DEVICE FOR TRANSPORTING AND HEATING FOOD AND PROCEDURES FOR OPERATION OF SUCH A DEVICE

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device (1) for the transport and heating of foodstuffs, comprising a housing (2) including at least one receiving space (3), at least one heating means (5), and at least one control device (6), wherein the heating means (5) is controllable using the control device (6), and wherein using the heating means (5), energy for the heating of foodstuffs is introducible at least into the receiving space (3), as well as a method for operating such a device. A device (1) for for the transport and for the heating of foodstuffs and a method for operation, wherein the energy requirement for the heating of foodstuffs is optimized, are realized by the heating means (5) including at least one first heating zone (5a) and one second heating zone (5b), and that the first heating zone (5a) and the second heating zone (5b) are controllable independently of each other.

Claims

1. A device for the transport and heating of foodstuffs, comprising a housing including at least one receiving space, at least one heating means, and at least one control device, wherein the heating means is controllable using the control device, and wherein using the heating means, energy for the heating of the foodstuffs is introducible at least into the receiving space, wherein the heating means includes at least one first heating zone and one second heating zone, and that the first heating zone and the second heating zone are controllable independently of each other.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the heating zones are thermally insulated from each other.

3. The device according to claim 1, further comprising at least one weighing device is provided for determining at least one of the presence or the weight of the foodstuffs arrangeable in the receiving space.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the heating power of at least one heating zone is controllable in a manner depending on at least one measured value of the weighing device.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least one receiving container is provided, and that the receiving container is disposed in the receiving space for receiving the foodstuffs.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least one energy storage device for energy-supplying of the heating means is disposed in the housing.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein at least one charging interface for charging the energy storage device is provided.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein using the control device a start time or an end time or a duration of an operation of the heating means is controllable.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the control device includes at least one data-processing system and at least one data interface.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein the control device is influenceable at least via the data interface.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein the control device is formed and configured for processing at least one heating profile, and that the heating profile includes at least instructions for controlling the heating zones by the control device.

12. The device according to claim 9 wherein at least one heating profile is receivable by the data interface of the control device.

13. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of at least one audio output device at least one display device or at least one detecting device is provided.

14. A method for the operation of a device for the transport and heating of foodstuffs, comprising the steps of providing a housing including at least one receiving space, at least one heating means, and at least one control device, wherein the heating means is controllable using the control device, and wherein using the heating means, energy for the heating of the foodstuffs is introducible at least into the receiving space, receiving of at least one heating profile at at least one data interface of the device, wherein the heating profile comprises at least instructions for operating the heating means, operating of the heating means based on the heating profile.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the received heating profile has been transmitted by at least one kitchen appliance or a smartphone connected via the data interface.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the heating profile is produced depending on at least one foodstuff arrangeable in the receiving space and the heating profile is produced by a cooking device in a manner depending on a foodstuff prepared by the cooking device.

17. The device according to claim 3, wherein the weighing device includes a number of weighing zones corresponding to the number of heating zones or the number of receiving spaces.

18. The device according to claim 5, wherein the device includes a plurality of receiving containers, wherein the number of receiving containers corresponds to the number of heating zones.

19. The device according to claim 7, wherein the charging interface is configured as an induction interface or as a cable interface or as an interface to a kitchen appliance.

20. The device according to claim 19, wherein via the data interface a connection can be produced to at least one of at least one cooking device or at least one data-processing device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0043] Further advantageous designs of the invention arise from the following Figure description and the dependent subclaims.

[0044] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a device in perspective view, and

[0045] FIG. 2 shows the exemplary embodiment of a device according to FIG. 1 in sectional view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] In the various Figures of the drawings identical parts are always provided with the same reference numbers.

[0047] With respect to the following description, the invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiment and here not to all or a plurality of features of described feature combinations, but rather each individual partial feature of the/each exemplary embodiment is also of significance to the subject matter of the invention separately from all others in the context of partial features thus described and also in combination with any features of another exemplary embodiment.

[0048] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a device 1 for transport and heating of foodstuffs in a perspective view. The device 1 includes a housing 2 that includes a housing lower part 2a and a housing upper part 2b in the form of a cover. The housing upper part 2b is attachable to the housing lower part 2a. The housing 2 is formed at least partially from a thermally insulating material. In this exemplary embodiment the housing 2 surrounds four receiving spaces 3, namely a first receiving space 3a, a second receiving space 3b, a third receiving space 3c, and a fourth receiving space 3d. The receiving spaces 3 are separated from each other and thermally insulated by fixed separating webs 4.

[0049] FIG. 2 shows the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1 in a sectional view. The device 1 includes a heating means 5 and a control device 6. The control device 6 is disposed below the receiving spaces 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d in the housing 2, in particular in the housing lower part 2a. The heating means 5 is controllable using the control device 6, wherein using the heating means 5, energy for heating the—not depicted—foodstuffs is introducible into the receiving spaces 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d—see also FIG. 1. The control device 6 further includes a—not-depicted—temperature sensor for each receiving space 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d.

