阅读说明：本技术 带有布置在烹饪室的外部的传感器单元的烹饪器具 (Cooking appliance with a sensor unit arranged outside the cooking chamber ) 是由 M·库赫勒 K·里戈尔特 S·施特茨 M·福格特 于 2020-05-12 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种烹饪器具(1),其具有借助于烹饪室壁(2)来限定的烹饪室(3)、布置在烹饪室的外部的至少一个传感器单元(6、7)和处于烹饪室壁中的开口(10),通过开口能够借助于至少一个传感器单元来探测烹饪室的至少一种特性,其中在烹饪室的外部存在能马达驱动地运动的转换装置,转换装置配备有用于探测烹饪室的至少一种特性的至少两个传感器单元,并且转换装置能够通过马达驱动的运动来被如此调节,使得传感器单元中的一个传感器单元能够被相应地带到开口前面。一种用于运行烹饪器具(1)的方法,其中在烹饪运行期间在需要时通过转换装置的运动将传感器单元中的至少一个传感器单元从待命位置置于激活位置中,在那里借助于这个传感器单元来实施测量并且紧接在测量之后将这个传感器单元又置于待命位置中。本发明能够尤其有利地运用到家用烹饪器具、尤其是烤炉和/或微波器具上。(A cooking appliance (1) having a cooking chamber (3) which is delimited by means of a cooking chamber wall (2), at least one sensor unit (6, 7) which is arranged outside the cooking chamber, and an opening (10) in the cooking chamber wall, through which opening at least one property of the cooking chamber can be detected by means of the at least one sensor unit, wherein a motor-drivable conversion device is present outside the cooking chamber, which conversion device is equipped with at least two sensor units for detecting the at least one property of the cooking chamber, and which conversion device can be adjusted by means of the motor-driven movement in such a way that one of the sensor units can be brought in front of the opening in each case. A method for operating a cooking appliance (1), wherein at least one of the sensor units is brought from a standby position into an active position during a cooking operation, if necessary, by a movement of a switching device, wherein a measurement is carried out by means of the sensor unit and the sensor unit is brought into the standby position again immediately after the measurement. The invention can be applied particularly advantageously to domestic cooking appliances, in particular ovens and/or microwave appliances.)

1. Cooking appliance (1; 1 a; 1 b; 21; 41; 51) having a cooking chamber (3) which is defined by means of a cooking chamber wall (2; 2 a), at least one sensor unit (6, 7) which is arranged outside the cooking chamber (3), and an opening (10) in the cooking chamber wall (2) through which at least one property of the cooking chamber (3) can be detected by means of the at least one sensor unit (6, 7), wherein

-outside the cooking chamber (3) there is a motor-drivable moving conversion means (4; 22; 42; 52),

-the switching device (4; 22; 42; 52) is equipped with at least two sensor units (6, 7) for detecting at least one characteristic of the cooking chamber (3), and

the switching device (4; 22; 42; 52) can be adjusted by a motor-driven movement in such a way that one of the sensor units (6, 7) can be brought in front of the opening (10) in each case.

2. Cooking appliance (1; 1 a; 1 b; 21; 41; 51) according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the sensor units has

-an optical camera (6),

a temperature sensor, in particular an IR camera (7),

-a material sensor for detecting the presence of a material,

-a humidity sensor.

3. Cooking appliance (41) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the conversion means (42) have a plurality of motor-drivable movable supports (43, 44) at which sensor units (6, 7) are arranged, respectively.

4. Cooking appliance (1; 1 a; 1 b; 21; 51) according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the conversion means (4; 22; 52) have a motor-drivable movable support (5; 53; 54) at which the at least two sensor units (6, 7) are arranged.

5. Cooking appliance (1; 1 a; 1 b; 21; 51) according to claim 4, wherein the support (5, 53, 54) is motor-drivable in rotation and the angular position of the support can be adjusted in such a way that one of the sensor units (6, 7) can be brought in front of the opening (10) by rotation of the support (5; 53; 54), respectively.

6. Cooking appliance (1; 1 a; 1 b; 21; 51) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sensor unit (6, 9) is arranged arcuately around the axis of rotation (D, D1) of the support (5; 53, 54).

7. Cooking appliance (1; 1 a; 1 b; 21) according to claim 6, wherein the sensor unit (6, 7) is oriented radially outwards with respect to the rotation axis (D) of the support (5).

8. The cooking appliance (51) according to claim 6, wherein the sensor unit (6, 7) is oriented parallel to the rotation axis (D1) of the support (53, 54).

9. Cooking appliance (1; 1 a; 1 b; 21) according to claim 7, wherein

The support (5) has a strip-shaped support wall (8; 23) arranged in a fan-shaped manner about its axis of rotation (D),

-the outer side (9) of the support wall (8; 23) is movable in front of an opening (10) in the cooking chamber wall (2), and

at the inner side (11) of the support wall (8; 23), at least two mounting locations (12) for the sensor units (6, 7) are offset relative to one another, each having a fastening structure (32) for the associated sensor unit (6, 7) and a window (13) that can be overlapped by an opening (10) in the cooking chamber wall (2).

10. Cooking appliance (1; 1 a; 1 b; 21; 41; 51) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the conversion device (4; 22; 42; 52) is additionally equipped with at least one cover (14, 38, 55) and is adjustable in such a way that the cover (14; 38; 55) can be brought in front of the opening (10) instead of the functional unit (6, 7).

11. Cooking appliance (1; 1 a; 1 b) according to claims 9 and 10, wherein at least two assembly positions (12) are separated from each other by the cover (14).

12. Cooking appliance (21) according to claims 9 and 10, wherein at least two assembly positions (12) are arranged alongside each other at one end section of the stand wall (23) and the cover (14) is arranged at the other end section.

