WO2025003094A1 - Cooking appliance - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a cooking appliance comprising: - a cooking space arranged to receive food to be cooked, - cooking means comprising cooking ventilation means (30C) arranged to generate a cooking air flow and heating means arranged to heat the cooking air flow so as to allow the food that is to be cooked and is received in the cooking space to cook by convection, characterized in that the heating means comprise at least one carbon-fiber heating element (30B) and in that the cooking appliance comprises stirring means arranged to stir the food that is to be cooked and is received in the cooking space.

Description

Cooking appliance Technical field of the invention

The present invention relates generally to a food preparation appliance and in particular to a domestic hot air cooking appliance, designed to cook and/or reheat food.

State of the art

Cooking appliances are known in the prior art that implement hot air flows and/or thermal radiation emitted by a carbon fiber heating element to cook and/or reheat food, such as that proposed by patent US2010059035A1. In particular, a carbon fiber element has the advantage of rapidly emitting strong thermal radiation. On the other hand, the heating power of such a system is likely to burn the food. Limiting the heating power of such a system to preserve the food, however, necessarily involves extending the cooking time of the food.

Furthermore, in the prior art of cooking appliances implementing hot air flows with a lid provided with heating means in the center of the lid, one or more vents are generally provided to evacuate the cooking vapors on the lid or on the housing. On the other hand, this system has the disadvantage of limiting the cooking modes that the cooking appliance can perform. In particular, a steam cooking mode and/or an operating mode for dough rising are not necessarily compatible with the presence and/or the surface area of the aforementioned vents provided for a cooking mode with radiation and convection of hot air.

Finally, document CN204445527U discloses a cooking appliance which comprises at least one transparent lid portion, so that the user can view the cooking status of the food, and in which carbon fiber heating elements are arranged under the lid, rapidly emitting strong thermal radiation. In return, since the heating elements are located near the lid, they also heat the wall of the lid: such a system is likely to present a burn hazard for a user who would touch the wall of the lid during cooking.

In addition, the thermal radiation of the carbon fiber heating elements, due to their power, is also likely to burn the food placed in the cooking tank.

Furthermore, the devices described in these documents are limited in their operating modes.

An aim of the present invention is to respond in whole or in part to the drawbacks of the prior art mentioned above and in particular, first of all, to propose a hot air cooking appliance allowing high cooking speed while limiting the risks of overheating the food.

For this, a first aspect of the invention may concern a cooking appliance, comprising at least:
- a cooking area, designed to receive food to be cooked,
- cooking means comprising cooking ventilation means arranged to generate a cooking air flow and heating means arranged to heat the cooking air flow, so as to allow convection cooking of the food to be cooked received in the cooking space,
characterized in that the heating means comprise at least one carbon fiber heating element and in that the cooking appliance comprises stirring means, arranged to stir the food to be cooked received in the cooking space. According to the above implementation, the use of at least one carbon fiber heating element in the heating means of the cooking appliance can allow faster cooking. Indeed, at equal thermal power, for example 1500 W, compared to heating means comprising heating elements only consisting of usual heating elements such as shielded resistors or halogen heating elements, faster thermal radiation is emitted by the at least one carbon fiber heating element, which allows a shorter cooking time of the food. In addition, the use of stirring means in an appliance equipped with such a particularly powerful heating system can allow the food to be stirred in the cooking space, so as to vary the face of the food exposed to the flow of hot cooking air and to the thermal radiation of the carbon fiber heating elements. Thus, the cooking of the food is rapid while being more uniform because the stirred or stirred food is not burned on the surface.

The cooking appliance may further have one or more of the following characteristics, taken alone or in combination.

In one embodiment, the carbon fiber heating element may be at least partially arranged facing the cooking space so as to enable radiant cooking of the food to be cooked received in the cooking space. Thus, the food located below the heating element may cook under the effect of the heat emitted by thermal radiation, in addition to the heat transmitted by the convection of the air in the cooking space. The appliance may provide improved cooking, for example a sufficient Maillard reaction of the food to be cooked and/or a more satisfactory/even browning, and faster cooking than under the effect of a single mode of heat transmission.

According to one embodiment, the carbon fiber heating element may comprise (and/or is protected by) a transparent protective wall (a shell or a bulb or a tube) made of quartz transparent to the thermal radiation emitted by the carbon fiber during its heating.

According to one embodiment, the stirring means may comprise a stirring blade comprising a central hub, and the carbon fiber heating element is arranged facing a peripheral area of the central hub. According to the above implementation, the peripheral area of the central hub may be adjacent to the central hub. Since the peripheral area of the central hub may be occupied by the food, the food is then facing the carbon fiber heating element to be directly exposed to the thermal radiation emitted by the heating element and the cooking efficiency can thus be maximized.

