EP2961244A1 - Cooking device - Google Patents

Abstract

Cooking appliance (1) with a housing device (2) and with a heating means (4) heated cooking chamber (3), wherein the heating device (4) comprises a high-frequency generator (5) and wherein the cooking chamber (3) for introducing food a Garraumöffnung (6), which is closable by means of a cooking chamber door (7). The cooking chamber door (7) is assigned a high-frequency damping device (8) which seals a gap (9) remaining between the housing device (2) and the closed cooking chamber door (7) against the escape of high-frequency radiation (10) from the cooking chamber (3). Furthermore, in the region of the cooking chamber opening, the housing device (2) has a substantially oblique abutment section (11), wherein the side (12) of the cooking chamber door (7) facing the cooking chamber (2) in the closed state comprises a sealing section (13) is adapted to the inclined contact portion (11) of the housing device (2). Furthermore, the high-frequency damping device (8) is assigned in sections to the sealing section (13) and comprises two damping elements (14).

Description

The present invention relates to a cooking appliance) having at least one housing device and at least one cooking chamber which can be heated by at least one heating device, wherein the heating device comprises at least one high-frequency generator and wherein the cooking chamber has at least one cooking chamber opening for the introduction of cooking product, which can be closed by at least one cooking chamber door, wherein the cooking chamber door is associated with at least one high-frequency damping device which seals at least one gap remaining between the housing device and the closed cooking chamber door against the escape of high-frequency radiation from the cooking chamber and which comprises at least two damping elements.

In cooking appliances, which provide a user with a microwave operation, high-frequency radiation is introduced into the cooking chamber for cooking food. In order to prevent the escape of radiation from the cooking chamber, the cooking chamber opening can be closed with a door, which itself substantially does not transmit high-frequency radiation.

In order to reduce the outgoing from the cooking field intensity to a legally prescribed level, the remaining gap between the housing of the cooking appliance and the closed cooking chamber door is usually sealed radiation-safe with a high-frequency gasket in the form of a lambda / 4-trap. The radiation entering the gap then enters the lambda / 4 trap and is extinguished in it.

A disadvantage of such high-frequency seals, however, is that an optimal seal only works in a very specific wavelength range. To extinguish the high-frequency radiation, a lambda / 4 trap is dimensioned such that it has a length of approximately one quarter of the wavelength of the high-frequency radiation used. However, if the emitted wavelength deviates from the design of the lambda / 4 trap, not all of the radiation may be shielded from the frequency selective seal.

In addition, known high-frequency seals often can not or can not be aligned in a simple manner with respect to the cooking chamber opening. Thus, under certain circumstances, an uneven gap between the cooking chamber door and housing of the cooking appliance arise. This can also lead to an increased field strength emanating from the cooking appliance.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a cooking appliance with a cooking chamber and with a high frequency generator available, in which a more reliable sealing of the cooking chamber is ensured.

This object is achieved by a cooking appliance with the features of claim 1. Preferred developments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims. Further advantages and features of the invention will become apparent from the embodiments.

The cooking appliance according to the invention has at least one housing device and at least one cooking chamber which can be heated by means of at least one heating device. The heating device comprises at least one high frequency generator and the cooking chamber has at least one cooking chamber opening for introducing food to be cooked. The cooking chamber opening can be closed by means of at least one cooking chamber door. Furthermore, the cooking chamber door is associated with at least one high-frequency damping device which seals at least one gap remaining between the housing device and the closed cooking chamber against the escape of high-frequency radiation from the cooking chamber and which comprises at least two damping elements. In the region of the cooking chamber opening, the housing device has, at least in sections, an oblique contact section. The side of the cooking chamber door facing the cooking chamber in the closed state comprises a sealing section which is adapted to this oblique contact section in that the entry regions of the damping elements of the high-frequency damping device extend substantially parallel to the contact section of the cooking chamber.

The cooking appliance according to the invention is designed in particular as a microwave oven or as a microwave. However, the cooking appliance according to the invention can also be designed as a Kombigargerät, in which the heating device comprises at least one further heat source in addition to a high-frequency generator. Such a combination device can, for. B. be designed as an oven, which is then designed for a convection, top and bottom heat and microwave operation. The individual heat sources of the heater can be used individually or in combination.

