Household garage appliance with horizontally extendable steam treatment drawer

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a household cooking appliance comprising a steam treatment drawer that extends horizontally from the front of a drawer housing and includes a steaming tray that can be pressurized with steam and whose open top can be covered by a lid, and comprising at least one fan designed to convey steam escaping from the steaming tray out of the household cooking appliance. The invention also relates to a corresponding method. The invention is particularly advantageously applicable to multi-cavity household cooking appliances with the steam treatment drawer and at least one further household heat treatment appliance, in particular an oven.

[0002] A household steam treatment appliance is known that has a steam treatment drawer which extends horizontally from the front of a drawer housing. The drawer contains a steaming tray that can be pressurized with steam, and its open top can be covered by a hinged glass lid. Excess steam can escape through opening(s) in the lid. CN 203 723 885 U, for example, discloses such a household steam treatment appliance.

[0003] It is the Task the present invention aims to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art, at least in part, and in particular to provide a particularly user-friendly, safe and reliable discharge of excess steam from a steamer trough of a steam treatment drawer.

[0004] This problem is solved according to the features of the independent claims. Preferred embodiments can be found in particular in the dependent claims.

[0005] The problem is solved by a household cooking appliance comprising a steam treatment drawer which can be extended horizontally from the front of a drawer housing, which has a steaming tray which can be pressurized with steam and whose open top can be covered by means of a lid, and comprising at least one fan which is provided (i.e. designed and arranged) to convey steam escaping from the steaming tray through at least one front steam outlet opening of the household cooking appliance.

[0006] This household cooking appliance has the advantage that a well-defined steam exhaust flow can be generated by means of the fan. In particular, a very rapid steam extraction is also advantageously achieved. The steam exit through at least one front-facing steam vent also prevents adjacent kitchen furniture or walls from being wetted with steam, especially in built-in appliances, thus avoiding damage and mold growth. Another advantage is that the user does not need to remove condensate from the steam, as would otherwise be necessary with an exhaust system with an integrated condenser.

[0007] The combination of steam treatment drawer and drawer housing can also be referred to as a "steam treatment unit".

[0008] The steam treatment drawer can be extended horizontally from the front of the drawer housing and retracted horizontally into it. Extension can be purely mechanical, performed by the user (e.g., by manual pulling), or it can be power-assisted (e.g., by mechanical spring(s) or pneumatic or hydraulic compression spring(s), for example, as a "push-to-open" mechanism). A fully motorized extension is also possible. Retraction can also be purely mechanical (e.g., by manual pushing) or motorized.

[0009] The steamer tray is designed as a container for holding goods to be steam-treated, in particular cooked goods, with its open top serving as a loading opening.

[0010] The fact that the steaming tray can be pressurized with steam can include the steam treatment drawer having a steam generator or evaporator for producing wet and / or dry steam, and this steam being directed into the steaming tray, which is covered by the lid, during a steam treatment process. The steaming tray and the closed lid thus form a steam treatment chamber. Alternatively, water to be evaporated can be added directly into the steaming tray by the user.

[0011] The lid can be a separate component, part of the steam treatment drawer (e.g., pivotable and / or horizontally movable), or part of the drawer housing. The lid can be a glass lid.

[0012] In a further development, the open top of the steamer bowl can be covered by the lid, with the lid fitting steam-tight when closed. However, if there is sufficient steam pressure in the steam treatment chamber, the lid may be slightly lifted, allowing steam to escape through a gap between the steamer bowl and the lid. The steam escaping from the steamer bowl can generally exit through the gap between the steamer bowl and the lid, through holes in the lid, or through a designated steam outlet channel in the steamer bowl.

[0013] At least one fan can be a component of the steam treatment drawer. At least one fan can be a component of the drawer housing.

[0014] The at least one fan can be, for example, an axial fan or a radial fan.

[0015] One embodiment features at least one front steam outlet opening in a front panel of the steam treatment drawer and / or via a gap between the drawer housing and the steam treatment drawer. This offers the advantage that long steam paths are not required and the front steam discharge can be achieved solely through the steam treatment drawer and the drawer housing.

