EP4053456B1 - Cooking appliance system - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a cooking appliance system according to patent claim 1 and a method for operating the cooking appliance system according to patent claim 12.

For the preparation of food, which can also be referred to as goods to be treated or food to be cooked, various kitchen appliances are known, which can also be referred to as cooking appliances. These include hobs on which the food can be cooked in a cooking vessel such as a saucepan, with or without a lid, in a pan and the like by boiling, frying and the like. For this purpose, the cooking vessel is placed on a cooking zone of the hob and the base of the cooking vessel is heated electrically, inductively or similarly by the cooking zone. The cooking vessel can also be referred to as a cooking vessel, a food carrier or a food holder. In this case, the cooking vessel provides a cooking space for the food, which in the case of pans and pots can be open or closed with a lid.

Cooking appliances are also known which have a fixed, i.e., stationary, cooking chamber formed with the cooking appliance, in which the food can be placed in or on a cooking utensil and cooked with the cooking chamber closed. Such a cooking appliance can be, for example, an oven, a steamer, a microwave, a combination appliance comprising an oven with a steamer and/or with a microwave, and the like. Such cooking appliances with a fixed cooking chamber typically have a vertical height of approximately 45 cm, at least in Germany, although ovens with a height of approximately 60 cm are also common.

Such cooking appliances with a fixed cooking chamber have in common that they have an outer housing which essentially encloses the cooking appliance on the outside and protects its individual components and elements, as well as making them easier to handle. Within the cooking appliance, an interior space is formed which represents the cooking chamber and is essentially enclosed by an inner housing, also referred to as an inner housing, also known as a cooking chamber muffle or muffle. Between the inner housing and the outer housing, a housing space is formed as an intermediate space, in which functional elements of the cooking appliance such as a control system or control unit, an electrical power supply and other components which serve the intended use of the cooking appliance can be arranged. In terms of depth from the front, i.e. viewed from the user's perspective, the outer housing, the inner housing and a sheet metal or front sheet together enclose the housing space, so that the housing space is not accessible to the user.

The interior of the cooking appliance has a through-opening at the front in depth as an access opening, through which the interior of the cooking appliance is accessible to the user in order to insert cooking utensils into the interior of the cooking appliance as its cooking chamber and to arrange them there, as well as to remove cooking utensils from the interior of the cooking appliance after the food has been cooked. The access opening can be opened by the user by means of a closure element, for example in the form of a door that can be pivoted to the side, a flap that can be pivoted downwards, or the like, in order to access the interior of the cooking appliance, as described above, or to close the interior of the cooking appliance and carry out the cooking operation or process. Such a closure element can be closed or have a viewing window to allow the user a view into the closed interior of the cooking appliance.

Such cooking appliances with a fixed cooking chamber are usually designed as built-in appliances or as built-in kitchen appliances in order to be arranged with their outer casing in a space-saving manner and at a height that is easily accessible for the user in the vertical direction in kitchen furniture, such as in built-in kitchen cupboards, and to be arranged with their locking element, if necessary additionally with their panel, see above, towards the front of the user, flush with the surfaces of the other cooking appliances, drawers, doors and the like of the kitchen furniture, which can improve the visual impression for the user.

In addition to the previously described cooking appliances with a fixed cooking chamber, these can also be combined with other built-in kitchen appliances such as warming drawers, vacuum drawers and the like, arranged vertically one above the other and/or horizontally next to each other, which can also perform functions in the kitchen.

Warming drawers such as those shown in the printed matter ES 2 399 278 B1 and ES 2 413 097 B1 These are used, for example, to keep cooked food warm without further cooking and to preheat dishes. Vacuum drawers allow food to be vacuum-sealed in airtight packaging.

A warming drawer is, for example, from the publication KR 2011 0078910 A known.

Such drawers as kitchen appliances are basically constructed in a similar way to the previously described cooking appliances with a fixed cooking chamber, whereby drawers are significantly flatter, i.e. smaller in the vertical direction, and thus must be pulled out of the kitchen unit by the user in order to access their interior from above in the vertical direction. For this purpose, the movable part of the drawer, which can also be referred to as a pull-out, has a pull-out shelf, which serves to hold, for example, cooking utensils vertically from above and can be designed to be movable in depth relative to the drawer's interior, for example via rails arranged laterally in the transverse direction. The pull-out shelf typically has a vertically aligned panel at the front, which closes the interior of the drawer or its access opening when closed.

Such drawers, also called built-in drawers, typically have a vertical height of approximately 14 cm, at least in Germany. Drawers are typically arranged vertically below a cooking appliance with a fixed cooking chamber, such as an oven, a steamer, and the like, or in combination with another drawer, vertically stacked one above the other, but can also be installed individually and independently in a piece of kitchen furniture. Since the installation spaces for built-in kitchen appliances in kitchen furniture, which can also be referred to as niches, typically have a vertical height of approximately 60 cm, at least in Germany, a drawer with an installation height of approximately 15 cm and a cooking appliance with a fixed cooking chamber with an installation height of approximately 45 cm can be combined modularly with one another as built-in appliances. Such cooking appliances, such as ovens or steamers with oven function, typically have a heating device located below the top of the inner housing in the interior and directed vertically downwards into the cooking chamber or towards the cooking chamber. Such heating devices are therefore also referred to as top heat. In ovens, for example, this type of top heat is typically achieved by an uncovered heating coil mounted on the ceiling, which radiates intensely downwards, thus achieving intensive browning of the food being cooked through heat radiation.

In various cooking appliances, such as the one described in the publication EP 3 904 769 A1 In the oven shown, it is known to use sensors to detect, for example, whether a cooking chamber is empty.

The printed matter DE 40 19 411 A1 describes an oven with a locking cooking door.

A cooking appliance that can detect a cooking utensil positioned in the cooking appliance is described in the publications DE 10 2017 121 401 A1 and DE 10 2008 031 378 A1 and EP 0 347 161 A1 described.

The printed matter DE 10 2016 109 894 A1 discloses a complex assistance system for carrying out a method to support food preparation.

The printed matter JP S59 221 524 A shows a cooking appliance with a display device for showing appliance statuses.

The use of a mobile device to control a household appliance is described in the publication DE 10 2019 114 486 A1 known.

The printed matter DE 10 2019 209 073 A1 discloses a household appliance with a proximity sensor for detecting the approach of a user to the household appliance.

With various cooking appliances, such as ovens, steam cookers with oven function, and pans, it is common practice to preheat them—i.e., heat them to a predetermined temperature before the food is placed in the cooking chamber and the cooking process begins. This can lead to better cooking results, for example, when searing meat in a pan. This also applies to cooking appliances with top heat.

From the printed matter DE 102 41 486 A1 An oven with a bottom heat element is known, which is covered by a plate.

The invention addresses the problem of providing a cooking appliance system that can improve cooking results. Preferably, the heating time and/or the cooking time should also be reduced. This should be implemented in a way that is as simple, space-saving, cost-effective, durable, robust, and/or easy to clean as possible. At the very least, an alternative to known cooking appliance systems of this type should be created.

According to the invention, this problem is solved by a cooking appliance system having the features of patent claim 1 and by a method having the features of patent claim 12. Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention emerge from the following dependent claims.

The invention thus relates to a cooking appliance system. The cooking appliance system comprises, on the one hand, a cooking appliance with an inner housing for accommodating at least one cooking chamber and with at least one first heating device designed to heat at least the cooking chamber. This allows heating of the cooking chamber or the food to be cooked.

The cooking appliance system also includes a cooking chamber. A cooking chamber is defined as a space in which food can be accommodated for cooking.

