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Title:
HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCE
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2018/114217
Kind Code:
A1
Abstract:
The invention relates to a household appliance comprising a liquid receiving entity (2) for storing liquid, a liquid port (3) for supplying liquid to the liquid receiving entity (2) and a coupling element (4) adapted to provide a liquid connection be-tween the liquid receiving entity (2) and the liquid port (3), the coupling element (4) comprising a U-shape or essentially a U-shape with a first and a second leg portion (4.1, 4.2) and a curved portion (4.3) connecting the first and the second leg portion (4.1, 4.2), wherein the coupling element (4) comprises at least one flexible section and wherein at least one leg portion (4.1, 4.2) comprises stiffening means (5) for stiffening the leg portion (4.1, 4.2).

Inventors:
FARALDI PAOLO (IT)
CARNEVALI MARCO (IT)
Application Number:
PCT/EP2017/080340
Publication Date:
June 28, 2018
Filing Date:
November 24, 2017
Export Citation:
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Assignee:
ELECTROLUX APPLIANCES AB (SE)
International Classes:
F22B1/28; F24C15/32
Foreign References:
US20150114045A12015-04-30
EP2703739A12014-03-05
EP2649881A12013-10-16
DE102011053950A12013-03-28
DE102004060709A12006-06-22
Other References:
None
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
RÖDER, Richard (DE)
Download PDF:
Claims:
Claims

1. Household appliance comprising a liquid receiving entity (2) for storing liquid, a liquid port (3) for supplying liquid to the liquid receiving entity (2) and a coupling element (4) adapted to provide a liquid connection between the liquid re¬ ceiving entity (2) and the liquid port (3), the coupling ele¬ ment (4) comprising a U-shape or essentially a U-shape with a first and a second leg portion (4.1, 4.2) and a curved por¬ tion (4.3) connecting the first and the second leg portion (4.1, 4.2), wherein the coupling element (4) comprises at least one flexible section and wherein at least one leg por¬ tion (4.1, 4.2) comprises stiffening means (5) for stiffening the leg portion (4.1, 4.2).

2. Household appliance according to claim 1, wherein said stiff¬ ening means (5) comprise a rib structure (6) .

3. Household appliance according to claim 2, wherein said rib structure (6) extends in flow direction (FD) along the cou¬ pling element.

4. Household appliance according to claim 2 or 3, wherein said rib structure (6) extends downwardly from said coupling ele¬ ment ( 4 ) .

5. Household appliance according to anyone of the preceding

claims, wherein said stiffening means (5) are adapted to de¬ fine portions with increased rigidity.

6. Household appliance according to anyone of the preceding

claims, wherein said stiffening means are adapted to define a certain inclination of the coupling element (4) with respect to a horizontal plane.

7. Household appliance according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the coupling element (4) is adapted to rest on the liquid receiving entity (2), wherein said stiffening means ensure a desired angle of inclination of the coupling element (4) with respect to the upper surface (2.1) of the liquid receiving entity (2) .

8. Household appliance according to anyone of the preceding

claims, wherein the coupling element (4) comprises a fixing portion (7) adapted to interact with a corresponding mounting portion (8) of the household appliance.

9. Household appliance according to claim 8, wherein the fixing portion (7) radially protrudes from the coupling element (4), specifically from a leg portion (4.1) of the coupling element (4.3) .

10. Household appliance according to of the preceding claims, wherein the curved portion (4.3) comprises stiffening means (5), specifically a rib structure (6) for increased rigidity of the curved portion (4.3) .

11. Household appliance according to of the preceding claims, wherein the coupling element (4) comprises one or more con¬ nection portions adapted to fix the coupling element (4) at the upper surface (2.1) of the liquid receiving entity (2) .

12. Household appliance according to of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one flexible section is adapted to pro¬ vide a hinge portion and said stiffening means (5) specify portions with increased rigidity thereby defining a certain deformation pattern when deforming the coupling element (4) . Household appliance according to of the preceding claims, wherein the coupling element (4) is adapted to recover into desired shape after deformation.

Household appliance according to of the preceding claims, wherein the liquid receiving entity (2) is a liquid tank, specifically a water tank.

Household appliance according to of the preceding claims, ing configured as a steam oven.

