Patent Application
20200352382
The invention relates to a steam cooking appliance comprising an evaporator unit using which water can be evaporated and the steam produced in the evaporator unit can be supplied into the cooking chamber of the steam cooking appliance, and a water supply unit which has a removable water tank comprising a valve unit for coupling to the evaporator unit.
Ovens are known which also offer the possibility of preparing food to be cooked by generating steam in the cooking chamber. During preparation, bursts of steam are generated which are conducted into the cooking chamber or are first generated therein. For this purpose, a container for storing water is required. In known appliances, this can be arranged in the region of the control panel of the oven and can be removed therefrom. In conventional embodiments, removal can be relatively complicated and cumbersome. Furthermore, the filling of the water tank is often difficult. Moreover, the known water supply units can have a disadvantage with regard to an unfavorable thermal balance.
EP 2 463 585 A1, for example, discloses a water tank for a steam cooking appliance, having a container for receiving the water, wherein a front cover is arranged on the container as a panel which is arranged so as to be moveable relative to the container.
The description of the prior art is provided to facilitate understanding of the background of the present invention, and may include items outside the prior art known to the average person skilled in the art.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a steam cooking appliance which is improved compared with the prior art and that eliminates the aforementioned disadvantages while maintaining the advantages achieved from the prior art.
The solution of the set object is achieved by a steam cooking appliance with the features of claim 1. According to the invention, this can be achieved in a steam cooking appliance according to the preamble of claim 1 in that the valve unit has two valves which are formed separately from one another.
Provision can be made for a positioning aid or at least one guide means to be provided in a housing accommodating the water tank, as a result of which the water tank can be brought into the correct installed position for fluidic coupling with the valve. By means of the positioning aid and/or the guide means, which has, for example, a groove formed on an inner wall of the housing and/or a projection and/or a protrusion, a contour is thus created within the housing so that, irrespective of the position when the water tank is introduced into the housing, a proper installed position of the same can be ensured at any time. It goes without saying that the positioning aid or the guide means can be formed by at least one other element, as a result of which it is likewise possible to ensure a type of “anti-rotation protection of the water tank” in the sense of the manner described above.
A steam cooking appliance is to be understood as meaning any household appliance which cooks food to be cooked introduced into a cooking chamber by means of steam and/or improves the result of a food to be cooked. It goes without saying that the steam cooking appliance can be both a cooking appliance, for example an oven, with a steam function in which, in addition to the steam produced, there are also further heat sources in the form of, for example, heating elements, and also a steam cooking appliance which uses only steam for heating/cooking food to be cooked.
In addition to the above-mentioned water tank, the water supply unit can also have further components which may be required for supplying an evaporator unit with water. These include, for example, a water supply unit which connects the water tank to the evaporator unit, and all types of lines and/or line systems as well as connecting and/or connection elements. The water supply unit has means for coupling to the water tank at a first end section and means for coupling to the evaporator unit at a second end section. In particular, the water supply unit is designed in such a way that it enables a water circuit according to the bird bath principle. This bird bath principle is well known to the person skilled in the art, and therefore a detailed description thereof can be omitted.
During operation, the water stored in the water tank can be supplied to an evaporator unit arranged in the steam cooking appliance. Steam can be generated by means of the evaporator and made available in the cooking chamber of the steam cooking appliance. The function of an evaporator unit is well known to the person skilled in the art, and therefore a detailed description thereof can be omitted.
The valve unit formed by two valves is arranged on a rear side of the water tank in the installed position. An installed position of the water tank is to be understood to mean the position in which the water tank is accommodated in the steam cooking appliance, for example in a holder provided for this purpose, and in particular is ready for operation. The valve unit may be provided in/at an outlet opening formed on the water tank or a main body of the water tank.
By means of two valves formed separately from one another, it is possible for air and water to be carried in separate lines in order to operate according to the principle of the bird bath. This in turn enables a reduction in the diameters of the individual pipelines of the water supply unit which, compared to a solution with only one valve, has thermal advantages on account of lower heat losses arising as a result of feedback of the heat from the evaporator in the direction of the water tank. This means that, due to the reduced diameters of the individual valves or of the pipelines, the heat conduction from the evaporator unit arranged within a cooking chamber of the steam cooking appliance can be reduced in the direction of the water tank. In addition, smaller openings can be provided for the pipelines in adjacent components. As a result, the evaporator unit has less influence on the entire steam cooking appliance with regard to the temperature balance.
Advantageous embodiments and developments which can be used individually or in combination with one another are the subject matter of the dependent claims.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the valves are essentially arranged one above the other in an installed position of the water tank. As a result, a water circuit required for the bird bath principle can be implemented using simple means.
