WO2022184433A1

WO2022184433A1 - Steam treatment drawer for a domestic cooking appliance

Info

Publication number: WO2022184433A1
Application number: PCT/EP2022/053741
Authority: WO
Inventors: Markus Helminger; Philipp Kleinlein; Christian Clauss; Ludovic Ball
Original assignee: BSH Hausgeräte GmbH
Priority date: 2021-03-01
Filing date: 2022-02-16
Publication date: 2022-09-09
Also published as: DE102021201955A1; CN117015682A

Abstract

The invention relates to a steam treatment drawer (5; 65) for a domestic cooking appliance (1), having a steamer pan (20) for receiving treatment products to be steam treated, a cover (28), and a manually actuatable actuation mechanism (61; 66), wherein the steam treatment drawer (5) has a support frame (30) into which the steamer pan (20) can be inserted and on which the cover (28) can be movably placed; the cover (28) can be moved between a closed position and an open position; in the closed position, the cover (28) covers an open upper face (20a) of the steamer pan (20) in a steam-tight manner; and the actuation mechanism (61; 66) is designed to move the closed cover (28) upon being actuated by a user such that a gap (S) is formed on an edge of the cover (28), said gap being provided in order to discharge steam out of the steamer pan (20). A domestic cooking appliance (1) has at least one steam treatment drawer (5; 65), and a method is used to produce a gap (S) in order to discharge steam out of a steam treatment drawer (5).

Description

Steam treatment drawer for a household cooking appliance

The invention relates to a steam treatment drawer for a household cooking appliance, comprising a steamer tray for receiving items to be steamed and a lid which, in its closed position, covers an open upper side of the steamer tray in a steam-tight manner. The invention also relates to a method for creating a gap for steam exit from a steam treatment drawer.

Oven/steaming drawer combinations are known in which a steaming drawer is located below an oven. It is known that a loading opening on the upper side of the damper pan permanently installed in the drawer can be covered by means of a cover that can be placed and removed from above. The disadvantage here is that when the lid is removed, any hot steam that is still present can escape in an uncontrolled manner, which can be uncomfortable for the user and or even pose a risk of burns. It is also known that the damper pan can be covered by means of a pivotable cover that can be folded up manually. A disadvantage in this case is that when the lid is opened after a steam treatment process, it is difficult to release the steam that is still present in a controlled manner.

It is the object of the present invention to at least partially overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.

This object is solved according to the features of the independent claims. Preferred embodiments can be found in particular in the dependent claims and/or the description.

The object is achieved by a steam treatment drawer for a household cooking appliance, having a steamer trough for receiving items to be treated with steam, a lid and a manually operable actuating mechanism, wherein

- the steam treatment drawer has a support frame into which the steamer tank can be inserted and on which the cover can be slidably placed, - the lid can be slid between a closed position and an open position,

- the lid, in its closed position, covers an open top of the damper pan and

the actuating mechanism is set up to move the closed lid when actuated by a user in such a way that a gap is formed at one edge of the lid, which gap is provided or serves to allow steam to escape from the damper pan.

This has the advantage that the cover is moved in response to user actuation in such a way that a defined gap is automatically formed through which steam can escape from the damper pan into the environment in a controlled manner in such a way that a user is not or only slightly through the steam being molested.

The steam treatment drawer can be extended horizontally forwards from a drawer housing (e.g. manually, power-assisted or motorized) and retracted horizontally backwards into the drawer housing. When the steam treatment drawer is extended, the cover can be moved on the support frame in the direction of travel or backwards or forwards. If the steam treatment drawer is extended and the lid is open, in a further development the lid can be automatically closed again when the steam treatment drawer is retracted.

If the cover is in its closed position ("closed position"), it covers the open top or loading opening of the damper pan at least largely in a vapor-tight manner. For this purpose, there can be a seal between the damper pan and the cover, which can be attached to the damper pan or to the cover.

After a steam treatment process, the steam treatment drawer can be extended horizontally forward from a drawer housing. The steam treatment drawer is now exposed with the lid in its closed position. Steam-treated food is located in the steamer trough, and the steamer trough is also typically filled with steam, in particular hot steam. When a user actuates the actuating mechanism, the lid is moved in such a way that a gap is formed between the lid and the support frame, through which the vapor can escape into the environment. Because the user does not need the lid himself handles and also the gap is defined by the actuating mechanism, not too large width, the risk is reduced that escaping steam steams a user to an annoying or even painful extent, in particular his hands.

The cover can rest directly and/or over a bent support edge of the damper van ne on the support frame and can be moved from front to back and vice versa.

The actuating element can be a button, a lever, a slide, a switch, etc., for example. The actuating element can be a mechanically actuable actuating element (e.g. a short-stroke button) or a sensor button, e.g. a capacitive or inductive button. The lid actuation means can be triggered by mechanical power transmission, for example via a linkage or a cable pull. Alternatively, the lid actuation means can be triggered electrically.

It is a further development that the steam treatment drawer has an evaporator. This can be removably housed in an evaporator recess in the steam treatment drawer. Steam generated by the evaporator is conducted into the steamer trough in order to steam treat items to be steamed, in particular items to be cooked, that are accommodated there.

