Cooking utensils

Abstract

A cooking appliance (1000) comprising a housing (100), a tray (400), and a heating tube (300). A heating chamber (102) is defined within the housing (100), the tray (400) is provided within the heating chamber (102) and used to place food on, the heating tube (300) is provided within the heating chamber (102), and at least one heating tube (300) is provided above the tray (400) at a distance, and the heating core of the heating tube (300) is a resistance sheet material (310).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of cooking appliances, and particularly to cooking appliances.

Background Art

[0002] Currently, many cooking appliances for cooking ingredients such as pizza have multiple heating tubes distributed in the heating chamber and adopt a method of heating the ingredients over a wide range. The heating tubes mostly adopt metal tubes, and the heat on the surface of the metal tubes diverges uniformly, resulting in a large waste. Some cooking appliances use electromagnetic waves to heat the ingredients, but it is necessary to provide a leakage prevention structure for electromagnetic waves on the housing of the cooking appliance, which is costly and consumes a large amount of power. Therefore, designing a cooking appliance with a low design cost and a high heat utilization rate is one of the current market demands.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] This application aims to solve at least to some extent one of the technical problems in the related art.

[0004] Therefore, this application provides a cooking appliance with a high heat utilization rate and a low cost.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The cooking appliance according to an embodiment of this application includes a housing, a tray, and a heating tube. A heating chamber is defined within the housing, the tray is provided within the heating chamber and is used for placing ingredients, the heating tube is provided within the heating chamber, and at least one is provided spaced above the tray, and the heating core of the heating tube is a resistive sheet material.

[0006] The cooking appliance described in this invention uses a tray to place ingredients on, and a heating tube to heat the ingredients above the tray, thereby relatively fixing the position of the ingredients. The heating core of the heating tube is made of a resistance sheet material, and by utilizing its directional heating properties and positioning the resistance sheet material in the direction required by the ingredients, it is advantageous to improve the heating efficiency of the ingredients and the texture of the cooked food. Such a method is cost-controllable and has a high heat utilization rate.

[0007] Additional aspects and advantages of this application are partially shown in the following description, partially become apparent from that description, or are understood through the implementation of this application. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a cooking appliance according to several embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram of another structure of a cooking appliance according to some embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is another schematic diagram of the structure of a cooking utensil according to some embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a further schematic diagram of the structure of a cooking utensil according to some embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 5] This is another schematic diagram of the structure of a cooking utensil according to some embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram of a heating tube structure according to several embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 7] These are schematic diagrams of other structures of a heating tube according to several embodiments of the present invention, and partially enlarged schematic diagrams thereof. [Figure 8] These are schematic diagrams of other structures of a heating tube according to several embodiments of the present invention, and partially enlarged schematic diagrams thereof. [Figure 9] Further schematic diagrams of heating tubes according to some embodiments of the present invention, and partially enlarged schematic diagrams thereof. [Figure 10] This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an auxiliary heating element in a cooking appliance according to several embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 11]This is a schematic diagram of another structure of an auxiliary heating element in a cooking appliance according to some embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 12] This is a further schematic diagram of the structure of an auxiliary heating element in a cooking appliance according to some embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 13] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the connection relationships of controllers in cooking appliances according to several embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 14] This is a schematic diagram of one structure in which the top wall of the heating chamber is formed in an arch shape, according to some embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 15] This is another schematic diagram of a heating chamber where the top wall is formed in an arch shape, according to some embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 16] This is a schematic diagram of one structure in which a cooking appliance with an interlocking mechanism is attached, according to some embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 17] This is another schematic diagram showing a cooking appliance with an interlocking mechanism, according to some embodiments of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below. Examples relating to the above embodiments are shown in the drawings, and the same or similar reference numerals consistently indicate the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar function. The embodiments described below with reference to the drawings are illustrative and used to illustrate the present application, and should not be construed as limiting the present application.

[0010] In the description of this application, directions or positional relationships indicated by terms such as "center," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "top," "bottom," "front," "back," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inside," and "outside" are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the drawings and are intended for ease of explanation and simplification of the description of this application. They do not indicate or imply that the device or element being referred to has a specific direction or must be configured and operate in a specific direction, and therefore cannot be understood as limitations of this application. Features that are limited as "first" or "second" may be explicitly or implicitly indicated to include one or more such features. In the description of this application, unless otherwise specified, "multiple" means two or more.

[0011] In the description of this application, unless otherwise specifically defined and limited, terms such as “attachment,” “connection,” and “connection” should be understood in a broad sense, for example, that they may be fixedly connected, detachably connected, integrally connected, mechanically connected, electrically connected, directly connected, indirectly connected via an intermediate medium, or internally connected to two elements. A person skilled in the art will be able to understand the specific meaning of the above technical terms in this application, depending on the specific circumstances.

[0012] Hereinafter, a cooking appliance 1000 according to an embodiment of the present application will be described with reference to the drawings, and the cooking appliance 1000 is used to heat food, and there are no limitations on the type of cooking appliance 1000. The cooking appliance 1000 may be an oven or other type of appliance.

