Steam ovens panel glass and steam reservoir drawer alignment means

Abstract

The invention is a steam reservoir drawer (50) alignment means (30) that ensures the positioning of elements, such as the steam reservoir drawer (50), extending rearward from a front panel (10) of an oven (1) into the interior of the oven and allowing the drawer (50) to move outward from the panel (10) through user interaction with the front panel, in an access opening (11) formed in the front panel (10) of the oven in such a way that homogeneous gaps are formed between a drawer outer surface (51) and the panel (10) without disturbing the user's eye, and at the same time guarantees the smooth continuation of the functional movement of the drawer (50) within the relevant access opening (11) in every use.

Description

[0001] STEAM OVENS PANEL GLASS AND STEAM RESERVOIR DRAWER ALIGNMENT MEANS

[0002] Technical Field

[0003] The invention relates to an alignment means that ensures the proper positioning of a movable element, such as a drawer, accessible through an opening formed in the front panel glass where user interaction occurs in steam ovens, into the opening in the panel.

[0004] More specifically, the present invention relates to a steam reservoir drawer alignment means that ensures the positioning of movable elements, such as the steam reservoir drawer, extending rearward from the front panel of the oven and allowing the user to add water by interacting with the front panel to move the drawer outward from the panel, in such a way that it is positioned at equal distances in all directions within the opening formed in the front panel of the oven without disturbing the user's eye, and at the same time guarantees the smooth continuation of the functional movement of the drawer within the relevant opening in every use.

[0005] State of the Art

[0006] In household appliances such as ovens containing basic elements like user panels and doors, openings suitable for this purpose are formed on the panel to provide access to elements such as drawers from a front panel containing interfaces where the user can interact with the product. For example, in a domestic steam oven, oven drawers are usually arranged in such a way that they can be accessed from the front panel of the oven to allow the user to load water into the oven from outside. When the user applies manual pressure to the drawer area located in the opening on the panel or touches a button, the drawer can automatically come out, and it can be placed back in place with a simple pushing force or by touching the button again via an electric motor drive system.

[0007] The proper appearance of such structures movable from the inside of the oven towards the front surface of the panel on the front panel, that is, the equality of the gaps between the panel and the drawer element or the prevention of a misalignment or irregularity that would disturb the user's eye, is of great importance. This ensures both the smooth movement of the drawer in the opening formed in the front panel of the oven and the achievement of a proper appearance when the user looks at the front panel. In the prior art, it is not always possible to prevent potential misalignment or irregularity between the oven drawer and the front panel opening. In drawers that are usually seated by being adhered to the front panel with silicone, misalignments that occur during the initial presentation to the customer or after a few uses by the customer can cause problems, first visually and then functionally over time.

[0008] In serial production, during assembly or in customer uses, being able to always guarantee that such elements, which are pulled out from the front panel and placed back in place, such as drawers, can remain properly aligned without slipping in the front panel glass, and to ensure continuity in this regard without depending on the skill of the assembling worker or the attention of the user, has emerged as an important technical problem.

[0009] CN210121082U discloses a steam oven capable of automatically opening a water tank contained therein. It includes elements such as a motor and a push rod that allow the water tank to slide out from the front panel, and the water tank is positioned at the upper part of the oven on the front panel to allow easy access by the user. However, no solution is proposed for the proper positioning of this water tank seated in the opening opened in the front panel. In such ovens, as explained above, silicone panel mounting is performed, and it is not guaranteed that the water tank will be properly seated in the opening in the front panel.

[0010] CN218683725U discloses a steam oven that obtains steam with water taken from a water tank and thus provides cooking capability, and for this purpose, contains equipment such as a water tank where water can be added by the user potentially from the front panel, a pump, pipes, etc., to draw water from the tank, evaporate it, and deliver it to the cooking area. However, no approach is mentioned here that can solve the alignment problem of this water tank seated in the opening opened in the front panel.

[0011] W02024102094A1 discloses a steam oven containing a cylindrical water tank accessible from the front panel. The described solution proposes the form of seating for the water tank in place with a magnetic locking system when it is retracted into the oven. However, no solution is presented here regarding the problem of properly seating the front part of the water tank into the front panel opening of the oven.

[0012] As a result, the need to guarantee both the proper appearance of movable elements in the form of drawers, such as water reservoirs, that can be pulled out from the front panel with which the user can interact from outside, and their positioning at equal distances in all directions in the opening formed for them in the front panel, both in the initial assembly and after customer uses, and the inadequacies of the existing solutions have necessitated the emergence of the present invention. Object and Brief Description of the Invention

[0013] The object of the invention is to provide an alignment means that ensures the proper positioning of a movable element, such as a drawer, accessible through an opening formed in the front panel glass where user interaction occurs in steam ovens, into the opening in the panel.

