Elastic floating mechanism and flat oven

Abstract

The application discloses an elastic floating mechanism and a flat plate oven, and relates to the technical field of baking ovens. The elastic floating mechanism comprises a lifting support, a fixing base, a sliding base, an annular wavy steel sheet and a baking tray. A sliding cavity is arranged on the top of the sliding base. At least three through grooves are arranged on the cavity wall of the sliding cavity in the radial direction. A wedge block is arranged in each through groove. The fixing base and the sliding base form rigid support in the vertical direction, which guarantees the levelness of the baking tray and the control precision of the inclination angle. The annular space between the fixing base and the sliding base forms elastic floating in the horizontal direction, which releases the thermal expansion stress. The wedge block of the sliding cavity and the locking round boss of the baking tray can realize automatic locking and anti-overturning, improve the safety of inclined oil discharge, and automatically lock and unlock the baking tray. The operation is simple. The four corners are independently floated and synchronously locked. The baking tray is evenly stressed, and overall stable support is formed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of baking oven technology, and in particular to an elastic floating mechanism and a flat baking oven. Background Technology

[0002] A flatbed oven typically consists of an oven body, a baking tray mounted on the oven body, and a heating element. The baking tray holds the food, and the heating element heats the tray to sear or grill the food. During searing or grilling, food releases oil. If this oil cannot drain away in time, it accumulates on the surface of the baking tray, causing food to stick, increasing smoke, and affecting the taste of the food. Therefore, some flatbed ovens have drain holes on the baking tray and tilt the tray towards the corner where the drain holes are located to allow the oil to collect and drain. Currently, most flatbed ovens have fixed baking trays with non-adjustable angles or only coarse adjustments via manual mechanical mechanisms. Manual adjustment is inconvenient, has low precision, and makes it difficult to adjust the tray's position in real time according to the ingredients and the amount of oil during cooking.

[0003] To address these issues, traditional solutions employ a four-corner lifting mechanism to adjust the baking pan's posture. During lifting, the lifting screw typically rotates, generating rotational friction and torsional loads between its end and the pan's support point. This can cause the support point to shift, or even lead to pan deflection, affecting the accuracy of posture adjustment. If the pan is rigidly fixed to the support point, the horizontal stress generated by thermal expansion during baking will be transmitted to the support structure and the pan itself, leading to pan deformation, bending of the support screw, and overload of the drive motor. Furthermore, when the pan tilts towards the corner where the drain hole is located to drain oil, the pan's center of gravity shifts, posing a risk of slipping off the support point or even tipping over. Existing limiting structures are mostly fixed blocks, providing rigid resistance only at extreme positions. They cannot provide reliable anti-slip protection within normal tilt ranges and cannot accommodate horizontal displacement caused by the pan's thermal expansion. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide an elastic floating mechanism and a flat oven to solve one or more technical problems existing in the prior art, and at least provide a beneficial option or create conditions.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention employs the following technical solution: an elastic floating mechanism, comprising: The lifting support components are located at the four corners of the oven; The fixed base has a connecting hole at the bottom for fitting onto the lifting support member, and a floating cavity is provided on the top surface of the fixed base, with the bottom of the floating cavity expanding outward toward the side wall. A sliding seat is disposed in the floating cavity of the fixed seat, with its bottom surface abutting against the bottom surface of the floating cavity. The bottom of the sliding seat contracts inward, so that the outer peripheral surface of the sliding seat and the outwardly expanding sidewall of the floating cavity form an annular space. An annular corrugated steel sheet is disposed within the annular space to provide a horizontal elastic restoring force to the sliding seat; The baking tray has a U-shaped positioning platform at the bottom corresponding to the lifting support. The positioning platform has a locking round protrusion at the center. The top of the sliding seat extends into the positioning platform and its top surface directly abuts against the bottom surface of the baking tray. The top of the sliding seat is recessed to form a sliding cavity. The cavity wall of the sliding cavity is provided with at least three through grooves in the radial direction. Each through groove is provided with a wedge. The wedge has an outer arc end located outside the sliding cavity and an inner arc end located inside the sliding cavity. The inner arc end is provided with a first inclined surface. The end of the locking round boss is provided with a second inclined surface. When the locking round boss is inserted into the sliding cavity, the first inclined surface abuts against the second inclined surface, so that each wedge is pushed outward in the radial direction synchronously under the action of the inclined surface. The outer arc end of the wedge abuts against the inner side of the positioning table.

[0006] This invention provides rigid support in the vertical direction through a fixed base and a sliding base, ensuring precise control of the baking pan's levelness and tilt angle. The annular space between the fixed and sliding bases creates elastic floating in the horizontal direction, releasing thermal expansion stress and protecting the baking pan, screw, and motor. Simultaneously, the fixed base moves freely relative to the sliding base in the rotational circumference, preventing the screw rotation from causing the baking pan to deflect. The wedge block in the sliding cavity and the locking boss of the baking pan automatically lock to prevent tipping, improving the safety of tilting and oil drainage. The invention features automatic locking when the pan is placed down and automatic unlocking when it is lifted, making operation simple. The four corners float independently and lock synchronously, ensuring uniform force on the baking pan and forming a stable overall support.