It is an advantageous development for a compact structure that the evaporator has a steam generation unit and a water tank as components.

It is an advantageous development for easy emptying and cleaning, in particular decalcification, that the steam generation unit and/or the water tank are designed to be removable individually and/or together from the evaporator receiving area.

It is particularly advantageous if the user can insert the water tank into a recess on the top side of the steam generating unit and remove it therefrom. Alternatively, the water tank is arranged and can be handled separately from the steam generation unit. The steam generating unit is set up to boil water supplied from the water tank and thereby generate steam. For this purpose, the steam generating unit has at least one heating element--advantageously arranged on the bottom side. The steam produced during boiling escapes through the steam outlet opening of the evaporator or the steam generation unit.

In one development, the at least one heating element is an electrically operated heating element. It is a particularly advantageous development for removing the steam generation unit that the heating element can be heated, e.g. by externally supplied thermal radiation and/or contact heat or induction. In this case, the heating element is not directly operated electrically. In the case of heating by thermal radiation and/or contact heat, it is an advantageous further development that it is (indirectly) heated by a heating unit permanently installed in the steam treatment drawer, such as a resistance heater. In a further development, in the case of inductive heating, at least one induction coil is permanently installed in the steam treatment drawer.

In one configuration, the actuating mechanism has at least one actuating element that can be actuated by the user and at least one lid actuating means that can be triggered by the at least one actuating element, which lid actuating means is set up to automatically close the lid from its closed position to a partially open position when the actuating element is actuated move. The advantage is thus achieved that a user does not have to handle the lid to open it, which makes it possible in a particularly simple manner to keep a hand or hands of the user away from the gap ("steam outlet gap") for steam release.

The cover actuation means can in particular be a power-driven cover actuation means, which can be understood in particular as meaning that the cover actuation means is set up to move the cover from its closed position into a partially open position by applying a force or a moment ("automatically power-driven"). ) to move. The force can be a mechanical or magnetic force, for example. In one configuration, the actuating mechanism, in particular at least one lid actuating means thereof, has at least one spring element which, when the lid is brought into its closed position, is pretensioned and locked there (e.g. latched or latched) until it is released by actuating the actuating element triggered (e.g. disengaged or unlocked). When the actuating mechanism is actuated, the energy stored in the at least one spring element is applied to the lid to open it. The preloaded spring element can be a compressed, stretched and/or twisted spring element.

Alternatively, the cover actuation means can have at least one electric motor to drive it, which is actuated by the at least one actuation element or whose actuation is triggered by the at least one actuation element. In this case in particular, the actuating element can be electrically connected to the cover actuating means.

In addition, the lid actuation means can have at least one electromagnet which, when the lid is closed, opposes a respective permanent magnet attached to the lid. If the at least one electromagnet is actuated by the actuating element designed as an electrical switch, it is energized, thereby repelling the associated permanent magnet and thus opening the cover a little.

In one configuration, the at least one actuating mechanism is integrated into the support frame. This is particularly advantageous because then, with simple and ergonomic actuation, the hand or hands of a user can be positioned particularly far away from the edge of the lid from the region of which steam is escaping.

In one embodiment, the support frame has lateral sections ("cheeks") aligned in the direction of travel of the steam treatment drawer, which delimit, in particular guide, the cover laterally, i.e. on the left and right in the front view, with at least the at least one actuating element in at least one of the cheeks is integrated. This achieves the advantage that, with simple and ergonomic actuation, the hand or hands of a user can be protected in particular from steam escaping, namely can be positioned laterally next to the lid. In one configuration, the at least one actuating element is integrated into an upper side of the at least one cheek. This advantageously enables a particularly simple and user-friendly operation. In particular, the at least one actuating element can be integrated into an upper side of a respective cheek.

In one configuration, the at least one actuating element is integrated into an outside of the at least one cheek. As a result, a hand or hands of a user can be shielded from the lid by means of the cheek(s), as a result of which their protection against escaping steam can be implemented particularly effectively. In particular, the at least one actuating element can be integrated into an outer side of a respective cheek.

In one embodiment, a respective actuation element is integrated into each of the two cheeks and the cover actuation means is set up to move the cover out of its closed position only when both actuation elements are actuated at the same time. This achieves the advantage that both hands must be in the area of the cheeks to open the gap, which results in particularly effective protection against undesired steam wetting.

In one configuration, the cover actuation means is set up to lift the cover when the actuation element is actuated. This creates a gap between the lid and its support surface, through which the steam can escape. In one development, the cover actuation means is set up to lift a front edge of the cover when the actuation element is actuated. This ensures that the steam escapes particularly strongly at the front edge of the lid (and not directly upwards there) and this in turn prevents steam from getting into the area of the side panels in a particularly effective way.

In a further development, the pane can be pressed down manually, for example, to move it into an open state, as a result of which the cover actuating means is tensioned again, and then pushed out manually. In one configuration, the cover actuation means is set up to push the cover open or push it open a gap from its closed position when the actuation element is actuated. This creates a gap between the lid and its support surface through which the steam can escape. In one development, the cover actuation means is set up to lift a front edge of the cover when the actuation element is actuated. This ensures that the steam escapes particularly strongly at the front edge of the lid (and not directly upwards there) and this in turn prevents steam from getting into the area of the side panels in a particularly effective way.

