Hot air baffle assembly and oven

Abstract

The hot air baffle assembly comprises a hot air baffle, an air return covering part, an air return adjusting part and a driving motor, the hot air baffle is provided with an air return opening and an air outlet, and the air return opening comprises a fixed air return opening formed in the center area of the hot air baffle and a plurality of variable air return openings formed around the fixed air return opening; the return air covering part is arranged on the front side of the hot air baffle corresponding to the fixed return air inlet, a gap is formed between the return air covering part and the hot air baffle, the return air adjusting part is rotatably arranged on the rear side of the hot air baffle, and the driving motor is arranged on the rear side of the hot air baffle and used for driving the return air adjusting part to rotate so that the return air adjusting part can shield or expose the variable return air inlet. The return air inlet comprises the fixed return air inlet and the variable return air inlet, and the return air adjusting piece is arranged, so that the size of the return air inlet is adjustable.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of household cooking appliances, and in particular to a hot air baffle assembly and an oven. Background Technology

[0002] Most mainstream ovens on the market today are forced convection ovens. In these ovens, airflow management is crucial for baking food properly, and the most important airflow management component is the hot air baffle. Its working principle is as follows: a motor drives the fan blades, generating hot air within the hot air chamber. This hot air is then blown into the inner cavity through vents on the hot air baffle, where it exchanges heat with the food. The air is then drawn back into the hot air chamber on the back of the baffle through return vents, thus creating a hot air circulation.

[0003] However, the size of the return air vent on traditional hot air baffles is fixed, which cannot provide different airflow according to different cooking modes, thus limiting the further improvement of cooking results. Utility Model Content

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a hot air baffle assembly and an oven that can change the size of the return air vent.

[0005] This application provides a hot air baffle assembly, including a hot air baffle, a return air cover, a return air adjustment component, and a drive motor. The hot air baffle is provided with a return air inlet and an air outlet. The return air inlet includes a fixed return air inlet located in the central area of ​​the hot air baffle and a plurality of variable return air inlets arranged around the fixed return air inlet. The return air cover is disposed on the front side of the hot air baffle corresponding to the fixed return air inlets, and there is a gap between the return air cover and the hot air baffle. The return air adjustment component is rotatably disposed on the rear side of the hot air baffle. The drive motor is disposed on the rear side of the hot air baffle and is used to drive the return air adjustment component to rotate so that the return air adjustment component covers or exposes the variable return air inlets.

[0006] In one embodiment, the return air regulating component is annular, and has a plurality of spaced through holes along its circumference. The through holes are elongated and extend radially along the return air regulating component. The shape and size of the through holes are the same as the shape and size of the variable return air inlet. A blocking portion is formed between any adjacent through holes. The return air regulating component can rotate relative to the hot air baffle to align the through holes and the variable return air inlet to expose the variable return air inlet, or to block the variable return air inlet with the blocking portion.

[0007] In one embodiment, one of the hot air baffle and the return air regulating component is provided with an annular groove, and the other is provided with an annular slide rail, wherein the annular slide rail and the annular groove are slidably engaged.

[0008] In one embodiment, the return air cover's vertical projection on the hot air baffle covers the fixed return air inlet.

[0009] In one embodiment, the hot air baffle has a groove in the central area, the sidewalls of the groove are inclined, the opening of the groove is larger than the bottom of the groove, the fixed return air inlet is located on the bottom wall of the groove, and the variable return air inlet is located on the sidewall of the groove.

[0010] In one embodiment, the return air cover is frustum-shaped and gradually increases in size from the end facing the hot air baffle to the end away from the hot air baffle.

[0011] In one embodiment, the frustum angle of the return air cover is θ, where 30°≤θ≤60°.

[0012] In one embodiment, the diameter of the end face of the return air cover facing away from the hot air baffle is D, 90mm≤D≤110mm; and / or, the distance between the side of the return air cover facing the hot air baffle and the bottom wall of the groove is L, 10mm≤L≤20mm.

[0013] In one embodiment, the output shaft of the drive motor is connected to a gear, and the edge of the return air regulating component is provided with mating teeth, the gear and the mating teeth meshing.

