Cooking appliance device and method for operating a cooking appliance device

Abstract

A cooking appliance device includes a heating unit having a heating element for heating a cooking chamber in a heating operating state, and a cooking chamber element configured to at least partially bound the cooking chamber. The cooking chamber element has a part region with a surface shape which changes in the heating operating state in response to a thermal expansion of the cooking chamber element. The heating unit includes an adapting element which is arranged at least in part on the cooking chamber element and has in facing relation to the part region a surface which adapts in the heating operating state to the surface shape of the part region.

Claims

1. A cooking appliance device, comprising: a heating unit including a heating element for heating a cooking chamber in a heating operating state; and a cooking chamber element configured to at least partially bound the cooking chamber and having a part region with a surface shape which changes in the heating operating state in response to a thermal expansion of the cooking chamber element, said heating unit including an adapting element arranged at least in part on the cooking chamber element and having in facing relation to the part region a surface which adapts in the heating operating state to the surface shape of the part region, wherein the adapting element comprises a flat portion and a plurality of guide protrusions extending from one side of the flat portion, the entire heating element is located on the one side of the flat portion, and the guide protrusions extend between windings of the heating element, and the entire heating element is located between the flat portion and the cooking chamber element.

2. The cooking appliance device of claim 1, wherein the heating unit has a minimum first spacing from the cooking chamber element in a non-heated operating state of the heating element, said heating unit having in the heating operating state a minimum second spacing from the cooking chamber element, wherein the minimum second spacing differs at most by 10% from the minimum first spacing.

3. The cooking appliance device of claim 1, wherein the heating element is configured as an induction heating element.

4. The cooking appliance device of claim 1, wherein the heating element and the adapting element are in contact.

5. The cooking appliance device of claim 1, wherein the adapting element is configured to be at least partially flexible.

6. The cooking appliance device of claim 1, wherein the adapting element is made at least partially of an electrically insulating material.

7. The cooking appliance device of claim 1, wherein the adapting element is configured to be slotted.

8. The cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein the flat portion has a plurality of legs extending from a center point, and the guide protrusions are located on the legs.

9. The cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein each of the windings is separated from an adjacent one of the windings by one of the guide protrusions.

10. A cooking appliance, comprising a cooking appliance device, said cooking appliance device comprising a heating unit including a heating element for heating a cooking chamber in a heating operating state, and a cooking chamber element configured to at least partially bound the cooking chamber and having a part region with a surface shape which changes in the heating operating state in response to a thermal expansion of the cooking chamber element, said heating unit including an adapting element arranged at least in part on the cooking chamber element and having in facing relation to the part region a surface which adapts in the heating operating state to the surface shape of the part region, wherein the adapting element comprises a flat portion and a plurality of guide protrusions extending from one side of the flat portion, the entire heating element is located on the one side of the flat portion, and the guide protrusions extend between windings of the heating element, and the entire heating element is located between the flat portion and the cooking chamber element.

11. The cooking appliance of claim 10, wherein the heating unit has a minimum first spacing from the cooking chamber element in a non-heated operating state of the heating element, said heating unit having in the heating operating state a minimum second spacing from the cooking chamber element, wherein the minimum second spacing differs at most by 5% from the minimum first spacing.

12. The cooking appliance of claim 10, wherein the heating element is configured as an induction heating element.

13. The cooking appliance of claim 10, wherein the heating element and the adapting element are in contact.

14. The cooking appliance of claim 10, wherein the adapting element is configured to be at least partially flexible.

15. The cooking appliance of claim 10, wherein the adapting element is made at least partially of an electrically insulating material.

16. The cooking appliance of claim 10, wherein the adapting element is configured to be slotted.

17. The cooking appliance of claim 10, wherein the flat portion has a plurality of legs extending from a center point, and the guide protrusions are located on the legs.

18. A method for operating a cooking appliance device, said method comprising: heating in a heating operating state a cooking chamber of the cooking appliance device by a heating element of a heating unit, thereby changing a surface shape of a part region of a cooking chamber element that at least partially bounds the cooking chamber in response to a thermal expansion of the cooking chamber element; and adapting in the heating operating state an adapting element of the heating unit, arranged at least in part on the cooking chamber element, to the surface shape of the part region, wherein the adapting element comprises a flat portion and a plurality of guide protrusions extending from one side of the flat portion, the entire heating element is located on the one side of the flat portion, and the guide protrusions extend between windings of the heating element, and the entire heating element is located between the flat portion and the cooking chamber element.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the heating element and the adapting element are in contact.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the flat portion has a plurality of legs extending from a center point, and the guide protrusions are located on the legs.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a cooking appliance configured by way of example as an oven with a cooking appliance device comprising a cooking chamber element and a heating unit in a perspective partial view,

