Cooking Appliance, Especially Top-Mounted Cooking Appliance, and Method for Controlling a Cooking Appliance

Abstract

A cooking appliance, especially a top-mounted cooking appliance including a muffle that defines a cooking space and is provided with a muffle access opening; a door pivotably mounted to the muffle for movement into and our of a covering relation with the access opening; a driving device in operative engagement with the door; a control device operatively associate with the driving device for controlling door movement; and an arrangement for determining a door displacement parameter during door movement, wherein a determined door displacement parameter is used as a reference parameter for a function of the appliance.

1 - 12 . (canceled) 
   
   
       13 . A cooking appliance, especially a top-mounted cooking appliance, comprising:
 a muffle that defines a cooking space and is formed with a muffle access opening;   a door pivotably mounted to the muffle for movement into and out of a covering relation with the access opening;   a driving device in operative engagement with the door;   a control device operatively associated with the driving device for controlling door movement; and   means for determining a door displacement parameter during door movement wherein a determined door displacement parameter is used as a reference parameter for a function of the appliance.   
   
   
       14 . The cooking appliance according to  claim 13  and further comprising means for using the reference parameter to generate a trigger signal in the control device to initiate action by the driving device with respect to door movement. 
   
   
       15 . The method according to  claim 13  and further comprising means for using the reference parameter as a criterion in subsequent displacement movements of the door. 
   
   
       16 . The cooking appliance according to  claim 13  and further comprising means for determining a reference speed of door movement from a displacement speed, wherein the reference speed is defined as the reference parameter. 
   
   
       17 . The cooking appliance according to  claim 16  wherein the reference parameter is determined after a substantially constant displacement speed has been reached by the door. 
   
   
       18 . The cooking appliance according to  claim 16  wherein the reference parameter is determined after a substantially constant door acceleration has been reached. 
   
   
       19 . The cooking appliance according to  claim 13  wherein the determination of the reference parameter is defined over an entire door displacement path. 
   
   
       20 . The cooking appliance according to  claim 13  wherein a jammed state is defined dependent upon the determined reference parameter. 
   
   
       21 . A method for operating a cooking appliance, especially a top-mounted cooking appliance, comprising the steps of:
 providing a cooking appliance having a muffle that defines a cooking space and is provided with a muffle access opening; a door pivotably mounted to the muffle for movement into and out of a covering relation with the access opening;   a driving device in operative engagement with the door;   providing a control device operatively associated with the driving device for controlling door movement;   providing means for determining a door displacement parameter during door movement operatively associated with the control device;   determining a parameter dependant on door displacement the determination occurring during door displacement; and   using the determined parameter as a reference parameter for a function of the appliance, in particular an anti-jamming function.   
   
   
       22 . The method according to  claim 21  wherein the step of determining the reference parameter includes holding at least one switch closed, the switch being operatively associated with the door. 
   
   
       23 . The method according to  claim 22  and further comprising the step of aborting the determination step upon early release of the at least one switch. 
   
   
       24 . The method according to  claim 22  wherein in the determination step, the at least one switch is opened prior to determining the reference value and automatic operation on the basis of the reference parameter is not permitted, in particular no displacement operation of the door is possible.