System for controlling humidity

• US 7,612,315 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2006
• Issued: 11/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Angelo Po' Grandi Cucine--Societa'Per Azioni
• Original Assignee: Angelo Po' Grandi Cucine -- Societa' Per Azioni
• Inventors: Corradini, Franco
• Primary Examiner(s): PELHAM, JOSEPH MOORE
• Application Number:
  US11/392,527
• Publication Number:
  US 20060289507A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,314 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 219/401
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 15/327 with air moisturising

Abstract

An apparatus for cooking foods comprises a cooking chamber provided with humidity-detecting device arranged in such a way as to detect the humidity in said cooking chamber, wherein said humidity-detecting device comprises a capacitive sensor; a system for controlling the humidity in a chamber for cooking foods comprises a humidity detecting device provided with a capacitive sensor.

Claims

1. Apparatus for cooking foods, said apparatus having operative temperatures higher that 100°

C. and comprising a cooking chamber provided with a humidity-detecting device arranged in such a way as to detect the humidity in said cooking chamber, said humidity-detecting device comprising a capacitive sensor and a comparator circuit arrangement electrically connected to said capacitive sensor to form an oscillating circuit, said capacitive sensor comprising a pair of armatures facing each other and placed at a defined distance that is adjustable.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said oscillating circuit is arranged for converting a capacity variation of said capacitive sensor into an electric frequency variation.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said oscillating circuit is connected to a frequency-measuring device such as to measure said frequency variation and to provide a value of said frequency variation.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said oscillating circuit is connected to a timing device such as to measure the period of the output signal from the oscillating circuit and to provide a variation value of said period.

5. Apparatus according to claim 3, and further comprising a processing unit such as to process said value to associate it with a humidity value.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each armature of said pair of armatures is of steel.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each armature of said pair of armatures is flat and has a plan shape chosen from a group of geometrical figures comprising:

a circle, a regular polygon, an irregular polygon, a rectangle, a square.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said pair of armatures comprises a pair of concentric cylindrical radially spaced armatures that are radially spaced.

9. Apparatus according to claim 1, and further comprising a humidity generator arrangement arranged to increase the humidity in said cooking chamber.

10. Apparatus according to claim 5, and further comprising a humidity generator arrangement arranged to increase the humidity in said cooking chamber.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said humidity generator arrangement is controlled by said processing unit.

12. Apparatus according to claim 1, and further comprising a circulating arrangement arranged for introducing and/or extracting a primary operating fluid intended to cook said foods in and/or from said cooking chamber.

13. Apparatus according to claim 5, and further comprising a circulating arrangement arranged for introducing and/or extracting a primary operating fluid intended to cook said foods in and/or from said cooking chamber.

14. Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said circulating arrangement is provided with a flow regulating device arranged to regulate the introduction and/or the extraction of said primary operating fluid, said flow regulating device being controlled by said processing unit.

15. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said capacitive sensor is arranged in a zone intended to be traversed by a current of said primary operating fluid, said current being indicative of a further current of said primary operating fluid near said foods.

16. Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein plates of said capacitive sensor are arranged substantially parallel to a direction identified by said current.

17. Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said capacitive sensor is housed in said zone, said zone being provided inside said chamber.

18. Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said zone is provided in a further chamber adjacent to said cooking chamber.

19. Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said zone is obtained in a conduit outside said cooking chamber that connects two zones of said cooking chamber.

20. Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein in said zone screen elements are further provided arranged to protect said capacitive sensor.

21. Apparatus according to claim 12, and further comprising a flow promoting device arranged to promote a flow of said primary operating fluid from said circulating arrangement to said cooking chamber.

22. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein near said capacitive sensor a temperature sensor is provided to detect the temperature in said cooking chamber.

23. Apparatus according to claim 1, and further comprising a plurality of capacitive sensors located in distinct zones of said cooking apparatus.

24. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operative temperature is about 300°

C.

25. System for controlling the humidity in a chamber for cooking foods comprising a humidity detecting device, said humidity detecting device comprising a capacitive sensor and an oscillating circuit arrangement arranged to convert a capacity variation of said capacitive sensor into an electric frequency variation, said capacitive sensor comprising a pair of armatures facing each others and placed at a defined distance that is adjustable.

26. System according to claim 25, wherein said oscillating circuit arrangement is connected to a frequency-measuring device such as to measure said frequency variation and provide a value of said frequency variation.

27. System according to claim 25, wherein said oscillating circuit arrangement is connected to a timing device such as to measure the period of the signal leaving said oscillating circuit arrangement and to provide a variation value of this period.

28. System according to claim 26, and further comprising a processing unit suitable for processing said value to associate it with a humidity value.

29. System according to claim 25, wherein each armature of said pair of armatures is of steel.

30. System according to claim 25, wherein each armature of said pair of armatures is flat and has a plan shape chosen from a group of geometrical figures comprising:

a circle, a regular polygon, an irregular polygon, a rectangle, a square.

31. System according to claim 25, wherein said capacitive sensor comprises a pair of concentric cylindrical armatures that are radially spaced.

32. System according to claim 25, comprising circulating arrangements arranged for introducing and/or extracting primary operating fluid in and/or from said chamber, and a flow promoting device controlled by a processing unit.

33. System according to claim 25, comprising circulating arrangements arranged for introducing and/or extracting primary operating fluid in and/or from the cooking chamber, and a flow regulating device controlled by a processing unit.