Spacer and heating system in which spacer is mounted between heating device and steam recovery device

Abstract

To discharge steam flowing backward from an air suction port of a heating cooker.MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEM: The present invention solves the problem by providing a spacer S installed between a heating device 7 and a steam recovery device 8, the spacer S having a connection portion 1 and a duct 3, the connection portion 1 communicating with an air suction port 71 of the heating device 7 and having an air opening 11 opening into the spacer S, the duct 3 including a first opening portion 36 in the duct 3 and communicating with the air opening 11, the first opening portion 36 being attached so as to be on a side where a suction portion 82 of the steam recovery device 8 is present.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a heating system in which a spacer is attached between a spacer and a heating device and a vapor recovery device.

Background Art

[0002] A steam convection oven (hereinafter referred to as a heating device) that cooks food using water vapor is known. The heating device heats and cooks food with water vapor and hot air. The heating device is provided with a steam discharge port on the top surface of the device for discharging the water vapor and hot air generated by cooking.

[0003] The steam discharged from the steam discharge port of the heating device during cooking or the steam discharged by opening the door of the heating device after cooking is discharged into the kitchen space. Therefore, it is desirable to place the heating device directly below or near the ventilation equipment. However, depending on the kitchen environment, it may not be possible to install the heating device in such a location. At this time, there is a problem that condensation occurs on the ceiling of the facility due to the discharged steam, deteriorating the kitchen environment. For this reason, it is required to recover the steam.

[0004] In relation to this, for example, Patent Document 1 below discloses a heating cooker (heating device) in which an exhaust treatment device (vapor recovery device) is arranged above the cooker main body. In the heating cooker of Patent Document 1, the exhaust treatment device and the heating chamber of the cooker main body communicate with each other through a connecting cylinder, and an exhaust opening of the exhaust treatment device is provided above the opening / closing door of the cooker main body, and it is described that high-temperature steam leaking from the gap between the opening / closing door of the heating chamber and the opening / closing door in the half-open state is inhaled when the opening / closing door of the heating chamber is opened.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] The cooking appliance disposed with a spacer sandwiched therebetween between the above cooking appliance and the steam recovery device has an air suction port on its upper surface and is configured not to obstruct the suction of air even when the spacer is installed. In this way, the air suction port opens inside the spacer to suck in air. However, steam may flow backward from the air suction port of the cooking appliance and flow into the spacer. In particular, the backflow of steam is remarkable when the cleaning mode of the cooking appliance is used. There was a problem that the steam that entered the spacer was not easily discharged. An object of the present invention is to address the discharge of steam due to backflow from the air suction port of the cooking appliance.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The present invention is a spacer installed between a heating device and a steam recovery device, having a connection portion and a duct. The connection portion communicates with the air suction port of the heating device and has an air opening that opens into the spacer. The duct has a first opening and communicates with the air opening. The first opening is attached so as to be on the side of the suction port of the steam recovery device, thereby solving the problem.

Effects of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, steam flowing backward from the air suction port of the heating device can be efficiently discharged and cooled before being sucked into the steam recovery device.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, Example 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals in different figures indicate parts having the same function, and duplicate descriptions in each figure are omitted as appropriate.

[0011] [Example 1] (Heating System) Figure 1 is a perspective view of the heating system HS. The heating system HS is configured by assembling a heating device 7 (steam convection oven), a steam recovery device 8, and a spacer S. The heating device 7 heats and cooks food with steam and hot air. The heating device 7 is provided with an openable and closable door 73 and a handle 74 for opening and closing the door 73 on the front side. The steam recovery device 8 has a front cover 81, which partially hides the front of the spacer S. There is no cover on the side of the steam recovery device 8 to hide the spacer S, and the spacer S is visible. The spacer S serves to connect the heating device 7 and the steam recovery device 8, and is a structure with a thinner vertical width compared to the heating device 7 and the like. The front cover 81 is provided with a suction port 811 on the upper side. The suction port 811 serves to inhale the steam that is released in large quantities when the door 73 is opened and send it into the main body of the steam recovery device 8. A part of the steam released when the door 73 is opened is sent into the steam recovery device 8 through another route, which will be described later. The heating device 7 generates steam and heats the food. The steam generated during that process is recovered by the steam recovery device 8 and condensed into water.