Description:
Description

Household appliance

The present invention relates generally to the field of house- hold appliances. More specifically, the present invention is re ¬ lated to a household appliance with a liquid receiving entity which is coupled with a liquid port via a U-shaped coupling ele ¬ ment . BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Steam ovens, respectively steam ranges are a special kind of ap ¬ pliances that can deliver controlled quantities of steam to drive/assist cooking cycles. Steam is usually produced during cooking cycles by a dedicated generation system, which can be fit outside or inside the cavity. In particular, external gener ¬ ators produce steam outside the cavity and convey it into the cavity itself through a duct. Several types of electrically heated generators are available on the market: heated pipes and thermo-blocks are among the most popular, due to cost and flexibility of use. In general, a key feature for all most recent steam generators is the relatively small volume available for water to be vaporized: this allows high efficiency and a rapid response in terms of steam genera ¬ tion upon heating. On the other hand, this approach requires storage of water in a different component /location with respect to the generator itself, hence a dedicated pipework system to convey water from the reservoir, respectively, steam to the oven cavity.

Even if solutions are known with a direct connection to water line to procure water to be evaporated, the majority of known applications rely on a storage unit, where water is stored to be sent upon need to the steam generation system. Such storage reservoir has to be located where enough volume is available.

Filling of the water reservoir happens necessarily through an accessible opening or liquid port, which has to be conveniently located to be easily reached and operated. The main control dashboard is one of the preferred options, for a matter of phys ¬ ical and cognitive ergonomics. As the location and the fixture of reservoir and water port are very often different, the connection between the two elements can be a challenge, especially in terms of assembly process. In particular, reservoirs are typically located inside the tech ¬ nical volumes of the appliance, in a relatively early stage of assembly process, while the dashboard, hence the water port, is typically mounted in a subsequent step.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an objective of embodiments of the present invention to provide a household appliance comprising a liquid port arranged at a distance to a liquid receiving entity which can be assem ¬ bled with reduced effort. The objective is solved by the fea ¬ tures of the independent claim. Preferred embodiments are given in the dependent claims. If not explicitly indicated otherwise, embodiments of the invention can be freely combined with each other .

According to an aspect, the invention relates to a household ap- pliance comprising a liquid receiving entity for storing liquid, a liquid port for supplying liquid to the liquid receiving en ¬ tity and a coupling element adapted to provide a liquid connec ¬ tion between the liquid receiving entity and the liquid port. The coupling element comprises a U-shaped or essentially a U- shaped pipe with a first and a second leg portion and a curved portion connecting the first and the second leg portion. The coupling element comprises at least one flexible section and at least one leg portion comprises stiffening means for stiffening the leg portion.

The main advantage of the present invention is that the house ¬ hold appliance can be manufactured with reduced effort because the coupling element can be extended (due to the U-shape) during the manufacturing process and recovers into its required shape, specifically its required slope after finishing the assembling process .

According to preferred embodiments, said stiffening means com- prise a rib structure. Said rib structure may comprise one or more ribs or webs radially protruding from the wall of the tubu ¬ lar-shaped coupling element. The rib structure may preferably not extend along the whole length of the coupling element but may be only provided at certain portions. Specifically, the rib structure is broken in the area of said one or more flexible sections. Thereby, the stability of the coupling element can be increased in certain sections.

According to preferred embodiments, said rib structure extends in flow direction along the coupling element. Preferably, the rib structure may comprise a single rib which extends along the coupling element.

According to preferred embodiments, said rib structure may ex- tend downwardly from said coupling element. Preferably, the rib structure may comprise a rib which is arranged in a vertical or essentially a vertical oriented plane. Thereby, the rib struc ¬ ture provides one or more support portions by which the coupling element is supported. Preferably, the coupling element rests on the liquid receiving entity by means of said rib structure. So, the rib structure does not only provide a stabilizing effect but also bases the coupling element at a supporting surface. According to preferred embodiments, said stiffening means are adapted to define portions with increased rigidity. During the assembly process, the coupling element may be deformed. Said de ¬ formation can be controlled by said stiffening means by defining areas of the coupling element which can be bent (areas in which no stiffening means are provided) and more rigid areas (areas in which stiffening means are provided) which can not or essentially not be bent. Thereby the deformation behaviour of the coupling element can be controlled . More in detail, said stiffen ¬ ing means may reduce flexibility in certain areas of the cou- pling element in order to concentrate the deformation (e.g. dur ¬ ing the assembling process) in certain areas (e.g. curved por ¬ tions of the coupling element) . An increase rigidity based on said stiffening means is useful also to grant straightness of a certain portion of the coupling element and keep its inclination as constant as possible in order to avoid kinks and stagnant wa ¬ ter .