[0013] The cooking appliance 1000 according to the embodiment of the present application comprises a housing 100, a tray 400, and a heating tube 300.

[0014] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a heating chamber 102 is defined within a housing 100. The housing 100 is formed of a heat-resistant material. The purpose of providing the housing 100 is to maintain the sealing property of the heating chamber 102. By enhancing the overall sealing performance, the loss of heat quantity is reduced. The housing 100 has an opening 101, and the cooking appliance 1000 further includes a door body 200 for opening and closing the opening 101. The position of the door body 200 in the housing 100 is not restricted and can be on the side surface or the top surface, etc. The housing 100 is provided with a heat insulation layer (not shown) around the heating chamber 102 to concentrate heat within the heating chamber 102 and reduce heat loss and waste.

[0015] Both the tray 400 and the heating tube 300 are provided within the heating chamber 102. The tray 400 is located at the center of the heating chamber 102 or near the lower part, and the tray 400 is used for placing food ingredients. Here, when it is necessary to heat the food ingredients, the user can directly place the food ingredients on the tray 400 according to personal habits, or the user can use a plate (or shelf) to hold the food ingredients and then place the plate (or shelf) with the food ingredients on the tray 400.

[0016] In the present application, at least one heating tube 300 is provided at an interval above the tray 400. The heat generated by the heating tube 300 may heat the air within the heating chamber 102 or heat the food ingredients on the tray 400 to cook the food ingredients.

[0017] The heat generating core of the heating tube 300 is a resistance sheet material 310. As the name implies, the resistance sheet material 310 refers to a resistance material part that can generate heat when energized, and the resistance material part is in a sheet shape. The larger the surface area of the resistance material part, the more heat dissipates to the outside. Therefore, the sheet-shaped resistance sheet material 310 has directional heat generating performance, that is, the resistance sheet material 310 has a large heat generation amount in the direction perpendicular to itself. For this reason, on the premise of the same distance, when the tray 400 is parallel to the resistance sheet material 310, more heat can be absorbed.

[0018] The present invention involves placing food on a tray 400 and using a heating tube 300 to heat the food above the tray 400, thereby relatively fixing the position of the food. The heating core of the heating tube 300 is a resistance sheet material 310, and by utilizing its directional heating properties and arranging the resistance sheet material 310 in the direction required by the food, it is advantageous to improve the heating efficiency of the food and the texture of the cooked food.

[0019] In some embodiments, the tray 400 itself functions as a heat storage plate, and by using the heat storage plate as the tray 400, food can be heated. For example, in a certain cooking appliance 1000 such as a pizza oven, when the user places the food directly on the tray 400 during use, the heat from the tray 400 is directly transferred to the food, the transfer path is short, there is little heat loss, which is advantageous for the food to maintain a high heating temperature and improves the efficiency of heat utilization.

[0020] When a heat storage plate is used for tray 400, it is generally recommended to use a material that has a low coefficient of thermal expansion, high temperature resistance, and a high heat storage coefficient. Using a material with high heat storage performance for tray 400 results in good heat retention, preventing a rapid drop in the tray's temperature due to sudden temperature fluctuations, and allowing for the sustained maintenance of a high temperature, thus achieving the objective of stable temperature.

[0021] Therefore, a heating structure combining a heat-retaining tray 400 and a heating tube 300 is adopted. By using the tray 400 to place food on it, the food can be heated directly at the same time. The heat accumulated in the tray 400 is directly transferred to the food, achieving the effect of searing the bottom of the food. By placing the heating tube 300 above the food, the temperature inside the heating chamber 102 is rapidly increased, allowing the food to be heated quickly in an appropriate temperature environment. In addition, the heat from the heating tube 300 can achieve the effect of searing the top of the food. The heat-retaining tray 400 achieves the effect of uniformly heating the food in multiple directions.

[0022] When the heating tube 300 is energized and heated, the heat generated is absorbed not only by the food and the air in the heating chamber 102, but also by the tray 400 if its temperature is lower than the air temperature. After the tray 400 stores heat, it radiates it outwards and conducts heat, so even though the bottom of the food does not directly face the heating tube 300, it is heated and grilled by the tray 400. Therefore, by providing the tray 400, both the top and bottom of the food can be grilled, and the food is heated more uniformly in spatial dimensions.

[0023] If the heat generated by the heating tube 300 is too high, the tray 400 can store excess heat due to its large heat storage coefficient, preventing excessive heat from concentrating on the food and causing it to burn. If the heat generated by the heating tube 300 is insufficient, the tray 400 releases the stored heat, resulting in more uniform heating of the food over time.

[0024] In other words, the heat-storing tray 400 acts as a reservoir, reducing the risk of scorching by storing heat during the peak heat dissipation of the heating tube 300, and replenishing heat by dissipating heat when the heat dissipation of the heating tube 300 is insufficient. Furthermore, by providing the tray 400, food can not only be placed on it but also heated, resulting in low cost and a highly compact structure.