In a further development, the cover can, for example, be pushed down manually in order to move it into an open state, whereby the cover actuating means is tensioned again, and then pushed out manually. This is particularly advantageous in connection with an integration of the at least one actuating element in the lateral cheek or cheeks.

It's an embodiment of that

- the support frame has lateral cheeks that guide the cover laterally,

- The actuating mechanism has at least one sliding element which is displaceably guided on at least one of the cheeks by a width of the gap in the displacement direction of the cover and

- The sliding element has an actuation area for its manual displacement and is set up to move the lid at least into an open position when it is actuated.

This configuration is particularly easy to implement and enables a specified gap width to be maintained particularly precisely. In this configuration, the sliding element is arranged on the associated cheek in such a way that the cheek provides a guide for moving the sliding element backwards and forwards, the length of which corresponds in particular to a desired width of the gap. For example, the actuation area may be an area that a user can grab or press to move. The fact that the actuating mechanism has at least one sliding element can also be expressed or viewed in such a way that the actuating mechanism is a (sliding) sliding mechanism.

The fact that the sliding element is set up to move the cover at least into an open position when actuated can also be expressed in such a way that the sliding element can carry the cover along at least into an open position. This can be implemented in such a way that the sliding element contacts the cover on its front side, but is not attached to it. Then the cover is carried backwards into an open position when the sliding element is shifted. If the sliding element is pushed back forwards, the contact with the cover is released and the cover remains in its position. If the lid is pushed back into its closed position, the sliding element is pushed back with it. It is a further development that the displacement element is assigned a spring element, which urges the displacement element into its initial position, which corresponds to the closed position of the lid. In this case, after the cover has been moved into its open position by the gap, the displacement element is automatically pushed back into the starting position by the spring element.

In a further development, the actuating mechanism has two sliding elements which are arranged on opposite cheeks. This makes it easier to open the lid and prevents it from jamming in a particularly effective manner.

The object is also achieved by a household cooking appliance that has a steam treatment drawer as described above. The household cooking appliance method can be designed analogously to the steam treatment drawer, and vice versa, and has the same advantages.

The household cooking appliance can only have at least one steam treatment drawer (“stand-alone appliance”) as the functional unit for treating the food to be cooked, in particular exactly one steam treatment drawer. In a further development, the household cooking appliance has at least one other functional unit of a different type that treats the food and has its own cooking space separate from the steam treatment drawer, for example an oven, in addition to the at least one steam treatment drawer. The oven can be, for example, an oven, a microwave oven or a combination thereof. This can also be referred to as a "multi-cavity" cooking appliance.

It is a further development that the steam treatment drawer is arranged below the further functional unit treating the food to be cooked, in particular the oven, since particularly good accessibility and easy handling of the steam treatment drawer is advantageously achieved in this way.

The object is also achieved by a method for creating a gap for steam to escape from a steam treatment drawer. The method can be made analogous to the steam treatment drawer or the domestic cooking appliance and vice versa, and has the same advantages.

So it's an embodiment that

- at least one actuating element is actuated,

- By actuating the at least one actuating element, the cover actuating means is triggered and

- The triggered cover actuation means the cover is power-driven and moves backwards on the support frame and/or lifts it upwards from the support frame.

In one embodiment, at least one sliding element is manually slid from front to rear, taking the cover with it and thereby displacing the cover by the same distance, creating the gap, in particular between the cover and a front wall of the support frame or a front cover.

The properties, features and advantages of this invention described above, and the manner in which they are achieved, will become clearer and more clearly understood in connection with the following schematic description of an exemplary embodiment, which will be explained in more detail in connection with the drawings. 1 shows a sectional side view of a sketch of a domestic cooking appliance with a steam treatment drawer according to a first exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 2 shows, in a view obliquely from above, a section of a possible variant of the domestic cooking appliance from FIG. 1 with the steam treatment drawer pulled out, which is shown in more detail in an exploded view;

FIG. 3 shows a damper trough of the steam treatment drawer from FIG. 2 in a view at an angle from above; FIG. FIG. 4 shows a sectional side view of the steam treatment drawer from FIG. 2 with the damper pan removed;

5 shows an exploded view of an evaporator in an oblique view from above; 6 shows a section of the steam treatment drawer with the steam generation unit of the evaporator removed in a view at an angle from above; and FIG. 7 shows a detail from a cover of the steam treatment drawer in a plan view at an angle from above;

Fig. 8 is a sectional side view sketch showing the steam treatment drawer with the lid in its fully closed state; 9 shows a sectional representation in a side view of a sketch of the steam treatment drawer with the cover now open by a gap;

10 is a plan view sketch of a steam treatment drawer with the lid slightly open;

Fig. 11 is a sectional front view showing an outline of the steam treatment drawer; and

FIG. 12 shows, in a top view analogous to FIG. 1 shows a sectional side view of a sketch of a "multi-cavity"- household cooking appliance 1 with an oven 2, the stationary oven chamber 2a of which can be closed at the front by means of a pivoting oven door 3, as indicated by the curved double arrow. Inside a housing 4 of the household cooking appliance 1 below the oven 2 there is a steam treatment system which is arranged separately from the oven 2 ment drawer 5, which can be manually and/or mechanically supported horizontally in a stationary drawer housing 9 and can be extended, as indicated by the straight double arrow. The steam treatment drawer 5 has a lower height than the oven 2 and is located below the oven 2 .

