Grill press for completely arranging in the cooking chamber of a cooking appliance

Abstract

The invention relates to a grill press for completely arranging in the cooking chamber of a cooking appliance. In order to provide a grill press for completely arranging in the cooking chamber of a cooking appliance, which has a particularly good cooking result and leads to a particularly attractive grill pattern on the cooking product, heats up efficiently and transfers the heat to a cooking product well, is particularly easy to clean and can be used in numerous different cooking appliances, it is proposed that the grill press for completely arranging in the cooking chamber of a cooking appliance has a lower grill element for supporting a cooking product to be cooked and an upper grill element, wherein the upper grill element can be vertically displaced with respect to the lower grill element and / or is arranged parallel to the lower grill element in a pivotable manner in order to be brought into contact with a top side of the cooking product. Furthermore, the lower grill element and / or the upper grill element are formed as cast elements and / or the vertically displaceable and / or parallel pivotable arrangement of the upper grill plate with respect to the lower grill plate is not at the outer edge of the lower grill element.

Description

[0001] Description GRILL PRESS FOR COMPLETE ARRANGEMENT IN THE COOKING CHAMBER OF A COOKING APPLIANCE

[0002] The invention relates to a grill press for complete arrangement in the cooking chamber of a cooking appliance.

[0003] Grill presses are already known in various designs from the prior art and are typically used to heat baked goods at retail outlets, such as a bakery counter at a pub, inside a small oven. Such grill presses are particularly commonly used in small ovens for heating and finishing paninis or other sandwiches.

[0004] However, state-of-the-art grill presses have the disadvantage that the grill elements between which the food is placed are typically formed as simple, flat aluminum plates with milled recesses. This means that good cooking results and a visually appealing grill pattern on the surface of the food cannot be achieved. Furthermore, the use of aluminum plates requires a relatively long heating time and, at the same time, results in poor heat transfer during cooking. Furthermore, the milled aluminum plates typically have sharp edges and are difficult to clean, particularly in the area of ​​the milled recesses. Finally, the use of these state-of-the-art grill presses in cooking appliances that also use microwave radiation for cooking is excluded due to the sharp edges and the resulting sparking or arcing.

[0005] The invention is therefore based on the object of providing a grill press for complete arrangement in the cooking chamber of a cooking appliance, which achieves a particularly good cooking result and leads to a particularly attractive grill pattern on the food, heats up efficiently and transfers the heat well to the food, is particularly easy to clean and can be used in numerous different cooking appliances.

[0006] The object is achieved according to the invention by a grill press according to claim 1. Advantageous developments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.

[0007] The grill press according to the invention for complete arrangement in the cooking chamber of a cooking appliance has a lower grill element for placing a food to be cooked on it and an upper grill element, wherein the upper grill element is arranged so as to be height-adjustable relative to the lower grill element and / or pivotable parallel to the lower grill element in order to be brought into contact with the upper side of the food to be cooked. Advantageously, the lower grill element and / or the upper grill element are formed according to the invention as cast elements. Alternatively to designing the grill element(s) as cast elements, or in addition, the lower grill element is preferably larger and particularly preferably wider than the upper grill element.Furthermore, alternatively or in addition to a design of the grill element(s) as cast elements and / or the different dimensions of the grill elements, the height-adjustable and / or parallel pivotable arrangement of the upper grill element relative to the lower grill element is preferably not carried out on the outer edge of the lower grill element or not with means arranged in the region of the outer edge of the lower grill element.

[0008] The inventors recognized that by designing the two grill elements as cast elements, a complex shape and, consequently, a visually appealing grill pattern can be achieved particularly easily. Furthermore, because the grill elements are made of cast material, particularly cast aluminum, they heat up particularly quickly, store a particularly high amount of heat, and then transfer it very quickly to the food placed on top, thus achieving significantly better cooking results. Manufacturing them as cast elements also allows for a shape that is particularly easy to clean and / or allows for problem-free installation in a cooking appliance that generates heat exclusively or as a combination appliance also using microwave radiation.

[0009] The inventors also realized that using two grill elements that can be pivoted toward each other, food, especially meat such as steaks, can be cooked much faster, as both sides are in contact with the same grill element at the same time. Furthermore, a much more attractive, even, and faster browning pattern can be achieved on the food.

[0010] A grill press is basically understood to be a device in which at least one item to be cooked is arranged between two grill elements for cooking on both sides or forming a grill pattern in such a way that both grill elements come into contact with a surface and in particular with two opposing food surfaces. For this purpose, it is preferred that the item to be cooked comes into contact with an upper grill surface of the lower grill element and with a lower grill surface of the upper grill element. In addition, it can also be provided that a item to be cooked can be placed on an upper grill surface of the upper grill element, in particular if compression of the respective item to be cooked within the grill press must be avoided.

