Patent Application
20240389795
This application claims priority to and the benefit of Japan Patent Application No. 2023-086662, filed on May 26, 2023, titled “Heating Cooker”, and the specification and claims thereof are incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a heating cooker.
Conventionally, heating cookers for heating and cooking food are known. The heating cooker described in Patent Document 1 is provided with an exhaust mechanism for taking in smoke generated when heating food and discharging the smoke outside the heating cooker.
As referred to herein, Patent Document 1 means Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2014-028107. Reference to other publications in this application should not be construed as an admission that such publication is prior art for purposes of determining patentability of the present invention. Such references are provided only as a matter of providing a complete background.
In order to reduce the space occupied by the heating cooker, there is a demand for making the heating cooker smaller.
A purpose of the present invention is to provide a smaller heating cooker.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a heating cooker includes: an outer casing provided with a rectangular outer bottom wall having an exhaust port, and a first outer sidewall, a second outer sidewall, a third outer sidewall, and a fourth outer sidewall, said outer sidewalls rising from the four sides of the outer bottom wall;
According to the present invention a smaller heating cooker can be provided.
Objects, advantages and novel features, and further scope of applicability of the present invention will be set forth in part in the detailed description to follow, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and form a part of the specification, illustrate one or more embodiments of the present invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. The drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating one or more embodiments of the invention and are not to be construed as limiting the invention. In the drawings:
A heating cooker 1000 of the present invention is a device for heating and cooking food. In one aspect, the heating cooker 1000 is a heating cooker for cooking food by grilling, for example, grilled meat or grilled chicken. As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The exhaust duct 50 may be connected to a separate duct (not illustrated) outside the heating cooker 1000. The separate duct may be connected to an exhaust device (not illustrated) such as a fan or the like. When the exhaust device is activated, smoke generated when heating food is sucked from the top cover 300 and drawn below the heating cooker 1000, and is discharged from the heating cooker 1000 through the exhaust duct 50 and the separate duct.
Below, the detailed structure of each component will be described. It should be noted that in the below description, “smoke” may be referred to as “exhaust”.
As illustrated in
The upper portion of the inner casing 10 is open. During use of the heating cooker 1000, the inner casing 10 contains water, in order to prevent overheating of the inner casing 10, and in order to prevent dirt from adhering to the inner casing 10.
The upper surface of the inner bottom wall 11 is a flat surface. A first side and a second side of the inner bottom wall 11 are the short sides, which are parallel to each other. A third side and a fourth side of the inner bottom wall 11 are the long sides, which are parallel to each other.
Below, for the sake of convenience, as illustrated in
The first inner sidewall 12A rises up from the first side of the inner bottom wall 11. The second inner sidewall 12B rises up from the second side of the inner bottom wall 11, and is opposite to the first inner sidewall 12A. The third inner sidewall 13A rises up from the third side of the inner bottom wall 11. The fourth inner sidewall 13B rises up from the fourth side of the inner bottom wall 11, and is opposite to the third inner sidewall 13A.
As illustrated in
The first vertical portion 121 is parallel to the XZ-plane. The first vertical portion 121 of the second inner sidewall 12B has a through-opening 1211 for allowing the gas burner 80 to pass therethrough. The first inclined portion 122 extends diagonally downward and inward in the Y-direction from the first vertical portion 121. The second vertical portion 123 is provided below the first inclined portion 122. The second vertical portion 123 is parallel to the XZ-plane. The second vertical portion 123 is provided more inward in the Y-direction than the first vertical portion 121. The second inclined portion 124 extends diagonally downward and outward in the Y-direction from the second vertical portion 123. The third vertical portion 125 is provided below the second inclined portion 124. The third vertical portion 125 is parallel to the XZ-plane. The third inclined portion 126 extends diagonally downward and inward in the Y-direction from the third vertical portion 125, and is integrated with a side of the inner bottom wall 11. The angle between the inner bottom wall 11 and the third inclined portion 126 is greater than about 90 degrees and smaller than about 180 degrees.
