Abstract
An oven comprising: a muffle defining a cooking chamber limited by a plurality of fixed walls and by a door selectively mobile between an open position and a closed position for allowing respectively the accessibility and the isolation of the cooking chamber; an internal water collection tank; a tubular loading device of water into the internal tank; wherein both with the door in the open position and with the door in the closed position the tubular loading device is selectively mobile between a static, not-working position and a loading position wherein it is at least in part orientable in the space outside the cooking chamber to reach a water source, wherein the oven comprises an outer frame covering the cooking chamber; in the not-working position the tubular loading device being substantially fully housed inside a cavity between the cooking chamber and the outer frame.
Claims
1. A heating apparatus comprising: a cooking chamber limited by a plurality of fixed walls and by a door selectively mobile between an open position and a closed position for allowing respectively the accessibility and the isolation of the cooking chamber; an internal tank for collecting water; and a tubular loading device for loading water into the internal tank, the tubular loading device comprising a flexible tubular element defining a transit channel for the water and comprising a free end, a fixed end coupled to the internal tank, and a return portion located between the free end and the fixed end, wherein the return portion of the flexible tubular element is configured to be unwound during extraction of the flexible tubular element and rewound during insertion of the flexible tubular element; wherein both with the door in the open position and with the door in the closed position the tubular loading device is selectively mobile between a static not-working position and a loading position; wherein the heating apparatus comprises an outer frame covering the cooking chamber; the tubular loading device being substantially fully housed inside a gap between the cooking chamber and the outer frame; wherein the outer frame comprises a front portion coupling with the door to realize the front face of the heating apparatus, the tubular loading device passing the front face of the heating apparatus to switch from the not-working position to the loading position and vice-versa; wherein between the door and the front portion of the outer frame a slot is present for the passage of the tubular loading device; and wherein the heating apparatus comprises a push-pull device configured at one side to constrain the tubular loading device in the not-working position and on the other side to release the tubular loading device from the not-working position and arrange the free end of the tubular loading device in a position projecting from the front face of the heating apparatus by a distance such as to be manually grasped.
2. The heating apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the free end of the tubular loading device is directly accessible from the front face of the heating apparatus.
3. The heating apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the free end of the tubular loading device is substantially flush with the front face of the heating apparatus.
4. A heating apparatus comprising: a cooking chamber limited by a plurality of fixed walls and by a door selectively mobile between an open position and a closed position for allowing respectively the accessibility and the isolation of the cooking chamber; an internal tank for collecting water; a tubular loading device for loading water into the internal tank, the tubular loading device comprising a flexible tubular element defining a transit channel for the water and comprising a free end, a fixed end coupled to the internal tank, and a return portion located between the free end and the fixed end; at least one roller; and a seat; wherein the return portion of the flexible tubular element is configured to be unwound during extraction of the flexible tubular element and rewound during insertion of the flexible tubular element; wherein both with the door in the open position and with the door in the closed position the tubular loading device is selectively mobile between a static not-working position and a loading position; wherein the heating apparatus comprises an outer frame covering the cooking chamber; the tubular loading device being substantially fully housed inside a gap between the cooking chamber and the outer frame; and wherein during extraction of the flexible tubular element the at least one roller advances from a rearward position towards the seat, thereby allowing the return portion of the flexible tubular element to be unwound.
5. The oven as claimed in claim 4, wherein a portion of the flexible tubular element of the tubular loading device bends around a portion of the at least one roller.
6. The heating apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: at least one roller, and a seat; wherein during extraction of the flexible tubular element the at least one roller advances from a rearward position towards the seat, thereby allowing the return portion of the flexible tubular element to be unwound.
7. The heating apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein a portion of the flexible tubular element of the tubular loading device bends around a portion of the at least one roller.
8. An oven comprising: a cooking chamber comprising a plurality of walls and a door selectively mobile between an open position and a closed position; an internal tank for collecting water; a tubular loading device for loading water into the internal tank, the tubular loading device comprising a flexible tubular element defining a transit channel for the water and comprising a first end, a second end coupled to the internal tank, and a return portion located between the free end and the fixed end, wherein the return portion of the flexible tubular element is configured to be unwound during extraction of the flexible tubular element and rewound during insertion of the flexible tubular element; and at least one roller, wherein a portion of the flexible tubular element of the tubular loading device bends around a portion of the at least one roller; wherein the oven comprises an outer frame covering the cooking chamber.
