Cooking appliance

Abstract

The present application relates to a kind of cooking utensils.The present application aims to solve the technical problem that the user monitors insufficiently the water quantity in the water box of cooking utensils.The cooking utensil provided by the present application comprises a cooking box, the outer wall side of the cooking box is provided with a containing groove;Trigger mechanism is arranged in the containing groove, and the trigger mechanism is electrically connected with the controller of the cooking utensil;Water box is slidably arranged in the containing groove, the outer side wall in the containing groove is provided with abutment mechanism for abutting with the trigger mechanism, and the controller can control the trigger mechanism to push the abutment mechanism to separate according to the cooking instruction of the cooking utensil.The cooking utensil disclosed by the present application controls the trigger mechanism to push the abutment mechanism to separate before the cooking start instruction and after the cooking completion instruction, so that the water box is ejected out of the cooking utensil before and after each use of the cooking utensil, so that the user can check the waste water quantity and the clean water residual quantity in the water box at any time, and can determine the treatment scheme according to the waste water quantity and the clean water residual quantity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of household appliance technology, and more specifically to a cooking utensil. Background Technology

[0002] This section provides only background information relevant to this disclosure and is not necessarily prior art.

[0003] For existing steam ovens and other cooking appliances on the market, users need to manually insert the clean water box and waste water box into the relevant positions inside the cooking appliance before use. This allows the clean water in the clean water box to flow into the interior of the cooking appliance through the connecting water pipe. At the same time, the waste water discharged from the cooking appliance flows into the waste water box. When it is necessary to clean the waste water or add water to the clean water box, the clean water box and waste water box should be manually pulled out.

[0004] In existing steam ovens on the market, after using the steam cooking function, the wastewater tray collects wastewater that has flowed out of the cavity. At the same time, the clean water added to the clean water tray often leaves residue because it is not completely used. If users do not clean up this residual water in time after using the cooking appliance, bacteria and mold will grow and affect the cooking safety of the appliance over a long period of time.

[0005] Meanwhile, when users use the steam function to cook multiple dishes in a row, they often fail to check the water level in the water tank after the previous dish is finished and start cooking the next dish. When the water level in the water tank is insufficient to cook the second dish, the cooking appliance stops working due to a water shortage warning during the subsequent dish cooking process, requiring the water to be added again. This not only wastes time but also reduces the user's cooking experience. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention aims to at least partially solve the technical problem of insufficient monitoring of the water level in the water tank of cooking appliances by users.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a cooking appliance, comprising: a cooking chamber with a receiving groove on its outer wall; a triggering mechanism disposed in the receiving groove and electrically connected to a controller of the cooking appliance; and a water box slidably disposed in the receiving groove, wherein the outer wall of the water box located within the receiving groove is provided with a docking mechanism that engages with the triggering mechanism, and the controller can control the triggering mechanism to push the docking mechanism to disengage according to the cooking command of the cooking appliance.

[0008] The cooking appliance disclosed in this invention controls the trigger mechanism to push the docking mechanism to disengage before the cooking start command and after the cooking completion command. This allows the water tank to pop out of the cooking appliance before and after each use, so that the user can check the amount of wastewater and clean water residue in the water tank at any time and decide on the treatment plan based on the amount of wastewater and clean water residue.

[0009] This reduces the likelihood of bacteria and mold growth in cooking appliances after prolonged storage of wastewater, thus improving cooking safety. Additionally, it allows for the replenishment of water when the water level in the water tank is low, reducing the likelihood of appliances stopping due to water shortage during cooking and enhancing the user's cooking experience.

