EP3563092A1

EP3563092A1 - An oven comprising illumination means

Info

Publication number: EP3563092A1
Application number: EP17804164.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ihsan Arslantekin; Yasin Sedat Yirmili; Metin OZCAN
Original assignee: Arcelik AS
Current assignee: Arcelik AS
Priority date: 2016-12-28
Filing date: 2017-11-22
Publication date: 2019-11-06
Also published as: TR201619837A1; WO2018121924A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to an oven (1) comprising a cooking chamber (2) in which the materials to be cooked are placed, a chassis (3) shaped as a box open on the front side enclosing the cooking chamber (2), and illumination means (6) having a light source (4) placed on the chassis (3) so as to stand out of the cooking chamber (2), and a coupling member (6) enabling attachment of the light source (4) to the chassis (3).

Description

AN OVEN COMPRISING ILLUMINATION MEANS

The present invention relates to an oven comprising illumination means.
In ovens, illumination means are placed in cooking chambers for the users to be able to monitor the cooking state of food without opening the door of an oven. Thus, the cooking state can be observed from a glass door without heat loss. In the art, several applications have been developed for illumination means to effectively illuminate the entirety of a cooking chamber. Such illumination means usually comprise an optical guide transmitting the light from a light source to the interior of the cooking chamber. Optical guide usually comprises an optical fiber bundle or alternatively an optical light tube. However, homogeneous light distribution in a cooking chamber cannot be achieved with optical guides and illumination adequate for the user to determine the cooking state of the food product cannot be provided.
State of the art United States patent application no. US20130081610 discloses an oven having a light source and an optical fiber bundle.
The aim of the present invention is to realize an oven whose internal volume is efficiently illuminated.
The oven realized to achieve the aim of the present invention and disclosed in the first claim and the dependent claims comprises a cooking chamber in which the materials to be cooked are placed, a chassis shaped as a box open on the front side enclosing the cooking chamber, and illumination means having a light source placed on the chassis so as to stand out of the cooking chamber, and a coupling member enabling attachment of the light source to the chassis. The food product to be cooked is placed into the cooking chamber from the open front side of the chassis. The food product is cooked by heating the cooking chamber by means of a heater.
The oven of the invention comprises a protecting body placed on the chassis so as to be inside the cooking chamber, at least one light bearer placed in the protecting body, through which the light transmitted from the light source is conveyed, and illumination means provided on the protecting body, enabling transmission of the light conveyed through the light bearer to the cooking chamber. In this embodiment, the coupling member is placed on the body at a relatively cooler region, and the light coming from the light source is transmitted to the light bearer.
In an embodiment of the invention, the oven comprises a tray provided in the cooking chamber, on which the food products to be cooked are placed, and an opening arranged on the surface of the protecting body facing the tray. The light dispersed from the light bearer is conveyed to the cooking chamber by passing only through the opening. The tray is efficiently illuminated by preventing the light from being dispersed in the cooking chamber thanks to the opening being positioned on the surface of the protecting body facing the tray. By this, the food product being cooked is better illuminated, and the user is enabled to monitor the cooking status of the food product without opening the oven door. Energy is thus saved by preventing heat loss from the cooking chamber.
In another embodiment of the invention, the illumination means comprise a rod-shaped light bearer and a tube shaped protecting body at least partially enclosing the light bearer. The portion of the protecting body standing out of the opening enables protecting the light bearer from impacts by enclosing the light bearer.
In another embodiment of the invention, the illumination means comprise a protecting body placed so as to have its concave portions facing the tray. The protecting body with a larger inner diameter than the diameter of the light bearer, encloses the light bearer so as to have in between a space predetermined by the producer. The light which comes out of the light bearer and hits the inner surface of the protecting body, is diverted towards the opening by being reflected from the inner surface of the protecting body. The amount of light transmitted from the light bearer to the cooking chamber is thus increased, providing better illumination of the food product located in the cooking chamber.
In another embodiment of the invention, the oven comprises at least one seat arranged on the chassis and a protecting body removably placed on the seat. The illumination means are easily attached and detached by means of removable placement of the protecting body to the chassis, providing ease of maintenance.
In another embodiment of the invention, the illumination means comprise a cooling member enabling cooling of the light source, and a first seat arranged on the coupling member, in which the cooling member is placed. The coupling member enables secure cooling of the light source by holding the cooling member and the light source together.
In another embodiment of the invention, the oven comprises a coupling member made of elastic material. Placement of the light source on the chassis so as to be protected from the heat dissipating from the cooking chamber is enabled thanks to the elastic structure of the coupling member preferably made of silicone. The elastic form of the coupling member enables protection of the light source and the light bearer against extreme mechanical tensions. Thus, losses during light transmission from the light source to the light bearer are decreased and the amount of light transmitted to the cooking chamber is increased, providing a better illumination of the cooking chamber.
In another embodiment of the invention, the illumination means comprise a second seat arranged on the coupling member, in which the light bearer is placed. The second seat which is preferably a cylindrically shaped channel, enables light transmission between the light source and the light bearer by providing correct positioning of the light bearer with respect to the light source.
An oven having illumination means whose secure use is enabled by means of a light bearer placed in a protecting body placed on the chassis so as to be in the cooking chamber, is realized with the present invention.
The oven realized to achieve the aims of the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of an oven.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the chassis in an embodiment of the invention after an illumination unit is placed by the oven.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the chassis in an embodiment of the invention before the illumination unit is placed by the oven.
Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the illumination unit in an embodiment of the invention.
Figure 5 is a perspective view of the illumination unit in an embodiment of the invention.
Figure 6 is a perspective view of the coupling member in an embodiment of the invention.
Figure 7 is a perspective view of the coupling member in an embodiment of the invention after placement of the light source and the cooler.
The elements in the figures are numbered individually and the correspondence of these numbers are given hereinafter.

