A sealing ring and a steam oven

Abstract

This application relates to a sealing ring and a steam oven, including a mounting ring and an inflatable ring. The mounting ring is used to connect to the inner cavity assembly of the steam oven. The inflatable ring includes an air bladder, fixed edges and free edges fixed at opposite ends of the air bladder. The fixed edges are fixedly connected to the mounting ring, and the free edges are used to abut against the door assembly of the steam oven. An air bladder is introduced at the elastic abutment point against the door assembly, forming an inflatable ring structure with fixed edges, an air bladder, and free edges, increasing the overall resilience of the sealing ring. On one hand, the high resilience of the inflatable ring allows the free edges to fit more tightly against the door assembly, ensuring a tight seal. On the other hand, the inflatable ring has a certain rigidity, which can correct the problem of the silicone rubber sealing ring flipping up against the glass at high temperatures. Furthermore, since the resilience of the sealing ring is mainly provided by the air bladder, its resilience is less affected by the aging of the silicone rubber during long-term use, ensuring the sealing performance of the steam oven.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the technical field of steam ovens, and in particular to a sealing ring and a steam oven. Background Technology

[0002] Existing steam oven door seals typically use a ring-shaped silicone rubber seal, fixed either to a groove in the inner cavity or to the door. The door is connected to the entire appliance via a rotatable hinge. When closing the door, a spring in the hinge provides the closing force, compressing the seal to achieve a seal. The sealing structure on the door seal is usually a thin edge. To ensure sufficient compression, this thin edge is typically made with a small wall thickness, or the sealing performance is improved by adding small sealing ribs.

[0003] Existing technologies rely on the compression of silicone rubber in door seals to create a seal. However, due to the insufficient elasticity of silicone rubber components and the inability to guarantee consistency between different parts, it's impossible to standardize the sealing performance of each machine. Furthermore, the elasticity of silicone rubber weakens with prolonged use, affecting sealing performance. Under continuous pressure from the door, the rebound height and force of the door seal decrease, impacting the overall sealing performance of the machine. Utility Model Content

[0004] Given the inconsistent sealing performance and significant degradation of sealing performance in existing steam ovens, it is necessary to provide a sealing ring and a steam oven.

[0005] According to one aspect of this application, a sealing ring is provided for a steam oven, comprising:

[0006] Mounting ring for connecting the inner cavity assembly of the steam oven;

[0007] The inflatable ring includes an air bladder, fixed sides and free sides fixed at opposite ends of the air bladder, the fixed sides being fixedly connected to the mounting ring, and the free sides being used to abut against the door assembly of the steam oven.

[0008] In one embodiment, in order to ensure that the sealing ring is fully fitted with the door assembly on the side facing the door assembly when the door is closed to improve sealing performance, the airbag extends obliquely from the fixed side to the free side.

[0009] In one embodiment, in order to ensure the service life of the airbag, the filling gas in the airbag is an inert gas.

[0010] In one embodiment, in order to keep the airbag in a fully inflated state, the gas pressure in the airbag is 1 atm to 2 atm.

[0011] In one embodiment, the airbag includes an abutment layer with both ends fixedly connected to the fixed side and the free side, an auxiliary support layer with both ends fixedly connected to the two ends of the abutment layer respectively, and an inflatable layer located between the abutment layer and the auxiliary support layer, wherein the thickness of the abutment layer is greater than the thickness of the auxiliary support layer.

[0012] With this configuration, the auxiliary support layer can provide a supporting reaction force to both ends of the contact layer when the door is closed. Due to the thickness difference, in the high-temperature operating environment of the steam oven, the deformation of the airbag on one side of the auxiliary support layer is greater than that on the side of the contact layer, which further increases the reaction force of the auxiliary support layer on both ends of the contact layer. This helps to increase the contact force between the free edge and the door assembly, thereby improving the sealing effect.

[0013] In one embodiment, the side of the abutment layer opposite to the auxiliary support layer is concave.

[0014] With this configuration, a negative pressure cavity is formed between the door assembly and the sealing ring when the door is closed, which, together with the reaction force of the aforementioned auxiliary support layer, enhances the negative pressure effect of the negative pressure cavity.

[0015] In one embodiment, the auxiliary support layer is convex and arc-shaped with an arc angle of less than 180°.