A cooking chamber can be formed, in particular, by a cooking utensil and can be open or closed, as described above. A cooking utensil can be removable from the cooking appliance. Such a cooking chamber can also be formed by a fixed component of the built-in cooking appliance.

The cooking appliance according to the invention is further equipped with an operating element, a control unit, an inner housing for accommodating the at least one cooking chamber and with at least one first heating device, wherein the heating device is designed to heat at least the cooking chamber.

The cooking appliance according to the invention has a pull-out with a panel, which is designed to be moved in the longitudinal direction in a pull-out direction relative to the inner housing of the cooking appliance towards a user and in the longitudinal direction in an opposite insertion direction relative to the inner housing of the cooking appliance away from a user.

The cooking appliance according to the invention has the operating element on its panel, wherein the cooking appliance has an interior of the inner housing, which can be opened and closed by means of the pull-out.

According to the invention, it is further provided that the panel consists of a front wall and a front panel, which are designed to be movable relative to one another, wherein the front wall and the front panel are mounted so as to be rotatable relative to one another about an axis, wherein the front wall delimits and/or closes the interior of the inner housing when the pull-out is closed, wherein the front panel rests against the front wall in a rest position and/or is oriented parallel to the front wall and the front panel is pivoted away from the front wall in an operating position.

The cooking appliance according to the invention is characterized in that the cooking appliance, preferably a control unit of the cooking appliance, is designed to automatically start operation of the first heating device as a function of a recognized behavior of a user, without the user having to actuate a control element.

• wobei die Steuerungseinheit des Gargeräts, ausgebildet ist, den Benutzer und/oder eine Annäherung des Benutzers zu erkennen und in Reaktion auf den erkannten Benutzer
• und/oder in Reaktion auf die erkannte Annäherung den Betrieb der ersten Heizvorrichtung selbsttätig aufzunehmen, ohne, dass durch den Benutzer eine Betätigung eines Bedienelements erfolgt ist.

The cooking appliance according to the invention is alternatively or additionally characterized in that the cooking appliance has at least one image capture unit and/or at least one proximity sensor, which is designed to capture an area in front of the cooking appliance facing the user, at least in sections, in particular optically,

• wherein the control unit of the cooking appliance is designed to detect the user and/or an approach of the user and in response to the detected user
• and/or in response to the detected approach, to automatically start the operation of the first heating device without the user having to actuate a control element.

In other words, the cooking appliance can automatically react to a user's behavior or actions by preheating the cooking chamber, without the user having to initiate preheating themselves or directly. The cooking appliance can detect such active or passive user behavior, particularly through sensors, as will be described in more detail below.

Automatic preheating can accelerate or shorten the cooking process. The desired, especially high, cooking chamber temperature can also be reached more quickly, which can be particularly advantageous for cooking processes that require or prefer a particularly high temperature, helping to achieve the desired quality of the cooking result.

The first heating device can operate automatically at a predetermined temperature, which can be predefined in such a way that, for example, the last used temperature or a temperature typically suitable for a wide variety of cooking processes is used. The first heating device can also operate automatically at a maximum temperature to maximize preheating. In any case, the user can be given the option, and possibly also a notification, to change the automatically selected temperature setting.

According to one aspect of the invention, the cooking appliance, preferably a control unit of the cooking appliance, is configured to detect activation of the cooking appliance by the user and, in response to the detected activation, to automatically initiate operation of the first heating device. This makes it particularly easy to infer the user's intention to use the cooking appliance for a cooking process and to respond to this by preheating the first heating device.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the cooking appliance has an interior of the inner housing, which can be opened and closed, preferably by means of a pull-out, particularly preferably by means of a cover of a pull-out, wherein the cooking appliance, preferably a control unit of the cooking appliance, is designed to detect an opening and/or closing of the interior by the user, preferably by means of at least one closing sensor, and to automatically start the operation of the first heating device in response to the detected opening and/or closing of the interior. Such a closing sensor, for example, via a button, the can be detected by pressing or releasing, or by an electrical contact which can be opened or closed.

One aspect of the invention is that the pull-out, preferably a cover of the pull-out, forms a closed interior of the cooking appliance with the inner housing of the cooking appliance when the pull-out is fully inserted in the insertion direction. In particular, the cover has a front wall, which then, when the pull-out is inserted, delimits the interior with its inner surface and closes the access opening.

According to the invention, the panel further comprises a front panel, which is arranged on the front wall on a side facing away from the interior. In particular, the front panel is movable relative to the front wall. In particular, the front panel can be pivoted or folded away from the front wall from a rest position into an operating position. In particular, the rotation axis of the front panel is arranged in the region of the lower edge of the panel. In particular, the rotation axis of the front panel is oriented parallel to the lower edge of the panel.

In any case, the fact that the user opens the closed cooking chamber and/or closes the open cooking chamber can be used to detect the user's intention to conduct a cooking process. For example, the user can open the cooking chamber to remove the cooking chamber as a cooking container, place a food item into the cooking chamber, and then replace the cooking chamber in the cooking appliance, so that at this point, the operation of the first heating device may already have started automatically in response to the opening of the cooking chamber. Otherwise, the automatic operation of the first heating device may only occur upon closing the cooking chamber.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the cooking appliance has at least one image capture unit configured to optically capture at least a portion of an area in front of the cooking appliance facing the user. The cooking appliance, preferably a control unit of the cooking appliance, is configured to recognize the user and, in response to the recognized user, to automatically initiate operation of the first heating device. Such an image capture unit, such as a camera, can be integrated into a panel of the cooking appliance and directed toward the front of the user.

In any case, the images captured by the image capture unit can be evaluated, for example, by a control unit of the image capture unit itself or by a control unit of the cooking appliance using known pattern recognition methods to determine whether a user can be recognized in such a way that the user's intention to use the cooking appliance can be deduced. This conclusion can For example, this can be deduced from the fact that the user is sufficiently close to the cooking appliance, has his face and/or at least one hand facing the cooking appliance and/or is standing in front of the cooking appliance.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the cooking appliance has at least one proximity sensor configured to at least partially detect an area in front of the cooking appliance facing the user. The cooking appliance, preferably a control unit of the cooking appliance, is configured to detect the approach of the user and, in response to the detected approach of the user, to automatically initiate operation of the first heating device. Such a proximity sensor can be implemented, for example, using ultrasound or the like.

In any case, the fact that the user is sufficiently close to the cooking appliance and, in particular, is standing in front of the cooking appliance, i.e. is sufficiently close to the cooking appliance for a certain period of time, can be taken to indicate that the user intends to use the cooking appliance.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the cooking appliance has at least one image capture unit designed to optically capture an interior of the inner housing of the cooking appliance, at least in sections. The cooking appliance, preferably a control unit of the cooking appliance, is designed to detect the cooking chamber in the interior and, in response to the detected cooking chamber, to automatically initiate operation of the first heating device. In this way, the previously described aspects of an outwardly directed image capture unit can also be transferred to an inwardly directed image capture unit, which can optically capture a through-opening and/or the interior of the cooking appliance, at least in sections. A corresponding image capture unit can, for example, be arranged above the cooking chamber and be oriented downwards in the vertical direction towards the cooking chamber and/or the through-opening.

