GB2568396A - Door for a cooking appliance - Google Patents

Abstract

A door 4, suitable for a cooking appliance (1, Fig. 1), comprises: front glass pane 7, two retaining upright profile members 9, 10 on its inner face 7a, and an inner glass pane 8. The panes are parallel to each other and spaced such to form an air chamber in an intermediate space (11, Fig. 2) bound on a lower edge by a plate-like strip sealing strip 13 comprising a resilient seal 17, 18 bearing against the inner face of the front glass pane and/or the front face of the inner glass pane. The sealing strip may extend in the width direction of the door between the retaining profile members and may extend in the depth direction in the intermediate space between the front glass pane and the inner glass pane. The sealing strip may be attached to the retaining profile members via screws, a latching connection or a plug connection (24, Fig. 6). The at least one seal may be extruded strand-like silicone or an applied silicone bead. The retaining profile members may be of plastics material. A cooking appliance comprising the door, a cooking chamber (3, Fig. 1) and a warming compartment (6, Fig. 1) is also claimed.

Description

DOOR FOR A COOKING APPLIANCE

The invention relates to a door for a cooking appliance and to a cooking appliance comprising such a door.

A known door disclosed in, for example, EP 1918645 A1 comprises a front glass pane and two retaining profiles which are arranged in the vertical direction of the door and which are arranged spaced apart from and parallel to one another on an inner face of the front glass pane. The door further comprises an inner glass pane which is spaced apart from the front glass pane. An intermediate space and/or an air chamber is formed between the inner glass pane and the front glass pane, wherein viewed in the vertical direction of the door a strip is arranged in a lower end of the glass panes, the air chamber being defined thereby.

In this construction the strip is provided for stabilising the position of the glass panes relative to one another. The design of the cooking appliance is further limited in that only one cooking chamber is present, said cooking chamber being closed by the door. No further air which is able to be subjected to heat and/or which contains cooking fumes during operation is specifically present in the lower region below this cooking chamber. The strip is provided there as a component of simple construction and in this regard is not designed with a further functionality.

It would be desirable in the case of a door for a cooking appliance to achieve improvement with regard to the permeability of media into and out of an air chamber. Moreover, it would also be desirable to configure a cooking appliance in a more customised manner, specifically in the region below a cooking chamber closable by a door.

According to the present invention there is provided a cooking appliance door as defined in claim 1.

In a preferred embodiment the door comprises a front glass pane which is formed as a plate-like element and, in particular, is designed to be at least partially transparent. This front glass pane may be made from, for example, real glass. The front glass pane represents an outer part on the front face and/or a visible component of the door so that, when the door is viewed on the front face by an observer, the front glass pane faces the observer. The door further comprises two retaining profiles which are arranged in the vertical direction of the door. These retaining profiles are arranged spaced apart from one another and parallel to one another on an inner face of the front glass pane. The door

I further comprises an inner glass pane which is separate from the front glass pane and

I which is arranged spaced apart from the front glass pane. This inner glass pape is also formed as, in particular, a plate-like element and to be at least partially transparent. An intermediate space and/or an air chamber is formed between the inner glass pane and the front glass pane. Viewed in the vertical direction of the door, a strip is arranged on a lower end of these two glass panes, this intermediate space being delimited downwardly

I thereby. This strip is configured as a plate-like sealing strip so that the intermediate space is sealed downwardly by this sealing strip. In particular, to this end, on a strip edge facing the inner face of the front glass pane, the sealing strip comprises a resilient seal which bears against the inner face. Additionally or alternatively, on a strip edge facing the front face of the inner glass pane, this sealing strip comprises a resilient seal which bears against this front face. Thus, this sealing strip is provided at specific points, namely viewed l

in its longitudinal direction, with at least one resilient seal which is provided for individually bearing against the surfaces of a glass pane. As a result, a sealing action is achieved in a particularly advantageous manner. Even if deviations occur due to production tolerances and/or mounting tolerances, through this specifically designed sealing strip the seal always bears against this side of a glass pane. Even if deformations of a glass pane potentially occur due to the temperatures which prevail during the operation of the cooking appliance, by this exposed position of a resilient seal which is present, a certain additional deformability of the sealing strip is possible so that in this case possibly occurring deformations of a glass pane are accommodated and the bearing of the scaling strip against the corresponding side of a glass pane is maintained. The sealing action is, therefore, maintained permanently and in a highly functional manner. ₍

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It is preferably provided that in the width direction of the door the sealing strip extends between the retaining profiles and in each case is connected on the end face to the retaining profiles. As a result, the sealing strip may be mechanically fastened in a stable manner so that the sealing strip itself is not additionally subjected to any undesirable positional alterations and/or deformations.

