Portable oven for thermal cooking of food

Abstract

A portable oven (1) for the thermal preparation of food is presented, which is detachably assembled from a plurality of segments (11) forming an oven base plate (2) and an oven body (3), wherein the oven body (3) has at least one lateral, closable loading opening (14) and a top opening (6). The portable oven (1) should, despite being easy to handle during assembly and disassembly, exhibit high stability due to its segmented design. This is achieved by the segments (11) each comprising a segment bottom part (12) and a segment side part (13) formed in one piece with it.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a portable oven for the thermal preparation of food with the features of the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] Such an oven is known from WO 2005 / 082213 A1.

[0003] It consists of a base plate composed of several flat segments, onto which a furnace body, also composed of several segments, is placed. All segments are assembled without fasteners such as mortar, adhesives, or similar materials, allowing the furnace to be assembled and disassembled without tools. This makes it possible to easily disassemble the furnace after use at one location, transport it to another location, and then easily reassemble it there.

[0004] When assembled, the segments of the base plate lie flat on the supporting surface and are therefore in a naturally stable position. However, the stability of the oven body is not inherently guaranteed. Depending on how many segments are designed for the oven body, the individual segments must support each other to achieve stability.

[0005] In the embodiment according to the cited standard of technology, a furnace body consisting of four segments is provided. A single segment is clearly unable to stand stably on its own. It must be supported by a second segment to prevent it from falling over.

[0006] Therefore, assembling the oven requires a second person to temporarily hold the first segment until the person assembling it has brought the second segment and leaned it against the first segment.

[0007] The same applies analogously if it is planned to divide the furnace body into even more individual segments.

[0008] If the oven body were composed of only two segments, each segment would indeed be stable on its own. However, since the segments are made of a considerable amount of mineral material, the weight of each segment would be so great that a second person would be needed simply to carry one.

[0009] The object of the invention is therefore to provide a transportable oven made of loosely assembled segments with easier handling during assembly and disassembly and with increased stability.

[0010] This problem is solved by the fact that the portable oven according to the invention has, in addition to the features of the preamble of claim 1, also the characterizing features thereof.

[0011] Because the oven according to the invention consists of a plurality of segments, each with a one-piece base and side panel, each segment is able to stand stably on its own base without needing to be supported by another component. Based on this principle, it is possible to provide the oven with almost any number of segments, all of which can be carried by a single person, and to have them assembled and disassembled by a single person without assistance. The segments are easily joined together to form a self-supporting structure, without mortar or adhesive, so that the oven can be transported for use elsewhere after disassembly without tools.

[0012] The segments can be made of heat-resistant and refractory mineral materials; fireclay is particularly common. A wall thickness of approximately 3 cm has proven advantageous. However, refractory clay, concrete, cement, or stoneware are also conceivable. In principle, metallic materials such as cast iron, refractory steel, or stainless steel would also be possible.

[0013] A multi-layered structure of the segments is also conceivable, e.g. sandwich-like with stainless steel outer skin, insulating layer and fireclay inside.

[0014] According to the invention, the furnace has at least one lateral loading opening. While in principle each segment could be provided with a loading opening, meaning only one type of segment would need to be manufactured and stocked, this has the disadvantage that openings, especially large loading openings, result in heat loss. It is therefore advantageous to provide two different types of segments for the furnace: a first segment type with a loading opening and a second segment type without an opening, hereinafter referred to as the "closed segment". The furnace can thus, in principle, be provided with any number of loading openings, or advantageously, with just one, which is the assumption made in the following.

[0015] However, all the embodiments shown share the principle according to the invention, whereby the segment bottom part and segment side part of each segment, whether with or without a loading opening, are formed together in one piece.

[0016] Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the furnace according to claim 1 are characterized in claims 2 to 10.

[0017] The stability of the oven according to the invention is further enhanced if the segments have corresponding, form-fitting connecting edges or surfaces at their end faces, e.g. in the form of stepped connections, angle connections, Z-tooth connections or tongue and groove connections.

[0018] Advantageously, at least one segment side part with a loading opening also includes a thermometer bore through which a thermometer can be inserted into the interior of the furnace body.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment of the oven according to the invention, the segment side parts are curved in such a way that a dome-shaped oven body results in the assembled state.