13. Cooking appliance (1; 1 a; 1 b; 21; 41; 51) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sensor unit (6, 7) is arranged in the cooking appliance (1; 21; 41; 51) in a ventable manner.

14. Cooking appliance (1; 1 a; 1 b) according to any one of claims 6 to 13, wherein a gap (37) that can be forcibly ventilated is present between the support (5) and the cooking chamber wall (2) in the region of the opening (10).

15. Cooking appliance (1 a; 1 b) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cooking chamber wall (2 a) is shaped as a protrusion (15) in the area of the opening (10).

16. The cooking appliance (1 a; 1 b) according to any one of the preceding claims, further having a protective glass (16) which is motor-drivable in front of the opening (10) and which is permeable to measurement technology for at least one of the sensor units (6, 7) and impermeable to measurement technology for at least one of the sensor units (6, 7).

17. Method for operating a cooking appliance (1; 1 a; 1 b; 21; 41; 51) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the sensor units (6, 7) is brought from a standby position into an active position by a movement of the changeover device (4; 22; 42; 52) during a cooking operation, if necessary, a measurement is carried out in the active position by means of this sensor unit (6, 7), and this sensor unit (6, 7) is brought back into the standby position by a movement of the changeover device (4; 22; 42; 52) immediately after the measurement.

Technical Field

The invention relates to a cooking appliance having a cooking chamber which is delimited by means of a cooking chamber wall, having at least one sensor unit which is arranged outside the cooking chamber and having an opening in the cooking chamber wall, through which opening at least one property of the cooking chamber can be detected by means of the at least one sensor unit. The invention can be applied particularly advantageously to domestic cooking appliances, in particular ovens and/or microwave appliances.

Background

WO 2015/141207 a1 discloses a cooking appliance with an infrared sensor which is arranged outside the cooking chamber and which uses a plurality of infrared sensor elements in order to detect the temperature of an object to be heated; and a directional motor capable of changing the direction of the infrared sensor. The cooking appliance is configured such that the direction of the infrared sensor is moved to a temperature detection position when temperature detection is performed, and the direction of the infrared sensor is moved to a standby position when temperature detection is not performed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent blurring of the lens of the infrared sensor and a temperature rise of the infrared sensor itself by itself. For example, the infrared sensor can be maintained in a state in which the temperature can be detected even directly after the steam heating.

EP 0924964 a2 discloses a microwave oven with an infrared sensor for detecting the temperature of the food during cooking. The infrared sensor is directed obliquely downward and rearward from an upper front edge of the cooking chamber. When the sensor is not needed to detect the temperature of the food product, the closure or shield protects the sensor.

Disclosure of Invention

The object of the present invention is to overcome at least partially the disadvantages of the prior art and in particular to provide an improved possibility for sensing measured values of a cooking chamber or of a cooking product located therein.

This object is achieved according to the features of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments are the subject of the dependent claims, the description and the figures.

The object is achieved by a cooking appliance having a cooking chamber defined by means of a cooking chamber wall, at least one sensor unit arranged outside the cooking chamber, and an opening (also referred to as "wall opening" in the following) in the cooking chamber wall, through which opening at least one property of the cooking chamber can be detected by means of the at least one sensor unit, wherein the at least one property of the cooking chamber is detected by means of the at least one sensor unit

-outside the cooking chamber there are motor-drivable moving means ("changeover means"),

the switching device is equipped with at least two sensor units for detecting at least one property of the cooking chamber, and

the switching device can be adjusted by a motor-driven movement in such a way that one of the sensor units can be brought in front of the opening.

Such a cooking appliance yields the following advantages, namely: the wall openings can be used by different sensor units offset in time. Thus, particularly advantageous sensor positions can be used for all these sensor units. A further advantage of the case in which at least two of the sensor units are imaging sensor units (e.g. optical camera and IR camera) is that the images of these sensors can be superimposed without further adaptation, since the two sensors image the cooking chamber or the cooking item from the same viewing angle. Accordingly, only the precisely required sensor unit is located at the wall opening, so that the unused sensor unit is protected from contamination (e.g. smoke, grease splashes, etc.) and/or the incidence of thermal radiation from the cooking chamber through the wall opening. A further advantage is that the heat loss from the hot cooking chamber can be kept particularly small by providing a plurality of sensor units with only one wall opening.

The cooking appliance is advantageously a domestic cooking appliance. The cooking appliance is in particular an oven, a microwave appliance or a combination thereof, such as an oven with microwave functionality. The cooking appliance can also have a steam treatment function. In one refinement, the cooking chamber has a front loading opening which can be closed by means of a door. The cooking chamber wall (without door) inside the appliance can also be called muffle, especially in the presence of an oven.

The sensor unit can have one or more individual sensor elements. The sensor unit is in particular a separately produced unit, which is fixed to the conversion device.

In one refinement, the wall opening is in particular a free or penetrable opening, i.e. an opening which is not permanently covered by means of glass (e.g. transparent glass) or the like. This advantageously enables a highly unaffected detection or measurement of at least one property of the cooking chamber. Alternatively, the wall opening can be permanently covered by a cover glass, if the cover glass is transparent to all sensor units in terms of measurement technology, i.e. allows the associated at least one property of the cooking chamber to be measured for all sensor units. If the sensor unit comprises, for example, an optical camera and an IR camera, there can be a permanent protective glass in the form of a glass, in particular transparent, which is transparent to the optical spectrum and the relevant IR spectrum (for example the NIR spectrum).

