OVEN WITH BOTTOM-HINGED DOOR WITH NO HANDLE

DESCRIPTION

The present invention concerns the sector of kitchen appliances and in particular it concerns kitchen ovens.

Kitchen ovens are known, even in built-in versions, that are equipped with an oven-hinged door. Oven doors are usually equipped with a handle to allow the door to be opened and closed with no need for the hand to come into contact with the hot wall or glass panel of the oven door. At least one spring mechanism, usually integrated in the door hinge, keeps the oven door closed, so that the gasket of the door adheres thoroughly to the edge of the oven, thus preventing the heat from expanding out of the oven. Oven door hinges are widely used that are manufactured separately and installed on the oven door. Said hinges are constructed in such a way as to allow application and complete detachment of the door from the oven by simple insertion or withdrawal of their hook-shaped part into/from suitable seats created in or fixed to the oven body. The spring mechanism integrated in the hinges of oven doors is such as to make the door constantly adhere to the oven structure so that the gaskets present on the oven body or on the door prevent the hot air from expanding out of the oven's inner compartment. To open the oven door it is necessary to overcome the initial resistance of said spring mechanism and open the door beyond a given angle, so that the thrusting action of said spring mechanism is nullified by the shape of the mechanism itself. On the contrary, to close the oven door it is sufficient to start the closing manoeuvre and continue it until the spring mechanism performs its function again and closes or at least facilitates closing of the door.

Ovens are known that adopt the so-called cold doors, that is, doors consisting of several coupled glass panes adhering to each other with or without air spaces, so that the external surface of the door has a temperature that is much lower than the inner temperature, usually almost corresponding to the temperature of the room where the oven is installed.

Doors with air space are also known, where an air flow is present between the glass panes, in such a way as to reduce heat transmission between the inner and outer surface of the door.

AU these kinds of door are equipped with various types of handles, having different sizes and arranged in different positions.

Oven door handles have production and storage costs and require labour for application and installation on the ovens during production, with consequent increases in assembly costs.

Oven door handles are often protruding elements that may hinder the passage of people or objects, like for example food trolleys, may cause clothes to become entangled with them and damage them, besides increasing overall dimensions for the purpose of storage.

In order to overcome all the drawbacks mentioned above, a new domestic oven has been designed and implemented that has a door with no handle, equipped with a locking and release device and a device for rotating the door open and braking it.

One of the objects of the invention is to construct a new kitchen oven that has no parts protruding from the door.

Another object of the new oven is to eliminate costs deriving from the production and assembly of the handle.

A further object of the new oven is to allow the user to open the door even with busy hands.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism that keeps the door closed.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism that rotates the door open when it is released by said closing mechanism and it is half-opened.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism that brakes or in any case regulates opening and opening speed of the door when it is released by said closing mechanism.

Devices are known, which are also called push-pull or push-push devices, that include a coupling element, in the shape of a hook, an arrow or a pin with enlarged head, fixed to and protruding from the inner surface of the door wing to be kept closed, and a push coupling mechanism to be fixed, for example, to the body of the piece of furniture or object closed by said wing.

When the wing is open, a simple pressure exerted on the wing causes said coupling element to fit in the constraint element of the coupling mechanism, while successively pressing and releasing the wing itself opens the coupling mechanism, releases the coupling element of the wing and pushes the wing open.

These and other direct and complementary objects are achieved by the new kitchen oven with door equipped with at least one locking device and at least one device for rotating the door open and braking it.

The door of the new oven, besides being without handle, is provided with one or more coupling elements, while the oven body is equipped with corresponding locking and release mechanisms. Alternatively, the elements can be arranged the other way round, that is, the oven body can be provided with one or more coupling elements while the door can be provided with corresponding locking and release mechanisms.

Said coupling elements and said locking and release mechanisms may be preferably positioned on the side opposite the hinged side of the door and of the oven.

The coupling elements and the locking and release mechanisms may be constituted by the so-called push-pull ox push-push devices, where each one of the coupling elements is constituted by an element in the shape of a hook, an arrow or a pin with enlarged head, while the locking and release mechanisms are constituted by the corresponding push coupling mechanisms with elastic reaction. The oven door is provided with a device for rotating it open and braking it, that is, a mechanism that, when the door isn't locked and is just half- open, allows the door to be rotated and opened completely with controlled force and speed. This mechanism, furthermore, dampens the downward movement of the door in the final opening phase, until the door is completely open.

To open the door of the new oven it is sufficient to activate the release mechanisms so that a simple spring thrusting element or another equivalent element included in the push-pull device causes the door to be displaced from its closed position to a half-closed position. At this point the device for rotating the door open and braking it, together with the force of gravity, opens the door completely with adequate speed and force, so that the door itself does not produce any impact when it reaches the end of stroke. To close the oven door it is sufficient to lift it and push it towards the position in which it is completely closed, where the coupling elements are retained by the locking and release mechanisms. Said locking and release mechanisms can be controlled via a button located

on the door surface or by a button located on the oven's control panel; in this way accidental pushing of the door does not cause said opening mechanisms to be released.

Said locking and release mechanisms can be controlled via electric mechanisms operated with a remote control.

