Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the technical field of kitchen appliances, and in particular to an inner pot assembly and an air fryer.

Background of the Invention

Air fryer is an electrical appliance that fries and bakes food with high-temperature air. In order to observe the status of food during cooking, existing air fryers are usually equipped with a viewing window. Some viewing windows are arranged on the drawer-type pot body.

In order to provide a viewing window, a support platform for viewing window is usually provided on the drawer-type pot body. The complex structure of the support platform for viewing window results in high manufacturing costs for the drawer-type pot body.

Summary of the Invention

The main purpose of this disclosure is to provide an inner pot assembly and an air fryer to reduce the manufacturing cost of the inner pot assembly.

For the above purposes, the present invention provides an inner pot assembly comprising a handle assembly and a pot body assembly fixed to the handle assembly. The pot body assembly includes an inner pot body, a transparent member arranged between the inner pot body and the handle assembly, and a sealing bracket. A through hole is provided in a first side wall of the inner pot body. A flange extends towards the handle assembly at the edge of the through hole. The sealing bracket extends along the periphery of the through hole, with the first end of the sealing bracket sleeved on the outer side of the flange, and the second end of the sealing bracket connected with the periphery of the transparent member. The sealing bracket is sealingly arranged between the transparent member and the inner pot body. In this way, the sealing bracket can fit with the transparent member without the need to provide a fitting plane matching the transparent member on the inner pot body, which simplifies the manufacturing process of the inner pot body and thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the inner pot assembly.

Specifically, the flange of the through hole extends continuously along the periphery of the through hole of the side wall. Optionally, the sealing bracket includes a sidewall and a bottom support. The first end of the bracket side wall is sleeved on the outer side of the flange of the through hole, and the bottom support extends from the first end to the outer periphery of the sidewall of the bracket to form an outwardly turned structure. The bottom support fits with the outer wall of the inner pot body. By providing the bottom support, the contact area between the sealing bracket and the outer wall of the inner pot body is increased, thereby improving the reliability of the connection between the sealing bracket and the inner pot body, and also improving the sealing performance of the sealing bracket so as to avoid heat leakage from the cooking chamber, and thus improving the energy utilization of the inner pot assembly.

Specifically, the bottom surface of the bottom support forms a flared shape in the direction from the second end towards the first end so as to fit with the outer surface of the inner pot body.

In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the sealing bracket comprises a sidewall, a limiting top wall and a limiting flange for connecting with the transparent member. The limiting top wall is provided at the second end of the bracket sidewall and extends from the second end towards the inner side of the bracket sidewall. The limiting flange is spaced apart from the limiting top wall and is located in the middle section of the sidewall. The distance between the limiting flange and the limiting top wall equals to the thickness of the transparent member, which is clamped between the limiting flange and the limiting top wall. In this way, the edge of the transparent member is clamped between the limiting flange and the limiting top wall, thereby improving the sealing performance of the connection between the sealing bracket and the transparent member so as to avoid the heat leakage of the cooking chamber.

Specifically, the limiting top wall is provided with a fitting plane that matches the transparent member.

Optionally, the shape of the first end is curved, so as to follow and fit with the outer surface of the inner pot body, which ensures reliable sealing between the second end of the sealing bracket and the inner pot body, thereby improving the sealing performance of the sealing bracket.

In another exemplary embodiment of this invention, the handle assembly includes a pot holder and a handle, wherein the handle is provided on the side of the pot holder away from the inner pot body, and the inner pot body is fixed to the pot holder. The second end of the sealing bracket fits with the pot holder, and the sealing bracket is pressed between the inner pot body and the pot holder.

Optionally, the handle assembly also includes an outer panel and a viewing window. The outer panel is provided on the side of the pot holder away from the inner pot body. The outer panel is provided with an opening in the central portion of the pot holder, and the opening is positioned in alignment with the through hole of the side wall. The viewing window is mounted in the opening to be slidable along the height direction of the inner pot body.

On the other hand, this invention also provides an air fryer, which includes an inner pot assembly as described above.

Description of the Drawings

The above and/or other objectives and advantages of this invention will become clearer through the description of embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, among which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the inner pot assembly of one exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is an exploded view of the inner pot assembly in Figure 1 .

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the inner pot body in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the sealing bracket in Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the inner pot assembly in Figure 1 .

Figure 6 is a partial enlarged view of the structure indicated by circle I in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the inner pot assembly in Figure 1 .

Figure 8 is a partial enlarged view of the structure indicated by the J circle in Figure 7.

Description of numerical references:

10. Handle assembly; 11. Pot holder; 12. Handle; 13. Outer panel; 14. Viewing window;

19. Support ribs;

20. Pot body assembly; 21 . Inner pot body; 22. Through-hole of side wall; 23. Sealing bracket; 24. Transparent member; 25. Flange of through hole;

231. Sidewall of bracket; 232. Limiting top wall; 233. Limiting flange; 234. Bottom support.

Detailed Description of the Invention

Exemplary embodiments will now be comprehensively described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it should not be understood that the present invention is limited to the embodiments set forth herein. The same reference numerals in the figures represent the same or similar components, therefore their detailed descriptions will be omitted.

