WO2012089469A1

WO2012089469A1 - A cooking device comprising a steam generator

Info

Publication number: WO2012089469A1
Application number: PCT/EP2011/072065
Authority: WO
Inventors: Metin Gur; Cemalettin Kalayci
Original assignee: Arcelik AS
Current assignee: Arcelik AS
Priority date: 2010-12-29
Filing date: 2011-12-07
Publication date: 2012-07-05
Anticipated expiration: 2013-06-29
Also published as: CN103270373A; EP2659196A1; EP2659196B1; CN103270373B

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cooking device (1) comprising a cooking volume (2) wherein the foods to be cooked are placed, a steam generator (3) which has a body (4) and a ceiling (5) that covers the upper face of the body (4), an inlet (6) which allows water to enter the steam generator (3), an outlet (7) which allows the steam generated in the steam generator (3) to exit the steam generator (3).

Description

A COOKING DEVICE COMPRISING A STEAM GENERATOR

The present invention relates to a cooking device comprising a steam generator.

In cooking devices, steam cooking is performed by delivering the steam obtained from the water heated in the steam generator to the oven cavity. However, the delivery of the water droplets into the oven cavity together with the steam results in the reduction of the cooking effectiveness. Various designs are available in the state of the art for the solution of the said problem.

In the state of the art European Patent Application No. EP1909038, a cooking device comprising a steam generator is explained. A barrier unit is situated in the steam generator in order to prevent the bubbles and the water droplets from being transmitted to the oven cavity together with the steam.

In another state of the art document, the United States Patent No. US2010054717, in the household appliance wherein steam cooking is performed, barriers that prevent splashing are disposed on the steam transmission line through which the steam is transmitted to the cooking chamber.

In another state of the art document, the Japanese Patent Application No. JP2010121803, in a household appliance wherein steam cooking is performed, the steam outlet of the steam generator is configured so as to prevent splashing.

The aim of the present invention is the realization of a cooking device the steam cooking effectiveness of which is increased.

The cooking device realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention and explicated in the claims is of the type wherein steam cooking is performed and comprises a steam generator. The inlet which provides the entry of the water to the steam generator and the outlet which provides the exit of the generated steam out of the steam generator are disposed on the ceiling of the steam generator. Thus, the amount of the water droplets that are delivered together with the steam transmitted from the steam generator to the cooking volume is minimized and the cooking effectiveness is increased.

In an embodiment of the present invention, an inlet stopper is situated opposite the water that is delivered into the steam generator from the inlet, which decreases the speed thereof. Thus, the water is prevented from splashing by impacting the base of the body at high speeds and from being delivered out of the outlet together with the steam.

In an embodiment of the present invention, an outlet stopper is used that the steam contacts before reaching the outlet and which prevents the water droplets, that rise together with the steam, from reaching the outlet. The outlet stopper is situated just in front of the outlet. Thus, the water droplets in the steam that are delivered out of the steam generator through the outlet are minimized.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the inlet stopper comprises a first extension that extends downwards from the ceiling. The first extension is shaped as a hollow rod and an orifice is disposed thereon, which provides the water to be delivered into the body. A ridge, which provides the water coming from the inlet to be slowed down by at least partially closing the orifice, is situated in front of the orifice. The water coming from the inlet and flowing into the first extension impacts the ridge and thus the flow thereof slows down. Thus, the problem of the water being delivered out of the outlet together with the steam as a result of impacting the base at high speeds and splashing is minimized.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the outlet stopper is similarly shaped as the inlet stopper. The outlet stopper comprises a second extension shaped as a hollow rod and an opening disposed on the second extension. A barrier, which forms a surface that the rising steam contacts before reaching the outlet by at least partially closing the horizontal cross-section of the opening, is situated in front of the opening. Thus, the water droplets in the steam are stopped before they reach the outlet by being collected by means of contacting the barrier.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the orifice and the opening face opposite directions. Thus, the barrier and the ridge form an obstruction which prevents the water coming from the inlet from directly reaching the outlet.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the steam generator furthermore comprises a step so as to form a recess from the ceiling into the body. The height of the step is at least as much as the length of the second extension. Thus, an air gap which provides that the water never reaches the second extension in the body and the gushing of the water from the outlet, instead of the steam, is prevented.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the lengths of the first extension and the second extension are equal to each other.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the body forms a pass by narrowing down at almost the center point of the inlet and the outlet. Thus, the rising steam is provided to move more quickly towards the outlet.

By means of the present invention, the cooking effectiveness is increased by minimizing the amount of the water delivered into the cooking volume during the steam cooking.

The model embodiments that relate to the cooking device realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention are illustrated in the attached figures, where:

Figure 1 – is the perspective view of a cooking device.

Figure 2 – is the perspective view of the steam generator.

Figure 3 – is the sideways cross-sectional view of the steam generator.

Figure 4 – is the view of detail A in Figure 3.

Figure 5 – is the view of detail B in Figure 3.

Figure 6 – is the bottom partial perspective view of the ceiling.

Figure 7 – is the view of detail C in Figure 6.

The elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows:

Cooking device
Cooking volume
Steam generator
Body
Ceiling
Inlet
Outlet
Inlet stopper
Outlet stopper
First extension
Orifice
Ridge
Second extension
Opening
Barrier
Step
Pass

The cooking device (1) comprises

a cooking volume (2) wherein the foods to be cooked are placed,
a steam generator (3) which has a body (4) and a ceiling (5) that covers the upper face of the body (4),
an inlet (6) disposed on the ceiling (5) and which allows water to enter the steam generator (3),
an outlet (7) disposed on the ceiling (5) and which allows the steam generated in the steam generator (3) to exit the steam generator (3)

(Figure 1 and Figure 2).

