WO2017178217A1

WO2017178217A1 - Food-item-printing system having a displaceable heating element

Info

Publication number: WO2017178217A1
Application number: PCT/EP2017/057196
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sebastian Erbe; Robert KÜHN; Lucia SCHUSTER
Original assignee: BSH Hausgeräte GmbH
Priority date: 2016-04-14
Filing date: 2017-03-27
Publication date: 2017-10-19
Also published as: DE102016206221A1

Abstract

A description is given of an system (100) for producing a cooked food item (104). The system (100) comprises a set-down surface (105), on which to place a food item (104), and a printing head (101), by means of which edible print substance can be extruded onto the set-down surface (105). The system (100) also comprises a displaceable heating element (110), which is designed to cook print substance and which can be moved, by means of a movement mechanism (114), optionally into an operating state and into a parked state. The heating element (110), in the operating state, is arranged between the printing head (101) and the set-down surface (105). Otherwise, the heating element (110) is located in the parked state outside a trajectory of extruded print substance from the printing head (101) to the set-down surface (105). The system (100) further comprises a control unit (103), which is designed to make it possible for the displaceable heating element (110) to be located in the parked state in order for a three-dimensional arrangement of print substance to be generated, and to activate the printing head (101) in order for a three-dimensional arrangement of print substance to be generated on the set-down surface (105). The control unit (103) is further designed to activate the movement mechanism (114), to transfer the displaceable heating element (110) into the operating state and to activate the heating element (110) so that, by virtue of the three-dimensional arrangement of print substance being cooked, a cooked food item (105) is produced.

Description

Food pressure system with a traversable

heating element

The invention relates to a system for producing an individually printed and cooked food.

Food printers can be used to create a spatial arrangement of pressure mass by means of a print head from an edible print mass. The spatial arrangement of pressure mass can then be cooked in a cooking unit, in particular in an oven, in order to provide an individualized, cooked foodstuff.

To create a pastry-like appearance and pastry-typical taste of a food from a food printer, the surface temperature of the food to be cooked should be heated to the activation temperature of the Maillard reaction. This can e.g. be achieved by heat transfer mechanisms such as heat conduction, free / forced convection and / or radiation. The heat or energy input can be realized either on all sides or at least on the top and / or bottom to obtain a pastry typical food.

The generation of top heat in a food printer is typically difficult (due to the location of the printhead above the array of print mass) due to design constraints. In particular, by means for generating top heat, the range of movement of a printhead can be restricted. Furthermore, a printhead may be damaged by heat generated from above.

The present document addresses the technical problem of providing a system for printing and cooking a foodstuff that can be used to efficiently and gently produce top heat for cooking a foodstuff. The object is solved by the subject matter of the independent patent claim. Advantageous embodiments are defined in particular in the dependent claims, described in the following description or illustrated in the figures of the accompanying drawings. According to one aspect of the invention, a system for producing a cooked food is described. In particular, the system can be used to create a spatial arrangement of pressure mass and then to cook the spatial arrangement of pressure mass by using top heat. The system can be designed as a household appliance that can be placed on a worktop of a kitchen, for example, or can be integrated in a built-in cupboard of a kitchen.

The system includes a shelf for placing a food and a (typically movable) printhead for extruding edible print on the shelf. In addition, the system comprises a movable heating element which is set up to cook pressure mass and which can be selectively moved by means of a movement mechanism into an operating state and into a parking state. In this case, the heating element is arranged in the operating state between the print head and the storage surface, and can thus be used for cooking of printing material. On the other hand, in the parked state, the heating element is outside a trajectory of extruded pressurized mass from the printhead to the deposition surface, so that the heating element does not interfere with the printing process of a spatial arrangement of pressure mass.

The system also includes a control unit configured to cause the traveling heating element to be in the parked state to generate a mass of pressurized mass. The control unit is further configured to control the print head to create a spatial arrangement of print mass on the shelf. After generating at least a part of the spatial arrangement of printing material for a foodstuff to be produced, the control unit can control the movement mechanism in order to bring the movable heating element into the operating state. Furthermore, the control unit can control the heating element to cook cooked food by the spatial arrangement of pressure mass manufacture. In this case, by arranging the heating element between the print head and the storage surface, the cooking of the spatial arrangement of printing material can be carried out at least in part by top heat.

By using a traveling heating element, a compact system can be provided in which a food can be both printed and cooked (especially by top heat).

