WO2022184483A1

WO2022184483A1 - Method for operating a cooking appliance, and cooking appliance

Info

Publication number: WO2022184483A1
Application number: PCT/EP2022/054209
Authority: WO
Inventors: Niels OHRMANN; Volker Ennen
Original assignee: Miele & Cie. Kg
Priority date: 2021-03-02
Filing date: 2022-02-21
Publication date: 2022-09-09
Also published as: US20240142107A1; EP4302017A1; DE102021104990A1; KR20230150850A

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for operating a cooking appliance (1), which comprises a treatment chamber (2) with an opening (3) for filling the treatment chamber (2), a door (4) for closing the opening (3) of the treatment chamber (2), a control device (5), and a safety device (6). The safety device (6) checks the treatment chamber (2) for the presence of a living being and/or an object which could potentially disrupt operation and, if the safety device (6) detects the presence of a living being and/or an object which could potentially disrupt operation in the treatment chamber (2), the control device (6) prevents the operation of the domestic appliance (1) and/or limits the operation of the domestic appliance (1) to certain operating states. The cooking appliance (1) according to the invention comprises a treatment chamber (2) with an opening (3) for filling the treatment chamber (2), a door (4) for closing the opening (3) of the treatment chamber (2), a control device (5), and at least one safety device (6). The safety device (6) and the control device (5) are suitable and designed for carrying out the method according to the invention.

Description

description

Method for operating a cooking appliance and cooking appliance

The present invention relates to a method for operating a cooking appliance which comprises at least one treatment chamber with at least one opening for filling the treatment chamber, at least one door for closing the opening of the treatment chamber, at least one control device and at least one safety device. The present invention also relates to a cooking appliance which is suitable and designed to carry out such a method.

For user-friendly control or operation of a cooking appliance, it is generally desirable that operation as such requires only a small or minimal number of operating steps and/or settings and/or that flexible operation of the cooking appliance is made possible in order to achieve the desired goal - and to achieve a desired result in a timely manner.

In particular under these conditions, the often diverse functions of a cooking appliance are perceived as advantageous by a user and are also used or applied. It is particularly convenient if a user can start the operation of a cooking appliance at the push of a button, regardless of location, i.e. also remotely, and a reliable operating sequence then takes place, which can optionally also be monitored and/or controlled by automatic programs.

For this purpose, various cooking devices with a treatment room have become known, which can be controlled remotely using a remote control. In particular, cooking appliances have become known in which the cooking process of a food item is started by means of a remote control and is controlled by automatic programs. In view of the reliability and practicability of such remote-controllable or remote-controllable cooking appliances, it is desirable to further improve the known solutions and make them even more user-friendly.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a method which enables particularly reliable and user-friendly operation of a cooking appliance, in particular remote operation.

This object is achieved by a method having the features of claim 1 and a cooking appliance having the features of claim 17. Preferred developments of the invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims. Further advantages and features of the invention result from the exemplary embodiment. The method according to the invention is used to operate a cooking appliance which comprises at least one treatment chamber with at least one opening for filling the treatment chamber, at least one door for closing the opening of the treatment chamber, at least one control device and at least one safety device. The safety device checks the treatment room for the presence of at least one living being and/or at least one potentially operationally disruptive object and, if the safety device detects the presence of at least one living being and/or at least one potentially operationally disruptive object in the treatment room, the control device prevents operation of the household appliance and/or restricts the operation of the household appliance to certain operating states.

According to the invention, stopping operation means in particular that risky operation of the cooking appliance and/or operation as a whole is stopped and/or that the control device only permits operating states in which the presence of at least one living being and /or at least one potentially operationally disruptive object in the treatment room does not pose a risk to the at least one living being and/or the cooking appliance and/or the surroundings of the cooking appliance.

Such a non-critical operating state can be, for example, switching on a display, a camera, a data connection and/or, in the case of cooking devices, e.g. B. switching on the cooking chamber lighting or the like. However, depending on the requirement and design, low-risk or risk-free operating states or operating modes can also be permitted. Here, for example, a temperature limit can be provided for cooking appliances, in particular with a cooking chamber, e.g. B. 30 ° C, or generally in cooking devices, a humidity of less than 60% or the like or small movements, z. B. no or extremely few revolutions per minute at slow speed. It can also be ensured that it is not possible to add water or pump out water.

