EP2307808B1

EP2307808B1 - Kitchen oven

Info

Publication number: EP2307808B1
Application number: EP08874867.8A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Marcello Cutino
Original assignee: Glem Gas SpA
Current assignee: Glem Gas SpA
Priority date: 2008-07-02
Filing date: 2008-10-24
Publication date: 2014-04-02
Anticipated expiration: 2028-10-24
Also published as: EP2307808A1; ITMO20080184A1; IT1392704B1; WO2010001190A1

Description

Technical Field

The invention relates to an improved kitchen oven.

Background Art

The prior art comprises the use of ovens in kitchens for cooking foods, normally fixedly enclosed in assemblable kitchen modules or alternatively realised in single modules and possibly located together with other apparatus such as a cooking top or the like.
With reference, by way of example, to single-module ovens, they usually comprise a bearing frame which is fixable to the kitchen units and a body provided with an internal compartment for cooking the foods.
The front portion of the ovens is further commonly provided with a door hinged inferiorly to the bearing frame, which closes the internal compartment when food is being cooked therein.
Still at their front portion, the ovens have controls, constituted for example by a series of knobs and possibly a display, for setting and controlling cooking parameters such as the temperature internally of the compartment, the cooking time or more besides.
Known ovens, however, are susceptible to improvement, especially as regards a simpler and more immediate use, while at the same time offering a more appreciable visual impact to the user.
With reference to ovens and kitchen apparatus in general, the need to realise functional and aesthetic characteristics that enable realisation of a product which is easy to understand and use and which is distinguished easily from other products on the market.
WO 03/014624 discloses a cooking device containing a housing with a cooking chamber and a door to close off the cooking chamber and at least one control and display panel with an optical luminous display. The control and display panel can display the different operation modes of the cooking chamber and the on and/or off modes of the cooking chamber.
EP 0075026 discloses a cooking apparatus with a display unit, which display shows a cooking recipe so as to improve the operational facility of the cooking apparatus.
DE 102004062752 discloses a dishwasher having a door, a control unit for controlling the household appliance, and an operation display device for displaying at least one operation state of the household appliance. Moreover, the dishwasher is provided with a light emitting strip integrated in the door and suitable to inform as to whether the machine is still running or whether it has finished the program.

Object of the Invention

The main aim of the present invention is to provide an improved kitchen oven which exhibits functional as well as aesthetic characteristics which guarantee a simpler and more immediate use.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved kitchen oven which obviates the above-mentioned drawbacks in the prior art, with a simple and rational solution which is easy and efficient to use and which is relatively inexpensive.
The above objects are attained by the improved kitchen oven according to the invention, that has the features set forth in claim 1.

Brief Descrption of the Drawings

Further characteristics and advantage of the present invention will better emerge from the description of a non-exclusive preferred embodiment of an improved kitchen oven, illustrated purely by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying figures of the drawings, in which:

figure 1 is an axonometric view of the oven of the invention;
figure 2 is a partial and frontal view of the oven of the invention;
figure 3 is a partial view, lateral and in section, of the oven of the invention.

Embodiments of the Invention

With particular reference to the figures of the drawings, 1 denotes in its entirety a kitchen oven, of a type which can be installed in an assemblable unit of a kitchen. However, other types of realisation are not excluded, with the oven 1 integrated in a single unit, possible provided with other apparatus such as cooking tops or the like.
The oven 1 comprises a bearing structure 2 which can be fixed to the traditional kitchen furniture and which is substantially constituted by a rectangular support frame 3 and a body 4 provided with an internal compartment for cooking food The oven 1 has a front portion which is provided with a door 5 hinged inferiorly to the frame 3 of the bearing structure 2 and destined to close the compartment. It is specified that in the present description temps such as "frontal", "inferiorly" or the like all refer to the normal arrangement of the oven 1 during use thereof.
Further, the oven 1 is provided with management and control means, defined at an area above the front portion of the oven 1, which control and manage the cooking of the food inside the compartment.
In particular, the management and control means comprise interfacing tools with a user, constituted in the specific case by a display 6 for viewing and setting the cooking parametres and by a plurality of knobs 7 for regulating cooking parameters.
Different types of interfacing instruments can be used, however, such as buttons and the like, as well as different arrangements of these interfacing instruments on the front portion of the oven 1.
The management and control means further comprise a processing unit such as a microprocessor or the like, not shown in the figures, operatively associated to the display 6 and to the knobs 7 and destined to regulate the cooking of the foods inside the compartment on the basis of the settings imposed by the user. The oven 1 advantageously comprises emission means for emitting a light flow which are arranged at the front portion, and automatic regulation means, not illustrated in the figures, which automatically regulate the intensity and colour of the light flow emitted.
The regulation means are operatively associated to the above processing unit of the management and control means and comprise variation means for varying the intensity and/or the colour of the light flow such as to provide a user with indications relating to the state of readiness of the cooking foods, or, simply, such as to give a predefined visual effect when the oven 1 is not in use.
In particular, the intensity and/or the colour of the light flow can be varied:

according to the temperature inside the compartment during the cooking of foods;
according to the amount of time that has passed since cooking of the food in the compartment began;
according to predefined sequences of levels of intensity and colour.

