GARDEN APPLIANCE WITH TELESCOPIC RAILS

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a cooking appliance with telescopic rails.

[0002] Cooking appliances are known which have a stationary cooking chamber integrated with the appliance, in which the food is placed in or on a cooking dish and cooked with the cooking chamber closed. Such a cooking appliance can be, for example, a conventional oven, a steamer, a combination oven / steamer, and the like. Such stationary cooking appliances typically have a height of approximately 45 cm along the vertical axis, at least in Germany, although conventional ovens with a height of approximately 60 cm are also common.

[0003] Such cooking appliances with a fixed cooking chamber have in common that they feature an outer casing, which essentially encloses the cooking appliance and protects its individual components and elements, while also making them easily accessible. Inside the cooking appliance, an interior space is formed, which constitutes the cooking chamber and is essentially enclosed by an inner casing, also known as the cooking chamber muffle or muffle. A cavity is formed between the inner and outer casings, in which functional elements of the cooking appliance, such as a control unit, an electrical power supply, and other components necessary for the intended use of the cooking appliance, can be located. From the front, i.e., viewed from the user's perspective, the outer casing...A cover in the form of furniture material or in the form of a control panel and the like, together with the inner housing, closes off the housing space, so that the housing space is not accessible to the user.

[0004] The interior of the cooking appliance features a front-facing access opening through which the user can enter and arrange cooking utensils within the cooking chamber. This opening also allows for the removal of utensils after cooking. The access opening can be opened by means of a locking element, such as a side-hinged door, a downward-hinged flap, or similar device. This allows the user to access the interior of the cooking appliance as described above, or to close the interior and complete the cooking process. Such a locking element can be solid or have a viewing window to allow the user to see inside the closed interior of the cooking appliance.

[0005] Such cooking appliances with a fixed cooking chamber are typically designed as built-in appliances or kitchen units. This allows them to be installed in a space-saving manner, at a user-friendly height along the vertical axis of kitchen furniture, such as built-in cabinets. Their outer casing is fixed in place, and their closing element, and optionally their front panel (see above), are flush with the surfaces of other cooking appliances, drawers, doors, and the like, facing the user. This can improve the visual appearance for the user. However, such cooking appliances can also be designed as individual, freestanding units, which can be placed and operated, particularly on a worktop within a kitchen unit. This can simplify usage, purchase, and disposal.

[0006] Such cooking appliances with a heated cooking chamber typically have so-called support racks on the inside of both side walls of the cooking chamber. These racks are symmetrical and usually removable for cleaning. In the simplest case, the support racks have narrow slots running parallel to each other along their length or depth. The edges of a baking tray or similar cooking vessel can be slid into and out of these slots to position the tray at the appropriate height or distance from the floor of the cooking chamber for the cooking process and then removed again.

[0007] To make this more convenient, it is now common practice to attach symmetrical telescopic rails to the two mounting racks, so that the user can pull the front pair of rail elements of a pair of telescopic rails out of the cooking chamber along the longitudinal axis, and the two rail elements typically extend completely beyond the front of the cooking appliance in the area in front of it. Such rail elements are described, for example, in publications DE 10 2021 131 558 A1 and DE 10 2022 116 749 A1. ,DE 10 2019 124 135 A1 and EP 2 525 155 A1 disclose a design in which the two front rail elements are connected to a pair of rear rail elements of the telescopic rail pair by means of a pair of middle rail elements. These rear rail elements are fixed to the respective support grid and are typically removable for cleaning purposes. This allows the user to conveniently place a baking tray or similar cookware onto the extended telescopic rail pairs or their front rail elements from above, then slide the baking tray into the cooking chamber along its longitudinal axis using the telescopic rails, and, after the cooking process is complete, pull it forward again and remove it from the telescopic rails.

[0008] The wire racks are usually also designed to be removable for cleaning purposes. Typically, the wire racks are held against the two side walls of the cooking chamber, although wire racks are also known that are held along the longitudinal axis at the rear end of the cooking chamber, viewed from the user's perspective or relative to the access opening, against the back wall of the cooking chamber.