The cooking appliance is in particular a cooking appliance such as an oven, a microwave or a steam cooker, in which the at least one treatment chamber is at least one cooking chamber for preparing food.

Before the cooking appliance is put into operation, the safety device preferably checks the treatment room for the presence of at least one living being and/or at least one potentially operationally disruptive object. Depending on the design and function of the cooking appliance, however, it is also possible for the safety device to additionally or exclusively check the treatment room for the presence of at least one living being and/or at least one potentially operationally disruptive object during operation of the cooking appliance. The living being for which the treatment room is checked is, in particular, alive and preferably a human and/or a mammal such as e.g. B. a dog, a cat or a hamster. However, the living being can preferably also be a bird or a reptile.

The potentially malfunctioning object is in particular an unsuitable object for the cooking appliance, which the cooking appliance z. B. damaged. However, the potentially operationally disruptive object can preferably also be a safety-relevant object. With such it can be z. B. be a flammable object such as a newspaper, a stuffed animal and / or a piece of clothing. It can also be an electronic device and in particular an electronic device with an energy store such as a mobile phone. Then, for example, before the cooking appliance is put into operation, it can be determined whether a cell phone and/or another “wearable” or technical device was accidentally placed in the receiving space. Depending on the task and design of the cooking appliance, different items can potentially disrupt operation and/or be unsuitable and/or relevant to safety. It can be in a cooking appliance such as an oven depending on the design z. B. should preferably also be checked whether non-oven-suitable functional crockery has been placed in the cooking chamber.

One aspect is that the object interfering with operation can also be an item to be cooked or an item to be cooked, in which case what is disruptive to operation is then related to the current state of the item to be cooked or the item to be cooked. For example, a cake or yeast dough can rise too much and possibly touch the heating elements of the top heat or run out of the bowl or form. It is also possible that an item to be cooked behaves unexpectedly, for example a grill spit stops rotating, a container or sous-vide bag leaks or a lid opens.

In general, the safety device preferably checks the treatment room of the cooking appliance for the presence of at least one safety-relevant object, which preferably includes a living being and/or in particular an object that could potentially disrupt operations.

The cooking appliance is preferably suitable and designed to be controlled and/or operated with at least one mobile operating device such as a mobile phone, smartphone, tablet computer, or generally a remote control. The cooking appliance and/or the at least one control device preferably includes at least one suitable communication device in order to receive control signals from at least one mobile operating device.

The at least one safety device is preferably accommodated by at least one wall or surface that encloses and/or forms the treatment space and/or at least partially integrated into one. Depending on the design and configuration, the safety device can preferably also be integrated into the treatment room at least in sections. In general, the safety device is preferably accommodated by the household appliance.

In advantageous developments, the at least one control device is accommodated by the cooking appliance. However, it can also preferably be present separately or spatially separate from the cooking appliance. In particular, the at least one control device can be provided by a cloud or a cloud service.

The safety device and the control device are preferably suitable and designed to communicate with one another, so that at least the safety device sends a signal to the control device when it detects at least one living being and/or at least one potentially operationally disruptive object in the treatment chamber of the cooking appliance, whereupon the control device preferably starts operation of the cooking appliance completely or at least partially prevents or restricts the operation, as already explained above, in such a way that essentially only uncritical or low-risk or risk-free functions can be selected or used.

The at least one safety device and the at least one control device are particularly preferably designed as a common assembly. In particular, however, they can also be present as separate components or spatially separated from one another.

Preferably, the safety device includes several assemblies such. B. at least one sensor, at least one evaluation device and / or at least one communication device.

The door preferably serves to at least partially close the opening of the treatment chamber, in particular during operation of the cooking appliance.

In expedient developments, the control device completely prevents the operation of the cooking appliance and/or restricts the operation of the cooking appliance to specific functions.

The method according to the invention has many advantages. A significant advantage is that the safety device checks the treatment room for the presence of at least one living being and/or at least one potentially disruptive object and, if the safety device detects the presence of at least one living being and/or at least one potentially disruptive object in the treatment room, the control device prevents the operation of the household appliance. Such a method is particularly user-friendly, since it allows a very flexible and simple operation of a cooking appliance, in particular remote operation using a mobile operating device. It is therefore not necessary to first manually set a cooking appliance to a remotely controllable or remotely controllable state and/or mode on the appliance before remote operation. In particular, such a state and / or mode is often associated with known cooking devices with the locking of the treatment room door, which can only by z. B. entering a code can be unlocked, and is therefore very cumbersome and user-unfriendly to operate the cooking appliance. These disadvantages are overcome with the method according to the invention for operating a cooking appliance and the cooking appliance according to the invention, and a more user-friendly solution is made available which is also very reliable and safe at the same time.

