WO2007141304A2

WO2007141304A2 - An oven

Info

Publication number: WO2007141304A2
Application number: PCT/EP2007/055595
Authority: WO
Inventors: Cemalettin Kalayci; Haluk Karatas
Original assignee: Arcelik Anonim Sirketi
Priority date: 2006-06-06
Filing date: 2007-06-06
Publication date: 2007-12-13
Also published as: TR200808189T1; WO2007141304A3

Abstract

The invention relates to an oven (1) comprising a heater (4), a guide (5) for directing the heat generated by the at least one heater (4) towards the food and a movement means (7) such as a motor that directs the a guide (5). The oven also has a color sensor (6) that determines the cooking condition of the different regions of the food according to the sensed data and a control unit (8) to which the sensed data is delivered. The color sensor senses the food color and the sensed data is transferred to the control unit, which decides whether one region of the food is less cooked than other regions, and moves the guide (5) accordingly such that heat is directed- to the less cooked regions of the food. The guide (5) can be a reflector e.g. with a parabolic section (radiation heating oven), or a shutter to direct the air. blown by a fan (convection oven). The sensor can be a photocell sensing the light emitted by an illuminator (e.g. a diode), or a digital image recorder like a camera.

Description

Description AN OVEN

[0001] The present invention relates to an oven that provides the cooking process to be implemented effectively.

[0002] Various implementations have been developed related to directing the heat for providing efficient and homogeneous cooking in the ovens.

[0003] In state of the art implementations, without taking into account the state of cooking in the different regions of the food in the oven energy is directed such that all of the food is heated effectively for realizing homogeneous cooking. Therefore, sometimes energy is transmitted to the already cooked portions of the food thus increasing energy consumption of the oven. On the other hand, in some portions of the food, the problem of overcooking is encountered.

[0004] In order to avert this type of adversities, various implementations have been developed in state of the art.

[0005] In the state of the art Japanese patent application no. JP2152187, an oven is described. The said oven comprises more than one heater that radiate light in different wavelengths. The explanation is given on how rays of different wavelengths are directed individually and/or simultaneously by means of the reflectors various types of cooking can be done depending on the kind of food and personal taste.

[0006] In another state of the art document, the Canadian patent application no.

CA 1262931, an oven is described that comprises a control arrangement for moving the reflectors having a parabolic cross-section, to reflect infra-red radiation to sweep across the whole tray surface. The reflectors are oscillated by means of the movement imparted by the control unit thereby achieving a substantially uniform cooking.

[0007] However, in these state of the art implementations, since how much the different regions of the food are cooked is not known, it is not possible to direct heat to the portion of the food that is cooked less.

[0008] Another state of the art implementation is explained in the Canadian patent application no. CA2302416. In the said application, the power transmitted to at least one of the heaters is either increased or decreased in order to maintain homogeneous cooking of the food.

[0009] The object of the present invention is to design an oven wherein the less cooked regions of the food are detected and cooking is intensified in those portions, thereby implementing an effective cooking. [0010] The oven designed to fulfill the objective of the present invention comprises a color sensor for determining the less cooked regions of the food, at least one guide for directing the heat to those regions in order to implement a more intensified cooking and a control unit that controls the movement of the guide in accordance with the data received from the color sensor.

[0011] The data collected by the sensor is delivered to the control unit, the control unit moves the guide such that heat is directed towards the less cooked region of the food by controlling the movement means in accordance with this data.

[0012] In an embodiment of the present invention, the oven is an oven that cooks by way of convection. When a less cooked region is detected by the color sensor, the shutters that are situated in front of the blowing holes that blow air into the cooking chamber are moved such that air is directed towards that less cooked region. Consequently, the heated air firstly contacts with the less cooked food and transfers most of its energy thereto providing to rapidly cook that region.

[0013] In another embodiment of the present invention, the oven cooks by way of radiation. When a less cooked region is detected by the color sensor, the reflector(s) situated behind the heater are moved such that the rays emitted by the heater are directed towards the less cooked region. Accordingly, the rays firstly contact with the less cooked food and transfer most of their energy thereto providing to rapidly cook that region.

[0014] In an alternative version of this embodiment, halogen infrared heaters are utilized. For each heater, a reflector is used, preferably having a parabolic cross-section and disposed such that the heater is encircled from the top.

[0015] The color sensor used in an embodiment of the present invention comprises a diode that emits light of different colors and a photocell that detects the reflected quantity of this light. For each region on the food, different colors are emitted from the diode sequentially and for each color the amount of reflected light to the photocell is determined. Accordingly, a color data is formed for each region and by comparing these data, the information on the condition of cooking is reached.

