Oven

Abstract

An oven, preferably a table top steam oven, where the oven comprises: a box-shaped outer frame defining a cooking chamber and comprising a door movable between a substantially vertical closed position, in which the door isolates the cooking chamber, and a substantially horizontal open position, in which a user is accessible to the cooking chamber; the door comprises: an outer panel; an inner panel disposed in use between the outer panel and the cooking chamber and at a distance from the outer panel; an optional intermediate panel; and a door frame configured to support the panel and coupled to the outer frame via a hinge to allow movement of the door; the oven includes: a droplet collection profile coupled on one side to a lower edge of the inner panel and on the other side to the door frame; wherein a coupling between the droplet collection profile and the door frame is selectively releasable.

Description

[0001] CITATION OF RELATED APPLICATION

[0002] This patent application claims priority from Italian patent application No. 102024000008596, filed on April 16, 2024, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present invention relates to an oven, preferably a countertop steam oven, comprising a movable door provided with an outer panel and an inner panel, one face of which is exposed to the cooking chamber. In this context, the present invention will solve the problem of how to make the inner panel removable in a simple way, without adding new elements, for its cleaning. BACKGROUND

[0004] As known, ovens comprise a cooking chamber, which is delimited by a substantially box-shaped frame and is accessible by acting on a movable door. One of the main functions of the oven door is to prevent the heat in the cooking chamber from being lost, while at the same time allowing visual control of the food being cooked. In addition, the oven door must be properly insulated to prevent excessive heating of the outer surface of the door. Therefore, the currently known doors comprise a frame that supports a plurality of panels, made at least in part of transparent material and arranged at a distance from each other to form a gap between each panel. During cooking, the inner face of the inner panel, which faces the cooking chamber, tends to get dirty, so it is sometimes necessary to remove the inner panel from the door to allow effective and thorough cleaning. Therefore, it is known that the inner panel can be selectively removed from the rest of the structure. In the case of steam ovens, it is also known to equip the lower edge of the door with a droplet collection profile configured so as to collect the droplets that can be present on the inner face of the inner panel during the opening of the oven and to direct them into a tank inside the oven.

[0005] On the basis of the prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to easily remove the inner panel without adding additional components. In fact, according to the present invention, the function of making the inner panel removable will be transferred to components already present in the oven and only modified in a specific way. SUMMARY

[0006] According to the present invention, an oven, preferably a steam oven (e.g. countertop), is proposed, wherein the oven comprises:

[0007] - a box-shaped outer frame, which delimits the cooking chamber and comprises a front door, which is movable between a substantially vertical closed position, in which it insulates the cooking chamber, and a substantially horizontal open position, in which the user can access the cooking chamber and the inner face of the door itself (preferably by rotation about an axis passing through the lower edge of the front door).

[0008] In this structure, the door of the application comprises:

[0009] - an outer panel;

[0010] - an inner panel, arranged in use between the outer panel and the cooking chamber and arranged at a distance from the outer panel; the inner panel thus has a face which is directly exposed in use to the cooking chamber;

[0011] - a preferably intermediate panel;

[0012] - a door frame configured to support the panels and coupled at the bottom to the outer frame via a hinge to enable movement of the door.

[0013] If necessary, a third panel can also be provided between the outer panel and the inner panel.

[0014] The oven of the application is a steam oven (i.e. it can also perform steam cooking) and comprises a drip collecting profile which is coupled on one side to the lower edge of the inner panel and on the other side to the door frame. The drip collecting profile preferably extends substantially along the lower edge of the inner panel and is configured so as to collect, during the opening of the oven, the drips that can be present falling downwards from the inner face of the inner panel and to direct them towards a fixed channel (formed in the outer frame, for example in the inner face of the lower wall of the outer frame) to discharge them into a tank inside the oven.

[0015] The inner panel is then connected at its lower edge to the door frame via the drip collecting profile.

[0016] In this context, according to a main aspect of the application, the coupling between the drip collecting profile and the door frame is of the selectively releasable type.