The at least one property of the cooking chamber can comprise, for example, a physical variable such as a brightness and/or a color distribution on the surface of the cooking product (for example for determining a browning level of the cooking product), a temperature of the cooking chamber, a temperature distribution on one or more surfaces of the cooking product, a humidity in the cooking chamber, etc., and/or a chemical variable such as a portion of one or more chemical substances in the environment of the cooking chamber, for example an oxygen portion, etc. Thus, the characteristics of the cooking chamber can include, for example, characteristics of the cooking chamber environment and/or characteristics of the cooking items present in the cooking chamber.

The switching device, which is located outside the cooking chamber, is in particular arranged inside the cooking appliance, for example in an intermediate space between the cooking chamber wall and an outer housing of the cooking appliance. In a development, the switching device is arranged above the cooking chamber, since there are particularly many positions for placing the switching device.

The switching device can be moved in a motor-driven manner, in particular by means of at least one drive motor, such as an electric motor, in particular a stepping motor.

By moving the switching device (as a whole or as part thereof) one of the sensor units can be moved or brought in front of the wall opening, respectively, which comprises in particular: each of the sensor units is assigned a specific position (hereinafter also referred to as "active position") in which it is possible for this sensor unit to detect at least one associated property of the cooking chamber through the wall opening. In this case, only one of the sensor units can be located in front of the wall opening for each time period. In contrast, the other sensor unit is arranged away from the wall opening (this is also referred to as "standby position" in the following) and cannot utilize the wall opening. By means of the switching device, the sensor units located there can thus be moved alternately individually in front of the wall openings in the cooking chamber wall.

In one refinement, the motor is connected to a control unit of the cooking appliance in order to bring the respective sensor unit in front of the wall opening automatically, for example program-controlled and/or as the case may be, for example event-controlled, when required.

In one embodiment, the switching device has a plurality of motor-drivable moving supports, at each of which a sensor unit is arranged. This embodiment has the following advantages: it can be designed in a particularly diverse manner. The support can in particular permanently assume two positions or positions, namely an active position and a standby position. The support can be brought alternately into its active position. In one refinement, the support can be pivoted between its active position and its standby position. In one refinement, the holder, in particular the tiltable holder, is arranged annularly around the wall opening. In a further development, each of the supports can be connected to an associated motor. Alternatively, all the supports can be moved by means of a single motor.

In one embodiment, the switching device has a motor-driven movable support, at which at least two sensor units are arranged. This support is thus a common support for the at least two sensor units. When this common support is moved, all sensor units arranged thereon are moved together. This design can be implemented particularly easily, robustly and inexpensively.

In one embodiment, at least one of the sensor units has or is

-an optical sensor for detecting the position of the optical sensor,

-a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the gas,

-a humidity sensor and/or

-a material sensor.

The optical sensor can be an optical camera, for example an imaging digital camera, in particular a color camera. The temperature sensor can be a temperature sensor or an imaged thermal Image (IR) camera. The material sensor can be an oxygen sensor, for example a lambda sensor. The material sensor can be a spectrometer.

In one embodiment, the switching device is additionally equipped with at least one cover which can be moved or brought in front of the wall opening. The following advantages are thereby achieved, namely: the opening in the cooking chamber wall can be closed and the sensor unit is protected against influences from the cooking chamber, such as heat (for example during a cooking process or a pyrolysis process) and/or contamination, and in addition the heat loss from the heated cooking chamber can be kept particularly small.

In one refinement, the switching device can be adjusted in such a way that the cover can be brought in front of the wall opening instead of the sensor unit. The cover can be arranged and moved in particular like a sensor unit. In the case of a switching device having a plurality of motor-drivable mobile supports, a cover can therefore be present at one of the supports instead of the sensor unit. In the case of a motor-driven movable support of the switching device, at least two sensor units are arranged on the support, at which the cover can also be present.

The cover provided on the support can be a separately produced component or an integral partial region of the support.

In addition or alternatively to the above-described cover fastened to the support, the switching device can have a further cover in the form of a protective glass that can be moved in front of the wall opening, wherein this protective glass (in contrast to the protective glass permanently fastened in front of the wall opening) is transparent to the measurement technology for at least one sensor unit of the sensor unit, i.e. allows the measurement of the associated at least one property of the cooking chamber, and is not transparent to the measurement technology for at least one further sensor unit of the sensor unit. If, for example, one of the sensor units is an optical camera and the other sensor unit is an IR camera, the movable protective glass can be a glass (e.g. a glass plate) that is permeable in the optical range but is impermeable or insufficiently permeable in the IR range. The switching device can be set up or operated such that, when a sensor unit is in front of the wall opening, for which the cover glass is permeable to the measuring technique, the cover glass covers the wall opening, and, when a sensor unit is in front of the wall opening, for which the cover glass is impermeable to the measuring technique, the wall opening is released. In a development, the protective glass covers the wall opening only when required or is removed from the (then temporarily free) wall opening only when required. The movement of the protective glass can also be effected motor-driven.

In one embodiment, the cooking chamber wall is formed in the region of the wall opening as a projection, in particular in the form of a funnel or a truncated cone, which is spread out in the direction of the cooking chamber. The protrusions can be prefabricated as separate components. If present, the protective glass can be moved in particular in front of the end face of the projection on the cooking chamber side. The wall opening can in particular correspond to an end face of the projection facing away from the cooking chamber.

In a further development, the displacement position in which the wall opening is covered by a cover present at the support is a "normal position" or a "rest position" of the switching device, and the further sensor unit is moved only when required in front of the wall opening and then again assumes the normal position. Thus, when a measurement is required, the sensor unit is advantageously brought to the opening and is thus subjected to a hot and/or dirty cooking chamber (for example by grease splashes, liquid splashes or oil fumes). In a further development, the switching device is returned into the rest position immediately after the end of the measuring time of the sensor unit located in front of the opening, and the sensor unit is thereby again placed in the protected position. The exposure time for the sensor unit is thus short, which also applies to heat losses from the hot cooking chamber.

