Flow guide unit and cooking device

Abstract

The present invention belongs to the technical field of cooking appliances, and particularly relates to a guiding unit and a cooking appliance having the guiding unit. The guiding unit of the present invention includes a support plate and a first guiding groove, the first guiding groove is provided on the support plate or is a part of the support plate, the first guiding groove includes a bottom plate portion and side plate portions provided on both sides of the bottom plate portion, the bottom plate portion is an integral structure, the bottom plate portion includes a horizontal guiding portion and a vertical guiding portion, the horizontal guiding portion is inclined toward the lower plate surface of the support plate along the longitudinal direction of the support plate, the vertical guiding portion is inclined toward the lower plate surface of the support plate along the width direction of the support plate, and the highest point of the vertical guiding portion is below the lowest point of the horizontal guiding portion. Based on the guiding unit of the present invention, the liquid can be effectively drained, and the condensed water will not leak on the surface of the bottom plate portion, thereby ensuring the normal discharge of the condensed water.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] (Priority information) This application claims priority to and the benefit of the following patent applications, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference: A Chinese patent application entitled "Flow-guiding unit and cooking device" with application number 202111044187.1, filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on September 7, 2021.

[0002] The present invention relates to the technical field of cooking appliances, and more particularly to a flow guide unit and a cooking appliance having the flow guide unit. [Background technology]

[0003] As people's quality of life improves, kitchen appliances are becoming more and more abundant, and cooking appliances such as microwave ovens, ovens, and steamers are gradually becoming necessary kitchen products for home life. Currently available cooking appliances, especially those with steam heating functions, generally have a problem: condensed water forms in the cavity after cooking is completed. If the user does not immediately dispose of the accumulated water, the next time the heating function is used, the condensed water in the cavity will absorb some of the heat, slowing down the heating speed. In addition, the condensed water that remains for a long time will produce an unpleasant odor, thereby affecting the user experience.

[0004] In conventional microwave ovens, water vapor inside the microwave oven cavity leaks out through a crimped gap at the rear bottom of the cavity and drips onto the drain rail, which is then connected to multiple drain rails that drain the water into a water collection box.The drain rails in microwave ovens have a split joint structure, and gaps or poor joints at the joints can cause water to seep in or leak to the bottom of the oven body, resulting in problems such as dampness in the electrical compartment, rust on sheet metal parts, and in severe cases, power outages. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The object of the present invention is to solve at least the problem of water leakage that exists in the running water rail, and this object is achieved in the following manner. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A first aspect of the present invention provides a flow directing unit, the flow directing unit comprising: A support plate; and a first flow guide groove, the first flow guide groove being provided on the support plate or being a part of the support plate, the first flow guide groove including a bottom plate portion and side plate portions provided on both sides of the bottom plate portion, the bottom plate portion being an integral structure, the bottom plate portion including a lateral flow guide portion and a longitudinal flow guide portion, the lateral flow guide portion being provided along the longitudinal direction of the support plate and inclined toward the lower plate surface of the support plate, the longitudinal flow guide portion being provided along the width direction of the support plate and inclined toward the lower plate surface of the support plate, and the highest point of the longitudinal flow guide portion being provided below the lowest point of the lateral flow guide portion.

[0007] According to the flow guide unit of the present invention, a support plate is disposed below the cavity of the cooking appliance, and a first flow guide groove and a vortex hole of the cavity are arranged opposite each other. Condensed water formed in the cavity is discharged out of the cavity through the vortex hole and falls into the first flow guide groove. The first flow guide groove of the present invention is provided with a horizontal flow guide portion and a vertical flow guide portion, of which the horizontal flow guide portion is arranged in the longitudinal direction of the support plate, inclined toward the lower surface of the support plate, and the vertical flow guide portion is arranged in the width direction of the support plate, inclined toward the lower surface of the support plate; and The highest point of the vertical guide section is set lower than or equal to the lowest point of the horizontal guide section, so that it can effectively perform the drainage function and drain the condensed water into the waste water box of the cooking appliance. The bottom plate of the first guide groove in the present invention has a one-piece structure and there are no gaps on the plate surface of the bottom plate, so that the condensed water does not leak on the surface of the bottom plate, thereby ensuring the normal discharge of condensed water and preventing it from remaining on the support plate, reducing damage to other electrical components or sheet metal parts, and improving the safety and reliability of the cooking appliance.

