EP1970512A2

EP1970512A2 - Improved closure device for ovens and the like

Info

Publication number: EP1970512A2
Application number: EP08101950A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ivo Moresco
Original assignee: IK-INTERKLIMAT SpA
Current assignee: IK-INTERKLIMAT SpA
Priority date: 2007-03-12
Filing date: 2008-02-25
Publication date: 2008-09-17
Anticipated expiration: 2028-02-25
Also published as: ITMI20070082U1; EP1970512A3; EP1970512B1

Abstract

A closure device for ovens or the like comprises a handle (2) associated with a handle support (3) fixed to the oven door (4) located on an opening in the oven, said support (3) being internally hollow (at 8) and carrying movable coupling means (27) to cooperate with a coupling pin (29) having an enlarged head (50) and fixed to the oven structure (30) in proximity to said opening, said cooperation resulting in the closure of the door (4) onto the oven structure (31) and its retention in a closed state on said opening. The movable coupling means are opposing elements (27) movable in the manner of hinges within the handle support and elastically loaded such that they withdraw from each other on closing the door (4) onto the structure (31) by the action of the head (50) of the coupling pin (20) and to close together onto said head (50) and tighten against it to maintain the oven door (4) closed onto the oven opening, said elements (27) rotating with the rotation of the handle (2) on the door (4) to enable them to separate from said head (50) of the coupling pin (29) and allow the door to open.

Description

The present invention relates to an oven closure device in accordance with the introduction to the main claim.
Oven closure devices have been long known comprising a handle associated with a support fixed to a door movable over an opening formed in an oven structure. The support is preferably hollow and supports a deformable element or an elastically movable coupling element which, when the door is closed onto the oven structure, cooperates with a pin or a coupling and fastening element associated with this structure. The cooperation between the deformable element and the coupling pin results in coupling between the door and the oven structure; in contrast, rotation of the handle results in deformation of the deformable element about the pin due to the action of this latter on said element which also rotates with the handle, allowing said parts to be disengaged and the oven door to be opened.
An oven closure device of this type is described in EP1111175 .
An object of the present invention is to provide a closure device for ovens and the like which represents an improvement over similar already known closure devices. A particular object of the present invention is to provide an oven closure device of the stated type which is reliable in use, is of better construction than known solutions, and can be easily mounted on an oven door.
These and further objects which will be apparent to the expert of the art are attained by an oven closure device in accordance with the accompanying claims.
The present invention will be more apparent from the accompanying drawings, which are provided by way of non-limiting example and in which:

Figure 1 is an exploded view of a first embodiment of an oven closure device;
Figure 2 is a front view of the handle of the closure device of Figure 1 and of the parts associated therewith;
Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;
Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 2;
Figure 5 is a partially exploded view of the closure device of Figure 1;
Figure 6 is a perspective view of the closure device of Figure 1 in the position in which it fastens an oven door to the oven structure;
Figure 7 is a perspective view of the closure device of Figure 6 which certain parts omitted for greater clarity;
Figure 8 is an exploded perspective view of a different embodiment of a closure device of the invention;
Figure 9 is an enlarged perspective view of a part of the closure device of Figure 8 in its assembled state.

With reference to said figures, an oven closure device is indicated overall by 1 and comprises a handle 2 associated with a support 3 fixed to an oven door 4 by usual screws 5. The handle support 3 is hollow at 8 and contains within it an annular piece or first bush 9 of annular shape mounted about a second bush 10 and disposed on a sunken region 11 thereof. The second bush 10 comprises an end portion 12 about which a spring 13 is disposed to act as a return element for the handle 2 when this is rotated about an axis K to open the door 4. The end portion 12 has a cross-shaped cross-section and is inserted into a seat 15 of corresponding shape provided in the handle 2. A screw 18 fixes the two bushes 9, 10, the support 3 and the handle 2 together.
The second bush 10 presents seats 20, 21 for pins 22 and 23 (on which the first bush 9 rests to retain them in their seats 20, 21) respectively, on which are mounted first ends 26 of movable coupling elements 27 projecting from the support 3 (or rather projecting from a cup-shaped portion 10A of the bush 10) to cooperate with a coupling pin 29 fixed, by screwing, to a part 30 fixed to an oven structure 31, said structure being of known type. The door 4 is positioned on an opening provided in said structure.
More specifically, each movable element 27 comprises a part 36 having the end 26 provided with a hole 37 for receiving a corresponding pin 22 or 23 acting as a hinge pin for the movement of the corresponding movable element 27. This latter also comprises, on a lateral part 38 thereof, a seat 39 for a first end of a spring 41 which cooperates via its other end with a corresponding recess 42 provided in the second bush 10 or rather in an inner wall 43 of the cup-shaped portion 10A of said bush defining the cavity 8. The spring 41 is disposed with its axis F cutting the axis K at an angle other than 90°.
Each movable element 27 comprises opposite the end 26 a second end 46 provided with an aperture 48 and, internally, with a transverse shoulder 44 disposed between said aperture and the free end 46A of the second end 46. This aperture and shoulder cooperate with a corresponding projection 49 provided on the head 50 of the pin 29. This head 50 presents a conical end 51, said projection 49 tapering at its free end 52 to assume a substantially pyramidal shape.
In use, the simple pressure of each mobile element 27 on the head 50 of the pin 29 during closure of the door 4 onto the structure 41 causes the elements 27 to move away from each other against the thrust action exerted by each spring 41 which tends to maintain them together. Hence the elements 27 "open" to receive the head 50 of the coupling pin 29. Specifically, the apertures 48 of the elements 27 receive the projections 49 of said head 50, the transverse shoulders 44 then retaining them in said position to hence secure the pin 29 to the elements 27 and fasten the door 4 to the oven structure 31.
To open the door 4 the handle 2 has merely to be rotated about the axis K against the action of the spring 13. This rotation causes simultaneous rotation of the elements 27, which become spatially position such that the projections 49 emerge from their apertures 48 and shoulders 44 to be positioned in a region 60 present between the elements 27. In this manner, the door 4 has merely to be pulled away from the structure 31 to separate the elements 27 from the coupling pin 29. In this manner, by simply rotating the handle 2, achieved with minimum force because the pin 29 does not have to intervene to mutually separate the elements 27, the oven door 4 can be opened.
In a variant of the invention shown in Figures 8 and 9 (in which parts corresponding to those already described are indicated by the same reference numerals), a peg 90 is provided between the mobile elements 27. This peg is inserted into a seat 91 present in the first ends 26 of the coupled elements 27 and is inserted into the support 3 in opposing seats 93 provided in a wall 94 of said support which defines the recess 8 thereof. The peg is housed in the seats 93 and is maintained in position by the retention action of the springs 41, which tend to pull the elements 27 together.
In this embodiment, the head 50 of the pin 29 is of simple conical shape with a terminal edge 96 which cooperates with the apertures 48 and the transverse shoulders 44 of the elements 27.
The oven door 4 is opened by again rotating the handle 2 about the axis K, causing the peg 90 (fixed) to act on the elements 27 (rotating about the axis K with the handle 2), this action causing these elements to widen and separate against the action of the spring 41. This widening enables said elements, by enlarging the region 60 present between them, to simply withdraw from the pin 29 without this latter touching the inner surfaces of the elements 27.
The embodiments described here are of simple construction and reliable use. In particular, the provision of the two mobile elements 27 ensures optimal closure of the door 4 onto the oven structure 31, to remain closed by the connection between projecting parts (projections 49 or flanges 96) of the head 50 of the pin 29 and the seats 48 and shoulders 44 provided in the mobile elements 27. The oven can then be opened by simply overcoming the elastic retaining force of the spring 13 (embodiment of Figures 1-7) or at most by overcoming an additional resistance generated by the springs 41 on the elements 27 (embodiment of Figures 8 and 9). In any event, the pin 29 does not act as an element resisting door opening, but is simply as a passive element which maintain the door closed onto the structure 31.
The expert of the art can evidently conceive other embodiments equivalent to the aforedescribed and which are to be considered as falling within the scope of the ensuing claims.

