Cooking device

Abstract

The invention relates to a cooking appliance (1) with an inner housing (12) with at least one first separating element (23) for receiving at least one cooking chamber (31) and with at least one first heating device (22), which is arranged and designed in the vertical direction (Z) below the first separating element (23) to heat at least the cooking chamber (31) from below, and with at least one second heating device (15), which is arranged and designed in the vertical direction (Z) above the first separating element (23) to heat at least the cooking chamber (31) from above.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a cooking appliance according to claim 1.

[0002] For the preparation of food, which can also be referred to as goods to be treated or food to be cooked, various kitchen appliances are known, which can also be referred to as cooking appliances. These include hobs on which the food can be cooked in a cooking vessel such as a saucepan, with or without a lid, in a pan and the like by boiling, frying and the like. For this purpose, the cooking vessel is placed on a cooking zone of the hob and the base of the cooking vessel is heated electrically, inductively or similarly by the cooking zone. The cooking vessel can also be referred to as a cooking vessel, a food carrier or a food holder. In this case, the cooking vessel provides a cooking space for the food, which in the case of pans and pots can be open or closed with a lid.

[0003] Furthermore, cooking appliances are known, for example from the document DE 20 2007 012 602 U1, which have an immobile, i.e. fixed, cooking chamber formed with the cooking appliance, in which the food to be cooked can be arranged in or on a cooking utensil and cooked with the cooking chamber of the cooking appliance closed. Such a cooking appliance can be, for example, an oven, a steamer, a microwave, a combination appliance comprising an oven with a steamer and / or with a microwave, and the like. Such cooking appliances with a fixed cooking chamber usually have, at least in Germany, a structural height of approximately 45 cm in the vertical direction, although ovens with a structural height of approximately 60 cm are also common. A cooking utensil for insertion into a built-in cooking appliance is shown in the document EP 2 468 150 A1.

[0004] Such cooking appliances with a fixed cooking chamber have in common that they have an outer housing which essentially encloses the cooking appliance on the outside and protects its individual components and elements, as well as making them easier to handle together. Within the cooking appliance, an interior space is formed which represents the cooking chamber and is essentially enclosed by an inner housing, also referred to as a cooking chamber muffle or muffle. Between the inner housing and the outer housing, a housing space is formed as an intermediate space, in which functional elements of the cooking appliance, such as a control system or control unit, an electrical power supply and other components which serve the intended use of the cooking appliance can be arranged. In depth from the front, i.e. viewed from the user's perspective, this includes the outer housing, the inner housing and a sheet metal ora front panel together closes off the housing space so that the housing space is not accessible to the user.

[0005] DE 103 58 485 A1 discloses an oven having two heaters, the first of which is a conventional tubular heater. The second heater is an induction device that heats by inducing eddy currents in a correspondingly magnetic baking tray. Furthermore, EP 2 853 820 A1 discloses a built-in drawer with two such heaters.

[0006] It is also known from DE 103 58 485 A1 that a glass ceramic surface is arranged as a partition between the induction device and the usable heating space of the heating chamber. A similar partition is also disclosed in WO 2011 / 004168 A1.

[0007] The interior of the cooking appliance has a through-opening at the front in depth as an access opening, through which the interior of the cooking appliance is accessible to the user in order to insert cooking utensils into the interior of the cooking appliance as its cooking chamber and to arrange them there, as well as to remove cooking utensils from the interior of the cooking appliance after the food has been cooked. The access opening can be opened by the user by means of a closure element, for example in the form of a door that can be pivoted to the side, a flap that can be pivoted downwards, or the like, in order to access the interior of the cooking appliance, as described above, or to close the interior of the cooking appliance and carry out the cooking operation or process. Such a closure element can be closed or have a viewing window to allow the user a view into the closed interior of the cooking appliance.

[0008] Such cooking appliances with a fixed cooking chamber are usually designed as built-in appliances or as built-in kitchen appliances in order to be arranged with their outer casing in a space-saving manner and at a height that is easily accessible for the user in the vertical direction in kitchen furniture, such as in built-in kitchen cupboards, and to be arranged with their locking element, if necessary additionally with their panel, see above, towards the front of the user, flush with the surfaces of the other cooking appliances, drawers, doors and the like of the kitchen furniture, which can improve the visual impression for the user.

[0009] In addition to the previously described cooking appliances with a fixed cooking chamber, these can also be combined with other built-in kitchen appliances such as warming drawers, vacuum-sealing drawers, and the like, arranged vertically one above the other and / or horizontally next to each other, which can also perform functions in the kitchen. Warming drawers are used, for example, to keep cooked food warm without further cooking and to preheat dishes. Vacuum-sealing drawers allow food to be vacuum-sealed in airtight packaging.

[0010] Drawers as kitchen appliances are fundamentally constructed in a similar way to the previously described cooking appliances with a fixed cooking space, whereby drawers are significantly flatter, i.e. smaller in the vertical direction, and thus have to be pulled forwards out of the kitchen unit by the user in order to allow access to their interior in the vertical direction from above. For this purpose, the movable part of the drawer, which can also be referred to as a pull-out, has a pull-out shelf which serves to hold, for example, the cooking utensils in the vertical direction from above and which can be movable in depth relative to the inner casing of the drawer, for example via rails arranged laterally in the transverse direction. The pull-out shelf usually has a vertically aligned panel in the depth towards the front, which defines the interior of the drawer orwhose access opening closes when closed.

[0011] Such drawers, also called built-in drawers, usually have a vertical height of approximately 14 cm, at least in Germany. Drawers are usually arranged vertically below a cooking appliance with a fixed cooking space, such as an oven, a steamer, or the like, or in combination with another drawer, one above the other in the vertical direction, but can also be installed individually and independently in a piece of kitchen furniture. Since the installation spaces for built-in kitchen appliances in kitchen furniture, which can also be referred to as niches, usually have a vertical height of approximately 60 cm, at least in Germany, a drawer with a height of approximately 15 cm and a cooking appliance with a fixed cooking space with a height of approximately 45 cm can be used in a modular combination as built-in appliances.

