1. Field
The present invention relates to an oven door, and more particularly, to an oven door that is easily assembled/disassembled and that provides selective insulation or selective cooling.
2. Background
Two common kinds of modern ovens are gas ovens and electric ovens. An electric oven heats food using heat generated by various heaters operated by electricity. Electric ovens may also make use of an apparatus that generates high frequency electromagnetic waves. Examples of heaters include ceramic heaters, sheath heaters, and halogen heaters. The electric ovens simultaneously heat the inside and the periphery of food to speed the cooking of the food and increase heat efficiency. In addition, the electric ovens are safe. Therefore, the electric ovens are widely used.
The electric oven typically has a cubical shape, with a cavity in which food is cooked. A front opening of the oven cavity is covered by a movable oven door. Typically, the door is hinged so that it can rotate to open the cavity. A handle is usually formed at an upper portion of the oven door.
A portion of an oven door may be formed of a transparent material to allow a user to look into the cavity. The oven door must provide good insulation so that heat is contained inside the cavity. Also, the door must not allow any external parts that can be touched by a user get too hot.
In addition, the oven door is required to be easily assembled and disassembled for repairs. However, because the door requires a hinge mechanism, and because it must by transparent, most oven doors are difficult to assemble/disassemble, and their insulation characteristics may be less than desirable.
The embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the following drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like elements, and wherein:
In this embodiment, the front glass 120 has a tetragonal shape and it is forms the front-most portion of the oven door 100. Because the front glass 120 provides the main appearance of an oven, the front glass 120 is coated to improve its appearance and to help prevent damage such as scratches.
The door handle 122 is coupled to an upper portion of a front surface of the front glass 120. Users hold the door handle 122 to open and close the oven door 100. In this embodiment, the door handle 122 is a bar having a convex curvature. A screw hole 124 is formed in both ends of the door handle 122 for the assembly using screws. Through-holes 150, as illustrated in
The door frame 200 is formed on both sides of the front glass 120. The door frame 200 includes three portions and has a long cubic shape to make the side appearance of the oven door 100. The door frame 200 includes upper fixtures 220, a middle frame 240, and a lower fixture 260. The upper fixture 220 forms an upper portion of the door frame 200, the middle frame 240 forms a middle portion of the door frame 200, and the lower fixture 260 forms a lower portion of the door frame 200.
The rear glass 180 forms a rear surface of the oven door 100. The rear glass 180 is forms the rear-most portion of the oven door 100 which is in contact with an oven cavity (not shown) in which food is cooked. The rear glass 180 is exposed to relatively high heat. Therefore, the rear glass 180 may be coated or specially treated so as to resist heat. Furthermore, a space contacting the rear glass 180 is completely sealed regardless of a space contacting the front glass 120, and thus increases an insulation effect as much as possible.
Referring to
In addition, the division member 170 is formed between the door frames 200. The division member 170 includes a heat-resisting glass 160 and a middle glass 140. The heat-resisting glass 160 is spaced from the rear glass 180 to form a predetermined space therebetween. The middle glass 140 located between the heat-resisting glass 160 and the front glass 120 forms separated spaces between the heat-resisting glass 160 and the front glass 120.
The top shield member 400 is required to have excellent heat insulation performance and excellent strength. For example, the top shield member 400 may be a metal bar. An upper end of the heat-resisting glass 160 of the division member 170 is inserted into the top shield member 400 without an additional coupling member. The top shield member 400 further includes a groove (not shown) having a size corresponding to the thickness of the heat-resisting glass 160.
In addition, an impact absorption material 420 is formed at both ends of the top shield member 400.
The space-ensuring member 500 includes a tetragonal plate and a projection. The tetragonal plate and the projection are formed to be a single element. The projection downwardly protrudes from a middle portion of the tetragonal plate. The couple of space-ensuring members 500 have a shape similar to “” when viewed from the side. The space-ensuring members 500 are inserted between the middle glass 140 and the heat-resisting glass 160. The space-ensuring members 500 are at left and right portions of the glasses 140 and 160, respectively.