In any case, it can be detected when the cooking chamber is removed from the cooking appliance by the user, which is usually done to fill the cooking chamber with food to be cooked. This can also automatically infer the user's intention to use the cooking appliance and initiate preheating. It can also only be triggered when the cooking chamber is returned to the cooking appliance. In particular, food in the cooking chamber can also be detected, and preheating can be initiated in response.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the cooking appliance, preferably a control unit of the cooking appliance, is designed to control a mobile terminal of the user. and, in response to the detected mobile device, automatically initiate operation of the first heating device. Such a mobile device can be a smartphone, a tablet, a smart watch, or the like, which is usually carried by a user anyway or can at least be used to support a cooking process in the kitchen.

In any case, the mere presence of a mobile device can be detected by the cooking appliance, for example, through an existing wireless data connection, such as via Bluetooth, since this can usually only be done at a relatively close proximity to the device. If necessary, the distance between the device or user and the cooking appliance can also be determined from the signal strength of the wireless data connection, so that the presence of the mobile device or user in a correspondingly close proximity to the cooking appliance can be detected and used as a trigger for preheating.

Alternatively or additionally, content-related or context-related recognition of the user's intention to use the cooking appliance can be detected. If, for example, the cooking appliance detects that the user is using a cooking process support tool on their mobile device, for example in the form of an app, preheating can already be initiated because it can be assumed that the cooking appliance is to be used for this cooking process. For this purpose, the cooking appliance can also detect and/or the mobile device can communicate to the cooking appliance that the cooking appliance is to be used in the upcoming cooking process, in particular at which temperature, so that preheating of the cooking appliance, in particular to the appropriate temperature, can be initiated in response to this. If the cooking appliance is to be used later in the cooking process, preheating of the cooking appliance can be initiated automatically in such a way that the cooking appliance is preheated to the appropriate temperature at the time the cooking appliance is to be used in the cooking process.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the cooking appliance, preferably a control unit of the cooking appliance, is configured to detect a duration of operation of the first heating device and, upon reaching a predetermined duration, preferably dependent on a desired temperature, to inform the user that the first heating device is preheated. This allows the user to be informed, for example, acoustically, visually, and/or haptically by the cooking appliance that a predetermined temperature of the cooking chamber has been reached and that preheating is thus complete. The cooking process can then be started directly at this temperature, which can be advantageous for some cooking processes, such as roasting meat. Time specifications can be calculated or determined experimentally. In either case, such time specifications can be stored in the cooking appliance, preferably in its control unit. In particular, the corresponding time periods for different temperatures to be achieved can be calculated or determined and stored.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the cooking appliance, preferably a control unit of the cooking appliance, is configured to detect a temperature of the cooking chamber and, upon reaching a predetermined temperature, to alert the user to a preheated state of the first heating device. In this way, the previously described aspects can be implemented as a function of the temperature. For this purpose, the temperature of the cooking chamber, the interior, and/or the first heating device can be detected by sensors.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the cooking appliance, preferably a control unit of the cooking appliance, is designed to block user access to an interior of the inner housing and to only release user access to the interior of the inner housing once the first heating device has reached the preheated state. For this purpose, the interior of the inner housing can be closed with a door, a flap, a pull-out with a panel, and the like, and the door, the flap, the pull-out, and the like can be mechanically blocked or locked by the cooking appliance. This can be initiated by means of a corresponding actuator on the part of the cooking appliance or its control unit. This can ensure that the user can only begin the cooking process once the preheating is complete.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the first heating device is arranged vertically above the cooking chamber and is designed to heat at least the cooking chamber from above. This allows the cooking chamber or the food to be cooked to be heated from above.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the first heating device is a radiant device, preferably comprising at least one radiant heater with a heating strip. A radiant device is understood to be a device that emits its power primarily through infrared radiators in the form of thermal radiation. Such a radiant device can also be referred to as a radiant heater or a heat wave heater.

This aspect of the present invention is based on the realization that heat radiation does not essentially heat the ambient air through which it passes, but rather the cooking utensil or food that is hit by the heat radiation. Cooking utensils or food can thus be heated directly and as completely as possible by the heat radiation, as the heat radiation reaches and heats the cooking utensil or food. In other words, heating by heat radiation does not occur through contact between the cooking utensil or food and the heated ambient air, as with convection, but rather through the direct effect of electromagnetic waves or radiation in the infrared spectral range on the cooking utensil or food.

According to the invention, the degree of heating can thus be increased. This can accelerate the cooking process, enable cooking at greater heat exposure, and/or achieve a more even cooking result.

For this purpose, at least one radiant heater with a heating band can be used as the radiation device. In this case, the heating element consists of a freely radiating, corrugated heating band, which is arranged vertically upright and can thus emit heat radiation toward the interior of the cooking appliance and thus toward the cooking utensil or food via the vertically downward-facing edge. The heating band is thus narrow horizontally and can therefore be surrounded by comparatively thick thermal insulation, which can minimize heat loss. This can keep the heating band's warm-up time comparatively short.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the radiation device has at least one first separating element, preferably a first glass ceramic, which is designed to separate the radiation device from an interior of the inner housing and to at least substantially allow the radiation of the radiation device to pass through. This can provide mechanical protection, in particular for the components of the radiation device that can generate heat radiation. The first separating element can thus close off the radiation device from the outside and be connected at the edge to the inner housing of the built-in cooking appliance, so that at least mechanical protection can be achieved to the extent that a user cannot reach the components of the radiation device behind the first separating element with their hand, with cutlery, with cooking utensils, or the like, and thereby damage or destroy them. A seal can preferably be provided between the edge of the first separating element and the inner housing of the built-in cooking appliance, so that steam, liquids, grease, and the like can also be kept out of the interior of the radiation device. In this way, in particular the components of the radiation device which can generate the heat radiation can be protected from moisture, grease and the like.

Using a first glass ceramic as the first separating element can be advantageous in that a glass ceramic can be very heat-resistant.

A glass ceramic can also be smooth and therefore easy to clean. It can also be sufficiently transparent for heat radiation, allowing the heat radiation to penetrate the glass ceramic as well as possible and be used primarily or essentially for heating the cookware as described above.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the cooking appliance system comprises a second separating element configured to accommodate at least the cooking chamber. At least one second heating device is arranged vertically below the second separating element and configured to heat at least the cooking chamber from below. Heating by means of the second heating device can be achieved, for example, by means of an electric heating element, resistively through current heat loss or inductively. This allows the food to be heated directly in the cooking chamber, or a steam cooking process can be carried out within the cooking chamber.

This allows the cooking chamber to be heated vertically from two sides, so that the food in the cooking chamber can be heated more evenly, more intensely, and/or more quickly. This can correspondingly improve the quality of the cooking process and/or shorten the duration of the cooking process. According to the invention, the heating of the cooking utensil or the food to be cooked can thus be accelerated by applying heat both from below, preferably by means of induction, to heat the cooking utensil or its base, and from above by means of heat radiation onto the cooking utensil or directly onto the food in the case of a cooking utensil that is open at the top.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the second heating device is an induction device, preferably with at least one induction coil. This allows inductive heating of the cooking chamber or its cooking utensil in the vertical direction from below. A corresponding induction coil can be designed to be as large as the base of the cooking utensil to be used. If necessary, several induction coils can also be used together to inductively heat the cooking utensil.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the second separating element, preferably as a second glass ceramic, is designed to separate the second heating device from the interior and to allow the radiation of the second heating device to pass through substantially.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the cooking appliance has a pull-out which is designed to extend in the longitudinal direction in a pull-out direction relative to the inner housing of the cooking appliance toward a user and in the longitudinal direction in an opposite insertion direction relative to the inner housing of the cooking appliance away from a user, wherein the cooking chamber, preferably and the second separating element, are movable with the pull-out, preferably on a pull-out base of the pull-out. In other words, the built-in cooking appliance can be designed in the form of a drawer, which can simplify accessibility to the cooking chamber for the user, since this can be partially or completely pulled out of the inner housing toward the user and can be reached or removed in the vertical direction from above.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the drawer, preferably a drawer base of the drawer, has the second heating device. According to a further aspect of the invention, the inner housing has the second heating device.