If push-pull or push-push mechanisms are used, the opening of the door is obtained by simply pushing the same, so that the coupling elements, constituted by an element in the shape of a hook, an arrow or a pin with enlarged head, are released by the locking and release mechanisms, constituted by the corresponding push coupling mechanisms.

In case of use of push-pull or push-push mechanisms, the initial half- opening of the door can be performed by the push-pull or push-push mechanisms themselves. Even in case of use of push-pull or push-push mechanisms, the door is closed by simply lifting it and pushing it until it is completely closed, a position in which the elements in the shape of a hook, an arrow or a pin with enlarged head are retained by the push coupling mechanisms of said push- pull or push-push mechanisms. The new oven structured as described above makes it possible to eliminate all the costs related to the handle, like purchase, storage and assembly costs.

The new oven structured as described above has no projecting handle. The new oven structured as described above, with locking mechanism controlled by a button located on the door or on the control panel, prevents any accidental opening of the door itself. The new oven structured as described above makes it possible to open the door by exerting a simple pressure on it, in case of use of push-pull ox push- push mechanisms, or by operating the button present on the door surface or

on the oven control control, or a remote control.

The device for rotating the door open and braking it performs the opening of the door automatically, with a smooth, slow, regular movement, ensuring slowing down or dampening of the door movement at the end of its downward stroke.

According to the invention, said device for rotating the door open and braking it can be an independent mechanism, and it can also be integrated in the structure of each door hinge.

The characteristics of the new kitchen oven with bottom-hinged door with no handle, equipped with a locking and release device and a device for rotating the door open and braking it, will be highlighted in greater detail in the following description with reference to the attached drawings, enclosed as non-limiting examples.

The attached drawings show, as a non-limiting example, a practical embodiment of the invention.

Figure Ia shows a perspective view of the new oven with the bottom-hinged door (P) partially open.

The new oven comprises a mechanism for locking and releasing the door

(P) that in this example is constituted by push-pull mechanisms (Bl, B2). On one side of the door (P) there are two coupling elements (Bl) with arrow-shaped head or end. Said coupling elements (Bl) are arranged in a position that is generically orthogonal to the inner surface of the door (P).

On the edge (F) of the oven where the door (P) rests, in positions corresponding to said coupling elements (Bl) of the door (P), there are the corresponding locking and release mechanisms (B2).

Figures 2a and 2b show a cross section of the door (P) in two different positions: nearly closed and completely closed.

The mechanism shown in said Figures 2a and 2b is a purely indicative illustration of the type of mechanism employed.

Figure Ib shows a perspective view of the new oven with the bottom-hinged door (P) partially open, in which it is possible to see a further example of a locking and release mechanism.

In this example the door is provided with two slots or compartments (G2) in its wall facing the oven, while the wall (F) of the oven facing the door (P) is provided with two mechanisms each comprising a rotatable hook (Gl).

Each hook (Gl) is kept in an extended and closed position, that is, inserted in the corresponding slot (G2) of the door (P), by an elastic element, typically a spring (not visible in the figure).

An electric mechanism and/or a mechanical lever system rotate and withdraw each hook (Gl) in such a way as to extract it from the slot (G2) of the door (P) and release the door (P) itself. The invention includes a thrusting element (G3), operated mechanically, electromechanically or via a spring, such as to push the door (P) and open it partially.

Figure 3 shows a hinge (C) of the door (P) including the device for rotating the door open and braking it. Said hinge (C) comprises a main body (Cl) suited to be fixed to the door (P), a coupling element (C2) for fixing to the oven structure, hinged to said main body (Cl), a translating rod (C3) positioned inside said main body (Cl).

In particular, said translating rod (C3) passes through a wall (CIa) present in the main body (Cl) and generically orthogonal to said translating rod (C3). Two springs, a main spring (C5a) and an auxiliary spring (C5b) are inserted in said translating rod: the main spring (C5a) is interposed between said wall (CIa) of said main body (Cl) and generically the hinge point of said

rod (C3); the auxiliary spring (C5b) is interposed between said wall (CIa) of said main body (Cl) and a retainer element (C3b) present on the free end of said translating rod (C3).

The main spring (C5a) is such as to be compressed during opening of the door (P), and in particular during the movement between a position in which it is partially open and the position in which it is completely open. Said main spring (C5a) exerts a thrusting force that is less than the weight of the door (P) in such a way as not to start closing the open door (P), but dampen the final section of the downward opening stroke of the door (P). The auxiliary spring (C5b) is such as to intervene and push the door (P) open in its initial downward stroke, that is, from a position in which the door (P) is slightly open to a position in which the door (P) is generically open and its weight causes a further opening movement. In this generically open position the door (P) is only slightly subjected to the action of the auxiliary spring (C5b) but its weight is sufficient to win the initial compression resistance of the main spring (C5a). The new oven structured as described above makes it possible to eliminate all the costs related to the handle, like purchase, storage and assembly costs, besides offering clear aesthetic advantages. The new oven structured as described above has no projecting handle.

The new oven structured as described above, using push-pull or pull-pull mechanisms (Bl, B2), ensures that the door (P) can be opened by simply pressing it. The new oven structured as described above, with locking and release mechanism (Gl, G2) controlled by a button located on the door (P) or on the control panel, or by a remote control, prevents any accidental opening of the door (P) itself.