[0014] This application also provides an oven, including the above-described hot air baffle assembly.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the hot air baffle assembly and oven provided in this application, by setting the return air vent to include two parts, a fixed return air vent and a variable return air vent, and by setting a return air adjustment component that can cover or expose the variable return air vent, makes the size of the return air vent adjustable, thereby realizing the adjustment of the circulating air volume. Thus, different circulating air volumes can be selected according to different cooking modes, achieving precise control of cooking and greatly improving the cooking effect. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the conventional technology, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the conventional technology will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of a hot air baffle assembly according to an embodiment of this application;

[0018] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A three-dimensional view of the other side;

[0019] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of a hot air baffle according to an embodiment of this application;

[0020] Figure 4 This is a perspective view of a return air regulating component according to an embodiment of this application;

[0021] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the assembly structure of a hot air baffle and a return air cover according to an embodiment of this application;

[0022] Figure 6 This is an exploded view of a portion of the structure of an oven according to an embodiment of this application;

[0023] Figure 7 This is a perspective view of the inner cavity of an oven according to an embodiment of this application;

[0024] Figure 8 for Figure 7 A three-dimensional view of the other side.

[0025] Reference numerals: 10. Hot air baffle; 11. Return air inlet; 111. Fixed return air inlet; 112. Variable return air inlet; 12. Air outlet; 13. Annular groove; 14. Groove; 20. Return air cover; 30. Return air adjustment component; 302. Through hole; 31. Mating tooth; 33. Annular slide rail; 40. Drive motor; 41. Gear; 50. Inner liner; 51. Back panel; 53. Cooking cavity; 60. Heating element; 70. Hot air fan blade; 80. Hot air motor. Detailed Implementation

[0026] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of this application. However, this application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0027] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly on the other component or there may be an intermediate component. When a component is considered to be "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or there may be an intermediate component present. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this application's specification are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0028] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0029] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature and the second feature are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0030] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this application have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used in this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application. The term "and / or" as used in this application includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0031] Please see Figures 1 to 5This application provides a hot air baffle assembly, including a hot air baffle 10, a return air cover 20, a return air adjustment component 30, and a drive motor 40. The hot air baffle 10 is provided with a return air inlet 11 and an air outlet 12. The return air inlet 11 includes a fixed return air inlet 111 located in the central area of ​​the hot air baffle 10 and a plurality of variable return air inlets 112 arranged around the fixed return air inlet 111. The return air cover 20 is disposed on the front side of the hot air baffle 10 corresponding to the fixed return air inlet 111, and there is a gap between the return air cover 20 and the hot air baffle 10. The return air adjustment component 30 is rotatably disposed on the rear side of the hot air baffle 10. The drive motor 40 is disposed on the rear side of the hot air baffle 10 and is used to drive the return air adjustment component 30 to rotate so that the return air adjustment component 30 blocks or exposes the variable return air inlets 112. Understandably, this hot air baffle assembly can be applied to an oven. During use, hot air generated by the hot air chamber behind the hot air baffle 10 is blown into the oven's cooking cavity 53 from the air outlet 12. The air in the cooking cavity 53 then returns to the hot air chamber through the return air inlet 11, thus creating a circulating airflow within the oven. This application configures the return air inlet 11 as comprising a fixed return air inlet 111 and a variable return air inlet 112, and includes a return air adjustment component 30 that can either cover or expose the variable return air inlet 112. This allows for adjustment of the size of the return air inlet 11, thereby adjusting the circulating air volume. Different circulating air volumes can be selected according to different cooking modes, achieving precise cooking control and significantly improving cooking results.

[0032] Please see Figure 3 and Figure 4 Furthermore, the return air regulating component 30 is annular, and has multiple spaced through holes 302 along its circumference. The through holes 302 are elongated and extend radially along the return air regulating component 30. The shape and size of the through holes 302 are identical to those of the variable return air vent 112. An obstruction is formed between any adjacent through holes 302. Rotation of the return air regulating component 30 relative to the hot air baffle 10 aligns the through holes 302 and the variable return air vent 112, either exposing the variable return air vent 112 or obstructing it with the obstruction. Thus, by rotating the return air regulating component 30, the variable return air vent 112 can be fully exposed, partially exposed, or completely obstructed, thereby meeting different cooking needs. This return air regulating component 30 has a simple structure and is easy to control.

