DOMESTIC APPLIANCE AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING CONTOUR INFORMATION OF MATERIAL

Abstract

A household appliance includes a treatment chamber for treating material, a pattern luminaire designed to radiate a light pattern into the treatment chamber, an image sensor directed into the treatment chamber for capturing the light pattern reflected from the treatment chamber, and a motor operably connected to the pattern luminaire for rotating the pattern luminaire into different angles of rotation so as to enable the household appliance to determine at least one item of contour information from material irradiated by the light pattern from at least two reflected light patterns associated with different ones of the angles of rotation of the pattern luminaire.

Claims

1-14. (canceled)

15. A household appliance, comprising: a treatment chamber for treating material; a pattern luminaire designed to radiate a light pattern into the treatment chamber; an image sensor directed into the treatment chamber for capturing the light pattern reflected from the treatment chamber; and a motor operably connected to the pattern luminaire for rotating the pattern luminaire into different angles of rotation so as to enable the household appliance to determine at least one item of contour information from material irradiated by the light pattern from at least two reflected light patterns associated with different ones of the angles of rotation of the pattern luminaire.

16. The household appliance of claim 15, wherein the pattern luminaire is a circumferentially rotatable pattern luminaire.

17. The household appliance of claim 15, wherein the household appliance is designed to determine the at least one item of contour information of the material from a superimposition of the at least two reflected light patterns associated with the different angles of rotation of the pattern luminaire.

18. The household appliance of claim 15, wherein the pattern luminaire is a rotatable pattern luminaire, and further comprising at least one further said rotatable pattern luminaire, said at least two rotatable pattern luminaires being distanced from one another.

19. The household appliance of claim 15, wherein the pattern luminaire is a rotatable pattern luminaire, and further comprising at least one further said rotatable pattern luminaire, said at least two rotatable pattern luminaires having light patterns which intersect in the treatment chamber with at least one set of angular positions of the pattern luminaires.

20. The household appliance of claim 15, wherein the light patterns are individual lines.

21. The household appliance of claim 15, wherein the pattern luminaire includes a beam-forming optics and is rotatable about an optical axis of the optics.

22. The household appliance of claim 15, further comprising at least one further said image sensor, said at least two image sensors arranged at a distance from one another and directed into the treatment chamber at different spatial angles.

23. The household appliance of claim 15, further comprising a rotatable microwave antenna, said pattern luminaire being arranged on the microwave antenna.

24. The household appliance of claim 15, wherein the pattern luminaire includes a light source for generating a light bundle and an optical element, which is arranged optically downstream of the light source, for generating the light pattern from the light bundle emitted by the light source.

25. The household appliance of claim 24, further comprising a rotatable microwave antenna which includes a hollow shaft mounted for rotation about a longitudinal axis thereof for feeding microwaves into the treatment chamber, said optical element of the pattern luminaire being accommodated in the shaft.

26. The household appliance of claim 25, further comprising a cover configured to separate the shaft from the treatment chamber and having an aperture, said shaft having a first, electrically conducting longitudinal section and a second longitudinal section, said second longitudinal section being guided through the aperture and configured to accommodate the optical element therein.

27. The household appliance of claim 26, wherein the second longitudinal section is electrically non-conducting.

28. The household appliance of claim 15, wherein the at least one item of contour information determines a height, a surface shape, a surface area, a volume and/or a mass of the material.

29. A method, comprising: radiating a first light pattern into a treatment chamber of a household appliance; visually detecting the first light pattern reflected in the treatment chamber; radiating into the treatment chamber a second light pattern which is rotated in relation to the first light pattern; visually detecting the second light pattern reflected in the treatment chamber; superimposing the detected first and second light patterns reflected in the treatment chamber; and determining at least one item of contour information of the material located in the treatment chamber from a distortion of the superimposed reflected light patterns compared with a reflected light pattern superimposed from an unloaded treatment chamber.