[0016] With this configuration, when the inflatable ring is squeezed by the door assembly, the auxiliary support layer can also provide a flipping force to the end of the abutment layer near the free edge, thereby helping the second bearing plane to fully fit the door assembly.

[0017] In one embodiment, the thickness of the inflatable layer gradually decreases from the middle of the airbag toward the fixed side and the free side, respectively.

[0018] In one embodiment, the thickness of the free edge is greater than the thickness of the abutment layer.

[0019] With this configuration, the inflatable layer is spindle-shaped. When the inflatable ring is squeezed by the door assembly, the filling gas in the inflatable layer compresses the auxiliary support layer, causing it to deform and further guiding the free edge to flip.

[0020] According to another aspect of this application, this application provides a steam oven, comprising:

[0021] Inner liner components;

[0022] Door assembly, installed in the inner liner assembly; and

[0023] A sealing ring is installed at the inlet of the inner liner assembly and is used to press against the door assembly.

[0024] In summary, the sealing ring design provided by this utility model cleverly introduces an airbag structure at a key part of the elastic contact door assembly, thus forming a unique inflatable ring structure composed of a fixed edge, an airbag, and a free edge. This design significantly improves the overall resilience of the sealing ring. Specifically, due to its high resilience, this inflatable ring structure allows the free edge to fit more tightly against the door assembly, ensuring an excellent sealing effect between the sealing ring and the door assembly. Furthermore, this inflatable ring not only possesses good resilience but also a certain degree of rigidity, which helps to correct potential flipping issues between the silicone rubber sealing ring and the glass under high-temperature environments. Moreover, since the resilience of the sealing ring in this utility model is mainly provided by the airbag, the possibility of the sealing ring's resilience being affected by the aging of the silicone rubber material during long-term use is greatly reduced, which undoubtedly enhances the stability and reliability of the sealing performance of the steam oven. Through this innovative design, the technical solution of this application not only improves the sealing performance of the sealing ring but also extends its service life, bringing a safer and more efficient user experience to users of steam ovens. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 This application provides a structural schematic diagram of a steam oven / grill combination appliance;

[0026] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A magnified view of the steam oven at point X shown;

[0027] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the cross-section of the central sealing ring.

[0028] Figure label:

[0029] 100. Sealing ring; 10. Mounting ring; 101. First bearing plane; 102. Connecting surface; 103. Clamping groove; 11. Connecting part; 12. Threaded part; 13. Clamping part; 20. Inflatable ring; 21. Airbag; 211. Abutting layer; 212. Inflatable layer; 213. Auxiliary support layer; 22. Fixed edge; 23. Free edge; 231. Second bearing plane; 200. Inner liner assembly. Detailed Implementation

[0030] To make the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of this utility model more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this utility model will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a full understanding of this utility model. However, this utility model 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 utility model. Therefore, this utility model is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0031] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model.

[0032] 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 indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this utility model, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0033] In this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise explicitly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0034] In this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly 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 is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply 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 that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0035] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0036] Existing steam ovens generally use ring-shaped silicone rubber seals. In actual use, the seal relies on the compression of the seal under pressure to maintain a seal. However, due to the limited elasticity of silicone rubber and assembly errors between other components, it's difficult to standardize the sealing performance of each machine. Furthermore, the inherent properties of silicone rubber make it prone to aging during long-term use, especially under the high temperatures and pressures of steam ovens. This manifests as a reduction in the seal's rebound height and force, making it insufficient to guarantee a proper seal based solely on the current compression. It's also worth noting that in the high-temperature environment of a steam oven, the silicone rubber seal has a high adhesion to the glass. When the door is closed, the glass may lift the seal downwards, affecting the seal's performance.

[0037] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a sealing ring and a steam oven with good sealing effect that can also guarantee sealing performance during long-term use.

