METHOD FOR OPERATING A DOMESTIC COOKING APPLIANCE AND DOMESTIC COOKING APPLIANCE

Abstract

In a method for operating a household cooking appliance with a cooking chamber, a humidity value is monitored in the cooking chamber, and a sign is output when the humidity value reaches or falls below a predetermined threshold value.

Claims

1-12. (canceled)

13. A method for operating a household cooking appliance with a cooking chamber, said method comprising: monitoring a humidity value in the cooking chamber; and outputting a sign when the humidity value reaches or falls below a predetermined threshold value.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the sign comprises a suggestion to increase the humidity value in the cooking chamber.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the household cooking appliance is configured without a steam generator.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the increase of the humidity value in the cooking chamber is realized by manually triggering a steam boost via a steam generator of the household cooking appliance.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the sign comprises a suggestion to add food to the cooking chamber.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising: continuing to monitor the humidity value in the cooking chamber after outputting the sign; and outputting a further sign when the humidity value reaches or falls below a further predetermined threshold value.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising: determining a reference humidity value at a predetermined point in time; and determining the threshold value from the reference humidity value, multiplied by a predetermined associated proportional factor.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining reference humidity values at different points in time in order to determine different threshold values, each multiplied by a predetermined associated proportional factor.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising determining different proportional factors in order to determine the different threshold values.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising: selecting initially a desired humidity level from a group of a number of predetermined humidity levels; and setting the proportional factor as a function of the selected humidity level.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising setting the proportional factor as a function of a selected cooking program.

24. A household cooking appliance, comprising: a cooking chamber; a sensor configured to determine a humidity in the cooking chamber; and a control device operably connected to the sensor and outputting a sign when the humidity in the cooking chamber reaches or falls below a predetermined threshold value.

25. The household cooking appliance of claim 24, further comprising a manually operated steam generator to trigger a steam boost for increasing the humidity in the cooking chamber.

26. The household cooking appliance of claim 24, wherein the sensor continues to monitor the humidity value in the cooking chamber after the control device has output the sign, said control device outputting a further sign when the humidity value reaches or falls below a further predetermined threshold value.

27. The household cooking appliance of claim 24, wherein the control device is configured to determine the threshold value from a reference humidity value at a predetermined point in time, multiplied by a predetermined associated proportional factor.

28. The household cooking appliance of claim 24, wherein the control device is configured to determine reference humidity values at different points in time in order to determine different threshold values, each multiplied by a predetermined associated proportional factor.

29. The household cooking appliance of claim 28, wherein the control device is configured to determine different proportional factors in order to determine the different threshold values.

30. The household cooking appliance of claim 28, wherein the control device is configured to select a desired humidity level from a group of a number of predetermined humidity levels in response to querying a user, and to set the proportional factor as a function of the selected humidity level.

31. The household cooking appliance of claim 28, wherein the control device is configured to set the proportional factor as a function of a selected cooking program.

32. The household cooking appliance of claim 24, wherein the sign comprises a suggestion to increase the humidity value in the cooking chamber or to add food to the cooking chamber.

Description

[0041] The above-described properties, features and advantages of this invention and the manner in which these are achieved will become clearer and more readily understandable in connection with the following schematic description of an exemplary embodiment, which will be described in further detail making reference to the drawings.

[0042] FIG. 1 shows a flow chart of the method according to a first exemplary embodiment with an associated household cooking appliance;

[0043] FIG. 2 shows a flow chart of the method according to a first exemplary embodiment;

[0044] FIG. 3 shows a flow chart of the method according to a third exemplary embodiment;

[0045] FIG. 4 shows a flow chart of the method according to a fourth exemplary embodiment.

[0046] FIG. 1 shows a flow chart of the method according to a first exemplary embodiment.

[0047] In a step S1, a cooking operation of a household cooking appliance 1 is started. This can take place e.g. by a user activating a start button and/or in a program-controlled manner. The user may have entered settings associated with carrying out the cooking operation (e.g. a desired target cooking chamber temperature, process duration, type of cooked food etc.) directly and/or by way of selecting a cooking program.

[0048] The household cooking appliance 1 has a cooking chamber 2 and a sensor 3 suited to determining an e.g. absolute or relative humidity in the cooking chamber 2, e.g. a lambda probe. The sensor 3 is connected to a control device 4, which can evaluate the measured values of the sensor 3. In the event of a presence of a Lambda probe, the control device 4 can be designed, for instance, to convert an oxygen partial pressure measured thereby into corresponding humidity values. However, it is also possible to dispense with the conversion and the measured value as such for carrying out the method can be used as a representative of a humidity value.