(3) FIG. 2 shows the heating unit in a detailed view,

(4) FIG. 3a shows the cooking chamber element and the heating unit in a non-heated operating state in a schematic view,

(5) FIG. 3b shows the cooking chamber element and the heating unit in a heating operating state in a schematic view,

(6) FIG. 4 shows the cooking chamber element and the heating unit in the heating operating state in a detailed view,

(7) FIG. 5 shows a further exemplary embodiment of a cooking appliance device with a heating unit in a detailed view,

(8) FIG. 6 shows a further exemplary embodiment of a cooking appliance device with a cooking chamber element and a heating unit in a schematic view,

(9) FIGS. 7a-d show different embodiments of adapting parts for producing an adapting element of the heating unit of FIG. 6,

(10) FIGS. 8a-d show different adapting elements from the adapting parts of FIGS. 7a-d and

(11) FIG. 9 shows a further exemplary embodiment of a cooking appliance device with a heating unit in a detailed view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

(12) FIG. 1 shows a cooking appliance 32a in a perspective view. In the present case the cooking appliance 32a is configured by way of example as an oven, in the present case in particular as an induction oven. Alternatively, a cooking appliance could also be configured as an induction grill appliance, as a microwave oven or as an induction hob.

(13) The cooking appliance 32a comprises a cooking appliance device. The cooking appliance device comprises a cooking appliance housing 33a. The cooking appliance housing 33a defines a cooking chamber 14a. To this end, the cooking appliance housing 33a comprises an outer housing (not shown) and a muffle 36a, which is arranged inside the outer housing and bounds the cooking chamber 14a, having at least one muffle wall 37a. Additionally, the muffle 36a comprises further muffle walls which for the sake of clarity are not provided with reference numerals. The muffle wall 37a is configured as a cooking chamber element 16a. Additionally, the further muffle walls are configured as further cooking chamber elements. The cooking chamber element 16a comprises at least one part region 18a. Additionally, the cooking appliance device comprises an appliance closure element (not shown). The appliance closure element in the present case is configured as a hinged appliance cover. The appliance closure element is provided to close the cooking chamber 14a. Alternatively, however, an appliance closure element could also be configured as appliance doors.

(14) Additionally, the cooking appliance device comprises at least one heating unit 10a. The heating unit 10a is arranged in the vicinity of the cooking chamber 14a. The heating unit 10a is arranged in the cooking chamber element 16a. The heating unit 10a is arranged on the part region 18a of the cooking chamber element 16a. In a heating operating state, the heating unit 10a is provided for heating the cooking chamber element 16a and, in particular, the part region 18a. As a result, in the heating operating state the heating unit 10a is at least partially provided for heating the cooking chamber 14a. Additionally, the cooking appliance device may comprise further heating units which, however, in the present case have not been assigned reference numerals.

(15) FIG. 2 shows the heating unit 10a in a detailed view. The heating unit 10a comprises a heating element 12a. The heating element 12a is configured as an induction heating element. The heating element 12a is configured as a heating coil. The heating element 12a is configured from a strip-shaped heating conductor. The heating element 12a is of flat configuration. The heating element 12a is configured from an individual heating conductor. The heating element 12a is configured from copper. The heating element 12a comprises at least one winding 34a. The heating element 12a comprises a plurality of windings 34a, in the present case in particular a total of eight windings. Alternatively, a heating element could also be configured as a resistance heating element and/or comprise a number of windings which is different from eight. Moreover, a heating element could alternatively be configured from a plurality of heating conductors and/or a stranded conductor. Alternatively, a heating element could also be configured from a different material and/or without windings.

(16) The heating element 12a forms a rectangular shape and/or contour when observed in a plan view. Alternatively, a heating element could have a circular contour, an oval contour and/or a contour of a polygon. The heating element 12a has a coil center point 52a. Additionally, the heating element 12a forms a separate, continuous coil heating region 44a.

