Hot-air cooking appliance comprising integrated handles

Abstract

The invention relates to an electric cooking appliance (1) configured to cook food, comprising a housing (2) comprising a receiving cavity (3), a cooking container (4) configured to receive food to be cooked and a facade (6) comprising two lateral gripping handles (8). The electric cooking appliance (1) further comprises a hot-air heating system configured to heat and cook food in at least one hot-air cooking mode. The lateral gripping handles (8) each comprise a handling portion which is movable between a handling configuration and a rest configuration, the lateral gripping handles (8) defining a lateral dimension in the rest configuration which is less than the lateral dimension of the lateral gripping handles (8) in the handling configuration.

Description

Hot air cooking appliance with integrated handles

[0001] The present invention relates generally to an electric cooking appliance for cooking food according to at least one hot air cooking method. State of the art

[0002] It is known from the prior art to use an electric cooking appliance configured for cooking food, and comprising: a housing including a receiving compartment; a cooking vessel including a cooking chamber configured for receiving food to be cooked, a front panel and two side handles, the cooking vessel being configured to occupy an insertion position in which the cooking vessel is disposed at least partially in the receiving compartment and in which the cooking chamber delimits, together with the housing, a cooking chamber, and a withdrawal position in which the cooking vessel is at least partially withdrawn from the receiving compartment and in which the cooking chamber is accessible to a user,a hot air heating system provided in an upper portion of the housing and configured to heat and cook the food inside the receiving compartment according to at least one hot air cooking method, the hot air heating system comprising: a fan disposed in the upper portion of the housing and configured to generate an airflow in the cooking chamber; a drive unit configured to rotate the fan around an axis of rotation; and a heating device disposed in the upper portion.

[0003] This type of electric cooking appliance is efficient because it allows a user to cook food placed in the cooking chamber, particularly using a hot air cooking method.

[0004] However, a drawback of such an electric cooking appliance lies in the overall size of the cooking vessel, and particularly its lateral bulk due to the presence of the side handles. Furthermore, the combined mass of the cooking vessel and the food inside necessitates the use of handles of sufficient size to ensure a comfortable grip for the user, which further contributes to the overall size of the electric cooking appliance.

[0005] The technical problem underlying the invention is therefore to provide an electric cooking appliance designed for cooking food using at least one hot air cooking method, which is of simple, compact and economical structure, while limiting the overall size of a cooking container equipping an electric cooking appliance and promoting a good grip on the cooking container.

[0006] To this end, the present invention relates to an electric cooking appliance configured for cooking food, and comprising: a housing including a receiving compartment; a cooking container including a cooking chamber configured to receive food to be cooked and a front panel including a front part extending over a front face of the cooking chamber and two lateral parts extending at least partially onto lateral faces of the cooking chamber, the cooking container further comprising two lateral gripping handles arranged respectively on the two lateral parts of the front panel, the cooking container being configured to occupy an insertion position in which the cooking container is arranged at least partially in the receiving compartment and in which the cooking chamber and the housing define a cooking chamber,and a withdrawal position in which the cooking container is at least partially withdrawn from the receiving housing and in which the cooking vessel is accessible to a user, a hot air heating system provided in an upper portion of the housing and configured to heat and cook the food inside the receiving housing according to at least one hot air cooking mode,

[0007] Each side gripping handle has a manipulation part that is movable between a manipulation configuration and a rest configuration, the side gripping handles defining a first lateral footprint when the manipulation parts are in the rest configuration and defining a second lateral footprint when the manipulation parts are in the manipulation configuration, the first lateral footprint being less than the second lateral footprint.

[0008] Resting configuration means a configuration in which the side gripping handles are not subjected to any action or constraint from the user.

[0009] Such a configuration of the invention allows a user to easily grasp and manipulate the cooking vessel while maintaining its compact shape despite the presence of the side handles. Indeed, the mobility of the handling parts limits the bulk generated by the side handles when the handling parts are in their resting position, while still allowing the user to grip the cooking vessel securely when the handling parts are in their operating position.

