PEF COOKING APPLIANCE AND PEF SYSTEM

Abstract

A PEF cooking appliance includes a PEF generator, and a carrier configured to receive a storage container for food. The carrier includes at least two PEF electrodes spaced apart to enable insertion of the storage container there between. At least one the PEF electrodes is connected to the PEF generator. The carrier is embodied as a drawer with a top cover pivotably attached thereto The drawer includes a base, with one of the two PEF electrodes being integrated into the base of the drawer and another one of the two PEF electrodes being integrated into the cover of the drawer.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A PEF cooking appliance, comprising: a PEF generator; and a carrier configured to receive a storage container for food, said carrier including at least two PEF electrodes spaced apart to enable insertion of the storage container there between, at least one the PEF electrodes being connected to the PEF generator, said carrier being embodied as a drawer with a top cover pivotably attached thereto, said drawer including a base, with one of the two PEF electrodes being integrated into the base of the drawer and another one of the two PEF electrodes being integrated into the cover of the drawer.

17. The PEF cooking appliance of claim 16, wherein the other one of the two PEF electrodes is the at least one PEF electrode which is connected to the PEF generator.

18. The PEF cooking appliance of claim 16, wherein at least one of the two PEF electrodes projects from an interior of the cover.

19. The PEF cooking appliance of claim 18, wherein the at least one projecting PEF electrode is resiliently suspended.

20. The PEF cooking appliance of claim 16, wherein the drawer is equipped with the PEF generator, which is located in a rear section of the drawer in a pull-out direction of the drawer, said storage container being insertable into a front section of the drawer, with the cover being configured to only cover the front section of the drawer.

21. The PEF cooking appliance of claim 20, further comprising a detachable electrical plug connection including a plug connection element on a rear side of the drawer, said plug connection establishing in a connected state an electrical connection between the PEF generator and a power supply.

22. The PEF cooking appliance of claim 16, further comprising a detachable electrical plug connection including a plug connection element on a rear side of the drawer, said plug connection establishing in a connected state an electrical connection between a housing of the PEF generator and the other one of the two PEF electrodes.

23. The PEF cooking appliance of claim 16, wherein the cover is configured and arranged on the drawer such that the cover is noticeably openable only when the drawer is fully extended, and further comprising a housing configured to receive the drawer and having an insertion opening for passage of the drawer, and a stop provided on an upper edge of the insertion opening in relation to the cover.

24. The PEF cooking appliance of claim 16, wherein the drawer comprises a monitoring sensor for monitoring a closure state of the cover.

25. The PEF cooking appliance of claim 16, further comprising a grounded housing and an electrically conductive pull-out system, wherein the drawer is connected to the housing by way of the electrically conductive pull-out system, said one of the two PEF electrodes being connected to the grounded housing by way of the electrically conductive pull-out system.

26. The PEF cooking appliance of claim 16, wherein the drawer comprises a sensor for sensing a property of the food.

27. The PEF cooking appliance of claim 16, wherein the drawer comprises a sensor for sensing fields, voltages and/or currents in the food generated during a PEF treatment.

28. The PEF cooking appliance of claim 16, wherein the drawer comprises actuator for a non-electrical treatment of food.

29. The PEF cooking appliance of claim 16, constructed in the form of a household appliance.

30. A PEF cooking system, comprising: a PEF cooking appliance comprising a PEF generator, and a carrier including at least two PEF electrodes, with at least one the PEF electrodes being connected to the PEF generator, said carrier being embodied as a drawer with a top cover pivotably attached thereto, said drawer including a base, with one of the two PEF electrodes being integrated into the base of the drawer and another one of the two PEF electrodes being integrated into the cover of the drawer; and a storage container for food, said storage container inserted into the drawer between the at least two PEF electrodes.

Description

[0042] The above-described properties, features and advantages of this invention and the manner in which these are achieved will become clearer and more readily understandable in connection with the following schematic description of an exemplary embodiment, which will be described in further detail making reference to the drawings.

[0043] FIG. 1 shows, as a sectional representation in the side view, an outline of a PEF appliance with a PEF module inserted therein with a fully inserted drawer;

[0044] FIG. 2 shows, as a sectional representation in the side view, an outline of the PEF module from FIG. 1 with a partially pulled-out drawer;

[0045] FIG. 3 shows, as a sectional representation in the side view, an outline of the PEF module from FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 with a completely pulled-out drawer;

[0046] FIG. 4 shows, as a sectional representation in the side view, an outline of an alternative PEF module with a partially pulled-out drawer;

[0047] FIG. 5 shows, as a sectional representation in the side view, an outline of the alternative PEF module with a completely pulled-out drawer and

[0048] FIG. 6 shows an equivalent circuit diagram of a circuit for PEF treatment of food by means of a PEF generator of the PEF module.

