Exhaust window assembly, cover assembly and multifunctional cooking utensil
By designing an exhaust window assembly with a pivotable damper, the problem of manually adjusting the exhaust port in different modes of multifunctional cooking appliances is solved, enabling automatic adjustment and improving ease of use and safety.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202410653466.5
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-05-23
- Publication Date
- 2025-11-25
AI Technical Summary
Existing multi-functional cooking appliances require manual adjustment of the vent in different cooking modes, which is inconvenient to use and prone to errors, resulting in poor cooking results or safety hazards.
An exhaust window assembly has been designed, including a pivotable damper that can automatically adjust the size of the exhaust port according to the amount of air inside the cooking appliance, achieving automatic adjustment without manual intervention.
The exhaust vent size is automatically adjusted in different cooking modes to meet ventilation requirements, improving ease of use and safety.
Smart Images
Figure CN121003377A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of household appliance technology, and in particular to an exhaust window assembly for a multi-functional cooking appliance, a cover assembly including the exhaust window assembly, and a multi-functional cooking appliance including the cover assembly. Background Technology
[0002] To improve user convenience and reduce kitchen space requirements, multi-functional cooking appliances have emerged on the market, especially those combining convection cooking (e.g., air frying / baking) and conduction cooking (e.g., steaming, pressure cooking). These appliances can be broadly categorized into two types: one with multiple lids, allowing users to select different lids for different cooking functions; and the other with a single lid that can be switched between different cooking modes, enabling different cooking functions without needing to change lids. Clearly, the latter type is more convenient and takes up significantly less space. However, convection and conduction cooking have different ventilation requirements. In convection cooking, the cooking space needs to be open to the atmosphere, typically with a large amount of hot air being expelled from the appliance, thus requiring a large exhaust vent. Conversely, in conduction cooking, the opposite is true.
[0003] Some known single-lid multi-functional cooking appliances include an exhaust vent assembly, typically operated manually by opening or closing a damper to meet ventilation needs in different cooking modes. Specifically, during convection cooking, the damper is manually opened to increase the exhaust vent, while during conduction cooking, the damper is manually closed to reduce or eliminate the exhaust vent. Clearly, such multi-functional cooking appliances requiring manual intervention are inconvenient to use, and users may forget to perform the corresponding operation in the appropriate mode, leading to poor cooking results or even potential dangers. Summary of the Invention
[0004] One of the purposes of this application is to overcome the aforementioned technical problems, namely, to provide a multifunctional cooking appliance that is more convenient to use and can automatically adjust the size of the exhaust port.
[0005] According to one aspect of this application, an exhaust window assembly for a multi-functional cooking appliance is provided, comprising an exhaust window, an exhaust pipe connected to the exhaust window and at least partially open at its lower end, and a damper hinged to the lower end of the exhaust pipe. The damper is pivotable between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the damper is in a vertical plane and extends vertically downward from the lower end of the exhaust pipe. In the second position, the damper forms an angle α with the vertical plane. After the exhaust window assembly with the above structure is installed on the multi-functional cooking appliance, its movable damper can automatically adjust its position according to the amount of air exhausted from the cooking appliance. Therefore, throughout the entire operation of the multi-functional cooking appliance, the size of the exhaust port covered by the damper can be automatically adjusted without manual intervention, thereby meeting the different ventilation requirements of different cooking modes.
[0006] According to some embodiments of this application, the angle α is contained between 0° and 90°.
[0007] According to some embodiments of this application, the exhaust pipe is a tubular structure with a generally rectangular cross-section and a fully open lower pipe opening, including a front wall and a rear wall and two opposing side walls connecting the front wall and the rear wall. The damper is a generally rectangular flat plate and is hinged to the two opposing side walls near the rear wall. The width W1 of the damper is smaller than the width W2 of the lower pipe opening.
[0008] According to another aspect of this application, a lid assembly for a multifunctional cooking appliance is provided, including a lid exhaust channel, an exhaust port communicating with the lid exhaust channel, a hot air assembly including a fan and a heating element, and an exhaust window assembly as described above, wherein the damper is pivotable between a first position and a second position in response to the operation of the fan, thereby closing or opening the exhaust port.
[0009] According to some embodiments of this application, the cover assembly also includes a recess that is substantially complementary in shape to the vent assembly, in which the vent assembly is detachably placed.
[0010] According to some embodiments of this application, the recess is defined by a vertical sidewall including an exhaust port and a horizontally extending bottom wall. When the damper is in a first position, the damper fits against the vertical sidewall and can completely cover the exhaust port, and there is a gap between the lower end of the damper and the bottom wall.
