COOKING APPLIANCE WITH A CAMERA FOR MONITORING THE COOKING CHAMBER

Abstract

The invention relates to a cooking appliance, in particular a domestic oven, comprising a cooking chamber with an inner wall of the cooking chamber. The cooking chamber inner wall comprises a cooking chamber bottom wall, a cooking chamber top wall, a cooking chamber rear wall and cooking chamber side walls. In addition, the cooking appliance comprises a heating device and a camera for monitoring the cooking chamber. The camera is arranged at least partially above the cooking chamber top wall.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of Switzerland Patent Application No. CH000206/2023 filed on Feb. 28, 2023, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a cooking appliance, in particular a domestic oven, comprising a cooking chamber with an inner wall of the cooking chamber, a heating device and a camera for monitoring the cooking chamber. The inner wall of the cooking chamber comprises a cooking chamber bottom, a cooking chamber top wall, a cooking chamber rear wall and cooking chamber side walls.

BACKGROUND

Cooking appliances in private households, in particular ovens or steam cookers, with cameras for monitoring the cooking chamber are known. The recorded images can be transmitted to a mobile phone via a wireless connection, for example, and the user can follow the cooking process in the cooking cabinet via the mobile phone. For example, the user can follow how the browning of the food in the cooking chamber is developing without having to be in the vicinity of the cooking appliance.

Other cooking appliances not only transmit an image from the cooking cabinet, but also use the image information to control the cooking process. A change in the color of the food can be interpreted as browning, for example, so that the cooking process is automatically ended when a certain level of browning is reached.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The problem to be solved is to provide a cooking appliance which has a camera and the camera is arranged in the cooking appliance in as space-saving a manner as possible.

This problem is solved by the cooking appliance according to the independent claim. Such a cooking appliance is in particular a cooking appliance for use in a private household, in particular an oven, a steam cooking appliance, a microwave oven or an appliance with combined cooking functions. The cooking appliance comprises:

• • a cooking chamber with an inner cooking chamber wall, wherein the inner cooking chamber wall comprises a cooking chamber bottom, a cooking chamber top wall, a cooking chamber rear wall and cooking chamber side walls. The inner wall of the cooking chamber limits the volume of the cooking chamber. Food that is to be cooked using the cooking appliance can be inserted into the cooking chamber.
  • a heating device. The food is cooked using the heating device. A heating device is in particular a top/bottom heat, a convection heating function, a grill function, a microwave generator or a heating device for generating steam.
  • a camera for monitoring the cooking chamber. In particular, the camera generates images and videos or a live stream, wherein this image data is processed by a control unit of the cooking appliance and/or transmitted to an image output device. The image output device could be a mobile phone. In particular, the term “camera” includes an image sensor and a lens, in particular also a front window arranged in front of the lens to protect the lens.

The camera is arranged at least partially above the cooking chamber top wall. The cooking chamber top wall is the inner wall of the cooking chamber arranged at the top of the cooking chamber. In particular, the cooking chamber top wall is a flat, horizontally aligned cooking chamber wall.

If the camera is arranged at least partially above the cooking chamber top wall, this means that the camera is arranged at least partially outside the cooking chamber. As a result, the camera is better protected from heat than if it were positioned completely inside the cooking chamber. In addition, the entire cooking chamber can be monitored from this position if possible.

Advantageously, the camera is arranged partially below the cooking chamber top wall, i.e. inside the cooking chamber. This means that the camera is arranged both partially above and partially below the cooking chamber top wall. This reduces the space occupied by the camera outside the cooking chamber or above the cooking chamber top wall. More space is available outside the cooking chamber for the arrangement of other components, such as the control electronics.

The cooking chamber top wall advantageously includes an opening. A camera niche is arranged above the cooking chamber top wall and adjacent to the opening, wherein the camera is partially arranged inside the niche. The part of the camera that is located inside the cooking chamber and below the cooking chamber top wall is not located inside but outside the camera niche. If, as in the present case, the camera is arranged partially inside the camera niche and partially inside the cooking chamber, this means that the camera is arranged as close as possible to the cooking chamber and therefore the opening in the cooking chamber top wall can be relatively small. This improves the thermal insulation of the cooking chamber.

The camera niche separates the camera from other components, in particular from the neighboring insulation, and ensures that the camera has a clear view into the cooking chamber.

In particular, the opening has a circular, oval or rectangular shape and/or the camera niche has the shape of an oblique, blunt circular cone. The shape of the oblique circular cone allows the camera to look into the cooking chamber with a viewing direction that is oblique to the vertical.

In particular, the camera niche is openly connected to the cooking chamber. The interior of the camera niche is therefore not insulated from the cooking chamber, i.e. it is not separated from the cooking chamber by a separating window or another separating body. Vapors generated in the cooking chamber can, for example, flow into the camera niche and along the camera.

