EP3867575B1

EP3867575B1 - An exhaust hood for detecting the cooking device type

Info

Publication number: EP3867575B1
Application number: EP19779420.9A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Hakan ALTUNTAS; Murat Kantas
Original assignee: Arcelik AS
Current assignee: Arcelik AS
Priority date: 2018-10-15
Filing date: 2019-09-24
Publication date: 2023-05-10
Anticipated expiration: 2039-09-24
Also published as: EP3867575A1; PL3867575T3; WO2020078669A1

Description

The present invention relates to an exhaust hood wherein the type of the cooking device above which the exhaust hood is operated is automatically determined.
Generally an exhaust hood is situated above the cooking devices used in houses and the smell and humidity released by the cooked foods are enabled to be discharged to the outer environment by means of the exhaust hood. The exhaust hood comprises a body; an exhaust duct which is connected to the chimney opening to the outer environment; a fan (aspirator) which sucks and discharges the air from above the cooker or oven; and a control unit which regulates the operation of the fan motor. Additionally, in new generation exhaust hoods, fans which may perform suction at various levels and guiding plates which guide the flow in the air suction surface are also used. In general the user adjusts the low, mid and high levels of the fan motor in the exhaust hood. The user operates the exhaust hood when required during the cooking process and selects the desired level. Exhaust hoods are known wherein the operational level is automatically determined in order to provide convenience to the user and for security purposes. Therefore, sensors which monitor changes in odor and temperature in the environment are used. During the cooking process, the temperature over the cooking device, for example of the cooker, is detected, thus automatically determining the operational level of the exhaust hood, in other words the speed of the fan motor; however, changes in temperature vary depending on the type of the cooker. Change over time of the heat dissipated by different types of cookers such as gas, electric and induction heating during operation varies due to the operational principles of said cookers. In the exhaust hood, the type of cooker is critical in determining parameters such as fan speed, etc. which constitute the automatic operational levels. For the same cooking process, gas, induction heating and electric cookers with different heating efficiencies provide different results. Therefore, the exhaust hood is required to automatically detect the type of the cooker over which the exhaust hood is operated.
The Patent Application No. DE102006041581 (A1 ) relates to a method for preventing an exhaust hood above a cooking device from overheating.
The Patent Application No. DE3922090 (A1 ) relates to an exhaust hood comprising at least one temperature sensor placed on the outer surface of the exhaust hood and measuring the ambient temperature and at least two temperature sensors placed on the suction surface, wherein the fan is controlled according to temperature difference signals based on the information received from the sensors.
The Patent Application No. JP2009144964 (A ) relates to a range hood wherein heating cooker being a gas or electric cooker is determined by temperature detecting means and operation of the range hood is automatically controlled according to heating cooker type.
US 2013/255661 A1 discloses a cooker hood installed above heating cooker and having a temperature sensor which is provided to detect an ambient temperature of the cooker.
JP H11 281106 A discloses a cooker interlocked range hood provided with a blower, an ultraviolet sensor, a temperature sensor, an identifying part to judge whether the cooker is a gas cooker or an electric cooker and to recognize the operating condition of the cooker and a control part for operating or controlling the blower.
The aim of the present invention is the realization of an exhaust hood wherein the type of the cooking device over which the exhaust hood is operated is automatically determined and operational parameters such as fan speed, time, etc. are applied according to the determined type of the cooking device.
The exhaust hood realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention comprises one or more than one temperature sensor which measures the temperature of the air rising from the cooking device and the cooking receptacle by heating up, and the control unit calculates the rate of increase in temperature depending on the data received from the temperature sensor. The control unit determines the type of the cooking device according to the rate of increase in temperature and the operational level of the exhaust hood according to the type of the cooking device.
The exhaust hood realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention is illustrated in the attached figures, where:

Figure 1 - is the schematic view of an exhaust hood and a cooker.
Figure 2 - is the graphic showing the change of temperature (°C) over time (T) for gas cooker (X), induction heating cooker (Y) and electric cooker (Z).

The elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows:

1.: Exhaust hood
2.: Body
3.: Exhaust duct
4.: Fan
5.: Control unit
6.: Temperature sensor
7.: Timer
8.: Cooking device

X:: Gas cooker
Y:: Induction heating cooker
Z:: Electric cooker
T:: Time
T1:: First threshold period
T2:: Second threshold period
°C:: Temperature

The exhaust hood (1), which is positioned above cooking devices (8) such as cooker, oven, etc. and which provides the discharge of the odor and humidity released from the cooked foods to the outer environment, comprises a body (2); an exhaust duct (3) which is connected to the chimney opening to the outer environment; and one or more than one fan (4) or "aspirator" which is mounted into the exhaust duct (3) and which enables the suction and discharge of the air to the outer environment.
The exhaust hood (1) of the present invention comprises

one or more than one temperature sensor (6) which is disposed onto the body (2), preferably onto the air suction surface of the body (2) facing the cooking device (8) and/or into the exhaust duct (3), and which measures the temperature of the air rising from the cooking device (8) and from the cooking receptacle by heating up during the cooking process,
a timer (7) which measures the heating time (T) elapsing until the temperature of the air rising from the cooking device (8) reaches a preset value, and
a control unit (5) which calculates the rate of increase in temperature according to the data received from the temperature sensor (6) and the timer (7) and which determines, according to the rate of increase in temperature, the type of the cooking device (8) and determines, according to the type of the cooking device (8), the operation level (the speed of the fan (4) motor, the operation time or the number of fans (4) to be activated) of the exhaust hood (1).

The parameters required for the automatic operation of the exhaust hood vary depending on the type of the cooking device (8). Therefore, for each type of cooking device (8) a set of parameters wherein the time of operational levels of the exhaust hood (1) and the fan (4) speed change is formed. The parameters such as fan (4) speed, operation time, etc. for different cooking devices (8) over which the exhaust hood (1) will be operated are prerecorded in the memory of the control unit (5). In the present invention, the type of the cooking device (8) is automatically determined by analyzing the data received from the temperature sensor (6) and the timer (7). After the control unit (5) determines the type of the cooking device (8), the exhaust hood (1) is operated with the parameters prerecorded for said cooking device (8).
The control unit (5) compares the heating time (T) elapsing until the temperature sensor (6) detects a predetermined temperature value after the operation of the cooking device (8) with a predetermined first threshold heating time (T1) and a predetermined second threshold heating time (T2) (T2>T1) in the control unit (5) and determines if the cooking device (8) is a gas cooker (X), an induction heating cooker (Y) or an electric cooker (Z).
According to each type of cooker (X, Y or Z), the data received from the temperature sensor (6) and the timer (7) has different characteristics. The gas cooker (X), the induction heating cooker (Y) and the electric cooker (Z) have different heating characteristics. The control unit (5) determines the type of the cooker (X, Y or Z) according to said characteristics (Figure 2).
If the heating time (T) is lower than the first threshold time (T1) (T<T1), the control unit (5) determines that the heating rate is high and the cooking device (8) is a gas cooker (X).
If the heating time (T) is higher than the first threshold time (T1) and lower than the second threshold time (T2) (T1<T<T2), the control unit (5) determines that the heating rate is an average value and the cooking device (8) is an induction heating cooker (Y). In the induction heating cooker (Y), the heating rate is low at the beginning but increases quickly after the first threshold time (T1). The control unit (5) determines that the cooking device (8) is an induction heating cooker (Y), and increases the exhaust hood (1) level, in other words the fan (4) motor speed or the number of active fans (4).
If the heating time (T) is higher than the second threshold time (T2) (T>T2), the control unit (5) determines that the heating rate is low and the cooking device (8) is an electric cooker (Z) or a radiant cooker.
In case the operation of the exhaust hood (1) at the first level is defined as operating the fan (4) motor at low speed (or activating one fan (4)), and