In particular, the method according to the invention enables reliable monitoring of safety-related cooking appliances or such cooking appliances for which some considerable safety regulations must be observed, which means that incorrect operation of the cooking appliance by z. B. children, seniors and / or people with dementia can be largely prevented. This possibility of remote monitoring of a cooking appliance makes the method according to the invention for operating a cooking appliance according to the invention even more user-friendly.

The safety device preferably comprises at least one camera device, by means of which at least a section of the treatment room can be recorded.

The at least one camera device preferably records at least one sequence of images of at least one section of the treatment room.

Particularly preferably, the at least one camera device records at least one video of at least one section of the treatment room.

The camera device is preferably arranged in such a way that it captures the largest possible section of the treatment room, in particular the entire treatment room.

In advantageous developments, at least one image recorded by the camera device, in particular a sequence of images, is displayed on a suitable display on and/or in the vicinity of the household appliance.

At least one image recorded by the camera device, in particular a sequence of images, is preferably sent to a mobile operating device of the cooking appliance, such as a mobile phone, tablet computer or the like. At least one image recorded by the camera device is then preferably sent to a mobile operating device of the cooking appliance before a control command sent by a mobile operating device to the cooking appliance is executed.

In advantageous developments, the at least one image sent to a mobile operating device of the cooking appliance, in particular a sequence of images, is provided with at least one time signature and/or with at least one security signature such as e.g. B. provided with a hash code.

The at least one safety device or the at least one camera device and/or at least one evaluation device preferably automatically detects at least one living being and/or at least one potentially operationally disruptive object in the at least one recorded image and/or the at least one sequence of images, in particular a video.

The at least one camera device preferably includes at least one image sensor, with the image sensor being used to take at least two recordings that are offset in time and these are preferably compared by an evaluation device of the safety device. If such an evaluation device preferably detects at least one displacement of at least one safety-relevant object in the treatment room without z. B. the door was opened between the staggered recordings, it preferably sends at least one signal to the control device. The control device can then, in particular, send a warning to a user and/or preferably prevent the operation of the household appliance, in particular simultaneously or subsequently.

Preferably, the at least one camera device and/or the evaluation device of such a safety device recognizes a movement and/or color and/or shape or contour that is characteristic of at least one living being.

The security device particularly preferably comprises at least one infrared camera and/or at least one near-infrared spectrometer.

The at least one infrared camera and/or the at least one near-infrared spectrometer preferably detects at least one living being and/or at least one potentially operationally disruptive object in the treatment room, in particular before the cooking appliance is put into operation.

Particularly preferably, the at least one infrared camera and/or the at least one near-infrared spectrometer recognizes the temperature of objects located in the treatment room and thus, in particular, at least one living being is detected. Preferably, the at least one infrared camera and/or the at least one near-infrared spectrometer makes it possible to distinguish at least one living being from at least one food based on the temperature or the temperature profile.

In particular, the at least one near-infrared spectrometer can also be controlled by another device such as e.g. B. a device for food recognition includes or the

Safety device are preferably provided by such a device.

In particularly preferred developments, the security device comprises at least one motion sensor and/or at least one presence sensor and/or at least one vibration sensor. The at least one movement sensor preferably detects at least one movement in the treatment room that is characteristic of a living being. A vibration and/or a movement of an object in the treatment room caused by a living being can also be detected in particular by the movement sensor.

The at least one movement sensor preferably detects the movement of an object in the treatment room by means of infrared measurement.

The at least one presence sensor particularly preferably detects the presence of at least one living being in the treatment room.

Preferably, the at least one vibration sensor detects at least one vibration, as is typically caused by a living being such. B the vibration caused by a movement of a child of at least one of the walls enclosing the treatment room.

A wall enclosing the treatment room is in particular a wall or surface which delimits the treatment room or by which the treatment room is formed. Preferably, the treatment room of walls or surfaces such. B. side walls, rear wall, door, floor and ceiling delimited or formed.

