COOKING APPLIANCE HAVING A PEF GENERATOR, PEF SYSTEM AND METHOD

Abstract

A cooking appliance includes a cooktop including an energy transmission unit for transmitting energy in order to heat a place-on appliance placed on the cooktop, and a PEF (“Pulsed Electric Fields”) cooking apparatus including a receptacle accessible from a top side of the cooktop and designed for insertion of a PEF container. The receptacle includes a connection contact for electrically connecting to the PEF container inserted in the receptacle.

Claims

1-14. (canceled)

15. A cooking appliance, comprising: a cooktop including an energy transmission unit for transmitting energy in order to heat a place-on appliance placed on the cooktop; and a PEF (“Pulsed Electric Fields”) cooking apparatus including a receptacle accessible from a top side of the cooktop and designed for insertion of a PEF container, said receptacle comprising a connection contact for electrically connecting to the PEF container inserted in the receptacle.

16. The cooking appliance of claim 15, further comprising a PEF generator, said connection contact being connected to the PEF generator.

17. The cooking appliance of claim 16, further comprising a plurality of said connection contact connected to the PEF generator.

18. The cooking appliance of claim 17, wherein the plurality of connection contacts are connected to different signal outputs of the PEF generator.

19. The cooking appliance of claim 17, wherein at least one of the plurality of connection contacts is grounded.

20. The cooking appliance of claim 15, further comprising a collection container and a drain which connects the receptacle to the collection container.

21. The cooking appliance of claim 16, further comprising a cover designed to cover the receptacle on a top side, said cooking appliance being designed to detect a closed state of the cover and to activate the PEF generator only when the cover is closed.

22. The cooking appliance of claim 15, further comprising a vapor removal apparatus, said receptacle being connected to the vapor removal apparatus.

23. The cooking appliance of claim 22, wherein the vapor removal apparatus includes a fan for blowing air into the receptacle.

24. The cooking appliance of claim 22, further comprising a cover designed to cover the receptacle on a top side and including a steam outlet opening for vapor to exit.

25. The cooking appliance of claim 22, further comprising a cover designed to cover the receptacle on a top side such as to define a gap between the cover and a top-side edge of the receptacle for vapor to exit.

26. The cooking appliance of claim 23, further comprising an electronics unit, said fan being designed to blow air over the electronics unit and then into the receptacle.

27. The cooking appliance of claim 22, wherein the vapor removal apparatus includes a fan for suctioning vapor out of the receptacle.

28. The cooking appliance claim 16, wherein the power generator includes a power electronics, and further comprising a cooling fan for cooling the power electronics.

29. A PEF system, comprising: a cooking appliance comprising a cooktop which includes an energy transmission unit for transmitting energy in order to heat a place-on appliance placed on the cooktop, and a PEF cooking apparatus which includes a receptacle accessible from a top side of the cooktop and designed for insertion of a PEF container, said receptacle comprising a connection contact for electrically connecting to the PEF container inserted in the receptacle; and a PEF container designed to be inserted into the receptacle of the PEF cooking apparatus of the cooking appliance and including a cooking chamber for accommodating food to be cooked PEF electrodes, said PEF container having a mating contact which matches the connection contact of the receptacle and is electrically connected to a respective one of the PEF electrodes of the PEF container, said PEF electrodes being arranged to a side of the cooking chamber of the PEF container.

30. The PEF system of claim 29, wherein the respective one of the PEF electrodes of the PEF container is arranged opposingly relative to the cooking chamber of the PEF container.

31. A method for PEF treatment of food by using a cooking appliance which includes a PEF cooking apparatus with a receptacle and a cover to cover the receptacle, said method comprising: after activating a PEF cooking sequence of the cooking appliance, monitoring whether a PEF container is inserted in the receptacle and/or the cover of the receptacle is closed; and activating a PEF generator for output of PEF signals, when the PEF container is inserted in the receptacle and/or the cover of the receptacle is closed.

Description

[0064] The above-described properties, features and advantages of this invention and the manner in which they are achieved will become clearer and more clearly understood in connection with the following schematic description of an exemplary embodiment which is described in more detail in connection with the drawings.

[0065] FIG. 1 shows in plan view a sketch of a cooktop with a PEF cooking apparatus integrated therein;

[0066] FIG. 2 shows the cooktop with a PEF cooking apparatus as a sectional view in front view;

[0067] FIG. 3 shows the cooktop with a PEF cooking apparatus as a sectional view in side view; and

[0068] FIG. 4 shows a possible equivalent circuit diagram of a circuit for the PEF treatment of food to be cooked by means of a PEF cooking apparatus integrated in a cooktop.

[0069] FIG. 1 shows in plan view a sketch of a cooking appliance G with a cooktop 1 with a top-side glass ceramic plate 2 and a plurality (in this case four) cooking zones 3. In each case an energy transmission unit 4 in the form of a radiant heating element or an induction coil is arranged below the cooking zones 3. A receptacle 5 of a PEF cooking apparatus 6 which is accessible on the top side is located approximately centrally between the cooking zones 3. To this end, the glass ceramic plate 2 in the region of the receptacle 5 has a cutout 7 which is able to be covered by means of a cover 8. The cover 8 may be pivotably mounted. If the cover 8 is located in its open position, the receptacle 5 may be loaded with one or more PEF containers 9 (see FIG. 2) through the cutout 7. A user interface 10 may be located on a front edge or front-side edge of the cooktop 1.

