Electric cooking appliance for individual food preparations

Abstract

The electric cooking appliance (1) comprises a lower housing (2) having a front portion (AV), a rear portion (AR), and two side portions (LAT), a lower electric heating element disposed within the lower housing (2), and a cover (5). The electric cooking appliance (1) further comprises a cooking accessory configured to define nine cooking positions arranged in a 3x3 matrix, each configured to receive a food preparation. The lower electric heating element has a heating portion that extends at least partially below each of the cooking positions, with the exception of a central cooking position. Figure 1

Description

Title of the invention: Electric cooking appliance for individual culinary preparations Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates generally to a cooking appliance, and more particularly to a household electric cooking appliance, configured for cooking culinary preparations, such as cakes and pastries for example. State of the art

[0002] It is known from the prior art to use an electric cooking appliance comprising: - a lower housing which delimits a lower heating volume and which includes an access opening through which culinary preparations to be cooked can be introduced into the lower heating volume; - a lower electrical heating resistor disposed in the lower housing and configured to heat the lower heating volume; the lower electrical heating resistor comprising a connection portion and a heating portion extending along an extension plane which is substantially horizontal when the lower housing rests on a horizontal surface; and - a cover configured to occupy at least one open position in which the cover releases the access opening, and a closed position in which the cover closes the access opening.

[0003] In particular, each culinary preparation to be cooked can be arranged in a respective individual cooking container, and each individual cooking container can be placed in a holder placed in the lower housing in order to subsequently allow the cooking of the culinary preparations.

[0004] Such a configuration of the electric cooking appliance allows the preparation of cakes and other culinary preparations while reducing the electrical consumption of the electric cooking appliance thanks in particular to the confinement of the heat by the formation of a cooking enclosure.

[0005] However, such an electric cooking appliance has various drawbacks. A first drawback lies in the limited cooking capacity of such an electric cooking appliance since it is capable of simultaneously receiving only six individual cooking containers. A second drawback lies in the difficulty of uniformly cooking a plurality of individual culinary preparations within the cooking chamber. Summary of the invention

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[0010] The present invention aims to resolve all or part of the drawbacks cited above. The technical problem underlying the invention consists in particular in providing an electric cooking appliance designed to achieve homogeneous cooking of individual culinary preparations, which is of simple, compact and economical structure, while allowing the simultaneous cooking of a large number of individual culinary preparations. To this end, the present invention relates to an electric cooking appliance configured for the preparation of culinary dishes, and in particular individual pastry dishes for example, comprising: - a lower housing which delimits a lower heating volume and which comprises an access opening through which culinary preparations to be cooked can be introduced into the lower heating volume, the lower housing comprising a front part configured to extend opposite a user when the electric cooking appliance is in a use configuration, a rear part configured to extend away from the user when the electric cooking appliance is in the use configuration and two lateral parts which are arranged on either side of a median longitudinal plane of the electric cooking appliance; - a lower electrical heating resistor disposed in the lower housing and configured to heat the lower heating volume, the lower electrical heating resistor comprising a connection portion configured to be electrically connected to an electrical power source and a heating portion extending along an extension plane which is substantially horizontal when the lower housing rests on a horizontal surface; and - a cover configured to occupy at least one open position in which the cover releases the access opening, and a closed position in which the cover closes the access opening; the electric cooking appliance comprises a cooking accessory configured to define nine cooking locations which are arranged in a 3x3 matrix arrangement and which are each configured to receive a culinary preparation, and the heating portion of the lower electric heating element extends at least partly below each of the cooking locations with the exception of a central cooking location of said cooking locations. Such a configuration of the invention makes it possible to carry out simultaneous and homogeneous cooking of nine culinary preparations present respectively in the nine cooking locations. In addition, the absence of a heat source directly above The central cooking location helps avoid overcooking in the center of the electric cooking appliance.

