COOKING APPLIANCE COMPRISING A SPECIFICALLY ARRANGED COOKING CHAMBER INSERT HAVING SPECIFIC HEATING FUNCTIONS

Abstract

A cooking appliance includes a housing having a cooking compartment including a cooking compartment divider slide-in level, and a plate-shaped cooking compartment divider designed for positioning in the cooking compartment on the cooking compartment divider slide-in level to divide the cooking compartment into an upper cooking compartment region and a lower cooking compartment region. A hot-air system supplies hot air into the cooking compartment. A wall delimits the cooking compartment and includes ventilation openings, through which the hot air of the hot-air system is supplied into the cooking compartment. The ventilation openings, viewed in a height direction of the cooking appliance, are arranged only above the cooking-chamber divider slide-in level.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A cooking appliance, comprising: a housing having a cooking compartment including a cooking compartment divider slide-in level; a plate-shaped cooking compartment divider designed for positioning in the cooking compartment on the cooking compartment divider slide-in level to divide the cooking compartment into an upper cooking compartment region and a lower cooking compartment region; a hot-air system designed to supply hot air into the cooking compartment; and a wall designed to delimit the cooking compartment and including ventilation openings, through which the hot air of the hot-air system is supplied into the cooking compartment, said ventilation openings, viewed in a height direction of the cooking appliance, being arranged only above the cooking-chamber divider slide-in level.

17. The cooking appliance of claim 16, wherein the hot air system is only effective in the upper cooking compartment region when the cooking compartment divider is inserted in the cooking compartment divider slide-in level and the hot air system is activated.

18. The cooking appliance of claim 16, wherein the cooking compartment divider includes a base unit and a heating element arranged on the base unit and embodied as a top-heat heating element for the lower cooking compartment region when the cooking compartment divider is arranged in the cooking compartment divider slide-in level.

19. The cooking appliance of claim 16, wherein the cooking compartment divider includes a heating element embodied as a bottom-heat heating element and provided for the upper cooking compartment region when the cooking compartment divider is arranged in the cooking compartment divider slide-in level.

20. The cooking appliance of claim 16, wherein the upper cooking compartment region is arranged at a height which is higher than a height of the lower cooking compartment region.

21. The cooking appliance of claim 20, wherein the height of the upper cooking compartment region is at least 10% greater than the height of the lower cooking compartment region.

22. The cooking appliance of claim 20, wherein the height of the upper cooking compartment region is between 10% and 30% greater than the height of the lower cooking compartment region.

23. The cooking appliance of claim 16, wherein the upper cooking compartment region has at least one slide-in level for a carrier for food to be cooked, which carrier is different from the cooking compartment divider and positioned in the upper cooking compartment region at a distance from an upper side of the cooking compartment divider.

24. The cooking appliance of claim 23, wherein a distance, viewed in the height direction, between the upper side of the cooking compartment divider, when inserted into the cooking compartment divider slide-in level, and an upper side of the carrier when inserted into the slide-in level, is between 10 mm and 30 mm.

25. The cooking appliance of claim 23, wherein a distance, viewed in the height direction, between the upper side of the cooking compartment divider, when inserted into the cooking compartment divider slide-in level, and an upper side of the carrier when inserted into the slide-in level, is between 19 mm and 24 mm.

26. The cooking appliance of claim 16, further comprising a heating element arranged in a fixed manner in the upper cooking compartment region and embodied as a top-heat heating element and/or grill heating element.

27. The cooking appliance of claim 24, further comprising a heating element arranged in a fixed manner in the upper cooking compartment region and embodied as a top-heat heating element and/or grill heating element. wherein a distance, viewed in the height direction, between the upper side of the carrier, when inserted into the slide-in level of the upper cooking compartment region, and the top-heat heating element and/or grill heating element in the upper cooking compartment region and/or an upper edge of a boundary flange, which delimits a loading opening of the cooking compartment, is between 160 mm and 210 mm.

