Modular electric cooking appliance

Abstract

The invention relates to an electric cooking appliance (1) comprising a housing (2) that comprises a cooking vessel (3) defining a cooking chamber (4); a lid (8) configured to assume an open position and a closed position; a heating device (9) configured to heat food contained in the cooking chamber (4); a control unit (10) configured to control the operation of the electric cooking appliance (1); and a first electrical connection device (11) arranged in an upper portion of the housing (2) and configured to be electrically connected to a second electrical connection device (13) provided on a removable cooking or preparation accessory (14) that is intended to be arranged on the housing (2) when the lid (8) is in the open position. The first electrical connection device (11) is configured to supply power to the removable cooking or preparation accessory (14).

Description

[0001] DESCRIPTION

[0002] TITLE: Modular electric cooking appliance

[0003] Technical field

[0004] The present invention generally relates to an electric cooking appliance configured to cook food and which can be combined with accessories in order to carry out various culinary preparations.

[0005] State of the art

[0006] An electric cooking appliance, for preparing food and cooking food, comprises, in a known manner:

[0007] - a housing comprising a cooking tank which delimits a cooking chamber and which comprises an access opening through which food can be introduced into the cooking chamber;

[0008] - a cover mechanically connected to the housing and configured to be movable at least between an open position in which the cover releases the access opening, and a closed position in which the cover closes the access opening;

[0009] - a heating device configured to cook food contained in the cooking chamber; and

[0010] - a control unit configured to control the operation of the electric cooking appliance.

[0011] Such an electric cooking appliance makes it possible to cook food contained in the cooking chamber using a pressure cooking method when the lid is in the closed position.

[0012] Although such an electric cooking appliance allows food to be cooked using different types of cooking methods and in particular using a pressure cooking method, it does not allow original culinary preparations to be made and allows a limited number of recipes to be made. Summary of the invention

[0013] The present invention aims to remedy all or part of these drawbacks.

[0014] The technical problem underlying the invention consists in particular in providing an electric cooking appliance which is of simple and reliable structure, while allowing the production of an increased number of recipes compared to the electric cooking appliances of the prior art.

[0015] To this end, the present invention relates to an electric cooking appliance configured for cooking food, comprising: a housing comprising a cooking tank which delimits a cooking chamber and which comprises an access opening through which food can be introduced into the cooking chamber; a lid configured to occupy an open position in which the lid releases the access opening, and a closed position in which the lid closes the access opening; a heating device configured to cook food contained in the cooking chamber; and a control unit, such as a controller, a microcontroller, a processor or a microprocessor for example, which is configured to control the operation of the electric cooking appliance.

[0016] The electric cooking appliance further comprises a first electrical connection device provided on the housing and configured to be electrically connected to a second electrical connection device provided on a removable cooking or preparation accessory intended to be arranged on the housing when the cover occupies the open position, the first electrical connection device being configured to electrically power the removable cooking or preparation accessory when the removable cooking or preparation accessory is arranged on the housing and the first electrical connection device and the second electrical connection device are electrically connected to each other.Such a configuration of the invention makes it possible to modulate the functionalities and thus the culinary preparation possibilities of the electric cooking appliance by adding a removable cooking or preparation accessory whose operation is complementary to that of the electric cooking appliance.

[0017] Furthermore, the electrical power supply, and consequently the operation of the removable cooking or preparation accessory, is provided by the electrical power coming from the electric cooking appliance and circulating through the first and second electrical connection devices; this advantageously makes it possible to supply the electrical power to the electric cooking appliance and the cooking or preparation accessory simultaneously by means of a single power cable (namely that of the electric cooking appliance).

[0018] The electric cooking appliance may further have one or more of the following characteristics, taken alone or in combination.

[0019] According to one embodiment of the invention, the first electrical connection device is fixed to the housing and arranged in an upper portion of the housing. Such an arrangement of the first electrical connection device makes it possible to facilitate the electrical connection between the first electrical connection device and the second electrical connection device, while avoiding the use of a flexible or rigid electrical cable in order to electrically connect the first electrical connection device and the second electrical connection device.

[0020] According to one embodiment of the invention, the cover is mechanically connected to the housing and configured to be movable at least between the open position and the closed position.

[0021] According to one embodiment of the invention, the first electrical connection device and the second electrical connection device are configured to be mechanically connected to each other. Such a configuration of the first and second electrical connection devices makes it possible to maintain in position and ensure the stability of the removable cooking or preparation accessory when the first electrical connection device and the second electrical connection device are electrically connected to each other.