[0012] (Disassembly of the heating system) Figure 2 is an exploded view of the heating system HS. (Heating device) The heating device 7 is provided with an air suction port 71 and a steam discharge port 72 on the ceiling surface. The air sucked in from the air suction port 71 is combined with the steam discharged from the steam generation part (not shown) and wraps the food with steam. The heating device 7 sets the temperature and amount of steam and hot air to perform heating cooking such as baking, boiling, steaming, frying, deep-frying, simmering, steaming, and warming. The unnecessary steam is discharged from the steam discharge port 72.

[0013] (Spacer) The spacer S has several roles, but the main role is to connect the steam discharge port 72 of the heating device 7 to the steam recovery device 8. Due to differences in the size, model, and manufacturer of the heating device 7, the position of the steam discharge port 72 may be different. The spacer S has a steam feeding part 2, surrounds the periphery of the steam discharge port 72, and sends steam into a steam suction port (not shown) on the bottom surface of the steam recovery device 8. The air intake port 71 of the heating device 7 is housed inside the duct 3 of the spacer S and is located below the lid 35. The lid 35 is provided for attaching the connection part 1 that surrounds the air intake port 71 of the heating device 7, and is removed when attaching the connection part 1. Since the position of the air intake port 71 may shift depending on the size, model, and manufacturer of the heating device 7, the operator adjusts the position of the connection part 1 for attachment and finally closes the lid 35. The connection part 1 has an air opening 11 and opens inside the duct 3.

[0014] A number of ventilation holes 42 are provided around the spacer S, which are used to send air to the air intake port 71, blow out the air sucked into the vapor recovery device 8, and also suck in the blown-out air.

[0015] The first ventilation hole 421 and the second ventilation hole 422 on the outer wall 4 of the front surface of the spacer S will be described later including their functions and structures. The duct 3 of the first embodiment extends obliquely from the front side to the left side. Note that the shape of the duct 3 is appropriate and does not have to be the shape of the duct 3 of the first embodiment.

[0016] (Connection part) As described above, adjusting the position of the connection part 1 is a time-consuming task. Since the position of the air intake port 71 is roughly determined, it is more efficient to use a spacer S with a connection part 1 of a predetermined size defined at a predetermined position. The connection part 1 is provided so as to surround the air intake port 71 and is fixed to the top surface of the heating device 7 with screws (not shown) for attachment. For this operation, the lid 35 is removed. When it is desired to be able to accommodate a plurality of different types of heating devices 7 with different air intake ports 71, etc., a spacer S whose position of the connection part 1 can be adjusted is used.

[0017] (Duct) Figure 3 is an exploded view of the duct 3 taken out in Figure 2. Figure 3(A) shows the state where the duct 3 in Figure 2 is taken out as it is. In the duct 3 of Fig. 3(A), the outer wall 4 of the spacer S has been removed and is in a state where it is almost exposed. The front side of the duct 3 is the first opening 36. Fig. 3(B) shows the state with the lid 35 removed. The lid 35 is used to set the air intake port 71 provided in the heating device 7 at the connection part 1 to the spacer S, and the connection part 1 surrounds the air intake port 71 and communicates with the duct 3. The connection part 1 surrounds the air intake ports 71 provided at various positions depending on the model and the manufacturer, and houses them in the duct 3. The connection part 1 is installed so that the air intake port 71 is located within its range. The lower end of the connection part 1 is provided so as to be in close contact with the top surface of the heating device 7 and is fixed with screws.

