Patent Grant
10865994
This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2017-0083903, filed in Korea on Jun. 30, 2017, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
A cooking appliance is disclosed herein.
A cooking appliance may be a household appliance used to cook food or other items (hereinafter “food”) and may be installed in a space in a kitchen to cook food according to a user's intention. Such a cooking appliance may be classified into various types of cooking appliances depending on a heating source, a shape, or a fuel type to be used.
For example, a cooking appliance may be classified into an open-type cooking appliance and a sealed-type cooking appliance depending on a shape in which food is cooking, that is, a shape of space where foods are placed. Sealed-type cooking appliances may include an oven, a microwave oven, and the like, and open-type cooking appliances may include a cooktop, a hob, and the like.
A sealed-type cooking appliance may be a cooking appliance that shields a space where food is placed and cooks food by heating the shielded space. The sealed-type cooking appliance may include a cooking chamber, which is a space to be shielded when food is placed and cooked therein. Such a cooking chamber may be a space where food is substantially cooked.
A door that selectively opens and closes the cooking chamber may be provided in a sealed-type cooking appliance. The door may be rotatably installed on a main body by a door hinge provided between the main body having the cooking chamber formed therein and the door. That is, the door may selectively open and close the cooking chamber by being rotated around a portion coupled to the main body by the door hinge.
A heating source may be provided in an inner space of the cooking chamber, which is opened and closed by the door, to heat the cooking chamber. A gas burner, an electric heater, or the like may be used as the heating source.
In a sealed-type cooking appliance in which a gas burner is used as a heating source, a plurality of burners may be provided to heat food inside a cooking chamber. For example, a broil burner may be installed on an upper portion of a cooking chamber, and a bake burner may be installed on a lower portion or at a rear of the cooking chamber.
Also, a convection device may be further provided at the rear of the cooking chamber. The convection device may circulate air inside the cooking chamber so that heat is uniformly distributed throughout the cooking chamber, and may include a fan cover installed on a rear wall of the cooking chamber and a convection fan installed in an inner space of the fan cover.
A suction port and a discharge port may be provided inside the fan cover, and the suction port may be formed in the center of a front surface of the fan cover facing the door, and the discharge port may be formed in a side surface of the fan cover facing a side surface of the cooking chamber. The convection fan may be rotated inside the fan cover to generate airflow. Accordingly, the convection fan may generate an air circulation flow so that air in the cooking chamber is introduced into the fan cover through the suction port and air heated inside the fan cover is discharged to the cooking chamber through the discharge port.
A cooking appliance having a bake burner may be divided into a probake type cooking appliance and a bottom bake type cooking appliance according to the installation form of the bake burner. The probake type cooking appliance may be configured such that a bake burner is installed in the rear of the cooking chamber, more specifically inside a convection device. In the probake type cooking appliance, heat may be generated inside the convection device by the combustion of the bake burner, and the generated heat may be circulated inside a fan cover and may be evenly distributed throughout the cooking chamber by the operation of a convection fan that generates airflow.
That is, the probake type cooking appliance may evenly distribute heat generated in the bake burner to the entire cooking chamber by the operation of the convection fan installed inside the convection device, thereby uniformly heating food in the cooking chamber.
Accordingly, the probake type cooking appliance may uniformly heat the food in the cooking chamber. However, the probake type cooking appliance may have a disadvantage in that it may be difficult to apply concentrated heating to a specific part of a food, for example applying concentrated heating to the bottom surface of food so that the bottom surface of food such as pizza is cooked to a more crispy form.
Compared to the probake type cooking appliance, a bottom bake type cooking appliance may have a form in which a bake burner is installed under the cooking chamber. Such a bottom bake type cooking appliance may have an advantage of being able to implement the function of applying concentrated heating to the bottom surface of food by allowing heat generated in the bake burner to be transferred to the lower portion of the food in the cooking chamber, but may have a disadvantage in that it is difficult to uniformly heat the food in the cooking chamber.
Embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the following drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like elements, and wherein:
Hereinafter, an embodiment of a cooking appliance will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. For clarity and convenience of explanation, thicknesses of lines and sizes of components shown in the drawings may be exaggerated. In addition, the terms described below are defined in consideration of the functions, which may vary depending on the intention of a user or operator, or custom. Therefore, the definitions of these terms should be based on the contents throughout this specification.
A cooktop unit (or cooktop) 20 may be provided on an upper end portion of the main body 10, which is an open space, and food or a container filled with food placed thereon may be heated by the cooktop 20 to cook the food. At least one cooktop heater 21 configure to heat food or a container filled with food to be cooked may be provided in the cooktop 20.
Also, an oven unit (or oven) 30 may be installed under the cooktop 20. A cooking chamber 31 may be provided in an inner space of the oven 30 to provide a space where food is cooked.
The cooking chamber 31 may have a hexahedral shape of which a front surface is open, and the inner space of the cooking chamber 31 may be heated to cook the food while the cooking chamber 31 is shielded. That is, in the oven 30, the inner space of the cooking chamber 31 may be a space in which the food is actually cooked.
A door 32 that selectively opens and closes the cooking chamber 31 may be rotatably provided on the oven 30. The door 32 may open and close the cooking chamber 31 in a pull-down manner in which an upper end thereof is rotated up and down around a lower end thereof.
The door 32 may be formed in a hexahedral shape having a predetermined thickness, and a handle 32a may be installed on a front surface of the door 32 so that a user may grip the handle 32a to rotate the door 32. The user may easily rotate the door 32 using the handle 32a.
A control panel 51 may be provided at a front surface of the cooktop 20, i.e., above the door 32. The control panel 51 may have a hexahedral shape having a predetermined inner space, and an input unit (or input) 52 may be provided on a front surface of the control panel 51 for the user to input operational signals to operate the cooktop 20 and the oven 30.
