Cooking oven

1 . Cooking oven comprising:

a cooking cavity; and

a steam generation system for introducing steam into the cooking cavity during a steam operating mode, in particular a steam cooking mode or a steam cleaning mode, wherein the steam generation system comprises:

a steam generator,

a fluid supply that in use will supply a fluid comprising water,

a valve interconnected between the fluid supply and the steam generator and configured to control a flow of fluid from the fluid supply to the steam generator during the steam operating mode; wherein the valve comprises an inlet in fluid connection with the fluid supply, and a closing device configured to close and open the inlet of the valve at least partially during the steam operating mode in order to keep a fluid level within the valve at an operating level within an operating level range during the steam operating mode, and

a connecting line, wherein the valve is in fluid connection with the steam generator via the connecting line;

wherein the cooking oven further comprises one or more of the following features:

the valve, the steam generator, and the connecting line are arranged in such a way that a level of the fluid within the steam generator and the level of the fluid within the valve are kept the same during the steam operating mode, and/or

the valve, the steam generator, and the connecting line are arranged according to a principle of communicating vessels, and/or

the operating level or the operating level range during the steam operating mode is, in a direction of gravity, higher than or at a same level as the inlet of the valve, further wherein:

the valve comprises an outlet for the fluid, the outlet and the steam generator being interconnected by the connecting line, wherein the operating level or operating level range is, in the direction of gravity, higher than the outlet of the valve, and/or

the fluid supply, in the direction of gravity, is arranged higher than the valve and/or the steam generator.

2 . Cooking oven according to claim 1 , wherein;

the operating level or a maximum operating level of the operating level range is lower than a maximum filling level of the valve, and/or

the operating level or a minimum operating level of the operating level range is higher than a minimum filling level of the valve and/or the valve is only partially filled at the operating level.

3 . Cooking oven according to claim 1 , wherein:

the closing device of the valve is operated by a force exerted on the closing device by the fluid and the closing device comprises a floater floating in the fluid within the valve, and

the closing device further comprises a closing portion coupled to or arranged at the floater for closing and opening the inlet of the valve at least partially during the steam operating mode in order to keep the fluid level within the operating level range during the steam operating mode.

4 . Cooking oven according to claim 1 , wherein:

the operating level or the operating level range during the steam operating mode is, in the direction of gravity, higher than the closing device of the valve, and/or

the closing device is partially or completely continuously immersed into the fluid during the steam operating mode, and/or

a closing portion of the closing device is continuously immersed into the fluid during the steam operating mode.

5 . Cooking oven according to claim 1 , wherein;

the closing device closes the inlet completely when a maximum operating level of the operating level range is reached, and/or

the closing device opens the inlet at least partially when an operating level within the operating level range having a predetermined distance from the maximum operating level is reached, and/or

the inlet is opened completely by the closing device when a low or minimum operating level within the operating level range is reached, and/or

the closing device comprises an elastic material and/or is inserted into the inlet when closing the inlet, and/or

the closing device comprises an elastic sealing surface for sealing against a sealing surface of the inlet.

6 . Cooking oven according to claim 1 , wherein:

the steam generation system comprises a steam injector arranged at the cooking cavity for injection of steam generated by the steam generator into the cavity,

the steam injector is arranged higher, in the direction of than the valve and/or the steam generator,

the fluid supply is arranged higher, in the direction of gravity, than the steam injector,

the steam generation system further comprises a precipitator arranged between the steam generator and the steam injector,

the steam generation system further comprises a return line for fluid condensed in the precipitator, and

the return line connects a precipitator fluid outlet with the connecting line and/or with the valve.

7 . Cooking oven according to claim 1 , wherein:

the steam generation system is at least partially arranged at a rear and outside of the cooking cavity, and/or

the valve and the steam generator are arranged at opposite sides of a blower drive arranged out-side of the cavity, and/or

the valve and the steam generator are in fluid communication with a drain valve.

8 . Cooking oven according to claim 1 , wherein:

the steam generator is of generally tubular shape, and/or

the steam generator extends in a direction in-lined at an angle of between 25° and 90° to a horizontal direction, which is orthogonal to the direction of gravity, and/or

the return line and the steam generator and also a part of the connecting line and are arranged in V-shape or, alternatively, along straight lines including an acute angle between 0° and 30°.