[0007] As a further improvement of the present invention: the annular corrugated steel sheet is a spring steel sheet that undulates in a circumferential direction, with its crests and troughs arranged alternately. The outer side of the annular corrugated steel sheet abuts against the outer sidewall of the floating cavity, and its inner side abuts against the outer peripheral surface of the sliding seat.

[0008] This improved design places the annular corrugated steel sheet in a horizontal annular space, with its elastic deformation direction being horizontal and not connected in series in the vertical force transmission path. The vertical load is borne by the surface contact between the bottom surface of the sliding seat and the bottom surface of the floating cavity. Therefore, the lifting amount of the four corner lifting screws can be rigidly and accurately transmitted to the height change of the four corners of the baking pan, realizing the decoupling of vertical rigidity and horizontal elasticity, and ensuring the accuracy of baking pan attitude control.

[0009] As a further improvement of the present invention: the outer arc end of the wedge is provided with an outer arc surface, and the inner side of the positioning platform is provided with an inner arc surface that matches the outer arc surface; when the wedge is pushed out, the outer arc surface and the inner arc surface are in surface contact and fit together.

[0010] This improved design maximizes the contact area through curved surface mating, reducing contact stress, improving locking reliability and service life, increasing the contact area, enhancing locking friction, and preventing damage to the wedge and positioning table due to excessive local stress.

[0011] As a further improvement of the present invention: A return spring is provided on each side of the wedge, and baffles are provided on the two sides of the radially outer end of the through groove. The baffles abut against one end of the return spring, and the other end of the return spring abuts against the wedge. When the baking tray is pulled up or the locking round boss leaves the sliding cavity, the return spring provides spring force to retract each wedge into the sliding cavity. This improved solution achieves automatic reset of the wedges, ensuring smooth operation of placing and removing the tray.

[0012] As a further improvement of the present invention: the inner arc ends of the plurality of wedges abut against each other after retraction, thereby limiting excessive retraction of each wedge. The combined profile of the top edges of the inner arc ends of the plurality of wedges after enclosing is larger than the outer diameter of the locking round boss end, ensuring that the locking round boss can still be inserted. As the locking round boss continues to descend, its second inclined surface contacts the first inclined surface of the wedge and pushes the wedge outward.

[0013] As a further improvement of the present invention: the sliding cavity of the sliding seat is provided with an axially penetrating screw hole at its center, and the center of the fixed seat is provided with a through hole, the diameter of which is larger than the diameter of the screw hole; It also includes a stud, which passes through the through hole from the bottom of the fixed seat and is threaded into the threaded hole. The head diameter of the stud is larger than the diameter of the through hole. After the stud is screwed in, its tail end does not protrude out of the threaded hole, that is, the stud does not penetrate into the sliding cavity, ensuring that the locking round boss does not interfere with the stud when inserted into the sliding cavity, and is not tightened, that is, the head of the stud does not contact the through hole in the center of the fixed seat, leaving a gap of 0.5 to 1 mm in the axial direction, allowing the sliding seat to have a small vertical floating amount in the floating cavity. In order to prevent the sliding seat from falling out of the floating cavity, this improved solution does not restrict the rotation of the fixed seat relative to the sliding seat.

[0014] On the other hand, the present invention also provides a flat oven, including an oven body and an elastic floating mechanism as described above; The furnace body includes four surrounding side walls, the top of which is bent inward to form a supporting flange; The lifting support is suspended on the support flanges at the four corners of the furnace body. The lifting support includes a drive motor and a screw that is driven by the drive motor to achieve lifting. The drive motor is suspended on the bottom side of the support flange. The screw extends upward through the support flange from the bottom side of the support flange. The fixed seat is sleeved on the end of the screw.

[0015] When the four corners of this technical solution are raised and lowered synchronously, the baking pan is raised and lowered as a whole; when the four corners are raised and lowered differentially, the baking pan tilts in the X, Y, or a combination of directions. For example, if the baking pan is tilted towards a corner near the oil drain hole, the grease will collect towards the oil drain hole under the action of gravity. The four corner drive motors are independently controlled to achieve baking pan posture adjustment.

[0016] As a further improvement of the present invention: the furnace body is provided with a combustion chamber and a burner, the top edge of the combustion chamber wall is turned outward and overlaps the supporting flange, and the flame tube of the burner is located inside the combustion chamber; The bottom of the baking pan is equipped with a fire baffle plate, which extends along the left inner wall, the rear inner wall, and the right inner wall of the combustion chamber to block heat diffusion.

[0017] As a further improvement of the present invention: the baking tray is provided with an oil drain hole, and a pull-out oil tank is provided below the oil drain hole, which is pulled out from the side of the oven body. When the baking tray is tilted towards the corner where the oil drain hole is located, the grease collects towards the oil drain hole under the action of gravity and drips into the pull-out oil tank below. When the grease in the oil tank accumulates to a certain amount, the user can pull the oil tank out from the side of the oven body, empty the grease, and push it back in. Grease collection is convenient and cleaning is simple.

