EP4281708A1

EP4281708A1 - Cooking appliance for a large-scale kitchen with a fat extraction device, and method for operating such a cooking appliance with fat extraction

Info

Publication number: EP4281708A1
Application number: EP22731698.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Jan Bartelick; Johannes Wolff
Original assignee: MKN Maschinenfabrik Kurt Neubauer GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: MKN Maschinenfabrik Kurt Neubauer GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 2021-06-08
Filing date: 2022-06-07
Publication date: 2023-11-29
Also published as: DE102021114666A1; US20240027074A1; WO2022258601A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cooking appliance for a large-scale kitchen in the form of a combi-steamer (1, 1'), having a cooking compartment (3) for cooking food which is to be cooked, which can be arranged on a plurality of cooking levels (32), or a rotisserie appliance, having a cooking compartment for cooking food which is to be cooked, which can be arranged on a rotatable carrier, having a heating device for heating the cooking compartment atmosphere, an appliance controller for controlling the cooking appliance, and a cooking compartment drain (33) which is located below a floor (4) of the cooking compartment (3) and serves for conducting away a fat/water mixture and gaseous portions of the cooking compartment atmosphere out of the cooking compartment (3), wherein the cooking compartment drain (33) extends from an outlet opening (15) in the floor (4) or in the floor region of the cooking compartment (3) as far as a siphon device (35), wherein a fat-collecting device (59) is provided which comprises at least one fat-collecting container (61), at least one fat extraction line (73), at least one extraction pump (77) and at least one fat discharge line (82), wherein the fat extraction line (53) extends from the fat-collecting container (61) to the extraction pump (77), wherein the extraction pump (77) is configured to further convey the fat/water mixture sucked up via the fat extraction line (73) into the fat discharge line (82), and wherein a cleaning device is provided which is configured to convey water at least via the fat extraction line (73) and the fat-collecting container (61) into the cooking compartment drain (33) in the direction of the siphon device (35).

Description

COOKING APPLIANCE FOR LARGE KITCHENS WITH LIPOSUCTION DEVICE, AND METHOD FOR OPERATING SUCH COOKING APPLIANCE

WITH LIPOSUCTION

The present invention relates to a cooking device for commercial kitchens in the form of a combination steamer or a rotisserie device with a liposuction device.

Cooking appliances for commercial kitchens can have large or very large cooking chambers that are suitable for accommodating a large amount of food to be cooked. When cooking fatty food such as poulards, ducks, geese, chickens, etc., a relatively large amount of fat is released from the food. This fat, which escapes together with the liquid contained in the food, in particular water, forms the so-called vapors when removed from the cooking chamber together with the removed gaseous cooking chamber atmosphere. This vapor is discharged from the cooking chamber via a discharge opening for its disposal.

In the devices of the prior art, the hot vapor from the cooking chamber is fed to a siphon device with steam condensation, on the one hand to condense the steam and on the other hand to cool it together with the fat-water mixture of the vapor. Cooling down to a predetermined value is necessary because only liquid with a maximum temperature may be introduced into the sewage system of the house connection, which is generally below that of the vapor discharged from the cooking chamber.

EP 1 717 518 B1 discloses a cooking appliance with a cooking chamber drain and a siphon device, in which there is a water reservoir that serves to prevent odors or vapors from the sewage system from getting into the cooking chamber. Furthermore, the water reservoir is also used to cool down the hot steam.

With certain items to be cooked, as indicated above, a large amount of fat escapes from the item to be cooked, which can entail problems with disposal via the sewage house connection. In addition, this natural fat is suitable for further processing, for example in the manufacture of cosmetics, e.g. B. soap, or fuel and thus contributes to sustainability in the processing of such raw materials.

A cooking appliance is known from US Pat. No. 8,997,730 B2, in which there is the possibility of fat recovery by means of liposuction. In this cooking appliance, the vapor is drained off via a drain opening and a short pipe socket into a siphon device underneath, in which there is a water reservoir. A vapor catch tank is located below the drain opening, being separated from the water reservoir. In this collection container there is a discharge opening which is connected to a fat suction line, via which the fat-water mixture can be drawn off to a collection container by means of a suction pump.

After completion of the respective cooking process or after completion of a number of cooking processes, the cooking chamber must be cleaned for reasons of hygiene. This can either be done manually by introducing an appropriate cleaning agent into the cooking chamber, distributing it manually and rinsing it out again using a water supply. In the operation of canteen kitchens, however, automatic cleaning devices have proven to be particularly advantageous. In any case, the cleaning produces a liquid (powder-dissolved or otherwise dissolved) cleaning agent which, for reasons of hygiene, must be completely removed from the cooking chamber of the cooking appliance and the other cooking appliance components to be cleaned before another cooking process can be carried out.

The same elements and devices of the cooking appliance are used to discharge the cleaning liquid with the corresponding dissolved residues of the cooking process as those for draining the vapor. In the prior art mentioned above, this leads to the great disadvantage that the cleaning agent mixed with the dissolved residues from the cooking chamber also reaches the vapor collection container and is also sucked off. Residues of the cleaning agent thus get into the collected fat and contaminate this collected raw material for its further processing considerably. The present invention is therefore based on the object of avoiding the disadvantages described above and of proposing a cooking appliance for commercial kitchens in the form of a combi steamer or a rotisserie appliance with a fat collecting device and fat recovery, which largely prevents cleaning residues from penetrating into the recovered fat or .can mix with this one. Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to propose a corresponding fat collecting device for a commercial kitchen cooking appliance. Finally, it is also an object of the present invention to propose a method for operating a commercial kitchen cooking appliance, in particular a combi steamer or a rotisserie appliance with fat recovery, in which contamination of the recovered fat with cleaning agents is largely avoided.

