Field of the invention

The present invention is directed to a cooking system, particularly for cooking a frozen, chilled or ambient food product comprised in a pack, the cooking system comprising a cooking device configured to cook in a customized manner the food product comprised in the pack.

Background of the invention

Standard cooking systems known in the state of the art typically operate with a device (commonly referred to as an oven) comprising two microwave emitter units, one at each of the sides of the oven cavity. These ovens typically also comprise a turning plate, configured to receive the food product to be cooked (either directly, on a recipient appropriate for the oven or coming in a pack): while cooking takes place, the plate rotates inside the oven cavity which allows that the mocrowaves emitted are uniformly distributed to the food so a proper and homegeneous cooking can be achieved. However, the device configuration is not ideal, as the turning plate takes space inside the cavity, making the oven configuration of a certain undesired volume. Moreover, cleaning of the plate is often required and also of the structure provided to allow that it rotates.

Some devices in the state of the art comprise different integrated cooking means, of different nature, so that they can provide different types of cooking of the food product targeted. However, in many occassions, a same pack or meal to be cooked comprises different types of food products, so it will be desireable to cook differently each part of the complete food meal according to the type of food product in each of these parts. Therefore, further customization of the cooking means would be required so that, ideally, each food product in one single meal could be cooked differently according to its nature and also according to the consumer's preferences. Known ovens in the state of the art either fail to provide a response to these needs or are configured in a very sophisticated way to be suitable for a home use. Even more, different texturizations of the different food products to be prepared would be desireable: current known systems in the state of the art are not capable of providing different texturizations of the food products.

It is therefore an aim of the present invention to provide a cooking system allowing customization of the cooking provided to the food product targeted, further allowing to prepare various texturization of the product while presenting at the same time a simple configuration.

Object and summary of the invention According to a first aspect, the invention relates to a cooking system for cooking a frozen and/or chilled and/or ambient food product comprised in a pack in a cooking device: the device comprises microwave cooking means and infrared cooking means which can work sequentially or simultaneously, such that the microwave cooking means comprises a plurality of microwave emitters arranged on the lower side of the cooking device cavity within which the pack is placed at a close distance, preferably in contact, with the pack, the infrared cooking means comprising a plurality of infrared emitters arranged on the upper side of the cooking device cavity within which the pack is placed. The lower microwave emitters and the upper infrared emitters are arranged in such a way that at least one or a plurality of upper infrared emitters are confronted with at least one or a plurality of lower microwave emitters so as to configure a plurality of cooking zones within the cooking device cavity, such that each cooking zone is independently controlled and homogeneously irradiated by a whole number of the infrared emitters and the microwave emitters. The pack comprises one or more food compartments, configured to be positioned in a specific place within the cooking device cavity so that each food compartment of the pack covers a whole number of cooking zones, in such a way that each zone can assign specific cooking parameters to the food which is located in its irradiation area.

Preferably, in the cooking system according to the invention, the cooking device comprises two, preferably four and more preferably eight cooking zones within the cooking device cavity. The pack in the cooking system of the present invention typically comprises identification means readable by reading means inside or outside of the cooking device, such that the identification means comprise the information on the cooking parameters for each food compartment of the pack.

Typically, in the cooking system of the invention, the information in the identification means comprises information on the activation of the microwave and infrared cooking means in a certain cooking zone, also comprising information on the time they are activated or not and on their power level, among other parameters.

The cooking system of the invention further typically comprises a control unit allowing personalization of the cooking parameters for each of the cooking zones covered by the pack. The upper infrared emitters in the cooking system of the invention are preferably arranged in such a way that each one of them creates a conical radiance influence volume not overlapping with the rest of radiance influence volumes created.

The cooking system of the invention typically further comprises one or a plurality of sensors arranged to configure cooking zones within the cooking device cavity according to the orientation of the cooking device, the location of the pack within said cavity and the food nature in each of the food compartments in the pack.

The cooking device in the cooking system of the invention preferably further comprises hot air cooking means which can be selectively activated, simultaneously or sequentially to the microwave cooking means and/or the infrared cooking means.

In the cooking system of the invention, further light emitters would be preferably provided, able to indicate within the cooking device cavity at least one suitable area where the pack should be placed to be cooked.

Brief description of the drawings

Further features, advantages and objects of the present invention will become apparent for a skilled person when reading the following detailed description of embodiments of the present invention, when taken in conjunction with the figures of the enclosed drawings. Figs. 1 a-b show a general schematic view and a frontal section, respectively, of a cooking device used in a cooking system according to the present invention.