[0049] FIG. 1 shows, as a sectional representation in the side view, an outline of a PEF cooking appliance 1 provided as a household appliance. The PEF cooking appliance 1 has a frame 2, into which a PEF module 3 is inserted. The frame 2 is grounded.

[0050] The PEF module 3 has a housing 4 with a front-side insertion opening, in which a drawer 5 is supported so that it can move horizontally, as indicated by the double arrow. The drawer 5 has two sections or “compartments”, namely one front section 6, in the pull-out direction, for receiving the receiving containers A (see FIG. 4 and FIG. 5), which is covered by a horizontally pivotable cover 7, and one rear section 8, in the pull-out direction, in which a PEF generator 9 is accommodated. The front section 6 therefore serves as a carrier for at least one receiving container A. The rear section 8 is closed so that the PEF generator 9 is not accessible for a user.

[0051] A PEF electrode 10 is integrated into the cover 7 over a large area or the cover also serves as a PEF electrode. The PEF electrode 10 is connected to a signal output of the PEF generator 9 by way of a contact switch 11. With a closed cover 7, the contact switch 11 is switched in a conducting manner so that pulsed electrical signals output from the signal output of the PEF generator 9 are applied to the PEF electrode 10. With an open cover 7, the contact switch 11 is by contrast switched with interruptions.

[0052] The top side of the insertion opening forms a stop 12 in relation to the cover 7 or has one such stop 12, so that the cover 7 can only open when the drawer 5 is pulled out practically completely.

[0053] When the drawer 5 is in the inserted state, a plug connection element 13 arranged on a rear wall of the drawer 5 is immersed into a plug connection counter element 14 of the frame 2 and then forms an electrically conducting plug connection 13, 14. The plug connection element 13 is connected to the PEF generator 9, while the plug connection counter element 14 is connected to a power supply (see FIG. 6) arranged e.g. on the frame 2. In the connected state of the plug connection 13, 14, the PEF generator can therefore be supplied with current. PEF signals can only then be applied to the PEF electrode 10 if the cover 7 is closed and the drawer 5 is slid completely into the housing 4.

[0054] A base 15 of the drawer 5 is embodied as a metallic electrode 16 at least at the top, in particular over the entire surface. The electrode 16 is connected electrically with a pull-out system 17, which connects the drawer 5 displaceably with the housing 4, and is thus electrically connected with the housing 4. Since the housing 4 is grounded e.g. by way of the frame 2, the electrode 16 is also grounded by way of the pull-out system 17. Since the grounded electrode 16 extends as far as the rear section 8 and is connected there with the PEF generator 9, it can also be used to ground the PEF generator 9.

[0055] The front section 6 of the drawer 5 therefore has two electrodes 10, 16, between which at least one storage container can be inserted.

[0056] On the front side the drawer 5 has a front plate 18 which can be handled by a user, e.g. in order to pull out and slide in the drawer 5.

[0057] FIG. 2 shows, as a sectional representation in the side view, an outline of the PEF module 3 with a partially pulled-out drawer. The pulling out process now separates the plug connection element 13 from the plug connection counter element 14 so that the power supply to the PEF generator 9 is interrupted. On account of the stop 12, the cover 7 is still not able to open.

[0058] FIG. 3 shows, as a sectional representation in the side view, an outline of the PEF module 3 with a completely pulled-out drawer 5 and opened cover 7. Since the pivot axis of the cover 7 is now located in front of the stop 12, the cover 7 can be opened, as a result of which the front section 6 is accessible for a user, e.g. an insertion or removal of receiving containers A. With an open cover 7, the contact switch 11 is opened, so that an electrical connection between the PEF generator 9 and the PEF electrode 10 of the cover 7 is also interrupted. The rear section 8 is furthermore not accessible for a user.

[0059] FIG. 4 shows, as a sectional representation in the side view, an outline of an alternative PEF module 19 with a partially pulled-out drawer 20. The PEF module 19 is embodied similarly to the PEF module 3, wherein the cover 21 is now embodied differently, however. In particular, the cover 21 has just one mechanically acting cover part 22, from the interior of which a plate-shaped PEF electrode 23 projects beyond a spring element 24. The PEF electrode 23 can be immersed into an open top side of a tray-type receiving container A and contact the food L located therein or the liquid containing salt surrounding the food. Here the PEF electrode 23 is formed in particular so that it practically completely covers the receiving container A. A particularly effective PEF treatment of the food L is therefore achieved.

