US 12,663,164 B2 · Cooking oven

Abstract

A Cooking oven (100) comprising a) at least one cooking cavity (102) and b) at least one steam generation system (40) for introducing steam into the cooking cavity (102) during a steam operating mode, in particular steam cooking mode or steam cleaning mode, c) wherein the steam generation system (40) comprises c1) at least one steam generator (42), c2) at least one fluid supply (44), the fluid preferably being water with impurities, in particular calcium, and optionally additives and c3) at least one valve (2), d) wherein the valve (2) is interconnected between the fluid supply (44) and the steam generator (42) in order to control the flow of fluid from the fluid supply (44) to the steam generator (42) during the steam operating mode, e) wherein the valve (2) comprises at least one inlet (12) for the fluid being in fluid connection with the fluid supply (44) f) wherein the valve is in fluid connection with the steam generator (42) by means of at least one connecting line (50), g) wherein the valve (2) is provided with at least one closing device (19) for closing and opening the inlet (12) of the valve at least partially during the steam operating mode in order to keep the fluid level within the valve at an operating level within an operating level range during the steam operating mode, h) the cooking oven further comprising one or more of the following features: h1) the valve (2) and the steam generator (42) and the connecting line (50) are arranged in such a way that the level of the fluid within the steam generator (42) and within the valve (2) is kept the same during the steam operating mode and/or wherein the valve (2) and the steam generator (42) and the connecting line (50) are arranged according to the principle of communicating vessels, h2) the operating level (N) or the operating level range during the steam operating mode is, in the direction of gravity, higher than or at the same level as the inlet (12) of the valve (2).

Claims16

Dependent claims

Cooking oven comprising:

a cooking cavity;
and
a steam generation system for introducing steam into the cooking cavity during a steam operating mode, in particular a steam cooking mode or a steam cleaning mode, wherein the steam generation system comprises:
a steam generator,
a fluid supply that in use will supply a fluid comprising water,
a valve interconnected between the fluid supply and the steam generator and configured to control a flow of fluid from the fluid supply to the steam generator during the steam operating mode;
wherein the valve comprises an inlet in fluid connection with the fluid supply, and a closing device configured to close and open the inlet of the valve at least partially during the steam operating mode in order to keep a fluid level within the valve at an operating level within an operating level range during the steam operating mode, and
a connecting line, wherein the valve is in fluid connection with the steam generator via the connecting line;
wherein the cooking oven further comprises one or more of the following features:
the valve, the steam generator, and the connecting line are arranged in such a way that a level of the fluid within the steam generator and the level of the fluid within the valve are kept the same during the steam operating mode, and/or
the valve, the steam generator, and the connecting line are arranged according to a principle of communicating vessels, and/or
the operating level or the operating level range during the steam operating mode is, in a direction of gravity, higher than or at a same level as the inlet of the valve, further wherein:
the valve comprises an outlet for the fluid, the outlet and the steam generator being interconnected by the connecting line, wherein the operating level or operating level range is, in the direction of gravity, higher than the outlet of the valve, and/or
the fluid supply, in the direction of gravity, is arranged higher than the valve and/or the steam generator.

11 more elements

A cooking oven comprising a cooking cavity and a steam generating system configured to deliver steam to the cooking cavity during a steam operating mode;

the steam generating system comprising:
a fluid supply,
a steam generator,
a valve fluidly interconnected between the fluid supply and steam generator, the valve comprising:
a housing having an inlet configured to receive a supply of fluid from the fluid supply, and a valve outlet configured to deliver the fluid from said housing to the steam generator, the valve housing and an interior volume of the steam generator being in open fluid communication in order that in operation they will share a common fluid level as a result of a continuous fluid path therebetween, and
a floater disposed within the housing, said floater being movable between a closing position and an opening position as a result of its buoyancy based on the fluid level in the housing, wherein in the closing position a sealing surface of a closing portion of the floater is sealingly urged against a sealing surface of the inlet thereby closing off the inlet to fluid flow, and in the opening position the sealing surface of the closing portion is at least partially separated from the sealing surface of the inlet thereby opening the inlet to fluid flow;
and
a connecting line, wherein the valve is in fluid connection with the steam generator via the connecting line,
wherein the floater passively maintains the common fluid level of the valve housing and interior volume of the steam generator at an operating level within an operating level range during the steam operating mode, without a pump or application external energy beyond flow of the fluid through the valve housing, as a result the floater's buoyancy causing the floater to move:
toward the opening position as the common fluid level recedes as the fluid is converted to steam in the steam generator, and
into the closing position as a result of the common fluid level rising from inflow of the fluid through the housing inlet while the inlet is open,
further wherein:
the valve outlet and the steam generator are interconnected by the connecting line, wherein the operating level or operating level range is, in the direction of gravity, higher than the valve outlet, and/or
the fluid supply, in the direction of gravity, is arranged higher than the valve and/or the steam generator.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Cooking oven

Life of this patent

Cooking oven

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16