ES1239306U - Closing device for appliance doors such as cooking ovens or heat maintainers for food and apparatus that includes said closing device (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding) - Google Patents

Abstract

Closing device for doors of appliances such as cooking ovens or heat maintainers for food, of the type comprising a cover in which a food chamber is defined and a door equipped with a handle to access said chamber, said door being articulated with said cover around a hinge shaft, said device comprising a hook element capable of being mounted on the door and provided with at least one locking tooth, a hook locking element with a surface of holding the locking tooth, said blocking element being susceptible to being mounted on the cover of the apparatus in a position such that it works with said hook between a reciprocal retention condition with said hook in a closed door position and a condition of release of said hook to allow the door to open, characterized by the fact that said hook element is in solidarity with the door, said tooth extending transversely in the direction of the door hinge axis, by the fact that said handle is in solidarity with the door, by the fact that said locking element is resting on the cover in an oscillating manner in relation to an axis of oscillation parallel to said door hinge axis and is provided with an elastic return means towards a position in which it is capable of retaining said hook, so that by the closing movement of the door, a pushing action in the handle it determines an oscillation of the blocking element in contrast to the elastic return action, as a consequence of the interference with the tooth and the subsequent return of said blocking element to the retention position of the tooth for blocking when closing the door, and by providing an activator means operatively connected to the blocking element and selectively operable to release the tooth from the surface of s positioning of the blocking element, so that from the condition of closing the door the actuation of said activating means determines the release of the hook element from the blocking element, allowing the opening of the door. (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding)

Description

DESCRIPTION

Closing device for appliance doors such as cooking ovens or heat maintainers for food and apparatus that includes said closing device

The present invention relates to a closing device for appliance doors such as cooking ovens or temperature maintainers for food which has the characteristics set forth in the preliminaries of main claim 1.

In the sector of the art of this type of apparatus are known the door closing devices that provide a closing system called "impulse", in which a fixed bolt located in the front of the oven is provided, which it is capable of collaborating in a reciprocal retention with a coupling element mounted partially oscillatingly on the door and provided with an elastic return means, said coupling element is configured to engage with a clamping surface, formed in the bolt when the Door moves when closed.

When the door is operated to close it, thanks to the oscillating assembly, the coupling element slides, oscillating on the bolt to the position in which, induced by the elastic force of the return means, it is adjusted against the fastening surface of the bolt, ensuring the lock when closing the door.

EP 1111175 has disclosed an example of a closing device that has these characteristics.

The closing system described in said document provides that, for the opening of the door, the coupling element, in solidarity with the door handle, has to be rotated so as to achieve a condition of unlocking the bolt, releasing it mode the opening movement of the door.

The fact that the opening of the door requires the user to rotate the handle can be impractical and disadvantageous, in particular if the user has a hand occupied in holding, for example, a tray for introducing it into the oven.

On the other hand, solutions are known that provide for automatic door opening systems, that is to say systems in which the handle can be fixed in the oven door and a Door lock device can be activated for automatic door opening.

However, in these solutions, one of the limitations that can be found lies in the fact that when opening the door, in general there is a significant leakage of vapors and odors that can cause problems in the surrounding environment even if the oven has been placed under a hood.

The main objective of the invention is to offer a closing device for appliance doors such as cooking ovens or heat maintainers for food, structurally and functionally conceived to overcome the limitations detected in the known technique that we have cited, and that involves a system of Simple and functional opening that is also capable of solving the problem of the escape of vapors and odors with respect to known solutions.

This objective and others to be shown below are achieved with the invention by means of a device of the mentioned type and an apparatus including said device made according to the appended claims.

The features and advantages of the present invention will be clearer in the following detailed description of some preferred exemplary exemplary embodiments, by way of indication but not limitation, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

- Figure 1 is a perspective and partial sectional view of a food cooking oven equipped with an example of a door closing device made according to the present invention,

- Figure 2 is a partial plan view from above and on an enlarged scale of a detail of the device of Figure 1,

- Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a detail of Figure 2, - Figure 3A is an enlarged perspective view of a detail of Figure 3, - Figures 4 and 5 are perspective views , respectively of some parts separately and assembled from a detail of the device of the previous figures,

- Figure 6 is an elevational view of the detail of Figure 5, shown in combination with a cable activating element,

- Figure 6A is a view of a detail of Figure 6 in an alternative embodiment, - Figures 7 and 8 are partial plan views of the detail of Figure 3 shown assembled in the closing device according to the invention in two conditions different operations, the figure 9 is an elevation view of a variant embodiment of a detail of the device of the previous figures, - Figures 9A, 9B, 9C and 9D are elevational views of the detail of Figure 9, shown respectively in different positions of a sequence operating mode of the device of the invention.