In the oven door 3 there is a common appliance control 6 including a control panel for the oven 2 and the steam treatment drawer 5. The appliance control 6 can be used to control the oven 2 and the steam treatment drawer 5 individually so that items to be treated, e.g. Have meals etc. prepared independently. The furnace chamber 2a can be heated by means of energy supply devices in the form of an upper heating element 7 shown as an example and a lower heating element 8, in particular by clocking the respective power supply. The heaters 7 and 8 are controlled by the device control 6. The device control 6 is also set up in particular to coordinate the treatment processes taking place in the oven chamber 2a and in the steam treatment drawer 5, in particular the end times of the treatment processes, energy inputs and/or an exhaust air control.

The household cooking appliance 1 is in particular so compact that it fits into a built-in niche of 60 cm x 60 cm (built-in height x built-in width).

Referring now also to FIG. 2, the steam treatment drawer 5 has an evaporator receiving area 11 arranged behind a front cover plate 10, in which a modularly constructed evaporator 12, 13, comprising a steam generation unit 12 and a water tank 13 connected thereto, are present . The steam generating unit 12 and the water tank 13 can be removed from the evaporator receiving area 11 or, alternatively, are permanently installed therein. The water tank 13 can be filled with water via a closable water filling opening 14 .

In a front view behind the evaporator receiving area 11 there is a damper pan insertion area 15. The evaporator receiving area 11 and the damper pan inserting area 15 are areas of a horizontally extendable support frame 30 arranged one behind the other. The damper pan insertion area 15 has the shape of a border with lateral cheeks 16, a front wall 17 and a rear wall 18. At least the cheeks 16 are designed as hollow profiles - here with a rectangular cross-section - which makes them particularly light and allow electrical lines (not shown) to be passed through in a protected manner, e.g. electrical lines for the power supply of heating elements for the steam generation unit 12 and possibly signal lines. In the hollow cheeks 16 are also running rails (o. Fig.), For example, a telescopic pull-out system, the steam treatment drawer 5 accommodated. A further advantage when using hollow profiles is that they allow the formation of a wide upper surface 19 for supporting a damper trough 20 in a simple manner. At least the cheeks 16 and the rear wall 18 have flat surfaces here, which supports their easy cleaning. The front wall 17 and the rear wall 18 can also be designed as hollow profiles or as simple walls without a hollow profile. Your tops can also serve as a support surface 19, but do not need it.

The damper pan 20 is trough-shaped or shell-shaped, in this case with a cuboid basic shape that is open at the top. On its upper side, the damper pan 20 has a flange or edge region 21 which is bent laterally outwards and is closed all the way round, via which it can be placed onto the bearing surface 19 from above. The damper pan 20 can be replaced from above into the damper pan insertion area 15 bar. The upper opening of the steamer trough 20 forms a loading opening 20a for the use of items to be steamed, e.g. For this purpose, suitable inserts E can be used in the damper pan 20, on which the treatment material can be placed. The use of such inserts E makes it easier to load and remove food, especially when the steamer pan 20 is used.

In the area bordered laterally by the cheeks 16 and the walls 17, 18, the damper pan insertion area 15 has no bottom. When the damper pan 20 is used, its bottom 22 forms a flush portion of the bottom of the steam treatment drawer 5 within the border 16 to 18. As a result, the damper pan 20 can be designed to be particularly deep and consequently large in volume. Furthermore, there is no bottom of the supporting frame 30, which advantageously results in a saving of material. The damper trough 20 also has laterally protruding handles 23 for easy handling, which, when the damper trough 20 is inserted, can be fitted into a respective recess in the lateral cheeks 16 that is open at the top in the form of respective depressions 24 .

The damper trough 20 also has a steam inlet duct 25 made of plastic that is elongated laterally in a horizontal orientation and is attached to the front wall 17 and, when the damper trough 20 is inserted, forms a section of a steam-technical connection with the steam generation unit 12 . The damper pan 20 also has a steam outlet duct 26 (see Fig. 4), which connects to the rear wall 18 and which, when the damper pan 20 is inserted, has a steam connection to a steam removal unit 27 (see Fig. 4 ) manufactures. The steam removal unit 27 serves at least to discharge steam discharged from the steamer pan 20 during a steam treatment process from the steam treatment drawer 5, for example to a fume hood.

1 also shows a cover 28, which can be placed on the upper side of the edge area 21 of the damper pan 20 and/or on the upper side of the support frame 30, preferably via a seal (not shown), in order to prevent steam from escaping in the closed position. struggling to prevent or at least make it more difficult by gaps between the damper pan 20 or the support frame 30 on the one hand and the cover 28 on the other. The damper trough 20 and the cover 28 form or delimit a steam treatment chamber 29 in which the material to be treated there can be subjected to steam. The cover 28, which is advantageously at least partially a transparent glass cover or has at least one glass pane, is arranged on the support frame 30 so that it can be moved backwards or forwards between a closed position and a fully open position when the steam treatment drawer 5 is open.