To solve the problem, the present invention proposes a cooking appliance for commercial kitchens in the form of a combi-steamer with a cooking space for cooking food, which can be arranged on a plurality of cooking levels, or in the form of a rotisserie appliance, with a cooking space for cooking food, which can be arranged on a rotatable food support, with a heating device for heating the cooking chamber atmosphere, a device control for controlling the cooking appliance, and a cooking chamber drain, which is located below a floor of the cooking chamber and for discharging a fat-water mixture and gaseous components of the cooking chamber atmosphere serves the cooking chamber, with the cooking chamber drain extending from a drain opening in the floor or in the floor area of the cooking chamber to a siphon device, with a fat collecting device being provided which comprises at least one fat collecting container, at least one fat suction line, at least one suction pump and at least one fat discharge line asst, wherein the liposuction line extends from the fat collection container to the suction pump, wherein the suction pump is set up to convey the fat-water mixture sucked in via the lipo suction line into the fat discharge line, and a cleaning device is provided which is set up to extract water at least through the fat extraction line and the fat collection container into the cooking chamber drain in the direction of the siphon device. This advantageously ensures that cleaning agent residues are flushed out of the liposuction line and from the fat collecting tank and are discharged to the siphon device, so that the fat produced in a subsequent cooking process can be recovered without cleaning agent residues. This significantly increases the quality of the recovered fat and contributes significantly to the reusability of this fat.

As a result, a corresponding price can also be achieved by the canteen kitchen operator for the raw material that can be further processed, which reduces the purchase price of the cooking good backwards.

The constructive design, such that the fat collection container is arranged in front of the siphon device, more precisely between the drain opening and the siphon device, results in the clear advantage that the fat content of the cooking chamber drain that is introduced into the siphon device is significantly reduced, with the fat content also being reduced in an exhaust pipe is significantly reduced. This can significantly increase the service life of the cooking appliance or its components, such as the drainage pump of the siphon, the circulating pump of the cleaning system, such as seals, in particular the pumps, the water supply of the cleaning system or the temperature sensor.

In addition, the great advantage over canteen kitchen cooking appliances without fat recovery is maintained in that there is no need to separate the fat before draining the cooking chamber drain into the house drainage duct.

There is also the advantage that no change to the existing cooking processes is necessary and the cooking result is not impaired even with the fat collecting device according to the invention. The cooking quality is therefore not impaired.

The fact that the grease collection container is preferably located in the initial area of the cooking chamber drain means that the liposuction can be carried out at an early stage and the further flow path to the siphon device is freed of grease pollution at an early stage. For example, an initial section of the fat collection container located within a distance of 80 to 120 mm from the center line of the drain opening of the cooking cavity, preferably at a distance of 30 to 40 mm from the center line of the drain opening.

Advantageously, the cooking space drain and the fat drip tray are made of metallic material, which is particularly temperature-resistant, and the fat drip tray is welded to the cooking space drain. This results in a long-lasting connection between the fat collecting container and the cooking chamber drain, while avoiding ge, where appropriate, non-permanent seals, with the connection area being particularly difficult to reach due to the installation location below half of the cooking chamber.

Correspondingly, it is also advantageous that the liposuction line, which can include a liposuction tube preferably made of metal, is welded to the fat collection container. This creates a particularly durable connection that is essentially maintenance-free.

Alternatively, at least the fat collection container, possibly also the cooking chamber drain and/or the fat suction line, is made of a plastic. In this case, the fat collection container can be formed integrally with the cooking space drain or can be attached to it.

Due to the fact that an end section of the grease collecting container is preferably designed in the form of a ramp in the direction of the siphon device, the advantage of a streamlined design of the grease collecting container and its connection to the cooking chamber outlet is achieved. The ramped end section of the fat collecting container is preferably the section that is arranged in a direction parallel to the longitudinal or central axis of the cooking chamber drain in the area of the fat collecting container closer to the siphon device than to the drain opening. When backwashing through the cleaning device to clean the grease collector, the grease collector is flushed in the direction of the siphon device and the flushed water is routed to the siphon device. The discharge process is supported or facilitated by the ramp-shaped configuration of the end section. The ramp-shaped end section is inclined at least in sections with respect to the longitudinal or central axis of the cooking space drain. Various embodiments are possible for the configuration of the ramp-shaped end section. For example, the end portion is formed of three mutually inclined side surfaces. Alternatively, the ramp-shaped end section can be conical. In a further alternative, the fat collecting container can be designed as an inclined and/or conical tube or as such a tube section which tapers in the direction of the siphon device.

Advantageously, a branch line for discharging gaseous portions of the fluid or vapor discharged from the cooking chamber into the cooking chamber drain, i.e. the fat-water mixture and the gaseous parts of the cooking chamber atmosphere, branches off from the cooking chamber drain between the fat collecting container and the siphon device. As a result, the cooling capacity of the siphon device can advantageously be made smaller.

In this connection it is advantageous that the branch line comprises a first section which runs essentially horizontally with a slight incline of 1° to 5°, preferably of 2° to 2.5°. In principle, the hot exhaust air from the cooking chamber also contains fat in the form of fat droplets and this exhaust air partially condenses in the branch line. Due to the slight incline, this condensate can possibly flow back. with fat can be reached back into the cooking space drain. The gradient is therefore preferably defined in a direction of flow from the cooking chamber drain, starting through the branch line.

Furthermore, it is advantageous that the liposuction line extends at least partially from the fat collection container to the suction pump with a slight incline of 1° to 5°, preferably 1.5° to 2°. This ensures that the fat-water mixture does not flow back into the fat collecting tank as far as possible.