According to one embodiment, the stirring blade may comprise a heat protection shield arranged on at least a portion of the stirring blade. In other words, the heat protection shield may be arranged on a portion of the stirring blade facing and/or on a portion closest to the heating means, and/or in the upper portion of the stirring blade. Indeed, a portion of the stirring blade may not be in contact or not continuously in contact with the food to be cooked, and be subjected to the particularly intense thermal radiation of the carbon fiber heating element. A heat protection shield may therefore make it possible to preserve the integrity of the stirring blade.

Thanks to the stirring, the same part of the food is exposed for a shorter time to the thermal radiation of the heating element and without this stirring, given the particularly intense thermal radiation of the carbon fiber heating element, part of the food exposed to the thermal radiation would burn. In addition, the combination of the intensity of the thermal radiation and the rotation speed of the stirring means makes it possible to cook the food quickly while preventing it from burning. The use of a carbon fiber heating element requires an adaptation of the speed of the stirring means which would be different if another type of heating element were used. The distance between the carbon fiber heating element and the bottom of the work tank can also be a parameter for adjusting the rotation speed of the stirring means according to the intensity of the carbon fiber heating element. We therefore have a cooking appliance for which the rotation speed of the stirring means is determined according to the intensity of the carbon fiber heating element and the distance between the bottom of the tank and the carbon fiber heating element. The rotation speed of the stirring means can also be conditioned by the type of food introduced into the working tank, each type of food having a different radiation absorption capacity from one type to another.

According to one embodiment, the cooking appliance may comprise a control unit arranged to control:
- operation of heating systems,
- operation of cooking ventilation means,
- operation of the mixing means,
wherein the control unit is provided to control an operation of the cooking ventilation means and/or the stirring means as soon as the carbon fiber heating element of the heating means is put into operation, or at least after a threshold time of exposure of the food to radiation emitted by the heating means to brown the food. The control unit can make the operation of the cooking appliance at least partly automatic. Generally speaking, the stirring means and the cooking ventilation means are put into operation as soon as the carbon fiber heating element is activated, to avoid any risk of overheating the food. However, during a particular cooking mode for browning the food, provision may be made to stop the stirring means and/or the cooking ventilation means while having the carbon fiber heating element activated to brown the food. Provision may also be made to put the stirring means and/or the cooking ventilation means into operation only after a threshold time of exposure for browning the food, in order to turn it over.

According to one embodiment, the cooking appliance comprises a protective wall arranged between the heating means and the cooking space, the protective wall being perforated with openings arranged between the carbon fiber heating element and the cooking space. The protective wall can protect the carbon fiber element and the rest of the heating means from splashes and/or impacts resulting from cooking and stirring of the food to be cooked. Openings in the wall can allow the thermal radiation from the heating element to pass through or filter towards the food to be cooked so as not to compromise cooking by heat radiation. The wall can be a grid or a lattice. A metal part, for example made of stainless steel, can be provided.

According to one embodiment, the carbon fiber heating element may comprise electrical connection terminals and carbon fibers connected to the electrical connection terminals to be traversed by an electric current so as to generate thermal radiation. As a result, heat may be emitted by radiation, and/or a radiant heat flux may be created. Typically, the carbon fiber heating element may comprise carbon fibers braided or forming a wire, a cable, possibly twisted.

According to one embodiment, the heating means may consist of said at least one carbon fiber heating element. According to this embodiment, said at least one carbon fiber heating element may be the sole heat source of the cooking appliance.

According to one embodiment, the heating means may comprise a plurality of carbon fiber heating elements.

According to one embodiment, the heating means may comprise a shielded resistor and/or a halogen heating element, in addition to the at least one carbon fiber heating element.

According to one embodiment, the heating means may be arranged in whole or in part between the cooking ventilation means and the cooking space or in whole or in part on the same level as the cooking ventilation means, so as to ensure good convection with efficient heating of the air in the cooking space by the heating means and its diffusion by the cooking ventilation means.

According to one embodiment, the cooking space may comprise a work tank arranged to contain the food, removable relative to the cooking space, in order to facilitate cleaning of the work tank.

According to one embodiment, the cooking appliance may comprise a cover, preferably mobile and/or removable, in which the heating means and the cooking ventilation means are embedded, and arranged to close the cooking space.

According to one embodiment, the heating means may be at least partially arranged in a central part of the cover, the cover comprising a transparent peripheral part, thus allowing the user to view the food during cooking.

According to one embodiment, at least part of the heating means can be arranged directly opposite the food in the work tank, in particular via openings in a protective wall.

According to one embodiment, the cooking ventilation means and/or the cooking appliance may be arranged to generate the cooking air flow in a recirculation mode. The cooking ventilation means and/or the cooking appliance may be provided to take air from the cooking space and/or from the inside of the appliance and to discharge it into the cooking space and/or inside the appliance.

