Stove for cooking food and like appliances with a door having a window and a temperature indicating device thereon

• US 20020043261A1
• Filed: 08/16/2001
• Published: 04/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schott AG (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung), BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgerã¤Te GmbH (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Original Assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgerã¤Te GmbH (Robert Bosch GmbH), SCHOTT Glass
• Inventors: Grutzke, Joachim, Gotz, Bernhard, Gramlich, Walter, Leutner, Kurt, Gros, Oliver
• Granted Patent: US 6,555,794 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 126/388.1
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 15/04 with transparent panels
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/36 Visual displays
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/12 Sensors measuring the inside temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/00 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices

Abstract

There is now provided a stove for cooking food and like appliances with a door having a window and a temperature indicating device. The temperature indicating device can be on a glass door of a heating and/or cooling device, whereby a color change indicates the temperature, and whereby an indicator is provided between two plates of the glass door which consists of two or more plates. The indicator is configured to change color upon the interior temperature of the appliance reaching a predetermined temperature.

Claims

1. A stove for cooking food, said stove comprising:

a stove body;

said stove body being configured with a base;

said stove body being configured with an interior confined by walls comprising side walls, a front wall, and a rear wall;

an oven disposed in said interior of stove body;

said oven comprising a heating arrangement configured and disposed to provide heating to cook food in said oven;

control apparatus to control said heating arrangement;

said oven comprising a door in said front wall;

said door comprising a window arrangement, said window arrangement comprising a viewing area to view the interior of said oven;

said window arrangement comprising a first pane and a second pane;

said second pane being disposed adjacent said first pane;

said first pane being disposed to face towards said interior of said oven upon installation in said stove;

said second pane being disposed to face towards the exterior of said stove upon installation in said stove; and

an indicator disposed between said first and second panes;

said indicator being configured to change color upon the interior temperature of said oven reaching a predetermined temperature.

2. An oven for cooking food, said oven comprising:

an oven body;

said oven body being configured with a base;

said oven body being configured with an interior confined by walls comprising side walls, a front wall, and a rear wall;

said oven comprising a heating arrangement configured and disposed to provide heating to cook food in said oven;

control apparatus to control said heating arrangement;

said oven comprising a door in said front wall;

said door comprising a window arrangement, said window arrangement comprising a viewing area to view the interior of said oven;

said window arrangement comprising a first pane and a second pane;

said second pane being disposed adjacent said first pane;

said first pane being disposed to face towards said interior of said oven upon installation in said door;

said second pane being disposed to face towards the exterior of said oven upon installation in said door; and

an indicator disposed adjacent to or in said second pane;

said indicator being configured to change color upon the interior temperature of said oven reaching a predetermined temperature.

3. An appliance for treating food, such as a stove for cooking food, a cooler for cooling food, a freezer for freezing food, comprising:

a body;

said body being configured with a base;

said body being configured with a chamber confined by walls comprising side walls, a front wall, and a rear wall;

said chamber comprising a temperature adjusting arrangement;

control apparatus to control said temperature adjusting arrangement;

a door in said front wall;

said door comprising a window arrangement, said window arrangement comprising a viewing area to view the interior of said chamber;

said window arrangement comprising a first pane and a second pane;

said second pane being disposed adjacent said first pane;

said first pane being disposed to face towards said interior of said chamber upon installation in said door;

said second pane being disposed to face towards the exterior of said chamber upon installation in said door; and

an indicator disposed adjacent to or in said second pane;

said indicator being configured to change color upon the interior temperature of said chamber reaching a predetermined temperature.

4. A method of making an appliance for treating food, such as a stove for cooking food, an oven for baking or cooking food, a cooler for cooling food, a freezer for freezing food, comprising the steps of:

providing a body configured with a base and with a chamber confined by walls comprising side walls, a front wall, and a rear wall;

providing said chamber with a temperature adjusting arrangement;

connecting control apparatus, to control said temperature adjusting arrangement, to said temperature adjusting arrangement;

mounting a door in said front wall;

said mounting of said door comprising mounting a window arrangement in said door, said window arrangement comprising a viewing area to view the interior of said chamber;

said mounting of said window arrangement comprising mounting a first pane and a second pane and disposing said second pane adjacent said first pane;

disposing said first pane to face towards said interior of said chamber upon installation in said door;

disposing said second pane to face towards the exterior of said chamber upon installation in said door; and

installing an indicator adjacent to or in said second pane;

said indicator being configured to change color upon the interior temperature of said chamber reaching a predetermined temperature.

5. A method of cleaning an appliance for treating food, such as a stove for cooking food or an oven for baking or cooking food, comprising:

a body;

said body being configured with a base;

said body being configured with a chamber confined by walls comprising side walls, a front wall, and a rear wall;

said chamber comprising a temperature adjusting arrangement;

control apparatus to control said temperature adjusting arrangement;

a door in said front wall;

said door comprising a window arrangement, said window arrangement comprising a viewing area to view the interior of said chamber;

said window arrangement comprising a first pane and a second pane;

said second pane being disposed adjacent said first pane;

said first pane being disposed to face towards said interior of said chamber upon installation in said door;

said second pane being disposed to face towards the exterior of said chamber upon installation in said door; and

an indicator disposed adjacent to or in said second pane;

said indicator being configured to change color upon the interior temperature of said chamber reaching a predetermined temperature;

said method comprising the steps of;

observing the color change to determine that a predetermined temperature has been reached at which to introduce a cleaning fluid into the interior of said stove;

opening said door and introducing a cleaning fluid, and closing said door;

adjusting the temperature with said control apparatus to control the temperature adjusting arrangement to generate heat to thereby vaporizing the cleaning fluid to thus dissolve incrustations in said interior of said oven; and

removing residue from said interior of said chamber.

6. A temperature indicator device on a glass door of a heating and/or cooling device, whereby an externally visible color change is used to indicate the temperature, characterized by the fact that between two plates of the glass door that consists of two or more plates, there is a thermochromic coating whereby the thermochromic coating is designed and located so that it changes color when the interior temperature of the heating and/or cooling device is from approximately minus twenty-five degrees Celsius to plus one hundred and twenty degrees Celsius.

7. The temperature indicator device as claimed in claim 6, characterized by the fact that the thermochromic coating is applied in the space inside the glass door on one of the plates.

8. The temperature indicator device as claimed in claim 7, characterized by the fact that the thermochromic coating is applied in a transparent peripheral area of the glass door.

9. The temperature indicator device as claimed in claim 8, characterized by the fact that the thermochromic coating is applied on the inside of the outer plate.

10. The temperature indicator device as claimed in claim 9, characterized by the fact that the thermochromic coating is located in an area of the glass door that is provided with a decoration.

11. The temperature indicator device as claimed in claim 10, characterized by the fact that the thermochromic coating is applied using a screen printing process or in the form of a film.

12. The temperature indicator device as claimed in claim 11, characterized by the fact that the thermochromic coating is at least one of:

a letter, a number, and a symbol.

13. The temperature indicator device as claimed in claim 12, characterized by the fact that the coating, in particular on a heating device, is attached at a location of the glass door in which the temperature at the maximum internal temperature is less than the maximum temperature of the interior of the heating device.

14. The use of a temperature indicator device as claimed in claim 6 in a roasting or baking oven, whereby the temperature at which the color changes is selected so that the change occurs at an oven interior temperature from thirty degrees Celsius to one hundred and ten degrees Celsius.

15. The use of a temperature indicator device as claimed in claim 6, in a refrigerator or freezer, whereby the color-change temperature is selected so that the color changes at an interior temperature from minus twenty-five degrees Celsius to plus one hundred degrees Celsius.