The second vertical portion 123 of the first inner sidewall 12A and the second inner sidewall 12B has an elongated inner intake opening 1231 extending in the X-direction. During use of the heating cooker 1000, air (secondary air) required for complete combustion of the flame of the gas burner 80 is taken in through these inner intake openings 1231.
The first inner sidewall 12A and the second inner sidewall 12B include inner splash prevention portions 127. The inner splash prevention portions 127 prevent water inside the inner casing 10 from escaping through the inner intake openings 1231 when the inner casing 10 shakes. The inner splash prevention portions 127 extend diagonally upward and outward in the Y-direction from the lower edges of the inner intake openings 1231. The inner splash prevention portions 127 have a curved plate shape. The tips of the inner splash prevention portions 127 are positioned more inward in the Y-direction than the outer surface of the first vertical portion 121 and the outer surface of the third vertical portion 125.
As described below, the spaces below the inner splash prevention portions 127 (that is, the spaces defined by the second vertical portion 123, the second inclined portion 124, and the inner splash prevention portion 127) function as pockets 128 for temporarily collecting water (liquid).
The inner surfaces of the first vertical portion 121 of the first inner sidewall 12A and the second inner sidewall 12B are provided with supports 14. The gas burner 80 and the hot plate receiver 90 are placed on the supports 14 (see
As illustrated in
The first vertical portion 131 is parallel to a YZ-plane. The placement portion 132 extends inward in the X-direction from the first vertical portion 131. The cooking utensil 200 (see
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The first outer sidewall 22A rises up from the first side of the outer bottom wall 21. The second outer sidewall 22B rises up from the second side of the outer bottom wall 21, and is opposite to the first outer sidewall 22A. The third outer sidewall 23A rises up from the third side of the outer bottom wall 21. The fourth outer sidewall 23B rises up from the fourth side of the outer bottom wall 21, and is opposite to the third outer sidewall 23A.
The first outer sidewall 22A, the second outer sidewall 22B, the third outer sidewall 23A, and the fourth outer sidewall 23B are orthogonal to the outer bottom wall 21.
As illustrated in
The guide portions 24 guide the inner casing 10 when the inner casing 10 is inserted into the outer casing 20, such that the inner casing 10 can be inserted smoothly. The guide portions 24 also restrict movement of the inner casing 10 in the X-direction.
Each guide portion 24 includes vertical guides 241 and inclined guides 242.
The two vertical guides 241 provided to the first outer sidewall 22A are spaced apart from each other in the X-direction. In addition, the two vertical guides 241 provided to the first outer sidewall 22A extend in the Z-direction in parallel with each other. The two vertical guides 241 provided to the second outer sidewall 22B are spaced apart from each other in the X-direction. In addition, the two vertical guides 241 provided to the second outer sidewall 22B extend in the Z-direction in parallel with each other.
The two inclined guides 242 provided to the first outer sidewall 22A are inclined so as to approach each other from the lower ends of the two vertical guides 241 provided to the first outer sidewall 22A. The two inclined guides 242 provided to the second outer sidewall 22B are inclined so as to approach each other from the lower ends of the two vertical guides 241 provided to the second outer sidewall 22B. The angle of inclination of the inclined guides 242 relative to the Z-direction is approximately identical to the angle of inclination of the inclined portions 134 of the inner casing 10. Accordingly, as illustrated in
The support 25 provided to the first outer sidewall 22A extends in parallel with the X-direction, and is joined to the two inclined guides 242 provided to the first outer sidewall 22A. The support 25 provided to the second outer sidewall 22B extends in parallel with the X-direction, and is joined to the two inclined guides 242 provided to the second outer sidewall 22B. As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The first outer sidewall 22A and the second outer sidewall 22B have outer intake openings 223 extending in the X-direction. During use of the heating cooker 1000, air (secondary air) required for complete combustion of the flame of the gas burner 80 is taken in through these outer intake openings 223. As illustrated in
As illustrated in
Liquid containing dirt (for example, meat juice generated when grilling meat) and the water inside the inner casing 10 may splash from the inner intake openings 1231 of the inner casing 10 toward the outer intake openings 223. The outer splash prevention portions 224 prevent the liquid containing dirt and the water from splashing to the outside of the outer casing 20 through the outer intake openings 223. In addition, because the outer splash prevention portions 224 are inclined, liquid containing dirt and water that has splashed onto the outer splash prevention portions 224 is returned into the outer casing 20.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
Because the spaces S1, S2 are extremely narrow, almost no smoke flows through the spaces S1, S2. Meanwhile, the spaces S3, S4 function as exhaust paths through which smoke flows.