It is preferably provided that the sealing strip is screwed onto at least one retaining profile. As a result, a specific design of a connection may be provided, said connection being releasable in a non-destructive manner, being able to be mounted in a simple manner and yet being mechanically highly stable and load-bearing.

In a further alternative advantageous embodiment, it may be provided that the sealing strip is arranged on at least one retaining profile with a latching connection and/or a snap connection or a plug connection. This is also an alternative connecting option, which accordingly has the above-mentioned advantages which a screw connection might have.

It is preferably provided that at least one resilient seal is an extruded strand-like silicone seal. Such an embodiment permits the production of this resilient seal in a simple and dimensionally accurate manner, so that it may be produced in a relatively suitable manner and adapted to the respective conditions. Moreover, a silicone seal has a long service life and is particularly suitable for the environmental conditions to which a door in a cooking appliance is subjected.

In one embodiment of the sealing strip with the resilient sealing element and/or a resilient seal already arranged thereon, it is possible for the sealing strip to be produced in a single production process with the resilient seals. For example, this may take place by a specific extrusion process. It is also possible to produce this sealing strip, for example, at least as a two-component injection-moulded component.

In an alternative embodiment the at least one resilient seal is an applied silicone bead. In such an embodiment the resilient seal is itself not initially produced as a pre-shaped component which then is subsequently fitted onto the sealing strip, and then this sealing strip is fitted onto the door with the resilient seal arranged thereon, but first this strip is

I fitted and this silicone bead is specifically applied locally.

It is preferably provided that, viewed in the depth direction of the door, the sealing strip is only arranged in the intermediate space between the front glass pane and the inner glass pane and thus does not extend in the depth direction beyond the extent of the glass panes. As a result, a compact construction of the door is provided and this sealing strip is not obstructive to other components of the door.

In an advantageous embodiment, it is provided that the retaining profiles are made from plastics material. As a result, the retaining profiles may be produced with a low weight so that the door may also be configured with reduced weight.

The sealing strip may be configured to be gas-tight. The sealing strip preferably extends

I over the entire width of the intermediate space of the door.

The sealing strip is, in particular, configured with a base strip and/or support strip, in each case such a resilient seal being arranged thereon, on the edge side and/or narrow side on the front face and rear face. These resilient seals advantageously extend without interruption over the entire length of this base strip. The base strip may preferably be made from plastics material, in particular in one piece. In a further advantageous embodiment the lower face of the sealing strip is adapted to a lower edge of the front glass pane so that in this connection an improved guidance of cooking fumes and/or of a flow of cooking fumes is achieved.

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In a further alternative embodiment pre-fabricated and pre-shaped resilient seals are

I fastened to this base strip by adhesively bonded connections.

A further feature relates to a cooking appliance including such a door.

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Preferably, the cooking appliance comprises a cooking chamber which is closable by the door on the front face. In an advantageous embodiment, viewed in the vertical direction of the cooking appliance, the cooking appliance comprises an adjacent warming compartment thereunder.

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This warming compartment may be a warming drawer. The warming compartment, however, may also be a further cooking appliance. In particular, a compact double oven may then be formed. Specifically, in embodiments of a cooking appliance with an additional warming compartment separate from the actual cooking chamber of the appliance, cooking fumes or other hot air may escape from the warming compartment, in particular the lower cooking chamber, those cooking fumes then being able to enter, through the door arranged directly above, via this lower region into the intermediate space between the front glass pane and the inner glass pane. Since this may be disadvantageous, in such embodiments the sealing of this intermediate space of the door in the downward direction is particularly advantageous.

The positions and orientations when the door and/or appliance is or are used as; intended and arranged as intended are specified by the terms above, below, front, rear, horizontal, vertical, depth direction, width direction, vertical direction.