[0025] Such a combination of methods not only improves the cooking speed of ingredients, but also helps to achieve the effect of searing the top and bottom surfaces of ingredients at high temperatures by utilizing the high thermal conductivity and uniform heating of the heating tube 300. Such a cooking appliance 1000 is particularly suitable for use as a pizza oven to make pizza, as it can quickly raise the heating chamber 102 to a preheating temperature before the pizza dough is placed in the heating chamber 102, and can also quickly sear the pizza inside the heating chamber 102, improving the texture of the pizza.

[0026] In some embodiments, the tray 400 is a stone slab. Because heat is stored using a stone slab, the material cost is low.

[0027] Tray 400 is made of pizza stone. Compared to ordinary stone slab materials, pizza stone has good thermal stability, a loose structure, and a low coefficient of thermal expansion. It is easy to manufacture into porous, thin-walled plates, and its porous nature allows it to absorb moisture from the bottom of the food, which is advantageous for providing uniform and stable heat to the food. At the same time, it can effectively relieve thermal stress when the temperature changes rapidly during cooking. Of course, Tray 400 in this application may also be made of other plates with heat storage capacity, such as metal plates with a high coefficient of heat storage.

[0028] Tray 400 may be a regular tray that does not generate heat, and its material may be any material, such as a metal tray, ceramic tray, or enamel tray.

[0029] In some embodiments, the resistance sheet material 310 is a metal sheet material and therefore has good electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity.

[0030] The metal sheet material may include iron sheets, copper sheets, chromium sheets, nickel sheets, tungsten sheets, etc.

[0031] The resistive sheet material 310 by the means of the present invention employs any other resistive material known in the prior art, including carbon materials, ceramic materials, semiconductor materials, clay materials, and the like.

[0032] If the resistance sheet material 310 is a carbon sheet, it may also be a graphite sheet, activated carbon sheet, or carbon sheet. If the resistance sheet material 310 is a ceramic material sheet, the high-temperature resistance and corrosion resistance of the ceramic material can be obtained. If the resistance sheet material 310 is a semiconductor material sheet, it may include a silicon sheet, germanium sheet, etc. If the resistance sheet material 310 is a clay material sheet, it may include a charcoal clay sheet, corona ceramic sheet, corona clay sheet for ceramic cylinders, etc.

[0033] In some other embodiments, the resistive sheet material 310 is a thin film, that is, the resistive sheet material 310 is a film sheet manufactured using a thin-film resistive material. Thin-film resistive material refers to a film-like resistive material manufactured by methods such as vacuum deposition, DC or AC sputtering, or chemical deposition, and includes Ni-Co, Ta, Si, metal-ceramic resistive films, and resistive thin films such as Au-Cr and Ni-P.

[0034] In some embodiments, the resistance sheet material 310 is a graphite film material. Here, the graphite film material is a sheet-like structure with a certain thickness formed by laminating graphite films, and has characteristics such as high heat generation power and rapid temperature rise.

[0035] When a graphite film material is used for the resistance sheet material 310, the heating tube 300 is also called a graphite heating tube, and in this case, the heating tube 300 has numerous advantages. 1. High-temperature stability: Graphite material itself possesses excellent high-temperature stability, maintaining good physical and chemical properties even in high-temperature environments. It is resistant to oxidation, burning, or melting, and can operate stably even in corrosive environments. Therefore, when used as a heating core for high-temperature heating, the heating tube 300 exhibits strong high-temperature stability. 2. Rapid temperature rise: Because graphite material itself has low thermal load and thermal inertia, when used as a heating core, it can respond quickly to changes in current, enabling rapid heating of the heating tube 300. On the other hand, when the power is turned off, the heating tube 300 cools down quickly. Therefore, by installing the heating tube 300, the heating speed of the cooking appliance 1000 can be improved. 3. High thermal conductivity and uniform heating: Due to the inherent properties of graphite material, when manufacturing using it, parameters such as the shape, dimensions, and heating power of the heating core can be flexibly designed, making it possible to meet the needs of different application scenarios. Furthermore, because graphite material itself has high thermal conductivity, even if the shape of the heating core is complex, heat can be transferred quickly, thereby avoiding heat accumulation and contributing to improved uniformity of heating of the surrounding temperature. Therefore, the heating tube 300 has the characteristic of heating food uniformly.

[0036] Practical measurements have shown that, under the same conditions, a similar cooking appliance 1000 heats up several times faster when using a graphite heating tube than when using a conventional metal heating tube. In a heating structure that combines a heat-retaining tray 400 with a graphite heating tube, the tray 400 enhances the heating advantage of the heating tube 300, and the heat retention of the tray 400 compensates for the drawback that the heating tube 300 tends to overheat and burn due to excessive speed.

[0037] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 2-5, the heating tube 300 includes a sheet-shaped resistance sheet material 310. By forming the resistance sheet material 310 in a sheet shape, the problem of excessive total power due to low resistance can be avoided, and furthermore, excessive power density in the heat-generating region 311 of the resistance sheet material 310 can be prevented, thereby extending the service life of the heating core 1000.

