Fully built-in oven

Abstract

 A built-in appliance assembly (200) is proposed. The built-in appliance assembly comprises a cooking appliance (205) having a cooking cavity (240) for storing food to be cooked and an appliance door (235) hinged to an appliance body for closing access to said cooking cavity. The built-in appliance assembly further comprises a furniture element (100) having at least one compartment (210), delimited by a lower shelf (210a), an upper shelf (210b), and two opposite shoulders (210c, 210d) of the furniture element, for housing the cooking appliance, and panels (120b, 120c) for closing access to said at least one compartment. In the solution according to the present invention, said panels comprise a first panel (120c) hinged (230) to the furniture element and coupled to the appliance door by means of a sliding coupling (250) configured to cause the appliance door pivot together with the first panel when the first panel is pivoted between a closed position closing access to the cooking cavity and an open position allowing access to the cooking cavity. The panels further comprises a second panel (120b) moveable between a closed position in which it closes access to a top section (305) of the cooking appliance and an open position allowing access to said top section.

Description

[0001] The present invention refers to an assembly comprised of a piece of furniture (or furniture element, as also referred to hereinafter) and a cooking electric appliance fully built-in therein.

[0002] Nowadays, a considerable share of the electric household appliances market is covered by built-in type electric appliances, i.e., electric appliances that are designed to be fully embedded in furniture elements. For example, refrigerators and dishwashers are already sold, which are designed to be substantially completely embedded in a kitchen furniture - particularly, with an aesthetic front panel attached to the appliance door-, to the extent that, when the door is closed, the household appliances are indistinguishable from any other cabinet of the kitchen furniture. From an aesthetic point of view, it would be desirable to be able to fully embed every electric appliance in the kitchen furniture, in such a way that the electric appliances are all thoroughly concealed by the kitchen furniture.

[0003] However, there are some electric household appliances that, presently, cannot be fully embedded in the furniture. For example, cooking electric appliances such as electric ovens, microwave ovens and warming drawers, are only partially embedded in the kitchen furniture. Indeed, when these appliances are installed in a kitchen, their door (usually made of metal and refractory, transparent materials), provided for closing an access to a cooking cavity of the appliance, remains flush with the surrounding furniture panels (usually made of laminated wood); thus, a visual continuity, or evenness, of the kitchen furniture design results broken. This discontinuity may reduce an aesthetic appeal of the kitchen furniture as a whole.

[0004] Household appliances like electric ovens, microwave ovens and warming drawers by their very nature generate much heat and humidity that are not and cannot be completely confined within the cooking cavity. Should the appliance be fully enclosed in a furniture cabinet, the heat and the humidity that escape from the cooking cavity could not be released into the environment, as instead required. This may provoke damages to the kitchen furniture cabinet wherein the appliance is embedded and to the surrounding pieces of kitchen furniture as well (causing for example deformations of the wooden structure of the kitchen furniture, partial detachment of the lamination, and so on) or even accidentally provoking fires, and/or malfunctions to the cooking electric appliance itself due to the temperature rise (for example, the functionality of electromechanical parts might be compromised). Moreover, when the oven is working, the oven door, even though made of refractory materials, typically heats up, to an extent that straightforwardly attaching thereto a wooden panel is not feasible.

[0005] The Italian patent N. 1248306 proposes a domestic oven, in particular an electric oven, of the built-in type that tries to overcome such drawbacks. The electric oven can be completely concealed from view by means of doors hinged onto the oven itself or by means of sliding doors, in which the oven control panel constitutes a pull-out or retractable unit. In the retracted position, the doors can be closed and the oven concealed, while in the pull-out position, with the doors open, it is easier to read and operate the oven controls. Microswitches are provided to cut off the power supply to the oven resistors and simultaneously switch off the internal light when the doors are fully closed or when they have been closed beyond a certain point.

[0006] The Applicant believes that the above-described solution is not totally satisfactory, because it only partially achieves the aim of rendering a domestic oven fully built-in in the kitchen furniture: the furniture panel provided to close the cabinet where the oven is accommodated has to remain open in order for the oven to work (if the furniture panel is closed, the oven cannot be turned on). In this way, not only the overall aesthetic is very poor, but the solution is also very uncomfortable from a practical use viewpoint: for example, if the furniture panel is hinged to the furniture cabinet, it is likely that such panel encumbers a considerable portion of a surrounding space when open. Whereas, if the furniture panel is of the sliding type, when open it would prevent the user from accessing adjacent elements of the kitchen furniture.