[0010] In addition, the cooking utensil described above according to the present invention may also have the following additional technical features:

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the triggering mechanism includes a first elastic element and an electromagnetic locking member electrically connected to the controller. The triggering mechanism locks the docking mechanism or pushes the docking mechanism out of the control system via the electromagnetic locking member and the first elastic element.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the electromagnetic locking component includes an electromagnetic locking hook assembly, and the docking mechanism includes a pressing plate located on the outer side wall of the water tank and cooperating with a first elastic element, and a latch disposed on the pressing plate and cooperating with the electromagnetic locking hook assembly.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the electromagnetic lock hook assembly includes a lock hook rotatably disposed in a receiving groove, a second elastic element connected to the lock hook, and an electromagnet coupled to the lock hook. The controller is electrically connected to the electromagnet and controls the docking state of the lock hook and the latch through the electromagnet.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the locking hook is located above the latch, the second elastic element pushes the locking hook to tilt in the direction of the latch in its natural state, and the hook end of the locking hook is provided with a guide slope corresponding to the sliding direction of the water box, and the latch is provided with a pushing slope and a latching groove that cooperate with the guide slope.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the cooking appliance further includes a docking shell disposed in the receiving tank and docking with the water box, and a triggering mechanism is disposed on the outer wall of the docking shell located inside the receiving tank.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a receiving tank is disposed at the bottom of the cooking box, a docking shell is disposed at one end of the receiving tank, and a water box is slidably disposed in the receiving tank at the other end opposite to the docking shell.

[0017] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the outer side wall of the docking shell is provided with a groove, the electromagnetic locking member is disposed in the groove and the hook end of the locking hook extends out of the groove, and the first elastic element is disposed on the outer side wall at a position avoiding the groove.

[0018] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a trigger switch electrically connected to the controller is provided on the side wall of the docking shell located inside the receiving groove. The controller controls the cooking appliance to start or stop steam cooking according to the docking mechanism and the trigger switch docking or disconnection.

[0019] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a trigger switch is disposed on the side wall of the docking shell located inside the receiving groove, and the contact of the trigger switch extends out of the docking shell, and the hook of the docking mechanism is provided with a pressing end that cooperates with the contact.

[0020] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the water box is configured as an integrated water box, and the interior of the integrated water box is provided with a clean water tank and a wastewater tank that are spaced apart.

[0021] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the cooking appliance includes a steam cooking device, a steam-grill device, or a microwave cooking device. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the invention. Furthermore, the same reference numerals denote the same parts throughout the drawings. In the drawings:

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the disassembled structure of a cooking utensil according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the cooking appliance shown;

[0025] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A partial structural cross-sectional view of the cooking appliance shown;

[0026] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a cooking appliance in the water tank detached state according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of the cooking appliance shown;

[0028] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the cooking appliance in the water tank docking process according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 7 for Figure 6 A partial structural cross-sectional view of the cooking appliance shown.

[0030] The accompanying figure is labeled as follows:

[0031] 100. Cooking utensils;

[0032] 10. Cooking box; 11. Storage tank;

[0033] 20. Water box;

[0034] 30. Triggering mechanism; 31. First elastic element; 32. Electromagnetic locking element; 321. Lock hook; 3211. Hook end; 322. Second elastic element; 323. Electromagnet;

[0035] 40. Docking mechanism; 41. Pressing plate; 42. Hook; 421. Pushing inclined surface; 422. Slot;

[0036] 50. Trigger switch; 51. Contact;

[0037] 60. Docking shell; 51. Groove. Detailed Implementation

[0038] Exemplary embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that this disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to enable a more thorough understanding of this disclosure and to fully convey the scope of this disclosure to those skilled in the art. It should be noted that the embodiments of this application, illustrating cooking appliances using microwave-steam-grill type cooking appliances, are merely preferred embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the cooking appliances described herein. For example, the cooking appliances described herein may also be steam-grill devices or microwave cooking devices, and such modifications fall within the scope of protection of the cooking appliances described herein.

[0039] It should be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular exemplary embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “described” as used herein may also mean including the plural forms. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are inclusive and therefore indicate the presence of the stated features, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0040] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature.

[0041] In the description of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set" and "connection" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0042] For ease of description, spatial relative terms may be used in the text to describe the relationship of one element or feature relative to another element or feature, as shown in the figure. These relative terms include, for example, "above," "inside," "end," etc. Such spatial relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the mechanism in use or operation, in addition to those depicted in the figure. For example, if the mechanism in the figure is flipped, then an element described as "below other elements or features" or "below other elements or features" would subsequently be oriented as "above other elements or features" or "above other elements or features." Therefore, the example term "below" can include both above and below orientations. The mechanism may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or in other directions), and the spatial relative descriptors used in the text will be interpreted accordingly.