28. The cooking appliance of claim 24, further comprising a heating element arranged in a fixed manner in the upper cooking compartment region and embodied as a top-heat heating element and/or grill heating element. wherein a distance, viewed in the height direction, between the upper side of the carrier, when inserted into the slide-in level of the upper cooking compartment region, and the top-heat heating element and/or grill heating element in the upper cooking compartment region and/or an upper edge of a boundary flange, which delimits a loading opening of the cooking compartment, is between 166 mm and 189 mm.

29. The cooking appliance of claim 16, wherein the lower cooking compartment region includes a heating element arranged in a fixed manner as a bottom-heat heating element.

30. The cooking appliance of claim 16, wherein the cooking compartment includes at least two slide-in levels for support of carriers for food to be cooked, respectively. said at least two slide-in levels positioned at different heights, said hot air system simultaneously supplying hot air to the at least two slide-in levels when the cooking compartment divider is removed from the cooking compartment.

31. The cooking appliance of claim 16, wherein the cooking compartment is divided by the cooking compartment divider in such a way that in one of the upper and lower cooking compartment regions a first heating mode is being able to be carried out and in the other one of the upper and lower cooking compartment regions simultaneously a second heating mode is being able to be carried out and is different from the first heating mode, wherein the first and second heating modes in the upper and lower cooking compartment regions do not or substantially do not have any effect on one another.

32. The cooking appliance of claim 16, wherein the cooking compartment divider includes a heating element having electrical connection contacts which automatically make contact with electrical mating connection contacts of the cooking appliance when the cooking compartment divider is inserted into an end position in the cooking compartment.

33. The cooking appliance of claim 16, wherein the cooking compartment divider includes a heating element, said cooking compartment divider including support feet which extend further downward in the height direction than the heating element of the cooking compartment divider.

Description

[0047] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to schematic drawings. In the drawings:

[0048] FIG. 1 shows a perspective front view of an exemplary embodiment of a cooking appliance according to the invention; and

[0049] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a cooking compartment divider.

[0050] In the figures, identical or functionally identical elements are provided with the same reference characters.

[0051] In FIG. 1, an exemplary embodiment of a cooking appliance 1 is shown in a front view. The cooking appliance 1 may be a baking oven or a microwave cooking appliance or a steam cooking appliance. Two or more of these functionalities may also be present in one cooking appliance 1. The cooking appliance 1 has a housing 2. A cooking compartment 3 is formed in the housing 2. In one exemplary embodiment, the cooking compartment 3 is delimited by walls 4, 5, 6 and 7 of a muffle 8.

[0052] Furthermore, the muffle 8 also has a rear wall 9. Viewed in the depth direction of the cooking appliance 1, which is oriented perpendicular to the plane of the figure, a further wall 10 is arranged in the cooking compartment 3. The wall 10 is separate from the rear wall 9. The wall 10 directly delimits the rear of the cooking compartment 3. The wall 10 can also be referred to as a baffle wall. A free space 11 is formed between this wall 10 and the rear wall 9. Thus, a hot air box is realized. In this respect, the cooking appliance 1 also has a hot air system 12. This has a fan, which is not shown, and a heating element, which are arranged in this free space 11. With the hot air system 12, hot air can be generated in activated operation and can be supplied from the free space 11 through multiple ventilation openings 13 in the wall 10 directly into the cooking compartment 3.

[0053] Furthermore, in the exemplary embodiment, the cooking appliance 1 also has a heating element 14. This is here a top-heat heating element and/or grill heating element of the cooking appliance 1. This heating element 14 is arranged in the upper region of the cooking compartment 3. In particular, it is exposed toward the bottom and is arranged directly adjacent to the ceiling wall 7. The heating element 14 is arranged in a fixed manner in the cooking compartment 3. Therefore, it cannot be removed from it in a non-destructive manner.

[0054] Furthermore, in an exemplary embodiment, the cooking appliance 1 has a further heating element 15. This is arranged, viewed in the height direction (y-direction), in the lower region of the housing 2, in particular here directly below the base wall 6 in particular directly below the wall 6. This heating element 15 is a bottom-heat heating element of the cooking appliance 1 for the cooking compartment 3.