[0022] According to one embodiment of the invention, the first electrical connection device is configured to protrude from the housing.

[0023] According to one embodiment of the invention, the cover is configured to prevent access to the first electrical connection device in the closed position.

[0024] According to one embodiment of the invention, the heating device is arranged in the housing and is configured to heat the cooking tank, for example by conduction.

[0025] According to one embodiment of the invention, the first electrical connection device is configured to be oriented upwards when the housing rests on a horizontal surface, such that the electrical connection between the first electrical connection device and the second electrical connection device can be made by a substantially vertical movement of the removable cooking or preparation accessory. Such a configuration of the electric cooking appliance makes it possible to easily assemble the removable cooking or preparation accessory with the electric cooking appliance.

[0026] According to one embodiment of the invention, the first electrical connection device is configured to be oriented substantially vertically when the housing rests on a horizontal surface.

[0027] According to one embodiment of the invention, the second electrical connection device is configured to be oriented downwards when the removable cooking or preparation accessory is in a use configuration.

[0028] According to one embodiment of the invention, the first electrical connection device is located outside the cooking tank and close to an upper peripheral edge of the cooking tank. The immediate proximity of the first electrical connection device to the upper peripheral edge of the cooking tank ensures accessibility between the first electrical connection device and the second electrical connection device. Furthermore, the first electrical connection device is located outside the cooking tank to avoid any contact with food and / or liquids.

[0029] According to one embodiment of the invention, the first electrical connection device is provided on a support portion which has a substantially annular shape and extends around the cooking tank.

[0030] According to one embodiment of the invention, the housing comprises a main body housing the cooking tank, the cooking tank being removable from the main body. The cooking tank and the main body are thus separable in order to be able to carry out cleaning of the cooking tank in a simple way and without risk to the electronic components present in the main body.

[0031] According to one embodiment of the invention, the first electrical connection device is configured to cooperate by complementary shape with the second electrical connection device. Such a configuration of the first electrical connection device and the second electrical connection device makes it possible to act as a foolproof device when assembling the electric cooking appliance with the removable cooking or preparation accessory; thus, the user is naturally guided by the complementary shape of the first electrical connection device and the second electrical connection device, which facilitates assembly.

[0032] According to one embodiment of the invention, one of the first and second electrical connection devices is a male electrical connector, and the other of the first and second electrical connection devices is a female electrical connector.

[0033] According to one embodiment of the invention, the first electrical connection device is a male electrical connector, and the second electrical connection device is a female electrical connector which is accessible from a lower face of the removable cooking or preparation accessory.

[0034] According to one embodiment of the invention, the first electrical connection device is a female electrical connector, and the second electrical connection device is a male electrical connector which is accessible from a lower face of the removable cooking or preparation accessory.

[0035] According to one embodiment of the invention, the first electrical connection device comprises a neutral electrical contact and a phase electrical contact configured to provide an alternating current electrical supply to the removable cooking or preparation accessory when the first electrical connection device and the second electrical connection device are electrically connected.

[0036] According to one embodiment of the invention, the second electrical connection device comprises a neutral electrical contact and a phase electrical contact configured to be connected respectively to the neutral electrical contact and to the phase electrical contact belonging to the first electrical connection device.

[0037] According to one embodiment of the invention, the first electrical connection device may further comprise an electrical ground contact configured to connect the removable cooking or preparation accessory to an earth socket.

[0038] According to one embodiment of the invention, the second electrical connection device may further comprise an electrical ground contact configured to be connected to the electrical ground contact belonging to the first electrical connection device.

[0039] According to one embodiment of the invention, the first electrical connection device and the second electrical connection device further comprise one or more additional electrical contacts configured to electronically connect the electric cooking appliance and the removable cooking or preparation accessory.

[0040] According to one embodiment of the invention, the additional electrical contacts can be used to transfer temperature information, for example by means of an NTC sensor or a PTC sensor provided on the removable cooking or preparation accessory. According to one embodiment of the invention, the additional electrical contacts can be of the BUS type and be configured to exchange digital information between the electric cooking appliance and the removable cooking or preparation accessory.