Preferably, in one operating state of the steam cooking appliance, one of the valves is designed for guiding water and the other of the valves for guiding air, wherein the valve designed for guiding air can be arranged above the valve designed for guiding water in the installed position. This makes it possible to ensure that the air can be guided separately from the water. It is conceivable that the two valves are arranged on the rear side of the water tank at a maximum distance from one another and/or in a plane essentially perpendicular to a main direction of extension of the water tank.
The two valves may be structurally identical. This means that the two valves may for example have the same flow cross-section. The valves are formed in a non-limiting manner in the form of an exhaust valve. The exhaust valve designed to guide water allows the water stored in the water tank to run off in the operating state of the steam cooking appliance in the direction of a container of the evaporator unit as soon as the valve unit is coupled or connected to a connection element or docking connection of a water supply unit. Due to the bird bath principle, the container of the evaporator unit fills until the water in the container has reached a certain level. During this filling process, the air displaced by the water is fed from the container of the evaporator unit back into the water tank. This is therefore a closed circuit.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, provision is made for the water supply unit to have a receiving unit for receiving the water tank, wherein the receiving unit is attached in particular to a panel support of the steam cooking appliance and has an essentially elongated, preferably cylindrical, more preferably circular-cylindrical design. The receiving unit preferably has a lower and an upper housing shell and is preferably made from a plastic. It is particularly advantageous if the receiving unit has an interface/connection which corresponds to the interface/connection of a toggle pot which is likewise arranged on the panel support. As a result, advantages can be achieved both in production and assembly as different openings/punch-throughs do not have to be produced in the panel support for the receiving unit. A microswitch by means of which it can be detected whether the water tank is completely coupled, can preferably be arranged, in particular on an outer side of the receiving unit. For example, in the event of a faulty, i.e. incomplete coupling of the water tank by the microswitch to a control of the steam cooking appliance, a signal could be output via the faulty coupling so that in turn a corresponding message could be output to a user.
It is understood by the average person skilled in the art that in the case of a receiving unit formed by an upper and lower housing shell, both housing shells can each have the shape of a corresponding semi-cylinder, for example. Moreover, it goes without saying that the elongated, preferably cylindrical or circular-cylindrical construction does not have to extend over the entire length of the receiving unit, but rather only a certain or predetermined section has this shape. In particular, the length of this section corresponds to 50%, preferably 60% and more preferably more than 70% of the total length in the direction of extension of the receiving unit. In particular, the length of the shape mentioned above essentially corresponds to the length of the water tank introduced in the operating state.
According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the receiving unit comprises an adapter part having two first connection means for fluidically coupling to the water tank in an operating position on the one hand and having two second connection means for fluidically coupling to the evaporator unit on the other hand. In terms of fluidic coupling, it is to be understood that, after coupling has taken place, for example, the water stored in the water tank can flow in the direction of the second connection and thus further in the direction of the evaporator unit and/or the air present in the line system can flow back into the water tank due to the bird bath principle and thus a closed circuit. This enables simple and secure coupling between the water tank and the evaporator unit as well as of the water tank in the receiving unit.
According to a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the adapter part has at least one latching hook for latching the water tank to the adapter part, wherein the latching hook is latched by means of a latching section or latching projection formed on the main body of the water tank in the completely inserted state of the water tank. The latching hook can preferably be provided on a circumferential section of the adapter part. As a result, the adapter part thus essentially has two functions, namely on the one hand, enabling fluidic coupling between the water tank and the evaporator unit and on the other hand, the secure latching of the water tank in its operating position.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the adapter part comprises two connecting elements which are formed separately from one another, each of which forms a first connection means and a second connection means. The connecting elements can be formed, for example, by sealing pins or the like. Separate air and water guidance can be made possible with simple means by means of the separately formed connecting elements. Moreover, costs can be saved due to the one-piece nature of the connecting elements. Preferably, both connecting elements can be structurally identical and thus have the same flow cross-sections.
Preferably, the first connection means are each formed by a sealing connection piece for fluidic coupling to the valves, wherein a connecting element can have the sealing connection piece. As a result, for example, a secure coupling to the valves arranged in the water tank can be achieved so that water can be prevented from escaping via the connecting elements. It is further preferred if the sealing connection piece is essentially supported on the adapter part in an actuating direction of the water tank, in particular spring-loaded. As a result, an improved sealing effect can be realized again. In the event that the adapter part has two connecting elements formed separately from one another by means of which a first connection means and a second connection means are respectively formed, the connecting element has the sealing connection piece or the sealing connection piece is formed by at least one section of the closure element.