[0011] The grill press is basically designed in such a way that the grill press can be arranged completely in a hot cooking chamber of a cooking appliance and thus heats up to the temperature of the cooking chamber. The entire grill press is preferably temperature-resistant up to at least 200°C, more preferably up to at least 250°C, most preferably up to at least 300°C and especially preferably up to at least 400°C. Furthermore, the grill press is preferably not actively heating, i.e. the grill press is intended solely for heating by means of an external heat source. Accordingly, it is also preferred that the grill press is purely mechanical and / or free of electrically operated and / or electronic components. Furthermore, the grill press can have any dimensions, with a dimension according to Gastronorm, in particular the dimension GN 1 / 1 Gastronorm or 325 x 530 mm, being preferred, since then, for example, in a cooking appliance, food can be placed on the grill press orAt least 4 steaks can be prepared in the grill press. GN 1 / 2, GN 2 / 3, or baker's size (600 x 400 mm) are also possible.

[0012] The cooking appliance for accommodating the grill press can, in principle, be any device for heating food, with the cooking appliance preferably being an oven, a convection oven, a steamer, a microwave, or a combination of the aforementioned cooking appliances. Particularly preferred is a small oven and / or a speed oven for heating food for the sale of baked goods, for example, at a gas station or a retail outlet with a baked goods counter.

[0013] The food to be cooked can, in principle, be any food, although baked goods, especially breads, baguettes, paninis, or the like, are preferred. However, meat products such as meatballs, meatloaf, meat skewers, and / or breaded or unbreaded pieces of meat, such as steaks, are also conceivable. In general, any food can be cooked using the grill press, including fish or fish products, shellfish, vegetables, fruit, and / or dairy products, such as grilled cheese.

[0014] Both grill elements generally have a grill surface for contact with the surface of the food being cooked, with the grill surface preferably extending substantially over the entire surface of the respective grill element, optionally excluding one edge. Furthermore, the grill elements are preferably substantially flat and planar and, in particular, formed as a grill plate, with additional components being arranged on the grill element or formed integrally therewith. At least the upper grill element can be formed as a reversible plate and have an identical or different structure on both sides.Generally, it is preferred that at least the upper grill element, and preferably both grill elements, are detachably mounted on the grill press, in order to be able to replace a grill element in the event of damage or to be able to select a different grill element with a different structure to create a different grill pattern. Furthermore, the two grill elements are preferably each made essentially of metal, in particular of aluminum or an aluminum alloy. Particularly preferably, the lower grill element and the upper grill element are made of the same material.In addition, the lower grill element and / or the upper grill element can also have a surface coating, for example to prevent the food from sticking as a non-stick coating and / or to make the surface dark and ideally anthracite or black, so that the absorption of heat radiation is maximized and thus the heat absorption of the grill element is optimized.

[0015] Furthermore, the grill elements, particularly in the region of the respective grill surface, are preferably substantially plate-shaped, extending in a plane and / or flat, in particular with a substantially constant thickness. The thickness of the grill element, at least in the region of the grill surface, is preferably more than 6 mm, particularly preferably more than 8 mm, most preferably more than 10 mm, and especially preferably between 6 and 12 mm.

[0016] In order to be able to bring different items to be cooked, which may have different thicknesses or heights, into contact with a respective grill surface of a grill element, the invention provides that the upper grill element is arranged so as to be height-adjustable relative to the lower grill element and / or pivotable parallel to the lower grill element. Parallel pivotability is understood to mean a movement in which both grill elements are arranged essentially parallel throughout and / or in any pivoting state, so that the grill elements can each come into full-surface contact with items of any height, which also have essentially parallel surfaces.Particularly preferably, the upper grill element is positively guided along a movement path with a continuous, substantially parallel alignment to the lower grill element and / or is arranged in such a way that pivoting from a parallel arrangement of the grill elements to one another is not possible. In particular, the two grill elements cannot be pivoted towards one another merely about a single pivot axis. Furthermore, an arrangement of the upper grill element that can be pivoted parallel to the lower grill element does not require a linear movement path of the upper grill element. Rather, the movement path of the upper grill element during pivoting is preferably curved and / or follows the pivot arms.

[0017] A design of the lower grill element and / or the upper grill element as a cast element initially only means that a base body of the respective grill element and preferably the grill element is manufactured essentially entirely using a metal casting process and in particular using an aluminum casting process. Due to its weight, the upper grill element generates a contact pressure on a food item, wherein a design of the upper grill element allows any desired selection of the weight, in particular by varying the thickness, shape, size and / or material thickness. Particularly preferably, upper grill elements of different weights can be arranged on the grill press, whereby the contact pressure on the food item or the pressing force between the lower and upper grill elements can be adjusted as desired and adapted to the respective type of food item.

[0018] A preferred embodiment of the grill press according to the invention provides that the lower grill element and / or the upper grill element has a grill surface at least in a central surface section, which has a raised structure that protrudes from the surface of the grill element in sections and / or extends vertically in the direction of the food to be cooked. The structure is preferably a D-profile on the surface of the grill element. Likewise preferably, the structure is formed integrally with the grill element and / or cast thereon. Furthermore, it is preferred that the two grill elements have an identical structure on at least one grill surface, although different and / or differently aligned structures are also conceivable in principle.