[0041] According to one embodiment of the invention, the cooking appliance, the electric cooking appliance, comprises a wireless communication device configured to communicate with a complementary communication device provided on the removable cooking or preparation accessory. The wireless communication device and the complementary wireless communication device are configured to carry out the electronic interactions for monitoring and controlling the removable cooking or preparation accessory; which makes it possible, among other things, to limit the number of physical electrical contacts required in the first electrical connection device and the second electrical connection device.

[0042] According to one embodiment of the invention, the wireless communication devices may be of the WIFI, Bluetooth or NFC type for example.

[0043] According to one embodiment of the invention, the control unit is further configured to control the operation of the removable cooking or preparation accessory. Such a configuration of the control unit makes it possible to directly control the power supply to the technical elements provided in the cooking or preparation accessory from the electric cooking appliance, by means of a human-machine interface provided solely on the electric cooking appliance, for example.

[0044] The invention further relates to an electric cooking assembly comprising an electric cooking appliance and a removable cooking or preparation accessory, the removable cooking or preparation accessory being configured to occupy a use position in which the removable cooking or preparation accessory rests on the housing or the cooking tank and in which the first electrical connection device and the second electrical connection device are electrically connected, and a retracted position in which the removable cooking or preparation accessory is electrically dissociated from the electric cooking appliance. The cooking assembly thus formed makes it possible to carry out a plurality of culinary preparations by easily and quickly associating the electric cooking appliance with the removable cooking or preparation accessory corresponding to the culinary preparation to be carried out.The removable cooking or preparation accessory can be a hot air cooking module, a grill-type cooking module, a meat grinder module, a kneading module, or a steam cooking module, for example.

[0045] According to one embodiment of the invention, the electric cooking assembly further comprises an additional control unit provided in the removable cooking or preparation accessory and configured to control the removable cooking or preparation accessory. Controlling the removable cooking or preparation accessory from the additional control unit advantageously makes it possible to guarantee that the removable cooking or preparation accessory is the one required for the culinary preparation being carried out by means of a digital identification of the removable cooking or preparation accessory by the electric cooking appliance. This configuration also has the advantage of limiting the quantity of hardware and software necessary for the operation of the removable cooking or preparation accessory present in the electric cooking appliance during its manufacture.

[0046] Brief description of the figures

[0047] The invention will be better understood with the aid of the description which follows with reference to the appended schematic drawings representing, by way of non-limiting examples, several embodiments of this electric cooking appliance.

[0048] Figure 1 is a top perspective view of an electric cooking appliance according to one embodiment of the invention;

[0049] Figure 2 is a side perspective view of a removable cooking or preparation accessory configured to cooperate with the electric cooking appliance of Figure 1;

[0050] Figure 3 is a top perspective view of an electric cooking assembly comprising the electric cooking appliance of Figure 1 and a first type of removable cooking or preparation accessory;

[0051] Figure 4 is a top perspective view of an electric cooking assembly comprising the electric cooking appliance of Figure 1 and a second type of removable cooking or preparation accessory;

[0052] Figure 5 is a top perspective view of an electric cooking assembly comprising the electric cooking appliance of Figure 1 and a third type of removable cooking or preparation accessory;

[0053] Figure 6 is a schematic representation of a first electrical connection device and a second electrical connection device according to the invention.

[0054] Detailed description

[0055] Figures 1 to 6 show an electric cooking appliance 1 configured to cook food using a pressure cooking mode.

[0056] As shown more particularly in Figure 1, the electric cooking appliance 1 comprises a housing 2 comprising a cooking tank 3 which delimits a cooking chamber 4. The cooking tank 3 comprises a bottom wall, a side wall which extends from the bottom wall, and an access opening 5 through which food can be introduced into the cooking chamber 4. The access opening 5 is advantageously delimited by an upper peripheral edge 6 of the side wall. According to the embodiment of the electric cooking appliance 1 shown in Figures 1 to 5, the cooking tank 3 has a substantially circular cross-section. However, the cooking tank 3 could have a cross-section of a completely different shape, for example square or rectangular.

[0057] More particularly, the housing 2 comprises a main body 7 housing the cooking tank 3, and the latter is removable. The cooking tank 3 and the main body 7 are thus separable in order to carry out cleaning of the cooking tank 3 which is simple and without risk for the electronic components present in the main body 7.

[0058] The electric cooking appliance 1 further comprises a cover 8 mechanically connected to the housing 2 and configured to occupy at least one closed position in which the cover 8 closes the access opening 5, and an open position in which the cover 8 releases the access opening 5. The cover 8 can for example be pivotally mounted on the main body 7 around a pivot axis AP which is substantially horizontal when the housing 2 rests on a horizontal surface.