In one embodiment, in a comparison at the same height in the Z-direction, the size of the space (gap) S2 is smaller than the size of the space (gap) S1. Thus, among the spaces S1, S2, S3, and S4, air (exhaust) is the least likely to be taken in through the space S2.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The fire damper 400 and the fall prevention net 500 are arranged inside the connection tube 40.
The fire damper 400 is activated when the temperature of the exhaust reaches an abnormal temperature that exceeds a predetermined temperature (for example, 140° C.), and seals the flow path inside the connection tube 40. Thus, exhaust that has reached the abnormal temperature is prevented from flowing into the ducts such as the exhaust duct 50. As a result, oil collected in the duct is can be prevented from igniting, thereby preventing fire outbreaks.
As illustrated in
When the temperature of the exhaust exceeds the predetermined temperature, the thermal fuse 600 fuses. The fusing of the thermal fuse 600 releases the two plates 410 from the secured state, and the two plates 410 move away from each other to seal the flow path inside the connection tube 40. Thus, exhaust that has reached the abnormal temperature can no longer flow into the exhaust duct 50.
The fall prevention net 500 is disposed below the fire damper 400. The fall prevention net 500 catches objects that fall into the connection tube 40. Objects that may fall include, for example, the thermal fuse 600.
As illustrated in
Preferably, at least the net body 520, and more preferably, the entirety of the fall prevention net 500, is an integrated article that is manufactured by press working of a single metallic plate member. More specifically, the net body 520 or the entirety of the fall prevention net 500 is manufactured by punching a single metallic plate member. When the net body 520 is provided with a recess as described below, the net body 520 is further subjected to bending. When the fall prevention net 500 is disposed inside the connection tube 40, the net body 520 covers the interior of the connection tube 40 (see
The frame portion 510 consists of a flat plate. The net body 520 is constituted by a plurality of lines intersecting one another. The lines consist of, for example, band-shaped plate members. The end portions of the lines are integrated with the inner circumferential edge of the frame portion 510. In addition, the lines are also integrated with one another. Therefore, there are no irregularities at the points where the lines and the frame portion 510 intersect, or at the points where the lines intersect one another.
The net body 520 preferably has a recess that is recessed downward. When the net body 520 has a recess, fallen objects will be collected in the recess. Thus, when the fire damper 400 is activated, the two plates 410 of the fire damper 400 are able to close completely without interfering with fallen objects. The shape of the recess is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a reverse truncated cone shape, a rectangular shape, or a square shape as seen in a front view, having a bottom portion with a flat shape, or a shape in which the bottom portion curves downward as seen in a front view.
The depth at the deepest position of the recess is preferably greater than the size of the thermal fuse 600. In addition, the minimum measurement of the horizontal length of the recess is preferably greater than the maximum measurement of the thermal fuse 600. Thus, the thermal fuse 600 will fit inside the recess. In the embodiment illustrated in
The openings in the net body 520 are preferably smaller than the size of the thermal fuse 600. This prevents the thermal fuse 600 from slipping through the openings in the net body 520 and falling down. In an embodiment in which the minimum measurement of the thermal fuse 600 is 14 mm, the net body 520 preferably has not less than three meshes and not more than five meshes, such that the openings become 14 mm or smaller. The net body 520 may have a higher number of meshes than five, but as the number of meshes of the net body 520 becomes higher (in other words, the openings become smaller) there is a risk in that dirt such as oil contained in the exhaust may clog the openings (the openings in the net body 520). Therefore, the net body 520 preferably has not more than five meshes, and most preferably has three meshes. The width of the lines of the net body 520 is, for example, from 0.9 mm to 2.0 mm.