[0017] According to the application, therefore, the drip collecting profile also implements the function of the releasable coupling and has been modified accordingly (as well as the door frame which has been modified in the part that couples with the drip collecting profile).

[0018] The releasable coupling between the drip collecting profile and the door frame is accessible by the user in the case of at least partial opening of the door and is made in the form of one or more elastic lips that protrude from the drip collecting profile towards the corresponding parts of the door frame that have realized one or more window seats. Thanks to their elasticity, the lips flex to enter the window (which has an inclined profile to facilitate coupling) and once inserted, the lips return to their position and remain locked in the window (special steps are provided on the lips). To release the lips, the user simply has to press on the lips to make them exit the window (rear position). In this position, the lower edge of the inner panel can be lifted. This lifting is allowed because the upper edge of the inner panel (opposite the drip catcher) is simply housed in one or more U-shaped seats in the door frame and therefore the panel can be rotated around the upper edge that remains housed in the U-shaped seat (obviously, the opposite edge is free). In the position of rotation around the upper edge, the inner panel can be detached from the door frame by simply sliding the upper edge out of the U-shaped seat.

[0019] Preferably, the two elastic lips are substantially provided at the two opposite ends of the drip collecting profile.

[0020] Preferably, the coupling between the drip collecting profile and the lower edge of the inner panel is also selectively releasable. For example, the drip collecting profile can comprise at least one U-shaped seat (preferably at the lips) to receive the lower edge of the inner panel. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0021] For a better understanding of the present application, a preferred embodiment thereof will now be described, purely by way of example and without limitation, with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

[0022] - Figure 1 is a schematic view of a hob oven that can be improved by the present application;

[0023] - Figure 2 is Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of some elements of the oven in

[0024] - Figure 3 is Figure 2 is an enlarged view of a detail indicated by III in

[0025] - Figure 4 is Figure 1 is an enlarged view of a portion of the oven door in

[0026] - Figures 5 to 7 illustrates successive steps in the process of detaching the inner panel. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a countertop oven 1 that can be improved by the present invention. The oven 1 is of the countertop type (not built-in) and comprises a box-shaped outer frame 2 that defines a cooking cavity. The oven 1 thus comprises a front door 3 that can be rotated about its lower edge to allow the oven to be opened from the oven. Figure 1 The front door 3 is switched from its central position (in which the front door closes the cooking cavity) to a horizontal position substantially flush with the lower wall of the outer frame 2. In this horizontal position, the user can freely approach the cooking cavity and the inner face of the door 3. Figure 1 Reference numerals 14 and 15 in the drawing denote handles for moving the door 3 and controls for actuating the oven 1 .

[0028] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of some components of the oven. Figure 2 It is possible to see how, in this example, door 3 (moving along arrow F) comprises an outer panel 4, an inner panel 5, and an intermediate panel 15. These panels are supported parallel to and spaced apart from one another by a door frame 6, which takes the form of two vertical columns extending from the lower edge of the panels to the upper edge of the panels. The outer panel 4 is non-detachably attached to the door frame 6, while the inner panel 5 according to the present invention is detachable. In the example shown in the figure, an intermediate panel is also present, which can also be detachably joined. Figure 3 yes Figure 2 1 and 2 , and shows an enlarged view of a detail of the portion indicated with III and showing a droplet collecting profile 7 coupled to the lower edge of the inner panel 5. The droplet collecting profile 7 is configured so as to collect any droplets that may fall due to gravity along the inner face of the inner panel 3 during the oven being open, and to direct them towards the channel 16 of the frame 2 in order to drain them into a tank inside the oven 1.

[0029] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 An enlarged view of a portion of an oven door in FIG. 1 illustrates how the upright portion 6 (door frame) is coupled to the inner panel 5. This example shows the lower edge of the inner panel 5 inserted into a U-shaped seat 12 of a drip-collection profile 7, which in turn is coupled to the lower portion of the upright portion 6 by means of a releasable snap-fit ​​coupling 8. This releasable snap-fit ​​coupling 8 comprises a resilient lip 9 that snaps into a corresponding window seat 10 implemented in the upright portion 6. Similar couplings 8 are also present on the opposite side of the lower edge of the inner panel 5. In contrast, the upper edge of the panel 5 is inserted only into a U-shaped seat 11 implemented in the upper portion of the upright portion 6. The side edges of the inner panel 5 rest only against the upright portion 6 (without engaging or inserting into dedicated seats). Reference numeral 17 designates a seat that accommodates a hinge (not shown) for coupling the door 3 to the rest of the oven 1.

