# US 7,612,315 B2 · System for controlling humidity > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,612,315 B2 - Document ID: US7612315B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/392,527 - Filed: 2006-03-30 - Published: 2006-12-28 - Granted: 2009-11-03 - Earliest claimed: 2005-06-22 - Assignees: Angelo Po Grandi Cucine-Societa' Per Azioni - Inventors: Franco Corradini - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7612315B2 ## CPC - F24C 15/327: {with air moisturising} - F24C: DOMESTIC STOVES OR RANGES (exclusively for solid fuels F24B); DETAILS OF DOMESTIC STOVES OR RANGES, OF GENERAL APPLICATION ## Abstract An apparatus for cooking foods comprises a cooking chamber provided with humidity-detecting device arranged in such a way as to detect the humidity in said cooking chamber, wherein said humidity-detecting device comprises a capacitive sensor; a system for controlling the humidity in a chamber for cooking foods comprises a humidity detecting device provided with a capacitive sensor. ## Claims ### Claim 1 Apparatus for cooking foods, said apparatus having operative temperatures higher that 100° C. and comprising a cooking chamber provided with a humidity-detecting device arranged in such a way as to detect the humidity in said cooking chamber, said humidity-detecting device comprising a capacitive sensor and a comparator circuit arrangement electrically connected to said capacitive sensor to form an oscillating circuit, said capacitive sensor comprising a pair of armatures facing each other and placed at a defined distance that is adjustable. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said oscillating circuit is arranged for converting a capacity variation of said capacitive sensor into an electric frequency variation. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said oscillating circuit is connected to a frequency-measuring device such as to measure said frequency variation and to provide a value of said frequency variation. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said oscillating circuit is connected to a timing device such as to measure the period of the output signal from the oscillating circuit and to provide a variation value of said period. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) Apparatus according to claim 3, and further comprising a processing unit such as to process said value to associate it with a humidity value. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each armature of said pair of armatures is of steel. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each armature of said pair of armatures is flat and has a plan shape chosen from a group of geometrical figures comprising: a circle, a regular polygon, an irregular polygon, a rectangle, a square. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said pair of armatures comprises a pair of concentric cylindrical radially spaced armatures that are radially spaced. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) Apparatus according to claim 1, and further comprising a humidity generator arrangement arranged to increase the humidity in said cooking chamber. ### Claim 10 (depends on 5) Apparatus according to claim 5, and further comprising a humidity generator arrangement arranged to increase the humidity in said cooking chamber. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said humidity generator arrangement is controlled by said processing unit. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) Apparatus according to claim 1, and further comprising a circulating arrangement arranged for introducing and/or extracting a primary operating fluid intended to cook said foods in and/or from said cooking chamber. ### Claim 13 (depends on 5) Apparatus according to claim 5, and further comprising a circulating arrangement arranged for introducing and/or extracting a primary operating fluid intended to cook said foods in and/or from said cooking chamber. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said circulating arrangement is provided with a flow regulating device arranged to regulate the introduction and/or the extraction of said primary operating fluid, said flow regulating device being controlled by said processing unit. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said capacitive sensor is arranged in a zone intended to be traversed by a current of said primary operating fluid, said current being indicative of a further current of said primary operating fluid near said foods. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein plates of said capacitive sensor are arranged substantially parallel to a direction identified by said current. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said capacitive sensor is housed in said zone, said zone being provided inside said chamber. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said zone is provided in a further chamber adjacent to said cooking chamber. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said zone is obtained in a conduit outside said cooking chamber that connects two zones of said cooking chamber. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein in said zone screen elements are further provided arranged to protect said capacitive sensor. ### Claim 21 (depends on 12) Apparatus according to claim 12, and further comprising a flow promoting device arranged to promote a flow of said primary operating fluid from said circulating arrangement to said cooking chamber. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein near said capacitive sensor a temperature sensor is provided to detect the temperature in said cooking chamber. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) Apparatus according to claim 1, and further comprising a plurality of capacitive sensors located in distinct zones of said cooking apparatus. ### Claim 24 (depends on 1) Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operative temperature is about 300° C. ### Claim 25 System for controlling the humidity in a chamber for cooking foods comprising a humidity detecting device, said humidity detecting device comprising a capacitive sensor and an oscillating circuit arrangement arranged to convert a capacity variation of said capacitive sensor into an electric frequency variation, said capacitive sensor comprising a pair of armatures facing each others and placed at a defined distance that is adjustable. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) System according to claim 25, wherein said oscillating circuit arrangement is connected to a frequency-measuring device such as to measure said frequency variation and provide a value of said frequency variation. ### Claim 27 (depends on 25) System according to claim 25, wherein said oscillating circuit arrangement is connected to a timing device such as to measure the period of the signal leaving said oscillating circuit arrangement and to provide a variation value of this period. ### Claim 28 (depends on 26) System according to claim 26, and further comprising a processing unit suitable for processing said value to associate it with a humidity value. ### Claim 29 (depends on 25) System according to claim 25, wherein each armature of said pair of armatures is of steel. ### Claim 30 (depends on 25) System according to claim 25, wherein each armature of said pair of armatures is flat and has a plan shape chosen from a group of geometrical figures comprising: a circle, a regular polygon, an irregular polygon, a rectangle, a square. ### Claim 31 (depends on 25) System according to claim 25, wherein said capacitive sensor comprises a pair of concentric cylindrical armatures that are radially spaced. ### Claim 32 (depends on 25) System according to claim 25, comprising circulating arrangements arranged for introducing and/or extracting primary operating fluid in and/or from said chamber, and a flow promoting device controlled by a processing unit. ### Claim 33 (depends on 25) System according to claim 25, comprising circulating arrangements arranged for introducing and/or extracting primary operating fluid in and/or from the cooking chamber, and a flow regulating device controlled by a processing unit.