The upper fixtures 220 are fixed to the upper portion of the rear surface of the front glass 120 using a coupling member such as a sealant and a screw. As shown in
The spacer 222 is formed on the portion of the upper fixture 220 contacting the front glass 120. A stopper 224 and a guide projection 226 are formed behind the spacer 222, that is, toward the rear glass 180. As described above, the spacer 222 is inserted into the through-hole 150, as illustrated in
The stopper 224 restricts the assembly position of the space-ensuring member 500, as described below. The stopper 224 contacts a right surface of the space-ensuring member 500 to prevent the space-ensuring member 500 from being pushed out toward the right.
The guide projection 226 is formed on a side of the stopper 224. Referring to
The upper fixture 220 is attached by applying silicon to a top surface of the left bending portion of the upper fixture 220, that is, the surface from which the spacer 222 protrudes, and then by inserting the spacer 222 into the through-hole 150 in the front glass 120. The door handle 122 is attached to the front glass 120 by putting the door handle 122 on the spacer inserted into the through-hole 150, and then by assembling the door handle 122 using a coupling member such as a screw “s”.
The top shield member 400 is fitted to an upper end of the heat-resisting glass 160. Both ends of the top shield member 400 contact the guide projections 226 of the upper fixtures 220. An upper end of the top shield member 400 contacts a bottom surface of the space-ensuring member 500.
The lower fixtures 260 are fixed to lower sides ends of the front glass 120.
A fixing projection 261 and two guide projections 265 are formed on the bottom surface of the lower fixture 260. The fixing projection 261 protruding highest is coupled to the middle frame 240. The guide projections 265 protrude approximately one-tenth the length of the fixing projection 261.
The fixing projection 261 has a shape similar to “□” when viewed from above. A rear projection 262 vertically protrudes from the lower fixture 260, with a side projection 263 horizontally protruding from a middle portion of the rear projection 262. The rear projection 262 and the side projection 263 are formed as a single element. The fixing projection 261 is inserted into a rear insert groove 245 and a side insert groove 247, so that the middle frame 240 and the lower fixture 260 are coupled to each other. The rear and side insert grooves 245 and 247 are formed on the middle frame 240 which will be described below in detail.
The guide projections 265 upwardly protrude a small distance from the fixing projection 261. The two guide projections 265 have the same height and are spaced apart from each other by a distance that is slightly larger than the thickness of the division members 170, that is, the middle glass 140 and the heat-resisting glass 160. This allows the division members 170 to be inserted between the guide projections 265.
A plurality of guide holes 264 are formed in the lower fixture 260 by the guide projections 265. The guide holes 264 are divided by the guide projections 265. The middle glass 140 is inserted into the rear-most space. The heat-resisting glass 160 is inserted in a space formed in front of the middle glass 140. The rear glass 180 is inserted in a space formed in front of the heat-resisting glass 160.
. The middle frame 240 includes a coupling portion 244, a shield portion 242, and an opening portion 246. The coupling portion 244 is coupled to the rear projection 262 and forms a middle portion of the middle frame 240. The shield portion 242 is extended under the coupling portion 244 and contacts the rear glass 180 to shield a side of a space between the rear glass 180 and the heat-resisting glass 160. The opening portion 246 is extended over the coupling portion 244 and contacts the fixing projection 261.
A right portion of the coupling portion 244 has a shape similar to “U”, so that the whole sides are closed except for a top side. Therefore, the right portion of the coupling portion 244 forms the rear insert groove 245 fit to the fixing projection 261 of the lower fixture 260. In addition, a left portion of the coupling portion 244 has a shape similar to “C” and forms a main body of the middle frame 240.
The shield portion 242 is downwardly extended from a bottom surface of the left portion of the coupling portion 244 with a gentle slope, and then is bent to the right. The shield portion 242 has a shape similar to “L”. The shield portion 242 contacts the rear glass 180. The shield portion 242 and the coupling portion 244 shield the side of the space between the rear glass 180 and the heat-resisting glass 160 with the coupling portion 244.
The opening portion 246 having a shape similar to “L” is extended over the left portion of the coupling portion 244. In addition, the side insert groove 247 fit to the side projection 263 is formed between the opening portion 246 and the coupling portion 244.
