Household appliance with an electric control system and an accessory part

The invention relates to a household appliance with an electric control system (20), which is connected to an accessory part (12) for the household appliance in a signal-transmitting fashion, wherein the accessory part (12) can be moved back and forth between an active position and a resting position on the household appliance and, in the switched-on state of the household appliance, exchanges signals for controlling the household appliance with the electric control system (20), at least in the active position.In order to specify a household appliance in which the accessory part, in its resting position, is stored in the household appliance in such a way that the user can access the household appliance without obstruction and, at the same time, a high degree of security against malfunction is guaranteed, the signal exchange between the transmission or transmission/reception device (17) of the accessory part (12) and the electric control system (20) occurs wirelessly and the accessory part (12), in its resting position, is mounted in a storage element (6) of the household appliance at least partly consisting of an electrically conductive material, said storage element electrically shielding the transmission or transmission/reception device (17) of the accessory part (12) from the electric control system (20) so that signal exchange is prevented.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a household appliance such as an oven having an electric control system and an accessory in wireless communication therewith.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A household appliance of this nature is disclosed in DE 36 41 659 C1. The known household appliance is designed as a heat treatment device for food and has an electric control system that is connected, via a signal-transmitting cable, to an accessory part for the household appliance, the accessory part being designed as a sensor. The accessory part can be moved back and forth between an active position and a resting position on the household appliance and, in the switched-on state of the household appliance, exchanges signals for controlling the household appliance with the electric control system, at least in the active position.

In addition, a household appliance designed as a cooking device, in which the signal exchange between the accessory part and an electric control system of the household appliance also occurs wirelessly, is known from EP 1 239 703 A2.

DE 103 17 682 A1 discloses a device for protecting data from mobile transponders, wherein the device has a shield covering at least the antenna of the transponder for attenuation of electrostatic, magnetostatic or electromagnetic fields.

Also described in DE 44 21 373 A1 is an accessory part designed as a sensor element that wirelessly exchanges signals with an electric control system of a cooking device. To this end, the antenna of the sensor element is designed to pass through the metal housing to a non-shielded end of the sensor element.

The problem solved by the invention, therefore, is to specify a household appliance in which the accessory part, in its resting position, is stored on the household appliance in such a way that the user can, as a result, access the household appliance without obstruction and, at the same time, a high degree of security against malfunction is guaranteed.

According to the invention, this problem is solved by a household appliance having the features of claim1. Advantageous embodiments and developments of the invention result from the ensuing dependent claims.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a household appliance with an electric control system, which is connected to an accessory part for the household appliance in a signal-transmitting fashion, wherein the accessory part can be moved back and forth between an active position and a resting position on the household appliance and, in the switched-on state of the household appliance, exchanges signals for controlling the household appliance with the electric control system, at least in the active position.

In order to specify a household appliance in which the accessory part, in its resting position, is stored in the household appliance in such a way that the user can access the household appliance without obstruction and, at the same time, a high degree of security against malfunction is guaranteed, the signal exchange between the transmission or transmission/reception device of the accessory part and the electric control system occurs wirelessly and the accessory part, in its resting position, is mounted in a storage element of the household appliance at least partly consisting of an electrically conductive material, said storage element electrically shielding the transmission or transmission/reception device of the accessory part from the electric control system so that signal exchange is prevented.

The advantages achievable with the invention consist, in addition to the user's unobstructed access to the household appliance while the accessory part is in its resting position, particularly in the fact that a high degree of security against malfunctions is guaranteed at the same time. Such malfunctions could occur in the household appliance if the signal exchange between the accessory part and the electric control system occurs wirelessly and the accessory part also continues to exchange signals with the electric control system in its resting position. This is effectively prevented by the solution of the invention. At the same time, the accessory part remains within reach, so that operating comfort is not impaired. This also ensures that the accessory part is not misplaced. This, however, would be quite conceivable if the accessory part, for the reasons mentioned above, were removed from the household appliance after use and stored in a different location. On the one hand, this further facilitates the user's access to the accessory part, because the door to the handling space is generally located on the side of the household appliance facing the user in the active position of the household appliance. On the other hand, the number of components can be minimized and, as a result, the design can be simplified as a result of the use of the metal door element for the storage element.