[0012] A cooking appliance of this type is known from document FR 2 818 499 A1. The oven shown has a longitudinal tunnel defined by parallel upper and lower support plates, a first inductor at the bottom of the tunnel and a second at the top to cover the bottom and lid of a disposable tray inserted into the tunnel, and a regulator for a generator that feeds the two inductors individually depending on the type of food to be heated in the tray.

[0013] If a cooking chamber is heated from below by a first heating device and from above by a second heating device, the heat from the second, upper heating device can also act on the first, lower heating device if the cooking chamber is not present or is of comparatively small area, so that the heat from the second, upper heating device can partially reach the first, lower heating device from the side of the cooking chamber. This can lead to thermal stress on the lower, first heating device and possibly to damage, in particular to the electronic elements of the lower, first heating device, if comparatively high heat can be generated by the second, upper heating device. This can particularly stress the components of an induction device which are used for the inductive heating of the cookware and can thereby impair their service life or damage them.

[0014] The invention addresses the problem of providing a cooking appliance such that, despite comparatively high heat generation by a second heating device, the components of a first heating device, in particular the components of an induction device of the cooking appliance, can be protected from thermal damage or impairment. This should be implemented in a way that is as simple, space-saving, cost-effective, durable, robust, and / or easy to clean as possible. At the very least, an alternative to known cooking appliance systems of this type should be created.

[0015] According to the invention, this problem is solved by a cooking appliance having the features of patent claim 1. Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention emerge from the following subclaims.

[0016] The invention thus relates to a cooking appliance comprising an inner housing with at least one first separating element for accommodating at least one cooking chamber. A cooking chamber can be formed, in particular, by a cooking utensil and can be open or closed, as described above. A cooking utensil can be removable from the built-in cooking appliance. Such a cooking chamber can also be formed by a fixed component of the built-in cooking appliance.

[0017] The cooking appliance has at least one first heating device, which is arranged vertically below the first separating element and is designed to heat at least the cooking chamber from below. Heating by the first heating device can be achieved, for example, by means of an electric heating element through current heat loss or inductively. This allows the food to be heated directly in the cooking chamber or a steam cooking process to be carried out within the cooking chamber.

[0018] The cooking appliance further comprises at least one second heating device, which is arranged vertically above the first separating element and is designed to heat at least the cooking chamber from above. This allows the cooking chamber to be heated vertically from two sides, so that the food in the cooking chamber can be heated more evenly, more intensely, and / or more quickly. This can accordingly improve the quality of the cooking process and / or shorten the duration of the cooking process. The second heating device can preferably generate heat radiation and thereby cause a comparatively high or intense heating of the cooking chamber from above.

[0019] The cooking appliance according to the invention is characterized in that the cooking appliance is designed to detect the presence or absence of the cooking chamber on the first separating element and to operate the second heating device only when the cooking chamber is present. In other words, the cooking appliance according to the invention can distinguish whether or not the cooking chamber is intended to be arranged on the first separating element and thus between the first heating device and the second heating device. If the cooking chamber is not present on the first separating element and the second heating device is nevertheless operated, the heat generated by the second heating device can act unhindered on the first heating device and thereby place thermal stress on it. Therefore, in this case, the invention prevents the second heating device from being operated, so that a corresponding thermal stress on the first heating device can be avoided.

[0020] According to the invention, this can be achieved by the cooking appliance being able to directly or indirectly detect the presence of the cooking chamber, the absence of the cooking chamber, or both the presence and absence of the cooking chamber. This can be achieved by suitable sensors on the part of the cooking appliance itself, but also by suitable sensors or information from the cooking chamber, as will be described in more detail below. The corresponding sensor-detected information or other information can be received and processed by the cooking appliance using a control unit, and the corresponding reactions can be triggered or carried out.

[0021] This can also be done if a cooking chamber is present but has such a small area that too large a proportion of the heat from the second heating device passes through the side of the cooking chamber and can therefore reach the first heating device and heat it excessively. For this purpose, the size of the cooking utensil, and if necessary also its positioning on the first dividing element, can be detected using suitable sensors and a reaction can be made as described above. In particular, a limit value for a permissible surface area of ​​the cooking utensil can be provided by the control unit in order to be able to assess this and react accordingly. The presence or absence of the cooking chamber on the first dividing element therefore also means the presence or absence of a predetermined surface covering of the first dividing element by the cooking chamber.

[0022] In other words, the presence of the cooking chamber on the first separating element means that the first separating element is sufficiently covered by the cooking chamber relative to the second heating device to prevent excessive or impermissible thermal influence of the second heating device on the first heating device. The absence of the cooking chamber from the first separating element means that the first separating element is insufficiently covered by the cooking chamber relative to the second heating device, so that excessive or impermissible thermal influence of the second heating device on the first heating device may occur.

[0023] According to one aspect of the invention, the first heating device is an induction device, preferably with at least one induction coil, wherein the cooking appliance is designed to detect the presence or absence of the cooking chamber on the first separating element based on a sufficient or insufficient inductive coupling between the induction device and the cooking chamber. By means of the induction device, inductive heating of the cooking chamber or its cooking utensil can take place in the vertical direction from below. A corresponding induction coil can be designed to be as large as the base of the cooking utensil to be used. If necessary, several induction coils can also be used together to inductively heat the cooking utensil.

