
- a sensor (5) for measuring the characteristics of said solvent,
- a lighting system (6) for generating a light beam (LB) propagating towards said container, said lighting system comprising a circuit (7) for changing a lighting property of said light beam based on a measured characteristic, said sensor (5) being one of the following sensors:
a pH sensor, said measurement characteristic being a pH value of said solvent, and
a conductivity sensor, wherein said measured characteristic is a conductivity value of said solvent, and
a color sensor, wherein said measured characteristic is the color value of said solvent. 2. The device according to claim 1, containing light emitting diodes for forming said light beam (LB). 3. The device according to claim 1, comprising a cladding light element for forming said light beam (LB). 4. The device according to any one of paragraphs. 1-3, in which said lighting property is the color of said light beam (LB). 5. The device according to any one of paragraphs. 1-3, in which said lighting property is the intensity of said light beam (LB). 6. The device according to any one of paragraphs. 1-3, in which said lighting property is a lighting structure of said light beam (LB). 7. The device according to any one of paragraphs. 1-3, in which said lighting property is a direction of said light beam (LB). 8. A method for generating a visual indication during the cooking process of ingredients in a solvent in a container, said method comprising the steps of:
- measure (S1) the characteristic of said solvent,
- form (S2) a light beam (LB) propagating towards said container, said light beam having a lighting property based on a measured characteristic, said measurement step (S1) being one of the following steps in which:
- carry out the measurement using a pH sensor, wherein said measured characteristic is a pH value of said solvent, and
- carry out the measurement using the conductivity sensor, and the said measured characteristic is the conductivity value of the solvent, and
- carry out the measurement using a color sensor, and said measured characteristic is the color value of said solvent.

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