[0007] Moreover, in the above-described solution, in order for a user to access the oven cooking cavity, both the furniture panel and the oven door have to be opened, so that the user has to perform a double operation, and the presence of the furniture panel may complicate the operations of opening of the oven door and inserting/removing the food from the cooking cavity.

[0008] In view of the state of the art outlined above, the Applicant has tackled the problem of devising a satisfactory solution able to provide cooking electric appliances, such as electric ovens, microwave ovens or warming drawers, that are suitable to be completely embedded in a kitchen furniture element and able to properly operate without provoking any damage to such kitchen furniture, concealing the electric appliances in a practical (e.g., space efficiently) manner.

[0009] One aspect of the present invention relates to a built-in appliance assembly. The built-in appliance assembly comprises a cooking appliance having a cooking cavity for storing food to be cooked and an appliance door hinged to an appliance body for closing access to said cooking cavity. The built-in appliance assembly further comprises a furniture element having at least one compartment, delimited by a lower shelf, an upper shelf, and two opposite shoulders of the furniture element, for housing the cooking appliance, and panels for closing access to said at least one compartment. In the solution according to the present invention, said panels comprise a first panel hinged to the furniture element and coupled to the appliance door by means of a sliding coupling configured to cause the appliance door to pivot together with the first panel when the first panel is pivoted between a closed position closing access to the cooking cavity and an open position allowing access to the cooking cavity. The panels further comprises a second panel moveable between a closed position in which it closes access to a top section of the cooking appliance and an open position allowing access to said top section.

[0010] In this way, the user can open/close the cooking cavity by performing a single operation, because the opening/closing of the first panel (which is coupled to the appliance door) automatically causes the opening/closing of the appliance door.

[0011] Also, the appliance may remain essentially concealed also during its operation: the first panel is kept closed during the appliance operation, without risk of damages to the furniture, because the heat and humidity produced by the appliance are evacuated outside the compartment thanks to the fact that the second panel is kept open.

[0012] Preferred features of the method are set in the dependent claims.

[0013] In an embodiment of the invention, the appliance door may comprise an internal plate and an external plate, made of a refractory material.

[0014] In an embodiment of the invention, said sliding coupling may comprise at least one sliding guide fixed to one among the first panel and the appliance door, and a sledge fixed to the other one among the first panel and the appliance door, said sledge being slidable along said sliding guide.

[0015] In an embodiment of the invention, the sliding coupling may be adapted to keep the first panel and the appliance door parallel to one another and at a predetermined distance.

[0016] In an embodiment of the invention, the appliance door may further comprise a thermally-insulating material separating the internal and the external plates.

[0017] In an embodiment of the invention, the thermally-insulating material of the oven door may comprise insulating panels having a ventilation duct therebetween, for allowing circulation of an airflow.

[0018] In an embodiment of the invention, the furniture element may further comprises an inlet port for facilitating air circulation inside it.

[0019] In an embodiment of the invention, the built-in appliance assembly may further comprise spacers, fixed to the lower shelf for supporting the cooking appliance spaced apart from the lower shelf.

[0020] In an embodiment of the invention, the cooking appliance may further comprise a user interface provided in the top section of the cooking appliance, allowing a user to set/verify/modify working parameters of the operation of the electric oven.

[0021] In an embodiment of the invention, the built-in appliance assembly may further comprise a lifting mechanism mounted to at least one of the shoulders of the furniture element, for moving the second panel along a substantially vertical direction between the closed position and the open position.

[0022] These, and others, features and advantages of the solution according to the present invention will be better understood by reading the following detailed description of some embodiments thereof, provided merely by way of exemplary and non-limitative examples, to be read in conjunction with the attached drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 schematically shows a front view of a furniture element for built-in electric appliances, e.g. an electric oven, according to an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2A schematically shows a front view of a built-in assembly comprising the furniture element of Figure 1 having both a flap panel and main panel of the furniture element in an open position, revealing a built-in electric oven embedded therein, with an enlargement of a detail of coupling elements between the oven door and the main panel;

Figure 2B is a cross-sectional side view of the built-in assembly of Figure 2A according to IIB-IIB axis with another enlarged detail of the coupling elements between the oven door and the main panel of the furniture element;

Figure 3A schematically shows a front view the appearance of the built-in assembly of Figure 2A when the oven is in operation, with the flap panel in the open position and the main panel in a closed position, and

Figure 3B is a cross-sectional side view of the built-in assembly of Figure 3A according to IIIB-IIIB axis also with an enlargement cutaway view of the built-in electric oven showing a ventilation airflow during operation.

