Ovens

Abstract

An oven for cooking food comprising a cabinet with a front side that includes an opening, a door moveable between a closed position closing the opening and a fully open position allowing access to the oven interior, the oven also having a drawer which forms at least part of a cooking chamber, the drawer configured to be fully located within the cabinet when the door is closed, the oven also including a drawer support means which supports the drawer, the drawer support means supporting the drawer as it moves into and out of the cabinet, the oven also including a controllable heating source which supplies sufficient heat to the inside of the drawer to cook food positioned therein when in the closed position, the oven also including a vertically movable shelf located within the drawer which is supported by a shelf support means.

1 . An oven for cooking food comprising:
 a cabinet having a front side with an opening formed therein,
 a door moveable between a closed position closing the open front of the cabinet, and a fully open position allowing access to the interior of the cabinet via said opening, 
 a drawer, located within said cabinet when said door is in said closed position, said drawer forming at least part of a cooking chamber when in said closed position, 
 a drawer support mechanism at least located within said cabinet when said door is in said closed position, supporting said drawer, and configured to allow said drawer to move from a position within said cabinet, to a position where said drawer is at least partially located outside said cabinet, 
 a controllable heating source provided within said cabinet or drawer for supplying sufficient heat to the inside of the drawer to cook food positioned therein, 
   and at least one vertically movable shelf located within said drawer, supported by a shelf support mechanism.   
   
   
       2 . An oven as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said drawer includes side walls and said shelf support mechanism is located substantially within at least one of said side walls. 
   
   
       3 . An oven as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said door is connected to, and forms the front face of, said drawer. 
   
   
       4 . An oven as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said drawer support mechanism includes a set of runners connected at least to said drawer, which slide co-operatively with a set of static rails located within said cabinet. 
   
   
       5 . An oven as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said shelf support mechanism comprises a framework located substantially within at least one side wall of said drawer, said framework including;
 a lower bracket located at or towards the bottom of said at least one side wall,   an upper bracket located at or towards the top of said at least one side wall,   said upper and lower brackets connected by at least one substantially vertically aligned rod,   a shelf support running along said rod or rods in said at least one side wall,   at least one slot in said at least one side wall, said or each of said slots running substantially the height of said at least one side wall, substantially vertically, said shelf in use supported by pins passing through said slots,   at least one electric power motor,   at least one cable and associated pulleys,   a double-ended drive shaft, located between said at least one motor and said shelf supports, said shaft driven in a rotary motion by said power motor to cause movement of said shelf supports along said rods by way of said cables and pulleys.   
   
   
       6 . An oven as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said shelf support mechanism comprises at least one worm gear and at least one co-operating threaded block or recirculating ball bearing/ballscrew type block, located within said cabinet and running substantially the height of said side wall, substantially vertically, said shelf in use supported by pins passing through said slots. 
   
   
       7 . An oven as claimed in  claim 6  wherein said worm gears and co-operating threaded blocks or recirculating ball bearing/ballscrew type blocks are located in at least one wall of said drawer, said wall including at least one slot running substantially the height of said side wall, substantially vertically. 
   
   
       8 . An oven as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said shelf support mechanism comprises a scissor mechanism located in at least one wall of said drawer, said wall including at least one slot, running substantially the height of said side wall, substantially vertically, said shelf in use supported by pins passing through said slots. 
   
   
       9 . An oven as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said shelf support mechanism comprises a sprocket and mini-chain drive mechanism located in at least one wall of said drawer, said wall including at least one slot, running substantially the height of said side wall, substantially vertically, said shelf in use supported by pins passing through said slots. 
   
   
       10 . An oven as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said drawer also includes a rear wall connected to said side walls, and a base. 
   
   
       11 . An oven as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said cabinet includes a chassis upper structure, protruding downwards from the top of the front side of said cabinet such that there is vertical overlap between said door and said chassis upper structure, and a front gasket is provided on either said door or the front face of said chassis upper structure, said front gasket running substantially horizontally, substantially the entire width of said chassis upper structure, said front gasket closing the gap between said door and said chassis upper structure when said drawer is located fully within said cabinet. 
   