The heating element can be designed such that the heating element in the operating state forms a planar partition wall between the print head and the storage surface. In particular, the heating element can be designed such that the heating element in the operating state at least partially forms a wall of a closed cooking chamber for cooking the spatial arrangement of pressure mass. In this case, at least partially an upper wall of the cooking chamber can be formed by the heating element. By transferring the heating element from the operating state to the park state, the cooking chamber can be opened and thereby converted into a pressure space for producing a spatial arrangement of pressure mass. The use of a sheet-like heating element allows a particularly efficient cooking of pressure (in particular by means of top heat). The heating element may form a surface that may be bent or kinked at least at one or more locations to transition the heating element from the operating condition to the parked condition. For example, the heating element may comprise a plurality of heating segments, each of which two heating segments are coupled to each other via a coupling movable to form a chain of heating segments. In this case, the heating element can be bent or folded on a clutch to transfer the heating element in the park state. By providing an at least partially flexible heating element, the heating element can be converted into the park state in a particularly efficient manner and stored in a compact manner in the park state.

The heating element (in particular a heating segment) may comprise a heating module which is designed to cook pressure mass and, in the operating state of the heating element, faces the depositing surface so that the heating module can control the spatial arrangement of pressure elements. can heat the mass from above. The heating module may include, for example, a heating resistor and / or an infrared radiator. Furthermore, the heating element (in particular a heating segment) may comprise a thermally insulating layer which is arranged between the heating module and the print head in the operating state of the heating element. By providing one or more heating modules on the counterface facing side, and by providing an insulating layer on the printhead facing side, reliable and energy efficient cooking of print mass and reliable protection of the printhead and other components may be eliminated be ensured of the cooking chamber. The movement mechanism may be configured to transfer the heating element along a guide rail from the park state to the operating state. In this case, the heating element (in particular a heating segment) may comprise one or more guide elements, eg one or more rollers, with which the heating element can be guided along the guide rail. For example, the movement mechanism may comprise a driven wheel which is adapted to pull the heating element by means of a cable, a (train) chain and / or a (train) band in the operating condition and / or in the park state or push. Thus, a reliable transfer between operating condition and parking condition can be ensured. The system may be bounded by a housing (eg cuboid) in which the print head, the heating element and the storage surface are arranged. Through the housing, the cooking chamber can be partially formed. The housing may have a parking area in which the heating element is arranged in the park state. In this case, the parking area may comprise an area in the housing laterally next to and / or below the storage area or comprise an area laterally next to and / or below the cooking space. The movement mechanism may be configured to transfer the heating element for the parking state into the parking space. By providing a dedicated parking area, the heating element can be reliably moved for printing from the trajectory between print head and storage surface.

The system may further include a means for generating heat disposed on or in the tray surface. Alternatively or additionally, other means for cooking of printing material can be provided which make it possible to provide a spatial arrangement. to cook pressure medium within the cooking chamber. By providing further means for cooking pressure mass, the cooking process of a food can be further improved.

It should be noted that all aspects of the system described in this document can be combined in a variety of ways. In particular, the features of the claims can be combined with each other and with each other in a variety of ways.

Furthermore, the invention will be described with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Show

Figure 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary system for making a food; Figure 2 is a juxtaposition of exemplary heating segments; and

Figure 3 is a top plan view of an exemplary food preparation system. As stated earlier, the present document is concerned with the efficient and system-friendly provision of top heat in a food printer. In this connection, FIG. 1 shows an exemplary system 100 for printing and cooking a foodstuff 104. The system 100 may be designed as a domestic appliance, in particular as a domestic appliance, which, for example, is placed on the worktop of a kitchen or installed in a built-in cupboard can be. The system 100 includes a printhead 101 having one or more nozzles for extruding one or more different edible masses onto a tray surface 105 to create a spatial array of print mass. The print head 101 can be moved by means of a guide unit 102 (eg within a certain plane with a certain distance to the storage surface 105). Possibly. can be changed by the guide unit 102, the distance between the print head 101 and storage surface 105 (eg, to extrude layer by layer pressure mass on the support surface 105). The printhead 101 and the guide unit 102 may be actuated by a control unit 103 of the system 100, for example in response to a recipe specifying the positions, amounts and / or types of print mass to be extruded for the production of a particular food 104. Thus, a spatial arrangement of pressure mass on the support surface 105 can be generated in a precise manner, from which a food 104 can be produced by a cooking process.

The system 100 comprises a movable heating element 1 10, which comprises a plurality of heating segments 1 1 1, which are connected via clutches 1 12 in series with each other, thus forming a surface with which a cooking chamber 120 within the system 100 of can be covered above. The cooking chamber 120 can be formed on the lower side at least partially by the storage surface 105 and on the upper side at least partially by the movable heating element 1 10.