[0024] This aspect of the invention is based on the finding that, in an induction device of a cooking appliance, the electromagnetic waves emitted by the induction device are picked up by the inductively heatable cooking chamber or its cooking utensils and, together with the induction device, form an oscillating circuit which also acts on the induction device or its induction coil. Thus, if an inductive heating process is initiated by the induction device and a cooking chamber or cooking utensil is present above the induction device, this can be detected by the induction device. Likewise, the induction device can detect the absence of a cooking chamber or cooking utensil above the induction device if an inductive heating process has no effect on the induction device.In this way, the presence or absence of the cooking chamber on the first separating element above the induction device can be easily and reliably distinguished without additional sensors.

[0025] This also allows a distinction to be made between cooking chambers or cooking utensils of different sizes, since the degree of inductive feedback depends on the size of the cooking chamber or cooking utensil. If the induction device uses multiple induction coils, each can be considered as described above, and the size and / or positioning on the first separating element of the cooking chamber or cooking utensil can be determined from the presence or absence of inductive feedback from the individual induction coils.

[0026] According to a further aspect of the invention, the first separating element has at least one temperature sensor facing the second heating device, wherein the cooking appliance is configured to detect the presence or absence of the cooking chamber on the first separating element based on a temperature detected by the temperature sensor. Such a temperature sensor is preferably arranged vertically below the first separating element in order to be protected from mechanical influences from the cooking chamber or cooking utensils and the like by the first separating element.

[0027] In this case, the temperature of the first separating element or of the surface of the first separating element facing the second heating device can be detected by the temperature sensor. By specifying an appropriate limit value for the detected temperature, a distinction can be made as to whether the cooking chamber is present above the first separating element or whether the even stronger heating from the second heating device acts directly on the first separating element, from which it can be concluded that the cooking chamber or cooking utensil is absent. If several temperature sensors are used that are distributed over a large area, this can also be used to determine the size and / or positioning of the cooking chamber or cooking utensil on the first separating element.

[0028] According to a further aspect of the invention, the cooking appliance is designed to detect the presence or absence of the cooking chamber on the first separating element on the basis of information from the cooking chamber that has been received or not received. In this case, the possibilities for implementing the present invention can be used which are offered by cooking utensils that themselves have sensors and / or a transmitting / receiving unit or merely a receiving unit. If such cooking utensils communicate with the cooking appliance during operation, for example by sending information such as a temperature of the cooking chamber detected by the cooking utensil, the presence of the cooking chamber or the cooking utensil above the first separating element can be deduced from the receipt of such information or signals at the cooking appliance.If such a cooking chamber is used and such communication is not carried out, it can be concluded that the cooking chamber or the cooking utensil is absent.

[0029] According to a further aspect of the invention, the cooking appliance has at least one sensor which is directed towards the first dividing element and / or towards the area in the vertical direction above the first dividing element, wherein the cooking appliance is designed to detect the presence or absence of the cooking chamber based on information detected by the sensor. In this case, for example, a light barrier, a distance sensor or the like can be used as the sensor, which can be directed vertically directly from above or obliquely to the horizontal onto the surface of the first dividing element or horizontally above the surface of the first dividing element. Due to the interruption of the light barrier or due to different detected distances of the distance sensor, the physical presence or absence of the cooking chamber or cooking utensil can be detected by sensors and a distinction can be made between them.If several light barriers, distance sensors and the like are used, which can monitor different locations or areas of the first separating element, the size and / or positioning on the first separating element of the cooking chamber or the cooking utensil can also be determined in this way.

[0030] Likewise, a camera can be used as a sensor to optically capture the surface of the first separating element vertically directly from above, at an angle to the horizontal, or temporally horizontally. Using image capture, it is possible to at least distinguish whether the surface of the first separating element is detected or obscured by a cooking chamber or cooking utensil. Alternatively or additionally, a cooking chamber or cooking utensil can be detected or not. Using image capture, the size and / or positioning of the cooking chamber or cooking utensil on the first separating element can also be detected relatively easily and reliably.

[0031] The present invention also relates to a cooking appliance having an inner housing with at least one first separating element for accommodating at least one cooking chamber and with at least one first heating device which is arranged in the vertical direction below the first separating element and is designed to heat at least the cooking chamber from below, and with at least one second heating device which is arranged in the vertical direction above the first separating element and is designed to heat at least the cooking chamber from above.

[0032] The cooking appliance according to the invention is characterized in that the first separating element between the first heating device and the second heating device comprises a heat radiation-reflecting element. In other words, such an element is designed to reflect heat radiation acting on the element as much as possible and thus at least keep it away from the first heating device. In this way, the object of the present invention can be achieved by purely passive means, in comparison to the previously described active measures, which require sensors and a control unit. The previously described active measures can be used in combination with the present passive measure.

[0033] According to one aspect of the invention, the heat-radiation-reflecting element is arranged on the side of the first separating element facing away from the cooking chamber. This allows the heat-radiation-reflecting element to be protected by the first separating element from mechanical influences and damage that could be exerted, for example, by the cooking chamber or the cooking utensils.

[0034] According to a further aspect of the invention, the heat radiation-reflecting element is designed as a coating. Such a coating can be implemented, for example, using a film such as an aluminum foil, which can be formed flat and applied, for example, in a material-to-material manner to a surface of the first separating element, preferably to the surface of the first separating element facing the first heating element. Such a coating can also be implemented, for example, by printing, vapor deposition, sputtering, deposition, or coating a surface of the first separating element, preferably the surface of the first separating element facing the first heating element. In any case, the heat radiation-reflecting element can be implemented in this way simply, flexibly, and / or cost-effectively.

[0035] According to a further aspect of the invention, the first heating device is an induction device, preferably with at least one induction coil, wherein the heat-radiation-reflecting element has a plurality of parallel and mutually insulated sections. In other words, the heat-radiation-reflecting element can be designed similarly to a so-called "laminated" iron core, which, to prevent eddy currents, is not solid but rather formed by electrically insulated and parallel sheets, foils, or printed or coated areas. In the present case, this can be implemented by a strip-shaped design of the surface of the heat-radiation-reflecting element, so that the formation of eddy currents can be counteracted here as well.

