Bread maker and method of controlling a bread maker

Abstract

The application discloses a bread machine and a control method of the bread machine. The bread machine comprises a shell, a bread barrel, a blowing assembly and a controller. On one hand, through a double-opening partition structure and a common cavity double-mode design, bread making and large-capacity hot air baking are freely switched, and the structural problems of single function, inconvenient barrel taking and cleaning difficulty of traditional equipment are solved. On the other hand, through double-working-condition multiplexing of the blowing assembly, active air cooling in the dough mixing stage and global hot air circulation in the baking stage are realized, a standardized low-temperature dough mixing process is established, and the bread baking quality is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of home appliance technology, and in particular to a bread maker and a method for controlling the bread maker. Background Technology

[0002] Traditional bread makers with baking functions only have a front door. The bread pan is quite tall, requiring the user to rotate and pull it out horizontally from the front door. This makes the operation space cramped, causing jams and making it extremely inconvenient to remove the pan. Furthermore, it requires bending over for blind installation, resulting in a poor user experience. For example, patent CN203328578U discloses a multi-functional oven for making bread, including a cabinet with a heating chamber and a mixer inside. The cabinet has a door and a control panel. The door controls the opening and closing of the heating chamber, which contains the bread pan and an electric heating element. It is clear that this patent requires a front door for removing the bread pan, which is inconvenient and leads to a poor user experience. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides a bread maker and a bread maker control method. By setting a top cover and a front door, it makes it more convenient for users to pick up and put in the bread pan and improves the overall utilization rate of the equipment.

[0004] In a first aspect, a bread maker is provided, comprising: a housing having a cooking cavity including an upper opening and a front opening, the housing including an openable and closable upper cover and an openable and closable front door, the upper cover for closing the upper opening and the front door for closing the front opening; a bread pan detachably disposed in the cooking cavity, the upper opening serving as a loading / unloading port for the bread pan, wherein, during baking, the bread pan is removed, so that the bread pan is not present in the cooking cavity; a fan assembly disposed in the housing for providing ambient temperature air or hot air to the cooking cavity, the hot air being at a higher temperature than the ambient temperature air; and a controller disposed in the housing for, during kneading, causing the fan assembly to provide the ambient temperature air to the cooking cavity, such that the temperature of the dough in the bread pan is within a target low-temperature kneading range; and, during baking, causing the fan assembly to provide the hot air to the cooking cavity to bake the object in the cooking cavity, the front opening serving as a loading / unloading port for the object.

[0005] In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to, during bread-making operations, cause the air supply assembly to provide the hot air to the cooking cavity to bake the dough in the bread pan.

[0006] This design utilizes hot air supplied by the air delivery system to bake the dough in the bread pan, enabling the bread machine to make bread efficiently and improving the user experience. Furthermore, the dual-door design, with its closed top lid and front door, ensures good sealing and stable heat distribution during fermentation and baking, resulting in low heat loss and significantly improved processing uniformity.

[0007] In some embodiments, the bread pan includes a mixing element, and the bread machine further includes a mixing motor disposed in the housing and located below the cooking cavity, for driving the mixing element to rotate when the bread pan is installed in the cooking cavity, so that the bread pan kneads the dough.

[0008] This system uses a mixing motor to drive the mixing components inside the bread pan to knead the dough, improving kneading efficiency. Furthermore, once the bread pan is removed from the cooking cavity, the mixing components are no longer present, creating a complete, flat, and large-capacity cavity. This allows the entire cooking cavity to be used for baking, increasing baking efficiency and improving equipment utilization.

[0009] In some embodiments, the bread maker further includes at least one rack that can be detachably disposed inside the cooking cavity, the rack being used to support the object to be baked during the baking process, and the front opening serving as a loading / unloading port for the rack.

[0010] By setting up a grill rack, the food being baked can be heated evenly from top to bottom, thus improving baking efficiency.

[0011] In some embodiments, the ambient air includes cooling air blown toward the outer wall of the bread pan and circulating air that drives the air in the cooking cavity to circulate.

[0012] By using a combination of heat exchange on the outer wall and convection within the cavity to dissipate heat, the temperature rise during dough kneading is continuously suppressed, keeping the dough stably in a low-temperature kneading state, effectively protecting gluten activity, and improving dough extensibility and the texture of the finished product.

