HEATING APPARATUS WITH SLIDING MECHANISM

Abstract

A heating apparatus (20) comprises a box (22), a door (23) and sliding mechanism (21). The door is slidably mounted on the box. The sliding mechanism includes a static member (25), a sliding member (24) and at least a resilient member (26). The sliding member is slidably mounted on the static member. The static member is mounted on the box, and the sliding member is mounted on the door. One end of the resilient member is fixed to the sliding member, and another end of the resilient member is fixed to the static member. When the door is sliding on the box, the resilient member drives the door.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to heating apparatuses, and, particularly, to a heating apparatus with a sliding mechanism for opening a door of the heating apparatus.

2. Description of Related Art

Heating apparatuses such as ovens, disinfecting cupboards or drying machines are widely used. Generally, such a heating apparatus has a door rotatably mounted thereon via a rotatable axis. The heating apparatus is opened by the rotation of the axis. However, this approach of opening the heating apparatus requires a large space, thus it is difficult to open the heating apparatus in a narrow circumstance. Additionally, when the heating apparatus is in function, an inner surface of the door is also heated. The rotating door having a hot inner surface may return and burn the user when the user open the door and reach for the items inside the heating apparatus.

Therefore, a new heating apparatus is desired in order to overcome the above-described shortcomings.

SUMMARY

A heating apparatus comprises a box; a door and sliding mechanism. The door is slidably mounted on the box. The sliding mechanism includes a static member, a sliding member and at least one resilient member. The sliding member is slidably mounted on the static member. The static member is mounted on the box, and the sliding member is mounted on the door. One end of the resilient member is fixed to the sliding member, and another end of the resilient member is fixed to the static member. When the door is sliding on the box, the resilient member drives the door.

Other advantages and novel features will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the present heating apparatus can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the various drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present heating apparatus. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the figures.

FIG. 1 is a closed, schematic view of a heating apparatus in accordance with a present embodiment;

FIG. 2 is an opened, schematic view of the heating apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the heating apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 3, but shown in a second visual angle;

FIG. 5 is a closed, schematic view of the sliding cover mechanism of the heating apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a sliding, schematic view of the sliding cover mechanism of the heating apparatus shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 7 is an opened, schematic view of the sliding cover mechanism of the heating apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, a heating apparatus 20 in accordance with a present embodiment is provided. The heating apparatus 20 is an oven including a sliding mechanism 21, a box 22 and a door 23. The sliding mechanism 21 connects the door 23 to the box 22, thus the door 23 is slidably installed on the box 22.

Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the sliding mechanism 21 includes a sliding member 24, a static member 25 and two resilient members 26. The sliding member 24 is slidably mounted on the static member 25. The resilient members 26 are mounted between the sliding member 24 and the static member 25. Each resilient member 26 has a first end 261 fixed to the sliding member 24 and a second end 262 fixed to the static member 25.

The sliding member 24 is an approximately rectangular board and defines a rectangular through hole 245 in its central portion. Two opposite sides of the sliding member 24 bend against each other to be L-shaped, thus form two sliding rails 243, and a containing portion 247 is correspondingly formed between the two sliding rails 243. Other two sides of the sliding member 24 bend against the sliding rails 243 to form two leading rails 244. Two first mounting protrusions 246 are respectively formed on the containing portion 247 adjacent to a sliding rail 243. The sliding member 24 also defines a plurality of first retaining holes 248 adjacent to the leading rails 244 therein.

The static member 25 is an approximately rectangular board. A gap 251 is defined in each corner of the static member 25. The static member 25 includes a second top surface 252, a second bottom surface 253 opposite to the second top surface 252, two short sides 254 and two long sides 255. The two short sides 254 bend towards each other to be U-shaped, thus form two sliding grooves 256 corresponding to the two sliding rails 243. Additionally, a filling (not labeled) made of a small frictional coefficient material such as plastic can be filled into the sliding grooves 256 for decreasing a friction between the static member 25 and the sliding member 24. Two second mounting protrusions 257 are respectively formed on the middle portion adjacent to a long side 255 of the second top surface 252. The static member 25 also defines a plurality of second retaining holes 258 therein.

The resilient members 26 are return springs. Each resilient member 26 includes a first fixing hook 261 and a second fixing hook 262 respectively formed on two ends thereof.

The box 22 is approximately cuboid shaped and includes an opening wall 221, a top wall 222, a bottom wall 223 and a sidewall 224. The top wall 222 is perpendicular to the opening wall 221 and the sidewall 224. The bottom wall 223 is parallel to the top wall 222. The sidewall 224 connects the top wall 222 to the bottom wall 223. The box 22 defines a first mounting recess 2211 corresponding to the static member 25 in the opening wall 221 adjacent to the top wall 222, and also defines a plurality of thread holes 2212 corresponding to second retaining holes 258 and communicating with the first mounting recess 2211. A control panel 2213 is mounted on the opening wall 221 adjacent to the sidewall 224. A plurality of controlling buttons 2214 are mounted on the control panel 2213.

The door 23 is an approximately rectangular board and includes an outer surface 231 and an inner surface 232. An opening block 233 is formed on the outer surface 231 for pushing the door 23 to slide. The door 23 defines a second mounting recess 234 corresponding to the sliding member 24 therein. Four retaining portions 235 corresponding to the gaps 251 of the static member 25 are formed on the inner surface 232, and each retaining portions 235 extends to a corner of the second mounting recess 234. The door 23 defines a plurality of thread holes 236 corresponding to first retaining holes 248, and each thread hole 236 communicates with the second mounting recess 234. The door 23 also defines two leading grooves 237 corresponding to the leading rails 244 of the sliding member 24. The leading grooves 237 open on the inner surface 232. An observing window 238 is installed in a central portion of the door 23.