[0036] According to a further aspect of the invention, the first heating device is an induction device, preferably with at least one induction coil, wherein the heat radiation-reflecting element comprises, preferably consists of, a plurality of sufficiently small elements, which are designed to suppress eddy currents. These elements can, in particular, be square, round, or rectangular and electrically insulated from one another. This can also counteract the formation of eddy currents.

[0037] According to a further aspect of the invention, the first separating element, preferably a first glass ceramic, is designed to separate the induction device from an interior space and to allow the radiation of the induction device to pass through substantially. As a result, the aspects of the corresponding second separating element of the radiation device, which will be described in more detail below, can be transferred to the induction device.

[0038] According to a further aspect of the invention, the second heating device is a radiant device, preferably comprising at least one radiant heater with a heating strip. A radiant device is understood to be a device that emits its power primarily through infrared radiators in the form of thermal radiation. Such a radiant device can also be referred to as a radiant heater or a heat wave heater.

[0039] This aspect of the present invention is based on the finding that thermal radiation essentially does not heat the ambient air through which it passes, but rather first heats the cooking utensil or food that the thermal radiation impinges upon. The cooking utensil or food can thus be heated directly and as completely as possible by the thermal radiation, as the thermal radiation reaches and heats the cooking utensil or food. In other words, heating by means of thermal radiation does not occur through contact between the cooking utensil or food and the heated ambient air, as with convection, but rather through the direct action of electromagnetic waves or radiation in the infrared spectral range on the cooking utensil or food.

[0040] According to the invention, the heating of the cooking utensil or the food being cooked can be accelerated by applying heat from below, preferably by induction, to heat the cooking utensil or its base, as well as from above by means of heat radiation onto the cooking utensil or directly onto the food in the case of a cooking utensil that is open at the top. Furthermore, the degree of heating can be increased. This can accelerate the cooking process, enable cooking with greater heat exposure, and / or achieve a more even cooking result.

[0041] For this purpose, at least one radiant heater with a heating band can be used as the radiation device. In this case, the heating element consists of a freely radiating, corrugated heating band, which is arranged vertically upright and can thus emit heat radiation toward the interior of the cooking appliance and thus toward the cooking utensil or food via the vertically downward-facing edge. The heating band is thus narrow horizontally and can therefore be surrounded by comparatively thick thermal insulation, which can minimize heat loss. This can keep the heating band's warm-up time comparatively short.

[0042] According to a further aspect of the invention, the radiation device has at least one second separating element, preferably as a second glass ceramic, which is designed to separate the radiation device from an interior space and to at least substantially allow the radiation of the radiation device to pass through. This can provide mechanical protection, in particular for the components of the radiation device that can generate heat radiation. The second separating element can thus close off the radiation device to the outside and be connected at the edges to the inner housing of the cooking appliance, so that at least mechanical protection can be achieved to the extent that a user cannot reach the components of the radiation device behind the second separating element with their hand, with cutlery, with the cooking utensils or the like and thereby damage or destroy them.Preferably, a seal can be provided between the edge of the second separating element and the inner housing of the cooking appliance, so that steam, liquids, grease, and the like can also be kept out of the interior of the radiation device. This allows, in particular, the components of the radiation device that can generate heat radiation to be protected from moisture, grease, and the like.

[0043] Using a second glass ceramic as a second separating element can be advantageous in that the glass ceramic can be highly heat-resistant. The glass ceramic can also be smooth and therefore easy to clean. Furthermore, the glass ceramic can be sufficiently transparent for thermal radiation, allowing the thermal radiation to penetrate the glass ceramic as well as possible and be used primarily or essentially for heating the cookware, as described above.

[0044] According to a further aspect of the invention, the cooking appliance has a pull-out which is designed to be moved longitudinally in an extension direction relative to the inner housing of the cooking appliance towards a user and longitudinally in an opposite insertion direction relative to the inner housing of the cooking appliance away from a user, wherein the cooking chamber and the first separating element are movable with the pull-out, preferably on a pull-out base of the pull-out. In other words, the cooking appliance can be designed in the form of a drawer, which can simplify accessibility to the cooking chamber for the user, since this can be partially or completely pulled out of the inner housing towards the user and can be reached or removed in the vertical direction from above.

[0045] According to a further aspect of the invention, the pull-out, preferably a pull-out base of the pull-out, has the first heating device. If the first heating device is arranged so as to be movable with the pull-out, the first heating device can be used and thus the cooking utensils can be heated regardless of the position of the pull-out. Accordingly, the cooking process does not have to be interrupted if a user pulls the pull-out out of the inner housing of the cooking appliance towards themselves in the pull-out direction, for example to inspect the food in the cooking chamber. This can also enable the cooking process to continue uninterrupted in this situation. For this purpose, the first heating device can remain connected to fixedly arranged electronic components of the cooking appliance, in particular via sufficiently long and flexible electrical connections.

[0046] According to a further aspect of the invention, the inner housing has the first heating device. If, on the other hand, the first heating device is arranged in a stationary manner and thus independently of the pull-out on the inner housing of the cooking appliance, a correspondingly simplified electrical connection can be provided, which can save costs and installation space. In this case, however, pulling out the pull-out by the user leads to an interruption of the heating by the first heating device. In other words, the first heating device can be arranged in a stationary manner on the inner housing of the cooking appliance and cannot be moved with the pull-out. As a result, heating of the cooking utensil cannot occur if the pull-out is pulled out sufficiently far from the inner housing of the cooking appliance.However, this can shorten and simplify the fixed electrical connection between the first heating device and the corresponding electronic components of the cooking appliance, which can reduce the manufacturing and assembly effort and thus keep costs low.