[0070] FIG. 2 shows the cooking appliance G as a sectional view in front view with a PEF container 9 inserted from above through the cutout 7 into the receptacle 5 with the cover 8 partially open. The PEF container 9 is configured as a bowl-shaped container which is open on the top side. For example, two side wall regions of the PEF container 9 may be configured as opposing electrically insulated PEF electrodes 10a, 10b. The PEF electrodes 10a, 10b are connected to respective contacts (“mating contacts”) 11a, 11b of a plug connection element (“mating plug connection element”) 11. When the PEF container 9 is inserted, the mating plug connection element 11 is inserted into a plug connection element 12 of the receptacle 5, so that the mating contacts 11a, 11b are electrically in contact with respective contacts (“connection contacts”) 12a, 12b of the plug connection element 12. Of the connection contacts 12a, 12b, one connection contact 12a is electrically connected to a signal output of a PEF generator 13 (see FIG. 3) of the PEF cooking apparatus 6, whilst the other connection contact 12b is grounded or, respectively, is at a reference potential. Alternatively, the plug connection element 12 and the mating plug connection element 11 may also have just one connection contact 12a or, respectively, one mating contact 11a.

[0071] The free space provided by the PEF container 9 between the PEF electrodes 10a, 10b forms a cooking chamber 14 which is able to be loaded with food to be cooked S (see FIG. 4) by a user.

[0072] A drain 15 or drainage channel, which leads downwardly to a collection container 16, opens into a region of a base of the receptacle 5. Liquid overflowing from a PEF container 9 and water vapor and/or vapor condensed in the receptacle 5 flows through the drain 15 into the collection container 16 which, in particular, may be removed by a user for emptying and/or cleaning.

[0073] FIG. 3 shows the cooking appliance G as a sectional view in side view. A space for accommodating at least one power electronics 17 of the PEF generator 13 (“generator space” 18) is located adjacent to the receptacle 5. Additionally the cooking appliance G has a fan 19 for cooling the power electronics 17, said fan also being accommodated here in the generator space 18. The generator space 18 is open relative to the receptacle 5 in terms of gas technology (for example by providing air passage openings in a partition wall 20 between the generator space 18 and the receptacle 5). During the operation of the fan 19 cool air L is initially conducted over the power electronics 17 and then blown into the receptacle 5. As a result, the cool air may exit, for example, upwardly through steam outlet openings 21 present in the cover 8 or at a gap between the cover 8 and the top-side edge of the receptacle 5 or, respectively, the glass ceramic plate 2, as indicated by the arrows. Water vapor and/or vapor is carried along with the exit of the cool air, so that the water vapor and/or vapor is not able to spread in the cooking appliance G.

[0074] FIG. 4 shows a simplified equivalent circuit diagram of a circuit for the PEF treatment of food to be cooked S by means of the PEF generator 13. The circuit has a power supply unit 22 for the PEF generator 13 which may have an interference filter. The PEF generator 13 has a voltage generator 23 which is connected on the output side to a capacitor bank 24. The capacitor bank 24 serves to keep the voltage output by the voltage generator 23 stable. The capacitor bank 24 is connected on the output side to a pulse generator 25 for generating a steep-edged voltage pulse. The pulse generator 25 is connected in turn on the output side via an electrically switchable switch 26 and a current sensor and limiter 27 to the connection contact 12a of the receptacle 5. When the PEF container 9 is inserted, for example, the PEF electrode 10a is also connected via the mating contact 11a to the PEF generator 13. The other PEF electrode 10b which, as in the case of the PEF electrode 10a, serves as a capacitor plate of a capacitor, between which the food to be cooked S may be introduced, is grounded.

[0075] A plurality of sensors 28 may be present on the receptacle 5, by means of which for example a temperature and/or an electrical conductivity in the PEF container 9, a shape of the voltage pulse and/or current pulse at the site of the food to be cooked S, etc. are able to be detected thereby. One of these sensors 28 is a contact switch 29 which serves for monitoring the cover 8 relative to its closed state.

[0076] The circuit also comprises control electronics 30 for controlling the circuit, for example for evaluating the measurement signals of the current sensor 27, in particular on the basis of an evaluation of the measurement signals of the current sensor 27, for activating (for example, switching on and off, for pulse shaping, etc.) and monitoring (for example the output voltages) of the PEF generator 13 and optionally for activating the user interface 10 of the cooking appliance 1. In particular, the control electronics 30 may be designed to operate the PEF generator 13, in particular to supply said PEF generator with current only when it has been identified via the contact switch 29 that the cover 8 is in its closed state.

[0077] Naturally the present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiment shown.

[0078] Generally “a” “an”, etc. may be understood to mean a singular or a plural, 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”, etc.

[0079] Numerical data may also encompass precisely the specified number and a conventional tolerance range, provided this is not explicitly excluded.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0080] 1 Cooktop [0081] 2 Glass ceramic plate [0082] 3 Cooking zone [0083] 4 Energy transmission unit [0084] 5 Receptacle [0085] 6 PEF cooking apparatus [0086] 7 Cutout [0087] 8 Cover [0088] 9 PEF container [0089] 10 User interface [0090] 10a PEF electrode [0091] 10b PEF electrode [0092] 11 Counter plug connection element [0093] 11a Mating contact [0094] 11b Mating contact [0095] 12 Plug connection element [0096] 12a Connection contact [0097] 12b Connection contact [0098] 13 PEF generator [0099] 14 Cooking chamber [0100] 15 Drain [0101] 16 Collection container [0102] 17 Power electronics [0103] 18 Generator space [0104] 19 Fan [0105] 20 Partition wall [0106] 21 Steam outlet opening [0107] 22 Power supply unit [0108] 23 Voltage generator [0109] 24 Capacitor bank [0110] 25 Pulse generator [0111] 26 Switch [0112] 27 Current sensor and limiter [0113] 28 Sensor [0114] 29 Contact switch [0115] 30 Control electronics [0116] G Cooking appliance [0117] L Air [0118] S Food to be cooked