A plurality of operational switches may be provided in or at the input 52 and the user may directly input operational signals using the operational switches. Also, the control panel 51 may further include a display part (or display) to provide the user with information on the operation of the cooking appliance or information on food being cooked, and thus the user may check various types of information on a shelf supporter and the cooking appliance including the shelf supporter through the display. A machine room 50 configured to provide a space in which electrical components are located may be formed in or at an inner space of the main body 10, i.e., in a space between the cooktop 20 and the oven 30. The control panel 51 may be provided on a front surface of the machine room 50 so that the control panel 51 substantially covers the front surface of the machine room 50.
According to the embodiment, the main body 10 may have an approximately rectangular shape, and may include a rear surface unit (or rear surface) 11, a lower surface unit (or lower surface) 13, and a side surface unit (or side surface) 15.
The rear surface 11 may be a wall surface located behind the cooking chamber 31 and may define a rear boundary surface of the cooking chamber 31 formed inside the main body 10. The rear surface 11 may form a rear surface of the cooking chamber 31 and may form the wall surface on which a fan cover 311 of the first heating assembly 310 is installed so that the first heating assembly 310 is located behind the cooking chamber 31.
The lower surface 13 may be a wall surface located on a lower side of the cooking chamber 31 and may define a lower boundary surface of the cooking chamber 31 that is formed inside the main body 10. The lower surface 13 may form a lower surface of the cooking chamber 31 and may form a boundary surface configured to divide an inner space of the main body 10 into the cooking chamber 31 and a lower space portion 33 which will be described below.
The side surface 15 may be a wall surface located at a side of the cooking chamber 31 and may define a side boundary surface of the cooking chamber 31 formed inside the main body 10. The side surface 15 may form a side surface of the cooking chamber 31 and may form a boundary surface configured to divide the inner space of the main body 10 into the cooking chamber 31 and a side space portion 35 which will be described below.
The lower space portion 33 and the side space portion 35 in addition to the cooking chamber 31 may be formed inside the main body 10. The lower space portion 33 may be formed inside of the main body 10 and below the outer side of the cooking chamber 31 so that a space separated from the cooking chamber 31 may be formed between a bottom of the main body 10 and the cooking chamber 31. The cooking chamber 31 and the lower space portion 33 may be divided by the lower surface 13, and the lower space portion 33 formed as described above may be a space in which the second heating assembly 320 and a part of the flow path connection member 330 which will be described below may be installed.
The side space portion 35 may be formed inside the main body 10 and beside the outer side of the cooking chamber 31 so that a space separated from the cooking chamber 31 may be formed beside the cooking chamber 31. The cooking chamber 31 and the side space portion 35 may be divided by the side surface 15, and the side space portion 35 formed as described above may be provided as a space in which a part of a flow path connection member 330 and other parts related to the oven 30 which will be described below may be installed. The side space portions 35 may be formed from the cooking chamber 31 to both sides of the cooking chamber 31 in the main body 10.
In addition, the main body 10 may further include a bottom unit (or bottom panel) 17 and side panel units (or side panels) 18 and 19. The bottom panel 17 may be provided at the lower portion of the main body 10 to form a bottom surface of the main body 10 and may define a lower boundary surface of the lower space portion 33 that is formed inside the main body 10.
Also, the side panels 18 and 19 may be installed beside both sides of the main body 10 to form side surfaces of the outer side of the main body 10 and may define boundary surfaces of the outer side of the side space portions 35 formed inside the main body 10.
According to the embodiment, the side space portions 35 may be formed at both sides of the cooking chamber 31 in a lateral direction, and each side space portion 35 may form a space in which the side space portion 35 is surrounded by the main body 10 in the form of a “” shape when viewed from the top, i.e., three portions thereof may be surrounded by the main body 10 and the remaining portion may be open in an outward direction.
The side panels 18 and 19 may be installed on open portions of the main body 10 as described above to cover open portions of the side space portion 35 from the outside of the main body 10 and may form an exterior of the side surface of the main body 10. The side panels 18 and 19 may include an outer panel 18 and a gasket case 19.
The outer panel 18 may have a shape corresponding to the open shape at one side of the side space portion 35, and may be installed on each side portion of the main body 10. The outer panel 18 may cover the one open portion of the side space portion 35 from the outside and form the exterior of the side surface of the main body 10, and may be installed in a form detachably coupled to each side portion of the main body 10.
The gasket case 19 may be provided between the side surface 15 and the outer panel 18. The gasket case 19 may provide a heat insulating function to block heat generated in the first heating assembly 310 and the second heating assembly 320 respectively installed in the cooking chamber 31 and the lower space portion 33 from being transferred to the outer panel 18. The gasket case 19 may be installed in a fixed or detachably coupled form to the outer panel 18.
The side panels 18 and 19 provided as described above may cover one open portion of the side space portion 35 from the outside to form the exterior of the side surface of the main body 10 when coupled to the side portion of the main body 10, and may be separated from the main body 10, when it is required, to open the inside of the side space portion 35 to the outside of the main body 10. The first heating assembly 310 may be provided inside the cooking chamber 31 to generate heat inside the cooking chamber 31. In the embodiment, the first heating assembly 310 may be provided as a probake burner type. The first heating assembly 310 may generate heat in the cooking chamber 31 and may generate a circulation flow of the heat circulating the inside of the cooking chamber 31 so that the generated heat is uniformly transferred to the cooking chamber 31. A detailed description of a configuration of the first heating assembly 310 will be given below.
The second heating assembly 320 may be provided in the lower portion of the outer side of the cooking chamber 31, more specifically in the lower space portion 33, and may generate heat below the cooking chamber 31. In the embodiment, the second heating assembly 320 may be provided as a bottom bake type. The second heating assembly 320 may generate heat below the cooking chamber 31 and may allow the generated heat to be transferred to the lower portion of food in the cooking chamber 31, thereby implementing a function of applying concentrated heating to the bottom surface of the food. A detailed description of the configuration of the second heating assembly 320 will be described below.
A first heating assembly 310 may be provided inside the cooking chamber 31 and may include a fan cover 311, a rear (or first) heater 313, a burner cover 315, and a convection fan 317.