[0011] The electric cooking appliance may further have one or more of the following features, which may be taken alone or in combination.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the invention, the cover delimits an upper heating volume, the upper heating volume and the lower heating volume being configured to form a cooking chamber when the cover occupies the closed position.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the invention, the upper heating volume comprises an upper electrical heating resistor.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the invention, the cover is mechanically connected to the lower housing and is movable at least between the open position and the closed position.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the invention, the heating portion of the lower electrical heating resistor extends at least partly inside the lower heating volume.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the invention, the lower heating volume defines nine heating zones arranged in a 3x3 matrix arrangement, the heating zones comprising a central heating zone, two lateral heating zones which are arranged laterally on either side of the central heating zone and which are arranged, with the central heating zone, in the same row of the 3x3 matrix arrangement, a front heating zone and a rear heating zone which are arranged on either side of the central heating zone and which are arranged, with the central heating zone, in the same column of the 3x3 matrix arrangement, and four corner heating zones, each of the nine heating zones being located directly above a respective cooking location.

[0017] In other words, the two lateral heating zones are substantially aligned with the central heating zone along a first alignment direction which is substantially perpendicular to the median longitudinal plane of the electric cooking appliance, and the front heating zone and the rear heating zone are substantially aligned with the central heating zone along a second alignment direction which is substantially parallel to the median longitudinal plane of the electric cooking appliance.

[0018] According to one embodiment of the invention, the side heating zones, as well as the front and rear heating zones, share a face with the central heating zone and the corner heating zones share an edge with the central heating zone.

[0019] According to one embodiment of the invention, the central heating zone is not crossed by the heating part of the lower electric heating resistor.

[0020] According to one embodiment of the invention, each of the cooking locations is configured to receive a respective individual cooking container, each individual cooking container being configured to contain a culinary preparation.

[0021] According to one embodiment of the invention, the electric cooking appliance is configured to simultaneously receive nine individual cooking containers.

[0022] According to one embodiment of the invention, the cooking accessory is a support structure configured to support each of the individual cooking vessels.

[0023] According to one embodiment of the invention, the cooking accessory is a mold comprising nine cavities respectively forming the nine cooking locations. In other words, the cooking accessory is configured to directly receive the culinary preparations inside each of the nine cooking locations.

[0024] According to one embodiment of the invention, the cooking accessory is made in a single piece, that is to say it is a single block.

[0025] According to one embodiment of the invention, the cooking accessory is configured to be removable, that is to say that it can be removed from the cooking chamber.

[0026] According to one embodiment of the invention, the cooking accessory is perforated between the cooking locations of the same line in order to optimize the homogeneity of the temperature in the cooking chamber.

[0027] According to one embodiment of the invention, the individual cooking containers are removable from the cooking accessory.

[0028] According to one embodiment of the invention, each of the lateral heating zones, the front heating zone and the rear heating zone is crossed by a respective portion of the heating part, and in which the sum of the lengths of said portions of the heating part which cross the lateral heating zones, the front heating zone and the rear heating zone is between 20% and 28% of the total length of the heating part, advantageously between 22% and 26% of the total length, and such as for example 24% of the total length.

[0029] According to one embodiment of the invention, each of the corner heating zones is crossed by a respective portion of the heating part, and in which the sum of the lengths of said portions of the heating part which cross the corner heating zones is between 72% and 80% of the total length of the heating part, advantageously between 74% and 78% of the total length, and such as for example 76% of the total length.

[0030] According to one embodiment of the invention, each of the corner heating zones is crossed by a length of the heating part which is substantially identical.

[0031] According to one embodiment of the invention, the connection portion of the lower electric heating resistor is located at least partly in the rear heating zone and / or in the central heating zone. Such a configuration of the lower electric heating resistor allows a simplified arrangement of the heating portion.

[0032] According to one embodiment of the invention, the connection part of the lower electric heating resistor is located in the rear heating zone.

