Cooking appliance, comprising a cooking chamber and a fan for circulating cooking chamber air, and method for operating same

Abstract

The invention relates to a cooking appliance (2) comprising a housing (4), a cooking chamber (8) delimited by cooking chamber walls (6) of the housing (4), a cooking chamber door for closing a cooking chamber opening (10) of the cooking chamber (8), at least one heater for heating the cooking chamber (8), a fan (12) for circulating cooking chamber air located in the cooking chamber (8), wherein a fan wheel (14) of the fan (12) is arranged in the cooking chamber (8) and a motor (16) of the fan (12) is arranged outside the cooking chamber (8) on the housing (4), and wherein the fan wheel (14) is connected to the motor (16) in a torque-transmitting manner by means of a drive shaft (20) guided through a drive shaft opening (18) in one of the cooking chamber walls (6), and a control system for controlling the heater and the fan (12), characterized in thatthat the fan wheel (14) is automatically displaceable axially relative to the drive shaft (20) between a first end position and a second end position of the fan wheel (14), depending on an operating state of the cooking appliance (2) and / or a cooking program selected on the cooking appliance (2) and / or a cooking process in the cooking chamber (8), by means of a displacement device (24) of the cooking appliance (2) connected to the control unit in a signal-transmitting manner, and can be positioned in the respective end position. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for operating a cooking appliance (2).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a cooking appliance comprising a cooking chamber and a fan for circulating cooking chamber air, of the type mentioned in the preamble of patent claim 1, and a method for its operation.

[0002] Such cooking appliances and methods for their operation are previously known from the prior art in a large number of embodiments and comprise a housing, a cooking chamber arranged in the housing and delimited by cooking chamber walls of the housing, a cooking chamber door for closing a cooking chamber opening of the cooking chamber when the cooking chamber door is in a closed position, at least one heater for heating the cooking chamber, a fan for circulating cooking chamber air located in the cooking chamber, wherein a fan wheel of the fan is arranged in the cooking chamber and a motor of the fan is arranged outside the cooking chamber on the housing, and wherein the fan wheel is connected to the motor in a torque-transmitting manner by means of a drive shaft guided through a drive shaft opening in one of the cooking chamber walls, and a controller for controlling the heater and the fan.

[0003] The invention therefore addresses the problem of improving a cooking appliance comprising a cooking chamber and a fan for circulating cooking chamber air, and a method for operating the same.

[0004] According to the invention, this problem is solved by a cooking appliance having the features of patent claim 1, which is characterized in that the fan wheel can be automatically displaced axially relative to the drive shaft between a first end position and a second end position of the fan wheel, depending on an operating state of the cooking appliance and / or a cooking program selected on the cooking appliance and / or a cooking process in the cooking chamber, by means of a displacement device of the cooking appliance that is connected to the control system in a signal-transmitting manner, and can be positioned in the respective end position. The cooking appliance according to the invention can be, for example, an oven, a microwave oven, a steamer, or a combination appliance with a plurality of different heating types. The cooking appliance according to the invention can also be designed as a household appliance or as a commercial appliance, i.e. a cooking appliance for professional use.Furthermore, this problem is solved by a method having the features of patent claim 11. Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention emerge from the following subclaims.

[0005] The advantage achievable with the invention lies in the fact that a cooking appliance comprising a cooking chamber and a fan for circulating cooking chamber air, and a method for operating the same, are improved. Due to the inventive design of the cooking appliance and the method, namely due to the different positioning of the fan wheel of the fan in the cooking chamber axially to the drive shaft, flushing of the cooking chamber is adjustable and thus a cooking process taking place in the cooking chamber of the cooking appliance according to the invention can be influenced in the desired manner. Accordingly, the heat distribution in the cooking chamber and thus the cooking result of a cooking process taking place in the cooking chamber of the cooking appliance according to the invention can be influenced much more effectively and in the desired manner.Thus, the cooking process can be controlled or regulated as desired not only by means of a speed of the fan for circulating the cooking chamber air, but also by the position of the fan wheel in the cooking chamber axially to the drive shaft, for example behind a rear wall set into the cooking chamber.

