Cooking appliance

Abstract

Cooking appliance (100) with the following features: a device housing (102) enclosing a cooking chamber (206), the device housing (102) having a housing front wall with a loading opening (208) opening into the cooking chamber (206); a cooking chamber door (104) for closing the loading opening (208); a first hinge (210) for movably connecting the cooking chamber door (104) to the appliance housing (102), wherein the first hinge (210) has a first base body (320) which is fastened to a bottom edge (214) of the housing front wall, a first coupling element (322) for coupling the first hinge (210) to the cooking chamber door (104) and a first connecting device (324) for movably connecting the first coupling element (322) to the first base body (320); a second hinge (212) for movably connecting the cooking chamber door (104) to the appliance housing (102), wherein the second hinge (212) has a second base body which is fastened to the bottom edge (214) of the housing front wall, a second coupling element for coupling the second hinge (212) to the cooking chamber door (104) and a second connecting device for movably connecting the second coupling element to the second base body; and a drip tray (440), with a first cover element (442) for covering at least a portion of the first base body (320) of the first hinge (210), a second cover element (542) for covering at least part of the second base body of the second hinge (212) and a receiving groove (444) arranged between the first cover element (442) and the second cover element (542), wherein the first cover element (442) of the drip tray (440) has a side wall (446) for covering at least a portion of one side of the first base body (320) and a cover (448) for covering at least a portion of an upper side of the first base body (320), and wherein the second cover element (542) of the drip tray (440) has a side wall (446) for covering at least a portion of a side of the second base body and a cover (448) for covering at least a portion of an upper side of the second base body, characterized in that the covers (448) of the cover elements (442; 542) are each L-shaped.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a cooking appliance, for example a steamer or oven.

[0002] Hinges are visible in the door opening area of ​​cooking appliances. A hinge is a technical component that can detract from the aesthetic appearance of the cooking appliance. Furthermore, it is difficult to remove dirt from the hinge area, such as grease dripping down.

[0003] From the documents EP 2 458 288 B1 and DE 10 2016 224 708 A1, cooking appliances are known in which a collecting tray is arranged below the cooking chamber door between the two door hinges when the cooking chamber door is closed.

[0004] The approach presented here aims to create an improved cooking appliance.

[0005] According to the invention, this object is achieved by a cooking appliance having the features of the main claim. Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention are set forth in the following subclaims.

[0006] The advantages achieved with the invention include an aesthetic appearance and easy cleaning of the cooking appliance.

[0007] A cooking appliance has the following features: a device housing enclosing a cooking chamber, the device housing having a front wall with a loading opening opening into the cooking chamber; a cooking chamber door to close the loading opening; a first hinge for movably connecting the cooking chamber door to the appliance housing, wherein the first hinge has a first base body which is fastened to a bottom edge of the housing front wall, a first coupling element for coupling the first hinge to the cooking chamber door and a first connecting device for movably connecting the first coupling element to the first base body; a second hinge for movably connecting the cooking chamber door to the appliance housing, wherein the second hinge has a second base body which is fastened to the bottom edge of the housing front wall, a second coupling element for coupling the second hinge to the cooking chamber door, and a second connecting device for movably connecting the second coupling element to the second base body; and a drip tray, with a first cover element for covering at least a portion of the first base body of the first hinge, a second cover element for covering at least a part of the second base body of the second hinge and a receiving groove arranged between the first cover element and the second cover element.