[0038] Please see Figures 1 to 3 , Figure 1 This is a partial structural diagram of a steam oven / grill combo provided by this utility model. Figure 2 for Figure 1 The image shows a front view of the steam oven. Figure 3 for Figure 2The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the steam oven along direction AA. The steam oven includes an inner cavity assembly 200, a door assembly mounted on the inner cavity assembly 200, and a sealing ring 100 mounted on the inlet of the inner cavity assembly 200. Specifically, the sealing ring 100 includes an air bladder 21, fixed edges 22 and free edges 23 fixed to opposite ends of the air bladder 21. The fixed edges 22 are fixedly connected to a mounting ring 10, and the free edges 23 abut against the door assembly of the steam oven. In actual use, when the steam oven is in the closed state, the mounting ring 10 also abuts against the door assembly. The sealing ring 100 of this application has a combined structure of an inflatable ring 20 consisting of a fixed side 22, an air bladder 21, and a free side 23. Due to the introduction of the air bladder 21, the combined structure of the inflatable ring has a large overall resilience, allowing the free side 23 to fit more tightly against the door assembly, thereby ensuring the sealing performance of the steam oven. Since the resilience of the sealing ring 100 in this application is mainly provided by the air bladder 21, it is less affected by the aging of silicone rubber. During long-term use, the inflatable ring 20 can still maintain a certain elasticity and will not experience a significant decrease in overall resilience, thus ensuring the sealing performance of the steam oven. The inflatable ring 20 also has a certain rigidity due to the presence of the air bladder 21, which also helps to prevent the sealing ring 100 from flipping up due to the high adhesion between silicone rubber and glass.

[0039] like Figure 3 As shown, optionally, in one embodiment provided in this application, the airbag 21 extends obliquely from the fixed side 22 to the free side 23, in order to ensure that the side of the sealing ring 100 facing the door assembly fully fits the door assembly when the door is closed, thereby improving the sealing performance.

[0040] Optionally, the filling gas in the airbag 21 is an inert gas. Inert gases are stable and will not chemically react with the structure of the airbag 21, which can slow down the aging problem inside the airbag 21, thereby helping to maintain the overall resilience of the sealing ring 100.

[0041] Optionally, in one embodiment provided in this application, the pressure of the gas filling the airbag 21 is 1 atm to 2 atm. This ensures that the airbag 21 is always fully inflated, thereby guaranteeing the overall resilience of the sealing ring 100.

[0042] like Figure 3As shown, optionally, the airbag 21 includes an abutment layer 211 fixedly connected to the fixed edge 22 and the free edge 23 at both ends, an auxiliary support layer 213 fixedly connected to the fixed edge 22 and the free edge 23 at both ends, and an inflatable layer 212 located between the abutment layer 211 and the auxiliary support layer 213. The thickness of the abutment layer 211 is greater than the thickness of the auxiliary support layer 213. The auxiliary support layer 213 can provide a supporting reaction force to both ends of the abutment layer 211 when the door is closed. Due to the thickness difference, in the high-temperature operating environment of the steam oven, the deformation of the airbag 21 on one side of the auxiliary support layer 213 is greater than the deformation on one side of the abutment layer 211, further increasing the reaction force of the auxiliary support layer 213 on both ends of the abutment layer 211. This helps to increase the abutment force between the free edge 23 and the door assembly, thereby improving the sealing effect.

[0043] Furthermore, in one embodiment provided in this application, the side of the abutment layer 211 facing away from the auxiliary support layer 213 is concave. This is to form a negative pressure cavity between the door assembly and the sealing ring 100 when the door is closed, and to enhance the negative pressure effect of the negative pressure cavity in conjunction with the reaction force of the auxiliary support layer 213.

[0044] Specifically, the sealing ring 100 has a first bearing plane 101 located on the mounting ring 10 and a second bearing plane 231 located on the free edge 23. The inflatable ring 20 has a free state and a bearing state. When the inflatable ring 20 is in the free state, the second bearing plane 231 is inclined to the first bearing plane 101. When the inflatable ring 20 is in the bearing state, the first bearing plane 101 and the second bearing plane 231 are coplanar and both fit against the door assembly. By setting the bearing planes, the sealing ring 100 is fully fitted against the door assembly, thereby improving the sealing effect. Due to the negative pressure at the concave surface of the abutment layer 211, under the squeezing force when the door is closed, part of the abutment layer 211 also contacts the door assembly. That is, the abutment layer 211 bears the abutment force between the door assembly and the inflatable ring 20. If there were no reaction force from the inflatable layer 212 and the auxiliary support layer 213, the free edge 23 might also have the problem that the second bearing surface 231 is not completely attached to the door assembly, that is, the free edge 23 would bend inward, which could easily lead to internal steam leakage.

[0045] Furthermore, in order to avoid this warping problem as much as possible, in one embodiment provided in this application, the auxiliary support layer 213 is convex arc-shaped and the arc of the auxiliary support layer 213 is less than 180°. In this way, when the inflatable ring 20 is in the supporting state, the auxiliary support layer 213 can also provide a flipping force to the end of the abutment layer 211 near the free edge 23, thereby helping the second supporting plane 231 to fully fit the door assembly.