9. The oven as claimed in claim 8, wherein the outer frame comprises a front portion coupling with the door to realize a front face of the oven, the tubular loading device passing the front face of the oven to switch from a not-working position to a loading position and vice-versa.
10. The oven as claimed in claim 9, wherein a free end of the tubular loading device is directly accessible from the front face of the oven.
11. The heating apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the free end of the tubular loading device is substantially flush with the front face of the heating apparatus.
12. The oven as claimed in claim 9, wherein between the door and the front portion of the outer frame a slot is present for the passage of the tubular loading device.
13. The oven as claimed in claim 8, wherein the tubular loading device comprises: a cover made of rigid material covering the tubular element at least at the free end.
14. The oven as claimed in claim 8, wherein the internal water tank is connected to a boiler to generate steam and introduce it into the cooking chamber.
15. The heating apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tubular loading device comprises: a cover made of rigid material covering the tubular element at least at the free end.
16. The heating apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the internal water tank is connected to a boiler to generate steam and introduce it into the cooking chamber.
17. The heating apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the tubular loading device comprises: a cover made of rigid material covering the tubular element at least at the free end.
18. The heating apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the internal water tank is connected to a boiler to generate steam and introduce it into the cooking chamber.
Description
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
(1) Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become clear from the following description of a non-limiting example of an embodiment made with reference to the appended drawings, wherein:
(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an oven for steam cooking according to the present invention;
(3) FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the oven in FIG. 1 without part of the external frame;
(4) FIGS. 3-5 show the oven in FIG. 1 in three subsequent operating phases;
(5) FIGS. 6-8 show views of a first embodiment of the tubular system for loading water in the oven according to the present invention;
(6) FIGS. 9-12 are enlarged views of details of the embodiment in FIGS. 6-8;
(7) FIGS. 13-14 show views of a second embodiment of the tubular system for loading water in the oven according to the present invention; and
(8) FIGS. 15-17 show views of a third embodiment of the tubular system for loading water in the oven according to the present invention.
(9) FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of an oven 1 according to the present invention provided with an internal water collection tank for the realization, for example, of steam cooking or humidified cooking. In particular, the oven 1 in FIG. 1 comprises an outer frame 7 covering a muffle (not visible in FIG. 1) defining a cooking chamber. The muffle, schematically denoted by reference numeral 2, is limited by fixed walls 3 and a door 4 equipped with a special handle 15 on the front face of the oven 1. As is known, the door 4 is movable between a closed position, shown in FIG. 1 and in which it isolates the cooking chamber, and an open position that allows accessibility to the cooking chamber. The front face of the oven 1 further comprises a front portion 8 of the frame 7, known as the front panel, which forms a portion of frame positioned above the door 4. In this front panel 8 the oven control buttons 1 are usually installed. In the example shown, this frame 8 is placed only at one edge, the top edge, of the door 4, but it could also extend along other sides of the door 4. Between the edge of the door 4 and the frame 8 there is a slot 10 that connects the external environment to the oven 1 with a gap 10 between the muffle and the external frame 7. The oven 1 comprises an internal water collection tank 5 that can be supplied with water by means of a special hollow tubular loading device 6. In FIG. 1, only the free end 9 of this tubular loading device 6 is visible, which is in fact housed for all the remaining extension in the aforementioned gap 10. In the example of FIG. 1, and as more clearly visible in FIG. 3, at not-working position the free end 9 of the tubular loading device is substantially flush with the front wall of the oven 1 and is housed in the gap 10. In this condition, for a user standing in front of the oven, the free end 9 of the tubular loading device 6 takes the form of a simple button housed flush in the gap 10. In the example shown the cross-section of the tubular loading device 6 is substantially rectangular in shape due to the fact that the gap also has the same extension. However, the access opening to the gap may be of any shape and does not necessarily need to be a length equal to the length of the door 4. Similarly, the tubular loading device 6 may have any cross-section as long as it is can pass through the access opening to the cavity 10.
(10) FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of the oven in FIG. 1 in which some walls of the outer frame 7 have been removed. Such FIG. 2 shows the gap 10 between the muffle 2 and the removed outer frame 7 as well as all the components housed in such cavity. In particular, FIG. 2 shows the tank 5 (schematically), the extension of the tubular loading device 6 beyond the free end 9 (although inserted in the relative fixed seat 12) and a series of hydraulic and electrical connections between the tubular loading device 6, the tank 5 and relative drives. These connections are shown in FIG. 2 by reference numeral 15. The construction details of a preferred embodiment of the tubular loading device and its fixed seat 12 will be described and shown with reference to the following FIGS. 6 to 8.