According to one embodiment, the stirring means may comprise an obstacle positioned to come into contact with at least part of the food placed in the working tank, and arranged to promote the turning of the food by the stirring blade, and more particularly to force the turning of the food.

According to one embodiment, the obstacle may be formed by a finger or a protuberance fixed relative to the cooking space. A protuberance formed directly in the work tank may be provided.

Another aim of the present invention may be to provide a hot air cooking appliance making it possible to offer the possibility of carrying out a plurality of cooking modes.

For this, a second aspect of the invention may relate to a cooking appliance, comprising:
- a case,
- a cooking space arranged inside the housing, and designed to receive food to be cooked,
- cooking means comprising cooking ventilation means arranged to generate a cooking air flow and heating means arranged to heat the cooking air flow, so as to allow convection cooking of the food to be cooked received in the cooking space,
- stirring means, arranged to stir the food to be cooked received in the cooking space,
- a removable and/or movable cover between an open position allowing access to the cooking space and a closed position prohibiting access to the cooking space,
characterized in that the lid and/or the cooking appliance comprises means for venting the cooking space, such as at least one vent, relative to or in relation to the lid, arranged to variably regulate a gas exchange surface between the cooking space and an environment external to the cooking appliance. The regulation of the gas exchange surface, i.e. the flow rate of evacuation of cooking vapors, can allow greater control of the cooking of the food to be cooked, and can allow a greater diversity of cooking methods. The fact that the vent is relative to the lid allows greater ease of use by the user. This vent can for example be arranged directly on the wall of the lid, or can be formed from a lid stop arranged on the housing and/or the lid and preventing the lid from reaching its closed position. The opening thus formed between the lid and the housing forms a vent for the escape of steam. In particular, the same appliance may offer, with the vent for regulating the gas exchange surface, several cooking modes such as for example a steam cooking mode, a mode for cooking food by radiation and convection, or a cooking mode for making dough rise. The vent may be adjustable, arranged to regulate in an adjustable manner a communication surface with the outside, and/or the flow rate of outlet or evacuation of cooking vapors.

The cooking appliance may further have one or more of the following characteristics, taken alone or in combination.

According to one embodiment, the cooking appliance may comprise at least one shutter arranged to adjustably close the gas exchange surface. The shutter may be a flap or a cover or a diaphragm or even a movable partition. Generally speaking, the shutter is a movable part that can completely close the vent, or leave it completely free, or partially close it.

According to one embodiment, the cooking appliance may comprise at least one detector arranged to detect a position of the shutter.

According to one embodiment, the cooking appliance may comprise a control unit arranged to control:
- operation of heating systems,
- operation of cooking ventilation means,
- operation of the mixing means,
in which the control unit is provided for:
- control operation of the cooking ventilation means and/or the mixing means and/or the heating means depending on a position of the shutter, and/or
- send information to a user about a shutter position (a position occupied by the shutter), or about a position to impose on the shutter.
The control unit may make the operation of the cooking appliance at least partly automatic, according to a cooking mode selected by the user. The position of the shutter may be adjusted manually. The control unit may prohibit the start of the cooking appliance if the position of the shutter does not correspond to the selected cooking mode, and/or prompt the user to move the shutter to an appropriate position, typically via a human-machine interface.

According to one embodiment, the cooking appliance may comprise motorization means arranged to move the shutter, and in which the control unit is provided to control the motorization means, thus ensuring automatic positioning of the shutter by the control unit.

According to one embodiment, the control unit may be provided to control the cooking appliance according to a first cooking mode and according to at least one second cooking mode and to control a movement of the shutter in a first position or at least in a second position depending on the control according to the first cooking mode or according to the second cooking mode. The movement of the shutter in or relative to the vent may thus be automatic according to the cooking mode envisaged, which reduces the number of operations to be carried out by the user and simplifies the use of the cooking appliance.

According to one embodiment, the control unit may be provided to conduct a first cooking mode and at least one second cooking mode as a function of a first shutter position and at least one second shutter position, respectively. The control unit may control the start of cooking according to information on the shutter position sent by a sensor, and may then provide the cooking required by the selected cooking mode.

According to one embodiment, the cooking appliance may comprise a human-machine interface provided for selecting the first cooking mode or said at least one second cooking mode. The human-machine interface may be a support such as a screen, control buttons, a touch screen allowing the user to communicate with the cooking appliance.

According to one embodiment, the shutter can be arranged to slide in translation or in rotation relative to the vent.

According to one embodiment, the cooking appliance may comprise at least one intermediate stop arranged to define at least one intermediate position of the shutter in the vent. The cooking appliance may comprise at least a first stop to define a complete opening of the gas exchange surface and at least a second stop to define a complete closing of the gas exchange surface. The intermediate stop may be a notch or a plurality of notches which define a closing of the vent for example at 20%, for example at 30%, for example at 40%, for example at 60%, for example at 70%, for example at 80%.