After completion of the printing operation, the movable heating element 1 10 by a movement mechanism 1 14 (eg by a drive wheel, similar to a cable car) along a guide rail 121 between the spatial arrangement of printing material and the print head 101 are promoted. In particular, such a closed cooking chamber 120 can be formed, which is covered by the top of the heating element 1 10. On the other hand, the movable heating element 110 may be displaced by the movement mechanism 14 to allow the print head 101 to extrude printing compound onto the deposition surface 105. For example, the heating element 1 10 can be transported for this purpose by the movement mechanism 1 14 in a compartment or in a parking area below the storage area 105. In this case, a guide roller 1 15 used to the heating element 1 10 laterally next to the cooking chamber 120 from the top of the cooking chamber 120 to the tray below the shelf surface 105 to lead (or vice versa). As shown in Fig. 1, the movement mechanism 1 14 (similar to a cable car) one or more drive wheels 1 14 and one or more ropes comprise 1 13, with the heating segments 1 1 1 at the respective ends of the juxtaposition of heating segments 1 1 1 are connected. The movement mechanism 1 14 can be controlled by the control unit 103. Fig. 3 shows a top plan view of a section of the system 100. In particular, Fig. 3 illustrates how by the flat (eg rectangular) heating segments 1 1 1, a planar heating element 1 10 is formed by the movement mechanism 1 14 along the one or a plurality of guide rails 1 13 can be pulled over a food to be cooked 104 (ie over a spatial arrangement of pressure mass) to form a closed cooking chamber 120, and to separate the print head 101 of the cooking chamber 120.

The system 100 may include other means 122 for generating heat. The means 122 may be arranged in or on the storage surface 105. Thus, e.g. a bottom heat for baking a food 104 may be provided. The means 122 and / or the heating element 110 may be driven by the control unit 103 (e.g., depending on a recipe specifying parameters of a cooking process).

Fig. 2 shows an exemplary juxtaposition of heating segments 1 1 1 in a side view. A heating segment 1 1 1 may comprise a guide roller or guide roller 201 which interacts with the one or more guide rails 121 to guide the heating segment 11 1 in a reliable manner over the food 104 to be cooked or below the storage surface 105. Furthermore, the heating segment 1 1 1 may include a heating module 203 that is configured to generate heat. In this case, the heating module 203 is arranged such that the heating module 203 faces the food 104 when the heating segment 1 1 1 is above the food 104 (ie in the operating state). The heating module 203 may comprise eg a heating wire and / or an IR (infrared emitter) The heating segment 1111 may further comprise a heat insulating layer 202 arranged such that the heat insulating layer 202 is sandwiched between the heating module 203 and the printhead 101 When the heating segment 11 1 is arranged above the food 104. By providing a heat-insulating layer 202, an impairment of the print head 101 during the cooking process can be avoided and an increase in the efficiency of the cooking process can be effected. In the described system 100, after the printing process or between sections of a printing process, a displaceable heating element 110 can be positioned above the food 104 and thus a heat transfer from above (ie from the ceiling) to the food 104 below can be made possible. The heating element 1 10 comprises one or more heating segments 1 1 1, for example, as heating circuits which may be connected in series and / or in parallel with each other. The heating element 110 may have a certain resistance R in [Q] and a certain area power P [W / cm2] for a given voltage supply. The heating segments 1 1 1 are constructed such that heat radiation (eg IR radiation) is emitted on the side facing the food 104. In this case, the heating module 203 of a heating segment 1 1 1 different technologies are based (eg: a ceramic IR radiator, an IR LED, a halogen radiator, a quartz heater, a thin-film element, a thick-film element, a wire of Heizleiterlegierungen, etc.). Preferably, the maximum of the average band emissivity of the radiator surface of a heating module 203 is in a wavelength range that is matched to the food to be cooked or to the food category. In other words, the heating module 203 may depend on the pressure mass to be cooked. Thus, the heat transfer efficiency can be improved. Above the heating module 203, a thermal insulator 202 may be arranged, which has the function of minimizing heat (ie energy) transmitted to the rear (on the side facing away from the food 104). It is thus possible to protect temperature-sensitive components (eg the print head 101, the control unit 103 (eg a controller), one or more motors of the guide unit 102 and / or the movement mechanism 14) from overheating during the baking process. The heating segments 1 1 1 are connected to each other with a movable connection or coupling 1 12 (eg, a hinge and / or a spring), so that a flat and flexible heating element 1 10 is formed. The connection or coupling 1 12 can be designed to transmit electrical energy for supplying the heating modules 203. The connection or coupling 1 12 is preferably constructed so that it forms a minimum or no gap between the individual heating segments 1 1 1 in the operating state of the top heat. For this purpose, a compound or coupling 1 12 a toothing (Tongue and groove principle) of adjacent heating segments 1 1 1 have. In other words, the coupling 1 12 between two adjacent heating segments 1 1 1 may have a toothing, so that the heating segments 1 1 1 at least partially engage with each other. Thus, a well-closed cooking chamber 120 can be formed. The heating segments 1 1 1 can be performed on a rail 121, which can also be used to power the heating modules 203.