(17) Additionally, the heating unit 10a comprises an adapting element 22a. The adapting element 22a is configured at least partially from an electrically insulating material. The adapting element 22a is formed from a material which is not magnetic, for example from a non-magnetic metal such as from aluminum, from plastics, from ceramics and/or from a phyllosilicate, in particular mica, wherein an adapting element made of mica could preferably have a thickness of approximately 0.3 mm. The adapting element 22a is of flexible configuration. The adapting element 22a is configured from a flexible material which may be thermally deformed in a reversible manner. The adapting element 22a has a thermal coefficient of expansion which is configured to be different from the thermal coefficient of expansion of the heating element 12a. The heating unit 10a has a thermal coefficient of expansion which is substantially identical to a thermal coefficient of expansion of the cooking chamber element 16a. The adapting element 22a is of star-shaped configuration. The adapting element 22a is integrally configured. The adapting element 22a in a mounted state is in contact with the heating element 12a. Additionally, the adapting element 22a is arranged such that the heating element 12a is substantially arranged between the part region 18a of the cooking chamber element 16a and the adapting element 22a. The adapting element 22a in this case is arranged radially relative to the coil center point 52a. In the heating operating state, the adapting element 22a is provided to adapt at least one surface 24a facing the part region 18a to the surface shape 20a of the part region 18a. Additionally, the adapting element 22a is provided to retain the heating element 12a.

(18) To this end, the adapting element 22a comprises a plurality of guide bolts 60a, 62a, wherein in FIG. 2 for the sake of clarity only two of the guide bolts 60a, 62a are provided with reference numerals. The guide bolts 60a, 62a are at least substantially identical to one another. The guide bolts 60a, 62a are arranged so as to be distributed over the adapting element 22a. The guide bolts 60a, 62a are provided for guiding the windings 34a of the heating element 12a. The guide bolts 60a, 62a are additionally provided for fixing the windings 34a of the heating element 12a. To this end, all of the windings 34a of the heating element 12a are arranged in each case between at least two directly adjacent guide bolts 60a, 62a. Alternatively, however, an adapting element could also be configured in multiple parts and, for example, comprise a plurality of strip-shaped adapting parts which, for example starting from a coil center point, extend radially outwardly. Additionally, it is conceivable to configure an adapting element as an advantageously rectangular adapting plate. Additionally it is conceivable to configure an adapting element from any other material. It is also conceivable to dispense with guide bolts and/or to use guide elements which are different from guide bolts, such as for example guide hooks.

(19) A schematic arrangement of the heating unit 10a on the part region 18a of the cooking chamber element 16a in a non-heated operating state is shown in FIG. 3a. The part region 18a forms a surface 38a. The surface 38a of the part region 18a has a planar, in particular a flat, surface shape 20a. Moreover, the heating unit 10a, in particular the adapting element 22a, has a surface 24a facing the part region 18a. In the present case, the adapting element 22a together with the heating element 12a forms the surface 24a. The surface 24a of the heating unit 10a facing the part region 18a forms a further flat surface shape 40a. The surface 38a of the part region 18a and the surface 24a of the heating unit 10a are arranged parallel to one another. The surface 24a of the heating unit 10a in the non-heated operating state has a minimum first spacing 26a from the surface 38a of the part region 18a. The heating unit 10a in the non-heated operating state has a minimum first spacing 26a from the cooking chamber element 16a. The minimum first spacing 26a of the heating unit 10a from the cooking chamber element 16a is substantially constant over the entire surface 38a of the part region 18a and advantageously is at most 1 mm.

(20) A schematic arrangement is shown in FIG. 3b and a detailed arrangement is shown in FIG. 4 of the heating unit 10a on the part region 18a of the cooking chamber element 16a in the heating operating state. The heating element 12a is arranged between the cooking chamber element 16a and the adapting element 22a. The windings 34a of the heating element 12a are arranged between the guide bolts 60a, 62a. The heating unit 10a, in particular the adapting element 22a, further comprises a projection 64a which spaces the adapting element 22a apart from the cooking chamber element 16a. The projection 64a forms in this case an electrically insulating connection with the cooking chamber element 16a. Alternatively, however, a connection of an adapting element to the cooking chamber element may be dispensed with and/or a simple mechanical separation of the heating unit may be achieved.

(21) The part region 18a of the cooking chamber element 16a expands in the heating operating state due to a heating of the cooking chamber 14a. In this case, the surface shape 20a of the part region 18a changes due to the thermal expansion of the cooking chamber element 16a. The surface 38a of the part region 18a has a curved surface shape 20a in the heating operating state. Surfaces may form curvatures of up to 18 mm in a heating operating state at 500° C.

