WO2017102247A1

WO2017102247A1 - An oven having an adjustable height rack assembly

Info

Publication number: WO2017102247A1
Application number: PCT/EP2016/078117
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yücel Ceylan; Sevgi COSAR; Metin Erbay; Nurcan Oktay; Hasan Emrah TORUN; Gürkan Tuban
Original assignee: BSH Hausgeräte GmbH
Priority date: 2015-12-18
Filing date: 2016-11-18
Publication date: 2017-06-22

Abstract

The present invention is an oven comprising a housing (10) placed into a body (1), and which defines a cooking chamber (6) between a rear wall (12) and opposite side walls (14) adjacent to said rear wall (12) from two sides. The oven comprises a support rod (44) positioned vertically in the vicinity of the rear wall (12) of the housing (10) to elevate a support element (48), holding a tray (22) to a vertical position at the vertical height of the cooking chamber (6), selectively.

Description

SPECIFICATION

AN OVEN HAVING AN ADJUSTABLE HEIGHT RACK ASSEMBLY The present invention relates to home appliances and particularly relates to ovens comprising a rack assembly with adjustable height tray.

Ovens comprise a housing provided in a body, and a rack assembly carrying the trays arranged in the housing. The clearance between the oven trays, placed to the rack assembly, and the electric heaters, fixed on the upper and lower section or the rear wall of the housing, is fixed during the cooking process.

Various mechanisms are disclosed related to the movement of the tray inside the housing. In the US patent publication US2014239788A1 , an appliance and a rack assembly for the same are anticipated. The rack assembly includes a geared rack and a pair of gears. The gears of the pair of gears mesh with each other and the geared rack. The rack assembly also includes a shelf and a support link that couples that shelf to at least one of the pair of gears. The geared rack and pair of gears can assist with selectively adjusting a vertical height of the shelf.

The international patent publication WO2014102296 relates to an oven comprising a cooking chamber wherein the cooking utensils containing the foodstuffs to be cooked are placed, a housing in the shape of a box with front side open, surrounding the cooking chamber, having two opposite side walls, a heater situated at the ceiling or the base of the cooking chamber, a carrier whereon the cooking utensil can be placed, and a movement mechanism enabling the carrier to be moved upwards/downwards.

The object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable height rack assembly in ovens. In order to achieve the abovementioned object, the present invention is an oven comprising a housing placed into a body and which defines a cooking chamber between a rear wall and opposite side walls adjacent to the rear wall from two sides. In a probable application of the present invention, there is a support rod positioned vertically in the vicinity of the rear wall of the housing and to elevate a support element, holding a tray to vertical position at the vertical height of the cooking chamber, selectively. The support element, which can be adjusted to the preferred vertical position on the support rod, can be easily adapted in a modular manner to the cooking chamber of any cooking device, since said support element is secured in a close manner to the rear wall.

In a probable embodiment of the present invention, the oven comprises a bearing fixed to the support element and guided to the support rod. The bearing moves on the rod and it provides preserving the linear movement thereof on the rod despite the weight of the support element which changes depending on the amount of the foodstuff being cooked.

In a probable embodiment of the present invention, the bearing and the support rod are in the form of gear pair providing movement of the bearing on the support rod. Thus, by means of the gear steps, the bearing can be easily taken to the preferred position.

In a probable embodiment of the present invention, the oven comprises a drive mechanism engaged to the support rod in a manner providing axial rotation of the support rod. The support rod can be rotated by means of the drive mechanism, and the position of the tray inside the cooking chamber can be changed.

In a probable embodiment of the present invention, the drive mechanism comprises a motor geared coupled to the support rod from one end. The motor provides the tray to be taken to the desired position even during cooking by means of a control system even at different tray weights. In a possible embodiment, a rotational mechanism can be used which provides manual drive instead of driving by means of the motor. In this case, the position of the tray in the cooking chamber will be adjusted by means of the manual rotation. In a probable embodiment of the present invention, the support element comprises a support body extending to the rear wall from one side, and arms extending to the mutual side walls from the other side. In this case, the support element easily guides the tray from the lower section and takes the tray onto itself. Moreover, a compact structure is obtained, and the blockage of the air circulating in the cooking chamber is reduced.

In a probable embodiment of the present invention, the oven comprises a telescopic rail provided on the arms and the tray is attached from lateral sides. The telescopic rails are fixed to the support element arms, and by means of the same structure, the tray can be easily removed from the cooking chamber, and also height adjustment can be made. In a probable embodiment of the present invention, the oven comprises an auxiliary rod extending in a parallel manner from the two sides of the support rod and guiding the support element. The auxiliary rod increases the number of supports of the support element, and it prevents bending of the support element in case of unbalanced load distribution.

