The present invention relates to an oven door opening and closing device and to an oven including such a device.
Oven opening and closing devices often comprise one or more hinges, which are fixed to the door as well as to the housing of the oven, such that a user can open and close the oven door by means of a pivoting movement. Moreover, oven opening and closing devices usually contain at least one closing force generating means for generating a predetermined closing force. This closing force needs to be selected in such a manner, that a good sealing performance between the oven door and the housing of the oven is achieved. However, high closing forces lead to undesirable loud impact noises when closing the oven door. Therefore, it was proposed to provide buffers at the front frame of the oven housing in order to absorb at least part of the impact force. However, such buffers cannot completely remove the impact noises. Moreover, the return force provided by a buffer has adverse effects on the closing force and hence on the sealing function realized by the closing force generating means. Finally, the buffers are arranged at a visible location, which might violate the appearance of the oven.
Staring from this prior art technology, it is an object of the present invention to provide an oven opening and closing device, which has an alternative configuration in order to eliminate the foregoing drawbacks. Moreover, it is an object of the present invention to provide an oven comprising such an oven door opening and closing device.
The above-mentioned objects are solved by providing an oven door opening and closing device according to claim 1 and an oven according to claim 9. The dependent claims refer to individual embodiments of the present invention.
The oven door opening and closing device according to the present invention comprises one or more hinges, which are connectable to an oven door and to an oven housing. Such hinges realize a predetermined pivoting opening and closing movement of the oven door relative to the oven housing between an open and a closed position, whereby the angle between the open and the closed position is preferably about 90 degree. Moreover, the device comprises at least one closing force generating means for generating a predetermined closing force, which presses the oven door against the oven housing in the closed position of the oven door in order to achieve a desired sealing effect. Furthermore, kinematic means are provided, which are coupled to the hinge and to a moveable element in such a manner, that the predetermined pivoting opening and closing movement of the hinge is converted into a predetermined reciprocating opening and closing movement of the moveable element. The kinematic means are, e.g. of mechanical nature and may comprise a combination of gear and rack, connecting rods, etc. Moreover, the oven door opening and closing device according to the present invention contains at least one damping system. The damping system comprises a damper, e.g. a mechanic, pneumatic or hydraulic damper, for generating a damping force. This damping force counteracts the closing movement of the movable element within a predetermined section or range, which corresponds to a predetermined angle section of the pivoting closing movement of the hinge. Accordingly, the pivoting movement of the oven door is slowed down during its closing movement, preferably about the last 30 degree of the closing movement, in order to eliminate the impact noise.
Moreover, the kinematic means, the moveable element and the damping system can be arranged in such a manner that they are not visible from outside. Accordingly, the appearance of the oven is not deteriorated by theses components.
Advantageously, one or more hinge housings are provided, which are fixable to the oven housing. Each hinge housing can accommodate a hinge, a kinematic mechanism, a moveable element as well as a damping system. Accordingly, the installation and handling of the oven door opening and closing device according to the present invention is improved. Moreover, the movable element is preferably guided within the hinge housing in order to insure an accurate reciprocating movement.
According to one aspect of the present invention the damping system comprises a conversion mechanism, which preferably comprises a threaded spindle and a spindle nut. The conversion mechanism partially transforms the reciprocating movement of the moveable element into a rotational movement of a rotary element, whereby a rotary damper, which is preferably arranged at the threaded spindle or at the spindle nut, is used for damping said rotational movement of the rotary element. Accordingly, the speed of the closing movement within the predetermined angle section of the oven door can be adjusted by means of changing the incline of the threads of the spindle and the spindle nut and/or the damping force of the rotary damper. Moreover, it is possible to freely define, adjust and change the predetermined angle section.
Preferably, the rotary damper comprises an inner part and an outer part and a or the threaded spindle interacts with the inner part or the outer part of the rotary damper and/or the rotary damper comprises a or the spindle nut and/or a or the threaded spindle.
Preferably, the rotary damper comprises
Preferably, the damping system comprises returning means for returning the component, which is to be damped by means of the damper, e.g. the threaded spindle, in a predetermined position after damping is completed.
Moreover, the present invention provides an oven comprising an oven door opening and closing device having the above-mentioned construction.
The detailed configuration, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the course of the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Below, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the figures. In these figures, like parts or portions are denoted by like reference numerals.
As main components the oven door opening and closing device 10 comprises a hinge 14, a hinge housing 16, a closing force generating means 17, which forms a part of kinematic means 18, a movable element 20, a conversion mechanism 22, a rotary element 24 and a damping system 26.
The hinge 14 is fixed to the oven door 12 and to the hinge housing 16 in such a manner that the oven door 12 can perform a predetermined pivoting opening and closing movement around the rotary axis 13 and relative to the oven housing between an open position shown in
The hinge housing 16 is a long element, which is fixed to the oven housing. The hinge housing 16 may be produced by bending a long sheet-metal. However, it is also possible to use adequate profiles or the like.
The closing force generating means 17 is provided in form of a spring and biases the oven door 12 towards the oven housing, when the oven door 12 is arranged in its closed position.
