Baking oven with humidity sensor and air management system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ovens lack efficient humidity management during cooking and cooling phases, leading to suboptimal baking quality, energy inefficiency, and reduced service life due to unnecessary ventilation and potential condensation issues.
Innovation Solution
An oven equipped with a humidity sensor and an air management system that controls ventilation and venting based on real-time humidity measurements, allowing for targeted moisture regulation and energy-saving operation by activating fans only as needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the cooling fan is operated for a fixed time period to transport residual moisture out of the oven, then condensation and electronic failures are avoided, but energy is wasted and component service life is reduced due to unnecessary continuous operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies feedback by using a humidity sensor to continuously monitor moisture levels in the cooking chamber during run-on operation. The control unit receives humidity measurements and automatically adjusts the cooling fan operation accordingly - activating the fan only when humidity exceeds a threshold and deactivating it when the threshold is met, thereby eliminating unnecessary energy consumption while maintaining reliable prevention of condensation
Solution Approach 2:
The system achieves self-service by automatically detecting when the cooking chamber has reached appropriate humidity levels and autonomously controlling the fan duration. The control unit independently manages the run-on operation based on sensor feedback without requiring manual intervention, optimizing both energy efficiency and component longevity
2Reliability
If the cooling fan is operated for a fixed time period to transport residual moisture, then moisture removal is ensured, but component service life is reduced due to unnecessary continuous operation
Solution Approach 1:
The humidity sensor provides continuous feedback on moisture levels during run-on operation. The control unit uses this feedback to determine the precise moment when adequate moisture removal has been achieved, switching off the cooling fan at that point rather than running it for a predetermined extended period, thus extending component service life while maintaining effective moisture removal
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of applying excessive action by running the fan for a fixed maximum time period, the system applies partial action by operating the fan only for the specific duration needed to achieve the humidity threshold, eliminating unnecessary wear and extending service life
3Reliability
If ventilation is operated continuously to ensure adequate dehumidification for all humidity conditions, then moisture management is reliable, but energy consumption increases and noise pollution worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The air management system transitions from static continuous operation to dynamic conditional operation. The control unit continuously monitors humidity levels and dynamically adjusts fan operation - activating when humidity exceeds thresholds and deactivating when thresholds are met - thereby maintaining reliable moisture control while significantly reducing unnecessary energy consumption and noise pollution
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters of the air management system based on real-time humidity measurements. Instead of maintaining constant operation, the control unit varies the fan's operational state (on/off) based on humidity parameter thresholds, achieving reliable moisture management with reduced energy use and noise
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enhances baking quality, reduces energy consumption, extends the service life of components, and minimizes noise pollution by ensuring ventilation is only active for the duration required to manage moisture levels, thereby improving overall oven performance and longevity.
Implementation Method 1
a humidity sensor which is arranged in the cooking chamber and which, during a cooking operation and/or during a follow-up operation, is set up to supply information about the actual moisture content in the cooking chamber
Implementation Method 2
an air management system for ventilating and/or venting the cooking chamber
Implementation Method 3
a vapor extraction fan arranged in a vapor extraction channel
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The oven (1) has a cooking chamber (3), a humidity sensor (17) and an air management system (12-14) for ventilating and/or venting the cooking chamber (3), which air management system (12-14) is set up to to control ventilation and/or venting on the basis of a humidity measurement of the humidity sensor (17), the humidity sensor (17) being arranged in the cooking chamber (3) and the air management system (12-14) being set up to control the ventilation and/or venting to control on the basis of the moisture measurement during a cooking operation and / or during a follow-up operation of the oven (1).