[0008] Furthermore, the flow guide unit of the present invention may further have the following additional technical features: In some embodiments of the present invention, the bottom plate portion and the side plate portions on both sides of the bottom plate portion are of an integral structure.

[0009] In some embodiments of the present invention, the first guide groove is a groove formed by recessing the top surface of the support plate toward the bottom surface.

[0010] In some embodiments of the present invention, the first guide groove is provided along the outer edge of the support plate.

[0011] In some embodiments of the present invention, the lateral flow guide portions and the longitudinal flow guide portions are provided on two side edges adjacent to the support plate, respectively.

[0012] In some embodiments of the present invention, the support plate is further provided with a leak hole, which is provided at an end of the first guide groove in the extending direction and penetrates the support plate.

[0013] In some embodiments of the present invention, the flow guide unit further includes a transition portion, the transition portion being located below the support plate, a second flow guide groove being located in the transition portion, and the second flow guide groove being connected to the leak hole.

[0014] In some embodiments of the present invention, the transition section and the support plate are of one piece or detachable construction.

[0015] Another aspect of the present invention further provides a cooking apparatus, the cooking apparatus having any of the above-described flow guide units, the cooking apparatus further including a cavity having a cooking chamber, the flow guide unit being disposed below the cavity, a vortex hole being disposed at the bottom of the cavity, and the first flow guide groove being disposed opposite the vortex hole.

[0016] In some embodiments of the present invention, the bottom plate portion is provided at an angle from the back plate of the cavity toward the front plate toward the bottom surface of the support plate. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments. The drawings are merely for purposes of illustrating the preferred embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention. The same reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same elements. [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an exploded view of the cooking device of this embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the cooking device in FIG. 1 at another angle. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a structural schematic diagram of the support plate in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the support plate and the transition part in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The drawings show exemplary embodiments of the present invention, but it should be understood that the present invention can be realized in various forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided to provide a more complete understanding of the present invention and to fully convey the scope of the present invention to those skilled in the art.

[0019] It is to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular exemplary embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "said" are also intended to include the plural unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The terms "comprise," "include," "includes," "contain," and "have" are inclusive and refer to the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof. Method steps, processes, and operations described herein should not be construed as necessarily having to be performed in the particular order described or illustrated, unless an order of execution is explicitly indicated. It is also understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed.

[0020] Although multiple elements, components, areas, layers, and / or sections may be described herein using terms such as first, second, and third, these elements, components, areas, layers, and / or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be used only to distinguish one element, component, area, layer, or section from another area, layer, or section. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numerical terms do not imply an order or sequence when used herein. Thus, a first element, component, area, layer, or section discussed below could be referred to as a second element, component, area, layer, or section without departing from the teachings of the exemplary embodiments.

[0021] For ease of description, spatially relative terms such as "interior," "exterior," "inside," "outside," "bottom," "below," "top," "above," etc. may be used herein to describe the relationship of one element or feature to another element or feature as depicted in the figures. Such spatially relative terms are intended to include different positions of the device during use or operation other than the position depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures were turned over, elements described as "below other elements or features" or "below other elements or features" would subsequently be oriented as "on top of other elements or features" or "above other elements or features." Thus, the exemplary term "below" can include above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations), and the spatially relative descriptors used herein would be interpreted accordingly.

[0022] The present invention provides a cooking device, such as a microwave oven, an oven, a microwave oven-steamer-oven combination, etc. For convenience of explanation, in this embodiment, the cooking device is a microwave oven with a steam heating function.

[0023] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, cooking device 1 of this embodiment includes cavity 10 and a housing. The housing is provided outside cavity 10 and spaced apart from cavity 10. The interior of cavity 10 forms cooking chamber 11 for heating food. One end of cooking chamber 11 has an opening, and a door is provided at the opening. Food is placed in and removed from cooking chamber 11 by operating the door to open and close cooking chamber 11.