Description

[0054] The afore-described properties, features and advantages of this invention and the manner in which these are achieved will become clearer and more intelligible in conjunction with the following schematic description of an exemplary embodiment, which is explained in more detail in conjunction with the drawings.

[0055] FIG. 1 shows as a sectional representation in the side view a drawing of a microwave cooking appliance with precisely one pattern luminaire and one image sensor;

[0056] FIG. 2 shows a linear light pattern projected by means of a pattern luminaire at two different angles of rotation from the view of the pattern luminaire;

[0057] FIG. 3 shows the projected linear light pattern from FIG. 2 from the view of an image sensor;

[0058] FIG. 4 shows in a top view similar to FIG. 2, by means of two pattern luminaires, projected linear light patterns at two different angles of rotation from the view of the pattern luminaires in an unloaded treatment chamber;

[0059] FIG. 5 shows as a sectional representation in the side view a drawing of a variant of the microwave cooking appliance from FIG. 1 with a pattern luminaire integrated into a microwave antenna according to a first exemplary embodiment;

[0060] FIG. 6 shows as a sectional representation in a side view a drawing of a further variant of the microwave cooking appliance from FIG. 1 with a pattern luminaire integrated into a microwave antenna according to a second exemplary embodiment;

[0061] FIG. 7 shows as a sectional representation in the side view a drawing of another variant of the microwave cooking appliance from FIG. 1 with a pattern luminaire integrated into a microwave antenna according to a third exemplary embodiment;

[0062] FIG. 8 shows as a sectional representation in the side view a drawing of another variant of the microwave cooking appliance from FIG. 1 with a pattern luminaire integrated into a microwave antenna according to a fourth exemplary embodiment; and

[0063] FIG. 9 shows as a sectional representation in the side view a drawing of another variant of the microwave cooking appliance from FIG. 1 with a pattern luminaire integrated into a microwave antenna according to a fifth exemplary embodiment.

[0064] FIG. 1 shows as a sectional representation in a side view a drawing of a microwave cooking appliance 1, e.g. a pure microwave appliance, a microwave oven or an oven with microwave function. The cooking appliance 1 has a cooking chamber 3 which can be closed by means of a door 2, in which food to be cooked G can be treated, in particular heated. The cooking appliance 1 or its operation can be controlled by means of a control facility 4, e.g. in order to carry out cooking programs and other operating procedures.

[0065] The cooking appliance 1 has a pattern luminaire 6 arranged at least approximately in the center of a ceiling 5 of the cooking chamber 3, which has at least one light source in the shape of a laser 7 and beam-forming optics 8 arranged downstream of the laser 7. The light bundle emitted by the laser 7 is formed by means of the beam-forming optics 8 into a light pattern L, which here by way of example assumes the form of a straight line in the beam path behind the optics 8, for instance.

[0066] The pattern luminaire 6 can be rotated by means of a motor 9 which can be controlled by the control facility 4, as indicated by the curved arrow. This means, also generally, that at least the beam-forming optics 8 can be rotated, while the laser 7 can likewise be arranged so as to be rotatable or alternatively stationary. By rotating the pattern luminaire 6, the light pattern L is rotated accordingly. The pattern luminaire 6 can be set targetedly to at least two angles of rotation or angles of rotation associated with different rotational positions. In one development, the pattern luminaire 6 can be rotated at least in an angular range [0°; 180′], e.g. continuously or at predetermined stages or angular distances such as 1°, 5°, 10°, etc.

[0067] An image sensor in the form of a camera 10, in particular color camera, is arranged in the region of a ceiling-side corner of the cooking chamber 3. A field of view S of the camera 10 which is indicated with dashed lines comprises typical spatial areas of the food to be cooked G and the projection surfaces of the radiated light pattern L. As a result, the camera 10 is designed to capture the light pattern or projection pattern reflected from the cooking chamber 3.

