DE20107564U1 - Device for heating food - Google Patents

Description

Device for heating food
The invention relates to a device for heating food.

The food to be heated may in particular be commercially or home-made ready-made food, frozen food or canned food. It may in particular be ready-made baby food.

Cold food in containers that needs to be warmed up is generally slowly warmed up in a water bath. Depending on how urgent the preparation is, the water can boil, heat up slowly or remain at a constant temperature on the food. This indirect method of heating is gentler on the food than heating it directly in a pan or using a microwave.

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Patent attorneys

ent Aitorneys ■ Authorized representative of the European Patent Office.

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Representatives of the European Union for the Fiji Islands · j "·

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Deutsche Bank AG Hamburg* No. *&Oacgr;5*2849*7*(BLz'loO 7*0*0*24) 'Postbank Hamburg, No. 28 42 206 (BLZ 200 100 20)
Dresdner Bank AG Hamburg, No. 933 60 35 (bank code 200 800 00)

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For indirect heating until food is ready for consumption, you should allow around 6 to 15 minutes. Direct heating, particularly in a microwave oven, heats the food much more quickly.

Based on this, the invention is based on the object of providing a device for gently and quickly heating food.

The object is achieved by a device for heating food with the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the device are specified in the subclaims.

The device according to the invention for heating food in a container has

- a housing with a holder for the container and a hinged lid for closing and opening the holder,

a rotary drive associated with the holder for rotating the container in the holder,

- at least one heat radiation source directed towards the position of the container in the housing,

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at least one reflector which is aligned to reflect the radiation from the heat radiation source to the position of the container in the receptacle,
a sensor for measuring the temperature in the container in the holder and

an electrical control device connected to the sensor and the heat radiation source and/or an output device for controlling the heat radiation source and/or the output device depending on the measured temperature of the food.

The heat radiation source causes the food in the container to heat up particularly quickly and gently. The heat radiation is directed directly from the heat radiation source and indirectly from the reflector onto the container. The gentle and rapid heating is supported by the rotation of the container, as the friction of the food on the wall of the container causes the warmer outer layers to mix with the colder inner layers of the food in the container. This rotation simultaneously reduces the surface temperature of the container, so that in many applications it can be removed from the device with the bare hand after heating. In addition, the temperature measurement using the sensor can prevent the food from exceeding a desired temperature. For this purpose, for example, the heat radiation source and, if applicable, the rotary drive can be switched off automatically when the target temperature is reached and/or the output device can provide information about the temperature reached.

Temperature can be output. When heating baby food, for example, reaching the optimal consumption temperature of 37 ⁰ C can lead to the heat radiation source being switched off and/or information being output to this effect. The output of information about reaching a desired temperature can also be used to manually switch off the device.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the flap closes the receptacle at least at the top and on one side, so that the container can be easily inserted and removed.

According to a further embodiment, the rotary drive has a horizontally arranged rotary plate. A container can be positioned with its base on the rotary plate so that it can be rotated about its vertical axis.

According to another embodiment, the rotary drive has two parallel rotary rollers that can rotate about a horizontal axis. The container can be placed on the rotary rollers with its axis aligned horizontally so that it can be driven by the rotary rollers on the circumference.

According to a further embodiment, the rotary drive has lateral guides for supporting the container.

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According to an advantageous development, the rotary drive can be driven by an electric motor arranged below the holder. The electric motor can be connected to the electric control device. This makes it possible, for example, to switch the rotary drive on or off. In particular, the electric control device can cause the rotary drive to switch off automatically when the target temperature is reached. Furthermore, it can accelerate or decelerate the container or rotate it in different directions to intensify the mixing of the food in the container.

The preferred heat radiation source is a halogen lamp. Halogen light has a very high heat radiation component and a very small but very bright light component. This normal energy loss is used to heat the food. Another advantage is that halogen lamps and the corresponding sockets are particularly inexpensive. In particular, halogen lamps can be used in rod or bulb form.

According to a preferred embodiment, the heat radiation source and/or the sensor is arranged on a wall of the receptacle opposite the flap. This makes it possible to avoid contact by the user. Furthermore, the heat radiation source can advantageously be covered by a safety grille.

According to a further development, an infrared sensor is used as a sensor for a contactless measurement of the temperature in the food.

According to a further embodiment, the reflector is arranged on the inside of the flap, which is particularly advantageous in conjunction with the aforementioned arrangement of the heat radiation source.

According to another embodiment, the sensor can be inserted into the container in order to take a direct measurement of the temperature in the food. This temperature measurement is particularly suitable for containers arranged vertically on a turntable. The sensor can then be connected to the flap, for example, and can be inserted into the container by closing the flap.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the electrical control device controls the output of the value of the temperature determined by the sensor by the output device. This can in particular be an optical and/or acoustic output, for example by means of a display and/or a voice output device.

Finally, in an advantageous further development, it is provided that the electrical control device controls the output of a signal by the output device and/or the switching off of the heat radiation source and/or the switching off of the

rotary drive when the sensor detects a certain temperature. The output device can, for example, emit a signal tone. If the heat radiation source and/or the rotary drive are not switched off automatically, this can also be triggered manually.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings of exemplary embodiments. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a device for heating food with a container standing on a turntable in a vertical section;

Fig. 2 shows a device for heating food with a container lying on rotating rollers in vertical section.

In the following discussion of the two embodiments, the same reference numerals have been used for the same or essentially identical components.