According to one embodiment, the cover may comprise two superimposed walls, and the vent may comprise, or be formed by, a frame forming a spacer between the two superimposed walls. The frame may provide additional support for maintaining the spacing of the two superimposed walls (thus forming a double wall).

According to one embodiment, the two superimposed walls can form a thermal insulation, one of the walls facing the cooking space and the other wall being outside the cooking space. The shutter can be mounted on one wall of the superimposed walls (typically the wall that closes the cooking space), and the appliance can comprise a shutter manipulation interface mounted on the other wall of the superimposed walls (typically the external wall and directly accessible to the user).

According to one embodiment, the vent can pass through only one of the two superimposed walls.

According to an alternative embodiment, the vent can pass through two superimposed walls.

According to one embodiment, the maximum exchange surface of the vent can be between 2 cm² and 15 cm², preferably between 6 cm² and 12 cm².

According to one embodiment, the cooking space may comprise a work tank arranged to contain the food, removable relative to the cooking space, in order to facilitate cleaning of the work tank.

According to one embodiment, a ratio calculated by dividing a working tank bottom surface by the gas exchange surface can be between 30 and 270, preferably between 40 and 80, and very preferably between 50 and 70. In other words, the gas exchange surface can represent between 0.35% and 3% of the working tank bottom surface.

According to one embodiment, the cooking appliance may comprise a plurality of vents, wherein the vents are distributed over the lid. Preferably, the vents may be substantially equally distributed, for example, two vents may be arranged on the lid at 180° ±15°, or three vents may be arranged on the lid at 120° ±15°, or four vents may be arranged on the lid at 90° ±15°, so as to ensure uniformity of the outlet of cooking vapors from the cooking space, and thus uniformity of the cooking of the food, as well as a robust construction with the vents and their frames being able to form spacers when the lid has a double wall.

Another aim of the present invention may be to provide a cooking appliance with a cooking space, means for heating the cooking space and a cover for closing the cooking space, the temperature of the outer surface of which during cooking does not present a risk of burns for the user.

For this, a third aspect of the invention relates to a cooking appliance which can comprise:
- a cooking area, designed to receive food to be cooked,
- cooking means comprising cooking ventilation means arranged to generate a cooking air flow and heating means arranged to heat the cooking air flow, so as to allow convection cooking of the food to be cooked received in the cooking space,
- a removable and/or movable cover between an open position allowing access to the cooking space and a closed position prohibiting access to the cooking space,
characterized in that the lid comprises two superimposed walls, arranged to form a passage for a cooling air flow between the two superimposed walls. The two superimposed walls can define a double wall. The cooling air flow can thus cool the two superimposed walls and also form thermal insulation between an inner wall of the two superimposed walls, located opposite the cooking space, and an outer wall of the two superimposed walls, located outside the cooking space and accessible to the user once the lid is closed. The cooling air flow can also form means for cooling the two superimposed walls. Thus, if the user touches the outer wall of the lid during cooking, he will not be exposed to the risk of burns.

The cooking appliance may further have one or more of the following characteristics, taken alone or in combination.

According to one embodiment, the outer wall and the inner wall may be preferably separated by a distance of 3 mm to 10 mm.

According to one embodiment, the cooking appliance may comprise cooling ventilation means arranged to generate the cooling air flow between the two superimposed walls, wherein the passage for the cooling air flow may comprise:
- an air inlet arranged to draw cooling air from outside the cooking appliance,
- an air outlet designed to discharge cooling air to the outside of the cooking appliance.

According to one embodiment, the cooking appliance may comprise a drive motor arranged to drive both the cooling ventilation means and the cooking ventilation means.

According to one embodiment, the cooling air flow may be provided to cool the drive motor, in addition to the superimposed walls or at least the outer wall of the cover. The overall architecture of the device remains simple.

According to one embodiment, the cooling air flow may be forced from the cooling ventilation means to the two superimposed walls, so as to systematically pass through the drive motor (and/or around the latter) and cool it before exiting through a space between the two superimposed walls. In other words, the cooling air flow may originate at the air inlet, may pass through or around the drive motor and then through a space between the two superimposed walls until reaching the air outlet.

