DOMESTIC PEF COOKING DEVICE

Abstract

A household PEF cooking device includes a cooking product container which can be filled with liquid and includes PEF electrodes which lie opposite one another and between which a cooking product can be introduced. A PEF signal generator applies PEF signals to the PEF electrodes, and a control device control the PEF signal generator. An IR sensor which measures contactlessly is disposed at a distance from the PEF electrodes and connected to the control device. A measuring dot of the IR sensor encompasses an outer face of an electrically conductive region of a wall of the cooking product container, which electrically conductive region can be contacted on an inner face by the liquid when the cooking product container is full.

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. A household PEF cooking device, comprising: a cooking product container fillable with liquid and comprising PEF electrodes which lie opposite one another and between which a cooking product can be introduced; a PEF signal generator configured to apply PEF signals to the PEF electrodes; a control device configured to control the PEF signal generator; and an IR sensor configured to measure contactlessly, said IR sensor being disposed at a distance from the PEF electrodes and connected to the control device, wherein a measuring dot of the IR sensor encompasses an outer face of an electrically conductive region of a wall of the cooking product container, which electrically conductive region is capable of being contacted on an inner face by the liquid when the cooking product container is full.

12. The household PEF cooking device of claim 11, wherein the wall of the cooking product container outside of the PEF electrodes is made of electrically insulating material, at least one of the PEF electrodes representing a region of the wall, with the measuring dot of the IR sensor located on the at least one of the PEF electrodes.

13. The household PEF cooking device of claim 11, wherein at least one of the PEF electrodes is movably arranged in the cooking product container, said wall of the cooking product container outside of the PEF electrodes being made of electrically insulating material and including a surface behind the at least one of the PEF electrodes, and further comprising an electrically conductive insert inserted in the surface of the wall and surrounded by the electrically insulating material, said insert capable of being contacted by the liquid on an inner face thereof and located on an outer face thereof at least partially in the measuring dot of the IR sensor.

14. The household PEF cooking device of claim 11, wherein the IR sensor is spaced from the PEF electrodes at a distance of at least 1 cm.

15. The household PEF cooking device of claim 13, wherein the IR sensor is spaced from the insert at a distance of at least 1 cm.

16. The household PEF cooking device of claim 11, wherein the IR sensor has an optical axis which stands perpendicularly to a surface of the electrically conductive region located in the measuring dot of the IR sensor.

17. The household PEF cooking device of claim 11, further comprising a plurality of said IR sensors, with the measuring dots of the IR sensors being arranged on top of one another.

18. The household PEF cooking device of claim 11, wherein the IR sensor is vertically movable for movement to different vertical positions which correspond to measuring dots arranged vertically one on top of one another.

19. The household PEF cooking device of claim 11, wherein the outer face of the electrically conductive region of the wall, which electrically conductive region is located in the measuring dot of the IR sensor, is provided with a coating of high spectral emissivity.

20. The household PEF cooking device of claim 11, wherein the IR sensor is grounded with low resistance.

21. The household PEF cooking device of claim 11, further comprising a galvanically isolating interface via which the IR sensor is connected to the control device.

Description

[0038] FIG. 1 shows as a sectional drawing in side view a simplified sketch of a PEF cooking device according to a first exemplary embodiment with a cooking product container and an IR sensor;

[0039] FIG. 2 shows in an oblique view a sketch of the cooking product container and the IR sensor of the PEF cooking device according to the first exemplary embodiment with the IR sensor;

[0040] FIG. 3 shows as a sectional drawing in side view a simplified sketch of a PEF cooking device according to a second exemplary embodiment with a cooking product container and an IR sensor; and

[0041] FIG. 4 shows as a sectional drawing in side view a simplified sketch of a PEF cooking device according to a third exemplary embodiment with a cooking product container and a plurality of IR sensors.

[0042] FIG. 1 shows as a sectional drawing in side view a simplified sketch of a PEF cooking device 1. The PEF cooking device 1 has a cooking product container 2 with, for example, a rectangular wall 3. A first metal PEF electrode 4a and a second metal PEF electrode 4b are arranged on two opposing wall sections (in this case a left-hand side wall 3a and a right-hand side wall 3b). The PEF electrodes 4a and 4b are configured to be plate-shaped and are oriented vertically and parallel to one another. The PEF electrodes 4a, 4b in this case represent wall regions of the wall 3 and are exposed on the inner face and outer face.

[0043] Pulsed PEF high-voltage signals PS are able to be applied in a manner known in principle onto the PEF electrodes 4a, 4b by means of a PEF signal generator 5. The cooking product container 2 can be filled with water W and cooking product G (here, for example, in the form of a sausage), wherein in this case it should be filled at least up to a minimum (target) level hmin. The water W or the cooking product 2 contacts the PEF electrodes 4a, 4b which are exposed on the inner face.

[0044] The PEF signal generator 5 is able to be controlled via a control device 6 in a manner known in principle so that, for example, an energy input into the water W and the cooking product G may be adapted thereby, for example by changing a frequency of the PEF signals PS.

