Water tank assembly, water tank device and steam cooking appliance

Abstract

Provided in the present application are a water tank assembly, a water tank device, and a steam cooking appliance. The steam cooking appliance comprises: a cooking box, which comprises a cooking cavity; a heating device, which is mounted on the cooking box, used for heating food in the cooking cavity; a water receiving trough, which is mounted in the cooking cavity, capable of being heated by the heating device; and a water tank assembly, which is mounted on the cooking box, used for supplying water to the water receiving trough. In the height direction of the cooking box, the water tank assembly is positioned above the water receiving trough. In the described structure, when it is necessary to replenish water for the food, by adding water to the water tank assembly, the water in the water tank assembly can flow into the water receiving trough, so that during cooking, the water in the water receiving trough can be heated into steam, thereby achieving water replenishment for the food. Moreover, in the present application, the water tank assembly is arranged at a relatively high position, and the water receiving trough is arranged at a relatively low position, such that water in the water tank assembly can flow downward under the action of gravity, thereby enabling the water to flow downward by gravity and making downward water flow smoother.

Description

Water tank assemblies, water tank units and steam cooking appliances

[0001] The applicant declares that this application is requested to be filed with the Chinese Patent Office on March 26, 2025, application number "202520552231.7", entitled "Water Tank Device and Steam Cooking Appliance"; application number "202520552258.6", also entitled "Water Tank Device and Steam Cooking Appliance"; and application number "202520552276.4", also entitled "Water Tank Device and Steam Cooking Appliance". The priority of the following Chinese patent applications is hereby declared: Application No. 202520552401.1, filed on March 26, 2025, entitled "Water Tank Device and Steam Cooking Appliance"; Application No. 202510371334.8, filed on March 26, 2025, entitled "Steam Cooking Appliance"; and Application No. 202510370502.1, filed on March 26, 2025, entitled "Water Tank Assembly and Steam Cooking Appliance". The entire contents of these applications are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of household appliance technology, and more specifically, to a water tank assembly, a water tank device, and a steam cooking appliance. Background Technology

[0003] The steam ovens proposed in the relevant solutions have a water collection trough inside the oven, which is then filled with water by a water tank. However, the water tank in this type of oven is generally set relatively low, making drainage difficult. Therefore, this type of oven requires a water pump to draw water and also needs to be controlled by an electronic control system to control the water filling operation. This makes the oven's structure relatively complex and its cost higher, which is not conducive to the promotion of steam ovens.

[0004] Therefore, designing a steam oven with a simple structure and low cost has become an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application aims to at least address the problems of complex structure and high cost of steam ovens in the prior art or related technologies.

[0006] Therefore, the first objective of this application is to provide a steam cooking appliance.

[0007] The second objective of this application is to provide a water tank device.

[0008] The third objective of this application is to provide a water tank assembly.

[0009] An embodiment of the first aspect of this application provides a steam cooking appliance, including: a cooking chamber, the cooking chamber including a cooking cavity; a heating device installed on the cooking chamber for heating food inside the cooking cavity; a water tank installed inside the cooking cavity and capable of being heated by the heating device; and a water tank assembly installed on the cooking chamber for supplying water to the water tank; wherein, along the height direction of the cooking chamber, the water tank assembly is located above the location of the water tank.

[0010] The steam cooking appliance provided according to the embodiments of this application can specifically be a product such as an oven. The steam cooking appliance specifically includes a cooking chamber, a heating device, a water receiving tank, and a water tank assembly. The cooking chamber has a cooking cavity for placing and heating food ingredients. The heating device heats the cooking cavity, thereby heating the food ingredients inside. The water receiving tank stores water, and the water in the tank can be heated into steam by the heating device to humidify the food ingredients in the cooking cavity. The water tank assembly stores a large amount of water, which flows into the water receiving tank. With this structure, when water needs to be added to the food ingredients, water can be added to the water tank assembly, and the water in the water tank assembly can flow into the water receiving tank. During the cooking process, the water in the water receiving tank can be heated into steam to humidify the food ingredients.

[0011] In this application, the water tank assembly is set relatively high, while the water receiving trough is set relatively low. This allows the water in the water tank assembly to fall under the influence of gravity, making the drainage smoother. This reduces the reliance on water pumps and electrical controls, thereby simplifying the product structure and reducing product costs.

[0012] An embodiment of the second aspect of this application provides a water tank device for a steam cooking appliance. The water tank device includes: a mounting shell, the mounting shell including a mounting cavity, one end of the mounting cavity being provided with a first mounting port; a water tank assembly including a water tank shell and a cover, the water tank shell including a water-containing cavity and a first inlet / outlet communicating with the water-containing cavity, the first inlet / outlet being provided at one end of the water tank shell, the cover being detachably mounted on the water tank shell to open or close the first inlet / outlet, and the water tank shell also being provided with a second inlet / outlet; wherein, the water tank assembly is detachably mounted on the mounting shell, and when the water tank assembly is mounted on the mounting shell, it is movable along a first direction between a first position and a second position; when the water tank assembly is in the first position, the water tank assembly is located inside the mounting cavity, and when the water tank assembly is in the second position, the second inlet / outlet is located outside the mounting cavity.

[0013] The water tank device provided in this application can be specifically used in steam cooking appliances such as steam ovens. This water tank device supplies water to the cooking chamber of the steam cooking appliance, heating the water into steam to humidify the food inside. The water tank device specifically includes a water tank assembly and a mounting housing. The mounting housing supports the water tank assembly. During installation, the mounting housing can be fixed to the body of the steam cooking appliance, and then the water tank assembly can be detachably installed inside the mounting housing. This allows the water tank assembly to be removed separately, facilitating cleaning and refilling. Furthermore, due to the mounting housing, the water tank assembly does not need to be connected to a water collection box, eliminating the need for any connecting pipes during installation and removal. This makes the installation and removal of the water tank assembly very convenient, facilitating cleaning and refilling.

[0014] The water tank assembly specifically includes a water tank shell and a cover. The water tank shell has a first inlet and outlet, and the cover is detachably installed on the first inlet and outlet. This structure, with its removable cover, allows for easy cleaning of the water tank assembly by opening the cover to clean the interior of the water tank shell, thus improving cleaning convenience and ensuring cleanliness. Furthermore, this design allows users to easily inspect the interior of the water tank shell by opening the cover, facilitating timely detection of dirt and grime. This makes it easier for users to clean the water tank assembly promptly, giving them greater peace of mind when using it.

[0015] In this application, the water tank assembly can extend and retract relative to the mounting housing. Specifically, the water tank assembly can be installed in a first position within the mounting housing, or it can extend partially out of the mounting cavity from the first mounting opening, in which case the water tank assembly is in a second position. When the water tank assembly is in the second position, the second inlet and outlet are located outside the mounting cavity. With this structure, when water needs to be added to the water tank assembly, it can be moved from the first position to the second position to expose the second inlet and outlet, and then water can be added to the water tank assembly through the second inlet and outlet. The second inlet and outlet allow the user to add water without disassembling the water tank assembly, making it convenient for users to add water to the water tank assembly during cooking.

[0016] As can be seen, in this application, when adding water to the water tank assembly, one can either disassemble the entire water tank assembly and open the cover to add water, or not disassemble the water tank assembly and directly pull out a portion of the water tank assembly relative to the mounting shell to add water to the water tank assembly through the second inlet and outlet. This makes the water tank assembly more flexible and diverse in terms of water addition methods, thereby improving the user experience.

[0017] Wherein, the first direction is the axial direction of the first mounting port.

[0018] An embodiment of the third aspect of this application provides a steam cooking appliance, including the water tank device provided in any embodiment of the second aspect.

[0019] Since this type of steam cooking appliance has the water tank device provided in any embodiment of the second aspect, it has all the beneficial effects of the water tank device provided in any embodiment of the second aspect, which will not be repeated here.

[0020] An embodiment of the fourth aspect of this application provides a water tank device for a steam cooking appliance. The water tank device includes: a water tank assembly including a water outlet channel; a mounting housing including a water storage tank and a drain outlet that are interconnected, the water storage tank being disposed corresponding to the water outlet channel for receiving water from the water outlet channel; and a water receiving box communicating with the drain outlet, wherein water in the water storage tank can be discharged from the drain outlet into the water receiving box.

[0021] The water tank device provided in this application can be specifically used in steam cooking appliances such as steam ovens. This water tank device supplies water to a water collection box, where the water is heated into steam to humidify the food in the cooking cavity. The water tank device specifically includes a water tank assembly, a mounting shell, and a water collection box. The mounting shell is equipped with a water storage tank. After the water tank assembly is installed, the water outlet channel of the water tank assembly corresponds to the water storage tank. Water discharged from the water outlet channel first enters the water storage tank and then, under gravity, is discharged from the water storage tank into the water collection box. This design, with a water storage tank for the water tank assembly, creates a large buffer zone at the water outlet. When the water flow in the water tank assembly is large or rapid, the water can be stored in the storage chamber to buffer the impact of the falling water, allowing the water to enter the cooking cavity at a more stable flow rate. This avoids water splashing when the water flows into the water collection box due to a large flow. In addition, the water tank buffers the water flow, preventing water from overflowing into other parts of the product or even overflowing from the front of the water tank assembly when the water path is blocked.

[0022] For example, when adding water directly to the water tank assembly without removing it, the water flow rate is very high. This water flow has a strong impact force, which can easily cause instability in the water flow output from the water tank assembly, leading to splashing. Furthermore, it can also cause water to overflow due to insufficient drainage. This application effectively solves the problems of unstable water flow leading to splashing and overflow by adding an additional water storage tank at the water outlet channel.

[0023] An embodiment of the fifth aspect of this application provides a steam cooking appliance, including the water tank device provided in any embodiment of the fourth aspect.

[0024] Since this steam cooking appliance has the water tank device provided in any one embodiment of the fourth aspect, it has all the beneficial effects of the water tank device provided in any one embodiment of the fourth aspect, which will not be repeated here.

[0025] An embodiment of the sixth aspect of this application provides a water tank device for a steam cooking appliance. The steam cooking appliance includes a housing with a cooking cavity. The water tank device includes: a water receiving trough installed inside the cooking cavity; a water tank assembly located outside the cooking cavity; and a connector installed on the water receiving trough or the housing and communicating with the water tank assembly. The outlet end of the connector is provided corresponding to the water receiving trough, and water in the water tank assembly can be transported to the water receiving trough through the connector. The outlet end of the connector is located inside the cooking cavity and protrudes from the inner wall of the cooking cavity.

[0026] In this embodiment, the water tank device can be specifically used in steam cooking appliances such as steam ovens. This water tank device supplies water to the steam cooking appliance, enabling it to generate steam for humidifying the food. The steam cooking appliance includes a housing with a cooking chamber inside, where the food to be cooked can be placed for heating. The water tank device specifically includes a water receiving tank, a water tank assembly, and a connector. The water tank assembly stores water, and the water in the assembly flows into the water receiving tank for timely replenishment. The water in the receiving tank is heated into steam in the cooking chamber to hydrate the food inside. The connector is located on the water receiving tank; water from the water tank assembly first enters the connector and then flows into the receiving tank. With this structure, when water needs to be added to the food, water can be added to the receiving tank through the water tank assembly without opening the cooking chamber.

[0027] Meanwhile, the outlet end of the connector is located inside the cooking cavity and protrudes from the inner wall of the cooking cavity. This guides the water flowing out of the outlet end of the connector, preventing it from flowing along the inner wall of the cooking cavity. As a result, the water flowing out of the outlet end of the connector can flow into the water receiving tank. This prevents water from flowing to other parts of the cooking cavity and affecting the cooking of the product when water is supplied to the water receiving tank. This also ensures that there is no obvious turbulence at the outlet of the connector, thus ensuring the cleanliness of other parts of the cooking cavity and preventing them from getting wet.

[0028] An embodiment of the seventh aspect of this application provides a steam cooking appliance, including the water tank device provided in any embodiment of the sixth aspect.

[0029] Since this steam cooking appliance has the water tank device provided in any one embodiment of the sixth aspect, it has all the beneficial effects of the water tank device provided in any one embodiment of the sixth aspect, which will not be repeated here.

[0030] An embodiment of the eighth aspect of this application provides a water tank device for a steam cooking appliance. The water tank device includes: a mounting shell including a mounting cavity, one end of which is provided with a first mounting port, and one of a guide rib and a guide groove is provided on the inner wall of the mounting cavity; a water tank assembly, which can be installed into the mounting cavity through the first mounting port, and the outer wall of the water tank assembly is provided with the other of a guide rib and a guide groove; the guide groove includes an inlet section and a guide section connected to each other, the width of the inlet section is greater than the width of the guide section, and when the water tank assembly is inserted into the mounting cavity through the first mounting port, the inlet section can guide the guide rib into the guide section.

[0031] The water tank device provided according to the embodiments of this application can be specifically used in steam cooking appliances, such as ovens. The water tank device specifically includes a mounting housing and a water tank assembly. The water tank assembly can be pressed into or ejected from the mounting housing. When the water tank assembly enters or exits the mounting housing, guide ribs can move along guide grooves, thereby guiding the water tank assembly's entry and exit. This allows the water tank assembly to smoothly enter and exit the mounting housing, ensuring the water tank assembly moves smoothly to the designated position, guaranteeing the accuracy of the water tank assembly's installation position and preventing damage to the water tank assembly due to incorrect installation by the user. Furthermore, it allows the water tank assembly to smoothly enter and exit the mounting housing without jamming or significant shaking during installation, thus improving the product's texture and quality, and ultimately enhancing the user experience.

[0032] The guide channel comprises an interconnected inlet section and a guide section. The inlet section is wider than the guide section, meaning the inlet of the guide channel is wider, effectively widening at the inlet. This structure reduces the difficulty of aligning the guide ribs and guide channel during the insertion and installation of the water tank assembly. This allows the guide ribs and guide channel to be roughly aligned during insertion into the housing, rather than requiring strict alignment. Even if the initial angle of the water tank assembly is slightly off, it can still enter the inlet section and be corrected to the correct angle under its guidance. This significantly reduces the difficulty of installing the water tank assembly, making installation more convenient.

[0033] An embodiment of the ninth aspect of this application provides a steam cooking appliance, including the water tank device provided in any embodiment of the eighth aspect.

[0034] Since this type of steam cooking appliance has the water tank device provided in any one embodiment of the eighth aspect, the steam cooking appliance has all the beneficial effects of the water tank device provided in any one embodiment of the eighth aspect, which will not be repeated here.

[0035] An embodiment of the tenth aspect of this application provides a water tank assembly for a steam cooking appliance. The steam cooking appliance includes a cooking chamber, which includes a housing and a door. A cooking inlet and a second mounting opening are provided at a first end of the housing along a first direction. The door is installed at the first end to open or close the cooking inlet. The water tank assembly can be pulled and installed onto the housing via the second mounting opening along the first direction. The water tank assembly includes: a water tank shell, which includes a water-containing cavity and a first inlet / outlet communicating with the water-containing cavity. The first inlet / outlet is located at one end of the water tank shell along the first direction; a cover, detachably installed on the water tank shell to open or close the first inlet / outlet; and a sealing ring, disposed between the water tank shell and the cover to seal the gap between the water tank shell and the cover.

[0036] The water tank assembly provided according to the embodiments of this application can be specifically used in steam cooking appliances such as ovens. Specifically, the water tank assembly includes a water tank shell and a cover. The water tank shell is provided with a first inlet and outlet, and the cover is detachably mounted on the first inlet and outlet of the water tank shell. Furthermore, to ensure a seal between the water tank shell and the cover, a sealing ring is provided between them, which allows for a sealed connection and prevents water leakage from the water tank assembly.

[0037] In other oven designs, the water tank assembly typically features a water inlet directly on the side wall of the tank's outer shell without a removable cover. This makes it difficult to open the tank and clean its interior. In contrast, this application incorporates a removable cover, allowing for easy cleaning of the tank's interior. This significantly improves cleaning convenience and ensures the tank remains clean. Furthermore, the user can easily inspect the interior by opening the cover, allowing for quicker detection and cleaning of any dirt or debris. This provides users with greater peace of mind when using the water tank assembly.

[0038] The first direction can specifically refer to the front-to-back direction of the cooking unit. For example, the water tank assembly can be disassembled and installed from the front of the cooking unit. The cover and outer shell of the water tank assembly are also assembled along the front-to-back direction, which means that the water tank assembly is installed horizontally on the cooking unit, rather than vertically.

[0039] An embodiment of the eleventh aspect of this application provides a steam cooking appliance, including: a cooking chamber; and a water tank assembly provided in any embodiment of the tenth aspect. The cooking chamber includes a chamber and a door. A cooking inlet and a second mounting port are provided at a first end of the chamber along a first direction. The door is installed at the first end to open or close the cooking inlet. The water tank assembly can be pulled and installed onto the chamber through the second mounting port along the first direction.

[0040] A steam cooking appliance according to an embodiment of this application includes a cooking chamber and a water tank assembly. The cooking chamber is capable of generating steam and performing cooking functions. The water tank assembly is detachably mounted on the cooking chamber to supply water to the cooking chamber. Since this steam cooking appliance includes the water tank assembly provided in any embodiment of the tenth aspect, it possesses all the beneficial effects of the water tank assembly provided in any embodiment of the tenth aspect, which will not be elaborated further here.

[0041] Additional aspects and advantages of this application will become apparent in the following description or may be learned by practice of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0042] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of this application will become apparent and readily understood from the description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0043] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a steam cooking appliance in an embodiment of this application;

[0044] Figure 2 is a second schematic diagram of the structure of the steam cooking appliance in the embodiments of this application;

[0045] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the water tank assembly and the mounting housing in an embodiment of this application;

[0046] Figure 4 is an exploded structural diagram of the waterway components in an embodiment of this application;

[0047] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the water receiving tank in an embodiment of this application;

[0048] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the water receiving tank, the first bracket, and the second bracket in an embodiment of this application;

[0049] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the installation status of the two second brackets and the first bracket in an embodiment of this application;

[0050] Figure 8 is a third schematic diagram of the structure of the steam cooking appliance in the embodiments of this application;

[0051] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the water tank assembly of a steam cooking appliance in an embodiment of this application;

[0052] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a steam cooking appliance in another embodiment of this application;

[0053] Figure 11 is a second structural schematic diagram of a steam cooking appliance in another embodiment of this application;

[0054] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the water tank assembly and the mounting housing in another embodiment of this application;

[0055] Figure 13 is an exploded structural diagram of a water tank device according to another embodiment of this application;

[0056] Figure 14 is a structural schematic diagram of the water receiving box in another embodiment of this application;

[0057] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the water receiving box, the first bracket, and the second bracket in another embodiment of this application;

[0058] Figure 16 is a schematic diagram of the installation status of the two second brackets and the first bracket in another embodiment of this application;

[0059] Figure 17 is a third structural schematic diagram of a steam cooking appliance in another embodiment of this application;

[0060] Figure 18 is a structural schematic diagram of a water tank assembly in another embodiment of this application;

[0061] Figure 19 is a partial structural schematic diagram of a steam cooking appliance in another embodiment of this application;

[0062] Figure 20 is a partial structural schematic diagram of a water tank assembly in another embodiment of this application;

[0063] Figure 21 is a second structural schematic diagram of the water tank assembly in another embodiment of this application;

[0064] Figure 22 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the water tank device in an embodiment of this application;

[0065] Figure 23 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the water tank assembly in an embodiment of this application;

[0066] Figure 24 is one of the structural schematic diagrams of the mounting shell in an embodiment of this application;

[0067] Figure 25 is a second schematic diagram of the structure of the mounting shell in an embodiment of this application;

[0068] Figure 26 is a second schematic diagram of the water tank assembly in an embodiment of this application;

[0069] Figure 27 is a magnified view of part A in Figure 26;

[0070] Figure 28 is a second schematic diagram of the water tank device in an embodiment of this application;

[0071] Figure 29 is a partial structural schematic diagram of the water tank device in an embodiment of this application;

[0072] Figure 30 is a partial structural schematic diagram of the water tank assembly in an embodiment of this application;

[0073] Figure 31 is a third schematic diagram of the water tank assembly in an embodiment of this application;

[0074] Figure 32 is a fourth structural schematic diagram of the water tank assembly in an embodiment of this application;

[0075] Figure 33 is a fourth structural schematic diagram of the steam cooking appliance in the embodiments of this application;

[0076] Figure 34 is the fifth structural schematic diagram of the steam cooking appliance in the embodiments of this application;

[0077] Figure 35 is a schematic diagram of the water tank device, water receiving tank, connecting pipe and connector in an embodiment of this application;

[0078] Figure 36 is a fifth schematic diagram of the water tank assembly in an embodiment of this application;

[0079] Figure 37 is a sixth schematic diagram of the water tank assembly in an embodiment of this application;

[0080] Figure 38 is a magnified view of part B in Figure 37;

[0081] Figure 39 is a seventh structural schematic diagram of the water tank assembly in an embodiment of this application;

[0082] Figure 40 is the eighth structural schematic diagram of the water tank assembly in an embodiment of this application;

[0083] Figure 41 is a sixth schematic diagram of the structure of the steam cooking appliance in the embodiments of this application;

[0084] Figure 42 is the seventh structural schematic diagram of the steam cooking appliance in the embodiments of this application;

[0085] Figure 43 is a partial structural schematic diagram of a steam cooking appliance in an embodiment of this application;

[0086] Figure 44 is a second partial structural schematic diagram of the steam cooking appliance in the embodiments of this application.

[0087] The components include: 100 water tank device, 200 steam cooking appliance, 1 cooking chamber, 10 food carrier, 102 baking tray, 12 chamber, 122 cooking inlet, 124 second mounting port, 126 inner liner, 1262 liner side wall, 1264 liner top, 1266 mounting plane, 14 door, 16 cooking cavity, 2 heating device, 22 heating element, 3 water collection box, 32 flange, 34 water collection trough, 4 water tank assembly, 40 water tank outer shell, 400 vent hole, 401 first inlet / outlet, 402 second limiting component, 4020 guide slide, 4022 the... 4024 Second guide surface, 4026 First slide rail, 4027 Limiting groove, 4028 Second slide rail, 4029 Outer expansion section, 40292 Fourth guide surface, 403 First arc-shaped surface, 4032 Second outer side wall surface, 404 First outer side wall surface, 4042 First plane, 4044 Second arc-shaped surface, 405 Guide rib, 4052 Inclined guide surface, 406 Water level scale structure, 407 Chamfer, 408 Second inlet / outlet, 409 Indicator structure, 41 First end face, 42 Water holding cavity, 44 Water outlet channel, 442 Water outlet 444 Inlet, 46 Inlet, 47 Cover, 472 Insertion part, 4722 Annular surrounding plate, 4724 Slot, 4726 Rib, 4728 Third guide surface, 474 End cap, 4742 End, 4744 Circumferential sidewall, 48 Valve assembly, 482 Valve stem, 4822 Limiting groove, 4824 Limiting structure, 4826 Fifth guide surface, 486 Sealing gasket, 49 Sealing ring, 492 Inner ring, 494 Outer ring, 496 Gap, 5 First bracket, 52 Support bar, 6 Second bracket, 62 Support part, 7 Connector, 72 Water guide protrusion Starting from, 74 connecting channel, 76 pipe fitting, 8 connecting pipe, 82 hose, 9 mounting housing, 90 drain outlet, 91 limiting hole, 92 mounting cavity, 922 first part inner wall surface, 924 second part inner wall surface, 93 first mounting port, 94 water storage tank, 95 guide groove, 952 inlet section, 954 guide section, 96 push rod, 97 support structure, 982 bottom shell, 9822 first protrusion, 984 top cover, 9842 second protrusion, 99 first limiting component, 992 moving component, 994 sliding component, 996 rotating component, 11 elastic component, 13 press-fit component. Detailed Implementation

[0088] To better understand the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application, the application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in these embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0089] Many specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a full understanding of this application. However, this application may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0090] The steam cooking appliance provided by the embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to Figures 1 to 9.

[0091] As shown in Figures 1 to 9, an embodiment of the first aspect of this application provides a steam cooking appliance, including: a cooking chamber 1, the cooking chamber 1 including a cooking cavity 16; a heating device 2, installed on the cooking chamber 1, for heating food in the cooking cavity 16; a water tank 34, installed in the cooking cavity 16, which can be heated by the heating device 2; and a water tank assembly 4, installed on the cooking chamber 1, for supplying water to the water tank 34; wherein, along the height direction of the cooking chamber 1, the water tank assembly 4 is located above the location of the water tank 34.

[0092] The steam cooking appliance provided according to the embodiments of this application can specifically be a product such as an oven. The steam cooking appliance specifically includes a cooking chamber 1, a heating device 2, a water receiving tank 34, and a water tank assembly 4. The cooking chamber 1 has a cooking cavity 16, which is used to place and heat food ingredients. The heating device 2 heats the cooking cavity 16, thereby heating the food ingredients inside. The water receiving tank 34 stores water, and the water in the water receiving tank 34 can be heated into steam by the heating device 2 to humidify and replenish the food ingredients in the cooking cavity 16. The water tank assembly 4 stores a large amount of water, which flows into the water receiving tank 34. With this structure, when water needs to be added to the food ingredients, water can be added to the water tank assembly 4, and the water in the water tank assembly 4 can flow into the water receiving tank 34. During the cooking process, the water in the water receiving tank 34 can be heated into steam to replenish the water in the food ingredients.

[0093] In this application, the water tank assembly 4 is set relatively high, while the water receiving trough 34 is set relatively low. This allows the water in the water tank assembly 4 to fall under the action of gravity, thus making the water flow more smoothly. This reduces the dependence on water pumps and electrical controls, thereby simplifying the product structure and reducing the product cost.

[0094] In any of the above embodiments, water in the water tank assembly 4 can flow into the water receiving trough 34 under the action of gravity.

[0095] In this embodiment, there is no power equipment between the water tank assembly 4 and the water receiving tank 34. The water in the water tank assembly 4 flows into the water receiving tank 34 purely by gravity. In this way, the water filling operation can be achieved simply through the mechanical structure. There is no need to set up a water pump or rely on any electronic control components, which makes the entire water circuit structure very simple.

[0096] In this type of structure, water does not need to be filled in the water tank assembly 4 when it is not necessary to add water to the food.

[0097] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in FIG3, the water tank assembly 4 includes a water-containing cavity 42, a water outlet channel 44 communicating with the water-containing cavity 42, and a water inlet 46. Along the height direction of the cooking cabinet 1, the inner bottom wall of the water-containing cavity 42 gradually decreases from the water inlet 46 to the water outlet channel 44.

[0098] In this embodiment, water can be added to the water tank assembly 4 through the inlet 46, and the water in the water tank assembly 4 can be discharged through the outlet 44. The inner bottom wall of the water-containing cavity 42 gradually decreases from the inlet 46 to the outlet 44. This allows water to accumulate at the outlet of the water tank assembly 4 when there is little water in it, making it easier for the water in the water tank assembly 4 to flow out. This prevents water from remaining in the water tank assembly 4 and reduces the amount of residual water in the water tank assembly 4.

[0099] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in FIG3, the water tank 34 is detachably installed inside the cooking cabinet 1.

[0100] In this embodiment, when it is not necessary to add water to the food, the water tank 34 and the water tank assembly 4 can be removed from the cooking unit 1 to prevent the water tank 34 from drying out. The water tank 34 can also be made non-removable, in which case the water in the water tank assembly 4 can be poured out when it is not necessary to add water to the food.

[0101] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 2, 6, 7 and 8, the steam cooking appliance further includes: a first support 5 installed inside the cooking cavity 16, and a water tank 34 installed on the first support 5.

[0102] In this embodiment, a first bracket 5 is installed inside the housing 12. The first bracket 5 is mounted on the inner wall of the cooking housing 1. For example, the first bracket 5 can be installed on the cooking housing 1 by means of screws or clips. The water tank 34 is mounted on the first bracket 5, which makes the installation and removal of the water tank 34 more convenient.

[0103] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 2, 6, 7 and 8, the steam cooking appliance further includes: two second supports 6, respectively disposed on two inner sidewalls of the cooking chamber 1 that are opposite to each other along the width direction, for supporting and installing the food carrier 10; wherein, a first support 5 is installed on the top of one of the second supports 6, and the second support 6 is provided with multiple support parts, which are spaced apart along the height direction of the cooking chamber 1, and the two second supports 6 can install the food carrier 10 at multiple height positions distributed along the height direction through the multiple support parts.

[0104] In this embodiment, the second bracket 6 can be used to support and install the food carrier 10, such as the baking pan, and adjust the installation height of the food carrier 10. The first bracket 5 is installed on top of the second bracket 6. In this structure, the water tank 34 and the first bracket 5 are directly installed on the support bracket of the food carrier 10. This allows the installation of the water tank 34 to be achieved using the existing brackets within the housing 12, thereby simplifying the overall product structure and reducing the overall cost.

[0105] As shown in Figure 8, the food carrier 10 specifically includes a baking tray 102.

[0106] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 5 and 6, a flange 32 is provided at the opening of the water receiving tank 34, and the flange 32 extends from the inside to the outside of the opening; the first bracket 5 includes a support bar 52, and the water receiving tank 34 is supported and installed on the support bar 52 by the flange 32.

[0107] In this embodiment, the flange 32 enables the positioning and installation of the docking water tank 34. To ensure the installation of the first bracket 5 with the docking water tank 34, a support bar 52 is provided on the first bracket 5. The support bar 52 can be supported at the bottom of the flange 32 to support the docking water tank 34. To ensure the installation stability of the docking water tank 34, the shape of the support bar 52 can be adapted to the outer wall of the docking water tank 34, and the length of the support bar 52 can be set with reference to the outer periphery of the docking water tank 34.

[0108] For example, when the water receiving trough 34 is elongated, the support strip 52 can cover three sides of the water receiving trough 34 to ensure the support stability of the support strip 52 for the water receiving trough 34. When the water receiving trough 34 is circular or near-circular, the support strip 52 can cover more than a quarter of the circumference of the water receiving trough 34.

[0109] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 5, 6, and 8, the water receiving trough 34 is a long strip structure, and the water receiving trough 34 is arranged along the front-back direction of the cooking chamber 1. The long strip structure of the water receiving trough 34 can reduce the width occupied by the water receiving trough 34, thereby improving the space utilization of the cooking cavity 16.

[0110] For example, the water receiving trough 34 is a long strip structure, and the support bar 52 is supported on three surfaces of the water receiving trough 34. This ensures the installation stability of the water receiving trough 34.

[0111] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in FIG8, the heating device 2 includes a heating element 22, which is installed on the top of the cooking cabinet 1.

[0112] In this embodiment, the heating device 2 can be a variety of heating methods, such as infrared heating, thermal radiation heating, or electromagnetic heating. For example, a heating element 22 can be installed on the top of the cooking cavity 16 to heat the food. At this time, the water tank assembly 4 can be installed on the outer top of the cooking cabinet 1, and the water receiving tank 34 can be set close to the top of the cooking cavity 16, so that the water in the water receiving tank 34 can be heated into steam by the heating element 22.