In advantageous developments, the safety device includes at least one sensor for detecting a change in an electrical and/or magnetic and/or electromagnetic field in the treatment room. At least one sensor preferably detects at least one change in the field distribution of an electromagnetic field such as e.g. B. a change in modes and/or reflected power. Preferably, such an electromagnetic field or electromagnetic Low-power waves provided by a separate transmitter and/or also included in the safety device.

In expedient developments, the at least one sensor comprised by the safety device can detect at least one change in at least one electric and/or magnetic field, which z. B. caused by a baking tray pushed into an oven.

Preferably, the security device recognizes the position and/or size and/or the shape or contour of an object such as e.g. B. a baking tray pushed into an oven.

The safety device particularly preferably recognizes the size and/or the position and/or the shape or contour of at least one object in the treatment room and draws conclusions from this about the presence of at least a second, in particular operationally disruptive, object and/or at least one living being.

The position and/or size of at least one object introduced into the treatment chamber, such as in particular the position and/or size of at least one cooking utensil or cooking utensil introduced into the cooking chamber of a cooking appliance, is preferably detected.

Conclusions are preferably drawn from the detected position and/or size and/or shape or contour of at least one object introduced into the treatment room as to the undivided volume freely available for a living being.

In expedient developments, conclusions about the presence of at least one living being are drawn from the undivided volume freely available to a living being.

A freely available undivided volume is in particular a volume in which a living being can find space or in which a living being can be present.

The safety device for detecting the position and/or the size of at least one object introduced into the treatment room preferably comprises at least one switch which is actuated by and/or during the pushing in or introduction of an object into the treatment room. In particular, such a switch can be designed as a toggle and/or electrical conductivity or electrical contact switch or the like.

The safety device preferably includes at least one ultrasonic sensor. The at least one ultrasonic sensor preferably measures at least one distance and/or at least one change in distance in the at least one treatment room.

The safety device and/or the at least one ultrasonic sensor particularly preferably uses the at least one measured distance and/or the at least one measured change in distance to draw conclusions about the presence of at least one object in the at least one treatment room.

Preferably, the safety device and/or the at least one ultrasonic sensor uses the at least one measured distance and/or the at least one measured change in distance to draw conclusions about the undivided volume freely available to a living being.

In expedient developments, the safety device and/or the at least one ultrasonic sensor uses the measured distance and/or the at least one measured change in distance to draw conclusions about the presence of at least one living being in the at least one treatment room.

The safety device particularly preferably comprises at least one weight sensor. The weight can also be used to draw conclusions about objects and/or living beings that are disruptive to operation.

The at least one weight sensor is preferably accommodated on at least one bottom wall.

The floor wall is in particular a wall or surface which forms the floor of the treatment room or which closes off or delimits the treatment room at the bottom.

The at least one weight sensor preferably detects at least one change in weight of the base wall.

Preferably, the at least one weight sensor detects at least the insertion of an object such as e.g. B. a cooking and / or cooking utensil by a change in weight of at least a portion of the treatment space enclosing wall or surfaces.

In preferred developments, the safety device comprises at least one gas sensor which is suitable and designed to detect a change in the concentration of at least one gas in the treatment room. The at least one gas sensor is preferably suitable and designed to detect at least one change in the O ₂ and/or CO ₂ concentration in the treatment room.

The gas sensor preferably detects at least one drop in the O ₂ concentration.

In expedient developments, the gas sensor detects at least one increase in the CO ₂ concentration.

The safety device particularly preferably detects at least one bending and/or at least one distortion of at least one of the walls enclosing the treatment room and/or of a section of a wall.

At least one bending and/or at least one distortion of the wall or surface is preferably detected, which forms the floor of the treatment room or which closes off or delimits the treatment room at the bottom.

The safety device preferably comprises at least one light-sensitive sensor which detects at least one change in the light intensity in the treatment room.

In particular, the at least one light-sensitive sensor is a brightness sensor.

The safety device preferably comprises a number of light-sensitive sensors which are arranged in different areas and/or sections of the treatment room.

In expedient developments, the safety device detects at least one change in the light intensity on a first light-sensitive sensor relative to the change in light intensity on at least one second light-sensitive sensor.

The at least one light-sensitive sensor preferably detects at least one variation in the light intensity over time. In particular, the at least one light-sensitive sensor detects at least one variation in the light intensity over time, which indicates a movement of a living being.