[0016] Alternatively, the at least one front steam outlet of the household cooking appliance can be located on another front cover of the household cooking appliance, for example, in the case of a multi-cavity appliance, on a front panel located above another heat treatment unit, on a front panel of a control room, etc.

[0017] It is an embodiment of the invention in that the steam treatment device, in particular the steam treatment drawer, has a chamber (hereinafter referred to as the "pre-chamber" without limitation of generality) equipped with a steam inlet opening that can be connected to the steamer tray via airflow, an opening open to the environment (hereinafter referred to as the "control opening") with a variably adjustable flow cross-section, and an outlet opening that is connected to the at least one front steam outlet opening via airflow, wherein the steam inlet opening and the control opening are arranged on the suction side of the at least one fan, and the at least one front steam outlet opening is arranged on the pressure side of the at least one fan. This achieves the advantage that, by varying the flow cross-section, it can be adjusted whether a large amount of steam (e.g.,The system is designed to extract steam from the steamer bowl quickly (e.g., before opening the lid) when the flow cross-section is closed, or to improve energy efficiency when only small amounts of steam are present (e.g., when the flow cross-section is wide open). This system utilizes the fact that when the fan is running, a negative pressure is created at the steam inlet opening, which depends on the size of the flow cross-section: the smaller the flow cross-section of the control opening, the greater the negative pressure at the steam inlet. A further advantage is that a comparatively complex and expensive speed-controlled fan can be dispensed with, and a non-speed-controlled fan can be used instead.

[0018] The fact that the flow cross-section is variably adjustable means, in particular, that it can be automatically adjusted by the household cooking appliance, especially a steam cooker, specifically at least between an end position with a closed flow cross-section and an end position with a maximum flow cross-section. It is a further development that the flow cross-section can also be adjusted to at least one intermediate position between the two end positions.

[0019] The fact that the control opening is open to the environment means, in particular, that air ("ambient air") can be drawn in from the free surroundings of the pre-chamber through it. The fact that the steam inlet opening can be vented to the steamer bowl means, in particular, that when this connection exists, steam can flow from the steamer bowl into the pre-chamber through the steam inlet opening. The steamer bowl can be connected to the steam inlet opening directly or via a duct. The fact that the outlet opening is vented to the at least one front steam outlet opening means, in particular, that fluid (the steam or a steam / ambient air mixture) flows from the pre-chamber through the outlet opening to the at least one front steam outlet opening.

[0020] The fact that the steam inlet opening and the control opening are arranged on the suction side of the at least one fan means that, when the fan is operating, steam can be drawn into the pre-chamber through the steam inlet opening and ambient air through the (open) control opening. The fact that the at least one front-facing steam outlet opening is arranged on the pressure side of the at least one fan means that, when the fan is operating, gaseous fluid located in the pre-chamber is conveyed through the outlet opening of the pre-chamber and forced towards the at least one front-facing steam outlet opening. In a further embodiment, the fan can be arranged in the pre-chamber, in which case the outlet opening is located on a pressure side of the fan. In a further embodiment, the fan can be arranged in the air duct between the pre-chamber or...the outlet opening on the one hand and the at least one front steam outlet opening on the other hand, in which case the outlet opening is located on a suction side of the fan.

[0021] This design incorporates an adjustable flap associated with the control opening. The flow cross-section can be adjusted by moving the flap, particularly by pivoting it. This is especially simple and inexpensive to implement and allows for particularly large flow cross-sections while requiring minimal installation space. The flap can be adjusted, for example, using an electric motor, a magnetic switch, etc. However, the flow cross-section can also be adjusted in other ways, such as by a valve, etc.

[0022] An alternative embodiment of the invention includes a steam treatment device, particularly a steam treatment drawer, comprising a chamber ("pre-chamber") with a steam inlet opening that can be connected to the steamer tray via an airflow system, and an outlet opening that is connected to the at least one front steam outlet opening via an airflow system. The steam inlet opening is located on the suction side of the at least one fan, and the at least one front steam outlet opening is located on the pressure side of the at least one fan. The fan is a speed-controlled fan. This achieves the advantage of eliminating the need for a control opening. A further development is that the pre-chamber is housed within the steam treatment drawer.