[0013] In some embodiments, the air supply assembly is located behind the cooking cavity. The air supply assembly includes a fan and a heating element. The air outlet of the fan is connected to the cooking cavity. The heating element is disposed at the air outlet and is used to heat the air outlet of the fan, so that the cooking cavity receives the hot air.

[0014] By incorporating a fan and a heating element into the air supply component, the same air supply component can perform two core functions simultaneously: kneading air cooling and baking hot air circulation. This results in a simplified structure, controllable cost, and high integration.

[0015] In some embodiments, a temperature sensor is also included for detecting the temperature inside the cooking cavity.

[0016] This allows for more precise control of the temperature inside the cooking cavity, improving the bread machine's cooking quality.

[0017] In a second aspect, a control method for a bread maker is provided, applied to the bread maker as described in the first aspect, the control method comprising: in response to satisfying a kneading start condition corresponding to the kneading condition, causing the bread pan to knead dough; if the duration of dough kneading in the bread pan reaches a target duration, causing the air supply component to provide room temperature air to the cooking cavity, so that the temperature of the dough in the bread pan is within a target low temperature kneading range; and when the kneading completion condition is met, causing the bread pan to stop kneading dough, and causing the air supply component to stop providing room temperature air to the cooking cavity.

[0018] By using the air supply component to remove the heat from the mixing friction during the kneading process, the dough is stably locked in a low-temperature kneading range, avoiding high-temperature souring and gluten breakage, which greatly improves the bread's gluten development and the finished product's texture. It is suitable for professional baking processes such as hydrolyzed toast and high-hydration dough.

[0019] In some embodiments, after stopping the dough kneading in the bread pan and stopping the air supply assembly from supplying the ambient temperature air to the cooking cavity, the method further includes: fermenting the dough in the bread pan according to a target fermentation process, the target fermentation process including driving the mixing element in the bread pan to degas the dough at least once; and, upon completion of the target fermentation process, supplying the hot air to the cooking cavity through the air supply assembly to bake the dough in the bread pan.

[0020] By performing the target fermentation process and bread baking after the dough has been kneaded, bread making can be carried out efficiently, thus improving equipment utilization.

[0021] In some embodiments, the method further includes: in response to satisfying a baking start condition corresponding to the baking condition, causing the air supply assembly to provide the hot air to the cooking cavity to bake the object in the cooking cavity.

[0022] This system utilizes a sealed cavity with strong convection hot air to achieve uniform heating and simultaneous baking of multiple layers of food, enabling fully automated hot air cooking of non-noodle-based ingredients. The baking process operates completely independently, without interfering with the kneading or bread-making processes, significantly improving the overall utilization rate of the equipment.

[0023] By applying the above technical solutions, the bread maker, including the casing, bread pan, air supply component, and controller, features a dedicated top opening for removing the bread pan via an openable lid. This allows for vertical placement and removal of the bread pan without tilting or horizontal movement, completely avoiding issues like bumping and blind assembly of the pan and internal components common in traditional single-door bread makers. Operation is smooth and the structure is highly durable. During kneading, the air supply component delivers room-temperature air to the cooking cavity, actively removing heat from the mixing friction and stabilizing the dough in a low-temperature kneading range. This prevents the dough from becoming sour due to high temperatures and breaking down the gluten, significantly improving the bread's gluten development and texture. It is suitable for professional baking processes such as hydrolyzed toast and high-hydration dough. Removing the bread pan during baking increases the baking space, enabling hot air cooking throughout the entire cooking cavity, greatly improving equipment utilization and broadening its application in home baking scenarios. Attached Figure Description

[0024] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a bread maker according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the bread maker according to an embodiment of the present application, with the top cover opened and the bread pan removed; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the bread machine in baking mode according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 4 This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a bread maker according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the air supply assembly according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the airflow direction at room temperature according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 7 The flowchart of a bread maker control method according to an embodiment of this application Figure 1 ; Figure 8 The flowchart of a bread maker control method according to an embodiment of this application Figure 2 .

