WO2023281297A1

WO2023281297A1 - Household appliance with a liquid tank

Info

Publication number: WO2023281297A1
Application number: PCT/IB2021/056103
Authority: WO
Inventors: Matjaž ES; Samo ŠULIGOJ; Anže ČAKŠ; Primož LOČIČNIK
Original assignee: Gorenje D.O.O.; Hisense (Guangdong) Kitchen & Bath System Co.Ltd
Priority date: 2021-07-07
Filing date: 2021-07-07
Publication date: 2023-01-12
Also published as: EP4348117A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a household appliance, in particular a built-in oven, comprising a walled oven space and is accessed at the front through a door and separated from the upper, ending section by a partition wall, a front section of the household appliance comprising a faceplate in the area above the oven space or said door, and a liquid reservoir configured for translational movement between the working position within the housing of the household appliance and the service position when the reservoir is located at least partially outside the household appliance. On the inside of the household appliance and in the area above a partition wall (1) a water dosing assembly (3) for dosing water into said household appliance is attached to said faceplate (2) by means of a holding element (13).

Description

HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCE WITH A LIQUID TANK

[0001] The present invention relates to a household appliance comprising a liquid tank, the reservoir being adapted for translational movement between the working position inside the housing of the household appliance and the service position when the reservoir is located at least partially outside the household appliance.

[0002] For the time being, the applicant is not aware of any solution comparable to the present invention.

[0003] It is the object of the present invention to provide a household appliance comprising a liquid tank that will eliminate disadvantages of the known solutions.

[0004] According to the present invention the object set forth is achieved by the features of the characterizing part of claim 1. Details of the invention are disclosed in the corresponding subclaims.

[0005] Further, the invention is represented in more detail based on a non-limiting embodiment and with reference to the accompanying drawings, where

Fig. 1 shows a household appliance according to the invention with a glass faceplate;

Fig. 2 shows a water dosing assembly,

Fig. 3 shows detail of fixing the assembly of Fig. 2 to the faceplate.

[0006] A household appliance according to the invention, for example the built-in oven shown in Fig. 1, comprises a walled oven space, which is known per se, and is accessed at the front through a door and is separated from the upper, ending section by the partition wall 1. In the area above the oven space and, respectively, said door, the front section of the household appliance features a faceplate 2, which is formed either as a glass faceplate or a metal faceplate. On the inside of the household appliance and in the area above the partition wall 1, a water dosing assembly 3 for dosing water into said household appliance is attached to said faceplate 2. [0007] Said water dosing assembly 3 comprises a housing 4 formed in a sense of a trough and extending approximately perpendicularly along the faceplate 2, which is fixed to the faceplate 2 of the household appliance. Furthermore, said housing 4 is at least partially covered by the lid 5, the connection between the housing 4 and the lid 5 being formed by means of a snap-in means known per se. In said trough housing 4, a longitudinally movable, elongated water tank 6 is provided, which is at least partly covered by a lid 7, the connection between the water tank 6 and the lid 7 being formed by means of a snap-in means known per se. The water tank 6 is permanently loaded by means of a resilient means 8, which cooperates with the end wall of the housing 4 facing away from the faceplate 2 on the first side and with the opposite end wall of the water tank 6 on the other side.

[0008] Moving the water tank 6 from or back into the housing 4 is enabled by means of an actuating button 6, which is located the water tank 6 at the side facing said faceplate 2. In the closed position of the water tank 6, i.e. in the working position when the water tank 6 is completely inside the housing 4, said button 6 is aligned with the outer surface of the faceplate 2. Pressing the release button 6 activates the pre stressed resilient means 8, which pushes the water tank 6 out of the housing 4 and, respectively, through the faceplate 2 out of the household appliance, e.g. by about 20 mm. In order to fill the water tank 6 with water without any problems, the user must also pull out the water tank 6 into its final extended position, e.g. approximately 45 mm outside the faceplate 2.

[0009] Optionally, said water tank 6 is at least partly made of a transparent or partly transparent plastic, thus providing the user with a simple, visual impression of the amount of water contained in the water tank 6.

