EP4664017A1

EP4664017A1 - Venting module for a cooking oven

Info

Publication number: EP4664017A1
Application number: EP24181521.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Marco Böckler; Klaus Wälzlein; Klaus Winkelmann; Christoph Luckhardt; Tobias Schütz; Andreas Stark; Emanuel DETTMANN
Original assignee: Electrolux Appliances AB
Current assignee: Electrolux Appliances AB
Priority date: 2024-06-11
Filing date: 2024-06-11
Publication date: 2025-12-17
Also published as: WO2025256900A1

Abstract

The present application provides a venting module (7; 27; 51; 90) for a cooking oven (1) that comprises an oven cavity (2), a feed aperture (23) for feeding air into the cavity and an exhaust aperture (24) for removing oven fumes from the cavity.

The venting module comprises:
(a) feed connection means (28) for connecting a feed air channel of the cooking oven to the feed aperture (23);
(b) exhaust connection means (29) for connecting an exhaust channel of the cooking oven to the exhaust aperture (24);
(c) first flow control means for selectively restricting flow through the feed connection means (28); and
(d) second flow control means for selectively restricting flow through the exhaust connection means (29).

The venting module allows controlling both the air infeed into the cavity and the exhaust of oven fumes and humidity from the cavity.

Description

The present invention relates to a venting module for a cooking oven and to a cooking oven comprising such a venting module.
Conventionally heated domestic ovens, referred to generally herein as cooking ovens, which typically are heated by an upper heating element, a lower heating element, a convection heating system with a convection fan and a ring heater behind a baffle plate, usually have a cavity exhaust outlet in the top wall of the cavity.
In most ovens there is no defined air inlet structure to lead air into the cavity, but instead air is allowed to enter into the cavity simply because the structure is not designed to be airtight.
The cavity exhaust outlet often communicates with a cooling duct that leads cooling air from a compartment for electrical components above the oven cavity out of the oven. Thus, a slight drought leads some oven fumes out of the cavity.
As an example for such a conventional oven, EP 1 050 718 B1 discloses an oven that comprises an oven muffle with a muffle wall which encloses a cooking chamber. The cooking chamber or oven cavity comprises in its ceiling an outlet aperture via which oven fumes and vapor can be removed from the cooking chamber by means of a fan which communicates with the outlet aperture to draw oven fumes and vapor into a discharge channel that extends above the oven muffle and opens to the outside of the oven. The oven further comprises a feed air channel via which feed air, which also may be used to cool the oven door, is fed to the inlet of the fan to dilute and thus cool oven fumes that are removed from the cooking chamber. While cooking ovens typically are built-in devices in which any air feed to and from the oven has to take place at the front of the device, the concept suggested in EP 1 050 718 B1 is advantageous in that it reduces the risk of inconveniencies caused by exhausting hot oven gases to the front where these gases might contact a person standing in front of the oven.
Also, EP 3 112 764 B1 is concerned with exhausting oven fumes and vapor, although here a different problem is to be addressed. That is, with EP 3 112 764 B1 recognizing that there are operational circumstances in which it is advantageous to provide either for an open exhaust, such as to avoid excessive condensation within the oven cavity, or for a closed exhaust, such as to avoid heat losses and thus achieve energy savings, such document suggests a cooking oven having an exhaust closure system which can be operated to selectively allow, or prevent, exhaust of oven fumes and vapor.
Further to cooking ovens as described above in which there is provided for some control of oven fumes that are removed from the oven cavity, it was suggested in EP 3 029 382 B1 to provide a steam oven with a system for flushing humidity from the oven cavity by means of psychrometric effects. To this end the cavity of a steam oven has an air inlet at the bottom of the oven cavity and a cooling chamber to which steam can be passed via a conduit that is connected to an exhaust opening provided in the ceiling of the oven cavity. The conduit connecting the cavity and the cooling camber and the conduit to which air can be passed to the air inlet at the bottom of the oven cavity are provided with valves, the operation of which is synchronized so as to introduce small amounts of air into the cavity to displace steam by means of the psychrometric effect. While the system suggested in EP 3 029 382 B1 thus provides for an advantageous de-steaming function for steam ovens that allows removing steam from the oven cavity at the conclusion of a steam cooking operation before the user opens the door, such system is quite complex and hence might be suitable only for high end devices. Furthermore, with the system being based on the psychrometric effect, it is designed specifically for steam ovens and is not suitable for implementation in a conventionally heated domestic oven, in which the atmosphere within the oven cavity has a substantially lower humidity.