[0010] The electric cooking appliance may also have one or more of the following characteristics, which may be taken alone or in combination.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the invention, the first lateral space, defined by the lateral gripping handles when the handling parts are in the rest configuration, is included in the overall lateral space of the front panel.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the invention, the electric cooking appliance includes a control unit configured to control the operation of the electric cooking appliance according to at least one hot air cooking mode.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the invention, the control unit is configured to activate the hot air heating system when the electric cooking appliance is in hot air cooking mode.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the invention, each handling part is configured to be recessed from or flush with the external surface of the respective side part when said handling part is in its resting configuration. Such a configuration of the handling part ensures that the overall dimensions of the cooking vessel are not affected when the handling part is in its resting configuration.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the invention, each handling part is configured to protrude at least partially from the external surface of the respective lateral part when said handling part is in the handling configuration. Such a configuration of the lateral gripping handles facilitates access to and gripping of the cooking container by the user.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the invention, the two lateral parts of the front define the lateral dimensions of the electric cooking appliance when the two handling parts are in their resting configuration.

[0017] According to the embodiment of the invention, each manipulation part has a rear edge which is configured to move away from the respective lateral part when said manipulation part is moved from the rest configuration to the manipulation configuration.

[0018] According to one embodiment of the invention, the housing comprises an external housing surface, and the external surface of each lateral part of the front is substantially flush with the external housing surface when the cooking container is in the insertion position.

[0019] According to one embodiment of the invention, each lateral part of the front panel has a lateral recess in which the respective manipulation part is at least partially housed, the lateral recesses and the manipulation parts defining two insertion slots each configured to receive at least partially fingers of a respective hand of the user when the manipulation parts are in the manipulation configuration.

[0020] According to one embodiment of the invention, each manipulation part is mounted to pivot around a pivot axis.

[0021] According to one embodiment of the invention, the pivot axis is substantially vertical when the housing rests on a horizontal surface and the cooking container occupies the insertion position.

[0022] According to another embodiment of the invention, the pivot axis could be substantially horizontal when the housing rests on a horizontal surface and the cooking container occupies the insertion position.

[0023] According to one embodiment of the invention, the cooking container is configured to occupy a plurality of intermediate positions provided between the insertion position and the withdrawal position.

[0024] According to one embodiment of the invention, the cooking container is removable from the housing.

[0025] According to one embodiment of the invention, the electric cooking appliance includes a return device configured to move each manipulation part back to the rest configuration.

[0026] According to one embodiment of the invention, the return device comprises two return springs, each return spring being respectively connected to one of the two lateral gripping handles, and more particularly, to one of the two manipulation parts.

[0027] According to one embodiment of the invention, the cooking tank delimits an internal volume greater than 6 liters, advantageously greater than 8 liters, and for example greater than 10 liters.

[0028] According to one embodiment of the invention, the cooking vat has a width which is greater than a depth of said cooking vat.

[0029] According to one embodiment of the invention, the electric cooking appliance is configured such that a movement of the cooking container from the insertion position to the withdrawal position includes at least one translational movement which is substantially horizontal when the housing rests on a horizontal surface.

[0030] According to one embodiment of the invention, the movement of the cooking container from the withdrawal position to the insertion position includes at least one translational movement which is substantially horizontal when the housing rests on a horizontal surface.

[0031] According to one embodiment of the invention, the hot air heating system comprises:

[0032] - a fan located in the upper portion of the casing and configured to generate an airflow into the cooking chamber;

[0033] - a drive unit configured to rotate the fan around an axis of rotation; and

[0034] - a heating device located in the upper portion of the case and configured to heat the airflow generated by the fan.

[0035] The invention further relates to a method of using the electric cooking appliance according to the invention, the method of use comprising at least the following steps: moving each handling part from the rest configuration to the handling configuration, grasping each handling part by a respective hand of the user, and moving the cooking container into the withdrawal position.

[0036] According to one embodiment, the external surface of the front panel includes a first support surface located near the first recess and a second support surface located near the second recess, the first and second support surfaces forming a continuous surface with an external surface of the housing when the cooking container is in its insertion position. Brief description of the figures

[0037] The present invention will be better understood with the aid of the following description with reference to the accompanying figures, in which identical reference signs correspond to structurally and / or functionally identical or similar elements.