[0068] The images captured by the camera 10 can be evaluated by means of the control facility 4, in order to achieve or determine contour information associated with the food to be cooked G. Alternatively, the images can be evaluated inter alia in an external data processing facility such as a cloud computer (top fig), wherein the external data processing facility can be brought into communicative connection with the cooking appliance 3 by way of a communication facility 16 of the cooking appliance 3, such as e.g. a WLAN module, a Bluetooth module, an Ethernet module etc. In order to determine the contour information, at least two images captured at different angles of rotation of the pattern luminaire 6 of radiated light patterns L are evaluated linked, e.g. superimposed, as described in more detail below.

[0069] FIG. 2 shows a top view, from the view of the pattern luminaire 6, of an image-shaped superimposition of two linear light patterns (L.sub.1(D.sub.1) and L.sub.2 (D.sub.2) projected into the cooking chamber 3 at different angles of rotation D.sub.1 and D.sub.2 by means of the pattern luminaire 6. From this view, the light patterns L1 and L2 are both rectilinear, but are angle-offset about an angular difference D.sub.2−D.sub.1. As a result, a point of intersection or crossing point So is produced at a known position in the superimposed image (namely at the site of the axis of rotation of the pattern luminaire 6). From this view the location of the light patterns L1 and L2 is independent of whether or not the food to be cooked G is located in the cooking chamber 3. It should be assumed below that the position of the point without food to be cooked G in the cooking chamber 3 is understood to mean the point of intersection or crossing point S.sub.0 and can also be referred to as the “zero point”. In one variant the height position of the zero point can be fixed as a function of the shelf level of the food to be cooked G.

[0070] FIG. 3 shows the projected linear light patterns L1 or L2 from FIG. 2 from the view of the camera 10. Since the camera 10 has an angle of view into the cooking chamber 3 which deviates from the axis of rotation of the pattern luminaire 6, at least the light patterns L1 or L2 projected onto the food to be cooked G are distorted or changed due to the shape of the food to be cooked G.

[0071] In particular, from the view of the camera 10, the point of intersection S.sub.G in the superimposed camera image is displaced depending on the height of the introduced food to be cooked G. By comparing the position of the point of intersection S.sub.G with the position of the point of intersection S.sub.0 without the food to be cooked G or the size of the resulting displacement, the height of the food to be cooked G on the extension of the axis of rotation (i.e. the point of intersection of the axis of rotation with the food to be cooked G) of the pattern luminaire 6 can be determined as an item of contour information.

[0072] Furthermore, further contour information of the food to be cooked G can be determined with the aid of the course of the light patterns L.sub.1, L.sub.2. Therefore, depending on the surface shape of the food to be cooked G, the line curve in the camera image can be bent, elongated or interrupted, as a result of which it is possible to conclude a spherical, hollow or irregular food to be cooked.

[0073] Basically the points of intersection of any number of angle-offset radiated line patterns can be used to determine the height of the food to be cooked G. By evaluating light patterns L of an adequate number of different angles of rotation, it is possible, for instance, to determine the region of edges of the food to be cooked G, which are shaded or interrupted. By contrast, projection regions without food to be cooked indicate no displacement of the line pattern in respect of its zero position. It is therefore possible to determine an outline of the food to be cooked G, for instance, by way of geometric algorithms and convert this into an area, from which, as a function of the determined height, a square measure is calculated for the surface of the food to be cooked G. The height dependency of the area results from the area distortion in the camera image. The volume of the food to be cooked G can in turn be determined at least approximately from the square measure. For an even more precise calculation of the volume, the line distortion can also be taken into account at the site of the food to be cooked G.

[0074] FIG. 4 shows, similarly to FIG. 2, linear light patterns (L.sub.1 (6-1) and L.sub.2 (6-1) or L.sub.1 (6-2) and L.sub.2 (6-2) (drawn through or shown dashed) projected by means of two ceiling-side pattern luminaires 6-1 and 6-2 (top fig.) arranged adjacent to one another at two different angles of rotation in each case from the view of the pattern luminaires 6-1 and 6-2 or in a top view.

