Food cooking utensil and operation method thereof

Abstract

An automated cooking appliance for cooking food by means of a heating air flow (F1), comprising a support body (13) provided with a housing compartment (13) into and out of which a food container (12) can be inserted, a heating device (14) and a ventilation device (15) arranged at the upper part of the housing compartment (13), and a heating device (16) arranged at the lower part of the housing compartment (13).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an automatic device for cooking food by hot air, the device comprising a support body and a container for inserting and extracting food to be cooked, and to an operating method of the device. The device and method according to the present invention make it possible to cook a variety of food with different cooking styles by properly adapting the heat conducted to the food and its type. Background Art

[0002] As is well known, automatic cookers, also known as air fryers, cook food with the aid of heated airflow. Such devices are generally divided into two categories, one having a support body and an upper cover that can be opened and closed relative to the support body so that food containers can be inserted and / or withdrawn from above, and the other having only a support body, and food containers that can be inserted and withdrawn laterally like a drawer.

[0003] Any of the above-mentioned cooking appliances includes a heating device arranged above the food container, usually using resistance heating, and a ventilation device, which is configured to draw air from the outside and convey it to the heating device and food so that it contacts and properly heats the food.

[0004] Typically, known cooking appliances are provided with an operating interface, through which a user can start a cooking process or select one or more operating parameters, such as cooking temperature, time or speed of a ventilation device.

[0005] In the meantime, cooking appliances are known which have an operating interface via which a user can select a preset food category and this selection leads to the setting of preset operating parameters for cooking the food.

[0006] Such known cooking appliances are not very versatile because they cannot cook preset ingredients with different cooking styles unless the appropriate temperature or air flow speed values ​​are manually set, making it too cumbersome for users to use such cooking appliances. Such technical solutions require users to have good cooking knowledge and skills in order to be able to set the appropriate temperature and speed values.

[0007] Automatic cooking appliances are often popular precisely because they make it easy to cook food without requiring any expertise.

[0008] Other cooking appliances of the known class enable the selection of pre-set cooking modes, such as hot air or steam cooking, or a terrarium-type cooking mode, or the selection of typical oven cooking modes, such as "static", "fan" or "grill".

[0009] The temperature and airflow speed are automatically set according to the selection. This type of technical solution is not very good in terms of versatility, because each cooking mode defines parameters and fixes parameter values, which is sometimes not suitable for certain foods.

[0010] Therefore, there is a need to improve a cooking appliance to overcome at least one of the shortcomings of the prior art.

[0011] Therefore, in order to solve the above technical problems, it is necessary to provide a cooking appliance that can realize different cooking modes and processes related to culinary ingredients and obtain different cooking results.

[0012] One of the objects of the present invention is to realize a cooking appliance which is efficient and versatile.

[0013] Another object of the present invention is to realize a cooking appliance that is user-friendly.

[0014] Another object of the present invention is to realize a cooking appliance that can cook food in a variety of different cooking modes according to needs without manual settings by the user.

[0015] A further object of the invention is to develop an operating method which facilitates the use of the cooking appliance for the user.

[0016] A further object of the present invention is to develop an operating method capable of cooking different types of food, providing precise heat and thermal energy each time.

[0017] The Applicant has designed, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and to obtain and achieve more than all the technical purposes and advantages set forth above. Summary of the invention

[0018] The invention is described and characterized in the independent claims, while the dependent claims describe other characteristics of the invention or variants to the main inventive idea.

[0019] The present invention is based on the above-mentioned purpose and solves the above-mentioned technical problems in a novel and original way, and has also achieved considerable technical effects compared with the prior art. The automatic cooking device of the present invention is suitable for cooking food by heating airflow, including a support body, a container that can be inserted and withdrawn from the shell compartment of the support body, an upper heating device, a ventilation device and a lower heating device, wherein the upper heating device and the ventilation device are arranged inside the support body at the upper part of the shell compartment, and the lower heating device is arranged at the lower part of the shell compartment.

[0020] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the cooking appliance includes a user interface provided with a first selection device and a second selection device, wherein the first selection device is configured to be able to select a preset cooking mode between at least two different cooking modes, and the second selection device is configured to be able to select a preset ingredient to be cooked from a plurality of ingredients.

[0021] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the cooking appliance comprises a storage unit for storing a plurality of cooking recipes, and for each cooking recipe, dedicated operating parameters are defined for the heating device and the ventilation device, wherein each cooking recipe is associated with a cooking mode / ingredient category combination.

[0022] In this way, not only can a preset cooking mode be selected from the available cooking modes, but the most suitable operating parameters can also be set for the preset food categories.