[0033] Furthermore, one of the hot air baffle 10 and the return air regulating component 30 is provided with an annular groove 13, and the other is provided with an annular slide rail 33, with the annular slide rail 33 slidingly engaging with the annular groove 13. This allows the return air regulating component 30 to rotate smoothly relative to the hot air baffle 10. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 3 and Figure 4In this embodiment, the hot air baffle 10 is provided with an annular groove 13, and the return air regulating component 30 is provided with an annular slide rail 33. Of course, in other embodiments, the hot air baffle may be provided with an annular slide rail, and the return air cover may be provided with an annular groove; this application does not limit this.

[0034] It is understandable that a stop (not shown) can also be provided on the hot air baffle 10. The stop is positioned on the side of the return air regulating component 30 away from the hot air baffle 10. This ensures that the annular slide rail 33 will not come out of the annular slide groove 13, thereby ensuring that the return air regulating component 30 will not fall off the hot air baffle 10.

[0035] Further, please see Figure 2 The output shaft of the drive motor 40 is connected to a gear 41, and the edge of the return air regulating component 30 is provided with mating teeth 31, which mesh with the gear 41. Thus, the rotation of the output shaft of the drive motor 40, through the transmission of the gear 41 and the mating teeth 31, controls the rotation of the return air regulating component 30. Preferably, the drive motor 40 is a reversible motor, which helps to improve the service life of the drive motor 40 and the gear 41. Furthermore, the structure is simpler because only the mating teeth 31 are provided on a portion of the edge of the return air regulating component 30. In this embodiment, the number of teeth on the mating teeth 31 is greater than or equal to 3.

[0036] Furthermore, the vertical projection of the return air cover 20 onto the hot air baffle 10 covers the fixed return air vent 111. In this way, the air in the oven's cooking cavity 53 must bypass the return air cover 20 before flowing back into the hot air cavity through the fixed return air vent 111, which facilitates airflow along the wall and reduces turbulence.

[0037] Please see Figures 3 to 5 Furthermore, the hot air baffle 10 has a groove 14 in its central area, the sidewalls of which are inclined, and the opening of the groove 14 is larger than its bottom. A fixed return air inlet 111 is located on the bottom wall of the groove 14, and a variable return air inlet 112 is located on the sidewall of the groove 14. This facilitates airflow along the wall, reduces eddies, and thus increases the return air volume.

[0038] Furthermore, the return air cover 20 is frustum-shaped, and the return air cover 20 gradually increases in size from the end facing the hot air baffle 10 to the end away from the hot air baffle 10. The frustum-shaped return air cover 20 also helps to guide the airflow to flow along the wall, thereby reducing eddies, increasing the return air volume, and thus accelerating the air circulation speed and improving the temperature uniformity within the oven cooking cavity 53.

[0039] Furthermore, the frustum inclination angle of the return air cover 20 is θ, where 30°≤θ≤60°. This improves the airflow guidance effect of the side of the return air cover 20, making it less likely to induce vortices at the fixed return air inlet 111. Indicatively, θ can be 30°, 40°, 45°, 50°, or 60°, and this application does not impose any limitation on this.

[0040] Furthermore, the diameter of the end face of the return air cover 20 facing away from the hot air baffle 10 is D, where 90mm ≤ D ≤ 110mm. This reduces the obstruction of airflow. Schematic, D can be 90mm, 95mm, 100mm, 102mm, 105mm, or 110mm, and this application does not impose any limitation on this.

[0041] Furthermore, the distance between the side of the return air cover 20 facing the hot air baffle 10 and the bottom wall of the groove 14 is L, where 10mm ≤ L ≤ 20mm. This ensures the height of the return air duct corresponding to the fixed return air inlet 111, reducing return air resistance and thus accelerating the return air speed. Indicatively, L can be 10mm, 13mm, 15mm, 18mm, or 20mm; this application does not impose any limitation on this.