Whereas the prior art thus has addressed some aspects of providing for a controlled oven atmosphere, there still is room for improvement.
In consideration of the shortcomings in the known systems, the present invention aims at providing means which allow to provide for a controlled atmosphere in the cavity of an oven, so as to provide for improved and/or additional options of food preparation, wherein such means particularly shall be suitable for application in conventionally heated domestic ovens.
In accordance with the present invention the above object is solved by a venting module for a cooking oven that comprises an oven cavity, a feed aperture for feeding air into the cavity and an exhaust aperture for removing oven fumes from the cavity, wherein the venting module comprises feed connection means for connecting a feed air channel of the cooking oven to the feed aperture, exhaust connection means for connecting an exhaust channel of the cooking oven to the exhaust aperture, first flow control means for selectively restricting flow through the feed connection means, and second flow control means for selectively restricting flow through the exhaust connection means.
The present invention thus provides for a venting module which in a single device allows controlling both the air infeed into the cavity and the exhaust of oven fumes and humidity from the cavity. As will be further explained below by reference to the illustrative embodiments, the venting modules suggested herein can be employed with various known oven systems at minimal adaptation thereof to provide for a much more sophisticated control of the oven atmosphere which is achieved by a combined control of the air feed to the oven cavity and of the exhaust removed from the oven cavity. Providing for a control of the oven atmosphere, and particularly of the humidity within the oven cavity, offers the opportunity to implement various new cooking programs or improve known cooking programs, such as cook and hold, food drying, or steam burst reduction.
The present invention provides a modular system that allows attaining clearly defined conditions inside the oven cavity during cooking to achieve ideal food results, wherein the venting modules suggested herein are particularly suited to be used to adapt and thus improve various known oven systems.
Preferred embodiments are defined in the dependent claims.
In particular, the first flow control means and/or the second flow control means can comprise a flap which is configured to be movable between a first position that allows flow through the respective connection means and a second position in which the respective connection means is closed. While the flow control means can comprise any kind of valve or adjustable flow restrictor, such as piston valves, spool valves, throttle valves, slide valves, gate valves or the like, one preferred embodiment of the flow control means comprises a flap for opening and closing the feed connection means in which flow restriction is to be implemented. Thus, the feed connection means may comprise a flow aperture which selectively can be closed by moving a flap onto the aperture.
At least one such flap can be hinged to the respective connection means so as be tiltable between the first and the second position. A tiltable flap for example can be provided along an edge of a flow opening so as to be tiltable between an opened position in which the flap is oriented at an angle to the edge of the aperture so as to allow flow through the respective connection means, and a closed position in which the flap rests on the edge of the aperture thus closing the aperture and preventing flow through the connection means. Particularly when the flap is used in connection with an inlet or feed opening, there can be provided lateral air guides that assist an air flow to reach the aperture, which air guides can be implemented as lateral walls that are mounted at the respective connection means aside the aperture, or as integral wings which are formed or mounted at the side of the flap.
In the alternative to tiltable flaps, at least one flap can be configured for a translatory movement between the first and the second position, and thus can be configured for a linear or pivotal displacement with which the flap is shifted between the first and the second position. When performing a translatory movement the orientation flap does not change and thus the flap is moved without being tilted.
When providing a pivotal displacement, the flap thus can be rotated about an axis that extends normal to the closing plane of the flap. For example, in a flap which is configured to cover a flow orifice having a planar edge, the closing plane of the flap extends parallel to the planar edge of the flow orifice.
The first flow control means and/or the second flow control means can comprise a flow restriction means having a variable flow area. Aside flaps which also can be configured to provide for a variable flow area, particularly when employing flaps which are configured for a translatory movement, the flow control means may comprise various other types of flow restrictors. While basically any kind of valving can be employed, a particularly cost-efficient flow control for the feed and the exhaust can be realized by using flow restrictors which comprise a combination of a stationary element and a movable element, such as a stationary plate and a sliding plate, or a stationary cylinder and a sliding cylinder, wherein the stationary and sliding plates or cylinders have flow apertures for the feed and the exhaust flows, which apertures can be brought into variable alignment with each other.