[0026] Figures 1-6 In the middle, 100 is the shell; 110 is the cooking cavity; 1101 is the top opening; 1102 is the front opening; 120 is the top cover; 130 is the front door; 200 is the bread pan; 210 is the mixing component; 300 is the air supply assembly; 310 is the fan; 320 is the heating element; 400 is the controller; 500 is the mixing motor; and 600 is the grill rack. Detailed Implementation

[0027] Various embodiments and features of this application are described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0028] It should be understood that various modifications can be made to the embodiments described herein. Therefore, the above description should not be considered as limiting, but merely as an example of embodiments. Other modifications within the scope and spirit of this application will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0029] The accompanying drawings, which are included in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the present application and, together with the general description of the present application given above and the detailed description of the embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the present application.

[0030] These and other features of this application will become apparent from the following description of preferred forms of embodiments given as non-limiting examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0031] It should also be understood that although this application has been described with reference to some specific examples, those skilled in the art can certainly implement many other equivalent forms of this application.

[0032] The above and other aspects, features and advantages of this application will become more apparent when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and in view of the following detailed description.

[0033] Specific embodiments of this application are described thereafter with reference to the accompanying drawings; however, it should be understood that the claimed embodiments are merely examples of this application, which can be implemented in various ways. Well-known and / or repeated functions and structures are not described in detail to avoid unnecessary or redundant details that could obscure the application. Therefore, the specific structural and functional details claimed herein are not intended to be limiting, but merely serve as the basis and representative basis for the claims to teach those skilled in the art to use this application in a variety of substantially any suitable detailed structures.

[0034] This specification may use the phrases “in one embodiment,” “in another embodiment,” “in yet another embodiment,” or “in other embodiments,” all of which may refer to one or more of the same or different embodiments according to this application.

[0035] The bread maker of this application includes a housing, a bread pan, an air supply component, and a controller. On the one hand, through a dual-opening partition structure and a shared cavity dual-mode design, it can freely switch between bread making and large-capacity hot air baking, solving the structural problems of traditional equipment such as single function, inconvenient bread pan removal, and difficult cleaning. On the other hand, through the dual-mode reuse of the air supply component, it can achieve active air cooling during the kneading stage and full-area hot air circulation during the baking stage, establishing a standardized low-temperature dough kneading process and improving the quality of bread baking.

[0036] like Figures 1-4 As shown, the bread maker includes: The housing 100 has a cooking cavity 110 inside, including an upper opening 1101 and a front opening 1102. The housing 100 includes an openable upper cover 120 and an openable front door 130. The upper cover 120 is used to close the upper opening 1101, and the front door 130 is used to close the front opening 1102. The bread pan 200 is detachably installed in the cooking cavity 110. The upper opening 1101 is the opening for taking out and putting in the bread pan 200. During the baking process, the bread pan 200 is taken out, so that the bread pan 200 is not in the cooking cavity 110. An air supply assembly 300 is disposed in the housing 100 and is used to supply room temperature air or hot air to the cooking cavity 110, wherein the temperature of the hot air is higher than that of the room temperature air. The controller 400, located in the housing 100, is used to supply room temperature air to the cooking cavity 110 via the air supply component 300 during kneading, so that the temperature of the dough in the bread pan 200 is within the target low-temperature kneading range; and to supply hot air to the cooking cavity 110 during baking, so as to bake the baking object in the cooking cavity 110. The front opening 1102 serves as the loading and unloading port for the baking object.

[0037] In this embodiment, the bread maker includes a housing 100, a bread pan 200, an air supply assembly 300, and a controller 400. In addition to performing bread-making related operations such as kneading and shaping dough in the bread pan 200, the bread maker can also be used to bake objects after the bread pan 200 is removed. Baking objects may include, for example, barbecue ingredients, dried fruits, meat products, pastries, etc., realizing functions such as air frying, baking, and air drying.