[0042] The return air cover 20 can be fixedly connected to the hot air baffle 10 by fasteners, thereby ensuring that the distance between the return air cover 20 and the hot air baffle 10 remains unchanged.

[0043] It is understood that the configuration of air outlet 12 can be the same as existing technology; please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 1 In this embodiment, the air outlet 12 is arranged around the return air outlet 11 and near the four corners of the hot air baffle 10. Each corner is provided with multiple air outlets 12. In addition, the side wall of the hot air baffle 10 can also be provided with air outlets 12. In this way, the air flowing from the air outlet 12 into the cooking cavity 53 is more likely to flow along the wall, thereby making the airflow distribution in the cooking cavity 53 more uniform.

[0044] Please see Figures 6 to 8This application also provides an oven, including the hot air baffle assembly described above. The oven also includes an inner cavity 50, which has a back plate 51. A hot air baffle 10 is disposed inside the inner cavity 50 and close to the back plate 51. In this embodiment, the hot air baffle 10 and the back plate 51 are fixedly connected. Of course, in other embodiments, the hot air baffle 10 may also be connected to the side plate of the inner cavity 50, and this application does not limit this. A hot air cavity is formed between the hot air baffle 10 and the back plate 51, and a cooking cavity 53 is formed in front of the hot air baffle 10 in the inner cavity 50. The oven also includes a heating element 60 and a hot air fan blade 70 disposed within the hot air cavity. The heating element 60 heats the air within the hot air cavity, and the hot air fan blade 70 is connected to a hot air motor 80. The hot air motor 80 controls the operation of the hot air fan blade 70, causing the hot air in the hot air cavity to flow from the air outlet 12 into the cooking cavity 53, and causing the air in the cooking cavity 53 to flow back into the hot air cavity through the return air vent 11, thereby achieving air circulation. In this embodiment, the hot air motor 80 is disposed outside the inner cavity 50, that is, behind the back panel 51. In this embodiment, the heating element 60 is a light wave tube, capable of emitting light and heat simultaneously. Therefore, during the cooking process, the light emitted by it can enter the cooking cavity 53 through the air outlet 12 and the return air vent 11, providing a good light and heat pulsation effect. It is understandable that the photothermal pulsation effect changes synchronously with the heating power of the light wave tube; that is, the higher the heating power, the stronger the photothermal pulsation effect, and vice versa. This allows users to judge the power of the light wave tube based on the photothermal pulsation effect, thus greatly improving the user experience. Of course, in other embodiments, the heating element 60 can also be a regular electric heating element, and this application does not limit this.

[0045] Please combine Figures 1 to 8 As shown, the oven provided in this application, by setting the aforementioned hot air baffle assembly and controlling the rotation of the return air regulating component 30, allows the size of the return air vent 11 to be adjusted. Simultaneously, by coordinating the airflow of the hot air fan blades 70, different operating modes can be achieved, thereby meeting various cooking needs. This oven includes at least the following operating modes:

[0046] Operating Mode 1: The variable return air vent 112 is fully open (i.e., the through hole 302 on the return air regulator 30 is aligned with the variable return air vent 112), at which point the return air area of ​​the return air vent 11 is at its maximum. In this mode, the hot air motor 80 can be controlled at its maximum speed, thereby maximizing the circulating air volume and speed. Simultaneously, the heating element 60 can be adjusted to its maximum power, resulting in the strongest light and heat pulse. This mode allows for the fastest baking speed and the greatest surface moisture loss, making it suitable for ingredients requiring rapid baking to achieve a crispy texture, such as crispy roasted meat, roasted chicken wings, and roasted duck.

[0047] Operating Mode 2: Variable return air vent 112 is opened to 60% (meaning a small portion of the variable return air vent 112 is blocked by the return air regulating element 30), resulting in a moderate return air area for the return air vent 11. In this mode, the hot air motor 80 can be controlled at a medium speed, achieving a moderate level of circulating air volume and speed. Simultaneously, the heating element 60 can be adjusted to a medium setting, resulting in a moderate light and heat pulse effect. This mode is suitable for baking foods with moderate baking speeds and moderate surface moisture loss, such as bread and pizza.