[0043] like Figures 1 to 7 As shown, the present invention provides a cooking appliance 100, which can be a steam cooking device, a steam-grill device, or a microwave cooking device. For ease of explanation of the specific structure and technical effects of the cooking appliance 100, the following description uses a steam cooking device as an example. The cooking appliance 100 includes a cooking chamber 10, a trigger mechanism 30 disposed in a receiving groove 11, and a water box 20 slidably disposed in the receiving groove 11. The receiving groove 11 is disposed on the outer wall of the cooking chamber 10. The trigger mechanism 30 is electrically connected to the controller of the cooking appliance 100. The outer wall of the water box 20 located in the receiving groove 11 is provided with a docking mechanism 40 that docks with the trigger mechanism 30. The controller can control the trigger mechanism 30 to push the docking mechanism 40 to disengage according to the cooking command of the cooking appliance 100.

[0044] The cooking appliance 100 disclosed in this invention controls the triggering mechanism 30 to push the docking mechanism 40 to disengage before the cooking start command and after the cooking completion command, so that the water tank 20 pops out of the cooking appliance 100 before and after each use, allowing the user to check the amount of wastewater and the amount of clean water remaining in the water tank 20 at any time, and to decide on the treatment plan based on the amount of wastewater and the amount of clean water remaining.

[0045] This reduces the likelihood of bacteria and mold growth in the cooking appliance 100 after prolonged storage of wastewater, and improves the cooking safety of the cooking appliance 100. At the same time, when the residual water in the clean water box 20 is insufficient, sufficient clean water can be added, thereby reducing the occurrence of the cooking appliance 100 stopping working due to water shortage during the cooking process, thus improving the user's cooking experience.

[0046] Specifically, after the cooking appliance 100 finishes cooking, the water tank 20 automatically pops out. After the user subconsciously checks the amount of wastewater remaining in the water tank 20, it can remind the user to clean out the wastewater in the water tank 20. This reduces the phenomenon of the wastewater in the water tank 20 becoming moldy due to the user forgetting to clean it after use. Also, before the cooking appliance 100 starts steam cooking, the water tank 20 automatically pops out. After the user subconsciously checks the amount of clean water remaining in the water tank 20, it can remind the user to add clean water to the water tank 20 for the next steam cooking. This reduces the phenomenon of insufficient clean water in the cooking appliance 100 during cooking and the need for the user to interrupt the steam cooking operation of the cooking appliance 100 to add water to the water tank 20.

[0047] It should be noted that the above embodiments of this application do not limit the triggering mechanism 30 and the docking mechanism 40 in detail, because the triggering mechanism 30 and the docking mechanism 40 can be selected from a variety of different mechanisms. The triggering mechanism 30 and the docking mechanism 40 only need to satisfy the requirement of fixing the water box 20 to the cooking box 10 during the use of the cooking appliance 100, and popping the water box 20 out of the cooking box 10 before and after the use of the cooking appliance 100. For example, according to an embodiment of the present invention, both the triggering mechanism 30 and the docking mechanism 40 can be configured as electromagnetic coils. When the water box 20 slides into the receiving slot 11 of the cooking chamber 10, the controller controls the electromagnetic coil of the triggering mechanism 30 to have opposite magnetism to the electromagnetic coil of the docking mechanism 40, so that there is an attraction between the triggering mechanism 30 and the docking mechanism 40, thereby attracting the water box 20 to the cooking chamber 10. The water box 20 supplies clean water for the steam cooking task. After the cooking appliance 100 completes the cooking task and before the cooking task is started, the controller controls the electromagnetic coil of the triggering mechanism 30 to have the same magnetism as the electromagnetic coil of the docking mechanism 40, so that there is a repulsion between the triggering mechanism 30 and the docking mechanism 40, thereby popping the water box 20 out of the cooking chamber 10. This reminds the user to check the amount of wastewater or clean water residue in the water box 20 at any time, so that the user can decide on the treatment plan based on the amount of wastewater and clean water residue.

