Method and device for determination of the time of turning of a cooking product

• US 20060185523A1
• Filed: 02/01/2006
• Published: 08/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rational AG
• Original Assignee: Frima S.A., Rational AG
• Inventors: Wiedemann, Peter, Altenburger, Klaus, Podestat, Helen
• Granted Patent: US 7,202,454 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 99/331
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 36/32 Time-controlled igniting mechanisms or alarm devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 37/108 Accessories, e.g. inserts, plates to hold food down during frying
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 2207/06 for preparation purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 3/005 Circuits arrangements for indicating a predetermined temperature fire detection G08B17/00

Abstract

A method for the determination of a turning time of at least one cooking product, to which heat is supplied from one side during a cooking process includes a) determination of a first temperature T_A in the cooking product at the beginning of the cooking process at an initial time point t_A as well as of a set temperature T_E of the cooking product which must exist at the end of the cooking process at the end time t_E; b) acquiring of a first temperature difference between the set temperature T_set and the first temperature T_A; c) determination of at least one actual temperature T_actual in the cooking product at several times during the cooking process; d) acquiring of the time of turning t_T as the time at which a second temperature difference between the set temperature T_set and the actual temperature T_actual reaches a certain fraction of the first temperature difference; and e) outputting a signal when the time of turning t_T is reached.

Claims

1. Method for the determination of a time of turning of at least one cooking product, to which heat is supplied from one side during a cooking process, comprising:

a) determining a first temperature T_A in the cooking product at the beginning of the cooking process at an initial time point t_A as well as of a set temperature T_set of the cooking product which must exist at the end of the cooking process at an end time t_E;

b) acquiring a first temperature difference between the set temperature T_set and the first temperature T_A;

c) determining at least one actual temperature T_actual in the cooking product at several times during the cooking process;

d) acquiring the time of turning T_T as the time at which a second temperature difference between the set temperature T_set and the actual temperature T_actual reaches a certain fraction of the first temperature difference; and

e) outputting a signal when the time of turning t_T is reached.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein at least during step c) heat is supplied from one side to the cooking product by contact heating.

3. Method according to claim 2, wherein heat is introduced to the cooking through a bottom of a pan.

4. Method according to claim 1, wherein the fraction of the second temperature difference at the time of turning t_T, that is (T_set−

T_T), where T_T=turning temperature, is selected from a range from 30% to 70% of the first temperature difference (T_set−

T_A).

5. Method according to claim 4, wherein the fraction of the second temperature difference at the time of turning t_T is selected from 30% to 70% of the first temperature difference as a function of the cooking product.

6. Method according to claim 5, wherein the function of the cooking product is one or more of the type of cooking product, the cooking product thickness, the shape of the cooking product and/or the cooking product caliber.

7. Method according to claim 1, wherein the first temperature T_A and/or the actual temperature T_actual is determined using at least one temperature sensor.

8. Method according to claim 7, wherein the temperature sensor is a core temperature sensor which is introduced at least partly into the cooking product.

9. Method according to claim 7, wherein the first temperature T_A and/or the actual temperature T_actual is determined using a contactless temperature measurement method.

10. Method according to claim 9, wherein the contactless temperature measurement method uses one or more infrared sensors.

11. Method according to claim 1, wherein the first temperature T_A is measured or is entered by an operator, or queried from a memory device after insertion of the temperature sensor into the cooking product, after introduction of the cooking product into a cooking device and/or before supplying of heat to the cooking product.

12. Method according to claim 11, wherein the first temperature T_A is entered by an operator with the aid of an input device.

13. Method according to claim 1, wherein the set temperature T_set is entered by an operator or queried from a memory device.

14. Method according to claim 13, wherein the set temperature T_set is entered by an operator with the aid of an input device.

15. Method according to claim 1, wherein the end core temperature of the cooking product at the end time t_E is selected as the set temperature T_set, and/or the actual core temperature of the cooking product at all times is selected as the actual temperature T_actual, and/or the initial core temperature of the cooking product at the beginning time t_A is selected as the first temperature T_A.

16. Method according to claim 1, wherein the actual temperature T_actual and/or the initial temperature T_A is/are determined with a temperature sensor having a plurality of measuring points along a tip that can be inserted into the cooking product at least partially.

17. Method according to claim 16, wherein the actual temperature T_actual and/or the initial temperature T_A is/are determined through evaluation of the temperatures detected at the measuring points of the temperature sensor as a function of time.

18. Method according to claim 16, wherein the first measuring points, at which changing measured values are detected starting from the initial time t_A, are considered as measuring points arranged in the cooking product, and are used for the determination of the actual temperature T_actual and/or of the initial temperature T_A, and/or the second measuring points, at which, after the starting time t_A, measured values are determined which substantially remain unchanged as a function of time, are considered as measuring points arranged outside the cooking product.

19. Method according to claim 1, wherein based on the rate of increase of the actual temperature T_actual in the cooking product, the caliber, the thickness and/or the shape of the cooking product is/are determined.

20. Method according to claim 19, wherein the rate of increase of the actual temperature T_actual in the cooking product is determined as a function of the amount of heat introduced to the cooking product through at least one heating device from one side.

21. Method according to claim 20, wherein the rate of increase of the actual temperature T_actual in the cooking product is determined by a pan bottom temperature.

22. Method according to claim 1, wherein the signal is output as an optical, an acoustic and/or a sensible signal for an operator.

23. Method according to claim 1, wherein the signal is received by at least one turning device and the cooking device turns the cooking product.

24. Method according to claim 23, wherein the signal is in the form of an optical, an electrical and/or an electromagnetic signal.

25. Cooking device for performing a method of determining a time of turning for at least one cooking product, comprising:

at least one control and/or regulation device,

at least one temperature measuring device,

at least one signal device, and

at least one heating device;

wherein the at least one control and/or regulation device

(a) determines a first temperature T_A in the cooking product at the beginning of a cooking process at an initial time point t_A as well as a set temperature T_set of the cooking product which must exist at the end of the cooking process at an end time t_E;

(b) acquires a first temperature difference between the set temperature T_set and the first temperature T_A;

(c) determines at least one actual temperature T_actual in the cooking product at several times during the cooking process;

(d) acquires the time of turning T_T as the time at which a second temperature difference between the set temperature T_set and the actual temperature T_actual reaches a certain fraction of the first temperature difference; and

(e) outputs a signal when the time of turning t_T is reached.

26. Cooking device according to claim 25, wherein the cooking device further comprises a pan into which the at least one cooking product can be introduced.

27. Cooking device according to claim 26, wherein the pan is an open pan.

28. Cooking device according to claim 26, wherein heat can be supplied to the at least one cooking product to one side through a pan bottom to which heat is admitted by a heating device.

29. Cooking device according to claim 28, wherein the heating device comprises one or more of a heating element, a means for inductive heating, a resistance heater, a microwave heating device and/or a gas heating device.

30. Cooking device according to claim 26, wherein the temperature measuring device comprises a core temperature sensor with a plurality of measuring sensors along a tip that can be introduced at least partially into the cooking product, and/or at least one temperature sensor in a region of a pan bottom of the pan into which the at least one cooking product is introduced.

31. Cooking device according to claim 30, wherein the at least one temperature sensor in the region of the pan bottom is insulated from the heating device.

32. Cooking device according claim 25, further comprising at least one turning device for the cooking product.