[0075] Now at least two height positions of the food to be cooked G can advantageously be determined independently of one another. In general, contour information for each of the pattern luminaires 6-1 and 6-2 can be determined similarly to the procedure described in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, for instance. The additional advantage results in that frequently larger surface areas of the food to be cooked G can be evaluated than with just one pattern luminaire 6, especially if the food to be cooked G has a complex shape. The pattern luminaires 6-1 and 6-2 can be controlled in particular independently of one another. The more independent pattern luminaires 6-1 and 6-2 are used, the more completely the cooking chamber 3 or the food to be cooked G present therein can be scanned.

[0076] It is particularly advantageous here if a number of cameras 10-1 and 10-2 are present, which are aligned at different spatial angles in the cooking chamber 3, since “dead angles”, in which the light pattern L or L.sub.1, L.sub.2 in the camera image is concealed by the food to be cooked G, can largely be avoided.

[0077] It is now also possible to evaluate crossing points of light patterns L.sub.1, L.sub.2 associated with different pattern luminaires 6-1, 6-2.

[0078] The contour information of food to be cooked G can be determined repeatedly from the light patterns L.sub.1, L.sub.2 during the course of a cooking process, e.g. in order to monitor a cooking progress.

[0079] FIG. 5 shows partially, as a sectional representation in the side view, a drawing of a variant of the microwave cooking appliance 1 with a pattern luminaire 6 integrated into a microwave antenna 11.

[0080] An electrically conductive microwave antenna was previously coupled to a microwave generator (top fig.) using microwave technology and is used to inject microwave radiation generated by the microwave generator into the cooking chamber 3. Microwave heating power (currently typically with a power of up to 1 kW) or lower measuring radiation (typically of a few mW) can be introduced into the cooking chamber 3 by way of the microwave antenna.

[0081] In order to prevent an in particular also prolonged uneven distribution of microwaves into the cooking chamber 3, it is known to configure the microwave antenna to be rotatable and to equip the same with at least one blade or impeller 12. By setting an angle of rotation of the microwave antenna, a specific, not necessarily known, microwave distribution can be set. In particular, it is known to change the microwave distribution in the cooking chamber 3 by changing the angle of rotation so that a microwave distribution, which is improved in order to cook the food to be cooked 3, is present. To this end, the microwave antenna can frequently be rotated about 360°, possibly gradually or practically continuously.

[0082] It is also known to accommodate the microwave antenna at least in sections in a recess or dome 13 of a wall (not limited here: the ceiling 5) of the cooking chamber 3. In this way the microwave antenna can be guided through the wall 5 with its end section facing way from the cooking chamber side, e.g. in order to be coupled to a microwave guide (top fig.).

[0083] Furthermore, it is known to cover the dome 13 on the cooking chamber side in order to protect against vapor, spray or other dirt or loads such as steam, thermal radiation etc. by means of a cover A, in particular tightly against the cooking chamber 3. The cover A can be e.g. a ceramic plate or another cover made from microwave-permeable material.

[0084] In order to integrate the pattern luminaire 6 into a microwave antenna 11 according to the present invention, the microwave antenna 11 has a hollow, in particular tube-shaped, shaft 14 which is in particular open on both sides, which can be rotated in a motor-drive manner about its longitudinal axis D. The at least one blade 12 is arranged laterally on the shaft 14 and rotates with the shaft 14.

[0085] The pattern luminaire 6 or the combined microwave antenna/pattern luminaire (which can also be referred to as “combined antenna” 6, 11) has the laser 7 or another light source (e.g. at least one LED) on the end of the shaft 14 facing away from the cooking chamber. The light bundle emitted by the laser 7 is radiated directly or indirectly (i.e. by way of deflection optics or light conductor) into the shaft 14 which can (but need not) then be used as a light guide and strikes the beam-forming optics 8. The optics 8 can expand the incident light bundle, e.g. into a light pattern such as a straight line, and can then be embodied as a grid, mask and/or lens, for instance.