In a particular embodiment, an insulation layer is provided above the cooking chamber top wall and directly adjacent to the cooking chamber top wall. The camera niche is arranged within the insulation layer and does not protrude above the insulation layer. In other words, the camera niche is embedded in the insulation layer at the same level as the latter. If the camera niche does not protrude above the insulation layer, the camera niche does not take up unnecessary space outside the insulation layer.

In particular, there is an insulation layer above the cooking chamber top wall and directly adjacent to the cooking chamber top wall. An electronics compartment with control electronics is arranged above the insulation layer, wherein the camera niche is arranged completely below the electronics compartment within the insulation layer. This has the advantage that the camera niche does not take up any space within the electronics compartment and there is sufficient space available for other components.

Advantageously, the camera has a front window and the front window is arranged partially below the cooking chamber top wall and partially above the cooking chamber top wall. The front window is the component of the camera through which light rays enter the camera from outside. In other words, the front window forms an outer boundary of the camera, in this case directed downwards towards the cooking chamber.

Advantageously, the viewing direction of the camera is oblique to the vertical. In particular, the viewing direction of the camera is oblique to the horizontal. If the viewing direction is oblique and not parallel to the vertical or horizontal, the camera can capture both lateral image information and image information from above of the food arranged in the cooking chamber. This allows particularly favorable monitoring of the food.

In particular, the camera is spaced from the center of the cooking chamber top wall, in particular at least 5 cm, in particular at least 10 cm, from the center of the cooking chamber top wall. This allows a partial lateral view of the food, which improves the assessment of the food.

Advantageously, the camera protrudes vertically into the cooking chamber by a maximum of 3 cm, in particular by a maximum of 2 cm, below the cooking chamber top wall. Excessive penetration into the cooking chamber would expose the camera to a too high risk of soiling and would also restrict the movement of food and, for example, baking trays within the cooking chamber.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further embodiments, advantages and applications of the invention are described by the dependent claims and in the following description with reference to the figures. The figures show:

FIG. 1 components of a cooking appliance, comprising a housing for forming the cooking chamber or the inner wall of the cooking chamber, a front cover and a camera, with an oblique top view of the cooking appliance;

FIG. 2 the components of the cooking appliance according to FIG. 1 with a view from diagonally below;

FIG. 2a an enlarged image section of the mounted camera from FIG. 2;

FIG. 3 a view from above of the components of the cooking appliance with a sectional marking;

FIG. 4 the sectional drawing according to the marking in FIG. 3, wherein the cooking chamber, the camera and the direction of view of the camera into the cooking chamber are clearly visible;

FIG. 4a a detailed view of the mounted camera from FIG. 4; and

FIG. 5 a vertical section at the position of the camera with a view of the cooking appliance from the front.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

FIGS. 1, 2 and 2 a show essential components of a cooking appliance. The cooking appliance shown is a so-called combi-steamer. This combines steam functions and hot air, wherein this combination leads to a very good cooking result. The hot air ensures a good heat, while the steam generates a suitable climate. The food does not dry out and has a golden-brown surface.

The cooking appliance comprises a cooking chamber housing 1 (also known as a muffle), which is manufactured using a thermoforming process. The cooking chamber housing 1 forms the cooking chamber 2 and an inner cooking chamber wall 3, which separates the cooking chamber 2 from the outside. The inner cooking chamber wall 3 comprises a cooking chamber bottom wall 31, a cooking chamber top wall 32, a cooking chamber rear wall 33 (see FIG. 4) and cooking chamber side walls 34.

The cooking appliance also comprises various heating devices 4. A bottom heating device 41 is provided on the underside of the cooking chamber housing. A circulating air heating device 42 (see FIG. 4) with a heating element and a fan is arranged at the rear of the cooking appliance. A heating device for generating steam is not shown.

Reference is also made to FIGS. 3 to 5. An opening 5 is provided on the cooking chamber top wall 32. Behind the opening 5, i.e. above the cooking chamber top wall 32, there is a camera channel 6, which by definition is not part of the cooking chamber 2. A camera 7 is arranged partially above the cooking chamber top wall 32 within the camera niche 6 and partially below the cooking chamber top wall 32 in the cooking chamber 2. This is well illustrated by FIG. 5.

The camera 7 comprises an image sensor 71, a lens 72 with lenses, a front window 73 and an air space 74 between the lens 72 and the front window 73 (see FIG. 4a). The front window 73 and the air space 74 insulate the lens 72 and the image sensor 71 from heat and dirt from the cooking chamber 2.

The opening 5 on the cooking chamber top wall 32 has an oval shape (see FIG. 2b) and does not close the connection between the camera niche 6 and the cooking chamber 2. This means that vapors arising in the cooking chamber 2 can penetrate unhindered through the opening 5 into the camera niche 6. It can also be seen in FIG. 5 that the camera niche 6 has the shape of a blunt, sloping cone. The walls of the camera niche 6, which form the shape of the blunt, inclined cone, are marked with the reference number 61.