The fan cover 311 may be installed behind the main body 10, more specifically on a rear surface unit (or rear surface) 11 forming a rear surface of the cooking chamber 31. For example, the fan cover 311 may have a hexahedral shape of which a rear surface is open. The fan cover 311 may be coupled to the rear surface 11 so that the open rear surface of the fan cover 311 is covered by the rear surface 11 to form a separated accommodation space in the cooking chamber 31.
A suction port 311a and a discharge port 311b may be provided in the fan cover 311. The suction port 311a may pass through a front surface of the fan cover 311 toward the front of the cooking chamber 31, and the discharge port 311b may pass through a side surface of the cooking chamber 31, that is, through a side surface of the fan cover 311 facing the side surface 15.
The first heater 313 may be provided in the accommodation space inside the fan cover 311 to generate heat. In the embodiment, the first heater 313 may be a probake burner type provided on the rear surface of the cooking chamber 31. Accordingly, the first heater 313 may be provided in a form in which a plurality of flame holes are formed in a side portion of a burner body, which may include a hollow pipe that extends to form a curved line in a “U” shape.
A flow path may be formed in the burner body to supply a mixed gas. Also, the flame holes may form paths, and the gas supplied into the burner body may be discharged to an outside of the burner body through the flame holes.
A plurality of flame holes may be arranged in or at the side portion of the burner body, and may be spaced apart from each other in an extending direction of the burner body. Thus, a plurality of paths for discharging gas may be provided in the burner body in the extending direction thereof.
According to the embodiment, a gas mixed with air, which is a mixed gas, may be supplied to the burner body through a mixing tube connected thereto. Also, the mixed gas supplied to the flow path inside the burner body may be discharged to the outside of the burner body through the flame holes, and may be burned to generate flames outside of the first heater 313, that is, in the accommodation space inside the fan cover 311.
The burner cover 315 may be located in the accommodation space inside the fan cover 311, and may be formed such that a pair of cover plates separated from each other in a front-rear direction are coupled to the burner cover 315. In the burner cover 315, the first heater 313 may be accommodated, and a space may be formed to surround the flames generated in the first heater 313 from the outside of the flames.
The burner cover 315 provided as described above may restrict a region where the flames generated in the first heater 313 are diffused, and thus the flames generated in the first heater 313 may be stabilized. Also, the burner cover 315 may block the flames from coming into direct contact with the wall surfaces of the fan cover 311 and the cooking chamber 31.
The cooking appliance of the embodiment may further include a reflecting plate 316. The reflecting plate 316 may be located in the accommodation space inside the fan cover 311 and between the burner cover 315 and the rear wall of the cooking chamber 31. The reflecting plate 316 may block the heat generated by the flame generated in the first heater 313 from being transferred to the rear wall of the cooking chamber 31 to protect the coating layer, such as enamel, formed on the surface of the cooking chamber 31 from thermal damage.
A convection fan 317 may be located in the accommodation space inside the fan cover 311. The convection fan 317 may be rotated by a convection motor 318 connected to the convection fan 317 to generate an airflow. The convection fan 317 operated as described above may generate a circulation flow of air in which the air in the cooking chamber 31 is introduced into and heated in the accommodation space inside the fan cover 311 through the suction port 311a and discharged to the cooking chamber 31 through the discharge port 311b.
A second heating assembly 320 may be formed in a lower portion of a cooking chamber 31 and in a lower space portion 33 formed below the cooking chamber 31, which may be a space separated from a cooking chamber 31 in which the first heating assembly 310 is installed. The second heating assembly 320 may include a lower case 321, a lower (or second) heater 323, and a guide plate 325.
The lower case 321 may be installed in the lower space portion 33, and an accommodation space in which various components constituting the second heating assembly 320 are installed may be formed in the lower case 321. The lower case 321 may have a rectangular shape and may be formed of a material having a predetermined strength to protect a plurality of parts installed in the accommodation space inside the lower case 321.
The lower case 321 may include a bottom surface unit (or bottom surface) 321a configured to form a bottom surface of the lower case 321 and a side wall unit (or side wall) 321b that extends upward from the bottom surface 321a and forms a side surface of the lower case 321. The second heater 323 may be installed in the accommodation space inside the lower case 321 and may generate heat below the cooking chamber 31. In the embodiment, the second heater 323 may be a bottom bake burner type provided below the cooking chamber 31.
The second heater 323 may be provided in a form in which a plurality of flame holes is formed in or at a side portion of a burner body, which may be a hollow pipe that linearly extends in a front-rear direction. As another example, the second heater 323 may be provided in a form in which a plurality of flame holes are formed in or at a side portion of a burner body, which may be a hollow pipe that extends to form a curved line in a “U” shape.
The main differences between the second heater 323 and the first heater 313 may be directions in which the flame holes are formed and locations where the flames are formed. Besides these, there may not be much difference in configuration between the first heater 313 and the second heater 323, so a detailed description of the lower heater 323 will be omitted.
A guide plate 325 may be provided above the second heater 323. The guide plate 325 may be provided between the lower surface 13 and the second heater 323 to block the second heater 323 from the lower surface 13. The guide plate 325 may block flames generated in the second heater 323 from coming into direct contact with the lower surface 13 which may be the bottom surface of the cooking chamber 31 and may allow the heat generated by the combustion in the second heater 323 to be indirectly transferred to the lower surface 13.
In addition, the second heating assembly 320 of the embodiment may further include an air guide 327 provided below the second heater 323. The air guide 327 may be located between the bottom surface 321a which is the bottom surface of the lower case 321, and the second heater 323 to block the bottom surface 321a from the second heater 323. The flames may not spread to the bottom surface 321a due to the air guide 327 serving as a blocking wall so that the flames generated by the combustion in the second heater 323 may be concentrated upward.
A plurality of through holes 322 may be formed in the bottom surface 321a to pass through the bottom surface 321a which may be the bottom surface of the lower case 321. Also, a plurality of pass holes 328 may be formed in the air guide 327 to pass through the air guide 327 arranged at the upper portion of the bottom surface 321a.