[0018] Normally, the air intake port 71 only sucks in air and does not discharge steam. However, when the heating device 7 enters the cleaning mode, steam may flow back and steam may be blown out from the air intake port 71. Also, due to some trouble, steam may be blown out from the air intake port 71. The connection part 1 guides the steam that has flowed back into the duct 3 from the air opening 11. The other parts of the spacer S are kept clean without the backflow of steam flowing through them. The duct 3 of Example 1 does not have an opening other than the first opening 36, and the steam that has flowed back is released to the outside only from the first opening 36.

[0019] Fig. 3(C) shows the positional relationship between the first opening 36 and the door-side outer wall 41. The first opening 36 of the duct 3 is covered by the door-side outer wall 41 of the spacer S. At the position of the first opening 36 of the door-side outer wall 41, the first ventilation hole 421 is open. And directly below the first ventilation hole 421, the second ventilation hole 422 is open.

[0020] The second ventilation hole 422 is not different from the ventilation hole 42, but for the sake of explanation, the ventilation hole 42 on the door-side outer wall 41 is called the second ventilation hole 422.

[0021] As shown in Fig. 3(B), the lower inner surface 32 of the duct 3 is at the same height as the upper end of the connection part 1 and swallows the air suction port 71 of the heating device 7, so it is at a position higher than the top surface of the heating device 7. The dotted line in Fig. 3(C) shows the part of the duct 3 hidden by the door-side outer wall 41. The lower end 3A of the duct 3 is above the second vent hole 422, and the second vent hole 422 does not communicate with the duct 3.

[0022] (Front cover) Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the air suction space 47 formed between the front cover 81 of the vapor recovery device 8 and the main body part 85 of the vapor recovery device. Fig. 4(A) is a perspective view of the state where the front cover 81 is attached. As shown in Fig. 4(A), the lower end of the front cover 81 covers the upper end of the spacer S leaving a slight gap 44. Fig. 4(B) is a perspective view of the state where the front cover 81 is removed. It can be seen that the front cover 81 covers most of the door-side outer wall 41 of the spacer S. The front of the main body part 85 of the vapor recovery device is at a position recessed from the front of the heating device 7. Both ends of the front cover 81 are attached in close contact with the main body part 85 of the vapor recovery device. The front side of the front cover 81 is provided at the front cover outer surface position 812 that is substantially coplanar with the front of the heating device 7. There is a gap between the front of the main body part 85 of the vapor recovery device and the front of the front cover 81, and since both ends of the front cover 81 are blocked, an air suction space 47 is formed here. On the other hand, as described above, the lower end of the front cover 81 does not cover up to the upper end of the heating device 7, and a gap 44 shorter than the vertical width of the spacer S is formed between the front cover 81 and the upper end of the heating device 7. When the door 73 of the heating device 7 is opened, the lower part of the gap 44 opens by the thickness of the door 73. The suction part 82 on the upper front side of the main body part 85 of the vapor recovery device sucks a large amount of vapor flowing out when the door 73 is opened from below and in front of the opened gap 44 and plays a role of sucking the vapor through the air suction space 47. Also, the suction part 82 plays a role of sucking the vapor from the suction port 811 provided in the front cover 81. Since the vapor has the property of flowing from bottom to top, the structure of the front cover 81 of the present invention that can suck from below the gap 44 is reasonable.

[0023] The vent hole 42 changes its function of blowing out or sucking in air according to the position and situation of the spacer S. For example, on the front surface of the main body 85 of the vapor recovery device in FIG. 4, there is an air suction space 47 between it and the front cover 81. Since the suction part 82 in the air suction space 47 sucks in air, the vent hole 42 on the outer wall 4 (door-side outer wall 41) of the front surface of the spacer S blows out air. On the other hand, the vent holes 42 on the left and right side surfaces and the rear outer wall 4 of the spacer S suck in air corresponding to the amount of air blown out by the vent holes 42 on the door-side outer wall 41.