[0038] The housing 100 contains a cooking cavity 110, which can be rectangular or cubic in shape. The cooking cavity 110 has an upper opening 1101 at the top and a front opening 1102 at the front. A closable upper cover 120 is used to close the upper opening 1101, and a closable front door 130 is used to close the front opening 1102. The upper cover 120 and the front door 130 can be opened and closed manually, or remotely via a remote control, voice command, etc. The opening direction of the upper cover 120 can be along the direction closer to the rear of the housing 100 (e.g., ...). Figure 2 As shown), the opening direction can also be along the front of the housing 100, or along one side of the housing 100. The opening direction of the front door 130 can be along the bottom of the housing 100 (as shown). Figure 3As shown), it can also be along the direction near the top of the housing 100, or along one side of the housing 100. A human-machine interface can be provided on the top cover 120 or the front door 130, which may include the bread maker's operation buttons, display screen, status indicator lights, etc. The controller 400 can be located on the upper part of the front door 130 (e.g., as shown). Figure 1 (As shown), it can also be set at the front of the top cover 120.

[0039] The air supply assembly 300 can provide ambient temperature air or hot air to the cooking cavity 110. The ambient temperature air or hot air can enter from the rear or side of the cooking cavity 110. The air intake direction of the ambient temperature air or hot air can be the same, such as both entering from the rear of the cooking cavity 110. Alternatively, the air intake directions of the ambient temperature air or hot air can be different, such as ambient temperature air entering from the rear of the cooking cavity 110 and hot air entering from the side of the cooking cavity 110.

[0040] The bread machine can operate in either kneading or baking mode. Since kneading and mixing of the dough need to take place in the bread pan 200, the bread pan 200 is located within the cooking cavity 110 during kneading mode. During the dough kneading process, the dough continuously generates heat due to friction, causing its temperature to rise. If this temperature rises above 30°C, problems such as dough souring, gluten damage, and decreased extensibility can easily occur, failing to meet the low-temperature kneading requirements of high-quality baking processes such as hydrolyzed toast and high-moisture soft European-style bread. Therefore, this embodiment implements a standardized low-temperature baking process. Through the controller 400, the air supply component 300 provides room-temperature air to the cooking cavity 110, ensuring that the dough temperature in the bread pan 200 remains within the target low-temperature kneading range (e.g., 24°C to 28°C), effectively preventing the dough temperature from becoming too high during kneading and improving dough quality. After the dough has been kneaded, the user can open the top cover 120 and take out the kneaded dough from the bread pan 200. The dough can then be shaped freely to make various fermented pastries, such as toast, soft European bread, steamed buns, and mantou.

[0041] Before entering the baking mode, the top cover 120 needs to be opened, the bread pan 200 removed through the top opening 1101, and the top cover 120 closed. Then, the front door 130 is opened to place the food to be baked into the cooking cavity 110, and the front door 130 is closed. During baking, the controller 400 causes the air supply assembly 300 to provide hot air to the cooking cavity 110 to bake the food inside. After baking, the user can remove the baked food by opening the front door 130. Because the bread pan 200 is removed during baking, the baking space is increased, allowing for the baking of more food, improving baking efficiency and enhancing the user experience. Furthermore, by using the top opening 1101 and the top cover 120, the user can vertically remove and place the bread pan 200 from the top of the bread machine, avoiding the problems of internal component damage and blind installation caused by traditional methods of removing and placing the pan through the front door 130. This ensures smooth operation and high structural durability.

[0042] This bread maker includes a housing 100, a bread pan 200, an air supply assembly 300, and a controller 400. A dedicated top opening for the bread pan is formed by an openable and closable top cover 120. The bread pan 200 can be placed and removed vertically throughout the process, without tilting or horizontal movement, completely avoiding problems such as collisions between the pan and internal components and blind assembly issues common in traditional single-door bread makers. This ensures smooth operation and high structural durability. During kneading, the air supply assembly 300 provides room-temperature air to the cooking cavity 110, actively removing heat from the mixing friction and stabilizing the dough in a low-temperature kneading range. This prevents the dough from becoming sour due to high temperatures and breaking down the gluten, significantly improving the bread's gluten development and texture. It is suitable for professional baking processes such as hydrolyzed toast and high-hydration dough. By removing the bread pan 200 during baking, the baking space is increased, allowing for hot air cooking throughout the entire cooking cavity 110, greatly improving equipment utilization and broadening its application in home baking scenarios.

[0043] In some embodiments of this application, the controller 400 is also configured to, during the bread-making process, cause the air supply assembly 300 to provide hot air to the cooking cavity 110 to bake the dough in the bread pan 200.