According to one embodiment, the cooking appliance may comprise a control unit arranged to control:
- operation of heating systems,
- operation of cooking ventilation means,
- operation of the cooling ventilation means.
wherein the control unit is provided to control an operation of the cooking ventilation means and/or the stirring means as soon as the heating means (which may include a carbon fiber heating element) are put into operation, or at least after a threshold time of exposure of the food. The control unit can make the operation of the cooking appliance at least partly automatic. Generally speaking, the stirring means and the cooking ventilation means are put into operation as soon as the heating means (which may include the carbon fiber heating element) are activated, to avoid any risk of overheating the food and/or the lid. However, during a particular cooking mode of browning the food, it is possible to provide for stopping the stirring means and/or the cooking ventilation means while having the heating means activated to brown the food. It is also possible to provide for starting up the stirring means and/or the cooking ventilation means only after a threshold exposure time for browning the food, to turn it over and/or to cool the lid which could otherwise exceed a threshold temperature beyond which there is a risk of burns for the user. Several cooling ventilation speeds on the motor may also be envisaged as required, knowing that the higher the ventilation speed, the more the lid is cooled.

According to one embodiment, the drive motor can be arranged to be reversibly coupled with the cooking ventilation means, for example so as to allow on the one hand cooking essentially by heat radiation (the cooking ventilation means being uncoupled from the drive motor) and on the other hand cooking by radiation and convection (the cooking ventilation means being coupled to the drive motor). In other words, the drive motor can be arranged to drive at least one motor output shaft arranged to be coupled or uncoupled with an axis connected to the cooking ventilation means. Operation of the cooling ventilation means can be guaranteed independently of operation of the cooking ventilation means.

According to one embodiment, the two superimposed walls may each comprise at least one transparent portion to allow viewing of the cooking space, the transparent portion of each wall facing the transparent portion of the other wall. For example, the inner wall may be made of glass, and/or the outer wall may be made of polycarbonate or any other transparent material. Thus, the user does not need to open the lid to assess the cooking status of the food to be cooked, which further reduces the risk of possible burns.

According to one embodiment, the two superimposed walls can be arranged on the periphery of a body of the cover.

According to one embodiment, at least part of the cooking means can be embedded on the lid and/or can be arranged in a central portion of the lid.

According to one embodiment, the cooking space may comprise a work tank arranged to contain the food, and removable relative to the cooking space, in order to facilitate cleaning of the work tank.

According to one embodiment, the cooking appliance may comprise:
- a box housing the cooking space,
- a hinge arm mounted in a pivot connection on the housing and supporting the cover.

According to one embodiment, the cooling air flow may be arranged to cool the superimposed walls of the cover.

According to one embodiment, at least one of the superimposed walls can be removable relative to the other wall, and preferably one of the superimposed walls directly facing the cooking space is removable relative to the other wall, so as to facilitate cleaning of the lid, and more particularly the surfaces of the superimposed walls facing one another: an internal surface of the external wall and an external surface of the internal wall, normally barely or not at all accessible.

According to one embodiment, the cover may comprise at least one vent, preferably arranged to variably regulate a gas exchange surface between the cooking space and an environment external to the cooking appliance, so as to allow different cooking (such as steam cooking, cooking by radiation and convection, or a cooking mode for making dough rise).

According to one embodiment, the cooking appliance may comprise a frame forming a spacer between the two superimposed walls, in order to robustly guarantee the gap between the two superimposed walls.

According to one embodiment, the cooking appliance may comprise a plurality of vents, in which the vents are distributed over the lid and are preferably substantially equally distributed, so as to ensure uniformity of the exit of cooking vapors from the cooking space, and thus uniformity of the cooking of the food, as well as a robust construction with the vents and their frames being able to form spacers when the lid has a double wall.

Description of figures

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading the following detailed description of an embodiment of the invention given as a non-limiting example and illustrated by the appended drawings, in which:

represents a general cross-sectional view of a cooking appliance according to the invention, comprising in particular a cover and a housing;

represents a bottom view of the cover of the cooking appliance, including an adjustable vent;

represents a perspective view of the cooking appliance with a shutter completely closing the vent;

represents a perspective view of the cooking appliance with the shutter fully opening the vent;

represents a perspective and sectional view of the cover of the cooking appliance of the .

Detailed description of embodiment(s)

There represents a general cross-sectional view of a cooking appliance comprising a housing 10 closed by a cover 11 movable between an open position allowing access to a cooking space and a closed position preventing access to the cooking space. The housing 10 defines the cooking space closed by the cover 11 and comprises a work tank 20, removably mounted relative to the housing 10 and which can be removed therefrom by means of a handling handle 22 for cleaning and extraction operations of the cooked food. The handling handle 22 can be articulated relative to the work tank 20.

Stirring means for stirring or stirring the food to be cooked are placed in the working tank 20 and comprise a working tool 21 inserted into a pierced dome of the working tank 20. The working tool 21 consists of a stirring blade 21B mounted securely on a hub 21A. The working tool 21 is assembled so as to form a pivot connection with the working tank 20, with an axis normal to the bottom surface of the working tank 20. It is possible to replace the working tool 21 with a plug closing the pierced dome of the working tank 20 to allow a cooking mode without the stirring means (for steam cooking or a cooking mode for raising dough).