[0023] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the cooking appliance includes a control unit, which is configured to receive at least a first selection signal of the preset cooking mode and a second selection signal of the preset food category from the user interface, and automatically set the operating parameters of the heating device and the ventilation device according to the first and second selection signals.

[0024] According to the present invention, the cooking appliance can not only select a preset cooking mode or a food category, but also select both at the same time, and control the operation of various components based on the combination of the two data each time.

[0025] According to possible variations, the cooking appliance may further include an information acquisition device, through which the cooking appliance can obtain information about the quantity of the ingredients to be cooked, such as weight. The information acquisition device may be configured such that, for example, the user manually inputs the weight through an interface, or automatically inputs the weight through, for example, a weighing sensor associated with the compartment or the support.

[0026] In this way, operating parameters and cooking times can also be optimized to correspond to the amount of food.

[0027] According to one embodiment of the present invention, there are at least two cooking modes to choose from, one is an air cooking mode, which is usually achieved by an "air fryer" type cooking appliance, the other is a grill cooking mode, which is suitable for cooking food and bringing an appearance similar to that achieved by grilling, and an oven cooking mode, similar to the effect achieved by a traditional oven.

[0028] As an example, in case of two cooking modes, preferably both include an air and oven cooking mode or an air and grill cooking mode, although it is not excluded that only the oven and grill cooking mode is included.

[0029] According to other embodiments, all three cooking methods are provided.

[0030] According to an embodiment of the present invention, at least when a barbecue cooking mode is provided, the cooking utensil comprises a grill plate detachably inserted into the container, wherein the grill plate is configured to store heat to heat the food, so that the food has a striped appearance unique to barbecue cooking.

[0031] According to an embodiment, said first selection means comprises at least one first, second and third icon, each icon being associated with a cooking mode.

[0032] The term "icon" used herein and in the following description generally refers to a typical image, word, text, graphic logo or symbol, which corresponds to a cooking mode or a food category and is associated with a corresponding selection and control element.

[0033] According to an embodiment, the first, second and third icons are displayed on a touch-sensitive screen or panel, and the user can select a cooking mode by directly touching the screen or panel.

[0034] According to a possible embodiment variant, the first, second and third icons are associated with buttons, slide controls or knobs respectively suitable for use as selection and control elements.

[0035] According to an embodiment, the second selection means comprises a plurality of icons, for example, images or graphic symbols, which represent a certain food category and through which the food category is selected.

[0036] As an example, the second selection means may include six to twenty icons, depending on the type of ingredients and the cooking recipes associated with each combination of available cooking modes / ingredient categories. As an example, the second selection means may include icons associated with the following ingredient categories: potatoes, vegetables, beef, poultry, fish, shrimp and crab, pork, fermented foods, such as baked goods and / or desserts.

[0037] According to an embodiment, the first and second selection means are associated with each other so that operations therebetween affect each other. Specifically, making a selection on the first or second selection means enables or limits selection of the second or first selection means, respectively.

[0038] According to an embodiment, selecting a cooking mode causes enabling of a group of said second selection means, including categories of ingredients suitable for cooking with the selected cooking mode, and limiting the selection of another group of said second selection means, while selecting a category of ingredients causes enabling of available cooking modes and limiting those cooking modes that are not available.

[0039] The cooperation between the first and second selection devices helps the user to use the cooking appliance because the user is guided to select appropriate combinations of cooking modes / ingredient categories, eliminating unnecessary or inappropriate combinations that may result in incorrect cooking of ingredients.

[0040] According to this embodiment, the first and second signals are different from each other.

[0041] According to an embodiment variant, a second selection device can be provided comprising a first, a second and / or a third group of icons, wherein each group of icons is associated with a cooking mode and selection of an icon from the above group results in selection of the corresponding food category and the cooking mode associated with the group.

[0042] According to this embodiment variant, identical icons related to ingredient categories are provided in at least two groups, and selection in any one or several groups results in a simultaneous selection of a cooking mode / ingredient category.

[0043] According to this embodiment variation, the first and second signals occur substantially simultaneously.

[0044] According to another aspect of the present invention, a cooking method implemented by a cooking device including at least one container insertable into a housing compartment, a ventilation device, an upper heating device and a lower heating device comprises:

[0045] - inserting the container containing the food to be cooked into the housing compartment;

[0046] - receiving, through the user interface, a first signal related to selecting a preset cooking mode from air cooking, grill cooking or oven cooking;

[0047] - receiving, via the user interface, a second signal relating to a selection of a category of ingredients to be cooked;