[0019] A further preferred embodiment of the grill press according to the invention provides that the lower grill element and / or the upper grill element has a structure that is consistent across the entire grilling surface and / or the structure is formed as stripes, diamonds, squares, rectangles, triangles, parallelograms, or any other geometric shapes protruding from the surface of the grill element. Alternatively or additionally, the structure can also be formed from individual, unconnected structural elements, such as dots, circles, crosses, line segments, or the like. Particularly preferably, the structure of the lower grill element and / or the upper grill element is formed by intersecting webs, which preferably create a pattern of connected parallelograms and particularly preferably a diamond pattern or diamond grid.Particularly preferably, the grill surface of the first and / or second grill element has a structure formed exclusively from intersecting webs. Furthermore, all webs preferably have an identical spacing from one another, particularly preferably in both orientations of the intersecting webs.

[0020] Although the structuring can have any shape, it is preferred that the structuring of the lower grill element and / or the upper grill element, in particular the webs forming the structuring, has a profile tapering towards the surface of the grilling area, in particular a pointed profile, wherein the structuring and in particular each web of the structuring preferably has a substantially diamond-shaped cross-sectional area. Likewise preferably, the grill element and in particular the structuring is formed as a three-dimensional profile, which is made particularly economical by manufacturing it using a casting process. In addition, a structuring consisting of webs is preferred in which the webs become wider towards the middle and / or have a thinner support surface for the food to be cooked compared to the width in the middle of the grill element, whereby there is a lot of material in the middle of the grill element that can absorb and store heat.This results in relatively minimal cooling of the surface of the grill element material when the food is placed on the grill, resulting in better cooking results and, in particular, a more appealing grill pattern. Furthermore, bars with a diamond-shaped cross-section, or generally a grill element with a texture that tapers to both cooking surfaces, have the advantage of a large surface area. Hot air rising from below flows particularly strongly over the surface of the texture, transferring a particularly high amount of heat to the grill element material.

[0021] Furthermore, it is preferred that the lower grill element and / or the upper grill element are each formed as a one-piece cast element, in particular from cast aluminum. However, another cast material is also conceivable, such as cast iron or copper or a copper alloy. Furthermore, the cast aluminum does not have to be pure aluminum, but any aluminum alloy is also conceivable. By designing it as a cast element, a more diverse design is advantageously possible than, for example, with grill elements milled from a sheet material. For example, it is preferred that the entire grill element has only rounded edges, thereby achieving increased microwave compatibility.Likewise preferably, the structuring is also formed in such a way and in particular has corresponding roundings and / or a correspondingly suitable dimensioning that heating by means of microwaves and / or use in a microwave or a corresponding combination device is possible.

[0022] An advantageous development of the grill press according to the invention provides that the lower grill element and / or the upper grill element have at least one, preferably numerous, passage openings, which are preferably arranged in the region of the grilling surface and particularly preferably in a region between the structuring of the surface of the grill element. At least one, in particular precisely one, passage opening is particularly preferably arranged in each region enclosed on all sides by structuring. Particularly preferably, the entire region between the structurings or within a structuring is formed as a passage opening.Furthermore, it is preferred that the entire structuring and / or the upper and / or lower grill element in the region of the grill surface is formed exclusively from webs that run parallel to one another and / or intersect one another, so that there is preferably exactly one passage opening in each region enclosed on all sides by structuring. The passage openings are provided for the passage of hot air, thermal radiation and / or microwave radiation for heating the food being cooked and / or for the passage of vapors and / or liquids escaping from the food being cooked. Alternatively, however, a closed design is also conceivable, in which the upper and / or lower grill element is closed and / or free of passage openings at least in the region of the grill surface and particularly preferably as a whole, for which purpose the respective grill element is very particularly preferably formed as a flat, completely closed cast plate in the region of its central plane.

[0023] The lower grill element preferably has, on the outer edge and / or adjacent to the grill surface, on at least one side, preferably on several sides and particularly preferably all around, a raised edge that projects beyond the adjacent surface of the grill element and / or extends vertically in order to prevent residues of the food being cooked, in particular crumbs, from getting into the cooking appliance, wherein the edge is preferably formed integrally with the lower grill element. The peripheral edge preferably also extends over the full circumference of holding webs. Furthermore preferably, the edge is at least as high and particularly preferably exactly as high as the structure of the grill surface. Likewise preferably, the edge has a uniform thickness over the entire length along the outer edge of the grill element, which particularly preferably corresponds approximately to the thickness of the structure of the grill surface.In particular, however, it is preferred that a raised edge is formed on a rear side or at the rear end of the grill surface, in particular on the side facing the holding webs, in order to prevent a food item from being pushed beyond the lower grill surface, wherein the raised edge is preferably at least twice as high, particularly preferably at least three times as high and most preferably between three and ten times the height of the remaining edge and / or the structuring.