With respect to the working tool 21, the curved shape of the stirring blade 21B ensures a delicate turning of all the food to be cooked during cooking. A protective screen 21C is arranged on an upper part of the working tool 21 not intended to come into contact with the food to be cooked and typically exposed to a heat flow, to protect it from heat transfers during cooking.

Cooking means 30 comprise heating means which are arranged above the working tank 20. The heating means comprise at least one carbon fiber heating element 30B connected to electrical connection terminals and at least one transparent protective wall 30A (a shell or a bulb or a tube) made of quartz fitting around the body of the carbon fiber heating element 30B to protect it without limiting the propagation of thermal radiation from the carbon fiber heating element 30B during its heating.

The heating means are arranged above a peripheral zone of the hub 21A intended to receive the food to be cooked during cooking. The cooking means 30 also comprise cooking ventilation means 30C. The cooking means 30 are protected by an openwork wall 31, which forms a protection and whose openings nevertheless allow good passage of the heat radiation emitted by the carbon fiber heating element 30B towards the food to be cooked.

In the example of the presented which is not exhaustive, the cooking ventilation means 30C are mounted on the same shaft as the cooling ventilation means 40 and hermetically separated from the cooling ventilation means 40 by a separation wall of the cover 11. The separation wall has in this example a concave shape towards the work tank 20 to possibly reject by gravity any condensation which would form on this wall.

The shaft on which the cooking ventilation means 30C and the cooling ventilation means 40 are mounted is rotated by an electric drive motor 50. The cooking means 30, the cooling ventilation means 40 and the drive motor 50 are embedded in a central part of the cover 11.

A peripheral part of the cover 11 is made up of two superimposed walls 12 forming a double wall, with an inner wall 12B facing the work tank 20 separated by a gap H from an outer wall 12A with which a user is likely to come into contact when the cover 11 closes the cooking space of the housing 10.

The inner wall 12B and the outer wall 12A are both transparent and allow the user to see the food to be cooked through the lid 11 during cooking without having to open the lid 11.

The cooling ventilation means 40 are arranged to generate a flow of cooling air circulating between the outer wall 12A and the inner wall 12B (the difference in dimension H shown in FIGS. 1 and 5).

At least one vent 41 is provided on the cover 11. It defines a gas exchange surface between the exterior of the cooking appliance and the cooking space that may contain cooking vapors. The vent 41 may be provided both in, or through, the inner wall 12B and in, or through, the outer wall 12A (as illustrated ), so that a frame forming the vent 41 can participate in maintaining the gap H between the outer wall 12A and the inner wall 12B, or the vent can be provided only in, or through the inner wall 12B, so as to allow evacuation of cooking vapors to the outside or with the flow of cooling air circulating between the outer wall 12A and the inner wall 12B.

There shows an inner surface of the inner wall of the cover 11 exposed to the food to be cooked during cooking without the perforated wall 31 of the . The transparent protective wall (the shell or the bulb or the tube) made of quartz 30A is attached to the cover 11 by staples, and the blades of the cooking ventilation means 30C are arranged between the carbon fiber heating element 30B and the wall of the cover 11. It can be noted that the vent 41 therefore opens directly into the cooking space, and is in the form of a plurality of slots. However, a single communication opening can be provided instead of the plurality of slots.

There shows the cooking appliance when the cover 11 closes the housing 10 and a shutter 42 completely closes the vent 41, that is to say that the shutter 42 thus completely closes the gas exchange surface between the cooking space (and any cooking vapors present) and the ambient air outside. It is possible to note the presence of a handling tab 42A which allows a user to handle and move the shutter 42.

Preferably, the shutter 42 may be a flap or a cover or a diaphragm or a movable partition. The shutter 42 may occupy intermediate positions in the vent 41 so as to block only part of the vent 41, for example by sliding or translating in the vent 41. The intermediate positions of the shutter 42 may be defined by notches or hard-to-pass points and define as many different gas exchange surface values. The position of the shutter 42 may be adjusted manually by the user using a handling interface, for example the tab 42A which can be pulled or pushed by the user into the vent 41. However, other handling interfaces may be provided (a rod, a button, a tab, etc.) or even an implementation with automated movement by a dedicated actuator or motor.

There shows the cooking appliance when the cover 11 closes the housing 10 and the vent 41 is fully open by the shutter 42.

Depending on the cooking mode chosen, a position of the shutter 42 must be adjusted to regulate the cooking vapors to be evacuated from the cooking space and/or the work tank 20 and thus adjust the cooking of the food to be cooked. The cooking mode is chosen by the user on a human-machine interface (not shown, but a screen, control buttons, a touch screen, etc.) connected to a control unit of the cooking appliance can be provided.