[0048] - selecting a cooking recipe from a plurality of cooking recipes stored in a storage unit, the selected cooking recipe being associated with a combination between a food category and a cooking mode corresponding to the received signal, and adjusting the operation of at least the ventilation device and the heating device according to operating parameters defined by the selected cooking recipe. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0049] The various aspects, technical features and effects of the present invention are apparent from the following description of some embodiments, non-limiting examples of which are given with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0050] - Figure 1 is a front view of the cooking utensil of the present invention;

[0051] - Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A side cross-sectional view of a cooking appliance;

[0052] - Figure 3 According to the first embodiment Figure 1 a schematic diagram of a user interface of a cooking appliance;

[0053] - Figures 4a-4f yes Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the user interface under different operating settings;

[0054] - Figure 5 According to the second embodiment Figure 1 a schematic diagram of a user interface of a cooking appliance;

[0055] - Figure 6-8 The three cooking modes (air, grill and bake) are shown as examples. Figure 1 The operation of certain components of a cooking appliance on a given category of ingredients.

[0056] We must clarify that the phrases and terms used in this specification, as well as the diagrams described in the accompanying drawings, are only used to better illustrate and explain the present invention, and their purpose is to provide non-limiting examples of the invention itself, as the scope of protection is defined by the claims.

[0057] For ease of understanding, the same reference numerals are used to identify the same elements in the drawings where possible. It is understood that the elements and features of one embodiment can be naturally combined or incorporated into other embodiments without further explanation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0058] refer to Figure 1 The automatic cooking device 10 according to the present invention comprises a support body 11 , wherein a housing compartment 13 and a food container 12 are arranged inside the support body 11 , and the food container 12 can be inserted into and taken out of the housing compartment 13 .

[0059] The cooking device 10 comprises an upper heating device 14 and a ventilation device 15 , both of which are arranged at the upper part of the housing compartment 13 , and a lower heating device 16 is arranged at the lower part of the housing compartment 13 .

[0060] The upper heating device 14 may be disposed below the ventilation device 15, as shown by the dotted line, or disposed around the ventilation device 15, as shown by the solid line.

[0061] The lower heating device 16 can be controlled independently of the upper heating device 14 so that either or both can be activated or adjusted according to the requirements and the cooking mode to be performed.

[0062] According to an embodiment, the upper heating device 14 and / or the lower heating device 16 can use a resistor to generate heat, be connected to a corresponding power supply device (not shown), and can selectively receive control to turn on and off, or receive regulation to adjust the temperature inside the shell compartment 13 and the container 12.

[0063] According to an embodiment, Figure 2 As shown, the support body 11 is provided with a passage opening 37 and the container 12 is in the form of a drawer and can be laterally inserted into and withdrawn from the housing compartment 13 .

[0064] According to a possible embodiment variant (not shown), the support 11 can be provided with a cover which can be opened or removed and closed so that the container can be inserted and withdrawn from above.

[0065] The cooking appliance 10 comprises a user interface 20 provided with a first selection device 21 and a second selection device 22, wherein the first selection device 21 is configured to select a preset cooking mode between different cooking modes, and the second selection device 22 is configured to select a preset ingredient to be cooked from a plurality of ingredients.

[0066] According to an embodiment, the first selection means 21 comprises at least two icons, an example being three icons 21a, 21b, 21c, each icon being associated with a cooking mode Mod_1, Mod_2 and Mod_3.

[0067] Specifically, the first mode Mod_1 may correspond to an air cooking mode, the second mode Mod_2 to a grill cooking mode, and the third mode Mod_3 to an oven cooking mode.

[0068] According to an embodiment, in the case where only two cooking modes are provided, an air cooking mode and an oven cooking mode (Mod_1, Mod_3), or an air cooking mode and a grill cooking mode (Mod_1, Mod_2), or a grill cooking mode and an oven cooking mode (Mod_2, Mod_3) may be included.

[0069] According to an embodiment, there are three icons 21a, 21b, 21c, each icon being associated with one of the cooking modes Mod_1, Mod_2, Mod_3.

[0070] The icons 21a, 21b, 21c may be displayed on the touch screen 23 and directly selected by pressing them, or they may be associated with corresponding buttons or selection knobs.

[0071] According to an embodiment, the second selection means 22 comprises a plurality of icons, represented by capital letters AJ in the drawings, each icon being arranged to enable selection of a food category. Although the example shows ten icons, each icon corresponding to a different category of food, it is obvious that the number may be more or less.

[0072] As an example, it is conceivable that the second selection device 22 enables selection of the following ingredients: potatoes (A), beef (B), pork (C), fermented foods such as baked goods (D) and desserts (E), frozen potatoes (F), poultry (G), shrimps and crabs (H), vegetables (I), fish (J), etc.

[0073] Figure 3-5Referring to the technical solution involving three cooking modes; when only two cooking modes are provided, the user interface 20 will only display icons 21A-21C corresponding to the two cooking modes and icons of food categories suitable for cooking in one or both of the two cooking modes.