The present invention provides an air fryer, which comprises a host machine and an inner pot assembly. The host machine may have an internal cavity, and the inner pot assembly may be placed in or removed from the internal cavity. The host machine comprises a hot air blower which can blow hot air into the internal cavity of the inner pot assembly for cooking the food in the inner pot assembly.

The air fryer provided in this embodiment may be a drawer-type air fryer, but it is not limited thereto.

Figure 1 shows the general structural of the inner pot assembly provided in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The inner pot assembly comprises a pot body assembly 20 and a handle assembly 10. The handle assembly 10 is fixed to the pot body assembly 20 so that the pot body assembly 20 can move together with the movement of the handle assembly 10. As an example, the pot body assembly 20 can be placed in the internal cavity of the host machine by moving the handle assembly 10, or the pot body assembly 20 can be taken out from the internal cavity of the host machine by moving the handle assembly 10.

With reference to Figure 2, in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the pot body assembly 20 includes an inner pot body 21 , a transparent member 24 and a sealing bracket 23 arranged between the inner pot body 21 and the handle assembly 10. A first side wall of the inner pot body 21 is provided with a through hole 22. The edge of the through hole 22 of the side wall is provided with a flange 25 which extends towards the handle assembly 10. The sealing bracket 23 extends along the periphery of the through hole 22. The first end of the sealing bracket 23 is sleeved on the outer side of the flange 25 of the through hole, and the second end of the sealing bracket 23 is connected to the periphery of the transparent member 24. The sealing bracket 23 is sealing ly disposed between the transparent member 24 and the inner pot body 21 , so that the transparent member 24 and the inner pot body 21 are spaced to avoid direct contact between them, which may cause local damage due to overheating.

This invention simplifies the manufacturing process of the inner pot body 21 by providing a sealing bracket 23 between the transparent member 24 and the inner pot body 21 , which can fit with the transparent member 24 without the need of providing a fitting plane on the inner pot body 21 that fits with the transparent member 24, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the inner pot assembly. Furthermore, the present invention allows to separate the transparent member 24 from the inner pot body 21 by providing a sealing bracket 23 to avoid direct contact between the transparent member 24 and the inner pot body 21 , thereby preventing the transparent member 24 from being damaged due to excessive local temperature. By arranging the flange 25 on the edge of the through hole 22 of the side wall, the sealing bracket 23 can be accurately positioned, thereby improving the assembly efficiency of the inner pot assembly.

Furthermore, the present invention allows to keep the transparent member 24 away from the cooking chamber of the inner pot assembly by using the sealing bracket 23 to support the transparent member 24, thereby preventing the transparent member 24 from being overheated and extending its service life.

As an example, the inner pot body 21 and the handle assembly 10 can be connected through fasteners or through welding. To facilitate the replacement of parts, this embodiment takes fastener connection between the inner pot body 21 and the handle assembly 10 as an example. The sealing bracket 23 can be a silicone member, but is not limited thereto. The sealing bracket 23 has good high-temperature resistance and can effectively insulate heat to prevent the heat of the inner pot body 21 from being transmitted to the transparent member 24 through the sealing bracket 23. Optionally, the transparent member 24 may be a glass member. For example, but not limited to, in order to adapt to the cooking temperature of the air fryer, the transparent member 24 can be high-temperature resistant glass.

Specifically, referring to Figure 3, the flange 25 of the through hole continuously extends along the periphery of the through hole 22 of the side wall, but is not limited thereto. The through hole flange 25 may also take the form of multiple flanging bumps (not shown in the figure) arranged at intervals along the periphery of the through hole 22 of the side wall.

Referring to Figures 2, 4, and 8, the sealing bracket 23 has a cylindrical general shape. Specifically, the sealing bracket 23 includes a bracket side wall 231 and a bottom support 234. The first end of the bracket side wall 231 is sleeved on the outer side of the through hole flange 25, and the bottom support 234 extends from the first end to the outer edge of the bracket side wall 231 in an outwardly turned structure. The bottom support 234 is attached to the outer wall of the inner pot body 21 .

In this embodiment, the contact area between the sealing bracket 23 and the outer wall of the inner pot body 21 is increased by providing the bottom support 234, thereby improving the reliability of the connection between the sealing bracket 23 and the inner pot body 21 , and also improving the sealing performance of the sealing bracket 23 to prevent heat leakage from the cooking chamber, and improving the energy utilization of the inner pot assembly.

Specifically, the bottom surface of the bottom support 234 fits with the outer surface of the inner pot body 21 , and the bottom surface of the bottom support 234 forms a flared shape in the direction from the second end to the first end, as shown in Figure 6, but not limited thereto.