If the first heating device is arranged so that it can move along with the pull-out, the second heating device can be used and thus the cooking cookware can be heated regardless of the pull-out's position. Accordingly, the cooking process does not need to be interrupted if a user pulls the pull-out out of the cooking appliance's interior casing in the pull-out direction, for example, to inspect the food in the cooking chamber. This can allow the cooking process to continue uninterrupted even in this situation. For this purpose, the second heating device can remain connected to fixed electronic components of the cooking appliance, in particular via sufficiently long and flexible electrical connections.

If, on the other hand, the second heating device is arranged in a stationary manner and thus independently of the pull-out on the inner housing of the cooking appliance, a correspondingly simplified electrical connection can be provided, which can save costs and installation space. In this case, however, if the user pulls out the pull-out, the heating from the second heating device is interrupted. In other words, the second heating device can be arranged in a stationary manner on the inner housing of the cooking appliance and cannot be moved with the pull-out. This means that the cooking utensil cannot be heated if the pull-out is pulled out sufficiently far from the inner housing of the cooking appliance. However, this can shorten and simplify the fixed electrical connection between the second heating device and the corresponding electronic components of the cooking appliance, which can reduce manufacturing and assembly effort and thus keep costs low.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the pull-out, preferably a cover of the pull-out, forms a closed interior of the cooking appliance with the inner housing of the cooking appliance when the pull-out is fully inserted in the insertion direction. The cooking chamber can be concealed from the user when the appliance is in use. This can also keep odors and/or vapors contained within the closed interior of the appliance, preventing any potential nuisance to the user. When the appliance is not in use, this reduces the space required and also avoids visual disturbances for the user.

According to one aspect of the invention, the panel is arranged on the drawer and essentially consists of two elements: a front panel and a front wall. When the drawer is fully retracted, the front wall defines the interior space and closes the access opening.

In particular, the front panel is movable relative to the front wall. In particular, the front panel can be folded away from the front wall and toward the user, or swung downwards, thus moving it from a rest position to an operating position. In the operating position, the cooking appliance's controls are accessible to the user.

According to the invention, the cooking appliance, preferably a control unit of the cooking appliance, is designed to detect an opening and/or closing of the interior and/or a movement of the panel by the user, preferably by means of at least one closing sensor, and to automatically start the operation of the first heating device in response to the detected opening and/or closing of the interior and/or in response to a movement of the panel by the user.

Alternatively or additionally, according to the invention, the cooking appliance, preferably a control unit of the cooking appliance, is designed to detect, at least in sections, in particular optically, an area in front of the cooking appliance facing the user by means of an image capture unit and/or at least one proximity sensor, to detect the user and/or an approach of the user and to automatically start the operation of the first heating device in response to the detected user and/or in response to the detected approach.

A movement of the panel is defined as any movement of the panel or its parts relative to the outer casing of the cooking appliance. An example of this is a movement of the panel with a movement of the drawer. An example of this is a movement of the panel with the movement of the front panel relative to the front wall. A movement of the front panel relative to the front wall can occur both when the drawer is fully retracted and when it is partially or fully extended.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the cooking chamber is formed by a cooking utensil which is designed to be removable from the cooking appliance. This can increase the flexibility of the Increase the user's use and, in particular, enable him to serve the cooked food directly in the cooking utensil.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the cooking appliance is designed as a built-in cooking appliance. In this way, the features and advantages of the cooking appliance according to the invention can be implemented and utilized in built-in cooking appliances.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the cooking appliance is designed as a built-in cooking appliance and has a height grid dimension in the vertical direction with the height of a built-in drawer. In particular, the height corresponds to a fraction, in particular a maximum of two-thirds, preferably less than half, of a width of a width grid dimension.

This allows for a particularly compact design of the built-in cooking appliance according to the invention. In particular, this provides a simple way of combining the built-in cooking appliance according to the invention with other standardized built-in cooking appliances vertically one above the other.

Similar to the width grid dimension described below, a height grid dimension is understood to mean that for the vertical arrangement of fitted kitchen appliances, the fitted kitchen appliances are dimensioned in the form of a grid. This allows different fitted kitchen appliances from the same manufacturer as well as from different manufacturers to be seamlessly combined. Standard height dimensions are established as dimensions or grids. Although they are usually manufacturer-dependent, they range from 6 cm to 10 cm and correspond to a fraction, i.e., divided by a natural number, of the width grid dimension.

Accordingly, it is common practice for fitted kitchen appliances in the European Union for the corresponding installation spaces in the kitchen unit, also known as niches, to have a height dimension of 15 cm, 45 cm or 60 cm. Taking into account a floor with a thickness or height of 10 mm or 20 mm, depending on the weight of the fitted kitchen appliance, this results in a height dimension of 14 cm, 43 cm or 58 cm for the fitted kitchen appliance itself. In the USA, the niche height for fitted kitchen appliances is usually 24 inches or 30 inches as a grid height dimension, and 6 inches for drawers. Here, too, the height dimension of the fitted kitchen appliances themselves is slightly lower than the height dimension of the niche, for example 5 3/8 inches for the drawers, so that the fitted kitchen appliances fit into the niches.

The height and width dimensions of a fitted kitchen appliance are always related to its housing, since usually a door, a flap, a panel and the like of the fitted kitchen appliance, which are visible to the user when installed, faces, protrudes in width and/or height beyond the studs or the floor of the kitchen unit and thus visually conceals them from the user.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the built-in cooking appliance has a width-spacing dimension with a width in the transverse direction. This allows for a comparatively compact arrangement of the built-in cooking appliance according to the invention in a kitchen unit.

A width grid dimension refers to the width of fitted kitchen appliances, i.e., the width of the appliances, which are dimensioned in a grid pattern to allow for the seamless combination of fitted kitchen appliances from the same or different manufacturers. In other words, certain width dimensions of fitted kitchen appliances are established as standard dimensions, i.e., common and customary, or standardized, to maximize the space in kitchen units when combining different fitted kitchen appliances from the same or different manufacturers. These width dimensions of fitted kitchen appliances can be considered a grid.

For example, in the European Union, a standard width grid dimension of 54 cm is common for built-in kitchen appliances so that the built-in kitchen appliance can be arranged between two 20 mm wide side walls of the kitchen unit, also known as cleats, which itself has a width grid dimension of 60 cm. In Switzerland, the width grid dimension for built-in kitchen appliances is 55 cm. In the USA, a width grid dimension of 18 inches, 24 inches, or 36 inches is common for cabinets without built-in kitchen appliances. For built-in kitchen appliances, the grid dimensions including cleats of the surrounding kitchen units of 24 inches and 30 inches have become established, although 36-inch wide ovens are also known, although these are not usually designed as built-in kitchen appliances.

In other words, certain foods can achieve better cooking results if the cooking process is completed as quickly as possible. Therefore, it can sometimes be beneficial for the cooking result to preheat a top heat element in a cooking appliance and keep the energy transfer to the food as high as possible from the beginning of the cooking process. Preheating is also common in other cooking appliances such as ovens, pizza ovens, and frying pans.