[0074] According to possible embodiment variants, further controls may also be provided, such as a power control 24, controls 25, 26 for activating specific operating modes, such as defrost and / or heating functions, pause and restart controls 28, or means 27 for displaying and / or setting the temperature and / or cooking time.

[0075] The pause and restart control 28 allows the user to temporarily suspend the cooking process, for example if food is mixed in the container, or even to change between cooking modes or ingredient category settings, for example if the selection is incorrect.

[0076] According to an embodiment, the cooking device 10 includes a grill plate 17 that can be detachably inserted into the container, and is configured to store heat to heat food, so that the food has a striped appearance that is unique to grilled cooking.

[0077] Preferably, the grill plate 17 is made of metal material. The grill plate 17 may include a base 18 extending from the base 18 and a plurality of protruding ribs 19 .

[0078] According to an embodiment, the shape of the grill plate 17 enables any fat and / or liquid released from the food to drain into the area below.

[0079] According to an embodiment, the grill plate 17 may have a large mass so that it can store a large amount of heat energy for conducting to food.

[0080] According to embodiments (not shown), further accessories may also be provided, such as an ingredient basket for holding ingredients during air cooking, or a water tray that can be inserted into the container to optimize the cooking of certain types of food.

[0081] The cooking appliance 10 comprises a storage unit 30 in which a plurality of cooking recipes are stored, for each of which dedicated operating parameters are defined for the heating devices 14 , 16 and the ventilation device 15 , wherein each cooking recipe is associated with a cooking mode / ingredient category combination.

[0082] For example, for each type of ingredient AJ set in the selection device 22, one, two or more cooking recipes may be stored in the memory unit 30 to ensure compatibility between the ingredient AJ category and one or more cooking modes Mod_1, Mod_2, Mod_3.

[0083] As an example, it can be set that for a type of food, such as frozen potatoes F, one recipe for air cooking is stored, for poultry G or fish J, three cooking recipes are stored, each cooking recipe is a cooking mode, and for yeast products, such as baked goods D or desserts E, only one cooking recipe for oven cooking is stored.

[0084] The cooking appliance 10 further comprises a control unit 31 arranged to regulate the operation of at least the heating means 14 , 16 and the ventilation means 15 , acting on the data received from the selection means 21 , 22 .

[0085] Specifically, the control unit 31 is designed to receive at least a first selection signal of a cooking mode from the user interface 20, i.e., a signal selected at least among the first Mod_1, the second Mod_2 and the third Mod_3, and a second selection signal of the food category AJ, and automatically set the operating parameters of the heating device 14, 16 and the ventilation device 15 according to the combination of the first and second signals.

[0086] Specifically, based on the combination of the two signals, the control unit 31 may select an appropriate cooking recipe stored in the storage unit 30 and regulate the operation of the device based on operating parameters associated with the selected cooking recipe, as will be described in more detail below.

[0087] According to an embodiment, Figure 3 and Figures 4a-4d As described above, the first selection device 21 and the second selection device 22 cooperate with each other so that the operations of the two devices affect each other.

[0088] Specifically, the selection made on the first selection device 21 or the second selection device 22 enables or limits the selection made on the second selection device 22 or the first selection device 21, respectively.

[0089] refer to Figure 4a For example, the user selects the first mode Mod_1, which is highlighted by a slash, causing the control unit 31 to only enable the second selection device 22 corresponding to the food that can be cooked with hot air. As an example, such food may include potatoes (A), beef (B), pork (C), frozen potatoes (F), poultry (G), shrimps and crabs (H), vegetables (I), and fish (J).

[0090] refer to Figure 4b For example, the user selects the second mode Mod_2, which is highlighted by a slash, causing the control unit 31 to only enable the second selection device 22 corresponding to ingredients that can be cooked by grilling. As an example, such ingredients may include beef (B), pork (C), poultry (G), shrimp and crab (H), vegetables (I), and fish (J).

[0091] Similarly, refer to Figure 4cFor example, the user selects the third mode Mod_3, which causes the control unit 31 to only enable the second selection device 22 corresponding to the ingredients that can be cooked by baking. As an example, such ingredients may include beef (B), baked goods (D), desserts (E), poultry (G), shrimps and crabs (H), vegetables (I), and fish (J).

[0092] refer to Figure 4d For example, the user selects a certain category of food, specifically frozen potatoes (F), through the second selection device 22, resulting in the control unit 31 only enabling the first selection device 21 associated with the compatible cooking mode, such as the first air cooking mode Mod_1.