[0033] According to one embodiment of the invention, the rear heating zone is crossed by a portion of the lower electrical heating resistance of between 5% and 9% of the total length of the heating part, advantageously between 6% and 8% of the total length and for example 7% of the total length.

[0034] According to one embodiment of the invention, each of the lateral heating zones and the front heating zone is crossed by a respective portion of the lower electrical heating resistance of between 4% and 8% of the total length of the heating part, advantageously between 5% and 7% of the total length and for example 6% of the total length.

[0035] According to one embodiment of the invention, the median longitudinal plane, also called the sagittal plane, of the electric cooking appliance defines a plane of symmetry of the lower electric heating resistor.

[0036] According to one embodiment of the invention, the median longitudinal plane of the electric cooking appliance makes it possible to define two segments of the lower electric heating resistor whose lengths are identical.

[0037] According to one embodiment of the invention, the corner heating zones located in the rear part of the electric cooking appliance and the corner heating zones located in the front part of the electric cooking appliance are symmetrical with respect to the median transverse plane of the electric cooking appliance.

[0038] According to one embodiment of the invention, the heating portion of the lower electric heating resistor has at least one inflection point in each of the corner heating zones. Such a lower electric heating resistor configuration makes it possible to significantly increase the effective length of the heating portion in each of the corner heating zones, the corner heating zones needing to be subjected to more heat generated by the heating portion of the lower electric heating resistor to achieve uniform cooking of the culinary preparations.

[0039] According to one embodiment of the invention, the corner heating zones each have two inflection points.

[0040] According to one embodiment of the invention, each of the lateral heating zones and the front heating zone is crossed by at least one substantially portion straight line of the heating part.

[0041] According to one embodiment of the invention, each substantially rectilinear portion of the lower electrical heating resistor extends from a respective corner heating zone to another respective corner heating zone.

[0042] According to one embodiment of the invention, the electric cooking appliance further comprises a thermal device, such as a cooking sole for example, provided between the lower electric heating resistor and the cooking accessory and configured to distribute the heat coming from the lower electric heating resistor inside the cooking enclosure.

[0043] According to one embodiment of the invention, the thermal device is a corrugated or embossed sheet.

[0044] According to one embodiment of the invention, the thermal device is made of metal and has multiple perforations to allow circulation of the heated air inside the cooking chamber.

[0045] According to one embodiment of the invention, the thermal device is removable so that it can be cleaned, for example. Brief description of the figures

[0046] The present invention will be better understood with the aid of the following description with reference to the appended figures, in which identical reference signs correspond to structurally and / or functionally identical or similar elements.

[0047] [Fig-1] is a front perspective view of an electric cooking appliance according to one embodiment of the invention;

[0048] [Fig.2] is a perspective view from above of a cooking accessory belonging to the electric cooking appliance of [Fig.l];

[0049] [Fig.3] is a top view of a lower housing of the electric cooking appliance of [Fig.l];

[0050] [Fig.4] is a schematic view from below showing the arrangement of a re lower electric heating resistance of the electric cooking appliance of [Fig.l];

[0051] [Fig.5] is a top perspective view of the cooking accessory equipped with individual cooking containers;

[0052] [Fig.6] is a top perspective view of the cooking accessory inside a lower heating volume delimited by the electric cooking appliance of [Fig.l]. Detailed description

[0053] In this document, the term "usage configuration" means a confi configuration of the electric cooking appliance in which the lower housing rests on a horizontal support surface, such as a worktop.

[0054] Unless otherwise stipulated, the term “substantially” means, in this document, “exactly or to within 10% or 10°”.

[0055] Figures 1 to 6 represent all or part of an electric cooking appliance 1 configured for carrying out culinary preparations, and in particular individual pastry preparations for example.

[0056] The electric cooking appliance 1 comprises a lower housing 2 which delimits a lower heating volume 3 and which comprises an access opening 4 through which culinary preparations to be cooked can be introduced into the lower heating volume 3.

