[0001] The present invention relates to a baffle for protecting the controls on a front
panel of a household oven, in particular of the recessed type, against heat and vapours
being liberated from the oven itself upon opening of the door.
[0002] It is known that the push-buttons and the control knobs, as well as the various displays
relating to a household oven are mounted on the front panel of the appliance, immediately
above the oven mouth and therefore upon opening of the door, which always occurs upwardly
as it is hinged at the lower side, they are directly interested by the heat and vapours
being released from the oven. This involves possible inconveniences to the controls
due to the temperature increase and above all dirtying caused by the fatty vapours
and smoke of the food cooked in the oven, which may give rise to deposits on the knobs
and push-buttons, sometimes with the final consequence of damaging the operation thereof,
in addition to impair their appearance.
[0003] A solution of this technical problem is the object of the European Patent Application
No. 89830154.4 relating to a device with a flat, rigid element having a width at least
corresponding to the width of the oven hearth and projecting outwardly, upon opening
of the oven door, so as to act as a baffle for heat and vapours being conveyed far
from the controls above. Such a baffle is usually kept retracted within a chamber
comprised between the controls on the front panel and the actual oven hearth by the
action exerted by closing the door, while it is pushed to the it outside upon opening
of the door due to the action of springs the force of which is lower than that of
the springs for closing the door.
[0004] However such a solution requires the provision of the above-mentioned chamber between
the front panel and the insulating muffle of the oven, as well as some structural
difficulties being due to the requirement of a correct sliding of the baffle on guides
which are subjected to presence of expansions as a consequence of the existing temperatures.
Also the pushing action exerted by the springs may be not completely well balanced
and give rise to jamming in the forward stroke of the baffle.
[0005] Therefore it is the object of the present invention to provide still simpler baffle
means which does not require its own chamber within the oven appliance and, as it
performs a rotation instead of a rectilineal movement, it undergoes less friction,
and thus less likely causes of jamming, being in addition subject at a lower degree
to possible unbalances conditions as to the force of the operating springs.
[0006] The device according to the invention, comprising a flat, rigid baffle element, having
a width which is at least equal to that of the oven hearth, is characterized in that
it is hinged along an axis parallel and underlying the front panel to be protected,
retracted with respect to the latter in the zone comprised between the front wall
of the oven and the upper portion of the door with handle, said element usually extending,
with closed door, in the hollow space between the front wall of the oven and the door
itself, the seal of which is provided by a gasket, along such a length as to have
no interference with the gasket, about said hinge axis there being provided springs
adapted to cause said baffle to rotate outwardly, with open door, the force of said
springs for pushing outward being less than the force exerted by the springs closing
the door, stop means being also provided for stopping the baffle rotation, when opening
the door,in a position projecting from the front panel to be protected and such as
to cross the closing path of the oven door.
[0007] According to a preferred embodiment this stop means is formed of at least a pair
of tabs fixed to the baffle, which are capable to engage the lower surface of the
front panel in association with the said position of the baffle which is rotated outwards.
[0008] Further features, as well as purposes and advantages of the baffle device according
to the invention will appear more clearly from the following description of a preferred
embodiment thereof, given by way of a non-limiting example with reference to the
annexed drawings wherein:
Figure 1 shows a front view of an oven provided with the device according to the invention
with a partially opened door; and
Figure 2 shows a partial cross-section view taken along the line II-II of Figure 1.
[0009] With reference to the drawings the household oven appliance, generally designated
1, comprises as is known a door 2 provided with a handle 2a and a window 2b, which
is hinged by springs means at the lower side so as that the door is normally brought
to the closed position having also a possible intermediate balance position. With
closed door the oven hearth 3, where cooking occurs, is completely insulated from
the outside all around its mouth by means of a sealing gasket 5, of known type, whereby
a hollow space 6 is formed between an inner surface of the door 2 and the front wall
7 of the oven with respect to which the control front panel 9 juts out at the upper
side.