[0093] refer to Figure 4e For example, the user selects a certain category of ingredients, such as beef (C), through the second selection device 22, and the control unit 31 enables two first selection devices 21 (21a, 21b) associated with the first mode Mod_1 as the air cooking mode and the second mode Mod_2 as the grill cooking mode, so that the user can select one of them.

[0094] refer to Figure 4f For example, the user selects a certain category of food, specifically fish (J), through the second selection device 22, causing the control unit 31 to enable all the first selection devices 21, so that any one of the three cooking modes Mod_1, Mod_2, and Mod_3 can be selected.

[0095] according to Figure 3 and Figures 4a-4f In the embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 31 is actually arranged to receive two different signals, each signal being generated by one of the first selection means 21 and the second selection means 22, respectively.

[0096] Figure 5 Possible embodiment variants of the user interface 120 of the device 10 according to the invention are shown.

[0097] According to this embodiment variation, the first selection device 121 includes a first group of icons G1, a second group of icons G2 and a third group of icons G3, wherein each group of icons is associated with a cooking mode Mod_1, Mod_2 and Mod_3, and each group of icons includes multiple icons AJ corresponding to different categories of ingredients and defining the second selection device 122.

[0098] According to this technical solution, selecting one of the icons AJ in one of the groups G1, G2, G3 will result in the selection of the corresponding category of ingredients AJ and the cooking mode Mod_1, Mod_2, Mod_3 associated with the group G1, G2, G3.

[0099] and Figure 3The embodiments are different. Figure 5 In the embodiment of the present invention, practically all possible combinations of ingredient categories / cooking modes are directly visible for the cooking recipes provided in the storage unit 30. According to this embodiment variant, identical icons related to ingredient categories can be provided in at least two groups G1, G2, G3, and the selection of an icon in any one or several groups leads to a simultaneous selection of a cooking mode / ingredient category.

[0100] According to an embodiment, in each cooking recipe stored in the storage unit 30, an operating parameter is provided, the data being selected from the speed of the air and / or ventilation device 15, the temperature of the upper heating device 14, the temperature of the lower heating device 16, data related to any accessories to be used, such as a grill plate 17, a food basket, etc., and data related to whether preheating needs to be performed.

[0101] Specifically, the speed or number of revolutions that the ventilator 15 must be set to achieve a given air velocity can be indicated in the cooking recipe. In fact, the ventilator speed is only an intermediate means of controlling the airflow velocity F1, which together with the temperature is a basic quantity value that affects cooking.

[0102] The speed of the airflow is determined by the number of revolutions of the ventilator 15 and the shape and size of the ventilator 15, so although some examples of the number of revolutions of the ventilator in various cooking modes are given below, it is obvious that the number of revolutions may be higher or lower if the shape and size of the ventilator are changed.

[0103] Specifically, for the same category of food, although air cooking and grill cooking stipulate that the ventilation device 15 is set to the maximum possible speed, such as 2500-3000 rpm, for oven cooking, the speed of the ventilation device 15 can be adjusted to a lower value, such as between 30% and 90% of the maximum speed, for example, 1000-2700 rpm for the corresponding food category.

[0104] According to an embodiment, the temperature of the upper heating device 14 may be between 160-200° C. in air cooking mode, between 200-230° C. in grill cooking mode, and between 80-200° C. in oven cooking mode. These values ​​are exemplary and may vary.

[0105] Specifically, for the same category of food, the temperature may be higher in a grill cooking mode, while the temperature may gradually decrease in an air or oven cooking mode.

[0106] According to an embodiment, the temperature of the lower heating device 16 may be between 80-100° C. in air cooking or oven cooking mode, and may be around 100° C. in grill cooking mode.

[0107] Generally speaking, in grill cooking, it is preferred to turn on the lower heating device 16 in the preheating stage when no food is placed thereon, and turn it off once the food is placed on the grill pan 17 to avoid burning fat and releasing excess smoke.

[0108] Since the cooking mode and the type of food can be selected, a cooking recipe can be set for lean meats (such as poultry or fish), and it is conceivable that the lower heating device 16 can be kept turned on even when the food is being cooked.

[0109] According to a further embodiment, it can also be provided that, in the stored cooking recipe, the percentage of switching on and off, i.e. the duty cycle, for example 50%, 75%, 100% or intermediate values ​​and / or the electrical power to be supplied is displayed, without displaying the temperature to be reached by the heating devices 14, 16. Therefore, according to the information given in the cooking recipe, the operation of the heating devices 14, 16 can be controlled by closed-loop control based on a feedback comparison of the measured temperature value with respect to the required value, or by open-loop control, only the switching frequency and the electrical power to be supplied are set for control.

[0110] In case feedback control is provided, temperature sensing means 56 , 57 , such as temperature probes, mounted near the respective heating means 14 , 16 and connected to the control unit 31 may be provided.