If a baking process is to take place between two phases of a printing process or after the printing process, then the top heat heating element 110 can be conveyed, via the rolling door principle, over the food 104 into an operating position or into an operating state. After completion of the baking process, the top heat-heating element 1 10 can then be moved back to a parking position or in a parked state.

The system 100 may have access to remove the baked food 104 from the system 100. The access can e.g. by a flap on a side wall of the system 100. In this case, the access may be arranged in a region of the system 100 which differs from the parking region for the heating element 110. Thus, a reliable access to a cooked food 104 can be ensured.

The 3D food printer 100 described in this document makes it possible to bake / cook a printed food item 104 with top / bottom heat without affecting the print head 10 and other components of a printing unit. Furthermore, the heating element 110 described in this document enables the provision of a compact foodstuff printer 100, since in particular no separate chambers are required for the printing process and for the baking or cooking process.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown. In particular, it should be noted that the description and figures are intended to illustrate only the principle of the proposed system.

Claims

A system (100) for producing a cooked food (104), the system comprising (100)

- A shelf (105) for placing a food (104);

- A print head (101), can be extruded onto the shelf surface (105) with the edible printing material;

- A movable heating element (1 10), which is adapted to cook pressure mass, and which can be moved by a movement mechanism (1 14) selectively in an operating condition and in a parking state; wherein the heating element (1 10) in the operating state between the print head (101) and the storage surface (105) is arranged; and wherein the heating element (110) in the park state is outside a trajectory of extruded pressurized mass from the printhead (101) to the deposition surface (105); and

a control unit (103) which is set up

- to cause the movable heating element (1 10) is in the park state for generating a spatial arrangement of pressure mass;

- to drive the print head (101) to produce a spatial arrangement of printing material on the support surface (105);

- to control the movement mechanism (1 14) to convert the movable heating element (1 10) in the operating state; and

- To control the heating element (1 10) to produce by cooking the spatial arrangement of pressure mass a cooked food (105).

System (100) according to claim 1, wherein the heating element (1 10) comprises a heating module (203) which is adapted to cook pressure mass, and which in the operating state of the heating element (1 10) faces the support surface (105), so that the heating module (203) can heat the spatial arrangement of pressure mass from above.

The system (100) of claim 2, wherein the heating element (110) comprises a thermally insulating layer (202) disposed between the heating module (203) and the printhead (101) in the operating condition of the heating element (110).

System (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the heating element (1 10) comprises a plurality of heating segments (1 1 1), of which in each case two heating segments (1 1 1) via a coupling (1 12) are movably coupled together, to form a chain of heating segments (1 1 1).

The system (100) of claim 4, wherein the heating element (110) on a coupling (1 12) can be bent or folded to place the heating element (1 10) in the parked state.

System (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the heating element (1 10) is designed to form a planar partition wall between the print head (101) and storage surface (105) in the operating state.

System (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the movement mechanism (1 14) is adapted to transfer the heating element (1 10) along a guide rail (121) from the park state to the operating state.

System (100) according to claim 7, wherein the heating element (1 10) comprises one or more guide elements (201), in particular one or more rollers, with which the heating element (1 10) along the guide rail (121) can be performed.

System (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein

- The system (100) is limited by a housing in which the print head (101), the heating element (1 10) and the storage surface (105) are arranged;

- The housing has a parking area in which the heating element (1 10) is arranged in the park state; and

- The parking area comprises an area in the housing laterally next to and / or below the shelf surface (105).

A system (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the heating element (110) forms a surface which can be bent or kinked at least at one or more locations to move the heating element (110) from the operative condition to the parked condition convict.

A system (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the moving mechanism (1 14) comprises a driven wheel adapted to move the heating element (1 10) into the shaft by means of a cable, a chain, and / or a belt (1 13) Operating condition and / or to the park state to pull or push.

12. System (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the movement mechanism (1 14) is adapted to transfer the heating element (1 10) for the parking state in a parking space, the side next to and / or below a the storage surface (105). comprehensive cooking chamber (120) is arranged for cooking the spatial arrangement of pressure mass.

The system (100) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the system (100) comprises means (122) for generating heat disposed on or in the shelf (105).

14. System (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the heating element (1 10) is formed such that the heating element (1 10) in the operating state at least partially forms a wall of a closed cooking chamber (120) for cooking the spatial arrangement of pressure mass ,

A system (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the system (100) is formed as a domestic appliance that can be placed in a kitchen of a household.