Cooking appliance

Abstract

A cooking appliance comprising: - a housing defining an internal cooking space and an opening to the internal cooking space, - a cooking vessel (10), arranged to be inserted into the internal cooking space through the opening in the housing, and comprising at least one wall with a transparent window (12) arranged to face the opening in the housing, - a closing wall (20), arranged to close the opening in the housing when the cooking vessel (10) is in the internal cooking space, and comprising at least one transparent viewing window (21) arranged to face the transparent window (12), characterized in that the closing wall (20) is provided to be detachable from the cooking vessel (10), and in that the transparent viewing window (21) is permanently mounted on the closing wall (20). Figure for the abbreviation: Fig. 1

Description

Title of the invention: Cooking appliance Technical field of the invention

[0001] The present invention relates generally to a cooking appliance with a cooking vat to be inserted into a cooking space, and arranged to allow visualization of the food cooking in the cooking vat. State of the art

[0002] It is known in the prior art for cooking appliances arranged to allow the viewing of food, such as documents CN114515112 or WO202211809. However, these removable systems can lead to a reduction in the lifespan of the transparent surfaces and the elements ensuring the seal between the transparent surfaces and the inside of the tank. Indeed, removing and placing the transparent surfaces on their support requires subjecting them to regular mechanical stresses (friction, torsion, bending, impacts, etc.), which exposes them to a greater risk of breakage and / or more rapid deterioration. Description of the invention

[0003] One object of the present invention is to address the disadvantages of the prior art mentioned above and in particular, first of all, to offer a cooking appliance arranged to allow visualization of the food while ensuring an extended lifespan and maintenance over time of the initial qualities of the appliance.

[0004] To this end, a first aspect of the invention relates to a cooking appliance comprising at least: - a casing defining, in particular, an external wall of the cooking appliance, an internal cooking space, and an opening to the internal cooking space, - a cooking vessel, designed to receive food to be cooked and arranged to be inserted into the internal cooking space through the opening of the casing, and comprising - at least one wall with a transparent window arranged to align with the opening of the casing, - a closing wall, arranged to close the opening of the casing when the cooking vessel is in the internal cooking space, and comprising at least one transparent viewing window arranged opposite the transparent window, - cooking equipment designed to cook the food received in the cooking vessel, characterized in that the closing wall is designed to be detachable from the cooking chamber, and in that the transparent viewing window is permanently mounted on the closing wall. The transparent window and / or viewing window may be made of glass, po- Lycarbonate, transparent synthetic material (polymer, for example), transparent mineral material (glass, borosilicate glass, crystal, quartz, etc.). Fixed mounting of the transparent window on the enclosure wall increases the lifespan of the seals between the transparent window and the enclosure wall and / or the inside of the cooking chamber (for example, one or more gaskets). Since such gaskets are sensitive components of the assembly, they are susceptible to stress and / or damage during repeated installation and removal of a removable transparent window, not to mention the forces applied to the parts (torsion, bending, impacts, drops, etc.) which can lead to breakage. Permanently fixing the transparent window to the enclosure wall protects it from scratches, impacts, and / or cracks.These assemblies also contribute to making the cooking appliance simple and convenient to use.

[0005] The cooking appliance may also have one or more of the following characteristics, taken alone or in combination.

[0006] According to one embodiment, the closing wall forms a front of the cooking appliance, detachable from the cooking tank.

[0007] According to one embodiment, the cooking appliance includes coupling means arranged to allow reversible coupling between the enclosure and the cooking chamber. In other words, the enclosure and the cooking chamber can be separated, thus facilitating their cleaning, particularly with regard to the cooking chamber, which receives the food to be cooked during cooking and is therefore exposed to grease, even in hard-to-reach recesses. The cooking chamber alone, which has a more compact shape than when attached to the enclosure, is more convenient to install alone in a dishwasher and takes up less space. The enclosure can be mounted on the housing, even when it is not attached to the chamber, ensuring a compact cooking appliance that can be adapted to the user's needs.A specific, less resistant and / or cheaper material can also be used for the transparent porthole, as it is not necessary to guarantee (for the closing wall and / or the transparent porthole) resistance to dishwashers and high washing temperatures.

[0008] According to one embodiment, if the cooking vessel is not present in the housing, the cooking appliance will not start. In particular, the cooking appliance includes a control unit and detection means designed to verify the presence of the cooking vessel, independently of the presence of the closing wall, so as to prevent the cooking appliance from starting and / or operating if the cooking vessel is detected as absent or incorrectly installed.