One especially advantageous development of the technical character of the invention provides that the storage element electrically shields the transmission or transmission/reception equipment of the accessory part in all spatial directions. This effectively prevents the aforementioned malfunctions in nearby household appliances that also feature radio paths for signal transmission.

Another advantageous development provides that the storage element completely encloses the accessory part in its resting position, with the exception of a handle for operating the accessory part. This ensures, on the one hand, that no signal exchange between the accessory part and the electric control system can occur in the resting position. On the other hand, ease of operation is further improved, because the user can access the accessory part without additional tools and convey it from the resting position back into the active position.

Another advantageous development provides that, when the door is closed, access to the accessory part is obstructed by the body of the household appliance and made possible when the door is open. This ensures that the accessory part is effectively protected against unwanted access and, at the same time, against loss.

Another advantageous development provides that a removal aid, which facilitates access to the accessory part when the accessory part is in its resting position, is arranged on the storage element and/or the accessory part. As a result, handling of the accessory part is further simplified and ease of operation is additionally increased.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A partial view of a household appliance according to the invention is shown inFIG. 1. The household appliance is designed as an oven and has a door2that closes off the handling space, namely the baking compartment, which is not shown. The door2, only partly shown in the figures, has a door frame4, which has two parallel, spaced side rails6, only one of which is shown inFIG. 1. The side rails6are designed as aluminum extruded profiles and are glued to the exterior panel7. A plastic upper terminal rail8is screwed to the side rails6. The lower edge of the door frame4is formed by a lower, plastic terminal rail, not shown in the figures. The upper terminal rail8and the lower terminal rail are attached to the two aluminum extruded profiles6by means of molded aluminum corner elements, which are not shown. Center panels9and an inner panel10are secured to the door frame in a manner known to the person skilled in the art.

The accessory part12designed as a temperature pin is shown in its resting position inFIG. 1. With the exception of a handle14for operation, the accessory part12is inserted completely into the aluminum extruded profile6, located at the front in the image plane, which features a hollow space15for this purpose. So that the most important components can be seen, the aluminum extruded profile6is shown in cross-section inFIG. 1andFIG. 2. The accessory part12has a handle section16and an insertion pin section18, with which, in its active position, it is inserted into the cooking material (not shown) located in the handling space. At least one temperature sensor (not shown) is arranged in the insertion pin18, and said sensor measures the internal temperature of the substance being cooked, a piece of meat, for example, during the cooking process. In the active position of the temperature pin12, the signal generated in this process is wirelessly transmitted, by means of a transmission device17integrated into the handle section16, to a reception device of an electric control system20integrated into the oven and used to control the baking compartment temperature in a manner known to the person skilled in the art.

In this exemplary embodiment, the transmission device17features a surface acoustic wave component, which is known in the art, to minimize the space requirements in the temperature pin12. In the active position of the temperature pin12, signals transmitted by the electric control system20excite vibrations in the surface acoustic wave component that are modified as a factor of the internal temperature of the cooking material and in turn generate signals that, in the active position of the temperature pin12, are transmitted from the transmission device17to the electric control system20, in which they are further processed in a manner known in the art. Accordingly, when the household appliance is switched on, the electric control system20constantly transmits signals22for the accessory part12at predetermined time intervals. In other words, the transmission device17is also a reception device in this case.

According to the invention, however, a signal exchange between the transmission device17of the accessory part12and the reception device of the electric control system20is prevented in the resting position, shown inFIG. 1, of the accessory part12designed as a temperature pin. In this case, this is achieved in that in its resting position, the accessory part12, with the exception of the handle14, is located entirely in the interior of one of the aluminum extruded profiles6. All but one side of the transmission device17integrated into the handle section16is completely enclosed by the aluminum extruded profile6and a molded aluminum corner element used to secure the lower covering rail. As a result, the transmission device17and, therefore, the accessory part12, is electrically shielded from the electric control system20in a constructively simple manner, because the aluminum extruded profile6, which forms the storage apparatus, and the molded aluminum corner element are electrically conductive.

The aforementioned arrangement of the storage element6has the further advantage that access to the accessory part12in its resting position while the door2is closed is easily prevented without further structural measures or components, because when the door2is closed the upper covering rail8is completely covered by the body of the oven (not shown), leaving only a small gap between the body and the door2.