Furthermore, an advantage can be achieved in that the liposuction line and the first section of the branch line are arranged at a small distance from one another, preferably adjacent to one another. This has the advantage that the closer the branch line is located on the liposuction line, the greater the heat transfer from the branch line, which is heated by the exhaust air, to the liposuction line, which means that solidification of the fat flowing through the liposuction line can be significantly reduced and its fluidity is supported by the transferred heat. The small distance is therefore preferably selected in such a way that heat transfer takes place between the branch line and the liposuction line. The distance may be in the range of a few centimetres, preferably between 0 cm and 5 cm, more preferably between 0 cm and 3 cm, even more preferably between 0 cm and 1 cm. A distance of 0 cm corresponds to the embodiment in which the branch line and the liposuction line are arranged adjacent to each other as described above.

Furthermore, it is advantageous that the suction pump is designed as a pump through which flow can take place in both directions, as a result of which it is able to be flown through in the opposite direction to the pumping direction. The suction pump conveys the fat-water mixture from the fat collection container into the fat discharge line. In particular, if the pump inlet cannot be closed, there is a possibility that cleaning liquid will penetrate to the pump and collect there. Due to the fact that the suction pump can also be flown through in the opposite direction to the pumping direction, there is the possibility of flushing through the suction pump in this direction. Any residues of cleaning liquid that may have accumulated can thus be removed again.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the grease discharge line comprises a riser pipe which is arranged at or connected to the pump outlet of the suction pump and extends upwards from there over a certain distance. This has two advantages, namely, firstly, that the penetration of cleaning liquid into the riser pipe is limited up to the height of the drain opening in the cooking chamber of the cooking appliance and, on the other hand, the extracted fat-water mixture is conveyed so far upwards that from there it can flow into a fat collection container for collecting the extracted fat or fat-water mixture is made possible. Even if, in a space-saving design, the riser pipe is arranged essentially vertically upwards, inclined arrangements of the riser pipe are also possible within the scope of the invention. The cleaning device advantageously has a water supply for cleaning the grease collecting device. Cooking appliances, in particular combi-steamers, usually have a water supply in order to be able to generate steam in the cooking chamber. This is done by generating steam inside the cooking chamber or by introducing steam from outside the cooking chamber. Water is also required to clean the cooking chamber, for example using a hand shower or an automatic cleaning system. In an advantageous embodiment, the water supply of the cooking appliance also forms the water supply of the cleaning device. However, it is also conceivable that the cleaning device includes a further water supply or can be connected to an external water source.

Furthermore, it is advantageous that the water supply of the cleaning device for cleaning the fat collecting device has at least one water supply line, which opens into the riser pipe above the suction pump. This means that the line harness that may have been occupied by the cleaning liquid, including the suction pump, can be reliably flushed out and freed from cleaning liquid residues.

If the suction pump has a closable pump inlet, cleaning liquid can be prevented from entering the pump by closing this pump inlet. This advantageously also creates the possibility of connecting the water supply line of the water supply line of the cleaning device immediately before the pump inlet, in order to initiate a thorough flushing of the liposuction line and the fat collection container from there.

Furthermore, it is advantageous that the water supply of the cleaning device for cleaning the grease collecting device has at least one additional water supply line. Thus, in addition to the water supply line which opens into the riser pipe, another water supply line can be provided which opens directly into the fat collecting container and/or another water supply line can be provided which opens into the fat suction line directly in front of the suction pump.

The water supply is equipped with at least one valve, in particular a solenoid valve, which controls the supply of fresh water to the at least one water supply guide line controls. Multiple solenoid valves control the water supply to multiple water supply lines.

In one embodiment, the suction pump can advantageously be arranged at a height that is above the height of the drain opening in the floor or floor area of the cooking chamber of the cooking appliance, with an outlet end of the fat suction line being connected to the pump inlet via a connecting line. This has the advantage that the cleaning liquid never reaches the suction pump and therefore does not have to be freed from it afterwards. It may therefore be sufficient to flush the fat collecting device upstream of the suction pump, in particular the fat suction line and the fat collecting container, at least in part. In order to remove deposits from the system, however, it may also be desirable in this embodiment to flush the suction pump and, if necessary, the grease discharge line, as previously described.

Alternatively, it is possible to arrange the suction pump between the cooking chamber floor and the floor of the appliance or below the floor of the appliance.

When the cleaning device of the cooking appliance is in operation, the suction pump is not in operation. This avoids the suction of cleaning agent to the suction pump.

The suction pump is also not in operation when the cleaning device is in operation for cleaning the fat collecting device, which means that it can be flushed through unhindered, particularly if the water is supplied after the suction pump, for example into the riser pipe.

Another advantage of the present invention is that a heating device is provided on or in the fat collecting container, by means of which liquid non-fat portions of the fat-water mixture drained from the cooking chamber can be evaporated. This achieves the advantage that the proportion of water in the fat-water mixture is further reduced and the concentration of fat during recovery can thus be increased. It is also advantageous that the fat collecting device has a shut-off valve at the entrance to the water supply, in particular the at least one water supply line, into the liposuction line, so that after the liposuction line has been shut off, the cleaning device is able to shut off the suction pump and the fat discharge line by means of flushing to clean. This can be provided in addition to the water supply line, which after the suction pump opens into the grease discharge line, in particular into the riser pipe, or can be connected to it. The shut-off valve can advantageously be a multi-way valve which can adopt a position in which the liposuction line and the fat collection container are flushed and another position in which the suction pump and the fat discharge line are flushed. If necessary, the shut-off valve can also be designed in such a way that it allows flushing to take place in both directions at the same time. In this case it can be sufficient to provide only a single water supply line.

In one embodiment, the cleaning device comprises a water supply line, which is connected to the fat discharge line, in particular to a discharge pipe or a check valve of the fat discharge line. This water supply line can also be referred to as a connecting line or hose. In other words, the water supply line can be connected to the end of the fat discharge line that is not connected to the suction pump. The water supply line or connecting line can be connected to an external water source, for example to a water line or a faucet. A first end of the water supply or connection line is preferably connected to the fat discharge line and a second end of the water supply or connection line, opposite the first end, can be connected to the external water source. The water supply line or connection line, in particular the second end thereof, can preferably also be connected to the fat collection container. The grease collection container must be changed at regular intervals and is therefore usually easily accessible. This consequently also applies to the second end of the water supply or connection line, which can be easily grasped by a user and connected to the water source. In this way, it is possible to flush out the entire fat collecting device in a simple manner. If the cooking appliance is used intensively and/or for a long time, there may be a risk of fat being deposited in unfavorable places. Advantageously, the water used for flushing through the cleaning device can be heated to clean the grease collecting device, as a result of which grease that has solidified can be dissolved again and flushed out.

