COOKING SYSTEM

Abstract

A cooking system includes a placement plate, and a radiation guiding element which is permeable for infrared radiation and visible light. The radiation guiding element extends in an assembled state at least in part along a normal direction perpendicular to a main extent plane of the placement plate from an upper side to a lower side of the placement plate.

Claims

1-19. (canceled)

20. A cooking system, comprising: a placement plate; and a radiation guiding element which is permeable for infrared radiation and visible light, said radiation guiding element extending in an assembled state at least in part along a normal direction perpendicular to a main extent plane of the placement plate from an upper side to a lower side of the placement plate.

21. The cooking system of claim 20, constructed in a form of an induction cooking system.

22. The cooking system of claim 20, wherein at least one partial area of the placement plate outside the radiation guiding element has a lower transmittance at least for visible light than the radiation guiding element.

23. The cooking system of claim 20, wherein the radiation guiding element is integrated in the assembled state in a cut-out of the placement plate.

24. The cooking system of claim 20, wherein the radiation guiding element has a surface area extent which is significantly smaller than a surface area extent of the placement plate when viewed along the normal direction.

25. The cooking system of claim 20, further comprising a further radiation guiding element which is permeable for infrared radiation and visible light and which in the assembled state is arranged offset along the normal direction with respect to the radiation guiding element and interacts optically with the radiation guiding element.

26. The cooking system of claim 20, wherein in the assembled state the radiation guiding element has along the normal direction an extent which is greater than an extent of the placement plate.

27. The cooking system of claim 20, further comprising a sensor unit, which in the assembled state is arranged offset along the normal direction with respect to the radiation conducting element so as to detect a sensor parameter.

28. The cooking system of claim 27, wherein the sensor unit includes an infrared temperature sensor.

29. The cooking system of claim 28, wherein the sensor unit includes a sensor element configured to assist the infrared temperature sensor and/or to detect a further sensor parameter.

30. The cooking system of claim 20, further comprising an illumination unit arranged in the assembled state offset along the normal direction with respect to the radiation guiding element, said illumination unit configured to couple visible light into the radiation guiding element in an operating state.

31. The cooking system of claim 20, further comprising a heating element, which when viewed along the normal direction at least in part surrounds the radiation guiding element.

32. The cooking system of claim 31, wherein the heating element is an induction heating element.

33. The cooking system of claim 20, wherein the placement plate is designed as a cooktop plate or as a kitchen worktop.

34. A cooking system, comprising: a placement plate; and a thermal insulation element configured for arrangement on an upper side of the placement plate and to protect the placement plate against temperature influences, said thermal insulation element including a cut-out through which the placement plate is visible.

35. The cooking system of claim 34, wherein the cut-out has a diameter which corresponds at least to a diameter of the radiation guiding element.

36. The cooking system of claim 34, wherein the thermal insulation element has an upper side and a lower side which has a degree of roughness which is lower than a degree of roughness of the upper side, said lower side of the thermal insulation element contacting the placement plate.

37. The cooking system of claim 34, further comprising a position sensor unit configured to detect a positioning of the thermal insulation element.

38. A cooktop, in particular an induction cooktop, said cooktop comprising a cooking system configured in one of two ways, a first way in which the cooking system comprises a placement plate and a radiation guiding element which is permeable for infrared radiation and visible light, said radiation guiding element extending in an assembled state at least in part along a normal direction perpendicular to a main extent plane of the placement plate from an upper side to a lower side of the placement plate, a second way in which the cooking system comprises a placement plate and a thermal insulation element configured for arrangement on an upper side of the placement plate and to protect the placement plate against temperature influences, said thermal insulation element including a cut-out through which the placement plate is visible.

39. A method for operating a cooking system comprising a placement plate, the method comprising: transporting visible light from a lower side to an upper side of the placement plate; and transporting infrared radiation from the upper side to the lower side of the placement plate.

Description

[0030] In the drawings:

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a schematic plan view of a cooktop having a cooking system, comprising a placement plate that is designed as a cooktop plate and a radiation guiding element,

[0032] FIG. 2 shows a schematic sectional view of the cooking system shown in FIG. 1,

[0033] FIG. 3 shows a schematic method flow diagram of a method for operating a cooking system,

[0034] FIG. 4 shows a schematic sectional view of a further exemplary embodiment of a cooking system having a placement place, a radiation guiding element and a further radiation guiding element,

[0035] FIG. 5 shows a schematic sectional view of a further exemplary embodiment of a cooking system having a placement plate, which is designed as a kitchen worktop, and a radiation guiding element and

[0036] FIG. 6 shows a schematic sectional view of a further exemplary embodiment of a cooking system having a placement plate and a thermal insulation element.