[0008] A cooking appliance is understood to mean, for example, a steam cooker, an oven or a steam oven. Even if the approach described is based on a household appliance, the approach described here can accordingly be used in connection with a commercial or professional appliance. The appliance housing, the cooking chamber, the cooking chamber door and the hinges can be designed in accordance with known cooking appliances. The housing front wall can comprise, opposite the bottom edge, a ceiling edge and two opposite side edges, which together can enclose the loading opening. The loading opening can be used to bring food into the cooking chamber or to remove food from the cooking chamber when the cooking chamber door is in an open position. When the cooking chamber door is closed, the loading opening can be closed by the cooking chamber door.Using the hinges, the cooking chamber door can be moved from the closed position to the open position and vice versa. The drip tray can be removable or fixed. A drip tray that is easy for the user to remove can make cleaning the drip tray easier. The drip tray's collecting channel can be used to collect solid or liquid substances that could otherwise get into a gap between the cooking chamber door and the appliance housing when cleaning the cooking appliance or even when opening the cooking chamber door. The drip tray can also be advantageous in cooking appliances with a liquid-based cooking chamber cleaning system or in cooking appliances with a steam cooking process, as in such appliances, liquid that has precipitated on the inside of the cooking chamber door when the cooking chamber door is opened can run off and be collected by the collecting channel.The drip tray can be used to create a hinge cover on the cooking appliance's locking system.

[0009] The drip tray can be molded in one piece, allowing for cost-effective production.

[0010] The drip tray can be made of plastic or metal. This means that the drip tray can be designed, for example, as an injection-molded part or as a stamped and bent part.

[0011] The length of the receiving channel can correspond at least to the width of the loading opening along the bottom edge of the front wall of the housing. This can prevent, for example, liquid from overflowing. The receiving channel can be shaped to bridge a gap between the appliance door in the open position and the bottom edge of the front wall of the housing, at least in the area of ​​the loading opening.

[0012] The first cover element of the drip tray has a side wall for covering at least a portion of a side of the first base body and a cover for covering at least a portion of an upper side of the first base body. Accordingly, the second cover element of the drip tray has a side wall for covering at least a portion of a side of the second base body and a cover for covering at least a portion of an upper side of the second base body. In this way, areas of the base bodies of the hinges that are visible to a user can be covered by the cover elements. Furthermore, those areas of the base bodies that are more exposed to soiling are protected by the cover elements.

[0013] The side walls of the cover elements can be aligned parallel to each other and transversely to a longitudinal direction of the receiving channel. Furthermore, the tops of the cover elements can lie in one plane and be aligned parallel to the longitudinal direction of the receiving channel. This shape is particularly suitable for covering rectangular hinge bases.

[0014] The plane in which the cover elements are located is also referred to as the cover plane. The plane in which the receiving channel is located is also referred to as the collecting plane. Preferably, the vertical distance of the cover plane from the cooking chamber is less than the vertical distance of the collecting plane from the cooking chamber.

[0015] Preferably, the receiving trough has at least two trough walls which are formed parallel to each other and extend vertically upwards from the bottom of the receiving trough.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the tub walls extend perpendicular to the side walls, in particular completely from one side wall to the other side wall.

[0017] The side wall of the first cover element can close a first end of the receiving channel, and the side wall of the second cover element can close a second end of the receiving channel. This allows the receiving channel to be closed on both sides, preventing, for example, leakage of liquid collected in the receiving channel.

[0018] In this case, a bottom of the receiving channel can connect to the lower ends of the side walls of the cover elements, and the tops of the cover elements can connect to the lower ends of the side walls opposite the upper ends of the side walls. In this way, the bottom of the receiving channel can be arranged low.

[0019] According to the invention, the tops of the cover elements are each L-shaped. This allows, for example, a recess to be kept free for the coupling element.

[0020] The covers of the cover elements can rest loosely on the base bodies, allowing for easy removal of the drip tray.

[0021] An embodiment of the invention is shown purely schematically in the drawings and is described in more detail below. It shows Fig. 1 an embodiment of a cooking appliance; Fig. 2 an embodiment of a cooking appliance without a cooking chamber door; Fig. 3 an embodiment of a hinge for a cooking appliance; Fig. 4 an embodiment of a drip tray for a cooking appliance; and Fig. 5 a schematic representation of an embodiment of a drip tray for a cooking appliance.