By means of both the inlet (6) and the outlet (7) being disposed on the ceiling (5), the water droplets are prevented from being delivered into the cooking volume (2) together with the steam and the cooking effectiveness is increased.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the steam generator (3) comprises an inlet stopper (8) which is disposed in front of the inlet (6) and which slows down the speed of the water received from the inlet (6) to the steam generator (3). Thus, the water received from the inlet (6) to the steam generator (3) is prevented from impacting the water in the steam generator (3) at high speed and from exiting the steam generator (3) through the outlet (7) together with the steam by splashing.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the steam generator (3) comprises an outlet stopper (9) disposed in front of the outlet (7) and which provides the water droplets that rise together with the steam delivered out of the steam generator (3) from the outlet (7) to return to the steam generator (3) by impacting thereon. Thus, the water droplets that are propelled together with the steam are prevented from being delivered to the cooking volume (2) by exiting the steam generator (3).

In an embodiment of the present invention, the inlet stopper (8) comprises

a first extension (10) shaped as a hollow cylinder and which extends into the steam generator (3),
the orifice (11) disposed on the first extension (10) and which allows the passage of the water from the inlet (6) into the steam generator (3) and
a ridge (12) disposed opposite the inlet (6) at the lower end of the first extension (10), which at least partially closes the opposite side of the inlet (6), to which the water entering the first extension (10) from the inlet (6) impacts and which provides the said water to be slowed down before it is received into the steam generator (3) from the orifice (11).

In an embodiment of the present invention, the outlet stopper (9) comprises

a second extension (13) shaped as a hollow cylinder and which extends into the steam generator (3),
an opening (14) disposed on the second extension (13) and which allows the delivery of the steam from the outlet (7) to outside the steam generator (3) and
a barrier (15) disposed opposite the outlet (7) at the lower end of the second extension (13), which at least partially closes the opposite side of the outlet (7) and which prevents the water droplets in the rising steam from reaching the opening (14) by impacting thereon.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the orifice (11) and the opening (14) face opposite directions. Thus, the water received into the steam generator (3) from the orifice (11) is prevented from reaching the opening (14) by splashing.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the steam generator (3) furthermore comprises a step (16) disposed on the ceiling (5), extending inwards from the ceiling (5) and the height of which is equal at least to that of the second extension (13). Thus, air gap is formed in the steam generator (3) and the water that fills into the steam generator (3) is prevented from reaching the opening (14).

In an embodiment of the present invention, the lengths of the first extension (10) and the second extension (13) are equal to each other.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the steam generator (3) comprises a pass (17) disposed between the inlet (6) and the outlet (7) and where the side walls of the body (4) come closer to each other. Thus, the generated steam is provided to be directed to the outlet (7).

By means of the present invention, the amount of the water in the steam delivered from the steam generator (3) to the cooking volume (2) is minimized and thus the cooking effectiveness is increased.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited by the embodiments disclosed above and a person skilled in the art can easily introduce different embodiments. These should be considered within the scope of the protection postulated by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

A cooking device (1) comprising a cooking volume (2) wherein the foods to be cooked are placed, a steam generator (3) which has a body (4) and a ceiling (5) that covers the upper face of the body (4), an inlet (6) which allows water to enter the steam generator (3), an outlet (7) which allows the steam generated in the steam generator (3) to exit the steam generator (3), characterized by the inlet (6) and the outlet (7) disposed on the ceiling (5).
A cooking device (1) as in Claim 1, characterized by an inlet stopper (8) which is disposed in front of the inlet (6) and which slows down the speed of the water received from the inlet (6) to the steam generator (3).
A cooking device (1) as in Claim 2, characterized by the inlet stopper (8) that has

- a first extension (10) shaped as a hollow cylinder and which extends into the steam generator (3),

- an orifice (11) disposed on the first extension (10) and which allows the passage of the water from the inlet (6) into the steam generator (3) and

- a ridge (12) disposed opposite the inlet (6) at the lower end of the first extension (10), which at least partially closes the opposite side of the inlet (6), to which the water entering the first extension (10) from the inlet (6) impacts and which provides the said water to be slowed down before it is received into the steam generator (3) from the orifice (11).
A cooking device (1) as in Claim 2 or 3, characterized by an outlet stopper (9) that has

- a second extension (13) shaped as a hollow cylinder and which extends into the steam generator (3),

- an opening (14) disposed on the second extension (13) and which allows the delivery of the steam from the outlet (7) to outside the steam generator (3) and

- a barrier (15) disposed opposite the outlet (7) at the lower end of the second extension (13), which at least partially closes the opposite side of the outlet (7) and which prevents the water droplets in the rising steam from reaching the opening (14) by impacting thereon.
A cooking device (1) as in Claim 4, characterized by the orifice (11) and the opening (14) that face opposite directions.
A cooking device (1) as in Claim 4, characterized by the steam generator (3) having a step (16) disposed on the ceiling (5), extending inwards from the ceiling (5) and the height of which is equal at least to that of the second extension (13).
A cooking device (1) as in Claim 4, characterized by the first extension (10) and the second extension (13) the lengths of which are equal to each other.
A cooking device (1) as in any one of the above claims, characterized by the steam generator (3) having a pass (17) disposed between the inlet (6) and the outlet (7) and where the side walls of the body (4) come closer to each other.