[0006] In principle, the cooking appliance according to the invention can be freely selected within wide, suitable limits in terms of type, functionality, material, and dimensions. See also the above explanations in the introduction to the description.

[0007] A particularly advantageous development of the cooking appliance according to the invention provides that the displacement device is designed such that the fan wheel can be automatically positioned at least in an intermediate position of the fan wheel between the first end position and the second end position by means of the displacement device, depending on an operating state of the cooking appliance and / or a cooking program selected on the cooking appliance and / or a cooking process in the cooking chamber. In this way, the adjustability of the position of the fan wheel axially relative to the drive shaft is further improved, so that the circulation of the cooking chamber air can be made even more variable.

[0008] Accordingly, an advantageous development of the method according to the invention provides that the displacement device automatically positions the fan wheel depending on an operating state of the cooking appliance and / or a cooking program selected on the cooking appliance and / or a cooking process in the cooking chamber at least in an intermediate position of the fan wheel between the first end position and the second end position.

[0009] A further advantageous development of the cooking appliance according to the invention provides that the cooking appliance has at least one sensor, which is connected to the control system in a signal-transmitting manner, for automatically detecting at least one cooking parameter of the cooking process. Preferably, the at least one sensor is designed as a cooking chamber camera for observing a cooking item located in the cooking chamber and / or a humidity sensor for determining a cooking chamber humidity prevailing in the cooking chamber and / or a temperature sensor for determining a cooking chamber temperature in the cooking chamber and / or a cooking product temperature of a cooking item located in the cooking chamber. This enables the fan wheel to be positioned axially relative to the drive shaft in a particularly effective manner as a function of a cooking process taking place in the cooking chamber of the cooking appliance according to the invention.By means of the at least one sensor for automatically detecting at least one cooking parameter of the cooking process, the position of the fan wheel of the blower axially relative to the drive shaft can be adjusted to suit the requirements of the respective individual case. This applies in particular to the preferred embodiment of this development. The cooking chamber camera can be designed for visible light and / or infrared radiation.

[0010] Accordingly, an advantageous development of the method according to the invention provides that the cooking appliance has at least one sensor which is connected to the control system in a signal-transmitting manner and by means of which at least one cooking parameter of the cooking process is automatically recorded, preferably that by means of the at least one sensor a cooking product located in the cooking chamber is observed by means of a camera and / or a cooking chamber humidity prevailing in the cooking chamber is determined and / or a cooking chamber temperature in the cooking chamber and / or a cooking product temperature of a cooking product located in the cooking chamber is determined.

[0011] Another advantageous development of the cooking appliance according to the invention provides that the displacement device comprises the motor, wherein the motor is designed as a shaded-pole motor such that the drive shaft, which is connected to a rotor of the shaded-pole motor in a torque-transmitting manner, automatically transfers and positions the fan wheel into its first end position or its second end position, preferably into its first end position, into its at least one intermediate position, or into its second end position, depending on the control of a plurality of coils of a stator of the shaded-pole motor by means of the rotor mounted in the stator. In this way, the displacement device can be implemented in a particularly simple and space-saving manner in terms of design, manufacturing technology, and circuitry.

[0012] An advantageous development of the aforementioned development of the cooking appliance according to the invention provides that the plurality of coils is designed as a first coil and as a second coil separated from the first coil by means of an electrical insulator, wherein the first coil and the second coil as well as the control are designed such that the first coil and the second coil can be electrically connected to one another by means of the control in an electrical series circuit and / or an electrical parallel circuit. As a result, the positioning of the fan wheel axially relative to the drive shaft is implemented in a particularly simple manner in terms of circuitry. This applies in particular to the design of the displacement device, by means of which the fan wheel can be automatically positioned at least in an intermediate position of the fan wheel between the first end position and the second end position, in addition to its first end position and its second end position.