By providing for a respective number of flow apertures in the stationary element which can be brought into variable alignment with a corresponding number of flow apertures in the movable element, there can be provided a plurality of flow restriction means that be selectively operated.
The venting module further may comprise at least one motor for selectively operating one or both of the first and second flow control means. Thus, for example in the embodiment described above in which the first and second flow restriction means are implemented by providing for a stationary cylinder having two apertures which are provided at different axial positions of the cylinder, as well as for a movable cylinder having radial apertures which are provided at the same axial positions as those of the stationary cylinder, but which extend over different radial ranges, there can be provided two flow restriction means that can be operated by a single motor for rotating the movable cylinder with respect to the stationary cylinder. In these embodiments, by correspondingly selecting the sizes and positions of the apertures in the movable cylinder and the stationary cylinder which constitute the first and second flow restriction means, there can be attained radial positions of the movable cylinder in which both flow restriction means are closed, both flow restriction means are fully opened, or both flow restriction means are opened but at different degrees.
In various embodiments the means for selectively operating the first and second flow control means comprise at least one cam member and first and second cam followers arranged for operating the first and the second flow control means. For example in embodiments in which the flow control means comprise tiltable flaps, rotating or linear moving bulkheads or shutters as flow restriction means that can be moved to close or restrict the feed or the exhaust connection, an electric motor for driving the respective flow control means can be provided with a cam member having cams, such as a cam wheel having projections and/or depressions along its perimeter, or a cam plate having cam rails, which cams contact cam followers that provide for the respective movement of the flow restriction means.
While generally each flow control means may be operated by a dedicated motor, in preferred embodiments the means for selectively operating the first and second flow control means comprises a motor driving a cam member having cam rails for guiding the first and the second cam follower. In such embodiments, both flow control means are operated by the same drive, wherein the cams rails can be designed such that the cam member allows to cause any desired combination of settings of the first and second flow control means, such as closed/closed, open/closed, closed/open, partially open/closed, partially open/partially open etc.
As will be further explained by reference to the exemplary embodiments illustrated herein, the cam member can be designed as a cam wheel having cam surfaces along its outer periphery, as a cam disk having cam track along one or both faces of the disk, or as cylindrical cam member, i.e. a cam barrel or cam cylinder having radial cams provided along the inner or outer cylindrical surface.
The vent module of the present invention preferably is employed in a cooking oven which comprises an oven muffle enclosing an oven cavity. The oven muffle comprises a feed aperture for feeding air into the oven cavity, and an exhaust aperture for removing oven fumes from the oven cavity. The cooking oven further comprises a feed air channel for feeding ambient air to the feed aperture, a discharge channel for venting oven fumes from the exhaust aperture, and the vent module suggested herein which is mounted at the oven muffle such that the feed connection means connects to the feed aperture and the exhaust connection means connects to the exhaust aperture.
In such a cooking oven the atmosphere within the oven cavity can be precisely controlled by controlling both the feed aperture for feeding air into the oven cavity and the exhaust aperture for removing oven fumes from the oven cavity. In contrast to conventional cooking ovens in which there is no control of the air flows into and out of the cavity, but the cavity simply is not fully sealed, or to conventional cooking ovens in which there is provided for active control only of the exhaust flow from the cavity, but there are no provisions for fully closing or regulating the flow of air into the cavity, the present invention allows to advantageously control the atmosphere within the oven cavity, and particularly the humidity within the oven cavity, which is not possible with such conventional ovens.