[0055] In the exemplary embodiment, the cooking appliance 1 has multiple separate slide-in levels, viewed in the height direction. In the context, multiple slide-in levels 16, 17, 18, 19a and 19b for a carrier for food to be cooked are formed. The number of slide-in levels 16 to 19b for a carrier for food to be cooked is to be understood as merely exemplary. These slide-in levels 16 to 19b for a carrier for food to be cooked, which are intended to allow a carrier for food to be cooked of the cooking appliance 1 to be inserted at a specific height position and held therein, can be formed directly on the inner sides of the lateral walls 4 and 5. In another exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, a separate carrier unit 20 of the cooking appliance 1 can be provided, said carrier unit being held on the wall 4. The carrier unit 20 can be, for example, a support frame. This support frame can be constructed from bars. Accordingly, on the opposite side, a further support frame can be accordingly configured and positioned as a carrier unit 21. At least one carrier 22 for food to be cooked can then be arranged on these carrier units 20 and 21 in the aforementioned slide-in levels 16 to 19b for a carrier for food to be cooked. A carrier 22 for food to be cooked can be, for example, a grid or a baking tray or a drip tray or the like.

[0056] Furthermore, the cooking appliance 1 also has a portable cooking compartment divider 23. The cooking compartment divider 23 is in particular plate-shaped here. It is a separate and distinct component from a carrier 22 for food to be cooked. In the width direction (x-direction) of the cooking appliance 1, in one exemplary embodiment, the cooking compartment divider 23 extends essentially over the entire clear width between the lateral vertical walls 4 and 5. In the depth direction, this cooking compartment divider 23 extends essentially over the entire depth between the wall 10 and, in particular, a front boundary flange 24 of the muffle 8 and/or a loading opening of the cooking compartment 3. Furthermore, the plate-shaped cooking compartment divider 23 is designed to be uninterrupted in its surface dimensions. It can be positioned in the cooking compartment 3 in a defined predetermined slide-in level, which represents a cooking compartment divider slide-in level 25. In particular, only one such cooking compartment divider slide-in level 25 is formed. As a result, the entire cooking compartment 3 is divided into an upper cooking compartment region 3a and a lower cooking compartment region 3b that is separated therefrom. The cooking compartment divider 23 then forms a base wall of the upper cooking compartment region 3a and simultaneously a ceiling wall of the lower cooking compartment region 3b.

[0057] The cooking compartment divider 23 is shown in perspective in FIG. 2 in one exemplary embodiment. The cooking compartment divider 23 is square. It has a base unit 26. The base unit 26 is plate-shaped. Furthermore, the cooking compartment divider 23 has at least one heating element 27. This is arranged here directly on the base unit 26. It is arranged on an underside 26a of the base unit 26. In the exemplary embodiment, the heating element 27 is arranged so as to be exposed toward the bottom. In this respect, the heating element 27 is fixedly connected and thus motion-coupled to the base unit 26. In one exemplary embodiment, this heating element 27 has end-side electrical connection contacts 28 and 29. These are arranged in a cantilevered manner toward the side. They are oriented horizontally. As the cooking compartment divider 23 is inserted into the cooking compartment 3, these electrical connection contacts 28 and 29 are automatically arranged in a fixed manner with the rear region of the housing 2 and are contacted with electrical mating connection contacts of the cooking appliance 1. As a result, electrical energy can be supplied to the cooking compartment divider 23, in particular the heating element 27, when the cooking compartment divider 23 is arranged in the inserted end position in the cooking compartment 3 on its cooking compartment divider slide-in level 25.

[0058] In one exemplary embodiment, the base unit 26 can be thermally insulating. As a result, the upper cooking compartment region 3a is thermally insulated from the lower cooking compartment region 3b. In particular, in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the heating element 27 serves as a top-heat heating element for the lower cooking compartment region 3b. As is apparent, the cooking compartment divider 23 and thus also the cooking compartment divider slide-in level 25 are spaced from the lower wall 6 as well as from the upper wall 7. As a result, each of the two cooking compartment regions 3a and 3b has a specific height so that it is dimensioned in each case alone and independently of the other cooking compartment region 3a and 3b as well as simultaneously in each case for loading with components and/or food to be cooked. Therefore, simultaneous use of the cooking compartment regions 3a and 3b for the preparation of food to be cooked can also be provided.

