Steam oven

Abstract

This application relates to a steam oven, including an inner cavity, a distribution hood, a connecting pipe, and a guide cone. The inner cavity has a steam inlet hole on its top wall. The distribution hood has a receiving cavity, an air inlet hole communicating with the receiving cavity, and multiple air outlet holes communicating with the receiving cavity. The air inlet hole is located at the top of the distribution hood, and the air outlet holes are located on the side wall of the distribution hood. The guide cone is installed inside the receiving cavity, and the guide cone is spaced apart from the connecting pipe, with the tip of the guide cone inserted into the connecting pipe. After the tip of the guide cone is inserted into the connecting pipe, the steam first diffuses to the distribution hood, and then further diffuses into the inner cavity through the multiple air outlet holes. The guide cone cuts and disperses the originally concentrated steam, initially reducing the kinetic energy of the steam; the multiple air outlet holes further disperse the steam, thus allowing the steam to enter the inner cavity at a lower speed and slowly fill the entire inner cavity from top to bottom. This prevents the steam from directly blowing onto the food surface, resulting in poor cooking, and also achieves effective steam oxygen removal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of household appliance technology, and in particular to a steam oven. Background Technology

[0002] Existing steam ovens or steamers primarily use a bottom heating plate to generate steam or direct steam intake from the lower rear side of the back panel when steaming. The steam's diffusion and rising action heats the food inside the cavity to meet cooking needs.

[0003] However, existing technologies have several drawbacks: ① The generated steam flow has excessively high velocity, causing violent mixing with the air inside the cavity during its ascent, leading to rapid dilution of the steam concentration and premature exhaust through the exhaust system, reducing oxygen removal efficiency; ② Due to the large horizontal cross-sectional area of ​​the steam oven cavity, when using a heating plate or steam intake from a single side, the steam flow exhibits a significant gradient distribution within the cavity, resulting in poor steam uniformity. This causes uneven heating of the food, affecting the consistency of its cooking and leading to significant differences in the retention rate of nutrients in different parts of the food, ultimately impacting the uniformity of cooking quality; ③ When using steam intake from a single side, the high steam velocity may cause it to directly hit the food surface, accelerating browning and resulting in greater nutrient loss. Utility Model Content

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a steam oven to address the above problems.

[0005] This application provides a steam oven, comprising: an inner cavity with a steam inlet hole on its top wall; a distribution hood having a receiving cavity, an air inlet hole communicating with the receiving cavity, and a plurality of air outlet holes communicating with the receiving cavity, the air inlet hole being located at the top of the distribution hood, and the air outlet holes being located at the side wall of the distribution hood; a connecting pipe connecting the air inlet hole and the steam inlet hole; and a guide cone installed in the receiving cavity, the guide cone being spaced apart from the connecting pipe, and the tip of the guide cone being inserted into the connecting pipe.

[0006] This design, by inserting the tip of the guide cone into the connecting pipe, first diffuses the steam into the distribution hood, and then further diffuses it into the inner liner through multiple vents. On the one hand, the guide cone cuts and disperses the originally monolithic steam, initially reducing the kinetic energy of the steam. On the other hand, the multiple vents further disperse the steam, so that the steam enters the inner liner at a lower speed and gradually fills the entire inner liner from top to bottom. This avoids the problem of steam blowing directly onto the food surface, which would lead to a poor cooking effect, and also achieves effective steam oxygen removal.

[0007] In one embodiment, the diffuser shroud satisfies 3A1 < A2, where A1 is the area of ​​the air inlet and A2 is the sum of the areas of the plurality of air outlets.

[0008] This design, by limiting the areas of the air inlet and outlet to a reasonable range, makes it easier for the diffuser to discharge air, which can reduce the steam pressure in the containment cavity, thereby reducing the discharge speed and improving the diffusion effect of steam in the inner liner.

[0009] In one embodiment, the sides of the guide cone are funnel-shaped.

[0010] With this configuration, the steam will be guided and redirected by the guide cone as it flows downwards, eventually exiting towards the outlet. This optimizes the steam flow path within the distribution hood, preventing the steam from being diverted by the guide cone and then mixed again within the distribution hood, which would affect the steam output efficiency. In addition, if the steam stays in the distribution hood for too long, condensation will occur.

