PEF COOKING APPLIANCE AND REMOVABLE CONTAINER FOR PRODUCTS TO BE COOKED THEREFOR

Abstract

A removable container for a product to be cooked for use in a PEF cooking appliance has a treatment chamber including at least two PEF electrodes between which a product to be cooked can be introduced and to which PEF signals pulsed with alternating polarity can be applied. Further provided are a sensor and a sensor circuit which includes an energy supply device configured without battery and DC-isolated from the PEF cooking appliance, an evaluation circuit connected to the sensor and the energy supply device, and a data transmission device connected to the evaluation circuit and the energy supply device. The data transmission device is configured to transmit data received from the evaluation circuit to the PEF cooking appliance in a non-electrical manner.

Claims

1-12. (canceled)

13. A removable container for a product to be cooked for use in a PEF cooking appliance, said removable container comprising: a treatment chamber including at least two PEF electrodes between which a product to be cooked can be introduced and to which PEF signals pulsed with alternating polarity can be applied; a sensor; and a sensor circuit comprising an energy supply device configured without battery and DC-isolated from the PEF cooking appliance, an evaluation circuit connected to the sensor and the energy supply device, and a data transmission device connected to the evaluation circuit and the energy supply device, said data transmission device being configured to transmit data received from the evaluation circuit to the PEF cooking appliance in a non-electrical manner.

14. The container of claim 13, wherein the sensor circuit is able to be inductively fed with electrical energy from the PEF cooking appliance via an air gap.

15. The container of claim 13, wherein the sensor circuit is able to be fed with electrical energy via the pulsed PEF signals applied to the container.

16. The container of claim 13, further comprising a series resistor which is connected in series to the PEF electrodes and via which the sensor circuit is able to be supplied with voltage.

17. The container of claim 13, further comprising a capacitive voltage divider which is connected to one of the at least two PEF electrodes and via which the sensor circuit is able to be supplied with voltage.

18. The container of claim 13, further comprising an additional electrode arranged in the treatment chamber between the at least two PEF electrodes, said sensor circuit being able to be supplied with voltage between one of the at least two PEF electrodes and the additional electrode.

19. The container of claim 13, further comprising two additional electrodes arranged spaced apart from one another in the treatment chamber between the at least two PEF electrodes, said sensor circuit being able to be supplied with voltage via the two additional electrodes.

20. The container of claim 13, wherein the energy supply device includes at least one of a voltage rectifier, an energy store, and a voltage stabilizer.

21. The container of claim 13, wherein the data transmission device is configured to transmit data based on radio, by inductive coupling, optically and/or acoustically.

22. The container of claim 13, wherein the sensor comprises at least one of a temperature sensor, a conductivity sensor, a level sensor, and an overflow sensor.

23. A PEF cooking appliance, comprising: a PEF signal generator configured to generate PEF signals polarized in a commutating manner, a receiving space for accommodating a container for a product to be cooked; connection mating contacts connected to outputs of the PEF signal generator for making contact with connection contacts of the container, a data transmission device configured to receive data from the container and a control device connected to the data transmission device and designed to control the PEF signal generator based on the date received from the data transmission device.

24. The PEF cooking appliance of claim 23, further comprising a coil for inductive or transformer-based coupling to the container.

Description

[0059] The above-described properties, features and advantages of this invention and the manner in which they are achieved will become clearer and more clearly comprehensible in connection with the following schematic description of an exemplary embodiment which is described in more detail in connection with the drawings.

[0060] FIG. 1 shows as a sectional drawing in side view a simplified sketch of a PEF cooking appliance with a container for products to be cooked inserted therein according to a first exemplary embodiment;

[0061] FIG. 2 shows as a sectional drawing in side view a simplified sketch of a container for products to be cooked according to a second exemplary embodiment;

[0062] FIG. 3 shows a detailed sketch of a sensor device of the container for products to be cooked according to the second exemplary embodiment;

[0063] FIG. 4 shows as a sectional drawing in side view a simplified sketch of a container for products to be cooked according to a third exemplary embodiment;

[0064] FIG. 5 shows as a sectional drawing in side view a simplified sketch of a container for products to be cooked according to a fourth exemplary embodiment; and

[0065] FIG. 6 shows as a sectional drawing in side view a simplified sketch of a container for products to be cooked according to a fifth exemplary embodiment.