In assembly, the static member 25 engages with the first mounting recess 2211 of the box 21, and a plurality of bolts (not shown) are screwed into the second retaining holes 258 and the thread holes 2212, thus the static member 25 is mounted on the box 21. The second fixing hooks 262 of the resilient members 26 respectively hook the second mounting protrusions 257 of the static member 25. The sliding rails 243 of the sliding member 24 engage with the sliding grooves 256 of the static member 25, and the static member 25 is positioned in a middle portion of the sliding member 24. The resilient members 26 are then contained in the containing portion 247, and the first fixing hooks 261 of the resilient members 26 respectively hook the first mounting protrusions 246 of the sliding member 24. In this way, the resilient members 26 are mounted in their initial states between the static portion 25 and the middle portion of the sliding member 24. When the sliding member 24 slides towards either one of the directions along the sliding grooves 256, the resilient members 26 bring elasticity towards the sliding direction of the sliding member 24.

The door 23 is mounted to the sliding member 24. The leading rails 244 of the sliding member 24 respectively engage with the leading grooves 237 of the door 23, thus the sliding member 24 engages with the second mounting recess 234. A plurality of retainers (not shown), such as bolts, are inserted into the exposed first retaining holes 248 to retain the door 23.

Referring to FIG. 5 to FIG. 7, when the heating apparatus 20 is closed, the resilient members 26 are bent and press the sliding member 24 to the bottom wall 223 until the static member 25 blocks two retaining portions 235. In this way, the heating apparatus 20 is closed and the door 23 is retained to cover the opening wall 221.

When the heating apparatus 20 is opened, the opening block 233 is pushed towards the top wall 222. When the sliding member 24 slides across the middle portion of the static member 25, the resilient members 26 drive the sliding member 24 and the door 23 to the top wall 222 until the static member 25 blocks two retaining portions 235. In this way, the heating apparatus 20 is opened and the door 23 slides parallel to the opening wall 221 to be retained in a side of the opening wall 221. When the opened heating apparatus 20 requires to be closed, the opening block 233 is pushed towards the bottom wall 223. When the sliding member 24 slides across the middle portion of the static member 25, the resilient members 26 drive the sliding member 24 and the door 23 to the bottom wall 223 until the static member 25 blocks two retaining portions 235. In this way, the heating apparatus 20 is closed and the door 23 slides parallel to the opening wall 221 and is retained to cover the opening wall 221.

Understandably, in the present heating apparatus 20, the typical axis for connecting the door 23 to the box 22 is replaced by the sliding mechanism 21. In this way, the heating apparatus 20 requires less space than typical heating apparatuses when it is opened. Additionally, the door 23 connected by the sliding mechanism 21 can prevent the users from being burned by its hot inner surface.

It is to be further understood that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of structures and functions of various embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the present invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

Claims

1. A heating apparatus, comprising:

a box;

a door slidably mounted on the box; and

a sliding mechanism, the sliding mechanism including a static member, a sliding member slidably mounted on the static member and at least a resilient member; the static member being mounted on the box, the sliding member being mounted on the door; one end of the resilient member being fixed to the sliding member, another end of the resilient member being fixed to the static member; wherein the resilient member drives the door, when the door slides on the box.

2. The heating apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the static member is a rectangular board defining two sliding grooves therein and the sliding member is a rectangular board forming two sliding rails in its two opposite ends, the two sliding rails respectively engaging with the two sliding grooves.

3. The heating apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the box defines a first mounting recess corresponding to the static member, and the static member is received in the first mounting recess.

4. The heating apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the door defines a second mounting recess corresponding to the sliding member, and the sliding member is received in the second mounting recess.

5. The heating apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein a plurality of retaining portions are formed on a surface of the door, each retaining portion extending to a corner of the second mounting recess.

6. The heating apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the static member defines a plurality of gaps corresponding to the retaining portions therein.

7. The heating apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one first mounting protrusion is formed on the sliding member, at least one second mounting protrusion being formed on the static member, and two ends of the resilient member being respectively mounted on the at least one first mounting protrusion and the at least one second mounting protrusion.

8. A heating apparatus, comprising:

a box including an opening wall, a top wall perpendicular to the opening wall and a bottom wall parallel to the top wall;

a door mounted on the box and sliding parallel to the opening wall; and

a sliding mechanism connecting the door to the box and including at least one resilient member; wherein the resilient member drives the door when the door slides on the box.

9. The heating apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the sliding mechanism includes a static member and a sliding member slidably mounted on the static member.

10. The heating apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the static member is mounted on the box, and the sliding member is mounted on the door.

11. The heating apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein one end of the resilient member is mounted on the sliding member, and another end of the resilient member is mounted on the static member;

12. The heating apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the static member is a rectangular board defining two sliding grooves therein and the sliding member is a rectangular board forming two sliding rails in its two opposite ends, the two sliding rails respectively engaging with the two sliding grooves.

13. The heating apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the box defines a first mounting recess corresponding to the static member, and the static member is received in the first mounting recess.

14. The heating apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the door defines a second mounting recess corresponding to the sliding member, and the sliding member is received in the second mounting recess.

15. The heating apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein a plurality of retaining portions are formed on a surface of the door, each retaining portion extending to a corner of the second mounting recess.

16. The heating apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the static member defines a plurality of gaps corresponding to the retaining portions therein.

17. The heating apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein at least one first mounting protrusion is formed on sliding member and at least one second mounting protrusion is formed on the static member, two ends of the resilient member being respectively mounted on the at least one first mounting protrusion and the at least one second mounting protrusion.