[0047] According to a further aspect of the invention, the pull-out, preferably a cover of the pull-out, forms a closed interior of the cooking appliance with the inner housing of the cooking appliance when the pull-out is fully inserted in the insertion direction. This allows the cooking chamber to be visually concealed from the user when the cooking appliance is in use for cooking. This can also keep odors and / or vapors within the closed interior of the cooking appliance, which can prevent any corresponding nuisance from the user. When the cooking appliance is not in use, this can reduce the space required and also avoid any visual disturbance for the user.

[0048] According to a further aspect of the invention, the cooking chamber is formed by a cooking utensil that is designed to be removable from the cooking appliance. This can increase the flexibility of use for the user and, in particular, allows the user to serve the cooked food directly from the cooking utensil.

[0049] According to a further aspect of the invention, the first dividing element is designed to accommodate the cooking chamber by means of at least one positioning instruction and / or by means of at least one positioning device. In other words, the position at which the cooking chamber or its cooking utensil is to be positioned on the first dividing element for the cooking process can be communicated to the user by means of at least one positioning instruction, for example in the form of a visual marking. This can additionally or alternatively be done by means of a positioning device, for example in the form of a haptic marking of this position, which can be implemented, for example, by suitable elevations and / or depressions in the surface of the first dividing element. In any case, this can make it easier for the user to arrange the cooking chamber or its cooking utensil as optimally as possible for the cooking process. In particular, the best possible arrangement of the cooking chamber orof the cooking utensil opposite the first heating device.

[0050] According to a further aspect of the invention, the first dividing element and / or the cooking chamber is / are designed to face one another in order to increase the durability of the accommodation of the cooking chamber on the first dividing element. In other words, by appropriately designing the first dividing element and / or the cooking chamber relative to the other, maintaining the positioning of the cooking chamber on the first dividing element can be improved. In particular, the horizontal positioning of the cooking chamber on the first dividing element can thereby be maintained as well as possible. This can be implemented, for example, by arranging spacers on the underside of the cooking chamber which have an anti-slip coating facing the first dividing element, so that horizontal movement of the cooking chamber relative to the surface of the first dividing element can be significantly hindered due to the comparatively high friction coefficient of the coating.

[0051] According to a further aspect of the invention, the cooking appliance is designed as a built-in cooking appliance. In this way, the features and advantages of the cooking appliance according to the invention can be implemented and utilized in built-in cooking appliances.

[0052] According to a further aspect of the invention, the built-in cooking appliance has a width-spacing dimension with a width in the transverse direction. This allows for a comparatively compact arrangement of the built-in cooking appliance according to the invention in a kitchen unit.

[0053] A width grid dimension refers to the width (i.e., transverse) arrangement of fitted kitchen appliances in a grid pattern, allowing different fitted kitchen appliances from the same or different manufacturers to be seamlessly combined with one another. In other words, certain width dimensions of fitted kitchen appliances are established as standard dimensions, i.e., common and customary, or standardized, in order to maximize the space in kitchen units when combining different fitted kitchen appliances from the same or different manufacturers. These width dimensions of fitted kitchen appliances can be viewed as a grid.

[0054] For example, in the European Union, a standard width grid dimension of 54 cm is common for built-in kitchen appliances so that the built-in kitchen appliance can be arranged between two 20 mm wide side walls of the kitchen unit, also known as cleats, which itself has a width grid dimension of 60 cm. In Switzerland, the width grid dimension for built-in kitchen appliances is 55 cm. In the USA, a width grid dimension of 18 inches, 24 inches, or 36 inches is common for cabinets without built-in kitchen appliances. For built-in kitchen appliances, the grid dimensions including cleats of the surrounding kitchen units of 24 inches and 30 inches have become established, although 36-inch wide ovens are also known, although these are not usually designed as built-in kitchen appliances.

[0055] According to a further aspect of the invention, the built-in cooking appliance has a vertical height grid dimension with a built-in drawer height that corresponds to a fraction of the width of a width grid dimension. This allows for a particularly compact design of the built-in cooking appliance according to the invention. In particular, this provides a simple way of combining the built-in cooking appliance according to the invention with other standardized built-in cooking appliances in a vertical stack.

[0056] Thus, comparable to the previously described width grid dimension, a height grid dimension means that for the vertical arrangement of fitted kitchen appliances, the fitted kitchen appliances are dimensioned in a grid pattern so that different fitted kitchen appliances from the same manufacturer or from different manufacturers can be seamlessly combined with one another. Standard height dimensions are established as dimensions or grids. Although these are usually manufacturer-dependent, they are in the range of 6 cm to 10 cm and correspond to a fraction, i.e., divided by a natural number, of the width grid dimension.

[0057] Accordingly, it is common practice for fitted kitchen appliances in the European Union for the corresponding installation spaces in the kitchen unit, also known as niches, to have a height grid dimension of 15 cm, 45 cm or 60 cm. Taking into account a floor with a thickness or height of 10 mm or 20 mm, depending on the weight of the fitted kitchen appliance, this results in a height grid dimension of 14 cm, 43 cm or 58 cm for the fitted kitchen appliance itself. In the USA, the niche height for fitted kitchen appliances is usually 24 inches or 30 inches as a grid height dimension, and 6 inches for drawers. Here, too, the height grid dimensions of the fitted kitchen appliances themselves are slightly lower than the height grid dimension of the niche, for example 5 3 / 8 inches for the drawers, so that the fitted kitchen appliances fit into the niches.

[0058] The height and width dimensions of a fitted kitchen appliance are always related to its housing, since a door, a flap, a panel and the like of the fitted kitchen appliance, which faces the user when installed, usually protrudes in width and / or height beyond the studs or the floor of the kitchen unit and thus visually conceals them from the user.