[0020] Two different variants are conceivable: In a first variant, the loading opening is arranged completely in a segment side part.

[0021] This variant, however, is limited by the number of segments required for the furnace: Since sufficient material must remain to the left and right of the loading opening to ensure component stability during manufacturing and use, the furnace cannot be divided into too many segments. A furnace configuration consisting of four segments has proven effective, with each segment having a 90° angle.

[0022] In an alternative second variant, the loading opening is provided for to consist of two half-openings in adjacent segment side parts.

[0023] This variant has the advantage of allowing for an even greater number of segments in the furnace, making it even easier to handle. However, a disadvantage is that an additional segment type must be manufactured and kept in stock: besides the "closed segment" type, a segment type with a half-opening on the left and a segment type with a half-opening on the right are required. A furnace configuration consisting of a total of six segments has proven effective for this second variant, with each segment having a segment angle of 60°.

[0024] Simple manufacturing of the segments is also achieved if the segment base and side panels are flat. The body of the oven according to the invention must then logically be composed of at least three segments and thus becomes a triangular to polygonal truncated pyramid.

[0025] Segments are particularly stable when the angle of inclination enclosed by the segment base and segment side is between 45 and 90 degrees, preferably approximately 75°.

[0026] To prevent the oven body from reaching an excessively high and therefore ineffective height, it is advantageous to seal the top of the oven body with a top plate configuration featuring an opening. This top plate configuration can consist of a heat storage plate and / or a steel grill plate, depending on the intended use of the oven. For example, if the oven is only intended for baking (e.g., bread or pizza), it is sufficient to seal the top of the truncated pyramid with a heat storage plate. However, grilling is not possible on this plate; grilling could only be done on a suitable rack inside the oven.

[0027] If, however, the oven is to be used for grilling, it must be fitted with a steel grill plate on top; however, simultaneous baking is then not possible, as too much heat escapes upwards through the steel grill plate for the heat inside the oven to be sufficient for baking.

[0028] In the case of planned combined operation in succession: first baking, then grilling, it is possible to place both plates - steel grill plate and heat storage plate - together and, after baking is finished, to remove the heat storage plate and grill on the steel grill plate.

[0029] The opening in the steel grill plate is advantageously large enough to accommodate a grill grate. This allows for grilling either directly on the hot steel grill plate or on the grate.

[0030] Another advantageous way to limit the height of the oven with flat side panels is to provide a horizontal bend in the side panels, so that the segmented side panels converge in a roof-like shape when the oven is assembled.

[0031] If a larger oven floor area is needed, for example to bake a larger number of pizzas simultaneously, it is theoretically possible to simply lengthen the oven's base dimensions. However, this also makes the segments larger, heavier, and more unwieldy. A better option is to enlarge the oven using extension segments, so that an oven with an originally circular base plate becomes one with an oval base plate, and ovens with originally square base plates become rectangular base plates (versions with flat side panels, both with and without a bend).

[0032] Further features, details and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of an exemplary embodiment with the aid of a drawing.

[0033] They show: Fig. 1a: A perspective view of a fully assembled furnace consisting of four segments with curved segment side panels and a loading opening arranged entirely within one segment side panel; Fig. 1b: a perspective view of the not fully assembled oven, allowing a view into the oven body Fig. 1a; Fig. 1c: a perspective view of a single segment of the oven according to Fig. 1a; Fig. 1d: a detailed view of a step connection of two segments. Fig. 2a: A perspective side view of a fully assembled furnace consisting of six segments with curved segment side panels and a loading opening consisting of two half-openings; Fig. 2b: a perspective view of the not fully assembled oven, allowing a view into the oven body Fig. 2a; Fig. 2c: a perspective view of a single segment of the oven according to Fig. 2a; Fig. 2d: a perspective view of the fully assembled oven after Fig. 2a from a top-down perspective. Fig. 3a: A perspective view of an assembled oven consisting of four flat segments with a raised end plate configuration; Fig. 3b: a perspective view of the not fully assembled oven, allowing a view into the oven body Fig. 3a; Fig. 3c: a perspective view of a single segment of the oven according to Fig. 3a. Fig. 4a: A perspective view of an assembled oven made of four flat segments with a horizontal bend in the segment side panels; Fig. 4b: a perspective view of the not fully assembled oven, allowing a view into the oven body Fig. 4a; Fig. 4c: a perspective view of a single segment of the oven according to Fig. 4a. Fig. 5a: A perspective view of an assembled oven made of flat segments with extension segments; Fig. 5b: a perspective view of the not fully assembled oven, allowing a view into the oven body Fig. 5a; Fig. 5c: a perspective view of an extension segment of the furnace according to Fig. 5a.