[0050] The heating means 5 includes a total of four heating zones 5a, 5b, of which two are depicted in FIG. 2 and which are controllable independently of one another. Each receiving space 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d includes a heating zone 5a, 5b. Using the control device 6, for example, each of the heating zones 5a, 5b can be—independently of one another—switched on, switched off, and operated with different heating powers. The heating zones 5a, 5b are thermally insulated from one another.

[0051] In addition to the heating means 5, the device 1 includes a weighing device 7, using which the weight of foodstuffs arrangeable in the receiving spaces 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d is determinable. In this exemplary embodiment the weighing device 7 includes a total of four weighing zones 7a, 7b, of which two, namely a first weighing zone 7a and a second weighing zone 7b, are depicted in FIG. 2. The weighing zones 7a, 7b are usable independently of one another. A weighing zone 7a, 7b is provided for each receiving space 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d so that the weight of the foodstuffs is determinable separately for each receiving space 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d. Depending on the weight of the foodstuffs in a receiving space 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, a heating power, for example, of the respective heating zone 5a, 5b is adjustable by the control device 6.

[0052] According to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, in this exemplary embodiment the device 1 includes four receiving containers 8, wherein a receiving container 8 is respectively inserted into each receiving space 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d. The receiving containers 8 are removable from the receiving spaces 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d so that they are simple to clean. The receiving containers 8 are manufactured, for example, from stainless steel. In this exemplary embodiment the number of receiving containers 8 corresponds to the number of heating zones 5a, 5b.

[0053] An energy storage 9 is disposed in the housing 2 below the receiving spaces 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, in particular in the housing lower part 2a, an energy storage device 9, which in this exemplary embodiment is configured as a battery for storing electric energy. The energy storage device 9 is chargeable via a charging interface 10, which in this exemplary embodiment is configured as an induction interface. The charging interface 10 is formed and configured such that when the device 1 is disposed on a charging coil—not shown—corresponding to the charging interface 10, not only is the energy storage device 9 charged, but an operation of the device 1, in particular of the heating means 5, is possible.

[0054] In this exemplary embodiment the control device 6 comprises a data-processing system 11, a data interface 12, and power electronics 13 for operating the heating means 5, in particular the four heating zones 5a, 5b.

[0055] The data-processing system 11 of the control device 6 comprises at least one processor and at least one storage for storing data. Data are receivable and sendable via the data interface 12 of the control device 6. In this exemplary embodiment the data interface 12 is configured as a combined WLAN- and Bluetooth-interface. Heating profiles, for example, from a kitchen appliance 14 according to FIG. 1, are receivable via the data interface 12. The heating profile comprises in particular instructions that cause the control device 6, in particular the data-processing system 11 of the control device 6, to operate, via the power electronics 13, the heating zones 5a, 5b of the heating device 5 with a certain heating power. The heating power of the heating zones 5a, 5b is preferably dependent on the type and/or quantity of the foodstuffs introduced into the receiving vessel 8.

[0056] Via the data interface 12—according to FIG. 2—the device 1 is also connectable, for example, to a—not-depicted—smartphone such that a graphical user interface for the device 1 is displayed on the smartphone, and the device 1 is programmable via this, for example, a time is adjustable at which the heating of foodstuffs in the receiving containers 8 is to be completed.

[0057] According to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 the device 1 includes an audio output device 15, which in this exemplary embodiment is configured as a loudspeaker and is driven by the control device 6. Using the audio output device 15 a signal is issuable, for example, when the foodstuffs are sufficiently heated.

[0058] In addition, the device 1 according to FIG. 1 includes a display device 16, which in this exemplary embodiment is configured as a touch display. A temperature in the receiving space 3, a charge level of the energy storage device 9, and/or the weight of the foodstuffs disposed in the receiving spaces 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d and/or a total weight of all foodstuffs can, for example, be displayed via the display device 16. Furthermore, the device 1 includes three input keys 17 for controlling and for selecting information displayed on the display device 16.

[0059] The invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments shown and described, but rather also comprises all embodiments which work the same way in the sense of the invention. It is emphasized that the exemplary embodiments are not limited to all features in combination, rather each individual partial feature can also have inventive significance in isolation from all other partial features. Furthermore, the invention is so far not yet limited to the combinations of features defined in claim 1, but rather can also be defined by any other combination of specific features of all of the individual features disclosed. This means that in principle practically any individual feature of claim 1 can be removed or replaced by another individual feature disclosed elsewhere in the application.

[0060] While the above description constitutes the preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be appreciated that the invention is susceptible to modification, variation and change without departing from the proper scope and fair meaning of the accompanying claims.