[0037] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic plan view of a cooktop 50a. The cooktop 50a is designed as an induction cooktop. The cooktop 50a has a cooking system 10a.

[0038] The cooking system 10a has a placement plate 12a. The placement plate 12a is designed as a cooktop plate 46a.

[0039] The cooking system 10a has a heating element 42a. The heating element 42a is designed as an induction heating element. The heating element 42a is provided so as to heat an item of cookware (not shown) that is placed in a heating area 44a on an upper side 20a of the placement plate 12a.

[0040] The cooking system 10a has a radiation guiding element 14a. In an assembled state, the radiation guiding element 14a extends at least in part along a normal direction 18a, which is perpendicular to a main extent plane 16a of the placement plate 12a, from the upper side 20a to a lower side 22a of the placement plate 12a (cf. FIG. 2).

[0041] The radiation guiding element 14a is made of quartz. The radiation guiding element 14a is permeable for infrared radiation (not shown) and visible light (not shown). When viewed along the normal direction 18a, the radiation guiding element 14a has a substantially smaller surface area extent 28a than the placement plate 12a.

[0042] At least one partial area 24a of the placement plate 12a outside the radiation guiding element 14a has a lower transmittance at least for visible light than the radiation guiding element 14a. In the present case, the partial area 24a also extends over the heating area 44a outside of the radiation guiding element 14a. The placement plate 12a has an impermeable coating 58a in the partial area 24a.

[0043] FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic sectional view of the cooking system 10a in an assembled state.

[0044] In the assembled state, the radiation guiding element 14a is integrated in a cut-out 26a of the placement plate 12a. The cut-out 26a is formed as a bore in the placement plate 12a. In the assembled state, the radiation conducting element 14a is integrated in a positive-locking manner in the cut-out 26a of the placement plate 12a.

[0045] The cooking system 10a has a sensor unit 34a, which in the assembled state is arranged offset along the normal direction 18a with respect to the radiation guiding element 14a, so as to detect at least one sensor parameter.

[0046] The sensor unit 34a has an infrared temperature sensor 36a. The infrared temperature sensor 36a is designed as a photoelectric sensor, and namely as a photodiode. In an operating state of the cooking system 10a, the infrared temperature sensor 36a detects an intensity of an infrared radiation that is emitted from an item of cookware (not shown) that is placed on the upper side 20a of the placement plate 12a and transported to the infrared temperature sensor 36a by the radiation guiding element 14a, and ascertains therefrom a temperature of the cookware.

[0047] The sensor unit 34a has a sensor element 38a. The sensor element 38a is provided so as to assist the infrared temperature sensor 36a and/or so as to detect a further sensor parameter. In the present embodiment, the sensor element 38a is designed as an NTC temperature sensor 52a and is provided so as to measure an ambient temperature of the infrared temperature sensor 36a in order to calculate influences of the ambient temperature on the temperature measurement by means of the infrared temperature sensor 36a.

[0048] The cooking system 10a has an illumination unit 40a. In the assembled state, the illumination unit 40a is arranged offset along the normal direction 18a with respect to the radiation guiding element 14a. In an operating state, the illumination unit 40a couples visible light into the radiation guiding element 14a. The illumination unit 40a has a light source 54a. The light source 54a is designed as an RGB LED 56a. In the operating state, the light source 54a provides visible light for coupling into the radiation guiding element 14a. In the operating state, the visible light is transported from the lower side 22a to the upper side 20a of the placement plate 12a by means of the radiation guiding element 14a.

[0049] The heating element 42a at least in part surrounds the radiation guiding element 14a when viewed along the normal direction 18a. The heating element 42a has a coil carrier 68a. In a central region 70a of the heating element 42a, the coil carrier 68a forms a base structure 72a. In the assembled state, the sensor unit 34a and the illumination unit 40a are attached to the base structure 72a. In the assembled state, the radiation guiding element 14a extends over the central region 70a of the heating element 42a in the direction of view of the normal direction 18a.

