GB2271045A

GB2271045A - Turntable drive in a microwave oven

Info

Publication number: GB2271045A
Application number: GB9319506A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter William Keig; Kenneth Emeny; James Moore
Original assignee: Morphy Richards Ltd
Current assignee: Morphy Richards Ltd
Priority date: 1992-09-25
Filing date: 1993-09-22
Publication date: 1994-03-30
Anticipated expiration: 2013-09-22
Also published as: GB9319506D0; GB9220334D0; GB2271045B

Abstract

A microwave oven comprises a tray 4 located within the oven, said tray being slidably mounted, a turntable 2 mounted for rotation on the tray, and there being a disconnectable connection 7 between the turntable 2 and a drive shaft 8 of a motor drive means. Thus, with the oven door open, and the drive shaft disconnected from the turntable, the tray, the turntable, and hence foodstuffs on the turntable, can be slid from within the oven to allow easy access to the foodstuffs to turn, reposition, or stir them, as required. <IMAGE>

Description

OVENS This invention relates to ovens and is particularly concerned with microwave ovens.

Ordinarily, microwave ovens and particularly domestic microwave ovens, have a relatively compact oven cavity. In some instances such ovens have a turntable to support food to be cooked that rotates automatically during the operation of the oven in an attempt to achieve uniform heating and cooking of the foodstuffs. In other instances such ovens have a static base, and have a means associated with the microwave emitter to vary the direction of emitted microwave such as for example by providing a stirrer fan the blades of which are at different angles. Here the attempt is to vary the distribution of microwaves within the oven, again for the purpose of attempting to achieve uniformity of heating and cooking.

Despite the presence of either turntables or of such as stirrer fans, it remains highly advisable that partway through the heating or cooking process, the foodstuffs are turned, repositioned, or stirred, and whereby to ensure total uniformity in the heating and cooking process, but given the normally compact nature of the oven cavity this is difficult to achieve with the foodstuffs remaining within the cavity.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a means of assisting the moving, the turning, or the stirring of foodstuffs in an oven.

According to the present invention, an oven comprises a tray strategically located within the oven, said tray being slidably mounted, a turntable mounted for rotation on the tray, and there being a disconnectable connection between the turntable and a drive shaft of an appropriate motor drive means.

Thus, with the oven door open, and the drive shaft disconnected from the turntable, the tray, the turntable, and hence foodstuffs on the turntable, can be slid from within the oven to allow easy access to the foodstuffs to turn, reposition, or stir them, as may be desirable or required.

The disconnectable connection between the drive shaft and the turntable, may be manual and to be activated following the opening of the oven door, or may be automatic and activated by the opening of the door. In the latter case, a drive member secured below the turntable may extend through an appropriate opening in the tray, a drive boss may be slidably mounted on the drive shaft, there being a lifting mechanism associated with the drive boss, and attached to a springloaded actuating arm emerging through the front frame of the oven and for contact by the oven door. Thus, with the door closed, the actuating arm is pushed inwardly of the oven to urge the lifting mechanism against the drive boss to lift it into engagement with the drive member on the tray.As the oven door is opened, spring means associated with the actuating arm urge it outwardly of the oven to allow the drive boss to lower until it is clear of the turntable drive member and the tray, and when the tray can be slid from within the oven.

According to a further aspect of the invention, an oven comprises a tray strategically located within the oven and on which foodstuffs are to be placed, said tray being slidably mounted, and there being a means to effect an automatic sliding of the tray outwardly of the oven cavity on the opening of the oven door.Thus, and with domestic microwave ovens, said tray may be slidably mounted on the base of the oven, and with microwave ovens with turntables, the turntable may be mounted on the slidable tray and when a disengageable connection means is provided to enable the disconnection of the turntable from a drive means for the turntable as the door is opened and to allow automatic sliding of the tray from within the oven cavity, and to enable reconnection of the drive means following completion of the closing of the door and automatic sliding of the tray back to its operative position.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a part-schematic exploded side elevation of an oven in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a sectional side elevation of Figure 1 with the components assembled and the oven door open; and Figure 3 corresponds to Figure 2 but shows the oven door closed.

In the drawings, an oven 1 has a turntable 2 below which is a conventional wheel ring 3. The wheel ring 3 rests on a slidable tray 4, a drive member 5 on the underside of the turntable 2 extending through a corresponding hole 6 in the slidable tray.

With the slide tray resting on sliders secured to the side walls of the oven, and with the oven door opened, the tray can be slid part-way out of the oven to bring food on the turntable to an accessible position where it can easily be repositioned, turned, stirred or the like as may be advisable for the proper cooking of the food.

To enable the rotation of the turntable, a drive boss 7 is provided, slidably mounted on the drive shaft 8 of a motor 9, the drive shaft 8 extending through a bracket 10 by way of which the motor 9 is secured below the base of the oven. To cause engagement and disconnection of the drive boss 7 and the drive member 5 on the turntable, a lifting mechanism 11 is provided slidably mounted on a push rod 12 with a spring 13 to hold the lifting mechanism in its operative position, the push rod extending through the oven casing 14 for engagement by the door of the oven. Further spring means 15 are provided between a bracket 16 and a flange 17 on the rod to urge the push rod in a direction to disconnect the drive to the turntable.

Thus, with the oven door closed, the push rod 12 is pushed inwardly of the oven to urge the lifting mechanism 11 into contact with the drive boss 7 to lift it into engagement with drive member 5 on the turntable. The oven can then be operated normally and the turntable rotated during the cooking of food placed on it.

At an intermediary point in the cooking cycle, the door can be opened with automatic cut-out of the drive motor in conventional manner, opening of the door releasing the push rod 12 such that it can be moved under the action of the spring 15 to disengage the lifting mechanism 11 from the drive boss 7, to allow it to slide down the drive shaft 8 and disengage from the drive means 5. The tray 4 can be slid outwardly of the oven to expose the food on the turntable.

After returning the tray to within the oven, closing of the door urges the push rod inwardly to reconnect the drive boss 7 with the drive means 5, and with automatic reactivation of the drive motor, the cooking cycle is recommenced.

Claims

1. An oven comprising a tray strategically located within the oven,-said tray being slidably mounted, a turntable mounted for rotation on the tray, and there being a disconnectable connection between the turntable and a drive shaft of an appropriate motor drive means.

2. An oven as in Claim 1, wherein the disconnectable connection between the drive shaft and the turntable is manual and activated following the opening of the oven door.

3. An oven as in Claim 1, wherein the disconnectable connection between the drive shaft and the turntable is automatic and activated by the opening of the door.

4. An oven.as in Claim 3, wherein a drive member secured below the turntable extends through an appropriate opening in the tray, there being a drive boss slidably mounted on the drive shaft and there being a lifting mechanism associated with the drive boss, and attached to a springloaded actuating arm emerging through the front frame of the oven and for contact by the oven door.

5. An oven comprising a tray strategically located within the oven on which foodstuffs are to be placed, said tray being slidably mounted, and there being a means to effect an automatic sliding of the tray outwardly of the oven cavity on the opening of the oven door.

6. An oven as in Claim 5, wherein and with ovens with a turntable, the turntable is mounted on the slidable tray and a disengageable connection means is provided to enable the disconnection of the turntable from a drive means for the turntable as the door is opened and to allow automatic sliding of the tray from within the oven cavity, and to enable reconnection of the drive means following completion of the closing of the door and automatic sliding of the tray back to its operative position.

7. An oven substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.