According to a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, each sealing connection piece has a seal, preferably a rubber seal formed as an O-ring. As a result, a discharge of liquid in the form of water can be securely prevented. The O-rings can be provided, for example, between a circumferential flange section, which is formed on an end section of the connecting element, and a circumferential edge, which is formed on a main body of the connecting element, so that the respective 0-ring is held securely.
The adapter part is preferably mounted such that it can be displaced essentially in an actuating direction of the water tank in a bearing section formed in the receiving unit, as a result of which, for example, a mechanism for inserting and removing the water tank can be realized. The insertion and removal can be provided both manually and in the form of an electric motor. In the case of the electric motor, for example, a button could then be provided in the control panel in order to start the insertion and/or removal of the water tank. The actuating direction of the water tank corresponds to the direction in which the water tank can be inserted into and removed from the receiving unit.
It is particularly preferred if the adapter part has a slotted guide and spring force is applied essentially in the actuating direction by a spring, wherein a sliding block, which is guided in particular in a retaining clip, engages in the slotted guide. As a result, a unit/arrangement for insertion and/or removal of the water tank can be realized in a simple manner. In particular, a so-called cardioid is provided as a slotted guide. The provision of a spring/compression spring which acts on the adapter part with a spring force has the advantage that the unit/arrangement and thus the water tank can be brought into firmly defined positions and no intermediate positions can arise. According to a development, the spring can be supported on a securing spring or a securing bracket which is arranged on the receiving unit, preferably on the lower housing shell. However, it can also be provided that the spring/compression spring is supported at least in sections on an edge formed on the circumferential side of the receiving unit. The sliding block can preferably be guided in a longitudinal slot of a retaining clip, which can be arranged on the lower housing shell or upper housing shell. The longitudinal slot runs essentially perpendicular to a main extension direction of the water tank or to the aforementioned actuating direction thereof.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the water tank has a closure element on the front side of the water tank facing a user, which closure element can preferably be fastened to a main body of the water tank by means of a bayonet or screw closure. In the installed position, the water tank has a front side facing a user and a rear side opposite the front side. The closure element can form, at least in sections, the front side or the rear side of the water tank. This is to be understood as meaning that the front surface of the closure element facing a user of the steam cooking appliance forms at least part of the front or rear side. Thus, it would also be conceivable for the front surface of the closure element to have a surface dimension which is smaller than the surface dimension of the cross-sectional area of the water tank, wherein the front surface and the cross-sectional area are essentially parallel to one another. However, it is also conceivable that the front surface has a surface dimension that is greater than that of the cross-sectional area. This could be advantageous in particular if a diameter of the water tank or its cross-sectional area is smaller than the diameter or the cross-sectional area of the closure element to be integrated into the control panel of the steam cooking appliance. A water tank can thus be integrated into the control panel, the closure element of which has, for example, the same optical system and/or size and/or shape as an adjacent operating toggle of the steam cooking appliance.
According to the invention, it is provided that the closure element can form the front side or the rear side of the water tank. If the closure element forms the front side of the water tank at least in sections, then the front surface of the closure element faces the user in the installed position of the water tank. In contrast, if the closure element at least in sections forms the rear side of the water tank, the front surface of the closure element faces away from the user and thus is not visible to the user. Thus, the user standing in front of the steam cooking appliance would only be able to see the bottom or bottom area, whereas the rear side of the water tank formed by the closure element is covered in the appliance. It will be understood by the average person skilled in the art that in the latter case, means/components are provided in the closure element that are configured to connect/couple to the water supply unit. Thus, the difference between the two variants described is only that the attachment of the closure element takes place in reverse.
From a design point of view, it is particularly desirable here that the front side or the rear side of the water tank is essentially flush with the front surface of the control panel. That is, the front or rear side of the water tank is integrated into the control panel in the installed position thereof in such a way that there are no disturbing components which protrude or are set back with respect to a front surface of the control panel in the direction of a user. As a result, a homogeneous appearance can be realized in an advantageous manner. The closure element or the front side of the closure element is handle-free and is in particular flat, so that a good integration into the control panel can be realized. The closure element closes a filling opening of the water tank in such a way that no more water can escape when the water tank is in the installed position. Due to the fact that the closure element at least in sections forms the front side or the rear side of the water tank, a positive appearance of the steam cooking appliance can be realized as the respective side of the water tank can be advantageously integrated into the design of the appliance without having to compromise in terms of user comfort during removal/filling of the water tank. In other words, from the design point of view, almost complete integration of the water supply unit or of the water tank into a panel support or a control panel of the steam cooking appliance is possible.