The above sub-task is also achieved by a grease collection device for commercial kitchen cooking appliances, in particular combi-steamers or rotisserie appliances, which comprises at least one fat collection container, at least one fat suction line, at least one suction pump and at least one fat discharge line, where the fat collection container is attached to a cooking chamber drain of the The cooking appliance can be arranged in the vicinity of a drain opening in the floor or in the floor area of the cooking appliance, with the fat suction line extending from the fat collection container to the suction pump, with the suction pump being set up to convey the fat-water mixture sucked in via the fat suction line into the fat discharge line , and wherein the fat collecting device comprises a cleaning device which is set up to convey water at least via the fat suction line and the fat collecting container into the cooking chamber outlet in the direction of a siphon device at the end of the cooking chamber outlet of the cooking appliance.

There is thus the possibility of integrating a fat collecting system into cooking appliances, in which a recovery of fat or possibly also other substances is made possible by appropriate suction.

Finally, the present invention also includes a method for operating a commercial kitchen cooking appliance, in particular a combi steamer or a rotisserie appliance, and for collecting fat produced during the cooking process, with the following steps:

collecting the fat-water mixture escaping from a cooking compartment of the cooking appliance via its drain opening in a fat collecting container of a fat collecting device which is attached to a cooking compartment drain of the cooking appliance, Suction of the fat-water mixture via at least one liposuction line from the fat collection container by means of a suction pump arranged at the end of the liposuction line,

Discharge of the fat-water mixture sucked in by the suction pump via a fat discharge line to the fat collection container, as well as

Carrying out a cleaning process of the fat collecting device after the end of a cleaning process of the cooking appliance in that water is conveyed in the opposite direction to the suction direction at least through the fat suction line and the fat collecting container into the cooking chamber drain in the direction of a siphon device at the end of the cooking chamber drain of the cooking appliance.

Advantageously, the use of the suction pump is clocked. The timing can be preset or change in the course of the cooking program or cooking process. For example, aspiration by pumping occurs in a 60-second cycle: 30 seconds of pumping and a 30-second pause. Continuous operation is also possible for certain cooking steps. On the other hand, clocking below 50% is also possible, i.e. the pumping time is shorter than the pause.

It is therefore also advantageous that the clocking takes place as a function of the food to be cooked and/or the cooking process. In this way, the suction power can be adjusted to the fat accumulation, for example due to the food to be cooked (e.g. duck, goose) and/or the load in the cooking cabinet and/or the course of the cooking process.

Furthermore, it is advantageous that the cleaning process of the fat collecting device is carried out both at the beginning and at the end of the cleaning process of the cooking appliance. Carrying out at the beginning advantageously removes the remaining fat-water mixture before penetration of the cleaning agent derived from the cooking chamber during the cleaning process of the cooking appliance, and carrying out at the end removes the remaining cleaning agent. Because the grease collector is rinsed through at the beginning of the cleaning process of the cooking appliance, the grease collector is rinsed with fresh water and some of the fresh water remains in the grease collector, in the grease suction line, in the suction pump and in a section of the riser pipe after the end of the rinsing process . If now the cleaning of the cooking appliance is triggered, the water present in the liposuction line makes it difficult for the cleaning agent to penetrate into this liposuction line.

During the next liposuction process, after previously rinsing the fat collection device again, the existing fresh water is transported into the fat collection container, and only then is the sucked fat introduced there, due to the natural separation ability between fat and water, the water that has collected in the collection container can then flow accordingly are derived and the fat separated from it remains.

In an advantageous embodiment, the cleaning process of the fat collecting device is carried out automatically. For example, the cleaning process of the fat collection system is automatically initiated as soon as the cleaning process of the cooking appliance is to be started, e.g. by a corresponding user input, and/or as soon as the cleaning process of the cooking appliance is completed. An automatic execution of the cleaning process of the grease collecting device can be implemented particularly well if the cleaning device is connected to the water supply line of the cooking appliance by means of the water supply line, as described above.

Additionally or alternatively, during the cleaning process of the fat collecting device, water can be pumped through the discharge line, preferably through the entire fat discharge line, the fat suction line and the fat collection container into the cooking chamber drain. This can be implemented particularly easily if the cleaning device comprises the water supply or connection line, which can be connected to the fat discharge line and a water source, preferably an external water source, as described above. Further details, features and advantages of the present invention result from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings. It shows:

1 shows a perspective view of a cooking appliance in the form of a combi-steamer;

FIG. 2 shows a further perspective view of the cooking appliance from FIG. 1 with the cooking chamber door removed;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a cooking appliance in the form of a large combi steamer with oven rack;

4 shows a schematic representation of the basic structure of an embodiment of the cooking appliance according to the invention in the form of a combi-steamer;

5 shows a perspective view of the cooking chamber drain and a partial view of the fat collecting device according to the invention with fat suction line;

6 shows a view of the back of the cooking appliance in the form of a combination steamer with a fat suction pump, fat discharge line and water supply to the cleaning device of the fat collecting device; and

Fig. 7a, 7b is a view of the back of the cooking appliance of FIG. 6 with a variant of the cleaning device.

In the figures, the same elements are provided with the same reference numbers.

