Steam oven with check valve at water inlet for steam backflow prevention

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12226040-B2
Application number	US-202217567967-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 4, 2022
Priority date	Jan 4, 2022
Publication date	Feb 18, 2025
Grant date	Feb 18, 2025

Abstract

An oven includes a cooking chamber, a cabinet at least partially surrounding the cooking chamber, and a water reservoir having a reservoir inlet and a reservoir outlet. The oven further includes a water fill assembly including an opening, a water-receiving cavity and a fill outlet from the water-receiving cavity, the water fill assembly defining a fluid flow path in from the opening and out through the fill outlet, a check valve in fluid communication with the fill outlet downstream of the fluid flow path defined by the water fill assembly, the check valve configured in a closed state under a force of gravity on at least a portion thereof and opening by a flow force of fluid out of the fill outlet and through the check valve, and a conduit connecting the check valve with the water reservoir inlet downstream of the fill outlet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An oven comprising:
a cooking chamber;
a cabinet at least partially surrounding the cooking chamber;
a water reservoir having a reservoir inlet and a reservoir outlet, the oven being configured to extract water from the water reservoir via the reservoir outlet to supply steam to the cooking chamber;
a water fill assembly including an opening, a water-receiving cavity and a fill outlet from the water-receiving cavity, the water fill assembly defining a fluid flow path in from the opening and out through the fill outlet;
a check valve, including a body extending outwardly from and in fluid communication with the fill outlet so as to be positioned downstream of the fluid flow path defined by the water fill assembly, the check valve configured in a closed state under a force of gravity on at least a portion thereof and opening by a flow force of fluid out of the fill outlet and through the check valve; and
a conduit connecting the check valve with the water reservoir inlet downstream of the fill outlet.

2. The oven of claim 1 , further including a front face, wherein the water fill assembly includes:
a drawer body having an outer surface and defining the opening, the water-receiving cavity, and the fill outlet; and
a holder slidably receiving the drawer body, with the drawer body being slideable with respect to the holder between a fill position, wherein the opening to the cavity is exposed to an environment surrounding the oven and the outer surface of the drawer body is generally coplanar with the front face of the oven, and a closed position, wherein the drawer body is retracted into the holder.

3. The oven of claim 1 , wherein the check valve includes:
a valve body defining a portion of the fluid flow path between the fill outlet and the conduit through an interior thereof; and
a flap rotatably mounted within the interior of the valve body, the flap defining a portion of the check valve configurable between the closed state and an open state.

4. The oven of claim 3 , wherein the flap is rotatably mounted within the interior of the valve body about a hinge disposed along an upper portion of the flap such that the flap rotates vertically upward away from the fill outlet by the flow force of fluid out of the fill outlet and through the check valve.

5. The oven of claim 4 , wherein the valve body defines a shoulder having a face disposed away from the fill outlet, the flap being urged against the shoulder under an upstream fluid force from the conduit toward a fluid outlet.

6. The oven of claim 4 , wherein the flap is mounted on a cap coupleable over an access opening to the interior of the check valve body disposed vertically above the fluid flow path such that the flap depends downwardly from the cap into the fluid flow path when in the closed state.

7. The oven of claim 1 , wherein the check valve includes a ball movably captured within a portion of the interior of the valve body, the ball defining a portion of the check valve configurable between the closed state and an open state.

8. The oven of claim 7 , wherein the valve body interior defines:
a seat surrounding and generally perpendicular to a direction of the flow path from the fill outlet; and
a concave portion extending upwardly in a downstream direction from the seat such that the ball rests within the concave portion and against the seat under the force of gravity in the closed state of the check valve.

9. The oven of claim 8 , wherein an upstream fluid force from the conduit toward the fill outlet urges the ball into further engagement with the seat.

10. The oven of claim 8 , wherein the valve body interior further defines the water receiving cavity extending vertically above the concave portion of the valve body interior, the ball being positioned within the receiving cavity when the valve is in the open state.

11. The oven of claim 8 , wherein the ball has a density less than a density of water such that the ball floats into the open state under the flow of fluid through the check valve.

12. A water storage assembly for an oven configured for to supply steam to a cooking chamber thereof, the water storage assembly comprising:
a water reservoir having a reservoir inlet and a reservoir outlet, the oven extracting water from the water reservoir via the reservoir outlet;
a water fill assembly including an opening, a water-receiving cavity and a fill outlet from the water-receiving cavity, the water fill assembly defining a fluid flow path in from the opening and out through the fill outlet;
a check valve in fluid communication with the fill outlet downstream of the fluid flow path defined by the water fill assembly, the check valve closing under a force of gravity on at least a portion thereof to prevent a backflow against the fluid path and into the water fill assembly and opening to allow an infill of water from the water-receiving cavity through the check valve, wherein the check valve includes:
a valve body defining a portion of the fluid flow path between the fill outlet and the conduit through an interior thereof; and
a ball movably captured within a portion of the interior of the valve body, the ball defining the portion of the check valve closing under the force of gravity and the opening to allow water from the water-receiving cavity through the check valve, wherein the ball has a density less than a density of water such that the ball floats into an open state under the flow of fluid through the check valve; and

a conduit connecting the check valve with the water reservoir inlet downstream of the fill outlet.

13. The water storage assembly of claim 12 , wherein the valve body interior defines:
a seat surrounding and generally perpendicular to a direction of the flow path from the fill outlet;
a concave portion extending upwardly in a downstream direction from the seat such that the ball rests within the concave portion and against the seat under the force of gravity in a closed state of the check valve; and
a receiving cavity extending vertically above the concave portion of the valve body interior, the ball being positioned within the receiving cavity when the valve is in the open state.

14. The water storage assembly of claim 13 , wherein the backflow against the fluid path through the check valve urges the ball into further engagement with the seat.

15. An oven comprising:
a cooking chamber;
a cabinet at least partially surrounding the cooking chamber;
a water reservoir having a reservoir inlet and a reservoir outlet, the oven being configured to extract water from the water reservoir via the reservoir outlet to supply steam to the cooking chamber;
a water fill assembly including an opening, a water-receiving cavity and a fill outlet from the water-receiving cavity, the water fill assembly defining a fluid flow path in from the opening and out through the fill outlet;
a conduit connecting with the water reservoir inlet downstream of the fill outlet; and
a gravity-closing check valve, including a body extending outwardly from and in fluid communication between the fill outlet and the conduit so as to be portioned downstream of the fluid flow path defined by the water fill assembly, the check valve allowing a flow of fluid out of the fill outlet and through the check valve and preventing a backflow of steam from the conduit and into the water fill assembly.

16. The oven of claim 15 , wherein the check valve includes a ball movably captured within a portion of the interior of the valve body, the ball defining a portion of the check valve configurable between the closed state a

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Dhanasekaran Prem
• Garg Ankur
• Jadhav Tushar Sopan
• Kadam Suraj Narendra
• Lambate Harichandra Prabhakar
• Marathe Vishal Shankar
• Masutage Vishal Shrimandhar
• Mulla Mohasin Nasir
• Salunkhe Ravindra Balkrishna
• Shelke Sujay Sampat
• Wadkar Swapnil Anant

Classifications

• F24C15/003

  moisturising of air · CPC title

• F22B37/60

  specially adapted for steam boilers of instantaneous or flash type · CPC title

• A47J2027/043

  for cooking food in steam · CPC title

• F16K15/03

  with a hinged closure member {or with a pivoted closure member} · CPC title

• F16K15/04

  shaped as balls · CPC title