[0018] As a further improvement of the present invention, it also includes a liftable cover, which is disposed above the oven body and connected to the rear side by a hinge. A heat insulation plate is provided on the rear side of the cover. A certain distance is maintained between the heat insulation plate and the rear wall of the baking tray to prevent the heat insulation plate from directly contacting the rear wall of the baking tray and causing heat to be transferred to the heat insulation plate through solid conduction.

[0019] The heat insulation plate in this improved design is located inside the rear side of the cover, directly above the gap between the rear side of the baking pan and the combustion chamber. When the heat generated by the combustion chamber dissipates upwards from the gap behind the baking pan, the heat insulation plate first absorbs the radiation and convection of this high-temperature heat, effectively preventing heat from being transferred to the rear wall of the cover. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solution, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the flatbed oven in the embodiment; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the flatbed oven in the embodiment. Figure 3This is a schematic diagram of the elastic floating mechanism in the embodiment; Figure 4 An exploded view of the elastic floating mechanism in this embodiment; Figure 5 A top view of the positioning platform, locking round boss, and elastic floating mechanism in the embodiment; Figure 6 for Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure along the AA direction; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the baking pan used in an embodiment.

[0022] The markings in the diagram indicate: 100: Elastic floating mechanism; 110: Fixed seat; 111: Connecting hole; 112: Floating cavity; 120: Sliding seat; 121: Sliding cavity; 122: Through groove; 123: Baffle; 124: Screw hole; 130: Annular corrugated steel sheet; 140: Wedge block; 141: Outer arc end; 142: Inner arc end; 143: First inclined surface; 144: Return spring; 150: Stud; 210: Furnace body; 220: Baking tray; 221: Positioning platform; 222: Locking round boss; 223: Fire baffle; 224: Oil leakage hole; 230: Lifting support; 240: Combustion chamber; 250: Flame pipe; 260: Pull-out oil tank; 270: Cover. Detailed Implementation

[0023] In order to clearly and completely understand the technical solution, the present invention will be further described in conjunction with the embodiments and accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0024] It should be understood that, when used in this specification and the appended claims, the terms "comprising" and "including" indicate the presence of the described features, integrals, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integrals, steps, operations, elements, components and / or collections thereof.

[0025] It should also be understood that the terminology used in this specification is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the invention. As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0026] It should also be further understood that the term "and / or" as used in this specification and the appended claims refers to any combination of one or more of the associated listed items and all possible combinations, and includes such combinations.

[0027] An embodiment of the present invention provides an elastic floating mechanism 100 applied between the oven body 210 and the baking tray 220 of a flatbed oven, such as... Figures 1-7 As shown, it includes: Lifting support component 230 is located at the four corners of the oven; The fixed base 110 has a connecting hole 111 at the bottom for fitting into the lifting support 230. The top surface of the fixed base 110 has a floating cavity 112, and the bottom of the floating cavity 112 expands outward toward the side wall. The sliding seat 120 is disposed in the floating cavity 112 of the fixed seat, and its bottom surface abuts against the bottom surface of the floating cavity 112. The bottom of the sliding seat 120 contracts inward, so that the outer peripheral surface of the sliding seat 120 and the outwardly expanding side wall of the floating cavity 112 enclose an annular space. An annular corrugated steel sheet 130 is disposed within the annular space to provide a horizontal elastic restoring force to the sliding seat 120; The baking tray 220 has a U-shaped positioning platform 221 at the bottom corresponding to the lifting support 230. The positioning platform 221 has a locking round protrusion 222 at its center. The top of the sliding seat 120 extends into the positioning platform 221 and its top surface directly abuts against the bottom surface of the baking tray 220. The top of the sliding seat 120 is recessed to form a sliding cavity 121. The cavity wall of the sliding cavity 121 is provided with at least three through grooves 122 extending radially. Each through groove 122 is provided with a wedge 140. The wedge 140 has an outer arc end 141 located outside the sliding cavity 121 and an inner arc end 142 located inside the sliding cavity 121. The inner arc end 142 is provided with a first inclined surface 143. The end of the locking round boss 222 is provided with a second inclined surface. When the locking round boss 222 is inserted into the sliding cavity 121, the first inclined surface 143 abuts against the second inclined surface, so that each wedge 140 is pushed out radially in sync under the action of the inclined surface. The outer arc end 141 of the wedge 140 abuts against the inner side of the positioning platform 221.

[0028] In this embodiment, the lifting supports at the four corners are fixed to the oven body. Each lifting support includes a drive motor and a lifting screw driven by the drive motor. The connecting hole at the bottom of the fixing seat is fitted onto the end of the lifting screw, allowing the fixing seat to rotate synchronously with the lifting screw and to rise and fall with it. It should be noted that this invention does not impose any limitations on the structure and function of the lifting supports within the oven body. Those skilled in the art can implement this using existing means according to actual usage requirements. The lifting supports can employ a motor-driven screw lifting structure known in the art, as long as it can achieve independent lifting at the four corners; further details are omitted here.

