Cooking appliance

The present invention relates to a cooking appliance, particularly a cooking appliance mounted at an elevated level, comprising at least one muffle which defines a cooking compartment, with a muffle opening, a door which closes the muffle opening and a drive device controlled by a control device for driving the door.

A cooking appliance mounted at an elevated level is known from U.S. Pat. No. 2,944,540, in which a base door is driven by means of an electric motor.

A cooking appliance mounted at an elevated level comprising a base door driven by electric motor, said appliance having an electric current sensor, is described for example in DE 101 64 235 A1 and DE 101 64 239 A1.

The travel of the base door is effected in the case of the known appliances by turning the drive motor on or off, in other words by applying a particular voltage to, or removing it from, the motor.

The disadvantage in this situation is the fact that the travel properties of the base door are dependent on the operating conditions, for example a payload on the base door or mechanical friction circumstances. The base door thus closes more slowly when it is more heavily loaded. Such an uneven travel characteristic is unpleasant for an operator.

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a cooking appliance of the type described above with an improved, in particular more even, travel behavior.

The present object is achieved by the cooking appliance having the features described in claim 1 and the method as claimed in claim 15.

To this end, the cooking appliance, particularly a cooking appliance mounted at an elevated level, but also a cooking appliance with an oven carriage, is equipped such that the door can travel independently of the load, particularly through corresponding control and regulation of the drive device by the control device. As a result, the travel movement of the door is for example not dependent on a payload or on a change in the mechanical friction circumstances.

It is advantageous if the door travel can be speed dependent, in other words at a predefined travel speed. The control unit can then control or regulate the output of the drive motor, for example by setting the motor voltage, such that the predefined travel speed is applied. Amongst other things, this yields the advantage of a constant operating characteristic for the user.

It is furthermore advantageous if a speed measuring device connected to the control device is present for determining the travel speed of the door. In this situation, the speed measuring device can measure the speed of the door either directly, for example by being located on the door, or through indirect determination, for example by measuring the rotational speed of a shaft, for example the motor shaft.

For the purposes of simple conversion and a good regulation capability it is advantageous if the travel speed measuring device comprises at least one sensor, particularly a Hall sensor, located on a motor shaft of a drive motor of the drive device.

For the purpose of improved user friendliness it is advantageous if the travel speed can be set by the user. The travel speed can thus be set by selecting from at least two speed levels, whereby the speed levels can also be predefined ex-works. For older users in particular it is advantageous if the travel speed can be switched over at least between a first, lower speed level in the range of 40 mm/s to 55 mm/s, 50 mm/s in particular, and a second speed level in the range of 60 mm/s to 80 mm/s, particularly in the range of 65 mm/s to 75 mm/s, 65 mm/s in particular. In order to increase the operational safety and customer satisfaction it is then advantageous if a preset travel speed corresponds to the lowest speed level.

In order that a user should not then need to set the travel speed(s) anew each time the appliance is turned on, the user setting for the travel speed can be stored in a nonvolatile memory, an EEPROM for example.

Typically, the (nominal) travel speeds are specified by a user. In order that the base door does not judder when starting to travel and/or stopping, it can be advantageous if the (nominal) travel speed is controlled with a defined ramp.

In the case of speed dependent control it is additionally advantageous if any trapping at the door can be detected by monitoring the travel speed, whereby the anti-trap facility is advantageously activated only when the nominal speed of the door has been attained.

Particularly with regard to the closure of the cooking compartment by the base door it can be advantageous if the travel movement of the door can be switched between a speed dependent travel movement and a load or force dependent travel movement.

The invention is particularly suited for cooking appliances mounted at an elevated level in which the muffle opening is a base-side muffle opening and the door is a base door which preferably moves in a linear fashion.

The invention will be described in detail in the following with reference to the attached schematic figures. In the figures:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a cooking appliance wall-mounted at an elevated level with the base door lowered;

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the cooking appliance mounted at an elevated level with the base door closed;

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