[0011] In one embodiment, the flow divider includes a cover body providing the receiving cavity, the air inlet and the air outlet, and a positioning tube fixed to the bottom wall of the cover body, wherein the flow guide cone is slidably sleeved on the positioning tube; the steam oven further includes a drive member connected to the flow guide cone.

[0012] With this configuration, the guide cone can slide along the positioning tube under the drive of the driving component, thereby changing the flow area at the air inlet and further controlling the amount of steam input to suit the cooking needs of different ingredients.

[0013] In one embodiment, the flow divider also includes a limiting ring fitted over the positioning tube above the flow guide cone.

[0014] This design, with its limiting ring, constrains the vertical sliding range of the guide cone, preventing it from colliding with the cover.

[0015] In one embodiment, the driving component includes a first magnetic component fixedly disposed on the flow guide cone, a second magnetic component fixedly disposed on the flow divider and magnetically engaged with the first magnetic component, and a current control component, wherein the first magnetic component and / or the second magnetic component are electromagnets, and the current control component is electrically connected to the electromagnet.

[0016] With this configuration, the guide cone is driven by the magnetic field force of electromagnetic induction, and the receiving cavity can be relatively isolated from the external space, thus avoiding steam leakage while realizing the sliding of the guide cone.

[0017] In one embodiment, the first magnetic component includes an iron core fixedly connected to the flow guide cone and sleeved on the positioning tube, and a first induction coil sleeved on the iron core. The current control component includes a second induction coil fixedly connected to the positioning tube and electromagnetically coupled with the first induction coil, and a circuit board electrically connected to the second induction coil.

[0018] This setup utilizes the iron core to increase the magnetism of the first magnetic body. In addition, during actual operation, the first coil generates heat, raising the temperature of the guide cone and reducing the loss of the liquefaction potential of the steam.

[0019] In one embodiment, the shroud further includes a frustum placed within the receiving cavity and fixed to the bottom wall of the shroud, and the second magnetic element is a permanent magnet embedded in the frustum.

[0020] This configuration utilizes the side of the cone to further guide the steam flow towards the outlet, reducing the steam's residence time within the distribution hood. The cone also serves as a mounting base for the second magnetic component, facilitating its fixation to the distribution hood.

[0021] In one embodiment, the steam oven further includes a weight sensor installed in the inner cavity, the weight sensor being communicatively connected to the drive unit.

[0022] With this setup, the weight sensor is used to detect the air pressure in the inner liner. When there is too much or too little steam, it can promptly notify the drive unit to reduce or increase the flow area at the air inlet.

[0023] In one embodiment, there are two steam inlet holes, each located close to one of the two side walls of the inner liner, and there are also two diversion hoods, each corresponding to one of the steam inlet holes.

[0024] With this setup, the two steam inlet holes can also disperse the steam. By placing the steam inlet holes close to the two side walls of the inner liner, the steam is slowly released along the inner liner wall, resulting in better oxygen removal. Attached Figure Description

[0025] 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.

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a steam oven in one embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A partial structural diagram of the steam oven shown;

[0028] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the structure shown;

[0029] Figure 4 for Figure 3Schematic diagram of the structure of the guide cone and the iron core;

[0030] Figure 5 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of the middle fairing.

[0031] Reference numerals: 10, Inner liner; 101, Steam inlet; 20, Diverter hood; 201, Receiving cavity; 202, Air inlet; 203, Air outlet; 21, Cover body; 22, Positioning tube; 23, Limiting ring; 24, Frustum; 30, Connecting tube; 40, Guide cone; 50, Driving component; 51, First magnetic component; 511, Iron core; 512, First induction coil; 52, Second magnetic component; 53, Current control assembly; 531, Second induction coil; 532, Circuit board. Detailed Implementation

[0032] 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.

[0033] 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.

[0034] 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.

[0035] 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.

[0036] 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.

[0037] Existing steam ovens or steamers primarily use a bottom heating plate to generate steam or direct steam intake from the lower rear side of the back panel when steaming. The steam's diffusion and rising action heats the food inside the cavity to meet cooking needs.