As examples for such improved or novel cooking operations one could name steam burst reduction at the conclusion of a steam cooking operation and similarly smoke reduction at the conclusion of a frying operation, in which steam or smoke are rapidly removed from the oven cavity by flushing the cavity with air, such as air that is present in an air channel or a venting system of the oven or fresh air that is drawn in from the exterior of the oven, so that an excessive outflow of steam or smoke is avoided when the user opens the oven door. By simultaneously controlling the air infeed to, and the exhaust from, the oven cavity, the oven further can be operated as a drying oven for drying fruits, vegetables, or herbs by continually removing humidity from the cavity. Furthermore, the active control of both the air infeed to and exhaust from the oven cavity allows to rapidly change the humidity level within the oven cavity, which can be used to advantage for example in air fry operations for preparing French fries, wherein at the end of a frying operation at low humidity the dry air is replaced by air of regular humidity so as to obtain a particular crunchy consistency of the French fries. Similarly, a rapid change of the temperature and the humidity within the oven cavity can be used to advantage when unexpected changes in the timing of a cooking operation are to be made, such as when a cooking operating is almost or fully completed, but the prepared food is needed later and hence the actual cooking operation is to be stopped but the food is to be kept warm. Similarly, rapidly adapting the atmosphere within the oven cavity can be used to advantage, for example when a cooking or baking operation is to be concluded in the absence of a user and hence at the conclusion of the cooking or baking operation the temperature within the oven cavity is to be substantially lowered by exhausting the hot atmosphere out from the cavity.
In preferred embodiments the feed aperture and the exhaust aperture are arranged adjacent to each other in a wall of the oven muffle, such as in an upper region of one of the side walls or of the back wall, or in preferred embodiments in the top wall of the oven muffle.
The feed air channel and the discharge channel either can be constituted by a single cooling channel which acts both for feeding air towards the inlet into the oven muffle and for venting oven fumes that leave the oven muffle via the outlet or can be configured as individual channels or compartments which at least for a region thereof are separated from each other.
In a cooking oven having separate feed and discharge channels, installation of the vent module can be facilitated when the feed air channel and the discharge channel, at least for a region thereof, extend adjacent each other, and wherein the vent module is mounted in such region.
Whereas the vent module of the present invention generally could be installed anywhere outside the oven muffle and connected via conduits to the feed aperture and to the exhaust aperture of the muffle, in preferred embodiments of the cooking oven, the feed air channel and the discharge channel are provided above the oven muffle, and the venting module is arranged such that the feed connection means and the exhaust connection means are arranged within channels in which forced flows are provided, such as providing for cooling air for cooling the oven door or electrical components of the oven. Preferably the feed connection means is arranged within an air channel to which air is fed by a fan, such as an exhaust channel through which cooling air is expelled from the oven. In such embodiments of the oven in which the venting module is installed in direct connection to an already existing venting system, the provision of connection conduits becomes obsolete.
The latter embodiment further can be employed for upgrading existing cooking ovens having a double channel cooling system arranged above the oven muffle which in its top wall has an exhaust aperture which opens into an exhaust channel, in which a draft is provided by means of a fan which feeds the fumes to an outlet at the front of the oven, and wherein a feed air channel extends adjacent the exhaust channel which feeds air for cooling the oven door. Such ovens can be modified for use of a venting module as suggested herein by providing in the oven muffle for a feed aperture adjacent the exhaust aperture and installing the vent module at the oven muffle such that the feed connection means connects to the feed aperture and the exhaust connection means connects to the exhaust aperture.
In preferred embodiments of the present cooking oven, a fan is provided which accelerates the air within the air channel where the feed aperture is provided, wherein as will be explained by reference to the illustrated embodiments such fan can be arranged to provide both for feeding air towards the feed aperture and for feeding oven fumes towards an outlet where the oven fumes are vented into the surroundings of the oven.
To avoid inadvertent transfer of dirt into the cavity, the cooking oven can comprise a filter device which is arranged within, or in flow communication with, the feed air channel.
Similarly, the cooking oven can be provided a filter device arranged within, or in flow communication with, the discharge channel, so as to clean the exhaust from soil, such as soot particles, fatty or oily vapor, or other fumes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be described in further detail with reference to the drawings from which further features, embodiments and advantages will become apparent, and in which:

FIG. 1: illustrates a perspective exploded view of a cooking oven that comprises a venting module in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2: illustrates a side view of the cooking oven of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3: is a perspective view of a flap of the venting module shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;
FIG. 4: illustrates a perspective view of parts of a venting module in accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 5: illustrates an exploded view of the venting module shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 6: is an exploded view of the venting module shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 in its entirety;
FIG. 7: is a perspective view of the venting module of FIG. 5, when assembled;
FIG. 8: is a perspective exploded view of the upper portion of a cooking oven that comprises the venting module of FIGS. 4 to 7;
FIG. 9: is a perspective view of the cooking oven of FIG. 8 when assembled;
FIG. 10: is a sectional view of the cooking oven of FIG. 8 when assembled;
FIG. 11: is a sectional view of the cooking oven equipped with a further embodiment of a venting module;
FIGS. 12 to 14: are perspective views of the double rotational valve of the venting module shown in FIG. 11; and
FIG. 15: is a sectional view illustrating an embodiment of a venting module for a cooking oven having a single cooling channel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates parts of an oven 1 having an oven muffle 2 enclosing an oven cavity 2 in which there can be arranged a number of cooking trays (not shown). Above the cavity 2 there is arranged a double chamber cooling system having a lower duct and an upper duct that are formed between a lower duct member 3 and a duct carrier 4, and between the duct carrier 4 and an upper duct member 5, respectively, as can be best seen in the sectional view of FIG. 2. Within upper duct member 5 there is provided a fan 6 which at its bottom draws in, via an opening 18 provided in duct carrier 4, air from the lower duct. In the illustrated embodiment both the lower duct and the upper duct extend substantially over the entire width of the cavity 2, wherein the lower duct, when the door of the oven is closed, is in flow communication with ducts that are provided between glass panels of the oven door, which ducts receive ambient air via an inlet provided at the lower end of the door. When operating the fan 6, air thus us drawn into these ducts for cooling the glass panels of the door, which air then is fed via the upper duct to an exhaust opening extending along the upper end of the door, to be vented via the door gap into the surroundings of the oven. Drawing air through the ducts that are provided between the glass panels of the oven door also can be achieved by passing an air stream at a high speed across the upper end of the ducts, such as by providing the exhaust duct with a constriction which by reducing the flow area provides for an increase of the flow speed of the exhaust air stream (Venturi effect). When the high-speed air flow passes across the gap between the glass panels of the oven door, this causes a suction at the gap thus drawing air through the ducts between the glass panels, which air mixes into the exhaust air stream to be expelled from the oven.
On the top wall of oven cavity 2 there is mounted a venting module 7 which provides for a feed connection means for diverting some of the air that is passed though the upper duct to a feed aperture 23 provided in the top wall of the cavity 2, and which further provides for an exhaust connection means for exhausting oven fumes that are withdrawn from the cavity via an exhaust aperture 24 provided in the top wall of cavity 2 aside the feed aperture into the lower duct, where the oven fumes mix into the cooling air drawn in by the fan 6.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, lower duct member 3 comprises a opening 19 where the exhaust connection of venting module 7 opens into the lower duct and where the feed connection projects through the lower duct towards the upper duct. Duct carrier 4 comprises a opening 20 which is smaller than opening 19 where the feed connection of venting module 7 opens into the upper duct.
In order to control the feed and exhaust flows into and from the cavity, venting module 7 comprises a tiltable flap 10 for selectively opening and closing the feed connection, and a tiltable flap 9 for selectively opening and closing the exhaust connection.