In advantageous developments, the safety device detects at least one change in the flow profile and/or the flow intensity of the air in the treatment room. The safety device preferably detects at least one change in an air movement caused by at least one fan and/or at least one change in the flow pattern of the air in the treatment room.

The safety device preferably detects at least one change in the power consumption caused by a change in the dynamic pressure in the treatment chamber and/or a change in the speed of at least one fan of the cooking appliance.

The safety device particularly preferably comprises at least one acoustic sensor for detecting at least one acoustic noise.

In particular, the at least one acoustic sensor is designed as at least one microphone or a similar device.

The at least one acoustic sensor preferably detects at least one acoustic noise in the treatment room of the household appliance. A noise is in particular an acoustic signal which z. B. by crawling, climbing, knocking, scratching, scratching,

crying, babble and/or voice or speech.

The safety device preferably detects at least one movement of the door and/or at least one force acting on at least one section of the door.

The safety device preferably detects at least one force acting on at least one suspension and/or at least one bearing and/or at least one hinge of the door.

In particular, the safety device detects a force acting on at least one suspension and/or at least one bearing and/or at least one hinge at least when the door is in an open position in which the opening of the treatment room is open or freely accessible.

In expedient developments, the safety device for detecting at least one force acting on at least one section of the door comprises at least one sensor which is suitable and designed to detect a force acting on the door in the open state.

The sensor is preferably designed in particular as a microswitch, inductive proximity switch and/or electrical contact switch. However, it can preferably also be designed as a magnetic proximity switch and/or as another type of switch. Such a sensor is preferably arranged on and/or in the vicinity of a suspension and/or a bearing and/or a hinge of the door. The safety device preferably detects at least one force acting on at least one section of the door, such as in particular a handle of the door.

The safety device preferably locks the door of the cooking appliance when the latter is in a remotely controllable or remotely controllable state and/or mode.

The safety device particularly preferably detects at least one movement of the door. In particular, opening and/or closing of the door is detected by the safety device.

The safety device preferably detects a rotational movement of a rotatably suspended treatment room and/or a rotatably suspended part of a treatment room.

The rotational movement is particularly preferably detected by evaluating properties of an electric motor connected to the rotatably suspended treatment chamber and/or to the rotatably suspended part of the treatment chamber.

The safety device preferably detects a change in conductivity in and/or on the treatment room and/or in and/or on an object located in the treatment room.

A change in conductivity is particularly preferably detected between at least two contact points that are accessible from the interior of the treatment chamber.

These contact points are particularly preferably positioned on the inside of a rotatable treatment room or an object that is rotatably located in the treatment room.

The safety device preferably detects the emission of signals for wireless communication inside the treatment room.

The signals for wireless communication are particularly preferably emissions from networkable electronic devices. In particular, it can be phones, smart watches, smart glasses, toys, tablets and/or household appliances, parts of household appliances and/or accessories for household appliances.

In particularly preferred developments, the cooking appliance includes a number of safety devices and/or uses signals from a number of safety devices Recognition of at least one living being and/or at least one potentially operationally disruptive object.

The multiple safety devices are preferably suitable and designed to communicate with one another and/or with the at least one control device.

At least one release to operate the cooking appliance is particularly preferably requested by at least one user if at least one living being and/or at least one potentially operationally disruptive object is detected by the at least one safety device in the treatment room.

The possibility of enabling operation of the cooking appliance is preferably dependent on a user's enabling authorization.

In expedient developments, the possibility of enabling the cooking appliance is dependent on the at least one item or object, in particular a potentially operationally disruptive item and/or at least one living being, detected by the safety device.

Operation of the cooking appliance can preferably be completely prevented and/or restricted to specific functions until the user has given permission to operate the cooking appliance.

The possibility of enabling the operation of the cooking appliance is preferably dependent on the installation and/or whereabouts of the cooking appliance and/or the user.