In one refinement, the conversion device is provided or equipped with at least one imaging digital camera and one imaging IR camera and in particular also with or with a cover.

In particular, for a switching device having a motor-drivable movable carrier on which the at least two sensor units are arranged, it is advantageous if the carrier is rotatable in a motor-drivable manner and the angular position of the carrier can be adjusted in such a way that by rotating the carrier one of the sensor units can be brought in front of the opening in each case. The following advantages are thus achieved, namely: a particularly compact and robust arrangement can be provided. In the case of a cover also being present at the support, the cover can be arranged similarly to the sensor unit. The support can be connected to the motor or to a drive shaft of the motor, for example, via the drive shaft. By rotating the drive shaft, a predetermined angular position of the bearing about its axis of rotation can be set in a targeted manner.

The support can be rotated within a limited angular range, i.e. within an angular range of less than 360 °, or alternatively can be rotated around. The support can be connected to the motor or to the drive shaft of the motor by means of the drive shaft. By rotating the motor, a predetermined angular position of the support about its axis of rotation can be set in a targeted manner. By rotating the carrier, one of the sensor units can be correspondingly brought in front of the opening, which includes, inter alia: each of the sensor units is assigned a specific angular position in which it is possible for this sensor unit to detect at least one associated characteristic of the cooking chamber via the opening.

In one embodiment, the sensor unit (and optionally the cover) is arranged in an arc around the rotational axis of the carrier. It is then advantageously achieved that the sensor unit can be positioned precisely at the wall opening by simple rotation. The arcuate arrangement can be a fan or ring fan arrangement.

In one embodiment, the sensor unit (and optionally the cover) is oriented radially outward with respect to the axis of rotation of the carrier. This yields the advantage of a particularly simple and compact arrangement. Such a design comprises in particular: the measuring region or field of view of the sensor unit is oriented radially with respect to the axis of rotation. For example, the optical axis of the camera head can be oriented radially outward with respect to the rotational axis of the mount.

In one refinement, the axis of rotation of the support is oriented at least approximately parallel to the wall of the cooking chamber wall having the wall opening. In other words, the axis of rotation of the support is oriented at least almost perpendicularly to the normal direction of the wall opening.

The wall of the cooking chamber wall in which the wall opening is located can typically be, for example, a top wall, a rear wall, a left side wall, a right side wall or a rear wall. The wall openings can also be in the transition region between such walls. The wall of the cooking chamber wall can also comprise a door which closes the cooking chamber, since this door likewise represents an area or side of the cooking chamber wall in the closed state. In this way, the switching device can be easily and quickly switched off, and the switching device can be easily and quickly switched off. This results in the advantage that when the user opens the door for inspection, the viewing angle from the closed door corresponds approximately to the user's viewing angle.

An alternative embodiment is to orient the sensor unit parallel to the axis of rotation of the carrier, for example, depending on the type of converter (Revolver). The axis of rotation of the support is then offset, in particular at least approximately perpendicularly, from the wall of the cooking chamber wall having the opening or at least approximately parallel to the normal direction of the wall opening.

In one embodiment, the carrier has a fan-shaped, in particular ring-fan-shaped, strip-shaped carrier wall arranged around its rotational axis, wherein at least two mounting positions for the sensor unit are present at the carrier wall at an angular offset to one another. A particularly simple to produce and robust possibility is thus advantageously provided for fastening the sensor unit to the mount. If a separately manufactured cover is present, the same mounting position can be provided for this cover. The separately manufactured cover offers the advantage of drainage, namely: in comparison with the material of the carrier (e.g. plastic), the cover can be produced in a particularly simple manner from a particularly heat-resistant material, for example from ceramic or mirror-like metal. As an alternative, the cover can be integrated into the support, for which case no specially designed mounting location needs to be provided.

As an alternative to a motor-drivable rotary bearing, the bearing can be moved or slid in a motor-driven translatory manner, in particular linearly. Instead of an arc-shaped support wall, this support wall can then be configured, for example, as a flat strip or plate and can be moved, for example, parallel to the cooking chamber wall having the opening.

However, a configuration as a flat plate can also be advantageous if the sensor unit is oriented parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotatable carrier. The support wall can then be configured, for example, as a circular or fan-shaped plate.

In one of the design schemes, the light-emitting diode is,

-the outer side of the holder wall is movable along in front of an opening in the cooking chamber wall, and

at least two mounting locations for the sensor units are present at the inner side of the carrier wall offset relative to one another, each having a fastening structure for the associated sensor unit.

The advantage is thereby achieved that the sensor unit can be simply fixed on the support and can be moved precisely, even without calibration, in front of the opening in the cooking chamber wall. The outer side of the support wall is movable along in front of an opening in the cooking chamber wall, which comprises, inter alia: the holder wall (from the holder's perspective) is rotationally or translationally movable along its longitudinal extension in front of the wall opening. In this case, the support wall is in particular left in front of the opening, but, depending on the position, in front of the opening in another section. In the case of a rotatable mount and a radially outward orientation of the sensor unit with respect to the axis of rotation of the mount, the longitudinal extent of the mount wall corresponds, for example, to the direction of movement of the mount wall in the case of a rotatable peripheral direction of the axis of rotation.

In one embodiment, at least one of the assembly positions has a window that can overlap a wall opening in the cooking chamber wall. By overlapping the window with the wall opening, a view of the cooking chamber can be provided for the respective sensor unit. The window can be, for example, a perforation or hole in the wall of the holder. One refinement provides that all mounting positions provided for the sensor unit (also referred to below as "sensor mounting positions") have such windows.

The sensor units can be arranged in principle in any order at the carrier wall.