[0013] A further particularly advantageous development of the cooking appliance according to the invention provides that a cone is formed and arranged on the drive shaft and a conical boundary surface of the drive shaft opening corresponding to the cone is formed and arranged on the cooking chamber wall delimiting the drive shaft opening in such a way that the cone and the boundary surface form an annular gap for supplying fresh air from a free environment into the cooking chamber, wherein a clear cross section of the annular gap has a predetermined minimum passage area in the first end position of the fan wheel and a predetermined maximum passage area in the second end position of the fan wheel.In this way, the supply air quantity, i.e. the amount of fresh air sucked in from the outside environment through the annular gap by the fan, can be adjusted and thus the heat distribution in the cooking chamber can be controlled or regulated essentially independently of the speed of the fan depending on an operating state of the cooking appliance and / or a cooking program selected on the cooking appliance and / or a cooking process in the cooking chamber. The positioning of the fan wheel in the aforementioned area between the first end position and the second end position of the fan wheel axially to the drive shaft can be carried out continuously or in steps. Accordingly, this results in a further possibility of influencing a cooking process and thus the cooking result of a cooking process taking place in the cooking chamber of the cooking appliance according to the invention.In combination with different speeds of the fan for circulating the cooking chamber air and / or with a controlled or regulated vapor removal from the cooking chamber, additional possibilities arise for varying the flushing of the cooking chamber of the cooking appliance according to the invention during an ongoing cooking process.

[0014] An advantageous development of the aforementioned embodiment of the cooking appliance according to the invention, referring back to claim 2, provides that the clear cross-section of the annular gap in the at least one intermediate position of the fan wheel has a passage area whose size lies between the minimum and the maximum passage area. The area of ​​the clear cross-section of the annular gap in the at least one intermediate position of the fan wheel is thus larger than the passage area of ​​the clear cross-section of the annular gap corresponding to the first end position of the fan wheel and smaller than the passage area of ​​the clear cross-section of the annular gap corresponding to the second end position of the fan wheel. This enables a finely graduated supply of fresh air from the outside environment by means of the annular gap.As already explained above, the displacement of the fan wheel axially to the drive shaft by means of the displacement device can be carried out continuously, i.e. steadily, or in steps.

[0015] An advantageous development of the last two embodiments of the cooking appliance according to the invention provides that the displacement device comprises a motor mount for the motor, which is movably mounted on the housing, and a motor mount drive connected to the motor mount in a force-transmitting manner. The motor mount can be moved axially relative to the drive shaft depending on the control of the motor mount drive by means of the controller. In this way, the displacement device can be implemented in a simple manner in terms of design and manufacturing technology.

[0016] An advantageous development of the cooking appliance according to the invention according to claim 8 provides that the motor mount has a holding plate movably held on the housing by means of a longitudinal guide device of the cooking appliance for the motor mount. Preferably, the longitudinal guide device has a plurality of guide pins and corresponding guide openings. Particularly preferably, the guide pins are arranged on the housing and the guide openings are arranged or formed on the holding plate. As a result, the motor mount of the displacement device can be realized in a structurally and manufacturing-technically robust manner. This applies particularly to the preferred and in particular to the particularly preferred embodiment of this development.

[0017] An advantageous development of the cooking appliance according to the invention according to claim 8 or 9 provides that the motor mount drive, which can be controlled by the controller, has a spur gear, and the holding plate has a rack configured to correspond to and engage with the spur gear. In this way, the power transmission connection between the motor mount drive on one side and the motor mount on the other side is implemented in a very robust and functionally reliable manner.

[0018] Two embodiments of the invention are shown purely schematically in the drawings and are described in more detail below. Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of the cooking appliance according to the invention for carrying out the method according to the invention in a partial, sectional side view, Figure 2 shows the fan of the first embodiment in an enlarged, perspective individual view, Figure 3 shows the fan from Fig. 2 in a first sectional side view, with the fan wheel in its first end position, Figure 3b the fan from Fig. 2 in a second sectioned side view, with the fan wheel in its second end position, Figure 3c the fan from Fig. 2 in a third sectional side view, with the fan wheel in its intermediate position, Figure 4 shows a second exemplary embodiment of the cooking appliance according to the invention for carrying out the method according to the invention in a partial, sectional side view, Figure 5 shows the second exemplary embodiment in a rear, perspective detailed view in the area of ​​the motor of the fan, Figure 6a shows the second exemplary embodiment in a first partial, sectional side view in the area of ​​the fan, with the fan wheel in its first end position, Figure 6b shows the second exemplary embodiment in a second partial, sectional side view in the area of ​​the fan, with the fan wheel in its intermediate position and Figure 6c shows the second exemplary embodiment in a third partial, sectional side view in the area of ​​the fan, with the fan wheel in its second end position.