In relation to the aforementioned figures, with 1 an apparatus indicated as a cooking oven for food use is shown, which comprises an example of a closing device 10 of the oven door 2, made according to the invention.

It is understood that the closure device 10 can also be applied to a food heat maintainer or other similar devices, without the typology of the apparatus limiting the inventive concept that forms the basis of the present invention.

The oven 1 comprises a box-shaped cover 3 in which a chamber 4 for food is defined, in particular a cooking chamber, in whose mouth is the closing door 2 articulated to the cover 3 on one side of the latter , around a hinge axis indicated with an X.

The door 2 is formed by a perimeter frame 2a of the type comprising a pair of vertical uprights, parallel and separated from each other, which are connected to a respective pair of crossbars. In the frame 2a a pair of inner and outer crystals are mounted, separated from each other so that they define an inner chamber.

The cover 3 comprises a front perimeter frame 3a, which delimits the mouth of the cooking chamber.

In the frame 3a, along the perimeter of the mouth, a gasket 5 is mounted, which can be partially pressed against the inner glass after the door is closed, in order to guarantee the tightness against steam leakage and / or air or fumes from the cooking chamber.

The closing device 10 is prepared to guarantee an adequate closing force for the door 2, and for this it comprises a hook element 11 capable of mounting on the door 2 and provided with at least one locking tooth 12, and at least one locking element 13 of the hook 11.

At the free end of the hook 11 carrying the tooth, an outer surface 12a and an inner surface 12b, the latter being prepared to come into contact with the blocking element 13 in the action of reciprocal relative retention. The outer surface 12a has an oblique / convex profile and the surface 12b extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal development direction of the hook member 11.

The surface 12b can be made with a slightly concave profile to accommodate, in at least partial shape coupling, the locking element 13.

Said locking element 13 is capable of being mounted on the cover 3 in a position where it can work with the hook 11 between a reciprocal retention condition with the hook, in a closed position of the door 2, and a condition of release of said hook to allow the door to open.

To guarantee the condition of reciprocal immobilization, the locking element 13 is provided with a holding surface 14 of the locking tooth 12.

In one embodiment, in order to support the hook element 11 with the door it is provided that said hook is fixed, for example by welding, to a tubular splinter profile 15 elongated vertically in a direction parallel to the hinge axis. Said profile extends near a vertical side of the frame 2a, on the side laterally opposed to the area of articulation of the door with the cover. Near its opposing axial ends, the astiform profile 15 is joined, for example by welding, to respective parts 15a of the frame. In one embodiment, the profile 15 is made so that it passes through holes made in the corresponding part 15a, with the welding being carried out along the contour of said holes.

It is understood that the hook element 11 can also be attached to the door 2 in another way, for example by fixing to other structural parts of the door frame.

In more detail, the hook 11 comprises a body 11a with an end intended to be joined to the astiform profile 15 and bringing the tooth 12 to the opposite end, the tooth 12 extending transversely to the direction of the hinge axis X of the door.

The number 18 designates a handle in solidarity with door 2, on the external front side of the latter. In a preferred form, the handle 18 comprises a main body 18a, which preferably develops along the oven height part, extending parallel to the hinge shaft direction X.

At the opposing axial ends of the body 18a, respective handle parts 18b are provided, which are transversely raised from the body 18a, with which the handle 18 is fixed frontally to the door frame. Obviously the handle 18 can be fixed in different ways, and can assume different shapes and sizes, the handle being in any case in each configuration, in solidarity with the door.

The blocking element 13 is supported on the cover in an oscillating manner around an oscillation axis, indicated with Z, which is parallel to the hinge axis X. Said blocking element is also provided with an elastic return means 21 towards a position in which it is capable of retaining the hook 11, so that by the closing movement of the door, a pushing action on the handle 18 determines an oscillation of the blocking element 13, as opposed to the return action elastic of the means 21, as a consequence of the interference with the tooth 12, and the subsequent return of the blocking element 13 to the retention position of the tooth 12 for blocking when closing the door.

In more detail, the locking element 13 comprises a bushing 22 rotatably inserted in a bolt 23 in turn fixed to a frame 24. Said frame 24 is rotatably mounted on a plate 25, through a respective bolt 26 , around the oscillation axis Z, the plate 25 being joined, for example by means of fixing screws, to the cover 3 of the oven.

The elastic return means 21 comprises a torsion spring 21a, at least partially inserted in the bolt 26 and acting between the plate 25 and the frame 24. The cylindrical outer layer of the sleeve 22 makes the contact surface 14 intended to work with the tooth 12 of the closing device, to realize a kind of "latch" mechanism that serves to guarantee the closing force induced to the door.