[0113] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 4 and 8, the steam cooking appliance further includes: a connector 7, installed on the water tank 34 or the cooking chamber 1; and a connecting pipe 8, used to connect the water tank assembly 4 and the connector 7, so as to transport water in the water tank assembly 4 to the water tank 34 through the connecting pipe 8 and the connector 7.

[0114] In this embodiment, to ensure water connectivity between the water tank assembly 4 and the water receiving trough 34, a connector 7 is provided on the water receiving trough 34 or the cooking cabinet 1, and a connecting pipe 8 is installed on the cooking cabinet 1. Water in the water tank assembly 4 can be transported to the water receiving trough 34 through the connecting pipe 8 and the connector 7. This structure, by directly transporting water to the water receiving trough 34 through the connecting pipe 8, can guide the water and prevent it from flowing to other places. At the same time, it can also prevent water from falling directly from a height, thereby reducing water flow noise.

[0115] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 1, 3, and 4, the steam cooking appliance further includes: a mounting shell 9, mounted on the cooking chamber 1, the mounting shell 9 having a mounting cavity 92 for placing the water tank assembly 4; the mounting shell 9 also has a water storage tank 94, the bottom wall of the water storage tank 94 being lower than the bottom wall of the mounting cavity 92 along the height direction of the cooking chamber 1, and when the water tank assembly 4 is installed in the mounting cavity 92, the water tank assembly 4 is connected to the water storage tank 94, and the water in the water tank assembly 4 can flow into the water storage tank 94; a connecting pipe 8 is mounted on the mounting shell 9 and connected to the water storage tank 94.

[0116] In this embodiment, the mounting housing 9 supports the water tank assembly 4. The mounting housing 9 comprises two parts: one part forms a mounting cavity 92 for supporting the water tank assembly 4, and the other part forms a water storage tank 94 for collecting water discharged from the water tank assembly 4. Water in the water storage tank 94 can flow into a receiving tank 34 through a connecting pipe 8. With this structure, due to the mounting housing 9, the water tank assembly 4 does not need to be connected to the connecting pipe 8, etc. Therefore, no pipe connection is required during installation and disassembly of the water tank assembly 4, making it very convenient to remove the water tank assembly 4 for cleaning or adding water.

[0117] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 3 and 9, the water tank assembly 4 further includes: a valve assembly 48, installed at the water outlet channel 44, capable of operating between a first position and a second position to open or close the water outlet channel 44; a push rod 96 is provided on the mounting housing 9, the push rod 96 being used to position the valve assembly 48 in the first position to open the water outlet channel 44 when the water tank assembly 4 is installed in the mounting cavity 92, and after the water tank assembly 4 is removed from the mounting cavity 92, the valve assembly 48 is in the second position and the water outlet channel 44 is closed.

[0118] In this embodiment, after the water tank assembly 4 is correctly installed on the mounting housing 9, the valve assembly 48 can be lifted by the push rod 96, thereby opening the water outlet channel 44. After the water tank assembly 4 is removed, the valve assembly 48 can automatically return to the second position to close the water outlet channel 44. This makes opening and closing the water tank assembly 4 very convenient. This structure allows the water tank assembly 4 to be opened and closed purely mechanically, without the need for electrical control, thus making the opening and closing structure of the water tank assembly 4 more durable.

[0119] In any of the above embodiments, exemplarily as shown in Figures 1, 8, and 9, the cooking cabinet 1 includes a cabinet 12 and a door 14. The cabinet 12 encloses a cooking cavity 16. The cabinet 12 has a cooking inlet 122 and a second mounting port 124 at a first end along a first direction. The door 14 is installed at the first end of the cabinet 12 to open or close the cooking inlet 122. The water tank assembly 4 can be pulled and installed onto the cabinet 12 via the second mounting port 124 along the first direction. The water tank assembly 4 includes: a water tank shell 40, which includes a water-containing cavity 42 and a water inlet 46 communicating with the water-containing cavity 42. The water inlet 46 is located at one end of the water tank shell 40 along the first direction; a cover 47, which is detachably installed on the water tank shell 40 to open or close the water inlet 46; and a sealing ring 49, which is located between the water tank shell 40 and the cover 47 to seal the gap between the water tank shell 40 and the cover 47.

[0120] In this embodiment, the cooking cabinet 1 includes a cabinet 12 and a door 14. A cooking cavity 16 is provided inside the cabinet 12, and the cooking cavity 16 communicates with a cooking inlet 122. The door 14 is installed on the cabinet 12 and is used to open and close the cooking inlet 122. A water tank assembly 4 is installed on the side of the cabinet 12 where the door 14 is located, for example, on the front side of the cabinet 12. The water tank assembly 4 can also be installed onto the cabinet 12 along the front side, and it can be pulled out in the front-back direction for easy assembly and disassembly. Furthermore, the water tank assembly 4 is also placed front-back on the cabinet 12, meaning it is installed horizontally on the cabinet 12, not vertically.

[0121] The water tank assembly 4 specifically includes a water tank shell 40 and a cover 47. The water tank shell 40 is provided with a water inlet 46, and the cover 47 is detachably installed on the water inlet 46 of the water tank shell 40. At the same time, in order to ensure the seal between the water tank shell 40 and the cover 47, a sealing ring 49 is also provided between the two. The sealing ring 49 can make the two seal the connection, thereby preventing water leakage from the water tank assembly 4.

[0122] In other oven designs, the water tank assembly 4 typically has a water inlet directly mounted on the side wall of the water tank outer shell 40 without a removable cover. This makes it difficult to open the interior of the water tank for cleaning. In this application, a removable cover 47 is provided. This allows for easy cleaning of the water tank assembly 4, improving its convenience and ensuring cleanliness. Furthermore, this design allows users to easily inspect the interior of the water tank assembly 40 by opening the cover 47. This facilitates timely detection of dirt and allows for prompt cleaning, giving users greater peace of mind when using the water tank assembly 4.

[0123] The first direction can specifically refer to the front-to-back direction of the cooking cabinet 1. For example, the water tank assembly 4 can be disassembled and installed from the front side of the cooking cabinet 1. The cover 47 and the outer shell 40 of the water tank assembly 4 are also assembled along the front-to-back direction, which means that the water tank assembly 4 is installed horizontally on the cooking cabinet 1, rather than vertically.

[0124] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in FIG1, the box body 12 includes an inner liner and a box shell. The inner liner is installed inside the box shell and forms a cooking cavity 16. The water tank assembly 4 is installed outside the cooking cavity and is located between the top of the inner liner and the box shell.

[0125] In this embodiment, the water tank assembly 4 is installed outside the cooking cavity, making it convenient to add water to the water tank assembly 4 without opening the door. The water tank assembly 4 is installed at the top of the inner liner, making it relatively high and thus facilitating the use of gravity to drain the water.

[0126] In any of the above embodiments, the steam cooking appliance, exemplarily, includes an oven. Of course, the steam cooking appliance can also be other devices that require a water tank.

[0127] The following example of a steam oven will be used to further illustrate the steam cooking appliance in this application.

[0128] In related solutions, the humidification solutions for steam ovens are generally divided into two types. One is an external water tank that generates steam actively through an external steam generator. The other is also an external water tank, but water is injected into the water tank inside the cavity, and the heat generated by the heating element inside the cavity is used for passive heating to achieve steam cooking. Unlike the general solution that places a water container inside the cavity, which requires manually adding water to the water tank and then placing the water tank into the cavity, this solution can achieve automatic water filling, eliminating the need for manual disassembly and reassembly of the water tank for daily water replenishment, making it convenient and quick.

[0129] The main problems addressed by this solution are: 1. The system in Solution 1 is too complex, has low reliability, and is costly. 2. Solution 2 generally uses a built-in container, requiring manual water filling into the tank, which is inconvenient.

[0130] This solution designs a simple steam cooking method, which involves a water addition module and a water storage module, and builds a complete water circuit system. It uses the heat generated by the heating element in the cavity for passive heating to generate water steam.

[0131] This simplified steaming solution mainly connects the water addition module and the water storage module in series, enabling water addition without disassembly and assembly, automatic water addition, and a closed-loop water circuit, eliminating the need for frequent disassembly and assembly of the water container.

[0132] This solution combines an external water tank and an internal water basin, providing a complete water system with automatic water dispensing. It utilizes heating elements within the machine cavity for simple steaming and cooking, offering convenience and speed. Furthermore, this solution involves no electrical components; it is a purely mechanical structure with fewer parts, resulting in advantages in reliability and cost.

[0133] The enclosure includes an inner liner and a shell. The inner liner is installed inside the shell, and a space is provided between the outer wall of the inner liner and the inner wall of the shell to accommodate the outer shell and water tank assembly. The front shell has a front opening, through which the inner liner forms a cooking cavity. The front opening communicates with the cooking cavity. A second mounting port is also provided on the front of the shell. The water tank assembly can be inserted through this second mounting port between the inner liner and the shell.

[0134] The water tank device and steam cooking appliance provided in the embodiments of this application will be described below with reference to Figures 10 to 21.

[0135] As shown in Figures 10 to 21, an embodiment of the first aspect of this application provides a water tank device for a steam cooking appliance. The water tank device includes a mounting housing 9 and a water tank assembly 4. The mounting housing 9 includes a mounting cavity 92, and a first mounting port 93 is provided at one end of the mounting cavity 92. The water tank assembly 4 includes a water tank shell 40 and a cover 47. The water tank shell 40 includes a water-containing cavity 42 and a first inlet / outlet 401 communicating with the water-containing cavity 42. The first inlet / outlet 401 is provided at one end of the water tank shell 40 (for example, on the top end face of the water tank shell). The cover 47 is detachably installed at the first inlet / outlet 401 of the water tank shell 40 to open or close the first inlet / outlet 401. A second inlet / outlet 408 is also provided on the water tank shell 40. The water tank assembly 4 is detachably mounted on the mounting housing 9. When the water tank assembly 4 is mounted on the mounting housing 9, it can move along a first direction (the first direction can be the axial direction of the first mounting port 93) between a first position and a second position. When the water tank assembly 4 is in the first position, it is located inside the mounting cavity 92. When the water tank assembly 4 is in the second position, the second inlet / outlet 408 is located outside the mounting cavity 92.

[0136] The water tank device provided in this application can be specifically used in steam cooking appliances such as steam ovens. This water tank device supplies water to the cooking chamber 16 of the steam cooking appliance, heating the water into steam to humidify the food in the cooking chamber 16. The water tank device specifically includes a water tank assembly 4 and a mounting housing 9. The mounting housing 9 supports the water tank assembly 4. During installation, the mounting housing 9 can be fixed to the body 12 of the steam cooking appliance, and then the water tank assembly 4 can be detachably installed inside the mounting housing 9. This allows the water tank assembly 4 to be removed individually, facilitating its removal from the product for cleaning and refilling. Furthermore, due to the mounting housing 9, the water tank assembly 4 does not need to be connected to the water collection box 3, etc. Therefore, no piping is required during installation and removal of the water tank assembly 4, making it very convenient to disassemble and reassemble, and thus easier to remove for cleaning or refilling.

[0137] The water tank assembly 4 specifically includes a water tank shell 40 and a cover 47. The water tank shell 40 is provided with a first inlet / outlet 401, and the cover 47 is detachably mounted on the first inlet / outlet 401 of the water tank shell 40. This structure, with its specially designed detachable cover 47, allows for easy cleaning of the interior of the water tank shell 40 when cleaning is required, thus improving the convenience of cleaning the water tank assembly 4 and ensuring its cleanliness. Furthermore, this design allows users to open the cover 47 and observe the interior of the water tank shell 40, facilitating timely inspection of any dirt or contamination inside the water tank assembly 4. This allows users to more quickly identify and promptly clean the water tank assembly 4, giving them greater peace of mind when using it.

[0138] Meanwhile, in this application, the water tank assembly 4 can extend and retract relative to the mounting housing 9. That is, the water tank assembly 4 can be installed in a first position inside the mounting housing 9, or it can extend partially from the first mounting opening 93 to outside the mounting cavity 92, in which case the water tank assembly 4 is in a second position. When the water tank assembly 4 is in the second position, the second inlet / outlet 408 is located outside the mounting cavity 92. With this structure, when water needs to be added to the water tank assembly 4, the water tank assembly 4 can be moved from the first position to the second position to expose the second inlet / outlet 408, and then water can be added to the water tank assembly 4 through the second inlet / outlet 408. The provision of the second inlet / outlet 408 allows the user to add water without disassembling the water tank assembly 4, thus facilitating water addition during cooking.

[0139] As can be seen, in this application, when adding water to the water tank assembly 4, on the one hand, the entire water tank assembly 4 can be disassembled and the cover 47 can be opened to add water, or the water tank assembly 4 can be partially pulled out relative to the mounting shell 9 without disassembling it, so that water can be added to the water tank assembly 4 through the second inlet / outlet 408. This makes the water tank assembly 4 more flexible and diverse in terms of water addition methods, thereby improving the user experience.

[0140] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 10, 11, and 18, a first inlet / outlet 401 is disposed at one end of the water tank housing 40 along a first direction, and a cover 47 is installed at the end of the water tank housing 40 along the first direction. The first direction may be horizontal, and after the water tank assembly 4 is installed, the cover 47 and the water tank housing 40 are connected in a horizontal direction.

[0141] In this embodiment, the cover 47 is installed at the end of the water tank outer shell 40, and the water tank outer shell 40 is installed horizontally (in the first direction) inside the mounting shell 9, rather than vertically. This arrangement ensures that after the water tank assembly 4 is installed, the cover 47 is located at the top of the water tank outer shell 40, not at the bottom. This facilitates the placement of the second inlet / outlet 408 along the side wall of the water tank outer shell 40 in the vertical direction, allowing the user to easily add water through the second inlet / outlet 408.

[0142] When installing the water tank assembly, the entire assembly can be installed along the front-to-back direction of the cooking cabinet 1, allowing the water tank component 4 to move relative to the cooking cabinet 1 in this direction. For example, the water tank component 4 can be detached from the front of the cooking cabinet 1. The cover 47 and the outer shell 40 of the water tank component 4 are also assembled along the front-to-back direction, which is equivalent to the water tank component 4 being installed horizontally on the cooking cabinet 1, rather than vertically. This makes it more convenient for users to add water through the second inlet / outlet 408.

[0143] In any of the above embodiments, for example, as shown in Figures 10, 11, 18 and 20, when the water tank assembly 4 is in the first position, the cover 47 is disposed near the first mounting port 93; the second inlet / outlet 408 is disposed on the side wall of the mounting housing 9 near the end of the cover 47, and when the water tank assembly 4 is in the second position, the cover 47 is located outside the mounting cavity 92.

[0144] In this embodiment, when the water tank assembly 4 is inserted into the mounting cavity 92 through the first mounting port 93, the bottom of the water tank outer shell 40 can be inserted into the mounting cavity 92 first. After the water tank assembly 4 is installed, the cover 47 is on the outside. The second inlet / outlet 408 is also located close to the cover 47, which means that the two inlets / outlets of the water tank assembly 4 are located on the same side. This allows the user to add water with the end of the water tank assembly 4 with the cover 47 facing upwards after removing the water tank assembly 4. In other words, this arrangement allows the second inlet / outlet 408 to be positioned higher, making it less likely for water inside the water tank outer shell 40 to leak from the second inlet / outlet 408.

[0145] In any of the above embodiments, exemplarily as shown in Figures 18 and 20, the water tank assembly 4 further includes a sealing ring 49 disposed between the water tank outer shell 40 and the cover 47 to seal the gap 496 between the water tank outer shell 40 and the cover 47. By providing the sealing ring 49, the seal between the water tank outer shell 40 and the cover 47 can be ensured, preventing water leakage from the water tank assembly 4.

[0146] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in FIG20, the sealing ring 49 includes an inner ring 492 and an outer ring 494, one end of the inner ring 492 and the outer ring 494 being connected to each other, the other end of the outer ring 494 being disposed on the outer side of the inner ring 492 along the circumference of the inner ring 492, and a gap 496 being provided between the other end of the outer ring 494 and the inner ring 492 along the radial direction of the sealing ring 49.

[0147] In this embodiment, the sealing ring 49 includes an inner ring 492 and an outer ring 494, meaning the sealing ring 49 has a double-layer structure. A gap 496 is formed between the inner ring 492 and the outer ring 494. This gap 496 improves the deformation capacity of the sealing ring 49, thereby enhancing its sealing effect. Furthermore, the gap 496 allows the sealing ring 49 to better adapt to different dimensions between the cover 47 and the water tank shell 40. This means the overall size of the sealing ring 49 can be adjusted to accommodate these different dimensions, thus reducing the precision requirements for the machining of the cover 47 and the water tank shell 40.

[0148] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 18, 20 and 21, the water tank shell 40 includes a first arcuate surface 403 arranged circumferentially along the water tank shell 40. The two ends of the first arcuate surface 403 arranged circumferentially along the water tank shell 40 are connected by a first outer wall surface 404. The first outer wall surface 404 includes a first plane 4042 and a second arcuate surface 4044. A second inlet / outlet 408 is disposed on the first plane 4042. The second arcuate surface 4044 is located along a first direction on the side of the first plane 4042 near the first inlet / outlet 401 of the water tank shell 40.

[0149] In this embodiment, the first plane and the second arcuate surface are connected to each other along a first direction. The water tank shell 40 is generally cylindrical, and most of its outer wall surface is arcuate, such as a circular arc surface. However, at least a portion of the outer wall surface of the water tank shell 40 is the first plane 4042. The first plane 4042 facilitates the installation of the second inlet / outlet 408, the locking structure of the water tank assembly 4, etc. For example, during processing, a cylindrical water tank can be machined first, and then part of the outer wall surface of the cylindrical water tank can be flattened to form the first plane 4042.

[0150] In addition, by setting the first plane 4042, it is also convenient for users to distinguish the front and back of the water tank shell 40, thereby avoiding incorrect installation of the water tank assembly 4.

[0151] Meanwhile, the length of the first plane 4042 along the first direction is less than the length of the water tank shell 40 along the first direction. The side of the first plane 4042 near the first inlet / outlet 401 is at a certain distance from the end face where the first inlet / outlet 401 is located. The first plane 4042 and the end face where the first inlet / outlet 401 is located are connected by the second arc-shaped surface 4044. That is, for the entire water tank shell 40, the entire circumference of the end near the first inlet / outlet 401 is an arc-shaped surface (such as a circular arc surface), but a part of the circumferential side wall of the end of the water tank shell 40 away from the first inlet / outlet 401 along the first direction is a plane (this plane forms the first plane 4042), and the other part is a circular arc surface.

[0152] In any of the above embodiments, for example, the second inlet / outlet 408 includes one of an elongated hole, a circular hole, and a polygonal hole.

[0153] In this embodiment, the shape of the second inlet / outlet 408 can be reasonably set according to actual needs, for example, it can be set as an elliptical hole or an oblong hole.

[0154] For example, as shown in FIG18, the first outer wall surface 404 further includes a second arcuate surface 4044. The second arcuate surface 4044 is located on the side of the first plane 4042 near the first inlet / outlet 401 of the water tank shell 40. That is, the part of the first outer wall surface near the first inlet / outlet 401 is arcuate and not flat, so that the outer wall surface around the entire first inlet / outlet 401 is circular, which makes it convenient to set the cover 47 as circular as well. This makes the appearance of the entire water tank assembly 4 more beautiful. Especially when the water tank assembly 4 is used in ovens, it can make the shape of the water tank assembly 4 consistent with the knobs on the oven, thereby improving the overall aesthetics of the oven.

[0155] For example, the water tank housing 40 includes a mounting section for mounting a cover 47, the mounting section forming a first inlet / outlet 401. The mounting section is cylindrical. The cover 47 is a circular cover adapted to fit the cylindrical mounting section.

[0156] In any of the above embodiments, exemplarily as shown in FIG21, the water tank outer shell 40 includes two opposing second outer side walls 4032, each of which is provided with one of a guide rib 405 and a guide groove. The guide rib 405 or the guide groove is arranged along a first direction, and the water tank assembly 4 can be movably mounted on the mounting shell 9 by the guidance of the guide rib 405 and the guide groove. Exemplarily, the mounting shell 9 is provided with the other of a guide rib 405 and a guide groove, and the water tank assembly 4 can be movably mounted on the mounting shell 9 by the guidance of the guide rib 405 and the guide groove.

[0157] In this embodiment, guide structures, such as guide ribs 405 or guide grooves, are provided on the outer walls of the opposite sides of the water tank outer shell 40. Simultaneously, another compatible guide structure can be provided inside the mounting shell 9. The cooperation of these two guide structures allows the water tank assembly 4 to be smoothly installed on the mounting shell 9, thus facilitating the assembly and disassembly of the water tank assembly 4 on the mounting shell 9. Furthermore, since the guide ribs 405 or guide grooves are arranged along a first direction, the water tank assembly 4 can be slidably installed onto the mounting shell 9 along this first direction.

[0158] In the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in FIG21, a guide rib 405 is provided on the second outer side wall 4032, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the guide rib 405 gradually decreases from the second outer side wall 4032 to the end of the guide rib 405 away from the second outer side wall 4032.

[0159] In this embodiment, inclined surfaces are provided on the upper and lower sides of the guide rib 405 to reduce the width of the top of the guide rib 405. This reduces the guiding area of ​​the guide rib 405 in contact with the cooking cabinet 1, thereby making the sliding of the water tank assembly 4 smoother. For example, the cross-section of the guide rib 405 can be configured as a trapezoidal, triangular, or arc-shaped structure.

[0160] As shown in Figures 12 and 13, a water outlet channel 44 is provided at the end of the water tank outer shell 40 away from the cover 47. The mounting shell 9 includes a water storage tank 94 and a drain outlet 90 that are interconnected. The water storage tank 94 is provided corresponding to the water outlet channel 44 and is used to receive water from the water outlet channel 44. The water receiving box 3 is connected to the drain outlet 90, and water in the water storage tank 94 can be discharged into the water receiving box 3 through the drain outlet 90.

[0161] In this embodiment, a water storage tank 94 is provided on the housing 9. After the water tank assembly 4 is installed, the water outlet channel 44 of the water tank assembly 4 is positioned corresponding to the water storage tank 94. Water discharged from the water outlet channel 44 can first enter the water storage tank 94, and then be discharged from the water storage tank 94 into the water receiving box 3 under the action of gravity. In this solution, the water storage tank 94 is provided for the water tank assembly 4, which creates a large buffer area at the water outlet of the water tank assembly 4. When the water flow in the water tank assembly 4 is large or the water flow is rapid, the water can be stored in the storage cavity to buffer the impact of the water drop, so that the water flow can enter the cooking cavity 16 at a relatively stable flow rate. This can avoid the situation where water splashes after entering the water receiving box 3 due to a large water flow. In addition, the buffering of the water flow by the water storage tank 94 can also prevent water from overflowing into other parts of the product or even overflowing from the front end of the water tank assembly 4 when the water channel is not smooth.

[0162] For example, when water is added directly to the water tank assembly 4 without removing it, the water flow rate is very high. This water flow has a strong impact force, which can easily cause instability in the water flow output from the water tank assembly 4, leading to splashing. Furthermore, it can also cause water to overflow due to insufficient drainage. This application effectively solves the problems of unstable water flow, splashing, and overflow caused by adding a water storage tank 94 at the water outlet channel 44.

[0163] In any of the above embodiments, for example, as shown in FIG12, the inner bottom wall of the water storage tank 94 gradually moves away from the center of the mounting housing from a position away from the drain outlet 90 to a position close to the drain outlet 90, that is, the inner bottom wall of the water storage tank 94 gradually decreases from a position away from the drain outlet 90 to a position close to the drain outlet 90.

[0164] In this embodiment, when there is less water in the water storage tank 94, the water can gather at the outlet of the water storage tank 94, making it easier to drain the water from the water storage tank 94. This can prevent water from remaining in the water storage tank 94 and reduce the amount of residual water in the water storage tank 94.

[0165] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in FIG12, the mounting housing 9 includes a mounting cavity 92, one end of which is provided with a first mounting port 93, and the water tank assembly 4 can be installed into the mounting cavity 92 through the first mounting port 93 and detachably fixed in the mounting cavity 92.

[0166] In these embodiments, the mounting housing 9 is used to support the water tank assembly 4. During installation, the mounting housing 9 can be fixed to the housing 12 of the steam cooking appliance, and then the water tank assembly 4 can be detachably installed inside the mounting housing 9. This allows the water tank assembly 4 to be removed individually, making it convenient to remove the water tank assembly 4 from the product for cleaning and adding water. Furthermore, because of the mounting housing 9, the water tank assembly 4 does not need to be connected to the water collection box 3, etc. Therefore, no pipe connections are required during installation and removal of the water tank assembly 4, making it very convenient to assemble and disassemble the water tank assembly 4, thus facilitating its removal for cleaning or adding water.

[0167] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in FIG12, the mounting cavity 92 includes a first inner wall surface 922 and a second inner wall surface 924. The first inner wall surface 922 is adapted to the shape of the water tank assembly 4, and the second inner wall surface 924 is recessed in the direction of the outer side of the mounting cavity 92 to form a water storage tank 94.

[0168] In these embodiments, the water tank assembly 4 is installed inside the mounting housing 9, and the shape and size of a portion of the inner wall of the mounting cavity 92 are consistent with the housing of the water tank assembly 4. This allows the water tank assembly 4 to be installed precisely inside the mounting housing 9, ensuring the fit between the water tank assembly 4 and the mounting housing 9. This enables better positioning and installation of the water tank assembly 4 through the mounting housing 9.

[0169] Simultaneously, the lower inner wall of the rear part of the mounting cavity 92 can be recessed downwards to form the required water storage tank 94, thereby facilitating the buffering of water output from the water tank assembly 4. In this structure, the mounting area of ​​the water tank assembly 4 and the water storage tank 94 are set together, allowing the outlet of the water tank assembly 4 and the water storage tank 94 to be directly connected. This ensures the fitting accuracy between the water tank assembly 4 and the water storage tank 94, making the water flow smoother and preventing the water tank assembly 4 from being misaligned due to improper installation.

[0170] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 12 and 13, when the water tank assembly 4 is installed in the mounting cavity 92, the outlet of the water outlet channel 44 is located above the water storage tank 94 along the height direction of the tank body 12, so that the water in the water tank assembly 4 can flow into the water storage tank 94 under the action of gravity.

[0171] In these embodiments, the outlet of the water tank assembly 4 is directly located above the water storage tank 94, so that there is no obstruction at the outlet of the water tank assembly 4. This ensures that the water in the water tank assembly 4 can enter the water storage tank 94 as quickly as possible under the action of gravity.

[0172] In any of the above embodiments, exemplarily as shown in Figures 12 and 13, the mounting housing 9 includes a bottom shell 982 and a top cover 984, which together form a mounting cavity 92. A portion of the bottom shell 982 is bent away from the top cover 984 to form a water storage tank 94. This method of forming the water storage tank 94 is relatively simple, making the mounting housing 9 easier to manufacture, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the mounting housing 9.

[0173] Of course, in other solutions, ribs can be formed inside the mounting housing 9 to form a water storage tank 94, or the mounting housing 9 can be made thicker overall, and then a portion of the wall thickness can be removed to form the water storage tank 94.

[0174] In any of the above embodiments, for example, as shown in Figures 12 and 13, along the height direction of the steam cooking appliance, the water outlet channel 44 is located above the location of the water storage tank 94, and the location of the water storage tank 94 is located above the location of the water receiving box 3.

[0175] In this embodiment, the water outlet channel 44, the drain outlet 90, and the water receiving box 3 are positioned at progressively lower heights. This allows water to flow sequentially from the water outlet channel 44 into the water storage tank 94 under gravity, and then from the drain outlet 90 of the water storage tank 94 into the water receiving box 3. Thus, the water in the water tank assembly 4 can flow into the water receiving box 3 purely by gravity. With this structure, the water in the water tank assembly 4 can flow into the water receiving box 3 under gravity. That is, there is no power equipment between the water tank assembly 4 and the water receiving box 3; the water in the water tank assembly 4 flows into the water receiving box 3 purely by gravity. This allows for water filling operations solely through a mechanical structure, eliminating the need for a water pump or any electronic control components. This reduces the water tank device's dependence on water pumps and electronic controls, thereby simplifying the product structure and reducing costs.

[0176] In any of the above embodiments, exemplarily as shown in Figures 12 and 18, the water tank assembly 4 further includes: a valve assembly 48 installed at the water outlet channel 44, movable between a first position and a second position to open or close the water outlet channel 44; the mounting housing 9 includes a push rod 96, which is used to insert into the water outlet channel 44 when the water tank assembly 4 is installed in the mounting cavity 92, and push the valve assembly 48 from the first position to the second position to open the water outlet channel 44.

[0177] In this embodiment, after the water tank assembly 4 is correctly installed on the mounting housing 9, the valve assembly 48 can be lifted by the push rod 96, thereby opening the water outlet channel 44. After the water tank assembly 4 is removed, the valve assembly 48 can automatically return to the second position to close the water outlet channel 44. This makes opening and closing the water tank assembly 4 very convenient. This structure allows the water tank assembly 4 to be opened and closed purely mechanically, without the need for electrical control, thus making the opening and closing structure of the water tank assembly 4 more durable.

[0178] In any of the above embodiments, exemplarily as shown in Figures 13 and 18, the water tank device further includes: a first limiting member 99, installed on the mounting housing 9; a second limiting member 402, disposed on the water tank assembly 4; when the water tank assembly 4 is located in the mounting cavity 92, the first limiting member 99 and the second limiting member 402 mutually limit each other to lock the water tank assembly 4; when the water tank assembly 4 is located in the mounting cavity 92, pressing the water tank assembly 4 into the mounting cavity 92 can release the limitation between the first limiting member 99 and the second limiting member 402 to unlock the water tank assembly 4; an elastic member 11, installed in the water outlet channel 44, is used to push a portion of the water tank assembly 4 out of the mounting housing 9 when the water tank assembly 4 is in the unlocked state, and to move the valve assembly 48 from the second position to the first position to close the water outlet channel 44.

[0179] In these embodiments, the water tank assembly 4 and the mounting housing 9 can be locked and unlocked via a first limiting member 99 and a second limiting member 402. After the water tank assembly 4 is unlocked, it can be removed from the mounting housing 9 for adding water, cleaning, or repair / replacement. The water tank assembly 4 includes a water outlet channel 44 through which water can be discharged. A valve assembly 48 is installed within the water outlet channel 44, and a push rod 96 is provided on the mounting housing 9. The water outlet channel 44 can be opened and closed via the valve assembly 48, the push rod 96, and the elastic member 11. Specifically, when the water tank assembly 4 is installed on the cooking appliance 1 and steam is required, the water tank assembly 4 can be locked using the first limiting member 99 and the second limiting member 402. At this time, the push rod 96 can be inserted into the water outlet channel 44, thereby pushing the valve assembly 48 along the water outlet channel 44 from a first position to a second position, thus opening the water outlet channel 44.