[0050] FIG. 3 shows a schematic process flow diagram of a method for operating the cooking system 10a. In the method, visible light is transported from the lower side 22a to the upper side 20a of the placement plate 12a and infrared radiation is transported from the upper side 20a to the lower side 22a of the placement plate 12a. In a first method step 60a of the method, the cooking system 10a is put into operation. In a further method step 62a, visible light that is provided by the light source 54a of the illumination unit 40a is coupled into the radiation guiding element 14a and transported from the lower side 22a to the upper side 20a of the placement plate 12a. In a further method step 64a which may be performed simultaneously with or with a time delay with respect to the further process step 62a, infrared radiation, which is emitted by an item of cookware that is placed on the upper side 20a of the placement plate 12a and is at least in part coupled into the radiation guiding element 14a, is transported from the upper side 20a to the lower side 22a of the placement plate 12a.

[0051] FIGS. 4 to 6 illustrate three further exemplary embodiments of the invention. The following descriptions are essentially limited to the differences between the exemplary embodiments, wherein with regard to components, features and functions which remain the same reference can be made to the description of the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3. In order to differentiate between the exemplary embodiments, the letter a in the reference characters of the exemplary embodiment in FIGS. 1 to 3 is replaced by the letters b to d in the reference characters of the exemplary embodiment in FIGS. 4 to 6. With regard to components that have the same designation, in particular with regard to components that have the same reference characters, reference can also be made in principle to the drawings and/or the description of the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3.

[0052] FIG. 4 illustrates another embodiment of a cooking system 10b. The cooking system 10b has a placement plate 12b and a radiation guiding element 14b. The radiation guiding element 14b is permeable for infrared radiation and visible light and, in an assembled state, extends at least in part along a normal direction 18b that is perpendicular to a main extent plane 16b of the placement plate 12b from an upper side 20b to a lower side 22b of the placement plate 12b.

[0053] At least one partial area 24b of the placement plate 12b outside of the radiation guiding element 14b has a lower transmittance at least for visible light than the radiation guiding element 14b. The placement plate 12b is made of a translucent material having a lower transmittance for visible light than the radiation guiding element 14b.

[0054] The cooking system 10b has a further radiation guiding element 32b. The further radiation guiding element 32b is arranged in the assembled state offset along the normal direction 18b with respect to the radiation guiding element 14b. The further radiation guiding element 32b interacts optically with the radiation guiding element 14b. In an operating state of the cooking system 10b, infrared radiation and/or visible light are transmitted between the radiation guiding element 14b and the further radiation guiding element 32b.

[0055] The cooking system 10b has a sensor unit 34b that in the assembled state is arranged offset along the normal direction 18b with respect to the radiation guiding element 14b, so as to detect at least one sensor parameter. In the present case, the sensor unit 34b is arranged offset along the normal direction 18b with respect to the radiation conducting element 14b and offset with respect to the further radiation conducting element 32b.

[0056] The sensor unit 34b has an infrared temperature sensor 36b and a sensor element 38b. The sensor element 38b is provided so as to assist the infrared temperature sensor 36b and so as to detect a further sensor parameter. The sensor element 38b is designed as an infrared radiation source 66b. In the operating state of the cooking system 10b, the infrared radiation source 66b provides a reference infrared signal (not shown) and couples it into the further radiation guiding element 32b. The reference infrared signal is transmitted from the further radiation guiding element 32b to the radiation guiding element 14b, and is transmitted by the radiation guiding element 14b from the lower side 22b of the placement plate 12b to the upper side 20b of the placement plate 12b. The reference infrared signal is provided for calibration of the infrared temperature sensor 36b. Based on the reference infrared signal, the infrared temperature sensor 36b ascertains an emissivity of an item of cookware (not shown) that is placed on the upper side 20b of the placement plate 12b relative to an ideal heat emitter. The sensor element 38b that is formed by the infrared radiation source 66b is also provided so as to detect a further sensor parameter. The further sensor parameter is a presence or absence of an object (not shown), in particular an item of cookware, which is located on the upper side 20b of the placement plate 12b. In the case where there is no object on the upper side 20b of the placement plate 12b, an emissivity detected by the infrared temperature sensor 36b is nearly zero. If an object is placed on the upper side 20b of the placement plate 12b, the emissivity detected by the infrared temperature sensor 36b increases, with the result that the presence of an item of cookware can be inferred.