The high-frequency damping device on the cooking chamber door is preferably configured in such a way that, when the cooking chamber door is closed, it provides a gasket opening which essentially completely surrounds the cooking chamber opening.

According to the invention, the damping elements of the high-frequency damping device form a kind of comb or a comb structure and provide a plurality of damping sections in the high-frequency damping device.

In the sense of the invention, oblique means in particular also inclined, the oblique contact section and the sealing section adapted thereto in particular not being arranged at an angle of 90 ° to the front of the device, but at least slightly deviating therefrom angularly.

The cooking appliance according to the invention offers many advantages. A considerable advantage is that a high-frequency damping device with at least two damping elements can be used by the oblique configuration of the cooking chamber opening and the matching Garraumtür without the space of the cooking appliance must be substantially increased or the available cooking space must be reduced.

This results from the fact that the high-frequency damping device is provided at the oblique sealing portion of the cooking chamber door, whereby the high-frequency damping device is not provided longitudinally or transversely on the door, but is also inclined. This allows a particularly small design of the cooking device, in which the size of the cooking chamber is not significantly limited.

Preferably, the high-frequency damping device comprises at least two wave traps, which are each formed by at least one damping element at least in sections. As a result, a high-frequency damping device is provided which allows a particularly good sealing of the gap between the closed cooking chamber door and the housing device. This is particularly advantageous when the high-frequency generator generates high-frequency radiation in a specific frequency band and not the entire high-frequency radiation is extinguished by a first wave trap. The damping sections provided by the individual damping elements or the individual wave traps work essentially analogously to known lambda / 4 traps by shaft extinction. However, according to the invention, the length of the wave traps does not have to be lambda / 4, but may also deviate upward and particularly preferably downward. It is preferably achieved by the special design of the high-frequency damping device that the substantially complete radiation is intercepted by the high-frequency damping device through the entirety of the damping elements provided or through the damping sections. The extinction takes place by an interaction of the individual wave traps or damping sections. For example, it is also possible to provide a high-frequency damping device with damping sections or wave traps which have a length of approximately lambda / 8 or even less. As a result, a particularly narrow high-frequency damping device can be provided.

The high-frequency damping device or the wave traps are then preferably of the basic structure similar to known lambda / 4 traps. For this purpose, in advantageous developments at least one cooking chamber opening with the door closed essentially circumferential channel is provided, which is in particular at least partially made of a radiopaque material. In the channel, the at least two damping elements are arranged at least in sections and thus form the wave traps. In other embodiments, the channel is then preferably also formed at least in sections by the damping elements.

The channel preferably has at least two openings through which high-frequency radiation from the gap between the cooking chamber door and the housing device can penetrate into the high-frequency damping device.

Particularly preferably, the abutment portion of the housing device and / or the sealing portion of the cooking chamber door are formed at least partially substantially funnel-shaped. In this case, this funnel-shaped configuration is provided in particular such that the funnel shape tapers into the cooking appliance.

In advantageous developments, the contact section of the housing device is provided along the entire cooking chamber opening and the sealing section of the cooking chamber door is designed accordingly. As a result, the escape of high-frequency radiation from the cooking chamber through the gap between the cooking chamber door and the housing device is avoided in a particularly effective manner.

In order to achieve a particularly attractive appearance of the cooking appliance, in particularly preferred embodiments, the high-frequency damping device is an integral part of the cooking chamber door. Then, the high-frequency damping device is not visible as a separate part and so from the outside substantially not recognized by the user.

The high-frequency damping device preferably has at least one cover element. Such a cover is preferably radiolucent and can, for. B. may be formed as a silicone gasket, which in particular substantially completely fills the gap between the cooking chamber door and the housing device when the cooking chamber door is closed and preferably provides a certain seal between the cooking chamber and the environment. For example, the escape of moisture through the door gap can be avoided. In expedient embodiments, the cover member has a rib structure, which can contribute to the alignment and stabilization of the damping elements. In addition, the deck cover preferably prefers the individual damping elements visually appealing, so that the high-frequency damping device can be inconspicuously integrated into the cooking chamber door.

