EP2520133B1

EP2520133B1 - An oven

Info

Publication number: EP2520133B1
Application number: EP10800743.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Davut Ayhan Serabatir; Hakan Sarier; Metin Gur
Original assignee: Arcelik AS
Current assignee: Arcelik AS
Priority date: 2009-12-30
Filing date: 2010-12-23
Publication date: 2016-06-29
Anticipated expiration: 2030-12-23
Also published as: ES2590035T3; CN102687588A; EP2520133A1; CN102687588B; WO2011080204A1

Description

The present invention relates to an oven comprising a motor.
In ovens wherein the cooking process is performed by microwaves, leakage of microwaves to the outside is dangerous. However, it is very difficult to make the inner volume of the oven a completely leak-proof closed volume. Especially when there is a movable element driven by a motor, such as a fan or a stirrer disposed in the oven, providing leak-proofing at the regions through which the shaft transmitting the drive to the movable element is not possible.
In the state of the art European Patent Application No. EP0482601 , German Patent Application No. DE3739032 and Japanese Patent Application No. JP2004207011 , an oven is explained wherein a bush nailed snap-fittingly onto the shaft is used in order to provide leak-proofing. In these embodiments, it is not possible to dismount the bush mounted onto the shaft without damaging the shaft.
State of the art document US4725703 describes an oven in accordance with the preamble of Claim 1.
The aim of the present invention is the realization of an oven which performs cooking in a safe manner by microwaves.
The oven realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention, explicated in the first claim and the respective claims thereof, is of the type wherein the cooking process is performed by microwaves.
The oven comprises at least one movable element disposed in the casing, at least one motor providing the drive of the movable element and a shaft transmitting the drive by connecting the motor and the movable element. The volume wherein the movable element and the motor are located is separated from each other by means of a separator. A hole through which the shaft passes is disposed on the separator.
The motor is fixed onto a supporting wall. The supporting wall is placed between the separator and the rear wall such that the motor faces the rear wall. An opening through which the shaft passes is disposed on the supporting wall.
The diameter of the hole and the opening through which the shaft passes is greater than the diameter of the shaft in order to enable the shaft to rotate. In this case, microwave leakage from the gaps there between is possible. A bush is mounted onto the shaft, between the supporting wall and the separator in order to prevent the microwave leakage. The bush comprises more than one segment surrounding the shaft when assembled. These parts are produced in mutually complementary form such that there is no gap there between when joined. The bush can be dismounted from the shaft by the parts being detached from each other when desired.
The diameter of the shaft is smaller than the diameter of the housing such that the bush can surround the shaft without any contact. However, in order to prevent the microwaves from passing through the gap there between, the gap between the walls of the housing and the shaft is sized such as not to surpass one fourth of the wave length of the microwaves.
The bush bears against the separator and the supporting wall from front and back when placed there between.
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the bush is formed by assembling two semi-circular parts. On the face of each segment facing the other one, recesses and protrusions that seat into each other when assembled are disposed.
In different embodiments of the present invention, the movable element is a stirrer, an antenna or a rotating tray.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the oven is of the type wherein cooking is performed by means of convection, in addition to microwaves. In this embodiment, the movable element is a fan providing the air heated to be blown. In this embodiment, by means of using the bush, a standard oven wherein cooking is performed by convection is provided to cook in a safer manner by microwaves without modifying the separator and the supporting wall thereof.
In an embodiment of the present invention, fixing holes are disposed on the bush. The bush is mounted onto the supporting wall by means of the fixing elements passed through these fixing holes.
The model embodiments relating to an oven realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention is illustrated in the attached figures, where:

Figure 1 - is the sideways cross-sectional view of an oven.
Figure 2 - is the view of detail A in Figure 1.
Figure 3 - is the exploded view of the movable element, motor, shaft, bush, rear wall and supporting wall in an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4 - is the exploded view of the bush.

The elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows:

1.: Oven
2.: Casing
3.: Rear wall
4.: Cooking chamber
5.: Movable element
6.: Motor
7.: Shaft
8.: Separator
9.: Hole
10.: Supporting wall
11.: Opening
12.: Bush
13.: 113. Part
14.: Housing
15.: Recess
16.: Protrusion
17.: Fixing hole

The oven (1) is of the type wherein cooking is performed by microwaves and comprises

a casing (2),
a rear wall (3) covering the rear face of the casing (2),
a cooking chamber (4) disposed in the casing (2), wherein foods to be cooked are placed,
at least one movable element (5) situated inside the casing (2),
at least one motor (6) providing the drive of the movable element (5),
at least one shaft (7) providing the drive provided by the motor (6) to be transmitted to the movable element (5),
a separator (8) separating the volume wherein the movable element (5) and the motor (6) are disposed, having a hole (9) through which the shaft (7) passes,
a supporting wall (10) having an opening (11) through which the shaft (7) passes, supporting the motor (6) and on which the motor (6) is fixed such as to remain between the rear wall (3) and the supporting wall (10).