[0086] The optics 8 are arranged in particular on an end section of the shaft 14 on a cooking chamber side. At least the optics 8 are fixedly connected to the shaft 14, and therefore rotate with the shaft 14. In one development, the laser 7 can likewise be attached fixedly connected on or in the shaft and then likewise rotate. Alternatively, the laser 7 is arranged to be stationary. In both cases, the longitudinal axis of the shaft 14 corresponds to the axis of rotation D of the pattern luminaire.

[0087] In the present exemplary embodiment, the cover A is omitted, in order to enable the light pattern L to radiate into the cooking chamber 3. Alternatively, a particularly thin transparent cover A can be used.

[0088] FIG. 6 shows partially as a sectional representation in the side view a drawing of a further variant of the microwave cooking appliance 1 with a pattern luminaire 6 integrated into a microwave antenna 15.

[0089] The microwave antenna 15 is designed similarly to the microwave antenna 11, but the hollow shaft 17 now has a (rear) longitudinal section 18, made from electrically conductive material such as metal, which projects through the dome 13 and faces away from the cooking chamber 3, as well as a (front) longitudinal section 19, made here by way of example from electrically insulating material such as ceramics or plastic, which faces the cooking chamber 3. The electrically conductive blade 12 is attached to the rear section 18. The rear longitudinal section 18 with the blade 12 is microwave-conducting or microwave-influencing, while the front longitudinal section 19 is not microwave-influencing or not noticeably microwave-influencing.

[0090] The front longitudinal section 19 projects rotatably through an opening or aperture 20 into an electrically insulating cover 21 which covers the dome 13. The optics 8 are accommodated in the front section 19. The front longitudinal section 19 can, as shown, project through the aperture 20 or complete the same in a flush manner.

[0091] This exemplary embodiment is advantageous in that radiation of light patterns L into the cooking chamber 3 is possible unhindered and the combined antenna 6, 15 is thus protected particularly effectively against dirt from the cooking chamber 3.

[0092] The front longitudinal section 19 can be fixedly connected to the rear longitudinal section 18 and thus rotate together with the rear longitudinal section 18. The connection between the rear longitudinal section 18 and the front longitudinal section 19 renders the light path particularly stable with respect to thermal deformations.

[0093] It is however also possible for the front longitudinal section 19 to be fixedly connected to that of the cover 21, and for an air gap or another sliding surface to be present between the front longitudinal section 19 and the rear longitudinal section 18. The optics 8 can then be present in the rear longitudinal section 18, for instance, and/or the line pattern L can inter alia already be generated by a rotating laser 7 in accordance with at least its basic shape.

[0094] FIG. 7 shows as a sectional representation in the side view a drawing of another variant of the microwave cooking appliance 1 with a pattern luminaire 6 integrated into a microwave antenna 22. The microwave antenna 22 is embodied similarly to the microwave antenna 15, wherein the front longitudinal section 23 is however now formed so that it completely covers the aperture 20. As a result, the dome 13 is separated more effectively from the cooking chamber 3. In order to prevent friction between the front longitudinal section 23 and the cover 20, an air gap can remain between the two parts 20, 23.

