Cooking appliance

Abstract

A cooking appliance, in particular, a cooking appliance which is mounted in an elevated manner, which comprises at least one muffle which defines the cooking space, whereby the muffle opening thereof is surrounded by a muffle frame, a door which is used to close said muffle opening and a drive device which is used to actuate the door and which is controlled by a control device. The drive device can be controlled by the control device such that the door can be actuated independently from the charge.

1 - 16 . (canceled) 
   
   
       17 . A cooking appliance comprising:
 a muffle defining a cooking compartment having a muffle access opening;   a door configured for driven traveling movement in and out of a covering relation with the muffle access opening;   a drive device operatively associated with the door for driving the door in and out of a covering relation with the muffle access opening; and   a control circuit operatively associated with the drive device for controlling door movement with the door movement being uninfluenced by a load bearing on the door.   
   
   
       18 . The cooking appliance according to  claim 17  wherein the control circuit is configured for causing the drive device to drive the door movement at a predetermined speed. 
   
   
       19 . The cooking appliance according to  claim 17  wherein the control circuit is operatively connected to a speed measuring device for determining speed of door movement. 
   
   
       20 . The cooking appliance according to  claim 19  wherein the speed measuring device includes at least one sensor disposed along a motor shaft of the drive device. 
   
   
       21 . The cooking appliance according to  claim 19  wherein the speed measuring device includes at least one Hall sensor disposed along a motor shaft of the drive device. 
   
   
       22 . The cooking appliance according to  claim 19  and further comprising operator-accessible means for adjusting speed of door movement. 
   
   
       23 . The cooking appliance according to  claim 22  wherein the speed of door movement can be set for at least two speed levels. 
   
   
       24 . The cooking appliance according to  claim 23  wherein the speed of door movement can be set for a first speed level in the range of about 40 mm/s to about 55 mm/s and a second speed level in the range of about 60 mm/s to about 80 mm/s. 
   
   
       25 . The cooking appliance according to  claim 24  wherein the speed of door movement can be set for the first speed level at about 50 mm/s. 
   
   
       26 . The cooking appliance according to  claim 24  wherein the speed of door movement can be set for the speed level in the range of about 65 mm/s to about 75 mm/s. 
   
   
       27 . The cooking appliance according to  claim 26  wherein the speed of door movement can be set for the second speed level at about 65 mm/s. 
   
   
       28 . The cooking appliance according to  claim 23 , wherein a preset speed of door movement corresponds to the slowest of the at least two speed levels. 
   
   
       29 . The cooking appliance according to  claim 22  and further comprising a nonvolatile memory device for storing an operator-set door movement speed. 
   
   
       30 . The cooking appliance according to  claim 22  wherein the means for adjusting speed of door movement includes means for adjusting speed of door movement in a linear manner. 
   
   
       31 . The cooking appliance according to claim one of  claims 19  wherein obstructions to door movement are detected using the speed measuring device. 
   
   
       32 . The cooking appliance according to  claim 31  wherein the speed measuring device includes an anti-trap facility operable only when a predetermined minimum speed of door movement has been achieved. 
   
   
       33 . The cooking appliance according to claim one  19  wherein the control circuit is operable to control the speed of door movement in one of a speed-dependent travel mode and a load-dependent travel mode. 
   
   
       34 . The cooking appliance according to  claim 17  wherein said cooking appliance is configured for mounting above countertop level with a plurality of sides and a downwardly directed muffle opening and the door is configured for covering the downwardly directed muffle opening. 
   
   
       35 . A method for operating a cooking appliance comprising the steps of:
 providing the cooking appliance with a vertically traveling platform driven by a drive device controlled by a control circuit; and   controlling the drive device with the control device wherein the platform can travel substantially independently of the load.