[0023] Considering Figure 1, a front view of a furniture element 100 for built-in electric appliances according to an embodiment of the invention there is shown.

[0024] The furniture element 100, preferably, is of the standard type used for kitchens, adapted to embed electric appliances (refrigerators, dishwashers, electric ovens etc.). The furniture element 100 is substantially parallelepiped-shaped and has a bottom support portion 105 resting on floor once the furniture element 100 is arranged (e.g., in a kitchen). Preferably, although not necessarily, the support portion 105 may comprise an air inlet port 110 for facilitating the circulation of air inside the furniture element 100.

[0025] Frontally, the furniture element 100 comprises panels, made for example in laminated wood or other aesthetically-finished material, articulated to the furniture element structure for being openable to give access to inner compartments of the furniture element itself.

[0026] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the furniture element 100 comprises at least a first panel, or main panel, 120a and a second panel, or flap panel, 120b. Additional panels may be provided, depending for example on the height of the furniture element; in the shown example, a third panel 120c is provided above the flap panel 120b, and, below the main panel 120a, there is provided a fourth panel 120d.

[0027] The furniture element 100 accommodates, in the exemplary embodiment herein considered, a fully built-in electric oven 205, which is visible referring jointly to Figures 2A and 2B (respectively in front view and in cross-sectional side view according to IIB-IIB axis). The assembly formed by the furniture element 100 and the built-in electric oven accommodated therein will hereinafter also referred to as "built-in appliance assembly 200".

[0028] The electric oven 205 is housed in a box-shaped compartment 210 of the furniture element 100, said compartment 210 being delimited by a lower shelf 210a, an upper shelf 210b, and two opposite shoulders 210c and 210d of the furniture element 100. The electric oven 205 rests on spacers arranged on the lower shelf 210a, in order to keep the bottom of the electric oven spaced apart from the surface of the lower shelf 210a. For example, the spacers may be a pair of support rails 215, fixed to the lower shelf 210a at the two sides thereof (when the furniture element is viewed frontally) and extending parallelly to each other. Alternatively, the spacers may comprise a number of blocks, e.g. four, arranged at respective corners of the lower shelf 210a.

[0029] The spacers allow a path for a ventilation airflow of the electric oven 205 from the rear side of the furniture element 100 (which may be totally or at least partially uncovered, i.e. open) to a front side thereof (as will be described in greater detail in the following), passing through the space under the electric oven 205, over the lower shelf 210a and between the spacers, e.g. the support rails 215.

[0030] Both the main panel 120a and the flap panel 120b are arranged frontally to the compartment 210 and selectively close two different access portions of the compartment 210, namely the main panel 120a is associated with a lower access portion whereas the flap panel 120b is associated with an upper access portion of the compartment 210.

[0031] The third and fourth panels 120c and 120d shown merely as example in the drawings serve instead to close access to other compartments provided in the furniture element 100 wherein the electric oven 205 is accommodated, which other compartments are provided for other purposes not related to the electric oven 205 (e.g., for storing foods, cooking tools, dishware, or even other built-in electric appliances).

[0032] Preferably, although not necessarily, the flap panel 120b is coupled to the shoulders 210c and 210d that delimit laterally the compartment 210 by means of a corresponding flap-lifting mechanism 225 affixed thereto (in any suitable known manner, for example, by means of screws). The flap lifting mechanism 225 is for example configured to enable the flap panel 120b moving along a substantially vertical direction from a closed position (which closes the access to the upper portion of the compartment 210) to an open position (which allows accessing the upper portion of the compartment 210) and, vice versa from the open position to the closed position. The flap lifting mechanism 225 may for example comprise an articulated quadrilateral manually operated by a user, which can bring flap panel 120b into the open position by pulling the same upward, or into the closed position by pulling the same downward (a handle may preferably be provided at the external surface of the flap panel 120b, for facilitating the user operation). Alternatively, the flap lifting mechanism 225 may also comprise (an) actuator(s) 225a - such as an electric motor or one or more springs - that, upon activation by a user, cause arms 225b of the articulated quadrilateral, fixed to the flap panel 125b, to pivot. In this way, it is possible to automatically move the flap panel 120b. The flap lifting mechanism 225 may be activated by a finger pressure applied on the flap panel 120b for moving the latter in the open position, while the flap panel 120b may be returned to the closed position by e.g. actuating a pushbutton (not shown) provided, for example, on the flap lifting mechanism 225 or attached to the shoulders 210c.