According to preferred embodiments, said stiffening means are adapted to define a certain inclination of the coupling element with respect to a horizontal plane. The stiffening means, spe ¬ cifically the rib structure may comprise a decreasing height (with respect to the flow direction) . Thereby, a slope of the coupling element is achieved when positioning the coupling element at a horizontal support portion. This effects the desired liquid flow towards the liquid receiving entity.

According to preferred embodiments, the coupling element is adapted to rest on the liquid receiving entity, wherein said stiffening means ensure a desired angle of inclination of the coupling element with respect to the upper surface of the liquid receiving entity. Thereby, the coupling element can be coupled with a liquid port in a deformed state (similarly to a harness ¬ ing process of the dashboard) and may then automatically restore to its original shape (U-shape) thereby resting at the liquid receiving entity and being positioned in the desired slope.

According to preferred embodiments, the coupling element com ¬ prises a fixing portion adapted to interact, specivically rest against a corresponding mounting portion of the household appliance after the assembling process. The mounting portion may be, for example, a wall portion or a panel which comprises an open ¬ ing for providing a passage for the coupling element, the diame ¬ ter or cross section of the fixing portion is greater than the opening provided within the mounting portion. Thereby the fixing portion provides a stop or seal when abutting against the mount ¬ ing portion after restoring into its original shape (U-shape) .

According to preferred embodiments, the fixing portion radially protrudes from the coupling element, specifically from a leg portion of the coupling element. Said fixing portion may be arranged in close proximity to the first coupling portion of the coupling element. For example, said fixing portion may comprise a disk-like shape.

According to preferred embodiments, the curved portion comprises stiffening means, specifically a rib structure for increased ri ¬ gidity of the curved portion. Said stiffening means may be adapted to define a certain inclination of the curved portion with respect to a horizontal plane. Said rib structure may ex ¬ tend downwardly from said coupling element. Preferably, said stiffening means may comprise a rib which is arranged in a ver ¬ tical or essentially a vertical oriented plane. Thereby, the rib structure provides one or more support portions by which the curved portion is supported. Preferably, the curved portion rests on the liquid receiving entity by means of said rib struc ¬ ture. So, the rib structure does not only provide a stabilizing effect but also bases the curved portion at a supporting sur- face.

According to embodiments, the coupling element comprises one or more connection portions, in the following also referred to as fixation means, adapted to fix the coupling element at the upper surface of the liquid receiving entity. Thereby, the coupling element can be additionally secured at the liquid receiving en ¬ tity .

According to embodiments, the coupling element may comprise a collar being arranged at a certain distance of the fixing portion. Said collar and said fixing portion may be arranged at different positions of the first leg portion. Said collar may comprise a greater width or cross section than the fixing portion in order to limit the deformation of the coupling element when abutting against the mounting portion.

According to preferred embodiments, when deforming the coupling element, the at least one flexible section is adapted to provide a hinge portion and said stiffening means specify more rigid portions thereby defining a certain deformation pattern. In other words, due to the spatial arrangement of flexible sections and stiffening means, the coupling element can be deformed dur ¬ ing the assembly process without occurrence of any kinks or sharp bends .

According to preferred embodiments, the coupling element is adapted to recover into a desired shape after deformation. In other words, at least the flexible sections may comprise an elastic material which effect restoring forces such that the coupling element returns into its original shape. Said restoring may be supported by the assembly process and the arrangement of the liquid port at a certain position of the household appli ¬ ance .

According to preferred embodiments, the liquid receiving entity is a liquid tank, specifically a water tank. Said liquid tank may build a liquid reservoir for a liquid used within the house ¬ hold appliance, specifically for generating steam in a steam oven. So, according to embodiments of the present invention, the household appliance may be configured as a steam oven.

The term "essentially" or "approximately" as used in the inven ¬ tion means deviations from the exact value by +/- 10%, prefera ¬ bly by +/- 5% and/or deviations in the form of changes that are insignificant for the function.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The various aspects of the invention, including its particular features and advantages, will be readily understood from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which :

Fig. 1 shows an example schematic view of a household appliance;

Fig. 2 shows an example perspective view of a coupling element;

Fig. 3 shows a liquid receiving entity connected with a coupling element ;

Fig. 4 shows the liquid receiving entity and the coupling ele ¬ ment arranged within the household appliance. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention will now be described more fully with ref ¬ erence to the accompanying drawings, in which example embodi- ments are shown. However, this invention should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Throughout the following description similar reference numerals have been used to denote similar elements, parts, items or features, when ap ¬ plicable .