[0038] The angle between the resistance sheet material 310 and the tray 400 is the heating angle θ, and the range of the heating angle θ is 0-90 degrees. It is understood that, since food is placed on the upper surface of the tray 400, the heating angle θ usually refers to the angle between the surface on which the resistance sheet material 310 is located and the upper surface of the tray 400. In this application, the angle between the surface on which the resistance sheet material 310 is located and the upper surface of the tray 400 can be adjusted as needed, and the angle range is not limited; therefore, the range of the heating angle θ is 0-90 degrees.

[0039] Furthermore, the resistance sheet material 310 is elongated, and its longitudinal direction substantially coincides with the entire longitudinal direction of the heating tube 300. The resistance sheet material 310 may also be a flat sheet, in which case the heating angle θ between any point on the resistance sheet material 310 and the tray 400 is always the same. The resistance sheet material 310 may also be a curved sheet, in which case there is a difference in the heating angle θ between different points on the resistance sheet material 310 and the tray 400. In addition, there may be one or at least two heating tubes 300, and if there are at least two heating tubes 300, the shapes of each of the two heating tubes 300 may be the same or different. The at least two resistance sheet materials 310 inside may be two parallel flat sheets, or at least two flat sheets with different inclination angles, or at least two curved sheets with different shapes, and are not limited thereto.

[0040] For example, in the embodiment shown in Figure 2, three heating tubes 300 are provided inside the cooking appliance 1000, and a resistance sheet material 310 is provided inside each of the three heating tubes 300. Since all three resistance sheet materials 310 are flat sheets provided parallel to the tray 400, the average heating angle θ of the three resistance sheet materials 310 is 0 degrees.

[0041] For example, in the embodiment shown in Figure 3, three heating tubes 300 are provided inside the cooking utensil 1000, and a resistance sheet material 310 is provided inside each of the three heating tubes 300, and all three resistance sheet materials 310 are flat sheets. Two of the resistance sheet materials 310 are provided at an inclination with respect to the upper surface of the tray 400, and the heating angles θ of the two front and rear resistance sheet materials 310 in Figure 3 are both acute angles. The central resistance sheet material 310 is a flat sheet provided parallel to the tray 400, and the heating angle θ of this resistance sheet material 310 is 0 degrees.

[0042] Furthermore, in an embodiment such as that shown in Figure 4, three heating tubes 300 are provided inside the cooking utensil 1000, and a resistance sheet material 310 is provided inside each of the three heating tubes 300, and all three resistance sheet materials 310 are flat sheets. Two of the resistance sheet materials 310 are provided at an inclination with respect to the upper surface of the tray 400, and the heating angles θ of the two front and rear resistance sheet materials 310 in Figure 4 are both acute angles. The central resistance sheet material 310 is a flat sheet provided perpendicular to the tray 400, and the heating angle θ of this resistance sheet material 310 is 90 degrees.

[0043] In some embodiments, the heating tube 300 is rotatably connected to the housing 100 and adjusts the heating angle θ between the resistance sheet material 310 and the tray 400 according to the operating state.

[0044] The cooking appliance 1000 is further equipped with a rotary drive device (not shown), which is connected to the heating tube 300 and rotates the heating tube 300 around its axis of rotation. Since the heating core of the heating tube 300 is a sheet-shaped resistance sheet material 310, the heating angle θ of the resistance sheet material 310 changes during rotation, which in turn changes the position of the heat radiation from the resistance sheet material 310, and as a result the cooking appliance 1000 obtains a more uniform heating effect.

[0045] Because the resistance sheet material 310 is in sheet form, the heat density generated from the position directly opposite the resistance sheet material 310 is relatively high. When the resistance sheet material 310 is rotated until the heating angle θ is 0 degrees, more heat from the resistance sheet material 310 is radiated to the food above the tray 400, allowing the food to be grilled at a high temperature. When the resistance sheet material 310 is rotated until the heating angle θ is approximately 90 degrees, more heat from the resistance sheet material 310 is radiated to the surrounding air, the air in the heating chamber 102 maintains a high temperature, and the food is thus in a high-temperature air environment. Therefore, because the heating tube 300 is rotatable, the food can obtain the above heating conditions simultaneously.

[0046] The rotation axis of the heating tube 300 may coincide with the axis of the tube body of the heating tube 300, or there may be a certain offset from the axis of the tube body; there are no limitations here. When the heating tube 300 is rotatable, it is usually a straight tube, and also a circular tube. In this way, the space occupied by the movement of the heating tube 300 when it rotates is small, which reduces the probability of interference with other parts or food ingredients.

[0047] Both ends of the heating tube 300 are connected to a rotary drive device, which rotates the heating tube 300. To prevent the heating line and the rotary drive device from becoming entangled, the heating tube 300 employs a reciprocating rotation, and the angle between the resistance sheet material 310 and the tray 400 changes from 0 degrees to 90 degrees and then returns to 0 degrees. Alternatively, the connection method employs conventional technology and will not be explained further.