3 shows the damper pan 20 in an oblique view from above. An adapter-like steam inlet channel 25 is arranged on the front wall 17 facing the front 31 of the damper pan 20 below the edge area 21 . It is open on the underside and forms a coupling opening 25b there. It also has a rear, here: slotted, opening into the damper pan 20 or the steam treatment chamber 29 shaped, steam inlet port 25a through which steam D is introduced into the damper pan 20 during a steam treatment process.

The steam outlet channel 26 in the form of an adapter (see FIG. 4) is arranged on the rear side 32 below the edge area 21 . Also has a horizontally stretched basic shape and is open on the underside in the form of a coupling opening 26b (see FIG. 4). The steam outlet duct 26 can be shaped at least largely identically to the steam inlet duct 25 . It also has a front-side steam outlet opening 26a (not shown) that opens into the steamer pan 20 or the steam treatment chamber 29, in this case a slit, through which steam D is discharged from the steamer pan 20 during a steam treatment process and fed to the steam removal unit 27 .

4 shows the steam treatment drawer 5 with the damper pan 20 removed as a sectional view through the evaporator 12 to 13 in a side view. The cover 28 is pushed backwards here and therefore releases the area 15 for inserting the damper pan.

When the damper pan 20 is inserted into the damper pan insertion area 15 from above, as indicated by the wide arrow, an edge of the downward-pointing coupling opening 25b of the steam inlet channel 25 is pushed onto or into a correspondingly shaped, upward-pointing, slit-shaped steam outlet opening 12a of the Steam generating unit 12 placed or, as shown, inserted at the edge, possibly via a seal. As a result, when the damper pan 20 is inserted, a steam channel is created from the steam outlet opening 12a through the steam inlet channel 25 into the damper pan 20, through which steam D generated by the steam generating unit 12 is conducted into the damper pan 20, as indicated by the arrows on the left. The vapor outlet opening 12a and the coupling opening 25b thus form a vapor-permeable vapor coupling in the plugged-in state.

When inserting the damper pan 20, the downwardly open coupling opening 26b of the steam outlet channel 26a is also placed on or in a correspondingly shaped open upper side of a receptacle 27a of the steam removal unit 27 or, as shown, inserted at the edge, possibly via a seal. The open top of the receptacle 27a is designed as a steam inlet port shaped to match the coupling port 26b 27b formed. As a result, when the damper pan 20 is inserted, a steam channel is created from the damper pan 20 through the steam outlet channel 26 into the steam removal unit 27, through which steam D that has flowed through the damper pan 20 and possibly contains vapor is conducted into the steam removal unit 27, as indicated by the arrows on the right. The coupling opening 26b and the vapor inlet opening 27b thus form a vapor-permeable vapor coupling when the damper pan 20 is inserted.

5 shows an exploded view of the evaporator 12 to 14 with the steam generation unit 12 and the water tank 13 that can be inserted on the top side in an oblique view from above.

The water tank 13 can be made of transparent plastic and is therefore shown here as semi-transparent. The tank cap 14 can be placed on the water tank 13 which is open at the top. The water tank 13 here has, for example, a bottom-side water outlet 40 protruding inwards in the form of a tube or socket for letting water into the steam-generating unit 12 . The water outlet 40 has a locking mechanism (not illustrated) which blocks the water outlet 40 when the water tank 13 is removed and releases it when the water tank 13 is inserted.

The steam generation unit 12 is here, for example, in the form of a heatable evaporator shell 41 with a rectangular basic shape that is open at the top and an adapter plate 42 that can be placed on the open top of the evaporator shell 41 by the user. The adapter plate 42 thus serves as a cover for the evaporator shell 41 . The internal volume of the evaporator shell 41 corresponds at least to the filling volume of the water tank 13.

The adapter plate 42 has a receiving recess 45 with a water passage opening (not shown) for the user to insert the water tank 13 in a form-fitting manner and the (front view) behind the receiving recess 45, for example a slotted steam outlet opening 12a. In the bottom of the receiving recess 45 there can be a connecting piece 46 or pipe (see Fig. 5) that projects upwards and can be inserted into the water outlet 40, which when the water tank 13 is used slides into the receiving recess 45 in the water outlet 40 and the closure mechanism located therein - mechanism (e.g. a spring-loaded non-return valve) opens. When the locking mechanism is open, water can flow out of the water tank through the water outlet 40 and the socket 46 inserted therein into the evaporator shell 41 if a shut-off valve (not shown) of the evaporator 12, 13 is open at the same time and is designed to Depending on a water level in the evaporator shell 41 to either open or close, for example a valve ("SchwimmerventN"), which is actuated by a floating in the evaporator shell 41 water float. This makes it possible to also fill only a small amount of water into the evaporator bowl 41 in a controlled manner, which is distributed over the large heatable base area of the evaporator bowl 41 at a comparatively low fill level, so that particularly short reaction times and/or large amounts of steam can be achieved when steam is generated .