[0180] When it is necessary to remove the water tank assembly 4 from the cooking unit 1 to add water, press the water tank assembly 4 first to unlock it. After the water tank assembly 4 is unlocked, the external force exerted by the push rod 96 on the valve assembly 48 disappears, and the valve assembly 48 returns to the first position under the action of the elastic member 11. This closes the water outlet channel 44 of the water tank assembly 4, preventing water from flowing out of the water outlet channel 44. At the same time, the water tank assembly 4 is pushed out under the action of the elastic member 11.

[0181] In this structure, the elastic element 11 can push out the water tank assembly 4 and also close the water outlet channel 44 of the valve assembly 48. In other words, in this structure, the elastic element 11 used for the telescopic installation of the water tank assembly 4 and the elastic element 11 required for the valve assembly 48 are the same part. That is, the push-out structure of the water tank assembly 4 and the opening and closing structure of the water outlet of the water tank assembly 4 share a single elastic element 11, thereby simplifying the structure of the product.

[0182] Of course, in other solutions, the elastic element 11 for the telescopic installation of the water tank assembly 4 and the elastic element 11 required for the valve assembly 48 can also be two separate parts.

[0183] In any of the above embodiments, exemplarily, when the water tank assembly 4 is in the locked state, the elastic member 11 is in the compressed state. After the water tank assembly 4 is unlocked, the elastic member 11 can extend to push a part of the water tank assembly 4 out of the mounting housing 9 and move the valve assembly 48 from the second position to the first position to close the water outlet channel 44.

[0184] In these embodiments, when the water tank assembly 4 is in the locked state, the elastic member 11 is in the compressed state. When the water tank assembly 4 is in the unlocked state, the elastic member 11 can extend to push the water tank assembly 4 out of the mounting housing 9. At the same time, after the water tank assembly 4 extends out of the mounting housing 9, the push rod 96 separates from the water outlet channel 44, and the valve assembly 48 returns to the second position under the action of the elastic member 11, thereby closing the water outlet channel 44.

[0185] Of course, in other solutions, when the water tank assembly 4 is in the locked state, the elastic element 11 can also be set to the extended state.

[0186] As shown in Figures 10 to 19, an embodiment of the second aspect of this application provides a steam cooking appliance, including the water tank device provided in any embodiment of the first aspect.

[0187] Since this type of steam cooking appliance has the water tank device provided in any embodiment of the first aspect, it has all the beneficial effects of the water tank device provided in any embodiment of the first aspect, which will not be repeated here.

[0188] In any of the above embodiments, exemplarily as shown in Figures 10, 11, and 17, the steam cooking appliance further includes: a housing 12, which includes a cooking chamber 16 and a cooking inlet 122, the cooking inlet 122 communicating with the cooking chamber 16; a mounting shell 9 mounted on the housing 12; and a water tank assembly 4 detachably mounted on the housing 12; a door 14 mounted on the housing 12 to open or close the cooking inlet 122; a heating device 2 mounted on the housing 12 for heating the food in the cooking chamber 16; and a water receiving box 3 including a water receiving trough 34 mounted inside the housing 12, wherein the water in the water receiving trough 34 can be heated into steam by the heating device 2.

[0189] In this embodiment, the steam cooking appliance includes a housing 12 and a door 14. A cooking chamber 16 is provided inside the housing 12, and the cooking chamber 16 is connected to a cooking inlet 122. The door 14 is installed on the housing 12 and is used to open and close the cooking inlet 122. The water receiving box 3 can specifically be a water tank 34, which stores water. The water in the water tank 34 can be heated into steam by the heating device 2 to humidify and replenish the food in the cooking chamber 16. With this configuration, the water tank 34 can be directly heated using the existing heating device 2 of the product, eliminating the need for a separate heating structure, thus simplifying the product's structure. Of course, considering actual heating needs, a separate heating structure can also be provided for the water tank 34.

[0190] The housing 12 and the door 14 constitute the outer shell structure of the entire product, forming a cooking housing 1.

[0191] In any of the above embodiments, exemplarily as shown in Figures 10, 17, and 18, the mounting housing 9 is mounted on the box body 12. A first mounting port 93 is located at the first end of the box body 12 along a first direction. The first end of the box body 12 along the first direction is provided with a cooking inlet 122 and a second mounting port 124 that avoids the first mounting port 93. A door 14 is mounted at the first end of the box body 12. The water tank assembly 4 can be inserted into the mounting housing 9 along the first direction through the first mounting port 93. The water tank assembly 4 includes: a water tank housing 40, which includes a water-containing cavity 42 and a first inlet / outlet 401 communicating with the water-containing cavity 42. The first inlet / outlet 401 is located at one end of the water tank housing 40 along the first direction; a cover 47, detachably mounted on the water tank housing 40 to open or close the first inlet / outlet 401; and a sealing ring 49, disposed between the water tank housing 40 and the cover 47 to seal the gap between them.

[0192] In this embodiment, the water tank assembly 4 specifically includes a water tank shell 40 and a cover 47. The water tank shell 40 is provided with a first inlet / outlet 401, and the cover 47 is detachably mounted on the first inlet / outlet 401 of the water tank shell 40. Meanwhile, to ensure a seal between the water tank shell 40 and the cover 47, a sealing ring 49 is also provided between them. This sealing ring 49 allows for a sealed connection between the two, thereby preventing water leakage from the water tank assembly 4.

[0193] In other oven designs, the water tank assembly typically has a water inlet directly on the side wall of the water tank shell without a removable cover. This makes it difficult to open the water tank and thus inconvenient for cleaning. In this application, a removable cover 47 is provided. This allows for easy cleaning of the water tank assembly 40 by opening the cover 47, improving the convenience of cleaning and ensuring cleanliness. Furthermore, this design allows users to easily inspect the interior of the water tank assembly 40 by opening the cover 47, facilitating timely detection of dirt and grime. This makes it easier for users to clean the water tank assembly 4 promptly and with greater peace of mind.

[0194] During installation, the water tank assembly 4 can be inserted into the mounting housing 9 through the first mounting port 93. Exemplarily, one end of the mounting housing 9 with the first mounting port 93 is located within the second mounting port 124, thereby exposing the first mounting port 93 relative to the tank body 12, facilitating the assembly and disassembly of the water tank assembly 4. Exemplarily, the second mounting port 124 and the mounting housing 9 are sealed together.

[0195] Specifically, the first direction can be the front-to-back direction of the tank body 12. For example, the water tank assembly 4 can be disassembled and assembled from the front side of the tank body 12. The cover 47 and the outer shell 40 of the water tank assembly 4 are also assembled along the front-to-back direction, which means that the water tank assembly 4 is installed horizontally on the tank body 12, rather than vertically. This structure allows the water tank assembly 4 to be installed horizontally, thus enabling it to be installed relatively high and facilitating its descent into the water by gravity.

[0196] For example, the water tank assembly 4 is mounted on top of the inner liner 126, or on top of the cooking cavity 16. This arrangement allows the water tank assembly 4 to be positioned higher, thereby facilitating gravity-fed water flow.

[0197] In any of the above embodiments, exemplarily as shown in Figures 13 and 17, the steam cooking appliance further includes: a connector 7 disposed in the housing 12, with the outlet end of the connector 7 corresponding to the water receiving box 3; a connecting pipe 8 for connecting the drain outlet 90 and the connector 7, so that water in the water storage tank 94 can be transported to the water receiving box 3 through the drain outlet 90, the connecting pipe 8 and the connector 7; wherein, the outlet end of the connector 7 is located inside the cooking cavity 16 and protrudes from the inner wall of the cooking cavity 16, and along the height direction of the housing 12, the outlet end of the connector 7 is located above the water receiving box 3.

[0198] In this embodiment, the outlet end of the connector 7 is located inside the cooking cavity 16 and protrudes from the inner wall of the cooking cavity 16. This way, the water flowing out of the outlet end of the connector 7 can be guided away from the inner wall of the cooking cavity 16 and will not flow along the inner wall of the cooking cavity 16. This allows the water flowing out of the outlet end of the connector 7 to flow into the water collection box 3. This prevents water from flowing to other parts of the cooking cavity 16 and affecting the cooking of the product when water is supplied to the water collection box 3. This also ensures that there is no obvious turbulence at the outlet of the connector 7, thus ensuring the cleanliness of other parts of the cooking cavity 16 and preventing other parts of the cooking cavity 16 from getting wet.

[0199] For example, to ensure that water in the water tank assembly 4 can flow to the connector 7, a connecting pipe 8 can be provided between the connector 7 and the water tank assembly 4, as shown in Figures 10 and 13. Through the connecting pipe 8, water in the water tank assembly 4 can be promptly delivered to the water receiving box 3. This structure, by providing the connecting pipe 8, allows for more flexible installation of the water tank assembly 4, thus facilitating the overall layout of the product. Of course, in other solutions, the connecting pipe 8 can be omitted, and the outlet of the water tank assembly 4 can be directly connected to the connector 7.

[0200] In addition, by directly delivering water to the water receiving box 3 through the connecting pipe 8, the water can be guided to prevent it from flowing into other places. At the same time, it can also prevent water from falling directly from a height, thereby reducing water flow noise.

[0201] The connecting pipe 8 can be a separate pipe structure or a channel structure enclosed by the shell structure of the box 12.

[0202] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in FIG19, the housing 12 includes a gallbladder sidewall 1262 and a gallbladder top 1264 connected to each other, and the connector 7 is disposed at the connection between the gallbladder sidewall 1262 and the gallbladder top 1264.

[0203] In this embodiment, the connector 7 is located at the connection between the side wall 1262 and the top 1264 of the inner pot, so that the position of the connector 7 is relatively close to the corner of the box 12. This reduces the area occupied by the connector 7 and improves the space utilization rate inside the cooking cavity 16.

[0204] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in FIG19, a mounting plane 1266 is provided at the connection between the side wall 1262 and the top 1264 of the gallbladder. The mounting plane 1266 is inclined relative to the height direction of the housing 12, and the connector 7 is provided on the mounting plane 1266.

[0205] In this embodiment, in order to ensure the installation stability of the connector 7, or to facilitate the processing of the connector 7, an installation plane 1266 can be provided at the connection between the side wall 1262 and the top 1264 of the tank. Then, the required connector 7 can be processed or installed at the installation plane 1266. This can improve the stability of the connector 7 and the stability of the connector 7 when connected to the water tank assembly 4 or the connecting pipe 8.

[0206] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in FIG19, the housing 12 includes an inner liner 126, which forms a cooking cavity 16. The connector 7 includes a water guiding protrusion 72 disposed on the inner wall of the inner liner 126 and a connecting channel 74 penetrating the inner liner 126 and the water guiding protrusion 72. The inlet end of the connecting channel 74 is connected to the water tank assembly 4, and the outlet end of the connecting channel 74 is disposed corresponding to the water receiving box 3. Water from the outlet end of the connecting channel 74 can flow into the water receiving box 3.

[0207] In this embodiment, the housing 12 includes an inner liner 126, which forms the cooking cavity 16. To create a flow-guiding structure on the inner wall of the cooking cavity 16 and prevent water from flowing along it, a water-guiding protrusion 72 is provided on the inner side of the inner liner 126. A connecting channel 74 is then machined into the inner liner 126, penetrating the inner liner 126 and the water-guiding protrusion 72. This forms a connector 7 structure. Because the water-guiding protrusion 72 is directly formed on the inner liner 126, its connection to the inner liner 126 is more reliable, and its position is more stable, thus preventing the water outlet from shaking.

[0208] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 13 and 17, the connector 7 is a pipe 76 installed on the housing 12. The pipe 76 is detachably connected to the housing 12 or integrally connected to it. The housing 12 includes an inner liner 126, which forms a cooking cavity 16. The outlet end of the pipe 76 is located inside the cooking cavity 16 and protrudes from the inner wall of the inner liner 126.

[0209] In this embodiment, the connector 7 is an additionally installed pipe 76, thus eliminating the need to machine a water-guiding protrusion 72 on the inner liner 126. This simplifies the structure of the inner liner 126 and reduces its processing cost. Simultaneously, to ensure that the water discharged from the pipe 76 does not flow along the inner wall of the cooking cavity 16, the outlet end of the pipe 76 can be positioned on the inner wall of the cooking cavity 16 and extend a certain length relative to the inner wall. This allows the water to be accurately guided into the water collection box 3 through the pipe 76, preventing water from flowing to other locations along the cooking cavity 16.

[0210] In any of the above embodiments, the fitting 76 is, by way of example, a metal part.

[0211] In this embodiment, the fitting 76 is made of metal, which can improve the high temperature resistance of the fitting 76. Since the fitting 76 is partially inserted into the cooking cavity 16, and the temperature in the cooking cavity 16 is high, making the fitting 76 of metal allows the fitting 76 to withstand the high temperature in the cooking cavity 16 for a long time without deformation. This can improve the service life of the fitting 76 and also prevent the fitting 76 from melting and deforming and releasing toxic substances.

[0212] For example, connector 7 can be a straight structure or a curved structure.

[0213] In this embodiment, the shape of the connector 7 can be reasonably set according to the position of the connector 7 and the position of the water receiving box 3. For example, the connector 7 can be set as a straight line, so that the water flow can be smoother and the material consumption of the connector 7 can be minimized. Of course, when the distance between the connector 7 and the water receiving box 3 is far, a bending structure can also be set on the connector 7 to form a curved connector 7, depending on the actual situation.

[0214] In any of the above embodiments, by way of example, the connecting pipe 8 includes a flexible hose 82, at least a portion of which is mounted on the housing 12; or the connecting pipe 8 includes a channel structure formed on the housing 12.

[0215] In this embodiment, the connecting pipe 8 is a flexible hose 82, which makes the installation of the connecting pipe 8 more flexible. Of course, the connecting pipe 8 can also be a channel structure formed by the shell of the housing 12. In this case, there is no need to set up an additional pipe separately, thereby reducing the number of parts in the product.

[0216] In any of the above embodiments, the water receiving box 3 is detachably installed inside the housing 12, for example.

[0217] In this embodiment, when it is not necessary to add water to the food, the water receiving box 3 and the water tank assembly 4 can be removed from the body 12 to prevent the water receiving box 3 from drying out. The water receiving box 3 can also be made non-removable, in which case the water in the water tank assembly 4 can be poured out when it is not necessary to add water to the food.

[0218] In this embodiment, a first bracket 5 is installed inside the housing 12. The first bracket 5 is mounted on the inner wall of the housing 12. For example, the first bracket 5 can be installed on the housing 12 by means of screws or clips. The water receiving box 3 is mounted on the first bracket 5, which makes the installation and removal of the water receiving box 3 more convenient.

[0219] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 11, 15, 16 and 17, the steam cooking appliance further includes: two second supports 6, respectively disposed on two inner side walls of the housing 12 that are opposite to each other in the width direction, for supporting the food carrier 10; wherein, the first support 5 is installed on the top of one of the second supports 6.

[0220] In this embodiment, the second bracket 6 can be used to support and install food carriers 10 such as the baking pan 102. The first bracket 5 is installed on top of the second bracket 6. In this structure, the water collection box 3 and the first bracket 5 are directly installed on the support bracket of the food carrier 10 such as the baking pan 102. This allows the installation of the water collection box 3 to be achieved using the existing brackets within the housing 12, thereby simplifying the overall product structure and reducing the overall product cost.

[0221] For example, the second bracket 6 is provided with a plurality of support parts 62, which are spaced apart along the height direction of the housing 12. The first bracket 5 and the second bracket 6 can install the food carrier 10 at multiple height positions through the plurality of support parts 62. This arrangement makes the installation height of the food carrier 10 adjustable, and also allows the two second brackets 6 to support and install multiple food carriers 10 at the same time.

[0222] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 14 and 15, a flange 32 is provided at the opening of the water receiving box 3, and the flange 32 extends from the inside to the outside of the opening; the first bracket 5 includes a support bar 52, and the water receiving box 3 is mounted on the support bar 52 through the flange 32.

[0223] In this embodiment, the flange 32 enables the positioning and installation of the water receiving box 3. To ensure the installation of the first bracket 5 with the water receiving box 3, a support bar 52 is provided on the first bracket 5. The support bar 52 can be supported at the bottom of the flange 32 to support the water receiving box 3. To ensure the installation stability of the water receiving box 3, the shape of the support bar 52 can be adapted to the outer wall of the water receiving box 3, and the length of the support bar 52 can be set with reference to the outer periphery of the water receiving box 3.

[0224] For example, when the water receiving box 3 is elongated, the support strip 52 can cover three sides of the water receiving box 3 to ensure the stability of the support strip 52 in supporting the water receiving box 3. When the water receiving box 3 is circular or near-circular, the support strip 52 can cover more than a quarter of the circumference of the water receiving box 3.

[0225] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 14, 15, and 17, the water receiving box 3 has a long strip structure and is arranged along the front-rear direction of the housing 12. The long strip structure of the water receiving box 3 reduces the width it occupies, thereby improving the space utilization of the cooking cavity 16.

[0226] For example, the water receiving box 3 is a long strip structure, and the support strip 52 is supported on three sides of the water receiving box 3. This ensures the installation stability of the water receiving box 3.

[0227] In any of the above embodiments, exemplarily as shown in FIG10, the water tank assembly 4 is mounted on the housing 12. By mounting the water tank assembly 4 on the housing 12, the water tank assembly 4 and the housing 12 can form a whole, thereby facilitating the connection operation between the water tank assembly 4 and the connector 7. At the same time, it also makes the whole machine more compact. Of course, in other solutions, the water tank can also be set independently of the housing 12.

[0228] For example, as shown in FIG10, the water tank assembly 4 is installed on the top of the tank body 12, thereby setting the water tank assembly 4 higher to facilitate the use of gravity for water release.

[0229] In this type of structure, water does not need to be filled in the water tank assembly 4 when it is not necessary to add water to the food.

[0230] For example, the heating device 2 includes a heating element 22, which is mounted on the top of the housing 12.

[0231] In this embodiment, the heating device 2 can be a variety of heating methods, such as infrared heating, thermal radiation heating, or electromagnetic heating. For example, a heating element 22 can be installed on the top of the cooking cavity 16 to heat the food. At this time, the water tank assembly 4 can be installed on the outer top of the housing 12, and the water receiving tank 34 can be positioned close to the top of the cooking cavity 16, so that the heating element 22 can be used to heat the water in the water receiving tank 34 into steam.

[0232] In any of the above embodiments, the steam cooking appliance, exemplarily, includes an oven and / or a steamer. Of course, the steam cooking appliance can also be other devices that require a water tank.

[0233] In the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in FIG21, a plurality of water level scale structures 406 are provided on the outer side wall of the water tank shell 40, and the plurality of water level scale structures 406 are spaced apart along the first direction.

[0234] In this embodiment, the water level scale structure 406 is used to indicate the water level, allowing the user to easily know the amount of water inside the water tank casing 40 and preventing the user from adding too much water. In particular, if a vent is provided on the water tank casing 40 near the inlet and outlet, it can prevent the water in the tank from exceeding the vent and causing water leakage from the vent.

[0235] The following section uses a steam oven / steamer as an example to further illustrate the water tank-turning steam cooking appliance in this application.

[0236] In related solutions, steam ovens / steamers are generally equipped with water tanks to supply water to the machine. Conventional water tanks are rectangular with a single outlet structure, which can meet the needs of water transfer and cleaning. In related solutions, cylindrical water tanks are also mostly single-outlet structures, which can meet the needs of water supply, but due to limitations in appearance and mold design, they cannot be opened up for cleaning, resulting in large cleaning dead corners.

[0237] This embodiment primarily designs a cylindrical, detachable water tank assembly that is easy to assemble and disassemble, compact in size, and convenient for adding water and cleaning. This water tank assembly features detachable front and top openings. The top opening is used for quick water addition mid-cycle, while the front opening can be removed to allow for thorough internal cleaning using tools. This cylindrical, detachable water tank assembly effectively addresses the pain points of cleaning and mid-cycle water addition, as well as the problem of bulky water tanks that are inconvenient to install, thus optimizing the user experience.

[0238] The water tank device and steam cooking appliance provided in the embodiments of this application will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 13.

[0239] As shown in Figures 12 and 13, an embodiment of the first aspect of this application provides a water tank device for a steam cooking appliance. The water tank device includes a water tank assembly 4, a mounting housing 9, and a water receiving box 3. The water tank assembly 4 includes a water outlet channel 44. The mounting housing 9 includes a water storage tank 94 and a drain outlet 90 that are interconnected. The water storage tank 94 is disposed corresponding to the water outlet channel 44 and is used to receive water from the water outlet channel 44. The water receiving box 3 is connected to the drain outlet 90, and water in the water storage tank 94 can be discharged from the drain outlet 90 into the water receiving box 3.

[0240] The water tank device provided in this application can be specifically used in steam cooking appliances such as steam ovens. This water tank device supplies water to the water receiving box 3, and the water in the water receiving box 3 can be heated into steam to humidify the food in the cooking cavity 16. The water tank device specifically includes a water tank assembly 4, a mounting housing 9, and a water receiving box 3. The mounting housing 9 is provided with a water storage tank 94. After the water tank assembly 4 is installed, the water outlet channel 44 of the water tank assembly 4 is aligned with the water storage tank 94. Water discharged from the water outlet channel 44 first enters the water storage tank 94, and then, under the action of gravity, is discharged from the water storage tank 94 into the water receiving box 3. This design incorporates a water storage tank 94 in the water tank assembly 4. This creates a large buffer zone at the water outlet of the water tank assembly 4. When the water flow in the water tank assembly 4 is large or rapid, the water can be stored in the storage chamber to buffer the impact of the falling water. This allows the water to enter the cooking chamber 16 at a more stable flow rate, preventing splashing when the water flows into the water receiving box 3. Furthermore, the water storage tank 94's buffering effect prevents water from overflowing from the water tank assembly 4 and spilling onto other parts of the product, or even overflowing from the front of the water tank assembly 4, if the water flow is obstructed.

[0241] For example, when water is added directly to the water tank assembly 4 without removing it, the water flow rate is very high. This water flow has a strong impact force, which can easily cause instability in the water flow output from the water tank assembly 4, leading to splashing. Furthermore, it can also cause water to overflow due to insufficient drainage. This application effectively solves the problems of unstable water flow, splashing, and overflow caused by adding a water storage tank 94 at the water outlet channel 44.

[0242] In any of the above embodiments, for example, as shown in FIG12, the inner bottom wall of the water storage tank 94 gradually decreases from a position away from the drain outlet 90 to a position close to the drain outlet 90.

[0243] In this embodiment, after water is added to the water tank assembly 4, the water in the water tank assembly 4 can enter the water storage tank 94 through the water outlet 44. The inner bottom wall of the water storage tank 94 gradually decreases from other positions to the drain outlet 90. In this way, when there is less water in the water storage tank 94, the water can gather at the water outlet of the water storage tank 94, making it easier to drain the water in the water storage tank 94. This can prevent water from remaining in the water storage tank 94 and reduce the amount of residual water in the water storage tank 94.

[0244] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in FIG12, the mounting housing 9 includes a mounting cavity 92, one end of which is provided with a first mounting port, and the water tank assembly 4 can be installed into the mounting cavity 92 through the first mounting port and detachably fixed in the mounting cavity 92.

[0245] In these embodiments, the mounting housing 9 is used to support the water tank assembly 4. During installation, the mounting housing 9 can be fixed to the housing 12 of the steam cooking appliance, and then the water tank assembly 4 can be detachably installed inside the mounting housing 9. This allows the water tank assembly 4 to be removed individually, making it convenient to remove the water tank assembly 4 from the product for cleaning and adding water. Furthermore, because of the mounting housing 9, the water tank assembly 4 does not need to be connected to the water collection box 3, etc. Therefore, no pipe connections are required during installation and removal of the water tank assembly 4, making it very convenient to assemble and disassemble the water tank assembly 4, thus facilitating its removal for cleaning or adding water.

[0246] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in FIG12, the mounting cavity 92 includes a first inner wall surface 922 and a second inner wall surface 924. The first inner wall surface 922 is adapted to the shape of the water tank assembly 4, and the second inner wall surface 924 is recessed in the direction of the outer side of the mounting cavity 92 to form a water storage tank 94.

[0247] In these embodiments, the water tank assembly 4 is installed inside the mounting housing 9, and the shape and size of a portion of the inner wall of the mounting cavity 92 are consistent with the housing of the water tank assembly 4. This allows the water tank assembly 4 to be installed precisely inside the mounting housing 9, ensuring the fit between the water tank assembly 4 and the mounting housing 9. This enables better positioning and installation of the water tank assembly 4 through the mounting housing 9.

[0248] Simultaneously, the lower inner wall of the rear part of the mounting cavity 92 can be recessed downwards to form the required water storage tank 94, thereby facilitating the buffering of water output from the water tank assembly 4. In this structure, the mounting area of ​​the water tank assembly 4 and the water storage tank 94 are set together, allowing the outlet of the water tank assembly 4 and the water storage tank 94 to be directly connected. This ensures the fitting accuracy between the water tank assembly 4 and the water storage tank 94, making the water flow smoother and preventing the water tank assembly 4 from being misaligned due to improper installation.

[0249] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 12 and 13, when the water tank assembly 4 is installed in the mounting cavity 92, the outlet of the water outlet channel 44 is located above the water storage tank 94 along the height direction of the tank body 12, so that the water in the water tank assembly 4 can flow into the water storage tank 94 under the action of gravity.

[0250] In these embodiments, the outlet of the water tank assembly 4 is directly located above the water storage tank 94, so that there is no obstruction at the outlet of the water tank assembly 4. This ensures that the water in the water tank assembly 4 can enter the water storage tank 94 as quickly as possible under the action of gravity.

[0251] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 12 and 13, the mounting housing 9 includes a bottom shell 982 and a top cover 984, which together form a mounting cavity 92. A portion of the structure of the bottom shell 982 is bent away from the top cover 984 to form a water storage tank 94.

[0252] In these embodiments, the mounting housing 9 is formed by a bottom shell 982 and a top cover 984. A portion of the bottom shell 982 is bent to form a water storage tank 94; that is, a portion of the bottom shell 982 is sunken to form the water storage tank 94. This method of forming the water storage tank 94 is relatively simple, making the mounting housing 9 easier to manufacture, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the mounting housing 9.

[0253] Of course, in other solutions, ribs can be formed inside the mounting housing 9 to form a water storage tank 94, or the mounting housing 9 can be made thicker overall, and then a portion of the wall thickness can be removed to form the water storage tank 94.

[0254] In any of the above embodiments, for example, as shown in FIG13, along the height direction of the steam cooking appliance, the location of the water outlet channel 44 is above the location of the water storage tank 94, and the location of the water storage tank 94 is above the location of the water receiving box 3.

[0255] In this embodiment, the water outlet channel 44, the drain outlet 90, and the water receiving box 3 are positioned at progressively lower heights. This allows water to flow sequentially from the water outlet channel 44 into the water storage tank 94 under gravity, and then from the drain outlet 90 of the water storage tank 94 into the water receiving box 3. Thus, the water in the water tank assembly 4 can flow into the water receiving box 3 purely by gravity. With this structure, the water in the water tank assembly 4 can flow into the water receiving box 3 under gravity. That is, there is no power equipment between the water tank assembly 4 and the water receiving box 3; the water in the water tank assembly 4 flows into the water receiving box 3 purely by gravity. This allows for water filling operations solely through a mechanical structure, eliminating the need for a water pump or any electronic control components. This reduces the water tank device's dependence on water pumps and electronic controls, thereby simplifying the product structure and reducing costs.

[0256] In any of the above embodiments, exemplarily, as shown in Figures 9 and 12, the water tank assembly 4 is detachably mounted on the mounting housing 9. Exemplarily, the water tank assembly 4 further includes: a valve assembly 48, mounted at the water outlet channel 44, movable between a first position and a second position to open or close the water outlet channel 44; the mounting housing 9 includes a push rod 96, which is inserted into the water outlet channel 44 when the water tank assembly 4 is mounted in the mounting cavity 92, and pushes the valve assembly 48 from the first position to the second position to open the water outlet channel 44.

[0257] In this embodiment, after the water tank assembly 4 is correctly installed on the mounting housing 9, the valve assembly 48 can be lifted by the push rod 96, thereby opening the water outlet channel 44. After the water tank assembly 4 is removed, the valve assembly 48 can automatically return to the second position to close the water outlet channel 44. This makes opening and closing the water tank assembly 4 very convenient. This structure allows the water tank assembly 4 to be opened and closed purely mechanically, without the need for electrical control, thus making the opening and closing structure of the water tank assembly 4 more durable.

[0258] In any of the above embodiments, exemplarily as shown in Figures 9 and 13, the water tank device further includes: a first limiting member 99, installed on the mounting housing 9; a second limiting member 402, disposed on the water tank assembly 4; when the water tank assembly 4 is located in the mounting cavity 92, the first limiting member 99 and the second limiting member 402 mutually limit each other to lock the water tank assembly 4; when the water tank assembly 4 is located in the mounting cavity 92, pressing the water tank assembly 4 into the mounting cavity 92 can release the limitation between the first limiting member 99 and the second limiting member 402 to unlock the water tank assembly 4; an elastic member 11, installed in the water outlet channel 44, is used to push a portion of the water tank assembly 4 out of the mounting housing 9 when the water tank assembly 4 is in the unlocked state, and to move the valve assembly 48 from the second position to the first position to close the water outlet channel 44.

[0259] In these embodiments, the water tank assembly 4 and the mounting housing 9 can be locked and unlocked via a first limiting member 99 and a second limiting member 402. After the water tank assembly 4 is unlocked, it can be removed from the mounting housing 9 for adding water, cleaning, or repair / replacement. The water tank assembly 4 includes a water outlet channel 44 through which water can be discharged. A valve assembly 48 is installed within the water outlet channel 44, and a push rod 96 is provided on the mounting housing 9. The water outlet channel 44 can be opened and closed via the valve assembly 48, the push rod 96, and the elastic member 11. Specifically, when the water tank assembly 4 is installed on the cooking appliance 1 and steam is required, the water tank assembly 4 can be locked using the first limiting member 99 and the second limiting member 402. At this time, the push rod 96 can be inserted into the water outlet channel 44, thereby pushing the valve assembly 48 along the water outlet channel 44 from a first position to a second position, thus opening the water outlet channel 44.

[0260] When it is necessary to remove the water tank assembly 4 from the cooking unit 1 to add water, press the water tank assembly 4 first to unlock it. After the water tank assembly 4 is unlocked, the external force exerted by the push rod 96 on the valve assembly 48 disappears, and the valve assembly 48 returns to the first position under the action of the elastic member 11. This closes the water outlet channel 44 of the water tank assembly 4, preventing water from flowing out of the water outlet channel 44. At the same time, the water tank assembly 4 is pushed out under the action of the elastic member 11.

[0261] In this structure, the elastic element 11 can push out the water tank assembly 4 and also close the water outlet channel 44 of the valve assembly 48. In other words, in this structure, the elastic element 11 used for the telescopic installation of the water tank assembly 4 and the elastic element 11 required for the valve assembly 48 are the same part. That is, the push-out structure of the water tank assembly 4 and the opening and closing structure of the water outlet of the water tank assembly 4 share a single elastic element 11, thereby simplifying the structure of the product.