[0019] In the Fig. 1 bis 3c A first embodiment of the cooking appliance according to the invention is shown purely by way of example.

[0020] The cooking appliance 2 is designed as a household oven and comprises a housing 4, a cooking chamber 8 arranged in the housing 4 and delimited by cooking chamber walls 6 of the housing 4, a cooking chamber door (not shown) for closing a cooking chamber opening 10 of the cooking chamber 8 when the cooking chamber door is in the closed position, at least one heater (likewise not shown) for heating the cooking chamber 8, a fan 12 for circulating cooking chamber air located in the cooking chamber 8, wherein a fan wheel 14 of the fan 12 is arranged in the cooking chamber 8 and a motor 16 of the fan 12 is arranged outside the cooking chamber 8 on the housing 4, and wherein the fan wheel 14 is connected to the motor 16 in a torque-transmitting manner by means of a drive shaft 20 guided through a drive shaft opening 18 in one of the cooking chamber walls 6, and a control (not shown) for controlling the heater and the fan 12.In the present embodiment, the fan wheel 14 of the blower 12 is arranged behind a rear wall 22 set into the cooking chamber 8 and provided with passage openings for the circulated cooking chamber air. The cooking chamber air circulated in the cooking chamber 8 is directed into the . Fig. 1 bis 3c also not shown. As is usual in the prior art, it is also the case here that during a cooking process taking place in the cooking chamber, vapors, and thus a portion of the cooking chamber air, can be discharged from the cooking chamber 8 into the open environment in a manner known per se to those skilled in the art.

[0021] According to the invention, the fan wheel 14 is, depending on an operating state of the cooking appliance 2 and / or a cooking program selected on the cooking appliance 2 and / or a cooking process in the cooking chamber 8, displaceable by means of a displacement device 24 of the cooking appliance 2, which is connected to the control unit in a signal-transmitting manner, between a Fig. 3a shown first end position and one in the Fig. 1 and 3bThe fan wheel 14 can be automatically displaced axially relative to the drive shaft 20 and positioned in the respective end position in the second end position shown in FIG. The displacement device 24 is further designed such that the fan wheel 14 can be moved by means of the displacement device 24 in a direction shown in FIG. 1 in dependence on the operating state of the cooking appliance 2 and / or a cooking program selected on the cooking appliance 2 and / or a cooking process in the cooking chamber 8. Fig. 3c shown intermediate position of the fan wheel 14 between the first end position and the second end position. For the purpose of displacing the fan wheel 14 by means of the displacement device 24 depending on a cooking process taking place in the cooking chamber 8, the cooking appliance 2 can have at least one sensor connected to the control unit in a signal-transmitting manner for automatically detecting at least one cooking parameter of the cooking process. The at least one sensor is in the Fig. 1 bis 3c not shown. Preferably, the at least one sensor is designed as a cooking chamber camera for observing a cooking item located in the cooking chamber 8 and / or a humidity sensor for determining a cooking chamber humidity prevailing in the cooking chamber 8 and / or a temperature sensor for determining a cooking chamber temperature in the cooking chamber 8 and / or a cooking item temperature of a cooking item located in the cooking chamber 8. The cooking item is also not shown.

