COOKING DEVICE WITH CAMERA FOR MONITORING THE COOKING CHAMBER

Abstract

A cooking device comprises a cooking chamber, an imaging camera for monitoring the cooking chamber, control electronics for controlling the cooking device, and a cooling air duct for conveying cooling air. The cooling air duct is arranged and adapted such that the cooling air flows from the camera to the control electronics.

Claims

1. A cooking device comprising a cooking chamber, an imaging camera for monitoring the cooking chamber, control electronics for controlling the cooking device, a cooling air duct for conveying cooling air, wherein the cooling air duct is arranged and adapted such that the cooling air flows from the camera to the control electronics.

2. The cooking device according to claim 1, wherein, when the cooking device is positioned as intended, the camera, is arranged at least partially above the cooking chamber, and/or is arranged at least partially in front of the cooking chamber, or is arranged at least partially directly above and/or directly to the side of the front third of the cooking chamber.

3. The cooking device according to claim 2, wherein, when the cooking device is positioned as intended, the camera is arranged completely above the cooking chamber, and/or completely in front of the cooking chamber.

4. The cooking device according to claim 1, wherein the cooling air duct is adapted such that it has no deflections between the camera and the control electronics.

5. The cooking device according to claim 1, wherein the cooking device comprises only exactly one of the camera.

6. The cooking device according to claim 1, comprising a fan for conveying the cooling air, wherein the fan is arranged downstream of the camera.

7. The cooking device according to claim 1, wherein the cooling air duct is aligned in the same direction in a section directly in front of the camera and in a section between the camera and the control electronics.

8. The cooking device according to claim 7, wherein the cooling air duct is aligned in the same direction immediately after the control electronics.

9. The cooking device according to claim 1, wherein the cooking device has a suction opening for sucking in the cooling air from a gap between the cooking device and the built-in niche when the cooking device is installed.

10. The cooking device according to claim 9, wherein the suction opening is arranged at the side of the cooking chamber at the same height as the camera.

11. The cooking device according to claim 9, wherein the suction opening, the camera and the control electronics are arranged in a straight line.

12. The cooking device according to claim 9, wherein the suction opening is arranged a maximum of 15 cm, in particular a maximum of 10 cm, in particular a maximum of 5 cm, in front of the camera in the direction of flow.

13. The cooking device according to claim 1, wherein the camera is arranged centrally between the left and right side walls of the cooking chamber.

14. The cooking device according to claim 1, wherein the control electronics are arranged above or behind the camera.

15. The cooking device according to claim 1, wherein the cooling air duct is arranged and adapted such that the cooling air between the camera and the control electronics does not cool any other components to be cooled.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] Further embodiments, advantages and applications of the invention result from the dependent claims and from the following description on the basis of the figures. The figures show:

[0033] FIG. 1 a cooking device with a camera;

[0034] FIG. 2a the cooking device of FIG. 1 in a sectional view from the front;

[0035] FIG. 2b the cooking device of FIG. 1 in a sectional view from above;

[0036] FIG. 2c the cooking device of FIG. 1 in a sectional view from the left;

[0037] FIG. 3a a cooking device with an alternative arrangement of the camera in a sectional view from the front; and

[0038] FIG. 3b the cooking device of FIG. 3a in a sectional view from the left.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] FIG. 1 shows a household cooking device with a view from the outside to the front. The cooking device comprises a housing 1 and a cooking chamber 2 arranged in the housing 1. One or more food supports 3 are arranged in the cooking chamber 2. The food supports 3 can be designed, for example, as grids, trays or the like. The cooking chamber 2 is closed on five sides, as is usually the case for household cooking devices, and is accessible to the user via a door 4. The door 4 comprises a door handle 4a with which the door 4 can be opened by hand. The cooking chamber 2 extends in depth from the rear of the cooking chamber 2 to the inside of the door 4.

[0040] The cooking device is shown as it is oriented during normal use. That is, reference numeral 1a is shown on the left, reference numeral 1b is shown on the right, reference numeral 1c is shown on the bottom, and reference numeral 1d is shown on the top of the cooking device. Reference numeral 1e marks the back of the cooking chamber. At the front of the cooking device, the door 4 is arranged.