[0034] A first embodiment of the invention is described in the Fig. 1a-d shown, whereby, to simplify the representation, identical components that occur multiple times are often only marked with a reference symbol once.

[0035] The in Fig. The oven 1, shown in its fully assembled state (1a), is constructed from segments 11 with curved segment side panels 13, such that when assembled, a dome-shaped oven body 3 is formed. One segment has a loading opening 14, which can be closed by means of a lid 4 with a handle 5 and which serves for the introduction and manipulation of fuel for heating, embers and ash, as well as for loading the oven 1 with the food to be cooked. The other segments 11 of the oven 1 are closed, i.e., without a loading opening 14.

[0036] In Fig. Figure 1b shows the oven after the removal of one of the closed segments 11, allowing a view into the interior of the oven 1. This embodiment of the oven 1 according to the invention is evidently composed of four segments 11 with curved segment side parts 13 and flat segment bottom parts 12, wherein three segments 11 are closed and one has the aforementioned loading opening 14. Each segment 11 comprises a segment bottom part 12 and a segment side part 13, the segment bottom part 12 and segment side part 13 being formed integrally. When assembled, the segment bottom parts 12 of all segments 11 form an oven base plate 2 (illustrated here by way of example), and the segment side parts 13 of all segments 11 form an oven body 3 (illustrated here by way of example).In the case of the four-part segmentation present here, this means that a segment bottom part 12 covers a quarter of a full circle of the oven floor plate 2, i.e., the segment angle β = 90° (cf. . Fig. 1c).

[0037] The segment side parts 13 each end bluntly at the top (here: semicircularly), so that in the assembled state of the oven 1 an upper opening 6 is created in the oven body 3, which functions as a smoke or exhaust gas vent opening and which can of course be supplemented by a smoke or exhaust gas vent pipe (not shown here) if required.

[0038] Furthermore, the segment side part 13 with loading opening 14 is equipped with a thermometer 22, the sensor of which extends into the interior of the furnace body 3 and measures the temperature there.

[0039] The lid 4 may also have a small cutout, not shown here, preferably in a lower corner of the lid 4, through which a gas supply line can be placed, in case the oven 1 is to be heated with a gas burner as an alternative to heating with a solid fuel (wood, charcoal).

[0040] Fig. Figure 1c shows an example of a single segment 11, here the segment 11 with loading opening 14. As can be seen, the segment 11 is able to stand stably on its own due to the one-piece construction of the segment base part 12 and the segment side part 13, without having to be supported or held by another segment 11.

[0041] The loading opening 14 is, as can be clearly seen, completely arranged in the segment side part 13 and is flush with the bottom of the segment base part 12.

[0042] The arrangement of the entire loading opening 14 within a single segment 11 is possible as long as the component weakening caused by the loading opening 14 does not become excessive. Sufficient material must remain to the left and right of the loading opening 14 to ensure manufacturing and operational safety without risk of segment 11 breakage. The more segments 11 are provided for the furnace 1, the less material remains to the left and right of the loading opening. The division of the furnace 1 into four segments 11, as shown here as an example, has proven effective in accommodating the loading opening 14 entirely within a single segment 11.

[0043] An alternative to circumvent the described problem would be to provide a single segment 11 with a segment angle of 90° with a feed opening 14 and a larger number of closed segments 11 for the remaining 270° of the full circle.

[0044] Another alternative will be discussed later in connection with the embodiment according to Fig. 2 ad presented.

[0045] Fig. Figure 1c further shows that the end faces 15 of segment 11 have connecting edges or surfaces 16. These are designed such that they correspond to those of adjacent segments 11 and together form a stepped connection between two segments 11, as shown in Fig. Figure 1d is sketched. Other types of connections are also familiar to those skilled in the art, such as tongue and groove joints, Z-interlocks, etc., so these are not explicitly shown here.

[0046] Finally, in each of the segments 11 above the feed opening 14 a thermometer bore 21 is provided for the insertion of the thermometer 22.