Preferably, the distance and / or the alignment between the high-frequency damping device and the contact region of the housing device are adjustable. Thus, a uniform gap between the closed cooking chamber door and the housing device can be achieved. In addition, it is also possible to reduce the gap size between the closed cooking chamber door and the housing device to a minimum or an optimal degree.

For this purpose, the distance and / or the alignment between the high-frequency damping device and the abutment region of the housing device can preferably be set via at least one screw connection. In such an embodiment, the high-frequency damping device is preferably movable or adjustable z. B. added to a frame part of the cooking chamber door. Thus, the high-frequency damping device can be adapted to fit the system section of the housing device. As a result, a particularly reliable shielding of the cooking chamber is achieved with respect to the environment.

The distance and / or the alignment between the high-frequency damping device and the abutment region of the housing device can also be adjusted in a self-adjusting manner by means of at least one pretensioning device in advantageous developments. Then the high-frequency damping device is particularly preferably resiliently or easily floating added to the cooking chamber door, wherein the high-frequency damping device automatically applies when closing the door to the inclined contact portion of the housing device. Such a self-adjusting adjustment of the high-frequency damping device relative to the contact section provides a reliable seal permanently available.

Preferably, the damping elements of the high-frequency damping device are arranged substantially one behind the other. In this case, the orientation starting from the cooking space along the inclined contact area to the outside is to be understood in particular behind one another. As a result, a plurality of successively arranged wave traps are provided, which in particular also cancel out different frequency ranges of the high-frequency radiation generated by a high-frequency generator.

In particularly preferred embodiments, the high-frequency damping device comprises at least four damping elements. As a result, a high-frequency damping device with four successively arranged wave traps is provided which ensure a reliable seal even with a broadly emitted frequency band of high-frequency radiation.

In advantageous developments, at least two damping elements have different lengths of damping sections. In particular, the length of the wave trap can be understood as meaning the length of the damping elements Wave trap is preferably adapted to the frequencies generated by the high-frequency generator or wavelengths of the high-frequency radiation.

A cooking appliance as described above may preferably also damp a very large radiation spectrum. The frequency of the high-frequency radiation can then also lie, for example, outside the ISM band, without there being any escape of radiation from the cooking chamber.

Further advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the embodiments, which are explained below with reference to the accompanying figures.

Figur 1

eine rein schematische Ansicht eines erfindungsgemäßen Gargerätes in einer perspektivischen Ansicht;

Figur 2

eine rein schematische Schnittansicht von oben auf den Bereich der Garraumöffnung mit geschlossener Garraumtür;

Figur 3

die Ansicht gemäß Fig. 2 mit leicht geöffneter Garraumtür;

Figur 4

eine Detailansicht einer mittels einer Schraubverbindung einstellbaren Hochfrequenzdämpfungseinrichtung an dem Anlagebereich der Gehäuseeinrichtung;

Figur 5

eine Detailansicht einer selbstjustierenden Hochfrequenzdämpfungseinrichtung an dem Anlagebereich der Gehäuseeinrichtung;

Figur 6

eine Detailansicht einer selbstjustierenden Hochfrequenzdämpfungseinrichtung an dem Anlagebereich der Gehäuseeinrichtung in einer anderen Ausgestaltung; und

Figur 7

eine Detailansicht einer selbstjustierenden Hochfrequenzdämpfungseinrichtung an dem Anlagebereich der Gehäuseeinrichtung in einer weiteren Ausgestaltung.

In the figures show:

FIG. 1

a purely schematic view of a cooking appliance according to the invention in a perspective view;

FIG. 2

a purely schematic sectional view from above of the region of the cooking chamber opening with closed cooking chamber door;

FIG. 3

the view according to Fig. 2 with slightly open cooking chamber door;

FIG. 4

a detailed view of an adjustable by means of a screw high-frequency damping device to the contact area of the housing device;

FIG. 5

a detailed view of a self-adjusting high-frequency damping device to the contact area of the housing device;

FIG. 6

a detailed view of a self-adjusting high-frequency damping device to the contact area of the housing device in another embodiment; and

FIG. 7

a detailed view of a self-adjusting high-frequency damping device to the contact area of the housing device in a further embodiment.