[0014] Another object of the invention is to provide a steam reservoir drawer alignment means that ensures the positioning of elements, such as the steam reservoir drawer, extending rearward from the front panel of the oven and allowing the drawer to move outward from the panel through user interaction with the front panel, in the access opening formed in the front panel of the oven in such a way that homogeneous gaps are formed between the drawer outer surface and the panel without disturbing the user's eye, and at the same time guarantees the smooth continuation of the functional movement of the drawer within the relevant access opening in every use.

[0015] Another object of the invention is to provide a steam reservoir drawer alignment means that serves as an interface between a panel support and a drawer outer support where the drawer is seated, and has fastening elements interacting with both elements located on the alignment means; wherein the alignment means includes panel support screw holes that allow the panel support to be guided, seated and fixed to the alignment means, and alignment element screw holes that receive these and allow the fixation of both parts and ensure that the panel support and the alignment means refer to each other, alignment protrusions that allow the referencing to be transferred by engaging with an alignment slot located on the drawer outer support, and alignment guides located on the inner walls of the alignment means that allow the drawer to be guided and seated into the alignment means.

[0016] Brief Description of the Figures

[0017] Figures 1 a and 1 b Perspective views of the steam oven front panel and the opening where the steam reservoir drawer is seated on the panel are provided.

[0018] Figures 2a and 2b Perspective views of the steam oven depicting the panel support and the opening where the steam reservoir drawer is seated on the panel are provided.

[0019] Figures 3a and 3b Perspective views of the alignment element according to the invention that ensures the proper seating of the steam oven panel opening and the steam reservoir drawer are provided.

[0020] Figures 4a and 4b Front perspective views of the oven where the alignment element according to the invention is placed in the steam oven panel drawer opening are provided. Figures 5a and 5b Rear perspective views of the oven where the alignment element according to the invention is placed in the steam oven panel drawer opening are provided.

[0021] Figures 6a and 6b Front perspective views of the oven where the alignment element according to the invention is placed in the steam oven panel drawer opening and the steam drawer is mounted to the alignment element are provided.

[0022] Figures 7a and 7b Rear perspective views of the oven where the alignment element according to the invention is placed in the steam oven panel drawer opening and the steam drawer is mounted to the alignment element are provided.

[0023] Reference Numerals

[0024] I Oven

[0025] 10 Panel

[0026] I I Access opening

[0027] 20 Panel support

[0028] 21 Panel support screw hole

[0029] 30 Alignment means

[0030] 31 Alignment element screw hole

[0031] 32 Alignment guides

[0032] 33 Outer frame

[0033] 34 Alignment protrusion

[0034] 40 Drawer outer support

[0035] 41 Alignment slot

[0036] 50 Drawer

[0037] 51 Drawer glass

[0038] Detailed Description of the Invention

[0039] The invention relates to an alignment element (30) and a front panel (10) of an oven containing the same, which provides access to elements such as a steam oven drawer (50) from a front panel (10) containing interfaces where the user can interact with the product in household appliances such as an oven (1) containing basic elements like a user panel (10) and a door, and enables the proper alignment and seating of the drawer element to provide a flat and as uninterrupted surface as possible on the front panel (10), and at the same time allows the functional movement of the drawer within the opening in the panel to continue in a smooth manner both after assembly and after customer uses.

[0040] In the front perspective view of the steam oven (1) shown in Figures 1a and 1b, only the panel glass at the front part of the panel (10), the panel support (20), and the access opening (11) formed thereon for the steam drawer (50) are shown, without including other oven (1) elements, for a better understanding of the alignment technique according to the invention. The panel support (20) is produced from a plastic material and forms the front panel (10) of the oven by being adhered to the panel glass. Thus, the oven panel (10) is an important element that both accommodates interfaces such as buttons, knobs, screens where interaction with the user can be established, and provides access to a drawer (50) carrying a water reservoir where the user can add water from outside in steam ovens (1). In the enlarged panel view in Figure 1 b, the access opening (11) where the drawer (50) will be seated on the panel (10) is seen. The rectangular form is the preferred form in existing products for this access opening (11) formed on the panel to allow the user to access the steam drawer (50), and opening structures in alternative geometries are also possible.

[0041] In the rear perspective view of the steam oven (1) shown in Figures 2a and 2b, elements around the access opening (11) that allow the seating of the alignment means (30) according to the invention and thus the drawer (50) on the panel support (20) remaining in the inner part of the oven (1) of the panel (10) are seen. In the prior art, screw holes located on the panel support (20) were screwed directly to the drawer plastic, while the process of fixing the drawer (50) to the opening was performed with elements similar to silicone during assembly. However, as explained above, this situation caused the drawer not to be properly seated in the opening and the formation of inequalities or irregularities at the edges of the opening. In the present invention, the alignment means (30) according to the invention serves as an interface between the drawer outer support (40) around the drawer (50) and the drawer access opening (11) on the panel (10), and ensures that the drawer (50) is seated in the opening (11) with equal distances at its edges.

