EP2085700B1 - Cooking device for intelligent continuous loading and method for same - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cooking appliance according to the preamble of claim 1 and a method for cooking food in a cooking chamber such a cooking appliance.

The DE 103 37 161 A1 describes a cooking appliance for the regeneration of food, in which by providing a control element free or loaded with food Regeneration levels and Regenerierungsdauem the fed Regenerierungssebenen after initiation of clocks each loaded Regenerierungsebenen in a simple, flexible and clear way can be displayed, but without differentiation after treatment zones of a treatment level.

A further development of the cooking appliance according to the DE 103 37 161 A1 is for example from the DE 10 2006 008 096 A1 in which, even with a rolling loading of the treatment levels of a cooking chamber at any time an ideal cooking space climate can be set, which allows flexible handling of the cooking appliance even with a mixed feed, without requiring manual corrections to obtain desired cooking results. But would like to bring an operator at different times food in one and the same treatment level, namely in different treatment zones, they must remember so far, where in which treatment level she has arranged which food to be able to remove each finished cooked food in good time. This is particularly problematic if, for example, in a treatment level food can be arranged on three or more plates.

Of the EP 0 313 768 B1 is to be taken from a cooking appliance, in which after selecting a cooking certain Garraumbereiche be displayed for loading with the food.

The DE 20 2006 009 284 U1 discloses a cooking appliance with different levels of treatment, for the different target Gargutzustandsgrößen that can be achieved at the end of a cooking and / or regeneration process in the respective treatment level, can be given, so that even untrained operating personnel is enabled, a rolling feed of the cooking appliance while ensuring a desired cooking result in the individual treatment levels. In this case, a monitoring of the corresponding actual Gargutzustandsgrößen, such as the core temperature, for the different items to be cooked in the different levels of treatment over several, preferably wireless, transducers are ensured.

The DE 100 27 072 A1 discloses a regeneration furnace for a galley with a box-shaped heating module, in the tablet-like trays can be introduced, which can provide several heating stations, in each of which at least one heating element and a sensor are embedded and sealed. If all the food loaded in the regeneration oven is warmed up or if all the occupied heating places are in a warming-up mode, this is indicated to on-board personnel by a display unit.

In the DE 101 20 136 A1 a cooking appliance is described with an automatic Garguterkennung, which makes it possible to regulate an energy supply to a food depending on the recognized Gargutart and Gargutposition, so that, for example, in meat crickets only pieces of meat are heated while a possibly remaining rest of a cooking surface substantially remains cold, so that evaporation of leaking from the pieces of meat juice and burning of falling solid particles on the cooking surface is substantially avoided.

In the US 2007/0199931 A1 For example, a food timer system is described that includes a plurality of timer modules connected to a network to provide information about foods in food storage devices. Each timer module includes a plurality of timers, each associated with a compartment of a food storage device. The timers measure the occupancy time of each food in each food storage compartment and are capable of transferring the occupancy time to another timer when a food item is transferred to another food storage compartment.

From the GB 2 380 923 A is a multi-bay oven known, each level can be operated independently of the other levels of insertion. A single control unit is provided to accept separate instructions for each rack level and a control unit controls the rack levels independently of each other, with information on each rack level can be displayed separately on the control unit.

The DE 202 03 117 U 1 describes a device for heat treatment of food with at least one furnace module for heat treatment of a food received therein. In this case, the device comprises a programmable control unit, which is coupled to the furnace module for its control and a bus for coupling at least one furnace module with the control panel.

A generic cooking appliance is from the US 2007/0254079 A1 in which is described, which in a cooking appliance by means of a display and / or operating device, a status of the content of a rack level of the cooking appliance can be displayed without a separate display must be provided for each rack level. Each rack level has three treatment zones in the form of containers, and the contents of the containers and additional information about the food can be displayed on the display and / or operating device.

The invention has for its object to further develop the generic cooking appliance such that it overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art, in particular has a high level of user friendliness with an optimal utilization of a cooking chamber without loss of cooking quality.