[0057] The lower housing 2 comprises a front part AV configured to extend opposite a user when the electric cooking appliance 1 is in a usage configuration, a rear part AR configured to extend opposite the user when the electric cooking appliance 1 is in the usage configuration, as well as two lateral parts LAT which are arranged on either side of a median longitudinal plane PI of the electric cooking appliance 1.

[0058] The electric cooking appliance 1 comprises a cover 5 mechanically connected to the lower housing 2, and movable between an open position in which the cover 5 releases the access opening 4, and a closed position in which the cover 5 closes the access opening 4. The cover 5 advantageously defines an upper heating volume which delimits, with the lower heating volume 3, a cooking enclosure when the cover 5 occupies the closed position.

[0059] According to the first embodiment of the invention, the electric cooking appliance 1 comprises a cooking accessory 6, such as a support structure for example, which is configured to define nine cooking locations 7 which are arranged in a 3x3 matrix arrangement. The cooking accessory 6 is configured to be removable, that is to say that it can be removed from the cooking chamber. This advantageously allows simplified cleaning of the electric cooking appliance 1. Advantageously, the cooking accessory 6 is perforated between the cooking locations 7 of the same line in order to optimize the homogeneity of the temperature in the cooking chamber.

[0060] The nine cooking locations 7 are each configured to receive an individual cooking container 8. Thus, the electric cooking appliance 1 is configured to simultaneously receive nine individual cooking containers 8 each capable of receiving a culinary preparation. The individual cooking containers 8 are removable relative to the cooking accessory 6 in order to facilitate installation and handling by the user when carrying out culinary preparation.

[0061] The lower heating volume 3 provided in the lower housing 2 delimits nine heating zones each located below and directly above a respective cooking location. Thus, the nine heating zones are arranged in a 3x3 matrix arrangement.

[0062] The heating zones more particularly comprise a central heating zone 9, two lateral heating zones 10 which are arranged laterally on either side of the central heating zone 9 and which are arranged, with the central heating zone 9, in the same line of the 3x3 matrix arrangement, a front heating zone 11.1 and a rear heating zone 11.2 which are arranged on either side of the central heating zone 9 and which are arranged, with the central heating zone 9, in the same column of the 3x3 matrix arrangement, and also four corner heating zones 12 arranged at the four corners of the 3x3 matrix arrangement.

[0063] The electric cooking appliance 1 further comprises a lower electrical heating resistor 13 arranged in the lower housing 2 and configured to heat the lower heating volume 3. The lower electrical heating resistor 13 comprises a connection portion 14 and a heating portion 15 which extends along an extension plane which is substantially horizontal when the lower housing 2 rests on a horizontal surface.

[0064] The heating portion 15 of the lower electric heating resistor 13 extends inside the lower heating volume 3 and below each of the cooking locations 7 with the exception of a central cooking location of said cooking locations 7. This means that the central heating zone 9 is not crossed by the heating portion 15 of the lower electric heating resistor 13. Such a configuration of the invention makes it possible to achieve uniform cooking of the culinary preparations present in each of the cooking locations 7. In addition, the absence of a heat source directly above the central heating zone 9 makes it possible to avoid the typical phenomenon of overcooking associated with the matrix arrangement of the cooking locations 7.

[0065] The specific arrangement of the lower electrical heating resistor 13 is shown more specifically in Figures 3 and 4. This specific arrangement is detailed below.

[0066] Each of the lateral heating zones 10 and the front heating zone 11.1 is crossed by a respective portion of the heating part 15 comprised between 4% and 8% of the total length of the heating part 15, advantageously between 5% and 7% of said total length and for example 6% of said total length. The rear heating zone 11.2 is crossed by a portion of the heating part 15 comprised between 5% and 9% of the total length, advantageously between 6% and 8% of the total length and for example 7% of the total length. Advantageously, such a configuration of the lower electrical heating resistor 13 allows a simplified arrangement of the heating part 15.

