Combination appliance and the use of the combination appliance

Abstract

A combination appliance ( 1 ) comprising a cooking hob ( 2 ), which comprises at least one support surface ( 4 ) and at least one therein formed recess ( 11 ), and at least one extraction device ( 3 ), which is arranged below the support surface ( 4 ) of the cooking hob ( 2 ) and comprises at least one fan ( 15 ) for sucking air from the space above the cooking hob ( 2 ) through the recess ( 11 ) of the support surface ( 4 ), and at least one lid ( 20 ) for the recess, wherein at least one control module ( 28 ), comprising at least one extraction control ( 18 ) that controls at least one operation parameter of the extraction device ( 3 ), at least one hob control ( 6 ) that controls at least one operation parameter of the cooking hob ( 2 ), and at least one interface unit ( 29 ) that is at least connected to the extraction control ( 18 ) and to the hob control ( 6 ), and wherein the interface unit ( 29 ) is capable of sending signals to the extraction control ( 18 ), wherein the extraction control ( 18 ) is controlling the extraction device ( 3 ) in response to the signals received from the interface unit ( 29 ).

1 . A combination appliance comprising a cooking hob, which comprises a support surface and a recess formed therein, and an extraction device arranged below the support surface of the cooking hob, wherein the extraction device comprises a fan for sucking air from a space above the cooking hob through the recess of the support surface, and a lid for the recess,
 a control module, comprising:
 an extraction control that controls an operation parameter of the extraction device, 
 a hob control that controls an operation parameter of the cooking hob, and 
 an interface unit connected to the extraction control and to the hob control, 
   wherein the interface unit is adapted to send signals to the extraction control, and   wherein the extraction control controls the extraction device in response to the signals received from the interface unit.   
     
     
         2 . The combination appliance according to  claim 1 , further comprising one or more measuring elements adapted to detect one or more parameter values, respectively, of the cooking hob and/or the extraction device, wherein the interface unit is adapted to process said parameter value. 
     
     
         3 . The combination appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the operation parameters of the extraction device and/or the cooking hob are selected from one or more of: selection of the fan, regulation of the fan's power, a power level of the cooking hob, rotational speed of the fan, suction capacity of the fan, interval operation of the extraction device, selection of a heating zone and changing of a heating zone. 
     
     
         4 . The combination appliance according to  claim 2 , wherein the one or more parameter values are selected from the group consisting of: temperature, heat output density of a heating zone, detection of one or more pots, voltage, frequency, current, humidity value, time and flame-size. 
     
     
         5 . The combination appliance according to  claim 2 , wherein the operation parameter of the extraction device is a rotational speed of the fan, a power level of the fan, or a suction capacity of the fan, the operation parameter of the extraction device being controlled based on at least one of the one or more parameter values detected by the one or more measuring elements. 
     
     
         6 . The combination appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the interface unit comprises a storage for data, said data comprising reference data and/or user settings and/or default settings. 
     
     
         7 . The combination appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the control module comprises a user interface, wherein interface unit and/or the user interface of the control module, comprises a receiver unit adapted to receive voice commands. 
     
     
         8 . The combination appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the operation parameter of the extraction device is a power level of the fan or a rotational speed of the fan, and is adjustable by user settings. 
     
     
         9 . The combination appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the control module is coupled with at least one illumination device that comprises one or more light sources and is arranged in an area of the recess. 
     
     
         10 . The combination appliance according to  claim 9 , wherein the control module is adapted to control a light parameter of each light source of the illumination device, said light parameter being on/off switching, light intensity and/or light color, as a function of time. 
     
     
         11 . The combination appliance according to  claim 10 , wherein the operation parameter of the extraction device is indicated at the illumination device by changing said light parameter over time. 
     
     
         12 . The combination appliance according to  claim 10 , wherein the operation parameter of the cooking hob indicates changes of said light parameter over the time at the illumination device. 
     
     
         13 . The combination appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the interface unit is integrated in the extraction control or in the hob control. 
     
     
         14 . The combination appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one component of the extraction device comprises an anti-bacterial material. 
     
     
         15 . An air filter comprising the combination appliance according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         16 . A combination appliance comprising:
 a cooking hob having a support surface and an opening in the support surface,   a fan arranged below the support surface and configured to suck air from a space above the support surface through the opening therein,   first and second linear arrays of LEDs arranged concentrically adjacent to a perimeter of said opening in the support surface, and   a control module in operative communication with each of the cooking hob, the extraction device and the first and second arrays of LEDs;   said control module being configured to
 operate said first and second arrays of LEDs sequentially to provide an indication that said fan is operating to draw suction through the adjacent opening via an animation that simulates drawing light emitted sequentially by the respective arrays into said opening determine a fan-operating parameter based on a hob-operating parameter. 
   
     
     
         17 . The combination appliance according to  claim 16 , said control module being further configured to operate said fan to achieve a selected level of suction through said opening based on or proportional with a value of an operating parameter of said hob. 
     
     
         18 . The combination appliance according to  claim 16 , said control module being further configured to adjust first and second lighting parameters associated with the first and second arrays of LEDs, respectively, in order to provide to a user an indication of a value of: an operating parameter of said cooking hob, an operating parameter of said fan, or both;
 said operating parameter of said cooking hob being selected from among:
 activation of a heating zone thereof, 
 a power level of said heating zone, 
 a temperature thereof, and 
 a presence of a cookware on the support surface; 
   said operating parameter of said fan being selected from among:
 a power level of said fan, 
 a rotational speed of said fan; and 
   each of said first and second lighting parameters being selected from among:
 intensity, and 
 color. 
   
     
     
         19 . The combination appliance according to  claim 16 , wherein only selected segments of the respective first and second arrays of LEDs are operated, the selected segments being adjacent to one another and also disposed adjacent to a selected heating zone of the cooking hob, thereby presenting to a user an indication that the selected heating zone is operative.