The tiltable flaps 9 and 10 can be selectively operated by two linear motors 16 and 17 which are mounted by means of a support 13 above an opening 22 provided in the upper duct member 5, and which are connected to the flaps 9 and 10 via levers 14 and 15.
FIG 3 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a tiltable flap 10 which is provided for selectively opening and closing the feed connection of the venting module shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 the flap is provided with lateral air guides which are integrally formed at the flap, which air guides assist in capturing air which is fed by means of the fan towards venting module 7 so as to enter the feed connection to be introduced into the oven cavity.
FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate a further embodiment of a venting module, designated generally with reference sign 27, which differs from venting module 7 in which it is designed to be operated by a single drive motor. Similarly as venting module 7, venting module 27 comprises a housing 30 having a feed connection 28 and an exhaust connection 29, wherein the housing 30 is configured to be mounted on the top wall of oven cavity 2 above a feed aperture 23 and an exhaust aperture 24 which are provided in the top wall of cavity 2. As in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3, also in the embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5 the feed connection and the exhaust connection can be controlled by tiltable flaps 10 and 9, respectively, which are hinged at the housing 30 and which can be operated by levers which are driven by a drive that is mounted above an opening 22 provided in the upper duct member 5.
In the embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5 the tiltable flaps 9 and 10 can be displaced by means of levers which are configured as cam followers 34 and 35 that are operated by a motor driven cam member which in the illustrated embodiment is designed as a stepped cam barrel 31 having cam rails 32 and 33. Cam followers 34 and 35 engage with their lower ends slits of the tiltable flaps 9 and 10 and further are guided by a guide member 38 which rests at the opening 22 in upper duct member 5 and which has two slots for guiding the cam followers 34 and 35. At the upper ends, cam followers 34 and 35 are provided with pins 36 which engage the cam rails 32 and 33, which as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 have slanted portions that, when rotating the cam barrel 31, provide for an upward or downward movement of the respective cam follower thus opening or closing the flap, or which have portions that extend in a plane normal to the axis of the cam barrel 31, and in which rotation of the cam barrel does not cause the respective follower to move.
FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate vent module 27 of FIGS. 4 and 5 in its entirety together with a motor 68 for rotating cam barrel 31 and a mount 67 for fixing motor 68 with respect to the upper duct member 5. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, guide member 38 is replaced by two support members 65 and 66, which in the assembled state support the mount 67. As in guiding member 38, support members 65 and 66 are provided with slots for guiding the cam followers 34 and 35, but further comprise projections 70 which in the assembled state form an axle pin for rotatable guiding cam barrel 31.
FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of an oven 1 in which the vent module 27 of FIGS. 6 and 7 is employed. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the oven of FIG. 8 in the assembled state, and FIG. 10 is a sectional view of the shown in FIG. 9.
In FIG. 11 there is shown a cooking oven that is equipped with a further embodiment of a venting module having a single drive unit for controlling both the feed of air into the cavity and the exhaust of oven fumes out from the cavity. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 11 a venting module 90 is provided which comprises a housing 80 that is configured to be mounted on the top wall of the oven cavity 2 above the feed aperture 23 and the exhaust aperture 24 which are provided in the top wall of cavity 2.
Housing 80 carries a rotational valve which is formed by an inner cylinder 41 integrally connected to the housing and an outer cylinder 42 which is rotatable with respect to the inner cylinder and which at its upper end has a bushing 82 for receiving a drive axle of a motor for rotating the outer cylinder 42.