[0111] Obviously, for each cooking recipe the best value for the ingredient category / cooking mode will be displayed.

[0112] According to an embodiment, duty cycle control of one or both of the heating devices 14, 16 may be set, for example, by an operating cycle of 50%, 75%, 100%, even with feedback control provided, so that the heating gradient can be managed and controlled so that the desired temperature is reached without exceeding it. Control may be differentiated with respect to the selected ingredient category and cooking mode; for example, the duty cycle to be considered in one or other category / mode combination may be displayed in a stored cooking recipe.

[0113] According to an embodiment, the cooking appliance 10 may include one or more detection sensors 32, such as a proximity sensor or a microcontroller, which is configured to detect whether the container 12 is in the shell compartment 13, and the control unit 31 may be configured to send a signal to the user on the screen 23, or send a signal by sound if the container 12 is not present.

[0114] According to a further embodiment, the cooking appliance 10 may comprise a detection sensor 33, such as a proximity sensor or a microcontroller, which is arranged to detect whether the grill plate 17 is in the housing compartment 13. In this case, the control unit 31 may be arranged to send a signal to the user and / or prohibit the selection or setting of a grill cooking mode, such as the second mode Mod_2.

[0115] According to the embodiment, the support body 11 is surrounded by an upper wall 34 , a lower wall 35 and a side wall 36 , and a passage opening 37 is provided on the side wall 36 .

[0116] The housing compartment 13 may be bounded in sequence by a lower inner wall 38 and a lateral inner wall 39 , which extend substantially parallel to the lower wall 35 and the lateral wall 36 .

[0117] According to an embodiment, a free space is provided between the respective lower walls 35, 38 and side walls 36, 39 of the housing compartment 13 and the support body 11, which defines a gap 40, wherein the air flow F2 generated in use can circulate by natural convection. An inlet opening 41 and an outlet opening 42 placed in the gap 40 and communicating with the external environment can be provided on the lower wall 35 and the outer side wall 36 of the support body 11.

[0118] The support feet 29 support the support body 11 so that the inlet opening 41 is spaced apart relative to the support plane, thereby allowing the airflow F2 to pass through. The upper outer wall 34 may be provided with an upper opening 43 and / or a side opening 44, which is placed in the housing compartment 13 communicating with the external environment, so that the airflow F1 generated by the main ventilation device 15 can pass through.

[0119] A partition wall 45 may also be provided inside the support body 11, which delimits an upper region to a lower region, wherein a drive component 46 is mounted in the upper region, and at least one ventilation device 15 is provided in the lower region, and the partition wall 45 may also support such components. A gap 47 may also be provided in the upper region and an auxiliary ventilation device 48 may be provided therein, which is provided to cool the drive component 46.

[0120] The partition wall 45 is provided with through holes 49 to allow air flow therethrough.

[0121] The container 12 is surrounded by a bottom wall 50 and a surrounding wall 51 .

[0122] The container 12 may be connected to a handle 52 , which is disposed outside the housing compartment 13 during use and can be grasped by a user to insert / extract the container 12 from the support body 11 .

[0123] Depending on the type of cooking appliance 10, the container 12 can be pulled out like a drawer front or pulled out vertically.

[0124] In the case of a drawer-type container 12, on the side where the handle 52 is installed, the container 12 may also include a hollow box-shaped portion 53, whose inner wall 54 and outer wall 55 cooperate with the inner wall 39 and the outer wall 36 when in use, respectively defining the shell compartment 13 and the support body 11, and the container 12 is fluidically connected to the gap 40.

[0125] In the case of a vertically removable container 12 , the support 11 and the shell 13 may cooperate with each other to define a generally continuous gap 40 around the shell compartment 13 .

[0126] Accordingly, the operating method of the cooking device 10 of the present invention comprises the following steps:

[0127] - inserting the container 12 containing the food to be cooked into the housing compartment 13;

[0128] - receiving, through the user interface 20, a first signal related to selecting a preset cooking mode from at least two cooking modes of air cooking Mod_1, grill cooking Mod_2 or oven cooking Mod_3:

[0129] - receiving, via the user interface 20, a second signal relating to the selection of a category AJ of ingredients to be cooked;

[0130] - A cooking recipe is selected from a plurality of cooking recipes stored in the storage unit 30 by the control unit 31, the selected cooking recipe being associated with a combination between the food category and the cooking mode corresponding to the received signal, and the operation of at least the ventilation device 15 and the heating devices 14, 16 is adjusted according to the operating parameters defined by the selected cooking recipe.