[0010] Said trough like housing 4, which in its end area faces away from the faceplate 2 and which faces said partition wall 1, is designed with a bracket 9 which is provided for receiving and firmly holding a water pump 10. To hold the water pump 10 firmly, said bracket 9 is connected to the partition wall 1 by means of a form-joint connection. Thus, for example, the bracket 9 is formed with a protrusion 11, which cooperates with a corresponding cut-out on the partition wall 1. [0011] Said water dosing assembly 3 is attached to the faceplate 2 without the use of any screw means with at least one holding tab 12, preferably two holding tabs 12, and more preferably three holding tabs 12, which are integral part of a holding element

13 of the faceplate 2. Said holding element 13 extends at least partly lengthwise relative to the faceplate 2 and is positioned on the side facing the interior of the household appliance.

[0012] When said faceplate 2 is formed as a glass faceplate, a throat flange shaped interface 14 is arranged between the actuating button 6’ and the water dosing assembly 3, which is intended to cover the gap between the water dosing assembly 3 and cut-out for the button 6’ in the faceplate 2. In addition, said interface 14 is configured for guiding the water tank 6 during its movement in the push-and-pull phase. Said interface

14 is detachably connected to the opposite fastening means on the housing 4 by means of a series of circumferentially arranged fastening means.

[0013] When said faceplate 2 is formed as a metal faceplate 2, said interface 14 may be an integral part of the housing 4, thus making the requirement for the interface as a stand-alone element superfluous.

Claims

1. A household appliance, in particular a built-in oven, comprising a walled oven space and accessible at the front through a door and separated from the upper, ending section by a partition wall, a front section of the household appliance comprising a faceplate in the area above the oven space and, respectively, said door, and a liquid reservoir configured for translational movement between a working position within a body of the household appliance and a service position when a reservoir is located at least partially outside the household appliance, characterised in that on the inside of a household appliance and in the area above a partition wall (1) a water dosing assembly (3) for dosing water into said household appliance is attached to a faceplate (2) by means of a holding element (13).

2. A household appliance according to claim 1, characterised in that said water dosing assembly (3) is attached to the faceplate (2) by means of at least one holding tab (12), preferably two holding tabs (12), and more preferably three holding tabs (12), which are an integral part of the faceplate (2) holding element (13).

3. A household appliance according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that said holding element (13) extends at least partly lengthwise relative to the faceplate (2) and is positioned on the side facing the interior of the household appliance.

4. A household appliance according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said water dosing assembly (3) comprises a trough shaped housing (4) extending approximately perpendicular to the faceplate (2), which is fastened to the faceplate (2) of the household appliance by means of the holding element (13), said trough shaped housing (4) providing a longitudinally movable, elongated water tank (6), which is at least partly covered by the lid (7), the water tank (6) being loaded by a resilient means (8) cooperating with the end wall of the housing (4) facing away from the faceplate (2) on the first side, and with the opposite end wall of the water tank (6) on the other side.

5. A household appliance according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said housing (4) is at least partly covered by a lid (5), the connection between the housing (4) and the lid (5) can be formed by means of a snap-in means.

6. A household appliance according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the connection between the tank (6) and the lid (7) can be formed by means of a snap-in means.

7. A household appliance according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said water tank (6) is optionally at least partly made of a transparent or partly transparent plastic.

8. A household appliance according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said trough shaped housing (4) is in its area averted from the faceplate (2) and facing said partition wall (1) formed with a bracket (9), which is intended to receive and firmly hold a water pump (10).

9. A household appliance according to claim 8, characterised in that said bracket (9) is connected to the partition wall (1) by means of a form-joint connection.

10. A household appliance according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that a throat flange shaped interface (14) is arranged between the actuating button (6’) and the water dosing assembly (3), which is intended to cover the gap between the water dosing assembly (3) and cut-out for the button (6’) in the faceplate (2).

11. A household appliance according to claim 10, characterised in that by means of a series of circumferentially arranged fastening means, said interface (14) being detachably connected to the opposite fastening means on the housing (4).

12. A household appliance according to claim 10, characterised in that said interface (14) can be an integral part of the housing (4).