[0022] Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of a cooking appliance 100, which is designed merely as an example as a steam cooker, baking oven, or steam oven. The cooking appliance 100 comprises an appliance housing 102, which encloses a cooking chamber in which food can be arranged for cooking. A front wall of the appliance housing 102 is closed by a cooking chamber door 104. The cooking appliance 100 is thus shown with the cooking chamber door 104 closed, which is also referred to simply as a door. The cooking chamber door 104 has, for example, a handle that allows a user to open the cooking chamber door 104. The cooking chamber door 104 is hingedly attached to the bottom of the appliance housing 102, i.e., on the side of a floor of the cooking appliance 100, on which the cooking appliance 100 stands during operation. When the cooking chamber door 104 is opened from the Fig. 1 shown closed state into an open state, a gap is created between an edge of the cooking chamber door 104 and a bottom edge of the front wall of the device housing 102, which gap is, however, covered by a drip tray, which is described below with reference to Fig. 4 is described.

[0023] Fig. 2 shows an embodiment of a cooking appliance 100 without a cooking chamber door. For example, this is an embodiment of the Fig. 1. The appliance housing 102 has a floor, a ceiling, a rear wall, and two side walls that enclose a cooking chamber 206. The front wall of the appliance housing 102 has a loading opening 208 opening into the cooking chamber 206, through which food can be placed into the cooking chamber 206 or removed from the cooking chamber 206 when the cooking chamber door is open.

[0024] The front wall of the appliance housing 102 has a bottom edge 214 adjacent to the loading opening 208, an opposite top edge, and two side edges. A first hinge 210 and a second hinge 212 are attached to the bottom edge 214. The hinges 210, 212 are arranged on opposite sides of the bottom edge 214, here the first hinge 210 on the left and the second hinge 212 on the right. The hinges 210, 212 are used to movably attach the cooking chamber door to the appliance housing 102.

[0025] Fig. 3 shows an embodiment of a hinge 210 for a cooking appliance, of which a portion of the loading opening 208 as well as a portion of the bottom edge 214 and a lateral edge of the front wall of the appliance housing 102 are shown. For example, the hinge 210 is an embodiment of the hinge shown in Fig. 2. The hinge 210 is shown without a drip tray cover.

[0026] The hinge 210 has a base body 320, a coupling element 322, and a connecting device 324. The base body 320 is attached, for example, by screwing, to the bottom edge 214 of the housing front wall. For example, an outer contour of the base body 320 is approximately rectangular. The coupling element 322 is movably connected, for example, rotatably or tiltably, to the base body 320 via the connecting device 324. For this purpose, the connecting device 324 has, for example, a rotation axis or a suitable mechanism. The coupling element 322 is, for example, rod-shaped and can, for example, be inserted into a corresponding slot in the cooking chamber door in order to connect the cooking chamber door to the hinge 210.

[0027] The Fig. The position of the coupling element 322 shown in Figure 3 corresponds to a closed position of the cooking chamber door. The coupling element 322 is aligned at least approximately parallel to the front wall of the appliance housing 102 and guided through a gap in an upper side of the base body 320.

[0028] The hinge 210 can be designed according to known hinges that are already used in connection with cooking appliances.

[0029] The Fig. 2 shown second hinge can be adjusted according to the Fig. 3, and have a corresponding base body, a corresponding coupling element and a corresponding connecting device.

[0030] Fig. 4 shows an embodiment of a drip tray 440 for a cooking appliance, of which a portion of the loading opening 208 as well as a portion of the bottom edge 214 and a lateral edge of the front wall of the appliance housing 102 as well as a hinge 210 are shown. For example, the hinge 210 is an embodiment of the Fig. 3. Due to the drip tray 440, the hinge 210 is now designed with a cover.

[0031] The drip tray 440 has a first cover element 442 for covering at least a portion of the first base body 320 of the first hinge 210, a Fig. 4 a second cover element (not shown) for covering at least part of the second base body of the second hinge and a receiving groove 444 arranged between the first cover element 442 and the second cover element.