[0057] FIG. 5 illustrates a further exemplary embodiment of a cooking system 10c. The cooking system 10c has a placement plate 12c. The placement plate 12c is designed as a kitchen worktop 48c.

[0058] The cooking system 10c has a radiation guiding element 14c. The radiation guiding element 14c is permeable for infrared radiation and visible light, and in an assembled state extends at least in part along a normal direction 18c that is perpendicular to a main extent plane 16c of the placement plate 12c from the upper side 20c to a lower side 22c of the placement plate 12c.

[0059] The cooking system 10c has a heating element 42c. The heating element 42c is designed as an induction heating element and is provided for heating an item of cookware that is placed on the upper side 20c of the placement plate 12c.

[0060] At least one partial area 24c of the placement plate 12c outside the radiation guiding element 14c has a lower transmittance at least for visible light than the radiation guiding element 14c. In the present case, the placement plate 12c that is designed as a kitchen worktop 48c is made of a material that is impermeable for visible light.

[0061] In the assembled state, the radiation guiding element 14c has a greater extent 30c along the normal direction 18c than the placement plate 12c. In the assembled state, the radiation guiding element 14c extends from the upper side 20c of the placement plate 12c along the normal direction 18c over the lower side 22c of the placement plate 12c. In the assembled state, the radiation guiding element 14c extends along the normal direction 18c into a central region 70c of the heating element 42c.

[0062] The cooking system 10c has a sensor unit 34c and an illumination unit 40c, each of which is designed analogously to the exemplary embodiment of the cooking system 10b of FIG. 4. By means of the illumination unit 40c and the radiation guiding element 14c, a suitable positioning of an item of cookware (not shown) on the upper side 20c of the placement plate 12c that is designed as a kitchen worktop 48c can be indicated to a user in an operating state of the cooking system 10c.

[0063] FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of a cooking system 10d. The cooking system 10d has a placement plate 12d. The placement plate 12d is designed as a kitchen worktop 48d. The cooking system 10d has a thermal insulation element 74d, which can be arranged on an upper side 20d of the placement plate 12d and is provided so as to protect the placement plate 12d against temperature influences. The thermal insulation element 74d has a cut-out 76d through which the placement plate 12d is visible.

[0064] The thermal insulation element 74d has an upper side 82d and a lower side 84d. The upper side 82d of the thermal insulation element 74d is provided so as to support an item of cookware 90d. The lower side 82d is provided for contacting the placement plate 12d, and specifically the upper side 20d of the placement plate 12d. The lower side 84d has a lower degree of roughness than the upper side 82d. This facilitates a sliding of the thermal insulation element 74d together with the cookware 90d on the upper side 20d of the placement plate. In the present case, grooves (not shown) are introduced on the upper side 82d of the thermal insulation element 74d in order to increase a roughness and to counteract a slipping of the cookware 90d relative to the thermal insulation element 74d, whereas the lower side 84d of the thermal insulation element 74d is untreated and already has a smooth surface with a low degree of roughness due to the manufacturing process.

[0065] The cooking system 10d has a heating element 42d. The heating element 42d is designed as an induction heating element. The heating element 42d is provided so as to heat the cookware 90d. The cookware 90d is placed on the upper side 82d of the thermal insulation element 74d. In a heating operating state of the heating element 42d, the cookware 90d is inductively heated. The thermal insulation element 74d has a material with a very low thermal conductivity of at most 0.021 W/(m K), with the result that in the heating operating state, a heat transfer of a heat radiated from the cookware 90d to the placement plate 12d is greatly reduced compared to a case in which the cookware 90d is directly placed on the upper side 20d of the placement plate 12d and is heated, and the placement plate 12d is protected against temperature effects.

[0066] The cooking system 10d has a radiation guiding element 14d. The radiation guiding element 14d is designed substantially identically to the radiation guiding element 14b of the exemplary embodiment of the cooking system 10b, and therefore reference is made at this point to the above description of FIG. 4 with respect to the radiation guiding element 14d.

[0067] The cut-out 76d of the thermal insulation element 74d has a diameter 78d, which corresponds to at least a diameter 80d of the radiation guiding element 14d. In the present case, the diameter 78d of the cut-out 76d of the thermal insulation element 74d is larger than the diameter 80d of the radiation guiding element 14d. Provided that the thermal insulation element 74d is correctly arranged on the upper side 20d of the placement plate, as shown in FIG. 6, the radiation guiding element 14d is not covered by it.