[0023] In principle, it is also possible to provide a pre-chamber with a control opening with a variably adjustable flow cross-section and additionally a speed-controlled or speed-regulated fan.

[0024] It is a design in which the steamer tray can be inserted into the steam treatment drawer from above by the user and consequently can also be removed from the steam treatment drawer by the user in an upward movement, e.g. for easier cleaning or loading.

[0025] One design features a steam outlet channel in the steamer tray, a steam inlet opening located on the top of the pre-chamber, and a steam outlet channel that can be inserted into the steam inlet opening from above. This achieves the advantage that, when inserted into the steam treatment drawer, the steamer tray is automatically airtightly connected to the pre-chamber without any further measures. In particular, the steam outlet channel can be steam-tightly connected to the steam inlet opening, for example, by inserting the steam outlet channel into a matching steam inlet opening, possibly using a circumferential seal.

[0026] One embodiment involves the pre-chamber (when viewed from the front of the steam treatment unit) being located at the rear or behind the steamer bowl, with its outlet opening connected via at least one connecting channel to the at least one front steam outlet opening. This offers the advantage that no installation space needs to be provided in front of the steamer bowl for the pre-chamber; instead, this space can be used to house, for example, the evaporator, a water tank for supplying the evaporator with water, and / or electronic components.

[0027] One design feature is the arrangement of at least one temperature sensor in the area of ​​the steam outlet channel, particularly in the steam outlet channel itself or at the steam inlet opening. This offers the advantage of measuring the steam temperature, which can be used to determine the energy absorbed from the steam by the food being cooked. This, in turn, can be used to adjust the volume flow of the steam introduced into the steamer tray for optimal cooking results.

[0028] It is a further development that the flow cross-section is set or specifically adjustable in such a way that a volume flow rate of the steam flowing into the pre-chamber through the steam inlet opening is established or adjustable, which is advantageous for a particularly reliable measurement of the steam (outlet) temperature.

[0029] One embodiment of the system includes at least one fan designed to generate an airflow along the steam treatment drawer when it is retracted. This airflow is then expelled through at least one front steam outlet opening of the steam treatment unit. This allows steam escaping from the steam treatment chamber to be captured and expelled directly with minimal structural effort. In particular, it is advantageous that steam escaping the steam treatment chamber without ducting, for example through a gap between the steamer tray and the lid, is also expelled.

[0030] In this embodiment, the at least one fan is designed to generate an airflow along the top of the steam treatment drawer when it is retracted. This airflow is advantageously particularly suitable for carrying away rising escaping steam. This embodiment utilizes the fact that there is a gap between the top of the steam treatment drawer and the top of the drawer housing, which is connected to the at least one front steam outlet opening (e.g., opens into it, or the at least one front steam outlet opening represents an opening or opening area of ​​the gap). An airflow through this gap can be generated relatively easily by the fan, conveying the gaseous fluid contained therein forward to the at least one front steam outlet opening.The at least one front steam outlet opening then advantageously corresponds to a front gap between the drawer housing and the steam treatment drawer, in particular its front panel.

[0031] In further training, the steam treatment device becomes an independent household cooking appliance and can then also be referred to as a household steam treatment device.

[0032] In a further development, the steam treatment unit can be a component of a household cooking appliance that also includes at least one additional heat treatment unit. The task is thus further solved by a household cooking appliance comprising a steam treatment unit as described above and at least one additional heat treatment unit. This additional heat treatment unit can be, for example, a warming device, an oven, a microwave oven, or a combination thereof, or even a cooking appliance of another type. Such a household cooking appliance can also be referred to as a "multi-cavity" household cooking appliance, especially if food in the steam treatment drawer and food in the additional heat treatment unit can be treated separately. The additional heat treatment unit and the steam treatment drawer can share a common housing or outer casing and, for example, be delivered as a combination unit from the factory.It is a further development that the additional heat treatment unit and the steam treatment drawer are arranged in an above-below configuration. For ease of use of the steam treatment drawer, it is advantageous if it is arranged below the additional heat treatment unit.