[0033] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the main panel 120a is hinged (at a lower side thereof) to the lower panel 210a of the furniture element 100 by means of hinges 230, for example conventional hinges used in construction of furniture. In addition, the main panel 120a is coupled to an oven door 235 (as will be described in further detail in the following), which is in turn hinged to a main body of the electric oven 205 by means of conventional oven door hinges 232. The oven door 235 comprises an internal plate 235a and an external plate 235b, preferably made of a refractory material. The internal and external plates 235a and 235b may be separated by a thermally-insulating material 235c (as will be described in greater detail in the following). The oven door 235, i.e. the internal and external plates and the thermally-insulating material 235c, may be either transparent (as in conventional ovens) or they may be opaque to the light. The oven door 235 may also comprise a different number of plates, for example 3.

[0034] Advantageously, according to the present invention, the coupling between the main panel 120a and the oven door 235 is such that the main panel 120a and the oven door 235 pivot together between a closed position, in which the oven door 235 closes the access to a cooking cavity 240 of the electric oven 205 to an open position, in which the oven door 235 is open and allows accessing the cooking cavity 240.

[0035] In an embodiment of the present invention, the coupling between the main panel 120a and the oven door 235 comprises a sliding arrangement 250 partly provided on the main panel 120a and partly provided on the oven door 235. For example, at least one sliding guide is fixed to the main panel 120a on the inner surface thereof, facing the oven door 235. Complementarily, on the external surface of the oven door 235 facing the main panel 120a, at least one corresponding sledge guide is fixed, in (a) position(s) matching the position of the sliding guide(s) on the main panel. In the example at issue, two sliding guides 250a are provided, that are fixed (in any suitable manner, for example, by glue or screws) to the inner surface of the main panel 120a, and two corresponding sledges 250b are fixed (in any suitable manner, for example by glue or screws) to the external plate 235b of the oven door 235. It should be noted that in other embodiment according to the present invention the sliding arrangement may comprises sliding guide(s) fixed to oven door and sledge guide(s) fixed to the main panel.

[0036] The sledges 250b slidably engage the respective sliding guides 250a. For example, as shown in Figure 2A, the sliding guides 250a comprise a coupling portion with a "T"-shaped transversal cross-section, and the sledges 250b have a "C"-shape transversal cross-section, sized to embrace (with a sufficient play) the sliding guides 250a. Thanks to the sliding arrangement 250, when the main panel 120a is pivoted (around the rotation axis defined by the hinges 230) from the closed position to the open position by a user (a handle may preferably be provided at the external surface of the main panel, for facilitating the user operation), the sliding arrangement 250 causes the oven door to be also pivoted (around the rotation axis defined by the hinges 232) from the closed position to the open position together with the main panel 120a. The sledges 250b, in the movement from the closed position to the open position, slide along the sliding guides 250a from a first position to a second position. In this way, the main panel 120a and the oven door 235 can pivot about their respective hinges 230 and 232, while remaining always parallel to each other, and at a predetermined distance d imposed by the sliding arrangement 250. In this way, it is possible for a user to access the cooking cavity 240 by means of a single opening action, by acting on the main panel 120a, which brings both the main panel 120a and the oven door 235 from the closed position to the open position at the same time. Similarly, the user may close the cooking cavity 240 with a single closing action, acting on the main panel 120a, which brings both the main panel 120a and the oven door 235 from the open position to the closed position at the same time.

[0037] Figures 3A and 3B show the built-in assembly 200 in front view and lateral cross-sectional views according to IIIB-IIIB axis, respectively, showing its appearance while in operation.

[0038] As shown in the figures, during the operation of the oven 205 only the flap panel 120b is in the open position (the main panel 120a being instead closed). Thus, only a top portion 305 of the electric oven 205 is exposed to the view. Such oven top portion 305 that remains exposed during the oven operation preferably comprises a user interface 310 allowing a user to set/verify/modify working parameters of the operation of the electric oven 205 (e.g., cooking temperature, cooking times, cooking type, etc.). In addition, the oven top portion 305 further comprises a ventilation slit 315 for expelling hot air from the oven 205.