[0009] According to one embodiment, the coupling means comprise: - at least one locating index provided on one of the cooking chamber and the closing wall, and a locating indentation provided on the other of the cooking chamber and the closing wall, arranged to couple together reversibly; - at least one attachment index provided on one of the cooking chamber and the closing wall, and a movable attachment counter-form provided on the other of the cooking chamber and the closing wall, arranged to couple together reversibly. The separation of the guiding / locating and fastening functions ensures the stability of the coupling mechanism. The locating index also makes coupling the front panel to the chamber easier and more intuitive for the user.

[0010] According to one embodiment, when the cooking vessel is coupled to the closing wall, at least one of said at least one locating index and said at least one attachment index is arranged to simultaneously contact the transparent window (for example, at least one edge of the transparent window) and the transparent viewing window (for example, at least one edge of the transparent viewing window). Thus, the same element (the locating index or the attachment index) contacts the transparent window and the transparent viewing window to ensure direct relative positioning, which provides precise alignment between these removable parts.

[0011] According to one embodiment, the coupling means comprise a supporting frame: - said at least one location index, and preferably two location indices, - said at least one attachment index.

[0012] According to one embodiment, the frame supports the transparent window on the cooking vessel. The frame thus directly positions the transparent window, and the relative position between the transparent window and the transparent porthole is improved and / or more precise.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the cooking appliance includes locking means arranged to occupy: - a locked state in which the closing wall is locked onto the cooking vessel, - an unlocked state in which the closing panel can be freely detached from the cooking chamber. The locked state ensures that the front panel remains attached to the chamber. It is easy to connect the closing panel to the cooking chamber for handling the latter, and to detach it to, for example, place the cooking chamber in the dishwasher or refrigerator, and close the opening of the housing with the closing panel alone.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the locking means comprise a locking control interface arranged on the outside of the outer wall. Thus, the control interface is quickly accessible.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the locking control interface includes a trigger to be actuated by a user, and the locking means include elastic return means arranged to return the trigger to a locked position, a movable latch arranged to reversibly lock the closing wall onto the cooking vessel, and a transmission mechanism arranged between the trigger and the movable latch. The elastic return means ensure stable retention of the vessel on the closing wall and provide a safety feature such that the locking means are by default in a locked state relative to the vessel, preventing an unintentional or untimely unlocking state.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the locking means are arranged to lock the attachment index with the movable attachment counterform.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the counter-form of the movable attachment forms a movable lock or a movable bolt.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the attachment index includes or forms a receiving form, and / or a strike plate, and / or a female form arranged to receive the movable attachment counter-form formed by a lock or a bolt.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the counter-form of the movable attachment forms the movable lock.

[0020] According to one embodiment, the cooking appliance includes means for gripping the cooking vessel arranged on the outside of the outer wall when the cooking vessel is in the inner cooking space. The gripping means must allow the cooking vessel to be manipulated, particularly during or after cooking, and must be easily accessible.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the cooking tank gripping means are mounted on the closing wall. Thus, with the cooking tank and the closing wall coupled and locked together by the locking means, the gripping means allow the cooking tank to be grasped, via the closing wall, in a safe and reliable manner, particularly after cooking when the tank and its contents may present a risk of burns.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the gripping means are formed by a handle attached to the closing wall, which is an ergonomic and intuitive way of moving the cooking tank.

[0023] According to one embodiment, the locking control interface is integrated into the cooking vessel's gripping means, making the operation of the locking means faster and more ergonomic. The locking control interface, the trigger, can be arranged on one end of the gripping means, a handle, so that the trigger can be operated by the user's thumb in a quick and intuitive manner when placing and removing the cooking vessel.

[0024] According to one embodiment, the closing wall is designed to form a heat-insulating space between the transparent window and the transparent porthole. In other words, the closing wall is designed to form an air gap between the transparent window and the transparent porthole. Since the air between the two transparent surfaces is particularly insulating, this embodiment makes it possible to maintain a temperature on the outer wall of the housing, and particularly on the closing wall, that does not present a risk of scalding.

[0025] According to one embodiment, the cooking appliance includes a sealed tank lid. The tank lid is arranged to fit onto the cooking tank so that food can be stored in it in the refrigerator.