Oven
Cooking chamber
Chassis
Light source
Coupling member
Illumination means
Protecting body
Light bearer
Opening
Tray
Seat
Cooling member
First seat
Second seat

The oven (1) comprises a cooking chamber (2) in which materials to be cooked are placed, a chassis (3) shaped as a box open on the front side, enclosing the cooking chamber (2), and illumination means (6) having,

a light source (4) placed on the chassis (3) so as to stand out of the cooking chamber (2), and
a coupling member (5) enabling attachment of the light source (4) to the chassis (3) (Figure 1, Figure 2 and Figure 7).

Preferably, the light source (4) comprising LED illuminator is positioned out of the cooking chamber (2), on the chassis (3) so as to be further from the cooking region kept in high temperatures.
The oven (1) of the invention comprises illumination means (6) comprising

a protecting body (7) placed on the chassis (3) so as to be at least partially in the cooking chamber (2),
at least one light bearer (8) placed in the protecting body (7), enabling conveyance of the light transmitted from the light source (4), and
at least one opening (9) provided on the protecting body (7), enabling transmission of the light conveyed through the light bearer (8) to the cooking chamber (2). (Figure 4, and Figure 5).

The light transmitted from the light source (4) to the light bearer (8) upon activation of the light source (4), is conveyed to the cooking chamber (2) by passing through the opening (9) arranged on the protecting body (7), upon placement of the light bearer (8) on the protecting body (7). When the light bearer (8) is placed on the protecting body (7) positioned in the cooking chamber (2), the protecting body (7) protects the light bearer (8) preferably made of fiber optical material, from impacts by at least partially enclosing it. Thus, the food product is prevented from directly contacting the light bearer (8) when the user places food products in order to cook in the cooking chamber (2). In addition, the light bearer (8) is held in a suitable position in the cooking chamber (2) by means of the protecting body (7).
In an embodiment of the invention, the oven (1) comprises a tray (10) provided in the cooking chamber (2), on which the food products to be cooked are placed, and an opening (9) arranged on the surface of the protecting body (7) facing the tray (10). The food product on the tray (10) is better illuminated thanks to the opening (9) being positioned on the surface of the protecting body (7) facing the tray (10). The user can thus effectively monitor the cooking process without opening the oven (1) door (Figure 2).
In another embodiment of the invention, the illumination means (6) comprise a rod-shaped light bearer (8) and a tube shaped protecting body (7) at least partially enclosing the light bearer (8). In this embodiment, preferably the light bearer (8) composes of a plurality of fiber optical rods extending along the protecting body (7). The light bearer (8) is enclosed at least partially by the protecting body (7) thanks to the tube shape of the protecting body (7). Thus, the light bearer (8) is prevented from being broken or damaged by directly contacting the tray (10) during placement and removal of the tray (10) to/from the cooking chamber (2).
In another embodiment of the invention, the illumination means (6) comprise a protecting body (7) placed so as to have its concave portions facing the tray (10). Thus, the light transmitted from the light bearer (8) provided in the protecting body (7), to the inner surface of the protecting body (7), is directed to the opening (9) by reflecting it from the concave surface of the protecting body (7). By this, the amount of light transmitted to the tray (10) by passing through the opening (9), is increased, and customer satisfaction is thus improved by providing better illumination for the food product in the cooking chamber (2).