One embodiment provides that at least two mounting positions or the associated sensor units are separated from one another by a cover part which is located in the direction of movement of the carrier, in particular of the carrier wall, i.e. in particular between at least two mounting positions. The following advantages are then achieved, namely: only a small movement or displacement is required in order to place the assembly position or the sensor units present in these assembly positions from the rest position in front of the wall opening.

In one embodiment, the at least two mounting positions or the associated sensor units are arranged next to one another at one end section of the carrier wall, and the cover is arranged at the other end section. The advantage is thereby achieved that the mounting position or the associated sensor unit is positioned relatively far away from the cooking chamber wall in the rest position of the support, in which the wall opening is covered by the cover, and is therefore subjected to particularly low temperatures.

In one embodiment, the sensor unit is arranged in the cooking appliance in a manner that allows ventilation. Thereby, the sensor unit can advantageously be cooled during the cooking operation. In one refinement, the cooking appliance has at least one fan or blower, by means of which a cooling air flow (forced) can be generated in the cooking appliance (typically between the cooking chamber wall and the housing of the cooking appliance) inside the appliance. Such a cooling air flow can be a cooling air flow for or already used for cooling other areas, for example for cooling electronic devices and/or for door cooling. However, such a cooling air flow can also be a separate, in particular also individual, cooling air flow which is conducted from the outside to the switching device, in particular to the sensor unit of the switching device. Improved cooling of the sensor unit is generally obtained if cooling air is led to the sensor unit directly from the outside or from the cooler bottom region of the appliance. The sensor unit can be arranged in particular in a cooling air flow inside the appliance. In one refinement, the support is designed to be gas-permeable, for example by providing suitable perforations, slots or the like. Alternatively, the holder wall can be connected with the rotation shaft by a frame structure.

In one refinement, the assembly position has a sleeve which is placed on the inside at a window in the wall of the holder. The region of the sensor unit facing the cooking chamber can be inserted, in particular plugged, into this sleeve at the rear, or the sensor unit can be placed (but not plugged) on the sleeve. The front open end face of the sleeve can correspond to the window, while the rear or rear open end face is provided as a placement or insertion opening for the sensor unit. If the sensor unit is a camera, for example, the lens thereof can be placed at the rear side at the sleeve (for example, slipped onto the sleeve) or inserted into the sleeve. The region of the sensor unit at or in the sleeve is generally the region which is most severely subjected to the thermal radiation incident from the wall opening and to contaminants such as liquids or grease splashes. The sleeve can thus advantageously be used as a positioning aid and spacer for the associated sensor unit. The sleeve can be perforated laterally or on the outer peripheral side, so that it can be made to traverse by the cooling air flow. If the sensor unit is inserted or placed in a sleeve, the air flow guided through the sleeve can cause cooling of the associated sensor unit. The sleeve thus advantageously enables a simple positioning of the associated sensor unit at the mounting and a cooling of the sensor unit in the active and standby positions.

In order to protect the sensor unit particularly effectively, it is proposed that the sleeve be designed as an air flow collector or be connected to an air flow collector. The air flow collector is located in the cooling air flow region of the cooking appliance and is shaped and oriented in such a way that a portion of the cooling air flow is guided into the sleeve in a targeted manner at the air flow collector. The sleeve can have air vents on opposite sides of the sleeve. The air flow collector thus enables a particularly reliable air flow across the sleeve.

In one development, the air flow collector has a flow cross section which narrows in the flow direction of the incoming air. The flow speed of the cooling air in the sleeve is thereby increased, which enhances the cooling effect. The cooling air flow can also be so strong that it now deflects the incoming grease and liquid splashes in front of the sensor unit. The air flow collector advantageously enables simple positioning of the associated sensor unit at the mounting, cooling of the sensor unit in the active and standby positions and protection against contamination in the active position. The air flow collector can, for example, be funnel-shaped, with its wider opening pointing in the direction of the cooling air flow and with its narrower opening laterally into the sleeve. On the opposite side, the sleeve can have an air outlet opening.

One embodiment provides that a gap, which can be ventilated in particular by force, is present between the support wall in the region of the window and the cooking chamber wall in the region of the opening, through which gap an air flow can be guided. The following advantages are thus likewise achieved, namely: the sensor unit in its activated position is protected from contamination from the cooking chamber and is cooled.

In one refinement, the cover covers the opening in the cooking chamber wall without gaps. Thus, if all sensor units are in their standby position (which corresponds to the rest position of the support or of the switching device), the cooking chamber opening and the air duct can be closed off simultaneously by means of the cover. For this purpose, the cover part can project at the outer side at the support wall, for example, in particular at a height corresponding or nearly corresponding to the gap width.

In principle, the conversion device can also combine a translational movement and a rotational movement and/or it can carry out a rotational movement of the sensor unit about a plurality of different rotational axes. For example, the switching device can have a motor-drivable, for example disk-shaped, base part, about a first, in particular vertical, rotational axis, at which a plurality of cantilevers are rotatably or pivotably mounted, wherein a sensor unit is mounted at each of the cantilevers. The axes of rotation of the cantilevers can each be oriented perpendicularly to the axis of rotation of the base, for example in the horizontal direction, and are offset or inclined at an angle relative to one another, for example in the peripheral direction of the first axis of rotation.

The object is also achieved by a method for operating a cooking appliance as described above. The method can be constructed similarly to a cooking appliance and has the same advantages.

One embodiment is therefore to bring at least one of the sensor units, when required, from a standby position into an active position by a movement of the switching device during a cooking operation, to carry out a measurement in the active position by means of this sensor unit, and to bring this sensor unit back into the standby position immediately after the measurement by the movement of the switching device. The exposure time of the sensor unit with respect to the cooking chamber is thereby advantageously kept particularly small.