Optionally, the sealing bracket 23 includes a sidewall 231 , a limiting top wall 232 for connecting the transparent member 24, and a limiting flange 233. The limiting top wall 232 is located at the second end of the bracket sidewall 231 and extends from the second end towards the inner side of the bracket sidewall 231 . The limiting flange 233 is spaced apart from the limiting top wall 232 and is located in the middle of the sidewall 231 . The distance between the limiting flange 233 and the limiting top wall 232 is the same as the thickness of the transparent member 24, which is clamped between the limiting flange 233 and the limiting top wall 232.

Still with reference to Figure 6, it can be understood that the limiting top wall 232 and limiting flange 233 protrude from the inner surface of the bracket sidewall 231 and extend along the periphery of the through hole 22 of the pot body. The limiting top wall 232 and limiting flange 233 are spaced apart in the direction from the second end to the first end, and the edge of the transparent member 24 can be sandwiched between the limiting flange 233 and the limiting top wall 232. In this way, the through hole 22 is surrounded and covered by the flange 25, the sealing bracket 23, and the transparent member 24, thereby isolated from the outside world.

Furthermore, the limiting top wall 232 is provided with a fitting plane that matches the transparent member 24, which can be supported by the limiting top wall 232. There is no need to provide a fitting plane that matches the transparent member 24 on the outer wall of the inner pot body 21. By providing a sealing bracket 23 and fitting it with the transparent member 24, the manufacturing process of the inner pot body 21 can be simplified. There is no need to provide a platform on the inner pot body 21 that fits the transparent member 24, Thus, the manufacturing difficulty of the inner pot body 21 is reduced, and the manufacturing cost of the inner pot body 21 is also reduced.

In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the handle assembly 10 includes a pot holder 11 and a handle 12. The handle 12 is provided on the side of the pot holder 11 away from the inner pot body 21 , and the inner pot body 21 is fixed to the pot holder 11 . The second end of the sealing bracket 23 is attached to the pot holder 11 , and the sealing bracket 23 is pressed between the inner pot body 21 and the pot holder 1 1.

In this embodiment, the sealing bracket 23 is clamped by the pot holder 1 1 and the inner pot body 21 to achieve sealing between the pot body assembly 20 and the handle assembly 10. As an example, the pot holder 1 1 can be pressed tightly against the limiting top wall 232. In addition, in order to further improve the sealing performance of the pot body assembly, the limiting flange 233 and limiting top wall 232 can be fixedly connected to the transparent member 24. For example, but not limited to, the limiting flange 233 and limiting top wall 232 can be respectively bonded to the transparent member 24 with adhesive.

With reference to Figure 4, in order to improve the sealing performance of the sealing bracket 23, the shape of the first end of the sealing bracket 23 can be curved, so as to follow and fit with the outer surface of the inner pot body 21 . This ensures that the first end of the sealing bracket 23 is reliably sealed with the inner pot body 21 , thereby improving the sealing performance of the sealing bracket 23. Specifically, the length of the bracket sidewall 231 at the position indicated by circle I in Figure 6 is greater than the length of the bracket sidewall 231 at the position indicated by circle J in Figure 8. In this embodiment, the length of the bracket sidewall 231 is defined as the dimension of the bracket sidewall 231 in the direction from the first end to the second end.

Optionally, the handle assembly 10 also includes an outer panel 13 and a viewing window 14. The outer panel 13 is provided on the side of the pot holder 1 1 away from the inner pot body 21. The outer panel 13 is provided with an opening in the central portion of the pot holder 1 1 , and the opening is aligned with the through hole 22 of the side wall. The viewing window 14 is mounted in the opening to be slidable along the height direction of the inner pot body 21 . As an example, the connection between the viewing window 14 and the outer panel 13 is smoothly transitioned to further improve aesthetics.

As an example, the pot body assembly 20 provided by the present invention may also include a frying basket, which can be movably placed in the inner cavity of the inner pot body to hold food ingredients. According to actual needs, the frying basket can be shaped as a plate or a tube, but not limited thereto. The bottom wall of the frying basket is equipped with multiple through holes, through which hot air passes through to form a hot air channel in the inner cavity of the inner pot body, thereby improving the uniformity of heating of the ingredients and avoiding excessive local heating that leads to over-cooking, or insufficient local heating that leads to half-cooking.

In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", and other indications of orientation or positional relationships are based on the orientation or positional relationships as shown in the accompanying drawings, and are used only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description. They do not indicate or imply that the device or assembly referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation of the invention.

The terms "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purpose and shall not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implying the quantity of indicated technical features. Therefore, features defined as "first" and "second" can explicitly or implicitly include one or more of these features. In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise specified, "multiple" means two or more.

In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that unless otherwise specified and limited, the terms "mounted", "linked", "connected", and "fixed" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, s detachable connection, or a integrated connection, a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a communication connection. It can be a direct connection or indirect connection through an intermediate medium, which can be an internal connection between two components or the interaction relationship between two components. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in this disclosure can be understood in specific circumstances.

The features, structures, or characteristics described in this disclosure may be combined in one or more embodiments in any suitable manner. In the above description, many specific details are provided for a full understanding of the embodiments of the present invention. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the disclosed technical solution can be practiced without one or more of the specific details described, or that other methods, components, materials, etc. may be employed. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the present invention.