[0262] Of course, in other solutions, the elastic element 11 for the telescopic installation of the water tank assembly 4 and the elastic element 11 required for the valve assembly 48 can also be two separate parts.

[0263] In any of the above embodiments, exemplarily, when the water tank assembly 4 is in the locked state, the elastic member 11 is in the compressed state. After the water tank assembly 4 is unlocked, the elastic member 11 can extend to push a part of the water tank assembly 4 out of the mounting housing 9 and move the valve assembly 48 from the second position to the first position to close the water outlet channel 44.

[0264] In these embodiments, when the water tank assembly 4 is in the locked state, the elastic member 11 is in the compressed state. When the water tank assembly 4 is in the unlocked state, the elastic member 11 can extend to push the water tank assembly 4 out of the mounting housing 9. At the same time, after the water tank assembly 4 extends out of the mounting housing 9, the push rod 96 separates from the water outlet channel 44, and the valve assembly 48 returns to the second position under the action of the elastic member 11, thereby closing the water outlet channel 44.

[0265] Of course, in other solutions, when the water tank assembly 4 is in the locked state, the elastic element 11 can also be set to the extended state.

[0266] As shown in Figures 1 to 10, an embodiment of the second aspect of this application provides a steam cooking appliance, including the water tank device provided in any embodiment of the first aspect.

[0267] Since this type of steam cooking appliance has the water tank device provided in any embodiment of the first aspect, it has all the beneficial effects of the water tank device provided in any embodiment of the first aspect, which will not be repeated here.

[0268] In any of the above embodiments, exemplarily as shown in Figures 1, 2, and 8, the steam cooking appliance further includes: a housing 12, which includes a cooking chamber 16 and a cooking inlet 122, the cooking inlet 122 communicating with the cooking chamber 16; a mounting shell 9 mounted on the housing 12; and a water tank assembly 4 detachably mounted on the housing 12; a door 14 mounted on the housing 12 to open or close the cooking inlet 122; a heating device 2 mounted on the housing 12 for heating the food in the cooking chamber 16; and a water receiving box 3 including a water receiving trough 34 mounted inside the housing 12, wherein the water in the water receiving trough 34 can be heated into steam by the heating device 2.

[0269] In this embodiment, the steam cooking appliance includes a housing 12 and a door 14. A cooking chamber 16 is provided inside the housing 12, and the cooking chamber 16 is connected to a cooking inlet 122. The door 14 is installed on the housing 12 and is used to open and close the cooking inlet 122. The water receiving box 3 can specifically be a water tank 34, which stores water. The water in the water tank 34 can be heated into steam by the heating device 2 to humidify and replenish the food in the cooking chamber 16. With this configuration, the water tank 34 can be directly heated using the existing heating device 2 of the product, eliminating the need for a separate heating structure, thus simplifying the product's structure. Of course, considering actual heating needs, a separate heating structure can also be provided for the water tank 34.

[0270] The box body 12 and the door body 14 constitute the outer shell structure of the entire product, forming a cooking box 1.

[0271] In any of the above embodiments, exemplarily as shown in Figures 1, 8, and 9, the mounting housing 9 is mounted on the box body 12. The box body 12 has a second mounting port 124 and a cooking inlet 122 at a first end along a first direction. The door 14 is mounted on the first end of the box body 12. The water tank assembly 4 can be inserted and mounted onto the box body 12 along the first direction through the second mounting port 124. The water tank assembly 4 includes: a water tank housing 40, which includes a water-containing cavity 42 and a water inlet 46 communicating with the water-containing cavity 42. The water inlet 46 is located at one end of the water tank housing 40 along the first direction; a cover 47, detachably mounted on the water tank housing 40 to open or close the water inlet 46; and a sealing ring 49, located between the water tank housing 40 and the cover 47 to seal the gap between them.

[0272] In this embodiment, the water tank assembly 4 specifically includes a water tank shell 40 and a cover 47. The water tank shell 40 is provided with a water inlet 46, and the cover 47 is detachably mounted on the water inlet 46 of the water tank shell 40. Meanwhile, to ensure a seal between the water tank shell 40 and the cover 47, a sealing ring 49 is also provided between them. This sealing ring 49 allows for a sealed connection between the two, thereby preventing water leakage from the water tank assembly 4.

[0273] For example, one end of the mounting housing 9 having a first mounting port is located within a second mounting port 124. The water tank assembly 4 is axially and pull-mounted within the mounting cavity 92 of the mounting housing 9 through the first mounting port, and the water tank assembly 4 can be detached from the mounting housing 9.

[0274] In other oven designs, the water tank assembly typically has a water inlet directly on the side wall of the water tank shell without a removable cover. This makes it difficult to open the water tank and thus inconvenient for cleaning. In this application, a removable cover 47 is provided. This allows for easy cleaning of the water tank assembly 40 by opening the cover 47, improving the convenience of cleaning and ensuring cleanliness. Furthermore, this design allows users to easily inspect the interior of the water tank assembly 40 by opening the cover 47, facilitating timely detection of dirt and grime. This makes it easier for users to clean the water tank assembly 4 promptly and with greater peace of mind.

[0275] Specifically, the first direction can be the front-to-back direction of the tank body 12. For example, the water tank assembly 4 can be disassembled and assembled from the front side of the tank body 12. The cover 47 and the outer shell 40 of the water tank assembly 4 are also assembled along the front-to-back direction, which means that the water tank assembly 4 is installed horizontally on the tank body 12, rather than vertically. This structure allows the water tank assembly 4 to be installed horizontally, thus enabling it to be installed relatively high and facilitating its descent into the water by gravity.

[0276] For example, the water tank assembly 4 is mounted on top of the inner liner 126, or on top of the cooking cavity 16. This arrangement allows the water tank assembly 4 to be positioned higher, thereby facilitating gravity-fed water flow.

[0277] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 8 and 13, the water tank device further includes: a connector 7 disposed on the tank body 12, with the outlet end of the connector 7 corresponding to the water receiving box 3; a connecting pipe 8 for connecting the drain outlet 90 and the connector 7, so that water in the water storage tank 94 can be transported to the water receiving box 3 through the drain outlet 90, the connecting pipe 8 and the connector 7; wherein, the outlet end of the connector 7 is located inside the cooking cavity 16 and protrudes from the inner wall of the cooking cavity 16, and along the height direction of the tank body 12, the outlet end of the connector 7 is located above the water receiving box 3.

[0278] In this embodiment, the outlet end of the connector 7 is located inside the cooking cavity 16 and protrudes from the inner wall of the cooking cavity 16. This way, the water flowing out of the outlet end of the connector 7 can be guided away from the inner wall of the cooking cavity 16 and will not flow along the inner wall of the cooking cavity 16. This allows the water flowing out of the outlet end of the connector 7 to flow into the water collection box 3. This prevents water from flowing to other parts of the cooking cavity 16 and affecting the cooking of the product when water is supplied to the water collection box 3. This also ensures that there is no obvious turbulence at the outlet of the connector 7, thus ensuring the cleanliness of other parts of the cooking cavity 16 and preventing other parts of the cooking cavity 16 from getting wet.

[0279] For example, to ensure that water in the water tank assembly 4 can flow to the connector 7, a connecting pipe 8 can be provided between the connector 7 and the water tank assembly 4, as shown in Figures 1 and 13. Through the connecting pipe 8, water in the water tank assembly 4 can be promptly delivered to the water receiving box 3. This structure, by providing the connecting pipe 8, allows for more flexible installation of the water tank assembly 4, thus facilitating the overall layout of the product. Of course, in other solutions, the connecting pipe 8 can be omitted, and the outlet of the water tank assembly 4 can be directly connected to the connector 7.

[0280] In addition, by directly delivering water to the water receiving box 3 through the connecting pipe 8, the water can be guided to prevent it from flowing into other places. At the same time, it can also prevent water from falling directly from a height, thereby reducing water flow noise.

[0281] The connecting pipe 8 can be a separate pipe structure or a channel structure enclosed by the shell structure of the box 12.

[0282] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in FIG10, the housing 12 includes a gallbladder sidewall 1262 and a gallbladder top 1264 connected to each other, and the connector 7 is disposed at the connection between the gallbladder sidewall 1262 and the gallbladder top 1264.

[0283] In this embodiment, the connector 7 is located at the connection between the side wall 1262 and the top 1264 of the inner pot, so that the position of the connector 7 is relatively close to the corner of the box 12. This reduces the area occupied by the connector 7 and improves the space utilization rate inside the cooking cavity 16.

[0284] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in FIG10, a mounting plane 1266 is provided at the connection between the side wall 1262 and the top 1264 of the gallbladder. The mounting plane 1266 is inclined relative to the height direction of the housing 12, and the connector 7 is provided on the mounting plane 1266.

[0285] In this embodiment, in order to ensure the installation stability of the connector 7, or to facilitate the processing of the connector 7, an installation plane 1266 can be provided at the connection between the side wall 1262 and the top 1264 of the tank. Then, the required connector 7 can be processed or installed at the installation plane 1266. This can improve the stability of the connector 7 and the stability of the connector 7 when connected to the water tank assembly 4 or the connecting pipe 8.

[0286] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in FIG10, the housing 12 includes an inner liner 126, which forms a cooking cavity 16. The connector 7 includes a water guiding protrusion 72 disposed on the inner wall of the inner liner 126 and a connecting channel 74 penetrating the inner liner 126 and the water guiding protrusion 72. The inlet end of the connecting channel 74 is connected to the water tank assembly 4, and the outlet end of the connecting channel 74 is disposed corresponding to the water receiving box 3. Water from the outlet end of the connecting channel 74 can flow into the water receiving box 3.

[0287] In this embodiment, the housing 12 includes an inner liner 126, which forms the cooking cavity 16. To create a flow-guiding structure on the inner wall of the cooking cavity 16 and prevent water from flowing along it, a water-guiding protrusion 72 is provided on the inner side of the inner liner 126. A connecting channel 74 is then machined into the inner liner 126, penetrating the inner liner 126 and the water-guiding protrusion 72. This forms a connector 7 structure. Because the water-guiding protrusion 72 is directly formed on the inner liner 126, its connection to the inner liner 126 is more reliable, and its position is more stable, thus preventing the water outlet from shaking.

[0288] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 8 and 13, the connector 7 is a pipe 76 installed on the housing 12. The pipe 76 is detachably connected to the housing 12 or integrally connected to it. The housing 12 includes an inner liner 126, which forms a cooking cavity 16. The outlet end of the pipe 76 is located inside the cooking cavity 16 and protrudes from the inner wall of the inner liner 126.

[0289] In this embodiment, the connector 7 is an additionally installed pipe 76, thus eliminating the need to machine a water-guiding protrusion 72 on the inner liner 126. This simplifies the structure of the inner liner 126 and reduces its processing cost. Simultaneously, to ensure that the water discharged from the pipe 76 does not flow along the inner wall of the cooking cavity 16, the outlet end of the pipe 76 can be positioned on the inner wall of the cooking cavity 16 and extend a certain length relative to the inner wall. This allows the water to be accurately guided into the water collection box 3 through the pipe 76, preventing water from flowing to other locations along the cooking cavity 16.

[0290] In any of the above embodiments, the fitting 76 is, by way of example, a metal part.

[0291] In this embodiment, the fitting 76 is made of metal, which can improve the high temperature resistance of the fitting 76. Since the fitting 76 is partially inserted into the cooking cavity 16, and the temperature in the cooking cavity 16 is high, making the fitting 76 of metal allows the fitting 76 to withstand the high temperature in the cooking cavity 16 for a long time without deformation. This can improve the service life of the fitting 76 and also prevent the fitting 76 from melting and deforming and releasing toxic substances.

[0292] For example, connector 7 can be a straight structure or a curved structure.

[0293] In this embodiment, the shape of the connector 7 can be reasonably set according to the position of the connector 7 and the position of the water receiving box 3. For example, the connector 7 can be set as a straight line, so that the water flow can be smoother and the material consumption of the connector 7 can be minimized. Of course, when the distance between the connector 7 and the water receiving box 3 is far, a bending structure can also be set on the connector 7 to form a curved connector 7, depending on the actual situation.

[0294] In any of the above embodiments, by way of example, the connecting pipe 8 includes a flexible hose 82, at least a portion of which is mounted on the housing 12; or the connecting pipe 8 includes a channel structure formed on the housing 12.

[0295] In this embodiment, the connecting pipe 8 is a flexible hose 82, which makes the installation of the connecting pipe 8 more flexible. Of course, the connecting pipe 8 can also be a channel structure formed by the shell of the housing 12. In this case, there is no need to set up an additional pipe separately, thereby reducing the number of parts in the product.

[0296] In any of the above embodiments, the water receiving box 3 is detachably installed inside the housing 12, for example.

[0297] In this embodiment, when it is not necessary to add water to the food, the water receiving box 3 and the water tank assembly 4 can be removed from the body 12 to prevent the water receiving box 3 from drying out. The water receiving box 3 can also be made non-removable, in which case the water in the water tank assembly 4 can be poured out when it is not necessary to add water to the food.

[0298] For example, as shown in Figures 2, 6, 7 and 8, the steam cooking appliance further includes: a first support 5 installed inside the cooking cavity 16, and a water collection box 3 installed on the first support 5.

[0299] In this embodiment, a first bracket 5 is installed inside the housing 12. The first bracket 5 is mounted on the inner wall of the housing 12. For example, the first bracket 5 can be installed on the housing 12 by means of screws or clips. The water receiving box 3 is mounted on the first bracket 5, which makes the installation and removal of the water receiving box 3 more convenient.

[0300] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 2, 6, 7 and 8, the steam cooking appliance further includes: two second supports 6, respectively disposed on two inner side walls of the housing 12 that are opposite to each other in the width direction, for supporting the food carrier 10; wherein, the first support 5 is installed on the top of one of the second supports 6.

[0301] In this embodiment, the second bracket 6 can be used to support and install food carriers 10 such as the baking pan 102. The first bracket 5 is installed on top of the second bracket 6. In this structure, the water collection box 3 and the first bracket 5 are directly installed on the support bracket of the food carrier 10 such as the baking pan 102. This allows the installation of the water collection box 3 to be achieved using the existing brackets within the housing 12, thereby simplifying the overall product structure and reducing the overall product cost.

[0302] For example, the second bracket 6 is provided with a plurality of support parts 62, which are spaced apart along the height direction of the housing 12. The first bracket 5 and the second bracket 6 can install the food carrier 10 at multiple height positions through the plurality of support parts 62. This arrangement makes the installation height of the food carrier 10 adjustable, and also allows the two second brackets 6 to support and install multiple food carriers 10 at the same time.

[0303] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 5 and 6, a flange 32 is provided at the opening of the water receiving box 3, and the flange 32 extends from the inside to the outside of the opening; the first bracket 5 includes a support bar 52, and the water receiving box 3 is mounted on the support bar 52 through the flange 32.

[0304] In this embodiment, the flange 32 enables the positioning and installation of the water receiving box 3. To ensure the installation of the first bracket 5 with the water receiving box 3, a support bar 52 is provided on the first bracket 5. The support bar 52 can be supported at the bottom of the flange 32 to support the water receiving box 3. To ensure the installation stability of the water receiving box 3, the shape of the support bar 52 can be adapted to the outer wall of the water receiving box 3, and the length of the support bar 52 can be set with reference to the outer periphery of the water receiving box 3.

[0305] For example, when the water receiving box 3 is elongated, the support strip 52 can cover three sides of the water receiving box 3 to ensure the stability of the support strip 52 in supporting the water receiving box 3. When the water receiving box 3 is circular or near-circular, the support strip 52 can cover more than a quarter of the circumference of the water receiving box 3.

[0306] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 5, 6, and 8, the water receiving box 3 has a long strip structure and is arranged along the front-rear direction of the housing 12. The long strip structure of the water receiving box 3 reduces the width it occupies, thereby improving the space utilization of the cooking cavity 16.

[0307] For example, the water receiving box 3 is a long strip structure, and the support strip 52 is supported on three sides of the water receiving box 3. This ensures the installation stability of the water receiving box 3.

[0308] In any of the above embodiments, exemplarily as shown in FIG1, the water tank assembly 4 is mounted on the housing 12. By mounting the water tank assembly 4 on the housing 12, the water tank assembly 4 and the housing 12 can form a whole, thereby facilitating the connection operation between the water tank assembly 4 and the connector 7. It also makes the entire unit more compact. Of course, in other solutions, the water tank can also be set independently of the housing 12.

[0309] For example, as shown in FIG1, the water tank assembly 4 is installed on the top of the tank body 12, thereby setting the water tank assembly 4 higher to facilitate the use of gravity to lower the water.

[0310] In this type of structure, water does not need to be filled in the water tank assembly 4 when it is not necessary to add water to the food.

[0311] For example, the heating device 2 includes a heating element 22, which is mounted on the top of the housing 12.

[0312] In this embodiment, the heating device 2 can be a variety of heating methods, such as infrared heating, thermal radiation heating, or electromagnetic heating. For example, a heating element 22 can be installed on the top of the cooking cavity 16 to heat the food. At this time, the water tank assembly 4 can be installed on the outer top of the housing 12, and the water receiving tank 34 can be positioned close to the top of the cooking cavity 16, so that the heating element 22 can be used to heat the water in the water receiving tank 34 into steam.

[0313] In any of the above embodiments, the steam cooking appliance, exemplarily, includes an oven and / or a steamer. Of course, the steam cooking appliance can also be other devices that require a water tank.

[0314] The following section uses a steam oven / steamer as an example to further illustrate the water tank-turning steam cooking appliance in this application.

[0315] Currently, steam ovens / steamers are generally equipped with a water tank assembly to supply water to the machine, using either a water pump or a gravity-fed system without a water pump. The water tank assembly of a typical gravity-fed system is relatively simple, consisting of a water tank, a water tank base, a water box cover, and water pipes. The water tank base is designed with a structure similar to the conventional shape of the water tank, which can easily lead to poor water flow and the risk of subsequent overflow.

[0316] The key feature of this embodiment is the recessed boss on the base of the water tank assembly. Located below the water outlet, this boss acts as a buffer when the water volume is high and the flow rate is too fast, preventing excessive water overflow. The beveled bottom of the boss guides the flow and prevents excessive water residue. A drain outlet at the rear allows water from the tank assembly to be drained into the cavity by gravity. This ensures a stable water supply to the cavity, preventing overflow and excessive water accumulation within the tank.

[0317] The enclosure includes an inner liner and a shell. The inner liner is installed inside the shell, and a space is provided between the outer wall of the inner liner and the inner wall of the shell to accommodate the outer shell and water tank assembly. The front of the shell has a front opening, through which the inner liner forms a cooking cavity. A second mounting port is also provided on the front of the shell for inserting the water tank assembly. The water tank assembly is inserted through this second mounting port between the inner liner and the shell.

[0318] The water tank device and steam cooking appliance provided by the embodiments of this application will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 9 and Figure 19.

[0319] As shown in Figures 1, 4, and 8, an embodiment of the first aspect of this application provides a water tank device for a steam cooking appliance. The steam cooking appliance includes a housing 12, which includes a cooking cavity 16. The water tank device includes: a water receiving trough 34 installed inside the cooking cavity 16; a water tank assembly 4 located outside the cooking cavity 16; and a connector 7 installed on the water receiving trough 34 or the housing 12 and communicating with the water tank assembly 4. The outlet end of the connector 7 is provided corresponding to the water receiving trough 34, and water in the water tank assembly 4 can be transported to the water receiving trough 34 through the connector 7. The outlet end of the connector 7 is located inside the cooking cavity 16 and protrudes from the inner wall of the cooking cavity 16.

[0320] In this embodiment, the water tank device can be specifically used in steam cooking appliances such as steam ovens. This water tank device supplies water to the steam cooking appliance, enabling it to generate steam for humidifying the food. The steam cooking appliance includes a housing 12, within which a cooking chamber 16 is provided. The food to be cooked can be placed in the cooking chamber 16 for heating. The water tank device specifically includes a water receiving tank 34, a water tank assembly 4, and a connector 7. The water tank assembly 4 stores water, and the water in the water tank assembly 4 flows into the water receiving tank 34 to replenish the water in a timely manner. The water in the water receiving tank 34 can be heated into steam in the cooking chamber 16 to humidify the food inside. The connector 7 is located on the water receiving tank 34, and the water in the water tank assembly 4 first enters the connector 7 and then flows from the connector 7 into the water receiving tank 34. With this structure, when water needs to be added to the ingredients, water can be added to the water tank 34 through the water tank assembly 4, so that water can be added to the water tank 34 without opening the cooking cavity 16.

[0321] Meanwhile, as shown in Figure 8, the outlet end of connector 7 is located inside the cooking cavity 16 and protrudes from the inner wall of the cooking cavity 16. In this way, the water flowing out of the outlet end of connector 7 can be guided away from the inner wall of the cooking cavity 16 and will not flow along the inner wall of the cooking cavity 16. This allows the water flowing out of the outlet end of connector 7 to flow into the water receiving tank 34. This prevents water from flowing to other parts of the cooking cavity 16 and affecting the cooking of the product when water is supplied to the water receiving tank 34. This also ensures that there is no obvious turbulence at the outlet of connector 7, thus ensuring the cleanliness of other parts of the cooking cavity 16 and preventing other parts of the cooking cavity 16 from getting wet.

[0322] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 1 and 4, the water tank device further includes a connecting pipe 8 for connecting the water tank assembly 4 and the connector 7, so as to transport the water in the water tank assembly 4 to the water receiving tank 34 through the connecting pipe 8 and the connector 7.

[0323] In this embodiment, to ensure that the water in the water tank assembly 4 can flow to the connector 7, a connecting pipe 8 can be installed between the connector 7 and the water tank assembly 4. Through the connecting pipe 8, the water in the water tank assembly 4 can be promptly transported to the water receiving tank 34. This structure, by including the connecting pipe 8, allows for more flexible installation of the water tank assembly 4, thus facilitating the overall layout of the product. Of course, in other solutions, the connecting pipe 8 can be omitted, and the outlet of the water tank assembly 4 can be directly connected to the connector 7.

[0324] In addition, by directly conveying water to the water receiving tank 34 through the connecting pipe 8, the water can be guided to prevent it from flowing into other places. At the same time, it can also prevent water from falling directly from a height, thereby reducing water flow noise.

[0325] The connecting pipe 8 can be a separate pipe structure or a channel structure enclosed by the shell structure of the box 12.

[0326] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in FIG2 and FIG19, the housing 12 includes a gallbladder sidewall 1262 and a gallbladder top 1264 connected to each other, and the connector 7 is disposed at the connection between the gallbladder sidewall 1262 and the gallbladder top 1264.

[0327] In this embodiment, the connector 7 is located at the connection between the side wall 1262 and the top 1264 of the inner pot, so that the position of the connector 7 is relatively close to the corner of the box 12. This reduces the area occupied by the connector 7 and improves the space utilization rate inside the cooking cavity 16.

[0328] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in FIG19, a mounting plane 1266 is provided at the connection between the side wall 1262 and the top 1264 of the gallbladder. The mounting plane 1266 is inclined relative to the height direction of the housing 12, and the connector 7 is provided on the mounting plane 1266.

[0329] In this embodiment, in order to ensure the installation stability of the connector 7, or to facilitate the processing of the connector 7, an installation plane 1266 can be provided at the connection between the side wall 1262 and the top 1264 of the tank. Then, the required connector 7 can be processed or installed at the installation plane 1266. This can improve the stability of the connector 7 and the stability of the connector 7 when connected to the water tank assembly 4 or the connecting pipe 8.

[0330] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in FIG19, the housing 12 includes an inner liner 126, which forms a cooking cavity 16. The connector 7 includes a water guiding protrusion 72 disposed on the inner wall of the inner liner 126 and a connecting channel 74 penetrating the inner liner 126 and the water guiding protrusion 72. The inlet end of the connecting channel 74 is connected to the water tank assembly 4, and the outlet end of the connecting channel 74 is disposed corresponding to the water receiving tank 34. Water from the outlet end of the connecting channel 74 can flow into the water receiving tank 34.

[0331] In this embodiment, the housing 12 includes an inner liner 126, which forms the cooking cavity 16. To create a flow-guiding structure on the inner wall of the cooking cavity 16 and prevent water from flowing along it, a water-guiding protrusion 72 is provided on the inner side of the inner liner 126. A connecting channel 74 is then machined into the inner liner 126, penetrating the inner liner 126 and the water-guiding protrusion 72. This forms a connector 7 structure. Because the water-guiding protrusion 72 is directly formed on the inner liner 126, its connection to the inner liner 126 is more reliable, and its position is more stable, thus preventing the water outlet from shaking.

[0332] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 4 and 8, the connector 7 is a pipe 76 installed on the housing 12. The pipe 76 is detachably connected to the housing 12 or integrally connected to it. The housing 12 includes an inner liner 126, which forms a cooking cavity 16. The outlet end of the pipe 76 is located inside the cooking cavity 16 and protrudes from the inner wall of the inner liner 126.

[0333] In this embodiment, the connector 7 is an additionally installed pipe 76, thus eliminating the need to machine a water-guiding protrusion 72 on the inner liner 126. This simplifies the structure of the inner liner 126 and reduces its processing cost. Simultaneously, to ensure that the water discharged from the pipe 76 does not flow along the inner wall of the cooking cavity 16, the outlet end of the pipe 76 can be positioned on the inner wall of the cooking cavity 16 and extend a certain length relative to the inner wall. This allows the water to be accurately guided into the water receiving tank 34 through the pipe 76, preventing water from flowing along the cooking cavity 16 to other locations.

[0334] In any of the above embodiments, the fitting 76 is, by way of example, a metal part.

[0335] In this embodiment, the fitting 76 is made of metal, which can improve the high temperature resistance of the fitting 76. Since the fitting 76 is partially inserted into the cooking cavity 16, and the temperature in the cooking cavity 16 is high, making the fitting 76 of metal allows the fitting 76 to withstand the high temperature in the cooking cavity 16 for a long time without deformation. This can improve the service life of the fitting 76 and also prevent the fitting 76 from melting and deforming and releasing toxic substances.

[0336] In any of the above embodiments, for example, connector 7 is a straight connector or connector 7 is a curved connector.

[0337] In this embodiment, the shape of the connector 7 can be reasonably set according to the position of the connector 7 and the water receiving tank 34. For example, the connector 7 can be set as a straight line, so that the water flow can be smoother and the material consumption of the connector 7 can be minimized. Of course, when the distance between the connector 7 and the water receiving tank 34 is far, a bending structure can also be set on the connector 7 to form a curved connector 7, depending on the actual situation.

[0338] In any of the above embodiments, exemplarily, as shown in Figures 4 and 8, the connecting pipe 8 includes a flexible hose 82, at least a portion of which is mounted on the housing 12; or the connecting pipe 8 includes a channel structure formed on the housing 12.

[0339] In this embodiment, the connecting pipe 8 is a flexible hose 82, which makes the installation of the connecting pipe 8 more flexible. Of course, the connecting pipe 8 can also be a channel structure formed by the shell of the housing 12. In this case, there is no need to set up an additional pipe separately, thereby reducing the number of parts in the product.

[0340] In any of the above embodiments, the water receiving tank 34 is detachably installed inside the housing 12, for example.

[0341] In this embodiment, when it is not necessary to add water to the food, the water receiving trough 34 and the water tank assembly 4 can be removed from the housing 12 to prevent the water receiving trough 34 from drying out. The water receiving trough 34 can also be configured to be non-removable, in which case the water in the water tank assembly 4 can be poured out when it is not necessary to add water to the food.

[0342] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 2, 6, 7 and 8, the steam cooking appliance further includes: a first support 5 installed inside the cooking cavity 16, and a water tank 34 installed on the first support 5.

[0343] In this embodiment, a first bracket 5 is installed inside the housing 12. The first bracket 5 is mounted on the inner wall of the housing 12. For example, the first bracket 5 can be installed on the housing 12 by means of screws or clips. The water receiving tank 34 is mounted on the first bracket 5, which makes the installation and removal of the water receiving tank 34 more convenient.

[0344] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 2, 6, 7 and 8, the steam cooking appliance further includes: two second supports 6, respectively disposed on two inner side walls of the housing 12 that are opposite to each other in the width direction, for supporting the food carrier 10; wherein, the first support 5 is installed on the top of one of the second supports 6.

[0345] In this embodiment, the second bracket 6 can be used to support and install food carriers 10 such as the baking pan 102. The first bracket 5 is installed on top of the second bracket 6. In this structure, the water tank 34 and the first bracket 5 are directly installed on the support bracket of the food carrier 10 such as the baking pan 102. This allows the installation of the water tank 34 to be achieved using the existing brackets within the housing 12, thereby simplifying the overall product structure and reducing the overall cost.

[0346] For example, the second bracket 6 is provided with a plurality of support parts 62, which are spaced apart along the height direction of the housing 12. The two second brackets 6 can install the food carrier 10 at multiple height positions through the plurality of support parts 62. This arrangement makes the installation height of the food carrier 10 adjustable, and at the same time, the two second brackets 6 can support and install multiple food carriers 10 simultaneously.

[0347] For example, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, a flange 32 is provided at the opening of the water receiving tank 34, and the flange 32 extends from the inside to the outside of the opening; the first bracket 5 includes a support bar 52, and the water receiving tank 34 is installed on the support bar 52 through the flange 32.

[0348] In this embodiment, the flange 32 enables the positioning and installation of the docking water tank 34. To ensure the installation of the first bracket 5 with the docking water tank 34, a support bar 52 is provided on the first bracket 5. The support bar 52 can be supported at the bottom of the flange 32 to support the docking water tank 34. To ensure the installation stability of the docking water tank 34, the shape of the support bar 52 can be adapted to the outer wall of the docking water tank 34, and the length of the support bar 52 can be set with reference to the outer periphery of the docking water tank 34.

[0349] For example, when the water receiving trough 34 is elongated, the support strip 52 can cover three sides of the water receiving trough 34 to ensure the support stability of the support strip 52 for the water receiving trough 34. When the water receiving trough 34 is circular or near-circular, the support strip 52 can cover more than a quarter of the circumference of the water receiving trough 34.

[0350] As shown in Figures 5, 6, and 8, the water receiving trough 34 has a long, narrow structure and is positioned along the front-to-back direction of the housing 12. This long, narrow structure reduces the width occupied by the water receiving trough 34, thereby improving the space utilization of the cooking cavity 16.

[0351] For example, the water receiving trough 34 is a long strip structure, and the support bar 52 is supported on three surfaces of the water receiving trough 34. This ensures the installation stability of the water receiving trough 34.

[0352] In any of the above embodiments, the water tank assembly 4 is exemplaryly mounted on the housing 12. By mounting the water tank assembly 4 on the housing 12, the water tank assembly 4 and the housing 12 can form a single unit, thereby facilitating the connection operation between the water tank assembly 4 and the connector 7. This also makes the entire unit more compact. Of course, in other solutions, the water tank can also be set independently of the housing 12.

[0353] For example, as shown in FIG1, the water tank assembly 4 is installed on the top of the tank body 12, thereby setting the water tank assembly 4 higher to facilitate the use of gravity to lower the water.