If one of the sensor units is an optical camera, it can be used in a development at the beginning of the cooking process in order to recognize, measure and/or graphically display the cooking product in the cooking chamber. In a further refinement, the optical camera is then only required for a shorter duration for capturing the images in a larger time interval (for example from one to five minutes) in order to determine the cooking progress of the food. The thermal load and the risk of contamination are greatly reduced if the optical camera is moved in front of the wall opening only for image recording and is brought back into the standby position immediately after image recording. The optical camera can then advantageously be implemented very inexpensively.

The imaging IR camera can be moved in particular in microwave operation (fast-running type, which typically has a short cooking duration) at regular time intervals for recording into an active position and then back into a standby position, in which it can be cooled thermally and protected against contamination.

In general, a plurality of (different) sensor units can be moved alternately into the active position during the cooking process by means of the switching device. In one refinement, only one of the sensor units is moved into the active position by means of the switching device during a cooking process, for example, an optical camera is moved into the active position during a cooking operation using an IR emitter, such as a resistance heater, and the IR camera is moved into the active position during a microwave operation. For this purpose, the cooking appliance can be, for example, an oven with microwave functionality.

In general, the use of different sensor units at a common location, alternately or in time discrete, is exploited by means of the cooking appliance according to the invention. This is advantageous in particular for sensor units for whose analysis no continuous or quasi-continuous data stream is assumed, which has as many measurements per time unit over a longer period of time. For the analysis of the image information for measurement purposes (for example IR analysis of the temperature profile or optical recognition of the cooking product or the light projection pattern), there is therefore no need for a continuous data stream with as many images as possible per time unit over a longer period of time, as is typically necessary when transmitting images of a sequence of movements (film).

In contrast to the arrangement of the switching device, at least one, in particular other, property of the cooking chamber can likewise be permanently detected by means of other sensors or sensor means which are not arranged on the switching device. For example, a temperature sensor for sensing the cooking chamber temperature can be arranged (for example in the cooking chamber) in such a way that it can continuously or quasi-continuously measure the cooking chamber temperature, and the conversion device has an optical camera and an IR camera. The moisture sensor and/or the at least one chemical sensor can also be permanently installed or installed in accordance with technical regulations on the conversion device.

Drawings

The above-described features, characteristics and advantages of the present invention, and the manner and method of how to achieve them, will become more apparent in conjunction with the following exemplary description of embodiments, which are explained in greater detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Wherein:

fig. 1 shows a sectional view in a side view schematically showing a section of a cooking appliance according to a first exemplary embodiment in the region of a switching device, which is in a rest position;

fig. 2 shows a variant of the cooking appliance according to the first exemplary embodiment with differently shaped cooking chamber walls in a similar illustration to fig. 1;

fig. 3 shows a similar illustration to fig. 1, but also a variant of the cooking appliance according to the first exemplary embodiment with an additional protective glass;

fig. 4 shows a diagram similar to fig. 1, illustrating a cooking appliance according to a second exemplary embodiment, with a further switching device in a rest position;

fig. 5 shows a structural example of a support of a changeover device of a cooking appliance according to the first embodiment in an oblique view;

fig. 6 shows a sectional view in a side view of a section of a cooking appliance according to the first exemplary embodiment in the region of a changeover device;

fig. 7 shows a sectional view in a side view of a cooking appliance according to a third exemplary embodiment in the region of a changeover device; and is

Fig. 8 shows a switching device of a cooking appliance according to a fourth embodiment in a view from obliquely above.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 shows a sectional view in a side view of a cooking appliance 1 with a cooking chamber 3 which is delimited by means of a cooking chamber wall 2. Outside the cooking chamber 3, a motor-driven movement switching device 4 is present, which is shown in its rest position. The switching device 4 has a motor-driven rotatable support 5 about a rotational axis D, on which two sensor units, namely an optical camera 6 and an IR camera 7, are arranged. The motor for rotating the support 5 is not shown, but can be, for example, a stepper motor.

The support 5 has a strip-shaped support wall 8 arranged in a sector, in particular in a ring sector, around its axis of rotation D. The outer side 9 of the support wall 8 can be moved in front of, in particular can be moved past, a wall opening 10 in the cooking chamber wall 2. The partial region of the cooking chamber wall 2 having the wall opening 10 is here the top of the cooking chamber 2. The optical camera 6 and the IR camera 7 are fixed at the inner side 11 of the holder wall 8 at respective assembly positions 12. They are oriented through the respective windows 13 in the holder wall 8 and thus have a field of view that can be observed through the respective windows 13. The cameras 6 and 7 are likewise arranged in an arc around the rotational axis D of the carrier and are furthermore oriented radially outward with respect to the rotational axis D.

Furthermore, a cover 14 is present on the support wall 8, which cover is arranged here along the support wall 8 or in the peripheral direction of the rotational axis D between the optical camera 6 and the IR camera 7 or their mounting location 12. The optical camera 6 and the IR camera 7 or their mounting positions 12 are thus separated from one another in the direction of rotation by the cover 14. The optical camera 6, the IR camera 7 and the cover 14 are arranged offset, in particular equidistantly, from one another in the circumferential direction or the direction of rotation.

The optical camera 6, the IR camera 7 and the cover 14 can be brought alternately in front of the wall opening 10 by rotating the carrier 5 about a rotational axis, for example by means of a control mechanism not shown. In this embodiment, the axis of rotation D is parallel to the cooking chamber wall 2. If, for example, an optical or IR image from the cooking chamber 3 is to be recorded, the support 5 is rotated into an angular position in which the window 13 assigned to the mounting position 12 of the optical or IR camera 6, 7 comes into overlap with the wall opening 10. The cooking chamber 3 is thus visible for the optical camera 6 or the IR camera 7 through the respective window 13 and wall opening 10. In this "active position" of the optical camera 6 or IR camera 7, they are able to take at least one image from the cooking chamber 3.