The viewing direction 75 of the camera 7 is oblique to the vertical 8 with an angle 9 of 25°. For a good overview of the cooking chamber 2, the camera 7 is therefore arranged at a distance from the center 9 of the cooking chamber top wall 32 (see FIG. 3). The distance 10 (dashed line in FIG. 3) between the center 9 of the cooking chamber top wall 32 and the camera 7 is approx. 22 cm. Due to the oblique viewing direction 75, which is based on a lateral arrangement of the camera 7, food arranged in the cooking chamber 2 can be observed particularly well. At this viewing angle 9, some of the food can be seen from above and some from the side.

FIG. 5 clearly shows that a lower part 76 of the camera 7 is arranged inside the cooking chamber 2 and below the cooking chamber top wall 32. An upper part 77 of the camera 7 is arranged inside the camera niche 6 and thus above the cooking chamber top wall 32. By definition, the upper part 77 of the camera 7 is not arranged in the cooking chamber 2, but in the camera niche 6. The upper part 77 is significantly larger in relation to the entire camera 7 than the lower part 76. In the vertical direction, the camera protrudes into the cooking chamber 2 by approx. 1.5 cm. This vertical distance of approx. 1.5 cm is marked by the reference numeral 78. It extends from the cooking chamber top wall 32 to the lower end of the camera 7. In addition, the front window 73 is arranged partially below the cooking chamber top wall 32 and partially above the cooking chamber top wall 32.

An insulating layer 11 is arranged at the height of the camera niche 7 and thus surrounding the camera niche 7, and also above the cooking chamber top wall 32 and directly adjacent to the cooking chamber top wall 32. This insulates the cooking chamber 2 from the outside so that the heat generated in the cooking chamber 2 remains inside the cooking chamber 2 as far as possible and does not escape to the outside. The camera niche 6 and the camera 7 do not protrude above the insulation layer 11, i.e. the camera niche 6 and the camera 7 are arranged exclusively below the upper boundary 12 of the insulation layer 11.

The upper boundary 12 lies between the insulation layer 11 and an electronics compartment 13 arranged above the insulation layer 11. The control unit of the cooking appliance and other electronic components (not shown) are arranged in the electronics compartment 13. Neither the camera niche 6 nor the camera 7 protrude into the electronics compartment 13.

Whilst preferred embodiments of the invention are described in the present application, it should be clearly pointed out that the invention is not limited to these and can also be carried out in other ways within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A cooking appliance, in particular a domestic oven, comprising a cooking chamber with an inner cooking chamber wall, wherein the inner cooking chamber wall comprises a cooking chamber bottom wall, a cooking chamber top wall, a cooking chamber rear wall and cooking chamber side walls,a heating device,a camera for monitoring the cooking chamber,wherein the camera is arranged at least partially above the cooking chamber top wall.

2. The cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein the camera is arranged partially below the cooking chamber top wall inside the cooking chamber.

3. The cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein the cooking chamber top wall has an opening and a camera niche is arranged above the cooking chamber top wall and adjacent to the opening, wherein the camera is partially arranged within the camera niche.

4. The cooking appliance according to claim 3, wherein the opening has a circular, an oval or a rectangular shape and the camera niche has a shape of an oblique, obtuse circular cone.

5. The cooking appliance according to claim 3, wherein the camera niche is openly connected to the cooking chamber.

6. The cooking appliance according to claim 3, wherein an insulation layer is arranged above the cooking chamber top wall and directly adjacent to the cooking chamber top wall, wherein the camera niche is arranged within the insulation layer and wherein the camera niche does not project upwards beyond the insulation layer.

7. The cooking appliance according to claim 3, wherein an insulation layer is arranged above the cooking chamber top wall and directly adjacent to the cooking chamber top wall, wherein an electronics compartment with control electronics is arranged above the insulation layer, wherein the camera niche is arranged completely below the electronics compartment within the insulation layer.

8. The cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein the camera has a front window and the front window is arranged partially below the cooking chamber top wall and partially above the cooking chamber top wall.

9. The cooking appliance according to claim 2, wherein the camera has a front window and the front window is arranged partially below the cooking chamber top wall and partially above the cooking chamber top wall.

10. The cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein a viewing direction of the camera is directed obliquely to a vertical direction, and in particular is directed obliquely to a horizontal direction,and in particular is spaced from a center of the cooking chamber top wall, in particular is spaced from the center of the cooking chamber top wall by at least 5 cm, in particular at least 10 cm.

11. The cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein the camera projects into the cooking chamber in a vertical direction with a length of at most 3 cm, in particular of at most 2 cm, below the cooking chamber top wall.