In Figures 1 and 2, a conventional cooking appliance 1 is shown in the form of a combi steamer 3, which has a cooking chamber 3 for cooking food, which can be closed by a cooking chamber door 5. To handle the Gar room door 5, it has a door handle 8. In addition to the cooking chamber 3 is the so-called technical room 6, in which a drive device for a fan wheel 7, the device control with display and control panel 9 and a hand shower 11 with hand shower head 13 are arranged. As can be seen, the hand shower head 13 is arranged lowered in a niche-like receptacle 19 and does not protrude over the front of the cooking appliance 1 in the rest position shown in FIGS. Due to the niche-like Aufnah me 19 of the hand shower head 13 is easy to take and can be pulled out (not shown) together with a part of a supply line. The cooking appliance 1 has a water supply to which the hand shower 11 is connected, where at 11 water can be injected into the cooking chamber 3 via the hand shower, beispielswei se to carry out a manual cleaning process.

We can also be seen from FIG. 2, the cooking chamber 3 has a drain opening 15 in the area of its floor 4, through which not only the fat-water mixture formed from condensation and the fat released from the food during cooking by the cooking process, but also gaseous cooking chamber atmosphere ausströ men or can flow out, which together form the vapors defined here, and the cleaning medium generated during a cleaning process or the cleaning or washing liquor generated from the cooking chamber 3 Kings NEN be discharged.

Schematically indicated, there is also an internal temperature sensor 17 of the cooking appliance 1 on the floor 4 of the cooking chamber 3, which serves as a core temperature sensor in the exemplary embodiment shown.

An exhaust air outlet 21 can be seen at the top of the cooking chamber 1, at which an exhaust air pipe opens. This is described in more detail below.

While in Figs. 1 and 2 a cooking appliance 1 of a relatively small size Darge is shown in Fig. 3 is a cooking appliance T of a large size. A (suspended) frame 29 with a plurality of slide-in rails 31 can be seen through a transparent door pane 20 of the cooking chamber door 5 food to be cooked. A corresponding frame 29 is located on the opposite side and both frames 29 are part of a per se known hordege Stells a trolley 23. This trolley 23 has a rectangular frame 25 on which a roller 27 is provided at each corner, with at least two of the rollers 27 are rotatable. As can be seen from FIG. 3, the frame 29 has twenty shelf rails 31, which makes it possible to accommodate a large quantity of food to be cooked on up to twenty shelf levels. The cooking appliance 1' in turn rests on four corner supports 14.

Advantageously, for example, a collecting plate or collecting pan (not shown) can be used on the lowermost slide-in rails on both sides, which has an opening that is slightly offset downwards, whereby the liquid fat flows to this opening, which when the collecting pan is in the inserted state is above the drain opening 15 comes to rest. As a result, the fat dripping from above can be caught and guided to the drain opening 15 and drained into it, as a result of which the cooking chamber floor 4 of the cooking appliance is wetted to a much lesser extent by fat. As a result, the bottom 4 of the cooking chamber 3 does not have to be cleaned as intensively, which makes cleaning the cooking chamber 3 much easier.

If a large amount of fatty food, such as ducks or geese, is cooked in such a large cooking appliance 1', a correspondingly large amount of released fat accumulates.

4 shows a basic structure of the two cooking appliances 1 and 1′ shown, the proportions of the individual components not being true to scale but only being shown schematically. Because both cooking appliances are combi-steamers, there are a number of rack levels 32 for receiving food to be cooked. The fan wheel 7 is driven by the drive device in the form of a motor 12, whereby the air or atmosphere 22 Garraumat in the cooking chamber 3 can be circulated.

In the bottom 4 of the cooking chamber 3, the drain opening 15 is formed, to which a cooking chamber drain 33 is connected, which extends on the underside of the cooking chamber 3 up to a siphon device 35 and opens into it. The siphon device 35 has a siphon container 36 in which a water seal 37 is located. As is well known in the art, the siphon tank 36 has a bulkhead 41 provided, which extends into the water seal 37. As a result, an odor trap is formed opposite the cooking appliance outlet 43, which is connected to the drain duct of the house. A drain channel 44 from the siphon container 36 opens into this (not shown).

A water supply 45 is shown schematically, which is supplied with fresh water according to arrow 47 , it being possible for this fresh water to be fed into the siphon container 36 via a water supply line 49 . To empty the siphon container 36, a drain pump 51 is provided, to which a drain line 53 is connected, via which the water seal 37 can be pumped out into the drain channel 44. After emptying the siphon container 36, fresh water can be fed into the siphon container 36 via a water supply line 49 of the water supply 37 to rebuild the water reservoir.

The cooking appliance 1 , T shown schematically in FIG. 4 has an automatic cleaning device for the cooking appliance, which includes a supply line 55 with which liquid can be introduced from the water reservoir 37 into the cooking chamber 3 via a circulating pump 57 . The water template 37 is used to condense exhaust air, which is fed via the cooking chamber drain 33 to the siphon device 35, with corresponding vapor components also reaching the water template 37 and hitting it. Therefore, the water reservoir 37 is emptied by means of the drain pump 51 and fresh water is supplied via the water supply line 49 to carry out the automatic cleaning of the Garge rats. This can then serve as a starting liquid for automatic cleaning and by means of the circulating pump 57 to the cooking chamber 3 if necessary. be supplied multiple times.

Incidentally, such an automatic cleaning device of a combination steamer is known from the prior art and is therefore not described further.

According to the present invention, the cooking appliance 1, T has a fat collecting device 59 which has a fat collecting container 61 which, as can be seen in FIG. 4, is arranged below the cooking chamber drain 33 and is preferably welded to it. A connection opening 71 for a liposuction tube, which is part of a liposuction line 73, is shown in dashed lines. Other connection options that create a permanent connection between the cooking chamber drain 33 and the fat collecting container 61 are within the scope of the invention.

Reference is now made to FIG. 5, in which a part of the grease collecting device 59 according to the invention is shown in a perspective view.