In one variant, the water tank 13 can be removed from the receiving recess 45 by means of at least one handle arranged thereon (not illustrated) and/or by means of an automatic lifting mechanism (not illustrated).

At least one heating element is also assigned to the evaporator dish 41 (not shown). The evaporator shell 41 advantageously consists at least partially of metal or ceramic, while the adapter plate 42 advantageously consists of plastic.

The steam generation unit 12 can have a filter holder (not shown), which can be arranged above a nominal filling level of the evaporator shell 41 . The portafilter can thus be wetted by the steam in the evaporator shell 41 without being immersed in the water in the evaporator shell 41 . As a result, the steam emerging from the steam outlet opening 12a can be flavored if corresponding flavorings such as spices or the like are present in the portafilter.

6 shows a section of the steam treatment drawer 5 with the steam generation unit 12 of the evaporator 12 to 13 removed, viewed from an angle from above. The water tank 13 is not shown and may have already been removed, for example.

As indicated by the broad arrow, the steam generating unit 12 or the evaporator shell 41 can be removed, for example, backwards from a damper pan 20 corresponding evaporator recess 47 of the support frame 30 can be removed by the user. The evaporator shell 41 can then be emptied by the user after removing the adapter plate and, if necessary together with the adapter plate 42 and/or the water tank 13, can be cleaned, in particular decalcified, for example in a dishwasher.

At the bottom of the evaporator recess 47 there is a contact thermocouple (not shown) which, when the evaporator dish 41 is inserted, makes contact with its bottom and thereby measures the outside temperature of this bottom. The sensor readings can be fed to a control device for controlling the evaporator 12, 13, for example for steam regulation (activation and deactivation of the at least one heating element) and for detecting a lack of water (e.g. running empty). The control device can be a component of the steam treatment drawer 5 or of the domestic cooking appliance 1 in general. The control device can in particular correspond to the device control 6 .

7 shows a section of a cover 28 of the steam treatment drawer 5 in an oblique view from above.

The cover 28 has a peripheral frame ("lid frame" 48) made of plastic with a front frame portion 48a, two side frame portions 48b and a rear or rear frame portion 48c, the pane 49 surrounds a transparent glass. In the front view, a handle shell 50 that is open at the top and thus accessible to the user is optionally inserted in the middle, partly in the front frame section 48a and partly in a front-side U-shaped cut-out of the glass pane 49 .

The lateral sections 48b of the cover frame 48 rest on the supporting frame 30 of the steam treatment drawer 5 with sliding surfaces 53 made of a highly lubricious material such as POM, as explained in more detail below with reference to FIG.

8 shows a sectional side view sketch of a possible embodiment of the steam treatment drawer 5, the lid 28 being in its fully closed ("closed") state. The glass pane 49 is due to its Ge weight on an upper flange of the damper pan 20, through a seal 55 (see Figure 11). The glass pane 49 can be a single pane of glass or, as drawn purely by way of example, be a double pane.

In the closed position, a steam treatment process can be carried out, in which steam generated by the steam generating unit 12 is guided into the steamer trough 20 and items to be treated such as items to be cooked etc. wetted therein with steam, in particular with superheated steam.

At least in the closed position, the cover 28, which represents a component of the steam treatment drawer 5 that can be handled separately, can be removed and e.g. cleaned separately, e.g. in a dishwasher.

The front wall 17 of the damper tray insertion area 15 also serves as a front stop for the cover 28.

9 shows a sketch of the steam treatment drawer 5 as a sectional representation in a side view, the cover 28 now being pushed open by a gap width B by actuating the actuating device 61 . Steam D can now escape through the gap S, namely at the front edge 52 of the front frame section 48a, as also shown in plan view by FIG.

A user can now wait for a period of time that is comfortable for him until the amount of steam flowing out has reduced sufficiently, and then push the cover 28 further to the rear. The cover 28 can be pushed so far back into the drawer housing 9 that the damper pan 20 is exposed and can be removed upwards. To do this, the lid 28 is pushed with its sliding surfaces 53 onto slide rails 57 fitted on the left and right in the drawer housing 9, which hold the lid 28 in the drawer housing 9 and, for example, also prevent the lid 28 from tilting. The slide rails 57 can also provide a stop (not shown) to limit rearward displacement of the cover 28 .

To close the cover 28, a user can push it forward again manually. Alternatively, the user can return the cover 28 to its closed position. spend ne position that he retracts the support frame 30 with the lid 28 open in the drawer housing 9, for example pushes.

11 shows a sketch of the steam treatment drawer 5 as a sectional illustration in a front view, the cover 28 here having only one glass pane 49 as an example. The cover 28 projects, as already described in more detail in FIG. The glass pane 49 has a circumferential sealing device 55 on the underside of its edge areas, via which the cover 28 rests vapor-tight on the flange of the damper pan 20 due to its weight on.