If the optical camera 6 and the IR camera 7 are not required, the mount 5 is rotated into its rest position in which the two cameras 6, 7 are in their "standby position". The cover 14 now covers the wall opening 10, in particular in a sealing manner. The cover 14 can then be rotated in front of the wall opening 10 instead of the cameras 6 and 7. The arrangement between the two cameras 6 and 7 with the cover 14 results in the following advantages: only a small rotation is required in order to bring the cameras 6 and 7 from the standby position into their active position in front of the wall opening 10.

Fig. 2 shows a similar illustration to fig. 1, a variant 1a of a cooking appliance 1 with a differently shaped modification 2a of the cooking chamber wall 2. And more precisely the cooking chamber wall 2, 2a has in the region of the wall opening 10 a projection 15 or a recess directed away from the cooking chamber 3. The projection 15 is tubular, in particular truncated-cone-shaped or funnel-shaped, and has a wall opening 10 at its inner end face. This variant has the following general advantages: the cameras 6, 7 (and in general the sensor unit) are located further away from the cooking chamber wall 2, which is hot when necessary, and are therefore installed in a cooler environment. This also makes it possible to achieve an easier cooling, since a higher thermal resistance is achieved by a greater distance from the remaining cooking chamber wall 2 or from the cooking chamber 3. The protrusions 15 can be manufactured by shaping (e.g. deep drawing, extrusion, etc.) the cooking chamber wall 2. As an alternative, the projection 15 can be a component which is produced separately and is then connected to the remaining cooking chamber wall 2. The advantage thereby achieved is that the projections 15 can be constructed in accordance with a particularly effective reduction of the heat conduction. The projections can then be made of, for example, a ceramic with poor thermal conductivity.

A further advantage is achieved by the alternative funnel shape or truncated cone shape of the protrusions 15, namely: the field of view of the cameras 6, 7 is not or not significantly restricted.

Another important advantage for a microwave appliance, for example a stand-alone microwave appliance or an oven with an additional microwave function, is that the projection 15 can be configured as a microwave barrier, since microwaves can then be prevented from passing through the wall opening 10. For this purpose, the projection 15 is typically a tube which is so narrow that wave propagation through the tube is no longer possible. The funnel shape of the projection 15, which is optional here, enhances its sealing effect, so that microwave tightness is already achieved after a short distance.

Fig. 3 shows a similar view to fig. 1, again showing a variant 1b of the cooking appliance 1 with the projections 15 and additionally with the protective glass 16. The cooking appliance 1, 1b is therefore shown as a modification of the cooking appliance 1a, but the protective glass 16 can also be used in general, for example with a cooking appliance 1 without a projection 15. In principle, the cover glass 16 can be present as an alternative or in addition to the cover 14. The cover glass 16 is made of inexpensive glass that is transparent to visible light but is opaque to (N) IR radiation. The protective glass can be moved, for example, as shown, in a motor-driven manner on the cooking chamber side parallel to the cooking chamber wall 2a and the wall opening 10. The cover glass 16 can represent a part of the switching device 4 or can be actuated separately therefrom.

The movement of the cover glass 16 can be controlled, for example, as follows: in the rest position of the support 5, the protective glass 16 also covers the projection 15, i.e. its end face 17 on the cooking chamber side. The cover 14 and the protective glass 16 are then arranged at a distance of, for example, a few millimeters to a few centimeters from one another and are oriented in particular parallel to one another. This double protection against heat and contamination from the cooking chamber 3 is advantageous in particular during pyrolysis operations.

The protective glass 16 itself has a dual function here: on the one hand, the protective glass provides a separation and thus prevents hot air from rising to the sensor surface and also prevents the ingress of liquid and grease splashes, and on the other hand, the protective glass can be made of a material with poor thermal conductivity (thus, for example, glass or glass ceramic has poor thermal conductivity compared to steel), thereby likewise increasing the thermal conduction of the cooking chamber wall 2a in the region of the projections 15. In a development of the cover glass 16, as shown by the dashed lines, it is made significantly larger than the end face of the projection on the cooking chamber side, i.e. protrudes significantly beyond this end face in the lateral direction. In this way, the thermal resistance of the cooking chamber wall 2a covered by the protective glass is increased, so that less heat flows in the direction of the protrusion 15 and the cameras 6, 7.

If the optical camera 6 is in its active position, a transparent protective glass 16 is left in front of the projection 15 for this purpose and thus protects the optical camera 6 from heat and contamination from the cooking chamber 3. If the IR camera 7 is in its active position, the protective glass 16 is moved away from the projection 15 and thereby releases the projection.

The projections 15 can be formed gas-permeable, for example drilled or generally perforated, in order to thereby further reduce the heat transfer. This reduction in heat conduction can be particularly effective when the protrusion 15 is in the region of the cooling air flow of the cooking appliance 1.

Fig. 4 shows a similar illustration to fig. 1 of a cooking appliance 21 with a switching device 22 in the rest position. The cooking appliance 21 is designed analogously to the cooking appliance 1, 1a or 1b, but for the switching device 22 the two assembly positions 12 or the two cameras 6, 7 are arranged alongside one another in the circumferential direction or the direction of rotation at one end section of the support wall 23, and the cover 14 is arranged at the other end section of the support wall 23. The advantage is thereby achieved that the cameras 6 and 7 are positioned comparatively far away from the cooking chamber wall 2 and the wall opening 10 in the rest position of the switching device 22 and are therefore subjected to comparatively low temperatures.