Preferably, a main body of the water tank has an essentially elongated, preferably cylindrical, more preferably circular-cylindrical design, for which reason the filled water is stored in this (main) part of the water tank. This would have the advantage that an improved optical result and improved handling during the filling of the water tank can be achieved on the one hand in relation to the operating toggle arranged next to the water tank in/on the control panel of the steam cooking appliance. This means that the user standing in front of the steam cooking appliance would be able to get the impression that the inserted water tank, i.e. in the installed position, is optically an operating toggle. It is furthermore preferred that markings concerning the filling level are provided on the essentially transparent main body of the water tank. The main body may be made of plastic in a non-limiting manner. It is understood that the entire water tank can be made of plastic. However, it is also conceivable that the closure element has a different material than that of the main body. The closure element can be attached to a first end section of the main body, for example by one of the above-mentioned closure types, the main body having an embodiment corresponding to the type of closure, for example a thread, part of a bayonet closure or the like on the first end section. On the second end section of the main body opposite the first end section, an outlet opening is provided, in which a valve is attached, which will be described later.
For better sealing, the closure element can have a seal, in particular a rubber seal. An improved sealing effect can thereby be achieved. It can be provided, for example, that the seal has an outer diameter which essentially corresponds to an inner diameter of the closure element. In the closed state of the closure element, the seal essentially rests against an end-face front section of the main body. The seal can be inserted loosely into the closure element or can be firmly connected thereto. In the case of a one-piece/integral design of the closure element and the seal, a loss of the loose seal could be prevented.
Preferably, the rubber seal is designed as an O-ring which, in a closed position of the closure element, is pressed against a sealing edge of the main body by a spring. A further improved sealing effect can thus be achieved. As a spring, any type of spring, such as a coil spring, spiral spring or the like, may be used in the entire disclosure in a non-limiting manner. It is particularly preferred that the O-ring is arranged on a seal support, in particular a pot-shaped seal support, and that the spring is arranged between a closure cover of the closure element and the seal support. This arrangement has the advantage that the seal in the form of the 0-ring is pressed in a spring-loaded manner against the sealing edge formed on the main body, for which reason the sealing effect is further intensified. Moreover, it is provided that the seal support is designed in such a way that it is attached to the closure cover, for example by means of a catch. As a result, a closure element in the form of a compact structural unit can be produced, which has the closure cover, the seal, the seal support and the spring arranged between the seal support and the closure cover. In this connection, a circumferential groove/depression is provided on the seal support on/into which groove/depression the O-ring can be attached. The groove is arranged in particular on an end section facing the main body of the water tank.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the closure element has a cover cap which, in the installed position, forms the front side of the water tank facing a user at least in sections. This makes it possible to achieve a specific adaptation to the existing design of the steam cooking appliance. This relates in particular to the instances in which different panel materials such as, for example, glass, metal or the like, are used. Moreover, by means of a cover cap integrated into the appearance of the steam cooking appliance, it is possible to cover different design lines of a household appliance manufacturer. In this case, it is particularly preferred if the closure element or the closure cover has an interface/connection which corresponds to the interface/connection of the operating toggle. In the case of the attachment of the cover cap, it is likewise provided that the front side of the water tank is flush with the front surface of the control panel.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the water tank can be removed from the steam cooking appliance by means of a push-push unit. However, any other principle suitable for inserting and removing the water tank may also alternatively be used for this purpose as well. For example, it is also possible to provide an unlocking mechanism which is actuated, for example, by an unlocking button mounted on the control panel. In this case, actuation of the button would lead to an at least partial ejection of the water tank. The locking in the receiving unit could then be realized, for example, by inserting and locking the same by the user. When using a push-push unit, there can be three essential states without restriction. First, a retracted state corresponding to an operating state of the water tank in which the water tank is fully docked so that water can be discharged from the water tank in the direction of the evaporator unit. In this state, the front side of the water tank is substantially flush with the front surface of the control panel. A second state may correspond to a depressed state after actuation of the push-push unit. In this case, the front side of the water tank is pressed until the water tank reaches an end position on the basis of the sliding block guided in the slotted guide. In this depressed state, the front is set back with respect to the front surface. The offset to the rear, that is to say, in the direction of insertion of the water tank, can, for example, be approximately 3 mm. A third state may correspond to an extended state of the water tank. The extended state is reached after removal of the force generated by the pressing onto the front side of the water tank until the water tank reaches a further end position on account of the sliding block engaging in the slotted guide. In this extended state, the front side of the water tank projects in the direction of a user with respect to the front surface of the control panel. The corresponding offset to the front can be approximately 18 mm, so that there is a sufficiently large area for grasping and removing the water tank.