[0026] In one embodiment, the cooking vessel is generally rectangular. Furthermore, the simple shape of the vessel allows it to fit easily on a shelf and among other rectangular containers. The cooking appliance is arranged to prevent cooking from starting when the vessel lid is on the vessel and the vessel is in the housing. A physical barrier can also be provided to prevent the cooking vessel from being mounted while still covered with its lid. (Description of figures)

[0027] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading the following detailed description of an embodiment of the invention given by way of non-limiting example and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0028] [Fig-1] represents an isometric view of a cooking vessel coupled to a wall closing a cooking appliance;

[0029] [Fig.2] represents an isometric view of the cooking vessel decoupled from the wall of closing the cooking appliance;

[0030] [Fig.3] represents a cross-sectional view of the assembly between the closing wall and the cooking vat of [Fig.1], at the level of locking means in a locked state;

[0031] [Fig.4] shows a cross-sectional view of [Fig.3] with the locking means in an unlocked state.

[0032] Detailed description of embodiment(s)

[0033] Fig. 1 represents a subset 1 of a cooking appliance, formed by a cooking vessel 10 coupled to a closing wall 20, and arranged to introduce or remove food from a cooking space provided in a cooking appliance.

[0034] The cooking vessel 10 is intended to receive the food to be cooked and to be introduced into an internal cooking space of a cooking appliance housing (not shown) through an opening provided in the cooking appliance housing.

[0035] The closing wall 20 includes gripping means 23, here in the form of a handle, for manipulating the subassembly 1, particularly the cooking vessel 10 which contains the food to be cooked and may have a wall temperature high enough to be dangerous during or shortly after cooking. The handle shown thus provides a thermally insulated handling interface.

[0036] The closing wall 20 also includes a locking control interface, here in the form of a trigger 22, which, when actuated by a user, is arranged to unlock and detach the closing wall 20 from the cooking vessel 10. The trigger 22 is arranged in a sliding connection with respect to the gripping means 23 and the rest of the closing wall 20.

[0037] Finally, the closing wall 20 includes a transparent window 21 allowing the food in the cooking tank 10 to be viewed from outside the housing during cooking.

[0038] Figure 2 shows the disassembled subassembly of Figure 1, with the cooking vessel 10 detached from the closing wall 20. In order to make it possible to view the inside of the cooking tank 10 from the outside during cooking, the tank 10 includes a transparent window 12 intended to be located opposite or facing the transparent porthole 21 of the closing wall 20.

[0039] Two locating indexes 1 IB and one attachment index 1 IA are arranged on a frame of the transparent window 12, forming coupling means 11 allowing reversible coupling of the working tank 10 with the closing wall 20.

[0040] Figure 3 shows a cross-section of the gripping means 23 of Figure 1, to illustrate a mechanism for assembling / locking the closing wall 20 to the cooking vessel 10, forming locking means 220. The locking means comprise: - the trigger 22, comprising a shaft 22A, - elastic return means, such as a spring 222, arranged in the gripping means 23, between the trigger 22 and a wall of the gripping means 23, - a movable lock 221 having an inclined oblong hole receiving the axis 22A, - a stop 24, housing a circular counterform of the movable lock 24, - an attachment index 1 IA of the cooking vessel 10 comprising an orifice forming a strike plate receiving a hook 221A of the movable lock 221.

[0041] Elastic return means, such as a spring 222, maintain the trigger 22 in a locked position shown [Fig. 3], such that the locking means 220 are by default in a locked state in the absence of any control action exerted on the trigger 22. The movable lock 221 is integral with the wall of closure 20 is locked in the attachment index 1 IA of the cooking vessel 10, by means of a counter-attachment form or a hook 221A housed in the strike plate or the opening provided in the attachment index 11A.

[0042] The movable lock 221 is arranged in a sliding connection with an axis 22A integral with the trigger 22: the axis 22A can move in the oblong hole 221B of the movable lock 221, extended along a direction of extension inclined relative to the direction of movement imposed by movements of the trigger 22. In addition, the lock 221 includes a rounded counterform bearing on a stop 24.

[0043] Consequently, as illustrated in [Fig. 4], when the trigger 22 is actuated, i.e., pulled to the right of [Fig. 4], it compresses the spring 222. Its rectilinear translation drives the shaft 22A in the same direction, so that the latch 221, bearing against the stop 24, pivots as shown in [Fig. 4]. The rounded and complementary shapes of the stop 24 and the movable latch 221 facilitate the pivoting of the latch around the stop 24; the oblong hole 221B and the shaft 22A exhibit a relative sliding movement; the hook 221A is no longer engaged with the attachment index 1 IA, and the cooking vessel 10 can be separated from the closing wall 20. Industrial application

[0044] A cooking device according to the present invention, and its manufacture, are capable of industrial application.