[0059] The electric cooking appliance 1 also comprises a heating device 9 configured to cook food contained in the cooking chamber 4. The heating device 9 is arranged in the housing 2 and is configured to heat the cooking tank 3, for example by conduction. The heating device 9 allows in particular cooking of food present in the cooking tank 3 according to a pressure cooking mode when the cover 8 occupies the closed position and the heating device 9 is operational.

[0060] The electric cooking appliance 1 further comprises a control unit 10, such as a controller, a microcontroller, a processor or a microprocessor for example, configured to control the operation of the electric cooking appliance 1, and in particular the operation of the heating device 9.

[0061] As can be seen more specifically in Figure 1, the electric cooking appliance 1 further comprises a first electrical connection device 11 fixed to the housing 2, and more particularly to the main body 7, and arranged in an upper part of the housing 2 (see Figure 1). Advantageously, the first electrical connection device 11 is located outside the cooking tank 3 and close to the upper peripheral edge 6 of the cooking tank 3. Such an arrangement of the first electrical connection device 11 makes it possible to avoid any contact with the food and / or liquids contained in the cooking tank 3. The first electrical connection device 11 may, for example, protrude from the upper edge of the housing 2.

[0062] According to the embodiment shown in the figures, the first electrical connection device 11 is provided on a support portion 12 which has a substantially annular shape and extends around the cooking tank 3.

[0063] The first electrical connection device 11 is configured to be electrically connected to a second electrical connection device 13 provided on a lower portion of a removable cooking or preparation accessory 14 which is intended to be arranged on the housing 2 when the cover 8 occupies the open position. The first electrical connection device 11 thus makes it possible to electrically power the removable cooking or preparation accessory 14 when it is arranged on the housing 2 and the first electrical connection device 11 and the second electrical connection device 13 are connected.

[0064] Advantageously, the first electrical connection device 11 is configured to be oriented upwards when the housing 2 rests on a horizontal surface, and the second electrical connection device 13 is configured to be oriented downwards when the removable cooking or preparation accessory 14 is in a use configuration, i.e. when it rests on the housing 2. Such an orientation of the first and second electrical connection devices 11, 13 allows an electrical connection between the latter by a simple vertical movement of the removable cooking or preparation accessory 14, which thus makes it easy to make the electrical connection between the removable cooking or preparation accessory 14 and the electric cooking appliance 1.

[0065] According to the embodiment shown in the figures, the first electrical connection device 11 and the second electrical connection device 13 are configured to cooperate by complementary shape, and the first electrical connection device 11 is a female electrical connector while the second electrical connection device 13 is a male electrical connector which is accessible from a lower face of the removable cooking or preparation accessory 14. Such a configuration of the first electrical connection device 11 and the second electrical connection device 13 makes it possible to act as a foolproof device when assembling the electric cooking appliance 1 with the removable cooking or preparation accessory 14; thus, the user is naturally guided by the complementary shape of the first electrical connection device 11 and the second electrical connection device 13, which facilitates assembly.

[0066] Of course, and according to an embodiment of the invention not shown in the figures, the first electrical connection device 11 could be a male electrical connector while the second electrical connection device 13 could be a female electrical connector.

[0067] According to yet another embodiment of the invention, the first electrical connection device 11 and the second electrical connection device 13 could be electrical connectors that are neither male nor female, and the electrical continuity between the first electrical connection device 11 and the second electrical connection device 13 would then be ensured by simple contact.

[0068] The first electrical connection device 11 and the second electrical connection device 13 each more particularly comprise a neutral electrical contact 15 and a phase electrical contact 16 (see FIG. 6) configured to provide an alternating current electrical supply to the removable cooking or preparation accessory 14 when the first electrical connection device 11 and the second electrical connection device 13 are electrically connected. The first electrical connection device 11 and the second electrical connection device 13 each further comprise an electrical ground contact 17 configured to connect the removable cooking or preparation accessory 14 to an earth connection.

[0069] The invention described above advantageously makes it possible to modulate the functionalities, and thus the culinary preparation possibilities, of the electric cooking appliance 1 by the addition of a removable cooking or preparation accessory 14 whose operation is complementary to the electric cooking appliance 1.