[0039] Preferably, between the internal plate 235a and the external plate 235b of the oven door 235, an air space 325 is provided (for example, the air space 325 may be defined in the thermally-insulating material 235c thermally insulating the two door plates 235a and 235b: two thermally-insulating panels 320 are provided amongst the two door plates 235a and 235b, between which the air space 235 is formed). The air space 325 defines a ventilation duct (hereinafter denoted by the same reference numeral 325 as the air space) for enabling circulation of an airflow 330, which ventilation duct 325 has an inlet provided in a lower part of the oven door 235 and an outlet in a upper part thereof. Advantageously, the outlet of the ventilation duct 325 is in fluid communication with the ventilation slit 315 provided in the top portion 305 of the electric oven 205.

[0040] The oven top portion 305 and the user interface 310 are accessible by a user when the flap panel 120b is in the open position.

[0041] In the embodiment according to the present invention, the built-in assembly 200 achieves a proper air circulation allowing the built-in electric appliance (i.e., electric oven 205) to operate without risk of overheating and/or accumulating humidity in the compartment 210 of the furniture element 100.

[0042] During the operation of the electric oven 205 the air in the compartment 210, where the oven 205 is accommodated, is heated up by the heat emitted by the electric oven 205; the heated-up air flows, due to convection, around the electric oven 205 and flows out of the compartment 210 through the access left open by the flap panel 120b (which, as already mentioned, is in the open position during the oven operation). Advantageously, air is sucked by convention from the rear of the furniture element 100 (e.g., coming from the environment via the inlet port 110) into the compartment 210; thus, fresh air is allowed entering into the compartment 210 thereby promoting a cooling thereof and of the electric oven 205.

[0043] As should be apparent to those skilled in the art, air 335 flows also between the support rails 215 and between the bottom of the oven 210 and the main panel 120a, from the rear towards the front of the compartment 210. At the front of the compartment 210, air 340 flows between the main panel 120a and the oven door 235 (which, as mentioned in the foregoing, are spaced apart by a distance d) and exits the furniture element 100 through the access left open by the flap panel 120b in the open position. In this way, the temperature of the main panel 120a is advantageously prevented from excessively rise, being kept sufficiently low to prevent damages to the main panel 120a (which, thanks to this, can thus be made of a wooden material totally similar to that of the remaining kitchen furniture).

[0044] At the same time, air 330 flows through the ventilation duct 325 provided in the oven door 235 from the inlet to the outlet thereof, exits from the electric oven 205 through the ventilation slit 315 and is released into the environment surrounding the furniture element 100, again, through the access left open by the flap panel 120b in the open position.

[0045] In other words, the air 335 flowing under the oven 210 is split so as to flow partly into the door 235 (air 330) and partly between the door 235 and the main panel 120a (air 340).

[0046] In this way, during the operation a proper air circulation in the compartment 210 housing the electric oven 205 is ensured. A temperature value inside the whole compartment 210 may thus be advantageously kept within a predetermined range. In the embodiment according to the present invention, this is possible thanks to the air flowing out from the compartment 210 through the access left open by the flap panel 120b in the open position. Thus, damages to the furniture element 100 due to high temperature values are prevented.

[0047] It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that also heated air along with moisture particles (i.e., humidity) compelled by a fan ― comprised in the electric oven 205 and not shown in the figures - out from the electric oven 205 through the ventilation slit 315 (as in a ventilated cooking mode) are released from the compartment 210 into the external environment. Moreover, heat generated by the electric oven 205 can be transferred outside the compartment 210 through the access left open by the flap panel 120b in the open position.

[0048] The just mentioned advantages are achieved, in the built-in assembly 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention, while the electric oven 205 remains substantially hidden to the sight by the main panel 120a even during its operation. Moreover, the flap panel 120b in the open position does not encumber useful space surrounding the furniture element 100 and, at the same time, comfortably allows accessing the user interface 310.

[0049] Preferably, the built-in appliance assembly 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a safety arrangement (not shown in the drawings), which prevents the overheating of the compartment 210 even if the flap panel 120b is closed while the electric oven 205 is in operation. For example, at least a microswitch may be provided in one (or both) the shoulders 210c and 210d and electrically connected to the electric oven 205. The microswitch is configured for interrupting an electric power supply to the electric oven whenever the flap panel 120b is in the closed position. Thus, the electric oven 205 is prevented from operating when the flap panel 120b is in the closed position.