[0066] FIG. 1 shows as a sectional drawing in side view a simplified sketch of a PEF cooking appliance P with a PEF container for products to be cooked 1 inserted therein, with a receiving space AR for the container for products to be cooked 1. The PEF cooking appliance P also has a PEF signal generator SG for generating pulsed PEF high voltage signals with alternating polarity, i.e. for generating a pulsed AC voltage. The signal outputs of the PEF signal generator SG are connected to respective connection mating contacts GK in the region of the receiving space AR, said connection mating contacts making contact with corresponding connection contacts 2, 3 of the container for products to be cooked 1 when the container for products to be cooked 1 is inserted.

[0067] The connection contacts 2, 3 of the container for products to be cooked 1 are connected to a first PEF electrode 4 or a second PEF electrode 5 of the container for products to be cooked 1 which are located in a treatment chamber 28 which can be filled with products to be cooked G and optionally water W and which is defined by an electrically non-conducting container wall 12. The PEF electrodes 4, 5 in this case are plate-shaped and vertically oriented. Products to be cooked G which have been introduced therein are located between the PEF electrodes 4, 5. The PEF electrodes 4, 5 are electrically insulated relative to one another by the container wall 12. The PEF signals are thus able to be applied to the PEF electrodes 4, 5, whereby a flow of current is generated between the PEF electrodes 4, 5 in the contents G, W of the container for products to be cooked 1, the products to be cooked G being able to be handled (cooked or heated) thereby in a manner known in principle.

[0068] The container for products to be cooked 1 also has one or more (in this case two) sensors 6 and 7, by means of which cooking parameters such as a temperature, a conductivity of the water W, a level of the water W, an overflow of the water W, etc. can be monitored. In the present case, the sensor 6 is arranged outside the space of the treatment chamber 28 taken up by the contents G, W of the container for products to be cooked 1, whilst the sensor 7 protrudes into this space.

[0069] The container for products to be cooked 1 also has a sensor circuit 8 which has an energy supply device 9 without a battery, an evaluation circuit 10 connected to the sensors 6, 7 and the energy supply device 9, and a data transmission device 11 connected to the evaluation circuit 10. In the present case, the energy supply device 9 is a device which is able to be fed inductively by a primary coil PS of the PEF cooking appliance P with electrical effective energy or operating energy and which has a pick-up coil (not shown) or secondary coil. The primary coil PS and the secondary coil form a coil pair, for example similar to transformer halves. The energy supply device 9 may also have a voltage rectifier 17, an energy store 18 and/or a voltage stabilizer 20 (see FIG. 3).

[0070] The energy supply device 9 supplies the evaluation circuit 10 with operating current, so that the evaluation circuit 10 may receive and process the measurement signals of the sensors 6, 7 (for example digitalize, optionally value-convert, etc.). The measurement data which is output by the evaluation circuit 10 (for example digitalized, optionally value-converted, etc.) is forwarded to the data transmission device 11 which transmits the measurement data in a non-electrical manner to the control device SE of the PEF cooking appliance P. The control device SE may control at least the PEF signal generator SG on the basis of the measurement data received thereby.

[0071] The data transmission device 11 in the exemplary embodiment shown uses the secondary coil for the data transmission to the PEF cooking appliance P, wherein the primary coil PS of the PEF cooking appliance P serves as a data receiving coil. During the transmission of data from the PEF cooking appliance P to the container for products to be cooked, the secondary coil serves as a data receiving coil.

[0072] The data transmission may thus also be carried out inductively, and the data transmission device 11 and the energy supply device 9 in this case are integrated in one another. If data is transmitted via the same coil pair as the operating energy, the data transmission may be carried out from the primary coil to the secondary coil, for example, by amplitude modulation and/or voltage modulation of the voltage applied to the primary coil PS, and with a transmission of data from the secondary coil to the primary coil may be carried out by modulation of the reduced load.