[0009] In any case, the wire racks, as the name suggests, are constructed from thin rods or wires, usually made of metal, in a grid-like structure. Typically, when the wire rack is mounted, a vertical front wire faces the user or the access opening, and a vertical rear wire runs parallel to this, facing the back wall of the cooking chamber. The two vertical wires are firmly connected to each other by several horizontal wires of the wire rack. This connection is usually made by soldering or welding. The horizontal wires run parallel to each other along the vertical axis, equally spaced, and at right angles to the two vertical wires. These horizontal wires can also be referred to as planar wires.The ends of the two vertical wires can be bent at right angles to the respective side walls of the cooking chamber and designed as holders to be inserted into openings in the respective side walls of the cooking chamber and held securely in place. Alternatively, the ends of horizontal wires can be used for this purpose. The two wire racks of a cooking appliance are mirror images of each other and are arranged within the cooking chamber.

[0010] If such telescopic rails are detachably attached to such support grids as rail systems, a locking mechanism is required in the installed state to prevent accidental removal or disengagement of the rail system. This locking mechanism should allow the user to detach the rail system from the support grid and remove it from the cooking chamber when it is retracted. However, as soon as the rail system extends, the locking mechanism should prevent such detachment and removal.

[0011] The applicant currently uses a safety device in which an additional metal plate is welded between two rail profiles. This plate moves forward as soon as the rail is extended and locks the rail system under the wire of the anti-tilt device.

[0012] A disadvantage of this type of safety device is its relatively complex manufacturing process, as an additional metal plate must first be welded onto a rail profile, and then another rail must be welded onto that plate. This effort leads to increased assembly and manufacturing costs. Furthermore, the amount of material required is quite high, which can make the rail system very heavy and wide. This material usage can also increase manufacturing costs.

[0013] The invention addresses the problem of creating a locking mechanism for telescopic rails on side racks of cooking appliances that is simpler, lighter, more compact, and / or less expensive to manufacture than known locking mechanisms of this type. At the very least, it aims to create an alternative to existing cooking appliances of this type.

[0014] According to the invention, this problem is solved by a cooking device, a telescopic rail, and a receiving grid with the features of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention are described in the following dependent claims.

[0015] Thus, the invention relates to a cooking appliance with a cooking chamber which is designed to receive at least one cooking vessel through an access opening along the longitudinal axis, with a closing element which is designed to close and release the access opening of the cooking chamber from the front, preferably by means of a pivoting element, preferably a hinge, and with at least one pair of telescopic rails which are arranged parallel to each other at the same height along the vertical axis in the cooking chamber on a receiving grid and are movable along the longitudinal axis through the opened access opening out of the cooking chamber, wherein the telescopic rails each have: at least one first rail element which is fixedly connected to the respective receiving grid, and at least one second rail element which is movable along the longitudinal axis relative to the first rail element, and at least one third rail element which is movable along the longitudinal axis relative to the second rail element and which is designed to receive the cooking utensil.

[0016] The cooking appliance is characterized in that the receiving racks each have at least one tilt protection element extending along the transverse axis, which is arranged along the vertical axis above the respective telescopic rail, and the second rail elements each have a pull-out safety device formed integrally with the second rail element and extending along the longitudinal axis, facing the respective tilt protection element, which is designed to block the respective telescopic rail from detaching from the receiving rack relative to the respective tilt protection element upwards along the vertical axis if the respective second rail element is not fully inserted along the longitudinal axis away from the access opening, wherein the pull-out safety devices are each interrupted along the longitudinal axis by at least one recess, which are designed toto release the respective telescopic rail from the receiving grid opposite the respective anti-tilt element along the vertical axis upwards when the respective second rail element is fully inserted along the longitudinal axis away from the access opening.

[0017] In other words, according to the invention, the pull-out protection is not formed as a separate component to be mounted, as previously known, but rather integrally integrated with the second rail element of the respective telescopic rail. This allows the locking and releasing function of the interacting pull-out protection to be implemented in conjunction with the respective tilt protection. At the same time, the effort required in terms of material usage and assembly can be reduced. Furthermore, this can be achieved with less installation space and / or less weight than previously known.