[0022] In the present first exemplary embodiment, the displacement device 24 comprises the motor 16, wherein the motor 16 is designed as a shaded-pole motor such that the drive shaft 20, which is connected to a rotor 26 of the shaded-pole motor 16 in a torque-transmitting manner, automatically transfers and positions the fan wheel 14 into its first end position, into its at least one intermediate position or into its second end position, as a function of the control of a plurality of coils 28, 30 of a stator 32 of the shaded-pole motor 16 by means of the rotor 26 mounted in the stator 32.In the present exemplary embodiment, the plurality of coils 28, 30 are configured as a first coil 28 and a second coil 30 separated from the first coil 28 by an electrical insulator 34. The first coil 28 and the second coil 30, as well as the controller, are configured such that the first coil 28 and the second coil 30 can be electrically connected to one another in an electrical series circuit and / or an electrical parallel circuit by means of the controller. See . Fig. 3a bis 3c in a synopsis. The coils 28, 30 can, for example, be designed as so-called coil packages. Furthermore, it is conceivable that the coils 28, 30 are designed differently from one another, so that different speeds of rotation can be achieved with the coils 28, 30 in the motor 16. Accordingly, the rotor 26 of the motor 16 would, with the fan wheel 14 in the first end position, according to the Fig. 3a at a first speed and with the fan wheel 14 in the second end position according to the Fig. 3b at a second speed different from the first speed. By means of the aforementioned series connection and parallel connection of the two coils 28, 30, two further speeds of the rotor 26 of the motor 16 and thus of the drive shaft 20 connected to the rotor 26 in a torque-transmitting manner can be realized, wherein the fan wheel 14 rotates in the Fig. 3c shown intermediate layer.

[0023] In the following, the functioning of the cooking appliance according to the invention and the method according to the invention according to the first embodiment will be explained with reference to the Fig. 1 bis 3c explained in more detail.

[0024] The food to be cooked (not shown) has been placed in the cooking chamber 8 of the cooking appliance 2, and the cooking chamber door (also not shown) has been closed. A user (not shown) selects a cooking program for preparing the food on the cooking appliance 2 in a manner known per se to those skilled in the art and starts this cooking program and thus the cooking process. During the cooking process taking place in the cooking chamber 8, the fan wheel 14 is automatically displaced axially relative to the drive shaft 20 between the first end position, the intermediate position, and the second end position of the fan wheel 14 by means of the displacement device 24, depending on the cooking program selected on the cooking appliance 2 and the cooking process taking place in the cooking chamber 8, namely depending on at least one cooking parameter determined by means of the at least one sensor (not shown), and is positioned in the first end position, the intermediate position, or the second end position.For this purpose, the motor 16, namely the stator 32 of the motor 16, is controlled accordingly by means of the control system of the cooking appliance 2 during the cooking process taking place in the cooking chamber 8. For example, the rotor 26 is rotated axially relative to the drive shaft 20 into the position shown in the . Fig. 3a shown and corresponding to the first end position of the fan wheel 14 when the coil 28 is energized. If, in contrast, the motor 16 is controlled by the control system in such a way that the coil 30 is energized, the rotor 26 is moved axially to the drive shaft 20 into the position shown in the Fig. 3b shown and corresponding to the second end position of the fan wheel 14. If both coils 28, 30 are energized, i.e. controlled, the resulting Fig. 3c visible position of the rotor 26 corresponding to the intermediate position of the fan wheel 14. Depending on whether this is a series connection or a parallel connection of the two coils 28, 30, different speeds of rotation result for the drive shaft 20 and thus for the fan wheel 14.

[0025] In the Fig. 4 bis 6c A second embodiment of the cooking appliance according to the invention for carrying out the method according to the invention is shown purely by way of example. The second embodiment is explained below only to the extent of its differences from the first embodiment. Otherwise, reference is made to the above explanations regarding the first embodiment. Identical or equivalent components are provided with the same reference numerals.

[0026] In contrast to the first embodiment, the Fig. 4 bis 6c not explicitly shown rotor and thus the drive shaft 20 are not movable axially relative to the drive shaft 20 compared to the rest of the motor 16. Instead, in the present second exemplary embodiment, the entire motor 16 is moved axially relative to the drive shaft 20, which will be explained in more detail below. For this purpose, the displacement device 24 in the second exemplary embodiment has a motor mount 36 for the motor 16 that is movably held on the housing 4 and a motor mount drive 38 that is connected to the motor mount 36 in a force-transmitting manner, wherein the motor mount 36 is movable axially relative to the drive shaft 20 by means of the controller depending on the control of the motor mount drive 38. Analogous to the first exemplary embodiment, the controller is also not shown here.