[0038] is a perspective view of an electric cooking appliance according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0039] is a side perspective view of a cooking vessel belonging to the electric cooking appliance, showing two side handles for gripping the cooking vessel in a resting configuration;

[0040] is a side perspective view of the cooking vessel in which the side gripping handles are in a handling configuration;

[0041] is a side perspective view of the cooking vessel during handling by a user. Detailed description

[0042] In this document, the terms "front", "upper", "lower" and "lateral" are defined in relation to normal use of the electric cooking appliance during which the housing rests on a horizontal surface.

[0043] Unless otherwise stipulated, the term "substantially" means, in this document, "exactly or to within 10% or to within 10°".

[0044] Figures 1 to 4 depict an electric cooking appliance 1, such as a hot air cooking appliance, according to an embodiment of the invention. The electric cooking appliance 1 is configured for cooking food, such as meat, fish, vegetables, or other foods, and includes a control unit UC configured to control the operation of the electric cooking appliance 1 according to at least one hot air cooking mode, the operation of which will be detailed below.

[0045] The electric cooking appliance 1 includes a housing 2 comprising a receiving compartment 3, and a cooking container 4 configured to be placed removably in the receiving compartment 3 and to receive food to be cooked.

[0046] More specifically, the cooking container 4 includes a cooking chamber 5 configured to receive the food to be cooked and defining an internal volume that may exceed 10 liters. Furthermore, the cooking chamber 5 has a width that is greater than its depth. The cooking container 4 is configured to occupy an insertion position in which the cooking container 4 is at least partially placed within the receiving housing 3 and in which the cooking chamber 5 and the housing 2 define a cooking chamber, and a withdrawal position in which the cooking container 4 is at least partially withdrawn from the receiving housing 3 and in which the cooking chamber 5 is accessible to a user.Advantageously, the electric cooking appliance 1 is configured such that a movement of the cooking container 4 from the insertion position to the retraction position includes at least one translational movement that is substantially horizontal when the housing 2 rests on a horizontal surface. The cooking container 4 can be configured to occupy a plurality of intermediate positions between the insertion and retraction positions.

[0047] The cooking vessel 4 has a front 6 comprising two side gripping handles 8. The front 6 more particularly comprises a front part 9 extending over a front face of the cooking vessel 5, and two side parts 10 extending respectively at least in part over two side faces of the cooking vessel 5, the two side gripping handles 8 being arranged respectively on the two side parts 10 of the front 6.

[0048] According to the embodiment of the invention shown in the figures, the housing 2 has an external housing surface 11, and the external surface of each lateral part 10 of the front 6 is substantially flush with the external housing surface 11 when the cooking container 4 is in the insertion position.

[0049] Each of the side gripping handles 8 has a manipulation portion 12 that is movable between a manipulation configuration and a rest configuration. By rest configuration is meant a configuration in which the side gripping handles 8 are not subjected to any action or constraint by the user.

[0050] More specifically, each handling part 12 is pivotally mounted, between the handling configuration and the resting configuration, respectively around pivot axes A1 and A2 which are substantially vertical when the housing 2 rests on a horizontal surface and the cooking container 4 is in the insertion position. According to another embodiment of the invention, not shown in the figures, the pivot axes A1 and A2 could be substantially horizontal when the housing 2 rests on a horizontal surface and the cooking container 4 is in the insertion position.

[0051] According to the embodiment of the invention shown in the figures, each handling part 12 has a front edge which is located near the respective pivot axis A1, A2, and a rear edge which is configured to extend substantially vertically when the cooking container 4 rests on a horizontal surface and to move away from the respective lateral part 10 when said handling part 12 is moved from the resting configuration to the handling configuration.

[0052] The side gripping handles 8 define a first lateral footprint when the handling parts 12 are in the rest configuration (see the diagram), and a second lateral footprint when the handling parts 12 are in the handling configuration (see the diagram), the first lateral footprint being smaller than the second lateral footprint. Furthermore, the first lateral footprint, defined by the side gripping handles 8 when the handling parts 12 are in the rest configuration, is included in the overall lateral footprint of the front panel 6.