The through holes 322 may form vertical paths in the bottom surface 321a so that outside air flows into the lower case 321. Also, the pass holes 328 may form vertical paths in the air guide 327 and the external air introduced through the through holes 322 may flow toward the second heater 323. That is, paths that allow the outside air to flow into the second heater 323 may be formed in the second heating assembly 320. The outside air introduced into the second heater 323 through the paths formed as described above may be used as secondary air to produce stable combustion in the second heater 323.
Preferably, the through holes 322 and the pass holes 328 may be formed so that locations thereof are misaligned from each other in a vertical direction. When the through holes 322 and the pass holes 328 are arranged as such, a sufficient width of the path may be ensured so that the secondary air may be smoothly supplied to the second heater 323, and the blocking wall capable of blocking the flames from spreading toward the bottom surface 321a may be maintained.
That is, the cooking appliance of the embodiment may uniformly heat food in the cooking chamber 31 using the first heating assembly 310 and intensively heat a bottom surface of the food by using the second heating assembly 320. The cooking appliance of the embodiment may further provide a function of more quickly and effectively increasing a temperature in the cooking chamber 31 by transmitting heat generated in the second heating assembly 320 into the cooking chamber 31. Hereinafter, a heat transfer structure for implementing such a function will be described.
According to the embodiment, a first discharge port a may be formed in the side wall 321b which may be the side surface of the second heating assembly 320, and a second discharge port b may be formed in the side surface 15 which may be the side surface of the cooking chamber 31. The first discharge port a may pass through the side wall 321b in a lateral direction and the first discharge port a may form a lateral path connecting the inside and outside of the lower case 321. The first discharge port a formed to pass through the side wall 321b may serve as a path which connects the inside of a lower case 321 where the second heater 323 is installed and a side space portion 35.
Also, the second discharge port b may pass through the side surface 15 in a lateral direction, and the second discharge port b may form a lateral path connecting the inside and outside of the cooking chamber 31. The second discharge port b that passes through the side surface 15 may serve as a path which connects the inside of the cooking chamber 31 and the side space portion 35.
Each of the first discharge port a and the second discharge port b may form a path to be connected to the side space portion 35. That is, the first discharge port a and the second discharge port b may form a path connecting the inside of the lower case 321 and the side space portion 35 and a path connecting the side space portion 35 and the inside of the cooking chamber 31. The cooking appliance of the embodiment may further include a flow path connection member 330.
The flow path connection member 330 may be installed on or at an outer side of the cooking chamber 31 and may form a lateral path through which heat generated in the second heating assembly 320 flows into the cooking chamber 31. The flow path connection member 330 may have a space formed therein in the form of a duct of which one side portion toward the cooking chamber 31 is open. The flow path connection member 330 may be provided on the outer side of the cooking chamber 31 and may include an outer wall surrounding the periphery of the first discharge port a and the second discharge port b. In the flow path connection member 330, a portion corresponding to a lower portion of the flow path connection member 330 may be arranged in the lower space portion 33, and the remaining portion corresponding to an upper portion of the flow path connection member 330 may be arranged in the side space portion 35.
An outer wall formed by the flow path connection member 330 and a flow path guide c surrounded by the side surface 15 and the lower surface 13 to which the flow path connection member 330 is coupled may be formed inside the flow path connection member 330. The flow path guide c formed in the inner space of the flow path connection member 330 may form a path that connects the first discharge port a and the second discharge port b. The flow path guide c may form a path passing through the lower space portion 33 and the side space portion 35, and may be defined by the flow path connection member 330 to be separated from the space formed in the lower space portion 33 and the side space portion 35.
That is, the flow path connection member 330 provided on the outer side of the cooking chamber 31 may form a path connecting the inside of the cooking chamber 31 and an inside of the second heating assembly 320 while passing through the lower space portion 33 and the side space portion 35. However, the flow path connection member 330 may form paths separated from spaces formed in the lower space portion 33 and the side space portion 35 in the lower space portion 33 and the side space portion 35. Thus, the cooking appliance of the embodiment may secure a path through which heat generated inside the second heating assembly 320 by combustion of the second heater 323 may be transferred into the cooking chamber 31 through convection.
A path (hereinafter referred to as a “heat transfer path”) through which the heat generated by the combustion of the second heater 323 may be transferred to the inside of the cooking chamber 31 by convection may be formed on the side portion of the cooking chamber 31 instead of the lower portion of the cooking chamber 31.
When the heat transfer path is formed in the lower portion of the cooking chamber 31, a heat transfer path of the shortest distance in which the heat inside the second heating assembly 320 can be directly transferred into the cooking chamber 31 may be formed. However, in order for the heat transfer path to be formed in the lower portion of the cooking chamber 31, holes for allowing heat to pass therethrough may have to be formed in the lower surface 13 which may be the bottom surface of the cooking chamber 31.
In the structure in which the holes are formed in the lower surface 13, that is, the bottom surface of the cooking chamber 31, the bottom surface of the cooking chamber 31 may not maintain a smooth flat surface, and thus cleaning the bottom surface of the cooking chamber 31 may be difficult because contaminants may exist in the holes of the bottom surface of the cooking chamber 31. In addition, in the above structure, foreign substances may be dropped into the second heating assembly 320 through the holes and the second heating assembly 320 may become severely contaminated. As a result, the performance of the second heating assembly 320 may be degraded, and the number of accidents due to ignition of contaminants may increase.
In contrast, in the cooking appliance of the embodiment, the heat transfer structure may be formed such that the heat transfer path is not formed in the lower portion of the cooking chamber 31 and may be formed on the side portion of the cooking chamber 31. That is, in the embodiment, the inside of the second heating assembly 320 may open laterally through a first discharge port a, and the inside of the cooking chamber 31 may open laterally through a second discharge port b. As a result, a heat transfer path may be formed such that the flow path connection member 330 connects the two discharge ports a and b that open in the lateral direction.
Accordingly, the heat transfer path is may not directly pass through the bottom surface of the cooking chamber 31. Instead, the heat transfer path may be formed in a “” shape that surrounds the lower surface and the side surface of the cooking chamber 31 from the outside of the cooking chamber 31 to bypass the cooking chamber 31, and may be connected to the inside of the cooking chamber 31 through a second discharge port b formed on the side surface of the cooking chamber 31.