[0011] According to another aspect of this application, a multifunctional cooking appliance is provided, including a body having an opening at the top and a lid assembly as described above, the lid assembly being capable of covering the opening.
[0012] It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit the invention. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the specification, drawings, and claims. Attached Figure Description
[0013] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that these drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. For illustrative purposes, these drawings may not be drawn to scale.
[0014] Figure 1 This is a schematic perspective view of a multifunctional cooking appliance in an open state according to some embodiments of this application.
[0015] Figure 2 This is a schematic perspective view of a multi-functional cooking appliance in a closed state according to some embodiments of this application, wherein the exhaust window assembly has not yet been installed.
[0016] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Enlarged view of the central exhaust window assembly.
[0017] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A bottom-view perspective of the central exhaust window assembly.
[0018] Figure 5 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a multifunctional cooking appliance in a closed state according to some embodiments of this application.
[0019] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 Enlarged view of the portion within the dashed box.
[0020] List of reference numerals
[0021] 10. Multifunctional cooking appliance; 1. Lid assembly; 11. Recess; 12. Air inlet cover; 13. Air inlet; 14. Motor; 15. Fan; 16. Heating element; 17. Exhaust port; 18. Vertical side wall of the recess; 19. Bottom wall of the recess; 2. Body; 21. Opening; 3. Exhaust window assembly; 31. Exhaust window; 32. Exhaust pipe; 33. Air damper; 34. Vent hole; 35. Mounting hole; 36. Protruding pin; 37. Side wall; 38. Front wall; 39. Rear wall. Detailed Implementation
[0022] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with the present invention. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses, systems, devices, and methods consistent with some aspects of the present invention.
[0023] Figure 1 and Figure 2The schematic perspective views illustrate a multi-functional cooking appliance 10 in both open and closed states according to some embodiments of this application. The multi-functional cooking appliance 10 includes a body 2 with an opening 21 at the top, and a lid assembly 1 capable of covering the opening 21. Figure 1 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 As shown, the lid assembly 1 includes a hot air assembly with a fan 15 and a heating element 16, a lid exhaust channel, and an exhaust port 17 communicating with the lid exhaust channel. Furthermore, the lid assembly 1 may also include conventional components such as an air inlet cover 12, an air inlet 13, and a motor 14 for driving the fan 15, which will not be described in detail here. The multi-functional cooking appliance 10 may also include another heating element (not shown) located at the bottom of the body 2. The multi-functional cooking appliance 10 according to embodiments of this application is configured to operate in multiple cooking modes, including convection cooking mode, conduction cooking mode, and combined cooking mode, according to the user's needs, without requiring replacement of the lid assembly.
[0024] In this application, "convection cooking mode" includes any cooking mode that creates a dry cooking environment in the cooking space, such as, but not limited to, air frying, baking, grilling, and dehydration. In this mode, the fan 15 and heating element 16 are working, while another heating element located at the bottom of the body 2 may be working or not working as needed. "Conduction cooking mode" includes any cooking mode that creates a humid cooking environment in the cooking space, such as, but not limited to, pressure cooking, steam cooking, and slow cooking. In this mode, the heating element 16 and / or another heating element located at the bottom of the body 2 are working, while the fan 15 is not working. "Combined cooking mode" includes any combination of convection cooking mode and conduction cooking mode, such as, but not limited to, steam-then-bake mode (abbreviated as steam-baking mode) and pressure-cook-then-air-fry mode.
[0025] According to some embodiments of this application, such as Figure 2 As shown, the cover assembly 1 also includes an exhaust window assembly 3 and a recess 11 whose shape is generally complementary to that of the exhaust window assembly 3. The exhaust window assembly 3 can be detachably placed in the recess 11, that is, the user can easily insert the exhaust window assembly 3 into or remove it from the recess 11 without using any tools. In this way, the user can easily remove the exhaust window assembly 3 for thorough cleaning.