[0024] (Air suction space) FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the air suction space 47. As described above, the front surface of the main body 85 of the vapor recovery device is covered by the front cover 81. The front cover 81 is located at a position protruding in front of the main body 85 of the vapor recovery device, and an air suction space 47 is formed between the back surface of the front cover 81 and the front surface of the main body 85 of the vapor recovery device. Since air is sucked into the suction part 82 on the front surface of the main body 85 of the vapor recovery device, air is constantly sucked from the gap 44 toward the air suction space 47 including when the door is closed.

[0025] (Recovery of vapor when the door is opened) As shown in FIG. 4(A), the front cover 81 extends below the width of the spacer S and covers the door-side outer wall 41 of the spacer S leaving a slight gap 44. The main body 85 of the vapor recovery device is provided with a largely open suction part 82, which strongly sucks in the vapor when the door 73 is opened. Since the gap 44 is narrow and air is sucked by the suction part 82, the vapor released from the door 73 is efficiently sucked from the gap 44. The vapor remaining without being sucked in the gap 44 rises along the front cover 81 and is sucked in from the suction port 811 provided at the upper part of the front cover 81. The sucked-in vapor is condensed in the vapor recovery device 8 and returned to water for treatment.

[0026] (Summary of Example 1) Example 1 discloses a spacer S installed between the heating device 7 and the vapor recovery device 8. This configuration is the same for all other examples described below and is the configuration that forms the basis of the present invention. And Example 1 has a connection part 1 and a duct 3. The connection part 1 communicates with the air suction port 71 of the heating device 7 and has an air opening 11 that opens into the spacer S. The duct 3 has a first opening 36 and communicates with the air opening 11. The first opening 36 is attached so as to be on the side of the suction part 82 of the vapor recovery device 8. Example 1 discloses such a spacer S.

[0027] The first vent hole 421 that communicates with the first opening 36, which is the outlet of the duct 3, communicates with the air suction port 71 of the heating device 7. Regardless of the opening and closing of the door 73, a situation may occur where air passes from the air suction port 71 through the air opening 11 and vapor flows back and blows out. The duct 3 has no outlet other than the first opening 36, and the vapor that has flowed back either jets out from the first opening 36 or condenses and remains inside the duct 3, so that the condensed water does not come out of the spacer. If the duct 3 does not exist, the vapor and condensate will spread inside the spacer S and jet out in all directions from the spacer S. The duct 3 of the present invention only needs to ensure that the ejected vapor is not released from other than the first opening 36, so its cross-section does not have to be square and its shape can be various. When the vertical width of the spacer S is small, the shape of the duct 3 is preferably a flat shape as in Example 1. Then, the vapor ejected from the first vent hole 421 passes through the air suction space 47 formed between the vapor recovery device main body 85 and the front cover 81 and is sucked into the suction part 82.

[0028] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the heating system HS with the front cover 81 of the vapor recovery device 8 made transparent. Since FIG. 6 shows the front cover 81 made transparent, it is easy to see how the vapor and air flow inside the air suction space 47 formed between the front cover 81 and the vapor recovery device main body 85. The spacer S disclosed in Example 1 has an outer wall 4 (door-side outer wall 41) of the spacer S facing the first opening 36, and is provided with a first vent hole 421 communicating with the first opening 36 and a second vent hole 422 not connected to the duct 3. Due to the action of the suction portion 82, the second vent hole 422 ejects air, and the vapor ejected from the first vent hole 421 is effectively cooled. This air is cold air flowing in from the numerous vent holes 42 provided in the outer wall 4 of the spacer S, and contributes to improving the vapor recovery efficiency by efficiently cooling the vapor until it is sucked into the suction portion 82. In addition, the vapor ejected by opening the door 73 is sucked into the gap 44 by the action of the suction portion 82. The sucked vapor mixes with the air ejected from the second vent hole 422 in the air suction space 47 formed between the vapor recovery device main body portion 85 and the front cover 81, is cooled, and then is sucked into the suction portion 82.

