User-friendly cooking oven and method of operating same

• US 5,495,095 A
• Filed: 04/01/1994
• Issued: 02/27/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Moulinex SA (SEB SA)
• Original Assignee: Moulinex SA (SEB SA)
• Inventors: de Matteis, Michel G., Guilgue, Jean-Louis M. R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Leung, Philip H.
• Application Number:
  US08/221,779
• Time in Patent Office: 697 Days
• Field of Search: 219/720, 219/719, 219/708, 219/702, 219/714, 219/681, 219/685, 219/506
• US Class Current: 219/720
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/106 for selecting a programme, variable or parameter
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6435 Aspects relating to the user interface of the microwave heating apparatus

Abstract

A combined oven for cooking foodstuffs having a control panel having, on the one hand, a selection device (11) for a heating sequence to be used, of a type of foodstuff and of its weight, and, on the other hand, a control device (8) connected to data processing device (9) which includes a principal computer (10) determining a heating time as a function of the selection device. The data processing device (9), on the one hand, is connected to a display device (12) and, on the other hand, includes a slave computer (13) connected to the principal computer (10) by a bidirectional bus (14) and to which are connected the selection device (11), a storage memory (15) containing information selectable by the selection device (11) and the display device (12) to display the selectable data.

Claims

1. Oven comprising a cooking chamber (2) for foodstuffs comprising:

an electric resistance browning device (3), a rotating heating device (4) and a device (5) for the generation of the microwave energy,

a supply circuit to supply the electric resistance browning device and the rotating heating device and the device for the generation of microwave energy,

a control panel comprising selection means (11) for selecting a heating sequence to be used in said chamber (2) and for causing at least one of the browning device (3) and the rotating heating device (4) and the device (5) for the generation of microwave energy to operate, and for taking into account a type of foodstuff and a weight of said foodstuff, said control panel also comprising a control means (8) connected to a data processing means (9) comprising a principal computer (10) determining a heating time as a function of the selection means and which triggers an operation of the supply circuit, the data processing means (9) being connected to display means (12) displaying a calculated heating time as well as a representation of at least one of the browning device (3) and the rotating heating device (4) and the device (5) for the generation of microwave energy actuated upon triggering the supply circuit, said data processing means comprising a slave computer (13) connected to the principal computer (10) by a bidirectional bus (14) to which are connected said selection means (11),

wherein said data processing means (9) comprise a storage memory (15) which is connected to the slave computer (13), and to the display means (12) to display information contained in said memory (15) and selected by the selection means (11), the storage memory containing;

n files each containing a predetermined list of a certain number of types of foodstuffs in different languages;

a particular number i of heating sequences to be applied to each type of foodstuff;

code number α

₁ each corresponding to a particular type of foodstuff as a function of a predetermined heating sequence.

2. Cooking oven according to claim 1, wherein said control means (8) comprise a start button (24) to trigger the actuation of the data processing means and a test button (25) to control the processing means.

3. Method of operating an oven comprising a cooking chamber (2) for foodstuffs comprising an electric resistance browning device (3), a rotating heating device (4), and a device (5) for the generation of microwave energy, a supply circuit to supply the electric resistance browning device and the rotating heating device and the device for the generation of microwave energy, a control panel comprising selection means (11) for selecting a heating sequence to be used in said chamber (2) and for causing at least one of the browning device (3) and the rotating heating device (4) and the device (5) for the generation of microwave energy to operate, and for taking into account a type of foodstuff and a weight of said foodstuff, said control panel also comprising a control means (8) connected to a data processing means (9) comprising a principal computer (10) determining a heating time as a function of the selection means and which triggers an operation of said supply circuit, the data processing means (9) being connected to a display means (12) displaying a calculated heating time as well as a representation of at least one of the browning device (3) and the rotating heating device (4) and the device (5) for the generation of microwave energy actuated upon triggering said supply circuit, said data processing means comprising a slave computer (13) connected to the principal computer (10) by a bidirectional bus (14) to which are connected said selection means (11), said method comprising the steps of:

actuating of any one of said selection means (11) by a user;

triggering, by said control means (8) a powering of the supply of the principal computer (10) which triggers by a subprogram the production of a first message M₁ containing a command to start the principal computer;

sending toward the slave computer (13) said first message M₁ as well as a selection word;

sending, by said slave computer (13) after reception of said first message M₁ and of said selection word, an acknowledgement of receipt AR to said principal computer (10);

triggering, by said slave computer (13), the actuation of said display means (12) of said selection means;

during a second actuation of said selection means (11) by the user, displaying, by said visualization means (12), the type of foodstuff selected by said user, the weight of said foodstuff, as well as a predetermined heating sequence; and

upon actuation by the user of one of the start button (24) and the test button (25), triggering, by said control means (8), one of a start of a predetermined heating sequence by said data processing means (9) as a function of the selection means (11), and a control of said predetermined heating sequence by said processing means (9) without starting said heating sequence, said control permitting the user to examine a selected and calculated data and, if desired, to modify the heating operation before starting the oven.

4. Method according to claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

upon the user actuating the start button (24), transferring, by said principal computer into its storage memory (15) of the data emitted by the selection means (11) and contained in the storage memory (15) connected to said slave computer (13);

computing, by said principal computer (10), of the heating time to be used and corresponding to the predetermined heating sequence;

displaying, by said display means, said heating time, as well as a representation of at least one of the browning device, the rotating heating device, and the device for the generation of microwave energy operating for said selected heating sequence;

triggering, by said principal computer, of the operation of the supply circuit and an inhibition of said slave computer;

determining, by said principal computer, of the end of the selected heating sequence;

triggering, by said principal computer, of its standby condition;

sending, by said principal computer to said slave computer, an end of operation message which turns said second display means off and places said slave computer in a standby condition.

5. Method according to claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

upon the user actuating the test button, transferring, by said principal computer, into its data memory, data emitted from said selection means and contained in the storage memory connected to said slave computer;

calculating, by said principal computer, the heating time to be used for the foodstuff to be treated;

displaying, by said first visualization means, said calculated heating time as well as a representation of at least one of said browning device, said rotating heating device, and said device for the generation of microwave energy placed in operation during the selected heating operation by said processing means, said principal computer and said slave computer being active during a time t during which the user can one of modify, cancel and trigger the heating operation predetermined by said data processing means, said principal computer and said slave computer returning to a, standby condition if no action is triggered.