[0026] According to some embodiments of this application, such as Figure 3 As shown, the exhaust window assembly 3 includes an exhaust window 31, an exhaust pipe 32 connected to the exhaust window 31 and at least partially open at its lower end, and a damper 33 hinged to the lower end of the exhaust pipe 32. Figures 3 to 6As shown, the damper 33 is pivotable between a first position 33A and a second position 33B. In the first position, the damper 33 is in a vertical plane and extends vertically downward from the lower end of the exhaust pipe 32. In the second position, the damper 33 forms an angle α with the vertical plane, preferably between 0° and 90°. Figure 6 As shown, after the exhaust window assembly 3 is installed in the recess 11, the damper 33 can pivot between a first position 33A and a second position 33B in response to the operation of the fan 15, thereby closing or opening the exhaust port 17. In other words, when the fan 15 is not running (e.g., when the multi-functional cooking appliance is in conduction cooking mode), the damper 33 is in a naturally suspended state, just covering the exhaust port 17. The steam generated inside the cooking appliance will be discharged through the gap next to the damper 33, then enter the exhaust pipe 32 from the open lower end of the exhaust pipe 32, and finally be discharged to the atmosphere through the vent hole 34 on the exhaust window 31. When the fan 15 is running (e.g., when the multi-functional cooking appliance is in convection cooking mode), the fan 15 will generate air in the exhaust channel, which blows towards the exhaust port 17, blowing up the damper 33 covering the exhaust port 17, causing the exhaust port 17 to open at least partially, so that the air discharged from the exhaust port 17 bypasses the damper 33, and is discharged to the atmosphere through the vent hole 34 on the exhaust window 31 via the exhaust pipe 32. Figure 5 , Figure 6 Arrow A in the diagram indicates the direction of airflow. Since the position of the damper 33 can be automatically adjusted according to the operation of the fan 15, the size of the exhaust vent can be automatically adjusted throughout the entire operation of the multi-functional cooking appliance without manual intervention, thereby meeting the different ventilation needs of different cooking modes.
[0027] Understandably, the greater the operating power of fan 15, the greater the airflow at exhaust port 17, and the greater the height to which damper 33 is raised. This means the angle α between damper 33 and the vertical plane is larger, closer to 90°. However, the closer angle α is to 90°, the smaller the angle between damper 33 and the horizontal plane containing the lower end of exhaust pipe 32. This results in more obstruction of the lower opening of exhaust pipe 32 by damper 33, and a smaller amount of air discharged into the atmosphere through vent hole 34 via exhaust pipe 32. Therefore, when angle α is approximately 45°, the amount of air ultimately discharged into the atmosphere through vent hole 34 on exhaust window 31 is the greatest.
[0028] According to some embodiments of this application, such as Figure 2 and Figure 6As shown, the recess 11 is defined by a vertical sidewall 18 including an exhaust port 17 and a horizontally extending bottom wall 19. When the damper 33 is in the first position 33A, the damper 33 fits against the vertical sidewall 18 and completely covers the exhaust port 17, with a gap between the lower end of the damper 33 and the bottom wall 19. Because the damper 33 fits against the vertical sidewall 18 and completely covers the exhaust port 17 when in the first position 33A, the gap around the damper 33 can be minimized, ensuring relative sealing during the conductive cooking mode. At the same time, because there is a gap between the lower end of the damper 33 and the bottom wall 19, the damper 33 can pivot smoothly without getting stuck due to interference with the bottom wall 19.
[0029] According to some embodiments of this application, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the exhaust pipe 32 is a tubular structure with a generally rectangular cross-section and a fully open lower pipe opening 30, including a front wall 38 and a rear wall 39, and two opposing side walls 37 connecting the front wall 38 and the rear wall 39. The damper 33 is a generally rectangular flat plate and is hinged to the two opposing side walls 37 near the rear wall 39. The width W1 of the damper 33 is smaller than the width W2 of the lower pipe opening 30 (i.e., the distance between the front wall 38 and the rear wall 39). However, it should be understood that the exhaust pipe 32 may also have other cross-sectional shapes, such as square, polygonal, or semi-circular, and correspondingly, the damper 33 has a shape that is approximately the same as the cross-sectional shape. In this application, "front wall" refers to the outer wall or the wall closer to the user when the exhaust window assembly 3 is in normal use on the multi-functional cooking appliance 10, while "rear wall" is the inner wall or the wall farther from the user. In the above embodiments, as Figure 3 , Figure 4 As shown, each of the two opposing sidewalls 37 of the exhaust pipe 32 includes a mounting hole 35, and the damper 33 includes a pin 36 at both ends. Each pin 36 is inserted into the mounting hole 35 on the corresponding side, so that the damper 33 is hinged to the two opposing sidewalls 37. Of course, the pins can also be provided on the inner surface of the sidewalls 37, and the corresponding mounting holes can be provided at both ends of the damper 33. It should be understood that the damper 33 can also be hinged to the lower end of the exhaust pipe 32 by any other suitable mechanism.