Claims

A closure device for ovens or the like comprising a handle (2) associated with a handle support (3) fixed to the oven door (4) located on an opening in the oven, said support (3) being internally hollow (at 8) and carrying movable coupling means (27) to cooperate with a coupling pin (29) having an enlarged head (50) and fixed to the oven structure (3) in proximity to said opening, said cooperation resulting in the closure of the door (4) onto the oven structure (31) and its retention in a closed state on said opening, characterised in that the movable coupling means are opposing elements (27) movable in the manner of hinges within the handle support and elastically loaded such that they withdraw from each other on closing the door (4) onto the structure (31) by the action of the head (50) of the coupling pin (20) and to close together onto said head (50) and tighten against it to maintain the oven door (4) closed onto the oven opening, said elements (27) rotating with the rotation of the handle (2) on the door (4) to enable them to separate from said head (50) of the coupling pin (29) and allow the door to open.
A closure device as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that each opposing mobile element (27) is hinged to a part or bush (10) inserted into the handle support (3) and is torsionally rigid, via its end (12), with said handle (2).
A closure device as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that said bush (10) comprises seats (20, 21) for containing hinge pins (22, 23) with which the opposing mobile elements (27) cooperate, these latter each presenting a first end (26) inserted into said bush (10) coupled to a corresponding hinge pin (22, 23).
A closure device as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that the seats (20, 21) are enclosed by an annular piece (9) superposed on a region (11) of said bush (10) into which said seats (20, 21) open.
A closure device as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that each mobile element (27) comprises a second end (46) always spaced from the corresponding end (46) of the other mobile element (27) by a minimum space (60), between said second end (46) and the first (26) cooperating with the corresponding hinge pin (22, 23) there being present a lateral part (38) of the mobile element (27) in which a seat (39) is provided for an end of a spring (41), the other end of which is inserted into a seat (42) provided in said bush (10), the springs (41) acting on the mobile elements (27) to maintain these close together.
A closure device as claimed in claim 5, characterised in that the second end (46) of each mobile element (27) comprises an aperture (48) and, internally, a shoulder (44) interposed between said aperture and a free end (46A) of said second end (46), said aperture (48) and shoulder (44) cooperating with the head (50) of the coupling pin (29) to fasten the door (4) to the oven structure (31).
A closure device as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the mobile elements (27) are stationary and close together during opening of the oven door (4), a minimum space (60) being present between their second ends.
A closure device as claimed in claims 1 and 7, characterised in that the head (50) of the coupling pin (29) comprises projections (49) tapering at their free end (52), said projections passing through the minimum free space (60) present between the mobile elements (27) on opening the oven door (4).
A closure device as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the mobile elements (27) cooperate with a peg (90) fixed to the handle support (3), said peg causing said elements (27) to mutually withdraw to increase said minimum space (60) on opening the oven door (4).
A closure device as claimed in claim 9, characterised in that said peg (90) is inserted into opposing seats (93) provided in an internal wall (94) of the handle support (3) bounding the cavity (8) therein, said peg (90) being also inserted into a seat (91) present in the first ends (26) of the mobile elements (27) and bounded by said ends.
A closure device as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the pin has a conical head (50).