[0067] Each of the corner heating zones 12 is crossed by a respective portion of the heating part 15. The sum of the lengths of said portions of the heating part 15 which cross the corner heating zones 12 is between 72% and 80% of the total length of the heating part 15, advantageously between 74% and 78% of said total length, and for example 76% of said total length. Advantageously, each of the corner heating zones 12 is crossed by a portion of the heating part 15 which is substantially identical.

[0068] Each of the lateral heating zones 10 and the front heating zone 11.1 is crossed by at least one substantially rectilinear portion of the heating part 15. Each of said substantially rectilinear portions of the heating part 15 connects portions of the heating part 15 located in two respective corner heating zones 12.

[0069] According to the embodiment shown in the figures, and in particular in [Fig. 3], the connection part 14 of the lower electric heating resistor 13 is provided in the central heating zone 9. More particularly, [Fig. 4] illustrates the arrangement of the connection part 14 and the heating part 15 of the lower electric heating resistor 13, with respect to each of the individual cooking containers 8.

[0070] Advantageously, the heating portion 15 of the lower electrical heating resistor 13 has at least one inflection point 16 in each of the corner heating zones 12. Such a configuration of the lower electrical heating resistor 13 makes it possible to significantly increase the effective length of the heating portion 15 in each of the corner heating zones 12, the corner heating zones 12 needing to be subjected to more heat generated by the heating portion 15 to achieve uniform cooking of the culinary preparations.

[0071] As can be seen more specifically in [Fig. 4], the median longitudinal plane PI, also called the sagittal plane, defines a plane of symmetry of the lower electrical heating resistor 13, and more particularly a symmetry of the heating part 15. The median longitudinal plane PI makes it possible to define two segments of the lower electrical heating resistor 13 whose lengths are identical. Furthermore, the corner heating zones 12 located in the rear part AR of the electric cooking appliance 1 and the corner heating zones 12 located in the front part AV of the electric cooking appliance 1 are symmetrical with respect to the median transverse plane P2 of the electric cooking appliance 1.

[0072] The electric cooking appliance 1 may further comprise a thermal device (not shown in the figures) provided between the lower electric heating element 13 and the cooking accessory 6. The thermal device is configured to evenly distribute the heat coming from the lower electric heating element 13 inside the cooking chamber. The thermal device may be a cooking floor made of corrugated or embossed sheet metal for example. The thermal device may thus be made of metal and have multiple perforations to ensure circulation of the heated air inside the cooking chamber.

[0073] According to a second embodiment of the invention not shown in the figures, the cooking accessory 6 could be a mold provided with nine cavities each forming a respective cooking location 7 configured to receive a culinary preparation.

[0074] Of course, the present invention is in no way limited to the embodiments described and illustrated which have been given only as examples. Modifications remain possible, in particular from the point of view of the constitution of the various elements or by substitution of technical equivalents, without departing from the scope of protection of the invention.

Claims

1. Claims Electric cooking appliance (1) configured for carrying out culinary preparation, comprising: - a lower housing (2) which delimits a lower heating volume (3) and which comprises an access opening (4) through which culinary preparations to be cooked can be introduced into the lower heating volume (3), the lower housing (2) comprising a front part (AV) configured to extend opposite a user when the electric cooking appliance is in a use configuration, a rear part (AR) configured to extend away from the user when the electric cooking appliance is in the use configuration and two lateral parts (LAT) which are arranged on either side of a median longitudinal plane (PI) of the electric cooking appliance (1); - a lower electrical heating resistor (13) arranged in the lower housing (2) and configured to heat the lower heating volume (3), the lower electrical heating resistor (13) comprising a connection portion (14) configured to be electrically connected to an electrical power source and a heating portion (15) extending along an extension plane which is substantially horizontal when the lower housing (2) rests on a horizontal surface; and - a cover (5) configured to occupy at least one open position in which the cover (5) releases the access opening (4), and a closed position in which the cover (5) closes the access opening (4); characterized in that the electric cooking appliance (1) comprises a cooking accessory (6) configured to define nine cooking locations (7) which are arranged in a 3x3 matrix arrangement and which are each configured to receive a culinary preparation, and in that the heating portion (15) of the lower electric heating resistor (13) extends at least partly below each of the cooking locations (7) with the exception of one cooking location central of said cooking locations.

