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EP-4736714-A1 - COOKING APPARATUS

EP4736714A1EP 4736714 A1EP4736714 A1EP 4736714A1EP-4736714-A1

Abstract

Cooking apparatus (10), comprising a support body (11) and at least one container (12), in particular a drawer container, insertable into and extractable from a housing space (13).

Inventors

  • FREUND, Jara
  • BURATTO, Alessandro
  • ZAMBON, Mattia
  • MAZZON, RENZO

Assignees

  • De' Longhi Appliances S.r.l.

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20251031

Claims (12)

  1. Cooking apparatus (10), comprising a support body (11) and at least one container (12) insertable and extractable from a housing space (13), wherein said support body (11) is provided with a support wall (16) to which a base (14) and a cover (15) are fixed, characterized in that an annular closing portion (17) is associated with said cover (15) slidable with respect thereto in a substantially vertical direction (V) from at least a first lowered position, in which it is able to engage on an upper edge of said at least one container (12) inserted in said housing space (13) and defining at least one cooking chamber, to at least a second raised position of extraction of said at least one container (12), or vice versa.
  2. Cooking apparatus (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that said closing portion (17) internally has a section that tends to widen downwards and to narrow upwards, so as to slightly compress the upper edge of the container (12) in said lowered position.
  3. Cooking apparatus (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said closing portion (17) is associated with a guide device (19).
  4. Cooking apparatus (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said support body (11) has a substantially C-like shape defined by said cover (15), said support wall (16) and said base (14) and delimiting said housing space (13) on three sides.
  5. Cooking apparatus (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said container (12) is made using a transparent material, preferably glass.
  6. Cooking apparatus (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said cover (15) is provided with one or more heating devices (22).
  7. Cooking apparatus (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said cover (15) comprises one or more ventilation devices (23).
  8. Cooking apparatus (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said base (14) is provided with one or more heating devices (24).
  9. Cooking apparatus (10) according to claims 6 and 8, characterized in that the heating devices (24) of the base (14) are vertically aligned with the heating devices (22) of the cover (15).
  10. Cooking apparatus (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that two or more containers (12) are positioned in said housing space (13).
  11. Cooking apparatus (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said at least one container (12) is divided into two parts (12a, 12b) separated by one or more walls (28).
  12. Cooking apparatus (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that one or more baskets (25, 26) are housed in said at least one container (12).

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention concerns an autonomous apparatus for cooking foodstuffs using hot air, such as for example an air fryer or suchlike. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Autonomous cooking apparatuses, also known as air fryers, which cook foodstuffs by means of a heated air flow, are generally divided into two categories, namely, those provided with a support body and a cover that can be opened and closed with respect to the support body to insert and/or remove a foodstuff container from above, and those provided with a support body into/from which the foodstuff container can be inserted and removed, like a drawer, in a lateral direction. Generally, cooking apparatuses with a cover are very bulky and require a large free space in height to allow the cover, which is generally hinged to the support body, to rotate, therefore they cannot be positioned and used under kitchen cabinets, but it is necessary to provide a suitable usage zone. Both categories of apparatuses present problems related to the system for closing the cooking chamber, which has a fixed shape and sizes constrained to the compartment in which it is inserted. This means that, in order to have different cooking methods, accessories are often used that have to be positioned inside the cooking chamber (grills, cake molds, cake tins, etc.). Usually, the compartment in which the cooking chamber is inserted has the function of support, while the purpose of the cooking chamber is to contain the foodstuffs and/or any accessories. The cooking chamber is closed the moment it is inserted in the compartment. In the case of an apparatus with a cover closure, the cover can be heavy to open, and it is also clearly necessary to provide hinges and other means to move it. In the case of a drawer apparatus, here too, the drawer's weight can be significant and grasping it with one hand is complicated, while grasping it with two hands is not possible. In addition, the opening and closing of the drawer still requires a certain amount of free space in front of the apparatus. DE 9213607 U1 describes a known type of cooking apparatus comprising a support body and a container that can be inserted into and removed from a compartment of the support body, wherein the support body comprises a first and a second part hinged to each other, to which a base and a cover are fixed. There is therefore the need to perfect a cooking apparatus that can overcome at least one of the disadvantages of the state of the art. In particular, one purpose of the present invention is to provide a cooking apparatus that is efficient, compact, and allows the user to easily insert and remove at least one container that defines at least one cooking chamber. Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a cooking apparatus in which the space of the support body in which the container is housed is maximized. Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a cooking apparatus that is versatile and allows to possibly have cooking chambers with different heights. Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a cooking apparatus that also allows to use different types of cooking containers and accessories, possibly already available to a user. Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a cooking apparatus that allows to close the cooking chamber effectively and at the same time possibly achieve the more or less wide opening of possible ventilation holes of the cooking chamber, thus allowing for cooking methods with different humidity levels. One more purpose of the invention is to provide a cooking apparatus that allows to have optimal visibility of the foodstuffs cooking inside it. The Applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the state of the art and to obtain these and other purposes and advantages. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is set forth and characterized in the independent claim. The dependent claims describe other characteristics of the present invention or variants to the main inventive idea. In accordance with the above purposes, a cooking apparatus according to the present invention comprises a support body and at least one container, in particular a drawer container, insertable and extractable from a housing space of the support body. According to one aspect of the invention, the support body is provided with a support wall to which a base and a cover are fixed, an annular closing portion being associated with the cover slidable with respect thereto in a substantially vertical direction from at least a first lowered position, in which it is engaged on the upper edge of the at least one container inserted in the housing space and defining at least one cooking chamber, to at least a second raised position of extraction of the at least one container, or vice versa. The base, cover, and support wall are fixed in position, and the movable annular closing portion advant