Further features of the invention are disclosed in the claims, the drawings and the description of the drawings. The features and combination of features described in the description and/or shown individually in the drawings are able to be used not only in the respectively specified combination, but also in other combinations or individually without departing from the scope of the claims. Thus embodiments of the invention which are not explicitly shown and described in the figures but are revealed and able to be produced by separate combinations of features from the described embodiments are to be regarded as disclosed.

Exemplifying embodiments of the invention are described in more detail hereinafter with reference to schematic drawings, in which:

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Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a cooking appliance embodying the invention;

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Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a door embodying the invention;

Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the door according to Fig. 2 in one direction;

Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view according to Fig. 3 in another direction;

Fig. 5 is a view, to an enlarged scale, of a detail of Fig. 2, but with the sealing strip removed; and

Fig. 6 is a view to an enlarged scale, of a detail of the region of the doo^^- according to Fig. 2.

In the figures, elements which are the same or functionally the same are provided with the same reference numerals.

A cooking appliance 1 for preparing food is shown in Fig. 1 in a schematic view. The cooking appliance 1 has a housing 2 in which a cooking chamber 3 is provided for preparing food. The cooking chamber 3 is defined by walls of a muffle (not shown), the muffle being received in the housing 2.

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At the front, the cooking chamber 3 is closed by a door 4. By way of example, a handle 5 is arranged on the door 4.

In an advantageous embodiment, the cooking appliance 1 may additionally include a warming compartment 6, which is placed in the vertical direction (y-direction) below the

I cooking chamber 2 and is formed separately from the cooking chamber 3. The warming compartment 6 may be a warming drawer, but also may be a further cooking appliance

I which has a separate cooking chamber for preparing food. In such an embodiment, the cooking appliance is then, in particular, a compact double oven.

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In an embodiment of the warming compartment 6 as a warming drawer, this warming

I drawer may be independently pushed in and out of the cooking chamber 2 in the depth direction (z-direction) and crockery, such as plates or the like, may be heated and/or kept warm therein. Furthermore, food which has already been cooked in the cooking chamber 3, and is at least partially ready, may then be introduced into this warming drawer for keeping warm.

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An embodiment of the door 4 is shown in Fig. 2 in a perspective view. This door has a front glass pane 7 which is a plate-like element, in particular made of real glass. In the embodiment the door 4 also comprises an inner glass pane 8 which is separate from the front glass pane 7 and which is arranged parallel to and spaced apart from the front glass pane 7. Furthermore, this inner glass pane 8, which in the closed state of the door 4 faces the cooking chamber 3 and thus is located closer thereto than the front glass I pane 7, is preferably also made of real glass. The cooking chamber 3 in the closed state of the door 4 may be viewed through the two glass panes 7 and 8, since these glass panes are at least partially transparent.

In the closed state of the door 4, two retaining profiles 9 and 10, which are oriented in the vertical direction, are arranged spaced apart and in parallel on an inner face 7a of the front glass pane 7 facing the cooking chamber 3, in particular by adhesively bonded connections.

An intermediate space 11 formed between the front glass pane 7 and the inner glass pane 8 provides a cavity or air chamber. With a projected view perpendicular to the planes of the two glass panes 7 and 8, this cavity or air chamber is dimensioned to be only within the dimensions which are defined by the smaller glass pane, in this case the inner glass pane 8.

A plate-like sealing strip 13 is arranged in a lower region 12 of this glass pane unit.

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The sealing strip 13 extends in the width direction (x-direction) over the entire width between the retaining profiles 9 and 10. Thus, in the width direction the intermediate space 11 is fully defined downwardly and also sealed by this sealing strip 13. Advantageously, viewed in the depth direction, the sealing strip 13 is entirely arranged between the two glass panes 7 and 8 and also does not extend in this depth direction beyond the clear width of the intermediate space 11. The sealing strip 13 thus bounds and/or to fills this intermediate space 11 in this depth direction, but in particular does not extend beyond the intermediate space.

The sealing strip 13 is advantageously connected to the retaining profiles 9 and 10 by

I connections which are releasable in a non-destructive manner. In this case, screw connections may be provided with the retaining profiles 9 and 10 in the regions of the sealing strip 13 at the end face. Furthermore, a latching connection and/or a snap connection may also be provided on both sides. It is also possible for the sealing strip 13 to be screwed at one end to a retaining profile 9, 10 and at the opposing end to be latched to the other retaining profile 9, 10. It is also possible for the sealing strip 13 at one end to be placed on one of the two retaining profiles 9, 10 and latched at the opposing!end to the other retaining profile 9, 10.