[0033] It is a further development that the additional heat treatment appliance is an oven with or without a microwave function and / or pyrolytic cleaning function and has a height of 45 cm. It is a further development that the steam treatment appliance located below it has a height of 15 cm. The multi-cavity household cooking appliance then has a height of 60 cm.

[0034] This design incorporates an exhaust system for the domestic cooking appliance, intended to convey exhaust air exiting the additional heat treatment unit through at least one front exhaust outlet. When the steam treatment drawer is retracted, the steamer tray can be, or is already, connected to this exhaust system. In this configuration, the exhaust system also serves to convey steam from the steamer tray. This offers the advantage of a particularly simple and cost-effective implementation of the domestic cooking appliance, requiring only a few additional components. A further advantage is that no additional airflow is generated beyond the existing exhaust system of the additional heat treatment unit, nor is a separate exhaust airflow generated from the steam treatment drawer.This, in turn, has the advantage that no uncontrolled disruption of a ventilation system in the further heat treatment appliance (e.g., a door vent) occurs. The exhaust system (often also referred to as a "fume extractor") typically includes a fan (often referred to as a "fume fan") that conveys the exhaust air (often referred to as "fumes," especially during cooking processes) through the exhaust system.

[0035] The fact that the steam treatment drawer can be airtightly connected to the exhaust system when the steam treatment drawer is retracted, or that it is airtightly connected to the exhaust system when the steam treatment drawer is retracted, can be achieved, for example, by a coupling element of an air coupling (e.g., a pipe projecting rearward from the steam treatment drawer, which can be airtightly connected to the steam treatment drawer) that, when the drawer is retracted, forms an airtight coupling with a corresponding coupling element of the air coupling (e.g., a chamber located in the drawer housing with a hole into which the pipe can be inserted in a steam-tight manner). This coupling element is connected to, or forms part of, the exhaust system. When the steam treatment drawer is extended, the air coupling is disconnected again.

[0036] It is a further development that the exhaust system can be activated independently of the operation of the other heat treatment unit, so that steam extraction from the steam treatment drawer can also be carried out when the other heat treatment unit is switched off or not in operation. In this sense, the exhaust system can also be considered a combined exhaust system for the steam treatment drawer and the other heat treatment unit.

[0037] It is a further development that the steam passes through a control compartment of the household cooking appliance. This control compartment may be located, in particular, above the further heat treatment device.

[0038] It is a design in which at least one front-facing exhaust air outlet opening is arranged on the further heat treatment device or on the switch room.

[0039] A temperature sensor may be attached to the coupling element of the steam treatment drawer or to the coupling counterpart of the drawer housing, which is intended to measure the temperature of the steam passing through.

[0040] The problem is further solved by a method for releasing steam from a household cooking appliance, comprising a steam treatment drawer that extends horizontally from the front of a drawer housing and includes a steaming tray that can be pressurized with steam and whose open top can be covered by a lid, wherein, in the method, steam escaping from the steaming tray is conveyed through at least one front steam outlet opening of the household cooking appliance. The method can be designed analogously to the household cooking appliance, and vice versa, and offers the same advantages.

[0041] The properties, features and advantages of this invention described above, as well as the manner in which they are achieved, will become clearer and more easily understood in connection with the following schematic description of an exemplary embodiment, which will be explained in more detail in conjunction with the drawings. Fig. 1 shows a sketch of a household cooking appliance with an oven above a steam treatment unit according to a first embodiment, as a sectional side view; Fig. 2 shows the steam treatment unit according to the first embodiment with the steam treatment drawer extended, in a top-down oblique view; Fig. 3 shows the steam treatment unit according to the first embodiment as a sectional oblique view through a pre-chamber; Fig. 4 shows the steam treatment unit according to the first embodiment as a sectional oblique view of the pre-chamber; Fig. 5 shows the steam treatment unit according to the first embodiment as a sectional oblique view of the left side; Fig. 6 shows a sketch of a household cooking appliance with an oven above a steam treatment unit according to a second embodiment, as a sectional side view; and Fig.Figure 7 shows a sketch of a household cooking appliance with an oven above a steam treatment device according to a third embodiment, as a sectional view in side view.