To connect the cooking space drain 33 to the cooking space 3 , the cooking space drain 33 has a cooking space drain inlet 34 with a connecting flange 38 which can be screwed onto the cooking space floor 4 . The fat collecting container 61, which is welded to the tubular cooking space drain 33 in the illustrated embodiment, to which the invention is not limited, is located near the cooking space drain inlet 34. As can be clearly seen from Fig. 5, the fat collecting container 61 has a ramp-shaped End section 62 on. Details on this are described further below.

As can be seen from FIGS. 4 and 5, the cooking chamber drain 33 ends in a connection opening 58 for connection to the siphon container 36 of the siphon device 35.

We can also be seen from FIGS. 4 and 5, there is an opening 63 for a branch line 64 of the exhaust air from the cooking chamber 3 between the grease collection container 61 and the connection opening 58. This opening 63 forms the beginning of the exhaust air branch line 64, which is a first section 65, a second section 67 and a third section designed as a connecting piece 69. An exhaust air pipe, which leads to the exhaust air outlet 21 (FIGS. 1 to 3), can be connected to this connecting piece 69 .

The first section 65 of the exhaust air branch line 64 extends essentially horizontally or with a slight incline of up to 5°, preferably from 2° to 2.5°. This has the advantage that condensing steam from the exhaust air can flow back into the cooking chamber outlet 33 . The adjoining second section 67 of the exhaust air branch line 64 preferably runs at a similar or equal slope to the first section 65. Condensate and, if appropriate, fat that has not solidified can also flow back from there. Furthermore, cleaning agent which has penetrated into these sections 65 and 66 during the evacuation cleaning agent flows back from the cooking chamber 3 via the cooking chamber drain 33 back into the cooking chamber drain 33 and then flows further into the siphon device 35.

The fat collecting device 59 also includes the liposuction line 73 , which preferably opens out in the lower area of the fat collecting container 61 or creates the possibility for the fat-water mixture collected in the fat collecting container 61 to be able to flow off into the liposuction line 73 . This is supported by the fact that the fat suction line 73 extends at a slight incline of 1° to 5°, preferably of 1.5° to 2°.

Reference is now made to FIG. 6, which shows a perspective view of the rear side 10, only partially shown, of the cooking appliance 1 or 1'. As can be seen from FIG. 6, the liposuction line 73 extends beyond the back 10 of the cooking appliance and is connected to a suction pump 77 via a connecting line 75 or a connecting tube section 75 . The suction pump 77 is used to suck off the fat-water mixture from the fat collection container 61 and to convey this mixture via a fat discharge line 82 into a fat collection container 95 (see FIG. 7a), such as a canister, collection bin, etc.

The suction pump 77 is connected to the device control via a corresponding control and supply cable 79, the cable 79 extending from the suction pump 77 via an opening 81 in the back 10 of the cooking appliance to the device control.

The fat discharge line 82 has a riser pipe 83 which is held on the back 10 of the cooking appliance and extends essentially vertically upwards. This riser pipe 83 is followed by a discharge pipe 85 of the grease discharge line 82, which extends essentially horizontally in the exemplary embodiment and at the end of which a check valve 87 is provided for shutting off the grease discharge line 82. A corresponding connecting hose 96 can then be attached to the end of the discharge pipe 85 and/or connecting pipe section to the fat collection container for the collected fat or fat-water mixture, as shown in Fig. 7a. According to the invention, the cooking appliance 1, V comprises a cleaning device with which at least the liposuction line 73 and the fat collection container 61 can be flushed through in the opposite direction to the liposuction device in order to remove both residues of the fat-water mixture and residues of the cleaning agent that has penetrated the cooking appliance during the cleaning process to be removed so that contamination of the extracted fat or fat-water mixture can be avoided as far as possible during the next liposuction procedure.

In one embodiment, a water supply line 89 extends from the water supply line 45 (FIG. 4) through the opening 90 in the rear wall 10 of the cooking appliance. This water supply line 89 opens into the riser pipe 83 above the suction pump 77. When water is supplied via the water supply line 89, the fat collecting device 59 can be cleaned and flushed from above the suction pump 77 through the riser pipe 83, the connecting line 75, the fat suction line 73 and take place the fat collection container 61, from which, flow-encouraged by the ramp-shaped end portion 62, the flushing or flushed liq sigkeitsmenge is discharged via the cooking chamber drain 33 in the siphon device 35.

In an alternative embodiment, the suction pump 77 can have a shut-off device at its pump inlet 78 which prevents cleaning agent from the liposuction line 73 and the connecting line 75 from penetrating the suction pump 77 . Correspondingly, the water supply line 89 can open into the connecting pipe section 75 immediately in front of the pump inlet 78, from where flushing can take place up to the siphon device 35.

As can be seen from FIG. 6, two lateral cover walls 91 are provided, which are connected to the rear wall 10 of the cooking appliance by means of screws 93 via corresponding holding elements 92 and thus enable a box-shaped structure which can be assembled with a corresponding cover wall (not shown). . The entire arrangement of the suction pump 77 and its connections is then advantageously accessible for maintenance work without having to access the interior of the cooking appliance. A further exemplary embodiment of the cleaning device is shown in FIGS. 7a and 7b. Accordingly, the cleaning device comprises the connecting hose 94 which is connected to the fat discharge line 82 , in particular to the check valve 87 . For this purpose, the connecting tube 94 can be plugged onto a pipe section at a first end 94a and fixed by means of a clamp or the like, or fastened to the pipe section by means of a screw or bayonet connection.

On the one hand, the connecting hose 94, as shown in Fig. 7a, can be connected to the fat collection container 95 in order to discharge the fat in it. Advantageously, the connecting hose 94 is detachably connected to the grease collection container 95 in order to be able to replace it if necessary. For this purpose, a second end 94b of the connecting hose 94 can have a corresponding connection, e.g. in the form of a screw or bayonet connection.