(11) FIGS. 3 to 5 show the oven in FIG. 1 in three successive steps of using the tubular loading device 6. In particular, FIG. 3 shows a side view of a portion of the oven 1 that illustrates the positioning of the tubular loading device when in the not-working position. As seen in FIG. 3, in fact, the tubular loading device is in a position such that only its free end 9 is accessible and is housed in the gap 10 flush with the door 4 and the frame 8. FIG. 4 shows instead a first position of use in which most of the tubular loading device 6 protrudes from the gap 10 towards the outside of the oven 1. The transition from the position in FIG. 3 to that in FIG. 4 can take place in various ways. It is possible to provide embodiments in which the user simply proceeds by grasping the end 9 and pulling the tubular loading device outwards. Alternatively, it is possible to provide mechanisms capable of bringing the end 9 further outwards automatically or semi-automatically. These different solutions will be detailed in the description of the following figures. For example, a semi-automatic mechanism useful for this purpose can be a push-pull device that, following a pressure on the end 9, can generate a push on the tubular loading device 6 capable of positioning it as shown in FIG. 4. Alternatively, it is possible to provide an electrical drive that, without the preventive pressure on the tubular loading device, generates the position shown in FIG. 4. Once the position of FIG. 4 is reached, the loading device 6 can be easily grasped by the user and extracted further to perform the loading operations. FIG. 5 shows for completeness a further extraction phase performed manually starting from the position of FIG. 4. Naturally, the repositioning of the tubular loading device 6 after loading takes place exactly in steps similar and opposite to those performed for its extraction, passing from FIG. 4 to FIG. 3. As known, the push-pull device is able to correctly lock the tubular loading device 6 in place and keep it permanently in the position in FIG. 3.
(12) FIGS. 6-8 show in detail a first preferred embodiment of a tubular loading device 6 and its fixed seat according to the present invention.
(13) FIG. 6 shows the tubular device 6 housed in a seat 12. This seat 12 is fixed in the gap 10 between the muffle 2 and the outer frame 7 in a position such that from its front opening the end 9 exits and is as shown in FIG. 3 with respect to the front face of the oven. In the embodiment shown the seat 12 is made by joining two upper 17 and lower 18 half-shells connected to each other. The seat 12 is thus shaped like a case and is open at the front to allow the extraction of the tubular loading device 6 which in the not-working position is substantially housed for the most part in the seat 12. The seat 12 has a second opening from which the inner end of the tubular loading device 6 exits, i.e. the end connected directly or indirectly to the inner tank. This inner end 23 is connected to the seat and reaches this position after a return section of the tubular loading device 6 inside the seat 12. The housing of the tubular loading device 6 in the seat will be clarified with reference to FIG. 7. This FIG. 7 shows in fact the seat 12 without the upper half shell 17 and makes it possible to see how the tubular loading device 6 is arranged inside the seat 12. As seen, between the free end 9 and the fixed inner end 23 the tubular device has a return portion that is gradually unwound during extraction and rewound during insertion. Special guides can be provided inside the seat 12 to facilitate such operations. FIG. 7 shows how the push-pull mechanism 11 with its spring 14 is also housed inside the seat 12. More details of this push-pull mechanism can be seen in FIG. 11. In FIG. 8, the lower half shell 18 has been removed, leaving the position of the loading device 6 unchanged however. This FIG. 8 shows the elements composing the loading device 6 according to this embodiment. In particular, the loading device 6 comprises a tubular element 16 made of flexible material extending from the inner end 23 substantially to the free outer end 9 (which will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 9). The portion of the tubular member 16 at the free end 9 is coated with a coating 13 made of rigid material, for example aluminium. Such rigid material gives the end 9 greater solidity and therefore easier maneuverability for the user in the extraction and re-insertion phases 12 of the loading device 6. The coating 13 continues from the free end 9 substantially as far as an intermediate position of the tubular element 16 at which the tubular element 16 is provided with a rigid ring 33 that acts in conjunction with the push-pull mechanism 11. However, the coating 13 is not made in a single piece throughout its extension but in the form of a plurality of independent elements placed in succession. This embodiment also gives the coated portion the possibility of being at least partially flexible without losing the compression stiffness useful in the re-insertion operations of the loading device 6 into the seat 12. As will emerge below, the coating 13 is shaped to be coupled to the tubular element 16 by longitudinal sliding. Once the coating 13 is fitted, the end 9 is frontally closed by a suitable hard cap 34 on which the user acts to control the push-pull mechanism 11.