[0042] Fig. 1 Figure 1 shows a sketch of a household cooking appliance 1 in a sectional side view. This household cooking appliance 1 is designed as a multi-cavity appliance and features an oven 2 with a cooking chamber 3 and a front-hinged door 4. Above a steam treatment unit 5, the oven is equipped with a steam treatment drawer 7 that extends horizontally from the front of a drawer housing 6 – as indicated by the horizontal double arrow. Above the oven 2 is a control compartment 8, which may house, for example, electronics for operating the oven 2 and, if applicable, the steam treatment unit 5, as well as a fume extractor 9 of an exhaust system 10 for extracting exhaust air, particularly fumes, from the cooking chamber 3.

[0043] The steam treatment drawer 7 has a support frame 11 that extends horizontally from the drawer housing 6 at the front. A steamer tray 12 can be inserted into the support frame from above and removed upwards. The support frame 11 also serves to house an evaporator 13 and, if necessary, a water tank (not shown). The evaporator 13 can bring water to a boil, and the resulting steam D is introduced, for example, via a steam coupling, into the steamer tray 12, where it can steam treat the material located there. The material is introduced into the steamer tray 12 through an open top opening that serves as a loading port. For steam treatment, the top can be sealed steam-tight by means of a cover 14, in particular a glass cover. For this purpose, a circumferential seal 15 can be installed between the steamer tray 12 and the cover 14 (see illustration). Fig. 2 ) to be available.

[0044] A steam outlet channel 17 of the steamer tray 12 opens into the rear wall section 16 of the steamer tray 12 (when viewed from the front), and its other end connects to a steam inlet opening 18 (see Fig. 3 ) is air-connected to a pre-chamber 19 located behind the damper bowl 12. The pre-chamber 19 also has a control opening 20 open to the environment (see Fig. 4 ) with a means of adjusting a locking flap 21 (see Fig. 4 ) variably adjustable flow cross-section Q. The pre-chamber 19 also has an outlet opening 22 (see Fig. 4) which is ductically connected to at least one front steam outlet opening 24 located in a front panel 23 of the steam treatment drawer 7, specifically via an air duct 25. In the pre-chamber 19, particularly in the area of ​​the outlet opening 22, a fan 26, for example an axial fan, is arranged. The steam inlet opening 18 and the control opening 20 are located on the suction side of the fan 26, and the at least one front steam outlet opening 24 is located on the pressure side of the fan 26.

[0045] With the fan 26 running, steam D escaping from the steamer tray 12 through the steam outlet channel 17 can be drawn into the pre-chamber 19, where, with the closing flap 21 open, it is mixed with the ambient air drawn in and pushed through the air guide channel 25 to the front steam outlet opening 24.

[0046] In a further development, the fan 26 is a non-speed-controlled fan that, when switched on, rotates at a specific speed. Alternatively or in addition to the adjustable damper 21, a speed-controlled fan 26 can be used.

[0047] Fig. 2 Figure 5 shows the steam treatment unit in a variant with the steam treatment drawer 7 extended, viewed from a slightly oblique angle above. The steamer tray 12 can be lifted out of the support frame 11 using side handles 27. The support frame 11 has side panels 28 designed as hollow profiles.

[0048] Fig. 3 Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the steam treatment device 5 through the steam outlet channel 17 and the pre-chamber 29 in oblique view. The section plane is oriented perpendicular to the exit direction.

[0049] The steam inlet opening 18 is located on the upper side of the pre-chamber 19, so that the steam outlet channel 17 of the damper bowl 19 is inserted into the steam inlet opening 18 from above when the damper bowl 12 is inserted into the support frame 11. The steam outlet channel 17 may have a circumferential seal at its insertion point to make this steam coupling 17, 18 steam-tight.