[0029] The first vent hole 421, the second vent hole 422, and the vent holes 42 arranged on the door-side outer wall 41 are preferably provided widely over the entire door-side outer wall 41. The cold air supplied from these second vent holes 422 and vent holes 42 provided in a range wider than the width of the door cools the vapor by mixing it until the vapor ejected when the door is opened reaches the suction portion 82.

[0030] The outer wall 4 (door-side outer wall 41) of the spacer S facing the first opening 36 in Example 1 is provided with a first vent hole 421 communicating with the first opening 36 and a second vent hole 422 not connected to the duct 3, and the second vent hole 422 is provided at least below the first vent hole 421.

[0031] Although a large number of vent holes 42 are provided in the door-side outer wall 41, the second vent hole 422 located below the first vent hole 421 plays a special role. (As described above, the second vent hole 422 is not different from the other vent holes 42 except that it exists below the first vent hole 421.) When there is a problem or the heating device 7 enters the cleaning mode, the steam flowing backward from the air intake port 71 passes through the duct 3 and jets out from the first vent hole 421 communicating with the first opening 36. Since the second vent hole 422 for jetting cold air is below the first vent hole 421, the steam jetting out vigorously from the first vent hole 421 is guided downward by the cold air jetting out from the second vent hole 422 and is less likely to go outside through the gap 44. Also, since the first vent hole 421 and the second vent hole 422 are close to each other, the steam and the cold air are mixed to improve the cooling efficiency.

[0032] [Example 2] FIG. 7 is a plan view of the spacer S of Example 2. The duct 3 of Example 1 retained the steam flowing backward from the air intake port 71 of the heating device 7 inside the duct 3 when there was a problem or the cleaning mode was entered, and let the steam out only from the only open first opening 36. The duct 3 of Example 2 is characterized by including a second opening 37 in addition to the first opening 36. The air opening 11 of the connection part 1 connected to the air intake port 71 of the heating device 7 opens inside the duct 3. Since the suction part 82 of the steam recovery device 8 sucks air from the first opening 36, outside air is inhaled from the second opening 37, and an air flow toward the first opening 36 is generated inside the duct 3. The second opening 37 in FIG. 7, that is, the end of the duct 3, is slightly separated from the left outer wall 45 and is accommodated inside the spacer S. A large number of vent holes 42 are provided on the left outer wall 45, but they are not in contact with the duct 3.

[0033] Note that although the second opening 37 of Example 2 is slightly separated from the left outer wall 45, the second opening 37 may be directly connected to the left outer wall 45. Since air always flows toward the first opening 36, such as when the second opening 37 is not close to the air intake port 71, there is little concern that the steam flowing backward from the second opening 37 will come out. Also, when it is expected that a large amount of vapor flowing backward from the air intake port 71 will frequently blow out, since the second opening 37 is directly connected to the left outer wall 45, the vapor can be released to the outside from the vent 42, and condensation will not occur in the spacer S. In this modification, since the occurrence of condensation in the spacer S is significantly suppressed, the frequency of cleaning the spacer is reduced, and maintenance is facilitated.

[0034] When vapor flows backward from the air opening 11 in the duct 3 and flows into the duct 3, since the suction part 82 of the vapor recovery device 8 always sucks the air in the air suction space 47, the vapor flowing backward from the air opening 11 in the duct flows toward the first opening 36. Therefore, the vapor does not come out from the second opening 37 and is efficiently discharged through the first opening 36.

[0035] As described above, the second opening 37 opens inside the spacer S slightly separated from the outer wall 4. Even if, by any chance, vapor ejects from the second opening 37 against the air flow flowing toward the first opening 36, the vapor stays inside the spacer S. Since most of the vapor is released from the first opening 36, unlike the prior art, the vapor ejecting from the second opening 37 is slight. The dew water of the slight vapor coming out of the second opening 37 into the spacer S stays in the spacer S, but evaporates without delay on the bottom surface of the spacer S heated by the heating device 7.