[0018] According to one aspect of the invention, the anti-tilt elements are each fixedly arranged on a longitudinal section of a horizontal wire of the receiving grid. This could represent one possible practical implementation.

[0019] According to a further aspect of the invention, the anti-tilt elements are each designed as a wire along the transverse axis. This allows the anti-tilt elements to be kept comparatively small and light, which saves material, weight, and installation space. At the same time, the desired function can be achieved by extending the wire along the transverse axis in conjunction with the respective pull-out protection or its recess.

[0020] According to a further aspect of the invention, the anti-tilt elements are each arranged along the longitudinal axis facing a vertical rear wire of the receiving grid. This allows the rearmost position of the inserted second rail elements of the telescopic rail to be shifted relatively far or deep along the longitudinal axis into the cooking chamber and thus away from the access opening. This allows the lever arm to be relatively long, acting between the first rail element of the respective telescopic rail, which is fixed to the receiving grid, and the extendable second rail element or the cooking utensil held by the telescopic rails. This can increase the moment that can be absorbed by the pair of telescopic rails.

[0021] According to a further aspect of the invention, the pull-out protection elements are each designed with thin walls along the transverse axis. This allows the pull-out protection elements to be kept comparatively small and light, which saves material, weight, and installation space. At the same time, the desired function can be achieved by extending as a thin-walled web or edge along the longitudinal axis in conjunction with the respective tilt protection element.

[0022] According to a further aspect of the invention, each receiving grid has at least two anti-tilt elements and each telescopic rail has at least two recesses. This allows for separation from each other at two points along the longitudinal axis.

[0023] According to the invention, each telescopic rail further comprises at least a third rail element which is movable along the longitudinal axis relative to the second rail element, wherein the third rail element is designed to receive the cooking vessel. This can increase the distance by which the telescopic rails or their movable rail elements can be extended along the longitudinal axis out of the cooking chamber. This can facilitate access for the user to a cooking vessel received by the third rail element. It can also increase the stability of the extended rail elements of the telescopic rails.

[0024] The invention also relates to a telescopic rail for use in a cooking appliance as described above. This allows a telescopic rail to be created to implement a cooking appliance as described above and to utilize its properties and advantages.

[0025] The invention further relates to a receiving grid for use in a cooking appliance as described above. This allows a receiving grid to be created for implementing a cooking appliance as described above and utilizing its properties and advantages.

[0026] In other words, according to the invention, the rail profiles of the telescopic rails can fulfill additional purposes besides their primary function of extending and retracting. These purposes can include, among others, locking a rail system. This is achieved by extending and modifying the actual rail profiles, rather than by adding additional components as before. Thus, according to the invention, the geometry of the rail profiles is extended or modified in such a way that they simultaneously fulfill an additional purpose.

[0027] According to the invention, the welding process as previously known can be eliminated, making the rail system slimmer, lighter, and, above all, significantly cheaper to manufacture. At the same time, the pull-out protection can be maintained as before. This is achieved by eliminating the need for a separate sheet metal plate, instead forming or generating this plate directly from the rail profile.

[0028] Preferably, according to the invention, a three-part rail profile can be used. This can consist of two outer rails and a middle rail. According to the invention, the profile of the middle rail can be extended upwards by a geometric extension, so that it projects upwards beyond the rail. According to the invention, this upwardly projecting sheet metal profile can be used as a pull-out protection device.

[0029] When the rail system according to the invention extends from the cooking chamber, the center rail also extends and locks under the anti-tilt device, preventing it from being unhooked in the extended position. To allow unhookment in the retracted position, cutouts are made in the center rail profile at the corresponding locations, so that the wires of the anti-tilt device can be inserted into the center rail in these areas. Thus, the locking plate for the rail system is generated entirely from the profile of the center rail (by adapting the geometry), and no additional components or work steps are required for this locking mechanism.

[0030] This invention makes it possible to create the locking mechanism without additional parts or effort. There is no need to cut extra sheet metal and assemble it using complex and expensive processes. An existing sheet metal profile of the rail system can be modified by adjusting its geometry to achieve this locking mechanism. This saves on additional material, effort, and therefore costs.