[0068] The cooking system 10d has a position sensor unit 86d, which is provided to detect a positioning of the thermal insulation element 74d. The positioning unit 86d comprises a positioning sensor element 88d. The positioning sensor element 88d is arranged below the worktop 12d and is in contact with the lower side 22d of the worktop 12d. The positioning sensor element 88d is designed as an NTC temperature sensor. As soon as the heating element 42d is put into operation and the heating operating state occurs, the positioning sensor element 88d measures a temperature of the placement plate 12d at regular time intervals. In the case where the thermal insulation element 74d is not positioned on the upper side 20d of the placement plate 12d in the heating operating state, the positioning sensor element 88d detects a rapid increase in the temperature of the placement plate 12d. The position sensor unit 86d interprets a rapid rise in the temperature of the placement plate 12d as an absence of the thermal insulation element 74d. The positioning sensor unit 86d is connected to a control unit (not shown). In the case of a rapid rise in the temperature of the placement plate 12d that is measured by the positioning sensor element 88d, the control unit (not shown) could output a warning signal to a user via an output unit (not shown) and/or limit a heating power that is provided by the heating element 42d to the cookware 90d to a level that is not critical for the placement plate 12d. In the event that the thermal insulation element 74d is positioned between the placement plate 12d and the item of cookware 90d in the heating operating state, the temperature of the worktop 12d that is measured by the positioning sensor element 88d increases only very slowly, which is interpreted by the position sensor unit 86d as a presence of the thermal insulation element 74d. The cooking system 10d has a sensor unit 34d that in an assembled state is arranged offset along a normal direction 18d with respect to the radiation guiding element 14d so as to detect at least one sensor parameter. The sensor unit 34d has an infrared temperature sensor 36d and is designed substantially identically to the sensor unit 34a of the cooking system 10a, and therefore reference is made to the above description of FIGS. 1 to 3 for further information regarding the sensor unit 34d.

[0069] By an interaction of the position sensor unit 86d with the sensor unit 34d, a detection of the positioning of the thermal insulation element 74d can be improved. In the case of correct positioning of the thermal insulation element 74d as illustrated in FIG. 6, a temperature that is measured by the infrared temperature sensor 36d in the heating operating state of the heating element 42d is substantially higher than a temperature that is measured by the positioning sensor element 88d. In the case of a non-mispositioning of the insulation element 74d, when the cut-out 76d of the thermal insulation element 74d is not positioned above the radiation guiding element 14d with the result that the radiation guiding element is fully or in part covered by the thermal insulation element 74d, a temperature that is measured by the infrared temperature sensor 36d and a temperature that is measured by the positioning sensor element 88d are substantially identical. In the case of improper positioning of the insulation element 74d, the control unit (not shown) could output an indication to a user via the output unit (not shown).

REFERENCE CHARACTERS

[0070] 10 Cooking system [0071] 12 Placement plate [0072] 14 Radiation guiding element [0073] 16 Main extent plane [0074] 18 Normal direction [0075] 20 Upper side [0076] 22 Lower side [0077] 24 Partial area [0078] 26 Cut-out [0079] 28 Surface area extent [0080] 30 Extent [0081] 32 Further radiation guiding element [0082] 34 Sensor unit [0083] 36 Infrared temperature sensor [0084] 38 Sensor element [0085] 40 Illumination unit [0086] 42 Heating element [0087] 44 Heating area [0088] 46 Cooktop plate [0089] 48 Kitchen worktop [0090] 50 Cooktop [0091] 52 NTC temperature sensor [0092] 54 Light source [0093] 56 RGB LED [0094] 58 Impermeable coating [0095] 60 First method step [0096] 62 Further method step [0097] 64 Further method step [0098] 66 Infrared radiation source [0099] 68 Coil carrier [0100] 70 Central region [0101] 72 Base structure [0102] 74 Thermal insulation element [0103] 76 Cut-out [0104] 78 Diameter [0105] 80 Diameter [0106] 82 Upper side [0107] 84 Lower side [0108] 86 Position sensor unit [0109] 88 Positioning sensor element [0110] 90 Cookware