[0354] In any of the above embodiments, exemplarily, along the height direction of the tank 12, the water tank assembly 4 is located above the location of the water receiving trough 34, and the water in the water tank assembly 4 can flow into the water receiving trough 34 through the connector 7 under the action of gravity.

[0355] In this embodiment, the water tank assembly 4 is set relatively high, while the water receiving trough 34 is set relatively low. This allows the water in the water tank assembly 4 to fall under the influence of gravity, making the water flow more smoothly. This reduces the reliance on water pumps and electrical controls, thereby simplifying the product structure and reducing product costs.

[0356] In this system, the water in the water tank assembly 4 flows into the water receiving tank 34 under the influence of gravity. That is, there is no power equipment between the water tank assembly 4 and the water receiving tank 34. The water in the water tank assembly 4 flows into the water receiving tank 34 purely by gravity. In this way, the water filling operation can be achieved simply through the mechanical structure. There is no need to set up a water pump or rely on any electronic control components, which makes the entire water circuit structure very simple.

[0357] In this type of structure, water does not need to be filled in the water tank assembly 4 when it is not necessary to add water to the food.

[0358] In any of the above embodiments, exemplarily, the water tank assembly 4 includes a water-containing cavity 42, a water outlet channel 44 communicating with the water-containing cavity 42, and a water inlet 46. Along the height direction of the tank body 12, the inner bottom wall of the water-containing cavity 42 gradually decreases from the water inlet 46 to the water outlet channel 44.

[0359] In this embodiment, water can be added to the water tank assembly 4 through the inlet 46, and the water in the water tank assembly 4 can be discharged through the outlet 44. The inner bottom wall of the water-containing cavity 42 gradually decreases from the inlet 46 to the outlet 44. This allows water to accumulate at the outlet of the water tank assembly 4 when there is little water in it, making it easier for the water in the water tank assembly 4 to flow out. This prevents water from remaining in the water tank assembly 4 and reduces the amount of residual water in the water tank assembly 4.

[0360] As shown in Figures 1, 3, and 4, the steam cooking appliance further includes: a mounting shell 9, which is mounted on the housing 12, and the mounting shell 9 is provided with a mounting cavity 92 for placing the water tank assembly 4; the mounting shell 9 is also provided with a water storage tank 94, and the bottom wall of the water storage tank 94 is lower than the bottom wall of the mounting cavity 92 along the height direction of the housing 12; when the water tank assembly 4 is installed in the mounting cavity 92, the water tank assembly 4 is connected to the water storage tank 94, and the water in the water tank assembly 4 can flow into the water storage tank 94; and a connecting pipe 8 is installed on the mounting shell 9 and is connected to the water storage tank 94.

[0361] In this embodiment, the mounting housing 9 supports the water tank assembly 4. The mounting housing 9 comprises two parts: one part forms a mounting cavity 92 for supporting the water tank assembly 4, and the other part forms a water storage tank 94 for collecting water discharged from the water tank assembly 4. Water in the water storage tank 94 flows into the receiving tank 34 through the connecting pipe 8. With this structure, due to the mounting housing 9, the water tank assembly 4 does not need to be connected to the connecting pipe 8, etc. Therefore, no pipe connection is required during installation and disassembly of the water tank assembly 4, making it very convenient to remove the water tank assembly 4 for cleaning or adding water.

[0362] In any of the above embodiments, exemplarily as shown in Figures 3 and 9, the water tank assembly 4 further includes: a water outlet channel 44; a valve assembly 48, installed at the water outlet channel 44 of the water tank assembly 4, capable of operating between a first position and a second position to open or close the water outlet channel 44; and a push rod 96 provided on the mounting housing 9, which is used to position the valve assembly 48 in the first position to open the water outlet channel 44 when the water tank assembly 4 is installed in the mounting cavity 92, and to position the valve assembly 48 in the second position and close the water outlet channel 44 after the water tank assembly 4 is removed from the mounting cavity 92.

[0363] In this embodiment, after the water tank assembly 4 is correctly installed on the mounting housing 9, the valve assembly 48 can be lifted by the push rod 96, thereby opening the water outlet channel 44. After the water tank assembly 4 is removed, the valve assembly 48 can automatically return to the second position to close the water outlet channel 44. This makes opening and closing the water tank assembly 4 very convenient. This structure allows the water tank assembly 4 to be opened and closed purely mechanically, without the need for electrical control, thus making the opening and closing structure of the water tank assembly 4 more durable.

[0364] As shown in Figures 1 to 9 and Figure 19, an embodiment of the second aspect of this application provides a steam cooking appliance, including the water tank device provided in any embodiment of the first aspect.

[0365] Since this type of steam cooking appliance has the water tank device provided in any embodiment of the first aspect, it has all the beneficial effects of the water tank device provided in any embodiment of the first aspect, which will not be repeated here.

[0366] In any of the above embodiments, exemplarily as shown in Figures 1, 8, and 9, the steam cooking appliance includes a housing 12, which includes a cooking cavity 16. A cooking inlet 122 and a second mounting port 124 are provided at a first end of the housing 12 along a first direction, and the cooking inlet 122 communicates with the cooking cavity 16. The steam cooking appliance also includes a door 14, installed at the first end of the housing 12 to open or close the cooking inlet 122. A water tank assembly 4 can be pulled and installed onto the housing 12 via the second mounting port 124 along the first direction. The water tank assembly 4 includes: a water tank shell 40, which includes a water-containing cavity 42 and a water inlet 46 communicating with the water-containing cavity 42, the water inlet 46 being located at one end of the water tank shell 40 along the first direction; a cover 47, detachably installed on the water tank shell 40 to open or close the water inlet 46; and a sealing ring 49, located between the water tank shell 40 and the cover 47 to seal the gap between them.

[0367] In this embodiment, the steam cooking appliance includes a housing 12 and a door 14. A cooking chamber 16 is provided inside the housing 12, and the cooking chamber 16 communicates with a cooking inlet 122. The door 14 is installed on the housing 12 and is used to open and close the cooking inlet 122. A water tank assembly 4 is installed on the side of the housing 12 where the door 14 is located, for example, on the front side of the housing 12. The water tank assembly 4 can also be installed onto the housing 12 along the front side, and it can be pulled out in the front-back direction for easy assembly and disassembly. Furthermore, the water tank assembly 4 is also placed front-back on the housing 12, meaning it is installed horizontally on the housing 12, not vertically.

[0368] The box body 12 and the door body 14 constitute the outer shell structure of the entire product, forming a cooking box 1.

[0369] The water tank assembly 4 specifically includes a water tank shell 40 and a cover 47. The water tank shell 40 is provided with a water inlet 46, and the cover 47 is detachably installed on the water inlet 46 of the water tank shell 40. At the same time, in order to ensure the seal between the water tank shell 40 and the cover 47, a sealing ring 49 is also provided between the two. The sealing ring 49 can make the two seal the connection, thereby preventing water leakage from the water tank assembly 4.

[0370] In other oven designs, the water tank assembly typically has a water inlet directly on the side wall of the water tank shell without a removable cover. This makes it difficult to open the water tank and thus inconvenient for cleaning. In this application, a removable cover 47 is provided. This allows for easy cleaning of the water tank assembly 40 by opening the cover 47, improving the convenience of cleaning and ensuring cleanliness. Furthermore, this design allows users to easily inspect the interior of the water tank assembly 40 by opening the cover 47, facilitating timely detection of dirt and grime. This makes it easier for users to clean the water tank assembly 4 promptly and with greater peace of mind.

[0371] Specifically, the first direction can be the front-to-back direction of the tank 12. For example, the water tank assembly 4 can be disassembled and assembled from the front side of the tank 12. The cover 47 and the outer shell 40 of the water tank assembly 4 are also assembled along the front-to-back direction, which means that the water tank assembly 4 is installed horizontally on the tank 12, rather than vertically on the tank 12.

[0372] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in FIG8, the steam cooking appliance further includes: a heating device 2, installed on the housing 12, for heating the food in the cooking cavity 16; the water in the water tank 34 can be heated into steam by the heating device 2.

[0373] In this embodiment, the water tank 34 is used to store water, and the water in the water tank 34 can be heated into steam by the heating device 2 to humidify and replenish the food in the cooking cavity 16. With this configuration, the water tank 34 can be heated directly using the existing heating device 2 of the product, without the need for a separate heating structure, thereby simplifying the product structure. Of course, considering actual heating needs, a separate heating structure can also be provided for the water tank 34.

[0374] For example, as shown in FIG8, the heating device 2 includes a heating element 22, which is installed on the top of the housing 12.

[0375] In this embodiment, the heating device 2 can be a variety of heating methods, such as infrared heating, thermal radiation heating, or electromagnetic heating. For example, a heating element 22 can be installed on the top of the cooking cavity 16 to heat the food. At this time, the water tank assembly 4 can be installed on the outer top of the housing 12, and the water receiving tank 34 can be positioned close to the top of the cooking cavity 16, so that the heating element 22 can be used to heat the water in the water receiving tank 34 into steam.

[0376] In any of the above embodiments, the steam cooking appliance, exemplarily, includes an oven. Of course, the steam cooking appliance can also be other devices that require a water tank.

[0377] Currently, steam ovens / steamers are generally equipped with a water tank assembly to supply water to the machine. The connection between the water tank assembly and the inner cavity is usually a straight pipe fitting located on the vertical surface of the cavity, leading the water from the water tank assembly to the corresponding device in the cavity. Placing the straight pipe fitting on the main vertical surface of the cavity significantly affects the effective volume of the cavity and the overall appearance of the inner cavity.

[0378] In this embodiment, a water receiving trough is provided in the inner liner cavity, and a metal connector is provided between the water tank assembly and the water receiving trough. The connector is located on the inclined surface on one side of the inner liner cavity, without occupying too much cavity volume. The connector is a kind of straight pipe fitting, so that the water can flow out stably and smoothly on the inclined surface of the inner liner to the corresponding device in the cavity, ensuring the smoothness of the water path.

[0379] In this embodiment, a metal connector is designed and installed on the inclined surface of one side of the inner tank. The connector is connected to the water tank assembly via a flexible hose. To prevent turbulence on the inclined wall when the water flow is weak, a straight pipe or a shaped pipe can be used to protrude from the inclined surface, serving to guide, collect, and block the water flow.

[0380] In this embodiment, the water outlet connector can stably connect the water tank assembly to the inner tank, ensuring stable water flow in the machine. There is no significant turbulence at the connector outlet, maintaining the cleanliness of the cavity. Alternatively, the connector can be replaced with a protrusion on the inclined surface of the cavity.

[0381] The water tank device 100 and steam cooking appliance 200 provided in the embodiments of this application will be described below with reference to Figures 22 to 35.

[0382] As shown in Figures 22 to 25, an embodiment of the first aspect of this application provides a water tank device 100 for a steam cooking appliance. The water tank device 100 includes a mounting housing 9 and a water tank assembly 4. The mounting housing 9 includes a mounting cavity 92, one end of which is provided with a first mounting port 93. One of a guide rib 405 and a guide groove 95 is provided on the inner wall of the mounting cavity 92. The water tank assembly 4 can be installed into the mounting cavity 92 through the first mounting port 93. The other of the guide rib 405 and the guide groove 95 is provided on the outer wall of the water tank assembly 4. The guide groove 95 includes an inlet section 952 and a guide section 954 connected to each other. The width of the inlet section 952 is greater than the width of the guide section 954. When the water tank assembly 4 is inserted into the mounting cavity 92 through the first mounting port 93, the inlet section 952 can guide the guide rib 405 into the guide section 954.

[0383] The water tank device 100 provided according to the embodiments of this application can be specifically used in a steam cooking appliance 200, such as an oven. The water tank device 100 specifically includes a mounting housing 9 and a water tank assembly 4. The water tank assembly 4 can be pressed into or ejected from the mounting housing 9. When the water tank assembly 4 moves in and out of the mounting housing 9, the guide rib 405 can move along the guide groove 95, thereby guiding the movement of the water tank assembly 4. This allows the water tank assembly 4 to smoothly enter and exit the mounting housing 9, ensuring the water tank assembly 4 moves smoothly to the designated position, guaranteeing the accuracy of the installation position and preventing damage to the water tank assembly 4 due to incorrect installation by the user. Furthermore, it allows the water tank assembly 4 to move smoothly in and out of the mounting housing 9 without jamming or significant shaking during installation, thus improving the product's texture and quality, and ultimately enhancing the user experience.

[0384] As shown in Figures 24 and 25, the guide groove 95 includes an inlet section 952 and a guide section 954 connected to each other. The width of the inlet section 952 is greater than the width of the guide section 954, meaning the inlet of the guide groove 95 is wider, effectively making the guide groove 95 wider at the inlet. With this structure, when inserting and installing the water tank assembly 4, the wider inlet section 952 reduces the difficulty of aligning the guide rib 405 and the guide groove 95. This allows the guide rib 405 and the guide groove 95 to be roughly aligned during the insertion and installation of the water tank assembly 4 into the housing 9, without requiring strict alignment. In other words, even if the initial angle of the water tank assembly 4 is slightly off, it can still enter the inlet section 952 and be corrected to the correct angle under the guidance of the inlet section 952. This reduces the installation difficulty of the water tank assembly 4, making its installation more convenient.

[0385] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 24 and 25, the slot width of the inlet segment 952 gradually decreases from the end furthest from the guide segment 954 to the end closest to the guide segment 954.

[0386] In this embodiment, the groove width of the inlet section 952 gradually decreases from the outside to the inside, thereby forming an inclined guide structure on the inner sidewall of the inlet section 952. After the guide rib 405 is inserted into the inlet section 952 of the guide groove 95, the inlet section 952 can guide and correct the position of the guide rib 405, so that the guide rib 405 can be aligned with the guide section 954. This allows the guide rib 405 to smoothly transition from the inlet section 952 to the guide section, thereby ensuring the smoothness of the water tank assembly 4 during installation.

[0387] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 24 and 25, the inlet segment 952 is conical or horn-shaped.

[0388] In this embodiment, the inlet section 952 can be designed in either a conical or flared shape when it is expanded outwards. Conical and flared shapes are relatively common and therefore easier to manufacture, thus reducing the manufacturing difficulty of the product.

[0389] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 24 and 25, the mounting housing 9 includes a guide groove 95 and includes: a bottom shell 982; and a top cover 984, which is mounted on the bottom shell 982 and forms a mounting cavity 92 with the bottom shell 982; wherein the guide groove 95 is disposed at the connection between the bottom shell 982 and the top cover 984.

[0390] In this embodiment, the mounting housing 9 is composed of a bottom shell 982 and a top cover 984, which facilitates the processing of the mounting housing 9 and also facilitates opening the mounting housing 9 to install other parts or clean the interior of the mounting housing 9. A guide groove 95 is provided on the mounting housing 9, and the guide groove 95 is located at the connection between the bottom shell 982 and the top cover 984, which further facilitates the processing of the guide groove 95.

[0391] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 24 and 25, a portion of the guide groove 95 is disposed on the bottom shell 982, and another portion of the guide groove 95 is disposed on the top cover 984.

[0392] In this embodiment, part of the guide groove 95 is machined on the bottom shell 982 and part is machined on the top cover 984, so that after the bottom shell 982 and the top cover 984 are assembled, the guide groove 95 can be formed at the connection between the two.

[0393] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 24 and 25, a guide protrusion is provided on the inner wall of the mounting housing 9, and a guide groove 95 is provided on the guide protrusion. The guide protrusion includes a first protrusion 9822 and a second protrusion 9842.

[0394] In this embodiment, the guide protrusion allows a gap to be formed between the outer wall of the water tank assembly 4 and the inner wall of the mounting cavity 92, thereby reducing the contact area between the water tank assembly 4 and the mounting housing 9 during installation. This reduces the friction between the mounting housing 9 and the water tank assembly 4, making the installation of the water tank assembly 4 smoother.

[0395] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 24 and 25, a first protrusion 9822 is provided on the inner wall of the bottom shell 982, a second protrusion 9842 is provided on the inner wall of the top cover 984, and the guide groove 95 is formed by the first protrusion 9822 and the second protrusion 9842.

[0396] In this embodiment, the guide groove 95 is formed by the first protrusion 9822 and the second protrusion 9842. During processing, it is only necessary to process the first protrusion 9822 and the second protrusion 9842 separately on the bottom shell 982 and the top cover 984. This arrangement makes the processing of the mounting shell 9 more convenient.

[0397] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 23, 24 and 25, the water tank assembly 4 includes a first end face and a second end face disposed opposite to each other. When the water tank assembly 4 is inserted into the mounting cavity 92 through the first mounting port 93, the first end face enters the mounting cavity 92 first. The guide rib 405 or guide groove 95 disposed on the inner wall of the mounting cavity 92 extends from the first mounting port 93 into the mounting cavity 92, and / or the guide rib 405 or guide groove 95 disposed on the water tank assembly 4 extends to the first end face.

[0398] In this embodiment, the guide groove 95 or guide rib 405 on the inner wall of the mounting cavity 92 starts from the first mounting port 93, and the guide groove 95 or guide rib 405 on the water tank assembly 4 extends all the way to the first end face. This makes the guide groove 95 or guide rib 405 easier to see during installation of the water tank assembly 4, facilitating alignment and improving the ease of installation. Furthermore, this design allows the guide groove 95 and guide rib 405 to engage immediately upon contact between the water tank assembly 4 and the mounting housing 9, resulting in a more stable installation of the water tank assembly 4.

[0399] Of course, in other designs, the guide groove 95 and guide rib 405 may not extend to the ends.

[0400] The first end face of the water tank assembly 4 can be the bottom face, and the second end face can be the top face.

[0401] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in FIG23, a guide rib 405 is provided on the water tank assembly 4, and an inclined guide surface 4052 is provided on one end of the guide rib 405 near the first end face. The inclined guide surface 4052 extends outward along the radial direction of the water tank assembly 4 from the first end face to the second end face.

[0402] In this embodiment, guide ribs 405 are disposed on the water tank assembly 4, and guide grooves 95 are disposed on the mounting housing 9. This reduces the wall thickness of the water tank assembly 4. By providing inclined guide surfaces 4052 on the guide ribs 405, the thickness of the guide ribs 405 at the first end face is reduced, making it easier for the guide ribs 405 to be guided into the guide grooves 95 and avoiding interference between the guide ribs 405 and other parts of the cooking cabinet 12.

[0403] In addition, the inclined guide surface 4052 can ensure a smooth transition between the guide rib 405 and the water tank shell 40, making the overall appearance of the water tank assembly 4 more rounded, thereby improving the aesthetics of the water tank assembly 4.

[0404] For example, the inclined guide surface 4052 is a chamfered surface or a rounded corner surface.

[0405] In this embodiment, when processing the water tank assembly 4, the guide rib 405 can be chamfered or rounded to form a chamfered or rounded surface, thereby enabling the required inclined guide surface to be processed quickly and conveniently.

[0406] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in FIG23, the end of the guide rib 405 away from the first end face is provided with a chamfer.

[0407] In this embodiment, by setting a chamfer at the other end of the guide rib 405, the interference between the guide rib 405 and the mounting housing 9 can be reduced, ensuring a smooth transition between the guide rib 405 and the water tank housing 40, making the overall appearance of the water tank assembly 4 more rounded, thereby improving the aesthetics of the water tank assembly 4.

[0408] In any of the above embodiments, exemplarily, when the water tank assembly 4 is installed in the mounting cavity 92, it is movable relative to the mounting housing 9 between a first position and a second position. When the water tank assembly 4 is in the first position, the water tank assembly 4 is located inside the mounting cavity 92. When the water tank assembly 4 is in the second position, a portion of the water tank assembly 4 is located outside the mounting cavity 92.

[0409] In this embodiment, the water tank assembly 4 can extend and retract relative to the mounting housing 9. When the water tank assembly 4 is extended relative to the mounting housing 9, it is in a second position; when it is retracted relative to the mounting housing 9, it is in a first position. When water needs to be added to the water tank assembly 4, it can be locked in the first position to ensure that the water tank assembly 4 is connected to the water passage on the steam cooking appliance 200. Conversely, when it is necessary to remove the water tank assembly 4, it can be moved to the second position to facilitate the user to remove the water tank assembly 4 for cleaning or adding water.

[0410] In any of the above embodiments, exemplarily as shown in Figures 23, 26, and 27, the water tank device 100 further includes: a second limiting member 402 installed on the water tank assembly 4; a first limiting member 99 installed on the mounting housing 9; and an elastic member 11 installed between the water tank assembly 4 and the mounting housing 9. When the water tank assembly 4 is in the first position within the mounting cavity 92, the first limiting member 99 and the second limiting member 402 mutually limit each other to lock the water tank assembly 4, and the elastic member 11 is in a compressed state. When the water tank assembly 4 is in the first position, pressing the water tank assembly 4 into the mounting cavity 92 allows the first limiting member 99 and the second limiting member 402 to move relative to each other to unlock the water tank assembly 4. After the water tank assembly 4 is unlocked, the elastic member 11 can push the water tank assembly 4 to the second position.

[0411] In this embodiment, the water tank assembly 4 and the mounting housing 9 can be locked and unlocked via a first limiting structure and a second limiting member 402. After the water tank assembly 4 is unlocked, it can be removed from the mounting housing 9 for adding water, cleaning, or repair / replacement. When the water tank assembly 4 is locked, the fit between it and the mounting housing 9 is good, preventing the water tank assembly 4 from easily shaking and thus making it less likely to slip out of the mounting housing 9.

[0412] In this structure, when installing the water tank assembly 4, it is only necessary to push the water tank assembly 4 into the mounting housing 9. When it is necessary to remove the water tank assembly 4, pressing the water tank assembly 4 allows it to be released from its restraint by the elastic member 11, thus enabling the water tank assembly 4 to be detached from the product for adding water or cleaning. This structure eliminates the need for a motor or pop-out device for disassembly of the water tank assembly 4, simplifying the structure of the water tank device 100 and reducing its cost. Furthermore, this structure includes a second limiting member 402 on the water tank assembly 4 itself, allowing the elastic member 11 to directly act on the water tank assembly 4, thereby directly limiting the water tank assembly 4 through the first limiting structure. This makes the limiting of the water tank assembly 4 more reliable and ensures a more stable installation within the mounting housing 9, preventing the water tank assembly 4 from loosening.

[0413] Furthermore, this design integrates the mechanism for driving the water tank assembly 4 to rebound directly into the water tank assembly 4 and the mounting housing 9, simplifying the overall structure of the water tank device 100 and thus reducing product costs. Moreover, this structure, with the water tank assembly 4 itself acting as the rebound component, makes the pressing and ejection of the water tank assembly 4 more reliable.

[0414] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 23, 26, and 27, the water tank assembly 4 includes a water tank housing 40, and a second limiting member 402 is disposed on the water tank housing 40. The second limiting member 402 and the water tank housing 40 are integrally formed.

[0415] In this embodiment, the water tank assembly 4 includes a water tank shell 40 for holding water. A second limiting member 402 is used to limit the position of the water tank assembly 4 within the mounting shell 9. Further, the second limiting member 402 can be a protrusion on the water tank shell 40 or a recess on the water tank shell 40. The second limiting member 402 and the water tank shell 40 are an integral structure, resulting in higher connection strength and better reliability. Of course, in other solutions, the second limiting member 402 and the water tank shell 40 can be separately provided, and then the second limiting member 402 can be detachably installed on the water tank shell 40.

[0416] In any of the above embodiments, exemplarily as shown in Figures 26, 27, and 28, the second limiting member 402 includes a guide slide 4020, which includes a limiting groove 4027; the first limiting member 99 includes a movable member 992, which is mounted on the mounting housing 9, and a portion of the movable member 992 is located within the guide slide 4020; when the water tank assembly 4 is installed in the first position within the mounting cavity 92, at least a portion of the movable member 992 can move from the first end of the guide slide 4020 to the limiting groove 4027 and is limited within the limiting groove 4027; when the water tank assembly 4 is in the first position, pressing the water tank assembly 4 into the mounting cavity 92 allows at least a portion of the movable member 992 to move towards the second end of the guide slide 4020 until it separates from the limiting groove 4027, thereby unlocking the water tank assembly 4.

[0417] In these embodiments, the first limiting member 99 includes a movable member 992, which may specifically be a rotating member 996 or a sliding member 994. When the water tank assembly 4 is installed in the mounting housing 9 or removed from the mounting housing 9, the movable member 992 can move relative to the guide slide 4020. A limiting groove 4027 is provided in the guide slide 4020, which restricts the movable member 992 to ensure that the water tank assembly 4 can be locked in the first position. Subsequently, when it is necessary to remove the water tank assembly 4, the water tank assembly 4 can be pressed into the mounting housing 9 to move it inward. This allows the movable member 992 to move again to the position separated from the limiting groove 4027, thereby limiting the water tank assembly 4 and placing it in an unlocked state. After the water tank assembly 4 is unlocked, the elastic element 11 can rebound, thereby pushing the water tank assembly 4 to move a certain distance out of the mounting housing 9, so that the water tank can be automatically popped out, making it convenient for the user to disassemble the water tank assembly 4 for cleaning, adding water or maintenance.

[0418] Furthermore, when the water tank assembly 4 is pulled out of the mounting housing 9, the movable part 992 can continue to slide as before, instead of sliding back. This arrangement ensures that the movement path of the movable part 992 is inconsistent when the water tank assembly 4 is inserted into the mounting housing 9 and when it is pulled out of the mounting housing 9, thereby making the locking and unlocking engagement between the movable part 992 and the guide slide 4020 more reliable.

[0419] In Figure 27, the arrows indicate the path of the moving part 992 sliding relative to the guide rail 4020.

[0420] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 22, 26 and 27, the movable member 992 includes a slider 994, which is slidable along the guide slide 4020 and is confined in the limiting groove 4027 when the water tank assembly 4 is located in the mounting cavity 92.

[0421] In these embodiments, the movable component 992 includes a sliding component 994. The sliding component 994 slides along the guide slide 4020, allowing the water tank assembly 4 to be inserted and removed. Simultaneously, after the water tank assembly 4 is inserted and installed in the first position, the sliding component 994 is better engaged in the limiting groove 4027, thus preventing the sliding component 994 from sliding and locking the water tank assembly 4. When it is necessary to remove the water tank assembly 4 again, the water tank assembly 4 can be pressed inward to retract the limiting groove 4027, causing the sliding component 994 to slide out of the limiting groove 4027 along the second guide surface 4024. This releases the limiting engagement between the sliding component 994 and the limiting groove 4027, freeing the water tank assembly 4 and facilitating its removal for adding water, cleaning, or repair / replacement.

[0422] For example, as shown in Figures 26 and 27, the guide slide 4020 includes: a first guide surface 4022; a second guide surface 4024, which is set at a first angle to the first guide surface 4022, and a limiting groove 4027 is formed by the first guide surface 4022 and the second guide surface 4024; a first slide 4026, with the first guide surface 4022 disposed at the second end of the first slide 4026, the first slide 4026 being used to guide the sliding member 994 from the first end of the first slide 4026 to the first guide surface 4022 during the process of the water tank assembly 4 moving from the first mounting port 93 into the mounting cavity 92 to the third position; when the water tank assembly 4 is in the third position, the water tank assembly 4 is released, and the water tank assembly 4 is released under the action of the elastic member 11. The sliding member 994 moves to the first position outside the mounting cavity 92, and moves along the first guide surface 4022 to the connection between the first guide surface 4022 and the second guide surface 4024, and is limited to the connection between the first guide surface 4022 and the second guide surface 4024; the second slide 4028, one end of the second slide 4028 is connected to the end of the second guide surface 4024 away from the first guide surface 4022. When the water tank assembly 4 is in the first position, the water tank assembly 4 is pressed into the mounting cavity 92, and the sliding member 994 can move along the second guide surface 4024 into the second slide 4028; during the process of the water tank assembly 4 moving from the first mounting port 93 to the outside of the mounting cavity 92, the sliding member 994 can move along the second slide 4028.

[0423] In these embodiments, the first guide surface 4022 and the second guide surface 4024 can be connected to form a limiting groove 4027. After the water tank assembly 4 is installed in place, the sliding member 994 is limited within the limiting groove 4027 by the rebound force of the elastic member 11. Thus, through the interaction between the limiting groove 4027 and the sliding member 994, the position of the water tank assembly 4 can be limited, preventing the water tank assembly 4 from falling out of the mounting cavity 92 without other external forces. In order to guide the sliding member 994 to enter the limiting groove 4027 formed by the first guide surface 4022 and the second guide surface 4024 normally, a first slide rail 4026 is provided. Through the first slide rail 4026, the sliding member 994 can be guided to move along a preset trajectory. This ensures that after the water tank assembly 4 is installed in place, the sliding member 994 can just reach the bottom of the limiting groove 4027, without the sliding member 994 being stuck in advance, which would prevent the water tank assembly 4 from being installed correctly.

[0424] When it is necessary to remove the water tank assembly 4, the water tank assembly 4 can be pressed into the mounting housing 9 so that the other end of the sliding member 994 can move along the second guide surface 4024 to separate from the limiting groove 4027, thereby releasing the locking of the mounting housing 9 on the water tank assembly 4, so that the water tank assembly 4 can be pulled out from the mounting housing 9, thereby realizing the disassembly of the water tank assembly 4 relative to the mounting housing 9.

[0425] As shown in Figures 26 and 27, the guide slide 4020 also includes a second slide 4028. When the water tank assembly 4 is pulled out from the mounting housing 9, the sliding member 994 can slide along the second slide 4028, which can limit the position of the sliding member 994 and guide the water tank assembly 4 to prevent the water tank assembly 4 from shifting and jamming with the mounting housing 9.

[0426] Furthermore, in this structure, when the water tank assembly 4 is inserted into the mounting housing 9 and when the water tank assembly 4 is pulled out of the mounting housing 9, the movement paths of the sliding member 994 are not consistent and form a loop, thereby making the locking and unlocking cooperation between the sliding member 994 and the guide slide 4020 more reliable.

[0427] Conversely, the second slide rail 4028 can be omitted, and the structure of the first slide rail 4026 and the first guide surface 4022 can be reasonably designed so that when the water tank assembly 4 is unlocked, the other end of the sliding member 994 can return to the first slide rail 4026 along the first guide surface 4022.

[0428] For example, as shown in Figures 26 and 27, the guide slide 4020 further includes: an expansion section 4029 disposed at the first end of the first slide 4026, and a fourth guide surface 40292 disposed on the two inner sidewalls of the expansion section 4029. The fourth guide surface 40292 is used to guide the sliding member 994 to move into the first slide 4026 during the process of the water tank assembly 4 moving from the first mounting port 93 into the mounting cavity 92.

[0429] In this embodiment, since the slider 994 has a certain sliding range, its position is not fixed after the water tank assembly 4 is removed. After the water tank assembly 4 is correctly inserted into the mounting housing 9, the slider 994 can always fall within the range of the outward expansion section 4029. When the water tank assembly 4 is inserted inward, the fourth guide surface guides the slider 994 into the first slide rail 4026. This structure ensures that the slider 994 can slide into the first slide rail 4026 regardless of its initial position, and then move along a fixed trajectory to the limiting part. Therefore, before installing the water tank assembly 4, it is not necessary to reset the slider 994 or specifically determine its position, making the installation of the water tank assembly 4 more convenient.