This object is achieved by the characterizing features of claim 1.

Advantageous developments are described in claims 2 to 9.

According to the invention, a method for cooking food according to claim 10 is disclosed.

Advantageous developments of a method according to the invention are described in claims 11 to 13.

The invention is thus based on the finding that, in particular for a rolling charge for the finished cooking or regeneration of food in the large and commercial kitchen is not sufficient to occupy a treatment level with a single cooking time, namely regeneration time, as a variety of food For optimal utilization of a cooking chamber in each treatment level, for example, each on a plate can be introduced, but this has the consequence that an operator must know when which plate has been placed where in which treatment level to avoid undercooking or overcooking of the food. Such a "remembrance" is almost impossible in hectic everyday life, and a false "remembering" leads to undesirable cooking results, so long as no use according to the invention of assigning times to each garment-eligible treatment zone of a treatment level.

It is also advantageous if, depending on a food to be regenerated, the maximum, still assignable treatment levels and treatment zones are automatically displayed to an operator. Thus, if only a loading of certain treatment zones of particular treatment levels is recommended, for example due to the dimensioning of a food support and / or food, only these are displayed in order to show any unnecessary information that can lead to confusion of an operator.

Furthermore, it can be provided that, during the operation of the cooking appliance, the respectively most suitable place for the placement thereof, namely in the form of a specific treatment zone, is selected and displayed when a specific item of food is selected. A suitability of a treatment zone can result, for example, from the fact that, during its loading, all the food items arranged in the corresponding treatment level are cooked at about the same time (time optimization) or require as little energy as possible (resource optimization).

As a further advantage, the cooking appliance according to the invention opens up the possibility for the first time of simply changing the charge of treatment zones and / or levels, if, for example, further space is required by a later introduction of a larger food item, since the corresponding one Information, for example, similar to a drag and drop function can be entered via a particular touch screen.

Figur 1

die Draufsicht auf eine Anzeige- und Bedienleiste eines erfindungsgemäßen Gargeräts in einer ersten Menüebene; und

Figur 2

eine Ansicht gemäß Figur 1 in einer zweiten Menüebene.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description in which an embodiment of the invention with reference to schematic drawings is explained in detail. Showing:

FIG. 1

the top view of a display and control bar of a cooking appliance according to the invention in a first menu level; and

FIG. 2

a view according to FIG. 1 in a second menu level.

A cooking appliance according to the invention (not shown) may be similar to a cooking appliance marketed by the Applicant under the trade name SelfCooking Center®, a combi steamer equipped inter alia with a heater, a moisture supply device, a moisture removal device and a blower device for circulating cooking chamber atmosphere. Furthermore, according to the invention is a display and control bar 1, as in the Figures 1 and 2 is shown provided for such a cooking appliance. This display and control bar 1 in turn comprises a touch screen 2 and a rotary and push button 3 for optimizing a rolling feed bspw. For regenerating pre-cooked food, as described below. Of course, however, cooking appliances are suitable for realizing the invention, which have a microwave source, be it in addition to a heater and / or moisture supply or exclusively. Also, the existence of a means for applying a pressure may be advantageous because, like a microwave source, it may lead to an acceleration of cooking.

The cooking chamber of the cooking appliance comprises, for example, ten, horizontally extending treatment or regeneration levels determined by inserts, to which ten regeneration level fields 20 to 29 appear on the touchscreen 2 in a first menu level, so that each regeneration level is assigned a regeneration level field. By tapping one of these fields 20 to 29 the same is activated for the purpose of setting a cooking time for the associated regeneration level.

If, for example, one starts from a filling of the cooking chamber with food in stages, then first a top or first regeneration level can be fed to which the regeneration level field 20 is assigned. The items to be cooked can all be arranged in an inset on plates, which is why not only a number 21a is indicated in the regeneration level field 20, but also an insert 22a is symbolized. If a special food item is now selected, for example, as is customary in the SelfCooking Center®, a suggestion for a cooking time 23 a automatically appears in the regeneration level field 20, which in the case of the example of FIG FIG. 1 five minutes.