[0059] Furthermore, as can also be seen in FIG. 2, the cooking compartment divider 23 has support feet 30 and 31 in one exemplary embodiment. Further support feet can also be provided in the rear region, in particular in rear corner regions, of the base unit 26. Viewed in the height direction of the cooking compartment divider 23, these support feet 30 and 31 extend further downward than the heating element 27. In particular, structures can also be provided in the rear region which allow the heating element 27 to end further upward with respect to the height position than this structure 32. These structures 32 can be support feet. However, it can also be a continuous wall web viewed in the width direction. The support feet 30 and 31 and the structure 32 allow the cooking compartment divider 23 to be placed on a surface, for example a worktop, in a stable manner and in particular also without tilting. In particular, this can then be done in such a way that the heating element 27 can be set up without making contact with this top surface.

[0060] As is apparent in FIG. 1, in one exemplary embodiment the upper cooking compartment region 3a is higher than the lower cooking compartment region 3b, viewed in the height direction. This results in a quasi-asymmetrical division of the cooking compartment 3 by the defined predetermined cooking compartment divider slide-in level 25. In particular, the cooking appliance 1 has only one such fixedly predetermined cooking compartment divider slide-in level 25.

[0061] Furthermore, as is apparent, the ventilation openings 13 in the wall 10 are all arranged above the cooking compartment divider 23. This also means that when the cooking compartment divider 23 is arranged with its inserted end position in the cooking compartment 3, hot air from the activated hot air system 12 can only flow into the upper cooking compartment region 3a through the ventilation openings 13. The hot air system 12 is then provided only for the upper cooking compartment region 3a.

[0062] In one exemplary embodiment, it is provided that a distance d1 measured in the height direction, as shown in FIG. 1, is between 10 mm and 30 mm, in particular between 19 mm and 24 mm. This distance d1 is measured in the height direction between an upper side 3a of the cooking compartment divider 23 when it is arranged in its end position in the cooking compartment divider slide-in level 25 and in particular an upper side 22a of the carrier 22 for food to be cooked when this carrier 22 for food to be cooked is arranged in the inserted end state. In particular, this relates to the slide-in level for a carrier for food to be cooked when only one such slide-in level for a carrier for food to be cooked is provided in the upper cooking compartment portion 3a. In one exemplary embodiment, if multiple slide-in levels 16, 17 and 18 for a carrier for food to be cooked are present in the upper cooking compartment region 3a, this distance d1 is thus to be understood for the particular slide-in level 18 for a carrier for food to be cooked which is closest in the height direction to the upper side 23a of the cooking compartment divider 23. In particular, therefore, if the carrier 22 for food to be cooked is inserted into the lowest slide-in level 18 for a carrier for food to be cooked when the upper cooking compartment region 3a has multiple slide-in levels 16 to 18 for a carrier for food to be cooked, this distance d1 applies between the upper sides 22a and 23a.

[0063] In one exemplary embodiment, it is further provided that a distance d2 that is measured in the height direction is between 160 mm and 210 mm, in particular between 166 mm and 189 mm. This is in particular the distance between the upper side 22a of the carrier 22 for food to be cooked and the heating element 14 and/or a lower marginal edge 24a of a boundary wall which delimits the loading opening of the cooking compartment 3 toward the top. This boundary wall can be an upper front flange area, in particular a component of the muffle. In particular, in exemplary embodiments in which multiple slide-in levels 16 to 18 for a carrier for food to be cooked are possible in the upper cooking compartment region 3a, this relates to the particular situation in which the carrier 22 for food to be cooked is arranged in the upper cooking compartment region 3a in the height direction in the lowest slide-in level 18 for a carrier for food to be cooked.

[0064] As can also be seen in an exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1, with such a positioning of the carrier 22 for food to be cooked, in particular with the distances d1 and/or d2, at least half of the ventilation openings 13, viewed in the height direction of the cooking appliance 1, are above the carrier 22 for food to be cooked, in particular at least 70 percent of these ventilation openings 13 are above the carrier 22 for food to be cooked, in particular above the upper side 22a. Furthermore, as can also be seen, no ventilation opening 13 is arranged below the cooking compartment divider 23, viewed in the height direction, when the latter is positioned on the cooking compartment divider slide-in level 25. In the lower cooking compartment region 3b, therefore, this hot air system 12 does not have any effect when the cooking compartment divider 23 is inserted.