[0027] The motor mount 36 here has a holding plate 42 which is movably held on the housing 4 by means of a longitudinal guide device 40 of the cooking appliance 2 for the motor mount 36, wherein the longitudinal guide device 40 has four guide pins 44 and corresponding guide openings 46, namely such that the guide pins 44 are arranged on the housing 4 and the guide openings 46 are formed on the holding plate 42. In the Fig. 5 Only three of the guide pins 44 and the guide openings 46 are visible. The motor mount drive 38, which can be controlled by the control system, has a spur gear 48, and the holding plate 42 has a rack 50 corresponding to the spur gear 48 and in engagement with it. See the Fig. 5 .

[0028] Furthermore, the second embodiment is designed such that the supply of fresh air from the outside environment can be adjusted essentially independently of the speed of the fan 12.

[0029] For this purpose, a cone 52 is formed on the drive shaft 20 and a conical boundary surface 54 of the drive shaft opening 18 corresponding to the cone 52 is formed and arranged on the cooking chamber wall 6 delimiting the drive shaft opening 18 in such a way that the cone 52 and the boundary surface 54 form an annular gap 56 for supplying fresh air from a free environment into the cooking chamber 8, wherein a clear cross section of the annular gap 56 in the Fig. 6a shown first end position of the fan wheel 14 a predetermined minimum passage area and in the Fig. 6c illustrated second end position of the fan wheel 24 have a predetermined maximum passage area. In the present embodiment, it is further provided that the annular gap 56 in the intermediate position of the fan wheel 14 has a clear cross-section with a passage area whose size lies between the minimum and the maximum passage area of ​​the annular gap 56. See the Fig. 6a bis 6c in a summary.

[0030] In the following, the functioning of the second embodiment of the cooking appliance according to the invention and the method according to the invention according to the second embodiment are explained with reference to Fig. 4 bis 6c The differences from the first embodiment are explained in more detail. Otherwise, reference is again made to the first embodiment.

[0031] The food to be cooked (not shown) has been placed in the cooking chamber 8 of the cooking appliance 2, and the cooking chamber door (also not shown) has been closed. The user (not shown) selects a cooking program for preparing the food on the cooking appliance 2 in a manner known per se to those skilled in the art and starts this cooking program and thus the cooking process. During the cooking process taking place in the cooking chamber 8, the fan wheel 14 is automatically displaced axially relative to the drive shaft 20 between the first end position, the intermediate position, and the second end position of the fan wheel 14 by means of the displacement device 24, depending on the cooking program selected on the cooking appliance 2 and the cooking process taking place in the cooking chamber 8, namely depending on at least one cooking parameter determined by means of the at least one sensor (not shown), and is positioned in the first end position, the intermediate position, or the second end position.For this purpose, the motor mounting drive 38 is controlled in the desired manner by means of the control, so that the motor mounting drive 38 moves the holding plate 42 and thus the motor 16 fastened on the holding plate 42 by means of the spur gear 48 and the rack 50 axially to the drive shaft 20 in the respective image plane of the . Fig. 4 and 6a bis 6cfrom left to right or from right to left. On the one hand, analogous to the first exemplary embodiment, the fan wheel 14 of the blower 12 is transferred and positioned back and forth between the first end position, the intermediate position and the second end position in the desired manner, for example depending on the cooking process. On the other hand, the inflow of fresh air from the outside environment is additionally adjusted by means of the annular gap 56. While in the first end position of the fan wheel 14 the clear cross section of the annular gap 56 has the minimum passage area, the clear cross section of the annular gap 56 increases continuously during the aforementioned transfer of the fan wheel 14 from its first end position towards its second end position until the clear cross section of the annular gap 56 has the maximum passage area in the second end position of the fan wheel 14.Analogous to the first embodiment, the fan wheel 14 can be positioned in its intermediate position, i.e., between its first and second end positions. In contrast, it would of course also be conceivable for the fan wheel to be positioned in a plurality of intermediate positions. Both a stepwise and a continuous displacement of the fan wheel 14 is possible.