[0024] Furthermore, it is preferred that in the lower grill element between the edge and the grill surface having the structure and / or in the upper grill element surrounding the grill surface having the structure, an unstructured edge region is provided which is preferably flat and / or completely free of openings or passages. This unstructured edge region preferably extends around the grill surface on all four sides, although it is also conceivable for an unstructured edge region to be provided on only some of these sides. It is particularly preferred that in the unstructured edge region, a juice groove is provided on at least one side, in particular a front side, in order to be able to collect liquid that has escaped from the food being cooked in this area. Very particularly preferably, a juice groove is also provided on at least some of the sides and particularly preferably all the way around.

[0025] An advantageous development of the grill press according to the invention provides that the lower grill element has two support elements on each side for the level arrangement of the grill press in the cooking chamber of the cooking appliance and / or at least one, preferably one on each side, holding web which extends rearward beyond the grill surface in the plane of the grill element and is provided for the height-adjustable and / or pivotable arrangement of the upper grill element, wherein the support elements and / or the holding webs are particularly preferably formed integrally with the lower grill element. Furthermore, one of the two support elements is preferably arranged on each side of the lower grill element on the respective holding web. In addition, it is preferred that on the support elements and / or underneath the grill press ora plastic element is arranged between the grill press and the cooking chamber of the cooking appliance and, in particular, plastic elements or other electrically insulating elements are provided on the grill press in such a way that the grill press is completely electrically insulated from the cooking appliance, which is particularly advantageous in connection with a cooking appliance using microwaves.

[0026] Furthermore, a design of the grill press according to the invention is preferred in which the lower grill element is formed in the region of its outer edge for transverse and / or longitudinal insertion into a cooking appliance and in particular into a rail system of a cooking appliance. For this purpose, the edge of the lower grill element preferably has a shape and / or thickness corresponding to a rail system of the cooking appliance. Longitudinal insertion is understood to mean insertion of the grill press along the longitudinal direction of the rectangular lower grill element, while transverse insertion occurs at right angles thereto, i.e. along the shorter side of a rectangular lower grill element. Furthermore, it is preferred that the upper grill element is always arranged so as to be pivotable in the insertion direction.

[0027] The retaining webs are provided in particular for the rearward displacement of a pivot axis of the upper grill element or of an arm for the height-adjustable and / or pivotable arrangement of the upper grill element. The retaining webs are primarily provided and formed and / or arranged accordingly so that a rear and / or lower pivot axis for the pivoting displacement of the upper grill element relative to the lower grill element is arranged behind the grilling surface of the lower grill element, whereby on the one hand the upper grill element is moved by itself in any operating position due to its weight towards a closed position or a position with the smallest possible distance between the lower and upper grill elements and on the other hand the upper grill element can be pivoted beyond a dead center in such a way that it no longer lowers itself towards the lower grill element or remains by itself in a fully open position.Furthermore, an opening or an open area is preferably provided between the two holding webs in order to allow gas to pass through and, in particular, good heat distribution by convection in an area behind the grill press in the cooking chamber. Even in a variant of the grill press without holding webs and / or with an arrangement of the pivot arms within a recessed area of ​​the lower grill element, the upper grill element can be pivoted beyond a dead center as well as only up to an angle of 90° and / or only up to a dead center. Pivoting beyond a dead center and / or an element for holding the grill press open in a position at or behind the dead center is preferred, as this makes it easier to insert food to be cooked.Furthermore, the grill press is preferably designed in such a way that it can be completely closed and, in this case, the upper grill element particularly preferably lies on the lower grill element.

[0028] The support elements preferably have holding elements and in particular recesses on the surface facing the outside of the grill press for positively and / or non-positively securing the grill press to a holder inside the cooking chamber of the cooking appliance. In addition, the support elements preferably each have a flat support surface to enable the grill press to be placed thereon on a flat surface in the cooking appliance. Likewise preferably, the support elements for securing the grill press can be formed in or on a rail of the cooking appliance. The support elements are preferably formed integrally with the lower grill element. In addition, the two front and / or the two rear support elements preferably have a mirror-image shape to one another and particularly preferably are otherwise identical to one another.

[0029] Furthermore, it is conceivable for each support element to be formed in at least two parts, with a support element receptacle being fixed to the grill element and in particular being cast thereon and / or formed integrally therewith. An actual support element can then be fixed to the support element receptacle in a form-fitting, force-fitting and / or material-fitting manner, but in particular by latching and / or screwing, whereby the position, shape and / or size of the support element can then advantageously be adapted to the respective cooking appliance. Furthermore, it is conceivable for the actual support element to be adjustably fixed to the support element receptacle, for example by means of an elongated hole and / or a toggle screw, in order to achieve individual adaptability.In the case of one-piece support elements and / or a fixed arrangement on the lower grill element, it is preferred that the lower grill element is arranged interchangeably on the grill press in order to be able to attach a lower grill element with suitable support elements that is adapted to the cooking appliance.

[0030] Furthermore, the position of the support elements on the lower grill element can be selected such that the orientation and / or placement of the grill presses in the cooking appliance is adapted to the microwave distribution within the cooking chamber. For example, by forcing the grill press to be fixed in place using the support elements, it is possible to prevent unfavorable standing waves from forming in the cooking chamber or to prevent a component of the grill press from being located near the magnetron outlet. Finally, a firm connection between the grill press and the cooking appliance can prevent unwanted arcing caused by microwave radiation.