2. An electric cooking appliance (1) according to claim 1, wherein each of the cooking locations (7) is configured to receive a respective individual cooking container (8), each individual cooking container (8) being configured to contain a culinary preparation.

3. Electric cooking appliance (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the individual cooking containers (8) are removable from the cooking accessory (6).

4. Electric cooking appliance (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the median longitudinal plane (PI) defines a plane of symmetry of the lower electric heating resistor (13).

5. An electric cooking appliance (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the lower heating volume (3) defines nine heating zones arranged in a 3x3 matrix arrangement, the heating zones comprising a central heating zone (9), two side heating zones (10) which are arranged laterally on either side of the central heating zone (9) and which are arranged, with the central heating zone (9), in a single row of the 3x3 matrix arrangement, a front heating zone (11.1) and a rear heating zone (11.2) which are arranged on either side of the central heating zone (9) and which are arranged, with the central heating zone (9), in a single column of the 3x3 matrix arrangement, and four corner heating zones (12), each of the nine heating zones being located directly above a respective cooking location.

6. An electric cooking appliance (1) according to claim 5, wherein each of the lateral heating zones (10) of the front heating zone (11.1) and the rear heating zone (11.2) is traversed by a respective portion of the heating part (15), and wherein the sum of the lengths of said portions of the heating part (15) which pass through the lateral heating zones (10), the front heating zone (11.1) and the rear heating zone (11.2) is between 20% and 28% of the total length of the heating part (15).

7. An electric cooking appliance (1) according to any one of claims 5 and 6, wherein each of the corner heating zones (12) is traversed by a respective portion of the heating part (15), and wherein the sum of the lengths of said portions of the heating portion (15) which pass through the corner heating zones (12) is between 72% and 80% of the total length of the heating portion (15).

8. An electric cooking appliance (1) according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the connection portion (14) of the lower electric heating resistor (13) is located at least partly in the rear heating zone (11.2) and / or in the central heating zone

9. Electric cooking appliance (1) according to the preceding claim, in which the rear heating zone (11.2) is crossed by a portion of the lower electric heating resistor (13) of between 5% and 9% of the total length of the heating part (15).

10. Electric cooking appliance (1) according to any one of claims 5 to 9, wherein each of the lateral heating zones (10) and the front heating zone (11.1) is crossed by a respective portion of the lower electric heating resistor (13) of between 4% and 8% of the total length of the heating part (15).

11. An electric cooking appliance (1) according to any one of claims 5 to 10, wherein the corner heating zones (12) located in the rear portion (AR) of the electric cooking appliance (1) and the corner heating zones (12) located in the front portion (AV) of the electric cooking appliance (1) are symmetrical with respect to the median transverse plane (P2) of the electric cooking appliance.

12. An electric cooking appliance (1) according to any one of claims 5 to 11, wherein the heating portion (15) of the lower electric heating resistor (13) has at least one inflection point (16) in each of the corner heating zones (12).

13. Electric cooking appliance (1) according to any one of claims 5 to 12, in which each of the lateral heating zones (10) and the front heating zone (11.1) is crossed by at least one substantially rectilinear portion of the heating part (15).

14. An electric cooking appliance (1) according to any preceding claim, which further comprises a thermal device (17) provided between the lower electric heating resistor (13) and the cooking accessory (6), and configured to distribute the heat from the lower electric heating resistor (13) within the lower heating volume (3).

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