Method for adjusting the heating power of at least one heating element of a domestic appliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11071404-B2
Application number	US-201816189623-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 13, 2018
Priority date	Nov 14, 2017
Publication date	Jul 27, 2021
Grant date	Jul 27, 2021

Abstract

The invention relates to a method ( 100 ) for adjusting the heating power of at least one heating element ( 40 ) of a domestic appliance ( 10 ), wherein the domestic appliance ( 10 ) includes a temperature sensor ( 50 ) for measuring a temperature (T) in a receiving space ( 20 ) of the domestic appliance ( 10 ).
The following steps are provided:
a) performing a heat-up stage (A) with a heating power adjustment such that the temperature (T) aims toward a predetermined target temperature (S), b) performing a temperature-holding stage (B) once the temperature (T) reached the target temperature (S), wherein a limitation of the heating power is effected in the temperature-holding stage (B), c) performing at least one assessment of the temperature (T) using the target temperature (S) during the temperature-holding stage (B), so that an evaluation result is determined, d) performing of a stabilization stage (C), if the evaluation result meets a stabilization criterion, wherein in the stabilization stage (C), the heating power adjustment is effected in such a way that the temperature (T) aims toward a certain stabilization temperature (ST), wherein the stabilization temperature (ST) is higher than the target temperature (S).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Method for adjusting a heating power of at least one heating element of a domestic appliance, for the at least partially-automatic preparation of food, wherein the domestic appliance includes a temperature sensor for measuring a temperature in a receiving space of the domestic appliance,
wherein the following steps are provided:
a) performing a heat-up stage with a heating power adjustment such that the temperature aims toward a predetermined target temperature,
b) performing a temperature-holding stage when the temperature reached the target temperature, wherein a limitation of the heating power is effected in the temperature-holding stage,
c) performing at least one evaluation of the temperature using the target temperature during the temperature-holding stage, so that an evaluation result is determined, and
d) performing a stabilization stage if the evaluation result meets a stabilization criterion, wherein in the stabilization stage, the heating power adjustment is effected such that the temperature aims toward a certain stabilization temperature, wherein the stabilization temperature is higher than the target temperature,
wherein a temporal stabilization duration of the performing of the stabilization stage is determined during the stabilization stage, wherein the following step is provided after step d):
performing a changeover from the stabilization stage to the temperature-holding stage, when the determined temporal stabilization duration exceeds a certain stabilization time specification.

2. Method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the stabilization temperature is determined using the evaluation result.

3. Method according to claim 1 ,
wherein for the limitation of the heating power, the heating power adjustment is effect such that the heating power is limited to a predetermined maximum holding heating power, wherein, in at least in the heat-up stage, or the stabilization stage, the heating power adjustment, is effected in such a way that the limitation of the heating power is deactivated, or, in the stabilization stage, the heating power adjustment is effected in such a way that the limitation of the heating power is restricted to a value higher than in the temperature holding stage.

4. Method according to claim 1 ,
wherein in the heating power limitation, for the temperature holding stage, the heating power is limited to a predetermined maximum holding heating power in the range of 10% to 90% of at least a maximum heating power or in the temperature-holding stage one or multiple temperature values are determined by at least one measurement of the temperature, wherein in step c), the evaluation is effected in that a difference of the determined temperature value or of one of the determined temperature values, and of the target temperature is determined.

5. Method according to claim 1 ,
wherein during the stabilization stage, at least one temperature value is determined by means of at least one measurement of the temperature for the temperature monitoring, wherein the following step is provided after step d):
performing a change from the stabilization stage to the temperature-holding stage, if, during the stabilization stage, an evaluation of the temperature value using the stabilization temperature meets a cancellation criterion.

6. Method according to claim 1 ,
wherein during the heat-up stage, multiple temperature values are identified by means of measurements of the temperature for temperature monitoring, so that an increase in temperature is identified, wherein for determining the stabilization time specification, a relation between the evaluation result determined according to step c) and the identified temperature increase is determined.

7. Method according to claim 1 ,
wherein during the stabilization stage for temperature monitoring, at least one temperature value is determined by means of at least one measurement of the temperature, wherein after step d), the following step is provided:
performing a change from the stabilization stage to the heat-up stage, if during the stabilization stage, an evaluation of the temperature value meets a heat-up criterion.

8. Method according to claim 1 ,
wherein during at least one of the heat-up stage, the temperature-holding stage or the stabilization stage, a temperature monitoring is performed such that multiple measurements of the temperature are performed by the temperature sensor temporally in succession, in order to respectively identify at least one temperature value, in order to, perform at least one of the evaluation according to step c), or to find out if the temperature has reached at least one of the target temperature or the stabilization temperature.

9. Method according to claim 1 ,
wherein at least one of the heat-up stage, the temperature-holding stage or the stabilization stage is performed during the preparation of a food, in order to heat the food in the receiving space to the target temperature, wherein the measured temperature is specific for the temperature of the food and deviates therefrom.

10. Method according to claim 1 ,
wherein at least one of the stabilization criterion is met, if the evaluation result, exceeds a predefined threshold value, or that the stabilization temperature is higher, by an offset, than the target temperature, wherein the offset is determined between the difference between the target temperature and at least one temperature value identified in the temperature-holding stage.

11. Method according to claim 2 ,
wherein the stabilization temperature is preferably restricted by a maximum offset.

12. Method according to claim 9 ,
wherein at least one of the stabilization temperature or a stabilization duration is determined such that in the stabilization stage, an approximation of the temperature of the food to the target temperature occurs at a higher speed than in the temperature-holding stage.

13. Method according to claim 10 ,
wherein a difference of an identified temperature value or of one of the identified temperature values exceeds a predefined threshold value.

14. Method according to claim 10 ,
wherein a difference of a minimum of the temperature values and of the target temperature, exceeds a predefined threshold value.

15. Method according to claim 10 ,
wherein the threshold value is set food-independently.

16. Method for adjusting a heating power of at least one heating element of a domestic appliance, for the at least partially-automatic preparation of food, wherein the domestic appliance includes a temperature sensor for measuring a temperature in a receiving space of the domestic appliance,
wherein the following steps are provided:
a) performing a heat-up stage with a heating power adjustment such that the temperature aims toward a predetermined target temperature,
b) performing a temperature-holding stage when the temperature reached the target temperature, wherein a limitation of the heating power is effected in the temperature-holding stage,
c) performing at least one evaluation of the temperature using the target temperature during the temperature-holding stage, so that an evaluation result is determined, and
d) performing a stabilization stage if the evaluation result meets a stabilization criterion, wherein in the stabilization stage, the heating power adjustment is effected such that the temperature aims toward a certain stabilization temperature, wherein the stabilization temperature is higher than the target temperature,
wherein during the stabilization stage for temperature monitoring, at least one temperat

Assignees

• Vorwerk Co Interholding

Inventors

• Yan Wenjie
• Lang Torsten
• Stach Christiane
• Kraut-Reinkober Stefan

Classifications

• G05D23/1919

  characterised by the type of controller · CPC title

• A47J36/32

  Time-controlled igniting mechanisms or alarm devices · CPC title

• A47J27/004 Primary

  with integral electrical heating means (drinking cups with integral heating means A47J36/2466) · CPC title

• G05F1/66

  Regulating electric power · CPC title

• A47J44/00

  Multi-purpose machines for preparing food {with several driving units} · CPC title