In the heat transfer structure of the embodiment formed as described above, no holes may be formed in the bottom surface of the cooking chamber 31, and the bottom surface of the cooking chamber 31 may maintain a smooth flat surface. Since the cooking appliance of the embodiment including the heat transfer structure may be implemented in a planar shape having a smooth and flat surface on the bottom surface of the cooking chamber 31, contaminants on the bottom surface of the cooking chamber 31 may be easily removed. These design elements may improve ease of cleaning and aesthetics inside the cooking chamber 31 and may appeal to consumers.
In addition, the cooking appliance of the embodiment including the above structure may prevent contaminants in the cooking chamber 31 from falling into the second heating assembly 320. As a result, the risk of degradation in performance or an accident of the second heating assembly 320 due to contamination may be reduced.
The flow path connection member 330 may be fixedly coupled to the main body 10 or may be detachably coupled to the main body 10. As illustrated in
When the second heating assembly 320 is exposed to the side space portion 35, a lateral path may be created through which the second heating assembly 320 installed at the lower portion of the cooking chamber 31 may be separated from the main body 10. That is, when the flow path connection member 330 is detachably coupled to the main body 10, a second heating assembly 320 having a mounting structure in which the second heating assembly 320 may be separated from the main body 10 after separating the flow path connection member 330 from the main body 10, or the flow path connection member 330 and the second heating assembly 320 may be detachable from the main body 10, as shown in
The duct sections 331 and 333 may be installed on the outer side of a cooking chamber 31 to form an outer wall surrounding a flow path guide c from an outside of the flow path guide c. The flow path guide c may form a path connecting the first discharge port a and the second discharge port b in the space surrounded by the duct sections 331 and 333.
The duct sections 331 and 333 may include a first duct section 331 forming an outer wall surrounding a peripheral portion of the first discharge port a and a second duct section 333 forming an outer wall surrounding a peripheral portion of the second discharge port b. According to the embodiment, the lower case 321 may be arranged such that the side wall 321b is located more laterally inward than the side surface 15. The first duct section 331 may be inserted into a space which is formed between the lower case 321 and the lower surface 13 inside the lower space portion 33, and the second duct section 333 may be provided inside the side space portion 35.
The duct sections 331 and 333 including the first duct section 331 and the second duct section 333 may be formed such that the first duct section 331 and the second duct section 333 create an “L” shape. The first duct section 331 may be in contact with the side wall 321b in the lower space portion 33, and the second duct section 333 may be in contact with the side surface 15 in the side space portion 35.
The coupling flanges 335 may be provided such that the duct sections 331 and 333 are closely coupled to one of the side wall 321b and the side surface 15 of the lower case 321. The coupling flanges 335 may protrude from edges of the duct sections 331 and 333 in contact with the side surface 15 corresponding to the side surface of the cooking chamber 31 or the side wall 321b corresponding to the side surface of the lower case 321. Each of the coupling flanges 335 may be formed by bending each edge of the duct sections 331 and 333 in an outward direction of the duct sections 331 and 333. Each of the coupling flanges 335 may be connected to the corresponding edge portion of the duct sections 331 and 333 to have an “L” shape.
The coupling flanges 335 may be parallel to the side surface 15 or the side wall 321b. Specifically, the coupling flanges 335 that protrude from the edge of the first duct sections 331 may be parallel to the side wall 321b so that the coupling flanges 335 and the side wall 321b are in surface contact with and coupled to each other. Also, the coupling flanges 335 that protrude from the edge of the second duct section 333 may be parallel to the side surface 15 so that coupling flange 335 and the side surface 15 are in surface contact with and coupled to each other. That is, each of the coupling flanges 335 formed at the respective edge portion of the duct sections 331 and 333 may be in surface contact with and coupled to the side wall 321b or the side surface 15, so that the duct sections 331 and 333 can be in surface contact with and tightly coupled to the side wall of the lower case 321 or the cooking chamber 31.
Coupling the coupling flange 335 and the side wall 321b and coupling the coupling flange 335 and the side surface 15 may be performed with coupling members such as bolts or the like, which pass through and couple two members that are in surface contact with each other. As described above, the duct sections 331 and 333 coupled with the side surface of the lower case 321 or the cooking chamber 31 may be tightly coupled to the designated location to stably maintain a location of the flow path guide c formed inside the duct sections 331 and 333. Also, if necessary, the duct sections 331 and 333 may be easily separated from the side surface of the lower case 321 or the cooking chamber 31.
The flow path connection member 330 may have a space formed therein and may be provided in the form of a duct of which one side portion toward the cooking chamber 31 is open. That is, the flow path connection member 330 may be configured such that the first duct section 331 provided in the form of a duct of which an upper portion of the duct toward the lower surface 13 is open, and a second duct section 333 provided in the form of a duct of which one side portion toward the side surface 15 is open are connected to have an “L” shape.
In the flow path connection member 330, the open upper portion of the first duct section 331 may be tightly coupled to the lower surface 13 and the open side portion of the second duct section 333 may be tightly coupled to the side surface 15. Thus, the flow path guide c surrounded by the first duct section 331 and the lower surface 13 coupled to each other may be formed inside the first duct section 331, and the flow path guide c surrounded by the second duct section 333 and the side surface 15 coupled to each other may also be formed inside the second duct section 333. As a result, the flow path guide c extending in an “L” shape may be formed inside the flow path connection member 330.
As another example, the flow path connection member 330 may be provided in the form of a duct having no open portion in the remaining portions except for one end portion toward the first discharge port a and the other end portion toward the second discharge port b. However, as exemplified in the embodiment, when the flow path connection member 330 is provided in the form of a duct in which a space is formed inside the flow path connection member 330 and a side portion of one side thereof is open toward the cooking chamber 31, a material cost required for manufacturing the flow path connection member 330 may be reduced and the flow path connection member 330 may be manufactured more easily. Also, since the open portion of the flow path connection member 330 allows a plurality of flow path connection members 330 to be stacked and stored, the flow path connection member 330 necessary for manufacturing the cooking appliance may be easily stored and handled.