[0048] In the means of the present invention, the shape of the heating tube 300 is not limited to a straight tube, but may be a curved tube as shown in Figure 15, etc.

[0049] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 2 to 5, there are multiple heating tubes 300, and these multiple heating tubes 300 are arranged in a row above the tray 400. This helps to improve the uniformity of heating throughout the heating chamber 102.

[0050] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the distance between the two outermost heating tubes 300 and their resistance sheet materials 310 gradually decreases as they move upward. That is, the lower surfaces of the two outermost resistance sheet materials 310 are not positioned facing directly downward, but are tilted at a certain angle toward the center of the tray 400, and the heating angle θ of these two resistance sheet materials 310 may be acute. In this way, the heat generated by these two resistance sheet materials 310 is distributed less at the edges of the tray 400 and more in the central region of the tray 400. As can be understood, when users place food on the tray 400, they tend to place the food in the central region of the tray 400 to prevent it from falling out. Therefore, by setting the heating angle θ of the resistance sheet materials 310 on both sides to an acute angle, more heat is concentrated in the central region of the tray 400, reducing wasted heat.

[0051] When the number of heating tubes 300 exceeds two, the heating angle θ of the resistance sheet material 310 of the central heating tube 300 can be flexibly set as needed, as specifically shown in Figures 3 and 4.

[0052] In some embodiments of the present invention, the resistance sheet material 310 is a rectangular sheet, which has a simple shape and is easy to process.

[0053] In some other embodiments of the present invention, the resistance sheet material 310 is a rectangular sheet that has been further modified.

[0054] As shown in Figures 6-7, the resistance sheet material 310 includes at least one heating region 311 that extends along the longitudinal direction of the heating tube 300. If there are at least two heating regions 311, an intermediate region 312 is connected between each pair of adjacent heating regions 311, and the shape of the intermediate region 312 and the heating regions 311 are different.

[0055] In other words, the resistive sheet material 310 is designed to be divided into multiple segments in the longitudinal direction, with the heat-generating region 311 designed at an optimal angle for heat generation, while the intermediate region 312 functions as a transient connection. By providing the intermediate region 312, two adjacent heat-generating regions 311 are isolated from each other, preventing excessive heat concentration. When the heat-generating core radiates heat into the cavity, the temperature of the inner cavity near the center of the heat-generating core is high. By providing the intermediate region 312, it is possible to adjust the length of the intermediate region 312 according to different scenes, allowing the lengths of two adjacent heat-generating regions 311 to adapt to the changes, thereby enabling dynamic distribution to power changes.

[0056] The resistance sheet material 310 is manufactured with graphite as its main component and has a flattened structure, which forms a planar heating element. Compared to conventional heating wires, it has higher heating efficiency, faster response speed, and faster heating rate, allowing for greater energy concentration and achieving the effect of crispy outside and tender inside when cooking food.

[0057] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the heat-generating core needs to extend along a specific direction for a certain length, and since the resistive sheet material 310 forms planar heat generation, in order to form a larger heat-generating area in a limited length, the resistive sheet material 310 is provided with a heat-generating region 311, and the resistive sheet material 310 mainly dissipates heat through the heat-generating region 311, and the heat-generating region 311 includes multiple heat-generating units 311A, where multiple means two or more, and the multiple heat-generating units 311A ​​are connected in series, that is, the current flowing through each heat-generating unit 311A ​​is uniform. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the heat-generating unit 311A ​​includes four parts, which are the fourth part 311d, the third part 311c, the second part 311b, and the first part 311a. The third part 311c and the first part 311a extend for a fixed length along the first direction, and the fourth part 311d and the second part 311b extend for a fixed length along the second direction. The first direction intersects the second direction, thereby connecting the fourth part 311d, the third part 311c, the second part 311b, and the first part 311a in sequence, forming an undulating structure. Multiple heat-generating units 311A ​​are connected in series, and the first part 311a and the fourth part 311d of adjacent heat-generating units 311A ​​are connected, so the heat-generating region 311 constitutes a continuous undulating structure. To make it clear, connection here means to be integrated and joined together. For example, the fourth part 311d, the third part 311c, the second part 311b, and the first part 311a may be integrally molded, and the multiple heating units 311A ​​may also be integrally molded structures.

[0058] Since the second direction is defined as the extension direction of the resistance sheet material 310, at least a portion of the resistance sheet material 310 forms a continuous undulating structure along the extension direction of the resistance sheet material 310. In the extension direction of the resistance sheet material 310, there are portions of the resistance sheet material 310 that extend in different directions (the fourth portion 311d and the second portion 311b extend in the same direction, and the third portion 311c and the first portion 311a extend in the same direction), so that the resistance sheet material 310 can have a large heat-generating area without reducing resistance within a limited space (extension length of the resistance sheet material 310).

[0059] As shown in Figure 7, the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction, meaning that the fourth portion 311d and the second portion 311b basically extend along the extending direction of the resistance sheet material 310, and the third portion 311c and the first portion 311a basically extend perpendicular to the second direction. In this way, the structural processing of the fourth portion 311d, the third portion 311c, the second portion 311b and the first portion 311a in the heating unit 311A ​​is convenient, the overall structure is more stable and space can be utilized to the fullest extent.