[0045] The PEF cooking device 1 also has an IR sensor 7 which measures the temperature contactlessly, which is arranged on the outer face of the container 2 and which is connected to the control device 6 via a galvanically isolating interface 8. As a result, the measurement signals generated by the IR sensor 7, or further processed, for example digital, measurement data, may be used by the control device 6 to adapt the energy input into the water W and the cooking product G and/or to trigger a further action. The IR sensor 7 is grounded with low resistance.

[0046] The IR sensor 7 in this case is oriented perpendicularly to the outer face of the PEF electrode 4a (the optical axis thereof is thus perpendicular to the outer surface of the first PEF electrode 4a) and at the same time removed at least 1 cm from the surface. The first PEF electrode 4a is thus located in the field of view of the IR sensor 7 on an outer face. The measuring dot which is present on the outer surface of the first PEF electrode 4a, which corresponds at that point to a surface area of the viewing region, in this case is arranged entirely on the first PEF electrode 4a.

[0047] In particular, the measuring dot is located below the minimum (target) level hmin and thus in a region of the first PEF electrode 4a which, when the cooking product container 2 is correctly filled, is in contact with the water W and/or the cooking product G on the inner face. The control device 6 thus may also be designed to identify whether the cooking product container 2 is sufficiently filled to perform a cooking process (i.e. for cooking or heating the cooking product G). This may be implemented, for example, by the control device 6 identifying whether, after the PEF signals PS have been applied, the temperature detected by means of the IR sensor 7 has reached or exceeded a predetermined threshold value, or in the case of a current level h<hmin which is too low, does not reach or exceed said predetermined threshold value, optionally within a predetermined time period.

[0048] Advantageously, the minimum level corresponds at least approximately to the upper edge of the measuring dot M.

[0049] FIG. 2 shows a sketch of the cooking product container 2 and the IR sensor 7 in oblique view. The wall 3 outside the PEF electrodes 4a, 4b and thus also the front and rear side walls 3c, 3d and the bottom are made of electrically non-conductive material such as plastic, ceramic, etc. and thus insulate the PEF electrodes 4a, 4b from one another.

[0050] FIG. 3 shows as a sectional drawing in side view a simplified sketch of a PEF cooking device 11 with a cooking product container 12 and the IR sensor 7. The cooking product container 12 differs from the cooking product container 2 by the first PEF electrode 6a now being arranged so as to be frontally displaceable within the wall 13, as indicated by the double arrow. As a result a distance between the two PEF electrodes 6a, 4b may be set, for example manually or by motor, via the control device 6. The first PEF electrode 6a thus no longer represents a wall region.

[0051] Rather, in this case the left-hand wall side 13a which is located behind the first PEF electrode 6a, consists substantially over the entire surface area of electrically insulating material such as plastic, etc., i.e. over the entire surface area except for a metal sheet 14 inserted into the left-hand wall side 13a. The metal sheet 14 contacts the water W on the inner face and is visible on the outer face to the IR sensor 7. The measuring dot M of the IR sensor 7 is advantageously located entirely on the metal sheet. To avoid a significant influence of the electrical field present inside the cooking product container 12 when the PEF signals PS are applied, the metal sheet 14 advantageously has a surface area which corresponds to the measuring dot M or is only slightly larger.

[0052] FIG. 4 shows as a sectional drawing in side view a simplified sketch of a PEF cooking device 15 of which only the cooking product container 16 thereof and a plurality of IR sensors 7, which are arranged vertically one on top of the other, are illustrated (in this case by way of example three). The IR sensors 7 are connected to the control device 6 in a manner similar to the PEF cooking devices 1 and 11.

[0053] The PEF cooking device 15 represents a modification of the PEF cooking device 11 such that the cooking product container 16 has, for example, on a wall side 17a of the wall 17 three inserts in the form of metal sheets 14 arranged one on top of the other in an arrangement similar to the IR sensors 7. As a result, it is advantageously possible, for example, to determine the current level h at least approximately, to identify a foam formation and/or a boiling over, etc.

[0054] In an alternative, functionally analogous development, only one IR sensor 7 needs to be present, said IR sensor, for example, being controlled by motor by means of the control device 6, being vertically movable and thereby being able to measure the temperatures applied to the plurality of metal sheets 14 in succession.

[0055] Naturally, the present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiment shown.

[0056] Thus the outer faces of the PEF electrode 4a and/or the metal sheet 14 may have a coating which is located at least in the field of view of the IR sensor 7 and which has a high spectral emissivity.

[0057] 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 “just one”, etc.

[0058] A given number may also encompass the specified number and a conventional tolerance range, provided this is not explicitly excluded.

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

[0059] 1 PEF cooking device [0060] 2 Cooking product container [0061] 3 Wall [0062] 3a-3b Wall sides [0063] 4a First PEF electrode [0064] 4b Second PEF electrode [0065] 5 PEF signal generator [0066] 6 Control device [0067] 7 IR sensor [0068] 8 Galvanically isolating interface [0069] 11 PEF cooking device [0070] 12 Cooking product container [0071] 13 Wall [0072] 13a Wall side [0073] 14 Metal sheet [0074] 15 PEF cooking device [0075] 16 Cooking product container [0076] 17 Wall [0077] 17a Wall side [0078] G Cooking product [0079] h Level [0080] hmin Minimum level [0081] PS PEF signal [0082] W Water