[0065] Once the cooking compartment divider 23 has been removed from the cooking compartment 3, the cooking appliance 1 with its various heating modes, in particular the hot air system 12 and/or the heating element 14 and/or the heating element 15, can then be used for the entire cooking compartment 3. In particular, carriers 22 for food to be cooked can then be positioned simultaneously on the various slide-in levels 16, 17, 18, 19a and 19b for a carrier for food to be cooked simultaneously. In particular, the distance d2 is also the minimum distance between the upper side 22a and the lower boundary edge 24a of the circumferential boundary flange 24, which delimits the loading opening of the cooking compartment 3 at the front. This also makes it easy to insert and remove receptacles for food to be cooked, such as relatively tall baking tins, from the upper cooking compartment region 3a or into the upper cooking compartment region 3a, in particular if the carrier 22 for food to be cooked is arranged on the lowest slide-in level 18 for a carrier for food to be cooked.

[0066] Due to the different heating elements of the cooking appliance 1, the cooking compartment regions 3a and 3b can also be used individually or different heating modes can also be carried out simultaneously in the individual cooking compartment regions 3a and 3b. For example, it is thus possible that, when the cooking compartment divider 23 is in the inserted state, the heating mode hot air and/or top heat and/or grill is activated in the upper cooking compartment region 3a. In addition to or in lieu of this, the heating element 27 of the cooking compartment divider 23 can be activated in the lower cooking compartment region 3b and thus a top-heat heating element can be activated. In addition or in lieu of this, the bottom-heat heating element 15 can be activated. Also, roasting tins, for example, as receptacles for food to be cooked can be placed in the upper cooking compartment region 3a in a simple and user-friendly manner. This is particularly the case if, due to the defined specifications with regard to the height of the cooking compartment regions 3a and 3b and the position of the cooking compartment divider 23 and/or in the upper cooking compartment region 3a a lowest positioning of a carrier 22 for food to be cooked, the overall height of the cooking compartment 3 corresponds to a standard height.

[0067] This height d3, in particular between the upper boundary edge 24a and the opposite lower boundary edge of the delimiting flange 24 can be, for example, between 30 and 35, in particular between 31 cm and 33 cm. It is precisely the aforementioned dimensioning and positioning that creates a situation in which the cooking compartment divider 23 can remain in the cooking compartment 3 for a wide variety of applications. Frequent removal and reinsertion can therefore be avoided.

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

[0068] 1 Cooking appliance [0069] 2 Housing [0070] 3 Cooking compartment [0071] 3a Upper cooking compartment region [0072] 3b Lower cooking compartment region [0073] 4 Wall [0074] 5 Wall [0075] 6 Wall [0076] 7 Wall [0077] 8 Muffle [0078] 9 Rear wall [0079] 10 Wall [0080] 11 Free space [0081] 12 Hot air system [0082] 13 Ventilation opening [0083] 14 Heating element [0084] 15 Heating element [0085] 16 Slide-in level for a carrier for food to be cooked [0086] 17 Slide-in level for a carrier for food to be cooked [0087] 18 Slide-in level for a carrier for food to be cooked [0088] 18a Slide-in level for a carrier for food to be cooked [0089] 19 Slide-in level for a carrier for food to be cooked [0090] 19a Slide-in level for a carrier for food to be cooked [0091] 20 Carrier unit [0092] 21 Support frame [0093] 22 Carrier for food to be cooked [0094] 22a Top [0095] 23 Cooking compartment divider [0096] 23 Upper side [0097] 24 Delimiting flange [0098] 24a Lower boundary edge [0099] 25 Cooking compartment divider slide-in level [0100] 26 Base unit [0101] 26a Underside [0102] 27 Heating element [0103] 28 Connection contact [0104] 29 Connection contact [0105] 30 Support foot [0106] 31 Support foot [0107] 32 Structure [0108] d1 Distance [0109] d2 Distance [0110] x Width direction [0111] y Height direction [0112] z Depth direction