[0029] To address the issue of pan support point drifting due to horizontal thermal expansion at temperatures of 200–300°C, this embodiment features a fixed base with its top surface sinking to form a floating cavity, the bottom of which expands outwards towards the sidewalls. After the sliding base is placed into the floating cavity, its bottom surface adheres to the bottom surface of the cavity, and the bottom of the sliding base contracts inwards, thus creating an annular space between the outer circumference of the sliding base and the outwardly expanding sidewalls of the floating cavity. An annular corrugated steel sheet is installed within this annular space. In traditional solutions, raising and lowering the baking pan requires rotating a screw. If a rigid support connection is used between the baking pan and the support, problems such as baking pan deformation, bending of the support screw, and overload of the drive motor may occur. If a spring is connected in series in the vertical direction to absorb the load, the spring compression changes with the load, causing the height of the four corners to become uncontrollable, and the levelness and preset tilt angle cannot be maintained. Therefore, the baking pan is mounted on the end of the screw. However, when the baking pan is at a high temperature, thermal expansion of the baking pan will cause the positioning platform and support point to drift. In this embodiment, the sliding seat and the fixed seat are rigidly supported in the vertical direction. The vertical load is borne by the surface contact between the bottom surface of the sliding seat and the bottom surface of the floating cavity. The annular corrugated steel sheet is not connected in series in the vertical force transmission path. Therefore, the raising and lowering amount of the four corner lifting screw can be rigidly and accurately transmitted to the height change of the four corners of the baking pan, ensuring the control accuracy of the levelness or preset tilt angle of the baking pan.

[0030] In this embodiment, the sliding seat and the fixed seat are elastically floating in the horizontal direction and movably connected in the rotational circumferential direction. The fixed seat can rotate synchronously with the screw while the sliding seat remains stationary. The annular space allows the sliding seat to move horizontally within the floating cavity, with a horizontal floating amount of ±1 to 3 mm. This floating amount is set by the radial width of the annular space and the pre-compression of the annular corrugated steel sheet. The sliding seat compresses the annular corrugated steel sheet, causing elastic deformation of the crests and troughs of the corrugated steel sheet, absorbing the horizontal displacement. In the vertical direction, the bottom surface of the sliding seat is always in contact with the bottom surface of the floating cavity, so thermal expansion will not change the height of the four corners of the baking pan. After the baking pan cools and contracts, the annular corrugated steel sheet releases its elastic potential energy, pushing the sliding seat back to the center position of the floating cavity, achieving automatic reset.

[0031] Furthermore, U-shaped positioning platforms are provided at the four corners of the bottom of the baking tray, and a locking round boss extending downwards is provided at the center of the positioning platform. When placing the tray, the top of the sliding seat extends into the U-shaped opening of the positioning platform, and the locking round boss is inserted into the sliding cavity at the top of the sliding seat. The second inclined surface at the end of the locking round boss abuts against the first inclined surface of the inner arc end of each wedge. Under the action of the inclined surface, each wedge is pushed outwards radially at the same time. The outer arc end of the wedge moves outwards and is pushed out, pressing against the inner side of the positioning platform. Since at least three wedges are evenly distributed circumferentially, a multi-point circumferential engagement is formed at a single positioning platform. After the positioning platforms at the four corners are all bitten by their respective wedges, the baking tray is locked with the four sliding seats in the horizontal direction, forming a whole force to prevent slippage or overturning when tilting to drain oil. When it is necessary to remove the baking tray, lift the baking tray upwards, and the locking round boss leaves the sliding cavity. The return springs on both sides of the wedge push the wedge to retract (described in more detail in the following embodiments).

[0032] In traditional designs, the center of gravity shifts when the baking pan is tilted to drain oil, posing a risk of slipping off the support or tipping over. This is especially true for traditional flatbed ovens where the baking pan rests directly on a support, relying on its own weight and the static friction between the support and the pan's bottom to maintain its position. When the pan is tilted to drain oil, gravity creates a downward force along the pan's plane. If the pan is loaded with a lot of heavy food, this downward force increases. Once it exceeds the maximum static friction, the pan begins to slide, and the friction between the contact surfaces changes from static to kinetic. However, the downward force of gravity remains unchanged, causing the pan to slide faster. The center of gravity shifts downward as the pan slides, increasing the tipping moment. The support on the higher side gradually loses contact, potentially causing the pan to slip off the support or even tip over in a short time. This instability is particularly dangerous under heavy loads and is difficult to prevent effectively with manual intervention. Therefore, this embodiment allows the baking pan to tilt and drain oil while preventing chain reactions of instability caused by slight slippage. The locking boss inserts into the sliding cavity, and the wedge is pushed radially out through the inclined mechanism. The outer arc end of the wedge presses against the inner side of the positioning platform. At this point, a mechanical engagement is formed between the baking pan and the sliding seat, rather than relying on friction. Even if the downward force increases, the locking force provided by the mechanical engagement is far greater than the frictional resistance. More importantly, the wedges at the four corners push outwards synchronously, and the baking pan is simultaneously engaged circumferentially at all four corners, forming a unified force-bearing structure. Synchronous locking at the four corners means that even if a slight slippage occurs at one corner, the locking of the other three corners can still constrain the overall displacement of the baking pan through the surface contact of the bottom surface and the connection of the positioning platform, avoiding the chain reaction of the support point sliding to the point of overall slippage, leading to a shift in the center of gravity and accelerated overturning, as is common in traditional solutions.