[0024] Specifically, cavity 10 includes a rear plate 12 and a front plate 13 disposed opposite each other, with a bottom plate 14 disposed between and connecting the rear plate 12 and the front plate 13 via the bottom plate 14. Vortex holes (not shown) are provided between rear plate 12 and bottom plate 14 of the cooking apparatus 1 of this embodiment. The vortex holes may have various configurations, such as strip-shaped holes extending along the length of rear plate 12 or holes spaced apart at intervals at the connection between rear plate 12 and bottom plate 14. During heating, cooking apparatus 1 generates steam. After the heating process is completed, the steam cools to form condensed water, which falls to the bottom of cooking chamber 11. The condensed water eventually flows out to the bottom of cavity 10 through the vortex holes.

[0025] A guiding unit 20 is provided at the bottom of the cavity 10. The guiding unit 20 is used to receive condensed water flowing out of the cooking chamber 11 and guide the condensed water to a wastewater box (not shown) at the bottom of the cooking appliance 1, thereby collecting the condensed water. In Figure 1, the direction indicated by the straight arrow is the so-called outflow direction of condensed water in the cooking chamber 11. In this embodiment, the wastewater box is provided directly below the door of the cooking appliance 1 and is lower than the guiding unit 20, which is more favorable for the flow and collection of condensed water.

[0026] In other embodiments of the present application, the vortex holes may be further provided in the bottom plate 14 and closer to the rear plate 12, or the vortex holes may be further provided closer to the center of the bottom plate 14, and the position of the flow guide unit 20 at the bottom of the cavity 10 may be adjusted accordingly.

[0027] It should be further explained that in this embodiment, when a user faces the cooking appliance 1, the side of the cooking appliance 1 facing the ground is the bottom of the cooking appliance 1, the side of the cooking appliance 1 away from the ground is the top of the cooking appliance 1, the side of the cooking appliance 1 located on the user's left hand side is the left side of the cooking appliance 1, the side of the cooking appliance 1 located on the user's right hand side is the right side of the cooking appliance 1, the side of the cooking appliance 1 approaching the user is the front side of the cooking appliance 1, and the side of the cooking appliance 1 away from the user is the rear side of the cooking appliance 1. Specifically, in this embodiment, the side of the cooking chamber 11 with an opening is the front side, i.e., the side where the door body is located is the front side.

[0028] Specifically, as shown in Figures 2 to 4, the flow guide unit 20 of this embodiment includes a support plate 21, of which the support plate 21 includes a plate-shaped support portion 211, and a first flange portion 213 is provided at the outer edge position of the support portion 211, which is folded back toward the cavity 10, and the first flange portion 213 is further folded back toward both sides to form a second flange portion 214, which is connected to the bottom plate 14 of the cavity 10 by a screw, thereby fixedly connecting the support plate 21 below the cavity 10.

[0029] The first flange portion 213 is disposed so that a certain gap is formed between the support portion 211 and the bottom plate 14, thereby forming an accommodation space, and some electrical components and other members are disposed between the bottom plate 14 and the support plate 21. In this embodiment, the support portion 211, the first flange portion 213, and the second flange portion 214 have an integral structure and are integrally formed by a metal bending process.

[0030] 2 to 4, a first flow guide groove 212 is provided as a recess in the top surface of the support portion 211 of this embodiment. The first flow guide groove 212 of this embodiment includes a bottom plate portion and side plate portions provided on both sides of the bottom plate portion, and the bottom plate portion is provided at an angle along its extension direction so as to approach the bottom surface of the support plate 21.

[0031] Specifically, the bottom plate portion of this embodiment includes a horizontal flow guide portion 2121 and a vertical flow guide portion 2122. The horizontal flow guide portion 2121 is arranged along the rear edge of the support portion 211, and extends from the right side plate of the cavity 10 toward the left side plate, and is arranged at an angle toward the lower plate surface of the support plate 21. As a result, the horizontal flow guide portion 2121 forms a first inclined structure that is arranged at an angle from right to left approaching the lower plate surface of the support plate 21.

[0032] The vertical flow guide portion 2122 is disposed along the left edge of the support portion 211 and is sloped from the rear panel 12 to the front panel 13 of the cavity 10 and toward the lower surface of the support plate 21. This forms a second sloped structure that slopes from rear to front toward the lower surface of the support plate 21. At the junction between the horizontal flow guide portion 2121 and the vertical flow guide portion 2122, the height of the second sloped structure is equal to or less than the height of the first sloped structure, ensuring that the entire bottom surface of the first flow guide groove 212 forms a continuous sloped structure. This ensures that condensed water can be discharged and prevented from accumulating in the first flow guide groove 212.