[0050] At least one temperature sensor can be arranged in the steam outlet channel 17 or in the area of ​​the steam outlet channel 17 (not shown).

[0051] Fig. 4 The steam treatment device 5 is shown as a sectional view in oblique view of the semi-transparent pre-chamber 19. The section plane runs perpendicularly in the extension direction of the steam treatment drawer 7 outside the pre-chamber 19.

[0052] The pre-chamber 19 and the air duct 25 are designed here as different sections of a profile-like tube with a rectangular cross-section, whereby the fan 26 can be considered, in one view, as a separating element between the pre-chamber 19 and the air duct 25. The control opening 20 with the closing flap 21 is located on the end face of the tube facing the damper tray, while the other end face of the tube serves as or leads to the steam outlet opening 24.

[0053] Fig. 5 The steam treatment device 5 is shown in a sectional view in oblique perspective, looking at the left side of the steam treatment drawer 7 through the left side panel 28 of the support frame 11. The air duct 25 runs from rear to front in the hollow profile side panel 28, leading to or forming the front steam outlet opening 24 in the front panel 23. The cover 14 is shown raised by a plunger.

[0054] Fig. 6 Figure 1 shows a sketch of a household cooking appliance 31 in a sectional side view. The household cooking appliance 31 has the same basic structure as the household cooking appliance 1, except that the steam treatment drawer 32 of the steam treatment unit 33 no longer has a steam outlet channel 17 with a pre-chamber 19 and a dedicated air duct 25. Instead, under certain circumstances, e.g., with a comparatively high steam pressure in the steamer tray 12, steam D can now escape upwards through openings between the steamer tray 12 and the lid 14 into the narrow ceiling space 34 between the steam treatment drawer 32 and the drawer housing 7.

[0055] The fan 26 is located behind the steamer tray and, during operation, draws in ambient air L and blows it forward into the ceiling space 34. This causes the ambient air L to carry the rising steam and exit together with the steam D through a front steam outlet opening 35, which is formed as a gap between the drawer housing 6 and the front panel 23 of the steam treatment drawer 32. To prevent the exiting steam D from being drawn in through a door ventilation system of the oven door 4 2, an air guide element, e.g., a deflector plate 36, can be provided above the steam outlet opening 35. This deflector directs the airflow exiting the steam outlet opening 35 downwards and / or to the side.

[0056] Fig. 7Figure 1 shows a sketch of a household cooking appliance 41 in a sectional view in side view. The household cooking appliance 41 has the same basic structure as the household cooking appliance 1, except that the steam D from the steamer tray 12 is now not discharged at the steam treatment device 42, but via the exhaust system 43 of the household cooking appliance 41, which is also intended to remove vapors from the oven 2.

[0057] For this purpose, the inserted steamer tray 12 is connected to an air supply via a pipe 45 that projects horizontally from the rear of the steam treatment drawer 44. When the steam treatment drawer 44 is inserted, the pipe 45 is inserted into a chamber 46 of the drawer housing 6, which is connected to the exhaust system 43. Pipe 45 and chamber 46 then form a steam-tight air seal. The steam fan 9 serves to draw steam D from the steamer tray through the pipe 45 and the chamber 46 into the exhaust system 43 and, in this example, blow it through the control compartment 8 to a front steam outlet opening 47. The steam fan 9 thus takes over the function of the fan 26. The steam outlet opening 47 is, in this example, located in or on a front panel 48 of the control compartment 8.

[0058] Of course, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment shown.

[0059] The oven may also have a microwave function, or a microwave oven may be provided instead of an oven.

[0060] In general, "ein", "eine", etc. can be understood to mean singular or plural, especially in the sense of "at least one" or "one or more", etc., unless this is explicitly excluded, e.g. by the expression "exactly one", etc.