The device 10 also comprises an activating means, indicated with the number 35, operatively connected to the blocking element 13 and selectively operable to release the tooth 12 from the holding surface 14 of the blocking element, so that from the closing condition of the door, the actuation of said activating means determines the release of the hook element 11 from the locking element, allowing the door to open.

The number 40 indicates the controls provided for the control of the environment as a whole. activator 35.

In one embodiment, the activator means 35 comprises a metallic activator cable, indicated in Figure 6 with the number 41.

The trigger cable 41 is configured to be fixed, at one of its ends, to the frame 24 and be sent, with a predetermined deflection angle, around a deflection element 42 integral with the plate 25, so that an action of The tension exerted on the cable 41 determines the oscillation of the frame 24, and jointly with it the oscillation of the blocking element 13, in contrast to the corresponding elastic return means 21, in order to release the tooth 12 from the respective clamping surface 14 of the blocking element.

More specifically, in relation to FIG. 6, the cable 41 has at one end an eyelet inserted in a bolt 43 mounted on the frame 24, so that it connects the cable to the frame. The diverting element 42 comprises a bushing 42a inserted in a bolt 44 connected in turn to two appendages 45a, 45b. Said appendices are attached to the plate 25 and leave the plate parallel to each other and skirting the frame 24.

In one embodiment, the activator cable 41 is prepared to be operated by a pedal control 46, schematically represented in Figure 6. A pedal control located on the ground can be provided or, alternatively, a button can be operated operated with the knee. In this variant, therefore, the handle or pedal can be used indifferently to open the door.

During operation, to activate the closure, the door 2 is pushed or pushed with the necessary force in the direction of the mouth (the force must be such that it presses the joint 5 and thus penetrates the hook by entering the locking element) . In this impulse movement, the surface 12a of the hook tooth slides in the bushing 22, rotating the bolt 23 around the oscillation axis Z until the surface 12 exceeds the bushing. Once the bushing is exceeded, the torsion spring 21a returns the locking bolt 23 to its resting position in which the surface 12b of the engagement tooth locks said bolt reaching the closed position of the door.

To activate the opening of the door, starting from the rest position, when the pedal 46 is pressed, the tie wire 41 rotates around the bushing 42a (figure 6) by pulling the bolt 43 towards itself, also forcing the bushing 22 to rotate around bolt 26 in the direction of the arrow (figure 7). In this way the surface 12b of the hook 11 slides in the bushing 22 releasing the hook (figure 8) and allowing the door to open.

In an alternative embodiment (fig. 6A), the activator cable 41 is configured to be operated by an electric motor 47, the activation of which can be carried out by means of a control button 2b placed on a control panel 2c accessible to the user on the side oven front.

The electric drive with respect to the pedal (ie mechanical) also has the advantage that it allows the automatic opening of the door 2 and said opening can be programmed by associating it with the end of the cooking program.

The operation in the impulse closing phase of the door is substantially the operation relative to the example described above. The operation in the opening phase of the door provides for the movements of the closing device of the described example in which the blocking element 13 is released from the hook element 11 thanks to the pulling action of the activating cable 41 driven by the motor 47.

In Figures 9 and 9A through 9F, another example of a closing device according to the invention is shown, in which details analogous to those of the previous example are identified with the same numerical references.

This example differs from the previous ones mainly by the fact that the closing device comprises a second hook element 11b bearing a second locking tooth 32 with a respective inner locking surface 32b and an opposing outer surface 32a.

The hook 11b is arranged in a specular position in front of the hook 11, clearly illustrated in the figures, and the tooth 32 is placed at a distance from the axis of the astiform profile 15, to a greater extent with respect to the distance of the tooth 12 from said axis. Therefore, the tooth 32 is positioned farther than the tooth 12 with respect to the astiform profile with which both teeth 12, 32 are joined.

This relative positioning means that the opening of the door can be carried out in two movements, one successive to the other, once the activating means is activated.

In a first movement, thanks to the motor pull action on the activator cable, it takes place the release of the first tooth 12 (figure 9a) from the locking element, which is followed by the contact of the second tooth 32 with the locking element 13 (figure 9B), determining a partial opening of the door. In this phase the opening of the door is induced by the elastic action of the joint, which after the first movement is less pressed and therefore tends to exert a pushing action on the door, blocking the movement once the position of the Figure 9C (immobilization of the second tooth against the blocking element).

From the position of figure 9C, a new motor drive that loosen the tension in the activator cable causes the blocking element 13 to return thanks to the elastic action of the spring 21a, towards the rest position, thereby releasing the tooth 32 of the blocking element (figure 9D), thus releasing a second movement of the door that determines the complete opening of the latter.