Inner cylinder 41 and outer cylinder 42 comprise openings which can be aligned which each by rotating the outer cylinder 42 with respect to the inner cylinder 41, thus forming a double rotational valve having an upper variable flow aperture 81 for controlling the flow of air to be passed into the cavity and a lower variable flow aperture 43 for controlling the flow of exhaust fumes to be withdrawn from the cavity.
As illustrated in FIGS. 12 to 14 which are perspective views of the double rotational valve of the embodiment shown in FIG. 11 in different operational states, the openings in the inner and outer cylinders are configured such that the, depending on the rotational orientation of the outer cylinder 42 with respect to the stationary inner cylinder 41, the upper variable flow aperture 81 and the lower variable flow aperture 43 are opened and closed at different degrees, so as to selectively vary the feed flow into the cavity and the exhaust flow from the cavity.
Thus, whereas FIG. 12 illustrates the double rotational valve of vent module 90 in a state in which both the upper variable flow aperture 81 and the lower variable flow aperture 43 are fully opened, FIG. 13 shows a state in which the upper variable flow aperture 81 is closed and the lower variable flow aperture 43 is opened. While FIG. 14 shows a state in which the upper variable flow aperture 81 is opened but the lower variable flow aperture 43 is closed, it should be understood that in further rotational positions one or both flow apertures may be partially opened.
FIG. 15 illustrates in sectional view an embodiment of a venting module which is designed for use in a cooking oven having a single cooling channel.
Similarly, as in the embodiments described above, the oven illustrated in part in FIG. 15 has an oven cavity 2 above which there is arranged a cooling system, which however in the embodiment of FIG. 15 is a single chamber cooling system having a duct 50 in which there is provided a fan 6 which when operative moves the air within duct 5 in the figure to the right towards an exit opening 60 extending along the upper end of the door (not shown) where air can be vented via the door gap into the surroundings of the oven.
In the embodiment of FIG. 15 there is employed a venting module 51 having a housing 55 and two tiltable flaps 52, 53 for opening and closing a feed connection (not shown in FIG. 15) and an exhaust connection 54, via which the venting module 51 can pass feed air into the oven cavity via a feed aperture 23 provided in the top wall of the cavity 2, and via which the venting module 51 can exhaust oven fumes from the oven cavity via an exhaust aperture 24 provided in the top wall of the cavity 2.
Whereas in the exemplary double channel solutions shown in FIGS. 1 to 10, the flaps of the venting module are arranged at different heights so as to feed communicate either with a feed air channel or with an exhaust channel of the cooking oven, in the single channel solution of FIG. 15 the flaps 52 and 53 of the venting module 51 are arranged at the same height, but open towards different directions. That is, whereas flap 52 which is arranged to open and close the feed connection opens towards the fan 6 so that when flap 52 is open and the fan 6 is operative, air is fed through the feed opening into the cavity 2, flap 53 which is arranged to open and close the exhaust connection opens towards the exit opening 60. When flap 53 is opened and a recirculating fan (not shown) of the oven, as is typically provided at the back wall of the oven to circulate air through the oven cavity, is operative, oven fumes are exhausted through the exhaust opening 24 from the cavity 2 to pass to the exit opening 60. Note that for ease of illustration, the means for operating the flaps are not shown in Fig. 15. It will be understood that the flaps of the embodiment shown in Fig. 15 can be operated in a similar manner as the embodiments shown in Figs. 1 to 10.
In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 15, duct 50 acts both as feed air channel for feeding air to the feed aperture to the oven cavity and as discharge channel both removing oven fumes from the oven cavity.
From the above description is to be understood that the present invention provides a balance system to for achieving in a cooking oven defined flows of feed air into the oven cavity and exhaust of oven fumes from the cavity, which allows to effectively control the atmosphere within the oven cavity particularly in respect of the humidity prevailing in the cavity. Thus, the level of regulation can be from fully tight for full steam, fully open for de-steaming, crust creation or fast cooling down, or partially open for dehydration or microwave usage.

