Steam generating mechanism in a cooking oven

Details Steam generating mechanism in a cooking oven Steam generating mechanism in a cooking oven

2001-04-12

2001-11-20

Simone, Timothy F. (Department: 1761)

Foods and beverages: apparatus

Cooking

Automatic control

C099S331000, C099S467000, C099S476000, C099S451000, C099SDIG014, C126S020000, C126S348000, C126S369000, C219S401000, C219S601000, C219S622000, C219S680000, C219S682000, C219S731000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06318246

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a steam generating mechanism in a cooking oven, such as a microwave oven, a microwave heating oven or the like.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
When variety kinds of foods are respectively cooked in a cooking oven such as a microwave oven, a microwave heating oven or the like, it sometimes more preferable for particular kinds of foods to be cooked with a moistening process using a steam heating as well as a regular heating process. Accordingly, many of the conventional ovens have been equipped with a steam generating mechanism in addition to a regular heating means. Conventionally there has been introduced a wide variety of steam generating mechanisms into a market, which are roughly categorized into three types.
A first type of steam generating mechanism employs such configuration as schematically shown in
FIG. 10
of the accompanying drawings, in which a steam generator
4
is arranged outside an oven including a fan
2
and an oven heater
3
installed in a chamber
1
thereof. The steam generator
4
is coupled to the oven, so that the steam generated by heating the water with a heater
5
disposed in the water may be introduce into the chamber
1
.
A second type of steam generating mechanism employs such configuration as schematically shown in
FIG. 11
, in which the water
6
is supplied into the bottom portion of an oven including a fan
2
and an oven heater
3
installed in a chamber
1
thereof, and the water
6
is heated by the heater
7
so as to generate the steam into the chamber
1
of the oven.
A third type of steam generating mechanism employs a configuration in which the water is injected over an oven heater to generate the steam, and there have been some exemplary configurations including: one configuration as schematically shown in
FIG. 12
, in which a water nozzle
8
is laid in the bottom portion of an oven provided with a fan
2
and an oven heater
3
installed in a chamber
1
thereof, so that the water is injected toward the oven heater
3
from this nozzle
8
to generate the steam within the chamber
1
; and an alternative configuration as schematically shown in
FIG. 13
, in which a water-supply pipe
9
is laid in an oven provided with a fan
2
and an oven heater
3
installed in a chamber
1
thereof, said water pipe
9
extending from a ceiling portion to a suction side of the fan
2
, so that the water is injected from the water-supply pipe
9
against the fan
2
so as to be dispersed toward the oven heater
3
, where the water is heated to be vaporized, thus causing the steam to be introduced into the chamber
1
.
However, in the configuration described with reference to
FIG. 10
where the separate steam generator is arranged outside the oven, since a tank, a water-supply-and-drain device, a water level controller, a heater or the like are additionally required for said steam generator, a man-hour for manufacturing them is necessarily increased resulting in cost increase. Besides, increased number of components means that a possibility of failures is greater and troubles are more likely to occur by the affection of water quality or the like.
In the configuration described with reference to
FIG. 11
where the water is stored in the bottom portion of the oven, in order to generate the steam, another heater other than the oven heater as well as a water level controller are necessary, which also results in cost increase.
In the configuration described with reference to
FIG. 12
where the water nozzle is laid in the bottom portion of the oven, the water is only injected over a part of the oven heater, which makes it difficult to generate a sufficient amount of steam.
In the configuration described with reference to
FIG. 13
where the water-supply pipe is laid in the oven so as to extend from the ceiling portion to the suction side of the fan, since the water-supply pipe fixedly extends in the front face sides of the oven heater and the fan, it is difficult to clean the fan, heater or the like, which might cause a trouble in the maintenance.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a steam generating mechanism in a cooking oven, which can solve the problems of the prior art described above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a steam generating mechanism in a cooking oven equipped with a heater and a fan for blowing a hot air into a chamber thereof, said steam generating mechanism further comprising: a water-supply receiver guide attached integrally to a fan guard which is detachably mounted in the front face side of said fan; and a water-supply unit for supplying water to said water-supply receiver guide when the need arises; wherein the water supplied into said water-supply receiver guide is guided toward a suction side of said fan, sucked by said fan together with the air inside the chamber, and dispersed toward said heater, so that said water may be heated by said heater to be formed into steam, which is then blown into the chamber of the oven.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a steam generating mechanism in a cooking oven equipped with a heater and a fan for blowing a hot air into a chamber thereof, said steam generating mechanism further comprising: a water-supply receiver guide attached integrally to a fan guard which is detachably mounted in the front face side of said fan; a water-supply unit for supplying water to said water-supply receiver guide; and an automatic controller for actuating said water-supply unit in response to a command for performing a quick cooling of an inside of the chamber, so as to supply water into said water-supply receiver guide; wherein the water supplied into said water-supply receiver guide is guided toward a suction side of said fan, sucked by said fan together with the air inside the chamber, and dispersed toward said heater, so that said water may be heated by said heater to be formed into steam, which is then blown into the chamber of the oven to perform the quick cooling operation in the chamber.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a steam generating mechanism in a cooking oven equipped with a heater and a fan for blowing a hot air into a chamber thereof, said steam generating mechanism comprising: a water-supply receiver guide attached integrally to a fan guard which is detachably mounted in the front face side of said fan; a water-supply unit for supplying water to said water-supply receiver guide; and an automatic controller for actuating said water-supply unit in response to a command for washing an inside of the chamber, so as to supply water into said water-supply receiver guide; wherein the water supplied into said water-supply receiver guide is guided toward a suction side of said fan, sucked by said fan together with the air inside the chamber, and dispersed toward said heater, so that said water may be heated by said heater to be formed into steam, which is blown into the chamber of the oven to enhance a washing operation in the chamber.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, said water-supply receiver guide is a water-supply guide pipe which guides the water supplied from said water-supply unit directly to the suction side of said fan.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, said water-supply receiver guide is a water receiver which guides the water supplied from said water-supply unit to the suction side of said fan by causing the water to flow along said fan guard.
According to still another embodiment of the present invention, said fan guard also serves as a grease filter.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5103800 (1992-04-01), Bedford et al.
patent: 5158064 (1992-10-01), Willis et al.
patent: 5401940 (1995-03-01), Smith et al.
patent: 5441034 (1995-08-01), Bedford et al.
patent: 5517980 (1996-05-01), Cappello et al.
patent: 5525782 (1996-06-01), Yoneno et al.
patent: 5619983 (1997-04-01), Smith
patent: 5665259 (1997-09-01), Westerberg
patent: 5676044 (1997

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