[0044] In this embodiment, the bread machine can be in bread-making mode to bake bread. In bread-making mode, the bread pan 200 is located in the cooking chamber 110. The controller 400 causes the air supply assembly 300 to provide hot air to the cooking chamber 110 to bake the dough in the bread pan 200. The dough in the bread pan 200 can be dough that has been kneaded in the bread pan 200 during the kneading mode, or it can be dough that has already been kneaded and added by the user.

[0045] In this way, the hot air provided by the air supply component 300 bakes the dough in the bread pan 200, enabling the bread machine to make bread efficiently and improving the user experience. Furthermore, by closing the top cover 120 and the front door 130, the dual doors have good sealing performance, ensuring stable heat and low heat loss during fermentation and baking, and significantly improving the uniformity of processing.

[0046] In some embodiments of this application, such as Figure 4 As shown, the bread pan 200 includes a mixing element 210, and the bread maker also includes: The mixing motor 500 is disposed in the housing 100 and located below the cooking cavity 110. It is used to drive the mixing element 210 to rotate when the bread pan 200 is inserted into the cooking cavity 110, so that the bread pan 200 can knead the dough.

[0047] In this embodiment, the mixing element 210 can be located at the bottom of the space inside the bread pan 200, and can be used for kneading and mixing dough. There can be one or more mixing elements 210. When kneading is required, the top cover 120 can be opened first, the bread pan 200 can be taken out through the top opening 1101, and baking ingredients (such as flour, water, yeast, etc.) can be added to the bread pan 200. After adding the ingredients, the bread pan 200 can be vertically inserted into the cooking cavity 110, and the top cover 120 can be closed, making the cooking cavity 110 completely sealed. After the bread pan 200 is placed in the cooking cavity 110, the mixing element 210 is connected to the mixing motor 500, and the controller 400 controls the mixing motor 500 to start, so as to drive the mixing element 210 to mix the ingredients in the bread pan 200, so that the bread pan 200 can knead the dough.

[0048] In this way, the mixing motor 500 drives the mixing element 210 inside the bread pan 200 to knead the dough, improving the dough kneading efficiency. Furthermore, after the bread pan 200 is removed from the cooking cavity 110, the cooking cavity 110 is free of the mixing element 210, thus obtaining a complete, flat, and large-volume cavity, making the entire cooking cavity 110 a space for baking, improving baking efficiency and increasing equipment utilization.

[0049] In some embodiments of this application, such as Figure 3 As shown, the bread maker also includes at least one grill rack 600, which can be detachably installed inside the cooking cavity 110. The grill rack 600 is used to support food during baking, and the front opening 1102 is the loading and unloading port for the grill rack 600.

[0050] In this embodiment, the inner wall of the cooking cavity 110 may be provided with a support structure for placing the grill rack 600, and the grill rack 600 can be placed or removed by opening the front door 130. There may be one grill rack 600, forming a single-layer grill rack 600. Alternatively, there may be multiple grill racks 600, forming a multi-layer grill rack 600, thereby allowing for the baking of more objects.

[0051] By setting the grill rack to 600, the baking object can be heated evenly from top to bottom, thus improving baking efficiency.

[0052] In some embodiments of this application, the bread maker may also include an oil drip tray, which may be detachably disposed below the grill 600. The front opening 1102 serves as the loading and unloading port for the oil drip tray, thereby collecting the oil dripping from the grill 600 during the baking process, facilitating the cleaning of the cooking cavity 110 after baking and improving the user experience.

[0053] In some embodiments of this application, the ambient air includes cooling air blown toward the outer wall of the bread pan 200 and circulating air that drives the air in the cooking cavity 110 to circulate.

[0054] In this embodiment, during the kneading process, the ambient temperature air provided by the air supply component 300 can be divided into two paths. One path is a cooling air blown towards the outer wall of the bread pan 200 to exchange heat and cool the outer wall of the bread pan 200, thus removing the heat generated by the stirring friction. The other path drives the air circulation inside the cooking cavity 110 to balance the cavity temperature (see reference). Figure 6 (Multiple short arrows in the middle cooking cavity 110).