The device of Fig. 1 has a housing 1 with a base part 2 and a wall part 3 which is vertically upstanding at the side. Base part 2 and wall part 3 define a receptacle 4. At the top and on the opposite side, the receptacle 4 is defined by a substantially L-shaped flap 5. The flap 5 has at the top

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end of the wall section is a hinge 6. At the lower end of the vertical leg it is provided with a handle 7 on the outside.

In planes parallel to the drawing plane, the receptacle 4 can be closed by further walls - not shown - which can be connected to the housing 1 or to the flap 5.

A rotary plate 8 is arranged in the holder 4 on the base part 2. This has a raised, concentric wall 9 on top, which forms a guide.

At the bottom, the turntable 8 is connected via a shaft 10 to an electric motor 11 which is arranged in the base part 2.

A container 12, for example a glass container for ready-made baby food, stands on the turntable 8 so that it is supported on the circumference by the wall 9.

The wall part 3 has halogen lamps 13 on the inside, which are directed towards the container 12, which is located on the turntable 8. The halogen lamps 13 are - like the motor 11 - connected to a power supply via electrical lines. There is also a relay 14, by the operation of which the motor 11 and the halogen lamps 13 can be switched on or off at the same time.

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The housing also contains an electrical control device 15 which is electrically connected to a relay 14, 14' in order to control it. The electrical control device is also connected to an infrared sensor 16 which is fixed between the halogen lamps 13 on the wall part 3 and is directed towards the container 12.

The inside of the flap 5 is provided with a reflective layer 17.
The device works as follows:

When the flap 5 is swung up, the container 12 with food is positioned on the turntable 8 in a closed or open state. The flap 5 is then closed and the halogen lamps 13 and the electric motor 11 are switched on. This can be controlled by closing the flap 5 or triggered manually using switches not shown.

The radiation of the halogen lamps 13 heats the food in the container 12, on the one hand due to direct incidence from the lamps 13, and on the other hand due to reflection by the layer 17.

As soon as the sensor 16 detects a predetermined target temperature, the electrical control device 15 switches on the halogen lamps 13 and the electrical

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Motor 11 switches off. At the same time, a signal tone can be emitted. Furthermore, a switch for manual shutdown can be present.

When using 400 watts of light output, infant formula can be heated to 37 ⁰ C in less than 2 minutes.

The design of Fig. 2 differs from the one described above primarily in the rotary drive. This has two parallel rotary rollers 18, which are arranged with horizontal rotary axes in the holder 4. The rotary rollers 18 are both driven by the electric motor 11 via drive belts 19.

In this embodiment and horizontally aligned, the container 12 is placed on the rotating rollers 18 so that it is driven by the two rotating rollers on its circumference. The halogen lamps 13, which are aligned with the container 12 positioned in this way, heat the food contained therein. This is monitored by the sensor 16, which is also aligned with the container 12.

The start and end of the heating is controlled according to the example in Fig. 1. The fact that the food is rotated in a vertical plane according to Fig. 2 can lead to more intensive mixing. In addition, lower construction heights are possible with the design in Fig. 2, whereas the design in Fig. 1 can be narrower.

Claims (14)

1. Device for heating food in a container with - a housing ( 2 ) with a receptacle ( 4 ) for the container ( 12 ) and a hinged lid ( 5 ) for closing and opening the receptacle ( 4 ), - a rotary drive ( 8 , 18 ) associated with the receptacle ( 4 ) for rotating the container ( 12 ) in the receptacle, - at least one heat radiation source ( 13 ) directed towards the position of the container ( 12 ) in the receptacle ( 4 ), - at least one reflector ( 17 ) which is aligned so that it reflects the radiation of the heat radiation source ( 13 ) to the position of the container ( 12 ) in the receptacle ( 4 ), - a sensor ( 16 ) for measuring the temperature in the container ( 12 ) in the receptacle ( 4 ) and - an electrical control device ( 15 ) which is connected to the measuring sensor ( 16 ) and the heat radiation source ( 13 ) and/or an output device in order to control the heat radiation source ( 13 ) and/or the output device depending on the measured temperature of the food. 2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the flap ( 5 ) closes the receptacle ( 4 ) at least at the top and on one side. 3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the rotary drive has a horizontally arranged turntable ( 8 ). 4. Device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the rotary drive has two parallel rotary rollers ( 18 ) rotatable about a horizontal axis. 5. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the rotary drive ( 8 , 18 ) has at least one lateral guide ( 9 ) for supporting the container ( 12 ). 6. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the rotary drive ( 8 , 18 ) can be driven by an electric motor ( 11 ) arranged below the holder. 7. Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the electric motor ( 11 ) is connected to the electrical control device ( 15 ). 8. Device according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the heat radiation source ( 13 ) is a halogen radiator. 9. Device according to one of claims 1 to 8, in which the heat radiation source ( 13 ) and/or the measuring sensor ( 16 ) is/are arranged on a wall of the receptacle ( 7 ) opposite the flap ( 5 ). 10. Device according to one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the measuring sensor ( 16 ) is an infrared sensor. 11. Device according to one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the reflector ( 17 ) is arranged on the inside of the flap ( 5 ). 12. Device according to one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the measuring sensor ( 16 ) can be inserted into the container. 11. Device according to one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the electrical control device ( 15 ) controls the output of the value of the temperature determined by the sensor ( 16 ) by the output device. 14. Device according to one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the electrical control device ( 15 ) controls the output of a signal by the output device and/or the switching off of the heat radiation source ( 13 ) and/or the switching off of the rotary drive ( 8 , 18 ) when the sensor ( 16 ) determines a certain temperature.