The kinematic means 18 are inserted in the hinge housing 16 and coupled to the hinge 14 and to the moveable element 20 in such a manner, that the predetermined pivoting opening and closing movement of the hinge 14 is converted into a predetermined reciprocating opening and closing movement of the moveable element 20, which is guided within the hinge housing 16. The kinematic means 18 are not illustrated in detail in the figures. They are, e.g. of mechanical nature and may comprise a combination of gear and rack, connecting rods, etc., in order to convert the pivotal movement of the hinge 14 into a reciprocating linear movement. The conversion mechanism 22 is formed in such a manner that it partially transforms the reciprocating movement of the moveable element 20 into a rotational movement of a rotary element 24, which has the form of a threaded spindle. The conversion mechanism 22 comprises a spindle nut 28, in which one free end of the rotary element 24 is inserted, a slide bush 30, in which the other free end of the rotary element 24 is firmly held and which slidingly bears against the hinge housing 16, and a spring 32, which biases the slide bush 30 together with the rotary element 24 in the direction away from the spindle nut 28 (to the left in
The damping system 26 comprises a rotary damper 34, which is fixed to the end of the spindle nut 28 opposed to the rotary element 24 and serves for damping the rotational movement of the rotary element 24.
The rotary damper comprises an inner part 34a which extends along its axis circumferentially surrounded by an outer part 34b.
The threaded spindle 24 interacts with the inner part 34a of the rotary damper 34. However, as an alternative, the threaded spindle can also interact with the outer part of the rotary damper. Furthermore, also as an alternative, the rotary damper can comprise the spindle nut and/or the threaded spindle.
For closing the oven door 12—starting from its opened position shown in FIG. 1—the oven door 12 is rotated around the rotary axis 13 by a user. This pivoting movement of the oven door 12 or of the hinge 14 is converted by the help of the kinematic means 18 into a linear movement, which is transferred to the movable element 20, such that the movable element 20—starting from its position shown in FIG. 1—is moved to the right.
Between the opened position of the oven door 12 shown in
When the oven door 12 is opened again starting from the closed position illustrated in
The speed or damping of the closing movement within the angle section β of the oven door 12 can be adjusted by means of changing the incline of the steep threads of the rotary element 24 and of the spindle nut 28 and/or the damping force of the rotary damper 34. Moreover, it is possible to freely define, adjust and change the angle section β.
The spring 38, which is arranged at the free end of the hinge housing 16, serves for compensating the weight of the oven door 12 while opening it. The arrangement of such springs is known in prior art technology. Therefore, the arrangement of the spring 38 is not described in detail herein.
When the oven door 12 is transferred form its opened position to its closed position shown in
When the oven door 12 is opened again, a restoring spring 54 pushes the rotary damper 52 back to its initial position.
The oven door opening and closing device 90 comprises a rotary damper 95 with a spindle 952 as a rotary element and furthermore comprises a threaded nut 951, a cylindrical body 956, a damper stop element 953, a guiding means 954 as well as a ring shaped element 955 and a spring 957.
The guiding means 954 is also substantially ring-shaped and embraces the spindle 952 along its central part, is fixed to the hinge housing 16 and serves as one fixing element for the spring 957. The door sided end of the spring 957 is fixed to the spindle 952.
The threaded nut 951 embraces the spindle around its part directed away from the door and is attached to the door sided end of the cylindrical body 956, wherein the threaded nut 951 and the cylindrical body 956 form a single piece. At the other end of the cylindrical body 956, the damper stop element 953 is rotatably fixed.
Again, between the opened position of the oven door 12 shown in
As a contact element between the upstanding portion of the movable element 96 and the spindle 952, the ring shaped element 955 is arranged around the spindle 952 near the door-sided end of the spindle. The moveable element 96 is pushed against the ring shaped element 955 and against the force of the spring 957 and the spindle is rotated, when the oven door 12 is moved further towards its closed position.
The rotary movement of the spindle 952 is damped by means of the threaded nut 951 which is embracing, as an interacting connection, the spindle 952 in such a way that the pivoting movement of the oven door 12 is slowed down within the pivoting angle β shown in
Also in this manner, the impact noise can be eliminated, when the oven door 12 comes into contact with the oven housing in the closed position of the oven door 12 as shown in
Furthermore, the damper stop element 953 implements a free run function, which means that the damping function is working in one direction only.
It should be noted, that all of the above-described embodiments provide oven door opening and closing devices, which are not visible, when the oven is regarded from outside. Accordingly, the appearance of the oven is not adversely effected by such oven door opening and closing devices. Moreover, all of the above-mentioned oven door opening and closing devices are adjustable with respect to the damping force for slowing down the closing movement of the oven door. Furthermore, the above-described first, second, third and fourth embodiments of oven door opening and closing devices according to the present invention are also adjustable with respect to the pivoting angle range (angle β in
Although exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible with respect to the exemplary embodiments, without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention, which is defined by the claims.
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09002011 | Feb 2009 | EP | regional |
09011103 | Aug 2009 | EP | regional |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/EP2010/000299 | 1/20/2010 | WO | 00 | 12/12/2011 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2010/091770 | 8/19/2010 | WO | A |
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