The gas unit 60 includes a pilot burner 61 for igniting the gas burner 80, an ignition plug for igniting the pilot burner 61, a valve for controlling the flow rate of gas, and a gas supply pipe for supplying gas to the gas burner 80 and the pilot burner 61. The gas supply pipe is connected to a gas supply source. As illustrated in
As illustrated in
By having the surroundings of the through-opening 222 of the second outer sidewall 22B be enclosed by the side cover 70, liquid such as meat juice escaping through the through-opening 1211 of the inner casing 10 and the through-opening 222 of the outer casing 20 can be prevented from splashing outside the heating cooker 1000.
During operation of the heating cooker 1000 (that is, while the exhaust device is activated), the pressure inside the side cover 70 is preferably approximately the same as the pressure inside the space S2. This inhibits air inside the side cover 70 from flowing into the space S2 through the outer intake openings 223. In other words, the formation of an air flow inside the side cover 70 can be reduced. As a result, the influence of an air flow on the flame of the pilot burner 61 can be reduced.
As illustrated in
The outer cover 71 has an opening for allowing the gas unit 60 to pass therethrough. The outer cover 71 includes an upper wall 711. The upper wall 711 is positioned above the through-opening 222 of the second outer sidewall 22B.
The inner cover 72 is attached to the interior of the outer cover 71. The inner cover 72 includes two side plates 721, and one inclined bottom plate 722. The upper ends of the two side plates 721 are in contact with the lower surface of the upper wall 711 of the outer cover 71. The two side plates 721 are positioned on both sides in the X-direction of the through-opening 222 of the second outer sidewall 22B. The inclined bottom plate 722 is integrated with the lower ends of the two side plates 721, and is inclined diagonally downward and inward in the Y-direction.
As illustrated in
The gas burner 80 heats the hot plate 100 and the air around the gas burner 80 to generate hot air. The hot air and the radiant heat emitted from the hot plate 100 heat the cooking utensil 200 and the food.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
Gas that has flowed into the burner body 81 from the gas supply source is mixed with air (primary air). The mixture of gas and air flows inside the burner body 81 toward the second end portion. When the mixture spraying through the burner holes is ignited, flames are emitted from the burner holes.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The top cover 300 includes two first upper plates 310, two second upper plates 320, two first side plates 330, two second side plates 340, and two third side plates 350.
The two first upper plates 310 are spaced apart from each other in the X-direction. The two first upper plates 310 each include a horizontal portion 311 extending horizontally, and an extending portion 312 extending diagonally downward and inward in the X-direction from the horizontal portion 311. The horizontal portion 311 has a plurality of through-holes 3111. The through-holes 3111 of one horizontal portion 311 are communicated with the space S3. The through-holes 3111 of the other horizontal portion 311 are communicated with the space S4.
The two second upper plates 320 are spaced apart from each other in the Y-direction. The two second upper plates 320 extend horizontally. The two second upper plates 320 are joined to the two horizontal portions 311. As seen in a plan view, the two horizontal portions 311 and the two second upper plates 320 are formed as rectangles having the long side in the Y-direction.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
During operation of the exhaust device, smoke is sucked through the plurality of through-holes 331. The smoke that is sucked through the plurality of through-holes 331 is redirected downward by the second side plates 340. Thereafter, the smoke flows downward in the spaces S3, S4, and is filtered by the filter 30. After being filtered, the smoke passes through the connection tube 40 and the exhaust duct 50, and is discharged outside the heating cooker 1000.
In addition, during operation of the exhaust device, air (outside air) is sucked through the plurality of through-holes 3111. The air that is sucked through the through-holes 3111 cools the horizontal portions 311. Therefore, even if a person who is eating touches the horizontal portions 311, the person will not get burned. In addition, the air that has been sucked in flows downward along the inner surface of the third outer sidewall 23A and the inner surface of the fourth outer sidewall 23B. The flow of air along the inner surface of the third outer sidewall 23A and the inner surface of the fourth outer sidewall 23B can reduce contact of the oil-containing smoke with the inner surface of the third outer sidewall 23A and the inner surface of the fourth outer sidewall 23B. As a result, adhesion of dirt onto the inner surface of the third outer sidewall 23A and the inner surface of the fourth outer sidewall 23B can be reduced.