In a probable embodiment of the present invention, the oven comprises a frame which joins the auxiliary rod and the support rod pair from the ends thereof. Thus, the weight carrying capacity of the support rod and of the auxiliary rod are increased. In a probable embodiment of the present invention, the support element and the support rod are made of a metal material. By means of the metal material, the support rod can be adapted in the cooking chamber in a manner adjusting the tray height during cooking.

Figure 1 is the frontal view of an oven having a representative application of the subject matter rack assembly.

Figure 2 is the frontal view of a covered application of the subject matter rack assembly on the rear wall of the housing. Figure 3 is the perspective view of the rack assembly without the tray where the housing is lifted from above.

Figure 4 is the perspective view of the rack assembly, illustrated in Figure 3, where the tray has been outwardly drawn.

Figure 5 is the perspective view of a representative application of the subject matter rack assembly.

Figure 6 is the zoomed perspective view of an alternative application of the drive system of the rack assembly.

In this detailed description, the subject matter improvement is explained with references to examples without forming any restrictive effect only in order to make the subject more understandable. In Figure 1 , the frontal view of an oven comprising a representative embodiment of the subject matter rack assembly is given. The oven comprises a panel provided at the upper section of a body (1 ) and supporting the control elements (2), and a housing (10) provided thereunder. An openable door (3) is hinged to the body (1 ) from the outer section of the housing (10). A cooking chamber (6) is delimited by a rear wall (12) of the housing (10) and by the adjacent side walls (14). An electric heater (5) is positioned on a base (16) of the housing (10) and an electric heater (5) is positioned on a ceiling (17) provided at the opposite. On the rear wall (12), a fan (4) is provided for the circulation of the air heated in the cooking chamber (6) by means of electric heaters (5). A tray arrangement (20) is seated to the side walls (14) in a removable manner from the mutual edges thereof. A cover (30) is provided in front of the rear wall (12). The cover (30) masks a rack assembly (40) from the front side.

In Figure 2, the frontal view of the cover (30) and of the tray arrangement (20) in another representative application is given. The tray arrangement (20) seats onto one each telescopic rails (24) fixed on the side walls (14). The cover (30) is in the form of a panel (31 ) aligned to the middle section of the rear wall (12) and whereon orthogonal extending slits are provided. On the panel (31 ), two parallel embossments (32) extend from end to end orthogonally. A channel (33) is formed between the embossments (32). One each intermediate channels (35), which are identical to the channel (33), are provided at the outer section of the embossments (32). A drive mechanism (50) is placed under the base (16).

In Figure 3, the perspective view of the housing (10) used in a different embodiment of the present invention is given where the ceiling (17) of the housing (10) is removed. The rack assembly (40) is in the form of a U-like panel. A support body (48) of the rack assembly (40) has an extended parallel structure which is close to the rear wall (12) such that a tray (22) can be seated from the rear section thereof. The arms (49) extend in a parallel manner with respect to the side walls (14) from two mutual ends of the support body (48). The outer end of the arms (49) is close to the middle of the corresponding side wall (14). A holder element (45) is fixed at the upper section of the arms (49). The holder element (45) has a flap form extending along the inner edge of the arm (49). The holder element (45) tightens the telescopic rail (24) between the side wall (14) and the holder element (45). Thus, the telescopic rail (24) is fixed on the arm (49) in a removable manner. The rack assembly (40) has a one-piece panel structure, and it is positioned parallel with respect to the base (16). The support body (48) is guided by a support rod (44), seating onto the base (16), by means of a frame (42) which is adjacent to the rear wall (12). The support rod (44) orthogonally extends between the ceiling (17) and the base (16). A thread (441 ) is formed on the support rod (44), and the support rod (44) takes the form of a worm gear. A hollow cylindrical bearing (46) is covered onto the support rod (44) by means of a rib (not illustrated in the figures) provided therein. The bearing (46) is fixed to the support body (48) from the side wall (14) thereof. One each auxiliary rods (41 ) extend at the two sides of the support rod (44). The frame (42) joins the support rod (44) and the auxiliary rods (41 ), extending in a parallel manner at the two sides, from the upper ends thereof. A lower frame (47) joins the support rod (44) and the auxiliary rods (41 ) to each other from the lower ends thereof. One each hollow cylindrical guide bodies (43) are covered to the auxiliary rods (41 ) in a guiding manner. The guide body (43) is fixed to the support body (48) from the lateral edge thereof. Upper surface of the support body (481 ) is formed in a flat form which is suitable for supporting the oven tray (22).