[0031] An embodiment of the invention is shown purely schematically in the drawings and is described in more detail below. It shows Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cooking appliance according to the invention from a slightly oblique front and top view; Figure 2 shows a receiving rack with a telescopic rail according to the invention as a top view from the rear; Figure 3 shows a side view of the receiving rack with the telescopic rail according to the invention in the fully retracted state; Figure 4 shows the Figure 3in a partially extended state; and Figure 5, the representation of the Figure 3 in the fully extended state.

[0032] The figures above are viewed in Cartesian coordinates. A longitudinal axis X extends, which can also be called depth X or length X. Perpendicular to the longitudinal axis X extends a transverse axis Y, which can also be called width Y. Perpendicular to both the longitudinal axis X and the transverse axis Y extends a vertical axis Z, which can also be called height Z and corresponds to the direction of gravity. The longitudinal axis X and the transverse axis Y together form the horizontal X,Y, which can also be called the horizontal plane X,Y.

[0033] Figure 1 a perspective view of a cooking appliance 1 according to the invention from a slanted front top view.

[0034] An oven 1 according to the invention is considered using the example of an oven 1. The oven 1 has an outer housing 10, which can also be referred to as the outer casing 10, and which essentially closes off or encloses the oven 1 externally. The outer housing 10 closes off along the longitudinal axis X towards the front, i.e., towards the user, in its upper region with a panel 10a. An inner housing 11, which can also be referred to as the inner casing 11, is arranged inside the outer housing 10. The inner housing 11 closes off to the rear along the longitudinal axis X, downwards and upwards along the vertical axis Z, and on both sides along the transverse axis Y with the outer housing 10, so that a space (not shown) is formed between the outer housing 10 and the inner housing 11, which can also be referred to as the casing space. This space represents the interior of the oven 1.

[0035] The inner housing 11 essentially encloses an interior space 12 in which a cooking process can be carried out. For this purpose, corresponding elements (not shown) for heating the interior space 12 are arranged in the space between the housing and the interior space 12. Accordingly, the interior space 12 can also be referred to as the cooking chamber 12.

[0036] The cooking chamber 12 is accessible to the user from the front along the longitudinal axis X through an access opening 13 located below the panel 10a. The access opening 13 can be opened and closed by means of a locking element 14 in the form of a flap 14. For this purpose, the flap 14 is connected to the outer housing 10 of the oven 1 by means of at least one hinge (not shown) so that it can pivot upwards about the transverse axis Y, allowing the user to pivot the flap 14 away from them to close the access opening 13 and downwards towards them to open the access opening 13 and access the cooking chamber 12. Figure 1 .

[0037] The cooking chamber 12 has a side wall 12a on each side along the transverse axis Y, on each of which a removable support grid 15 is arranged. A telescopic rail 16 is removablely attached to each support grid 15 at the same height along the vertical axis Z, forming a pair of telescopic rails 16. The telescopic rails 16 are each divided into three sections along the longitudinal axis X, such that a first, rear rail section 16a is connected to a third, front rail section 16c of the telescopic rail 16 by means of a second, middle rail section 16b, with the first, rear rail section 16a being held fixedly and removablely on the respective support grid 15. The pair of telescopic rails 16 can also be referred to as a rail system 16.The first, rear rail element 16a can also be referred to as the inner outer rail 16, the second, middle rail element 16b as the center rail 16b, and the third, front rail element 16c as the outer outer rail 16c of the telescopic rails 16. The telescopic rails 16 can also be referred to as the rail system 16.

[0038] A cooking utensil, such as a baking tray (not shown), can be placed by the user on the pair of telescopic rails 16 or their third, front rail elements 16c, so that it can be pushed into and pulled out of the cooking chamber 12 along the longitudinal axis X. This makes it easier for the user to insert and remove the baking tray from the cooking chamber 12.

[0039] Each receiving grid 15 has a vertical front wire 15a facing the access opening 13, to which a vertical rear wire 15c runs parallel, facing the rear wall (not labeled) in the rear area 12b of the cooking chamber 12. The two vertical wires 15c are connected to each other in a grid-like pattern by several horizontal wires 15b, cf. e.g. Figure 3 , wherein the vertical and horizontal wires 15a, 15b, 15c are permanently connected to one another by soldering or welding. The horizontal wires 15b can also be referred to as plane wires 15b. The horizontal wires 15b can be individually connected per plane, cf. Figures 2 to 5 , or in pairs, cf. Figure 1 , are planned.