[0430] Of course, in other solutions, the outer extension section 4029 and the fourth guide surface 40292 may not be set. In this case, in order to ensure that the slider 994 can slide into the first slide rail 4026, the position of the slider 994 needs to be fixed in advance.

[0431] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 22 and 28, a limiting hole 91 is provided on the mounting housing 9, and the sliding member 994 is slidably mounted on the limiting hole 91, thereby limiting the sliding range of the sliding member 994.

[0432] In these embodiments, to prevent the slider 994 from sliding excessively, a limiting hole 91 is provided on the mounting housing 9. The limiting hole 91 can limit the sliding range of the slider 994, so that the slider 994 can only move within a predetermined area. This can limit the position of the slider 994 and prevent the slider 994 from moving to other positions and failing to cooperate with the second limiting member 402 on the water tank assembly 4. This ensures that after the water tank assembly 4 is installed on the water tank housing 40, the slider 994 can always cooperate with the second limiting member 402 to lock the water tank assembly 4.

[0433] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 22 and 28, the movable member 992 includes: a rotating member 996, the first end of which is rotatably mounted on the outside of the mounting housing 9, the mounting housing 9 having a limiting hole 91, the second end of which passes through the limiting hole 91 and is inserted into the mounting cavity 92, and a sliding member 994 disposed on the second end of the rotating member 996, wherein the sliding member 994 and the rotating member 996 are an integral structure, or the sliding member 994 and the rotating member 996 are detachably connected.

[0434] In these embodiments, the sliding member 994 can be slidable by rotating the rotating member 996. This structure allows for relatively convenient sliding installation of the sliding member 994.

[0435] The sliding component 994 and the rotating component 996 can be formed as a single part, for example, they can be integrally molded or processed separately and then connected to form an integral structure. In addition, the sliding component 994 and the rotating component 996 can also be two completely independent parts.

[0436] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 22 and 28, the water tank device 100 further includes: a press-fit member 13 disposed outside the mounting housing 9, and at least a portion of the rotating member 996 located between the press-fit member 13 and the mounting housing 9.

[0437] In this embodiment, the pressing member 13 is used to press the rotating member 996 toward the water tank assembly 4. This can limit the position of the rotating member 996 by the pressing member 13 so that the rotating member 996 can abut against the water tank assembly 4, and prevent the rotating member 996 from separating from the water tank assembly 4 during rotation.

[0438] For example, the press-fitting member 13 is elastic, and the press-fitting member 13 can press the rotating member 996 towards the water tank assembly 4 through elasticity. By setting the press-fitting member 13 as an elastic structure, the elastic force of the press-fitting member 13 can press the rotating member 996, so that the other end of the rotating member 996 can always abut against the water tank assembly 4, avoiding the situation where the other end of the rotating member 996 separates from the water tank assembly 4, which would cause the water tank assembly 4 to fail to lock.

[0439] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 22 and 24, the water tank device 100 further includes a support structure 97 disposed on the outer wall of the mounting housing 9 and supported on the side of the rotating member 996 near the mounting housing 9.

[0440] In this embodiment, to limit the height position of the rotating component 996, a support structure 97 is provided on the mounting housing 9 to support the rotating component 996. This support structure 97 allows for better control of the mounting height of the rotating component 996. Simultaneously, the support structure 97 also reduces the contact area between the rotating component 996 and the mounting housing 9, thereby reducing friction between them.

[0441] In any of the above embodiments, exemplarily as shown in Figures 28 and 29, the water tank assembly 4 includes: a water tank housing 40, the water tank housing 40 including a water outlet channel 44; a valve assembly 48, installed at the water outlet channel 44, for opening or closing the water outlet channel 44; a push rod 96 provided on the mounting housing 9, the push rod 96 being able to be inserted into the water outlet channel 44 when the water tank assembly 4 is installed in the first position, and push the valve assembly 48 from the fourth position to the fifth position to open the water outlet channel 44; an elastic member 11 located in the water outlet channel 44, one end of the elastic member 11 being connected to the valve assembly 48, and the other end of the elastic member 11 being connected to the inner wall of the water outlet channel 44, the elastic member 11 also being used to push the water tank assembly 4 from the fifth position back to the fourth position after the water tank assembly 4 is unlocked, so as to close the water outlet channel 44.

[0442] A valve assembly 48 is installed inside the water outlet channel 44, and a push rod 96 is provided on the mounting housing 9. The water outlet channel 44 can be opened and closed by the valve assembly 48, the push rod 96, and the elastic element 11. Specifically, when the water tank assembly 4 is installed on the cooking cabinet 12 and steam needs to be generated, the water tank assembly 4 can be locked by the first limiting element 99 and the second limiting element 402. At this time, the push rod 96 can be inserted into the water outlet channel 44, thereby pushing the valve assembly 48 to move from the fourth position to the fifth position along the water outlet channel 44, thus opening the water outlet channel 44.

[0443] When it is necessary to remove the water tank assembly 4 from the cooking unit 12 to add water, press the water tank assembly 4 first to unlock it. After the water tank assembly 4 is unlocked, the external force exerted by the push rod 96 on the valve assembly 48 disappears, and the valve assembly 48 returns to the fourth position under the action of the elastic member 11. This closes the water outlet channel 44 of the water tank assembly 4, preventing water from flowing out of the water outlet channel 44. At the same time, the water tank assembly 4 is pushed out under the action of the elastic member 11.

[0444] In this structure, the elastic element 11 can push out the water tank assembly 4 and also close the water outlet channel 44 of the valve assembly 48. In other words, in this structure, the elastic element 11 used for the telescopic installation of the water tank assembly 4 and the elastic element 11 required for the valve assembly 48 are the same part. That is, the push-out structure of the water tank assembly 4 and the opening and closing structure of the water outlet 442 of the water tank assembly 4 share a single elastic element 11, thereby simplifying the structure of the product.

[0445] Of course, in other solutions, the elastic element 11 for the telescopic installation of the water tank assembly 4 and the elastic element 11 required for the valve assembly 48 can also be two separate parts.

[0446] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 28 and 29, the valve assembly 48 includes: a valve stem 482 slidably mounted in the water outlet channel 44; and a sealing gasket 486 mounted on the valve stem 482 and capable of moving with the valve stem 482 to open or seal the water outlet channel 44.

[0447] In this embodiment, the valve assembly 48 specifically includes a valve stem 482 and a sealing gasket 486. The valve stem 482 is slidably mounted in the water outlet channel 44, and the sealing gasket 486 is mounted on one end of the valve stem 482 and can move with the valve stem 482, so that the water outlet channel 44 can be opened or closed by moving the sealing gasket 486.

[0448] The elastic element 11 is typically a spring. It is installed between the valve stem 482 and the water tank housing 40. Under normal conditions, the elastic element 11 is compressed, and its rebound force compresses the sealing gasket 486, allowing it to close the water outlet channel 44. When the valve stem 482 is pushed along the water outlet channel 44, it moves the sealing gasket 486, opening the water outlet channel 44 and allowing water to flow out of the water tank assembly 4. Simultaneously, the elastic element 11 is compressed during this process. Therefore, after the external force on the valve stem 482 disappears, the elastic element 11 can move the valve stem 482 back to its initial position, causing the sealing gasket 486 to close the water outlet channel 44 again.

[0449] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 28, 29 and 30, the water outlet channel 44 includes an outlet 442 and an inlet 444. When the valve stem 482 is in the fourth position, the sealing gasket 486 blocks the outlet 442. When the valve stem 482 is in the fifth position, the sealing gasket 486 opens the outlet 442, so that the inlet 444 and the outlet 442 are connected.

[0450] In these embodiments, the sealing gasket 486 is disposed within the water outlet channel 44 and near the water outlet 442. When the water tank assembly 4 is not installed into the mounting housing 9, the valve stem 482 is in the fourth position, and the sealing gasket 486 blocks the water outlet 442, preventing water in the water tank housing 40 from leaking out through the water outlet channel 44. When the water tank assembly 4 is installed into the mounting housing 9, the push rod 96 is inserted into the water outlet channel 44 and pushes up the valve stem 482, placing the valve stem 482 in the fifth position. At this time, the elastic element 11 is compressed, and the sealing gasket 486 and the valve stem 482 move together to the other side of the water inlet 444, connecting the water outlet 442 and the water inlet 444. This allows water in the water tank housing 40 to be discharged through the water outlet channel 44, facilitating water supply to the steam cooking appliance 200. When the water tank assembly 4 needs to be removed, the limiting mechanism between the water tank assembly 4 and the outer casing assembly is released, and the valve stem 482 rebounds under the action of the elastic element 11, causing the entire water tank assembly 4 to pop out. With this structure, when the water tank assembly 4 is popped out, the sealing gasket 486 can move along the outlet of the water outlet channel 44. This allows the sealing gasket 486 to squeeze out any remaining water in the water outlet channel 44, preventing excessive water residue. This avoids leakage when the water tank assembly 4 is removed, thus preventing any impact on the user experience.

[0451] Conversely, as shown in Figure 32, a sealing gasket 486 can be placed at the water inlet 444. When the water tank assembly 4 is not installed in the mounting housing 9, the sealing gasket 486 seals the water inlet 444. When the water tank assembly 4 is installed in the mounting housing 9, the push rod 96 pushes the valve rod 482 forward, and the sealing gasket 486 extends out of the water outlet channel 44, thereby opening the inlet of the water outlet channel 44 and allowing water in the water tank assembly 4 to drain. With this configuration, because the water outlet channel 44 has a certain length and is generally placed horizontally, some residual water will remain in the water outlet channel 44 after the water tank assembly 4 is unlocked. During the removal of the water tank assembly 4, this water will fall out, thus reducing the user experience.

[0452] Furthermore, it is advisable to slightly tilt the water outlet channel 44 downwards from the inlet to the outlet, which can also reduce the residual water in the water outlet channel 44.

[0453] For example, the elastic element 11 includes a spring that can extend or shorten.

[0454] For example, as shown in Figures 28 and 29, the water tank device 100 includes a water outlet channel 44; the mounting housing 9 includes a water storage tank 94 and a drain outlet 90 that are interconnected, the water storage tank 94 being disposed corresponding to the water outlet channel 44 for receiving water from the water outlet channel 44; the steam cooking appliance 200 includes a water receiving tank 34 that is connected to the drain outlet 90, and water in the water storage tank 94 can be discharged from the drain outlet 90 into the water receiving tank 34.

[0455] In this embodiment, a water storage tank 94 is provided on the housing 9. After the water tank assembly 4 is installed, the water outlet channel 44 of the water tank assembly 4 is positioned corresponding to the water storage tank 94. Water discharged from the water outlet channel 44 can first enter the water storage tank 94, and then be discharged from the water storage tank 94 into the receiving tank 34 under the action of gravity. In this solution, the water storage tank 94 is provided for the water tank assembly 4, which makes the water outlet of the water tank assembly 4 form a large buffer area. When the water flow in the water tank assembly 4 is large or the water flow is rapid, the water can be stored in the water storage tank 94 first to buffer the impact of the water falling, so that the water flow can enter the cooking cavity 16 at a relatively stable flow rate. This can avoid the situation where water splashes after entering the receiving tank 34 due to a large water flow. In addition, the water tank 94 buffers the water flow, which can prevent water from overflowing into other parts of the product or even overflowing from the front end of the water tank assembly 4 when the water path is blocked.

[0456] In the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 28 and 29, the inner bottom wall of the water storage tank 94 gradually moves away from the center of the mounting housing 9 from a position away from the drain outlet 90 to a position close to the drain outlet 90.

[0457] In this embodiment, after water is added to the water tank assembly 4, the water in the water tank assembly 4 can enter the water storage tank 94 through the water outlet 44. The inner bottom wall of the water storage tank 94 gradually decreases from other positions to the drain outlet 90. In this way, when there is less water in the water storage tank 94, the water can gather at the water outlet of the water storage tank 94, making it easier to drain the water in the water storage tank 94. This can prevent water from remaining in the water storage tank 94 and reduce the amount of residual water in the water storage tank 94.

[0458] For example, as shown in Figures 28 and 29, along the height direction of the steam cooking appliance 200, the water outlet channel 44 is located above the location of the water storage tank 94, and the location of the water storage tank 94 is located above the location of the water receiving tank 34.

[0459] As shown in Figures 22 to 35, an embodiment of the second aspect of this application provides a steam cooking appliance 200, including a water tank device 100 provided in any embodiment of the first aspect.

[0460] Since the steam cooking appliance 200 has the water tank device 100 provided in any embodiment of the first aspect, the steam cooking appliance 200 has all the beneficial effects of the water tank device 100 provided in any embodiment of the first aspect, which will not be repeated here.

[0461] In any of the above embodiments, exemplarily as shown in Figures 33 and 34, the steam cooking appliance 200 further includes: a housing 12, which includes a cooking cavity 16 and a cooking inlet 122, the cooking inlet 122 communicating with the cooking cavity 16; a mounting shell 9 mounted on the housing 12; and a water tank assembly 4 detachably mounted on the housing 12; a door 14 mounted on the housing 12 to open or close the cooking inlet 122; a heating device 2 mounted on the housing 12 for heating the food in the cooking cavity 16; and a water tank 34 mounted inside the housing 12 and communicating with the water tank assembly 4, wherein the water in the water tank 34 can be heated into steam by the heating device 2.

[0462] In this embodiment, the steam cooking appliance 200 includes a housing 12 and a door 14. A cooking chamber 16 is provided inside the housing 12, and the cooking chamber 16 communicates with a cooking inlet 122. The door 14 is mounted on the housing 12 and is used to open and close the cooking inlet 122. A water tank 34 is used to store water, and the water in the water tank 34 can be heated into steam by the heating device 2 to humidify and replenish the food in the cooking chamber 16. With this configuration, the water tank 34 can be directly heated using the existing heating device 2 of the product, eliminating the need for a separate heating structure, thus simplifying the product's structure. Of course, considering actual heating needs, a separate heating structure can also be provided for the water tank 34.

[0463] The box body 12 and the door body 14 constitute the outer shell structure of the entire product, forming a cooking box body 12.

[0464] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 33 and 34, the housing 12 includes an inner liner 126, which forms a cooking cavity 16, and a water tank device 100 is installed above the inner liner 126.

[0465] In this embodiment, the water tank device 100 is installed at a relatively high position to facilitate the drainage of the water tank assembly 4 using gravity. Furthermore, this arrangement allows for efficient use of the product's height, thereby reducing the product's width and floor space, and making it easier to store.

[0466] For example, as shown in Figures 33 and 34, the housing 12 includes a first part and a second part, with a door 14 installed on the first part. Along the height direction of the housing 12, the second part is located above the first part, and the water tank device 100 is installed on the second part.

[0467] In this embodiment, the door 14 only covers the lower part of the box 12, and the top area of ​​the box 12 protrudes from the door 14. The water tank device 100 is installed on the top of the box 12, so that the water tank assembly 4 can be exposed outside the door 14. Therefore, when adding water, the door 14 does not need to be opened, which makes it convenient to add water during the cooking process.

[0468] In any of the above embodiments, exemplarily as shown in Figures 33 and 34, the housing 12 is provided with a second mounting port 124 that avoids the first mounting port 93. The first mounting port 93 is located at the first end of the housing 12 along the first direction. The first end of the housing 12 along the first direction is provided with a cooking inlet 122. The door 14 is installed at the first end of the housing 12. The water tank assembly 4 can be installed onto the mounting housing 9 along the first direction via the first mounting port 93. The water tank assembly 4 includes: a water tank housing 40, which includes a water-containing cavity 42 and a first inlet / outlet 401 communicating with the water-containing cavity 42. The first inlet / outlet 401 is provided at one end of the water tank housing 40 along the first direction; a cover 47, which is detachably installed on the water tank housing 40 to open or close the first inlet / outlet 401; and a sealing ring 49, which is provided between the water tank housing 40 and the cover 47 to seal the gap between the water tank housing 40 and the cover 47.

[0469] In this embodiment, a second mounting port 124 is provided, allowing the water tank assembly 4 to extend out of the housing 12. The water tank assembly 4 is installed on the side of the housing 12 where the door 14 is located, for example, on the front side of the housing 12. Simultaneously, the water tank assembly 4 can be installed onto the housing 12 along the front side, and it can be pulled out in the front-back direction for easy assembly and disassembly. Furthermore, the water tank assembly 4 is placed front-back on the housing 12, meaning it is installed horizontally rather than vertically, thus reducing the space occupied by the water tank assembly 4 and preventing the overall product from becoming too tall.

[0470] Further, as shown in Figures 23 and 31, the water tank assembly 4 specifically includes a water tank shell 40 and a cover 47. The water tank shell 40 is provided with a first inlet / outlet 401, and the cover 47 is detachably mounted on the first inlet / outlet 401 of the water tank shell 40. Meanwhile, to ensure a seal between the water tank shell 40 and the cover 47, a sealing ring 49 is also provided between them. This sealing ring 49 allows for a sealed connection between the two, thereby preventing water leakage from the water tank assembly 4.

[0471] In other related solutions, the water tank assembly 4 on the oven has a water inlet directly installed on the side wall of the water tank outer shell 40 without a removable cover. This makes it impossible to open the inside of the water tank, making it very inconvenient to clean. In this application, however, a removable cover 47 is specifically designed. This allows for easy cleaning of the water tank assembly 4 by opening the cover 47, ensuring the cleanliness of the water tank assembly 4. Furthermore, this design allows users to easily inspect the inside of the water tank assembly 4 for dirt and grime, making it easier to detect dirt and grime and clean the water tank assembly 4 promptly. This gives users greater peace of mind when using the water tank assembly 4.

[0472] Specifically, the first direction can be the front-to-back direction of the cooking cabinet 12. For example, the water tank assembly 4 can be detached and installed from the front of the cooking cabinet 12. The cover 47 and the outer shell 40 of the water tank assembly 4 are also assembled along the front-to-back direction. This means that the water tank assembly 4 is installed horizontally on the cooking cabinet 12, rather than vertically. This reduces the height and space occupied by the water tank assembly 4, preventing the entire product from being too tall. This allows the water tank assembly 4 to be installed on top of the inner liner 126, thus providing the condition for the water tank assembly 4 to be lowered by gravity.

[0473] In any of the above embodiments, exemplarily, as shown in FIG35, the steam cooking appliance 200 further includes a pipe assembly for connecting the mounting housing 9 and the water receiving tank 34 to deliver water from the mounting housing 9 to the water receiving tank 34.

[0474] Furthermore, the water in the water tank device 100 can flow through the pipe assembly into the water receiving tank 34 under the action of gravity.

[0475] For example, steam cooking appliance 200 includes an oven. Of course, steam cooking appliance 200 can also be other devices that require a water tank, such as a steam oven.

[0476] In the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 23 and 31, the water tank outer shell 40 includes a first arcuate surface arranged along the circumferential direction of the water tank outer shell 40. The two ends of the first arcuate surface arranged along the circumferential direction of the water tank outer shell 40 are connected by a first outer wall surface. The first outer wall surface includes a first plane 4042 and a second arcuate surface. An indicator structure 409 is provided on the first plane 4042 to indicate the installation direction of the water tank assembly 4. The second arcuate surface is located on the side of the first plane 4042 along the first direction close to the first inlet / outlet 401.

[0477] In this embodiment, the water tank outer shell 40 is generally cylindrical, with most of its outer wall surface being curved, such as an arcuate surface. However, at least a portion of the outer wall surface of the water tank outer shell 40 is a first plane 4042. The first plane 4042 facilitates the installation of the indicator structure 409, the first limiting member 99 of the water tank assembly 4, etc. For example, during processing, a cylindrical water tank can be machined first, and then a portion of the outer wall surface of the cylindrical water tank can be flattened to form the first plane 4042.

[0478] In addition, by setting the first plane 4042, it is also convenient for users to distinguish the front and back of the water tank shell 40, thereby avoiding incorrect installation of the water tank assembly 4.

[0479] Furthermore, the first outer wall surface also includes a second arc-shaped surface. The second arc-shaped surface is located on the side of the first plane 4042 near the first inlet / outlet 401 of the water tank shell 40. That is, the part of the first outer wall surface near the first inlet / outlet 401 is arc-shaped, not flat. This makes the outer wall surface around the entire first inlet / outlet 401 circular, which makes it convenient to set the cover 47 as circular as well. This makes the appearance of the entire water tank assembly 4 more beautiful. Especially when the water tank assembly 4 is used in ovens, it can make the shape of the water tank assembly 4 consistent with the knobs and other parts on the oven, thereby improving the overall aesthetics of the oven.

[0480] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 34 and 35, the steam cooking appliance 200 further includes: a connector 7 disposed in the housing 12, with the outlet end of the connector 7 corresponding to the water receiving tank 34; a connecting pipe 8 for connecting the drain outlet 90 and the connector 7, so that water in the water storage tank 94 can be transported to the water receiving tank 34 through the drain outlet 90, the connecting pipe 8 and the connector 7; wherein, the outlet end of the connector 7 is located inside the cooking cavity 16 and protrudes from the inner wall of the cooking cavity 16, and along the height direction of the housing 12, the outlet end of the connector 7 is located above the water receiving tank 34.

[0481] In this embodiment, the outlet end of the connector 7 is located inside the cooking cavity 16 and protrudes from the inner wall of the cooking cavity 16. This way, the water flowing out of the outlet end of the connector 7 can be guided away from the inner wall of the cooking cavity 16 and will not flow along the inner wall of the cooking cavity 16. This allows the water flowing out of the outlet end of the connector 7 to flow into the water receiving tank 34. This prevents water from flowing to other parts of the cooking cavity 16 and affecting the cooking of the product when water is supplied to the water receiving tank 34. This also ensures that there is no obvious turbulence at the outlet of the connector 7, thus ensuring the cleanliness of other parts of the cooking cavity 16 and preventing other parts of the cooking cavity 16 from getting wet.

[0482] Furthermore, to ensure that water in the water tank assembly 4 can flow to the connector 7, a connecting pipe 8 is installed between the connector 7 and the water tank assembly 4. Through the connecting pipe 8, water in the water tank assembly 4 can be promptly transported to the water receiving tank 34. This structure, with the connecting pipe 8, allows for more flexible installation of the water tank assembly 4, thus facilitating the overall layout of the product. Of course, in other solutions, the connecting pipe 8 can be omitted, and the outlet of the water tank assembly 4 can be directly connected to the connector 7.

[0483] In addition, by directly conveying water to the water receiving tank 34 through the connecting pipe 8, the water can be guided to prevent it from flowing into other places. At the same time, it can also prevent water from falling directly from a height, thereby reducing water flow noise.

[0484] The following section uses an oven as an example to further illustrate the water tank device and steam cooking appliance in this application.

[0485] Currently, steam ovens / steamers are generally equipped with water tanks for the machine to use. Conventional water tanks are rectangular, and the corresponding outer shell components are also rectangular, which can effectively fix and support the water tank. However, in this embodiment, the water tank is cylindrical, and the outer shell is also cylindrical, which cannot effectively fix the water tank. The structure of the outer shell components needs to be optimized to achieve smooth entry and exit of the water tank.

[0486] To address the aforementioned issues, in this embodiment, a limiting rib structure is provided on the outer shell assembly, and a guide rib is provided at the rear of the water tank. The combination of the limiting rib structure and the guide rib can restrict the water tank to the correct area inside the outer shell assembly, reducing the contact area between the two and lowering friction. The flared design of the opening of the outer shell assembly allows the user to push the water tank into the assembly more easily.

[0487] This embodiment provides a stable cylindrical water tank assembly, ensuring stable water inflow and outflow and improving user experience. Furthermore, this structure prevents water tank damage caused by incorrect installation.

[0488] In addition, the cylindrical water tank provided in this embodiment can be easily disassembled and installed. It can be installed into the machine housing with one hand, smoothly without jamming. The water tank does not shake significantly during the installation process, thereby improving the product's texture and quality.

[0489] The water tank assembly and steam cooking appliance 200 provided in the embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to Figures 36 to 44.

[0490] An embodiment of the first aspect of this application provides a water tank assembly 4 for a steam cooking appliance 200 (the structure of which is shown in Figures 41 to 44). The steam cooking appliance 200 includes a cooking chamber. The cooking chamber includes a body 12 and a door 14. The body 12 has a cooking inlet 122 and a second mounting port 124 at a first end along a first direction. The door 14 is mounted at the first end to open or close the cooking inlet 122. The water tank assembly 4 can be pulled and installed on the cooking chamber via the second mounting port 124 along the first direction. As shown in Figures 36 to 40, the water tank assembly 4 includes a water tank shell 40, a cover 47, and a sealing ring 49. The water tank shell 40 includes a water-containing cavity 42 and a first inlet / outlet 401 communicating with the water-containing cavity 42. The first inlet / outlet 401 is located at one end of the water tank shell 40 along the first direction (which is also the axial direction of the water tank assembly). The cover 47 is detachably mounted on the water tank shell 40 to open or close the first inlet / outlet 401. A sealing ring 49 is disposed between the outer shell 40 of the water tank and the cover 47 to seal the gap 496 between the outer shell 40 of the water tank and the cover 47.

[0491] The water tank assembly 4 provided according to the embodiments of this application can be specifically used in steam cooking appliances 200 such as ovens. Specifically, the water tank assembly 4 includes a water tank shell 40 and a cover 47. The water tank shell 40 is provided with a first inlet / outlet 401, and the cover 47 is detachably mounted on the first inlet / outlet 401 of the water tank shell 40. Furthermore, to ensure a seal between the water tank shell 40 and the cover 47, a sealing ring 49 is provided between them. This sealing ring 49 ensures a sealed connection between the two, thereby preventing water leakage from the water tank assembly 4.

[0492] In other oven designs, the water tank assembly typically has a water inlet directly on the side wall of the water tank shell without a removable cover. This makes it difficult to open the water tank and thus inconvenient for cleaning. In this application, a removable cover 47 is provided. This allows for easy cleaning of the water tank assembly 40 by opening the cover 47, improving the convenience of cleaning and ensuring cleanliness. Furthermore, this design allows users to easily inspect the interior of the water tank assembly 40 by opening the cover 47, facilitating timely detection of dirt and grime. This makes it easier for users to clean the water tank assembly 4 promptly and with greater peace of mind.

[0493] The first direction can specifically refer to the front-to-back direction of the cooking cabinet. For example, the water tank assembly 4 can be disassembled and installed from the front of the cooking cabinet. The cover 47 and the outer shell 40 of the water tank assembly 4 are also assembled along the front-to-back direction, which means that the water tank assembly 4 is installed horizontally on the cooking cabinet, rather than vertically.

[0494] In the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 36, 39 and 40, at least the outer wall surface of the water tank shell 40 is an arc-shaped surface, and the top cover is cylindrical. That is, the water tank shell 40 is not square, but is approximately cylindrical.

[0495] In the above embodiments, for example, the water tank outer shell 40 includes a plastic shell and the cover 47 includes a plastic cover.

[0496] In this embodiment, both the outer shell 40 and the cover 47 are made of plastic. Using plastic for both the outer shell 40 and the cover 47 reduces the cost of the water tank assembly 4. Furthermore, plastic is lightweight, which reduces the weight of the water tank assembly 4.

[0497] In the above embodiments, the water tank outer shell 40 is, by way of example, a visible shell.

[0498] In this embodiment, the water tank outer shell 40 is a visible shell. By setting the water tank outer shell 40 as a visible structure, it is convenient for users to see the inside of the water tank outer shell 40. This makes it easy for users to determine the amount of dirt inside the water tank outer shell 40, so that when cleaning, users can determine from the outside of the water tank outer shell 40 whether it has been cleaned, thereby improving the convenience of cleaning the water tank assembly 4.

[0499] In related solutions, the water tank cannot be opened and is generally opaque, lacking visibility. This makes it inconvenient for users to clean the inside of the tank or see its condition, leading to user concerns about cleanliness. This application addresses this by making the water tank visible or transparent, allowing users to see its interior. With most parts of the tank transparent, a removable cover 47 facilitates cleaning of the water tank assembly 4. Furthermore, in this application, the water tank assembly 4 is pulled out and installed on an oven or similar appliance, and the top of the water tank shell 40 has a first inlet / outlet 401 and an openable cover 47. When water needs to be added, the water tank assembly 4 can be removed, the cover 47 opened, and water added through the first inlet / outlet 401 on the top of the water tank shell 40, eliminating the need for an additional water inlet. Alternatively, an additional water inlet can be provided to allow for various water filling methods.

[0500] In the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 37 and 38, the cover 47 includes an insertion part 472, and a sealing ring 49 is sleeved and installed on the insertion part 472. When the insertion part 472 is inserted into the first inlet / outlet 401, the sealing ring 49 is located between the inner wall of the first inlet / outlet 401 and the insertion part 472, and is in a compressed state.

[0501] In this embodiment, the cover 47 includes an insertion portion 472, and a sealing ring 49 is mounted on the insertion portion 472. During installation, the insertion portion 472 of the cover 47 can be inserted into the first inlet / outlet 401, and the sealing ring 49 is pressed between the insertion portion 472 and the inner wall of the first inlet / outlet 401, thus ensuring a seal between the cover 47 and the water tank outer shell 40. Especially when the water tank assembly 4 is used horizontally, the sealing effect of the cover 47 is more critical. Therefore, compared to a vertically used water tank, the first inlet / outlet 401 of the horizontally placed water tank assembly 4 is more prone to leakage. However, the cooperation of the insertion portion 472 and the sealing ring 49 can significantly improve the sealing effect of the cover 47, ensuring that the water tank assembly 4 is less prone to leakage when used horizontally.

[0502] In the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 37 and 38, the cover 47 further includes an end cap portion 474, which includes an end portion 4742 and a circumferential sidewall 4744 disposed on the end portion 4742. The circumferential sidewall 4744 is arranged in an annular shape along the circumferential direction of the end portion 4742, and the insertion portion 472 is an annular surrounding plate 4722 installed on the end of the circumferential sidewall 4744 away from the end portion 4742.

[0503] In this embodiment, the cover 47 further includes an end cap 474, which is formed by an end portion 4742 and a circumferential sidewall 4744. The insertion portion 472 is mounted on the circumferential sidewall 4744, and specifically is a ring-shaped surrounding plate 4722. This arrangement makes the cover 47 hollow, which makes the cover 47 lighter and requires less material. Of course, the cover 47 can also be made into a solid structure.

[0504] In the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 37 and 38, the insertion part 472 is provided with a slot 4724, which is arranged in an annular shape along the circumferential direction of the insertion part 472, and the sealing ring 49 is installed in the slot 4724.

[0505] In this embodiment, the installation position of the sealing ring 49 can be defined by the slot 4724, so that the sealing ring 49 can be installed more stably on the cover 47. In this way, the sealing ring 49 is not easy to fall off the cover 47 when the cover 47 is installed and removed multiple times.