In preferred developments, at least one of z. B. a camera recorded pictorial recording of at least a portion of the treatment room is sent to a user, so that this preferably gives a release to operate the cooking appliance in the event of an error detection by the security device. In this case, an error is identified in particular when the safety device detects at least one living being and/or at least one potentially operationally disruptive object without such a thing being located in the treatment area of the cooking appliance. Depending on the design and function of the cooking appliance and/or the safety device, an acoustic recording from the treatment room can also be sent to the user to enable the cooking appliance. In general, information about objects recognized in the treatment room is preferably made available to a user. In addition, information about the status or operating mode of the cooking device, the arrangement of the cooking device in a room and/or about people present in the vicinity of the cooking device can be provided. In particular, information about the effect of a force on at least one section of the at least one door, in particular a force effect caused by opening the door, can be sent to a user. This information preferably also includes the time of such an event.

The cooking appliance according to the invention comprises at least one treatment room with at least one opening for filling the treatment room, at least one door for closing the opening of the treatment room, at least one control device and at least one safety device. The safety device and the control device are suitable and designed to carry out a method according to one of the preceding claims.

The cooking appliance according to the invention also has the advantages of the method according to the invention.

Further advantages and features of the present invention result from the exemplary embodiments, which are explained below with reference to the attached figure.

FIG. 1 shows a purely schematic representation of an exemplary embodiment of a cooking appliance according to the invention for carrying out a method according to the invention in a perspective view.

FIG. 1 shows, purely schematically, an exemplary embodiment of a cooking appliance 1 according to the invention for carrying out a method according to the invention in a perspective view, the cooking appliance 1 being embodied here as a cooking appliance 100 or oven.

The cooking appliance 100 here comprises a treatment chamber 2 designed as a cooking chamber 101 with an opening 3 for filling the cooking chamber 12, a door 4 for closing the opening 3 of the cooking chamber 101, a control device 5 and a safety device 6. The door 4 of the cooking appliance 100 is located here in a largely open position, so that the cooking chamber 101 can be filled or emptied through the opening 3 .

In the exemplary embodiment illustrated here, the safety device 6 comprises a camera device 8 which is integrated in a wall 7 to the side of the opening of the cooking chamber 101 or of the treatment chamber 2 . The camera device 8 of the safety device 6 is suitable and designed here to record a temporal sequence of images of the entire cooking chamber 101 or treatment chamber 2 . In the exemplary embodiment shown here, the safety device 6 can use the recorded sequence of images to check the cooking chamber 101 for the presence of living beings and/or the presence of objects that could potentially interfere with operation. In the event that the safety device 6 detects a living being and/or a potentially operationally disruptive object in the cooking chamber 101 or the treatment room 2, the safety device 6 here sends a signal to the control device 5, which then stops the operation of the cooking appliance 100 or the Household appliance 1 prevents. The method according to the invention for operating a cooking appliance 1 can thus be carried out with the cooking appliance 100 or household appliance 1 shown here.

Alternatively, as indicated schematically in FIG electric and/or magnetic and/or electromagnetic field, an ultrasonic sensor 15, a weight sensor 16, a gas sensor 17, a light-sensitive sensor 18, an acoustic sensor 19, can be used alone and/or in combination or be included in the safety device.

As indicated schematically in FIG. 1, in another exemplary embodiment, a movement and/or presence sensor 11, 12 can be integrated on and/or in a wall 7 of the cooking chamber 101, which here detects a movement characteristic of a living being or its presence in the Cooking chamber 101 of the cooking appliance 100 is detected.

In another embodiment, a gas sensor 17 can be integrated in a wall 7, which changes a gas concentration z. B. detects an O2 concentration in the cooking chamber 101 and thus enables the safety device 6 to draw conclusions about the presence of a living being and/or an object that is disruptive to operation in the cooking chamber 101 or to recognize such a safety-relevant object.

Furthermore, as indicated schematically in FIG. 1, in another exemplary embodiment, a light-sensitive sensor 18 and/or an acoustic sensor 19 can be accommodated by and/or on the wall 7, which is detected here by detecting a change in light intensity or an acoustic signal from the safety device 6 enable a living being and/or an object interfering with operation to be recognized in the cooking chamber 101 and whereupon the control device 5 prevents and/or restricts the operation of the cooking appliance 100 or the household appliance 1 here.

It is understood according to the invention under the prevention of the operation in addition to the complete prevention or blocking of the operation in particular that only operating states are allowed by the control device 5 in which the presence of at least one living being and / or at least one potentially interfering object in the treatment room no danger for the at least one living being and / or the cooking appliance and / or the environment of the cooking appliance arises.

Such a non-critical operating state can be, for example, switching on a display, a camera, a data connection and/or, in the case of cooking devices, e.g. B. switching on the cooking chamber lighting or the like.