[0031] A preferred embodiment of the grill press according to the invention provides that the lower grill element and the upper grill element are arranged on each side via two pivot arms which are arranged parallel to one another and / or one behind the other and are height-adjustable and / or pivotable, wherein each pivot arm is preferably fixed so as to be pivotable relative to the lower grill element in the region of one end and pivotable relative to the upper grill element in the region of the other end. Two double joints are preferably formed on each side of the grill elements by means of the respective articulated joints on the grill elements, which are arranged identically to one another and / or parallel to one another, whereby the surfaces of the grill elements and the pivot arms form a parallelogram with a variable height in a side view. The pivot arms are particularly preferably fixed to the respective grill element by means of bolts with a partial thread or.a thread-free section, wherein this smooth cylindrical region of the bolt is arranged adjacent to the screw head within a bearing opening of the pivot arm. Furthermore, it is preferred that the smooth cylindrical region has a larger diameter than the external thread of the bolt. In principle, however, the pivot arms can be secured in any desired manner, with the securing means, in particular a screw and / or a bolt, being made of stainless steel to ensure a corresponding longevity.

[0032] Preferably, at least the two front and / or the two rear pivot arms, and particularly preferably all four pivot arms, are identical to one another and / or are formed as plate-shaped or flat components. The pivot arms are preferably cast components or components milled from a plate material. Likewise, each pivot arm is preferably formed essentially in one piece and / or exclusively from metal, wherein a partial or complete coating can additionally be provided. In principle, however, a design of the pivot arms from a different material, such as a temperature-resistant plastic, is also conceivable. In order to better transmit heat and / or microwave radiation, the pivot arms can have passages or openings.Preferably, the pivot arms do not have any sections that can be pivoted and / or displaced and / or moved relative to one another, and particularly preferably, a pivot arm does not have any joints, apart from an articulated or pivotable arrangement on the respective grill element. Most preferably, the pivot arms are formed without joints in the area between the lower and upper grill elements.

[0033] To stabilize the two grill elements against lateral displacement relative to each other and / or to ensure synchronous pivoting of the pivot arms on both sides of the grill elements, a stabilizing strut is preferably fixed between the two rear pivot arms, in particular screwed thereto. The stabilizing strut is preferably formed in one piece and / or as a tube or round rod.

[0034] Furthermore, a sliding coating is preferably provided on the surface of the bolt, in particular on the surface of the smooth cylindrical portion of the bolt, and / or on a surface of the bearing opening, to reduce friction during pivoting of the grill elements relative to one another. Furthermore, it is preferred that the pivot arms have openings and / or passages to increase heat permeability and, in particular, to allow the passage of convection air, thermal radiation, and / or microwave radiation.

[0035] In principle, the stud screws can be screwed directly into a thread in the upper or lower grill element. However, it is preferred that a threaded sleeve, a nut or another component with a thread be secured in the upper grill element and / or in the lower grill element, and the stud screw be screwed to this. The component with the thread is preferably made of stainless steel or brass, so that greater stability is achieved, particularly compared to a grill element made of cast aluminum. The component with the thread can be secured to the grill element in a form-fitting manner, cast into it, pressed into an opening in the grill element and / or screwed in using an external thread. In addition, a material-fitting and / or force-fitting attachment is also conceivable.

[0036] A further preferred embodiment of the grill press according to the invention provides that at least one bearing opening, in particular all bearing openings of the lower and / or upper grill element, for receiving a bolt and / or the area of ​​the grill element for receiving a threaded section of a bolt are surrounded by a flat contact surface extending at right angles to the central longitudinal axis of the bearing opening, against which the pivot arm is guided during pivoting from an open to a closed position of the grill press in order to guide the pivot arm continuously along this plane and thus easily prevent any lateral pivoting of the two grill elements relative to one another. The respective contact surfaces are preferably formed integrally with the grill element.Furthermore, the contact surfaces and / or the sections of the pivot arms that come into sliding contact with the contact surfaces preferably have a sliding coating. Most preferably, the entire surface of the pivot arms is provided with a sliding coating.

[0037] Furthermore, it is preferred that a stop element protruding from the surface of the grill element is arranged and / or formed on at least one side, preferably on both sides, of the lower and / or upper grill element in the region of the front and / or rear pivot arm in order to limit the maximum pivotability of the upper grill element relative to the lower grill element. Most preferably, the stop element is formed integrally with the respective grill element.

[0038] Furthermore, a grill press is preferred in which at least one cast-on stabilizing web is provided on the lower grill element, extending at least over half and preferably substantially over the entire length of the holding webs, in order to achieve particularly high mechanical stability of the grill press. The stabilizing web is preferably arranged on an outer edge and particularly preferably along the upper outer edge. In particular, it is preferred that the stabilizing web directly adjoins an edge surrounding the grill element and in particular the grill surface. Likewise preferably, the stabilizing web has a height and / or width identical to the height of the structuring of the grill surface and / or the edge. Likewise preferably, the stabilizing web is formed with a uniform thickness over its entire length.