[0070] The electrical power supply is provided by the electrical connection between the first and second electrical connection devices 11, 13 and the electrical power coming from the electric cooking appliance 1; this advantageously makes it possible to supply the electrical power to the electric cooking appliance 1 and the removable cooking or preparation accessory 14 simultaneously by means of a single power cable.

[0071] The cooperation between the electric cooking appliance 1 and the removable cooking or preparation accessory 14 makes it possible to form an electric cooking assembly 18 whose functions are described below.

[0072] Figures 2 to 5 represent, without being limiting, variants of removable cooking accessories 14 configured to be electrically connected to the electric cooking appliance 1. Each of the removable cooking accessories 14 is configured to occupy a use position in which the removable cooking or preparation accessory 14 rests on the housing 2 and in which the first electrical connection device 11 and the second electrical connection device 13 are electrically connected, and a withdrawal position in which the removable cooking or preparation accessory 14 is electrically dissociated from the electric cooking appliance 1.The electric cooking assembly 18, formed by the electrical coupling between the electric cooking appliance 1 and a removable cooking or preparation accessory 14, makes it possible to carry out a plurality of culinary preparations by easily and quickly associating the electric cooking appliance 1 with the removable cooking or preparation accessory 14 corresponding to the culinary preparation to be carried out.

[0073] The removable cooking or preparation accessory 14 may be, for example, a hot air cooking module 19 (figure 2), a grill-type cooking module (which in particular allows a dish to be quickly browned, for example after steam or pressure cooking), a kneading module 21 (figure 3) provided with a motor unit and a plurality of rotating tools (such as a stirring blade, a mixing tool or a kneading tool) capable of being removably attached to the motor unit, a steam cooking module 22 (figure 4), a vegetable grating or chopping module (figure 5), or a meat grinder module 20. Advantageously, the meat grinder module 20 is configured such that, when it is in the use position, the chopped food is capable of falling directly by gravity into the cooking tank 3.

[0074] According to the embodiment shown in the figures, the control unit 10, provided in the electric cooking appliance 1, is also configured to control the operation of the removable cooking or preparation accessory 14. Such a configuration of the control unit 10 makes it possible to directly control the power supply of technical elements provided in the removable cooking or preparation accessory 14 from the electric cooking appliance 1, by means of a human-machine interface 23 provided solely on the electric cooking appliance 1 for example.

[0075] In order to control the operation of the removable cooking or preparation accessory 14 and to ensure optimal cooperation between the removable cooking or preparation accessory 14 and the electric cooking appliance 1, the first electrical connection device 11 and the second electrical connection device 13 each further comprise a plurality of additional electrical contacts 24 configured to electronically connect the electric cooking appliance 1 and the removable cooking or preparation accessory 14.

[0076] The additional electrical contacts 24 may, for example, be configured to transfer temperature information to the electric cooking appliance 1, for example by means of an NTC sensor or a CTP sensor provided on the removable cooking or preparation accessory 14. The additional electrical contacts 24 may also be of the BUS type and be configured to exchange digital information between the electric cooking appliance 1 and the removable cooking or preparation accessory 14 (for example in order to guarantee that the correct cooking or preparation accessory has been connected to the electric cooking appliance 1 via a digital identification of the cooking or preparation accessory with the electric cooking appliance 1; or for example in order to prevent the electric cooking appliance 1 from carrying, as soon as it is marketed, all the hardware and software necessary for controlling future cooking accessories).

[0077] According to one embodiment, the electric cooking appliance 1 could comprise a wireless communication device 25 configured to communicate with a complementary wireless communication device 26 provided on the removable cooking or preparation accessory 14. The wireless communication device 25 and the complementary wireless communication device 26 are advantageously configured to carry out the electronic interactions for monitoring and controlling the removable cooking or preparation accessory 14. The presence of the wireless communication device 25 as well as the complementary wireless communication device 26 makes it possible to limit the number, or even eliminate, the additional electrical contacts 24 present in the first electrical connection device 11 and the second electrical connection device 13 in order to control the operation of the removable cooking or preparation accessory 14.Wireless communication devices can be of the WIFI, Bluetooth or NFC type for example.