   
       12 . An oven as claimed in  claim 11  wherein there is vertical overlap between the rear portion of said chassis upper structure and said rear wall of said drawer, said rear portion or said rear wall of said drawer including a rear gasket that runs substantially horizontally, substantially the entire width of said drawer and which closes the gap between said drawer and said chassis upper structure when said drawer is located within said cabinet. 
   
   
       13 . An oven as claimed in  claim 12  wherein said cabinet and said drawer also include a pair of spring gaskets, each having a low friction tip, each spring gasket mounted on a respective side wall of said cabinet facing outwards towards said drawer, said spring gaskets running substantially the entire depth of said cabinet and located towards the top of said drawer, each of said tips biased against said side walls of said drawer by said spring gaskets. 
   
   
       14 . An oven as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said cabinet and said drawer also includes a pair of side gaskets, each of said side gaskets mounted on a floating arm, said floating arms mounted on said cabinet facing towards said drawer, said floating arms running substantially the entire depth of said drawer, said floating arms located towards the top of said drawer, and being generally horizontally elastically compressible,
 at least one roller wheel provided on each side of said drawer, said rollers connected to said floating arms and spacing said gaskets from said drawer side walls when said drawer is in any position except located fully within said cabinet,   said drawer side walls including inwardly facing dimples, which said roller wheels locate into when said drawer is located fully within said cabinet, such that said gaskets are pressed into contact with said drawer side walls by said floating arms.   
   
   
       15 . An oven as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said cabinet and said drawer also includes
 a gasket mounted on a floating member suspended from the upper portion of said cabinet, said gasket contacting around the perimeter of the opening of said drawer when said drawer is located fully within said cabinet, said gasket spaced from said drawer when said drawer is in any position except located fully within said cabinet, said floating member forming a lid for said drawer in said closed position,   said gasket lowered into contact with said drawer when said drawer is located fully within said cabinet by an actuating mechanism connected to said floating member.   
   
   
       16 . An oven as claimed in  claim 15  wherein said actuating mechanism comprises;
 a second chassis upper structure, connected to the upper inner surface of said cabinet such that there is vertical overlap between said second chassis upper structure and a portion of said drawer, said second chassis upper structure including at least one groove on its upper surface, said second chassis upper structure capable of limited horizontal movement,   at least one pin connected to said floating member and protruding upwards through said second chassis upper structure,   a wheel or slider connected to the upper end of each of said pin or pins, sized to fit at least a portion thereof within said groove,   said second chassis upper structure having an initial position, said drawer contacting and moving said second chassis upper structure from said initial position towards the rear of said cabinet as said drawer moves from an open to said fully closed position, said movement aligning said grooves with said wheels or sliders when the drawer is in said fully closed position, such that said wheels or sliders locate at least partially within said grooves and as a result said floating member is lowered towards said drawer such that said gasket contacts said perimeter of said drawer,   said second chassis upper structure returning to said initial position as said drawer opens from a fully closed position, said wheels or sliders rising out of said grooves to lift said floating member and raise said gasket out of contact with said perimeter of said drawer.   
   
   
       17 . An oven as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said controllable heating source is positioned in an upper part of said cabinet and said oven also includes an oven cavity roof shield, said roof shield comprising a roof liner and liner support, located between said controllable heating source and the inner surface of the top of said cabinet, said roof liner sized to substantially cover the inner surface area of the top of said cabinet, said liner at least partially removable from said cabinet by sliding substantially horizontally relative to said liner support. 
   
   
       18 . An oven as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said drawer has no rear wall and oven utilities are located in the rear wall of said cabinet, wherein the rear wall of said cooking chamber is formed by said cabinet rear wall when said drawer is in said closed position. 
   
   
       19 . An oven as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said shelf support mechanism comprises:
 at least one electric power motor,   a helical sprocket, connected to said electric power motor so that in use said sprocket can be driven in either direction,   two cables, helically geared on their outside surface and interfacing with said sprocket one on each side, so that in use each of said cables is driven in an opposite direction to the other of said cables,   the inner ends of said cables connected to opposed portions of said shelf.