[0060] The spring element 24 enables the position of the PEF electrode 23 to be adjusted to the food L and enables a reliable closure of the cover 21.

[0061] In one development, the PEF electrode 23 has holes, so that a possible gas formation through the food L does not result in a (partial) contact loss between the PEF electrode 23 and the contents of the receiving container A.

[0062] Alternatively, a PEF electrode can also be integrated into the cover part 22.

[0063] The receiving container A can have in particular a metallic base, so that it can come into contact over a large area with the electrode 16 and the base of the receiving container A can then itself serve as an electrode.

[0064] FIG. 5 shows, as a sectional representation in the side view, an outline of the alternative PEF module 19 with a completely pulled-out drawer 20 and opened cover 21.

[0065] FIG. 6 shows a simplified equivalent circuit diagram of a circuit for PEF treatment of food by means of a PEF generator 9 of the PEF module 3 or 19. The circuit has a power supply unit 25 e.g. on the frame 2, which power supply unit can have an interference filter. The power supply unit 25 is connected to an electrical connection of the PEF generator 9 by way of the plug connection 13, 14. The PEF generator 9 has a voltage generator 26, which is connected on the output side with a capacitor bank 27. The capacitor bank 27 is used to keep the voltage output by the voltage generator 26 stable. The capacitor bank 27 is connected on the output side with a pulse generator 28 for generating strong voltage pulses. The pulse generator 28 is in turn connected on the output side by way of an electrically switchable switch 29, a current sensor and limiter 30 and the switch 11 with the PEF electrode 10, 23 of the drawer 5 or 20. The other electrode 16, which serves as capacitor plates of a capacitor with the PEF electrode 10, 23, between which the food L can be introduced, is grounded or connected with ground.

[0066] Here a number of sensors 31 are present on the drawer 5 or 20, by means of which e.g. a temperature and/or an electrical conductivity in the receiving container A, a shape of the voltage pulses and/or current pulses at the site of the food L, etc. can be detected.

[0067] The circuit also comprises an electronics unit 32 for controlling the circuit, for instance for evaluating the measuring signals of the current sensor 30, for actuating (e.g. for opening and closing) the switch 29, in particular on the basis of an evaluation of the measuring signals of the current sensor 30, for actuating (e.g. switching on and off, for pulse formation, etc.), and monitoring (e.g. the output voltages) of the PEF generator 9 and possibly for actuating a user interface 33 of the PEF cooking appliance 1.

[0068] The present invention is naturally not restricted to the exemplary embodiment shown.

[0069] The drawer can therefore generally comprise one or more sensors for sensing at least one property of the food and/or of the fields and/or voltages/currents routed through the food during PEF treatment.

[0070] A drawer can also generally have one or more actuators for the non-electrical treatment of the food e.g. a stirrer.

[0071] In general, “a”, “one” etc. can be regarded as a singular or a plurality, in particular in the sense of “at least one” or “one or more” etc., as long as this is not explicitly excluded, e.g. by the expression “precisely one” etc.

[0072] In addition, a given number can include precisely the number given and also a conventional tolerance range, as long as this is not explicitly excluded.

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

[0073] 1 PEF cooking appliance [0074] 2 Frame [0075] 3 PEF module [0076] 4 Housing [0077] 5 Drawer [0078] 6 Front section of the drawer [0079] 7 Cover [0080] 8 Rear section of the drawer [0081] 9 PEF generator [0082] 10 PEF electrode [0083] 11 Contact switch [0084] 12 Stop [0085] 13 Plug connection element [0086] 14 Plug connection counter element [0087] 15 Base of the drawer [0088] 16 Electrode [0089] 17 Pull-out system [0090] 18 Front plate [0091] 19 PEF module [0092] 20 Drawer [0093] 21 Cover [0094] 22 Cover part [0095] 23 PEF electrode [0096] 24 Spring element [0097] 25 Power supply unit [0098] 26 Voltage generator [0099] 27 Capacitor bank [0100] 28 Pulse generator [0101] 29 Electrically switchable switch [0102] 30 Current sensor and limiter [0103] 31 Sensor [0104] 32 Electronics unit [0105] 33 User interface [0106] A Receiving container [0107] L Food