Following the proposal of the cooking appliance according FIG. 1 , So the loading of the first regeneration level with the selected food and the cooking time of five minutes, so the oven is not yet to load with said food. Rather, next to optimize the space utilization of the cooking chamber by tapping the Regenerierungsebenenfelds 20, a second menu level is opened, as in FIG. 2 shown. The second menu level can then be deduced that in the first regeneration level basically four regeneration zones are provided, to each of which a regeneration zone field 200 - 203 is assigned, with two regeneration zones 200, 201 in an upper row and two regeneration zones 202 and 203 in a lower row are arranged. In each of these zones, a plate can be placed, as illustrated by the plate zones 210-213 in the display panels 200-203.

In addition, the in FIG. 2 from the second menu level shown that already three regeneration zones are covered with food, with the corresponding food to require cooking times of seven, three or five and a half minutes, see the times 220 - 223 in said display panels 200 - 203. The selected food, a cooking time of Five minutes required, so can only be introduced into the first regeneration zone with the display panel 200.

Thus, the display and control bar 1 in the area of the touch screen 2 in the in FIG. 2 shown menu level, the number and arrangement of occupied with food and still assignable Regenerierangszonen and remove the first size of a remaining cooking time. If one of the regeneration zones could still be assigned food, but without a food item already being selected, no first size would appear in the associated display field.

The cooking time, or rather the remaining cooking time, does not have to be indicated by a numerical value, but can also be indicated by an optical highlighting of an area of a bar or a circle representing a plate zone. Thus, the cooking time running during a cooking process could be represented by a steadily growing bar or a steadily increasing number of circle segments. At the time of reaching a cooking time of the bar or the circle in a new color or by pulsation could be highlighted, so in the manner of a warning signal that immediately recognizes an operator that now the corresponding food is cooked ready.

The assignment of the regeneration zone fields 200 - 203 to the regeneration zones of the first regeneration level is such that the in FIG. 2 front display panels 202 and 203 in front of the cooking chamber, a cooking chamber door facing regeneration zones include, so that when fully loaded the first regeneration level, the first to be removed food can be easily removed from the front. Namely, according to the indications of the times 220-223, the food to be cooked is first to be taken out of the regeneration zone belonging to the regeneration zone field 202, namely after three minutes. After that, two minutes later, the food to be cooked has already been removed, the charge of which has been described with reference to the regeneration zone field 200. Then, half a minute later, the regeneration zone belonging to the regeneration zone field 203 is to be emptied; and finally, after a total of seven minutes, the remaining regeneration zone with the regeneration zone field 201.

It should also be noted that the first menu is at least partially displayed at the same time as the second menu, the second menu field representing an enlargement of a portion of the first menu field to allow an operator to access both the respective regeneration level concerned and its To obtain regeneration zones.

The features of the invention disclosed in the foregoing description, in the claims and drawings may be essential both individually and in any combination for the realization of the invention in its various embodiments.

Claims (13)