[0073] However, the data transmission may also be carried out inductively via a dedicated coil pair. In this case, the data transmission is advantageously carried out in order to avoid crosstalk between the effective energy coil pair and the data transmission coil pair, such that a carrier frequency used for the data transmission is located sufficiently far from the frequency of the inductive energy transmission and also from the frequency of the PEF current (also far removed from the respective first harmonics).

[0074] In the case of inductive energy and data transmission, the sensors 6, 7 are DC-isolated relative to one another from the PEF cooking appliance P via an air gap LS between the primary coil PS and the secondary coil. This also applies when using a dedicated data transmission coil pair.

[0075] Alternatively, a dedicated data transmission device 11 (not shown) may be present, said data transmission device being able to transmit data, for example via radio, optically, inductively or via sound to the PEF cooking appliance P. The PEF cooking appliance P thus may have a corresponding data receiving device (not shown) connected to the control device SE. A DC-isolation of the sensors 6, 7 from the PEF cooking appliance P is also achieved thereby.

[0076] FIG. 2 shows as a sectional drawing in side view a simplified sketch of a container for products to be cooked 13. The container for products to be cooked 13 differs from the container for products to be cooked 1 in that the sensor circuit 14 is not inductively supplied with energy by the PEF cooking appliance (not shown) but its energy (for example an operating current) required for operation is diverted from the PEF signals.

[0077] To this end, a resistor (“series resistor” 15) is electrically connected in series to the first PEF electrode 4, via which the supply voltage for the energy supply device 16 is tapped. The series resistor 15 may also be used to define a current (“treatment current”) flowing between the PEF electrodes 4, 5.

[0078] In the associated PEF cooking appliance (not shown) a primary coil is no longer present, but a data receiving device (not shown) connected to the control device SE is present, said data receiving device being able to communicate with the data transmission device 11 of the container for products to be cooked 13 and namely either unidirectionally for receiving measurement data, status data, etc., or bidirectionally for receiving measurement data, status data, etc. and for emitting control commands, etc. to the container for products to be cooked 13.

[0079] FIG. 3 shows a detailed sketch of the sensor circuit 14, in particular of the associated energy supply device 16. The energy supply device 16 has a rectifier 17, for example a Graetz circuit, the inputs thereof being connected to supply lines 18. The voltage tapped at the series resistor 15 is applied to the rectifier 17 via the supply lines 18.

[0080] A capacitor 19 is connected in parallel to the outputs of the rectifier 17. The capacitor serves to store and optionally to smooth energy of the rectified voltage pulse output from the rectifier 17.

[0081] A stabilizer circuit 20 is connected to the capacitor 19, said stabilizer circuit converting the voltage provided from the capacitor 19 into an operating voltage which is suitable (more suitable) for operating the evaluation circuit 10 and the data transmission device 11. The evaluation circuit 10 and the data transmission device 11 are connected downstream of the stabilizer circuit 20 and receive their operating voltage thereby.

[0082] FIG. 4 shows as a sectional drawing in side view a simplified sketch of a container for products to be cooked 21. The container for products to be cooked 21 differs from the container for products to be cooked 13, in that the energy supply device 16 is now connected via its supply lines 18, on the one hand, via a series connection of an ohmic resistor 22 and a capacitor 23 to the first PEF electrode 4 and, on the other hand, directly to the second PEF electrode 4. The resistor 22 serves to reduce the steepness of the flanks of the PEF pulses fed via the connection contact 2 and/or to reduce an input voltage into the energy supply device 16.

[0083] This exemplary embodiment is particularly advantageous since particularly low losses occur and additionally a type and level of an internal resistance between the PEF electrodes 4, 5 predetermined by the contents G, W are irrelevant.