[0048] The following describes in detail the preferred embodiments of the triggering mechanism 30 and the docking mechanism 40:

[0049] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the triggering mechanism 30 includes a first elastic element 31 and an electromagnetic locking member 32 electrically connected to the controller. The triggering mechanism 30 locks the docking mechanism 40 or pushes the docking mechanism 40 out of the controller via the electromagnetic locking member 32 and the first elastic element 31.

[0050] In this embodiment, the electromagnetic locking element 32 can be configured as an electromagnetic coil. When the water tank 20 slides into the receiving slot 11 of the cooking chamber 10, the first elastic element applies a repulsive force to the docking mechanism 40, and the controller controls the electromagnetic coil to apply an attractive force to the docking mechanism 40. The attractive force of the electromagnetic coil is greater than the repulsive force of the first elastic element, thereby attracting the water tank 20 to the cooking chamber 10. After the cooking appliance 100 completes the steam cooking task and before it starts the steam cooking task, the controller controls the electromagnetic coil to be de-energized, causing the first elastic element to push the water tank 20 out of the cooking chamber 10. This serves as a reminder to the user to check the amount of wastewater or clean water residue in the water tank 20 at any time, allowing the user to decide on the next treatment plan based on the amount of wastewater and clean water residue.

[0051] Those skilled in the art will understand that the electromagnetic coil applies a constant force. If the magnetic force of the electromagnetic coil is applied directly to the water box 20, and if the magnetic force is too large, the large magnetic force applied by the electromagnetic coil to the water box 20 during the process of the user sliding the water box 20 into the receiving tank 11 will affect the user's operating experience. If the magnetic force of the electromagnetic coil is too small, the small magnetic force applied by the electromagnetic coil to the water box 20 after the user slides the water box 20 into the receiving tank 11 will pose a risk that the water box 20 will fall off.

[0052] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, in order to solve the problem that the electromagnetic force of the electromagnetic coil is not easy to control, the embodiments of this application propose a technical solution to convert the electromagnetic force into mechanical force. Specifically, the electromagnetic locking member 32 is set as an electromagnetic locking hook 321 assembly. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the electromagnetic locking member 32 includes an electromagnetic locking hook 321 assembly, and the docking mechanism 40 includes a pressing plate 41 located on the outer side wall of the water box 20 and cooperating with the first elastic element 31, and a hook 42 disposed on the pressing plate 41 and cooperating with the electromagnetic locking hook 321 assembly.

[0053] In this embodiment, the electromagnetic locking component 32 uses the combination of the electromagnetic force of the electromagnetic hook 321 assembly and the mechanical force of the hook 321 to lock the water box 20, thereby improving the reliability of the water box 20 after it slides into the cooking chamber 10 and reducing the phenomenon that the water box 20 will detach from the cooking chamber 10 during the use of the cooking appliance 100 and affect the normal cooking operation.

[0054] Specifically, after the water box 20 slides into the receiving slot 11 of the cooking box 10, the cooking box 10 hooks the hook 42 of the water box 20 through the electromagnetic locking hook 321 assembly, thereby reducing the impact of the unstable electromagnetic force of the cooking appliance 100 on the assembly reliability of the water box 20. When it is necessary to release the water box 20, it is only necessary to drive the electromagnetic locking hook 321 assembly to separate from the hook 42 through the electromagnetic force of the cooking appliance 100. At this time, the cooking box 10 can push the water box 20 out of the receiving slot 11 of the cooking box 10 through the pushing force of the first elastic element 31 acting on the pressing plate 41. The pressing plate 41 can be a part of the outer wall of the water box 20, or it can be an additional structure set on the outer wall of the water box 20, thereby reducing the risk of the first elastic element 31 damaging the water box 20 in the process of pushing the water box 20.

[0055] like Figure 3 and Figure 7 As shown, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the electromagnetic lock hook 321 assembly includes a lock hook 321 rotatably disposed in the receiving groove 11, a second elastic element 322 connected to the lock hook 321, and an electromagnet 323 coupled to the lock hook 321. The controller is electrically connected to the electromagnet 323 and controls the docking state of the lock hook 321 and the latch 42 through the electromagnet 323.