In FIG. 1 is a purely schematic representation of an inventive cooking appliance 1 is shown in a perspective view, wherein the cooking appliance 1 is designed here as a microwave oven 100. The cooking appliance 1 has a housing 2, in which a substantially parallelepiped cooking space 3 with cooking space walls 4 is provided. A cooking chamber opening 6 of the cooking chamber 3 can be closed by a cooking chamber door 7.

The cooking chamber 3 can be heated by means of a heating device, wherein the heating device in the exemplary embodiment shown here comprises only one high-frequency generator 5. High-frequency radiation 10 can be introduced into the cooking chamber 3 via the high-frequency generator 5, as a result of which food introduced into the cooking chamber 3 can be heated or cooked.

In other embodiments, the heating device may also include a plurality of high frequency generator 5 or other heating sources, with which the cooking chamber 3 can also be heated thermally. In such a Kombigargerät can in addition to a microwave operation z. As well as an operation with top and bottom heat, circulating air or a hot air operation can be provided, the various modes can be used individually or in combination.

The cooking chamber door 7 has a viewing window 20, which here in the embodiment shown here, an outer pane 21, an inner pane 22, a perforated plate 23 and a purely in FIG. 4 indicated frame construction includes. The perforated plate 23 serves to seal the cooking chamber 3 in the region of the viewing window 20 against high-frequency radiation. For this purpose, the holes in the perforated plate 23 are suitably small-sized in accordance with the wavelength or frequency of the high-frequency radiation used.

The cooking appliance 1 also has a control panel 24, which comprises a display device 25 and a plurality of operating elements 26. Via the operating elements 26, various parameters and operating modes for a cooking process can be set. About the running as a display 27 display device 25, a user can be informed about various properties of the cooking appliance and the progress of the cooking process.

In FIG. 2 the cooking appliance according to the invention is shown in a purely schematic sectional view from above in the cooking chamber opening 6. In this view, it can be seen that the cooking chamber 3 in the region of the cooking chamber opening 6 has an inclined contact section 11, to which the sealing section 13 of the cooking chamber door 7 is adapted on the side 12 facing the cooking chamber 3. Sloping means that this section has an angle α to the depth extent (arrow z) of the cooking chamber, which is greater than 0 ° and smaller than 90 °. It is particularly advantageous if the angle is between 15 ° and 40 °. In this case, the oblique sealing portion 13 of the cooking chamber door on a high-frequency damping device 8, which is formed circumferentially and therefore with the cooking chamber door 3 closed around the entire cooking chamber opening 6 around. The high-frequency damping device 8 is provided to seal the gap 9 between the cooking chamber door 7 and the housing device 2 with closed cooking chamber door 7 against high-frequency radiation 10.

For this purpose, the high-frequency damping device 8 comprises a plurality of, in the embodiment shown here four damping elements 14, which is formed by four so-called wave traps 15 to eliminate passing through the gap 9 high-frequency radiation 10 by extinction. The structure. the individual wave traps 15 corresponds to the structure of the prior art known lambda / 4 traps. For this purpose, in each case inlet regions are provided which extend to the gap 9 and thus also to the contact section 11. From there, a damping portion 19 extends in the form of a labyrinth-shaped here channel 28, the electromagnetically effective length is less than a quarter of the wavelength of the incoming high-frequency radiation. In the exemplary embodiment four successively arranged channels 28 are provided, each having an entrance slit 29. The inlet regions are likewise arranged one behind the other and thus on a line which extends substantially parallel to the abutment section 11 of the cooking chamber 3.

The arrangement of several wave traps 15 in a row provides a particularly secure foreclosure of the cooking chamber 3 against exiting radio frequency radiation 10. Thus, depending on the generated by the high frequency generator 5 wavelength and / or frequency of high frequency radiation 10, one or more waves traps 15 ensure that the entire in the Gap 9 entering high frequency radiation 10 is eliminated by the wave traps 15. This can be advantageous in particular when a wide spectrum of high-frequency radiation is introduced into the cooking chamber 3 by the high-frequency generator 5.