The connecting hose 94 can also be designed as a water supply line and can be connected to a water source by means of a water supply line 96, for example a faucet, egg ner line or the like, as indicated schematically in FIG. 7b. As a result, a user can easily connect the easily accessible connecting hose 94 to a water source and thus flush the entire fat collecting device 59 for cleaning.

The water supply line 89 is shown in dashed lines in FIGS. 7a and 7b, since it can be provided as an option, like other water supply lines, in order to enable flexible use or various cleaning options, e.g. in connection with the water supply 45.

The present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments be. For example, several water supply lines can be provided, of which at least one further one opens directly into the fat collection container 61 and/or the fat suction line 73 . In a further embodiment, a multi-way valve can be provided in front of the pump inlet 78, with which water can be fed either into the connecting line 75 and the liposuction line 73 or into the suction pump 77 and the fat discharge line 82 connected thereto, one after the other or simultaneously.

In a further embodiment, for example, the riser pipe 83 can be connected directly to the liposuction line 73 and the suction pump 77 can be arranged at the upper end of the riser pipe 83, specifically at a height that is above the height of the drain opening 15 of the cooking chamber 3. This prevents the cleaning liquid from penetrating as far as the suction pump 77 . The discharge pipe 85 is then connected to the outlet of the suction pump 77 .

With the present invention it is thus achieved that a recovery of fat from the cooking chamber is made possible, which is essentially or practically free of cleaning agent, the fat being dissolved primarily from cooked food. This significantly increases the quality of the recovered fat for further processing, for example for cosmetics.

In addition, the considerable advantage is realized that the harmful grease load on both the drain pump and the circulating pump due to grease that has penetrated into the water supply can be significantly reduced, with corresponding seals being able to be protected. The service life of the Garge rats and its service life can thus be increased considerably.

There is also the great advantage that a (negative) influence on the cooking quality is avoided.

Reference character list:

1 - cooking device

3 - cooking chamber

4 - cooking compartment floor

5 - cooking chamber door 6 - technical room

7 - fan wheel

8 - door handle

9 - display and control panel

10 - rear panel of the cooking appliance

11 - hand shower

12 - engine

13 - hand shower head

14 - corner support

15 - drain hole

17 - temperature sensor

19 - niche-like recording of the hand shower head

20 - transparent door glass

21 - exhaust air outlet

22 - cooking chamber atmosphere

23 - trolley 25 - frame

27 - rotating rollers

29 - rack or rack

31 - slide-in strips

32 - shelf level

33 - Oven drain

34 - cavity drain entry

35 - siphon device

36 - siphon tank

37 - water template

38 - connecting flange 41 - partition

43 - cooking device drain

44 - drain channel

45 - water supply

47 - arrow of fresh water supply 49 - water supply line 51 - drain pump 53 - drain pipe 55 - supply pipe

57 - circulation pump

58 - connection opening to the siphon device

59 - fat collection device

61 - fat collection tank

62 - ramped end section

63 - opening for exhaust air branch line

64 - exhaust air branch line

65 - first section of exhaust air branch line 67 - second section of exhaust air branch line 69 - connecting piece of exhaust air pipe

71 - connection opening liposuction pipe 73 - liposuction line 75 - connection line

77 - suction pump

78 - pump inlet

79 - Suction pump control and power cables

81 - opening

82 - grease discharge line

83 - riser

85 - delivery pipe 87 - shut-off valve

89 - water supply pipe

90 - opening

91 - side cover wall

92 - retaining element

93 - screw

94 - water supply pipe/connecting hose 94a - first end

94b - second end

95 - grease collection tank

96 - water supply

Claims

patent claims

1. Cooking appliance for commercial kitchens in the form of a combi-steamer (1, 1'), with a cooking chamber (3) for cooking food, which can be arranged on a plurality of cooking levels (32), a heating device for heating the cooking chamber atmosphere, one Device control for controlling the cooking device, and a cooking chamber drain (33), which is located below a floor (4) of the cooking chamber (3) and is used to drain a fat-water mixture and gaseous components of the cooking chamber atmosphere from the cooking chamber (3), wherein the cooking chamber drain (33) extends from a drain opening (15) in the floor (4) or in the floor area of the cooking chamber (3) to a siphon device (35), with a fat collecting device (59) being provided which has at least one fat collecting container (61 ), at least one fat suction line (73), at least one suction pump (77) and at least one fat discharge line (82), the fat suction line (73) extending from the fat collection container (61) to the suction pump (77), wobe i the suction pump (77) is designed to convey the fat-water mixture sucked in via the liposuction line (73) into the fat discharge line (82), and a cleaning device is provided which is designed to discharge water at least via the liposuction line (73) and to promote the Fettauffangbe container (61) in the cooking chamber outlet (33) in the direction of the siphon device (35).

2. Cooking appliance for commercial kitchens in the form of a rotisserie appliance, with a cooking space for cooking food, which can be arranged on a rotatable food support, a heating device for heating the cooking space atmosphere, a device controller for controlling the cooking appliance, and a cooking space drain (33) , Which is below a floor (4) of the cooking chamber (3) be and for the derivation of a fat-water mixture and gaseous shares le the cooking chamber atmosphere from the cooking chamber (3) is used, with the cooking room drain (33) extends from a drain opening (15) in the floor (4) or in the floor area of the cooking chamber (3) to a siphon device (35), a fat collecting device (59) being provided which has at least one fat collecting container (61), comprises at least one liposuction line (73), at least one suction pump (77) and at least one fat discharge line (82), the liposuction line (73) extending from the fat collection container (61) to the suction pump (77), the suction pump (77) intended to convey the fat-water mixture sucked in via the liposuction line (73) into the fat discharge line (82), and a cleaning device is provided which is set up to discharge water at least via the liposuction line (73) and the fat collection container (61 ) in the cooking chamber outlet (33) in the direction of the siphon device (35).