[0032] In the Fig. In the assembled state of the drip tray 440 shown in Figure 4, the receiving channel 444 extends parallel to and below a lower edge of the loading opening 208 along the bottom edge 214 of the housing front wall. For example, the receiving channel 444 extends at least across an entire width of the loading opening 208. The receiving channel 444 is formed by a base and two tray walls 445 and two side walls 446, wherein one of the side walls, in the assembled state, according to one exemplary embodiment, ends at the bottom edge 214 of the housing front wall. The receiving channel 444 can, for example, catch and hold liquid leaking from the loading opening 208 or dripping from the cooking chamber door.

[0033] According to one embodiment, the first cover element 442 of the drip tray has a side wall 446 for covering at least a portion of a side of the first base body 320 and a cover 448 for covering at least a portion of an upper side of the first base body 320.

[0034] For example, the side of the first base body 320 facing the other hinge, here the second hinge, is covered by the side wall 446. For example, the side is spanned by at least 80% of the side wall 446.

[0035] The cover 448 of the first cover element 442 is, for example, L-shaped and adjoins the side wall 446 directly or via a beveled or rounded intermediate piece. According to the illustrated embodiment, the shape of the cover 448 leaves the slot provided in the first base body 320 free for the first coupling element 322.

[0036] Optionally, the cover 448 rests loosely on the top side of the first base body 320 when the drip tray 440 is mounted. This allows for easy and tool-free attachment and removal of the drip tray 440. According to one embodiment, the bottom of the receiving channel 444 is arranged at a lower end of the side wall 446 of the first cover element 442, and the cover of the first cover element 442 is arranged at an upper end of the side wall 446 opposite the lower end of the side wall 446.

[0037] By connecting the first cover element 442 directly to the receiving groove 444, a first end of the receiving groove 444 facing the first cover element 442 is directly closed by the side wall 446 of the first cover element 442.

[0038] According to one embodiment, the Fig. 4, the second cover element of the drip tray 440, not shown, is designed in accordance with the first cover element 442 shown, but is aligned in a mirror image, so that the side wall 446 of the second cover element covers at least a portion of one side of the second base body 320 and the cover of the second cover element covers at least a portion of the top side of the second base body of the second hinge.

[0039] Fig. 5 shows a schematic representation of an embodiment of a drip tray 440 for a cooking appliance. For example, this may be an embodiment of the Fig.4. The receiving groove 444 of the drip tray 440 extends between the first cover element 442 for covering a base body of a first hinge and a second cover element 542 for covering a base body of a second hinge. The cover elements 442, 542 each have a side wall 446 for covering at least a portion of one side of the respective base body and a cover for covering at least a portion of an upper side of the respective base body.

[0040] According to one embodiment, the side walls 446 of the cover elements 442, 542 are aligned parallel to one another and transversely to a longitudinal direction of the receiving channel 444. According to one embodiment, the ceilings 448 of the cover elements 442, 542 are aligned in a plane and parallel to the longitudinal direction of the receiving channel 444.

[0041] The plane in which the cover elements 442, 542 lie is also referred to as the cover plane. The plane in which the receiving channel 444 lies is also referred to as the collecting plane. Preferably, the vertical distance of the cover plane from the cooking chamber 206 is less than the vertical distance of the collecting plane from the cooking chamber 206. In particular, the collecting plane is defined by the bottom of the receiving channel 444.

[0042] Preferably, the receiving trough 444 has at least two trough walls 445 which are formed parallel to each other and extend vertically upwards from the bottom of the receiving trough 444.

[0043] According to one embodiment, the tub walls 445 extend perpendicular to the side walls 446, in particular completely from one side wall 446 to the other side wall 446.

[0044] For example, the height of the side walls 446 or a distance between the bottom of the receiving channel 444 and the ceilings 448 of the cover elements 442, 542 is more than twice or more than three times as large as a height of the tub walls 445 of the receiving channel 444.