As a rule, however, it is sufficient if only the part of the side rail6that forms the storage element is made of electrically conductive material. In addition, only the transmission device17must be electrically shielded, and only to the extent necessary to block the radio path between the electric control system20and the accessory part12.

It would thus be conceivable, according to another exemplary embodiment, which is not explained in detail here, that only the side rail, which is to accept the accessory part in its resting position, be made of aluminum or another electrically shielding material. The remaining parts, such as the upper and lower terminal rails, the molded corner elements for connecting the abovementioned terminal rails to the side rails, and also the other side rail, could be made of an electrically non-shielding material, such as plastic. The molded corner elements could also be eliminated entirely if the aforementioned terminal rails were connected to the side rails or the exterior panel in a different manner. For example, the lower terminal rail could also be eliminated to allow for a ventilated door. Thus, the structure of the door frame is flexible within appropriate limits, provided the radio path between the accessory part and the electric control system of the household appliance is blocked in the resting position of the accessory part. In a qualitatively higher-quality embodiment, the radio path between the accessory part and adjacent household appliances would have to be blocked in the resting position.

In this exemplary embodiment, an embodiment of the storage element6was selected that would also electrically shield the transmission device17of the accessory part12in the resting position against other household appliances installed nearby. The other household appliances are not shown. This is accomplished in that, as explained earlier, all but one side of the transmission device16is completely enclosed by the aluminum extruded profile6and one of the molded aluminum corner elements. On the remaining side, the aluminum extruded profile6features an opening through which the accessory part12, as will be explained in greater detail below on the basis ofFIG. 2, can be inserted. In order to achieve, if necessary, electrical shielding of the accessory part12in its resting position on this side, the upper end of the handle section16can also be partly made of an electrically conductive material.

FIG. 2shows the accessory part12during conveyance from the resting position shown inFIG. 1to the active position already explained farther above.

In the position of the accessory part12shown inFIG. 2, the handle section16, in which the transmission device17is integrated, is pulled out of the aluminum extruded profile6so that the radio path between the transmission device17and the electric control system20is no longer blocked. The radio path is indicated here by the symbols22and28.

To mount the accessory part12, designed as a temperature pin, a mounting bag29is arranged on the upper covering rail8, said bag being disposed in the hollow space15of the aluminum extruded profile6when the door2is in the assembled state. Because the upper covering rail8is made of plastic here, the mounting bag29is molded onto the upper covering rail8.

As is clearly evident inFIG. 2, the upper terminal rail8features a cone-shaped access opening24corresponding to the opening in the aluminum extruded profile6, to which access opening the shape of the upper end of the handle section16of the temperature pin12corresponds. To facilitate the handling of the temperature pin12during conveyance from the resting position to the active position, the cone-shaped expansion26at the upper end of the handle section16is not completely inserted into the door frame4in the resting position of the temperature pin12. As a result, the handle section16can be easily gripped at its expanded point26. The use of tools is not required.

Alternatively or additionally, it would also be conceivable to provide a removal aid on the accessory part12or on the storage element6. For example, a protrusion arranged on the upper end of the accessory part12would be a simple execution of a removal aid. Another possible removal aid could be designed to resemble the mechanics, known in the art, of operating toggles than are retractable into a control panel. In this case, pressure exerted on the accessible face of the operating toggle would cause the toggle, as a result of an elastic force, to be moved from the retracted position, in which the face is flush with the control panel, to a raised position relative to the control panel.

The invention is not limited to the above exemplary embodiment. Instead, other household appliances with radio transmission paths, with and without doors, are conceivable. For example, the use of the solution of the invention would also be possible in microwave devices, steamers, extractor hoods, ceramic stove tops, beverage dispensers, refrigeration devices and laundry treatment machines. The nature of the accessory part is just as diverse as the possible household appliances. Instead of a temperature pin, other sensors that measure a physical or chemical variable of an object to be treated with a household appliance could be integrated into the accessory part of a household appliance according to the invention. Also conceivable is the use of carrying elements or the like that are temporarily placed into a handling space, such as the baking compartment of a cooking device, the presence of which in the handling space should be automatically detectable and capable of being used to control the household appliance. The above embodiments clearly show that the form of the accessory part is freely selectable within broad, suitable limits.