[0032] Due to the inventive design of the cooking appliance and the method according to the present exemplary embodiments, namely through the different positioning of the fan wheel 14 of the blower 12 in the cooking chamber 8 axially to the drive shaft 20, the flushing of the cooking chamber 8 can be adjusted and thus a cooking process taking place in the cooking chamber 8 of the cooking appliance 2 can be influenced in the desired manner. Accordingly, the heat distribution in the cooking chamber 8 and thus the cooking result of a cooking process taking place in the cooking chamber 8 of the cooking appliance 2 can be influenced much more effectively in the desired manner. Thus, the cooking process can be controlled or regulated in the desired manner not only by means of a speed of the fan 12 for circulating the cooking chamber air, but also by the position of the fan wheel 14 in the cooking chamber 8 axially to the drive shaft 20, for example behind the rear wall 22 inserted into the cooking chamber 8.In the second exemplary embodiment, the supply air quantity, i.e. the amount of fresh air drawn in from the outside environment through the annular gap 56 by the fan 12, is also adjustable, and thus the heat distribution in the cooking chamber 8 can additionally be controlled or regulated essentially independently of the speed of the fan 12, depending on an operating state of the cooking appliance 2 and / or a cooking program selected on the cooking appliance 2 and / or a cooking process in the cooking chamber 8. The positioning of the fan wheel 14 in the aforementioned range between the first end position and the second end position of the fan wheel 14 axially to the drive shaft 20 can be carried out continuously, i.e. continuously, or in steps. Accordingly, this provides a further possibility of influencing a cooking process and thus the cooking result of a cooking process taking place in the cooking chamber 8 of the cooking appliance 2.In combination with different speeds of the fan 12 for circulating the cooking chamber air and / or with a controlled or regulated vapor removal from the cooking chamber 8, the first and second embodiments provide additional possibilities for varying the flushing of the cooking chamber 8 of the cooking appliance 2 during an ongoing cooking process.

[0033] However, the invention is not limited to the present embodiments.

[0034] For example, the cooking appliance according to the invention can be freely selected within wide, suitable limits. See the relevant explanations in the introduction to the description.

[0035] In particular, the invention is not limited to the structural, manufacturing and circuit details of the present embodiments.

[0036] For example, it is conceivable that the two embodiments are combined with each other, within the technical limits.

Claims

1. Cooking appliance (2), comprising a housing (4), a cooking chamber (8) arranged in the housing (4) and delimited by cooking chamber walls (6) of the housing (4), a cooking chamber door for closing a cooking chamber opening (10) of the cooking chamber (8) when the cooking chamber door is in a closed position, at least one heater for heating the cooking chamber (8), a fan (12) for circulating cooking chamber air located in the cooking chamber (8), wherein a fan wheel (14) of the fan (12) is arranged in the cooking chamber (8) and a motor (16) of the fan (12) is arranged outside the cooking chamber (8) on the housing (4), and wherein the fan wheel (14) is connected to the motor (16) in a torque-transmitting manner by means of a drive shaft (20) guided through a drive shaft opening (18) in one of the cooking chamber walls (6), and a controller for controlling the heater and the fan (12), characterized in thatthe fan wheel (14) can be automatically displaced axially relative to the drive shaft (20) between a first end position and a second end position of the fan wheel (14) as a function of an operating state of the cooking appliance (2) and / or a cooking program selected on the cooking appliance (2) and / or a cooking process in the cooking chamber (8) by means of a displacement device (24) of the cooking appliance (2) which is connected to the control unit in a signal-transmitting manner and can be positioned in the respective end position.

2. Cooking appliance (2) according to claim 1, characterized in that the displacement device (24) is designed such that the fan wheel (14) can be automatically positioned by means of the displacement device (24) at least in an intermediate position of the fan wheel (14) between the first end position and the second end position, depending on an operating state of the cooking appliance (2) and / or a cooking program selected on the cooking appliance (2) and / or a cooking process in the cooking chamber (8).

3. Cooking appliance (2) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the cooking appliance (2) has at least one sensor connected to the control unit in a signal-transmitting manner for automatically detecting at least one cooking parameter of the cooking process, preferably in that the at least one sensor is designed as a cooking chamber camera for observing a cooking item located in the cooking chamber (8) and / or a humidity sensor for determining a cooking chamber humidity prevailing in the cooking chamber (8) and / or a temperature sensor for determining a cooking chamber temperature in the cooking chamber (8) and / or a cooking item temperature of a cooking item located in the cooking chamber (8).