1. A cooking device for cooking products to be cooked in a cooking chamber, comprising at least one device for treating products to be cooked, a control or regulation device and a display and/or operating device, wherein the cooking chamber includes at least one treatment level extending substantially horizontally, at least one first parameter that is characteristic of a product to be cooked and/or a cooking procedure can be displayed, set, changed and/or stored for said treatment level by means of the display and/or operating device, and the control or regulation device controls the device for treating products to be cooked at least in accordance with the first parameter, each treatment level comprises at least two treatment zones, each treatment zone is or can be allocated at least one first parameter, and the display and/or operating device for each treatment zone includes a display field (200 - 203), so that the number and/or arrangement of the treatment zones where products to be cooked are and/or can be placed and the first parameter of each treatment zone where products to be cooked are and/or can be placed can be displayed,
   characterized in that
   all treatment levels and/or treatment zones where the same or an identical product to be cooked and/or carrier for products to be cooked is/are and/or can be placed can be displayed and/or marked by visually highlighting them in a uniform manner, wherein only particular treatment zones of particular treatment levels are displayed, which are suitable for loading due to the dimensions of a carrier for products to be cooked and/or of a product to be cooked.
2. The cooking device according to Claim 1, characterized in that
   the device for treating products to be cooked comprises at least one heating device, a cooling device, a device for introducing moisture, a device for removing moisture, a device for introducing air, a device for removing air, a device for introducing gas, a device for
   removing gas, a device for circulating cooking chamber atmosphere, a device for applying pressure and/or a microwave source, and/or the control or regulation device is operatively connected to a storage device located outside and/or inside the cooking device, and/or the display and/or operating device (1) comprises at least one touch screen (2), preferably comprises a touch screen and another operating element, such as in the form of a turning, sliding and/or push-operated element (3), for changing information displayed on the touch screen (2).
3. The cooking device according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the number and/or arrangement of the treatment levels and/or treatment zones where products to be cooked are and/or can be placed can be determined by the control or regulation device in accordance with a selected product to be cooked, a selected carrier for products to be cooked, a selected cooking procedure and/or a second parameter, which can preferably be selected, and displayed by means of the display and/or operating device (1), in particular by means of visual highlighting, wherein preferably each treatment level and/or treatment zone can be allocated a particular color, in particular on the basis of an ascending or descending color scale.
4. The cooking device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the display and/or operating device (1) can display a suggestion regarding at least one treatment level to be loaded and/or at least one treatment zone to be loaded and/or a change of the loading status of at least one treatment level and/or a change of the loading status of at least one treatment zone, in particular in accordance with a selected product to be cooked, a selected carrier for products to be cooked, a selected cooking procedure and/or a second parameter, which can preferably be selected.
5. The cooking device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in case of a transfer of at least one product to be cooked from a first treatment level to a second treatment level and/or from a first treatment zone of a first treatment level to a second treatment zone of the first treatment level or to a second treatment zone of the second treatment level, the first and/or second parameter(s) allocated to the first treatment level and/or treatment zone can be allocated to the second treatment level and/or treatment zone.
6. The cooking device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first parameter is selected from at least one of
   a temperature of the cooking chamber, the treatment level and/or the treatment zone,
   a humidity within the cooking chamber, the treatment level and/or the treatment zone,
   a speed of the cooking chamber atmosphere within the cooking chamber, the treatment level and/or the treatment zone,
   a pressure within the cooking chamber, the treatment level and/or the treatment zone, a microwave energy level within the cooking chamber, the treatment level and/or the treatment zone,
   a temperature of the products to be cooked, in particular the core temperature and/or surface temperature of the products to be cooked, and/or
   a cooking time, which is in particular determined by the remaining cooking time and/or the end time of cooking for a product to be cooked, within the cooking chamber, the treatment level and/or the treatment zone.
7. The cooking device according to any one of Claims 3 to 6, characterized in that the control or regulation device uses each second parameter to identify opportunities for time optimization, in particular for accelerating, decelerating or simultaneous completion of cooking procedures that take place at the same time at least in part, for resource optimization, in particular for saving electric power, water, air and/or gas, for cooking result optimization, in particular for achieving a desired degree of cooking inside and/or outside a product to be cooked, and/or for operational optimization, in particular for reducing the number of movements required for manipulation, a risk of injury and/or erroneous operation.