[0056] In this embodiment, after the water box 20 slides into the receiving slot 11 of the cooking tank 10, the controller is disconnected from the electromagnet 323. The second elastic element 322, in its natural state, pushes the hook end 3211 of the locking hook 321 to rotate into the sliding path of the latch 42 of the water box 20. During the process of the water box 20 sliding into the receiving slot 11 of the cooking tank 10, the latch 42 of the water box 20 automatically engages with the hook end 3211 of the locking hook 321, thereby locking the water box 20 into the receiving slot 11 of the cooking tank 10. When it is necessary to release the water box 20... Simply connect the controller to the electromagnet 323. The electromagnet 323 applies an electromagnetic rotational force to the locking hook 321 to disengage from the latch 42. This electromagnetic rotational force is greater than the elastic force of the second elastic element 322. The electromagnet 323 pushes the locking hook 321 to rotate until it is separated from the latch 42 of the water box 20. At the same time, the first elastic element pushes the water box 20 out of the cooking tank 10, thus reminding the user to check the amount of wastewater and clean water residue in the water box 20 at any time. This allows the user to decide on the next treatment plan based on the amount of wastewater and clean water residue.

[0057] The electromagnetic locking component 32 utilizes the combined electromagnetic force of the electromagnet 323 and the elastic force of the second elastic element 322 to work on the water box 20, thereby improving the reliability of the connection between the water box 20 and the cooking chamber 10 and reducing the phenomenon that the water box 20 will detach from the cooking chamber 10 during the use of the cooking appliance 100, thus affecting the normal cooking operation.

[0058] like Figure 3 and Figure 7As shown, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the locking hook 321 is located above the latch 42, and the second elastic element 322 pushes the locking hook 321 to tilt towards the latch 42 in its natural state. The hook end 3211 of the locking hook 321 is provided with a guide slope corresponding to the sliding direction of the water box 20, and the latch 42 is provided with a pushing slope 421 and a slot 422 that cooperate with the guide slope.

[0059] In this embodiment, the locking hook 321 is rotatably mounted on the receiving groove 11 via a pin. During the process of the water box 20 sliding into the receiving groove 11 of the cooking tank 10, the controller is disconnected from the electromagnet 323. The second elastic element 322, in its natural state, pushes the hook end 3211 of the locking hook 321 to rotate along the sliding path of the latch 42 of the water box 20. As the water box 20 slides into the receiving groove 11 of the cooking tank 10, the latch 42 on the water box 20 pushes the guide slope of the locking hook 321 by pushing the inclined surface 421, thereby causing the locking hook 321 to rotate counterclockwise around the pin. Rotate away from the hook 42 to avoid the sliding path of the hook 42, so that the water box 20 can continue to be inserted into the receiving slot 11 of the cooking box 10. After the pushing slope 421 of the hook 42 slides past the guide slope of the locking hook 321, the locking hook 321 rotates clockwise under the elastic force of the second elastic element 322. The hook end 3211 of the locking hook 321 falls into the slot 422 of the hook 42, so that the hook 42 of the water box 20 automatically engages with the hook end 3211 of the locking hook 321, thereby locking the water box 20 into the receiving slot 11 of the cooking box 10.

[0060] like Figure 3 and Figure 7 As shown, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the cooking appliance 100 further includes a docking shell 60 disposed in the receiving groove 11 and docking with the water box 20, and a triggering mechanism 30 disposed on the outer side wall of the docking shell 60 located inside the receiving groove 11.