The inclined arrangement of the high-frequency damping device 8 ensures that a plurality of shaft traps 15 can be provided one behind the other for sealing the cooking chamber 3, without significantly increasing the space of the cooking chamber door 7 or that the usable cooking space size is reduced. In addition, the funnel-shaped configuration of the abutment portion 11 and the sealing portion 13 has advantages in adjusting the gap 9 between the closed cooking chamber door 7 and the abutment portion 11.

In FIG. 3 is the view according to FIG. 2 shown with a slightly open cooking chamber door 7. Again, the substantially funnel-shaped configuration of the cooking chamber opening 6 can be seen through the obliquely formed contact portion 11. The sealing portion 13 of the cooking chamber door 7, which is adapted to the shape of the abutment portion 11, also has a substantially funnel-shaped configuration.

FIG. 4 purely schematically shows an enlarged detail of the sealing portion 13 of the cooking chamber door 7 at the abutment portion 11 of the housing device 2. It can be seen that the sealing portion 13 is substantially completely provided by the high-frequency damping device 8, wherein the remaining gap 9 between the housing device 2 and the cooking chamber door 7 is filled in the embodiment shown here by a cover 16. The cover element 16 is embodied here as a silicone seal 31 and seals the remaining gap 9 substantially dense but permeable to radiation. High-frequency radiation 10 from the cooking chamber 3 can pass through the gap 9 and the cover element 16 into one or more wave traps 15 through the corresponding entrance gaps 29, where the high-frequency radiation 10 is extinguished. As a result, a reliable high-frequency sealing of the cooking chamber 3 is achieved.

In addition, the cover 16 has a rib structure 36, with which a stabilization and alignment of the individual damping elements can be achieved. In addition, it is achieved by the cover 16 that the high-frequency damping device 8 can be concealed visually appealing.

In FIG. 4 It can also be seen that the high-frequency damping device 8 is received on the cooking chamber door 7 via two screw connections 17. In this case, in the embodiment shown here, the screw 17 are fixed on one side to a frame part 30 of the cooking chamber door 7 and connected to the other side with the high-frequency damping device 8. About the screw 17, the distance and / or the alignment between the high-frequency damping device 8 and the contact area 11 of the housing device 2 can be adjusted. Thus, an optimal alignment of sealing portion 13 and contact portion 11 can always be ensured to each other. In the alignment of sealing portion 13 and storage section 11, in particular, the substantially funnel-shaped configuration of the two sections is advantageous.

Another embodiment is in FIG. 5 shown purely schematically. Also in FIG. 5 an enlarged detail of a sealing portion 13 of the cooking chamber door 7 at a contact portion 11 of the housing device 2 is shown. In the embodiment shown here, the high-frequency damping device 8 by means of a biasing device 18, which is designed here as a spring 32, stored. Due to the sprung mounting and the funnel-shaped configuration of the sealing section 13 and contact section 11, the high-frequency damping device 8 is accommodated in a self-adjusting manner on the cooking chamber door 7 or on the cooking appliance 1.

When closing the cooking chamber door 7, the oblique sealing portion 13 is guided along the oblique or funnel-shaped abutment portion 11 of the housing device 2, wherein the high-frequency damping device 8 self-aligning when closing the door by the spring-mounted storage in the optimum position. As a result, an optimal position of the door or the high-frequency damping device 8 to the contact section 11 can always be ensured.

The high-frequency damping device 8 is received in the embodiment shown here on the inner pane 22 of the cooking chamber door 7. The spring-mounted storage takes place via a biasing device 18, which connects the inner disc 22 with a housing part 33. In other embodiments, the high-frequency damping device 8 can also be directly by means of a biasing device 18 z. B. are connected to a frame part 30 of the cooking chamber door 7.

In the FIGS. 6 and 7 is in each case an embodiment according to FIG. 5 shown purely schematically, wherein in the FIGS. 6 and 7 representations shown four damping elements 14 in the high-frequency damping device 8, the damping sections 19 have different lengths.