[0033] This invention provides rigid support in the vertical direction through a fixed base and a sliding base, ensuring precise control of the baking pan's levelness and tilt angle. The annular space between the fixed and sliding bases creates elastic floating in the horizontal direction, releasing thermal expansion stress and protecting the baking pan, screw, and motor. Simultaneously, the fixed base moves freely relative to the sliding base in the rotational circumference, preventing the screw rotation from causing the baking pan to deflect. The wedge block in the sliding cavity and the locking boss of the baking pan automatically lock to prevent tipping, improving the safety of tilting and oil drainage. The invention features automatic locking when the pan is placed down and automatic unlocking when it is lifted, making operation simple. The four corners float independently and lock synchronously, ensuring uniform force on the baking pan and forming a stable overall support.

[0034] In an optional embodiment, such as Figure 4 and Figure 6 As shown, the annular corrugated steel sheet 130 is a spring steel sheet that undulates in a circumferential direction, with its crests and troughs arranged alternately. The outer side of the annular corrugated steel sheet 130 abuts against the outwardly expanding sidewall of the floating cavity 112, and its inner side abuts against the outer peripheral surface of the sliding seat 120.

[0035] In this embodiment, the annular corrugated steel sheet is disposed within the annular space enclosed between the outer circumferential surface of the sliding seat and the outer expanding sidewall of the floating cavity. It is made of stainless steel spring steel strip. In its free state, the outer diameter of the annular corrugated steel sheet is slightly larger than the radial width of the annular space. During assembly, it is pre-compressed, ensuring that the annular corrugated steel sheet always applies a pre-tightening force to the outer circumferential surface of the sliding seat, guaranteeing that the sliding seat is positioned without gaps within the floating cavity. When the baking pan expands due to heat, the positioning platform or locking round boss drives the sliding seat to move horizontally within the floating cavity. The outer circumferential surface of the sliding seat compresses the crests of the annular corrugated steel sheet; the crests are compressed, and the troughs are stretched, causing the spring steel sheet to undergo elastic deformation and absorb the horizontal displacement. When the baking pan cools and contracts, the annular corrugated steel sheet releases its elastic potential energy, pushing the sliding seat back to the center position of the floating cavity.

[0036] In traditional solutions, if springs are connected in series in the vertical direction to absorb thermal expansion, the spring compression varies with the load, leading to uncontrolled height at the four corners. In this embodiment, an annular corrugated steel sheet is placed within a horizontal annular space, with its elastic deformation direction being horizontal. It is not connected in series in the vertical force transmission path. The vertical load is borne by the surface contact between the bottom surface of the sliding seat and the bottom surface of the floating cavity. Therefore, the lifting amount of the four corner lifting screws can be rigidly and precisely transmitted as the height change of the four corners of the baking pan, achieving decoupling between vertical rigidity and horizontal elasticity, and ensuring the accuracy of the baking pan's posture control.

[0037] In an optional embodiment, such as Figures 4 to 6 As shown, the outer arc end 141 of the wedge block 140 is provided with an outer arc surface, and the inner side of the positioning platform 221 is provided with an inner arc surface that matches the outer arc surface; when the wedge block 140 is pushed out, the outer arc surface and the inner arc surface come into contact and fit together.

[0038] In this embodiment, the radii of curvature of the outer arc surface of the wedge and the inner arc surface of the positioning platform are matched. In some preferred embodiments, the inner arc surface of the positioning platform and / or the outer arc surface of the wedge can be provided with friction textures, such as vertical teeth, cross-hatching, or sandblasted rough surfaces. When the locking round boss is inserted into the sliding cavity, each wedge is pushed outward radially synchronously. The outer arc surface of the outer arc end of the wedge gradually approaches the inner side of the positioning platform, and finally comes into surface contact with the inner arc surface. Compared with line contact or point contact, surface contact significantly reduces contact stress, and the increased contact area significantly improves the frictional locking force. This embodiment maximizes the contact area through arc surface matching, reduces contact stress, improves locking reliability and service life, increases the contact area, improves locking friction, and prevents damage to the wedge and positioning platform due to excessive local stress.