[0038] However, existing technologies have several drawbacks: ① The generated steam flow has excessively high velocity, causing violent mixing with the air inside the cavity during its ascent, leading to rapid dilution of the steam concentration and premature exhaust through the exhaust system, reducing oxygen removal efficiency; ② Due to the large horizontal cross-sectional area of ​​the steam oven cavity, when using a heating plate or steam intake from a single side, the steam flow exhibits a significant gradient distribution within the cavity, resulting in poor steam uniformity. This causes uneven heating of the food, affecting the consistency of its cooking and leading to significant differences in the retention rate of nutrients in different parts of the food, ultimately impacting the uniformity of cooking quality; ③ When using steam intake from a single side, the high steam velocity may cause it to directly hit the food surface, accelerating browning and resulting in greater nutrient loss.

[0039] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a steam oven in one embodiment of this application. Figure 2 for Figure 1 The diagram shows a partial structural representation of the steam oven. Figure 3 for Figure 2The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the structure. In this embodiment provided in this application, the steam oven includes an inner liner 10, a distribution hood 20, a connecting pipe 30, and a guide cone 40; wherein, the top wall of the inner liner 10 has a steam inlet hole 101, the distribution hood 20 has a receiving cavity 201, an air inlet 202 communicating with the receiving cavity 201, and a plurality of air outlets 203 communicating with the receiving cavity 201, the air inlet 202 being located at the top of the distribution hood 20, and the air outlets 203 being located on the side wall of the distribution hood 20, such as... Figure 3 As shown, the guide cone 40 is installed in the receiving cavity 201, with the guide cone 40 and the connecting pipe 30 spaced apart, and the tip of the guide cone 40 inserted into the connecting pipe 30. After the tip of the guide cone 40 is inserted into the connecting pipe 30, the steam will first diffuse to the distribution hood 20, and then further diffuse into the inner liner 10 through multiple vents 203. On the one hand, the guide cone 40 cuts and disperses the originally concentrated steam, initially reducing the kinetic energy of the steam; on the other hand, the multiple vents 203 further disperse the steam, so that the steam enters the inner liner 10 at a lower speed and slowly fills the entire inner liner 10 from top to bottom. This not only prevents the steam from directly blowing on the surface of the food, resulting in poor cooking, but also achieves the purpose of effectively removing oxygen from the steam.

[0040] Furthermore, to ensure that the steam velocity at the outlet is kept at a low level, in this embodiment provided in this application, the diversion hood 20 satisfies 3A1 < A2, where A1 is the area of ​​the inlet 202 and A2 is the sum of the areas of the plurality of outlets 203. That is, through the constraint of this condition, the diversion hood 20 makes it easier for steam to escape from the outlets 203, which can reduce the steam pressure in the receiving cavity 201, thereby reducing the steam velocity and improving the diffusion effect of steam in the inner liner 10.

[0041] like Figure 4 As shown, Figure 4 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of the guide cone 40 and the iron core 511. In this embodiment, the side of the guide cone 40 is funnel-shaped, that is... Figure 3 The cross-section of the guide cone 40 shows that its side profile is a parabolic curve, with the upper edge extending towards the air inlet and the lower edge extending towards the air outlet 203, thus guiding the airflow in a different direction. This design pushes the steam dispersed by the guide cone 40 towards the air outlet 203 as much as possible, preventing secondary mixing of the steam within the distributor 20, which would affect the exhaust efficiency. If the dispersed steam cannot be discharged in time, condensation will form within the distributor 20 if the steam remains there for too long.

[0042] During steaming cooking, differentiated steam environment control strategies are required based on the physical properties and heat processing needs of different ingredients. Meat (such as steamed fish) requires high-temperature saturated steam to promote the Maillard reaction, but direct impact should be avoided to prevent muscle fiber rupture; leafy vegetables (such as steamed eggplant) require gentle steam to prevent heat damage to the skin; fermented dough (such as steamed buns) require segmented humidity control: high steam volume in the early stage to promote expansion, and low steam volume in the later stage to set the shape.