[0131] Figure 6-8 The ventilation device 15, as well as the upper heating device 14 and the lower heating device 16 are exemplarily shown to be used for cooking a type of food according to three modes of air cooking, grill cooking and oven cooking, respectively, taking fish J as an example.

[0132] In the figure, time is represented by the horizontal axis, the electric energy (watt) loaded to the heating devices 14 and 16 is represented by the vertical axis on the left, and the revolutions per minute (rpm) of the ventilation device 15 is represented on the right. The dotted line refers to the upper heating device 14, the solid line refers to the lower heating device 16, and the thick dotted line refers to the ventilation device 15.

[0133] In the corresponding air cooking mode Figure 6 In the embodiment, the ventilation device 15 is turned on and maintained at a constant speed, for example, a maximum speed, the upper heating device 14 is turned on and off according to a duty cycle with a prescribed period with feedback control of a turn-on percentage that varies over time, and the lower heating device 16 is powered on with a power of about 300 W and is turned on and off according to a prescribed period of open-loop control with a 50% duty cycle.

[0134] According to an embodiment, however, the upper heating device 14 may be turned on and off at a fixed duty cycle without feedback control, and / or the lower heating device 16 may be turned on or off at a variable duty cycle according to feedback control.

[0135] Generally speaking, in each cooking mode, the heating devices 14, 16 can be controlled by open loop or closed loop (feedback). If the control is open loop, the duty cycle is fixed and may be different during the initial heating stage. If the control is closed loop (feedback) for the heating devices 14, 16, the device is controlled in such a way that there are corresponding temperature sensing devices 56, 57 and the resulting duty cycle is the result of feedback control.

[0136] According to an embodiment, the power of the upper heating device 14 may be between 1500-2000W, and the power of the lower heating device 16 may be less than the power of the upper heating device 14, for example, between 250-1200W.

[0137] For example, in Figure 6-8 In the embodiment, the power of the upper heating device 14 is about 1600-1700W, and the power of the lower heating device 16 is about 250-350W.

[0138] In the grill cooking mode Figure 7 In the method, a preheating step S1, an ingredient loading step S2 and a cooking step S3 are provided.

[0139] During the preheating step S1, the ventilation device 15 is turned on and maintains a constant speed, for example, about 2500 rpm, the upper heating device 14 is connected to a high-power (for example, greater than 1600W) power supply and is turned on and off according to a preset duty cycle under closed-loop control, while the lower heating device 16 is connected to a low-power (for example, about 300W) power supply and is always kept on within a specified period through open-loop control.

[0140] During the food loading step S2, the container 12 is withdrawn to place the food on the grill plate 17 and then reinserted into the housing compartment 13. At this stage, the ventilation device 15 and the heating devices 14, 16 can be closed.

[0141] During the cooking step S3, the ventilation device 15 is turned on again and set to a high speed, for example, about 2500 rpm, the upper heating device 14 is connected to a high power supply, such as greater than 1600 W and turned on and off according to a preset duty cycle, as in the preheating stage, while the lower heating device 16 remains turned off.

[0142] In the corresponding oven cooking mode Figure 8 In the embodiment, the ventilation device 15 is turned on and maintains a constant low speed, for example, about 1000 rpm, the upper heating device 14 is connected to a high power (for example, greater than 1600 W) power supply and is turned on and off according to a preset duty cycle, while the lower heating device 16 is connected to a low power (for example, about 300 W) power supply and remains continuously turned on.

[0143] The operating parameters and duration of the preheating, shut-off and cooking steps in stored cooking recipes may vary significantly for different categories of ingredients and may be completely or partially different from Figure 6-8 The speeds, temperatures and durations shown vary.

[0144] Generally speaking, for the same type of food, the speed of the ventilation device 15 in the oven cooking mode is lower than that in the air or grill cooking mode, for example, the percentage of reduction is between 30% and 70%. The temperature of the upper heating device 14 can be higher in the grill cooking mode, while it is at least as low as 30-50°C in the air and / or oven cooking mode.

[0145] It is obvious that modifications and / or additions may be made to the cooking appliance 10 and to the cooking method as described above without departing from the sphere and scope of the present invention as defined by the claims.

[0146] It is also obvious that, although the invention has been described with reference to some specific examples, those skilled in the art will be able to implement other equivalent devices and cooking methods having the characteristics defined in the claims, all of which therefore fall within the scope of protection defined in the claims.

[0147] In the following claims, the numbers in parentheses are for ease of reading only and shall not be considered as limiting factors of the scope of protection defined by the claims.