The control unit typically comprises storage means in which are stored control parameters to be implemented for each cooking program and/or recipe that the user can select. Consequently, the control unit defines and controls an operating program of the stirring means, the cooling ventilation means 40 and the cooking means 30, according to the indicated cooking mode. Preconditions may be necessary for the control unit and must be verified to authorize the start of the operating programs of the various actuators, such as for example the position of the handling handle 22 or of the work tank 20 or of the cover 11, and in particular the position of the shutter 42 in the vent 41. For this purpose, a detection sensor may be provided designed to detect a position of the shutter 42.

In detail, if the cooking appliance does not have a sensor for detecting the position of the shutter 42, it is possible to provide for sending a message to the user to indicate the position to be imposed on the shutter 42, before receiving confirmation from the user and launching the cooking program.

If the cooking appliance is equipped with one or more sensors for detecting the position of the shutter 42, it may be possible, depending on the initial configuration and the cooking program chosen, to check the position of the shutter 42 detected, before launching the cooking program (if the position is correct) or before inviting the user to impose the correct position on the shutter 42.

Finally, if the cooking appliance is equipped with one or more sensors for detecting the position of the shutter 42 and a motor for moving the shutter 42, provision may be made, depending on the initial configuration and the chosen cooking program, to check the position of the shutter 42 detected and, if necessary, to move it to impose an appropriate position on it. In summary, the vent 41 may be closed by the shutter 42 to define several gas exchange surfaces. Thus, the same appliance may offer several cooking modes:
- vent 41 completely closed: no gas exchange with the outside, and therefore the temperature and humidity conditions in the cooking space are particularly stable and conducive to dough rising,
- vent 41 partially open: moderate gas exchanges with the exterior to allow evacuation of water vapors generated by cooking by radiation and convection (cooking fries without oil),
- vent 41 completely open: maximum gas exchange with the outside to allow good evacuation of vapors during cooking in steam mode.

During cooking, the working tool 21 can be rotated by a shaft of a secondary electric motor located under the working tank 20. The food to be cooked is moved by the stirring blade 21B and turned over when it comes into contact with an obstacle fixed relative to the working tank 20 (typically integrated into the working tank 20) by the stirring means provided for this purpose.

The cooking means 30 can cook the food to be cooked by preferentially generating two different heat transfer modes. When it heats, the heating element, and more particularly the carbon fiber heating element 30B, emits thermal radiation towards the food, through the transparent protective wall (the shell or the bulb or the tube) made of quartz 30A and the perforated wall 31. Such heating by thermal radiation makes it possible to brown the food on the surface. An operation of the stirring means makes it possible to stir and/or turn the food continuously or intermittently, so that the thermal radiation does not continuously heat the same parts of the food to be cooked, which prevents overheating and burning of the food to be cooked.

The carbon fiber heating element 30B can also heat the air in the working tank 20 around the heating means, and thanks to the cooking ventilation means 30C which circulate this hot air towards the food to be cooked, the carbon fiber heating element 30B also heats the food to be cooked by thermal convection. The thermal convection is rapid since the air in the cooking space circulates mainly in the working tank 20 according to a closed-circuit air circulation, from the cooking means 30 to the food to be cooked and from the food to be cooked to the cooking means 30.

Depending on the position of the shutter 42, however, the vapors from cooking can be evacuated from the work tank 20 during cooking via the vent 41.

The applicant realized that in the case of the combined use of the carbon fiber heating element 30B with stirring means and cooking ventilation means 30C, faster and more efficient cooking could be obtained.

In particular, in the context of cooking with thermal radiation and thermal convection, such as for example cooking French fries, the total cooking time is reduced compared to a cooking appliance that would use an electrically shielded resistor and/or halogen heating means. Indeed, if we take as cooking criteria for example the loss of water over time and the degree of Maillard reaction (in other words the browning), a cooking appliance according to the present invention (with the carbon fiber heating element 30B, the stirring means and the cooking ventilation means 30C), generates a better degree of realization of the Maillard reaction. In addition, under the effect of the stirring of the food to be cooked, the latter do not suffer local burns and on the contrary have a homogeneous and more pronounced browning than with an appliance of the prior art.

There represents the cover 11 and the cover hinge arm in section, and shows the cooling airflow generated by the cooling ventilation means 40. The cooking ventilation means 30C are controlled by the drive motor 50 which requires cooling. For this purpose, and as shown by the arrows in the , the cooling ventilation means 40 are arranged to generate a cooling air flow isolated and/or separated from the closed-circuit air circulation of the cooking space. This cooling air flow operates to pass successively:
- from the outside, through an air intake 14 provided in a rear side wall of the cover 11,
- in the vicinity of an electronic card 13,
- in the vicinity, or even through the drive motor 50,
- between the outer wall 12A and the inner wall 12B, and finally exit through the outlet formed by the peripheral space between the outer wall 12A and the inner wall 12B. The cooling air flow circulating between the outer wall 12A and the inner wall 12B is colder than the cooking vapors in the work tank 20, and therefore also contributes to cooling the outer wall 12A of the cover 11.