[0060] As shown in Figure 7, in some embodiments of the present invention, there are two heat-generating regions 311, and the two heat-generating regions 311 are defined as two adjacent heat-generating regions 311, with the heat-generating region 311 on the left in Figure 7 being one heat-generating region 311 and the heat-generating region 311 on the right being the other heat-generating region 311. The resistive sheet material 310 further includes an intermediate region 312, which is provided between the two adjacent heat-generating regions 311 and is connected to one heat-generating region 311 and the other heat-generating region 311. The intermediate region 312 provides an electrical connection with the two adjacent heat-generating regions 311 and plays a role in transmitting current. By providing the intermediate region 312, the two adjacent heat-generating regions 311 are isolated from each other, and excessive heat concentration is avoided.

[0061] As shown in Figure 7, in some embodiments of the present invention, the resistive sheet material 310 further includes a connection region located at the end of the resistive sheet material 310, and the provision of the connection region enables electrical connection between the heating core and the external member, for example, by providing a support point for a fixed lead wire, the lead wire can be fixed to the connection region, and the other end of the lead wire can be connected to another member (e.g., a connection terminal). Providing the connection region facilitates communication of the heating core.

[0062] In some embodiments, the resistive sheet material 310 dissipates heat mainly through a heat-generating region 311, the heat-generating region 311 includes a plurality of heat-generating units 311A, and the total resistance of the heat-generating region 311 can be calculated by adding up the resistances of each heat-generating unit 311A.

[0063] As shown in Figure 8, in some embodiments of the present invention, in order to enhance the seismic resistance of the resistance sheet material 310, the intersection of the fourth portion 311d and the third portion 311c forms an arc-shaped transient, the intersection of the third portion 311c and the second portion 311b forms an arc-shaped transient, the intersection of the second portion 311b and the first portion 311a forms an arc-shaped transient, and the intersection of the fourth portion 311d and the first portion 311a of two adjacent heat-generating units 311A ​​also forms an arc-shaped transient, thereby reducing stress concentration.

[0064] In order to enhance the heat generation capacity of the resistive sheet material 310, the present invention is not limited to forming the heat-generating region 311 of the resistive sheet material 310 in a rectangular waveform, as shown in Figures 7 and 8. It is also possible to form the heat-generating region 311 of the resistive sheet material 310 in a sinusoidal waveform, as shown in Figure 9. That is, at least one heat-generating region 311 can be formed in a waveform.

[0065] In some other embodiments, perforations are provided in at least one heat-generating region 311, thereby reducing the amount of material used for the resistance sheet material 310, reducing weight, and avoiding localized temperature overload due to heat congestion within the heat-generating region 311. Multiple perforations are provided in multiple rows and multiple columns within the heat-generating region 311.

[0066] In the above embodiment, the intermediate region 312 is a flat region. If it is necessary to change according to the shape of the top wall of the heating chamber 102, the intermediate region 312 can also be a suitable arc-shaped region. In this way, the shape options for the intermediate region 312 are diversified, making it possible to connect the heating region 311 while simultaneously meeting the overall shape requirements.

[0067] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 6, the heating tube 300 further comprises an outer tube 320, the resistance sheet material 310 is provided inside the outer tube 320, and the inside of the outer tube 320 is filled with an inert gas. By providing the outer tube 320, the resistance sheet material 310 is protected and the probability of the resistance sheet material 310 breaking when subjected to impact is reduced. Furthermore, the probability of surface oxidation of the resistance sheet material 310 at high temperatures can also be reduced.

[0068] The outer tube 320 may be a glass tube, the resistance sheet material 310 is fitted inside the outer tube 320, both ends of the resistance sheet material 310 are connected to lead wires, and connection terminals are provided at both ends of the outer tube 320, the lead wires are connected to the connection terminals, and the connection terminals are suitable for connection to other power supply components. The inside of the outer tube 320 is filled with an inert gas, which may be helium (He), neon (Ne), argon (Ar), krypton (Kr), xenon (Xe), etc., and when current is applied the resistance sheet material 310 is in a state of high temperature generation, and by providing an inert gas the resistance sheet material 310 is protected and its service life is extended.

[0069] Combining Figures 10-12, the cooking appliance 1000 according to some embodiments of the present invention is equipped with an auxiliary heating element 500, which is provided in the heating chamber 102 and assists in raising the temperature inside the heating chamber 102. As shown in Figure 10, the auxiliary heating element 500 is connected to the tray 400, and by directly connecting the tray 400, the heat of the tray 400 is rapidly increased and the thermal stability of the tray 400 is enhanced.

[0070] Alternatively, as shown in Figure 11, the heating element 500 does not directly contact the tray 400, but the distance between the heating element 500 and the tray 400 is smaller than the distance between the heating tube 300 and the tray 400 in order to increase the heat conduction efficiency of the auxiliary heating element 500 to the tray 400 and increase the heat of the tray 400.