[0055] By using a combination of heat exchange on the outer wall and convection within the cavity to dissipate heat, the temperature rise during dough kneading is continuously suppressed, keeping the dough stably in a low-temperature kneading state, effectively protecting gluten activity, and improving dough extensibility and the texture of the finished product.

[0056] In some embodiments of this application, such as Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the air supply assembly 300 is located behind the cooking cavity 110. The air supply assembly 300 includes a fan 310 and a heating element 320. The air outlet of the fan 310 is connected to the cooking cavity 110. The heating element 320 is located at the air outlet and is used to heat the air outlet of the fan 310, so that the cooking cavity 110 receives hot air.

[0057] In this embodiment, by positioning the air supply assembly 300 behind the cooking cavity 110, a rear-mounted air outlet layout is achieved, resulting in a flat and easy-to-clean cooking cavity 110 without protruding pipes or structural dead corners. The air supply assembly 300 includes a fan 310 and a heating element 320. The motor of the fan 310 can be a shaded-pole motor, a series-wound motor, a capacitor-start / running motor, etc. The heating element 320 can be a metal tubular heating element, a filament heating element, a thin-film heating element, a ceramic heating element, etc. The controller 400 can control the heating element 320 to turn on and off. When the heating element 320 is off, the fan 310 outputs room temperature air to the cooking cavity 110; when the heating element 320 is on, the fan 310 outputs hot air to the cooking cavity 110. The temperature of the room temperature air can be the ambient temperature, and the temperature of the hot air can be, for example, 80℃-200℃.

[0058] By including a fan 310 and a heating element 320 in the air supply component 300, the same air supply component 300 can perform two core functions in time: kneading air cooling and baking hot air circulation. The structure is simplified, the cost is controllable, and the integration is high.

[0059] In some embodiments of the application, the bread maker may also include a temperature sensor (not shown) for detecting the temperature within the cooking cavity 110.

[0060] In this embodiment, a temperature sensor can be installed inside the cooking cavity 110, and there can be one or more temperature sensors. The temperature sensor can be connected to the controller 400, so that the controller 400 can determine the temperature inside the cooking cavity 110 based on the temperature provided by the temperature sensor, thereby controlling the temperature inside the cooking cavity 110 more accurately and improving the cooking quality of the bread machine.

[0061] This application also provides a control method for a bread maker, applicable to bread makers as described in any embodiment of this application, such as... Figure 7 As shown, the control method includes the following steps: Step S101: In response to the kneading start condition corresponding to the kneading condition being met, the bread pan is made to knead the dough.

[0062] In this embodiment, the controller of the bread machine can be the bread machine's controller. The user can first open the bread machine's lid, remove the bread pan, then add flour, water, and other ingredients to the bread pan, and finally place the bread pan vertically into the cooking cavity and close the lid. The kneading start condition can include receiving a user's start kneading command and the lid being closed. In response to meeting the kneading start condition, the controller starts the bread machine's mixing motor, driving the mixing element inside the bread pan to mix the ingredients, ensuring the dry powder and liquid are fully combined into a dough. At this time, the air supply component is off to prevent the fan from directly blowing powder, causing dust, flying powder, and contamination of the cooking cavity.

[0063] Step S102: If the dough kneading time in the bread pan reaches the target time, the air supply component provides the room temperature air to the cooking cavity, so that the temperature of the dough in the bread pan is in the target low temperature kneading range.

[0064] In this embodiment, if the dough kneading time in the bread pan reaches the target time, it means that the raw materials in the bread pan have been fused into a ball. The controller activates the air supply component to provide room temperature air to the cooking cavity to cool the dough, so that the temperature of the dough in the bread pan is in the target low temperature kneading range.

[0065] Step S103: When the kneading conditions are met, the bread pan stops kneading the dough, and the air supply component stops supplying the room temperature air to the cooking cavity.

[0066] In this embodiment, the kneading completion condition can be that the kneading time reaches the target kneading time. The target kneading time can be set by the user or determined based on the type of raw materials selected by the user. If the kneading completion condition is met, the controller stops the bread pan from kneading the dough and stops the air supply component from providing room temperature air to the cooking cavity. The user can open the top cover, remove the dough from the bread pan for free shaping and making various fermented pastries, or the bread machine can continue to execute the target fermentation process and then enter the bread-making mode for bread baking.