[0043] Please refer to this as well. Figure 3 and Figure 5 , Figure 5 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of the central diversion hood 20 is provided. To facilitate the adjustment of the steam volume in the inner liner 10 and meet the steam requirements of different ingredients during cooking, in this embodiment, the diversion hood 20 includes a hood body 21 and a positioning tube 22. The positioning tube 22 is fixed to the bottom wall of the hood body 21. The guide cone 40 is slidably fitted onto the positioning tube 22 to facilitate the management of the flow area at the air inlet 202. The steam oven also includes a drive component 50 connected to the guide cone 40. Optionally, the drive component 50 uses electromagnetic induction to drive the guide cone 40 to slide vertically. The drive component 50 includes a first magnetic component 51, a second magnetic component 52, and a current control component 53. One or both of the first magnetic component 51 and the second magnetic component 52 are electromagnets. The current control component 53 is electrically connected to the electromagnet. In this way, the accommodating cavity 201 can be relatively isolated from the external space, preventing steam leakage while allowing the guide cone 40 to slide, or at least avoiding steam leakage due to the need for cable holes.

[0044] like Figure 3 As shown, specifically in this embodiment, the first magnetic element 51 includes an iron core 511 and a first induction coil 512 wound around the iron core 511, that is, the first magnetic element 51 is an electromagnet. The current control component 53 includes a second induction coil 531 fixedly connected to the positioning tube 22 and electromagnetically coupled with the first induction coil 512, and a circuit board 532 electrically connected to the second induction coil 531. In this way, the iron core 511 increases the magnetism of the first magnetic element. In addition, in actual operation, the first coil generates heat, raising the temperature of the guide cone 40, which can also reduce the loss of the liquefaction potential of steam. In this embodiment, the iron core 511 is sleeved on the positioning tube 22, and the first induction coil 512 is also arranged around the positioning tube 22, which helps to ensure the tightness of the magnetic coupling between the two induction coils. The line of action of the force between the first magnetic element 51 and the second magnetic element 52 can also coincide with the axis of the positioning tube 22, which helps to increase the smoothness of the sliding of the guide cone 40.

[0045] Furthermore, in one embodiment provided in this application, the diversion shroud 20 further includes a frustum 24 placed within the receiving cavity 201 and fixed to the bottom wall of the shroud 21, and the second magnetic element 52 is a permanent magnet embedded in the frustum 24. The side of the frustum 24 further guides the steam to flow towards the outlet, reducing the residence time of the steam in the diversion shroud 20. The frustum 24 also serves as a mounting base for the second magnetic element 52, facilitating the fixing of the second magnetic element 52 to the diversion shroud 20.

[0046] Please continue reading. Figure 3 In this embodiment, the flow divider 20 also includes a limiting ring 23 sleeved on the positioning tube 22 above the flow guide cone 40. The limiting ring 23 restricts the vertical sliding range of the flow guide cone 40, preventing the flow guide cone 40 from colliding with the shroud 21.

[0047] Optionally, in one embodiment of this application, the steam oven further includes a weight sensor installed in the inner cavity 10. The weight sensor is communicatively connected to the drive unit 50. The weight sensor is used to detect the weight of the food and to reduce or increase the flow area at the air inlet 202 for different weights of food.

[0048] It is worth noting that in this application, both the guide cone 40 and the positioning tube 22 are heat-insulating components. The guide cone 40 is made of heat-insulating material because it has a large contact area with the steam and a large heat exchange area, which can prevent condensation from forming on the guide cone 40. The positioning tube 22 is made of heat-insulating material because it is a protective structure for the second induction coil 531 and also a protective structure for the external cable of the second induction coil 531. It needs to extend upward to the outside of the inner liner 10. The use of heat-insulating material is to prevent heat from the inside and outside of the inner liner 10 from interacting through the positioning tube 22, thereby reducing the generation of condensation at the positioning tube 22.

[0049] Please refer to it again. Figure 1 In this embodiment of the present application, there are two steam inlet holes 101, each located close to one of the two side walls of the inner liner 10. There are also two diversion hoods 20, each corresponding to one of the steam inlet holes 101. The two steam inlet holes 101 can also disperse the steam. By arranging the steam inlet holes 101 close to the two side walls of the inner liner 10, the steam is slowly released along the wall of the inner liner 10, resulting in better oxygen removal.