[0048] Operating Mode 3: Variable return air vent 112 is opened 30% (meaning most of the variable return air vent 112 is blocked by the return air regulating component 30), resulting in a smaller return air area for the return air vent 11. In this mode, the hot air motor 80 can be controlled at a lower speed, resulting in lower circulating air volume and speed. Simultaneously, the heating element 60 can be adjusted to a medium-low power, resulting in weaker light and heat pulse effects. This mode results in slower baking speeds and lower surface moisture loss, making it suitable for ingredients that require maintaining softness and moisture, such as chiffon cakes and light cakes.

[0049] Operating Mode 4: Variable return air vent 112 is completely closed (i.e., the obstruction on the return air regulating component 30 completely blocks the variable return air vent 112). In this mode, the return air area of ​​the return air vent 11 is minimized (air returns only through the fixed return air vent 111). In this mode, the hot air motor 80 can be controlled at its lowest speed, resulting in minimal circulating airflow and velocity. Simultaneously, the heating element 60 can be adjusted to its minimum power, minimizing heat and light fluctuations. This mode results in slower baking speeds and better surface moisture retention, making it suitable for slow-baking and moisturizing foods such as roasted tomatoes and roasted asparagus, which require lower airflow and need to retain their natural flavor and moisture.

[0050] The four operating modes described above allow the oven to have different cooking modes, thus achieving optimal baking results for different foods and providing a more flexible and precise baking experience. However, this is not a limitation; the oven can also be set with other operating modes, and different operating modes can be adjusted according to different stages of cooking to meet various user cooking needs. This application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0051] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0052] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the patent protection scope of this application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A hot air baffle assembly, characterized in that, The device includes a hot air baffle, a return air cover, a return air adjustment component, and a drive motor. The hot air baffle has a return air inlet and an air outlet. The return air inlet includes a fixed return air inlet located in the central area of ​​the hot air baffle and multiple variable return air inlets surrounding the fixed return air inlet. The return air cover is located on the front side of the hot air baffle corresponding to the fixed return air inlet, and there is a gap between the return air cover and the hot air baffle. The return air adjustment component is rotatably located on the rear side of the hot air baffle. The drive motor is located on the rear side of the hot air baffle and is used to drive the return air adjustment component to rotate so that the return air adjustment component can cover or expose the variable return air inlets.

2. The hot air baffle assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The return air regulating component is annular, and has a plurality of spaced through holes along its circumference. The through holes are elongated and extend radially along the return air regulating component. The shape and size of the through holes are the same as those of the variable return air inlet. A blocking portion is formed between any adjacent through holes. The return air regulating component can be rotated relative to the hot air baffle to align the through holes and the variable return air inlet to expose the variable return air inlet, or to block the variable return air inlet with the blocking portion.

3. The hot air baffle assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, One of the hot air baffle and the return air regulating component is provided with an annular groove, and the other is provided with an annular slide rail, wherein the annular slide rail and the annular groove are slidably engaged.

4. The hot air baffle assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The return air cover covers the fixed return air inlet by its vertical projection onto the hot air baffle.

5. The hot air baffle assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hot air baffle has a groove in the center area, the sidewalls of the groove are inclined, the opening of the groove is larger than the bottom of the groove, the fixed return air inlet is located on the bottom wall of the groove, and the variable return air inlet is located on the sidewall of the groove.

6. The hot air baffle assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that, The return air cover is truncated cone-shaped, and the return air cover gradually increases in size from the end facing the hot air baffle to the end away from the hot air baffle.

7. The hot air baffle assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that, The frustum inclination angle of the return air cover is θ, where 30°≤θ≤60°.

8. The hot air baffle assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that, The diameter of the end face of the return air cover away from the hot air baffle is D, 90mm≤D≤110mm; And / or, the distance between the side of the return air cover facing the hot air baffle and the bottom wall of the groove is L, 10mm≤L≤20mm.

9. The hot air baffle assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The output shaft of the drive motor is connected to a gear, and the edge of the return air regulating component is provided with mating teeth, and the gear and the mating teeth mesh.

10. An oven, characterized in that, Includes the hot air baffle assembly as described in any one of claims 1-9.

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