Cooking Chamber Climate Control for Overlapping Food Programs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooking methods fail to optimize energy efficiency and cooking results when handling multiple food items with varying parameters in a cooking appliance, as they do not adequately account for tolerances in cooking chamber climate settings.
Innovation Solution
The method involves selecting a lead food item and subsequent items based on their remaining cooking time and climate parameter tolerances, adjusting the cooking chamber climate to maintain average target values within specified bands, and blocking or allowing loading based on parameter overlap to ensure optimal cooking conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple food items with different cooking parameters are cooked simultaneously in a cooking chamber, then appliance utilization and productivity are improved, but maintaining precise climate control for each item becomes difficult and cooking results deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The method segments food items into different priority groups (first priority, second priority, third priority) based on their cooking parameters and tolerance bands. This segmentation allows the control system to manage multiple items systematically by processing them in priority order, thereby maintaining cooking precision while maximizing appliance utilization through simultaneous cooking of multiple items.
Solution Approach 2:
The method dynamically adjusts cooking chamber climate parameters (temperature, humidity, air circulation) based on the current active food item and its required parameter bands. By changing parameters according to which food item is currently being cooked and its tolerance requirements, the system maintains precise cooking control for each item even when multiple items are present in the chamber.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the cooking chamber climate is adjusted to accommodate multiple different food items, then versatility and adaptability are improved, but energy efficiency deteriorates due to frequent parameter adjustments
Solution Approach 1:
The method performs preliminary sorting of food items into priority groups before cooking begins. By pre-organizing items according to their cooking parameters and tolerance bands, the system minimizes the need for frequent climate adjustments during cooking, thereby reducing energy consumption while maintaining the ability to handle diverse food items.
Solution Approach 2:
The method ensures continuous cooking operation by systematically managing multiple food items with overlapping cooking times. The priority-based system allows the cooking chamber to maintain continuous useful action with minimal interruptions or parameter adjustments, improving energy efficiency while accommodating versatile cooking requirements.
3Manufacturing precision
If food items are loaded into the cooking chamber at different times for optimal cooking, then cooking quality is improved, but the complexity of managing loading schedules increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system automatically manages the loading and cooking schedule by sorting food items into priority groups based on their cooking parameters. This self-service approach eliminates the need for manual scheduling complexity, as the system autonomously determines the optimal loading sequence and climate adjustments to maintain high cooking quality.
4Productivity
If tolerance bands for cooking parameters are relaxed to accommodate more food items, then appliance utilization is improved, but cooking result precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The method applies different tolerance band requirements to different priority groups of food items. First priority items have stricter parameter requirements, while second and third priority items have progressively relaxed tolerance bands. This local quality approach allows the system to maintain high precision for critical items while accommodating more items overall, thereby improving appliance utilization without sacrificing cooking quality for essential items.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method for running at least two different cooking programs in a cooking chamber of a cooking appliance by at least adjusting a cooking chamber climate, wherein the cooking programs can be carried out at least temporarily overlapping, each cooking program is assigned to a food to be cooked and at least one parameter that determines the cooking chamber climate is assigned to each food to be cooked is selected from the items to be cooked and at least one subsequent item to be cooked by selecting the item to be cooked as the lead item to be cooked, which is first introduced into the cooking space at the beginning of the cooking programs and, as soon as several items to be cooked in the cooking space, that with the shortest remaining cooking time of all the items to be cooked in the cooking space, and at least one parameter that determines the cooking space climate is determined by the corresponding parameter of the main food to be cooked, by ensuring that said parameter of the main food to be cooked averages over the total cooking time of the main food to be cooked has an average target value and/or each target value of said parameter lies within a tolerance band around an average target value of said parameter; and a cooking device for it.