[0095] FIG. 8 shows as a sectional representation in the side view a drawing of another variant of the microwave cooking appliance 1 with a pattern luminaire 6 integrated into a microwave antenna 24. The microwave antenna 24 is embodied similarly to the microwave antenna 22, wherein on the side facing away from the cooking chamber 3 the aperture 20 is now closed or covered by a cover seal 25. The cover seal 25 can be a disk, which rests on the cover 21, or a molded part, which additionally encloses the front longitudinal section 23. The larger the sealing surface, in other words the contact surface between the cover 21 and the front longitudinal section 23 and the cover seal 25, the better therefore the antenna dome 13 is sealed. The two-sided closure of the through opening 20 of the cover 21 is advantageous in that the gap between the front longitudinal section 23 and the cover 21 can be liberally dimensioned and the dome 13 is nevertheless closed, in particular in an air-tight manner. This results in easier manufacturability of the components, since no precise measuring tolerance is to be required (e.g. an eccentric running/oscillating of the axis of rotation D is allowed). With manufacturing-specific deviations in the geometry, it can also be ensured that no dirt from the cooking chamber 3 can penetrate into the dome 13 and further e.g. into a hollow cavity of a microwave guide and/or into switch compartment.

[0096] The cover seal 25 can additionally be pressed onto the cover 21 by a holding apparatus such as a spring 26, in order to hold it in position. This means that the cover seal 25 always rests in a planar manner on the cover 21.

[0097] FIG. 9 shows, as a sectional representation in the side view, a drawing of another variant of the microwave cooking appliance 1 with a pattern luminaire 6 integrated into a microwave apparatus 27. Contrary to FIG. 6, the cover 28 is now not fixedly connected to the ceiling 5, but instead movably fastened thereon by means of fastening lugs 29, 30. With an eccentric course of the combined antenna 6, 27 the cover 28 can follow its movement on account of the lateral distance between the cover 28 and the ceiling 5. This likewise results in easier manufacturability.

[0098] The different exemplary embodiments enable an undisturbed introduction of the microwave power and the light beam while simultaneously protecting against dirt.

[0099] In general, and also implementable in the exemplary embodiments, the optics 8 can be protected against contamination from the food to be cooked, e.g. by means of splashes of grease. This can be achieved for instance by providing a shutter or closure, which can be controlled so that the optics 8 are only exposed during an injection of light into the cooking chamber 3. A further possibility is to allow the optics 8 for light radiation to look out from the shaft 14, 17 and to withdraw the same after light radiation into the shaft 14.

[0100] The present invention is naturally not restricted to the exemplary embodiment shown.

[0101] In general “one”, “a” etc. can be understood to mean a single or a multiple, particularly in the context of “at least one” or “one or more” etc. provided this is not explicitly excluded, e.g. by the expression “precisely one” etc.

[0102] A figure can also comprise precisely the specific figure and also a typical tolerance range, provided this is not explicitly ruled out.

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

[0103] 1 Microwave cooking appliance

[0104] 2 Door

[0105] 3 Cooking chamber

[0106] 4 Control facility

[0107] 5 Ceiling

[0108] 6 Pattern luminaire

[0109] 6-1 Pattern luminaire

[0110] 6-2 Pattern luminaire

[0111] 7 Laser

[0112] 8 Optics

[0113] 9 Motor

[0114] 10 Camera

[0115] 10-1 Camera

[0116] 10-2 Camera

[0117] 11 Microwave antenna

[0118] 12 Blade

[0119] 13 Dome

[0120] 14 Shaft

[0121] 15 Microwave antenna

[0122] 16 Communications facility

[0123] 17 Shaft

[0124] 18 Rear longitudinal section

[0125] 19 Front longitudinal section

[0126] 20 Aperture

[0127] 21 Cover

[0128] 22 Microwave antenna

[0129] 23 Front longitudinal section

[0130] 24 Microwave antenna

[0131] 25 Cover seal

[0132] 26 Spring

[0133] 27 Microwave antenna

[0134] 28 Cover

[0135] 29 Fastening lug

[0136] 30 Fastening lug

[0137] A Cover

[0138] D Axis of rotation

[0139] D.sub.1 Axis of rotation

[0140] D Axis of rotation

[0141] G Food to be cooked

[0142] L Light pattern

[0143] L.sub.1 Light pattern

[0144] L.sub.2 Light pattern

[0145] S Field of view of the camera

[0146] S.sub.0 Point of intersection

[0147] S.sub.G Point of intersection