[0045] According to one embodiment, the drip tray 440 is molded in one piece, i.e., manufactured in one piece. If the drip tray 440 is made of plastic, the drip tray 440 is molded, for example, as an injection-molded part. If the drip tray 440 is made of metal, the drip tray 440 is molded, for example, as a stamped and bent part. In this case, the drip tray 440 represents, for example, a metal drip tray that optionally rests on the hinges, with the receiving channel 444 being lowered relative to the ceilings 448 of the cover elements 442, 542, which serve as support elements.

[0046] The approach described creates a hinge cover with the drip tray 440. This makes the hinges visually inaccessible and less susceptible to soiling during use and food preparation. The user's view of the open cooking appliance is not obstructed by the technical-looking hinge. Furthermore, the hinge area is significantly easier to clean thanks to the hinge cover integrated into the drip tray 440. By integrating a hinge cover into the drip tray, which covers the gap between the cooking chamber and the door during the opening process and can catch crumbs and liquids, the hinge mechanism is concealed and visually enhanced. In addition, soiling in this area can be easily removed by the user.Advantageously, the hinge cover, which is formed here by the cover elements 442, 542, is integrated into the drip tray 440 made of plastic or metal and does not represent any additional manufacturing effort, since according to one embodiment it is demolded in one piece in a tool as a component of the drip tray 440 with the drip tray 440.

Claims

[1] Cooking appliance (100) with the following features: a device housing (102) enclosing a cooking chamber (206), the device housing (102) having a housing front wall with a loading opening (208) opening into the cooking chamber (206); a cooking chamber door (104) for closing the loading opening (208); a first hinge (210) for movably connecting the cooking chamber door (104) to the appliance housing (102), wherein the first hinge (210) has a first base body (320) which is fastened to a bottom edge (214) of the housing front wall, a first coupling element (322) for coupling the first hinge (210) to the cooking chamber door (104) and a first connecting device (324) for movably connecting the first coupling element (322) to the first base body (320); a second hinge (212) for movably connecting the cooking chamber door (104) to the appliance housing (102), wherein the second hinge (212) has a second base body which is fastened to the bottom edge (214) of the housing front wall, a second coupling element for coupling the second hinge (212) to the cooking chamber door (104) and a second connecting device for movably connecting the second coupling element to the second base body; and a drip tray (440), with a first cover element (442) for covering at least a portion of the first base body (320) of the first hinge (210), a second cover element (542) for covering at least part of the second base body of the second hinge (212) and a receiving groove (444) arranged between the first cover element (442) and the second cover element (542), wherein the first cover element (442) of the drip tray (440) has a side wall (446) for covering at least a portion of one side of the first base body (320) and a cover (448) for covering at least a portion of an upper side of the first base body (320), and wherein the second cover element (542) of the drip tray (440) has a side wall (446) for covering at least a portion of a side of the second base body and a cover (448) for covering at least a portion of an upper side of the second base body, characterized by , that the covers (448) of the cover elements (442; 542) are each L-shaped. [2] Cooking appliance (100) according to claim 1, wherein the drip tray (440) is formed in one piece. [3] Cooking appliance (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the drip tray (440) is formed from plastic or metal. [4] Cooking appliance (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a length of the receiving channel (444) corresponds at least to a width of the loading opening (208) along the bottom edge (214) of the housing front wall. [5] Cooking appliance (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the side walls (446) of the cover elements (442; 542) are aligned parallel to one another and transversely to a longitudinal direction of the receiving channel (444), and wherein the ceilings (448) of the cover elements (442; 542) lie in one plane and are aligned parallel to the longitudinal direction of the receiving channel (444). [6] Cooking appliance (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the side wall (446) of the first cover element (442) closes a first end of the receiving channel (444) and the side wall (446) of the second cover element (442) closes a second end of the receiving channel (444). [7] Cooking appliance (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a bottom of the receiving channel (444) adjoins lower ends of the side walls (446) of the cover elements (442; 542) and the ceilings (448) of the cover elements (442; 542) adjoin upper ends of the side walls opposite the lower ends of the side walls (446). [8] Cooking appliance (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the covers (448) of the cover elements (442; 542) rest loosely on the base bodies (320).

Images