The top heat element of a cooking appliance according to the invention as a high-temperature drawer preferably has a radiant heater with a heating band. For safety reasons, to protect against contact with live parts and for reasons of easy cleaning, for example, as a smooth, hard and scratch-resistant surface, this Radiators must be covered with a glass ceramic. The transmission of the emitted radiation through the glass ceramic may be limited. This can lead to losses when penetrating the glass ceramic. Transmission can be approximately 50% for a glass ceramic approximately 4 mm thick.

The remaining 50% of the power can primarily heat the glass ceramic. The glass ceramic can then also emit the heat primarily as radiation. This can cause a time delay in the radiation output reaching the food. On the one hand, the radiation output increases only slowly, and on the other hand, the heater and the glass ceramic continue to radiate for significantly longer after being switched off.

After the top heat element is switched on, the heating system, preferably consisting of the heating element and glass ceramic, heats up with a certain time constant and radiates increasingly higher radiation power as it heats up. The glass ceramic can further enhance this behavior. This delays the heating of the top heat element and thus also the cooking chamber and the food being cooked.

This delay can be reduced according to the invention by implementing automatic preheating in a cooking appliance according to the invention.

According to a first variant, automatic preheating can occur when the cooking appliance is switched on. The cooking appliance can perform a heating pulse immediately after the appliance is switched on and heat the top heat element, preferably the glass ceramic, to a specific temperature. This can have the advantage of shortening the preheating time from program selection to insertion of the food, since the cooking appliance is heated before the program for the food is selected. If food is to be placed in the cold cooking chamber, the heating time from insertion of the food to reaching the target temperature can be shortened, since the cooking appliance is heated before the food is inserted.

According to a second variant, automatic preheating can occur when the appliance door is opened. The cooking appliance can perform a heating pulse immediately after the door is opened, heating the top heat element, preferably the glass ceramic, to a specific temperature. This can have the advantage of shortening the preheating time from program selection to placing the food in the oven.

According to a third variant, automatic preheating can be triggered when there is activity in front of the appliance. The activity in front of the appliance can be detected, for example, by means of a proximity sensor, camera, or mobile phone data, etc. This can be used to detect which activity a Preheating should be prevented. Any activity that triggers preheating should be prevented. For example, preheating could be triggered if the food and/or the food carrier are detected by a camera directed into the cooking chamber or outward.

According to a fourth variant, automatic preheating can be achieved based on context-related information. For example, if a guided recipe is used when preparing a dish, such as cooking a recipe using a mobile device app, the information in the guided recipe can be used to accurately predict when the cooking appliance needs to be preheated and which parameters are required for the respective cooking process.

The built-in cooking appliance has a height within a standardized installation dimension. In particular, the height is intended to be within a range extending from 12 centimeters to 60 centimeters, preferably within a range of 14 centimeters to 35 centimeters.

The present invention also relates to a method for operating a cooking appliance system as described above. According to the invention, the method provides that the control unit initiates operation of the first heating device and/or the second heating unit in response to a movement of the panel by the user and/or in response to detection of the user and/or in response to detection of the user's approach. This allows a preheating process to be started very early. As a result, the preheated cooking appliance is available to the user promptly for cooking food.

One aspect of the method is that the operation of the first heating device and/or the second heating device is maintained if, within a predetermined operating time of the first heating device and/or the second heating device, an operating element is actuated by the user, in particular an actuation of the operating element to switch on the device by the user. The specification of a limit value for the operating time makes it possible to abort an unwanted preheating process promptly. In particular, it is provided that the predetermined operating time is less than one minute, preferably in a range of 10 to 40 seconds. In particular, it is provided that when the predetermined operating time is reached without the user actuating an operating element, the preheating is terminated, i.e. the first heating device and/or the second heating device is switched off.

One aspect of the process is that the first heating device operates at high power when switched on. This enables rapid preheating of the interior.

A further aspect of the method is that the second heating device is operated at a medium or low power level when switched on. In particular, the second heating device is switched on at the same time as the first heating device. This ensures that when the cool cooking chamber is placed on the second separating element, the stresses in the separating element and/or the cooking chamber do not become excessive.

In particular, high power is greater than 80 percent of the maximum power of a heating device. In particular, high power includes the maximum power. In particular, medium power is less than 60 percent of the maximum power of a heating device. In particular, low power is less than 40 percent of the maximum power of a heating device.

One aspect is that the first heater has the same maximum power as the second heater. This makes it possible to use the same heating elements, simplifying logistics, assembly, and maintenance.

One aspect of the method is that the power of the first heating device and/or the second heating device is gradually or continuously reduced with increasing operating time. This makes it possible to enable early preheating while simultaneously keeping energy consumption as low as possible, especially in the event of unintentional operation. In particular, the power reduction begins with a time lag after the device is switched on, in particular with the time lag being in a range of 5 seconds to 15 seconds.

A further aspect of the method is that the power of the first heating device and/or the second heating device is reduced to zero upon reaching the predetermined operating time within which an actuation of the control element is expected.

If the user operates a control element within the specified operating time, the first heater and/or the second heater will immediately operate again at the initial power.

One aspect of the method is that upon detection of the setting of the cooking chamber and/or upon selection of a cooking process by the user, in particular by actuating a control element, the preheating is terminated and a power operation of the first heating device and/or the second heating device intended for the subsequent cooking process begins.

Figur 1

eine seitliche Schnittdarstellung eines erfindungsgemäßen Gargerätesystems gemäß eines ersten Ausführungsbeispiels mit teilweise ausgezogenem Auszug eines Gargeräts;

Figur 2

eine seitliche Schnittdarstellung eines erfindungsgemäßen Gargerätesystems gemäß eines zweiten Ausführungsbeispiels mit teilweise ausgezogenem Auszug eines Gargeräts;

Figur 3

eine seitliche Schnittdarstellung eines erfindungsgemäßen Gargerätesystems gemäß eines dritten Ausführungsbeispiels mit teilweise ausgezogenem Auszug eines Gargeräts;

Figur 4

eine seitliche Schnittdarstellung eines erfindungsgemäßen Gargerätesystems gemäß eines vierten Ausführungsbeispiels mit teilweise ausgezogenem Auszug eines Gargeräts; und

Figur 5

eine seitliche Schnittdarstellung eines erfindungsgemäßen Gargerätesystems gemäß eines vierten Ausführungsbeispiels mit teilweise ausgezogenem Auszug eines Gargeräts.

Several embodiments of the invention are shown purely schematically in the drawings and are described in more detail below. The individual embodiments may represent alternative embodiments. However, it is also possible for the features of the individual embodiments to be combined with one another.

Figure 1

a side sectional view of a cooking appliance system according to the invention according to a first embodiment with a partially extended pull-out of a cooking appliance;

Figure 2

a side sectional view of a cooking appliance system according to the invention according to a second embodiment with a partially extended pull-out of a cooking appliance;

Figure 3

a side sectional view of a cooking appliance system according to the invention according to a third embodiment with a partially extended pull-out of a cooking appliance;

Figure 4

a side sectional view of a cooking appliance system according to the invention according to a fourth embodiment with a partially extended pull-out of a cooking appliance; and

Figure 5

a side sectional view of a cooking appliance system according to the invention according to a fourth embodiment with a partially extended pull-out of a cooking appliance.

The above figures are viewed in Cartesian coordinates. There is a longitudinal direction X, which can also be referred to as depth X or length X. Perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X extends a transverse direction (not shown), which can also be referred to as width. Perpendicular to both the longitudinal direction X and the transverse direction extends a vertical direction Z, which can also be referred to as height Z and corresponds to the direction of gravity. The longitudinal direction X and the transverse direction Y together form the horizontal X, Y, which can also be referred to as the horizontal plane X, Y.