[0047] In the Fig. Figures 2a-d present an alternative embodiment of the oven 1 according to the invention, featuring curved segment side sections 13 and flat segment bottom sections 12 formed in one piece with these curved side sections. Here, the oven 1 consists of six equally stable segments 11 with a segment angle β = 60°. With this segmentation, accommodating the entire loading opening 14 within a single segment 11 would be impossible because the remaining material edges to the left and right of the loading opening 14 would be too narrow for a fracture-resistant construction. Therefore, in contrast to the oven 1 according to the Fig. 1a-d Here, the loading opening 14 is not provided entirely within a single segment 11, but is divided between two segments 11, so that one segment side part 13 has only a half-opening 20. The material remaining laterally to the side of the half-opening 20 is sufficient for fracture stability, as has been proven in practice.

[0048] This solution has the advantage of lighter segments 11, but the disadvantage that, in addition to the segment 11 in closed form, two different segments 11, each with a left and a right half-opening 20, must be manufactured and kept in stock.

[0049] It is also possible to manufacture the oven 1 according to the invention from segments 11 with flat segment side parts 13 (the segment bottom parts 12 are flat in all embodiments anyway).

[0050] Fig. Figure 3ac shows a rectangular embodiment of an oven 1 according to the invention. The segment side parts 13 are slightly inclined towards the center of the component, which increases stability. A tilt angle α of approximately 75° is preferred, but other tilt angles α are also conceivable, particularly between 45° and 90°. In principle, as the tilt angle α decreases, the usable interior space in the oven body 3 decreases, but stability increases. With a larger tilt angle α, especially when α > 90°, the stability of a segment 11 decreases.

[0051] The segment side sections 13 are bluntly terminated at the top, so that when the oven 1 is assembled, it forms a truncated pyramid; if they were pointed at the top, the oven body 3 would be very tall, resulting in significant heat loss. An internal height of approximately 25 to 35 cm for the oven body 3 has proven effective. Since, with an inclination angle α of approximately 75° and a thermally advantageous, not excessively large internal height of the oven body 3, the truncated pyramid has a large open area at the top, this area—except for the upper opening for flue gas extraction—must be closed. This is achieved by a cover plate configuration 7. For purely thermal insulation, such as for baking bread or pizza alone, it is sufficient to place only a heat storage plate 8 (with an upper opening 6) on top of the truncated pyramid.However, if the oven 1 is also to be used for grilling, a steel grill plate 9 is provided, placed on the truncated pyramid. This grill plate advantageously has a large grill opening 10 into which a grill rack can be inserted. In this way, it is possible to grill both on the hot steel grill plate 9 and on the grill rack. Furthermore, the steel grill plate 9 can also be used as a cooking plate: either with an ordinary cooking pot placed on the steel grill plate 9, or with a special cooking pot that is inserted into the large grill opening 10 and whose lower part protrudes into the oven body 3.

[0052] It is also possible to fry in a pan placed on the steel grill plate 9 or inserted into the large grill opening 10.

[0053] For baking bread or pizza, the heat storage plate 8 can simply be placed on the steel grill plate 9.

[0054] An alternative embodiment of the oven 1 according to the invention, consisting of segments 11 with flat segment side parts 13, is shown. Fig. 4a-c: In order to obtain an oven 1 with flat segment side panels 13 but without a top plate configuration 7, which nevertheless does not have an unacceptably large overall height, the segments 11 are designed such that in the A horizontally extending bend 17 is provided in the segment side parts 13, such that the segment side parts 13 converge towards each other in a roof-like manner when the oven 1 is assembled, resulting in a hipped roof-like upper closure with only a small upper opening 6. The lower part of the segment side part 13 can be – as in the previously described embodiment according to Fig. 3 ac- at the base have an inclination angle α between 45° and 90°, preferably approximately 75°, and bend inwards at the bend 17 by an angle φ. Preferably, but not exclusively, the bend can be approximately 45° to approximately 60°, so that an inward bend angle φ of approximately 120° to approximately 135° is present, see. Fig. 4c.

[0055] Fig. Figures 5a-c show an exemplary oven 1 according to the invention, to which extension segments 18 have been added to increase the usable oven base area. The starting point here is the oven 1 consisting of segments 11 with flat segment side parts 13 according to the Fig. 3 ac.