In principle, depending on the configuration, low-risk or risk-free operating states or operating modes can also be permitted according to the invention, which according to this application also falls under the prohibition of the operation of the cooking appliance. Here, for example, a temperature limit can be provided for cooking appliances, in particular with a cooking chamber, e.g. B. 30 ° C, or generally for cooking devices, a humidity of less than 60% or the like. It can also be ensured that no water can be added or water or steam pumped out.

Reference List

1 cooking appliance

2 treatment room 3 opening

4 door

5 controller

6 safety device

7 wall 8 camera device

9 infrared camera

10 near-infrared spectrometers

11 motion sensor

12 Presence sensor 13 Vibration sensor

14 Sensor for detecting the change in an electric and/or magnetic and/or electromagnetic field

15 ultrasonic sensor

16 weight sensor 17 gas sensor

18 photosensitive sensor

19 acoustic sensor

20 rotation sensor

21 Conductivity sensor 22 Sensor for detecting devices for wireless communication

100 cooking device

101 cooking space

Claims

patent claims

1. A method for operating a cooking appliance (1) which has at least one treatment chamber (2) with at least one opening (3) for filling the treatment chamber (2), at least one door (4) for closing the opening (3) of the treatment chamber (2 ), at least one control device (5) and at least one safety device (6), characterized in that the safety device (6) checks the treatment room (2) for the presence of at least one living being and/or at least one potentially operationally disruptive object and that if the safety device (6) detects the presence of at least one living being and/or at least one potentially operationally disruptive object in the treatment room (2), the control device (6) prevents the operation of the household appliance (1) and/or the operation of the household appliance (1). certain operating states.

2. Method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the safety device (6) comprises at least one camera device (8), by means of which at least a section of the treatment room (2) can be recorded.

3. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the safety device (6) comprises at least one infrared camera (9) and / or at least one near-infrared spectrometer (10).

4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the safety device (6) has at least one movement sensor (11) and/or at least one presence sensor (12) and/or at least one vibration sensor (13) and/or at least one rotation sensor (20 ) includes.

5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the safety device (6) comprises at least one sensor (14) for detecting a change in an electric and/or magnetic and/or electromagnetic field in the treatment room (2).

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the safety device (6) comprises at least one sensor (21) for detecting a change in electrical conductivity in the treatment room (2).

7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the safety device (6) has at least one sensor (22) for the detection of

Devices for wireless communication and/or the signals emitted by devices for wireless communication in the treatment room (2).

8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the safety device (6) detects the size and/or the position of at least one object in the treatment room (2) and draws conclusions therefrom about the presence of at least a second, in particular operationally disruptive, object and/or or at least a living creature.

9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the safety device (6) comprises at least one ultrasonic sensor (15).

10. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the safety device (6) comprises at least one weight sensor (16).

11. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the safety device (6) comprises at least one gas sensor (17) which is suitable and designed to detect a change in the concentration of at least one gas in the treatment chamber (2).

12. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the safety device (6) detects at least one bending and/or at least one distortion of at least one of the treatment chamber (2) enclosing walls (7).

13. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the safety device (6) comprises at least one light-sensitive sensor (18) which detects at least one change in the light intensity in the treatment room (2).

14. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the safety device (6) detects at least one change in the flow pattern and/or the flow intensity of the air in the treatment room (2).

15. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the safety device (6) comprises at least one acoustic sensor (19) for detecting at least one acoustic noise.

16. The method as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the safety device (6) detects at least one movement of the door (4) and/or at least one force acting on at least one section of the door (4).

17. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cooking appliance (1) comprises a plurality of safety devices (6) and/or uses signals from a number of safety devices (6) to detect at least one living being and/or at least one potentially operationally disruptive object.

18. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one release to operate the cooking appliance (1) is requested by at least one user if at least one living being and/or at least one potentially operationally disruptive object is blocked by the at least one safety device (6) is detected in the treatment room (2).

19. Cooking appliance (1) comprising at least one treatment chamber (2) with at least one opening (3) for filling the treatment chamber (2), at least one door (4) for closing the opening (3) of the treatment chamber (2), at least one control device (5) and at least one safety device (6), characterized in that the safety device (6) and the control device (5) are suitable and designed to carry out a method according to one of the preceding claims.