[0039] In order to pivot the upper grill element, it can basically have one or more gripping elements, which can preferably be gripped for operation using a tool such as a slider or tongs for the food to be cooked. For example, a pin can protrude from a surface of the upper grill element, in particular in the area of ​​a front edge or to the side from which the food is placed into the grill press, whereby such a pin can be formed integrally with the upper grill element or attached thereto as an additional component. The gripping element, and in particular a gripping element formed as a pin, can be aligned as desired, whereby it is preferred that the gripping element extends from a lower surface of the upper grill element and / or towards the lower grill element. In general, however, an alignment in the pivoting direction or towards the top of the grill press is also conceivable.Preferably, the gripping element allows for a positive locking of the tool, which particularly preferably has a corresponding opening. However, it is also conceivable for the upper grill element to have a bore, recess, or other depression, so that the upper grill element can be gripped in this area, particularly by means of the tool. The gripping element is preferably arranged outside a grill surface.

[0040] Furthermore, a preferred embodiment of the grill press according to the invention provides that a lower locking element pointing towards the upper grill element is arranged on a front edge and / or in the region of the edge of the lower grill element and a corresponding upper locking element is arranged on the underside of the upper grill element in order to be able to secure the two grill elements to one another in a closed position and / or pivoted towards one another. This advantageously enables use as a reversible plate, i.e. food to be cooked can be placed on the upwardly facing underside of the lower grill element and thus with the upper grill element facing downwards, for which purpose the ability to secure the two grill elements to one another is extremely advantageous.Preferably, the two grill elements can be pivoted towards each other by at least 20 mm, particularly preferably at least 10 mm and most preferably up to 5 mm for locking by means of the two locking elements.

[0041] Furthermore, an advantageous development of the grill press according to the invention provides that an insulating element, preferably a plastic element or a plastic disc and particularly preferably a silicone element or a silicone disc, is arranged between the grill element and the pivoting arm in order to avoid the formation of sparks and / or arcs when used with a microwave-generating cooking appliance.

[0042] Furthermore, the pivoting arms on the lower grill element are preferably pivotably mounted in the region within the lower grill surface and / or in recessed regions of the lower grill surface, wherein the distance of the pivoting arms from the edge of the lower grill element is preferably between 5 mm and 50 mm, particularly preferably between 10 mm and 30 mm, most particularly preferably between 15 mm and 25 mm, and especially preferably 20 mm. Alternatively or additionally, the recessed region is formed in such a way that a stop is simultaneously formed for the pivoting arms to prevent the grill press from opening too far. Furthermore, additionally or alternatively to designing the recessed region of the lower grill element as a stop element, at least one separate stop element, in particular one stop element for each front and / or rear pivoting arm, can be arranged and / or cast onto the grill press and in particular on the lower grill element.

[0043] Finally, a preferred embodiment of the grill press according to the invention is one in which the front edge of the upper grill surface is bent away from the lower grill element or angled away from it in order to facilitate pressing on it using a tool, in particular a shovel, and / or inserting a food item using a tool, in particular a shovel. The angle relative to the upper grill surface is preferably between 2° and 45°. 0 , particularly preferably between 5° and 25 0 , especially preferably between 5 0 and 15 0 and in particular at approximately 10°. The upwardly curved section preferably extends exclusively over the area of ​​the upper grill element that has no structuring and / or no through-openings.

[0044] An embodiment of a grill press according to the invention is described in more detail below with reference to the figures. The figures show:

[0045] Fig. 1: a perspective view of a first embodiment of a grill press,

[0046] Fig. 2: a view of the top of the first version of the grill press,

[0047] Fig. 3: a side view of the first version of the grill press,

[0048] Fig. 4: a perspective side view of the first version of the grill press,

[0049] Fig. 5: a perspective front view of the first embodiment of the grill press,

[0050] Fig. 6: a perspective rear view of the first embodiment of the grill press,

[0051] Fig. 7: a view of the underside of the first version of the grill press,

[0052] Fig. 8: a perspective view of a second embodiment of a grill press,

[0053] Fig. 9: a view of the top of the second version of the grill press,

[0054] Fig. 10: a side view of the second version of the grill press,

[0055] Fig. 11: a perspective side view of the second embodiment of the grill press, Fig. 12: a perspective front view of the second embodiment of the grill press,

[0056] Fig. 13: a perspective rear view of the second embodiment of the grill press, and

[0057] Fig. 14: a view of the underside of the second version of the grill press.

[0058] In a first embodiment of a grill press 1 according to the invention, shown in Figures 1-7, an upper grill element 3 is continuously adjustable in height H relative to a lower grill element 2, parallel to one another. For this purpose, two pivot arms 13, 14 are arranged on both sides between the lower grill element 2 and the upper grill element 3, each of which forms a double joint with the grill elements 2, 3. All four pivot arms 13, 14 are arranged continuously parallel to one another and, together with the two grill elements 2, 3, form a parallelogram on each side of the grill press 1.