[0039] It should be noted that the height between the wedge and the positioning platform is 3-5mm, meaning the effective contact area between the outer arc surface of the wedge and the inner arc surface of the positioning platform is 3-5mm in the vertical direction. When the user needs to remove the baking tray from the oven, simply lift the tray upwards. At this time, the locking round boss moves upwards with the baking tray, leaving the sliding cavity, and the wedge retracts inwards under the action of the return spring, releasing the tight fit with the inner side of the positioning platform. Since the effective contact height between the wedge and the positioning platform is only 3-5mm, and the fit between the outer arc surface of the wedge and the inner arc surface of the positioning platform is a horizontal radial abutment, not a vertical hook or latch, there is no structural obstacle that would lock the baking tray in the vertical direction. The user only needs to apply an upward pulling force slightly greater than the weight of the baking tray to easily lift it without any jamming or locking. When the baking tray is in a slightly tilted oil-draining posture, gravity generates a downward component force along the plane of the baking tray. At this point, the locking boss remains within the sliding cavity, and the outer arc surface of the wedge block maintains surface contact with the inner arc surface of the positioning platform. The downward force is transmitted through the inner arc surface of the positioning platform to the outer arc surface of the wedge block, and then from the wedge block to the sliding seat and the fixed seat. Because the wedge blocks at the four corners push outwards synchronously, the baking tray is simultaneously engaged circumferentially at the four corners. The downward force is evenly distributed across the contact surfaces between the wedge blocks and the positioning platform at the four corners, resulting in low contact stress and high locking force. Even when heavy food is placed on the baking tray, the downward force generated at non-large tilt angles is far less than the mechanical locking force between the wedge block and the positioning platform. The baking tray will not experience the chain reaction of instability caused by slight slippage leading to frictional abrupt changes, inertial buildup, and increased center of gravity shift, as seen in traditional solutions. Therefore, this embodiment provides excellent anti-tipping capability in the horizontal direction while not affecting the normal handling of the baking tray in the vertical direction, achieving both strong anti-tipping and easy handling.

[0040] In an optional embodiment, such as Figure 4 and Figure 6As shown, a return spring 144 is provided on both sides of the wedge 140, and a baffle 123 is provided on both sides of the radial outer end of the through groove 122. The baffle 123 abuts against one end of the return spring 144, and the other end of the return spring 144 abuts against the wedge 140. When the baking tray is pulled up or the locking round boss 222 leaves the sliding cavity 121, the return spring 144 provides spring force to make each wedge 140 retract into the sliding cavity 121.

[0041] In this embodiment, a wide base 145 is provided on both sides of the inner arc end of the wedge, corresponding to the position of the stop block. A connecting post is provided on the side of the wide base 145 facing the baffle. A reset spring is sleeved on the connecting post. The space in the through groove between the wide base 145 and the baffle 123 forms a reset elastic space. The reset spring is a helical compression spring. In the locked state, the wedge is pushed outward by the locking round boss, and the reset spring is compressed, storing elastic potential energy. When the baking pan is lifted upward and the locking round boss leaves the sliding cavity, the wedge moves into the sliding cavity under the spring force of the reset spring, so that there is a relatively large fault tolerance space between the positioning platform and the sliding seat when the baking pan is put down next time. After it is placed stably, the wedge is pushed out again by the locking round boss and abuts against the inner side of the positioning platform, realizing the automatic reset of the wedge and ensuring smooth operation of putting and taking down the pan.

[0042] In an optional embodiment, such as Figure 3 As shown, the inner arc ends 142 of the plurality of wedges 140 abut against each other after retraction, which is used to limit the excessive retraction of each wedge. The inner arc end of each wedge is an inner circular arc surface. When all wedges are retracted to their limit positions, the two sides of the inner circular arc surfaces of adjacent wedges abut against each other. Since at least three wedges are evenly distributed circumferentially, the inner arc ends abut against each other to form an approximately circular contour. The combined contour of the top edge of the inner arc ends of the plurality of wedges after being enclosed is larger than the outer diameter of the locking round boss end, ensuring that the locking round boss can still be inserted. As the locking round boss continues to descend, its second inclined surface contacts the first inclined surface of the wedge and pushes the wedge outward. In some preferred embodiments, the inner arc end of the wedge is provided with a first straight surface below the first inclined surface, and the locking round boss is provided with a second straight surface above the second inclined surface. After the locking round boss is fully inserted into place, the first straight surface and the second straight surface form a surface contact, making the abutment of the two ends of the wedge more reliable.

[0043] In an optional embodiment, such as Figures 3 to 6 As shown, the sliding cavity 121 of the sliding seat 120 is provided with an axially penetrating screw hole 124 at its center, and the fixed seat 110 is provided with a through hole at its center, the diameter of which is larger than the diameter of the screw hole 124; It also includes a stud 150, which passes through the through hole from the bottom of the fixing base 110 and is threadedly connected to the screw hole 124. The head diameter of the stud 150 is larger than the diameter of the through hole.

[0044] In this embodiment, after the stud is screwed in, its tail end does not protrude out of the screw hole, that is, the stud does not penetrate into the sliding cavity. This ensures that the locking round boss does not interfere with the stud when it is inserted into the sliding cavity, and it is not tightened, that is, the head of the stud does not contact the through hole in the center of the fixed seat. A gap of 0.5 to 1 mm is left in the axial direction, allowing the sliding seat to have a small vertical floating amount in the floating cavity. This embodiment is to prevent the sliding seat from falling out of the floating cavity and does not restrict the rotation of the fixed seat relative to the sliding seat.

[0045] On the other hand, embodiments of the present invention also provide a flatbed oven, such as Figures 1 to 3 As shown, it includes a furnace body 210 and an elastic floating mechanism 100 as described in one or more of the above-described combinations of optional embodiments; The furnace body 210 includes four surrounding side walls, the top of which is bent inward to form a supporting flange; The lifting support 230 is suspended on the support flanges at the four corners of the furnace body 210. The lifting support includes a drive motor and a screw that is driven by the drive motor to achieve lifting. The drive motor is suspended on the bottom side of the support flange. The screw extends upward through the support flange from the bottom side of the support flange. The fixing seat 110 is sleeved on the end of the screw.