the operation of the exhaust hood (1) at the second level is defined as operating the fan (4) motor at mid speed (or activating two fans (4)), and
the operation of the exhaust hood (1) at the third level is defined as operating the fan (4) motor at high speed (or activating three fans (4)), and
the operation of the exhaust hood (1) at the fourth level is defined as operating the fan (4) motor at maximum speed (boost) (or activating the maximum number of fans (4)), the control unit (5)
- operates the exhaust hood (1) at the first level (low speed) at the end of the heating time (T) corresponding to the gas cooker (X) in case the cooking device (8) is determined to be a gas cooker (X), and operates the exhaust hood (1) at the second level (mid speed) if the temperature detected by the temperature sensor (6) increases by 10%, and operates the exhaust hood (1) at the third level (high speed) if the temperature increases by 20%, and operates the exhaust hood (1) at the fourth level (maximum speed or "boost") if the temperature increases by 30%.

The control unit (5) operates the exhaust hood (1) at the first level (low speed) at the end of the heating time (T) corresponding to the induction heating cooker (Y) in case the cooking device (8) is determined to be an induction heating cooker (Y), and operates the exhaust hood (1) at the second level (mid speed) if the temperature detected by the temperature sensor (6) increases by 5%, and operates the exhaust hood (1) at the third level (high speed) if the temperature increases by 10%, and operates the exhaust hood (1) at the fourth level (maximum speed or "boost") if the temperature increases by 15%.
The control unit (5) operates the exhaust hood (1) at the first level (low speed) at the end of the heating time (T) corresponding to the electric cooker (Z) in case the cooking device (8) is determined to be an electric cooker (Z), and operates the exhaust hood (1) at the second level (mid speed) if the temperature detected by the temperature sensor (6) increases by 10%, and operates the exhaust hood (1) at the third level (high speed) if the temperature increases by 20%, and operates the exhaust hood (1) at the fourth level (maximum speed or "boost") if the temperature increases by 30%.
The type of the cooking device (8) used is the most important factor affecting the automatic operation of the exhaust hood (1) and is determined by the control unit (5) in the present invention. When the type of the cooking device (8) changes, the parameters of the exhaust hood (1) are automatically updated. Thus, the need for requiring the user to make an additional adjustment when the exhaust hood (1) is activated with a different cooking device (8), during or after the installation process is eliminated.

Claims

- An exhaust hood (1), which is positioned above a cooking device (8), comprising a body (2); an exhaust duct (3) which is connected to a chimney opening to the outer environment; one or more than one fan (4) which is mounted into the exhaust duct (3); one or more than one temperature sensor (6) which is disposed onto the body (2) and/or into the exhaust duct (3), and which measures the temperature of the air rising from the cooking device (8) and from a cooking receptacle by heating up during a cooking process; a timer (7) which measures the heating time (T) elapsing until the temperature of the air rising from the cooking device (8) reaches a preset value; and a control unit (5) which is adapted to
- calculate the rate of increase in temperature according to the data received from the temperature sensor (6) and the timer (7),

- determine, according to the rate of increase in temperature, the type of the cooking device (8) and

- determine, according to the type of the cooking device (8), an operation level of the exhaust hood (1) which is defined as the fan (4) motor speed or the number of fans (4) to be activated,
characterized in that, the control unit (5) is further adapted to
- compare the heating time (T) elapsing until the temperature sensor (6) detects a predetermined temperature value after the operation of the cooking device (8) with a predetermined first threshold heating time (T1) and a predetermined second threshold heating time (T2) in the control unit (5) and determine if the cooking device (8) is a gas cooker (X), an induction heating cooker (Y) or an electric cooker (Z),

- determine that the cooking device (8) is a gas cooker (X) if the heating time (T) is lower than the first threshold time (T1) (T<T1),

- determine that the cooking device (8) is an induction heating cooker (Y) if the heating time (T) is higher than the first threshold time (T1) (T<T1) and lower than the second threshold time (T2) (T1<T<T2), and

- determine that the cooking device (8) is an electric cooker (Z) if the heating time (T) is higher than the second threshold time (T1) (T>T2).