[0506] In the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in FIG38, a ring of protruding ribs 4726 is provided on the outer side wall of the annular surrounding plate 4722 away from the circumferential side wall 4744, and the circumferential side wall 4744, the annular surrounding plate 4722 and the protruding ribs 4726 form a slot 4724.

[0507] In this embodiment, a raised rib 4726 can be provided on the outer wall of the free end of the annular surrounding plate 4722. Then, the groove 4724 required for installing the sealing ring 49 can be formed by the raised rib 4726, the annular surrounding plate 4722, and the circumferential side wall 4744. This arrangement allows the annular surrounding plate 4722 to be relatively thin. Of course, in a specific solution, the annular surrounding plate 4722 can also be made slightly thicker, and then a portion of the outer wall of the annular surrounding plate 4722 can be removed to form the groove 4724. Alternatively, the groove 4724 can be formed by bending the annular surrounding plate 4722.

[0508] In the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 37 and 38, a third guide surface 4728 is provided on the front end of the insertion part 472. The third guide surface 4728 gradually slopes away from the center of the insertion part 472 from the front end of the insertion part 472 to the rear end of the insertion part 472.

[0509] In this embodiment, the end of the insertion part 472 that is first inserted into the first inlet / outlet 401 is the front end of the insertion part 472. The other end of the insertion part 472, which is opposite to the front end, is the rear end of the insertion part 472. A third guide surface 4728 is provided on the front end of the insertion part 472, and the third guide surface 4728 is arranged in a ring around the circumference of the insertion part 472. The third guide surface 4728 is inclined from front to back, and from front to back, the third guide surface 4728 gradually moves away from the center direction of the insertion part 472, that is, the third guide surface 4728 gradually increases in size from front to back. Through the third guide surface 4728, the sealing ring 49 can be more easily installed onto the insertion part 472.

[0510] In the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 37 and 38, the sealing ring 49 includes an inner ring 492 and an outer ring 494. One end of the inner ring 492 and the outer ring 494 are connected to each other, and the other end of the outer ring 494 is disposed on the outer side of the inner ring 492 along the circumference of the inner ring 492. A gap 496 is provided between the other end of the outer ring 494 and the inner ring 492 along the radial direction of the sealing ring 49.

[0511] In this embodiment, the sealing ring 49 includes an inner ring 492 and an outer ring 494, meaning the sealing ring 49 has a double-layer structure. A gap 496 is formed between the inner ring 492 and the outer ring 494. This gap 496 improves the deformation capacity of the sealing ring 49, thereby enhancing its sealing effect. Furthermore, the gap 496 allows the sealing ring 49 to better adapt to different dimensions between the cover 47 and the water tank shell 40. This means the overall size of the sealing ring 49 can be adjusted to accommodate these different dimensions, thus reducing the precision requirements for the machining of the cover 47 and the water tank shell 40.

[0512] As exemplarily shown in Figures 36 and 38, a vent 400 is provided on one end of the water tank outer shell 40 near the cover 47.

[0513] In this embodiment, the vent 400 allows the interior of the water tank shell 40 to communicate with the external atmospheric pressure, thereby maintaining the pressure balance inside and outside the water tank shell 40 and preventing the formation of negative pressure inside the water tank shell 40, which would prevent the water tank assembly 4 from discharging water.

[0514] In the above embodiments, exemplarily, as shown in FIG40, the water tank outer shell 40 includes a first arcuate surface 403 arranged along the circumferential direction of the water tank outer shell 40 (exemplarily, the length of the first arcuate surface 403 is the same as the length of the water tank outer shell 40), and the two ends of the first arcuate surface 403 arranged along the circumferential direction of the water tank outer shell 40 are connected by a first outer wall surface 404 (exemplarily, the length of the first outer wall surface 404 is the same as the length of the water tank outer shell 40). As shown in FIG36, the first outer wall surface 404 is composed of a first plane 4042 and a second arcuate surface 4044. Exemplarily, an indicator structure 409 is provided on the first plane 4042 to indicate the installation direction of the water tank assembly 4, and the second arcuate surface 4044 is located on the side of the first plane 4042 near the first inlet / outlet 401 of the water tank outer shell 40.

[0515] In this embodiment, the water tank outer shell 40 is generally cylindrical, with most of its outer wall surface being curved, such as an arcuate surface. However, at least a portion of the outer wall surface of the water tank outer shell 40 is a first plane 4042. The first plane 4042 facilitates the installation of the indicator structure 409, the locking structure of the water tank assembly 4, etc. For example, during processing, a cylindrical water tank can be machined first, and then a portion of the outer wall surface of the cylindrical water tank can be flattened to form the first plane 4042.

[0516] In addition, by setting the first plane 4042, it is also convenient for users to distinguish the front and back of the water tank shell 40, thereby avoiding incorrect installation of the water tank assembly 4.

[0517] For example, as shown in FIG36, the first outer wall surface 404 further includes a second arcuate surface 4044. The second arcuate surface 4044 is located on the side of the first plane 4042 near the first inlet / outlet 401 of the water tank shell 40. That is, the part of the first outer wall surface near the first inlet / outlet 401 is arcuate, not flat. This makes the outer wall surface around the entire first inlet / outlet 401 circular, so that the cover 47 can also be set to be circular. This makes the appearance of the entire water tank assembly 4 more beautiful. Especially when the water tank assembly 4 is used in ovens, it can make the shape of the water tank assembly 4 consistent with the knobs on the oven, thereby improving the overall aesthetics of the oven.

[0518] As exemplarily shown in Figures 36 and 40, the water tank housing 40 includes a mounting section for mounting a cover 47, the mounting section forming a first inlet / outlet 401. The mounting section is cylindrical. The cover 47 is a circular cover adapted to fit the cylindrical mounting section.

[0519] In the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 36 and 39, the water tank outer shell 40 includes two oppositely arranged second outer side walls 4032. Each of the second outer side walls 4032 is provided with one of a guide rib 405 and a guide groove. The guide rib 405 or the guide groove is arranged along a first direction, and the water tank assembly 4 can be pulled and installed on the cooking cabinet by the guide of the guide rib 405 and the guide groove.

[0520] In this embodiment, guide structures, such as guide ribs 405 or guide grooves, are provided on the outer walls of the opposite sides of the water tank shell 40. Simultaneously, another compatible guide structure can be provided on the cooking cabinet. The cooperation of these two guide structures allows the water tank assembly 4 to be smoothly installed on the cooking cabinet, thus facilitating the assembly and disassembly of the water tank assembly 4. Furthermore, since the guide ribs 405 or guide grooves are arranged along a first direction, the water tank assembly 4 can be slidably installed onto the cooking cabinet along this first direction.

[0521] For example, the cooking cabinet includes a mounting cavity 92, in which a water tank assembly 4 is detachably mounted. One of a guide rib 405 and a guide groove is provided on the second outer side wall 4032, and the other of a guide rib 405 and a guide groove is provided on the inner wall of the mounting cavity 92. The water tank assembly 4 can be slid into the mounting cavity 92 by the guidance of the guide rib 405 and the guide groove.

[0522] In the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Figures 36 and 40, a guide rib 405 is provided on the second outer wall surface 4032, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the guide rib 405 gradually decreases from the second outer wall surface 4032 to the end of the guide rib 405 away from the second outer wall surface 4032.

[0523] In this embodiment, inclined surfaces are provided on the upper and lower sides of the guide rib 405 to reduce the width of the top of the guide rib 405. This reduces the guiding area of ​​the guide rib 405 in contact with the cooking cabinet, thereby making the sliding of the water tank assembly 4 smoother. For example, the cross-section of the guide rib 405 can be configured as a trapezoidal, triangular, or arc-shaped structure.

[0524] In the above embodiments, exemplarily as shown in Figures 39 and 40, the end face of the water tank shell 40 opposite to the first inlet / outlet 401 along the first direction is a first end face 41. A chamfer 407 is provided at the connection between the part of the first end face 41 corresponding to the guide rib 405 and the second outer wall surface 4032. A portion of the chamfer 407 is located on the guide rib 405. That is, the chamfer 407 extends to the guide rib 405, thereby eliminating part of the structure of the guide rib 405.

[0525] In this embodiment, a chamfer 407 can be provided at the connection between the bottom surface of the water tank shell 40 and the guide rib 405, so that the guide rib 405 can be made shorter, and the guide rib 405 and the bottom surface of the water tank shell 40 can be smoothly transitioned, avoiding interference between the guide rib 405 and other parts of the cooking cabinet.

[0526] In addition, the chamfer 407 can form a guide surface, which facilitates the insertion and installation of the water tank outer shell 40 into the tank body (for example, inserting and installing it into the mounting shell 9).

[0527] In the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in FIG39, a plurality of water level scale structures 406 are provided on the outer side wall of the water tank shell 40, and the plurality of water level scale structures 406 are spaced apart along the first direction.

[0528] In this embodiment, the water level scale structure 406 is used to indicate the water level, making it easy for the user to know the amount of water in the water tank shell 40 and preventing the user from adding too much water. In particular, when a vent 400 is provided on the water tank shell 40 near the first inlet / outlet 401, it can prevent the water in the water tank from exceeding the vent 400 and causing water leakage from the vent 400.

[0529] Among them, the vent 400 is located on the side of the maximum water level scale structure near the inlet / outlet 11.

[0530] In the above embodiments, exemplarily as shown in Figures 36, 37, and 40, the water tank outer shell 40 further includes a water outlet channel 44 communicating with the water-containing cavity 42. The water tank assembly 4 further includes a valve assembly 48, installed at the water outlet channel 44, for opening or closing the water outlet channel 44. The valve assembly 48 includes a valve stem 482, slidably installed within the water outlet channel 44; an elastic member 11, installed within the water outlet channel 44, one end of the elastic member 11 abutting against the valve stem 482, and the other end of the elastic member 11 abutting against the water tank outer shell 40; and a sealing gasket 486, installed at one end of the valve stem 482. When the valve stem 482 is pushed along the water outlet channel 44, the valve stem 482 can drive the sealing gasket 486 to move and open the water outlet channel 44. When the valve stem 482 is released, the sealing gasket 486, under the action of the elastic member 11, closes the water outlet channel 44.

[0531] In this embodiment, a water outlet channel 44 is provided on the outer shell 40 of the water tank, through which water inside the outer shell 40 can be discharged. A valve assembly 48 is provided inside the water outlet channel 44, which can be used to open and close the water outlet channel 44. For example, when the water tank assembly 4 is removed from the cooking appliance and water is added, the water outlet channel 44 can be closed by the valve assembly 48 to facilitate the addition of water to the water tank assembly 4. When the water tank assembly 4 is installed on the cooking appliance and steam needs to be generated, the water outlet channel 44 can be opened to facilitate the output of water from the water tank assembly 4.

[0532] The valve assembly 48 specifically includes a valve stem 482, an elastic element 11, and a sealing gasket 486. The valve stem 482 is slidably mounted within the water outlet channel 44. The sealing gasket 486 is mounted at one end of the valve stem 482 and moves with it, thus opening or closing the water outlet channel 44. The elastic element 11 is typically a spring. It abuts against the valve stem 482 and the water tank housing 40. Under normal conditions, the elastic element 11 is compressed, and its rebound force compresses the sealing gasket 486, allowing it to close the water outlet channel 44. When the valve stem 482 is pushed along the water outlet channel 44, it moves the sealing gasket 486, opening the water outlet channel 44 and allowing water to flow out of the water tank assembly 4. Meanwhile, during this process, the elastic element 11 is compressed. Therefore, after the external force on the valve stem 482 disappears, the elastic element 11 can drive the valve stem 482 to return to its initial position, thereby causing the sealing gasket 486 to close the water outlet channel 44 again.

[0533] Specifically, a push rod can be installed on the cooking cabinet at the position corresponding to the water outlet channel 44. After the water tank assembly 4 is installed on the cooking cabinet, the push rod can be inserted into the water outlet channel 44, thereby pushing the valve rod 482 to move along the water outlet channel 44, thus opening the water outlet channel 44. After the water tank assembly 4 is removed, the external force exerted by the push rod on the valve rod 482 disappears, and the valve rod 482 and the sealing gasket 486 are reset under the action of the elastic force of the elastic element 11, thereby closing the water outlet channel 44 of the water tank assembly 4, so that water cannot flow from the water outlet channel 44 of the water tank assembly 4.

[0534] For example, one end of the valve stem 482 passes through the inlet of the water outlet channel 44 and enters the water-containing chamber 42. The sealing gasket 486 is sealed and installed at the inlet of the water outlet channel 44. Pushing the valve stem 482 along the water outlet channel 44 causes the sealing gasket 486 to move away from the outlet of the water outlet channel 44, thereby opening the inlet of the water outlet channel 44. In this configuration, the sealing gasket 486 is located at the inlet of the water outlet channel 44, allowing the entire water outlet channel 44 to be opened and closed by using the sealing gasket 486 to open or close the inlet.

[0535] In the above embodiment, as exemplarily shown in FIG37, a limiting groove 4822 is provided on one end of the valve stem 482, and the sealing gasket 486 is limited and installed in the limiting groove 4822. A limiting structure 4824 for limiting the elastic member 11 is provided on the other end of the valve stem 482. By providing the limiting groove 4822, the position of the sealing gasket 486 on the valve stem 482 can be limited, making it less likely for the sealing gasket 486 to slip relative to the valve stem 482. This ensures that the sealing gasket 486 can move synchronously with the valve stem 482.

[0536] In the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in FIG37, a fifth guide surface 4826 is provided on one end of the valve stem 482 for mounting the sealing gasket 486, and the fifth guide surface 4826 is used to guide the sealing gasket 486 to be sleeved and mounted on the valve stem 482.

[0537] In this embodiment, the fifth guide surface 4826 on the valve stem 482 makes it easier to fit the sealing gasket 486 onto the valve stem 482, thereby improving the ease of installation of the sealing gasket 486.

[0538] For example, the elastic element 11 is compressed and installed between the valve stem 482 and the water tank housing 40. That is, in the initial state, the elastic element 11 is in a compressed state, so that the sealing gasket 486 can be pressed by the rebound force of the elastic element 11, thereby ensuring the sealing effect of the sealing gasket 486 on the water outlet channel 44.

[0539] An embodiment of the second aspect of this application provides a steam cooking appliance 200, including: a cooking chamber; and a water tank assembly 4 as provided in any embodiment of the first aspect. The cooking chamber includes a body 12 and a door 14. The body 12 is provided with a cooking inlet 122 and a second mounting port 124 at a first end along a first direction. The door 14 is installed at the first end to open or close the cooking inlet 122. The water tank assembly 4 can be pulled and installed onto the body 12 along the first direction through the second mounting port 124.

[0540] The steam cooking appliance 200 provided according to an embodiment of this application includes a cooking chamber and a water tank assembly 4. The cooking chamber generates steam and performs cooking functions. The water tank assembly 4 is detachably installed on the cooking chamber to supply water to the cooking chamber. The cooking chamber includes a body 12 and a door 14. A cooking cavity 16 is provided inside the body 12, and the cooking cavity 16 communicates with a cooking inlet 122. The door 14 is installed on the body 12 for opening and closing the cooking inlet 122. The water tank assembly 4 is installed on the side of the body 12 where the door 14 is provided, for example, on the front side of the body 12. The water tank assembly 4 can also be installed on the body 12 along the front side, and it can be pulled out in the front-back direction to facilitate its installation and removal. Furthermore, the water tank assembly 4 is also placed front-back on the body 12, that is, it is installed horizontally on the body 12, not vertically.

[0541] Meanwhile, since the steam cooking appliance 200 includes the water tank assembly 4 provided in any embodiment of the first aspect, the steam cooking appliance 200 has all the beneficial effects of the water tank assembly 4 provided in any embodiment of the first aspect, which will not be repeated here.

[0542] As shown in Figures 41 and 42, the water tank assembly 4 is located at the top of the cooking cavity 16 along the height direction of the tank body 12, thereby enabling the water tank assembly 4 to be installed at a high position, thus providing conditions for the water tank assembly 4 to be lowered by gravity.

[0543] In any of the above embodiments, exemplarily as shown in Figures 41 and 42, the housing 12 includes an inner liner 126, which encloses a cooking cavity 16, and the water tank assembly 4 is installed above the inner liner 126. This arrangement allows the water tank assembly 4 to be installed relatively high, thereby facilitating the drainage of water using gravity. Furthermore, this arrangement allows for efficient use of the product's height, thereby reducing the product's width and floor space, making it easier to store.

[0544] For example, as shown in Figures 41 and 42, the housing 12 includes a first part and a second part. A door 14 is installed on the first part. Along the height direction of the housing 12, the second part is located above the first part. A second mounting port 124 is provided on the second part, and the water tank assembly 4 can be installed on the second part through the second mounting port 124. When the water tank assembly 4 is installed on the second part, it is located above the inner liner 126. This allows the water tank assembly 4 to be exposed outside the door 14, so that water can be added without opening the door 14, thus facilitating water addition during cooking. The housing 12 also includes a housing shell, and the inner liner 126 is installed inside the housing shell. An accommodating space is provided between the outer wall of the inner liner 126 and the inner wall of the housing shell to accommodate the housing shell 9 and the water tank assembly 4. A front opening is provided on the front side of the housing shell, and the inner liner 126 is used to form a cooking cavity 16. The front opening communicates with the cooking cavity 16. The second mounting port 124 is also provided on the front side of the housing shell for inserting and installing the water tank assembly 4. The water tank assembly 4 is inserted into the second mounting port 124 and installed between the inner liner 126 and the tank shell.

[0545] As shown in Figures 41, 42, and 43, the steam cooking appliance 200 also includes a mounting shell 9, within which a mounting cavity 92 is provided. A first mounting opening 93 is provided at one end of the mounting cavity 92. The mounting shell 9 is mounted on the housing 12, for example, on the top of the inner liner 126. When the mounting shell 9 is mounted on the housing 12, the first mounting opening 93 is located at the first end of the housing 12 along a first direction, that is, near the side of the housing 12 where the door 14 is mounted. The water tank assembly 4 can be inserted into the mounting shell 9 along the first direction through the first mounting opening 93 and can be pulled out relative to the mounting shell 9.

[0546] For example, as shown in Figures 36, 41, 42, and 43, the water tank assembly 4 includes a water-containing cavity 42, a water outlet channel 44, and a valve assembly 48. The water outlet channel 44 communicates with the water-containing cavity 42, and the valve assembly 48 is movably mounted on the water outlet channel 44 and can move between a first position and a second position. The water outlet channel 44 includes a water outlet, and the valve assembly 48 includes a sealing gasket 486. When the valve assembly 48 is in the first position, the sealing gasket 486 blocks the water outlet; when the valve assembly 48 is in the second position, the sealing gasket 486 opens the water outlet. A push rod 96 is provided on the mounting housing 9. A slot is provided on the valve assembly 48, allowing the water tank assembly 4 to be inserted into the mounting cavity 92 through the first mounting port 93. When the water tank assembly 4 is in the mounting cavity 92, a portion of the push rod 96 is inserted into the slot, pushing the valve assembly 48 from the first position to the second position to open the water outlet channel 44.

[0547] In this embodiment, the mounting housing 9 is directly mounted onto the product, and the water tank assembly 4 is detachably mounted on the mounting housing 9. This allows the water tank assembly 4 to be removed separately from the housing 12, facilitating cleaning of the water tank assembly 4. Simultaneously, a push rod 96 can be provided on the mounting housing 9. After the water tank assembly 4 is mounted onto the mounting housing 9, the push rod 96 can be inserted into the water outlet channel 44, thereby pushing the valve assembly 48 to move along the water outlet channel 44, thus opening the water outlet channel 44. After the water tank assembly 4 is removed, the external force exerted by the push rod 96 on the valve assembly 48 disappears, and the valve assembly 48 resets under the rebound force of the elastic element 11, thereby closing the water outlet channel 44 of the water tank assembly 4, preventing water from flowing out of the water outlet channel 44.

[0548] In the above embodiments, for example, as shown in FIG44, the water tank assembly 4 includes a water outlet channel 44; the mounting housing 9 includes a water storage tank 94 and a drain outlet 90 that are interconnected, the water storage tank 94 is provided corresponding to the water outlet channel 44 and is used to receive water from the water outlet channel 44; the steam cooking appliance 200 includes a water receiving tank 34 that is connected to the drain outlet 90, and the water in the water storage tank 94 can be discharged from the drain outlet 90 into the water receiving tank 34.

[0549] In this embodiment, when the water flow in the water tank assembly 4 is large or rapid, the water can be stored in the water storage tank 94 to buffer the impact of the falling water, allowing the water to enter the cooking cavity 16 at a relatively stable flow rate. This avoids water splashing when the water flows into the water receiving tank 34 due to a large flow. Furthermore, the buffering effect of the water storage tank 94 on the water flow also prevents water from overflowing from the water tank assembly 4 and spilling onto other parts of the product, or even overflowing from the front of the water tank assembly 4, if the water flow is obstructed.

[0550] In any of the above embodiments, as exemplarily shown in FIG43, the steam cooking appliance 200 further includes: a connector 7 disposed in the housing 12, the outlet end of the connector 7 being disposed corresponding to the water receiving tank 34; and a connecting pipe 8 for connecting the drain outlet 90 (or water outlet channel 44) and the connector 7, so that water in the water tank assembly 4 can be transported to the water receiving tank 34 through the water storage tank 94, the drain outlet 90, the connecting pipe 8, and the connector 7. Exemplarily, the outlet end of the connector 7 is located inside the cooking cavity 16 and protrudes from the inner wall of the cooking cavity 16, and along the height direction of the housing 12, the outlet end of the connector 7 is located above the water receiving tank 34.

[0551] In this embodiment, the outlet end of the connector 7 is located inside the cooking cavity 16 and protrudes from the inner wall of the cooking cavity 16. This way, the water flowing out of the outlet end of the connector 7 can be guided away from the inner wall of the cooking cavity 16 and will not flow along the inner wall of the cooking cavity 16. This allows the water flowing out of the outlet end of the connector 7 to flow into the water receiving tank 34. This prevents water from flowing to other parts of the cooking cavity 16 and affecting the cooking of the product when water is supplied to the water receiving tank 34. This also ensures that there is no obvious turbulence at the outlet of the connector 7, thus ensuring the cleanliness of other parts of the cooking cavity 16 and preventing other parts of the cooking cavity 16 from getting wet.

[0552] In any of the above embodiments, for example, a guide rib 405 is provided on the water tank shell 40, and an inclined guide surface is provided on one end of the guide rib 405 near the first end face 41. The inclined guide surface extends outward from the first end face 41 to the second end face along the radial direction of the water tank shell 40.

[0553] In this embodiment, guide ribs 405 are disposed on the water tank outer shell 40, and guide grooves are disposed on the mounting shell 9. This reduces the wall thickness of the water tank outer shell 40. By providing an inclined guide surface on the guide ribs 405, the thickness of the guide ribs 405 at the first end face 41 is thinner, making it easier for the guide ribs 405 to be guided into the guide groove and avoiding interference between the guide ribs 405 and other parts of the cooking cabinet 12.

[0554] In addition, setting an inclined guide surface can also ensure a smooth transition between the guide rib 405 and the water tank shell 40, making the overall appearance of the water tank shell 40 smoother, thereby improving the aesthetics of the water tank shell 40.

[0555] For example, the inclined guide surface is a chamfered surface or a rounded corner surface.

[0556] In this embodiment, when processing the water tank shell 40, the guide rib 405 can be chamfered or rounded to form a chamfered or rounded surface, thereby enabling the required inclined flow guide surface to be processed quickly and conveniently.

[0557] In any of the above embodiments, for example, the end of the guide rib 405 away from the first end face 41 is provided with a chamfer 407.

[0558] In this embodiment, by providing a chamfer 407 at the other end of the guide rib 405, the interference between the guide rib 405 and the mounting shell 9 can be reduced, ensuring a smooth transition between the guide rib 405 and the water tank shell 40, making the overall appearance of the water tank shell 40 smoother, thereby improving the aesthetics of the water tank shell 40.

[0559] For example, the steam cooking appliance 200 includes an oven. Of course, the steam cooking appliance 200 can also be other devices that require a water tank.

[0560] The following describes a water tank assembly for an oven, with reference to a specific embodiment.

[0561] In the relevant solutions, the water tank of the steam oven is generally square in shape, which is not very compatible with the existing knob structure in terms of appearance. This is mainly because one is square and the other is round, which makes the appearance relatively uncoordinated. In addition, the square water tank has hard-to-clean corners, which brings certain troubles to later cleaning and maintenance. Furthermore, it is relatively large in size, and adding water requires both hands, which is quite cumbersome.

[0562] To address the aforementioned issues, this embodiment designs a circular water tank outer shell assembly with a front-opening design for easy emptying of residual water. The upper side features a flat surface that works with the outer shell assembly to facilitate pop-out and stop functions; the lower side has guide ribs to ensure stable insertion of the water tank into the outer shell. A water level indicator is located at the bottom of the lower side, allowing for direct observation of the water level during vertical water filling. Furthermore, this water tank assembly is easy to assemble and disassemble, compact in size, and allows for vertical water filling, making it well-suited to current product aesthetics.

[0563] Specifically, this embodiment provides a water tank assembly (its structure is shown in Figures 36 to 40), mainly consisting of a shell and a cover, both made of plastic. The tank is designed with a top-opening lid, and a silicone sealing ring is located between the cover and the shell. Its cross-section is visible, indicating a double-layered inner and outer wall structure. The inner wall is inserted into the cover via an interference fit, and the cover and shell press against the outer wall of the sealing gasket, achieving a seal and fixation between the three components. Due to the gap between the inner and outer walls, the outer wall can effectively self-adjust and adjust to achieve an effective seal.

[0564] The outer shell is also made of plastic and is transparent; the color is not limited. It is roughly cylindrical in shape, with a cut-out surface on the top and indicators for the water tank's orientation and insertion direction. Two long, diamond-shaped ribs are located on the rear of the shell, serving as guides and limits for assembly with the water tank outer shell. The beveled design reduces resistance when the water tank is pushed into the outer shell. A cut-out feature at the rear end of the ribs further reduces interference and facilitates the insertion of the water tank into the outer shell. Water level markings are engraved on the lower side, parallel to the inlet and outlet of the shell.

[0565] The water tank assembly has a valve assembly at the rear, consisting of a valve stem, a spring element, and a sealing gasket. The spring element is a compression spring element by default, and the sealing gasket is an interference fit to close the water outlet at the rear of the water tank assembly. Since the water tank assembly is in a sealed state by default, the air pressure at the water outlet is unbalanced, making it difficult for water to flow normally. Therefore, a small hole is provided at the non-cut-out plane on the upper front of the shell to balance the air pressure. When the water tank assembly is filled to the full mark and laid flat, the water level is below this mark, preventing overflow.

[0566] The specific implementation of the solution is as follows: when the water tank is statically placed, the cover and valve assembly remain closed, and the sealing gasket is in an interference-sealed state. When water from the tank is needed, the valve stem of the valve assembly is pushed by the push-out structure of the water tank assembly to connect the rear outlet and allow water to flow smoothly. When it is necessary to empty the water tank or clean it, the cover is pulled open, and the remaining water in the tank is poured out through the circular inlet and outlet. The circular inner wall allows for smoother drainage from the tank. Afterward, the cover, the inside of the housing, and the sealing gasket can be cleaned.

[0567] When the water tank needs to be filled, similarly, pull out the cover and add water through the circular inlet / outlet on the shell. During this process, you can observe the scale lines on the bottom of the transparent shell to obtain the appropriate amount of water.

[0568] In the description of this specification, the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "specific embodiment," etc., refer to a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example, which is included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0569] The above are merely preferred embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A steam cooking appliance, wherein, include: A cooking enclosure, the cooking enclosure including a cooking cavity; A heating device, installed on the cooking cabinet, is used to heat the food inside the cooking cavity; A water tank is installed inside the cooking cavity and can be heated by the heating device. A water tank assembly, installed on the cooking cabinet, is used to supply water to the water receiving tank; In this configuration, along the height direction of the cooking cabinet, the water tank assembly is located above the location of the water receiving trough.

2. The steam cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein, The water in the water tank assembly can flow into the water receiving trough under the action of gravity.

3. The steam cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein, The water tank assembly includes a water-containing cavity, a water outlet channel communicating with the water-containing cavity, and a water inlet. Along the height direction of the cooking cabinet, the inner bottom wall of the water-containing cavity gradually decreases from the water inlet to the water outlet channel.

4. The steam cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein, The water tank can be detachably installed inside the cooking oven.

5. The steam cooking appliance according to claim 4, wherein, Also includes: The first bracket is installed inside the cooking cavity, and the water receiving tank is installed on the first bracket.

6. The steam cooking appliance according to claim 5, wherein, Also includes: Two second supports are respectively set on the two inner side walls of the cooking box that are opposite each other along the width direction, and are used to support the food carrier; The first bracket is installed on top of one of the second brackets. The second bracket is provided with multiple support parts, which are spaced apart along the height direction of the cooking cabinet. The second bracket can install the food carrier at multiple height positions through the multiple support parts.

7. The steam cooking appliance according to claim 6, wherein, The water receiving trough has a flange at the opening, which extends from the inside to the outside of the opening. The first bracket includes a support bar, and the water receiving trough is mounted on the support bar via the flange.

8. The steam cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein, The heating device includes: The heating element is installed on the top of the cooking chamber.

9. The steam cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein, Also includes: A connector is installed on the water inlet or the cooking cabinet. A connecting pipe is used to connect the water tank assembly and the connector to transport water from the water tank assembly to the water receiving tank through the connecting pipe and the connector.

10. The steam cooking appliance according to claim 9, wherein, Also includes: The mounting housing is installed on the cooking cabinet, and the mounting housing is provided with a mounting cavity for placing the water tank assembly; The mounting shell is also provided with a water storage tank, and along the height direction of the cooking cabinet, the bottom wall of the water storage tank is lower than the bottom wall of the mounting cavity. When the water tank assembly is installed in the mounting cavity, the water tank assembly is connected to the water storage tank, and the water in the water tank assembly can flow into the water storage tank; The connecting pipe is installed on the mounting housing and communicates with the water storage tank.

11. The steam cooking appliance according to claim 10, wherein, The water tank assembly also includes: A valve assembly, installed at the water outlet channel of the water tank assembly, is operable between a first position and a second position to open or close the water outlet channel; The mounting housing is provided with a push rod, which is used to position the valve assembly in the first position to open the water outlet channel when the water tank assembly is installed in the mounting cavity, and to position the valve assembly in the second position after the water tank assembly is removed from the mounting cavity, thereby closing the water outlet channel.

12. The steam cooking appliance according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein, The cooking enclosure includes a housing and a door. The housing forms the cooking cavity. A cooking inlet and a second mounting opening are provided at a first end of the housing along a first direction. The door is installed at the first end of the housing to open or close the cooking inlet. The water tank assembly can be pulled and installed onto the housing via the second mounting opening along the first direction. The water tank assembly includes: A water tank shell, the water tank shell including a water-containing cavity and a water inlet communicating with the water-containing cavity, the water inlet being disposed at one end of the water tank shell along the first direction; The cover is detachably mounted on the outer shell of the water tank to open or close the water inlet; A sealing ring is disposed between the outer shell of the water tank and the cover to seal the gap between the outer shell of the water tank and the cover.