[0061] A numerical specification can also include exactly the specified number as well as a normal tolerance range, unless this is explicitly excluded. Reference symbol list

[0062] 1 Household appliance 2 Oven 3 Cooking chamber 4 Cooking chamber door 5 Steam treatment unit 6 Drawer housing 7 Steam treatment drawer 8 Control compartment 9 Vapor fan 10 Exhaust system 11 Support frame 12 Steamer tray 13 Evaporator 14 Lid 15 Seal 16 Rear wall section of steamer tray 17 Steam outlet duct 18 Steam inlet opening 19 Pre-chamber 20 Control opening 21 Cover flap 22 Steam outlet opening 23 Front panel 24 Steam outlet opening 25 Air duct 26 Fan 27 Handle 28 Side panel of the support frame 31 Household appliance 32 Steam treatment drawer 33 Steam treatment unit 34 Ceiling compartment 35 Steam outlet opening 36 Deflector plate 41 Household appliance 42 Steam treatment unit 43 Exhaust system 44 Steam treatment drawer 45 Pipe 46 Chamber 47 Steam outlet opening 48 Front panel of the control compartment D Steam L Ambient air Q Cross-sectional opening

Claims

1. Household cooking appliance (1; 31; 41), having - a steam treatment drawer (7; 32; 44) that can be extended horizontally from the front of a drawer housing (6), which has a steamer tray (12), to which steam (D) can be supplied, with an open upper face that can be closed by means of a cover (14), and - at least one fan (9; 26), which is provided to convey steam (D) exiting from the steamer tray (12) through at least one front steam outlet opening (24; 35; 47) of the household cooking appliance (1; 31; 41), characterised by the household cooking appliance (1; 31; 41) also having - a prechamber (19) with a steam inlet opening (18), which can be connected for air flow purposes to the steamer tray (12), and an outlet opening (22), which is connected for air flow purposes to the at least one front steam outlet opening (24), wherein - the steam inlet opening (18) is arranged on the intake side of the at least one fan (26) and the at least one front steam outlet opening (24) is arranged on the discharge side of the at least one fan (26) and wherein the prechamber (19) - either has a control opening (20) with variable flow cross section (Q) open to its surroundings, said control opening (20) being arranged on the intake side of the at least one fan (26), - or has no control opening (20) with variable flow cross section (Q) open to its surroundings and the fan (26) is a speed-regulatable fan (26).

2. Household cooking appliance (1; 31) according to claim 1, in which at least one front steam outlet opening (24; 35) is configured by means of a gap between the drawer housing (6) and the steam treatment drawer (7; 32).

3. Household cooking appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein, if the prechamber (19) has the control opening (20), the control opening (20) is assigned an adjustable closing flap (21) to set the flow cross section (Q).

4. Household cooking appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein - the steamer tray (12) can be inserted into the steam treatment drawer (7) from above, - the steamer tray (12) has a steam outlet channel (17), - the steam inlet opening (18) is incorporated in the upper face of the prechamber (19) and - the steam outlet channel (17) can be inserted into the steam outlet opening (18) from above, in particular in a steam-tight manner.

5. Household cooking appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the prechamber (19) is arranged to the rear of the steamer tray (12) and its outlet opening (22) is connected by way of at least one air guidance channel (25) to the at least one front steam outlet opening (24).

6. Household cooking appliance (1) according to one of claims 4 to 5, wherein at least one temperature sensor is arranged in the region of the steam outlet channel (17).

7. Household cooking appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cover (14) rests in a steam-tight manner on the steamer tray (D) in the closed state.

8. Household cooking appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the prechamber (19) is housed in the steam treatment drawer (7; 32; 44).

9. Method for releasing steam (D) from a household cooking appliance (1; 31; 41) according to one of the preceding claims, having a steam treatment drawer (7; 32; 44) that can be extended horizontally from the front of a drawer housing (6), which has a steamer tray (12) to which steam (D) can be supplied, with an open upper face that can be closed by means of a cover (14), wherein, during a steam treatment operation, steam (D) exiting from the steamer tray (12) is conveyed through at least one front steam outlet opening (24; 35; 47) of the household cooking appliance (1; 31; 41) with the method