9 . Cooking oven according to claim 6 , wherein:

the precipitator, the return line and at least a part of a housing of the valve are formed integrally or in a single piece, and/or

at least a part of the housing of the valve and at least a part of the connecting line are formed integrally or in a single piece, and/or

the precipitator, the return line and the housing of the valve and at least a part of the connecting line are formed integrally or in a single piece.

10 . Cooking oven according to claim 1 , wherein:

the valve comprises a housing with an inner space for receiving the fluid,

the inlet and the outlet are arranged at or formed at or in the housing or a housing wall of the housing,

the inlet is arranged at a side wall of the housing, and

the operating level or the operating level range during the steam operating mode is, in the direction of gravity, higher than the inlet of the valve.

11 . Cooking oven according to claim 3 , wherein:

the floater is pivotably arranged inside a housing of the valve, wherein a pivoting position of the floater depends on a pivot momentum resulting from buoyancy acting on the floater when the floater is at least partially arranged inside said fluid within the valve housing,

the floater is pivotably attached to a bottom wall and/or a side wall of the housing, and

a pivoting axis of said floater is close to the bottom wall.

12 . Cooking oven according to claim 11 , the floater being pivotally attached to the bottom wall by a hinge comprising an axis mount, wherein:

the axis mount is integrally formed at and/or extends from the bottom wall, and/or

the axis mount is integrally formed at and/or extends from a portion of the side wall contiguous with the bottom wall of the housing, and/or

the hinge comprises an axle attached to the floated or extending through the floater.

13 . Cooking oven according to claim 3 , wherein the floater comprises a hollow floater body having a bottom face and a side face, wherein;

a pivoting axis of the floater is located close to the bottom face and the side face of the floater body and/or intersects the floater body, and/or

an acute angle is enclosed between the bottom face and the side face of the floater body, wherein a pivoting angle around a pivoting axis and the acute angle are in an identical plane, and/or

the floater body is shaped as a prism, and/or

the closing portion is arranged or formed at and extends from the side face, from a protruding side face portion protruding from the side face or from an arm extending from or along the side.

14 . Cooking oven according to claim 3 , wherein:

a housing of the valve comprises a top wall, a side wall and a bottom wall, the side wall extending between the top wall and the bottom wall, wherein an air vent is located in the top wall of the housing, and/or

the floater comprises a floater body that is made from two molded floater shells welded together, or from a lower floater part and a floater lid, or wherein the floater body is formed integrally by blow molding.

15 . A cooking oven comprising a cooking cavity and a steam generating system configured to deliver steam to the cooking cavity during a steam operating mode; the steam generating system comprising:

a fluid supply,

a steam generator,

a valve fluidly interconnected between the fluid supply and steam generator, the valve comprising:

a housing having an inlet configured to receive a supply of fluid from the fluid supply, and a valve outlet configured to deliver the fluid from said housing to the steam generator, the valve housing and an interior volume of the steam generator being in open fluid communication in order that in operation they will share a common fluid level as a result of a continuous fluid path therebetween, and

a floater disposed within the housing, said floater being movable between a closing position and an opening position as a result of its buoyancy based on the fluid level in the housing, wherein in the closing position a sealing surface of a closing portion of the floater is sealingly urged against a sealing surface of the inlet thereby closing off the inlet to fluid flow, and in the opening position the sealing surface of the closing portion is at least partially separated from the sealing surface of the inlet thereby opening the inlet to fluid flow; and

a connecting line, wherein the valve is in fluid connection with the steam generator via the connecting line,

wherein the floater passively maintains the common fluid level of the valve housing and interior volume of the steam generator at an operating level within an operating level range during the steam operating mode, without a pump or application external energy beyond flow of the fluid through the valve housing, as a result the floater's buoyancy causing the floater to move:

toward the opening position as the common fluid level recedes as the fluid is converted to steam in the steam generator, and

into the closing position as a result of the common fluid level rising from inflow of the fluid through the housing inlet while the inlet is open,

further wherein:

the valve outlet and the steam generator are interconnected by the connecting line, wherein the operating level or operating level range is, in the direction of gravity, higher than the valve outlet, and/or

the fluid supply, in the direction of gravity, is arranged higher than the valve and/or the steam generator.

16 . The cooking oven according to claim 15 , said fluid supply being located above said valve in order that the fluid is delivered from the fluid supply to the valve solely by gravity; said floater being pivotable between said closing and opening positions about a pivot axis defined by a hinge; both said inlet and said outlet being located below the operating level range of the fluid within the valve housing such that they are continuously immersed in the fluid in operation.