In Fig. 3, the door 4 is shown in an exploded view. The sealing strip 13 comprises a base strip 14 and/or support strip, which is made from plastic and in one piece. In each case a resilient seal 17 and 18 is arranged on opposing edge sides 15 and 16 of this base strip

14. The strand-like resilient seals 17 and 18 may be adhesively bonded to these narrow edge sides 15 and 16.

It is also possible for the sealing strip 13 to be produced in one piece with the base strip 14 and the resilient seals 17 and 18 and, for example, as an extruded component.

The resilient seals 17 and 18 may be extruded strand-like silicone seals.

It is also possible that these resilient seals are applied silicone beads.

According to the view in Fig. 3, the door 4 also has an upper strip-like and separate cover 19 which is also termed top cover. As a result, the glass pane unit and, in particular, also the intermediate space 11 are covered from above. This upper cover 19 extends, in

I particular, over the entire width of the smaller glass pane in the width direction, in l particular the inner glass pane 8.

In Fig. 4 the door 4 is also shown in an exploded view, but in a different perspective from Fig. 3, namely a view obliquely from the rear.

In Fig. 5 a partial detail of the door 4 in a lower corner region is shown to an enlarged scale. The sealing strip 13 here is removed. It can be seen that the retaining profile 10 which is shown here has a screw dome 20. The sealing strip 13, which at the end has a screw hole 21, can be fixed thereon by means of a screw.

In Fig. 5 it can also be seen that the lower face 23 of the sealing strip 13 is adapted to a lower edge 22 of the front glass pane 7 and/or terminates adjacent thereto and preferably has an uneven shape in the depth direction and/or is designed in a wave-like and/or groove-like manner.

By the adaptation of this lower face 23 of the sealing strip 13, in particular the base strip 14, an improved guidance ofthe flow of cooking fumes is possible.

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A further enlarged-scale perspective view of a sub-region of the door 4, which is opposite the corner region as shown in Fig. 5, is shown in Fig. 6. The mounted state of the sealing

I strip 13 on the retaining profile 9 is shown in Fig. 6. In particular, in this view a plug connection 24 is provided as the connection. In the mounted state, the rear resilient seal 18 bears against the front face 8a of the inner glass pane 8 facing the front glass pane 7. The front resilient seal 17 in this mounted state bears against the inner face 7a.

Claims (10)

1. A door for a cooking appliance, comprising a front glass pane, two retaining profile members which are upright in an intended use orientation of the door and which are arranged to be spaced from and parallel to one another on an inner face of the front glass pane, an inner glass pane arranged to be spaced from the front glass pane so that an air chamber is formed between the glass panes, and a strip arranged, as viewed in an intended use orientation of the door, at a lower end of the glass panes to thereby bound the air chamber downwardly, wherein the strip has the form of a plate-like sealing strip which seals the air chamber downwardly and comprises, on an edge facing the inner face of the front glass pane, a resilient seal bearing against the inner face of the front glass pane and/or, on an edge facing the front face of the inner glass pane, a resilient seal bearing against the

I front face of the inner glass pane.

2. A door as claimed in claim 1, wherein in a width direction of the door in the intended use orientation thereof the sealing strip extends between and is connected at the ends with the retaining profile members.

3. A door as claimed in claim 2, wherein the sealing strip is screwed onto at least one of the retaining profile members.

4. A door as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the sealing strip is arranged on at least one of the retaining profile members by a latching connection or plug connection.

5. A door as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the seal 'or at least one of the seals is an extruded strand-like silicone seal.

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6. A door as claimed in one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the seal or at least one of the seals is an applied silicone bead.

7. A door as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein in the depth direction of the door in the intended use orientation thereof the sealing strip extends only in the intermediate space between the front glass pane and the inner glass pane.

8. A door as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the retaining profile members are made from plastics material.

9. A cooking appliance comprising a door as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.

10. A cooking appliance as claimed in claim 9, comprising a cooking chamber which is closable by the door at a front face of the appliance, and an adjacent warming compartment under the cooking chamber.