Fig. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a household appliance 1 constituted by a steam oven. Such steam oven may comprise a liquid receiving entity 2, specifically a water tank and a liquid port 3 for providing liquid, specifically water to said liquid receiving entity 2. For fluidly coupling the liquid port 3 with the liquid receiving entity 2, a coupling element 4 is provided which may be formed by a pipe section.

Fig. 2 to 4 show a coupling element 4 which is adapted to couple a liquid receiving entity 2, specifically a liquid or water tank with a liquid port 3. The liquid port 3 is configured to provide a liquid supply opening through which liquid, specifically water can be filled into the liquid receiving entity 2. The coupling element 4 is provided between the liquid port 3 and the liquid receiving entity 2. A first end of the coupling element 4 is coupled with the liquid port 3 and a second end of the coupling element 4 is coupled with the liquid receiving entity 2. Thereby liquid provided to the liquid port 3 can flow through the cou ¬ pling element 4 into the liquid receiving entity 2. According to embodiments, the liquid port 3 may have a funnel shape.

More in detail, the coupling element 4 may comprise a U-shaped or essentially U-shaped pipe. The coupling element 4 may com- prise a first and a second leg portion 4.1, 4.2 which may be ar ¬ ranged essentially in parallel to each other (in the assembled state) and a curved portion 4.3 connecting said leg portions 4.1, 4.2. The coupling element 4 comprises a first coupling por- tion 4a and a second coupling portion 4b. Said first coupling portion 4a may be adapted to connect the coupling element 4 with the liquid port 3. Said second coupling portion 4b may be adapted to connect the coupling element 4 with the liquid re ¬ ceiving entity 2. According to further embodiments, the first and the second leg portion 4.1, 4.2 may have a different length. Preferably, the first leg portion 4.1 may be configured longer than the second leg portion 4.2. Thereby, liquid can be supplied to the liquid port 3 at a position which is accessible at the peripheral of the household appliance 1 wherein the liquid re- ceiving entity 2 is arranged in the interior of the appliance.

In order to be able to ease the manufacturing process of the household appliance 1, the coupling element 4 does not provide a direct connection between the liquid port 3 and the liquid re- ceiving entity 2 but is adapted to form a U-shaped loop in the assembled state. In other words, the coupling element 4 provides excess length in order to be able to connect the coupling ele ¬ ment 4 with the liquid receiving entity 2, arrange a covering entity, e.g. an upper hob portion above the liquid receiving en- tity 2 such that the liquid receiving entity 2 is covered and than coupling the liquid port 3with the first coupling portion 4a. During the assembly process, the coupling element 4 can be deformed, e.g. pulled out of the household appliance 1 and the coupling element 4 is adapted to revert into its original shape after finishing the assembly process.

In order to be able to deform the coupling element 4, the cou ¬ pling element 4 comprises one or more flexible sections. For ex ¬ ample, a flexible section may be the second coupling portion 4b and the second leg portion 4.2. The flexible section (s) act as hinges at which the coupling element 4 can be bent. Preferably, said bending may be only performed once in the lifetime, namely during assembling process or in case of service of the control panel which may comprise the liquid port 3.

In order to ensure that the coupling element 4 ends up with the desired shape and slope after the assembly process, stiffening means 5 are provided at the coupling element 4. Stiffening means 5 may be any reinforcements which can be used to increase the stability of the coupling element 4. Specifically, said stiffen ¬ ing means 5 may be arranged at straight portions of the coupling element 4, e.g. the first leg portion 4.1 in order to ensure that said straight portions stay straight or essentially

straigth when applying external forces to the coupling element 4 during the assembly process. However, such stiffening means 5 can also be provided at the second leg portion 4.2, respec ¬ tively, the curved portion 4.3. More in detail, said stiffening means 5 may comprise a rib structure 6. Said rib structure 6 may be a linear rib structure, i.e. the rib structure 6 may comprise a single web which extends along the flow direction FD of the liquid passing the coupling element 4. According to other embodiments, the rib structure 6 may comprise a spiral shape. Said rib structure 6 may preferably protrude at the bottom side of the coupling element 4. Said rib structure 6 may not only provide a mechanical reinforcement but may also provide a support for the coupling element 4. The rib structure 6 may comprise a free end portion 6.1 which is adapted to arrange the coupling element 4 in a slanted position in order to enable the liquid to flow from the first coupling portion 4a to the second coupling portion 4b. In other words, the rib structure 6 provides a desired slope of the segments of the cou ¬ pling element 4 in order to ensure a smooth liquid flow and avoiding any kinks and unwanted dead corners which may lead to liquid stagnation.