3. Cooking appliance according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the grease collecting container (61) is located in the initial region of the cooking chamber drain (33).

4. Cooking appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cooking space drain (33) and the fat collecting container (61) are formed from metallic material and the fat collecting container (61) is welded to the cooking space drain (33).

5. Cooking appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an end section (62) of the grease collecting container (61) is ramp-shaped in the direction of the siphon device (35).

6. Cooking appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a branch line (64) for discharging gaseous components of the fluid or vapor discharged from the cooking chamber (3) into the cooking chamber drain (33) from the cooking chamber drain (33) between the fat collecting container (61) and the siphon device (35) branches off.

7. Cooking appliance according to claim 6, characterized in that the branch line (64) comprises a first section (65) which runs substantially horizontally with a slight incline of 1° to 5°, preferably 2° to 2.5°.

8. Cooking appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fat suction line (73) extends from the fat collection container (61) to the suction pump (77) at least partially at a slight gradient of 1° to 5°, preferably 1.5° to 2°.

9. Cooking appliance according to one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the liposuction line (73) and the first section (65) of the branch line (64) are arranged at a small distance from one another, preferably lying against one another.

10. Cooking appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a heating device is provided on or in the fat collecting container (61), by means of which liquid non-fat components of the fat-water mixture discharged from the cooking chamber (3) can be evaporated.

11. Cooking appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the water used for flushing the cleaning device of the grease collecting device (59) is heated.

12. Cooking appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the suction pump (77) is designed as a pump that can be flowed through in both directions, as a result of which it is able to have a flow through it counter to the pumping direction.

13. Cooking appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fat discharge line (82) comprises a riser pipe (83) which is arranged at the pump output of the suction pump (77) and extends from there over a certain section upwards.

14. Cooking appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cooking appliance, in particular the cleaning device, has a water supply (45).

15. Cooking appliance according to Claim 14, characterized in that the fat collecting device (59) has a shut-off valve at an inlet of the water supply (45) of the cleaning device into the fat suction line (73), so that after the fat suction line (73) has been shut off, the cleaning device can is able to clean the suction pump (77) and the fat discharge line (82) by means of flushing.

16. Cooking appliance according to claim 14 depending on claim 13, characterized in that the water supply (45) has at least one water supply line (89) which opens into the riser pipe (83) above the suction pump (77).

17. Cooking appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the suction pump (77) has a closable pump inlet (78).

18. Cooking appliance according to claim 17 depending on claim 16, characterized in that the water supply (45) of the cleaning device of the grease collecting device (59) has at least one further water supply line.

19. Cooking appliance according to claim 18, characterized in that the at least one further water supply line opens into the fat collecting device (59), in particular into the fat collecting container (61) and/or into the fat suction line (73), upstream of the pump inlet (78).

20. Cooking appliance according to one of claims 1 to 19, characterized in that the suction pump (77) is arranged at a height which is above the height of the drain opening (15) in the bottom (4) of the cooking chamber (3) of the cooking appliance, wherein an outlet end of the liposuction line (73) is connected to a pump input (78) via a connecting line (75).

21. Cooking appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fat collecting device (59) comprises the cleaning device.

22. Cooking appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cleaning device comprises a water supply line (94) which is connected to the fat discharge line (82), in particular to a discharge tube (85) or a check valve (87) of the fat discharge line (82). and is connectable to a water source.

23. Fat collection device (59) for canteen kitchen cooking appliances, in particular combination steamers or rotisserie appliances, which comprises at least one fat collection container (61), at least one fat suction line (73), at least one suction pump (77) and at least one fat discharge line (82), the fat collection container (61) can be arranged on a cooking chamber drain (33) of the cooking appliance near a drain opening (15) in the floor (4) or in the floor area of the cooking appliance, with the fat suction line (73) extending from the fat collection container (61). of the suction pump (77), the suction pump (77) being set up to further convey the fat-water mixture sucked in via the fat suction line (73) into the fat discharge line (82), and the fat collecting device (59) having a cleaning device sums up, which is set up to water at least via the liposuction line (73) and the fat collection container (61) in the cooking space outlet (33) in the direction of a siphon device (35) at the end e of the cooking chamber drain (33) of the Garge rats to promote.

24. Method for operating a commercial kitchen cooking appliance, in particular a combi-steamer (1, V) or a rotisserie appliance, and for collecting fat produced during the cooking process, with the following steps:

- Collecting the from a cooking chamber (3) of the cooking appliance (1, 1 ') via its drain opening (15) emerging fat-water mixture in a grease Collecting container (61) of a fat collecting device (59), which is attached to a cooking chamber drain (33) of the cooking appliance (1, 1'),

- Suction of the fat-water mixture via at least one fat suction line (73) from the fat collection container (61) by means of a suction pump (77) arranged at the end of the fat suction line (73),

discharge of the fat-water mixture sucked in by the suction pump (77) via a fat discharge line (82) to the fat collection container (95), and

- Carrying out a cleaning process of the fat collecting device (59) after the end of a cleaning process of the cooking appliance (1, 1') in that water flows in the opposite direction to the suction direction at least through the fat suction line (73) and the fat collecting container (61) into the cooking chamber drain (33) is conveyed in the direction of a siphon device (35) at the end of the cooking chamber outlet (33) of the cooking appliance (1, T).

25. The method according to claim 24, characterized in that the use of the suction pump (77) is clocked.

26. The method as claimed in claim 25, characterized in that the clocking takes place as a function of the food to be cooked and/or the cooking process.

27. The method according to any one of claims 24 to 26, characterized in that during the cleaning process, water flows through the fat discharge line (82), preferably through the entire fat discharge line (82), the fat suction line (73) and the fat collection container (61) into the cooking chamber drain ( 33) is funded.

28. The method according to any one of claims 24 to 27, characterized in that the cleaning process of the grease collecting device is carried out both at the beginning and at the end of the cleaning process of the cooking appliance (1, T).