Claims

Venting module (7; 27; 51; 90) for a cooking oven (1) that comprises an oven cavity (2), a feed aperture (23) for feeding air into the cavity and an exhaust aperture (24) for removing oven fumes from the cavity, the venting module comprising:
(a) feed connection means (28) for connecting a feed air channel of the cooking oven to the feed aperture (23);

(b) exhaust connection means (29) for connecting an exhaust channel of the cooking oven to the exhaust aperture (24);

(c) first flow control means for selectively restricting flow through the feed connection means (28); and

(d) second flow control means for selectively restricting flow through the exhaust connection means (29).
The venting module of claim 1, wherein the first flow control means and/or the second flow control means comprises a flap (9, 10; 52, 53) which is configured to be movable between a first position that allows flow through the respective connection means (28, 29) and a second position in which the respective connection means is closed.
The venting module of claim 2, wherein at least one flap (9, 10; 52, 53) is hinged to the respective connection means (28, 29) so as be tiltable between the first and the second position.
The venting module of claim 2, wherein at least one flap (9, 10; 52, 53) is configured for a translatory movement between the first and the second position.
The venting module of claim 4, wherein the flap (9, 10; 52, 53) is configured for a linear movement or for a pivotal movement with which the flap is shifted between the first and the second position.
The venting module of claim 1, wherein the first flow control means and/or the second flow control means comprises a flow restriction means having a variable flow area.
The venting module of any of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one motor (16, 17; 68) for selectively operating one or both of the first and second flow control means.
The venting module of any of claim 7, wherein the means for selectively operating the first and second flow control means comprises at least one cam member (31) and first and second cam followers (34, 35) arranged for operating the first and the second flow control means.
The venting module of claim 8, wherein the means for selectively operating the first and second flow control means comprises a motor driving a cam member (31) having cam rails (32, 33) for guiding the first and the second cam follower (34, 35).
A cooking oven comprising:
an oven muffle (2) enclosing an oven cavity (25), the oven muffle comprising an feed aperture (23) for feeding air into the oven cavity, and an exhaust aperture (24) for removing oven fumes from the oven cavity,

a feed air channel for feeding ambient air to the feed aperture (23),

an discharge channel for venting oven fumes from the exhaust aperture (24); and

a vent module (7; 27; 51; 90) as it is defined in any of the preceding claims mounted at the oven muffle (2) such that the feed connection means (28) connects to the feed aperture (23) and the exhaust connection means (29) connects to the exhaust aperture (24) .
The cooking oven of claim 10, wherein the feed aperture (23) and the exhaust aperture (24) are arranged adjacent to each other in a wall of the oven muffle (2).
The cooking oven of claim 10 or claim 11, comprising a single cooling channel (50), wherein the feed air channel and the discharge channel both are constituted by the single cooling channel.
The cooking oven of claim 10 or claim 11, wherein the feed air channel and the discharge channel, at least for a region thereof, extend adjacent each other, and wherein the vent module (7; 27; 90) is mounted in such region.
The cooking oven of claim 13, wherein the feed air channel and the discharge channel are provided above the oven muffle (2), and wherein the venting module (7; 27; 90) is arranged such that the feed connection means is arranged within the feed air channel and the exhaust connection means is arranged within the exhaust channel.
The cooking oven of any one of claims 10 to 14, further comprising a fan (6) for accelerating the air within the feed air channel towards the feed aperture (23).
The cooking oven of any one of claims 10 to 14, further comprising a filter device arranged within, or in flow communication with, the feed air channel.
The cooking oven of any one of claims 10 to 15, further comprising a filter device arranged within, or in flow communication with, the discharge channel.