[0050] More preferably, according to a further embodiment of the present invention, if the electric oven 205 comprises an electronic control unit (such as a microcontroller, not shown in the figure), the lifting mechanism 225 may be electrically (e.g., by a wire) or electromagnetically (e.g., by a radio-frequency transmission) connected to the same. When the flap panel 120b is closed, a first signal is inputted to the electronic control unit from the lifting mechanism 225. Therefore, the electronic control unit forces the electric oven 205 in a stand-by condition and, at the same time, stores (e.g., in a storage memory) a cooking advancement information. When the flap panel 120b is opened again, a second signal is inputted to the electronic control unit from the lifting mechanism 225. In response, the electronic control unit restarts the cooking operation according to the cooking advancement information previously stored.

[0051] Alternatively, in a even further embodiment of the present invention, a temperature sensor (e.g., a thermocouple) may be provided (not shown in the drawings), electrically connected to the electronic control unit, for measuring a temperature in the compartment 210. The electronic control unit, thus, may be configured for detecting when the temperature inside the cavity 210 exceeds a predetermined safe value (e.g., beyond which damages to the built-in appliance assembly 200 may occur). Whenever the exceeding of such predetermined safe value is detected (i.e., most likely when the flap panel 120b is in the closed position while the electric oven 205 is in operation), the electric oven 205 is forced in a stand-by condition until it is detected a temperature below the predetermined safe value in the compartment 210. As in the just described further embodiment, a cooking advancement information may be stored for restarting a cooking operation from it was interrupted.

[0052] Naturally, in order to satisfy local and specific requirements, a person skilled in the art may apply to the solution described above many logical and/or physical modifications and alterations. More specifically, although this solution has been described with a certain degree of particularity with reference to one or more embodiments thereof, it should be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form and details as well as other embodiments are possible. Particularly, different embodiments of the invention may even be practiced without the specific details (such as the numerical examples) set forth in the preceding description to provide a more thorough understanding thereof; conversely, well-known features may have been omitted or simplified in order not to obscure the description with unnecessary particulars. Moreover, it is expressly intended that specific elements and/or method steps described in connection with any embodiment of the disclosed solution may be incorporated in any other embodiment as a matter of general design choice.

Claims

1. A built-in appliance assembly (200) comprising
a cooking appliance (205) comprising a cooking cavity (240) for storing food to be cooked and an appliance door (235) hinged to an appliance body for closing access to said cooking cavity, and
a furniture element (100) having at least one compartment (210), delimited by a lower shelf (210a), an upper shelf (210b), and two opposite shoulders (210c, 210d) of the furniture element, for housing the cooking appliance, and panels (120b, 120c) for closing access to said at least one compartment,
characterized in that
said panels comprise a first panel (120c) hinged (230) to the furniture element and coupled to the appliance door by means of a sliding coupling (250) configured to cause the appliance door to pivot together with the first panel when the first panel is pivoted between a closed position closing access to the cooking cavity and an open position allowing access to the cooking cavity, and
said panels further comprises a second panel (120b) moveable between a closed position in which it closes access to a top section (305) of the cooking appliance and an open position allowing access to said top section.

2. The built-in appliance assembly according to claim 1, wherein the appliance door comprises an internal plate (235a) and an external plate (235b), made of a refractory material.

3. The built-in appliance assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said sliding coupling comprises at least one sliding guide (250a) fixed to one among the first panel and the appliance door, and a sledge (250b) fixed to the other one among the first panel and the appliance door, said sledge being slidable along said sliding guide.

4. The built-in appliance assembly according to claim 3, wherein the sliding coupling is adapted to keep the first panel and the appliance door parallel and at a predetermined distance (d) to one another.

5. The built-in appliance assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the appliance door further comprises a thermally-insulating material (235c) separating the internal and the external plates.

6. The built-in assembly according to claim 5, wherein the thermally-insulating material of the oven door comprises insulating panels (320) having a ventilation duct (325) therebetween, for allowing circulation of an airflow.

7. The built-in appliance assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the furniture element further comprises an inlet port (110) for facilitating air circulation inside it.

8. The built-in appliance assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising spacers (215), fixed to the lower shelf for supporting the cooking appliance spaced apart from the lower shelf.

9. The built-in appliance assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a user interface (310) provided in the top section of the cooking appliance, allowing a user to set/verify/modify working parameters of the operation of the electric oven.

10. The built-in appliance assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a lifting mechanism (225) mounted to at least one of the shoulders of the furniture element, for moving the second panel upwards from the closed position to the open position and downwards from the open position to the closed position.

Drawing