[0059] In other words, the invention provides a cooking appliance with two heating devices such that, according to a first variant, the top heat is not switched on if no cooking utensil of a certain size is placed in the interior. This can be detected using pot detection via induction coils. As a safety measure, the temperature sensor(s) in the center of the coil(s) can be evaluated additionally or alternatively. If a temperature rise is detected here, indicating that no suitable cooking utensil has been placed in the interior, the top heat can be switched off. This has the disadvantage that a cooking utensil must be placed in order to preheat the top heat.

[0060] According to a second variant, a glass ceramic can be coated with a material that reflects the radiation from the top heat element while simultaneously allowing the alternating electromagnetic field of the induction coils to pass through to the cookware. The material should preferably be non-ferromagnetic and ideally suppress eddy currents within the material as much as possible. One example of this could be an aluminum foil on the underside of the glass ceramic, which is interrupted in such a way that eddy currents are largely suppressed. Another example could be a print with the aforementioned properties. This variant has the advantage that the top heat element can be preheated even without a cookware in place.

[0061] The built-in cooking appliance has a height within a standardized installation dimension. In particular, the height is intended to be within a range extending from 12 centimeters to 60 centimeters, preferably within a range of 14 centimeters to 35 centimeters.

[0062] Several embodiments of the invention are shown purely schematically in the drawings and are described in more detail below. Figure 1 shows a side sectional view of a cooking appliance according to the invention according to a first embodiment with a partially extended drawer; Figure 2 shows a side sectional view of a cooking appliance according to the invention according to a second embodiment with a partially extended drawer; Figure 3 shows a side sectional view of a heat radiation reflecting element of the cooking appliance according to the second embodiment; and Figure 4 shows a top view of the heat radiation reflecting element of the Figure 3 .

[0063] The above figures are viewed in Cartesian coordinates. There is a longitudinal direction X, which can also be referred to as depth X or length X. Perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X extends a transverse direction Y, which can also be referred to as width Y. Perpendicular to both the longitudinal direction X and the transverse direction Y extends a vertical direction Z, which can also be referred to as height Z and corresponds to the direction of gravity. The longitudinal direction X and the transverse direction Y together form the horizontal X, Y, which can also be referred to as the horizontal plane X, Y.

[0064] Figure 1 shows a side sectional view of a cooking appliance 1 according to the invention according to a first embodiment with partially extended drawer 2. The cooking appliance 1 according to the invention is considered using the example of a built-in cooking appliance 1.

[0065] The built-in cooking appliance 1 has an outer housing 10, which can also be referred to as the outer housing 10 and essentially closes off or encloses the built-in cooking appliance 1 to the outside. An inner housing 12, which can also be referred to as the inner housing 12, is arranged within the outer housing 10. The inner housing 12 closes off the outer housing 10 towards the front in the longitudinal direction X, i.e. from the perspective of a user, upwards and downwards in the vertical direction Z, so that an intermediate space 13 is formed between the outer housing 10 and the inner housing 12, which intermediate space can also be referred to as the housing space 13. This intermediate space 13 represents the interior of the built-in cooking appliance 1. The inner housing 12 also essentially encloses an interior space 11, in which a cooking process can be carried out.The interior space 11 is accessible in the longitudinal direction X for a user from the front of the built-in cooking appliance 1 through a through opening 14 as an access opening 14.

[0066] Furthermore, a pull-out shelf 20 of the pull-out 2 is arranged in the interior 11 and is movable in the longitudinal direction X relative to the inside of the inner housing 12, for example by means of pull-out mechanisms (not shown), for example in the form of rail elements or the like. A panel 21 extending perpendicularly thereto in the vertical direction Z and in the transverse direction Y is fixedly arranged on the pull-out shelf 20, which extends horizontally X, Y, and completely covers the built-in cooking appliance 1 in the longitudinal direction X towards the front, towards the user. The panel 21 can have operating elements and / or display elements to provide the user with operating options and / or to display information. The panel 21 can additionally or alternatively have a viewing window there, allowing the user to see through the viewing window into the interior 11 of the built-in cooking appliance 1.

[0067] In any case, the cover 21 of the drawer 2 can fully or partially expose the through-opening 14 of the inner housing 12 to the user. For this purpose, the drawer 2 can be moved in the longitudinal direction X in an extension direction A toward the user and, in particular, pulled by the user. In the opposite direction, the insertion direction B, the cover 21 of the drawer 2 can be pushed or pressed away by the user, thereby partially or completely closing the through-opening 14 of the inner housing 12. In this state, the interior space 11 of the inner housing 12 corresponds to a pull-out space of the drawer.

[0068] In the vertical direction Z from above, in a corresponding extended position of the pull-out 2, the user can removably arrange at least one cooking utensil 3 on the pull-out base 20 of the pull-out 2. For this purpose, corresponding markings and / or recesses or other holders (not shown) can be provided there as positioning instructions and / or as positioning devices. The cooking utensil 3 can also be referred to as a cooking vessel 3, a food carrier 3 or a food receptacle 3. The cooking utensil 3 consists of a cooking utensil housing 30, which can also be referred to as a cooking utensil body 30, and a cooking utensil closure 32, which can also be referred to as a cooking utensil lid 32. The cooking utensil 3 has a cooking chamber 31 inside its cooking utensil housing 30, which can be closed by the user by placing the cooking utensil closure 32 and opened or closed by lifting the cooking utensil closure 32.can be made accessible.