[0042] Perspective views from front and rear angles depicting the details of the alignment means (30) according to the invention are provided in Figures 3a and 3b, respectively. The alignment means (30) serves as an interface between the panel support (20) and the drawer outer support (40) where the drawer (50) is seated. In this context, fastening elements interacting with both elements are located on the alignment means (30). The alignment element screw hole (31) allows the guidance and seating by receiving the panel support screw hole (21). Thus, the panel support (20) and the alignment means (30) refer to each other, and this referencing can be transferred by the alignment protrusions (34) engaging with the alignment slot (41) on the drawer outer support (40). An outer frame (33) reaches the front surface of the panel (10) by passing through the opening when the alignment means (30) is placed from the panel support (20) to the access opening (11), and allows the drawer (50) to be guided and seated into the alignment means (30) via the alignment guides (32) contained on its inner walls.

[0043] In the front perspective view of the steam oven (1) shown in Figures 4a and 4b, the alignment means (30) according to the invention is placed in the drawer (50) access (11) opening. The edges of the outer frame (33) are perfectly seated in the access opening (11), and thus the drawer (50) will be easily seated and aligned into the alignment guides (32) located on its inner walls. Thus, since the drawer (50) will be fully aligned with the panel (10) access opening (11), it will be able to continue its function without any misalignment or irregularity from outside.

[0044] In the rear perspective view of the steam oven (1) shown in Figures 5a and 5b, the position where the alignment means (30) according to the invention is positioned in the access opening (11) on the panel support (20) and connected to the drawer outer support (40) and ready for the seating of the drawer (50) is seen. The panel support screw hole (21) is seated into the alignment element screw hole (31) on the alignment means (30). At the same time, the alignment protrusions (34) are ready to engage with the alignment slots (41) of the drawer outer support (40). The drawer (50) can be guided into the alignment means (30) with the alignment guides (32) by passing through the inside of the drawer outer support (40) and can be safely seated on the panel.

[0045] The front perspective view of the oven where the alignment means (30) according to the invention is placed in the drawer (50) access opening (11) of the steam oven (1) panel (10) and the steam drawer (50) is mounted to the alignment means (30) is depicted in Figures 6a and 6b. As seen here, the drawer (50) is properly seated in the access opening (11) on the panel (10), and the formation of homogeneous gaps between the drawer outer surface (51) (for example, the drawer outer panel glass) and the panel (10) is ensured. Thus, when the user looks at the panel (10) and the drawer glass (51), no slippage or irregularity is seen, and at the same time, the drawer (50) is in a state where it can perform its function of coming out from the access opening (11) according to the user's command and seating back in place in a smooth manner every time. In Figures 7a and 7b, the rear perspective view of the oven where the alignment means (30) according to the invention is placed in the drawer (50) access opening (11) of the steam oven (1) panel (10) and the steam drawer (50) is mounted is provided. As seen, the alignment protrusions (34) on the alignment means (30) are seated into the alignment slots (41) of the drawer outer support (40), and the movement of the drawer (50) with the drawer outer support (40) and the alignment means (30) and thus within the panel (10) can occur without any problem.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A steam reservoir drawer (50) alignment means (30) that ensures the positioning of elements, such as the steam reservoir drawer (50), extending rearward from a front panel (10) of an oven (1) into the interior of the oven and allowing the drawer (50) to move outward from the panel (10) through user interaction with the front panel, in an access opening (11) formed in the front panel (10) of the oven in such a way that homogeneous gaps are formed between a drawer outer surface (51) and the panel (10) without disturbing the user's eye, and at the same time guarantees the smooth continuation of the functional movement of the drawer (50) within the access opening (11) in every use, characterised in that; it serves as an interface between a panel support (20) and a drawer outer support (40) where the drawer (50) is seated, and has fastening elements interacting with both elements located on the alignment means (30); wherein the alignment means (30) comprises: alignment element screw holes (31) that receive panel support screw holes (21) which allow the panel support (20) to be seated and fixed to the alignment means (30), and allow the fixation of both parts and ensure that the panel support (20) and the alignment means (30) refer to each other, alignment protrusions (34) that allow the referencing to be transferred by engaging with an alignment slot (41) located on the drawer outer support (40), alignment guides (32) located on inner walls of the alignment means (30) that allow the drawer (50) to be guided and seated into the alignment means (30).

2. The steam reservoir drawer (50) alignment means (30) according to Claim 1 , characterised in that the alignment means (30) includes an outer frame (33) that reaches a front surface of the panel (10) by passing through the opening when placed from the panel support (20) to the access opening (11), and allows the drawer (50) to be guided and seated into the alignment means (30) via the alignment guides (32) contained on its inner walls.

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