COOKING DEVICE, ESPECIALLY COMMERCIAL COOKING DEVICE

Description

CROSS-REFERENCED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to German Patent Application No. 102021124685.7, filed on Sep. 23, 2021, which is incorporated herein by reference thereto.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Disclosure

The disclosure relates to a cooking device, in particular in the form of a commercial cooking device.

2. Discussion of the Background Art

A cooking device is known from DE 103 51 476 B4. This cooking device comprises an extremely complex design, wherein the reason for this complex design is that, in the case of circulating-air cooking devices, in which the cooking chamber atmosphere is essentially rotated via main blades of the blower, a negative pressure is forced to draw in fresh air via a fresh-air channel using auxiliary blades, which rotate with the main blades and are arranged to be opposite thereto. However, due to the limited space available in such a cooking device, it is not possible to place the coils of the fresh-air channel in the interior, which comprises the cooking space, of the cooking device in the proximity of the blower wheel, where in principle optimum pressure conditions prevail, which according to DE 103 51 476 B4 entails the disadvantage that no maximum negative pressure is available for sucking in the fresh air.

Another known hot circulating air device is known from DE 41 3 748 C2. This hot circulating air device comprises a water supply pipe for steam generation, which is directed through an intake opening onto the blower wheel and the outlet opening of which is directed radially offset from the axis of the blower wheel onto a surface arranged parallel to the intake opening, which forms a spray device, wherein this is arranged at a distance in front of the plane of the rear wall and comprises an area, which is smaller than the intake opening and larger than the hub of the blower wheel. The spraying device is a disc arranged at a distance from the back wall in front of the hub, which is provided with additional recesses and/or deformations at its circumference.

It is the objective of the present disclosure to provide a cooking device, in particular a commercial cooking device which makes it possible to compensate for the disadvantages of the state of the art with a simple technical design.

SUMMARY

In detail, the cooking device according to the disclosure is characterized in that a heating device is arranged in a ring channel and that a water injection nozzle is provided adjacent to this heating device.

Thereby, the alignment of the water injection nozzle with the heating device means that the water injection nozzle sprays water directly onto the heating device, in particular during swirling of the water to be injected. First of all, this gives the advantage of a good distribution of the water droplets and the advantage of a very efficient steam generation. In addition, the hot surfaces of the heater and the ring channel are located on the side facing away from the customer, which makes it possible to easily remove any limescale produced by the steaming water from these sections.

In addition to the heating device in the ring channel, a further heating device could be provided, which surrounds the blower wheel of the cooking device according to the disclosure. This has the advantage that at low temperatures in the cooking chamber, pure steam can already be generated by the heating device in the ring channel, since the heating device in the ring channel has sufficient power to generate steam and, advantageously, does not heat the cooking chamber unnecessarily. In addition, there is the advantage that any limescale is only produced in the section of this heating device in the ring channel.

However, according to the disclosure, as mentioned, it is also possible for the cooking device according to the disclosure to have only one heater inside the ring channel, which can be considered as a pure steam generator.

Furthermore, this gives rise to following advantages:

• • water and electricity connection from the motor side; best accessibility and service friendliness;
  • connection of the cleaning system also possible at the fresh-air channel for decalcification and cleaning of the assembly;
  • no more need for supply pipe via the ceiling;
  • intake sheet does not require an injection line; no built-in parts in the cooking chamber;
  • accessibility of the heater via cooking chamber after disassembly of the blower wheel and a steam chamber ring;
  • significant increase in dehumidification performance;
  • integrated motor support and cooking chamber stiffening;
  • low temperature load of the fresh air regulation valve;
  • function of dehumidification and steam generation combined in one assembly;
  • good steam performance in the low temperature section;
  • improved dehumidification performance;
  • few components, thus higher reliability; external steam generator can thus be omitted;
  • component with multiple function, motor support;
  • possible offset of motor in the direction of the cooking chamber to reduce installation space;
  • descaling via cooking chamber cleaning;
  • immediate operational readiness for steam generator and dehumidification;
  • good energy footprint;
  • no additional temperature monitoring or STB;
  • steam generation in the low temperature section without activating the heater provided in the cooking chamber, if such one is provided, which would heat the cooking chamber unnecessarily.