The cooking appliance of the embodiment may further include a clip member (or clip) 340. The clip 340 may be provided on the outer side of the side surface 15 and may press a part of the coupling flange 335 formed on the edge portion of the flow path connection member 330 so that the coupling flange 335 is pressed against the side surface 15.
The clip 340 may be arranged on the outer side of the side surface 15 and above the second discharge port b. In the embodiment, the clip 340 may be provided in the form of a leaf spring with elasticity capable of pressing a lower portion thereof against the side surface 15.
The upper side portion of the clip 340 may be fixedly coupled to the side surface 15. Also, the lower side portion of the clip 340 extending downward from the upper side portion of the clip 340 that is fixedly coupled to the side surface 15 may not be coupled to the side surface 15. As a result, an insertion groove 341 of which an upper portion is closed and a lower portion is open may be formed between the side surface 15 and the clip 340.
A part of the coupling flange 335, more specifically at least a part of the coupling flange 335 formed on the upper edge portion of the second duct section 333, may be inserted into the insertion groove 341 formed as described above. The coupling flange 335 may be inserted until the upper end portion of the coupling flange 335 is interfered with by the blocked upper portion of the insertion groove 341 and a location of the flow path connection member 330 in a vertical direction may be guided by the insertion coupling between the clip 340 and the coupling flange 335.
That is, when installing the flow path connection member 330, by simply inserting and pushing the upper end portion of the flow path connection member 330 into the clip 340, a location in the vertical direction on which the flow path connection member 330 is installed may be guided, and at the same time, the upper end portion of the flow path connection member 330 may be temporarily fixed. Therefore, it may be possible to easily couple the flow path connection member 330 to the lower case 321, or the lower surface 13 or side surface 15 using the coupling member.
The cooking appliance of the embodiment may further include a heat guide unit (or heat guide) 350. The heat guide 350 may change a flow direction of heat flowing upward through the flow path guide c to a direction passing through the second discharge port b.
The heat guide 350 may protrude from the side surface 15 and may be located in the flow path guide c formed in the flow path connection member 330. The heat guide 350 formed as described above may form a blocking wall above the second discharge port b to block a flow of heat flowing along the flow path guide c.
The heat guide 350 may have a shape such as an inclined surface, wherein a distance from the inclined surface to the side surface 15 is decreased in an upward direction. A flow of heat flowing upward along the flow path guide c may be simply guided to the second discharge port b along the inclined blocking wall formed by the heat guide 350, and thereby discharge of the heat through the side portion of the cooking chamber 31 may be smoother.
The second discharge port b and the heat guide 350 may be formed by incising a part of the side surface 15. Accordingly, after incising a part of the side surface 15, the heat guide 350 may be formed by bending the incised part outwardly from the side surface 15 around the upper portion connected to the side surface 15. Further, the second discharge port b may be formed in a portion where the heat guide 350 is separated from the side surface 15.
That is, according to the cooking appliance of the embodiment, since a path through which heat is supplied to the side portion of the cooking chamber 31 and a structure configured to guide a flow of the heat to the path may be formed at once by a simple operation of incising and bending a part of the side surface 15 without adding additional structures, it may be possible to provide an additional advantage of being able to control cost and time required for manufacturing the cooking appliance.
Referring, for example, to the embodiment of
First, a simultaneous operation or step S1 in which the first heating assembly 310 and the second heating assembly 320 are simultaneously operated may be performed in an initial state in which no heating has been performed in a cooking chamber 31. In the simultaneous operation or step S1, combustion of the first heater 313 and combustion of the second heater 323 may be simultaneously performed. Accordingly, in the cooking chamber 31, a circulation flow of hot heat may be generated such that the heat is circulated in the cooking chamber 31 by an operation of the first heating assembly 310, and at the same time, a flow of the heat may also be generated so that the heat generated by an operation of the second heating assembly 320 is discharged from the side portion of the cooking chamber 31 through a flow path guide c formed inside a flow path connection member 330.
The heat discharged through the side portion of the cooking chamber 31, that is, through the second discharge port b, may then combine with the flow of the heat generated by the operation of the first heating assembly 310, that is, the circulation flow of the heat circulating inside the cooking chamber 31. Thus, the heat generated by a combustion operation of the first heating assembly 310 and the heat generated by a combustion operation of the second heating assembly 320 may be combined and circulated inside the cooking chamber 31, and thus a temperature in the cooking chamber 31 may be raised more quickly. That is, by simultaneously operating the first heating assembly 310 and the second heating assembly 320, the cooking appliance of the embodiment may quickly raise the temperature in the cooking chamber 31, thereby allowing the initial preheating of the cooking chamber to be performed more quickly and effectively, and shortening the time required for cooking food.
A second discharge port b configured to form a path on the cooking chamber 31 to discharge the heat generated by the combustion operation of the second heating assembly 320 may be formed on the side surface 15 and on the lower portion adjacent to the bottom surface of the cooking chamber 31. Accordingly, the heat generated by the second heating assembly 320 may be discharged into the cooking chamber 31 through the side portion of the cooking chamber 31 and may be discharged from the lower portion adjacent to the bottom surface of the cooking chamber 31 into the cooking chamber 31.
The above-described discharged heat may be combined with the circulation flow of the heat circulating inside the cooking chamber 31 and may be circulated in the entire cooking chamber 31. However, the heat discharged from the second heating assembly 320 may first flow along the bottom surface of the cooking chamber 31 before the discharged heat merges with the circulation flow of the heat circulating inside the cooking chamber 31, that is, the heat may flow along the bottom surface of the cooking chamber 31 immediately after being discharged into the cooking chamber 31 through the second discharge port b.
Therefore, the flow of heat flowing along the bottom surface of the cooking chamber 31 may be applied to food placed in the cooking chamber 31 together with the circulation flow of the heat circulating inside the entire cooking chamber 31. Thus, in addition to the heat circulating inside the entire cooking chamber 31, the heat flowing along the bottom surface of the cooking chamber 31 may be added to the bottom surface of the food. Furthermore, on the bottom surface of the food, not only the heat discharged through the second discharge port b but also heat transferred by convection through the bottom surface of the cooking chamber 31, that is, through the bottom surface heated by the combustion of the second heater 323, may be additionally transferred.