With non-exclusive reference to the particular embodiment of the oven 1 illustrated in the above-mentioned figures, the emission means comprise a light source 8 which extends longitudinally and substantially horizontally along a section of the front portion.
The light source 8 can be constituted, for example, by a plurality of LEDs (Light Emitting Diode) arranged side-by-side and aligned.
In particular, the light source 8 is arranged internally of a recess 9 afforded in the front portion, and is orientated such as to emit the light flow internally of the recess, but not directly towards the outside.
The surface of the recess 9 can advantageously be made of a reflective material, an opaque material or another material according to the type of visual effect that it is desired to obtain.
Specifically, the recess 9 extends longitudinally and substantially horizontally at the upper part of the front portion and constitutes a housing for a handle 10 of the door 5 when the door 5 is arranged for closing the compartment.
The light source 8 is housed internally of a seating 11, defined on an upper wall of the recess 9 and provided with a lower opening 12 for passage of the light flow. The conformation of the seating 11 and the arrangement of the opening 12 enable the light flow to be directly downwards.
The emission means advantageously comprise a diffuser element 13, constituted by a substantially transparent cover, made of a polymer material of a polymethylmetacrylate type or the like, superposed on the light source 8 and intended to diffuse the light flow crossing it uniformly.
In particular, with reference to the embodiment of the oven 1 illustrated in the figures, the diffuser element 13 is constituted by an elongate strip of polymer material which is fixed internally of the housing seating 11 of the light source 8, at the opening 12 for passage of the light flow.
The described invention has been found to achieve the preset objects, and particular attention is drawn to the fact that the presence of light emission means on the front portion of the oven and, in particular, of regulation means for regulating the intensity and colour of the emitted light enable a simpler and more immediate use of the oven, achieving at the same time a visual impact which can be more greatly appreciated by the user.
The variations in the intensity and colour of the light flow can be easily interpreted by the user, who can thus intuitively and immediately receive information on the stage of cooking of the foods or on the general state of the oven.
The invention thus conceived is susceptible to numerous modifications and variations, all falling within the ambit of the inventive concept.
Further, all the details can be substituted by other technically-equivalent elements.
The materials used, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions can be of any kind according to needs and without thus forsaking the ambit of protection set out in the following claims.

Claims

Improved kitchen oven, comprising a bearing structure (2), at least an internal compartment for cooking the food, a front portion provided with at least a door (5) movably associated to said bearing structure (2) and suitable for closing said at least one compartment, and management and control means (6, 7) suitable for managing and controlling the cooking of the food internally of said at least one compartment, emission means (8, 13) comprising at least a light source (8) for emitting at least a light flow arranged internally of a recess (9) afforded in said front portion and automatic regulation means for automatically regulating the intensity and/or the colour of said light flow operatively associated to said management and control means (6, 7), characterised in that said at least one light source (8) is orientated for the emission of said light flow internally of said recess (9), but not directly towards the outside, the at least one light source being housed internally of a seating (11) provided with an opening (12) for passage of the light flow.
Oven according to claim 1, characterised in that said seating (11) is defined on an upper wall of said recess (9).
Oven, according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the conformation of said seating (11) and the arrangement of said opening (12) enable the light flow to be directed downwards.
Oven according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said recess (9) is composed of the housing for a handle (10) of said at least one door (5), when said at least one door (5) is arranged for closing said at least one compartment.
Oven according to claim 1, characterised in that said automatic regulation means comprise variation means for varying the intensity and/or the colour of said light flow according to the temperature inside said at least one compartment during the cooking of the food.
Oven according to claim 1, characterised in that said automatic regulation means comprise variation means for varying the intensity and/or the colour of said light flow according to the time lapsed during the cooking of the food inside said at least one compartment.
Oven according to claim 1, characterised in that said regulation means comprise variation means for varying the intensity and/or the colour of said light flow according to predefined sequences of levels of intensity and colour.
Oven according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said at least one light source (8) extends longitudinally along at least a section of said front portion.
Oven according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said at least one light source (8) comprises at least a LED (Light Emitting Diode).
Oven according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said at least one light source (8) comprises a plurality of LEDs (Light Emitting Diode) arranged in a side-by-side arrangement.
Oven according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said emission means (8, 13) comprise at least a substantially transparent diffuser element (13) which is at least partially superposed on said at least one light source (8) and intended to diffuse said light flow uniformly.
Oven according to claim 11, characterised in that said at least one diffuser element (13) is at least partially made of a polymer material.
Oven according to claim 11 or 12, characterised in that said at least one diffuser element (13) is associated to said seating (11) for housing the at least one light source (8), at said opening (12) for passage of the light flow.
Oven according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said management and control means (6, 7) comprise instruments (6, 7) for interfacing with a user.
Oven according to claim 15 or 16, characterised in that said management and control means (6, 7) comprise at least a processing unit which is operatively associated to said instruments (6, 7) for interfacing and to said emission means (8, 13) for emitting said light flow.