The bearing surface 19 represents an inner, lower step of a stepped profile formed on the upper side of the cheeks 16 in the front view shown. The outer, higher step of the stepped profile serves as bearing surfaces for supporting a respective sliding surface 53 of the cover 28. The cover 28 has a matching step shape, with an underside of its inner, lower level, the seal 55 and an underside of its outer, higher level, the sliding surface 53 has. Alternatively or in addition, the bearing surface 19 can be made of a highly lubricious material such as POM.

When the cover 28 is closed behind the seal 55, a wiping lip 59 (see FIGS. 8 and 9) is present on the rear wall 18 of the support frame 30 and contacts the cover 28 on the underside. When the cover 28 is pushed into the drawer housing 9, the underside of the cover 28 is wiped off by the wiping lip 59 and thereby any condensate located there is wiped off.

Referring now in particular to FIGS. 2, 6 and 8 to 11, the steam treatment drawer 5 also has a manually operable operating mechanism 61 which is adapted, when operated by a user, to push open the closed lid 28 such that between the cover 28 and the steam treatment drawer 5 forms a gap S (see FIGS. 8 and 10), which serves to allow steam D to escape from the damper pan 20. FIG. The actuating mechanism 61 has a manually operable actuating element in the form of a (e.g. mechanical or capacitive) button 62 on. The buttons 62 are mechanically or electrically connected to two cover actuation means 63 (FIGS. 8 to 10) of the actuation mechanism 61, so that the cover actuation means 63 can be triggered when the buttons 62 are actuated. In the present case, the actuating mechanism 62 is set up in such a way that when both buttons 62 are actuated simultaneously, both cover actuation means 63 are triggered at the same time.

The lid actuation means 63, which are arranged in the front wall 17 of the support frame 30, are power-driven lid actuation means in the sense that they each have a plunger 64 that can be moved backwards from a rear side of the front wall 17 and that, when the lid 28 is closed, is actuated by a respective spring (not shown) is pretensioned. The spring is locked when the lid 28 is closed. In a further development, the springs can be locked, for example, by a respectively assigned locking means, with the locking means having an electrical relay. The buttons 62 and the relays can form a closed circuit when the buttons are actuated.

When the lid actuating means 63 is actuated, its plungers 64 are extended, driven by the springs, and thereby push the lid 28 open by the gap S, e.g. by a few centimetres, e.g. approx. 5 cm. The cover 28 can now be fully opened manually by a user, in particular after the steam D has been released, in order to release the loading opening 20a.

If the cover 28 is closed again, the tappets 64 are pushed back into the cover actuating means 63 by the cover 28 under tension of the springs until the springs are locked again.

Alternatively, the keys 62 can be arranged on the outside of the respective cheek 16 .

The cover actuation means 63 can also be integrated into a bearing surface 19 of the front wall 17 for the cover 28, with the plunger 64 extending upwards when the cover actuation means 63 are triggered and the cover 28 lifted there with the formation of a gap. By manually depressing the lid 28, the lid actuating means 63 can be tensioned and locked again. FIG. 12 shows a plan view analogous to FIG. The steaming drawer 65 has a basic structure similar to that of the steaming drawer 5 and can be used in place of the steaming drawer 5 .

The actuating mechanism 66 here has two sliding elements 67 which are displaceably guided in the displacement direction of the cover 28 by a width B of the gap S between the front side of the cover 28 and the front wall 17 by means of or in the cheeks 16 . For this purpose, the sliding elements 67 each have an actuating area 68 which the user can move manually.

The actuation area 68 of the sliding element 67 is designed here as a sliding handle that extends around the edge between the upper side and the outside. With the lid 28 closed, the two sliding elements 67 are in their initial position shown below. To open the lid 28, the two sliding beelement 67 are preferably simultaneously gripped by a user and pushed backwards. The length of the guide for the sliding elements 67 in the lateral cheeks 16 is limited to the gap width B. If the sliding elements 67 hit their rear stops (which corresponds to the upper end position shown), further movement of the sliding elements 67 is stopped. The sliding elements 67 take the cover 28 with them when they move backwards through form-fitting contact, so that after they have been fully displaced, the cover 28 is also opened by the gap width B ge . Optionally, the sliding element 67 can be pushed into its starting position by spring elements (not illustrated), with the cover 28 then remaining in its partially open position by the gap width B.

Of course, the present invention is not limited to the game shown Ausführungsbei.

Thus, electromagnets arranged on the front wall and permanent magnets arranged in front of the edge of the cover can face each other. The electromagnets, the permanent magnets and the polarity reversal device, through which the poles of the electromagnets can be reversed, form together with at least one actuating element such as at least one button an operating mechanism. Without actuation of at least one actuating element, the electromagnets are either not energized or are energized in such a way that they have an electrically attractive effect on the electromagnets and keep the cover closed in a non-positive manner on the front wall. In one variant, the polarity reversing device can therefore form a magnetically acting closing device for holding the cover in its closed position. When the polarity reversal device is actuated, the electromagnets are energized or the direction of the current through the electromagnets is reversed, so that they then repel the permanent magnets and push open the cover backwards by the width of the gap.

In general, "a", "an" etc. can be understood as a singular or a plural number, in particular in the sense of "at least one" or "one or more" etc., as long as this is not explicitly excluded, for example by the expression " Exactly one", etc. A numerical specification can also include exactly the specified number as well as a usual tolerance range, as long as this is not explicitly excluded.