In another embodiment of the invention, the oven (1) comprises at least one seat (11) arranged on the chassis (3) and a protecting body (7) removably placed on the seat (11). In this embodiment, one end of the protecting body (7) is placed to a side wall of the chassis (3), and its other end is placed on the rear wall of the chassis (3). The protecting body (7) preferably placed removably both to the side and the rear wall of the chassis (3) by means of at least one nut, enables easy attachment and detachment of the illumination means (6) during maintenance (Figure 3).
In another embodiment of the invention, the illumination means (6) comprise a cooling member (12) enabling cooling of the light source (4), and a first seat (13) arranged on the coupling member (5), in which the cooling member (12) is placed. The cooling member (12) preferably made of metal material, is placed to the first seat (13) together with the light source (4) provided thereon. The coupling member (5) enables the cooling member (12) to be held adjacent to the light source (4) (Figure 7).
In another embodiment of the invention, the oven (1) comprises a coupling member (5) made of elastic material. Placement of the light source (4) on the chassis (3) so as to be protected from the heat dissipating from the cooking chamber (2) is enabled thanks to the elastic structure of the coupling member (5) preferably made of silicone. The elastic structure of the coupling member (5) also facilitates mounting of the illumination means (6) to the oven (1).
In another embodiment of the invention, the illumination means (6) comprise a second seat (14) arranged on the coupling member (5), in which the light bearer (8) is placed. The second seat (14) having identical shape as the light bearer (9), enables the light bearer (9) to be effectively gripped by the coupling member (5).
In the oven (1) of the invention, the light transmitted by a light source (4) placed on the chassis (3) so as to be out of the cooking chamber (2), is distributed by means of a light bearer (8) placed on the protecting body (7) provided in the cooking chamber (2). The illumination means (6) providing homogeneous illumination in the cooking chamber (2) is realized by means of the light bearer (9) placed in the protecting body (7).

Claims

An oven (1) comprising, a cooking chamber (2) in which materials to be cooked are placed, a chassis (3) shaped as a box open on the front side, enclosing the cooking chamber (2), and illumination means (6) having,

- a light source (4) placed on the chassis (3) so as to stand out of the cooking chamber (2), and

- a coupling member (5) enabling attachment of the light source (4) to the chassis (3)

characterized by the illumination means (6) comprising

- a protecting body (7) placed on the chassis (3) so as to be at least partially in the cooking chamber (2),

- at least one light bearer (8) placed in the protecting body (7), enabling conveyance of the light transmitted from the light source (4), and

- at least one opening (9) provided on the protecting body (7), enabling transmission of the light conveyed through the light bearer (8) to the cooking chamber.
An oven (1) according to claim 1, characterized by a tray (10) provided in the cooking chamber (2), on which the food products to be cooked are placed, and by an opening (9) arranged on the surface of the protecting body (7) facing the tray (10).
An oven (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the rod shaped light bearer (8), and by the tube shaped protecting body (7) at least partially enclosing the light bearer (8).
An oven (1) according to claim 3, characterized by the protecting body (7) placed so that its concave portion faces the tray (10).
An oven (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by at least one seat (11) provided on the chassis (3), and by the protecting body (7) removably placed on the seat (11).
An oven (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by a cooling member (12) enabling cooling of the light source (4), and by a first seat (13) arranged on the coupling member (5), in which the cooling member (12) is placed.
An oven (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by the coupling member (5) made of elastic material.
An oven (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by a second seat (14) arranged on the coupling member (5), in which the light bearer (8) is placed.