Domestic cooking appliance and method for operating same

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing household cooking appliances, particularly ovens with steam cooking functions, face challenges in user-friendly and efficient cleaning methods, often requiring complex water connections and manual addition of cleaning agents, which are not versatile or easy to implement.

Innovation Solution

A household cooking appliance with a dosing device for successive addition of treatment additives to form treatment agents, including a first tank for user-filled water and a second tank for used agents, allowing for independent operation without external water connections, and a fluid distribution system for efficient treatment and easy removal of cleaning agents.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If multiple separate water connections and valves are used for different cleaning agents, then different treatment agents can be supplied, but the device complexity and connection complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveability to supply different treatment agentsVSAvoidcomplexity of water connections and valves
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple water connections and valves into a single water connection with an integrated dosing device. The dosing device contains multiple chambers for different cleaning agents (alkaline, acidic, neutralizing) and uses a single valve mechanism to selectively dispense each agent, thereby reducing connection complexity while maintaining versatility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The dosing device is designed as a multi-functional component that can supply different types of treatment agents (alkaline cleaning agent, acidic cleaning agent, neutralizing agent) through a single water connection interface. This universal design allows the appliance to perform multiple cleaning functions without requiring separate dedicated connections for each agent type.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Ease of operation

If cleaning agents are manually added to the cooking chamber, then the appliance can be cleaned, but the ease of operation decreases and the process becomes more difficult to implement

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of cleaning the applianceVSAvoiddifficulty of implementation
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The appliance is designed to automatically add cleaning agents to the cooking chamber during the cleaning cycle. The control unit activates the dosing device to dispense the appropriate cleaning agent at the appropriate time, eliminating the need for manual intervention and making the cleaning process as easy to operate as any other appliance function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The dosing device is pre-filled with different cleaning agents in separate chambers before use. The system is prepared in advance with all necessary cleaning agents loaded, so that during operation, the appliance can automatically dispense the required agent without requiring the user to manually add or prepare anything.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Quantity of substance

If external water connections are required for cleaning, then water can be supplied for treatment agents, but the adaptability to different cooker types decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewater supply for treatment agentsVSAvoidcompatibility with different cooker types
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The dosing device is designed to work with a single water connection that is already present in many cooker types, including those without dedicated steam cooking functions. This universal interface allows the cleaning function to be added to various cooker types without requiring external water connections or modifications to the basic water supply system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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

Enables easy, user-friendly, and efficient cleaning of cooking chambers without complex water connections, allowing for the sequential use of treatment agents that are safer and easier to dispose of, with the ability to treat various types of cooking appliances, including those without steam functions.

Implementation Method 1

at least one dosing device for the successive addition of several treatment additives to water to form a respective treatment agent

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectDissolution: Solvation

Implementation Method 2

at least one heating element arranged to be able to evaporate water taken from the first tank

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectEvaporation: Evaporation

Data Source

PatentEP3076086B1Domestic cooking appliance and method for operating same
Publication Date: 2021.08.04 BSH HAUSGERATE GMBH
  • EP3076086B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3076086B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3076086B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The household cooking appliance (21) has a cooking chamber (2), at least one dosing device (K) for the successive addition of a plurality of treatment additives (B1, B2) to water to form a respective treatment agent, the cooking chamber (2) being able to be treated successively by the plurality of treatment agents, and a receiving means for receiving the treatment agents together after the respective treatment of the cooking space, wherein the household cooking appliance (1) has a first tank (6) that can be filled with water on the user side, the dosing device (K) is set up to dispense the treatment additives (B1, B2) to be added to the device and the receiving means (12) is designed as a tank that can be emptied by the user. The method (S1-S14) is used to operate a household cooking appliance (1; 21; 31), with water coming from a first tank (6) which can be filled by the user being brought into a cooking chamber (2) (S4) and a first treatment additive ( B1) is added to the cooking chamber (2) in order to form a first treatment agent with the water (S5). The invention is particularly advantageously applicable to ovens, in particular with a steam cooking function.