[0033] At the same time, the installation manner of the horizontal flow guide portion 2121 in this application extends the receiving length for receiving condensed water in the cooking chamber 11, thereby more effectively and comprehensively collecting the condensed water in the cooking chamber 11. When condensed water falls into the horizontal flow guide portion 2121 through the vortex holes, the condensed water flows from the right side to the left side of the horizontal flow guide portion 2121 due to the action of the slope of the horizontal flow guide portion 2121 due to gravity. When the condensed water reaches the point where the horizontal flow guide portion 2121 meets the vertical flow guide portion 2122, the condensed water flows from the back to the front along the slope of the vertical flow guide portion 2122, thereby discharging the condensed water. Here, the direction indicated by the straight arrow in Figures 2 and 4 indicates the flow direction of condensed water within the flow guide unit 20.

[0034] In other embodiments of the present application, the horizontal flow guide portion 2121 may be installed only on a portion of the rear edge of the support portion 211, and the vertical flow guide portion 2122 may be installed corresponding to the overflow holes at the bottom of the cavity 10, thereby directly discharging condensed water through the vertical flow guide portion 2122.

[0035] In this embodiment, the first guide groove 212 is a part of the support part 211 and is an integral structure with the support part 211. In particular, the support part 211 is pressed to form a groove structure for discharging condensed water. Therefore, there are no gaps between the bottom plate part and the side plate part of the first guide groove 212, which can effectively prevent the condensed water from leaking during the discharge process of the first guide groove 212. This ensures the normal discharge of condensed water and prevents the condensed water from remaining on the support plate 21, reducing damage to other electrical components or sheet metal parts and improving the safety and reliability of the use of the cooking appliance 1.

[0036] In another example of this embodiment, the first guide groove 212 may be an independent groove-type structure, and the bottom plate of the first guide groove 212 may be detachably or fixedly connected to the top surface of the support part 211, of which at least the bottom plate of the first guide groove 212 is an integral structure to prevent condensed water from leaking into the guide. Alternatively, the first guide groove 212 may be installed in a tubular structure, and the water supply end of the tubular structure may be connected to the flow passage hole at the bottom of the cavity 10, with the entire tubular structure inclined from the rear plate 12 to the front plate 13 of the cavity 10 to drain condensed water.

[0037] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 2 to 4, the flow guide unit 20 of this embodiment further includes a transition portion 22, which is located below the support plate 21 and is detachably connected to the support plate 21; in other embodiments of the present application, the transition portion 22 may also be integrally formed with the support plate 21.

[0038] A second guide groove 221 is provided at transition section 22. The entire second guide groove 221 extends substantially from top to bottom and is used to guide condensed water in first guide groove 212 to the wastewater box. Support plate 21 of this embodiment is further provided with a leak hole 215. This leak hole 215 is located at the end of first guide groove 212 and passes through support plate 21. The water supply end of second guide groove 221 is located directly below leak hole 215. Condensed water in cooking chamber 11 drains through first guide groove 212 and then enters second guide groove 221 via leak hole 215, and then further drains through second guide groove 221 and enters the wastewater box, thereby effectively draining and collecting the condensed water.

[0039] In this embodiment, the second guide groove 221 is a part of the transition part 22 and is an integral part of the transition part 22. In particular, the transition part 22 can be pressed to form a groove structure for draining condensed water. Therefore, there are no gaps inside the second guide groove 221, which can effectively prevent condensed water from leaking out of the second guide groove 221. This ensures normal drainage of condensed water, prevents condensed water from leaking out of the second guide groove 221, and reduces damage to other electrical or metal components, thereby improving the safety and reliability of the cooking appliance 1.

[0040] In another example of this embodiment, the second guide groove 221 may be an independent groove-type structure, and the bottom plate of the second guide groove 221 may be detachably or fixedly connected to the transition portion 22, of which at least the bottom plate of the second guide groove 221 is an integral structure, thereby preventing leakage of condensate during the guiding process. Alternatively, the second guide groove 221 may be a tubular structure, and the water supply end of the tubular structure may communicate with the flow passage hole at the bottom of the cavity 10, thereby discharging condensate.