[0049] In a following step S2, a current humidity value of the cooking chamber 2 or a cooking chamber atmosphere in the cooking chamber 2 is determined by means of the control device 4 at an initial point in time t0 as a reference humidity value fr (t0) or reference humidity content, e.g. in the presence of an oxygen sensor represented by a value pO2 (t0) of an oxygen partial pressure. The humidity value can represent an absolute or relative humidity.

[0050] In a step S3, a threshold value T according to T=fr (t0).Math.y with y<1 is calculated from the reference humidity value fr (t0) by means of the control device 4. The threshold value T therefore corresponds to a proportion of humidity of the reference humidity value fr (t0) which is fixed by means of the “proportional factor” y.

[0051] In a fourth step S4, a current humidity value f(t) in the cooking chamber 2 is monitored by means of the control device 4 at the following points in time t with t>t0. If the current humidity value f(t) is above the threshold value T (“N”), the monitoring is continued in a loop-type manner, e.g. at regular consecutive points in time t.

[0052] If, however, in step S4 the humidity value f(t) reaches or falls below the threshold value T (“J”), in a step S5, a sign or a message is output to a user and makes the user aware of the drop in the current humidity value f(t) to the threshold value T. The sign can be output to a display device of the household cooking appliance and/or transmitted to a user terminal (e.g. a smartphone) of the user. The sign can be output in an acoustically highlighted manner, e.g. by outputting a supervisory tone.

[0053] Where necessary, the user can increase the humidity value in response to the sign. This can take place in household cooking appliances without a steam generator, for instance, so that a user opens a cooking chamber door 5 which closes the cooking chamber 2 and supplies water into the cooking chamber 2. With household cooking appliances with a steam generator, the user can, for instance, actuate a corresponding actuation field on the household cooking appliance or the household cooking appliance in a remote controlled manner by way of the user terminal, in order to activate the steam generator for outputting steam into the cooking chamber 2, e.g. in the form of one or more steam boosts.

[0054] FIG. 2 shows a flow chart of the method according to a second exemplary embodiment. In this exemplary embodiment, steps S1 to S5 are carried out similarly to the method according to a first exemplary embodiment.

[0055] However, following step S5, in a step S6 the control device 4 waits for a predetermined waiting time (duration) Δt (e.g. one or two minutes) and then branches back to step S4. If the humidity value is not increased to above the threshold value T within the waiting time Δt, the sign is output again in step S4.

[0056] In one variant, the waiting time Δt can begin with outputting the sign in step S5.

[0057] In another variant, the waiting time Δt can begin with identifying an opening and closing process of the cooking chamber door 5, possibly under the boundary condition that the cooking chamber door 5 has been opened for a minimum duration. This variant is particularly advantageous for household cooking appliances without a steam generator or only with an evaporator tray, since it provides an indication that the user has filled liquid into the cooking chamber 2 and to this end has opened the cooking chamber door 5 for a sufficiently long period of time.

[0058] In yet another variant, the waiting time Δt can occur by a user triggering a steam boost if the household cooking appliance is equipped with a steam generator.

[0059] In one development, the signs output in step S5 are the same. In another development, the signs can differ. Therefore a sign which follows the first sign can advise a user more urgently as to the threshold value T being reached.

[0060] FIG. 3 shows a flow chart of the method according to a third exemplary embodiment. In this exemplary embodiment, the steps S1 to S5 are carried out similarly to the method according to the first or the second exemplary embodiment.

[0061] By outputting the sign in step S5 (optionally after a waiting time Δt similar to step S6 according to the second exemplary embodiment), a branch back to step S3 is made. As a result, at a point in time t1 with t1>t0, the humidity value f(t) is fixed as the new reference humidity value fr (t1) and method step S4 proceeds again with a new threshold value T=fr (t1).Math.y.

[0062] If in step S4 the current humidity value f(t) reaches or fails to reach the new threshold value T (“J”), in step S5 a sign is again output to a user which makes the user aware that the current humidity value f(t) has dropped to the new threshold value T.

[0063] This adjustment of the reference humidity value fr and thus of the threshold value T can essentially proceed as often as necessary or be restricted to a maximum number. In particular, it is possible only to use the two reference humidity values fr (t0) and fr (t1) or only the threshold values T (t0) and T (t1).

[0064] The threshold values T (ti) with i=0, 1, 2, . . . may therefore vary since the reference humidity values fr (ti) defined at points in time ti may be different.