[0084] FIG. 5 shows as a sectional drawing in side view a simplified sketch of a container for products to be cooked 24. The container for products to be cooked 24 differs from the container for products to be cooked 1, 13 and 21 in that the energy supply device 16 is arranged via its supply lines 18, on the one hand, on the first PEF electrode 4 and, on the other hand, on an electrode (“additional electrode” 25) which is arranged between the PEF electrodes 4, 5 and which makes contact with the contents G, W of the container for products to be cooked 24. The additional electrode 25 in this case is arranged on the bottom side of the container wall 12.

[0085] This makes use of the fact that the water W acts between the PEF electrodes 4, 5 as a (molecular) voltage divider, as indicated approximately by the illustrated resistor chain. The voltage applied to the energy supply device 16 thus corresponds at least approximately to a partial voltage of the voltage applied to the PEF electrodes 4, 5. This partial voltage is at least approximately proportional to the spacing between the additional electrode 25 and the first PEF electrode 4; if the additional electrode 25 is located, for example, in the center between the two PEF electrodes 4, 5, approximately half of the full PEF voltage is applied to the connection lines 18, if the additional electrode 25 is located relative to the first PEF electrode 4 at a third of the spacing between the two PEF electrodes 4, 5, approximately a third of the full PEF voltage is applied to the connection lines 18, etc.

[0086] FIG. 6 shows as a sectional drawing in side view a simplified sketch of a container for products to be cooked 26. The container for products to be cooked 26 differs from the container for products to be cooked 24 in that the energy supply device 16 is now connected via its supply lines 18 to two additional electrodes 25 and 27 which are arranged spaced apart from one another between the PEF electrodes 4, 5 and which make contact with the contents G, W of the container for products to be cooked 24. The two additional electrodes 25, 27 in this case are arranged by way of example on the bottom side of the container wall 12. In the view similar to FIG. 5, the partial voltage applied to the additional electrodes 25 and 27, and thus to the energy supply device 16, is at least approximately proportional to the spacing of the two additional electrodes 25 and 27 from one another, which is present in the perpendicular direction between the PEF electrodes 4, 5, divided by the spacing of the two PEF electrodes 4, 5: if the two additional electrodes 25, 27 have, for example, a spacing from one another which is half of the spacing between the two PEF electrodes 4, 5, approximately the half of the full PEF voltage is applied to the connection lines 18, etc. The smaller the spacing between the two additional electrodes 25, 27 the smaller the partial voltage applied thereto.

[0087] In the above figures, the sensor circuit 8, 14 is illustrated below the treatment chamber 28. This position has the advantage that lower temperatures are to be anticipated here than, for example, above the treatment chamber 28. Generally, however, the sensor circuit may be connected at any suitable point around the treatment chamber 28.

[0088] Naturally, the present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiment shown.

[0089] Thus components and arrangements of the exemplary embodiments shown may also be combined together or exchanged with one another in any expedient manner. For example, the series circuit shown in FIG. 4, consisting of the resistor 22 and capacitor 23 of the container for products to be cooked 21, is also able to be used in the containers for products to be cooked 13, 24 and 26. Moreover, the series resistor 15 may also be installed, for example, in the containers for products to be cooked 1, 21, 24 and 26.

[0090] Generally “a”, “one” etc. may be understood to mean a singular or a plurality, in particular in the sense of “at least one”, or “one or more”, etc., provided this is not explicitly excluded, for example, by the expression “exactly one”.

TABLE-US-00001 List of reference characters  1 Container for products to be cooked  2 Connection contact  3 Connection contact  4 First PEF electrode  5 Second PEF electrode  6 Sensor  7 Sensor  8 Sensor circuit  9 Energy supply device 10 Evaluation circuit 11 Data transmission device 12 Container wall 13 Container for products to be cooked 14 Sensor circuit 15 Series resistor 16 Energy supply device 17 Rectifier 18 Supply line 19 Capacitor 20 Stabilizer circuit 21 Container for products to be cooked 22 Resistor 23 Capacitor 24 Container for products to be cooked 25 Additional electrode 26 Container for products to be cooked 27 Additional electrode 28 Treatment chamber AR Receiving space LS Air gap G Products to be cooked GK Connection mating contact P PEF cooking appliance PS Primary coil SE Control device SG PEF signal generator W Water