[0045] It will be understood that various modifications and / or improvements, obvious to those skilled in the art, can be made to the different embodiments of the invention described herein without departing from the scope of the invention. In particular, it may be noted that the trigger 22 can be actuated by movements other than a translation caused by a pull from the user. Compression, tilting, and pivoting are possible. The position of the trigger 22 can vary, for example, by being placed under the handle or to the side, so that it can be easily manipulated by fingers other than the user's thumb when gripping the handle.

Claims

Claims

1. Cooking appliance comprising at least: - a housing defining an external wall of the cooking appliance, an internal cooking space and an opening towards the internal cooking space, - a cooking tank (10), intended to receive food to be cooked and arranged to be introduced into the internal cooking space through the opening of the housing, and comprising - at least one wall with a transparent window (12) arranged to face the opening of the housing, - a closing wall (20), arranged to close the opening of the housing when the cooking tank (10) is in the internal cooking space, and comprising at least one transparent porthole (21) arranged facing the transparent window (12), - cooking means, intended to cook the food received in the cooking tank (10), characterized in that the closing wall (20) is provided detachable relative to the cooking tank (10),and in that the transparent porthole (21) is permanently mounted on the closing wall (20).,

2. Cooking appliance according to claim 1, in which the closing wall (20) forms a front of the cooking appliance, detachable from the cooking tank (10).

3. Cooking appliance according to one of claims 1 to 2, comprising coupling means (11) arranged to allow reversible coupling between the closing wall (20) and the cooking tank (10).

4. Cooking appliance according to claim 3, wherein the coupling means (11) comprise: - at least one locating index (1 1B) provided on one of the cooking tank (10) and the closing wall (20) and a locating imprint provided on the other of the cooking tank (10) and the closing wall (20) and arranged to couple together reversibly, - at least one attachment index (1 1A) provided on one of the cooking tank (10) and the closing wall (20) and a counterform movable attachment provided on the other of the cooking tank (10) and the closing wall (20) and arranged to attach together reversibly.

5. Cooking appliance according to claim 4, wherein the coupling means (11) comprise a frame supporting: - said at least one location index (1 IB), and preferably two location indexes (11B), - said at least one attachment index (1 IA).

6. A cooking apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the frame supports the transparent window (12) on the cooking vessel (10).

7. Cooking appliance according to one of claims 1 to 6, comprising locking means (220) arranged to occupy: - a locking state in which the closing wall (20) is locked onto the cooking tank (10), - an unlocking state in which the closing wall (20) can be freely detached from the cooking tank (10).

8. A cooking appliance according to claim 7, wherein the locking means (220) comprises a locking control interface arranged outside the outer wall.

9. Cooking appliance according to claim 8, wherein the locking control interface comprises a trigger (22) to be actuated by a user, and wherein the locking means (220) comprise elastic return means arranged to return the trigger (22) into a locking position, a movable lock (221) arranged to reversibly lock the closing wall (20) on the cooking tank (10) and a transmission mechanism arranged between the trigger (22) and the movable lock (221).

10. Cooking appliance according to one of claims 7 to 9 in their dependence on one of claims 4 to 6, in which the locking means (220) are arranged to lock the attachment index (11A) with the movable attachment counterform.

11. Cooking appliance according to claim 10 in its dependency on claim 9, in which the movable attachment counterform forms the movable lock (221).

12. Cooking appliance according to one of claims 1 to 11, comprising gripping means (23) for the cooking tank (10) arranged outside the external wall when the cooking tank (10) is in the internal cooking space.

13. Cooking appliance according to claim 12, in which the gripping means (23) of the cooking tank (10) are mounted on the closing wall (20).

14. Cooking appliance according to one of claims 12 or 13, in which the gripping means (23) are formed by a handle (23) attached to the closing wall (20).

15. Cooking appliance according to one of claims 12 to 14 in their dependence on one of claims 7 to 11, in which the locking control interface is embedded on the gripping means (23) of the cooking tank (10).

16. Cooking appliance according to one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the closing wall (20) is provided to form a heat-insulating space between the transparent window (12) and the transparent porthole (21).

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