[0069] For heating the cooking utensil 3 or the food to be cooked in the vertical direction Z from above, the built-in cooking appliance 1 has a second heating device 15 in the form of a radiation device 15, arranged in the vertical direction Z directly below the inner housing 12 and fixed to the inner housing 12. The radiation device 15 is enclosed by a second separating element 17 in the form of a second glass ceramic 17 such that the second glass ceramic 17 forms a gas-tight or vapor-tight seal with the inner housing 12, whereby all components and in particular all electronic components of the radiation device 15 can be arranged within the second glass ceramic 17 and thus protected from mechanical influences and from moisture.Within the second glass ceramic 17, a radiant heater with a collar 16 is arranged and oriented horizontally X, Y, to emit heat radiation in the infrared spectral range, essentially downwards in the vertical direction Z, into the interior 11 of the built-in cooking appliance 1. This allows heat radiation to act on the cooking utensil 3 or the food being cooked from above in the vertical direction Z, heating the food comparatively directly, quickly, and / or with minimal loss.

[0070] In order to heat the cooking utensil 3 or the food to be cooked from below, the built-in cooking appliance 1 according to the invention has a first heating device 22 in the form of an induction device 22 in the vertical direction Z below the pull-out floor 20 and movable with the pull-out 2. In the area of ​​the induction device 22, the pull-out floor 20 is designed as a first separating element 23 in the form of a first glass ceramic 23, onto which the cooking utensil 3 can be placed from above in the vertical direction Z. The induction device 22 has an induction coil 24 in the horizontal X, Y, which can be operated by an induction generator 25 which is fixedly arranged in the intermediate space 13 and is connected to the induction coil 24 by means of cables with sufficient flexibility so that the induction coil 24 can be moved along with the pull-out 2 in the longitudinal direction X.

[0071] According to the invention, the cooking utensil 3, which can fill the interior 11 of the built-in cooking appliance 1 as completely as possible, at least in the horizontal X, Y directions, or the food in the cooking utensil 3, can be heated both inductively from below and by heat radiation from above. This can accelerate, intensify, and / or make the cooking process more uniform.

[0072] However, in order to prevent the radiation device 15 from being operated if the cooking chamber 31 is not arranged on the first glass ceramic 23, according to the first exemplary embodiment of the invention, sensors are used to monitor whether the radiation device 15, with its comparatively strong heat radiation, is acting directly on the first glass ceramic 23 or whether heating is occurring there from the cooking chamber 31. For this purpose, a temperature sensor 26 is arranged centrally to the induction coil 24 of the induction device 22 and in the vertical direction Z directly below the underside of the first glass ceramic 23. This temperature sensor 26 is in heat-conducting contact with the first glass ceramic 23 and can thus sensorically detect its temperature. Alternatively, the presence or absence of the cooking chamber 31 could also be determined based on the presence or absence of an inductive coupling between the induction coil 24 of the induction device 22 and the cooking chamber 31.Other sensors such as a light barrier, a distance sensor or even a camera for image capture could also be used for this purpose.

[0073] The sensor-detected temperature of the first glass ceramic 23 can be made available to the control unit. The control unit can then use a limit value to distinguish whether, due to a comparatively high sensor-detected temperature, the heat radiation from the radiation device 15 acts directly on the first glass ceramic 23 and heats it accordingly, or whether the heat radiation from the radiation device 15 acts on the cooking chamber 31, whereby the heating of the first glass ceramic 23 is significantly less. Accordingly, operation of the radiation device 15 can only occur or be enabled if the temperature limit is maintained, thus assuming the presence of the cooking chamber 31 on the first glass ceramic 23.This prevents the comparatively strong heat radiation of the radiation device 15 from acting directly on the induction coil 24 of the induction device 22, which could cause thermal overload and thus damage it or reduce its service life.

[0074] Designing the built-in cooking appliance 1 as a drawer and arranging it in a piece of kitchen furniture can enable the properties and advantages described above to be implemented in a particularly compact and space-saving manner. This can be achieved in particular by means of a built-in cooking appliance 1 according to the invention which has a standardized height in the vertical direction Z of 14 cm and a standardized width in the transverse direction of 54 cm. Similar to a previously known warming drawer or the like, the built-in cooking appliance 1 according to the invention can thus be arranged in the vertical direction Z underneath, for example, an oven in order to be able to use the respective cooking options simultaneously and independently of one another. If the oven is designed with a comparatively small height in the vertical direction Z of 43 cm, the built-in cooking appliance 1 according to the invention and the known oven can be installed together in a standardized height Z of 14 cm and a standardized width in the transverse direction of 54 cm.A standardized furniture niche with a total height in the vertical direction Z of 58 cm and a width in the transverse direction of 54 cm, in particular with a depth in the longitudinal direction X of 60 cm, can be used. This can enable the provision or use of expanded cooking options for users in a comparatively small and standardized installation space, or familiar cooking options can be made available in a comparatively small space.

[0075] Figure 2 shows a side sectional view of a cooking appliance 1 according to the invention according to a second embodiment with partially extended drawer 2. Figure 3 shows a lateral sectional view of a heat radiation reflecting element 27 of the cooking appliance 1 according to the second embodiment. Figure 4 shows a plan view of the heat radiation reflecting element 27 of the Figure 3 .