[0040] In each case, the horizontal wires 15b are bent at right angles to the respective side wall 12a of the cooking chamber 12 at their ends, so that each horizontal wire 15b has a longitudinal section 15ba extending along the longitudinal axis X, which at each end transitions into a transverse section 15bb extending along the transverse axis Y. A pair of transverse sections 15bb of a horizontal wire 15b of each receiving grid 15 is comparatively long, cf. Figure 2 , in order to be connected to the respective side wall 12a of the cooking chamber 12 and thus to hold the receiving grid 12 on the side wall 12a.

[0041] The receiving grids 15 each have a pair of anti-tilt elements 15bc extending along the transverse axis Y and spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal axis X, arranged along the vertical axis Z above the respective telescopic rail 16. The anti-tilt elements 15bc are each fixedly attached to the longitudinal section 15ba of the horizontal wire 15b of the receiving grid 15 and are each formed as a wire along the transverse axis Y. The two anti-tilt elements 15bc are arranged along the longitudinal axis X facing the vertical front wire 15a and the vertical rear wire 15c of the receiving grid 15, respectively, i.e., closer to these than to each other (see, e.g., Figure 1). Figure 3 .

[0042] Figure 2 shows a receiving grid 15 with telescopic rail 16 according to the invention as a top view from the rear. Figure 3shows a side view of the receiving grid 15 with telescopic rail 16 according to the invention in the fully retracted state.

[0043] The second, middle rail elements 16b of the telescopic rails 16 according to the invention each have an extension lock 16ba formed integrally with the second rail element 16b and extending along the longitudinal axis X, facing the respective tilt protection element 15bc along the vertical axis Z, which are each designed to block the respective telescopic rail 16 from detaching from the receiving grid 15 relative to the respective tilt protection element 15bc along the vertical axis Z upwards, if the respective second rail element 16b is not fully inserted along the longitudinal axis X away from the access opening 13, i.e. completely into the cooking chamber 12.

[0044] The pull-out retainers 16ba are each interrupted along the longitudinal axis X by at least one recess 16bb, each of which is designed to allow the respective telescopic rail 16 to be released from the receiving grid 15 relative to the respective tilt protection element 15bc along the vertical axis Z upwards when the respective second rail element 16b is fully inserted along the longitudinal axis X away from the access opening 13. The pull-out retainers 16ba are each thin-walled along the transverse axis Y.

[0045] According to the invention, the telescopic rails 16, which are suspended or mounted on the receiving grid, can thus be extended and retracted by the user along the longitudinal axis X without detaching from the receiving grid 15, its horizontal wire 15b, or its longitudinal section 15ba. This is prevented or blocked by the fact that, along the vertical axis Z, the underside or lower edge of the respective anti-tilt element 15bc of the receiving grid 15 and the upper side or upper edge of the respective extension lock 16ba of the telescopic rail 16, or its second central rail element 16b, run so close to each other that upward movement of the telescopic rail 16 along the vertical axis Z is blocked by the respective anti-tilt element 15bc of the receiving grid 15. This is shown in Figure 1. Figure 4 the representation of Figure 3 in a partially extended state. Figure 5 shows the representation of Figure 3in the fully extended state.

[0046] However, if the telescopic rails 16 are fully inserted into the cooking chamber 12 along the longitudinal axis X by the user, see Figure 3 The recesses 16bb of the pull-out safety devices 16ba of the second, middle rail elements 16b of the telescopic rails 16 are positioned opposite the respective tilt protection element 15bc of the mounting grid 15 along the vertical axis Z. This creates a sufficiently large gap along the vertical axis Z so that the telescopic rails 16 can be moved or lifted upwards by the user along the vertical axis Z and thus lifted off the respective mounting grid 15. The same applies conversely to the mounting of the telescopic rails 16 on the mounting grid 15. Reference numeral list (part of the description)