[0061] In this embodiment, the docking shell 60 provides a safe installation space for the triggering mechanism 30 and a suitable docking surface for the water box 20, allowing the docking mechanism 40 on the water box 20 to dock with the triggering mechanism 30 on the docking shell 60 during the process of the water box 20 sliding into the receiving groove 11 at the bottom of the cooking chamber 10. Additionally, the docking shell 60 can also be provided with a connecting pipe connecting the water box 20 to the cooking chamber of the cooking appliance 100. When the water box 20 is inserted into the receiving groove 11 of the cooking chamber, the clean water inside the clean water tank of the water box 20 enters the cooking chamber of the cooking chamber 10 through the connecting water pipe. Simultaneously, the wastewater in the cooking chamber of the cooking chamber 10 flows to the wastewater tank of the water box 20 through the drain hole. When the water box 20 is pulled out from the receiving groove 11 at the bottom of the cooking chamber 10, the water connection between the clean water tank and the cooking chamber is broken, and clean water cannot enter the cooking chamber of the cooking chamber 10.

[0062] Furthermore, the embodiments of this application do not limit the specific location of the receiving groove 11 in the cooking chamber 10, because the receiving groove 11 can be disposed on the side wall or bottom of the cooking chamber 10. For example, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the receiving groove 11 is disposed at the bottom of the cooking chamber 10, the docking shell 60 is disposed at one end of the receiving groove 11, and the water box 20 is slidably disposed in the receiving groove 11 at the other end opposite to the docking shell 60. Disposing the receiving groove 11, the docking shell 60, and the water box 20 at the bottom of the cooking chamber 10 can improve the aesthetics of the cooking appliance 100 and facilitate the return of wastewater in the cooking cavity to the water box 20 by gravity.

[0063] like Figure 3 and Figure 7 As shown, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the outer side wall of the docking shell 60 is provided with a groove 61, the electromagnetic locking member 32 is disposed in the groove 61 and the hook end 3211 of the locking hook 321 extends out of the groove 61, and the first elastic element 31 is disposed on the outer side wall at a position avoiding the groove 61.

[0064] In this embodiment, the groove 61 of the docking shell 60 provides a safe installation space for the electromagnetic locking member 32. At the same time, part of the electromagnetic locking member 32 is located in the groove 61 on the outer side wall of the docking shell 60, thereby reducing the size of the electromagnetic locking member 32 exposed in the groove 61, and thus reducing the extension size of the first elastic element 31 in the direction of the water box 20.

[0065] like Figure 3 and Figure 7 As shown, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the side wall of the docking shell 60 located inside the receiving groove 11 is also provided with a trigger switch 50 electrically connected to the controller. The controller controls the cooking appliance 100 to start or stop steam cooking according to the docking mechanism 40 and the trigger switch 50 docking or disconnecting.

[0066] In this embodiment, before the cooking appliance 100 is used, the water box 20 has not been inserted into the receiving slot 11 at the bottom of the cooking box 10, the trigger switch 50 in the receiving slot 11 has not been pressed and triggered, the circuit where the trigger switch 50 is located is in an open circuit state, and the steam function of the cooking appliance 100 cannot be started, thereby reducing the phenomenon of dry burning of the cooking appliance 100 during operation.

[0067] like Figure 3 and Figure 7 As shown, according to one embodiment of the present invention, a trigger switch 50 is disposed on the side wall of the docking shell 60 located inside the receiving groove 11, and the contact 51 of the trigger switch 50 extends out of the docking shell 60, and the hook 42 of the docking mechanism 40 is provided with a pressing end that cooperates with the contact 51.

[0068] In this embodiment, the trigger switch 50 is disposed on the side wall of the docking housing 60 located inside the receiving groove 11. This reduces the risk of damage to the trigger switch 50. For example, it reduces the phenomenon of the water box 20 colliding with the trigger switch 50, and also reduces the phenomenon of external moisture and dust contaminating the trigger switch 50. Specifically, the trigger switch 50 can be a micro switch. The pressing end of the hook 42 is provided with a pressing groove that cooperates with the contact 51 of the micro switch. The hook 42 applies a balanced pressing force to the contact 51 through the pressing groove, thereby reducing the risk of excessive pressing force at the pressing end of the hook 42 damaging the contact 51 of the micro switch.

[0069] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the water box 20 is configured as an integrated water box 20, and the integrated water box 20 is provided with a clean water tank and a wastewater tank that are spaced apart.