The embodiment of the valve unit according to the invention enables the thermal balance of the entire steam cooking appliance to be improved. The steam cooking appliance also has a simple water supply unit with a water tank which is easy to fill and is thus less susceptible to malfunction than the appliances known from the prior art. Furthermore, the specific embodiment of the completely removable water tank simplifies the filling process as the water tank can be filled with the aid of a normal water tap. After a filling process, the water tank can be closed by the closure element and introduced into the receiving unit provided on the steam cooking appliance. In this case, it is likewise conceivable that an anti-rotation safeguard is provided on the water tank and/or the receiving unit.
Further features of the invention emerge from the claims, the figures and the description of the figures. The features and feature combinations mentioned above in the description and the features and feature combinations mentioned below in the description of the figures and/or shown in the figures alone can be used not only in the respectively specified combination, but also in other combinations or in isolation, without departing from the scope of the invention.
The above and other features of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to certain exemplary embodiments thereof, which are illustrated by the accompanying drawings, and which are merely for illustration purposes hereinafter, and thus are not intended to be limiting of the present invention. In the drawing:
It should be noted that the accompanying drawings are not necessarily to scale and represent a somewhat simplified illustration of various preferred features which serve to illustrate the principles of the invention. The specific structural features of the present invention, as disclosed herein, including, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, installation locations and shapes, are partially determined by the dedicated application and the working environment.
In the figures, identical or functionally identical elements are provided with the same reference characters.
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are explained in detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings.
The steam cooking appliance has a control panel 4 which is mounted on a panel support 2 and is arranged above the door 6. In a right-hand region of the control panel 4, a water tank 20 can be introduced into a receiving unit 60 for coupling to the evaporator unit. The water tank 20 has a main body 22 which is closed at the front side VS by a closure element 30 in the state shown. The main body 22 has an elongated circular-cylindrical shape. An outlet opening 29 is formed on an end section of the main body 22 facing the steam cooking appliance. In the actuating direction BR, the water tank 20 can be inserted into and removed from the receiving unit 60 in a non-destructive and reversible manner in order to achieve an operating position. The liquid medium provided for evaporation in the form of water is stored in the water tank 20.
The receiving unit 60 is formed from an upper housing part 62 and a lower housing part 64. In the assembled state, in which the upper housing part 62 and the lower housing part 64 are fastened to one another, the receiving unit 60 has, at a rear end region with respect to the panel support 2, a bearing section 66 which has an opening 67 in a direction facing away from the panel support 2. On a mounting section 102 attached to the housing outer wall of the receiving unit 60, a microswitch 100 is provided in the region of the bearing section 66 in order to detect an operating position of the water tank.
Attached to the rear side RS of the water tank 20 is an adapter part 70 which is received in a bearing section 66 of the receiving unit 60. On its upper side, the adapter part 70 has a slotted guide 75 in the form of a cardioid. A sliding block 82 is guided in the slotted guide 75 in order to implement a push-push unit for ejecting the water tank 20. On the rear side of the adapter part 70, there are two second connecting means 74a and 74b which can be connected to an evaporator unit by means of a hose or a pipeline. The two second connecting means 74a and 74b are structurally identical and have the same flow cross-section. For simpler fastening of a hose or a pipeline, the connecting means 74a and 74b each have, at one end section, a conically tapering receiving region with a sealing groove arranged behind the receiving region.
The adapter part 70 is displaceably mounted in a bearing section 66 of the receiving unit 60. Due to a compression spring 76 supported on an edge of the receiving unit 60, the adapter part 70 is acted upon by a spring force in the direction of the water tank 20. As already described in
The adapter part 70 is provided with a latching hook 78 which can be brought into engagement with a corresponding latching projection formed on the main body 22 of the water tank 20 in an operating state in order to hold the water tank 20 in the receiving unit 60. Although only one latching hook 78 is shown in
The adapter part 70 has two connecting elements 79a and 79b which are formed separately from one another and through which a first connecting element 72a and 72b in the form of a sealing connection piece 72a′ or 72b′ and a second connecting element 74a or 74b are formed. On a section facing the water tank 20, the connecting elements 79a, 79b each have a seal 77a, 77b which is formed as an O-ring and is arranged between a flange section and a circumferential edge section of the respective connecting element 79a, 79b. In an operating state of the water tank 20, the end section of the respective connecting element 79a, 79b facing the water tank 20 is coupled to the valve 54 or 52. The connecting elements 79a and 79b are acted upon by a spring force by a spring 73a or 73b in the direction of the water tank 20.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2017 214 932.9 | Aug 2017 | DE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2018/070112 | 7/25/2018 | WO | 00 |