With the heating cooker 1000 according to the present invention, using the spaces S3, S4 as exhaust paths, there is no need to use the spaces S1, S2 as exhaust paths. Thus, as illustrated in
The upper surface of the inner bottom wall 11 is a flat surface, and therefore the amount of water than can be inserted into the inner casing 10 can be increased.
The gas unit 60 may be attached to and removed from the second outer sidewall 22B. Thus, the gas unit 60 may be removed from the outer casing 20 such that the outer casing 20 can be inserted into the table T. The gas unit 60 thus does not interfere with the table T, and the outer casing b can be more easily inserted into the table T.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
During operation of the heating cooker 1000 (that is, while the exhaust device is activated), the pressure inside the side cover 70 is approximately the same as the pressure inside the space S2, which inhibits air inside the side cover 70 from flowing into the space S2 through the outer intake openings 223. In other words, the formation of an air flow inside the side cover 70 can be reduced. As a result, the flame emitted from the pilot burner 61 disposed inside the side cover 70 is less affected by an air flow, and the flame of the pilot burner 61 is emitted straight, whereby the gas burner 80 can be reliably ignited.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and the scope of the present invention. Modified examples of the present invention are described below. The modified examples described below may be applied to the above embodiment individually, or in combination, without departing from the spirit and the scope of the present invention.
(3-1) The guide portions 24 of the first outer sidewall 22A do not necessarily include the inclined guides 242. In other words, the guide portions 24 of the first outer sidewall 22A may be constituted solely by the vertical guides 241, and the support 25 may be joined to the two vertical guides 241.
(3-2) The cooking utensil 200 may be a pot for pot cooking.
Additional aspects of the present invention are described below.
(Aspect 1) A heating cooker including:
(Aspect 2) The heating cooker described in Aspect 1, wherein a size of a gap between an inner surface of the first outer sidewall and an outer surface of the first inner sidewall and a size of a gap between an inner surface of the second outer sidewall and an outer surface of the second inner sidewall, are smaller than a size of a gap between an inner surface of the third outer sidewall and an outer surface of the third inner sidewall and a size of a gap between an inner surface of the fourth outer sidewall and an outer surface of the fourth inner sidewall.
(Aspect 3) The heating cooker according to Aspects 1 or 2, wherein the third inner sidewall and the fourth inner sidewall are provided with placement portions configured to have a cooking utensil disposed thereupon.
(Aspect 4) The heating cooker according to any one of Aspects 1 to 3, wherein the heating device is a gas burner.
(Aspect 5) The heating cooker according to any one of Aspects 1 to 4, further comprising a hot plate above the heating device.
(Aspect 6) The heating cooker according to any one of Aspects 1 to 5, wherein the second outer sidewall and the second inner sidewall have through-openings for allowing the gas burner to pass therethrough.
(Aspect 7) The heating cooker according to any one of Aspects 1 to 6, further comprising a gas unit for supplying gas to the gas burner.
(Aspect 8) The heating cooker according to Aspect 7, wherein the gas unit is removably attached to an outer surface of the second outer sidewall.
(Aspect 9) The heating cooker according to Aspect 8, further comprising a side cover attached to the outer surface of the second outer sidewall, the side cover covering at least part of the gas unit.
(Aspect 10) The heating cooker according to Aspect 9, wherein the gas unit includes a pilot burner for igniting the gas burner, and the pilot burner has a burner hole, the burner hole of the pilot burner being positioned inside the side cover.
(Aspect 11) The heating cooker according to Aspect 10, wherein during operation of the heating cooker, a pressure inside the side cover is approximately the same as a pressure in a gap between the inner surface of the second outer sidewall and the outer surface of the second inner sidewall.