[0070] In this embodiment, the integrated water tank 20 is rigidly fixed together with a clean water tank and a wastewater tank. By setting the water tank 20 as an integrated water tank combining a clean water tank and a wastewater tank, the user can simultaneously view the wastewater volume and the clean water residue in the water tank 20. After the user views the wastewater volume in the wastewater tank, the wastewater in the wastewater tank can be cleaned out, thereby reducing the phenomenon of the water tank 20 becoming moldy due to the user forgetting to clean the wastewater after use. Also, the user can view the clean water residue in the clean water tank and then add the clean water required for the next cooking, thereby reducing the phenomenon of insufficient clean water in the cooking appliance 100 during the cooking process, requiring the user to stop the cooking operation of the cooking appliance 100 and add water.

[0071] The following details the assembly and operation of the cooking appliance 100 and water tank 20 according to embodiments of this application:

[0072] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the water tank 20 is slidably mounted on the receiving groove 11 at the bottom of the cooking chamber 10. When the water tank 20 is inserted into the receiving groove 11 at the bottom of the cooking chamber, the clean water inside the clean water tank 20 enters the cooking chamber of the cooking chamber 10 through the connecting water pipe. At the same time, the wastewater in the cooking chamber of the cooking chamber 10 flows into the wastewater tank of the water tank 20 through the drain hole. When the water tank 20 is pulled out from the receiving groove 11 at the bottom of the cooking chamber 10, the water connection between the clean water tank and the cooking chamber is broken, and clean water cannot enter the cooking chamber of the cooking chamber 10.

[0073] like Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, before the cooking appliance 100 is used, the water tank 20 has not been inserted into the receiving slot 11 at the bottom of the cooking tank 10, the trigger switch 50 in the receiving slot 11 has not been pressed and triggered, the circuit of the trigger switch 50 is in an open circuit state, and the steam function of the cooking appliance 100 cannot be started. At this time, the first elastic element 31 in the receiving slot 11 is in the normal state, and the locking hook 321 is pressed down and fixed under the pushing force of the second elastic element 322.

[0074] like Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, when the user fills the water box 20 with water and inserts it into the receiving slot 11 at the bottom of the cooking box 10, the water box 20 compresses and tightens the first elastic element 31. The hook 42 on the water box 20 pushes the locking hook 321 to rotate counterclockwise around the pin shaft to avoid the sliding path of the hook 42, so that the water box 20 can continue to be inserted into the receiving slot 11 at the bottom of the cooking box 10.

[0075] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, when the water box 20 is inserted to the specified depth of the receiving groove 11 at the bottom of the cooking box 10, the locking hook 321 is locked in the groove 422 of the hook 42 under the force of the second elastic element 322, so that the water box 20 cannot be removed from the receiving groove 11 at the bottom of the cooking box 10. At this time, the water box 20 presses the contact 51 of the trigger switch 50 to make the circuit circuit where the trigger switch 50 is located open. At this time, the steam function of the cooking appliance 100 can be started.

[0076] like Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, when the cooking appliance 100 completes the cooking task, the circuit of the electromagnet 323 is briefly closed, causing the electromagnet 323 to generate magnetic force. The electromagnet 323 attracts the locking hook 321 to overcome the elastic force of the second elastic element 322 and rotates counterclockwise. The locking hook 321 disengages from the hook 42 of the water box 20. At this time, the first elastic element 31, which is in a compressed state, pushes the water box 20 out of the receiving groove 11 at the bottom of the cooking box 10. At this time, the user can clearly see the water volume in the wastewater tank and the clean water tank and decide how to deal with the residual water, ensuring that the residual water in the wastewater tank will not be forgotten by the user and cause mold. At this time, the contact 51 of the trigger switch 50 is not pressed tightly, the circuit where the trigger switch 50 is located is broken, and the steam function of the cooking appliance 100 cannot be started.

[0077] It should be noted that the cooking appliance 100 described in this application is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not a limitation on the scope of protection of the cooking appliance 100 of the present invention. For example, the cooking appliance 100 of the present invention can also be a steaming and baking device or a microwave cooking device, etc., and such adjustments are within the scope of protection of the cooking appliance 100 of the present invention.