[0046] In this embodiment, the drive motor is a micro stepper motor or a servo motor, and the screw is a trapezoidal lead screw or a ball screw. When the drive motor rotates, the screw rotates and rises and falls, driving the fixed seat, sliding seat, and baking tray to rise and fall synchronously. This embodiment does not impose any restrictions on the working method and control circuit of the drive motor to achieve screw lifting and lowering. Any motor known in the art can be used to drive the screw lifting and lowering. The control circuit controls the four corner drive motors separately, so that the four lifting screws rise and fall independently. When the four corners lift and lower synchronously, the baking tray rises and falls as a whole; when the four corners lift and lower differentially, the baking tray tilts in the X, Y, or combined directions. For example, if the baking tray is tilted towards the corner near the oil drain hole, the grease will collect towards the oil drain hole under the action of gravity. The four corner drive motors are independently controlled to achieve baking tray posture adjustment.

[0047] In an optional embodiment, such as Figure 2 and Figure 7 As shown, the furnace body 210 is provided with a combustion chamber 240 and a burner. The top edge of the combustion chamber 240 is turned outward and overlaps the supporting flange. The flame tube 250 of the burner is located inside the combustion chamber 240. The bottom of the baking pan 220 is provided with a fire baffle 223, which extends along the left inner wall, the rear inner wall and the right inner wall of the combustion chamber 240.

[0048] In this embodiment, the combustion chamber overlaps the supporting flange, and the burner's flame tube is located inside the combustion chamber, where the flame burns and heats the bottom of the baking pan. Fire baffles extend along the left, rear, and right inner walls of the combustion chamber to prevent heat diffusion.

[0049] In an optional embodiment, such as Figure 2 and Figure 7 As shown, the baking tray 220 is provided with an oil drain hole 224, and a pull-out oil tank 260 is provided below the oil drain hole 224. The pull-out oil tank 260 is pulled out from the side of the oven body 210.

[0050] In this embodiment, when the baking pan is tilted towards the corner where the oil drain hole is located, the grease gathers towards the drain hole under gravity and drips into the pull-out oil container below. When the grease in the container accumulates to a certain amount, the user pulls the container out from the side of the oven, pours out the grease, and then pushes it back in. The pull-out oil container uses a drawer-type structure, a technique known in the field, to allow the container to be pulled out and put in from the side of the oven. Grease collection is convenient, and cleaning is simple.

[0051] In an optional embodiment, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, it also includes a liftable cover 270, which is placed on top of the furnace body 210 and connected to the rear side by a hinge. A heat insulation plate 271 is provided on the rear side inside the cover 270.

[0052] In this embodiment, the cover is made of stainless steel or aluminum alloy, and the hinge is a hinge or pivot, located between the rear side of the cover and the rear side wall of the oven body. The heat insulation board is made of ceramic fiber board or aluminum silicate fiber board, and can be fixed to the inner rear side wall of the cover by metal strips and screws. A certain distance is maintained between the heat insulation board and the rear side wall of the baking tray to avoid the heat insulation board directly contacting the rear side wall of the baking tray, which would cause heat to be transferred to the heat insulation board through solid conduction.

[0053] In the traditional design, the baking tray is located above the combustion chamber. On the front and sides, the width and coverage of the baking tray far exceed the opening of the combustion chamber; that is, the vertical projection area of ​​the baking tray's edge significantly exceeds the combustion chamber opening. Therefore, when the heat generated by the combustion chamber diffuses to the front and sides, most of the heat is directed to the bottom of the baking tray for heating. The small amount of heat escaping from the edge gaps is also adequately buffered due to the large extension of the baking tray, resulting in a significant temperature reduction. However, on the rear side of the baking tray, due to the need to install the cover and its hinges, the space at the rear of the oven body is more compact. The vertical projection of the baking tray's rear edge only slightly exceeds the combustion chamber opening, far less than the extension on the front and sides. Therefore, a relatively narrow gap exists between the rear edge of the combustion chamber opening and the bottom rear position of the baking tray. Although the aforementioned optional embodiments include a fire baffle extending along the left, rear, and right inner walls of the combustion chamber, effectively blocking most of the heat from diffusing backward, some high-temperature heat escapes outward through the gap between the baking tray and the combustion chamber opening due to the limited extent of the baking tray extending beyond the opening. This high-temperature heat radiates directly upward or backward, directly onto the rear area inside the cover, which can easily lead to localized overheating on the rear side of the cover over time, causing deformation and coating peeling. In this embodiment, the heat insulation plate is positioned inside the rear side of the cover, directly above the gap between the rear side of the baking tray and the combustion chamber. When the heat generated by the combustion chamber dissipates upward from the gap behind the baking tray, the heat insulation plate first absorbs the radiation and convection of this high-temperature heat, effectively preventing heat transfer to the rear wall of the cover.