[0056] By lifting the segment 11 opposite the loading opening 14 from the original furnace 1 and moving it laterally, and by inserting extension segments 18 into the resulting gaps according to Fig. Insertion of 5c creates an elongated, rectangular furnace base plate 2. The upper end of the extended furnace body is completed by adding a heat-storing extension end plate 19. It should be noted that the positioning of end plate configuration 7 and extension end plate 19 should be such that the end plate configuration 7, with its upper opening 6 for flue gas extraction, is located at the rear end of the furnace 1 to achieve optimal flow conditions of the supply air (through the charging opening 14) and exhaust air (flue gas).

[0057] Of course, the upper end of the oven 1 can also be finished by adding one or two steel grill plates 9, which does not need to be shown separately here.

[0058] An increase in the oven base area is not only possible - as shown - for square ovens 1 according to Fig. 3 ac, but it is also carried out in furnaces 1 with bent segment side parts 13 according to Fig. 4 ac possible. The originally square oven floor plates 2 then become rectangular, the originally cube-shaped oven bodies 3 then become cuboid.

[0059] Similarly, an extension is also possible for ovens 1 with a circular oven base plate 2 and curved segment side panels 13 according to the Fig. 1 ad and Fig. 2 ad possible. In this case, the circular oven base plate 2 becomes an oval one, and the hemispherical oven body becomes an elongated dome. Reference symbol list 1 portable oven 2 Oven floor plate 3 Oven bodies 4 lids 5 Handle 6 upper opening 7 End plate configuration 8 Heat storage plate 9 steel grill plates 10 Grill opening 11 Segment 12-segment floor section 13 Segment side panel 14 Loading opening 15 front end 16 Connecting edge or connecting surface 17 kink 18 Expansion segment 19 Extension end plate 20 Half opening 21 Thermometer hole 22 Thermometer α Angle of inclination β Segment angle φ Internal angle of buckling

Claims

[1] Portable oven (1) for thermally preparing food, which is detachably assembled from a plurality of segments (11) forming an oven base plate (2) and an oven body (3), wherein the oven body (3) has at least one lateral, closable loading opening (14) and a top opening (6), characterized by , that the segments (11) each comprise a segment bottom part (12) and a segment side part (13) formed in one piece with it. [2] Portable oven (1) according to claim 1, characterized by , that for the detachable connection of the segments (11) to each other, these have corresponding, form-fitting connecting edges or connecting surfaces (16) at the end faces (15). [3] Portable oven (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by, that thermometer bores (21) are provided in the segment side parts (13) with loading opening (14) through which a thermometer (22) can be inserted into the interior of the furnace body (3). [4] Portable oven (1) according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 3, characterized by , that the segment side parts (13) are curved in such a way that a dome-shaped furnace body (3) results in the assembled state. [5] Portable oven (1) according to claim 4, characterized by , that the loading opening (14) is arranged completely in a segment side part (13). [6] Portable oven (1) according to claim 4, characterized by , that the feed opening (14) is composed of two half-openings (20) in adjacent segment side parts (13). [7] Portable oven (1) according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 3 , characterized by, that the segment bottom parts (12) and segment side parts (13) are flat, wherein the segment bottom part (12) and segment side part (13) enclose an angle of inclination (α) between 45° and 90°, preferably approximately 75°, and wherein the furnace body (3) is closed off at the top by a top plate configuration (7) with opening (6), wherein the top plate configuration (7) optionally comprises only a heat storage plate (8) or only a steel grill plate (9) or a heat storage plate (8) and a steel grill plate (9). [8] Portable oven (1) according to claim 7, characterized by , that a large grill opening (10) is provided in the steel grill plate (9), into which a grill grate can be inserted. [9] Portable oven (1) according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 3 , characterized by, that the segment bottom parts (12) and segment side parts (13) are flat, wherein the segment bottom part (12) and segment side part (13) enclose an angle of inclination (α) between 45° and 90°, preferably approximately 75°, at the base, and wherein the segment side parts (13) have a horizontally extending bend (17) such that the segment side parts (13) converge towards each other in a roof-like manner when the furnace (1) is assembled. [10] Portable oven (1) according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 9, characterized by , that the oven (1) can be enlarged by means of additional extension segments (18).

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