The damping elements 14, also referred to as choke, are dimensioned differently long, whereby they each provide a different damping section 19 available. Conventional lambda / 4 traps generally have attenuation sections with a length of one quarter of the wavelength of the high-frequency radiation 10 to be attenuated. In particular, if high-frequency radiation 10 having different wavelengths is introduced into the cooking chamber, it may be advantageous for the wave traps 15 to have attenuation sections 19 of different lengths. This may be advantageous, for example, if not exactly one wavelength, but high-frequency radiation 10 of a certain bandwidth is introduced into the cooking chamber. The damping sections 19 according to the invention need not necessarily have a length of lambda / 4. The damping sections can preferably also be shorter or longer. An extinction of the radiation is then effected by an interaction of the individual wave traps 15. An advantageous embodiment of the individual wave traps 15 for specific wavelengths or wavelength ranges can be simulated and then easily implemented.

In this case, the cooking appliance 1 according to the invention with a high-frequency attenuation device 8 with several wave traps 15 can also attenuate a very large radiation spectrum. The frequency of the high-frequency radiation can then also lie, for example, outside the ISM band, without there being any escape of radiation from the cooking chamber.

In FIG. 6 the damping elements 14 are aligned with the channel region 35. In contrast, the embodiment according to FIG. 7 in that the damping elements 14 are aligned with the gap 9.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

Cooking appliance

2

housing means

3

oven

4

oven walls

5

High-frequency generator

6

cooking compartment

7

oven door

8th

RF attenuator

9

gap

10

RF radiation

11

contact section

12

the cooking chamber side facing

13

sealing section

14

damping element

15

wave trap

16

cover

17

screw

18

biasing means

19

damping section

20

window

21

outer pane

22

inner pane

23

perforated sheet

24

control panel

25

display

26

operating element

27

display

28

channel

29

entrance slit

30

frame part

31

silicone packing

32

feather

33

housing part

35

channel area

36

rib structure

100

microwave oven

Claims (10)

Cooking appliance (1) having at least one housing device (2) and at least one cooking chamber (3) which can be heated by means of at least one heating device (4), wherein the heating device (4) comprises at least one high-frequency generator (5) and wherein the cooking chamber (3) is for insertion of Gargut at least one cooking chamber opening (6) which is closable by means of at least one cooking chamber door (7), wherein the cooking chamber door (7) is associated with at least one high-frequency damping device (8), at least one between the housing device (2) and the closed cooking chamber door ( 7) seals the remaining gap (9) against the escape of high-frequency radiation (10) from the cooking chamber (3) and which comprises at least two damping elements (14),
characterized,
in that the housing device (2) has at least sections an inclined contact section (11) in the region of the cooking chamber opening and that the side (12) of the cooking chamber door (7) facing the cooking chamber (2) in the closed state comprises a sealing section (13) which adjoins the inclined contact section (11) of the housing device (2) is adapted in that the inlet regions of the damping elements (14) of the high-frequency damping device (8) extend substantially parallel to the abutment portion (11) of the cooking chamber (3). Cooking appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the abutment portion (11) of the housing device (2) and / or the sealing portion (13) of the cooking chamber door (7) are at least partially substantially funnel-shaped. Cooking appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the abutment portion (11) of the housing device (2) along the entire cooking chamber opening (6) is provided and that the sealing portion (13) of the cooking chamber door (7) is provided accordingly. Cooking appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the high-frequency damping device (8) is an integral part of the cooking chamber door (7). Cooking appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the high-frequency damping device (8) has at least one cover element (16). Cooking appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the distance and / or the alignment between the high-frequency damping device (8) and the contact area (11) of the housing device (2) is adjustable. Cooking appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the distance and / or the alignment between the high-frequency damping device (8) and the abutment region (11) of the housing device (2) via at least one screw (17) is adjustable. Cooking appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the distance and / or the alignment between the high-frequency damping device (8) and the abutment region (11) of the housing device (2) by means of at least one biasing means (18) is self-adjusting adjustable. Cooking appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the high-frequency damping device (8) comprises at least four damping elements (14). Cooking appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least two damping elements (14) have different lengths of damping sections (19).

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