Flavoring device

Abstract

A method of controlling the operation of a flavoring device (200; 400; 1000) associated with a cooking chamber (315; 515) of a cooking oven (100; 100′) for treating food stored therein is proposed. The flavoring device (200; 400; 1000) comprises at least one casing (205; 1003; 1006), at least one air path (600; 700; 1061; 1064) traversing said casing (205; 1003; 1006) and fluidly connecting at least one air inlet opening (210; 1012b; 1036) of said casing (205; 1003; 1006) to at least one air outlet opening (270b, 270c; 1030b; 1045b) of said casing (205; 1003; 1006). The method comprises: a) providing one between a flavoring substance (610; 1063) and a smoking substance (710; 1066) in said at least one air path (600; 700; 1061; 1064); b) selecting (920) one between a flavoring process and a smoking process, and c) controlling (930-950, 960-970) a heating in said casing (205; 1003; 1006) according to the selected one between said flavoring process and said smoking process.

1 . A removable flavoring device configured to be inserted into a cooking chamber, the removable flavoring device comprising:
 a casing including an inner volume, an air inlet opening and a first air outlet opening,   a flavoring substance rack disposed in said inner volume and defining a flavoring air path therein, said flavoring substance rack configured to receive a flavoring substance arranged at least partially in said flavoring air path, and   a smoking substance rack disposed in said inner volume and defining a smoking air path therein, said smoking substance rack configured to receive a smoking substance arranged at least partially in said smoking air path,   wherein the removable flavoring device is configured to be inserted into the cooking chamber and thereby to receive a cooking-chamber-resident heating element through a first opening of the casing and a cooking-chamber-resident temperature sensor through a second opening of the casing, wherein upon insertion into the casing the cooking-chamber resident heating element is disposed downstream of the air inlet opening and upstream of each of the smoking substance rack and the flavoring substance rack and the cooking-chamber resident temperature sensor is disposed downstream of the air inlet opening.   
     
     
         2 . The removable flavoring device according to  claim 1 , wherein upon receipt within the casing the temperature sensor is disposed upstream of the flavoring substance rack. 
     
     
         3 . The removable flavoring device according to  claim 1 , said casing further comprising a second air outlet opening, the smoking air path fluidly communicating with the air inlet opening and the first air outlet opening and the flavoring air path fluidly communicating with the air inlet opening and the second air outlet opening. 
     
     
         4 . The removable flavoring device according to  claim 3 , wherein the casing includes a lid, and the first air outlet opening and the second air outlet opening are formed in the lid. 
     
     
         5 . The removable flavoring device according to  claim 3 , wherein the first air outlet opening is disposed above the smoking substance rack and the second air outlet opening is disposed above the flavoring substance rack. 
     
     
         6 . The removable flavoring device according to  claim 3 , wherein the casing includes a shutter for selectively closing at least one of the first air outlet opening and the second air outlet opening. 
     
     
         7 . The removable flavoring device according to  claim 1 , wherein the flavoring substance rack includes a bottom wall having an aperture therein, the bottom wall of the flavoring substance rack disposed above the temperature sensor when the temperature sensor is received within the casing. 
     
     
         8 . The removable flavoring device according to  claim 1 , wherein the smoking substance rack includes a bottom wall having an aperture therein, the bottom wall of the smoking substance rack disposed above the heating element when the heating element is received within the casing. 
     
     
         9 . The removable flavoring device according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the smoking substance rack and the flavoring substance rack is removeable from the casing. 
     
     
         10 . A cooking oven comprising a cooking chamber for treating food, a heating element and a temperature sensor extending within the cooking chamber, and a removable flavoring device configured to be inserted into the cooking chamber, the removable flavoring device comprising:
 a casing including an inner volume, an air inlet opening and a first air outlet opening,   a flavoring substance rack disposed in said inner volume and defining a flavoring air path therein, said flavoring substance rack configured to receive a flavoring substance arranged at least partially in said flavoring air path, and   a smoking substance rack disposed in said inner volume and defining a smoking air path therein, said smoking substance rack configured to receive a smoking substance arranged at least partially in said smoking air path,   wherein upon insertion of the removable flavoring device in said cooking chamber, the heating element and the temperature sensor are thereby received within said casing such that the heating element is disposed therein downstream of the air inlet opening and upstream of both the smoking substance rack and the flavoring substance rack and the temperature sensor is disposed therein downstream of the air inlet opening.   
     
     
         11 . The cooking oven according to  claim 10 , wherein upon receipt within the casing the temperature sensor is disposed upstream of the flavoring substance rack. 
     
     
         12 . The cooking oven according to  claim 10 , said casing further comprising a second air outlet opening, the smoking air path fluidly communicating with the air inlet opening and the first air outlet opening and the flavoring air path fluidly communicating with the air inlet opening and the second air outlet opening. 
     
     
         13 . The cooking oven according to  claim 12 , wherein the casing includes a lid and the first air outlet opening and the second air outlet opening are formed in the lid. 
     
     
         14 . The cooking oven according to  claim 12 , wherein the casing includes a shutter for selectively closing at least one of the first air outlet opening and the second air outlet opening. 
     
     
         15 . The cooking oven according to  claim 10 , wherein the flavoring substance rack includes a bottom wall having an aperture therein, the bottom wall of the flavoring substance rack disposed above the temperature sensor when the temperature sensor is received within the casing. 
     
     
         16 . The cooking oven according to  claim 10 , wherein the smoking substance rack includes a bottom wall having an aperture therein, the bottom wall of the smoking substance rack disposed above the heating element when the heating element is received within the casing. 
     
     
         17 . The cooking oven according to  claim 10 , wherein the heating element extends through a first opening of the casing of the flavoring device and the temperature sensor extends through a second opening of the casing of the flavoring device when the removable flavoring device receives the heating element and the temperature sensor. 
     
     
         18 . The cooking oven according to  claim 10 , wherein the heating element and the temperature sensor are disposed in a lower portion of the cooking chamber and the removable flavoring device rests on a bottom wall of the cooking chamber when the removable flavoring device receives the heating element and the temperature sensor. 
     
     
         19 . The cooking oven according to  claim 10 , wherein the heating element and the temperature sensor are disposed on a lower portion of the cooking chamber and the removable flavoring device rests on a rack disposed in the cooking chamber when the removable flavoring device receives the heating element and the temperature sensor. 
     
     
         20 . The cooking oven according to  claim 10 , wherein at least one of the smoking substance rack and the flavoring substance rack is removeable from the casing.