[0047] Longitudinal axis; Depth; Length; Transverse axis; Width; Vertical axis; Height; Horizontal plane 1 Cooking appliance; oven 10 Outer casing; outer housing 10a Panel 11 Inner casing; inner housing 12 Cooking compartment; interior 12a Side walls of the cooking compartment 12 12b Rear area of ​​the cooking compartment 12 13 Access opening 14 Closing element; flap 15 Rack 15as Vertical front wire of the rack 15 15b Horizontal wires or plane wires of the rack 15 15ba Longitudinal sections of the horizontal wires 15b 15bb Transverse sections of the horizontal wires 15b 15bc Anti-tilt elements of the horizontal wires 15b 15c Vertical rear wire of the rack 15 16 Telescopic rails; Rail system 16a first, rear rail elements or inner outer rails of the telescopic rails 16 16b second, middle rail elements or center rails of the telescopic rails 16 16ba extension locks or upper edges of the second rail elements 16b 16bb recesses of the extension locks 16ba 16c third, front rail elements or outer outer rails of the telescopic rails 16

Claims

1. Cooking appliance (1) having a cooking chamber (12) which is designed to receive at least one cooking dish through an access opening (13) along a longitudinal axis (X), having a closure element (14) which is designed to close and release the access opening (13) of the cooking chamber (12) from the front, and having at least one pair of telescopic rails (16) which are arranged parallel to each other at the same height along a vertical axis (Z) in the cooking chamber (12), each on a receiving grid (15), and which are movable along the longitudinal axis (X) through the open access opening (13) out of the cooking chamber (12), the telescopic rails (16) each comprising: at least a first rail element (16a) which is fixedly connected to the relevant receiving grid (15), and at least a second rail element (16b) which is movable along the longitudinal axis (X) relative to the first rail element (16a), at least a third rail element (16c) which is movable along the longitudinal axis (X) relative to the second rail element (16b) and which is designed to receive the cooking dish, characterised in that the receiving grids (15) each have at least one anti-tilt element (15bc) extending along a transverse axis (Y), which anti-tilt element is arranged along the vertical axis (Z) above the relevant telescopic rail (16), and each of the second rail elements (16b), facing the relevant anti-tilt element (15bc) along the vertical axis (Z), has a pull-out safety device (16ba) which is formed in a single piece with the second rail element (16b) and extends along the longitudinal axis (X), which pull-out safety devices are each designed to block the relevant telescopic rail (16) from being released upwards from the receiving grid (15) relative to the relevant anti-tilt element (15bc) along the vertical axis (Z) if the relevant second rail element (16b) is not fully inserted along the longitudinal axis (X) away from the access opening (13), the pull-out safety devices (16ba) each being interrupted along the longitudinal axis (X) by at least one recess (16bb), which recesses are each designed to allow the relevant telescopic rail (16) to be released upwards from the receiving grid (15) relative to the relevant anti-tilt element (15bc) along the vertical axis (Z) if the relevant second rail element (16b) is fully inserted along the longitudinal axis (X) away from the access opening (13).

2. Cooking appliance (1) according to claim 1, the anti-tilt elements (15bc) each being fixedly arranged on a longitudinal portion (15ba) of a horizontal wire (15b) of the receiving grid (15).

3. Cooking appliance (1) according to claim 1 or claim 2, the anti-tilt elements (15bc) each being designed as a wire along the transverse axis (Y).

4. Cooking appliance (1) according to any of the preceding claims, the anti-tilt elements (15bc) each being arranged along the longitudinal axis (X) facing a vertical rear wire (15c) of the receiving grid (15).

5. Cooking appliance (1) according to any of the preceding claims, the pull-out safety devices (16ba) each being thin-walled along the transverse axis (Y).

6. Cooking appliance (1) according to any of the preceding claims, the closure element (14) being designed to close and release the access opening (13) of the cooking chamber (12) from the front by pivoting by means of a pivoting element, preferably a hinge.

7. Cooking appliance (1) according to any of the preceding claims, each receiving grid (15) having at least two anti-tilt elements (15bc) along the longitudinal axis (X) and each telescopic rail (16) having at least two recesses (16bb).