[0071] The tray 400 is detachably mounted on the auxiliary heating element 500. Since the tray 400 comes into direct contact with the food, oil and residue may adhere to it during use. By making the tray 400 detachable, it can be removed from the cooking utensil 1000 for washing and maintenance, thus maintaining the cleanliness and hygiene of the tray 400. Furthermore, the adhesion of foreign matter to the tray 400 can prevent a decrease in its heat conduction efficiency, ensuring proper heat transfer during use.

[0072] The tray 400 is detachably attached to the auxiliary heating element 500. As shown in Figure 10, a positioning groove 401 for positioning the auxiliary heating element 500 is provided at the bottom of the tray 400.

[0073] The auxiliary heating element 500 consists of multiple metal heating tubes, and the tray 400 is placed flat on the multiple metal heating tubes. As can be seen, the heating tubes 300 are above the tray 400 and the metal heating tubes are below it, providing a highly efficient and all-around effect on raising the temperature of the tray 400 during use.

[0074] As shown in Figure 12, the auxiliary heating member 500 may be provided on the rear wall of the heating chamber 102 to enhance the effect of auxiliary heating.

[0075] Combining Figure 13, the cooking appliance 1000 according to some embodiments of the present invention includes a controller 700, which is electrically connected to both the heating tube 300 and the auxiliary heating element 500, and controls both the heating tube 300 and the auxiliary heating element 500 to operate during the preheating stage. In this way, before food is added, both the heating tube 300 and the auxiliary heating element 500 heat the heating chamber 102, increasing the rate at which the heating chamber 102 heats up, thus quickly completing preheating and reducing waiting time.

[0076] During the heating phase, the controller 700 controls the operation of the heating tube 300 and stops heating the auxiliary heating element 500. In this way, the tray 400 heats the food using the accumulated heat, saving power.

[0077] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 2-5, the top wall of the heating chamber 102 is flat, and the heating tube 300 fits against the top wall of the heating chamber 102. As shown in Figures 2-4, the heating tube 300 is a straight tube parallel to the top wall of the heating chamber 102. Also, as shown in Figure 5, although the heating tube 300 is a curved tube, the surface located after the curve is still parallel to the top wall of the heating chamber 102, so the height of the space occupied by the heating tube 300 is small and does not compress the space of the food. In the example shown in Figure 5, the central part of the heating tube 300 is semi-circular, and two opposite heating tubes 300 are provided in the two arc portions, so that the central part of the tray 400 is in the arc portion of the heating tube 300, thereby forming a circular heating area, which results in a uniform temperature rise in the circumferential part, is advantageous for balancing the cooking temperature of the food, and improves the cooking effect.

[0078] In some other embodiments, the top wall of the heating chamber 102 is an arched apex that rises upward in an arch shape, and the heating tube 300 fits into the top wall of the heating chamber 102.

[0079] For example, in Figure 14, at least a portion of the top wall of the heating chamber 102 is a cylindrical surface, the center of the cylindrical surface is arched upward, and both the front and rear surfaces of the cylindrical surface extend downward. The heating chamber 102 has three heating tubes 300, each of which is a straight tube running along the left-right direction. The central heating tube 300 is positioned higher, while the two front and rear heating tubes 300 are positioned lower, so the distance between all three heating tubes 300 and the cylindrical surface is the same.

[0080] For example, in Figure 15, at least a portion of the top wall of the heating chamber 102 is a cylindrical surface, the center of the cylindrical surface is arched upward, and both the left and right sides of the cylindrical surface extend downward. The heating chamber 102 has three heating tubes 300, each of which is a curved tube running along the left-right direction. Because the center of the heating tubes 300 is high and the left and right ends are low, the distance between the three heating tubes 300 and the cylindrical surface is the same.

[0081] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 16 and 17, the housing 100 has an opening 101 on one side, and the cooking appliance 1000 further comprises a door body 200 and an interlocking mechanism 800. The door body 200 is provided in the housing 100 so as to be openable and closable in order to open and close the opening 101. The interlocking mechanism 800 is provided in the heating chamber 102 and is connected to the door body 200 and the housing 100.

[0082] The tray 400 is connected to the interlocking mechanism 800, and when the door body 200 is open, at least a portion of the tray 400 extends out of the opening 101 together with the interlocking mechanism 800, and when the door body 200 is closed, the tray 400 is completely housed inside the heating chamber 102. With this setup, when the door body 200 is opened, the tray 400 is close to the opening 101 of the housing 100, allowing the user to put in and take out food without fully inserting their hand into the heating chamber 102, thus avoiding the risk of burns. At the same time, after the preheating stage is complete, the tray 400 can be removed by opening the door body 200, reducing heat loss in the heating chamber 102 and allowing the temperature of the heating chamber 102 to recover to the appropriate cooking temperature as quickly as possible.