Thus, in this variant, two movements are required to open the door, both activated through the activating means electrically operated by the motor, the first movement does not open the door completely because it locks the door in a half-open position, in which the gasket 5 is no longer pressed and the distance from the door to the gasket is a few millimeters or a maximum of a few centimeters. This partial opening allows hot smoke to escape and the cooking process is interrupted. In addition to interrupting the cooking process, this partial opening is useful when the oven is under a hood and a sudden and wide opening of the door could release a high amount of hot smoke that contains too much water vapor or too much organic steam that can contaminate the environment and / or produce bad odors. In these cases, a partial opening of the door (first movement) lets out most of the hot smoke upwards, that is, towards the extractor hood.

To perform the double opening movement of the door, the motor can be operated by means of a control button placed on the control panel (for example, with a first and second intervention on the button to determine the respective first and second opening movements) , or the motor can be operated automatically with the cooking program.

The components of the described closing device can be made of a metallic material (for example stainless steel) or of plastic, with the exception of the elastic return springs that are made of steel.

The handle 18 may provide a main handle body 18a having a length equal to the door height or smaller, depending on this choice of mainly aesthetic reasons, since the functionality does not change.

The electric drive with respect to the pedal (ie mechanical) also has the advantage that it allows the automatic opening of the door 2 and said opening can be programmed by associating it with the end of the cooking program.

In this way, the invention achieves the proposed objectives, obtaining the aforementioned advantages over known solutions.

An advantage lies in the fact that the device of the present invention allows a simple and manageable system for easy opening and closing of the door.

Another advantage is that with the device of the invention it is possible to open the door in two movements with automatic actuation or with an actuation carried out directly by the cooking program.

Other additional advantages are achieved with the variants of the device according to the invention, all designed to guarantee the impulse closing of the door and of such nature that they satisfy other and diverse operational requirements.

Claims (9)

1. Closing device for doors of appliances such as cooking ovens or heat maintainers for food, of the type comprising a cover in which a food chamber is defined and a door equipped with a handle to access said chamber , said door being articulated with said cover around a hinge shaft, said device comprising a hook element capable of being mounted on the door and provided with at least one locking tooth, a hook locking element with a clamping surface of the locking tooth, said blocking element being susceptible to being mounted on the cover of the apparatus in a position such that it works with said hook between a reciprocal retention condition with said hook in a door closing position and a condition of releasing said hook to allow the door to open, characterized by the fact that said hook element is in solidarity with the door, said tooth extending transversely in the direction of the door hinge axis, by the fact that said shooter is in solidarity with the door, by the fact that said locking element is resting on the cover in an oscillating manner around an axis of oscillation parallel to said door hinge axis and is provided with an elastic return means towards a position in which it is liable to retain said hook, so that by the closing movement of the door, a pushing action on the handle determines an oscillation of the locking element in contrast to the elastic return action, as a consequence of the interference with the tooth and the subsequent return of said locking element to the retention position of the tooth for locking when closing the door, and by providing an activator means operatively connected to the blocking element and selectively operable to release the tooth from the clamping surface of the blocking element, so that from the closing condition of the door the actuation of said activating means determines the release of the hook element from the blocking element, allowing the opening of the door. 2. Device according to claim 1, wherein said activating means comprises a metallic activating cable. 3. Device according to claim 2, wherein said activating cable is operated with a foot control. 4. Device according to claim 2, wherein said activating cable is operated with an electric motor. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said locking element comprises a bushing rotatably inserted in a first bolt fixed to a frame mounted rotatably on a plate, by means of a second bolt, around said oscillation axis , said plate being in solidarity with the cover of the apparatus, the elastic return means comprising a torsion spring, inserted at least partially in the second bolt and acting between the plate and the frame, the outer layer of the bushing making the clamping surface of the blocking element. 6. Device according to claims 2 and 5 wherein said cable is configured to be fixed to said frame and sent, with a predetermined deflection angle, around a deflection element integral with the plate, so that an action of The cable exerted on the cable determines the oscillation of the frame, and jointly with it the oscillation of the blocking element, in contrast to the corresponding elastic return means, in order to free the tooth from the hook element of the respective clamping surface of the blocking element. 7. Device according to claim 4, wherein said motor is activated by a control button placed on a control panel accessible to the user on the front side of the appliance or the motor is activated with the cooking program. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said hook element comprises a second locking tooth with a respective second locking surface, said second tooth being separated from the first locking tooth by a distance from the fixing area in the door greater than the corresponding distance of the first tooth, in a relative position such that, in the opening movement of the door, thanks to the action of said actuator means, the release of the first tooth is followed by the entry into contact of the second tooth against the blocking element, determining a partial opening of the door, until the release of the second tooth, by means of the action of the activating means, for the complete opening of the door. 9. Device according to claim 8, wherein said motor is activated by a cooking program to determine an automatic opening of the door in two movements.