[0036] Also, it is preferable that the air opening 11 of the connection part 1 opens into the duct 3 because the vapor flowing backward from the air opening 11 can be efficiently discharged.

[0037] (Shape of the duct) Example 1 did not have a rectangular parallelepiped shape like a general duct 3 as shown in FIG. 3. The same is true for Example 2. The shape of the duct 3 needs to be such that the air suction port 71 of the heating device 7 can be accommodated in the connection part 1. If that is the case, the shape of the duct 3 may be bent. Furthermore, since the air suction port 71 of the heating device 7 may vary depending on the model and the manufacturer, a deformed part protruding laterally may be provided in the duct 3 to accommodate the air suction port 71. Also, in preparation for the case where there is an air suction port 71 in a special position, a plurality of types of replaceable ducts 3 may be prepared so that any position of the air suction port 71 can be accommodated.

[0038] If it is possible to accommodate the positions of the air suction ports 71 according to various manufacturers and models, the proportion of the duct occupying the inside of the spacer S may increase. In such a case, a partition may be placed inside the duct 3 at the site so that air can flow efficiently from the second opening 37 through the air opening 11 of the connection part 1 to the first opening 36.

[0039] The second opening 37 may be located anywhere in the spacer S. However, it is preferable that the second opening 37 is not located on the side of the door side outer wall 41 where the first opening 36 is located in order to efficiently eject air from the first opening 36 by sucking air. That is, it is preferable that the second opening 37 opens on a side different from the first opening 36.

[0040] The second opening 37 is preferably provided so as to face the outer wall 4 of the spacer S. For the cleaning of the heating system HS, if the operation of the steam recovery device 8 is forgotten and the cleaning mode is accidentally set or the heating device 7 is started, a large amount of steam will flow into the duct 3. In such a case, if the second opening 37 is attached so as to face the outer wall 4 of the spacer S, a large amount of steam will not stay in the spacer S and no condensation will remain inside the spacer S. When adopting this specification, it is preferable that the duct 3 is made sufficiently long and the second opening 37 is provided facing the outer wall 4 as far as possible from the air suction port 71 of the heating device 7. In the troubles that occur during normal times, since the second opening 37 is far from the air suction port 71, the reversed steam will not reach the second opening 37.

[0041] (Position of the air opening 11 of the connection part with the duct) In the second embodiment, it is not necessarily required that the air opening 11 of the connection part 1 opens inside the duct 3. Of course, it goes without saying that it is preferable that the air opening 11 of the connection part 1 opens inside the duct. Due to differences in manufacturing manufacturers and product model numbers, if the air opening 11 is not provided inside the duct, it is possible to cope by devising the arrangement of the duct 3 so that the second opening 37 is as close as possible to the air opening 11. In the second embodiment, since air always flows inside the duct 3 from the second opening 37 toward the first opening 36, it is possible to efficiently suck steam from the second opening 37 into the duct 3.

[0042] It is preferable that a sufficient amount of air is sent from the second opening 37 to the first opening 36. In a state where no trouble has occurred, the second opening 37 sends air to the air suction port 71 of the heating device 7 through the air opening 11 of the connection part 1 and also sends air to the first opening 36. Therefore, it is preferable that the opening area of the second opening 37 is larger than the combined area of the opening area of the air suction port 71 and the opening area of the first opening 36.

[0043] (Positions of the first ventilation hole and the second ventilation hole) Similar to Example 1, on the outer wall 4 (door-side outer wall 41) of the spacer S in Example 2, a first vent hole 421 communicating with the first opening 36 is provided. And on the same outer wall 4 (door-side outer wall 41), a second vent hole 422 not connected to the duct 3 is provided. (See Fig. 4) The second vent hole 422 is preferably provided at least below the first vent hole 421. In Example 2, the first vent hole 421 of Example 2 having the first opening 36 and the second opening 37 in the duct 3 blows out colder air than Example 1 without the second opening 37.

