Combined microwave and resistance heated electric oven

• US 5,171,951 A
• Filed: 01/07/1991
• Issued: 12/15/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Moulinex SA (SEB SA)
• Original Assignee: Moulinex SA (SEB SA)
• Inventors: Gensbittel, Olivier H. J., Chartrain, Pierre
• Primary Examiner(s): Leung, Philip H.
• Application Number:
  US07/638,458
• Time in Patent Office: 708 Days
• Field of Search: 219/10.55 F, 219/10.55 E, 219/10.55 R, 99/419, 99/421 R, 99/421 H, 99/426, 99/427, 99/443 R, 99/444, 99/446, 99/447, 99/448, 99/450, 99/DIG. 14
• US Class Current: 219/685
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 37/041 with food supports rotating about a horizontal axis A47J37/042 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 15/164 Rotisserie spits inside ovens
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6482 combined with radiant heating, e.g. infrared heating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 99/14 Induction heating

Abstract

A kitchen oven comprises, in a chamber (2), a drippings pan (6) supporting a spit (8) and adapted to occupy two positions, either a cooking position in which the drip-pings pan is in the chamber and the spit is in the axle of a rotatable drive (9), or a retracted position in which the drippings pan is partially outside the chamber (2) and the spit (8) is free from the drive. The drippings pan and the walls (3) of the oven comprises mutually sliding surfaces (20, 21) so arranged that, prior to the cooking position, the surfaces exert on each other a force F directed toward the rear of the oven tending to position the drippings pan automatically in its cooking position.

Claims

1. In a combined electric oven adapted to cook food by means of a heating resistance (1) combined with heating by microwave and comprising, in a chamber (2) defined by lateral walls (3), a base (4) and a rear wall (5), and a door, a drippings pan (6) provided with support means (7) receiving a spit (8) and adapted to occupy two positions, either a cooking position in which the drippings pan (6) is within the chamber (2) and the spit (8) is engaged with the axle of a rotatable drive (9) mounted on one of the walls (3, 5), or a retracted position in which the drippings pan (6) is at least partially outside the chamber (2) and the spit (8) is free from the drive (9);

the improvement wherein the drippings pan (6) and the walls (3) of the chamber (2) comprise coacting means (19) which comprise mutually sliding surfaces (20,

     21) so arranged that, before the drippings pan reaches said cooking position when moving from said retracted position to said cooking position, the surfaces (20,

     21) exert on each other a force F directed toward the rear wall (5) of the chamber (2) tending to position by its own weight the drippings pan (6) in said cooking position.

2. Combined electric oven according to claim 1, wherein the sliding surfaces (20, 21) are carried by abutments (22) provided on the side walls (3) of the chamber and by recesses provided respectively in corresponding side edges (16) of the drippings pan (6).

3. Combined electric oven according to claim 2, wherein the abutments (22) are comprised by two cylindrical lugs situated facing each other while the drippings pan has lateral edges (16) with vertical flanges (24) directed downwardly, and the recesses are provided in said flanges (24) and each have a portion which is inclined downwardly in the direction of introduction of the drippings pan (6) into the chamber (2) and which constitute one of said sliding surfaces (21).

4. Combined electric oven according to claim 3, wherein the drippings pan (6) also comprises tongues (27) disposed below the recesses provided in the vertical flanges (24) in the drippings pan such that in the retracted position each abutment (22) will be wedged between one of said tongues (27) and one of said recesses, the recesses having a depth relative to base (4) of the oven such that, in said retracted position, the bottom (31) of the drippings pan (6) rests on an entrance edge (32) of the chamber (2), so as to limit retraction and swinging of the drippings pan (6).

5. Combined electric oven according to claim 1, wherein the support means (7) of the spit (8) are constituted by two opposed supports (11, 12) which are each insulated from the drippings pan (6) by an insulating base (14) mounted in openings (15) provided in an edge (16) of the drippings pan and from the spit (8) by an insulating ring (17, 18) which is traversed by the spit (8).

6. Combined electric oven according to claim 5, wherein the drive (9) is disposed on the rear wall (5) and the spit (8) is disposed longitudinally of the chamber (2), the two supports (11) being fixed such that the spit (8) will be coupled with the drive (9) when the drippings pan (6) is brought to the cooking position.

7. Combined electric oven according to claim 5, wherein the drive (9) is disposed on a side wall (3) and the spit (8) is disposed transversely of the chamber (2), one of the supports (12) being provided with one (17) of said insulating rings (17, 18) and being fixedly mounted on the drippings pan (6), while the other support (13) is movably mounted and can swing toward the drive (9) such that when the drippings pan (6) occupies its cooking position, the spit (8) being fixed in translation with the other insulating ring (18), the swinging of said support (13) effects coupling of the spit (8) with the drive (9).

8. Combined electric oven according to claim 7, wherein the drippings pan (6) is metallic and the insulating bases (14) and the insulating rings (17, 18) and the drive (9) are made of ceramic dielectric materials, while the spit (8) and the supports (11, 12, 13) are metallic.