Furthermore, there are the advantages of a good distribution of water when it is introduced behind the blower wheel, which can also be used for a cleaning system. Here, it is possible to introduce a cleaning means into the ring channel through an additional nozzle, which can distribute itself accordingly well in the cooking chamber. Furthermore, existing limescale can already be efficiently removed in the section where a descaling agent is introduced, in particular in the section of the heating device, wherein it is further possible to inject descaling agent via the water injection nozzle.

The construction of the cooking device according to the disclosure can accordingly replace more complex systems, in particular boilers. This saves component costs and installation space and thus reduces the size of the device and also increases the reliability of the cooking device according to the disclosure. This is because level monitoring must be provided for the safe use of boilers.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the section around the heating device in the ring channel can be separated as a chamber by a sheet or steam chamber ring. The resulting ring gap creates a high flow velocity and good media distribution as well as a good intake of fresh air when a fresh air regulation valve arranged in the fresh air intake channel in front of the water injection valve is opened.

Furthermore, it is possible to provide a steam chamber ring in the ring channel for optimal steam distribution and dehumidification performance. Such a steam chamber ring can be arranged, so that it can be disassembled from the cooking chamber side. Furthermore, the steam chamber ring can be provided with one or more water outlet openings in its lower section.

In another particularly preferred embodiment, it is possible to provide the ring channel with a motor support and a motor stiffener.

Preferably, it is further possible to provide the blower wheel with an axially offset blade system in order to reduce the installation space for the fresh air intake.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further details, advantages and features of the present disclosure will be apparent from the following description of examples of embodiments with reference to the drawing:

FIG. 1 shows a slightly simplified partial representation of a first embodiment of a cooking device according to the disclosure;

FIG. 2 shows a partial representation of a second embodiment of the cooking device according to the disclosure, corresponding to FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of a third embodiment of the cooking device according to the disclosure, corresponding to FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 shows a schematic representation of a fourth embodiment of the cooking device according to the disclosure, corresponding to FIGS. 2 and 3; and

FIG. 5 shows a schematic diagram of a fifth embodiment of the cooking device according to the disclosure, corresponding to FIGS. 2 to 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 shows a representation of a cooking device 1 according to the disclosure, in particular in the form of a commercial cooking device.

The cooking device 1 comprises a housing 2, in which an openable and closable cooking chamber 3 is arranged.

Furthermore, a blower chamber 4 is arranged in the housing 2, wherein a flow guiding element 5 is arranged between the cooking chamber 3 and the blower chamber 4.

Furthermore, the cooking device 1 comprises a blower 6, which comprises a blower wheel 7, which may be provided with main blades for generating a cooking chamber flow and preferably with auxiliary blades for sucking in fresh air, which leads into a fresh air intake opening 11 of the housing 2.

FIG. 1 further shows that the cooking device 1 comprises a blower motor 10, which comprises a driving shaft 12, which is drivingly connected to the blower wheel 7.

Furthermore, a ring channel 15 is provided, which is in flow connection with the fresh air intake opening 11.

According to the disclosure, the cooking device 1 further comprises a heating device 9, which is arranged in the ring channel 15.

In a transition section 24 of the fresh air intake channel 13, a water injection nozzle 16 is further arranged, which is aligned with the heating device 9, as shown by the dashed lines extending from the water injection nozzle 16 and reaching the heating device 9.

FIG. 1 shows that the transition section 24 extends to the ring channel 15, which is arranged concentrically around the driving shaft 12, which means that the driving shaft 12 forms the center axis of the ring channel 15.

FIG. 1 shows that the ring channel 12 is arranged behind the blower wheel 7, which in other words means that the ring channel 12 is arranged between the blower motor 10 and the blower wheel 7.

FIG. 1 further shows that a supply channel 26 is provided with a pump 27, and opens into a nozzle 17, which in turn opens into the ring channel 15. This arrangement allows cleaning means to be introduced into the ring channel.

At the lower end according to the representation chosen in FIG. 1, the ring channel 15 further comprises an outlet 25.

FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the cooking device 1 according to the disclosure, which in this case is provided with an optional further heating device 8, which is arranged in the blower chamber 4 of the cooking chamber 3 and thereby surrounds the blower wheel 6 and is therefore ring-shaped in the particularly preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 2.

