Method of treating and preparing food in a cooking device, control panel for a cooking device and cooking device comprising a control panel

• US 7,141,258 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2003
• Issued: 11/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eloma GmbH Grosskichentechnik
• Original Assignee: Eloma GmbH Grosskichentechnik
• Inventors: Hillmann, Johannes
• Primary Examiner(s): BECKER, DREW E
• Application Number:
  US10/373,227
• Publication Number:
  US 20030161922A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,373 Days
• Field of Search: 426/231, 426/233, 426/523, 993/25, 993/50, 993/31, 993/37, 994/68, 994/76, 219/401, 219/393
• US Class Current: 426/233
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/082 on ranges, e.g. control panels, illumination

Abstract

The present invention refers to a method of treating and preparing food in a cooking device, in which a plurality of cooking parameters can be set, wherein the cooking process is carried out by means of an adjustable cooking program, wherein the setting of the cooking parameters is carried out by an input device. By means of the input device a point in an at least two-dimensional map is controlled by the operator of the cooking device, in which at least two cooking parameters are defined, and the adjusted point is implemented into the cooking program as part of the cooking process. The present invention also comprises a control panel for a cooking device, in particular for a steam cooking device and a cooking device equipped with this control panel.

Claims

1. A method of treating and preparing food in a cooking device comprising:

choosing one point on an at least two-dimensional map through use of an input device whereby values for at least two cooking parameters for the cooking device are selected, and

implementing the selected values into an adjustable cooking program as part of a cooking process, whereby values of cooking parameters are selected by an operator of the cooking device and the cooking process is carried out through execution of the adjustable cooking program.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the cooking parameters are selected from a group consisting of temperature, the humidity in the cooking chamber, the velocity of the fan wheel of the cooking device, the browning degree of the food to be cooked, and the core temperature of the food to be cooked.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the man includes panels, each of the panels indicating a different cooking preparation mode and wherein the choosing step includes choosing one panel on the map through use of the input device, whereby the operator recognizes the cooking preparation mode selected when the point is chosen.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein each point on the map indicates a different combination of temperature and humidity, whereby specific combinations of temperature and humidity in the cooking chamber can be selected.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the input device is a multi-dimensional input device.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the multi-dimensional input device is a rocker switch, a joystick, a computer mouse or a touch pad.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the implementing step includes operating a confirmation key to define and implement the chosen point into the cooking program.

8. A control panel for a cooking device comprising:

an input device for selecting values for a plurality of cooking parameters; and

a display member having a plurality of display panels indicating the cooking parameters to be selected, at least one of the display panels being an at least two-dimensional map whereon one point is chosen by operation of the input device to select values for at least two cooking parameters.

9. The control panel of claim 8 wherein the map is a substantially planar surface and is formed as a rectangular monitor surface.

10. The control panel of claim 8 wherein each point on the map indicates a different combination of temperature and humidity, whereby specific combinations of temperature and humidity in the cooking chamber can be selected.

11. The control panel of claim 8 wherein the input device comprises a multi-dimensional input device.

12. The control panel of claim 11 wherein the multi-dimensional input device is a rocker switch, a joystick, a computer mouse or a touch pad.

13. The control panel of claim 11 wherein the multi-dimensional input device further comprises a confirmation key.

14. The control panel of claim 8 wherein the cooking device is a steam cooking device.

15. The control panel of claim 8 wherein the input device is adapted to program a plurality of cooking steps defining a cooking process prior to the execution of any of the cooking steps and the display panels further indicate the programmed cooking steps, whereby values for at least one cooking parameter is chosen through use of the display panels by operation of the input device to program each cooking step.

16. The control panel of claim 15 wherein the cooking step being executed during the cooking process is indicated on the display member.

17. The device of claim 15 wherein the display member includes an operating key such that an operator can adjust the programmed cooking process by changing cooking steps through operation of the operating key.

18. The control panel of claim 15 wherein values for cooking parameters are selected for first and second cooking steps, the cooking steps defining a programmed cooking process, and at least one value selected for the first cooking step is different from each of the values selected for the second cooking step.

19. The control panel of claim 18 wherein each value of the cooking parameters selected for the first cooking step is displayed on the display panels simultaneously during the first cooking step of the cooking process.

20. A device for the treatment and preparation of food comprising a control panel, the control panel having an input device for selecting values for a plurality of cooking parameters and a display member having a plurality of display panels indicating the cooking parameters to be selected, at least one of the display panels being an at least two-dimensional map whereon one point is chosen by operation of the input device to select values for at least two cooking parameters.

21. The device of claim 20 wherein each point on the map indicates a different combination of temperature and humidity, whereby specific combinations of temperature and humidity in the cooking chamber can be selected.

22. The device of claim 20 wherein all values of the cooking parameters of a cooking process are selected only by an operator through use of the input device.

23. The device of claim 20 wherein at least one display panel indicates both the selected value for at least one cooking parameter and a real time value for that cooking parameter.