Said stiffening means 5 may be integrally formed at the coupling element 4 or may be a separate unit which can be attached to the coupling element 4.

As best seen in in Fig. 2 and 3, the coupling element 4 further comprises a fixing portion 7 which forms a collar at the cou- pling element 4. Said fixing portion 7 may protrude radially from the coupling element 4. In the present embodiment, said fixing portion 7 is arranged at the first leg portion 4.1 close to the first coupling portion 4a. For example, the fixing portion 7 may comprise a disk-like shape. It should be noted that the fixing portion 7 can also comprise other shapes, e.g. a po ¬ lygonal shape. Preferably, the fixing portion 7 may be coupled with said stiffening means 5, i.e. the stiffening means 5 may merge into the fixing portion 7. As shown in Fig. 4, said fixing portion 7 may interact with a mounting portion 8 of the household appliance 1 in order to ar ¬ range the coupling element 4 at a certain position. For example, the fixing portion 7 may act as a seal or stop portion when the coupling element 4 is in its nominal position. More specifi- cally, the mounting portion 8 may be a wall portion or panel of the household appliance comprising an opening which provides a passage for the coupling element 4 through the wall portion. Said fixing portion 7 may be flexible in order to be able to push or pull the fixing portion 7 through said opening during the assembling process. The fixing portion 7 may comprise larger dimensions, e.g. a larger diameter than said opening of the mounting portion 8 in order to provide a stop portion when abutting against the edge of the opening provided within the mount ¬ ing portion 8. According to embodiments, the coupling element 4 may further comprise a collar 9. Said collar 9 may be arranged at a certain distance to the fixing portion 7 at the first leg portion 4.1. For example, said rib structure 6 may extend between the fixing portion 7 and said further collar 9. Said collar 9 may provide a further stop portion which will limit the deformation of the coupling element 4 when abutting against the opening provided within the mounting portion 8.

Fig. 4 illustrates the coupling element 4 installed in a house ¬ hold appliance, e.g. a steam oven. The coupling element 4 pro ¬ vides a liquid connection between the liquid port 3 which is in the current embodiment arranged at or close to the control dash- board and the liquid receiving entity 2, e.g. a liquid tank. The liquid receiving entity 2 comprises at the upper side a connec ¬ tion portion, at which a free end of the coupling element 4 is mounted. The coupling element 4 extends with a U-shaped loop at the upper side of the liquid receiving entity 2. In other words, the coupling element 4 is at least partially supported by the upper surface of the liquid receiving entity 2. As already de ¬ scribed before, the coupling element 4 may comprise contact sur ¬ faces, for example built by said rib structure 6 and/or other contact portions, which may provide a slanted arrangement of the coupling element 4 in order to ensure that liquid is steadily running from the liquid port 3 to the liquid receiving entity 2. In other words, based on the contact surfaces, a slope of the coupling element 4 relative to the upper surface of the liquid receiving entity 2 is achieved.

The liquid receiving entity 2 may further comprise fixation means for fixing the coupling element 4 at its upper portion. Said fixation means may be, for example, clips, pins etc. The coupling element 4 may be a plastic or rubber pipe which may be a single piece pipe or may comprise multiple sections which are coupled with each other in order to build the coupling ele- ment 4.

It should be noted that the description and drawings merely il ¬ lustrate the principles of the proposed household appliance. Those skilled in the art will be able to implement various ar- rangements that, although not explicitly described or shown herein, embody the principles of the invention.

List of reference numerals

1 household appliance

2 liquid receiving entity

2.1 upper surface

3 liquid port

4 coupling element

4a first coupling portion

4b second coupling portion

4.1 first leg portion

4.2 second leg portion

4.3 curved portion

5 stiffening means

6 rib structure

6.1 free end portion

7 fixing portion

8 mounting portion

9 collar

FD flow direction