Fig. 2a shows a top view showing the infrared cooking means and the plurality of infrared emitters in a cooking device used in a cooking system according to the present invention. shows a frontal section in A-A of the cooking device in Figure 2a used in a cooking system according to the present invention. shows a perspective view of a cooking device used in a cooking system according to the present invention, as represented in Figure 2a, comprising inside four packs covering the whole cooking device cavity. shows a perspective view of a cooking system comprising a cooking device and a pack with one single compartment, according to the present invention. shows a top view of the cooking system in Figure 3a, according to the present invention.

Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of a cooking system comprising a cooking device and a pack with one single compartment covering the whole cooking device cavity, according to the present invention.

Fig. 5a shows a top view of a cooking system according to the invention, as represented in Figure 5b.

Fig. 5b shows a perspective view of a cooking system comprising a cooking device and a pack comprising two compartments, according to the present invention. Fig. 6a shows a perspective view of a cooking system comprising a cooking device and two packs, one pack comprising two compartments, and another pack comprising one single compartment. shows a top view of a cooking system according to the invention, as represented in Figure 6a. shows a perspective view of a cooking system according to the invention, comprising a cooking device and four packs inside the cooking device cavity. shows a top view of a cooking system according to the invention, as represented in Figure 7a. shows a frontal view of a cooking system according to the invention, as represented in Figure 7a. shows a lower view of the bottom of a cooking system according to the invention, as represented in Figure 7a, showing the microwave cooking means and the plurality of microwave emitters. shows a top view of a cooking system according to the invention, showing conical radiance influence volumes created by the infrared emitters in the infrared cooking means.

Detailed description of exemplary embodiments

The present invention relates to a cooking system 100 comprising a pack 10 where a food product is arranged and a cooking device 20 configured to cook the product in the said pack. The food product in the pack 10 is a frozen and/or chilled and/or ambient food product.

The cooking device 20 of the invention is configured to customize the cooking of the different products inside a pack 10 so that, for example, vegetables or meat will not be cooked in the same way. What will follow from the reading of the present description will explain how this customization is achieved. As shown in Figure 1a, the cooking device 20 comprises one or a plurality of infrared emitters 41 (configuring the so called infrared cooking means 40) and one or a plurality of microwave emitters 31 (configuring the so called microwave cooking means 30). The infrared cooking means 40 are typically arranged on the top part of the device 20, namely on the top part of the cooking device cavity 21 while the microwave cooking means 30 are arranged on the lower side of the cooking device cavity 21. The microwave cooking means 30 and the infrared cooking means 40 are configured to be able to work sequentially or simultaneously. Moreover, in fact, each emitter 31 , 41 of the respective cooking means 30, 40 is able to be independently activated and/or modulated. This makes it possible to effectively customize the cooking for each pack and/or part of a pack typically depending on the nature and/or type of food product in it (typically, vegetables cooked with a lower energy level and meat cooked with a higher energy level, for example). The plurality of microwave emitters 31 arranged on the lower side of the cooking device cavity 21 within which the pack 10 is placed are configured to be arranged at a close distance, preferably in contact, with the pack 10. This avoids the use of a turning plate, as it is the case in standard cooking devices, to allow proper distribution of the emitted microwaves. The infrared cooking means 40 comprising a plurality of infrared emitters 41 , are arranged on the upper side of the cooking device cavity 21 within which the pack 10 is placed. With the configuration of the device of the invention no turning plate is therefore needed in order to provide a uniform and homogeneous cooking, so the device can be made compact yet simple in operation. The microwave emitters 31 used in the device 20 of the invention are typically low- power microwave sources using solid state devices.

As represented in Figure 1b, the lower microwave emitters 31 and the upper infrared emitters 41 are arranged in the device 20 of the invention in such a way that typically one upper infrared emitter 41 is confronted with one lower microwave emitter 31 , thus creating a cooking zone 50 where a certain product placed will be influenced by both the infrared and the microwave emitters. Because the infrared emitter 41 and the microwave emitter 31 are independently controlled and regulated, a cooking zone 50 will be the minimum sized controlled heating and/or cooking area, where the product in its area of influence will be heated and/or cooked under certain desired parameters (simultaneous activation of both infrared and microwave emitters or not, power of these, time of activation, etc.) typically depending on the nature and quantity of the product in this area 50. Figures 1 a and 1 b show a possible embodiment of the cooking device 20, comprising for example eight upper infrared emitters 41 , confronted to the same number (eight) of lower microwave emitters 31 , thus creating eight cooking zones 50, each zone 50 under the influence of an upper infrared emitter 41 and a lower microwave emitter 31. Other configurations are clearly possible and within the scope of the present invention.