Reference List

1 household cooking appliance

2 oven room

3 oven door

4 housing

5 steam treatment drawer

6 device control

7 top heat radiators

8 bottom heating elements

9 drawer cabinets

10 cover plate

11 Evaporator receiving area

12 steam generating unit

12a steam outlet opening

13 water tank

14 fuel cap

15 Damper Pan Insertion Area

16 lateral cheek

17 Front Wall

18 Rear Wall

19 bearing surface

20 damper pan

20a loading opening

21 edge area

22 floor

23 handle

24 deepening

25 steam inlet channel

25a steam inlet port

25b clutch opening

26 steam outlet channel

26a steam outlet port

26b clutch opening vapor removal unit

27a recording

27b steam inlet opening

28 cover

29 steam treatment room

30 support frame

31 Front of Damper Pan

32 Rear of the shock tray

40 water outlet

41 evaporator dish

42 adapter plate

43 Edge area of the adapter plate

44 Top edge of the evaporator dish

45 recording well

46 socks

47 evaporator recess

48 cover frame

48a Front frame section

48b Side frame section

48c Rear frame section

49 pane of glass

50 grip panel

51 fuller

52 front edge

53 sliding surface

54 permanent magnet

55 seal

56 electromagnet

57 Drawer body slide rail

59 wiper lip

61 operating mechanism

62 button

63 lid actuating means

64 pestle 65 steam treatment drawer

66 operating mechanism

67 sliding element

68 Actuation area B gap width

E insert

D steam

S gap

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. steam treatment drawer (5; 65) for a household cooking appliance (1), comprising a damper pan (20) for receiving treatment steam to be treated well, a lid (28) and a manually operable actuating mechanism (61; 66), wherein

- the steam treatment drawer (5) has a support frame (30) into which the steamer trough (20) can be inserted and on which the cover (28) can be slidably placed,

- the cover (28) can be displaced between a closed position and an open position,

- The lid (28) in its closed position covers an open upper side (20a) of the damper pan (20) in a vapor-tight manner and

- The actuating mechanism (61; 66) is set up to move the closed lid (28) when actuated by a user in such a way that a gap (S) forms at an edge of the lid (28) which allows steam to escape from the Damper pan (20) is provided.

2. steam treatment drawer (5) according to claim 1, wherein

- the actuating mechanism (61) has at least one actuating element (62) which can be actuated by the user and at least one cover actuating means (63) which can be triggered by the at least one actuating element (62),

- Which lid actuating means (63) is set up to automatically move the lid (28) from its closed position to a partially open position upon actuation of the actuating element (62) and

- The actuating mechanism (61) is integrated into the support frame (30).

3. steam treatment drawer (5) according to claim 2, wherein the lid actuating means is adapted to raise the lid (28) with actuation of the actuating element (62).

4. steam treatment drawer (5) according to claim 2, wherein the lid actuating means (63) is adapted to the lid (28) with actuation of the actuating elements (62) from its closed position by a gap (S) to postpone.

5. Steam treatment drawer (5) according to one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the support frame (30) has lateral cheeks (16) which guide the cover (28) laterally, and wherein the at least one actuating element (62) in at least one of the cheeks (16) is integrated.

6. steam treatment drawer (5) according to claim 5, wherein the at least one Be actuating element (62) is integrated into a top side of the at least one cheek (16).

7. steam treatment drawer (5) according to any one of claims 5 to 6, wherein the at least one actuating element (62) is integrated into an outer side of the at least one cheek (16).

8. Steam treatment drawer (5) according to one of claims 5 to 7, wherein a respective actuating element (62) is integrated in each of the two cheeks (16) and the lid actuating means (61) is set up to open the lid (28) only when actuated simultaneously to move both actuating elements (62) from its closed position.

9. Steam treatment drawer (5) according to one of the preceding claims, in which the actuating mechanism (61) has at least one spring element which can be biased when the lid (28) is brought into its closed position and remains biased until the actuating mechanism (61) actuates becomes.

10. steam treatment drawer (65) according to claim 1, wherein

- the support frame (30) has lateral cheeks (16) which guide the cover (28) laterally,

- the actuating mechanism (66) has at least one sliding element (67) which is displaceably guided on at least one of the cheeks (16) by a width (B) of the gap (S) in the displacement direction of the cover (28) and - The sliding element (67) has an actuating area (68) for its manual displacement and is set up to move the cover (28) when actuated.

11. Household cooking appliance (1), having at least one steam treatment drawer

(5; 65) according to any one of the preceding claims.

12. A method for producing a gap (S) for steam to exit from a steam treatment drawer (5) according to one of claims 2 to 9, in which - at least one actuating element (62) is actuated,

- By actuating the at least one actuating element (62), the cover actuating means (63) is triggered and

- the triggered cover actuating means (63) pushes the cover (28) backwards on the support frame (30) and/or lifts it upwards from the support frame (30).

13. A method for generating a gap (S) for steam to escape from a steam treatment drawer (65) according to claim 10, in which at least one sliding element (67) is pushed from the front to the rear, which takes the cover (28) with it.