[0065] In one development, the proportional factors y are constant during the method.

[0066] In another development, at least two proportional factors y (ti), y (tj) with j>i, which are used to calculate the threshold values T (ti) or T (tj), can be different. In particular, with a first looping from step S4, the proportional factor y (t0) can be higher than the proportional factor y (t1) with a further looping from step S4 after a jump from step S5 or S6. While the proportional factor y (t0) can correspond to a value for achieving a particularly good cooking result, the proportional factor y (t1) can then indicate that a critical humidity range has been reached and thus correspond to a “safety value”.

[0067] The signs output after the first looping from step S4 and after the further looping from step S4 can optionally also differ here. Therefore the first sign can read e.g. “Please supply water” or similar, while the second sign (“Safety advice”) can read e.g. “Caution, the cooking chamber is critically dry. Please supply water” or similar. However, the signs can alternatively also be the same.

[0068] FIG. 4 shows a flow chart of the method according to a fourth exemplary embodiment. According to the method, a step S7 now precedes the steps S1 to S5 or S1 to S6 according to the first to third exemplary embodiment.

[0069] In step S7, the control device 4 queries whether a user would like to select a specific type of cooking chamber atmosphere or “cooking chamber environment”, determined by way of its humidity level, from a group comprising several types of cooking chamber atmospheres. Here, by way of example, a possible selection of two cooking chamber atmospheres, which can be referred to as “humid cooking chamber atmosphere” M and “dry cooking chamber atmosphere” D is shown. For instance, the (more) humid cooking chamber atmosphere can be particularly suited to specific meals such as stews or dishes coated in herbs, while the dry(er) cooking chamber atmosphere can be particularly suited to meals in which herbs or other spices are to be added, which only develop their flavor in a dryer cooking chamber atmosphere.

[0070] The different cooking chamber atmospheres have different proportional factors y. Therefore before starting a cooking operation or cooking process, a user can define whether the cooking operation is to run with more humid or more dry conditions in the cooking chamber 2.

[0071] In one development, the proportional factor y with the selected dryer cooking chamber atmosphere is less than with the selected more humid cooking chamber atmosphere. However, the proportional factor y can essentially also be higher with a dryer cooking chamber atmosphere than with a more humid cooking chamber atmosphere.

[0072] In addition, the course of steps S1 to S5 or S1 to S6 for different cooking chamber atmospheres can also differ for instance that the proportional factor y remains constant for one of the cooking chamber atmospheres (e.g. for the more humid cooking chamber atmosphere), whereas it changes for another of the cooking chamber atmospheres (e.g. for the dryer cooking chamber atmosphere), e.g. as described in FIG. 3. In particular, with a changing proportional factor y, a proportional factor y which is changed after a second safety looping in step S4 can assume a “safety” value.

[0073] Moreover, the signs for the different cooking chamber atmospheres can differ. While, e.g. the signs for a more humid cooking chamber atmosphere can comprise signs that the threshold value and/or a safety sign has been reached, with a dry cooking chamber atmosphere at least one sign can also be output that the user can now add spices such as herbs etc. The spices/herbs can be placed e.g. in a small bowl, in the cooking chamber 2, in order for their aroma to be better absorbed by the food.

[0074] The signs are therefore generally not restricted to increasing the moisture in the cooking chamber 2 but can instead be general instructions in order to improve a cooking result. In general, the signs can also depend on the type of food or meal to be prepared in the cooking chamber 2. The type of food or meal can be entered directly by a user (by way of a control device of the household cooking appliance or by way of a user terminal) or can be determined by means of a cooking program.

[0075] The present invention is naturally not restricted to the exemplary embodiment shown.

[0076] In general, “a”, “one” etc. can be regarded as a singular or a plurality, in particular in the sense of “at least one” or “one or more” etc., as long as this is not explicitly excluded, e.g. by the expression “precisely one” etc.

[0077] In addition, a given number can include precisely the number given and also a typical tolerance range, as long as this is not explicitly excluded.

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

[0078] 1 Household cooking appliance

[0079] 2 Cooking chamber

[0080] 3 Sensor

[0081] 4 Control device

[0082] 5 Cooking chamber door

[0083] f Current humidity value

[0084] fr Reference humidity value

[0085] D Dry cooking chamber atmosphere

[0086] M Humid cooking chamber atmosphere

[0087] S1-S7 Method steps

[0088] T Threshold value

[0089] t Point in time

[0090] Δt Waiting time

[0091] y Proportional factor