[0059] To achieve automatic closing or lowering of the upper grill element 3 onto the lower grill element 2, the rear pivot arms 14 are articulated behind a grill surface 4 of the lower grill element 2 in the region of retaining webs 12 formed integrally on the lower grill element 2, whereby the dead center of the pivoting movement of the upper grill element 3 is shifted rearward relative to the lower grill element 2. This ensures that the grill press 1 always pivots automatically toward a closed position in the operating state.

[0060] In order to also permanently hold the grill press 1 in an open position, the dead center is arranged such that the upper grill element 3 can be pivoted beyond this dead center, and a stop element 21 is fixed to the lower grill element 2 such that, after the dead center is exceeded, an area of ​​at least one pivot arm, in particular of the two front pivot arms 13 at the same time, comes into contact with a stop element 21 and blocks further pivoting. To enable easy pivoting of the upper grill element 3 by a user, a gripping element 18 in the form of a knob or bolt is arranged on the upper grill element 3 on a surface facing the lower grill element 2, wherein the gripping element 18 can be grasped, in particular, by means of a tool for placing and removing a food item.

[0061] To ensure the pivotability of the gripping arms 13, 14 relative to the grill elements 2, 3, the pivotable fixing is effected by means of a screw bolt 15, which is screwed into a screw-in sleeve cast or pressed into the respective grill element 2, 3. In the contact area with the gripping arm 13, 14, the bolt screw 15 has a smooth cylindrical area without a thread, which is also preferably provided with a sliding coating. To further prevent lateral twisting of the grill press and in particular a lateral deviation of the upper grill element 3 relative to the lower grill element 2 during pivoting, a flat contact surface 16 is provided on one side surface of the respective grill element 2, 3 and on one side surface of the respective pivot arm 13, 14.On the other hand, a stabilizing strut 19 is screwed between the two rear pivot arms 14, which prevents lateral twisting and at the same time ensures synchronous pivoting of the rear pivot arms 14.

[0062] In order to be able to arrange the grill press 1 in a cooking appliance, in particular in a speed oven or a combination oven, for example as a convection oven and microwave, four support elements 10, 11 are formed on the underside and on the side of the lower grill element 2, which on the one hand allow flat support surfaces for arranging the grill press on a flat surface inside the cooking chamber of the cooking appliance and on the other hand allow a positive and / or non-positive fixing to holding elements or holding rails in the cooking chamber of the cooking appliance.

[0063] For cooking food, the lower grill element 2 has a lower grill surface 4, while the upper grill element 3 has an upper grill surface 5 on both sides, i.e., facing upwards and downwards. In this way, food can be clamped between the two grill elements 2, 3 or cooked while resting on the upper grill element 3.

[0064] All grill surfaces 4, 5 have a surface structure 6 for creating a grill pattern on the food being cooked. The structure 6 is formed from intersecting ridges arranged in a diamond pattern. No material from the grill element 2, 3 is provided inside these diamonds, creating a passage opening 7 for the grill surface 4, 5.

[0065] In the area of ​​the outer edge 8 of the lower grill element 2, a circumferential edge 9 is arranged on all sides, which has a height identical to the structure 6 on the front and on each side, while a raised edge 20 is provided on the rear side to prevent food from being pushed beyond the grill surface 4. In the area of ​​the two holding webs 12, stabilizing webs 17 are also provided, adjoining the edge 9 of the grill surface 4, to increase the mechanical stability of the holding webs 12.

[0066] A second embodiment of a grill press 1 according to the invention, shown in Figures 8 - 14, differs from the first embodiment essentially in that it is formed in the dimensions GN 1 / 1 Gastronorm or 325 x 530 mm, wherein the lower grill element 2 has this dimension and is formed for insertion into a cooking appliance and, in particular, a rail of a cooking appliance for securing the grill press 1 therein. Accordingly, the pivot arms 13, 14 are also arranged within recessed areas 24 of the lower grill surface 4 in order to prevent collision with a rail system of the cooking appliance and to enable pivoting of the upper grill element 3 relative to the lower grill element 2 even when the grill press 1 is arranged within the cooking appliance.

[0067] In addition, this version of the grill press has a lower locking element 22 on the top side of the lower grill element 2 and an upper locking element 23 on the underside of the upper grill element 3, so that the two grill elements 2, 3 can be locked together in a closed position.