(14) FIG. 9 shows the end 9 of the loading device 6 in detail and makes it possible to note that the coating 13 is fitted on the end of the tubular element 16 and the closing cap 34. As shown, between the cap 34 and the tubular element 16, a space 19, defining a lower opening, has been intentionally left to allow the water to be loaded to easily enter the tubular element 16 and thus reach the inner tank 5.
(15) FIG. 10 shows in detail the contact area of two portions of the coating 13 fitted on the tubular element 16. As shown the adjacent ends of the coating 13 comprise both flared portions, so as to create a free flexural zone of the tubular element 16, and contact portions to make the compression structure rigid during the housing steps of the loading device 6 in the seat 12.
(16) FIG. 13 shows the cross-section of the tubular element 16 and the coating 13. In particular, FIG. 13 shows how the tubular element 16 has a flattened section, defined by the through opening of the through gap in the front wall of the oven, and an internal through water duct 26 that does not affect the entire transverse extension of the section but only a central portion. In this sense, laterally to the inner duct 26 the tubular portion comprises solid portions 27. Advantageously, both the coating 13 and the locking flange 35 of the inner end 23 weigh only on such solid portions 27 avoiding flattening of the duct 26.
(17) FIGS. 13 and 14 show an alternative embodiment of the extraction mechanism of the tubular device 6. In this embodiment the seat 12 formed by the half shells 17, 18 does not house the entire loading device 6 but only the portion of the flexible element 16 coated by the coating 13. A housing container 20 of the uncoated portion of the tubular element 16 is provided behind the seat 12. FIG. 14 then shows how the uncoated flexible portion 16 is returned inside the container 20 by a roller 21 sliding in guides 22 made inside the container 20. During extraction, the roller 21 advances from the rearward position towards the seat 12, allowing the flexible portion 16 to unwind. As seen, the roller 21 is further supported at the ends by a C-shaped fork 24 connected at the rear to elastic return means schematically shown by reference numeral 25. Such elastic means act on the fork 24 which in turn returns the roller 21 to the rearward position and thus the flexible portion 16. Advantageously, the guides 22 are made to create a stable retention seat of the roller 21 when the loading device 6 is extracted so that the user can proceed with loading the water without feeling the continuous elastic return. To release the roller 21 it is sufficient to impress a slight additional extraction force, once the roller is released, the elastic return will assist the winding of the flexible portion 16 in the container 20.
(18) Lastly, FIGS. 15-17 show a third embodiment of the invention which provides for the automation of the complete extraction of the tubular loading device. In this embodiment, an actuator is provided, for example of an electric type and schematically shown by reference numeral 28, which includes a slider 29 movable along a guide 30 until it reaches an end stop 31. In the not-working position, the slider 29 is distal to the end 9 of the tubular device. The guide 28 runs externally to the seat 12 parallel to the extraction direction of the tubular device. FIG. 16 shows a slide 32 housed inside the seat 12 that collaborates with the uncoated flexible portion 16 to guide and operate the extraction and repositioning motion in the seat. Such slide is in fact connected or made directly in one piece with the slider 29 so that the advancement of the slider 29 along the guide 30 controls the advancement of the slide 32 which in turn pushes the tubular device 6 in extraction. FIG. 17 shows the slide 32 in detail. In particular, the slide 32 comprises two mutually facing portions that define a return C-seat for the uncoated flexible portion 16. In extraction, the flexible portion is pushed by the outer portion 32′ of the slide while during repositioning, it is the inner portion 32″ which acts against the flexible portion 16. As described above, such inner and outer portions of the slide act on the flexible portion not at the inner channel 26 but along the solid lateral portions 27 visible in FIG. 12.
(19) Finally, it is specified that although the tubular device 6 was previously defined as “loading” water it can also be used to drain water from the tank. Without any structural change, it is in fact sufficient to provide special devices able to move the water in the opposite direction from the tank to the free end of the tubular device 6.
(20) It is evident that modifications and variations can be made to the oven described herein while remaining within the scope of the appended claims.