[0054] The above disclosures are merely one or more preferred embodiments of the present invention, intended to help understand the inventive concept of the technical solution, and are not intended to limit the present invention in any other way. Any other equivalent or conventional substitution schemes made by those skilled in the art based on the features defined by the present invention shall still fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An elastic floating mechanism, characterized in that, include: Lifting support components (230) are located at the four corners of the oven; The fixed base (110) has a connecting hole (111) at the bottom for fitting into the lifting support (230). The top surface of the fixed base (110) has a floating cavity (112), and the bottom of the floating cavity (112) expands outward toward the side wall. The sliding seat (120) is disposed in the floating cavity (112) of the fixed seat (110), and its bottom surface abuts against the bottom surface of the floating cavity (112). The bottom of the sliding seat (120) contracts inward, so that the outer peripheral surface of the sliding seat (120) and the outwardly expanding side wall of the floating cavity (112) form an annular space. An annular corrugated steel sheet (130) is disposed within the annular space to provide a horizontal elastic restoring force to the sliding seat (120); The baking tray (220) has a U-shaped positioning platform (221) at the bottom corresponding to the lifting support (230). The positioning platform (221) has a locking round boss (222) at its center. The top of the sliding seat (120) extends into the positioning platform (221) and its top surface directly abuts against the bottom surface of the baking tray (220). The top of the sliding seat (120) is provided with a sliding cavity (121). The cavity wall of the sliding cavity (121) is provided with at least three through grooves (122) in the radial direction. Each through groove (122) is provided with a wedge (140). The wedge (140) has an outer arc end (141) located outside the sliding cavity (121) and an inner arc end (142) located inside the sliding cavity (121). The inner arc end (142) is provided with a first inclined surface (143). The end of the locking round boss (222) is provided with a second inclined surface. When the locking round boss (222) is inserted into the sliding cavity (121), the first inclined surface (143) abuts against the second inclined surface, so that each wedge (140) is pushed outward in the radial direction under the action of the inclined surface. The outer arc end (141) of the wedge (140) abuts against the inner side of the positioning table (221).

2. The elastic floating mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The annular corrugated steel sheet (130) is a spring steel sheet that undulates in a circumferential direction, with its crests and troughs arranged alternately. The outer side of the annular corrugated steel sheet (130) abuts against the outwardly expanding sidewall of the floating cavity (112), and its inner side abuts against the outer peripheral surface of the sliding seat (120).

3. The elastic floating mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer arc end (141) of the wedge (140) is provided with an outer arc surface, and the inner side of the positioning platform (221) is provided with an inner arc surface that matches the outer arc surface; when the wedge (140) is pushed out, the outer arc surface and the inner arc surface are in contact and fit together.

4. The elastic floating mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wedge (140) is provided with a return spring (144) on both sides. The two sides of the radial outer end of the through groove (122) are provided with a baffle (123). The baffle (123) abuts against one end of the return spring (144), and the other end of the return spring (144) abuts against the wedge (140). When the baking tray (220) is pulled up or the locking round boss (222) leaves the sliding cavity (121), the return spring (144) provides spring force to make each wedge (140) retract into the sliding cavity (121).

5. The elastic floating mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that: The inner arc ends (142) of the plurality of wedges (140) abut against each other after retraction, thereby limiting excessive retraction of each wedge (140).

6. The elastic floating mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sliding cavity (121) of the sliding seat (120) is provided with an axially penetrating screw hole (124) at its center, and the fixed seat (110) is provided with a through hole at its center, the diameter of which is larger than the diameter of the screw hole (124). It also includes a stud (150) that passes through the through hole from the bottom of the fixing seat (110) and is threaded to the screw hole (124). The head diameter of the stud (150) is larger than the diameter of the through hole.

7. A flat-plate oven, characterized in that: Includes a furnace body and an elastic floating mechanism (100) as described in any one of claims 1-6; The furnace body (210) includes four surrounding side walls, the top of which is bent inward to form a supporting flange; The lifting support (230) is suspended on the support flanges at the four corners of the furnace body (210). The lifting support (230) includes a drive motor and a screw that is driven by the drive motor to achieve lifting. The drive motor is suspended on the bottom side of the support flange. The screw extends upward through the support flange from the bottom side of the support flange. The fixing seat (110) is sleeved on the end of the screw.

8. A flat-plate oven according to claim 7, characterized in that: The furnace body (210) is provided with a combustion chamber (240) and a burner. The top edge of the combustion chamber (240) is turned outward and overlaps the supporting flange. The flame pipe (250) of the burner is located inside the combustion chamber (240). The bottom of the baking pan (220) is provided with a fire baffle (223), which extends along the left inner wall, the rear inner wall and the right inner wall of the combustion chamber (240).

9. A flat-plate oven according to claim 7, characterized in that: The baking tray (220) is provided with an oil drain hole (224), and a pull-out oil tank (260) is provided below the oil drain hole (224). The pull-out oil tank (260) is pulled out from the side of the oven body (210).

10. A flat-plate oven according to claim 7, characterized in that: It also includes a liftable cover (270), which is placed over the furnace body (210) and connected to the rear side by a hinge, and a heat insulation plate (271) is provided on the rear side inside the cover (270).

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