[0083] The interlocking mechanism 800 can employ known interlocking mechanisms used in conventional cooking appliances. Exemplarily, as shown in Figures 16 and 17, the interlocking structure 800 includes an interlocking rod, the ends of which are connected to the tray 400 and the housing 100 respectively, and both ends of the interlocking rod are hinged connection points. The interlocking rod is located on the rear side of the tray 400, and the front side of the tray 400 is hinged to the door body 200. The door body 200, the bottom wall of the housing 100, the interlocking rod, and the tray 400 form a parallelogram structure, so that even when the door body 200 is open, the tray 400 is held horizontally and extends forward from the heating chamber 102.

[0084] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the cooking appliance 1000 is a pizza oven, which comprises the housing 100, tray 400, and heating tube 300 of the above embodiment. A method is employed that combines the tray 400 and the heating tube 300 when baking the pizza, which is particularly suitable for the rapid preparation of pizza.

[0085] Since the pizza oven employs the structure of the above embodiment and is known to those skilled in the art, it will have at least the beneficial effects of the technical solution of the above embodiment and will not be described again here.

[0086] In this specification, any reference to terms such as “Examples” or “Examples” means that the specific features, structures, materials, or properties described with reference to such Examples are included in at least one Example of this Application. In this specification, the general expressions of the above terms do not necessarily apply to the same Examples. In addition, any specific features, structures, materials, or properties described may be incorporated in an appropriate manner in any one or more Examples.

[0087] Although embodiments of this application have been presented and described, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of this application, and that the scope of this application is limited by the claims and their equivalents.

[0088] [Cross-reference of related applications] This application claims priority to the Chinese Patent Application No. "202311222875.1" filed by Guangdong Midea Kitchen Appliance Manufacturing Co., Ltd. on September 20, 2023, with the title "Cooking Appliances".

Claims

1. It is a cooking utensil, A housing with a heating chamber defined inside, A tray is provided in the heating chamber and used for placing food ingredients, The heating chamber is provided with a heating tube, at least one of which is spaced apart above the tray, The heating element of the aforementioned heating tube is a cooking appliance made of a resistance sheet material.

2. The cooking utensil according to claim 1, wherein the resistance sheet material is a metal sheet material.

3. The cooking utensil according to claim 1, wherein the resistance sheet material is a thin film.

4. The cooking utensil according to claim 3, wherein the resistance sheet material is a graphite film material.

5. The cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein the angle between the resistance sheet material and the upper surface of the tray is the heating angle, and the range of the heating angle is 0-90 degrees.

6. The cooking appliance according to claim 5, wherein the heating tube is rotatably connected to the housing and the heating angle of the resistance sheet material is adjusted according to the operating state.

7. The heating tubes are a plurality of, and the plurality of heating tubes are arranged in a row above the tray. The cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein the distance between the resistance sheet material of the two outermost heating tubes gradually decreases as it moves upward.

8. The cooking utensil according to claim 3, wherein the resistive sheet material includes a heating region, the heating region includes a plurality of heating units connected in series, the heating units include a first portion, a second portion, a third portion and a fourth portion connected sequentially, two adjacent heating units are connected by the first portion and the fourth portion, the first portion and the third portion extend along a first direction, the second portion and the fourth portion extend along a second direction, the second direction is the longitudinal direction of the resistive sheet material and intersects the first direction.

9. The cooking utensil according to claim 8, wherein the resistance sheet material includes an intermediate region, the heating region is at least two, the intermediate region is connected between each of the two adjacent heating regions, and the intermediate region is an arc-shaped region or a flat region.

10. The cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein the heating tube further includes an outer tube, the resistance sheet material is provided inside the outer tube, and the inside of the outer tube is filled with an inert gas.

11. The cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein the tray is a heat storage plate.

12. The cooking utensil according to claim 1, wherein the tray is a pizza stone.

13. The system further comprises an auxiliary heating member, the auxiliary heating member being provided within the heating chamber, The cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary heating member is connected to the tray, or the distance between the auxiliary heating member and the tray is less than the distance between the heating tube and the tray.

14. The cooking utensil according to claim 13, wherein the tray is detachably provided on the auxiliary heating member.

15. The cooking utensil according to claim 13, wherein the auxiliary heating member is a plurality of metal heating tubes, and the tray is placed flat on the plurality of metal heating tubes.

16. The cooking appliance according to claim 13, further comprising a controller, the controller being electrically connected to both the heating tube and the auxiliary heating member, the controller controlling the operation of the heating tube and the auxiliary heating member during the preheating stage, and controlling the operation of the heating tube and the stopping of heating of the auxiliary heating member during the heating stage.

17. The cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein the top wall of the heating chamber is a flat wall or an arched top that rises upward in an arch shape, and the shape of the heating tube conforms to the top wall of the heating chamber.

18. The housing has an opening on one side, and the cooking utensil is, A door body is provided on the housing so as to be able to open and close the aforementioned opening, The heating chamber is further provided with an interlocking mechanism connected to the door body and the housing, The cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein the tray is connected to the interlocking mechanism, and when the door is open, at least a portion of the tray extends out of the opening together with the interlocking mechanism, and when the door is closed, the tray is completely housed in the heating chamber.

19. The cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein the cooking appliance is a pizza oven.

Images