Thus, concentrated heating may be achieved so that a relatively high amount of heat may be applied to the bottom surface of the food in comparison with that applied to other portions of the food. That is, by using the operation control of simultaneously operating the first heating assembly 310 and the second heating assembly 320, the cooking appliance of the embodiment may provide not only a function of rapidly raising a temperature in the cooking chamber 31 while uniformly heating the entire cooking chamber 31, but also a function of concentrated heating on a bottom surface of food.
After the above-described simultaneous operation or step S1 proceeds to a point set by the simultaneous operation or step S1, a partial operation or step S2 may be performed so that only one of the first heating assembly 310 and the second heating assembly 320 is operated.
As an example, the partial operation or step S2 may be performed so that only the first heating assembly 310 is operated. Accordingly, in the cooking chamber 31, heating in which only the circulation flow of the heat circulating inside the cooking chamber 31 is generated by the operation of the first heating assembly 310 may be performed, and heating in which the heat generated by the second heating assembly 320 is discharged through the side portion of the cooking chamber 31 may be stopped.
The partial operation or step S2 may be selected when there is a relatively low need for concentrated heating on the bottom surface of the food but it is still necessary to uniformly cook the entire food. That is, the cooking appliance according to the embodiment may cook the food so that the simultaneous operation or step S1 is first performed to quickly raise the temperature in the cooking chamber 31 to a temperature suitable for cooking the food and then the partial operation or step S2 may be performed to operate only the first heating assembly 310. Thus, the entire food may be uniformly heated and cooked while effectively shortening the time required for cooking the food.
As another example, the partial operation or step S2 may be performed so that only the second heating assembly 320 is operated. Accordingly, in the cooking chamber 31, only heating in which the heat generated in the second heating assembly 320 is discharged through the side portion of the cooking chamber 31 may be performed, and heating by the operation of the first heating assembly 310 may be stopped.
The partial operation or step S2 performed as described above may be used in the case of cooking food, such as a pizza, that requires concentrated heating on the bottom surface of the food. That is, the cooking appliance according to the embodiment may cook the food so that the simultaneous operation or step S1 is first performed to quickly raise the temperature in the cooking chamber 31 to a temperature suitable for cooking the food and then the partial operation or step S2 may be performed to operate only the second heating assembly 320 when a temperature in the cooking chamber 31 required for cooking food is maintained for some time. Thus, applying concentrated heating to the bottom surface of the food may be more effectively provided so that the bottom surface of the food, such as pizza, may be cooked to be more crispy.
Also, during a simultaneous operation of the first heating assembly 310 and the second heating assembly 320, airflow formed by the operation of the convection fan 317 may affect combustion in the second heater 323, and thus a problem may occur in that the combustion in the second heater 323 may become unstable; for example, a flame formed in the second heater 323 may shake or complete combustion in the second heater 323 may not be suitably performed.
The cooking appliance of the embodiment may switch the combustion operation to the partial operation or step S2 at the time when the combustion of the second heater 323 becomes unstable while the simultaneous operation or step S1 is performed, thereby stopping the operation of the first heating assembly 310 and allowing only the operation of the second heating assembly 320 to proceed. Thus, the cooking appliance may prevent the airflow formed by the operation of the convection fan 317 from affecting the combustion in the second heater 323 and thereby the combustion in the second heater 323 may be stabilized. Thus, the cooking appliance may prevent degradation in heating performance of the cooking appliance.
As another example, in the partial operation or step S2, the operation of the first heating assembly 310 and the operation of the second heating assembly 320 may be alternately performed. In the partial operation or step S2 operated as described above, a process in which an operation of one assembly of the first heating assembly 310 and the second heating assembly 320 is first performed and then an operation of the other assembly is performed may be repeatedly performed.
In the cooking appliance according to the embodiment in which the partial operation or step S2 is performed as described above, a uniform heating function for entire food and a concentrated heating function for a part of the food may be effectively provided at the same time while the operation of the first heating assembly 310 minimally affects the combustion of the second heating assembly 320. As another example, in the cooking appliance of the embodiment, the operation control of the first heating assembly 310 and the second heating assembly 320 may be performed so that the simultaneous operation step S1 and the partial operation step S2 are alternately performed.
Accordingly, the inside of the cooking chamber 31 may be heated so that the partial operation or step S2 proceeds after the simultaneous operation or step S1 has proceeded for a set time, and the process of alternately performing the simultaneous operation step S1 and the partial operation or step S2 may be repeatedly performed. The control of operating the first heating assembly 310 and the second heating assembly 320 may be performed so that the point in time when the simultaneous operation or step S1 switches to the partial operation or step S2 is dependent on a temperature inside the cooking chamber 31.
For example, operating the first heating assembly 310 and the second heating assembly 320 may be performed so that the partial operation or step S2 is performed when the temperature inside the cooking chamber 31 reaches a set temperature while the simultaneous operation or step S1 is performed. When the combustion operation of the cooking appliance is controlled as described above, the simultaneous operation or step S1 may be performed to quickly raise the temperature of the cooking chamber 31 to the set temperature, and the partial operation or step S2 may be performed to change the temperature of the cooking chamber 31 so that unnecessary consumption of energy can be reduced. Thus, it may be possible to effectively reduce the time required for cooking food while reducing the unnecessary consumption of energy.
Also, when the partial operation or step S2 is performed so that the operation of the first heating assembly 310 is stopped and only the operation of the second heating assembly 320 is performed, the second heater 323 is may burn stably. A method of controlling combustion of the cooking appliance according to the embodiment may not only effectively shorten the time required for cooking food while reducing unnecessary consumption of energy, but also may provide a uniform heating function that uniformly cooks the entire food by uniformly heating the entire cooking chamber 31 together with a function of applying concentrated heating to the bottom surface of the food. The cooking appliance according to the embodiment may not only effectively shorten the time required for cooking while reducing unnecessary consumption of energy, but may also provide a uniform heating function that uniformly cooks entire food by uniformly heating the entire cooking chamber together with a function of applying concentrated heating to the bottom surface of the food.