[0016] In another embodiment of the present invention, the color sensor is a digital image recorder. The digital images of the different regions of the food emplaced in the tray are recorded in the memory of the control unit and the information on the condition of cooking is reached by comparing these images.

[0017] In an embodiment of the present invention, comparison is made between the data gathered by the color sensor from the different regions of the food at any time during cooking. If at that moment, one region of the food is somewhat lighter in color by a predetermined amount than another region, then it is decided that this region is less cooked and heat is directed thereupon. At a later detection time, if the lightness in color of the said region is greater than the predetermined amount, then direction is ended.

[0018] In another embodiment of the present invention, the first data about each region before the start of cooking is saved in the memory in order to detect the less cooked region of the food. During cooking, for each region, the difference between this first data and the data collected at a time in cooking is determined. This difference is compared with the difference determined for the other regions to decide whether or not the regions are less cooked.

[0019] The oven designed to fulfill the objective of the present invention is illustrated in the attached figures, where:

[0020] Rgure 1 - is the front perspective of the oven in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Rgure 2 - is the front perspective of the oven in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] The elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows:

1. Oven

2. Outer cabin

3. Cooking chamber

4. Heater

5. Guide

6. Color sensor

7. Movement means

8. Control unit

9. Tray

[0023] The oven (1) comprises an outer cabin (2) a cooking chamber (3) positioned inside this outer cabin (2) and at least one heater (4) at least one guide (5) for directing the heat generated by the heater (4) and a color sensor (6) that determines the cooking condition of the different regions of the food.

[0024] The oven (1) of the present invention comprises a control unit (8) that controls the movement of the guides (5) by means of the data collected by the color sensor (6) and delivered thereto.

[0025] The oven (1) of the present invention comprises at least one tray (9) which can be disposed in the cooking chamber (3) in which food to be cooked is emplaced and a movement means (7) that provides the movement of the guides (5)

[0026] In an embodiment of the present invention, the movement means (7) comprises a motor and transmission elements that transfer the movement received from the motor to the guides (5)

[0027] When cooking is to be done, the tray (9) containing the food thereon is disposed inside the cooking chamber (3) When the control unit (8) decides that some portion of the food is less cooked than the other portions according to the data received from the color sensor (6) during cooking, the movement means (7) is operated. The guide(s) (5) are moved by the movement means (7) such that heat is directed towards the less cooked region of the food.

[0028] In an embodiment of the present invention, cooking is carried out in the oven (1) by way of convection. In this embodiment, the oven (1) comprises at least one Ian that activates the air and a rear wall that divides the volume of the cooking chamber (3) into two such that a region is formed wherein the Ian and the heater (4) are situated. On the rear wall suction holes are arranged providing air to be aspirated from the cooking chamber (3) and blowing holes that provide the air activated by the fan to be blown into the cooking chamber (3) In this embodiment, the guide (5) is a shutter disposed in front of the blowing holes. When the control unit (8) detects a less cooked region according to the color data detected by the color sensor (6) the guide (5) is moved such that the air blown through the blowing holes into the cooking chamber (3) is directed towards the less cooked region. Accordingly, the heated air firstly gets in contact with the less cooked region of the food and transfers most of its energy to that region, providing to cook that region rapidly.

[0029] In another embodiment of the present invention, the oven (1) cooks by way of radiation. In this embodiment, the guide (5) is a reflector disposed behind the heater (4) When a less cooked region is detected by the color sensor (6) the guide(s) (5) disposed behind the heater (4) are moved such that the rays emitted by the heater (4) are directed towards that region. Accordingly, the rays firstly get in contact with the less cooked region of the food and provide to cook that region rapidly.

[0030] In an alternative version of this embodiment, halogen infrared tube shaped heaters (4) are used. The heaters (4) are disposed parallel to the ceiling of the cooking chamber (3) For each heater (4) a guide (5) is used, preferably having a parabolic cross- section, such that the heater (4) is encircled from above.

[0031] In an embodiment of the present invention, the color sensor (6) comprises a diode (transmitter) that emits lights of different colors and a photocell (receiver) for detecting the returning quantity of this emitted light. For each region on the food different colors are emitted from the diode sequentially and for each color the amount of reflected light to the photocell is determined. Accordingly, a color data is compiled for each region and the control unit (8) reaches the information on the condition of cooking by comparing these data.

[0032] In another embodiment of the present invention, the color sensor (6) is a digital image recorder. The digital images of different regions of the food emplaced in the tray (9) are recorded in the memory of the control unit (8) and the information on the condition of cooking is reached by comparing these images.