8. The cooking device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a carrier for products to be cooked, such as an insertion element, in particular of a tray rack, of a tray rack trolley, of a suspended ladder or the like, a gridiron, a metal tray, in particular in the form of a pizza, baking and/or roasting tray, a plate, a chicken holder, a skewer, a steak grill and/or a basket, in particular in the form of a pasta basket, can be suggested on a display field (20 - 29, 20', 200 - 203) of the display and/or operating device (1), preferably in accordance with a selected product to be cooked, a selected cooking procedure and/or a first and/or second parameter, and/or can be taken into account by the control or regulation device when allocating a treatment zone, determining the maximum number and/or arrangement of the treatment levels and/or treatment zones where products to be cooked can be placed, suggesting a treatment level to be loaded and/or a treatment zone to be loaded and/or a treatment level to be changed and/or a treatment zone to be changed and/or an opportunity for time optimization and/or resource optimization and/or cooking result optimization and/or operational optimization.
9. The cooking device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each product to be cooked that can be selected, each cooking procedure that can be selected, each first and/or second parameter that can be selected and/or each carrier for products to be cooked that can be selected can be displayed on the display and/or operating device (1), in particular by means of at least one alphanumeric character (21a, 23a, 220 - 223), a graphical representation and/or at least one pictograph (22a, 210 - 213), and/or
   a first and/or second parameter, which in particular can be set, changed, stored, is set, changed and/or stored, is/are displayed by visually highlighting it/them, such as by coloring, enlarging, flashing, pulsing, placing it/them in a box or the like.
10. A method for cooking products to be cooked in a cooking chamber of a cooking device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least two products to be cooked are cooked in parallel, at least at times, in different treatment zones of the cooking chamber, the mode of operation of the cooking device, in particular determined by hot air, steam and/or microwave operation, and/or the climate within the cooking chamber, in particular determined by the temperature, the humidity, the speed of the cooking chamber atmosphere, the pressure and/or the microwave energy level within the cooking chamber, for these products to be cooked is/are identical,
    characterized in that
    it is displayed in which loading zone, in particular in which loading zone of which loading level in case of a plurality of loading levels, the products to be cooked can or should be arranged,
    whether the products to be cooked and/or when the products to be cooked can or should be loaded into the cooking chamber or transferred to the cooking chamber,
    on which carrier for products to be cooked the products to be cooked can or should be arranged within the cooking chamber, and/or
    when the products to be cooked can or should be removed from the cooking chamber.
11. The method according to Claim 10, characterized in that
    for each product to be cooked, a remaining cooking time, the end time of cooking, a degree of internal cooking and/or a degree of external cooking can be displayed, set, changed and/or stored as a first parameter that is characteristic of this product to be cooked, and/or for each product to be cooked, each cooking procedure and/or each carrier for products to be cooked, a second parameter can be displayed, set, changed and/or stored, wherein preferably a remaining cooking time is displayed by means of a visually highlighted area, in particular in the form of a bar or a circular segment that increases during a cooking procedure, and/or a plate is indicated by a circle, wherein preferably a remaining cooking time is displayed by visually highlighting circular segments of said circle.
12. The method according to Claim 10 or 11, characterized in that once a product to be cooked and/or cooking procedure has been selected on the display and/or operating device, at least one first menu level is displayed, by means of which at least one treatment level where the products to be cooked can be placed, preferably all treatment levels where the products to be cooked can be placed, is/are displayed, in particular complemented by a suggestion for the first and/or second parameter and/or a carrier for products to be cooked, and/or
    once a treatment level has been selected, at least one second menu level is displayed, by means of which at least one treatment zone where the products to be cooked can be placed, preferably all treatment zones where the products to be cooked can be placed, is/are displayed, in particular complemented by a suggestion for the first and/or second parameter and/or a carrier for products to be cooked, wherein preferably the first and second menu levels are displayed at the same time at least in part, and/or the second menu level is displayed as an enlargement of an area of the first menu level, preferably in order to display the first, second and/or third parameter of each treatment zone of a treatment level as well as the relevant treatment level at the same time.
13. The method according to any one of Claims 10 to 12, characterized in that a transfer of at least one product to be cooked from a first treatment zone of a first treatment level to a second treatment zone of the first treatment level or of a second treatment level can be entered by means of the display and/or operating device using a drag and drop function.

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