Figure 1 shows a side sectional view of a cooking appliance system according to the invention according to a first exemplary embodiment with partially extended drawer 2 of the cooking appliance 1. The cooking appliance 1 is considered using the example of a built-in cooking appliance 1.

The built-in cooking appliance 1 has an outer housing 10, which can also be referred to as outer housing 10 and essentially closes or encloses the built-in cooking appliance 1 to the outside. Within the outer housing 10, an inner housing 12 is arranged, which can also be referred to as inner housing 12. The inner housing 12 closes in the longitudinal direction X towards the front, ie from the perspective of a user, upwards and downwards in the vertical direction Z with the Outer housing 10, so that an intermediate space 13 is formed between the outer housing 10 and the inner housing 12, which can also be referred to as the housing space 13. This intermediate space 13 represents the interior of the built-in cooking appliance 1. The inner housing 12 also essentially encloses an interior space 11 in which a cooking process can be carried out. The interior space 11 is accessible to a user in the longitudinal direction X from the front of the built-in cooking appliance 1 through a through opening 14 serving as an access opening 14.

Furthermore, a pull-out shelf 20 of the pull-out 2 is arranged in the interior 11 and is movable in the longitudinal direction X relative to the inside of the inner housing 12, for example by means of pull-out mechanisms (not shown), for example in the form of rail elements or the like. A panel 21 extending perpendicularly thereto in the vertical direction Z and in the transverse direction is fixedly arranged on the pull-out shelf 20, which extends horizontally X, Y, and completely covers the built-in cooking appliance 1 in the longitudinal direction X towards the front, towards the user. The panel 21 can have operating elements and/or display elements to provide the user with operating options and/or display information. The panel 21 can additionally or alternatively have a viewing window there, allowing the user to see through the viewing window into the interior 11 of the built-in cooking appliance 1.

In any case, the cover 21 of the drawer 2 can fully or partially expose the through-opening 14 of the inner housing 12 to the user. For this purpose, the drawer 2 can be moved in the longitudinal direction X in an extension direction A toward the user, and in particular, pulled by the user. In the opposite direction, the insertion direction B, the cover 21 of the drawer 2 can be pushed or pressed away from the user, thereby partially or completely closing the through-opening 14 of the inner housing 12. In this state, the interior space 11 of the inner housing 12 corresponds to a pull-out space of the drawer 2.

In the vertical direction Z from above, in a corresponding extended position of the pull-out 2, the user can removably arrange at least one cooking utensil 3 on the pull-out base 20 of the pull-out 2. For this purpose, corresponding markings and/or recesses or other holders (not shown) can be provided there as positioning instructions and/or as positioning devices. The cooking utensil 3 can also be referred to as a cooking vessel 3, as a food carrier 3, or as a food receptacle 3. The cooking utensil 3 consists of a cooking utensil housing 30, which can also be referred to as a cooking utensil body 30, and a cooking utensil closure 32, which can also be referred to as a cooking utensil lid 32. The cooking utensil 3 has a cooking chamber 31 inside its cooking utensil housing 30, which can be closed by the user by placing the cooking utensil closure 32 on it and opened or made accessible by lifting the cooking utensil closure 32.

To heat the cooking utensil 3 or the food to be cooked in the vertical direction Z from above, the built-in cooking appliance 1 has a first heating device 15 in the form of a radiation device, arranged in the vertical direction Z directly below the inner housing 12 and fixed to the inner housing 12. The first heating device is enclosed or covered by a first separating element 17 in the form of a first glass ceramic 17 such that the first glass ceramic 17 is sealed, in particular gas-tight or vapor-tight, with the inner housing 12, whereby all components and in particular all electronic components of the second heating device 15 can be arranged behind the first glass ceramic 17 and thus protected from mechanical influences and from moisture. A radiant heater 16 extending in the horizontal X, Y is arranged behind the first glass ceramic 17 and oriented, during operation, to emit heat radiation in the infrared spectral range downwards, essentially in the vertical direction Z, into the interior 11 of the built-in cooking appliance 1. As a result, heat radiation can act on the cooking utensil 3 or the food in the vertical direction Z from above and heat the food comparatively directly, quickly and/or with little loss.

To heat the cooking utensil 3 or the food to be cooked from below, the built-in cooking appliance 1 has a second heating device 22, in particular in the form of an induction device or a radiant heating device, located in the vertical direction Z below the pull-out shelf 20 and movable with the pull-out 2. At least in the area of the second heating device 22, the pull-out shelf 20 is designed as a second separating element 23 in the form of a second glass ceramic 23, onto which the cooking utensil 3 can be placed from above in the vertical direction Z. A second heating device 22 designed as an induction device has an induction coil 24 in the horizontal X, Y, which can be operated by an induction generator 25. A second heating device 22 designed as a radiant heating device has a radiant heater 16 in the horizontal X, Y. The radiant heater 16 and/or the induction coil 24 is connected to the induction generator 25 arranged in the intermediate space 13 or the Figure 5 shown control unit 38 is connected sufficiently flexibly by means of cables so that the induction coil 24 or the radiant heater 16 of the second heating device 22 can be moved along with the pull-out 2 in the longitudinal direction X.

According to the invention, the cooking utensil 3, which can fill the interior 11 of the built-in cooking appliance 1 as completely as possible, at least in the horizontal X, Y axes, or the food to be cooked in the cooking utensil 3, can be heated both from below inductively or by means of thermal radiation and from above by means of thermal radiation. This allows for particularly intense heating of the cooking chamber 31 or the food accommodated therein, particularly through thermal radiation from above, thereby accelerating cooking processes and enabling cooking processes that require particularly high temperatures.

According to the invention, the cooking chamber 31 of the built-in cooking appliance 1 can also be automatically preheated by the built-in cooking appliance 1 detecting the user's intention to carry out a cooking process with the built-in cooking appliance 1 and, in response thereto, initiating at least the operation of the first heating device 15 and/or the second heating device 22. Operating the first heating device 15 in any case can be advantageous in that the radiant heater 16 may require a comparatively long time to reach the desired temperature, in particular a high temperature, which can be reduced accordingly by preheating.

Overall, the desired temperature of the second heating device 15 and/or the second heating device 22 can be reached more quickly, thereby shortening or accelerating the cooking process. Furthermore, the quality of the cooking process can be increased or ensured, in particular, by bringing the first heating device 15 to a particularly high temperature as quickly as possible.

This is done automatically by the Figure 5 The control unit 38 of the built-in cooking appliance 1 shown can relieve the user of this preheating task and ensure that the user does not forget to do so.

According to the first embodiment of the Figure 1 For this purpose, a closing sensor 18 in the form of a button 18 can be provided between the inner housing 12 of the built-in cooking appliance 1 and the panel 21 of the drawer 2 of the built-in cooking appliance 1 in the longitudinal direction X in such a way that the button 18 can distinguish between a completely closed interior 11 and a not completely closed interior 11 of the built-in cooking appliance 1. If the user now pulls the drawer 2 in the longitudinal direction X in the pull-out direction A towards him and thus out of the interior 11, this can be detected by the button 18 and by the Figure 5 shown control unit 38 of the built-in cooking appliance 1. From this, the user's intention to use the built-in cooking appliance 1 can be deduced. In response to this, the built-in cooking appliance 1 can automatically heat at least the first heating device 15 to a predetermined and in particular a maximum temperature in order to preheat the radiant heater 16.

If the user now removes the cooking chamber 31, fills it with food to be cooked, places the cooking chamber 31 back on the pull-out base 20 of the pull-out 2 and pushes the pull-out 2 back into the closed position in the insertion direction B, the first heating device 15 or its radiant heater 16 has already reached a certain temperature, so that the food in the cooking chamber 31 can be cooked faster and at a higher temperature.