4. Cooking appliance (2) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in thatthe displacement device (24) comprises the motor (16), wherein the motor (16) is designed as a shaded-pole motor such that the drive shaft (20) which is connected to a rotor (26) of the shaded-pole motor (16) in a torque-transmitting manner, as a function of the control of a plurality of coils (28, 30) of a stator (32) of the shaded-pole motor (16) by means of the rotor (26) mounted in the stator (32), automatically transfers and positions the fan wheel (14) into its first end position or into its second end position, preferably into its first end position, into its at least one intermediate position or into its second end position.

5. Cooking appliance (2) according to claim 4, characterized in thatthe plurality of coils (28, 30) are designed as a first coil (28) and as a second coil (30) separated from the first coil (28) by means of an electrical insulator (34), wherein the first coil (28) and the second coil (30) as well as the control are designed such that the first coil (28) and the second coil (30) can be electrically conductively connected to one another in an electrical series circuit and / or an electrical parallel circuit by means of the control.

6. Cooking appliance (2) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in thata cone (52) on the drive shaft (20) and a conical boundary surface (54) of the drive shaft opening (18) corresponding to the cone (52) are formed and arranged on the cooking chamber wall (6) delimiting the drive shaft opening (18) in such a way that the cone (52) and the boundary surface (54) form an annular gap (56) for supplying fresh air from a free environment into the cooking chamber (8), wherein a clear cross-section of the annular gap (56) has a predetermined minimum passage area in the first end position of the fan wheel (14) and a predetermined maximum passage area in the second end position of the fan wheel (14).

7. Cooking appliance (2) according to claim 6, dependent on claim 2, characterized in that the clear cross-section of the annular gap (56) in the at least one intermediate layer of the fan wheel (14) has a passage area whose size lies between the minimum and the maximum passage area.

8. Cooking appliance (2) according to one of claims 6 or 7, characterized in that the displacement device (24) has a motor mount (36) for the motor (16) which is movably held on the housing (4) and a motor mount drive (38) which is connected to the motor mount (36) in a force-transmitting manner, wherein the motor mount (36) can be moved axially relative to the drive shaft (20) by means of the controller as a function of the control of the motor mount drive (38).

9. Cooking appliance (2) according to claim 8, characterized in thatthe motor mount (36) has a holding plate (42) which is movably held on the housing (4) by means of a longitudinal guide device (40) of the cooking appliance (2) for the motor mount (36), preferably that the longitudinal guide device (40) has a plurality of guide pins (44) and corresponding guide openings (46), particularly preferably that the guide pins (44) are arranged on the housing (4) and the guide openings (46) are arranged or formed on the holding plate (42).

10. Cooking appliance (2) according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the motor mounting drive (38) which can be controlled by means of the control system has a spur gear (48) and the holding plate (42) has a rack (50) which is designed to correspond to the spur gear (48) and which is in engagement with the latter.

11. Method for operating a cooking appliance (2) according to one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the fan wheel (14) is automatically displaced axially relative to the drive shaft (20) by means of a displacement device (24) between a first end position and a second end position of the fan wheel (14) and is positioned in the respective end position depending on an operating state of the cooking appliance (2) and / or a cooking program selected on the cooking appliance (2) and / or a cooking process in the cooking chamber (8).

12. Method according to claim 11, characterized in that the displacement device (24) automatically positions the fan wheel (14) at least in an intermediate position of the fan wheel (14) between the first end position and the second end position depending on an operating state of the cooking appliance (2) and / or a cooking program selected on the cooking appliance (2) and / or a cooking process in the cooking chamber (8).

13. Method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in thatthe cooking appliance (2) has at least one sensor which is connected to the control system in a signal-transmitting manner and by means of which at least one cooking parameter of the cooking process is automatically recorded, preferably that by means of the at least one sensor a cooking item located in the cooking chamber (8) is observed by means of a camera and / or a cooking chamber humidity prevailing in the cooking chamber (8) is determined and / or a cooking chamber temperature in the cooking chamber (8) and / or a cooking product temperature of a cooking item located in the cooking chamber (8) is determined.

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