The oven (1) of the present invention furthermore comprises a bush (12) disposed between the supporting wall (10) and the separator (8), mounted onto the shaft (7) such as to prevent microwave passage through the hole (9) and the opening (11), having at least two parts (13, 113) which are complementary to each other such as to completely surround the shaft (7) and a housing (14) through which the shaft (7) passes. Thus, microwaves are prevented from accessing the volume wherein the motor (6) is disposed passing by the separator (8) and even from accessing the outside of the casing (2); however, while providing this prevention, no change in the structure of the separator (8) or the supporting wall (10) is required. Moreover, it is possible to dismount the bush (12) from over the shaft (7) when needed.
The diameter of the housing (14) is larger than the diameter of the shaft (7). Thus, the bush (12) surrounds the shaft (7) without contacting the shaft (7). However, the diameter of the housing (14) is at most larger than the diameter of the shaft (7) as much as one fourth of the microwave wave length. Thus, the bush (12) does not prevent the shaft (7) from rotating, at the same time it is provided that no microwave leaks through between the bush (12) and the shaft (7).
The length of the bush (12) is equal to the distance between the separator (8) and the supporting wall (10). Therefore, when the bush (12) is mounted around the shaft (7), the front face of the bush (12) bears against the separator (8), and the rear face thereof against the supporting wall (10).
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the bush (12) comprises two semi-circular parts (13, 113). In this embodiment, on the face of the first segment (13) facing the second segment (113), on one side a recess (15) right next to the housing (14) and a protrusion (16) next to the recess (15) are disposed, and on the other side a protrusion (16) right next to the housing (14) and a recess (15) next to the protrusion (16) are disposed. On the face of the second segment (113) facing the first segment (13), a protrusion (16) is disposed at a position opposite to each recess (15) on the first segment (13) and a recess (15) at a position opposite to each protrusion (16) when two parts (13, 113) are joined. Thus, when two parts (13, 113) are assembled, the protrusions (16) seat into the recesses (15) and form a circle surrounding the shaft (7).
In an embodiment of the present invention, the movable element (5) is a stirrer.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the movable element (5) is an antenna.
In a different embodiment of the present invention, the movable element (5) is a rotating tray.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the oven (1) is of the type wherein cooking is performed by both microwaves and convection. In this embodiment, the movable element (5) is a fan moving the hot air. By means of the bush (12), it is possible to use the separator (8) and the supporting wall (10) designed to be used when cooking is performed only by convection in the oven (1) which performs cooking also by microwaves without requiring any change.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the bush (12) comprises fixing holes (17) which enable the bush (12) to be fixed onto the supporting wall (10) by means of the fixing elements.
It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed above and a person skilled in the art can easily introduce different embodiments. These should be considered within the scope of the protection postulated by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

An oven (1)
- which is of the type wherein cooking is performed by microwaves, which comprises

- a casing (2),

- a rear wall (3) covering the rear face of the casing (2),

- a cooking chamber (4) disposed in the casing (2), wherein foods to be cooked are placed,

- at least one movable element (5) situated inside the casing (2),

- at least one motor (6) providing the drive of the movable element (5),

- at least one shaft (7) providing the drive provided by the motor (6) to be transmitted to the movable element (5),

- a separator (8) separating the volumes wherein the movable element (5) and the motor (6) are disposed, having a hole (9) through which the shaft (7) passes,

- a supporting wall (10) having an opening (11) through which the shaft (7) passes, supporting the motor (6) and on which the motor (6) is fixed such as to remain between the rear wall (3) and the supporting wall (10),
characterized by
- a bush (12) disposed between the supporting wall (10) and the separator (8), mounted onto the shaft (7) such as to prevent microwave passage through the hole (9) and the opening (11), having at least two detachable semicircular parts (13, 113) which are complementary to each other such as to completely surround the shaft (7) and forms a housing (14) through which the shaft (7) passes.
An oven (1) as in Claim 1, characterized by the housing (14) the diameter of which is larger than the diameter of the shaft (7).
An oven (1) as in Claim 2, characterized by the housing (14) the diameter of which is at most larger than the diameter of the shaft (7) as much as one fourth of the microwave wave length.
An oven (1) as in any one of the claims above, characterized by the bush (12) the length of which is equal to the distance between the separator (8) and the supporting wall (10).
An oven (1) as in any one of the above Claims, characterized by the bush (12) comprising two semi-circular parts (13, 113).
An oven (1) as in Claim 5, characterized by the bush (12) comprising a first segment (13) having on the face thereof facing the second segment (113), on one side a recess (15) right next to the housing (14) and a protrusion (16) next to the recess (15) and on the other side a protrusion (16) right next to the housing (14) and a recess (15) next to the protrusion (16) and a second segment (113) having on the face thereof facing the first segment (13) a protrusion (16) at a position opposite to each recess (15) on the first segment (13) and a recess (15) at a position opposite to each protrusion (16) when two parts (13, 113) are joined.
An oven (1) as in any one of the above claims, characterized by the movable element (5) which is a stirrer.
An oven (1) as in any one of the above claims 1 to 6, characterized by the movable element (5) which is an antenna.
An oven (1) as in any one of the above claims 1 to 6, characterized by the movable element (5) which is a rotating tray.
An oven (1) wherein cooking is performed by both microwaves and convection, as in any one of the claims 1 to 6, characterized by the movable element (5) which is a fan moving the hot air.
An oven (1) as in any one of the claims above, characterized by the bush (12) comprising fixing holes (17) which enable the bush (12) to be fixed onto the supporting wall (10) by means of the fixing elements.