Turning now to Figures 2a, 2b and 2c, they show a similar device 20 as the one in Figures 1 a-b (also with eight infrared emitters 41 confronted to eight microwave emitters 31 , configuring eight cooking zones 50), where for example four packs 10 have been inserted in the cooking device cavity 21 (see for example Figure 2c). In this case, it is possible to cook each pack 10 differently and, even more, each half of each pack 10 differently. The access to the cooking device cavity 21 is done by means of a door 60, schematically shown I Figures 2a and 2c.

According to the invention, typically a plurality of cooking zones 50 within the cooking device cavity 21 are created: each cooking zone 50 is independently controlled and homogeneously irradiated by a whole number of the infrared emitters 41 and the microwave emitters 31.

Figures 3a and 3b show the device shown in Figures 1 a-b where a pack 10 has been inserted: in this case, the pack 10 covers two cooking zones 50 so, if desired, each half of it could be differently cooked.

Figure 4 shows another possible example where a single big pack 10 is inserted in the cooking device cavity 21 and covers (is influenced) by the eight cooking zones 50 in the device 20, meaning that each eighth part of it could be customized for being cooked.

Figures 5a and b show a device 20 configured with eight cooking zones 50, similar to the one already described previously, where one pack 10 comprising two separated compartments 1 1 , typically comprising a different product in each (for example, two types of products configuring a meal of fish or meat on one compartments and for example, vegetables on the other compartment). Still, each half of each compartment 1 1 could be cooked differently. Figures 6a and 6b show a similarly configured device 20 with two packs 10 inside, on pack (on the right-hand side) comprising two compartments 1 1 and another pack 10 (on the left-hand side) comprising a single compartment. Figure 8 shows such a configuration in Figures 6a- b, but showing the conical radiance influence volume 70 created by the infrared emitters 41. Still, Figures 7a-d show a similar device with four packs 10 inside, each pack 10 covering two confronted cooking areas 50 so the four packs cover the entire cooking device cavity 21 .

According to the invention, the pack 10 is sold commercially and is configured to comprise one or more food compartments 1 1 (typically with different food products type in each of them). These compartments 1 1 are configured to be positioned in a specific place within the cooking device cavity 21 so that each food compartment 1 1 of the pack 10 covers a whole number of cooking zones 50, in such a way that each zone can assign specific cooking parameters to the food which is located in its irradiation area.

The pack 10 of the invention preferably comprises identification means (not shown) readable by reading means that can be arranged inside or outside of the cooking device 20 (of the cooking device cavity 21 ). These identification means comprise the information on the cooking parameters for each food compartment 1 1 of the pack 10, such as type of cooking means used (and if used simultaneously, synchronized, etc.), the power level of these cooking means and the time they operate, etc. As each compartment 1 1 is linked to a cooking area 50, a control unit (not shown) in the system 100 of the invention will allowing personalization of the cooking parameters for each of the cooking zones 50 linked to each compartment 1 1 , i.e. adapting the cooking parameters accordingly for each compartments, and therefore cooking differently the product in each of these compartments 1 1 of the pack 10.

In the cooking system 100 of the invention, as shown in Figure 1 b, for example, the upper infrared emitters 41 are arranged in such a way that each one of them creates a conical radiance influence volume 70 which does not overlap with the rest of radiance influence volumes 70 created, preferably they are configured to be tangential between them. Even going further, the system 100 of the invention is configured to create the inner configuration of cooking zones 50 necessary inside the cooking device cavity 21 as a function of the orientation of the cooking device 20, of the location of the pack 10 within said cavity 21 and also as a function of the food nature in each of the food compartments 1 1 in the pack 10. In this way, the configuration of the cooking areas 50 inside the cavity 21 is not previously defined but it is only configured once the identification means in one or a plurality of packs 10 introduced in the cavity are read and once these packs 10 (and their corresponding cavities 1 1 ) are arranged inside this cavity 21 . For this functionality, the system 100 will be further provided with one or a plurality of corresponding sensors.

The cooking device 20 of the invention can be further provided with extra cooking means, such as for example hot air cooking means which can be selectively activated, simultaneously or sequentially to the microwave cooking means 30 and/or the infrared cooking means 40. These hot air cooking means are less precise for the zoning but will help for example to keep the product warm, once cooked. According to a further embodiment, the cooking system 100 of the invention can further comprise light emitters (not shown) able to indicate within the cooking device cavity 21 at least one suitable area where the pack 10 should be placed to be cooked, i.e. indicating an active area to preferably place the pack, for convenience and easy use from the user's side.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, many modifications and alternations may be made by a person having ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of this invention which is defined by the appended claims.