[0033] In an embodiment of the present invention, at any time (tl) during cooking, the color data (R _A, R_B ..., R_z) obtained by the color sensor (6) from different regions of the food are compared by the control unit (8) for determining the less cooked region of the food. If at that time (tl) there is a difference greater than a predetermined value between the color (R_A) of one region of the food (A) and that of another region (B) or the average of the other regions (AVER_{B z}) the control unit (8) decides that the region (A) is less cooked and directs the heat to that region (A) by moving the guides (5) If at a later measuring time (tl) the difference determined by the control unit (8) is less than a predetermined amount, then the guides (5) are brought back to their initial positions and directing of heat is ended.

[0034] In another embodiment of the present invention, a first color data (R _t0) of each region (A-Z) before the start of cooking is compiled by the color sensor (6) and recorded in the memory of the control unit (8) for determining the less cooked region of the food. During cooking, the difference (ΔR_tlA, ΔR_tlB,... , ΔR_tlz) for each region (A-Z) between this first data (R _t0A, R₁₀B,- • , Rtoz) and the data (R _tlA, R_UB,- , Rtiz) received at the next measuring time (tl) is determined. The difference value (ΔR _tlA) determined for one region (A) is compared with the difference value (ΔR _tlB) of another region (B) or the average of differences (AVEΔR _{tlB z}) of the other regions (B-Z) by the control unit (8) If the result of the comparison is greater than a predetermined value, the control unit (8) decides that the region (A) is less cooked and directs the heat to that region (A) by moving the guides (5) At a later measuring time (t2) if the result of the said comparison is less than a predetermined value for the said region (A) determined by the control unit (8) by means of the color data compiled by the color sensor (6) the guides (5) are moved to their normal positions, so as to end the directing of heat. By means of the oven (1) of the present invention, the less cooked regions of the food are determined and the heat generated by the heater (4) is directed to those regions, thus cooking the food more effectively. By means of the present invention, the time and energy spent for the cooking process is decreased and furthermore homogeneous cooking is provided.

Claims

[0001] An oven (1) comprising an outer cabin (2), a cooking chamber (3) positioned inside this outer cabin

(2), at least one heater (4), at least one guide (5) for directing the heat generated by the heater (4) and a movement means (7) that provides the required drive for the movement of the guides (5) and characterized by a color sensor (6) that determines the cooking condition of the different regions of the food according to the color data and a control unit (8) to which the color data determined by the color sensor (6) is delivered, that moves the guides (5) such that heat is directed to the less cooked regions of the food upon deciding that one region of the food is cooked less than the other parte of the food in accordance with this data.

[0002] An oven (1) as in Claim 1, characterized by at least one fan situated in the cooking chamber

(3) that activates the air for convection cooking and a guide (5) that directe the air blown by the fan to the less cooked region of the food.

[0003] An oven (1) as in Claim 1, characterized by a heater (4) providing to cook by radiation and a guide (5) in the form of a reflector, disposed behind the heater

(4).

[0004] An oven (1) as in Claim 3, characterized by a guide

(5), preferably with a parabolic cross-section, one disposed behind each heater (4) such that the heater (4) is encircled from above.

[0005] An oven (1) as in any one of the above claims, characterized by a color sensor

(6) comprising a diode that emite lights in different colors and a photocell for detecting the amount of reflected light.

[0006] An oven (1) as in any one of the claims 1 to 4, characterized by a color sensor

(6) which is a digital image recorder.

[0007] An oven (1) as in any one of the above claims, characterized by a control unit

(8), that compares at any time during cooking, the color data (R_A, R_B ..., R_z) collected by the color sensor (6) from different regions of the food for determining the less cooked region of the food and if at that time (tl), there is a difference greater than a predetermined value between the color (R_A) of one region of the food (A) and the color of another region (B) or the average color of the other regions (AVER_{B z}), decides that the region (A) is less cooked and moves the guides (5) via the movement means (7) to direct the heat to that region (A). An oven (1) as in any one of the above claims 1 to 6, characterized by a control unit (8), that records in memory a first color data (R _t0) of the state of each region (A-Z) before the start of cooking for determining the less cooked region of the food and during cooking, determines the difference (ΔR_tlA, ΔR_tlB,... , ΔR_tlz) for each region (A-Z) between this first data (R_t0A, RtoBv _> Rtoz) and the data (R_ti_A, R tiB,... , R_tlz) received at that time (tl) and compares the difference value (ΔR_tlA) determined for one region (A) with the difference value (ΔR_tlB) of another region (B) or the average of differences (AVEΔR_{tlB z}) of the other regions (B-Z) and if the result of comparison is less than a predetermined value, decides that the region (A) is less cooked and moves the guides (5) via the movement means (7) to direct the heat to that region (A).