[0046] Furthermore, in order to enhance the flipping effect of the auxiliary support layer 213 on the free edge 23, in one embodiment provided in this application, the thickness of the inflatable layer 212 gradually decreases from the middle of the airbag 21 towards the fixed edge 22 and the free edge 23, respectively. In other words, the inflatable layer 212 is spindle-shaped. In this way, when the inflatable ring 20 is in a supporting state, the filling gas in the inflatable layer 212 squeezes the auxiliary support layer 213, causing the auxiliary support layer 213 to deform, and further guiding the free edge 23 to flip.

[0047] Optionally, in one embodiment provided in this application, the thickness of the free edge 23 is greater than the thickness of the abutment layer 211. This helps to distinguish the bearing function of the free edge 23 from the supporting function of the airbag 21, ensuring that the free edge 23 fits fully with the door body as much as possible. The airbag 21 supports the free edge 23 and the fixed edge 22 to maintain the shape of the inflatable ring 20, reducing air leakage problems caused by functional misalignment.

[0048] Optionally, in one embodiment provided in this application, in order to achieve the fixing function of the mounting ring 10, the mounting ring 10 includes a connecting portion 11 and a clamping portion 13 and a threaded portion 12 spaced apart on the abutting portion to form a clamping groove 103 for accommodating the inlet end of the inner liner assembly 200. The corresponding inner liner assembly 200 has a snap-fit ​​hole corresponding to the threaded portion 12. The threaded portion 12 is also made of silicone rubber to increase the friction between the threaded portion 12 and the snap-fit ​​hole. In addition to having the aforementioned abutting first bearing plane 101, the connecting portion 11 also has a connecting surface 102 extending from the first bearing plane 101 to the fixed edge 22. The connecting surface 102 is inclined to the first bearing plane 101 and is used to provide a sealing effect by pressure when the sealing ring 100 abuts against the door assembly. It can be understood that when the inflatable ring 20 is in the bearing state, the connecting surface 102 is coplanar with the first bearing plane 101 and the second bearing plane 231.

[0049] 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.

[0050] The above embodiments only illustrate several implementation methods of this utility model, and their descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, but they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the utility model patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this utility model, and these all fall within the protection scope of this utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of this utility model patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A sealing ring for a steam oven, characterized in that, include: Mounting ring (10) for connecting the inner cavity assembly (200) of the steam oven; The inflatable ring (20) includes an air bladder (21), a fixed side (22) and a free side (23) fixed at opposite ends of the air bladder (21), the fixed side (22) being fixedly connected to the mounting ring (10), and the free side (23) being used to abut against the door assembly of the steam oven.

2. The sealing ring according to claim 1, characterized in that, The airbag (21) extends obliquely from the fixed side (22) to the free side (23).

3. The sealing ring according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gas filling the airbag (21) is an inert gas.

4. The sealing ring according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gas pressure in the airbag (21) is 1 atm to 2 atm.

5. The sealing ring according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The airbag (21) includes an abutment layer (211) with its two ends fixedly connected to the fixed side (22) and the free side (23), an auxiliary support layer (213) with its two ends fixedly connected to the two ends of the abutment layer (211), and an inflatable layer (212) located between the abutment layer (211) and the auxiliary support layer (213). The thickness of the abutment layer (211) is greater than the thickness of the auxiliary support layer (213).

6. The sealing ring according to claim 5, characterized in that, The side of the abutment layer (211) facing away from the auxiliary support layer (213) is concave.

7. The sealing ring according to claim 6, characterized in that, The auxiliary support layer (213) is convex and arc-shaped, and the arc of the auxiliary support layer (213) is less than 180°.

8. The sealing ring according to claim 6, characterized in that, The thickness of the inflatable layer (212) gradually decreases from the middle of the airbag (21) toward the fixed side (22) and the free side (23), respectively.

9. The sealing ring according to claim 5, characterized in that, The thickness of the free edge (23) is greater than the thickness of the abutment layer (211).

10. A steam oven / grill combo, characterized in that, include: Inner liner assembly (200); Door assembly, installed on the inner liner assembly (200); as well as The sealing ring as claimed in any one of claims 1-9 is installed at the inlet of the inner liner assembly (200) and is used to press against the door assembly.

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