Steam cooking appliance

#1. Field Of the Invention

#This invention relates generally to devices for steam cooking food in the home, and more particularly to an electrically powered steam cooking appliance that may be left to boil dry without burning or emitting foul odors.

#2. Description of Related Art

#Further features of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

#FIG. 1 illustrates an exploded perspective view of a steam cooking appliance in accordance with the present invention;

#FIG. 2 illustrates a top planar view of the water containment basin defined by the base portion of the steam cooking appliance of FIG. 1;

#Referring now to the various figures of the drawings, a preferred embodiment of the present invention shall be described in detail. In referring to the several figures of the drawings, like numerals shall refer to like parts.

#FIGS. 1-6 illustrate a preferred embodiment of the steam cooking appliance shown generally at 10. As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5, the steam cooking appliance 10 includes a base portion 12 which defines a water containment basin 14. As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the water containment basin 14 includes a condensate basin 16 disposed in annular relationship to a water reservoir 18. The condensate basin 16 and water basin 18 are preferably ellipsoidal in shape. An inner peripheral wall 20 separates the condensate basin 16 from the water reservoir 18. The inner peripheral wall 20 is preferably ellipsoidal in shape and is stamped formed from the material comprising basins 16 and 18, preferably aluminum. The condensate basin 16 is also bounded by an outer peripheral wall 22 being defined by the base portion 12, whereby the outer peripheral wall 22 is also preferably ellipsoidal in shape, although appliance 10 may, of course, have any shape.

#Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, a heater 24 is mounted underneath the water reservoir 18 in the base 12 and is configured to provide heat to the water contained in the water reservoir 18 so as to transform the water into steam. In particular, the heater 24 is configured to instantaneously transform water which is disposed in the water reservoir 18 to be vaporized into steam so as to facilitate the cooking of food which is disposed within the steam cooking appliance 10. The heater 24 includes an intake assembly 28, such as a check valve assembly 29, for transferring liquid from the water reservoir 18 into the heater 24, therein enabling the liquid to be converted into steam, via the heater 24. A steam pipe 30 is also connected to the heater 24 and is functional to disperse generated steam from the heater 24 to a food tray 40 disposed atop the base portion 12, as will be discussed in more detail below. Preferably, the steam pipe 30 centrally projects upwardly from the water reservoir 18.