Accordingly, even with the carbon fiber heating element 30B emitting strong heat radiation, the outer wall of the cover 11 remains cool enough to avoid any risk of burns to the user, and the use of a single drive motor 50 for the cooking ventilation means 30C and the cooling ventilation means 40 makes it possible to keep the structure simple, light and economical.

A cooking appliance according to the present invention, and its manufacture, are capable of industrial application.

It will be understood that various modifications and/or improvements obvious to those skilled in the art may be made to the various embodiments of the invention described in the present description without departing from the scope of the invention. In particular, it may be noted that:
- several vents 41 can be provided,
- it can be provided that the vent 41 and its adjustable shutter 42 are provided for a device without a carbon fiber heating element 30B,
- it can be provided that the cooling ventilation means 40 are provided for a cooking appliance without a carbon fiber heating element 30B,
- the general structure of the housing 10 and in particular the articulation of the cover 11 are different.

Claims (18)

Cooking appliance, comprising:
- a cooking area, designed to receive food to be cooked,
- cooking means (30) comprising cooking ventilation means (30C) arranged to generate a cooking air flow and heating means arranged to heat the cooking air flow, so as to allow convection cooking of the food to be cooked received in the cooking space,
characterized in that the heating means comprise at least one carbon fiber heating element (30B) and in that the cooking appliance comprises stirring means, arranged to stir the food to be cooked received in the cooking space. Cooking appliance according to claim 1, in which the carbon fiber heating element (30B) is at least partially arranged facing the cooking space so as to allow radiant cooking of the food to be cooked received in the cooking space. Cooking appliance according to one of claims 1 to 2, in which the stirring means comprise a stirring blade (21B) comprising a central hub (21A), and the carbon fiber heating element (30B) is arranged opposite a peripheral zone of the central hub (21A). A cooking appliance according to claim 3, wherein the stirring blade (21B) comprises a heat shield (21C) arranged on at least a portion of the stirring blade (21B). Cooking appliance according to one of claims 1 to 4, comprising a control unit arranged to control:
- operation of heating systems,
- operation of cooking ventilation means (30C),
- operation of the mixing means,
wherein the control unit is provided to control operation of the cooking ventilation means (30C) and/or the stirring means as soon as the carbon fiber heating element (30B) of the heating means is put into operation, or at least after a threshold time of exposure of the food to radiation emitted by the heating means to brown the food. Cooking appliance according to one of claims 1 to 5, comprising a protective wall (31) arranged between the heating means and the cooking space, the protective wall (31) being perforated with openings arranged between the carbon fiber heating element (30B) and the cooking space. Cooking appliance according to one of claims 1 to 6, in which the carbon fiber heating element (30B) comprises electrical connection terminals and carbon fibers connected to the electrical connection terminals to be crossed by an electric current so as to generate thermal radiation. Cooking appliance according to one of claims 1 to 7, in which the heating means consist of said at least one carbon fiber heating element (30B). A cooking appliance according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the heating means comprises a plurality of carbon fibre heating elements (30B). Cooking appliance according to one of claims 1 to 7, in which the heating means comprise a shielded resistor and/or a halogen heating element, in addition to the at least one carbon fiber heating element (30B). Cooking appliance according to one of claims 1 to 10, in which the heating means are arranged in whole or in part between the cooking ventilation means (30C) and the cooking space. Cooking appliance according to one of claims 1 to 11, in which the cooking space comprises a work tank (20) arranged to contain the food, removable relative to the cooking space. Cooking appliance according to one of claims 1 to 12, comprising a cover (11), preferably movable and/or removable, in which the heating means and the cooking ventilation means (30C) are embedded, and arranged to close the cooking space. Cooking appliance according to claim 13, wherein the heating means are at least partially arranged in a central part of the cover (11), the cover (11) comprising a transparent peripheral part. Cooking appliance according to one of claims 1 to 14, in which at least part of the heating means are arranged directly opposite the food in the working tank (20). Cooking appliance according to one of claims 1 to 15, arranged to generate the cooking air flow in a recirculation mode and/or in which the cooking ventilation means (30C) are arranged to generate the cooking air flow in a recirculation mode. Cooking appliance according to one of claims 1 to 16, in which the stirring means comprise an obstacle positioned to come into contact with at least part of the food placed in the working tank (20), and arranged to promote the turning of the food by the stirring blade (21B). Cooking appliance according to claim 17, in which the obstacle is formed by a finger or a protuberance fixed relative to the cooking space.