[0067] The bread machine control method of this application embodiment uses an air blowing component to remove the heat from the mixing friction during the kneading process, stabilizes and locks the dough in a low-temperature kneading range, avoids the dough from becoming sour at high temperatures and the gluten from breaking, greatly improves the bread's gluten development effect and the taste of the finished product, and is suitable for professional baking processes such as hydrolyzed toast and high-water-content dough.

[0068] In some embodiments of this application, after the bread pan stops kneading the dough and the air supply assembly stops supplying the room temperature air to the cooking cavity, as follows: Figure 8 As shown, it also includes the following steps: Step S104: Ferment the dough in the bread pan according to the target fermentation process, wherein the target fermentation process includes driving the mixing element in the bread pan to degas the dough at least once.

[0069] In this embodiment, after the dough kneading is completed, the target fermentation process and bread baking can be carried out directly in the bread pan. The target fermentation process may include staged constant temperature fermentation, secondary fermentation, and final long-term fermentation. The target fermentation process also includes driving the mixing element in the bread pan to degas the dough at least once, thereby removing carbon dioxide, allowing fresh oxygen to enter the dough, activating yeast activity, making the secondary fermentation more complete, and improving bread quality.

[0070] Step S105: Upon completion of the target fermentation process, the air supply assembly supplies hot air to the cooking cavity to bake the dough in the bread pan.

[0071] In this embodiment, the controller can determine that the target fermentation process is complete when the duration of the target fermentation process reaches the target fermentation time. The controller then directs the air supply assembly to provide hot air to the cooking cavity to bake the dough in the bread pan.

[0072] By performing the target fermentation process and bread baking after the dough has been kneaded, bread making can be carried out efficiently, thus improving equipment utilization.

[0073] In some embodiments of this application, the control method for the bread maker further includes: In response to the fulfillment of the baking start condition corresponding to the baking condition, the air supply assembly provides the hot air to the cooking cavity to bake the object in the cooking cavity.

[0074] In this embodiment, the baking objects may include, for example, barbecue ingredients, dried fruits, meat products, pastries, etc. Before entering the baking mode, the top cover needs to be opened, the bread pan removed from the top opening, and the top cover closed. Then, the front door is opened to insert the grill rack into the cooking cavity, the baking object is placed on the grill rack, and the front door is closed. During the baking mode, the controller causes the air supply component to provide hot air to the cooking cavity, forming a full-area circulating hot air system to bake the baking objects in the cooking cavity. After baking, the user can remove the baked objects by opening the front door. Thus, relying on the strong convection hot air in the sealed cavity, multiple layers of food are heated evenly and baked synchronously, completing fully automatic hot air cooking for non-bread-based foods. The baking mode operates completely independently, without interfering with the kneading and bread-making modes, significantly improving the overall utilization rate of the equipment.

[0075] Furthermore, although exemplary embodiments have been described herein, their scope includes any and all embodiments based on this disclosure that have equivalent elements, modifications, omissions, combinations (e.g., schemes involving intersections of various embodiments), adaptations, or alterations. Elements in the claims will be interpreted broadly based on the language used in the claims and are not limited to the examples described in this specification or during the implementation of this application, and such examples will be interpreted as non-exclusive. Therefore, this specification and examples are intended to be considered illustrative only, and the true scope and spirit are indicated by the following claims and the full scope of their equivalents.

[0076] The above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. For example, the above examples (or one or more of them) can be used in combination with each other. Other embodiments can be used by those skilled in the art when reading the above description. Furthermore, in the above detailed description, various features may be grouped together to simplify the disclosure. This should not be construed as an intention that a feature of the disclosure that is not claimed is necessary for any claim. Rather, the subject matter of this disclosure may be less than all the features of a particular disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are incorporated herein by reference as examples or embodiments, wherein each claim is an independent, separate embodiment, and these embodiments are contemplated to be combined with each other in various combinations or arrangements.