(Aspect 12) The heating cooker according to any one of Aspects 9 to 11, wherein the side cover is provided with an inclined plate inclined diagonally downward.
(Aspect 13) The heating cooker according to any one of Aspects 7 to 9, wherein the gas unit includes a pilot burner for igniting the gas burner.
(Aspect 14) The heating cooker according to any one of Aspects 1 to 13, wherein a lower portion of the third inner sidewall and a lower portion of the fourth inner sidewall have inclined portions that are inclined inwardly, and the outer casing is further provided with inclined guides provided to the inner surface of the second outer sidewall for making contact with the inclined portions.
(Aspect 15) The heating cooker according to any one of Aspects 1 to 14, wherein the first outer sidewall has a protrusion protruding toward the second outer sidewall, the protrusion making contact with the outer surface of the first inner sidewall and pushing the inner casing toward the second outer sidewall.
(Aspect 16) The heating cooker according to any one of Aspects 1 to 15, wherein the size of the gap between the inner surface of the second outer sidewall and the outer surface of the second inner sidewall is smaller than the size of the gap between the inner surface of the first outer sidewall and the outer surface of the first inner sidewall.
(Aspect 17) The heating cooker according to any one of Aspects 1 to 16, wherein each of the first inner sidewall and the second inner sidewall has an inner intake opening for taking in air.
(Aspect 18) The heating cooker according to Aspect 17, wherein the inner casing is further provided with inner splash prevention portions extending diagonally upward and outward from lower edges of the inner intake openings.
(Aspect 19) The heating cooker according to Aspect 18, wherein each of the first inner sidewall and the second inner sidewall has a pocket below the inner splash prevention portion.
(Aspect 20) The heating cooker according to any one of Aspects 1 to 19, wherein each of the first outer sidewall and the second outer sidewall has an outer intake opening for taking in air.
(Aspect 21) The heating cooker according to Aspect 20, wherein each of the first outer sidewall and the second outer sidewall has an outer intake opening for taking in air, the outer intake openings being provided above the pockets.
(Aspect 22) The heating cooker according to Aspects 20 or 21, wherein the outer casing is further provided with outer splash prevention portions extending diagonally upward and outward from lower edges of the outer intake openings.
(Aspect 23) The heating cooker according to Aspect 12, wherein each of the first outer sidewall and the second outer sidewall has an outer intake opening for taking in air, and the outer casing is further provided with outer splash prevention portions extending diagonally upward and outward from lower edges of the outer intake openings, a tip of the inclined plate being positioned above the outer splash prevention portion provided to the second outer sidewall.
(Aspect 24) The heating cooker according to any one of Aspects 1 to 23, further comprising a connection tube that is directly or indirectly joined to the outer bottom wall, and a fall prevention net disposed inside the connection tube.
Embodiments of the present invention can include every combination of features that are disclosed herein independently from each other. Although the invention has been described in detail with particular reference to the disclosed embodiments, other embodiments can achieve the same results. Variations and modifications of the present invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications and equivalents. The entire disclosures of all references, applications, patents, and publications cited above are hereby incorporated by reference. Unless specifically stated as being “essential” above, none of the various components or the interrelationship thereof are essential to the operation of the invention. Rather, desirable results can be achieved by substituting various components and/or reconfiguration of their relationships with one another. The terms, “a”, “an”, “the”, and “said” mean “one or more” unless context explicitly dictates otherwise. The terms “about” or “approximately” as used herein, mean an acceptable error for an articular recited value, which depends in part on how the value is measured or determined. In certain embodiments, “about” can mean one or more standard deviations. When the antecedent term “about” is applied to a recited range or value it denotes an approximation within the deviation in the range or value known or expected in the art from the measurement method. For removal of doubt, it should be understood that any range stated in this written description that does not specifically recite the term “about” before the range or before any value within the stated range inherently includes such term to encompass the approximation within the deviation noted above. If the term “about” or “approximately” cannot be determined by the foregoing, it may also mean within twenty percent (20%) of the numerical amount cited.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-086662 | May 2023 | JP | national |