Designing the built-in cooking appliance 1 according to the invention as a drawer and, if appropriate, arranging it in a kitchen unit can enable a particularly compact and space-saving implementation of the properties and advantages described above.

In particular, in this way, the volume of the interior 11 of the built-in cooking appliance 1 can be reduced according to the invention. The two heating devices 15, 22 in the vertical direction Z can also be brought as close as possible to the cooking chamber 31 as a result. By designing the second heating device 22 as an induction device 22, the cooking chamber 31 or its cooking utensil housing 30 can be heated directly from below in the vertical direction Z. In particular, it is alternatively possible to design the second heating device 22 as a radiation device. By designing the first heating device 15 as a radiation device, the cooking chamber 31 can be heated directly from above by means of heat radiation in the vertical direction Z. As a result, the temperature and/or the power density of a cooking process can be increased and/or the heating-up time, the reaction time, the cooking time and/or the energy requirement of the cooking process can be reduced.

This can be achieved in particular by means of a built-in cooking appliance 1 according to the invention, which has a standardized height in the vertical direction Z of 14 cm and a standardized width in the transverse direction of 54 cm. Comparable to a previously known warming drawer or the like, the built-in cooking appliance 1 according to the invention can thus be arranged in the vertical direction Z below, for example, an oven in order to be able to use the respective cooking options simultaneously and independently of one another. If the oven is designed with a comparatively small height in the vertical direction Z of 43 cm, the built-in cooking appliance 1 according to the invention and the known oven can be used together in a standardized furniture niche with a total height in the vertical direction Z of 58 cm and a width in the transverse direction of 54 cm, in particular with a depth in the longitudinal direction X of 60 cm. This can enable the provision of or enable users to use more advanced cooking options than previously known, or familiar cooking options can be made available in a comparatively small space.

Figure 2 shows a lateral sectional view of a cooking appliance system according to the invention according to a second exemplary embodiment with a partially extended drawer 2 of a cooking appliance 1. In this case, an image capture unit 26 in the form of a camera 26 is arranged in the upper area of the panel 21 of the drawer 2, directed outwards towards the user, so that the presence of the user directly in front of the built-in cooking appliance 1 is detected and, in response thereto, the preheating of at least the first heating device 15 as described above is initiated by the Figure 5 The control unit 38 of the built-in cooking appliance 1 shown can be automatically initiated. For this purpose, it can be recognized, in particular from the optically captured image data using pattern recognition, that the user is standing in front of the built-in cooking appliance 1 and facing it.

Figure 3 shows a side sectional view of a cooking appliance system according to the invention according to a third exemplary embodiment with a partially extended pull-out 2 of a cooking appliance 1. In this case, a proximity sensor 27 is arranged in the upper region of the panel 21 of the pull-out 2 and oriented in the longitudinal direction X away from the built-in cooking appliance 1, so that the area immediately in front of the built-in cooking appliance 1 can be monitored for the presence or absence of the user. If the presence of the user in the immediate vicinity in front of the built-in cooking appliance 1 is detected, and in particular for a certain period of time, for example several seconds, from which it can be concluded that a user is standing in front of the built-in cooking appliance 1, this can also trigger automatic preheating as described above.

Figure 4 shows a side sectional view of a cooking appliance system according to the invention according to a fourth exemplary embodiment with a partially extended pull-out 2 of a cooking appliance 1. In this case, an image capture unit 19 in the form of a camera 19 is arranged within the interior 11 of the built-in cooking appliance 1 on the ceiling (not designated) of the inner housing 12 and oriented downwards in the vertical direction Z, such that both the through-opening 14 of the built-in cooking appliance 1 and the area of the pull-out floor 20 of the pull-out 2, which serves to accommodate the cooking chamber 31, can be optically captured by the camera 19.

In this way, the presence or absence of the cooking chamber 31 can be detected and, for example, the removal of the cooking chamber 31 can be used as a trigger to automatically initiate preheating as described above. A food item that has been placed in the cooking chamber 31 can also be detected in this way and, in response, a Preheating can be initiated. Likewise, the process of removing the cooking chamber 31 through the through-opening 14 of the built-in cooking appliance 1 can trigger preheating.

Figure 5 shows a side sectional view of a cooking appliance system according to the invention according to a fifth exemplary embodiment with a partially extended pull-out 2 of a cooking appliance 1. On the pull-out base 20, which extends in the horizontal X, Y direction, a panel 21 is fixedly arranged, extending perpendicularly thereto in the vertical direction Z and in the transverse direction, which completely covers the built-in cooking appliance 1 in the longitudinal direction X toward the front towards the user. The panel 21 essentially consists of two elements: a front panel 28 and a front wall 29. When the pull-out 2 is fully inserted, the front wall 29 delimits the interior space 11 and closes the access opening 14.

The front panel 28 is movable relative to the front wall 29. In particular, the front panel 28 can be folded away from the front wall 29 and toward the user and moved into an operating position. This makes it possible to access operating elements 39 that are concealed in a rest position of the front panel 28, in which the front panel 28 rests against the front wall 29 and/or is oriented parallel to the front wall 29.

Control elements can be arranged, for example, on an end face of the front panel 28 and/or on an inner surface of the front panel 28 facing the front wall 29 and/or on an outer surface of the front wall 29 facing the front panel 28. In particular, display elements can be provided at the same locations.

List of reference symbols (part of the description)

A

Extension direction

B

Insertion direction

h

Height of the height grid dimension

X

longitudinal direction; depth; length

Z

vertical direction; height

X, Y

Horizontal; horizontal plane

1

(Built-in) cooking appliance

10

outer casing; outer housing

11

Interior

12

inner casing; inner casing

13

space; housing space

14

passage opening; access opening

15

first heating device

16

Radiant heaters

17

first separating element; first glass ceramic

18

locking sensor; button

19

Image capture unit; camera

2

abstract

20

pull-out shelf

21

aperture

22

second heating device

23

second separating element; second glass ceramic

24

Induction coil

25

Induction generator

26

Image capture unit; camera

27

Proximity sensor

28

Front panel

29

front wall

3

cooking utensils; cooking vessel; food carrier; food intake

30

cooking utensil housing; Cookware body

31

Cooking chamber

32

cooking utensil closure; Cookware lid

38

Control unit

39

Control element

Claims (13)