[0053] Such a configuration of the invention allows, for a user, to easily grasp and manipulate the cooking container 4 (see the), while maintaining a compact configuration of the cooking container 4 despite the presence of the side gripping handles 8. Indeed, the mobility of the manipulation parts 12 of the side gripping handles 8 makes it possible to limit the bulk generated by said side gripping handles 8 in the resting configuration, while allowing good gripping of the cooking container 4 by the user when said side gripping handles 8 are in the manipulation configuration.

[0054] According to the embodiment of the invention shown in the figures, each handling part 12 is configured to be recessed or flush with the external surface of the respective side part 10 when the handling parts 12 are in their resting configuration. This configuration of each handling part 12 ensures that the overall dimensions of the cooking vessel 4 are not affected when the handling parts 12 are in their resting configuration.

[0055] Conversely, each handling part 12 is configured to protrude at least partially from the outer surface of the respective side part 10 when the handling parts 12 are in the handling configuration. This configuration of the side gripping handles 8 facilitates access to and gripping of the cooking container 4 by the user.

[0056] According to the embodiment of the invention shown in the figures, the front panel 6 has two lateral recesses 13 provided respectively on the two lateral parts 10 of the front panel 6, and each manipulation part 12 is configured to be housed at least partially in a respective lateral recess 13. Advantageously, when the manipulation parts 12 are in their resting configuration, the lateral recesses 13 and the manipulation parts 12 define two insertion slots 14, each configured to receive at least partially the fingers of a respective hand of the user.

[0057] The electric cooking appliance 1 also includes a return mechanism, not shown in the figures, configured to return each operating part 12 to its rest position. The return mechanism may, for example, include two return springs, each spring being connected to one of the two side handles 8, and more specifically to one of the two operating parts 12.

[0058] As illustrated in Figure 1, the external surface of the front panel includes a first support surface located near the first recess and a second support surface located near the second recess. These support surfaces allow the user to position their thumb to brace against the front panel and hold the cooking container 4 horizontally when it is removed from the housing 2 outside the receiving compartment 3.

[0059] Furthermore, the first and second support surfaces form a continuous surface with an external surface of the housing when the cooking container 4 is in its inserted position. Moreover, it remains possible to move the cooking container 4 within its receiving slot 3 when the manipulator portion 12 of the side gripping handles 8 is in its resting configuration. Once the cooking container 4 is fully or partially removed from its receiving slot, the manipulator portion 12 of the side gripping handles 8 can then be moved into its manipulator configuration so that the user can grasp the cooking container 4 with its full weight.

[0060] The electric cooking appliance 1 further includes a hot air heating system 15 provided in an upper portion of the housing 2 and configured to heat and cook the food inside the receiving compartment 3. Advantageously, the control unit UC is configured to activate the hot air heating system 15 when the electric cooking appliance 1 is in hot air cooking mode.

[0061] The hot air heating system 15 comprises a fan 15.1 disposed in the upper portion of the housing 2 and configured to generate an airflow into the cooking chamber, a drive unit 15.2, such as a drive motor, configured to rotate the fan 15.1 around an axis of rotation (which may, for example, be substantially vertical when the housing 2 rests on a horizontal surface), and a heating device 15.3, such as an electric heating element, disposed in the upper portion of the housing 2 and configured to heat the airflow generated by the fan. Advantageously, the heating device 15.3 is configured to be located opposite an upper opening of the cooking vessel 5 when the cooking container 4 is in the insertion position.

[0062] A method of using the electric cooking appliance 1 according to the first embodiment of the invention is described below.

[0063] When a user wishes to cook food in the cooking container 4 initially occupying the insertion position, the operating process includes the following steps: moving each handling part 12 from the rest configuration to the handling configuration, grasping each handling part 12 by a respective hand of the user, and moving the cooking container 4 into the withdrawal position.

[0064] Thus, moving the cooking container 4 into the withdrawal position allows the user to access the cooking tank 5 in order to place the food to be cooked, then to reposition the cooking container 4 into the insertion position by following these steps: moving each handling part 12 from the rest configuration to the handling configuration, grasping each handling part 12 by a respective hand of the user, and moving the cooking container 4 into the insertion position.