[0044] In addition, similar to Example 1, there is a second vent hole 422 not connected to the duct 3 below the first vent hole 421, and cold air also blows out from here. Since the door 73 of the heating device 7 opens from the side with the handle 74, a large amount of steam blows out from the handle 74 side. Immediately above it, since the first vent hole 421 and the second vent hole 422 are arranged, cold air corresponding to the amount of the blown-out steam is supplied to the air suction space 47. Since cold air is constantly blowing out from the first vent hole 421 through the first opening 36, the steam released when the door 73 is opened is combined with the cold air blowing out from the second vent hole 422, sucked in from the gap 44, cooled efficiently, and sucked by the suction part 82.

[0045] Although steam may blow out from the first vent hole 421 where steam has flowed back from the air suction port 71 of the heating device 7 when a trouble occurs, since the front cover 81 covers the upper part of the spacer S, it is difficult for the steam to come out from the gap 44. For this purpose, it is preferable that the first vent hole 421 for blowing out the flowed-back steam is above and the second vent hole 422 is below.

[0046] Fig. 8 is a conceptual diagram showing a cross-section of the duct 3. Since it is a conceptual diagram, the scale etc. are not accurate, and the inclination of the side wall 33 etc. are emphasized and drawn. The air intake port 71 of the heating device 7 is housed in the duct 3 via the connection part 1, and as described above, the backflowed steam jets out from the air opening 11 of the connection part 1. The jetted steam condenses on the upper inner surface 31 of the duct 3 and starts to flow towards the first opening 36 and the second opening 37 by the momentum of the steam. The upper inner surface 31 is provided with a protruding part 34, which serves to drop the condensed water onto the lower inner surface 32 of the duct 3.

[0047] The shape of the protruding part 34 can be various. It may be something like a long ridge, and its direction is also appropriate as needed. The protruding part 34 provided on the upper inner surface 31 prevents the condensed water from flowing, and when the condensed water flowing continuously accumulates beyond a certain level, it forms water droplets and drops onto the lower inner surface 32. The protruding part 34 is preferably provided in a shape, size, and orientation that do not impede the air flowing in the duct 3. The protruding part 34 may be flat, or it may be protruding with a groove. Any structure capable of dropping the condensed water onto the upper inner surface 31 is included in the protruding part 34 of the present invention.

[0048] Also, the side wall 33 of the duct 3 is inclined so as to expand from the upper inner surface 31 towards the lower inner surface 32, and serves to guide the condensed water to the lower inner surface 32. Due to these contrivances, the dropped condensed water accumulates on the lower inner surface 32, but the lower inner surface 32 is close to the heating device 7 and is heated, which promotes evaporation. Furthermore, the dry outside air flowing in from the second opening 37 promotes evaporation. When condensation travels along the upper inner surface 31 and flows toward the first opening 36, it may jump out due to the air flow from the first vent hole 421, and it becomes impossible to retain the condensation in the spacer S. Since the second opening 37 does not face the outer wall 4 and opens into the spacer S at a distance from the outer wall 4, even if condensation flows out from the second opening 37 side by any chance, it remains in the spacer S. Note that since air or vapor is inhaled into the suction part 82 of the vapor recovery device 8 through the second opening 37, as described above, it always sucks air toward the first opening 36. Due to the air flow, it is rare for vapor to flow out from the second opening 37, and even rarer for condensation to flow out.

[0049] (Main effects of Example 1 and Example 2) In Example 1, only the first opening 36 is provided in the duct 3, and it is an example of the idea of reliably retaining the vapor flowing back into the duct 3 and its condensation. The vapor leaking from the first opening 36 (the first vent hole 421) is blocked by the front cover 81 and sucked into the suction part 82 of the vapor recovery device 8 through the air suction space 47. The leaked vapor or condensation does not go outside the heating system HS.