13. The steam cooking appliance according to claim 12, wherein, The cabinet includes an inner liner and a shell. The inner liner is installed inside the shell and forms the cooking cavity. The water tank assembly is installed outside the cooking cavity and is located between the top of the inner liner and the shell.

14. The steam cooking appliance according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein, The steam cooking appliance includes an oven.

15. A water tank device, wherein, For steam cooking appliances, the water tank device includes: The mounting housing includes a mounting cavity, one end of which is provided with a first mounting port; A water tank assembly includes a water tank shell and a cover. The water tank shell includes a water-containing cavity and a first inlet / outlet communicating with the water-containing cavity. The first inlet / outlet is located at one end of the water tank shell. The cover is detachably mounted on the water tank shell to open or close the first inlet / outlet. The water tank shell is also provided with a second inlet / outlet. The water tank assembly is detachably mounted on the mounting housing. When mounted on the mounting housing, the water tank assembly can move along a first direction between a first position and a second position. When the water tank assembly is in the first position, it is located inside the mounting cavity. When the water tank assembly is in the second position, the second inlet / outlet is located outside the mounting cavity.

16. The water tank device according to claim 15, wherein, The first inlet and outlet are located at one end of the water tank shell along the first direction, and the cover is installed at the end of the water tank shell along the first direction.

17. The water tank device according to claim 15, wherein, When the water tank assembly is in the first position, the cover is positioned close to the first mounting port; The second inlet and outlet are located on the side wall of the mounting housing near the cover. When the water tank assembly is in the second position, the cover is located outside the mounting cavity.

18. The water tank device according to claim 15, wherein, The water tank assembly also includes: A sealing ring is disposed between the outer shell of the water tank and the cover to seal the gap between the outer shell of the water tank and the cover.

19. The water tank device according to claim 18, wherein, The sealing ring includes: An inner ring and an outer ring are provided, with one end of the inner ring and the outer ring connected to each other. The other end of the outer ring is disposed on the outside of the inner ring along the circumference of the inner ring and along the radial direction of the sealing ring. A gap is provided between the other end of the outer ring and the inner ring.

20. The water tank device according to claim 15, wherein, The water tank shell includes a first arcuate surface arranged circumferentially along the water tank shell. The two ends of the first arcuate surface arranged circumferentially along the water tank shell are connected by a first outer wall surface. The first outer wall surface includes a first plane and a second arcuate surface. The second inlet and outlet are arranged on the first plane. The second arcuate surface is located on the side of the first plane close to the first inlet and outlet along the first direction.

21. The water tank device according to claim 15, wherein, The second inlet / outlet includes one of an elongated hole, a circular hole, and a polygonal hole.

22. The water tank device according to claim 15, wherein, The water tank outer shell includes two opposing second outer side walls. One of the guide ribs and the guide groove is provided on the second outer side wall. The guide ribs and the guide groove are arranged along the first direction. The other of the guide ribs and the guide groove is provided on the mounting shell. The water tank assembly can be movably mounted on the mounting shell by being guided by the guide ribs and the guide groove.

23. The water tank device according to any one of claims 15 to 22, wherein, A water outlet channel is provided at the end of the water tank shell away from the cover; The mounting housing includes a water storage tank and a drain outlet that are interconnected. The water storage tank is provided corresponding to the water outlet channel and is used to receive water from the water outlet channel. The steam cooking appliance includes a water collection box connected to the drain outlet, and water in the water storage tank can be discharged from the drain outlet into the water collection box.

24. The water tank device according to claim 23, wherein, The inner bottom wall of the water storage tank gradually moves away from the center of the mounting housing from a position away from the drain outlet to a position closer to the drain outlet.

25. The water tank device according to claim 23, wherein, The water tank assembly also includes: A valve assembly, installed at the water outlet channel, is movable between a first position and a second position to open or close the water outlet channel; The mounting housing includes a push rod, which is used to insert into the water outlet channel when the water tank assembly is installed in the mounting cavity, and to push the valve assembly from the first position to the second position to open the water outlet channel.

26. The water tank device according to claim 25, wherein, Also includes: The first limiting member is installed on the mounting housing; The second limiting component is disposed on the water tank assembly; When the water tank assembly is located in the mounting cavity, the first limiting member and the second limiting member limit each other to lock the water tank assembly. When the water tank assembly is located in the mounting cavity, pressing the water tank assembly into the mounting cavity can release the restriction between the first limiting member and the second limiting member, thereby unlocking the water tank assembly; An elastic element, installed within the water outlet channel, is used to push a portion of the water tank assembly out of the mounting housing when the water tank assembly is in the unlocked state, and to move the valve assembly from the second position to the first position to close the water outlet channel.

27. A steam cooking appliance, wherein, Includes the water tank device as described in any one of claims 15 to 26.

28. The steam cooking appliance according to claim 27, wherein, Also includes: The housing includes a cooking chamber and a cooking inlet, the cooking inlet communicating with the cooking chamber, the mounting housing being mounted on the housing, and the water tank assembly being detachably mounted on the housing; A door, which is mounted on the housing, to open or close the cooking inlet; A heating device, installed on the housing, is used to heat the food inside the cooking cavity; A water receiving tank is installed inside the box and connected to the water tank assembly. The water in the water receiving tank can be heated into steam by the heating device.

29. The steam cooking appliance according to claim 28, wherein, The mounting housing is installed on the box body. The first mounting port is located at the first end of the box body along the first direction. The first end of the box body along the first direction is provided with the cooking inlet and a second mounting port that avoids the first mounting port. The door is installed at the first end of the box body. The water tank assembly can be inserted into the mounting housing along the first direction through the first mounting port.

30. The steam cooking appliance according to any one of claims 27 to 29, wherein, The steam cooking appliances include ovens and / or steamers.

31. A water tank device, wherein, For steam cooking appliances, the water tank device includes: Water tank assembly, including water outlet channel; The housing includes an interconnected water storage tank and a drain outlet, wherein the water storage tank is configured to receive water from the water outlet channel. A water receiving box is connected to the drain outlet, allowing water in the water storage tank to be discharged from the drain outlet into the water receiving box.

32. The water tank device according to claim 31, wherein, The inner bottom wall of the water storage tank gradually slopes down from a position away from the drain outlet to a position closer to the drain outlet.

33. The water tank device according to claim 31, wherein, Along the height direction of the steam cooking appliance, the water outlet is located above the water storage tank, and the water storage tank is located above the water receiving box.

34. The water tank device according to claim 31, wherein, The mounting housing includes a mounting cavity, one end of which is provided with a first mounting port. The water tank assembly can be installed into the mounting cavity through the first mounting port and is detachably fixed within the mounting cavity.

35. The water tank device according to claim 34, wherein, The mounting cavity includes a first inner wall surface and a second inner wall surface. The first inner wall surface is adapted to the shape of the water tank assembly, and the second inner wall surface is recessed in the direction of the outer side of the mounting cavity to form the water storage tank.

36. The water tank device according to claim 35, wherein, The mounting housing includes a bottom shell and a top cover, which together form the mounting cavity. A portion of the bottom shell is bent away from the top cover to form the water storage tank.

37. The water tank device according to claim 34, wherein, When the water tank assembly is installed in the mounting cavity, the outlet of the water outlet channel is located above the water storage tank along the height direction of the steam cooking appliance, so that the water in the water tank assembly can flow into the water storage tank under the action of gravity.

38. The water tank device according to claim 34, wherein, The water tank assembly is detachably mounted on the mounting housing, and the water tank assembly further includes: A valve assembly, installed at the water outlet channel, is movable between a first position and a second position to open or close the water outlet channel; The mounting housing includes a push rod, which is used to insert into the water outlet channel when the water tank assembly is installed in the mounting cavity, and to push the valve assembly from the first position to the second position to open the water outlet channel.

39. The water tank device according to claim 38, wherein, Also includes: The first limiting member is installed on the mounting housing; The second limiting component is disposed on the water tank assembly; When the water tank assembly is located in the mounting cavity, the first limiting member and the second limiting member limit each other to lock the water tank assembly. When the water tank assembly is located in the mounting cavity, pressing the water tank assembly into the mounting cavity can release the restriction between the first limiting member and the second limiting member, thereby unlocking the water tank assembly; An elastic element, installed within the water outlet channel, is used to push a portion of the water tank assembly out of the mounting housing when the water tank assembly is in the unlocked state, and to move the valve assembly from the second position to the first position to close the water outlet channel.

40. A steam cooking appliance, wherein, Includes the water tank device as described in any one of claims 31 to 39.

41. The steam cooking appliance according to claim 40, wherein, Also includes: The housing includes a cooking chamber and a cooking inlet, the cooking inlet communicating with the cooking chamber, the mounting housing being mounted on the housing, and the water tank assembly being detachably mounted on the housing; A door, which is mounted on the housing, to open or close the cooking inlet; A heating device is installed on the housing and is used to heat the food inside the cooking cavity. The water receiving box includes a water receiving trough, which is installed inside the housing. The water in the water receiving trough can be heated into steam by the heating device.

42. The steam cooking appliance according to claim 41, wherein, The mounting housing is installed on the box body, the box body is provided with a second mounting port and the cooking inlet at a first end along the first direction, the door is installed at the first end of the box body, and the water tank assembly can be inserted and installed onto the box body through the second mounting port along the first direction. The water tank assembly includes: A water tank shell, the water tank shell including a water-containing cavity and a water inlet communicating with the water-containing cavity, the water inlet being disposed at one end of the water tank shell along the first direction; The cover is detachably mounted on the outer shell of the water tank to open or close the water inlet; A sealing ring is disposed between the outer shell of the water tank and the cover to seal the gap between the outer shell of the water tank and the cover.

43. The steam cooking appliance according to claim 41, wherein, Also includes: A connector is provided on the housing, and the outlet end of the connector is provided corresponding to the water receiving box; A connecting pipe is used to connect the drain outlet and the connector so that water in the water storage tank can be transported to the water receiving box through the drain outlet, the connecting pipe and the connector; The outlet end of the connector is located inside the cooking cavity and protrudes from the inner wall of the cooking cavity. Along the height direction of the housing, the outlet end of the connector is located above the water receiving box.

44. The steam cooking appliance according to claim 43, wherein, The housing includes an inner liner that forms the cooking cavity. The connector includes a water-guiding protrusion on the inner wall of the inner liner and a connecting channel penetrating the inner liner and the water-guiding protrusion. The inlet end of the connecting channel is connected to the water tank assembly, and the outlet end of the connecting channel corresponds to the water receiving box, allowing water from the outlet end of the connecting channel to flow into the water receiving box; or The connector is a pipe fitting installed on the box body. The pipe fitting is detachably connected to the box body or integrally connected. The box body includes an inner liner, which forms the cooking cavity. The outlet end of the pipe fitting is located inside the cooking cavity and protrudes from the inner wall of the inner liner.

45. The steam cooking appliance according to any one of claims 41 to 44, wherein, The steam cooking appliances include ovens and / or steamers.

46. ​​A water tank device, wherein, For use in a steam cooking appliance, the steam cooking appliance includes a housing, the housing includes a cooking chamber, and the water tank device includes: A water inlet is installed inside the cooking cavity; The water tank assembly is located outside the cooking cavity; A connector is installed on the water receiving trough or the tank body and communicates with the water tank assembly. The outlet end of the connector is set corresponding to the water receiving trough, and the water in the water tank assembly can be transported to the water receiving trough through the connector. The outlet end of the connector is located inside the cooking cavity and protrudes from the inner wall of the cooking cavity.

47. The water tank device according to claim 46, wherein, Also includes: A connecting pipe is used to connect the water tank assembly and the connector to transport water from the water tank assembly to the water receiving tank through the connecting pipe and the connector.

48. The water tank device according to claim 46, wherein, The housing includes an interconnected sidewall and a top, and the connector is located at the connection between the sidewall and the top.

49. The water tank device according to claim 48, wherein, An installation plane is provided at the connection between the side wall of the inner chamber and the top of the inner chamber. The installation plane is inclined relative to the height direction of the box body, and the connector is provided on the installation plane.

50. The water tank device according to claim 46, wherein, The housing includes an inner liner that forms the cooking cavity. The connector includes a water-guiding protrusion on the inner wall of the inner liner and a connecting channel that passes through the inner liner and the water-guiding protrusion. The inlet end of the connecting channel is connected to the water tank assembly, and the outlet end of the connecting channel is provided corresponding to the water receiving trough. Water from the outlet end of the connecting channel can flow into the water receiving trough.

51. The water tank device according to claim 46, wherein, The connector is a pipe fitting installed on the box body, and the pipe fitting is detachably connected to the box body or integrally connected; The housing includes an inner liner that forms the cooking cavity. The outlet end of the pipe is located inside the cooking cavity and protrudes from the inner wall of the inner liner.

52. The water tank device according to claim 51, wherein, The pipe fitting is made of metal.

53. The water tank device according to claim 46, wherein, The connector is a straight connector.

54. The water tank device according to claim 47, wherein, The connecting pipe includes a flexible hose, at least a portion of which is installed on the housing; or The connecting pipe includes a channel structure formed on the housing.

55. The water tank apparatus according to any one of claims 46 to 54, wherein, The water receiving trough can be detachably installed inside the box.

56. The water tank device according to any one of claims 46 to 54, wherein, Also includes: The first bracket is installed inside the cooking cavity, and the water receiving tank is installed on the first bracket; Two second supports are respectively set on the two inner side walls of the box body that are opposite each other along the width direction, and are used to support the food carrier; The first bracket is mounted on top of one of the second brackets.

57. The water tank apparatus according to any one of claims 46 to 54, wherein, The water tank assembly is installed on the top of the tank body.

58. The water tank device according to any one of claims 46 to 54, wherein, Along the height direction of the tank body, the water tank assembly is located above the location of the water receiving trough, and the water in the water tank assembly can flow into the water receiving trough through the connector under the action of gravity.

59. The water tank device according to claim 58, wherein, Also includes: The mounting housing is installed on the box body, and the mounting housing is provided with a mounting cavity for placing the water tank assembly; The mounting housing is also provided with a water storage tank, and along the height direction of the box, the bottom wall of the water storage tank is lower than the bottom wall of the mounting cavity. When the water tank assembly is installed in the mounting cavity, the water tank assembly is connected to the water storage tank, and the water in the water tank assembly can flow into the water storage tank. The connector is connected to the water storage tank.

60. The water tank device according to claim 59, wherein, The water tank assembly also includes: Water outlet channel; A valve assembly, installed at the water outlet channel, is operable between a first position and a second position to open or close the water outlet channel; The mounting housing includes a push rod, which is used to position the valve assembly in the first position to open the water outlet channel when the water tank assembly is installed in the mounting cavity, and to position the valve assembly in the second position to close the water outlet channel after the water tank assembly is removed from the mounting cavity.

61. A steam cooking appliance, wherein, Includes the water tank device as described in any one of claims 46 to 60.

62. The steam cooking appliance according to claim 61, wherein, Also includes: The housing includes a cooking cavity, and a cooking inlet and a second mounting port are provided at a first end along a first direction, with the cooking inlet communicating with the cooking cavity. A door, installed at a first end of the housing, for opening or closing the cooking inlet; the water tank assembly is capable of being pulled and installed onto the housing via a second mounting port along the first direction; the water tank assembly includes: A water tank shell, the water tank shell including a water-containing cavity and a water inlet communicating with the water-containing cavity, the water inlet being disposed at one end of the water tank shell along the first direction; The cover is detachably mounted on the outer shell of the water tank to open or close the water inlet; A sealing ring is disposed between the outer shell of the water tank and the cover to seal the gap between the outer shell of the water tank and the cover.

63. The steam cooking appliance according to claim 61 or 62, wherein, Also includes: A heating device, installed on the housing, is used to heat the food inside the cooking cavity; The water in the water tank can be heated into steam by the heating device.

64. The steam cooking appliance according to claim 61 or 62, wherein, The steam cooking appliance includes an oven.

65. A water tank device, wherein, For steam cooking appliances, the water tank device includes: The mounting housing includes a mounting cavity, one end of which is provided with a first mounting port, and the inner wall of the mounting cavity is provided with one of a guide rib and a guide groove; A water tank assembly, wherein the water tank assembly can be installed into the mounting cavity through the first mounting port, and the outer wall of the water tank assembly is provided with another of the guide rib and the guide groove; The guide groove includes an inlet section and a guide section connected to each other. The width of the inlet section is greater than the width of the guide section. When the water tank assembly is inserted into the mounting cavity through the first mounting port, the inlet section can guide the guide rib into the guide section.

66. The water tank device according to claim 65, wherein, The width of the inlet section gradually decreases from the end furthest from the guide section to the end closest to the guide section.

67. The water tank device according to claim 66, wherein, The inlet section is conical or trumpet-shaped.

68. The water tank device according to claim 65, wherein, The mounting housing includes the guide groove, and the mounting housing includes: Bottom shell; The top cover is installed on the bottom shell and together with the bottom shell forms the mounting cavity; The guide groove is located at the connection between the bottom shell and the top cover.

69. The water tank device according to claim 68, wherein, A portion of the guide groove is disposed on the bottom shell, and the other portion of the guide groove is disposed on the top cover.

70. The water tank device according to claim 69, wherein, The inner wall of the bottom shell is provided with a first protrusion, the inner wall of the top cover is provided with a second protrusion, and the guide groove is formed by the first protrusion and the second protrusion.

71. The water tank device according to claim 65, wherein, The water tank assembly includes a first end face and a second end face that are disposed opposite to each other. When the water tank assembly is inserted into the mounting cavity through the first mounting port, the first end face enters the mounting cavity first. The guide ribs or guide grooves provided on the inner wall of the mounting cavity extend from the first mounting opening into the mounting cavity, and / or The guide ribs or guide grooves provided on the water tank assembly extend to the first end face.

72. The water tank device according to claim 71, wherein, The water tank assembly is provided with the guide rib, and an inclined guide surface is provided on one end of the guide rib near the first end face. The inclined guide surface extends outward along the radial direction of the water tank assembly from the first end face to the second end face.

73. The water tank device according to claim 72, wherein, The inclined guide surface is a chamfered surface or a rounded corner surface.

74. The water tank device according to claim 71, wherein, The end of the guide rib away from the first end face is chamfered.

75. The water tank apparatus according to any one of claims 65 to 74, wherein, When the water tank assembly is installed in the mounting cavity, it can move between a first position and a second position relative to the mounting housing. When the water tank assembly is in the first position, it is located inside the mounting cavity. When the water tank assembly is in the second position, a portion of the water tank assembly is located outside the mounting cavity.

76. The water tank device according to claim 75, wherein, Also includes: The second limiting component is installed on the water tank assembly; The first limiting member is installed on the mounting housing; An elastic element is installed between the water tank assembly and the mounting housing. When the water tank assembly is located in the first position within the mounting cavity, the first limiting element and the second limiting element limit each other to lock the water tank assembly, and the elastic element is in a compressed state. When the water tank assembly is in the first position, pressing the water tank assembly into the mounting cavity causes the first limiting member and the second limiting member to move relative to each other to unlock the water tank assembly. After the water tank assembly is unlocked, the elastic member can push the water tank assembly to the second position.

77. The water tank device according to claim 76, wherein, The water tank assembly includes a water tank shell, and the second limiting member is disposed on the water tank shell; The second limiting member and the outer shell of the water tank are an integral structure.

78. The water tank device according to claim 76, wherein, The second limiting member includes a guide slide, and the guide slide includes a limiting groove; The first limiting member includes a movable member, which is mounted on the mounting housing, and a portion of the movable member is located within the guide slide. When the water tank assembly is installed into the first position within the mounting cavity, at least a portion of the movable member is able to move from the first end of the guide slide to the limiting groove and be confined within the limiting groove. When the water tank assembly is in the first position, pressing the water tank assembly into the mounting cavity allows at least a portion of the movable member to move toward the second end of the guide slide to separate from the limiting groove, thereby unlocking the water tank assembly.

79. The water tank device according to claim 78, wherein, The movable component includes a sliding member that is slidable along the guide slide and is confined within the limiting groove when the water tank assembly is located within the mounting cavity. The guide slide includes: First guide surface; The second guide surface is set at a first angle to the first guide surface, and the limiting groove is formed by the first guide surface and the second guide surface; The first slide rail has a first guide surface disposed at the second end of the first slide rail. The first slide rail is used to guide the sliding member from the first end of the first slide rail to the first guide surface during the process of the water tank assembly moving from the first mounting port to the mounting cavity to the third position. When the water tank assembly is in the third position, the water tank assembly is released, and the water tank assembly moves to the first position outside the mounting cavity under the action of the elastic member. The sliding member moves along the first guide surface to the connection between the first guide surface and the second guide surface, and is limited to the connection between the first guide surface and the second guide surface. The second slide rail has one end connected to the end of the second guide surface away from the first guide surface. When the water tank assembly is in the first position, the water tank assembly is pressed into the mounting cavity, and the sliding member can move along the second guide surface into the second slide rail. During the process of the water tank assembly moving from the first mounting port to the outside of the mounting cavity, the sliding member can move along the second slide rail.

80. The water tank device according to claim 79, wherein, The guide rail also includes: An expansion section is provided at the first end of the first slide rail. A fourth guide surface is provided on the two inner sidewalls of the expansion section. The fourth guide surface is used to guide the sliding member to move into the first slide rail during the process of the water tank assembly moving from the first mounting port into the mounting cavity.

81. The water tank device according to claim 79, wherein, The movable component includes: A rotating component, the first end of which is rotatably mounted outside the mounting housing, the mounting housing having a limiting hole, the second end of which passes through the limiting hole and is inserted into the mounting cavity, a sliding component being disposed on the second end of the rotating component, the sliding component and the rotating component being an integral structure, or the sliding component and the rotating component being detachably connected.

82. The water tank device according to claim 81, wherein, Also includes: A press-fit component is disposed outside the mounting housing, and at least a portion of the rotating component is located between the press-fit component and the mounting housing; and / or A support structure is disposed on the outer wall of the mounting housing and supports the rotating component on the side near the mounting housing.

83. The water tank device according to claim 76, wherein, The water tank assembly includes: A water tank outer shell, the water tank outer shell including a water outlet channel; A valve assembly, installed at the water outlet channel, is used to open or close the water outlet channel; The mounting housing is provided with a push rod, which can be inserted into the water outlet channel when the water tank assembly is installed in the first position, and push the valve assembly to move from the fourth position to the fifth position to open the water outlet channel; The elastic element is located inside the water outlet channel. One end of the elastic element is connected to the valve assembly, and the other end of the elastic element is connected to the inner wall of the water outlet channel. The elastic element is also used to push the water tank assembly from the fifth position back to the fourth position after the water tank assembly is unlocked, so as to close the water outlet channel.

84. The water tank device according to claim 83, wherein, The valve assembly includes: The valve stem is slidably installed within the water outlet channel; A sealing gasket, installed on the valve stem, can move with the valve stem to open or seal the water outlet channel.

85. The water tank device according to claim 84, wherein, The water outlet channel includes an outlet and an inlet. When the valve stem is in the fourth position, the sealing gasket blocks the outlet. When the valve stem is in the fifth position, the sealing gasket opens the outlet, allowing the inlet and outlet to connect.

86. A steam cooking appliance, wherein, Includes the water tank device as described in any one of claims 65 to 85.

87. The steam cooking appliance according to claim 86, wherein, Also includes: The housing includes a cooking chamber and a cooking inlet, the cooking inlet communicating with the cooking chamber, the mounting housing being mounted on the housing, and the water tank assembly being detachably mounted on the housing; A door, which is mounted on the housing, to open or close the cooking inlet; A heating device, installed on the housing, is used to heat the food inside the cooking cavity; A water receiving tank is installed inside the box and connected to the water tank assembly. The water in the water receiving tank can be heated into steam by the heating device.

88. The steam cooking appliance according to claim 87, wherein, Also includes: The enclosure includes an inner liner that forms a cooking cavity, and the water tank is mounted above the inner liner, and / or The box body includes a first part and a second part. The door is installed on the first part. Along the height direction of the box body, the second part is located above the first part, and the water tank device is installed on the second part.

89. The steam cooking appliance according to claim 88, wherein, The housing is provided with a second mounting port that avoids the first mounting port. The first mounting port is located at the first end of the housing along the first direction. The cooking inlet is provided at the first end of the housing along the first direction. The door is installed at the first end of the housing. The water tank assembly can be installed onto the mounting shell along the first direction through the first mounting port. The water tank assembly includes: A water tank shell, the water tank shell including a water-containing cavity and a first inlet and outlet communicating with the water-containing cavity, the first inlet and outlet being disposed at one end of the water tank shell along the first direction; The cover is detachably mounted on the outer shell of the water tank to open or close the first inlet and outlet. A sealing ring is disposed between the outer shell of the water tank and the cover to seal the gap between the outer shell of the water tank and the cover.

90. The steam cooking appliance according to any one of claims 86 to 89, wherein, The steam cooking appliances include ovens and / or steamers.

91. A water tank assembly, wherein, A steam cooking appliance, the steam cooking appliance including a cooking chamber, the cooking chamber including a body and a door, the body having a cooking inlet and a second mounting port at a first end along a first direction, the door being installed at the first end to open or close the cooking inlet, and a water tank assembly capable of being pulled and installed onto the body along the first direction from the second mounting port, the water tank assembly including: A water tank shell, the water tank shell including a water-containing cavity and a first inlet and outlet communicating with the water-containing cavity, the first inlet and outlet being disposed at one end of the water tank shell along the first direction; The cover is detachably mounted on the outer shell of the water tank to open or close the first inlet and outlet. A sealing ring is disposed between the outer shell of the water tank and the cover to seal the gap between the outer shell of the water tank and the cover.

92. The water tank assembly according to claim 91, wherein, The outer shell of the water tank includes a plastic shell, and the cover includes a plastic cover.

93. The water tank assembly according to claim 91, wherein, The outer shell of the water tank is a visible shell.

94. The water tank assembly according to claim 91, wherein, The cover includes: The sealing ring is sleeved and installed on the insertion part. When the insertion part is inserted into the first inlet / outlet, the sealing ring is located between the inner wall of the first inlet / outlet and the insertion part, and is in a compressed state.

95. The water tank assembly according to claim 94, wherein, The cover also includes: The end cap portion includes an end portion and a circumferential sidewall disposed on the end portion. The circumferential sidewall is arranged in an annular shape along the circumferential direction of the end portion. The insertion portion is an annular shroud plate installed on the end of the circumferential sidewall away from the end portion.

96. The water tank assembly according to claim 95, wherein, The insertion part is provided with a slot, which is arranged in a ring shape along the circumferential direction of the insertion part, and the sealing ring is installed in the slot.

97. The water tank assembly according to claim 96, wherein, A raised rib is provided on the outer side wall of the annular enclosure at the end away from the circumferential side wall, and the circumferential side wall, the annular enclosure, and the raised rib form the slot.

98. The water tank assembly according to claim 94, wherein, A third guide surface is provided on the front end of the insertion part, and the third guide surface gradually slopes away from the center of the insertion part from the front end to the rear end of the insertion part.

99. The water tank assembly according to claim 91, wherein, The sealing ring includes: An inner ring and an outer ring are provided, with one end of the inner ring and the outer ring connected to each other. The other end of the outer ring is disposed on the outside of the inner ring along the circumference of the inner ring and along the radial direction of the sealing ring. A gap is provided between the other end of the outer ring and the inner ring.

100. The water tank assembly according to claim 91, wherein, A vent is provided on one end of the water tank shell near the cover.

101. The water tank assembly according to claim 91, wherein, The water tank shell includes a first arcuate surface arranged along the circumferential direction of the water tank shell. The two ends of the first arcuate surface arranged along the circumferential direction of the water tank shell are connected by a first outer wall surface. The first outer wall surface includes a first plane and a second arcuate surface. An indicator structure is provided on the first plane to indicate the installation direction of the water tank assembly. The second arcuate surface is located on the side of the first plane along the first direction close to the first inlet and outlet.

102. The water tank assembly according to claim 91, wherein, The water tank outer shell includes two oppositely arranged second outer side walls, each of which is provided with one of a guide rib and a guide groove. The guide rib or the guide groove is arranged along the first direction, and the water tank assembly can be pulled and installed on the cooking cabinet by the guide rib and the guide groove.

103. The water tank assembly according to claim 102, wherein, The guide rib is provided on the second outer side wall, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the guide rib gradually decreases from the second outer side wall to the end of the guide rib away from the second outer side wall.

104. The water tank assembly according to claim 103, wherein, The end face of the outer shell of the water tank, which is located opposite to the first inlet and outlet along the first direction, is the first end face. A chamfer is provided at the connection between the part of the first end face corresponding to the guide rib and the second outer wall surface, and a part of the chamfer is located on the guide rib.

105. The water tank assembly according to any one of claims 91 to 104, wherein, The outer wall of the water tank shell is provided with multiple water level scale structures, and the multiple water level scale structures are spaced apart along the first direction.

106. The water tank assembly according to any one of claims 91 to 104, wherein, The outer shell of the water tank also includes a water outlet channel communicating with the water-containing cavity, and the water tank assembly further includes: A valve assembly, installed at the water outlet channel, is used to open or close the water outlet channel. The valve assembly includes: The valve stem is slidably mounted within the water outlet channel; An elastic element is installed in the water outlet channel, with one end of the elastic element abutting against the valve stem and the other end of the elastic element abutting against the outer shell of the water tank. A sealing gasket is installed at one end of the valve stem; When the valve stem is pushed along the water outlet channel, the valve stem can drive the sealing gasket to move and open the water outlet channel. When the valve stem is released, the sealing gasket closes the water outlet channel under the action of the elastic element.

107. The water tank assembly according to claim 106, wherein, One end of the valve stem passes through the inlet of the water outlet channel and enters the water-containing cavity. The sealing gasket is sealed and installed at the inlet of the water outlet channel. When the valve stem is pushed along the water outlet channel, the valve stem can drive the sealing gasket to move away from the outlet of the water outlet channel to open the inlet of the water outlet channel.

108. The water tank assembly according to claim 106, wherein, A limiting groove is provided on one end of the valve stem, and the sealing gasket is limited and installed in the limiting groove. A limiting structure is provided on the other end of the valve stem to limit the elastic element; and / or The valve stem has a fifth guide surface at one end for mounting the sealing gasket, which guides the sealing gasket to be fitted and installed on the valve stem.

109. A steam cooking appliance, wherein, include: Cooking cabinet; The water tank assembly as described in any one of claims 91 to 108; The cooking cabinet includes a cabinet body and a door. The cabinet body has a cooking inlet and a second mounting port at a first end along a first direction. The door is installed at the first end to open or close the cooking inlet. The water tank assembly can be pulled and installed onto the cabinet body from the second mounting port along the first direction.

110. The steam cooking appliance according to claim 109, wherein, The steam cooking appliance includes an oven.

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