[0068] List of reference symbols

[0069] 1 grill press

[0070] 2 lower grill element

[0071] 3 upper grill element

[0072] 4 lower grill area

[0073] 5 upper grill surface

[0074] 6 Structuring

[0075] 7 Passage opening

[0076] 8 Outer edge

[0077] 9 Edge

[0078] 10 front support element

[0079] 11 rear support element

[0080] 12 Holding bridge

[0081] 13 front swivel arm

[0082] 14 rear swivel arm

[0083] 15 bolt screw

[0084] 16 contact surface

[0085] 17 Stabilization bar

[0086] 18 gripping element

[0087] 19 Stabilizing strut

[0088] 20 raised edge

[0089] 21 Stop element

[0090] 22 lower locking element

[0091] 23 upper locking element

[0092] 24 recessed area

[0093] H Height

Claims

Claims 1. Grill press (1) for complete arrangement in the cooking chamber of a cooking appliance, with a lower grill element (2) for placing a food to be cooked on it and an upper grill element (3) which is arranged so as to be height-adjustable relative to the lower grill element (2) and / or pivotable parallel to the lower grill element (2) in order to be brought into contact with an upper side of the food to be cooked, characterized in that the lower grill element (2) and / or the upper grill element (3) are formed as cast elements, and / or the height-adjustable and / or parallel pivotable arrangement of the upper grill element (3) relative to the lower grill element (2) does not take place on the outer edge (8) of the lower grill element (2).

2. Grill press according to claim 1, characterized in that the lower grill element (2) is larger and in particular wider than the upper grill element (3).

3. Grill press according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the lower grill element (2) and / or the upper grill element (3) has a grill surface (4, 5) in a central surface section, which has a raised structure (6) protruding from the surface of the grill element (2, 3) and / or extending in height (H) in the direction of the food to be cooked.

4. Grill press according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lower grill element (2) and / or the upper grill element (3) have a structure that is uniform over the entire grill surface (4, 5) (6) and / or the structuring (6) is formed as diamonds or parallelograms protruding from the surface of the grill element (2, 3).

5. Grill press according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lower grill element (2) and / or the upper grill element (3) are each formed as a one-piece cast aluminum element.

6. Grill press according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the region of its outer edge (8) it is formed for transverse and / or longitudinal insertion into a cooking appliance and in particular into a rail system of a cooking appliance.

7. Grill press according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lower grill element (2) and / or the upper grill element (3) have numerous passage openings (7) arranged in the region of the grill surface (4, 5), wherein preferably exactly one passage opening (7) is arranged in each region enclosed on all sides by structures (6).

8. Grill press according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lower grill element (2) has, on the outer edge (8) and / or adjacent to the grill surface (4), a raised edge (9) extending all around on all sides, which projects beyond the adjacent surface of the grill element (2, 3) and / or extends in height (H), wherein the edge (9) is preferably formed in one piece with the lower grill element (2).

9. Grill press according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a lower locking element (22) pointing towards the upper grill element (3) is arranged on a front edge and / or in the region of the edge (9) of the lower grill element (2) and a corresponding upper locking element (23) is arranged on the underside of the upper grill element (3) in order to hold the two grill elements (2, 3) in a closed and / or stacked position. to be able to fix the swiveled position to each other.

10. Grill press according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lower grill element (2) has two support elements (10, 11) on each side for the flat arrangement of the grill press (1) in the cooking chamber of the cooking appliance and / or at least one, preferably one on each side, holding web (12) which extends rearward beyond the grill surface (4, 5) in the plane of the grill element (2, 3) and is provided for the height-adjustable and / or pivotable arrangement of the upper grill element (3), wherein the support elements (10, 11) and / or the holding webs (12) are particularly preferably formed in one piece with the lower grill element (2).

11. Grill press according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lower grill element (2) and the upper grill element (3) are arranged on both sides via two pivot arms (13, 14) arranged parallel to one another and one behind the other, so as to be height-adjustable and pivotable parallel to one another, wherein each pivot arm (13, 14) is fixed in the region of one end so as to be pivotable relative to the lower grill element (2) and in the region of the other end so as to be pivotable relative to the upper grill element (3), wherein this fixing is preferably carried out by means of bolt screws (15) with a partial thread and wherein the smooth cylindrical region of the bolt screw (15) is arranged adjacent to the screw head within a bearing opening of the pivot arm (13, 14).

12. Grill press according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each bearing opening for receiving a bolt screw (15) and / or the area of the grill element (2, 3) for receiving a threaded section of a bolt screw (15) is surrounded by a flat contact surface (16) extending at right angles to the central longitudinal axis of the bearing opening, against which the pivot arm (13, 14) is guided during pivoting from an open to a closed position of the grill press (1). 13- Grill press according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an insulating element, preferably a plastic element and particularly preferably a silicone disc, is arranged between the grill element (2, 3) and the pivoting arm (13, 14) in order to avoid the formation of sparks and / or arcs when used with a microwave-generating cooking appliance.

14. Grill press according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pivoting arms (13, 14) are pivotably fixed to the lower grill element (2) in the region within the lower grill surface (4) and / or in recessed regions (24) of the lower grill surface (4), wherein the distance of the pivoting arms (13, 14) to the edge (9) of the lower grill element (2) is preferably between 10 mm and 30 mm and / or the recessed region (24) is formed in such a way that a stop for the pivoting arms (13, 14) is formed at the same time to prevent the grill press from opening too far.

15. Grill press according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one cast-on stabilizing web (17) extending substantially over the entire length of the holding webs (12) is provided on the lower grill element (2) in order to achieve a particularly high mechanical stability of the grill press (1).

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