[0041] The cooking device comprises an imaging camera 5 for monitoring the cooking chamber. It is only schematically drawn with dashed lines, as it is not visible from the outside. The camera 5 is arranged in the cuboid cooking chamber 2 at the front, left, upper corner.

[0042] FIGS. 2a to 2c show sectional views. The sectional view of FIG. 2a is a view from the front. The section line is marked with a-a in FIG. 2b. The sectional view of FIG. 2b is a view from above. The section line is marked with b-b in FIG. 2c. The sectional view of FIG. 2c is a view from the left. The section line is marked c-c in FIG. 2a. FIGS. 2a to 2c are schematic and show only the cooking chamber 2, the camera 5, a fan 6, control electronics 7, a cooling air duct 8 and a suction opening 9.

[0043] In FIG. 2a it is visible that the camera 5 is arranged partially above the cooking chamber 2, i.e. above the dashed line 4b. In close proximity to the camera 5, the cooking device comprises a suction opening 9 in the housing 1. This allows cool air, e.g. at room temperature, to flow into the cooking device from outside the cooking device in the direction of the arrow. If the cooking device is mounted in a built-in niche, the cooling air flows into the cooking device from a gap between the cooking device and the niche.

[0044] Immediately after entering the cooking device through the suction opening 9, the cooling air reaches the camera 5 to cool it. The cooling is to ensure that the camera 5 remains below a temperature between 50° C. to 60° C. Downstream of the camera 5, the cooling air flows to the control electronics 7, cools the control electronics 7 to temperatures of no more than 70° C. to 80° C. and then exits the cooking device to the front.

[0045] The cooling air duct 8 extends from the suction opening 9 to the control electronics 7 in a straight line, i.e. the cooling air flows in the same direction in the cooling air duct section between the suction opening 9 and the camera 5 as in the cooling air duct section between the camera 5 and the control electronics 7. This design and arrangement of the cooling air duct 8, the suction opening 9, the camera 5 and the control electronics 7 permits compact and simple cooling. The straight extension of the cooling air duct 8 only concerns the supply and discharge of cooling air to the camera 5 and control electronics 7. Of course, it is possible that the cooling air is redirected within the camera 5 or within the control electronics 7 for cooling these components.

[0046] It should be mentioned that the fan 6, which conveys the cooling air within the cooling air duct 8, is arranged between the camera 5 and the control electronics 7.

[0047] FIG. 2b shows the cooking device from above. Here, too, it is visible how the cooling air flows into the cooking device from the left through the suction opening 9. The camera 5 and the control electronics 7 are cooled in a direct line, since the cooling air duct from the suction opening 9 to the control electronics 7 has no deflections. Downstream of the control electronics 7, the cooling air is deflected and the cooling air leaves the cooking device to the front of the device.

[0048] To keep the distances short, the suction opening 9 is arranged very close to the camera 5. The distance between the camera 5 and the suction opening 9 is marked with the distance mark 10. This distance is about 5 cm long, i.e. the suction opening 9 is arranged about 5 cm upstream of the camera 5.

[0049] FIG. 2c shows the cooking device as seen from the left. It is visible how the camera 5 is arranged far in front at least partially above the cooking chamber 2. It is located at least partially directly above the foremost third 2a of the cooking chamber 2.

[0050] In FIGS. 3a and 3b, a second embodiment is shown. Here, the camera 5 is arranged at the upper front edge of the cooking chamber 2 in the center. As visible in FIG. 3b, the camera 5 is arranged at least partially in front of the cooking chamber, i.e. partially between the cooking chamber and the front side.

[0051] The second embodiment is illustrated with a view from the front in FIG. 3a and a view from the left in FIG. 3b. In this embodiment, the control electronics 7 are arranged above the camera 5. The cooling air flows into the cooking device through the suction opening 9, reaches the camera 5, is then deflected upwards by 90° and then reaches the control electronics 7.

[0052] While preferred embodiments of the invention are described in the present application, it should be clearly noted that the invention is not limited to these and may also be carried out in other ways within the scope of the following claims.