[0050] On the other hand, in Example 2, the first opening 36 and the second opening 37 are provided in the duct 3, and it is an example of the idea of creating a flow of air toward the first opening 36 in the duct 3 and actively discharging the vapor from the first opening 36 (the first vent hole 421). Although more vapor is discharged from the first opening 36 (the first vent hole 421) compared to Example 1, since the second vent hole 422 that is not connected to the duct 3 and blows out cold outside air is below the first vent hole 421, while cooling the blown-out vapor, the suction part 82 sucks in the vapor.

[0051] Example 1 and Example 2 are not about which one is superior, but are selected according to the amount of vapor flowing back from the air suction port 71 of the heating device 7 and the size of the heating device 7 (heating system HS).

[0052] As described above, Example 1 and Example 2 according to the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the drawings in various aspects. However, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and design changes and the like within the scope not departing from the gist of the present invention are also included in the present invention. Example 1 in which the duct 3 has the first opening 36 and Example 2 in which the duct has the first opening 36 and the second opening 37 are examples for explaining the present invention. Numerous aspects and examples described in this specification that do not presuppose the first opening 36 or the second opening 37 can be used in both Example 1 and Example 2. Naturally, even an example described in Example 1 can be used in Example 2. That is, as long as there are no particular contradictions or problems in the purpose, configuration, etc. of the aforementioned Example 1, Example 2, and each aspect, it is possible to divert and combine the technologies of each other.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0053] S Spacer HS Heating System 1 Connection Port 11 Air Opening 2 Steam Feeding Section 3 Duct 3A Lower End 31 Upper Inner Surface 32 Lower Inner Surface 33 Side Wall 34 Protrusion 35 Lid 36 First Opening 37 Second Opening 4 Outer Wall 41 Door-Side Outer Wall 42 Vent Hole 421 First Vent Hole 422 Second Vent Hole 44 Gap 45 Left-Side Outer Wall 47 Air Suction Space 7 Heating Device (Steam Convection Oven) 71 Air Suction Port 72 Steam Discharge Port 73 Door 74 Handle 8 Steam Recovery Device 81 Front Cover 811 Suction Port 812 Outer Position of Front Cover 82 Suction Unit 85 Main Body of Vapor Recovery Device

Claims

1. A spacer installed between a heating device and a vapor recovery device, having a connection part and a duct, wherein the connection part communicates with an air suction port of the heating device and has an air opening that opens into the spacer, the duct has a first opening, and communicates with the air opening, and the first opening is attached so as to be on the side where the suction part of the vapor recovery device is located. The spacer is characterized by this.

2. The spacer according to claim 1, wherein the duct has a second opening, and the air opening of the connection part opens into the duct.

3. The spacer according to claim 2, wherein the second opening faces the outer wall of the duct.

4. The spacer according to claim 2, wherein the air opening of the connection part is inside the duct.

5. The spacer according to claim 2, wherein the opening area of the second opening is larger than the sum of the opening areas of the air suction port of the heating device and the first opening.

6. The spacer according to claim 1, wherein the outer wall of the spacer facing the first opening is provided with a first vent hole communicating with the first opening and a second vent hole not connected to the duct.

7. The spacer according to claim 1, wherein the outer wall of the spacer facing the first opening is provided with a first vent hole communicating with the first opening and a second vent hole not connected to the duct, and the second vent hole is provided at least below the first opening.

8. The spacer according to claim 2, wherein the outer wall of the spacer facing the first opening is provided with a first vent hole communicating with the first opening, and at least a part of the first vent hole is above the door opening of the heating device.

9. The spacer according to claim 2, wherein an inclined part or a protruding part is provided on the inner surface of the upper part of the duct, and the condensed water adhering to the inner surface of the upper part is dropped onto the inner surface of the lower part of the duct.

10. A heating system, characterized in that the spacer according to claims 1 to 9 is attached between the heating device and the vapor recovery device.

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