[0030] Since the damper 33 is a roughly rectangular flat plate hinged to two opposing side walls 37 near the rear wall 39, after the exhaust window assembly 3 is installed in the recess 11, when the damper 33 is in the first position 33A, the horizontal distance between it and the vertical side wall 18 of the recess 11 is minimized, thereby minimizing the gap between the damper 33 and the exhaust port 17 and ensuring relative sealing during the conductive cooking mode. Simultaneously, since the width W1 of the damper 33 is smaller than the width W2 of the lower pipe opening 30, even when the damper 33 is blown to a near-horizontal position, it will not completely cover the lower pipe opening 30 and obstruct air from being discharged through the exhaust pipe 32.
[0031] Unless otherwise defined, the technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. The singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” used herein are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term “and / or” as may be used herein refers to and includes any or all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
[0032] Terms such as “upper,” “lower,” “left,” “right,” “front,” “back,” “thickness,” “radial,” and “axial,” used herein to describe the relationship of one feature relative to another, as shown in the accompanying drawings, are for illustrative purposes and are not limited to a single location or spatial orientation. It is understood that, depending on the product's placement, the terms describing spatial relative positions may be intended to include different orientations besides those shown in the figures, and should not be interpreted as limiting. Furthermore, the descriptive term “horizontal,” as used herein, is not entirely equivalent to being perpendicular to the direction of gravity and allows for a certain angle of inclination. The terms “including” or “comprising” and similar expressions used herein mean that the elements or objects preceding “including” or “comprising” encompass the elements or objects listed following “including” or “comprising” and their equivalents, but do not exclude other elements or objects.
[0033] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to..." another component, it can be directly on the surface of the other component or at a distance from the surface of the other component. The terms "mounted," "connected," "linked," and "fixed" should be interpreted broadly. For example, it can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; it can be a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a connection that allows communication between the components; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can refer to the internal communication between two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise explicitly defined.
[0034] It should be understood that the terms "first," "second," and similar terms used in this application specification do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components.
[0035] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of this application.
Claims
1. A vent assembly (3) for a multi-functional cooking appliance (10), characterized in that, The exhaust window assembly (3) includes an exhaust window (31), an exhaust pipe (32) connected to the exhaust window (31) and at least partially open at its lower end, and a damper (33) hinged to the lower end of the exhaust pipe (32). The damper (33) is pivotable between a first position (33A) and a second position (33B). In the first position (33A), the damper (33) is in a vertical plane and extends vertically downward from the lower end of the exhaust pipe (32). In the second position (33B), the damper (33) forms an angle α with the vertical plane.
2. The exhaust window assembly (3) as claimed in claim 1, wherein, Angle α is between 0° and 90°.
3. The exhaust window assembly (3) as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein, The exhaust pipe (32) is a tubular structure with a roughly rectangular cross-section and a fully open lower pipe opening (30), including a front wall (38) and a rear wall (39) and two opposing side walls (37) connecting the front wall (38) and the rear wall (39). The damper (33) is a roughly rectangular flat plate and is hinged to the two opposing side walls (37) near the rear wall (39). The width W1 of the damper (33) is smaller than the width W2 of the lower pipe opening (30).
4. A lid assembly (1) for a multi-functional cooking appliance (10), comprising a lid exhaust channel, an exhaust port (17) communicating with the lid exhaust channel, and a hot air assembly comprising a fan (15) and a heating element (16), characterized in that, The cover assembly (1) includes an exhaust window assembly (3) as described in any of the preceding claims, wherein the damper (33) is pivotable between a first position and a second position in response to the operation of the fan (15), thereby closing or opening the exhaust port (17).
5. The cover assembly (1) as claimed in claim 4, wherein, The cover assembly (1) also includes a recess (11) whose shape is generally complementary to that of the vent assembly (3), in which the vent assembly (3) is detachably placed.
6. The cover assembly (1) as claimed in claim 5, wherein, The recess (11) is defined by a vertical sidewall (18) including an exhaust port (17) and a horizontally extending bottom wall (19). When the damper (33) is in the first position, the damper (33) fits against the vertical sidewall (18) and can completely cover the exhaust port (17), and there is a gap between the lower end of the damper (33) and the bottom wall (19).
7. A multifunctional cooking appliance (10), comprising a body (2) having an opening (21) at the top, characterized in that, The multi-functional cooking appliance (10) further includes a lid assembly (1) as described in any one of claims 4-6, the lid assembly (1) being capable of covering the opening (21).