[0076] In this case, according to the invention, excessive heating of the induction coil 24 of the induction device 22 due to the comparatively strong heat radiation of the radiation device 15 is avoided by providing, as a passive measure, a heat radiation-reflecting element 27 in the form of a heat radiation-reflecting coating 27 on the flat underside of the first glass ceramic 23. As a result, the heat radiation of the radiation device 15 can be reflected back upwards at least substantially in the vertical direction Z and thus at least substantially deflected from the induction coil 24 of the induction device 22. In order to avoid the formation of eddy currents within the heat radiation-reflecting coating 27, the heat radiation-reflecting coating 27 has sections 28 running in the longitudinal direction X as linear interruptions, see Figures 3 and 4 . List of reference symbols (part of the description)

[0077] AExtension direction BInsertion direction bWidth of the width grid dimension hHeight of the height grid dimension XLongitudinal direction; depth; length YCross direction; width Zvertical direction; height X, YHorizontal; horizontal plane 1(Built-in) cooking appliance 10Outer casing; outer casing 11Interior 12Inner casing; inner casing 13Intermediate space; casing space 14Through opening; access opening 15Second heating device; radiant device 16Radiator heater with heating band 17Second separating element; second glass ceramic 2Extension 20Extension base 21Panel 22First heating device; induction device 23First separating element; first glass ceramic 24Induction coil 25Induction generator 26Temperature sensor 27Heat radiation reflecting element; heat radiation reflecting coating 28Sections of the heat radiation reflecting element 27 3Cookware; cooking vessel; food carrier; food holder 30Cookware housing; cooking vessel body 31Cooking chamber 32Cookware closure; cooking vessel lid

Claims

1. Cooking appliance (1) comprising an inner housing (12) having at least one first separating element (23) for receiving at least one cooking chamber (31) designed as a cooking utensil (3) which can be removed from the cooking appliance (1), and comprising at least one first heating device (22) which is arranged in the vertical direction (Z) below the first separating element (23) and is designed to heat at least the cooking chamber (31) from below, and comprising at least one second heating device (15) which is arranged above the first separating element (23) in the vertical direction (Z) and is designed to heat at least the cooking chamber (31) from above, the cooking appliance (1) being designed to detect the presence or absence of the cooking chamber (31) on the first separating element (23), characterised in that the second heating device (15) is a radiation device for emitting thermal radiation, and in that the cooking appliance (1) is designed to operate the second heating device (15) only when the cooking chamber (31) is present.

2. Cooking appliance (1) according to claim 1, wherein the first heating device (22) is an induction device (22), preferably having at least one induction coil (24), in particular wherein the cooking appliance (1) is designed to detect the presence or absence of the cooking chamber (31) on the first separating element (23) on the basis of a sufficient or insufficient inductive coupling between the induction device (22) and the cooking chamber (31).

3. Cooking appliance (1) according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the first separating element (23) has at least one temperature sensor (26) which faces the second heating device (15), wherein the cooking appliance (1) is designed to detect the presence or absence of the cooking chamber (31) on the first separating element (23) on the basis of a detected temperature of the temperature sensor (26).

4. Cooking appliance (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the cooking appliance (1) is designed to detect the presence or absence of the cooking chamber (31) on the first separating element (23) on the basis of received or non-received information from the cooking chamber (31).

5. Cooking appliance (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least one sensor which is directed towards the first separating element (23) and / or towards the region above the first separating element (23) in the vertical direction (Z), wherein the cooking appliance (1) is designed to detect the presence or absence of the cooking chamber (31) on the basis of detected information from the sensor.

6. Cooking appliance (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a thermal radiation-reflecting element (27) is arranged between the first heating device (22) and the second heating device (15), in particular between the first heating device (22) and the cooking chamber (31).

7. Cooking appliance (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the thermal radiation-reflecting element (27) is arranged on the side of the first separating element (23) that faces away from the cooking chamber (31) and / or the thermal radiation-reflecting element (27) is designed as a coating of the first separating element (23).

8. Cooking appliance (1) according to either of the two preceding claims, wherein the thermal radiation-reflecting element (27) reflects the thermal radiation from the second heating device (15), and is in particular configured and designed to reflect an amount of thermal radiation from the second heating device (15) that is greater than an amount of thermal radiation from the first heating device (22) that it allows to pass through.

9. Cooking appliance (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the thermal radiation-reflecting element (27) has a plurality of mutually insulated portions (28) which extend in parallel with one another and / or wherein the thermal radiation-reflecting element (27) has, preferably consists of, a plurality of planar, sufficiently small elements which are sufficiently small to suppress eddy currents.

10. Cooking appliance (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the first separating element (23) is designed as a first glass ceramic (23), wherein, in particular the first heating device (22) is separated by the first separating element (23) from an interior space (11), in particular from a receiving region for a cooking chamber (31).

11. Cooking appliance (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the first heating device (22) is a radiation device.

12. Cooking appliance (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a second separating element (17) is provided which separates the second heating device (15) from the interior space (11), wherein the second separating element (17) preferably has a glass ceramic (17).

13. Cooking appliance (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the cooking appliance has a pull-out element (2) which is designed to be moved in the longitudinal direction (X) in a pull-out direction (A) relative to the inner housing (12) of the cooking appliance (1) towards a user, and in the longitudinal direction (X) in an opposite insertion direction (B) relative to the inner housing (12) of the cooking appliance (1) away from a user, wherein the cooking chamber (31) and the first separating element (23) are movable together with the pull-out element (2), preferably on a pull-out element base (20) of the pull-out element (2).

14. Cooking appliance (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the pull-out-element (2), preferably a pull-out element base (20) of the pull-out element (2), has the first heating device (22) or the inner housing (12) has the first heating device (22).

15. Cooking appliance (1) according to either of the two preceding claims, wherein the pull-out element (2), preferably a panel of the pull-out element (2), forms a closed interior space (11) of the cooking appliance (1) with the inner housing (12) of the cooking appliance (1) when the pull-out element (2) is completely inserted in the insertion direction (B).

16. Cooking appliance (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the first heating device (22) and / or the second heating device (15) is designed with at least one radiant heater having a heating band (16)17. Cooking appliance (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the cooking appliance (1) is designed as a built-in cooking appliance (1), the built-in cooking appliance (1) in particular having, in the transverse direction, a width grid dimension which has a width (b), and / or the built-in cooking appliance (1) having, in the vertical direction, a height grid dimension (Z) which has a height (h) of a built-in drawer and corresponds to a fraction of a width (b) of a width grid dimension.

Images