(22) In this case, the adapting element 22a is provided to adapt the surface 24a facing the part region 18a of the cooking chamber element 16a to the changed surface shape 20a of the part region 18a. In this case, the surface 24a of the heating unit 10a facing the part region 18a forms a curved surface shape 40a corresponding to the surface shape 20a. The surface shape 40a of the heating unit 10a is complementary to the surface shape 20a of the part region 18a of the cooking chamber element 16a. The surface 38a of the part region 18a and the surface 24a of the heating unit 10a are arranged parallel to one another in the heating operating state. In the heating operating state, the surface 24a of the heating unit 10a has a minimum second spacing 28a from the surface 38a of the part region 18a. In the heating operating state, the heating unit 10a has a minimum second spacing 28a from the cooking chamber element 16a. The minimum second spacing 28a in a heating operating state and the minimum first spacing 26a in the non-heated operating state are substantially of the same size.

(23) Further exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown in FIGS. 5 to 9. The following descriptions and the drawings are substantially limited to the differences between the exemplary embodiments, wherein relative to components which are denoted the same, in particular with reference to components with the same reference numerals, in principle reference may also be made to the drawings and/or the description of the other exemplary embodiments, in particular FIGS. 1 to 4. For differentiating between the exemplary embodiments, the letter a is placed after the reference numerals of the exemplary embodiment in FIGS. 1 to 4. In the exemplary embodiments of FIGS. 5 to 9, the letter a is replaced by the letters b to d.

(24) In FIG. 5 a further exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown. The letter b is placed after the reference numerals of the exemplary embodiment. The further exemplary embodiment of FIG. 5 differs at least substantially from the previous exemplary embodiment by a number of coil heating regions 42b, 44b of a heating element 12b of a heating unit 10b.

(25) The heating element 12b has in the present case two coil heating regions 42b, 44b, in particular an outer coil heating region 42b and an inner coil heating region 44b. The outer coil heating region 42b and the inner coil heating region 44b are separated from one another by a further coil region 46b. The further coil region 46b in this case has no windings, such that in a heating operating state no heating is carried out. As an alternative to the embodiment, heating units with different numbers of coil heating regions are conceivable.

(26) In FIG. 6 a further exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown. The letter c is placed after the reference numerals of the exemplary embodiment. The further exemplary embodiment of FIG. 6 differs at least substantially from the previous exemplary embodiment by an embodiment of an adapting element 22c of a heating unit 10c.

(27) In the present case, an adapting element 22c is configured from a phyllosilicate, in particular mica and by way of example comprises two adapting parts 48c, 50c. Alternatively, however, an adapting element could also be configured integrally and/or comprise at least three adapting parts. The adapting parts 48c, 50c are arranged above one another in a mounted state. In the present case the adapting parts 48c, 50c are connected together non-positively and/or positively. The adapting parts 48c, 50c are arranged between a heating element 12c and a cooking chamber element 16c. The adapting parts 48c, 50c in this case are in direct contact with the heating element 12c and the cooking chamber element 16c. The adapting parts 48c, 50c are configured to be electrically insulating. The adapting parts 48c, 50c are configured as substantially flat disks. The adapting parts 48c, 50c have a substantially rectangular contour. Additionally, the adapting parts 48c, 50c are configured to be slotted. Alternatively, the adapting parts could also be configured from a different material. It is also conceivable to connect together the adapting parts by a material connection, by an adhesively bonded and/or fused connection.

(28) FIG. 7a shows a possible embodiment of the adapting parts 48c, 50c. The adapting parts 48c, 50c have radial incisions. The incisions of the adapting parts 48c, 50c are identified as black lines. The adapting parts 48c, 50c in this case have a slotted pattern which is formed by incisions along the median line, starting from all four sides.

(29) FIGS. 7b to 7d show three further possible embodiments of the adapting parts which are identified by the letters c′, c″, c′″ for differentiation.

(30) In FIG. 7b a slotted pattern of diagonal slots is formed, starting from four corners. In FIG. 7c a slotted pattern corresponds to slots along the median line, starting from two long rectangular sides. In FIG. 7d a slotted pattern corresponds to slots along the median line, starting from the short rectangular sides.

(31) Different adapting elements 22c, 22c′, 22c″, 22c′″, which are produced from the adapting parts 48c, 48c′, 48c″, 48c′″, 50c, 50c′, 50c″, 50c′″ shown in FIGS. 7a to 7d, are shown in FIGS. 8a to 8d.

(32) In FIG. 9 a further exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown. The letter d is placed after the reference numerals of the exemplary embodiment. The further exemplary embodiment of FIG. 9 differs at least substantially from the previous exemplary embodiment by an embodiment of an adapting element 22d and/or a heating element 12d of a heating unit 10d.

(33) In this case, a shape and/or contour of the heating element 12d and the adapting element 22d are at least substantially identical. The heating element 12d has a spiral-shaped contour. The adapting element 22d has a spiral-shaped contour. The heating element 12d and the adapting element 22d have accordingly the same contour.