[0010] The baffle device according to the invention is substantially formed as a rigid,
flat member 10 having a width at least equal to that of the oven chamber 3, as shown
in Figure 1, which is hinged at an end about an axis 11 parallel to the front panel
9 to be protected and mounted thereunder, in an aerea comprised between the upper
side of the door 2 with handle 2a, and the front wall 7 of the oven, which is recessed
with respect to the front panel 9. The baffle 10 will preferably have, at about its
longitudinal median zone, an S-shaped area 10a radiusing each other the two half portions
of the baffle 10 which thereby will extend itself along two parallel planes not only
to improve its mechanical stiffness, but also in view of the purpose that will be
described in the following. Furthermore at its free end there will be preferably applied
rubber buffers 10b (in number of two in the drawings).
[0011] As shown in phantom in figure 2, when door 2 is closed, the baffle 10 is housed,
at least with the outer half portion thereof, in the hollow space 6 and thus the fact
that the two planes of baffle are staggered ensures its being vertical even if the
hinged axis 11 is shifted with respect to the middle of this space, as clearly results
from figure 2.
[0012] At least a pair of springs 13 provided about axis 11 and simmetrically placed along
the same have the purpose of pushing the baffle 10 to the outside, whereby upon opening
the door 2, as there are no longer any hindrances to the action exerted by the springs
13, the baffle 10 rotates about its axis 11 until it reaches a position such as shown
with full lines in figure 2, or however such as to be protruding with respect to the
front panel 9. As a consequence it will be able to act as a baffle automatically while
the door 2 is opened.
[0013] A stop means to the rotation movement of the baffle 10 is provided to avoid that
the latter may reach such a position not to ensure the correct return within the hollow
space 6 when the door 2 is closed again. To this aim tabs 15 are for example provided,
being fixed to the inner end of baffle 10 and forming a selected angle therewith,
thus preventing the baffle from a further rotation, upon reaching the desired position,
such as by engagement with the lower surface of the protruding front panel 9. At this
position the free end of the baffle 10 can come into abutment with the door 2 along
the closure path of the latter, which causes the baffle to rotate rearward until returning
into the hollow space 6 against the force of springs 13. This in fact will have an
elastic force which is lower than that of the springs pushing the door 2 to close,
being in practice resilient hinges which are not shown.
[0014] Possible additions and/or modifications can be considered as falling within the
scope of the present invention, provided that equal utility is ensured to equivalent
means.
1. A baffle for automatically protecting from heat the controls on the front panel
of a household oven appliance (1) with door (2) hinged at the lower side and provided
with springs for pushing it towards the closed position, comprising a flat, rigid
element (10) having a width at least equal to the width of the oven mouth (3), characterized
in that it is hinged along an axis (11) underlying and parallel to the front panel
(9) to be protected, recessed with respect to the latter in a zone comprised between
a front wall (7) of the oven (1) and the upper portion of the door (2) with a handle
(2a), said element (10) normally extending, with closed door, in a hollow space (6)
defined by said wall (7) and an inner surface of the door (2), along such a length
to have no interference with a seal gasket (5) comprised therebetween , springs (13)
being provided around said axis (11) for rotating said baffle (10) to the outside
with opened door, the force of said springs (13) being lower than that exerted by
the springs closing the door (2), there being provided stop means (15) for stopping
the baffle rotation during opening of the door at a position which juts out of the
front panel (9) and crossing the closure path of the door (2).
2. A baffle according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that said stop means is
formed of at least a pair of tabs (15) being fixed to the baffle (10) and adapted
to engage the lower surface of the front panel (9) in association with said outwardly
rotated position of the baffle (10), whereby it is locked at this position.
3. A baffle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the fact of comprising two
flat surfaces, substantially parallel, radiused to each other at a central zone of
the baffle itself by an S-shaped portion (10a) parallel to said axis (11) thus helping
the baffle itself to be housed in said hollow space (6), with the door (2) closed,
said axis (11) being outwardly shifted with respect to the central line of said hollow
space.
4. A baffle according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the
fact of comprising a pair of rubber buffers (10b) on the outer free edge, opposite
to said axis (11).