1. Cooking appliance system

   comprising a cooking appliance (1) having a control element (39), a control unit (38), an inner housing (12) for accommodating at least one cooking chamber (31) and having at least one first heating device (15) which is designed to heat at least the cooking chamber (31), and

   comprising at least one cooking chamber (31),

   wherein the cooking appliance (1) comprises a pull-out element (2) which has a panel (21) and is designed to be moved towards a user in the longitudinal direction (X) in a pull-out direction (A) relative to the inner housing (12) of the cooking appliance (1) and away from a user in the longitudinal direction (X) in an opposite insertion direction (B) relative to the inner housing (12) of the cooking appliance (1),

   wherein the cooking appliance (1) has the control element on its panel (21),

   wherein the cooking appliance (1) comprises an interior space (11) of the inner housing (12), which interior space can be opened and closed by means of the pull-out element (2),

   wherein the panel (1) consists of a front wall (29) and a front panel (28) which are movable relative to one another,

   wherein the front wall (29) and the front panel (28) are mounted so as to be rotatable relative to one another about an axis,

   wherein the front wall (29) delimits and/or closes the interior (11) of the inner housing (12) when the pull-out element is closed,

   wherein the front panel (28) abuts the front wall (29) in a rest position and/or is oriented parallel to the front wall (29) and the front panel (28) is pivoted away from the front wall (29) in an operating position,

   characterised in that

   the control unit (38) of the cooking appliance (1) is designed to detect an opening and/or closing of the interior (11) and/or a movement of the panel (21) by the user and, in response to the detected opening and/or closing of the interior (11) and/or in response to a movement of the panel (21) by the user, to automatically start the operation of the first heating device (15) without the user having actuated a control element and/or the cooking appliance (1) comprises at least one image capture unit (26) and/or at least one proximity sensor (27) which is designed to capture, at least in portions, in particular optically, a region in front of the cooking appliance (1) facing the user,

   wherein the control unit (38) of the cooking appliance (1) is designed to detect the user and/or an approach of the user and, in response to the detected user and/or in response to the detected approach, to automatically start the operation of the first heating device (15) without the user having actuated a control element.
2. Cooking appliance system according to claim 1, wherein

   the control unit (38) of the cooking appliance (1) is designed to detect a duration of the operation of the first heating device (15),

   wherein, for a cooking appliance comprising an image capture unit (26) and/or at least one proximity sensor (27), the control unit (38) of the cooking appliance (1) is designed to detect the user and/or an approach of the user and, in response to the detected user and/or in response to the detected approach, to automatically continue the operation of the first heating device (15) within a period of time after the automatic start of the operation of the first heating device (15)
   and/or

   the control unit (38) of the cooking appliance (1) is designed to detect an opening and/or closing of the interior (11) and/or a movement of the panel (21) by the user and, in response to the detected opening and/or closing of the interior (11), to automatically continue the operation of the first heating device (15) within a time period after the automatic start of the operation of the first heating device (15).
3. Cooking appliance system according to claim 1, wherein

   the control unit (38) of the cooking appliance (1) is designed to detect a duration of the operation of the first heating device (15),

   wherein, for a cooking appliance comprising a movable panel (21), the control unit (38) of the cooking appliance (1) is configured and designed to automatically continue the operation of the first heating device (15) in response to a detected opening and/or closing of the interior (11) within a period of time after the automatic start of operation of the first heating device (15),
   and/or

   wherein the cooking appliance (1) comprises at least one image capture unit (26) and/or at least one proximity sensor (27), which are designed to optically capture, at least in portions, a region in front of the cooking appliance (1) facing the user,

   wherein the control unit (38) of the cooking appliance (1) is designed to detect the user and/or an approach of the user and, in response to the detected user and/or in response to the detected approach, to automatically continue the operation of the first heating device (15) within a time period after the automatic start of the operation of the first heating device (15).
4. Cooking appliance system according to the preceding claim, wherein
   the control element of the cooking appliance (1) is accessible to the user when the front panel (28) is in the operating position and is inaccessible to the user when the front panel (28) is in the rest position.
5. Cooking appliance system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein

   the control unit (38) of the cooking appliance (1) is designed to detect a duration of operation of the first heating device (15) and, upon reaching a predetermined duration, which is preferably dependent on a desired temperature, to inform the user of a preheated state of the first heating device (15)
   and/or

   the control unit (38) of the cooking appliance (1) is designed to detect a temperature of the cooking chamber (31) and, when a predetermined temperature is reached, to inform the user of a preheated state of the first heating device (15).
6. Cooking appliance system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein
   the control unit (38) of the cooking appliance (1) is designed to block user access to an interior (11) of the inner housing (12) and to allow user access to the interior space (11) of the inner housing (12) only when the preheated state of the first heating device (15) is reached.
7. Cooking appliance system according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that

   the first heating device (15) is arranged in the vertical direction (Z) above the interior space (11) and is designed to heat at least the cooking chamber (31) from above
   and/or

   the first heating device (15) is a radiation device, preferably comprising at least one radiant heater having a heating band (16).
8. Cooking appliance system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein
   the cooking appliance (1) has at least one first separating element (17), preferably in the form of first glass ceramic, which is arranged between the first heating device (15) and the interior (11) of the inner housing (12), wherein the first separating element (17) is designed to separate the heating device (15) from the interior (11) of the inner housing (12).
9. Cooking appliance system according to the preceding claim, wherein

   the cooking appliance (1) has at least one second separating element (23), preferably in the form of a second glass ceramic, which is designed to accommodate at least the cooking chamber (31),

   wherein at least one second heating device (22) is arranged in the vertical direction (Z) below the second separating element (23) and is designed to heat at least the cooking chamber (31) from below.
10. Cooking appliance system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein
    the cooking chamber (31), and preferably the second separating element (23), are movable by means of the pull-out element (2), preferably on a pull-out-element base (20) of the pull-out element (2).
11. Cooking appliance system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein

    the pull-out element (2), preferably a pull-out-element base (20) of the pull-out element (2), comprises the second heating device (22)
    and/or

    the inner housing (12) comprises the second heating device (22).
12. Method for operating a cooking appliance system, wherein the cooking appliance system is designed

    to have a cooking appliance (1) having a control element (39), a control unit (38), an inner housing (12) for accommodating at least one cooking chamber (31) and having at least one first heating device (15) which is designed to heat at least the cooking chamber (31), and

    to have at least one cooking chamber (31),

    wherein the cooking appliance (1) comprises a pull-out element (2) which has a panel (21) and is designed to be moved towards a user in the longitudinal direction (X) in a pull-out direction (A) relative to the inner housing (12) of the cooking appliance (1) and away from a user in the longitudinal direction (X) in an opposite insertion direction (B) relative to the inner housing (12) of the cooking appliance (1),

    wherein the cooking appliance (1) has the control element on its panel (21),

    wherein the cooking appliance (1) comprises an interior space (11) of the inner housing (12), which interior space can be opened and closed by means of the pull-out element (2),

    characterised in that,

    for a cooking appliance system in which the panel (1) consists of a front wall (29) and a front panel (28) which are movable relative to one another, the front wall (29) and the front panel (28) are mounted so as to be rotatable relative to each other about an axis, the front wall (29) delimits and/or closes the interior (11) of the inner housing (12) when the pull-out element is closed,

    the front panel (28) abuts the front wall (29) in a rest position and/or is oriented parallel to the front wall (29) and the front panel (28) is pivoted away from the front wall (29) in an operating position,

    the cooking appliance system, in response to a movement of the panel (21) by the user, which occurs before the user actuates the control element (39), the control unit (38) starts the operation of the first heating device (15) and/or the second heating device (22), and/or

    for a cooking appliance system in which

    the cooking appliance (1) comprises at least one image capture unit (26), and/or at least one proximity sensor (27), which is designed to detect, at least in portions, in particular optically, a region in front of the cooking appliance (1) facing the user,

    wherein the control unit (38) of the cooking appliance (1) is designed to detect the user and/or an approach of the user and, in response to the detected user and/or in response to the detected approach, to automatically start the operation of the first heating device (15) without the user having actuated a control element, the cooking appliance system, in response to a detected user and/or an approach of the user, by means of the image capture unit (26) and/or at least one proximity sensor (27), the control unit (38) of the cooking appliance (1) automatically starts the operation of the first heating device (15).
13. Method for operating a cooking appliance system according to the preceding claim, wherein
    the operation of the first heating device (15) and/or the second heating device (22) is maintained if, within a predetermined operating time of the first heating device (15) and/or the second heating apparatus (22), actuation of a control element (39) by the user, in particular an actuation of the control element (39) to switch on the device (1) by the user, takes place.