In Figure 4, the view of the rack assembly (40) is given where the tray (22) has been outwardly drawn. The tray (22) seats onto the arms (49) of the telescopic rail (24) from the lateral edges thereof. The holder element (45) holds the body of the telescopic rail (24), and the arms (49) extend outwardly from the body. Lateral guides (15), which are in depression form, extend vertically on the side wall (14). One each extensions protruding from the edge of the arms (49) engage to these guides, and they facilitate linear advancing of the arms (49) during the upward and downward movement of the arms (49).

In Figure 5, the perspective view of the rack assembly (40) is given. The support rod (44) and the auxiliary rods (41 ) are in equal length. There is a ring (51 ) on the lower frame (47). The ring (51 ) houses the support rod (44) between the lower frame (47) and the frame (42) in a rotatable manner. A gear pair (54) is formed by means of a gear on the ring (51 ) and another gear coupled to said gear. The gear pair (54) is worm gear. A motor (52) rotates the gear pair (54) which is a worm gear, and thereby the drive mechanism (50) is formed. In Figure 6, the zoomed view of an alternative drive mechanism (50) is given. The gear pair (54) is formed by the gear, provided at the lower end of the support rod (44), by means of a helical gear (53) provided at the end of a rod (55). The support rod (44) extends outwardly through a hole formed on the lower end of the rear wall (12). Thus, the drive mechanism (50) extends until the lower section of the housing (10).

When the drive mechanism (50) rotates, the gear pair (54) rotates and the gear pair (54) transforms the rotation movement in the horizontal axis into vertical rotation, and it rotates the support rod (44) around its own axis. As a result of the rotation of the support rod (44), the linear bearing (46) moves in the vertical direction. The support body (48) moves vertically so as to be parallel with respect to the base (16), and it carries the tray (22) thereon during this vertical movement. A control element, connected to the motor (52), moves the tray (22) away from the base (16) or from the ceiling (17), or said control element moves the tray (22) towards the base (16) or towards the ceiling (17).

REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 Body

2 Control element

3 Door

4 Fan

5 Electric heater

6 Cooking chamber

10 Housing

12 Rear wall

14 Side wall

15 Lateral guide

16 Base

17 Ceiling

20 Tray arrangement

22 Tray

24 Telescopic rail

30 Cover

31 Panel

32 Embossment

33 Channel

35 Intermediate channel

40 Rack assembly

4 Auxiliary rod

42 Frame

43 Guide body

44 Support rod

441 Thread

45 Holder element

46 Bearing

47 Lower frame

48 Support element

481 Support body

49 Arm

50 Drive mechanism

51 Ring Motor Helical gear Gear pair Rod

Claims

1. An oven comprising a housing (10) placed into a body (1 ), and which defines a cooking chamber (6) between a rear wall (12) and opposite side walls (14) adjacent to the rear wall (12) from two sides, characterized by a support rod (44) positioned vertically in the vicinity of the rear wall (12) of the housing (10) to elevate a support element (48), holding a tray (22) to vertical position at the vertical height of the cooking chamber (6), selectively.

2. An oven according to Claim 1 wherein, a bearing (46) is fixed to the support element (48) and guided to the support rod (44).

3. An oven according to Claim 2, wherein the bearing (46) and the support rod (44) are in the form of gear pair providing movement of the bearing (46) on the support rod (44).

4. An oven according to Claim 3, wherein a drive mechanism (50) is engaged to the support rod (44) in a manner providing axial rotation of the support rod (44).

5. An oven according to Claim 4, wherein the drive mechanism (50) comprises a motor (52) geared coupled to the support rod (44) from one end.

6. An oven according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the support element (48) comprises a support body (481 ) extending to the rear wall (12) from one side, and arms (49) extending to the mutual side walls (14) from the other side.

7. An oven according to Claim 6, wherein the oven comprises a telescopic rail (24) provided on the arms (49) and the tray (22) is attached from the lateral sides.

8. An oven according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the oven comprises an auxiliary rod (41 ) extending in a parallel manner from the two sides of the support rod (44) and guiding the support body (48).

9. An oven according to Claim 8, wherein the oven comprises a frame (42) which joins the auxiliary rod (41 ) and the support rod (44) pair from the ends thereof. An oven according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the support element (48) and the support rod (44) are made of a metal material.