METHOD AND COOKING APPLIANCE FOR REGULATING A COOKING PROCESS IN A COOKING CHAMBER

• US 20090274805A1
• Filed: 07/14/2009
• Published: 11/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EGO Elektro-Gerã¤Tebau GmbH (EGO Blanc und Fischer & Company GmbH)
• Original Assignee: EGO Elektro-Gerã¤Tebau GmbH (EGO Blanc und Fischer & Company GmbH)
• Inventors: Schõnemann, Konrad
• Granted Patent: US 8,043,642 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 426/233
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/08 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices

Abstract

In one embodiment for regulating a baking process in an oven, an operator introduces a product to be cooked into the oven, and a sensor detects a gas or moisture concentration release from the product cooking in the cooking chamber over time wherein The slope of the curve of the detected concentration is determined, and a trigger value that is linked to the product to be cooked is determined for the slope. The point in time at which the trigger value will be reached is determined, and an additional time linked to said point in time is determined at the point in time at which the trigger value is reached. The additional time depends on the point in time at which the trigger value is reached. The additional time is continued as an additional process until the additional time has elapsed in case the trigger value is not reached.

Claims

1. A method of regulating a cooking process for a foodstuff in a cooking chamber of a cooking appliance with a heating element and a sensor, said method having the following steps:

a) input of a foodstuff indicator to be cooked by an operator into a controller of said cooking appliance;

b) detection by said sensor of a concentration over time of a gas or of moisture escaping from said foodstuff in said cooking chamber after said foodstuff has been introduced;

c) determination of a gradient of a profile of said detected concentration over the course of time;

d) reading out of a trigger value linked to said foodstuff to be cooked for said profile from a memory of said controller;

e) determination of the time at which said trigger value is reached or fallen below;

f) determination of a run-on time linked to a time at which said trigger value is reached for said foodstuff from said memory at said time at which said trigger value is reached, a length of a run-on time being a function of said time at which said trigger value is reached;

g) starting of said run-on time; and

h) continuation of said cooking process as a run-on process until said run-on time has elapsed if said value remains below said trigger value.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said foodstuff indicator is assigned to a foodstuff group and said foodstuff group or corresponding specifications for determining said run-on time are stored in said controller of said cooking appliance.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said foodstuff indicator is always in accordance with how it is assigned to said corresponding associated foodstuff group.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said trigger value amounts to approximately 10% to 40% of a maximum value of said gradient.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said run-on time amounts to a fixed value of approximately 10 minutes to 15 minutes, for a time at which said trigger value is reached in less than 30 minutes.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said run-on time varies relatively slightly for a time at which said trigger value is reached in less than 30 min.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said run-on time takes the form of an approximately straight line with a slight gradient.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said run-on time decreases when said time at which said trigger value is reached is greater than 20 minutes and is set to zero at the latest for 90 minutes.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said run-on time is established in a decreasing region using a monotonically falling curve.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said curve is a straight line.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein, if said run-on time is set at zero, said cooking process is regarded as complete and is terminated.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein, if said trigger value is reached again or is exceeded, said run-on process is broken off or said run-on time is abandoned and a new, appropriate run-on time is only determined in accordance with steps c)-h) when said trigger value is reached again or fallen below.

13. A cooking appliance comprising:

a cooking chamber;

a heating element for heating said cooking chamber;

a sensor for measuring a concentration of a foodstuff cooking in said cooking chamber; and

a controller controlling said heating element, said controller configured to perform the steps of;

a) receiving input from an operator of a foodstuff to be cooked by an operator in said cooking chamber,

b) receiving from sensor of a value of said concentration over time of a gas or of moisture escaping from said foodstuff in said cooking chamber after said foodstuff has been introduced,

c) determining of a gradient of a profile of said detected concentration over a time period,

d) reading a trigger value linked to said foodstuff to be cooked for said profile from a memory of said controller,

e) determining the time at which said trigger value is reached or fallen below,

f) determining a run-on time linked to a time at which said trigger value is reached for said foodstuff from said memory at said time at which said trigger value is reached, wherein a length of a run-on time is a function of said time at which said trigger value is reached,

g) starting of said run-on time, and

h) continuing of said cooking process as a run-on process until said run-on time has elapsed if said value remains below said trigger value.

14. The cooking appliance according to claim 13, wherein said sensor is a moisture sensor.

15. The cooking appliance according to claim 13, wherein said memory is connected to said controller of said cooking appliance and stores a plurality of values for said trigger value for different foodstuff groups together with algorithms for determining said run-on time, wherein said run-on time and a time at which said trigger value is reached are correlated with one another by way of a curve.

16. The cooking appliance according to claim 15, wherein said curve is composed of straight sections.

17. The cooking appliance according to claim 15, wherein a determination specification or said curve of said correlation between said run-on time and said time at which said trigger value is reached is composed of three segments, a first segment comprising a first slight gradient or no gradient, a second segment comprising a gradient which falls away more steeply than said first segment, and a third segment again comprising a second slight gradient or no gradient and tending towards zero.