Fig. 5 shows a more detailed structural example of the support 5 of the switching device 4 in an oblique view. The support 5 has a central tube 31 for insertion onto the drive shaft of the motor. The curved support wall 8 has two mounting positions 12, each with a sleeve 32 oriented radially with respect to the axis of rotation D. The outer open end side of the sleeve 32 corresponds to the respective window 13. At the other, inner end side, the respective camera 6 or 7, in particular their respective lens, can be mounted. Funnel-shaped air flow collectors 33 each open out laterally into the sleeve 32, which are directed into the region of the cooling air flow inside the cooking appliance 1. On the opposite side, an air outlet 34 is present in the sleeve 32. This arrangement enables: when the camera 6 or 7 is in its active position, the air flow is passed through the respective sleeve 32 and thereby diverts, for example, grease and liquid splashes escaping from the cooking chamber 3 and/or reduces the temperature at the camera 6, 7.

The support 5 in this case has plate-shaped regions 35 on the sides of the mounting location 12, which extend from the tube 31 to the support wall 8 and serve for mechanical stabilization. In order to be able to cool the cameras 6 and 7 particularly effectively by the internal cooling air flow, the plate-shaped regions 35 each have a ventilation slot 36 at the level of the cameras 6 and 7, which ventilation slots serve to ventilate the cameras.

Fig. 6 shows a sectional view, in a side view, schematically a section through a variant of the cooking appliance 1 in the region of the support 5. In this variant, a gap 37 that can be forcibly ventilated is present between the outer side 9 of the support wall 8 and the cooking chamber wall 2 in the region of the wall opening 10. The gap 37 can be positively ventilated, which can mean that the air secondary flow N of the internal cooling air flow K flows through the gap. For this purpose, the support wall 8 can be designed and/or arranged in such a way that it causes a branching of the secondary air flow N.

As shown, the cover 38 can project slightly beyond the outer lateral surface 9, so that the gap 37 is closed when the support 5 is in the rest position and the cover 38 is thus opposite the wall opening 10.

The arrangement according to fig. 6 can be used as an alternative or complement to the arrangement according to fig. 5 and meets the same object.

Fig. 7 shows a side view of a cooking appliance 41 in the region of the switching device 42 in a schematic manner as a sectional view. The cooking appliance 41 can have a similar basic construction as the cooking appliance 1, 1a or 1b, however the switching device 42 now has a plurality of motor-drivable moving supports 43 and 44, at which the sensor units, in this case, for example, the optical camera 6 and the IR camera 7, respectively, are arranged. The supports 43 and 44 are arranged in a manner that can be individually deflected in the region of the outer side of the cooking chamber wall 2 and are here arranged symmetrically with respect to the wall opening 10. The supports 43 and 44 can thus be rotated or pivoted alternately between their upright standby position and their downwardly pivoted active position in which the camera 6 or 7 is arranged at the wall opening 10.

In a variant that is not shown, a further support can be present, which is designed as a cover or has a cover 4. If the support is turned downwards, the cover closes the wall opening 10 and the switching device 42 is in its rest position. More than two abutments are then advantageously arranged annularly around the wall opening 10.

Fig. 8 shows a strongly simplified sketch of the switching device 52 of the cooking appliance 51 in a view from obliquely above. The switching device 52 now has a base part ("base plate") 53, which is disk-shaped here and can be rotated in a motor-driven manner about a first rotational axis D1, which is vertical here. At the base plate 53, three radially oriented deflectable bearings ("cantilevers") 54 are arranged angularly offset around the axis of rotation D1. On the underside of the free end section of the boom 54, the cameras 6 and 7 and the cover 55 are arranged. The cameras 6 and 7 are thus oriented substantially parallel to the first rotation axis D1.

The base plate 53 positions a cantilever 54, which can then be raised and lowered flexibly depending on the installation space available in the cooking appliance 51. This movement of the boom 54 about a respective horizontal second axis of rotation (not shown) can also be referred to as a pitch movement. Due to the particularly individually adjustable tilting movement of the cantilever arm, the cantilever arm 54 can be moved away from obstacles during the rotation of the base plate 53 (for example by being temporarily lowered or lifted during the rotation), lowered sufficiently far in its active position relative to the cooking chamber wall 2 and lifted in its standby position for optimum cooling or minor influences of the functional space arranged therebelow (for example a cooling air guide).

It goes without saying that the invention is not limited to the embodiments shown.

The design of the above-described embodiments can therefore also be implemented in other embodiments, if possible. For example, the embodiments according to fig. 2, 3, 5 and 6 can be applied analogously to the cooking appliance 21.

In general, "a" and the like can be understood in the singular or plural, especially in the sense of "at least one" or "one or more", etc., as long as this is not explicitly excluded, for example by the expression "exactly one" or the like.

The numerical designation can also encompass the number just described and also the usual tolerance ranges, as long as this is not explicitly excluded.

List of reference numerals

1 cooking appliance

1a cooking appliance

1b cooking utensil

2 cooking chamber wall

2a cooking chamber wall

3 cooking chamber

4 switching device

5 rotatable support

6 optical camera

7 IR camera

8 support wall

9 outer side of the wall of the support

10 wall opening

11 inner side of the wall of the support

12 assembly position

13 Window

14 cover

15 protrusions departing from the wall of the cooking chamber

16 protective glass

17 end surface on the side of the cooking chamber

21 cooking utensil

22 switching device

23 wall of support

31 tube

32 sleeve

33 air flow collector

34 air outlet

35 plate-like region

36 ventilating gap

37 gap

38 cover

41 cooking utensil

42 conversion device

43 support

44 support

51 cooking utensil

52 conversion device

53 basal disc

54 cantilever

55 cover

D rotating shaft

D1 first rotation axis

K Cooling air flow

And N is an air secondary flow.