[0078] According to another embodiment of the invention, the removable cooking or preparation accessory 14 could further comprise an additional control unit 27 configured to control the removable cooking or preparation accessory 14. Controlling the removable cooking or preparation accessory 14 from the additional control unit 10 advantageously makes it possible to guarantee that the removable cooking or preparation accessory 14 is the one required for the culinary preparation being carried out by means of a digital identification of the removable cooking or preparation accessory 14 by the electric cooking appliance 1. This configuration also has the advantage of limiting the quantity of hardware and software necessary for the operation of the removable cooking or preparation accessory 14 present in the electric cooking appliance 1 during its manufacture.

[0079] Of course, the present invention is in no way limited to the embodiments described and illustrated, which have been given only as examples. Modifications remain possible, in particular from the point of view of the constitution of the various elements or by substitution of technical equivalents, without departing from the scope of protection of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Electric cooking appliance (1) configured for cooking food, comprising: - a housing (2) comprising a cooking tank (3) which delimits a cooking chamber (4) and which comprises an access opening (5) through which food can be introduced into the cooking chamber (4); - a cover (8) configured to occupy an open position in which the cover (8) releases the access opening (5), and a closed position in which the cover (8) closes the access opening (5); - a heating device (9) configured to cook food contained in the cooking chamber (4); and - a control unit (10) configured to control the operation of the electric cooking appliance (1), characterized in that the electric cooking appliance (1) comprises a first electrical connection device (11) provided on the housing (2), the first electrical connection device (11) being configured to be electrically connected to a second electrical connection device (13) provided on a removable cooking or preparation accessory (14) intended to be arranged on the housing (2) when the cover (8) occupies the open position, the first electrical connection device (11) being configured to electrically power the removable cooking or preparation accessory (14) when the removable cooking or preparation accessory (14) is arranged on the housing (2) and the first electrical connection device (11) and the second electrical connection device (13) are electrically connected to each other.

2. An electric cooking appliance (1) according to claim 1, wherein the first electrical connection device (11) is fixed to the housing (2) and arranged in an upper part of the housing (2).

3. An electric cooking appliance (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first electrical connection device (11) is configured to face upwards when the housing (2) rests on a horizontal surface, such that the electrical connection between the first electrical connection device (11) and the second electrical connection device (13) can be carried out by a substantially vertical movement of the removable cooking or preparation accessory (14).

4. Electric cooking appliance (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first electrical connection device (11) is located outside the cooking tank (3) and close to an upper peripheral edge (6) of the cooking tank (3).

5. Electric cooking appliance (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first electrical connection device (11) is provided on a support portion (12) which has a substantially annular shape and extends around the cooking tank (3).

6. Electric cooking appliance (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, in which the housing (2) comprises a main body (7) housing the cooking tank (3), the cooking tank (3) being removable relative to the main body (7).

7. Electric cooking appliance (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the first electrical connection device (11) is configured to cooperate by form complementarity with the second electrical connection device (13).

8. Electric cooking appliance (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the first electrical connection device (11) comprises a neutral electrical contact (15) and a phase electrical contact (16) configured to provide an alternating current electrical supply to the removable cooking or preparation accessory (14) when the first electrical connection device (11) and the second electrical connection device (13) are electrically connected.

9. Electric cooking appliance (1) according to claim 8, wherein the first electrical connection device (11) further comprises one or more additional electrical contacts (24) configured to electronically connect the electric cooking appliance (1) and the removable cooking or preparation accessory (14).

10. Electric cooking appliance (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the electric cooking appliance (1) comprises a wireless communication device (25) configured to communicate with a complementary wireless communication device (26) provided on the removable cooking or preparation accessory (14).

11. An electric cooking appliance (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein one of the first and second electrical connection devices (11, 13) is a male electrical connector, and the other of the first and second electrical connection devices (11, 13) is a female electrical connector.

12. An electric cooking appliance (1) according to any preceding claim, wherein the control unit (10) is further configured to control the operation of the removable cooking or preparation accessory (14).

13. An electric cooking assembly (18) comprising an electric cooking appliance (1) according to any one of the preceding claims and a removable cooking or preparation accessory (14), the removable cooking or preparation accessory (14) being configured to occupy a use position in which the removable cooking or preparation accessory (14) rests on the housing (2) or the cooking tank (3) and in which the first electrical connection device (11) and the second electrical connection device (13) are electrically connected, and a retracted position in which the removable cooking or preparation accessory (14) is electrically dissociated from the electric cooking appliance (1).

14. Electric cooking assembly (18) according to the preceding claim, in which the removable cooking or preparation accessory (14) further comprises an additional control unit (27) configured to control the removable cooking or preparation accessory (14).

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