[0050] Based on the above structure, the control method of the steam oven provided in this application when cooking different foods is as follows: First, the type of food is identified by a high-resolution camera and compared with the examples in the food processing database. If the identification result is vegetables, the power of the steam generator is adjusted to the first power P1 (low power). If the identification result is fermented pastries, the power of the steam generator is adjusted to the second power P2 (high power) and the first power P1 in sequence: initially, the second power P2 is used to promote starch gelation and expansion, and later the first power P1 is used to complete the gelatinization and shaping of the pastry surface. If the identification result is not the above two types, the power of the steam generator is adjusted to the third power P3 (full power). Secondly, after identification is completed, the weight of the food is detected by a weight sensor, and the standard weight of the food is set as M. For example, this application provides three steam volume adjustment levels. When the weight of the food m satisfies 0 < m ≤ 0.5M, the flow area at the air inlet 202 is adjusted to 0.3A1, where A1 represents the area of ​​the air inlet 202; when the weight of the food m satisfies 0.5M < m ≤ M, the flow area at the air inlet 202 is adjusted to 0.5A1; when the weight of the food m satisfies M < m ≤ 1.5M, the flow area at the air inlet 202 is adjusted to A1, that is, the guide cone 40 no longer guides the steam in the connecting pipe 30, and the guide cone 40 contacts the lower limit ring 23.

[0051] The drive unit 50 can be controlled by a voice module, which is equipped with a controller, a voice receiving module, and a voice parsing module. The voice receiving module receives user commands, and the voice parsing module parses the commands. Based on the parsed commands, the controller controls the drive unit 50 to perform corresponding operations, thereby realizing intelligent control of the steam oven and improving the user experience.

[0052] 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.

[0053] The above embodiments merely illustrate several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively 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 protection scope of this application. Therefore, the patent protection scope of this application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A steam oven, characterized in that, include: The inner liner (10) has a steam inlet (101) on its top wall. The diffuser (20) has a receiving cavity (201), an air inlet (202) communicating with the receiving cavity (201), and a plurality of air outlets (203) communicating with the receiving cavity (201). The air inlet (202) is located at the top of the diffuser (20), and the air outlets (203) are located on the side wall of the diffuser (20). A connecting pipe (30) connects the air inlet (202) and the steam inlet (101); and A flow guide cone (40) is installed in the receiving cavity (201), the flow guide cone (40) is arranged at intervals with the connecting pipe (30) and the tip of the flow guide cone (40) is inserted into the connecting pipe (30).

2. The steam oven according to claim 1, characterized in that, The diffuser (20) satisfies 3A1 < A2, where A1 is the area of ​​the air inlet (202) and A2 is the sum of the areas of the plurality of air outlets (203).

3. The steam oven according to claim 1, characterized in that, The side of the guide cone (40) is trumpet-shaped.

4. The steam oven according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The flow divider (20) includes a cover (21) providing the receiving cavity (201), the air inlet (202) and the air outlet (203) and a positioning tube (22) fixed to the bottom wall of the cover (21), and the flow guide cone (40) is slidably sleeved on the positioning tube (22); the steam oven also includes a drive member (50) connected to the flow guide cone (40).

5. The steam oven according to claim 4, characterized in that, The flow divider (20) also includes a limiting ring (23) sleeved on the positioning tube (22) above the flow guide cone (40).

6. The steam oven according to claim 4, characterized in that, The driving component (50) includes a first magnetic component (51) fixedly mounted on the flow guide cone (40), a second magnetic component (52) fixedly mounted on the flow divider (20) and magnetically engaged with the first magnetic component (51), and a current control component (53). The first magnetic component (51) and / or the second magnetic component (52) are electromagnets, and the current control component (53) is electrically connected to the electromagnet.

7. The steam oven according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first magnetic component (51) includes an iron core (511) fixedly connected to the guide cone (40) and sleeved on the positioning tube (22) and a first induction coil (512) sleeved on the iron core (511). The current control component (53) includes a second induction coil (531) fixedly connected to the positioning tube (22) and electromagnetically cooperating with the first induction coil (512) and a circuit board (532) electrically connected to the second induction coil (531).

8. The steam oven according to claim 6, characterized in that, The shroud (20) also includes a frustum (24) placed inside the receiving cavity (201) and fixed to the bottom wall of the shroud (21), and the second magnetic element (52) is a permanent magnet embedded in the frustum (24).

9. The steam oven according to claim 4, characterized in that, The steam oven also includes a weight sensor installed in the inner cavity (10), which is communicatively connected to the drive unit (50).

10. The steam oven according to claim 1, characterized in that, There are two steam inlet holes (101) arranged close to the two side walls of the inner liner (10), and there are also two diversion hoods (20) arranged corresponding to the steam inlet holes (101).

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