[0077] The scope of this disclosure should be determined by referring to the full scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. The above embodiments are merely exemplary embodiments of this disclosure and are not intended to limit this disclosure; the scope of protection of this disclosure is defined by the claims. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications or equivalent substitutions to this disclosure within its substance and scope, and such modifications or equivalent substitutions should also be considered to fall within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0078] The above embodiments are merely exemplary embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. The scope of protection of this application is defined by the claims. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications or equivalent substitutions to this application within its substance and scope of protection, and such modifications or equivalent substitutions should also be considered to fall within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A bread maker, characterized in that, include: The housing (100) has a cooking cavity (110) including an upper opening (1101) and a front opening (1102). The housing (100) includes an openable upper cover (120) and an openable front door (130). The upper cover (120) is used to close the upper opening (1101), and the front door (130) is used to close the front opening (1102). A bread pan (200) is detachably disposed in the cooking cavity (110), and the upper opening (1101) is the opening for taking out and putting in the bread pan (200). In the baking condition, the bread pan (200) is taken out, so that the bread pan (200) is not in the cooking cavity (110). An air supply assembly (300) is disposed in the housing (100) for supplying ambient temperature air or hot air to the cooking cavity (110), wherein the temperature of the hot air is higher than that of the ambient temperature air; A controller (400), disposed in the housing (100), is used to supply the room temperature air to the cooking cavity (110) via the air supply assembly (300) during the kneading process, so that the temperature of the dough in the bread pan (200) is in the target low temperature kneading range; and to supply the hot air to the cooking cavity (110) via the air supply assembly (300) during the baking process, so as to bake the baking object in the cooking cavity (110), wherein the front opening (1102) is the loading and unloading port for the baking object.

2. The bread maker as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The controller (400) is also configured to, during the bread-making process, cause the air supply assembly (300) to provide the hot air to the cooking cavity (110) to bake the dough in the bread pan (200).

3. The bread maker as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The bread pan (200) includes a mixing element (210), and the bread machine also includes: A mixing motor (500) is disposed in the housing (100) and located below the cooking cavity (110) for driving the mixing element (210) to rotate when the bread pan (200) is inserted into the cooking cavity (110), so that the bread pan (200) kneads the dough.

4. The bread maker as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The bread maker also includes at least one baking rack (600), which can be detachably installed inside the cooking cavity (110). The baking rack (600) is used to support the baking object under the baking conditions, and the front opening (1102) is the loading and unloading port of the baking rack (600).

5. The bread maker as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The ambient air includes cooling air blown toward the outer wall of the bread pan (200) and circulating air that drives the air in the cooking cavity (110) to circulate.

6. The bread maker as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The air supply assembly (300) is located behind the cooking cavity (110). The air supply assembly (300) includes a fan (310) and a heating element (320). The air outlet of the fan (310) is connected to the cooking cavity (110). The heating element (320) is disposed at the air outlet. The heating element (320) is used to heat the air outlet of the fan (310), so that the cooking cavity (110) receives the hot air.

7. The bread maker as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature inside the cooking cavity (110).

8. A control method for a bread maker, characterized in that, The control method, applied to a bread maker as described in any one of claims 1-7, comprises: In response to the fulfillment of the kneading start condition corresponding to the kneading condition, the bread pan (200) is made to knead the dough; If the bread pan (200) kneads the dough for the target duration, the air supply component (300) supplies the room temperature air to the cooking cavity (110), so that the temperature of the dough in the bread pan (200) is in the target low temperature kneading range. When the kneading conditions are met, the bread pan (200) stops kneading the dough, and the air supply assembly (300) stops supplying the room temperature air to the cooking cavity (110).

9. The control method for a bread maker as described in claim 8, characterized in that, After stopping the bread pan (200) from kneading the dough and stopping the air supply assembly (300) from supplying the room temperature air to the cooking cavity (110), the method further includes: The dough in the bread pan (200) is fermented according to a target fermentation process, the target fermentation process including driving the mixing element (210) in the bread pan (200) to degas the dough at least once; Once the target fermentation process is completed, the air supply assembly (300) supplies the hot air to the cooking chamber (110) to bake the dough in the bread pan (200).

10. The control method for a bread maker as described in claim 8, characterized in that, Also includes: In response to the fulfillment of the baking start condition corresponding to the baking condition, the air supply assembly (300) provides the hot air to the cooking cavity (110) to bake the object in the cooking cavity (110).

Images