[0078] It should be noted that the above embodiments only describe the relevant structures on the cooking appliance 100 and do not mean that the cooking appliance 100 does not have other structures. For example, the receiving slot 11 of the cooking box 10 is also provided with a slide rail that cooperates with the water box 20. The water box 20 is slidably disposed in the receiving slot 11 of the cooking box 10 via the slide rail. In addition, other structures on the cooking appliance 100 will not be described in detail here.

[0079] It should be noted that the embodiments of this application illustrate the cooking appliance 100 through a microwave steaming and baking type cooking appliance 100, which is only a preferred embodiment of this application and is not a limitation on the protection scope of the cooking appliance 100 of this application. For example, the cooking appliance 100 of this application can also be a steaming and baking device or a microwave cooking device, etc. Such adjustments are within the protection scope of the cooking appliance 100 of this application, and will not be listed one by one here.

[0080] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A cooking utensil, characterized in that, The cooking appliance includes: A cooking box, wherein a receiving groove is provided on the outer wall side of the cooking box; A triggering mechanism is disposed in the receiving slot, and the triggering mechanism is electrically connected to the controller of the cooking appliance; A water box is slidably disposed in the receiving tank. The outer wall of the water box located inside the receiving tank is provided with a docking mechanism that docks with the triggering mechanism. The controller can control the triggering mechanism to push the docking mechanism to disengage according to the cooking command of the cooking appliance. The cooking appliance also includes a docking shell disposed in the receiving tank and connected to the water box. The triggering mechanism is disposed on the outer side wall of the docking shell located inside the receiving tank. The side wall of the docking shell located inside the receiving tank is provided with a trigger switch electrically connected to the controller. The controller controls the cooking appliance to start or stop steam cooking according to the docking mechanism and the trigger switch being connected or disconnected.

2. The cooking utensil according to claim 1, characterized in that, The triggering mechanism includes a first elastic element and an electromagnetic locking element electrically connected to the controller. The triggering mechanism locks the docking mechanism or pushes the docking mechanism out of the control system through the electromagnetic locking element and the first elastic element.

3. The cooking utensil according to claim 2, characterized in that, The electromagnetic locking component includes an electromagnetic locking hook assembly, and the docking mechanism includes a pressing plate located on the outer side wall of the water box and cooperating with the first elastic element, and a hook disposed on the pressing plate and cooperating with the electromagnetic locking hook assembly.

4. The cooking utensil according to claim 3, characterized in that, The electromagnetic locking hook assembly includes a locking hook rotatably disposed in the receiving groove, a second elastic element connected to the locking hook, and an electromagnet coupled to the locking hook. The controller is electrically connected to the electromagnet and controls the docking state of the locking hook and the latch through the electromagnet.

5. The cooking utensil according to claim 4, characterized in that, The locking hook is located above the latch. In its natural state, the second elastic element pushes the locking hook to tilt towards the latch. The hook end of the locking hook is provided with a guide slope corresponding to the sliding direction of the water box. The latch is provided with a pushing slope and a latching groove that cooperate with the guide slope.

6. The cooking utensil according to claim 5, characterized in that, The receiving slot is located at the bottom of the cooking box, the docking shell is located at one end of the receiving slot, and the water box is slidably located at the other end of the receiving slot opposite to the docking shell.

7. The cooking utensil according to claim 6, characterized in that, The outer wall of the docking shell is provided with a groove, the electromagnetic locking member is disposed in the groove and the hook end of the locking hook extends out of the groove, and the first elastic element is disposed on the outer wall at a position that avoids the groove.

8. The cooking utensil according to claim 3, characterized in that, The trigger switch is located on the inner wall of the docking shell inside the receiving groove, and the contact of the trigger switch extends out of the docking shell. The hook of the docking mechanism is provided with a pressing end that cooperates with the contact.

9. The cooking utensil according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The water box is configured as an integrated water box, and the interior of the integrated water box is provided with spaced-apart clear water tanks and wastewater tanks.

10. The cooking utensil according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The cooking appliances include steam cooking equipment, steam-grill equipment, or microwave cooking equipment.

Images