[0041] Furthermore, the cooking apparatus 1 of this embodiment further includes a base, which is disposed below the support plate 21 and forms the outermost layer structure of the cooking apparatus 1 together with the housing, and is used to protect the cooking apparatus 1. In other embodiments of the present application, the base structure may be eliminated, and the support plate 21 may serve as the base of the cooking apparatus 1.

[0042] Furthermore, the cooking apparatus 1 of this embodiment further includes a steam generation module, which includes a water tank, a steam generator, and a communication duct for connecting the water tank with the cooking chamber 11, the exhaust end of the communication duct being provided on the left or right plate of the cavity 10 and communicating with the cooking chamber 11, and the water tank being provided on the top or bottom surface of the support plate 21 and used to supply steam to the cooking chamber 11.

[0043] When the steam generating module is operating, the water in the water tank is turned into steam by the action of the steam generator, and the steam is transported into the cooking chamber 11 through the connecting duct and used to steam-heat the food in the cooking chamber 11. However, steam heating generates a large amount of steam, and after cooking stops, the steam cools and condenses to form condensed water. Therefore, the condensed water in the cooking chamber 11 needs to be effectively discharged, thereby improving the working environment of the cooking chamber 11, increasing cooking efficiency, and enhancing the user's experience.

[0044] The above are merely preferred specific embodiments of the present invention, and the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any modifications or substitutions that can be easily thought up by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention are included in the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined based on the scope of protection of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] The symbols in the drawings are as follows: 1:Cooking equipment; 10: cavity, 11: cooking chamber, 12: back plate, 13: front plate, 14: bottom plate; 20: flow guide unit, 21: support plate, 211: support portion, 212: first flow guide groove, 2121: horizontal flow guide portion, 2122: vertical flow guide portion, 213: first flange portion, 214: second flange portion, 215: leak hole, 22: transition portion, 221: second flow guide groove.

Claims

1. A support plate; a first guide groove; and a guide unit including: the first flow guide groove is provided in the support plate or is a part of the support plate, and the first flow guide groove includes a bottom plate portion and side plate portions provided on both sides of the bottom plate portion; The bottom plate portion has an integral structure, and the bottom plate portion includes a horizontal flow guide portion and a vertical flow guide portion; the horizontal flow guide portions are provided inclined toward the lower plate surface of the support plate along the longitudinal direction of the support plate, the vertical flow guide portions are provided inclined toward the lower plate surface of the support plate along the width direction of the support plate, and the highest point of the vertical flow guide portions is provided below the lowest point of the horizontal flow guide portions, The support plate further has a leak hole, the leak hole being located at an end of the first guide groove in the extending direction and penetrating the support plate; the flow guide unit includes a transition portion, the transition portion is provided below the support plate, a second flow guide groove is provided in the transition portion, and the second flow guide groove is in communication with the leak hole; The flow guide unit is characterized in that the bottom plate portion of the second flow guide groove is an integral structure.

2. 2. The air guide unit according to claim 1, wherein the bottom plate and the side plate on both sides of the bottom plate are of an integral structure.

3. 2. The flow guide unit according to claim 1, wherein the first flow guide groove is a groove formed by recessing the top surface of the support plate toward the bottom surface.

4. 2. The flow guide unit according to claim 1, wherein the first flow guide groove is provided along the outer edge of the support plate.

5. 2. The airflow guide unit according to claim 1, wherein the horizontal airflow guide portion and the vertical airflow guide portion are respectively provided on two side edges adjacent to the support plate.

6. 2. The flow guide unit according to claim 1, wherein the transition portion and the support plate are of an integral structure or a detachable structure.

7. 7. A cooking appliance having the flow guide unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the cooking appliance further comprises a cavity having a cooking chamber, the flow guide unit is disposed below the cavity, a vortex hole is disposed at the bottom of the cavity, and the first flow guide groove is disposed opposite the vortex hole.

8. The cooking apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the bottom plate portion is inclined toward the bottom surface of the support plate along a direction from the back plate toward the front plate of the cooking chamber.

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