Claims

1. An automatic cooking appliance for cooking food by means of a heated air flow (F1), comprising: A support body (11) is provided with a shell compartment (13) into which a food container (12) can be inserted and withdrawn, a heating device (14) and a ventilation device (15) are arranged at the upper part of the shell compartment (13), and a heating device (16) is arranged at the lower part of the shell compartment (13), characterized in that the cooking appliance (10) comprises a user interface (20, 120) and a control unit (31), wherein the user interface (20, 120) is provided with a first selection device (21, 121) and a second selection device (22, 122), wherein the first selection device (21, 121) and the second selection device (22, 122) are arranged at the upper part of the shell compartment (13). 1) is used to select a preset cooking mode from at least two different cooking modes (Mod_1, Mod_2, Mod_3), the second selection device (22, 122) is used to select a preset food category (AJ) to be cooked, the control unit (31) is configured to receive at least a first selection signal of the preset cooking mode and a second selection signal of the preset food category from the user interface (20, 120), and automatically set the operating parameters of the heating device (14, 16) and the ventilation device (15) according to the first and second selection signals.

2. The cooking appliance (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cooking appliance (10) comprises a storage unit (30) storing a plurality of cooking recipes, wherein each cooking recipe is associated with a cooking mode / food category combination and comprises dedicated operating parameters for the heating device (14, 16) and the ventilation device (15), and the control unit (31) is configured to select a cooking recipe associated with a combination of a cooking mode (Mod_1, Mod_2, Mod_3) and a food category (AJ) corresponding to a received signal.

3. The cooking appliance (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The selectable cooking modes include at least two cooking modes selected from an air cooking mode, a grill cooking mode, and an oven cooking mode.

4. The cooking appliance (10) according to claim 2, characterized in that: At least when a grill cooking mode is provided, the cooking appliance (10) comprises a grill plate (17) which is removably insertable into the container (12).

5. The cooking appliance (10) according to claim 4, characterized in that: The cooking appliance (10) comprises one or more detection sensors (32, 33), wherein the detection sensors (32, 33) are configured to detect whether the container (12) is present in the housing compartment (13) and / or whether the grill plate (17) is present in the container (12), and the control unit (31) is configured to send a signal to a user via a screen (23) or sound when the container (12) and / or the grill plate (17) are not present.

6. The cooking utensil (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The first selection device (21) comprises at least a first icon (21a), a second icon (21b) and / or a third icon (21c), each icon being associated with a cooking mode (Mod_1, Mod_2, Mod_3), and the second selection device (22) comprises a plurality of icons (AJ), each icon representing a type of food.

7. The cooking appliance (10) according to claim 6, characterized in that: The first selection device (21) and the second selection device (22) cooperate with each other, whereby a selection on the first selection device (21) or the second selection device (22) respectively enables or limits a display and / or selection on the second selection device (22) or the first selection device (21).

8. The cooking utensil (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The second selection means (122) comprises a plurality of icons (AJ) representing different categories of ingredients, divided into a first group (G1), a second group (G1) and / or a third group (G1), wherein each group (G1, G2, G3) is associated with a cooking mode (Mod_1, Mod_2, Mod_3) and defines one of the first selection means (121), wherein selecting an icon (AJ) within one of the groups (G1, G2, G3) causes selection of the corresponding category of ingredients and cooking mode (Mod_1, Mod_2, Mod_3) associated with the group (G1, G2, G3).

9. A method of using a cooking appliance comprising at least one container (12) insertable into a housing compartment (13), a ventilation device (15), an upper heating device (14) and a lower heating device (16), the method comprising: - inserting the container (12) containing the food to be cooked into the housing compartment (13); - receiving, through a user interface (20, 120), a first signal related to selecting a preset cooking mode from at least two cooking modes of air cooking, grill cooking or oven cooking (Mod_1, Mod_2, Mod_3); - receiving, via the user interface (20, 120), a second signal relating to the selection of a category of ingredients (AJ) to be cooked; - Selecting a cooking recipe from a plurality of cooking recipes stored in a storage unit (30), the selected cooking recipe being associated with a combination between a food category and a cooking mode corresponding to the received signal, and adjusting the operation of at least the ventilation device (15) and the heating device (14, 16) according to operating parameters defined by the selected cooking recipe.

10. The cooking method according to claim 9, characterized in that: The first selection device (21) and the second selection device (22), as well as the first signal and the second signal are different from each other, and the first selection device (21) and the second selection device (22) cooperate with each other, so that when one of the first selection devices (21) is selected, one or more of the second selection devices (22) are enabled or restricted, respectively, and vice versa.

11. The cooking method according to claim 9, characterized in that: When the icon (AJ) corresponding to the ingredient category within multiple groups (G1, G2, G3) is selected, the first signal and the second signal occur simultaneously, and each group (G1, G2, G3) is associated with a cooking mode (Mod_1, Mod_2, Mod_3), resulting in the simultaneous selection of the ingredient category and the cooking mode.

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