Cooking appliance and method for operating same

Abstract

A cooking appliance includes a door for closing a cooking chamber, a door-opening device configured to automatically move the door between a closed position and an open position of the door, and a sensing device operatively connected to the door-opening device. The sensing device is configured to sense a triggering element separate from the cooking appliance for controlling the door-opening device.

1 - 12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . A cooking appliance, comprising:
 a door for closing a cooking chamber;   a door-opening device configured to automatically move the door between a closed position and an open position of the door; and   a sensing device operatively connected to the door-opening device, said sensing device configured to sense a triggering element separate from the cooking appliance for controlling the door-opening device.   
     
     
         14 . The cooking appliance of  claim 13 , wherein the door is configured as a retractable door which in the open position is arranged so as to be retracted in a receiver space which is separated from the cooking chamber. 
     
     
         15 . The cooking appliance of  claim 14 , wherein the receiver space is arranged below the cooking chamber. 
     
     
         16 . The cooking appliance of  claim 13 , wherein the sensing device includes at least two sensors. 
     
     
         17 . The cooking appliance of  claim 16 , wherein the at least two sensors are infrared sensors. 
     
     
         18 . The cooking appliance of  claim 16 , further comprising a front carrier connected to the door; and a panel configured to cover the front carrier, said at least two sensors being arranged on the front carrier. 
     
     
         19 . The cooking appliance of  claim 16 , wherein the at least two sensors are arranged at a distance of 300 to 420 mm. 
     
     
         20 . The cooking appliance of  claim 16 , wherein the at least two sensors are arranged at a distance of 330 to 390 mm. 
     
     
         21 . The cooking appliance of  claim 16 , wherein the at least two sensors are arranged at a distance of 360 mm. 
     
     
         22 . The cooking appliance of  claim 16 , wherein the at least two sensors are symmetrically aligned relative to a vertically running central line. 
     
     
         23 . The cooking appliance of  claim 18 , wherein the panel has a positioning line which is located substantially in a plane running horizontally through the at least two sensors. 
     
     
         24 . The cooking appliance of  claim 23 , wherein the panel is printed with the positioning line. 
     
     
         25 . The cooking appliance of  claim 13 , wherein the door-opening device moves the door from the closed position into the open position after the triggering element is sensed for a predetermined time by the sensing device. 
     
     
         26 . The cooking appliance of  claim 13 , wherein the separate triggering element is a carrier for food to be cooked, in particular a baking sheet, rack or the like. 
     
     
         27 . A method for automatically moving a door of a cooking appliance, said method comprising:
 arranging a triggering element at a location separate from the cooking appliance;   sensing the triggering element by a sensing device; and   controlling operation of a door-opening device for moving a door of the cooking appliance from a closed position, in which the door closes a cooking chamber, into an open position after the triggering element has been sensed for a predetermined time.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the door-opening device is controlled, when at least two sensors of the sensing device are simultaneously triggered by the triggering element. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising arranging the at least two sensors at a distance of 300 to 420 mm. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising arranging the at least two sensors at a distance of 330 to 390 mm. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising arranging the at least two sensors at a distance of 360 mm. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising symmetrically aligning the at least two sensors relative to a vertically running central line.