[0065] Of course, the present invention is in no way limited to the embodiment described and illustrated, which has been given only by way of example. Modifications remain possible, particularly with regard to the composition of the various elements or by substitution of technical equivalents, without departing from the scope of protection of the invention.

Claims

An electric cooking appliance (1) configured for cooking food, comprising: a housing (2) including a receiving compartment (3); a cooking container (4) including a cooking chamber (5) configured for receiving food to be cooked and a front panel (6) including a front portion (9) extending over a front face of the cooking chamber (5) and two side portions (10) extending at least partially onto side faces of the cooking chamber (5), the cooking container (4) further comprising two side handles (8) arranged respectively on the two side portions (10) of the front panel (6), the cooking container (4) being configured to occupy an insertion position in which the cooking container (4) is arranged at least partially in the receiving compartment (3) and in which the cooking chamber (5) and the housing (2) define a cooking chamber,and a withdrawal position in which the cooking container (4) is at least partially withdrawn from the receiving compartment (3) and in which the cooking vessel (5) is accessible to a user, and a hot air heating system provided in an upper portion of the housing (2) and configured to heat and cook the food inside the receiving compartment (3) according to at least one hot air cooking mode, characterized in that each side gripping handle (8) has a handling portion (12) which is movable between a handling configuration and a resting configuration, the side gripping handles (8) defining a first lateral dimension when the handling portions (12) are in the resting configuration and defining a second lateral dimension when the handling portions (12) are in the handling configuration,the first lateral clearance being less than the second lateral clearance. Electric cooking appliance (1) according to claim 1, wherein each handling part (12) is configured to be recessed from or flush with an external surface of the respective side part (10), when said handling part (12) is in the rest configuration. Electric cooking appliance (1) according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein each handling part (12) is configured to protrude at least partially from the external surface of the respective side part (10), when said handling part (12) is in the handling configuration. Electric cooking appliance (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the two side parts (10) of the front (6) define the side dimensions of the electric cooking appliance (1) when the two handling parts (12) are in their resting configuration. Electric cooking appliance (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the housing (2) has an external housing surface (11), and the external surface of each side part (10) of the front (6) is substantially flush with the external housing surface (11) when the cooking container (4) is in the insertion position. Electric cooking appliance (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein each side part (10) of the front (6) has a side recess (13) in which the respective handling part (12) is at least partially housed, the side recesses (13) and the handling parts (12) defining two insertion slots (14) each configured to receive at least partially fingers of a respective hand of the user when the handling parts (12) are in the handling configuration. Electric cooking appliance (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein each handling part (12) is pivotally mounted about a pivot axis (A1). Electric cooking appliance (1) according to claim 7, wherein the pivot axis (A1) is substantially vertical when the housing (2) rests on a horizontal surface and the cooking container (4) occupies the insertion position. Electric cooking appliance (1) according to claim 7, wherein the pivot axis (A1) is substantially horizontal when the housing (2) rests on a horizontal surface and the cooking container (4) occupies the insertion position. Cooking appliance according to any one of claims 1 to 9, which includes a return device configured to move each handling part (12) towards the rest configuration. Cooking appliance according to any one of claims 1 to 10, in which the cooking vessel (5) delimits an internal volume greater than 6 liters, advantageously greater than 8 liters, and for example greater than 10 liters. Cooking appliance according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the cooking vessel (5) has a width which is greater than a depth of said cooking vessel (5). Cooking appliance according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the hot air heating system (15) comprises: - a fan (15.1) disposed in the upper portion of the housing (2) and configured to generate an airflow in the cooking chamber; - a drive unit (15.2) configured to drive the fan (15.1) in rotation around an axis of rotation; and - a heating device (15.3) disposed in the upper portion of the housing (2) and configured to heat the airflow generated by the fan (15.1). Method of using an electric cooking appliance (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 13, the method of use comprising at least the following steps: moving each handling part (12) from the rest configuration to the handling configuration, grasping each handling part (12) by a respective hand of the user, and moving the cooking container (4) into the withdrawal position.

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