[0030] Figures 5 to 7The successive steps in the process of dismounting the inner panel 5 are shown. Figure 5 In the figure, it is the state as it is presented to the user when the oven 1 is opened. In the case of the door being open, the lip 9 is accessible. By pressing the lip 9, the lip is released from the window 10 (rear position) and the lower edge of the inner panel 5 can be lifted by rotating the panel 5 around the upper edge which is accommodated in the seat 11. This position is visible in Figure 6 In the figure, it is the state as it is presented to the user when the oven 1 is opened. In the case of the door being open, the lip 9 is accessible. By pressing the lip 9, the lip is released from the window 10 (rear position) and the lower edge of the inner panel 5 can be lifted by rotating the panel 5 around the upper edge which is accommodated in the seat 11. This position is visible in Figure 7 It is shown how the profile 7 can also be dismounted from the panel 5, since the lower edge is only accommodated in the U-shaped seat 12.

[0031] Once the inner panel has been dismounted, the intermediate panel in this example is also dismountable, since this panel is also held in place in use by the liquid drop collecting profile by means of the special ribs which extend beyond the inner panel towards the inner side of the door. The intermediate panel also has an upper edge which can be slid out like the inner panel.

[0032] It is clear that changes and variations can be made to the oven described and shown herein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the attached claims.

Claims

1. A steam oven (1), preferably a countertop steam oven, wherein, The oven (1) comprises: - a box-shaped outer frame (2) defining a cooking chamber and comprising a door (3) movable between a substantially vertical closed position, in which it isolates the cooking chamber, and a substantially horizontal open position, in which a user can access the cooking chamber; wherein the door (3) is rotatable about an axis passing through a lower edge of the door and comprises: - an outer panel (4); - an inner panel (5) arranged, in use, between the outer panel (4) and the cooking chamber at a distance from the outer panel (4); - a preferably intermediate panel (15) arranged between the outer panel (4) and the inner panel (5); and - a door frame (6) configured to support the panels and coupled to the outer frame (2) via a hinge to enable movement of the door (3); and - a droplet collection profile (7) coupled to a lower edge of the inner panel (5) and to the door frame (6); wherein the droplet collection profile (7) extends substantially along the entire lower edge of the inner panel (5) and is configured to collect droplets that can be present on the inner face of the inner panel (5) during opening of the oven (1) and to direct them to a tank inside the oven (1); wherein the coupling (8) between the droplet collection profile (7) and the door frame (6) is selectively releasable, is accessible by a user in the event of at least partial opening of the door (3) and comprises at least one resilient lip (9) implemented on the droplet collection profile (7) and a corresponding window seat (10) implemented on the door frame (6), or at least one said resilient lip implemented on the door frame and a corresponding said window seat implemented on the droplet collection profile.

2. The oven of claim 1, wherein, There are two said resilient lips (9) substantially at the two ends of the droplet collection profile (7).

3. The oven according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The upper edge of the inner panel (5) is housed by sliding into at least one U-shaped seat (11) of the door frame (6) so that, after the coupling between the droplet collection profile (7) and the door frame (6) is released, the inner panel (5) can first be rotated about the upper edge of the inner panel that is still in the seat (11) and then can be detached from the door (3) by sliding the upper edge out of the corresponding at least one seat (11).

4. The oven of claim 3, wherein, The two said U-shaped seats (11) are substantially provided at the two ends of the upper edge of the inner panel (5).

5. The oven according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The coupling between the droplet collection profile (7) and the lower edge of the inner panel (5) is selectively releasable.

6. The oven of claim 5, wherein, The droplet collection profile (7) comprises at least one U-shaped seat (12) for housing the lower edge of the inner panel (5).

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