By taking advantage of embodiments disclosed herein, components necessary for manufacturing a cooking appliance, such as a flow path connection member and the like, may be easily manufactured at low cost, and moreover the components may have a component structure that may be easily assembled, thereby reducing a cost and time required for manufacturing the cooking appliance. Further, since a plurality of the flow path connection members may be stacked and stored, components necessary for manufacturing a cooking appliance may be easily stored and handled.
Embodiments disclosed herein are directed to providing a cooking appliance capable of providing a uniform heating function and a concentrated heating function together in addition to effectively shortening a cooking time. The cooking appliance may include a main body having a cooking chamber formed therein and including a rear surface configured to define a rear boundary surface of the cooking chamber, a lower surface configured to define a lower boundary surface of the cooking chamber, and a side surface configured to define a side boundary surface of the cooking chamber; a lower case provided below the lower surface to form an accommodation space therein; first and second heaters, the second heater installed in the accommodation space to generate heat; a first discharge port through which an inside of the lower case having the accommodating space formed therein is open to the outside of the main body; a second discharge port through which an inside of the cooking chamber is open to the outside of the main body; and a flow path connection member configured to form a flow path guide to guide heat discharged through the first discharge port toward the second discharge port.
The flow path connection member may include duct sections provided outside the cooking chamber to form an outer wall surrounding the flow path guide from an outside of the main body, and a coupling flange to couple the duct sections to at least one of the lower case and the side surface, wherein the flow path guide forms a path connecting the first discharge port and the second discharge port in a space surrounded by the duct sections.
The duct sections may include a first duct section configured to form an outer wall surrounding a peripheral portion of the first discharge port, and a second duct section configured to form an outer wall surrounding a peripheral portion of the second discharge port. The main body may further include a lower space portion formed at a lower portion of the main body that forms a space separated from the cooking chamber under the cooking chamber, and a side space portion formed at a side portion of the main body that forms a space separated from the cooking chamber beside the cooking chamber, wherein the lower case is installed inside the lower space portion, and the flow path connection member forms the flow path guide passing through the side space portion.
The first duct section may be inserted into and installed in a space formed between the lower case and the lower space portion to be pressed against the lower case, and the second duct section may be pressed against the side surface inside the side space portion. The second discharge port may pass through the side surface, wherein the lower case includes a side wall that defines a side boundary surface of an accommodation space and includes the first discharge port that passes therethrough. The side wall may be located more laterally inward than the side surface. The duct sections may be formed by connecting the first duct section and the second duct section to form an “L” shape. The first duct section may be pressed against the side wall. The second duct section may be pressed against the side surface.
The cooking appliance may further include a heat guide configured to change a flow direction of heat flowing upward through the flow path guide to a direction passing through the second discharge port. The heat guide may protrude in a lateral direction on the side surface and may have an inclined surface, wherein a distance from the inclined surface to the side surface is decreased in an upward direction.
The heat guide may be formed by incising a part of the side surface and then bending the incised portion around the upper portion connected to the side surface toward an outside of the side surface, and the second discharge port may be formed in a portion of the side surface where the heat guide is separated. The heat guide may be obliquely bent to form an acute angle with respect to the side surface.
The coupling flange may protrude from the edge of the duct sections abutting the side surface or the side portion of the lower case, and may be parallel to the side surface or the side surface of the lower case to be in surface contact with the side surface or the lower case. The cooking appliance may further include a clip provided on the outer side of the side surface to press the coupling flange toward the side surface to be pressed against the side surface.
An insertion groove of which the upper portion is closed and the lower portion is open may be formed between the side surface and the clip, and the clip may be coupled to the side surface such that the upper portion of the insertion groove is located above the second discharge port. The upper end portion of the coupling flange inserted into the insertion groove may be interfered with by the upper portion of the insertion groove, so that the vertical position of the flow path connection member coupled to the side surface is guided.
The cooking appliance may further include a first heating assembly provided inside the cooking chamber to generate a circulation flow of heat circulating inside the cooking chamber. The first heating assembly may include a fan cover provided on the rear surface to form a divided space inside the cooking chamber and including a suction port and a discharge port, the first heater installed in a space inside the fan cover to generate heat, and a convection fan configured to generate an air circulation flow in which air introduced into the fan cover through the suction port is discharged to the cooking chamber through the discharge port. The heat discharged into the cooking chamber through the second discharge port b may combine with the circulation flow of the heat generated by the first heating assembly, and may circulate inside the cooking chamber.
While the above disclosure has been described with reference to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the sprit and scope of the appended claims. Accordingly, the scope shall be determined only according to the attached claims.
It will be understood that when an element or layer is referred to as being “on” another element or layer, the element or layer can be directly on another element or layer or intervening elements or layers. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on” another element or layer, there are no intervening elements or layers present. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, third, etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the present invention.
Spatially relative terms, such as “lower”, “upper” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe the relationship of one element or feature to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation, in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “lower” relative to other elements or features would then be oriented “upper” relative the other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary term “lower” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
Embodiments of the disclosure are described herein with reference to cross-section illustrations that are schematic illustrations of idealized embodiments (and intermediate structures) of the disclosure. As such, variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a result, for example, of manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances, are to be expected. Thus, embodiments of the disclosure should not be construed as limited to the particular shapes of regions illustrated herein but are to include deviations in shapes that result, for example, from manufacturing.
Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.
Any reference in this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “example embodiment,” etc., means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. The appearances of such phrases in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with any embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the purview of one skilled in the art to effect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other ones of the embodiments.
Although embodiments have been described with reference to a number of illustrative embodiments thereof, it should be understood that numerous other modifications and embodiments can be devised by those skilled in the art that will fall within the spirit and scope of the principles of this disclosure. More particularly, various variations and modifications are possible in the component parts and/or arrangements of the subject combination arrangement within the scope of the disclosure, the drawings and the appended claims. In addition to variations and modifications in the component parts and/or arrangements, alternative uses will also be apparent to those skilled in the art.
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