Furthermore, the cooking device according to FIG. 2 comprises a fresh air intake channel 13, which in this embodiment merges into the ring channel 15 via a transition section 24. In this case, the water injection nozzle 16 is arranged in this transition section 24 and the nozzle 17 for cleaning means is also provided in the fresh air intake channel.

Finally, a fresh air intake valve 18 is arranged in the fresh air intake channel 13.

The arrow FL entering the fresh air intake channel 13 symbolizes the fresh air sucked in, wherein this arrow simultaneously shows the flow direction R of the fresh air FL.

Seen in the flow direction R of this sucked-in fresh air FL, the nozzle 17 for cleaning means, such as descaling agent in particular, is provided above the water injection nozzle 16.

The arrows P show the flow path of the sucked-in fresh air FL through the ring channel 15 and through the fresh air intake opening 11 to reach the cooking chamber 3. Otherwise, the embodiment of the cooking device 1 according to FIG. 2 corresponds to that of FIG. 1 with regard to the features marked with the same reference signs.

FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of the cooking device 1 that corresponds fully to that according to FIG. 2, so that reference can be made to the preceding description paragraphs of the cooking device 1 in this respect.

FIG. 3 serves to show a housing outlet 14, with which the cooking device 1 according to the disclosure is usually provided. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, a condenser 21 is connected to this housing outlet 14 and is provided with an outlet pipe 22.

FIG. 4 shows a further embodiment of the cooking device 1 according to the disclosure, which fully corresponds to the embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 with regard to the basic components, so that reference can be made to the relevant description paragraphs.

FIG. 4 serves to show an embodiment of the blower wheel 7, which is provided with auxiliary blades 19 arranged at the blower wheel back side.

In the particularly preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 4, these auxiliary blades 19 comprise blade sections 20, which extend into the ring channel 15. This embodiment of the blower wheel 7 serves to further improve the air intake by increasing a negative pressure in the section of the driving shaft 12.

FIG. 5 shows a fifth embodiment of the cooking device 1 according to the disclosure, which also corresponds to the embodiment according to FIG. 2 with regard to its basic structure, so that reference can be made to the description of FIG. 2 in this respect.

FIG. 5 shows the possibility of moving the blower motor 10 in the direction of the blower wheel 7 or the cooking chamber 3, which has the advantage of improving the compactness of the cooking device 1 according to the disclosure. The space required for accommodating the blower motor 10 offset in the direction of the cooking chamber 3 is achieved by extending a circumferential wall 23 of the ring channel 15.

Alternatively to the embodiments described above, it is possible that the cooking device, which is also designed in particular as a commercial cooking device, does not comprise a heating device 9 in the ring channel 15, but only the water injection nozzle 16 is provided in the ring channel 15, and that in the cooking chamber the evaporation of the water, which is injected into the ring channel 15 via the water injection nozzle 16, takes place via the heating device 8 in the cooking chamber 3. This embodiment would also yield advantages in terms of water consumption and lime sediment as described previously. Otherwise, the alternative embodiment described above comprises all the features of FIG. 2, with the exception of the heating device 9, so that reference can be made to the above description of FIG. 2 in this respect.

In addition to the foregoing written disclosure of the disclosure, explicit reference is hereby made to the drawn embodiment of the disclosure in FIGS. 1 to 5 for supplementing the disclosure.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

• • 1 cooking device, especially commercial cooking device
  • 2 housing
  • 3 cooking chamber
  • 4 blower chamber
  • 5 flow guiding element
  • 6 blower
  • 7 blower wheel
  • 8 heating device in the cooking chamber
  • 9 heating device in the ring channel
  • 10 blower motor
  • 11 fresh air intake opening
  • 12 driving shaft
  • 13 fresh air intake channel
  • 14 housing outlet
  • 15 ring channel
  • 16 water injection nozzle
  • 17 nozzle for cleaning means
  • 18 fresh air intake valve
  • 19 auxiliary blades
  • 20 blade sections
  • 21 condenser
  • 22 outlet pipe
  • 23 circumferential wall
  • 24 transition section
  • 25 outlet