Referring to
Referring to
The door provides effective insulation of the cooking cavity via the two spaces formed between the rear glass 180, the heat resisting glass 160 and the middle glass 140. Because the sides of the space between the middle glass 140 and the front glass 120 is open, as illustrated in
Hereinafter, functions of the various parts will be described while assembling the oven door 100 with reference to
During assembly of the oven door, the door handle 122 is first attached. Silicon is applied to the top surface of the upper fixture 220, that is, the surface from which the spacer 222 protrudes, so as to attach the door handle 122. After that, the spacer 222 is inserted to the through-hole 150 in the front glass 120 to fix the upper fixture 220 to the front glass 120. The spacer 222 has a height corresponding to the thickness of the front glass 120. The spacer 222 has a diameter slightly smaller than that of the through-hole 150.
After the upper fixture 220 is attached to the rear surface of the front glass 120, the door handle 122 is placed on the front surface of the front glass 120 with the screw hole 124 being aligned with the through-hole 150. The screw “s” goes through the spacer 222 in the front glass 120 rotating in clock wise direction, so that the screw “s” is coupled to the screw hole 124 to couple the door handle 122 to the front glass 120.
The spacer 222 and the upper fixture 220 form a single element to disperse the torque by the screw “s” along the whole upper fixture 220. The upper fixture 220 is coupled to the door handle 122 by the screw “s” with the front glass 120 being between the upper fixture 220 and the door handle 122.
After that, the lower fixtures 260 are fixed to the lower ends of the front glass 120. The lower fixtures 260 are attached to the front glass 120 a certain vertical distance from the upper fixture 220, the distance being the length of the middle frame 240. In addition, the lower fixture 260 is strongly fixed to the lower portion of the front glass 120 with silicon being applied to a rear surface of the lower fixture 260. In addition, a screw can be used for stronger attachment.
The middle frame 240 is mounted between the upper and lower fixtures 220 and 260. The middle frame 240 is coupled with the fixing projection 261 formed on the lower fixture 260, the fixing projection 261 being inserted into the rear insert groove 245 of the middle frame without a screw or sealant.
After the upper and lower fixtures 220 and 260 and the middle frame 240 are fixed to the front glass 120, a lower portion of the middle glass 140 is inserted into the guide hole 264 formed in the lower fixture 260. An upper portion of the middle glass 140 is pushed down until the middle glass 140 is parallel with the front glass 120. In addition, the space-ensuring member 500 is inserted between the upper fixture 220 and the shield member 400.
The side-sealing member 280 is inserted between the middle glass 140 and the middle frame 240. The side-sealing member 280 firmly fixes the middle glass 140 and the middle frame 240 as well as seals between the middle glass 140 and the middle frame 240.
The heat-resisting glass 160 is then inserted in the same way as the middle glass 140. The space-ensuring member 500 is located between the middle glass 140 and the heat-resisting glass 160 to form a space between the two panes of glass. The middle glass 140 and the heat-resisting glass 160 are firmly fixed by the space-ensuring member 500. Therefore, the space-ensuring member 500 prevents the middle glass 140 and the heat-resisting glass 160 from being damaged by impact.
After the heat-resisting glass 160 is inserted, the top shield member 400 is fit to the heat-resisting glass 160. The top shield member 400 shields and insulates an upper side of the space between the heat-resisting glass 160 and the rear glass 180. In addition, the impact absorption material 420 formed at the both ends of the top shield member 400 is formed of an elastic material and contacts the guide projection 226 of the upper fixtures 220. When the top shield member 400 is formed of a metal, the impact absorption material 420 prevents the edge of the top shield member 400 from scratching the heat-resisting and middle glasses 160 and 140.
After the top shield member 400 is fit, the rear glass 180 is placed behind the heat-resisting glass 160. In addition, the top cover 300 is located over the rear glass 180 to fix the rear glass 180. The guide portions 340 formed on both ends of the top cover 300 contact the upper portion of the space-ensuring members 500 to fix the space-ensuring members 500. Simultaneously, the guide portion 340 pushes down and fixes the top shield member 400. In addition, the guide portion 340 fixes the middle and heat-resisting glasses 140 and 160 since the space-ensuring members 500 and the top shield member 400 are coupled to the middle and heat-resisting glasses 140 and 160. In addition, the coupling portions 320 formed on the ends of the top cover 300 are coupled to the upper fixtures 220 by a screw to finish the assembly of the oven door 100.
The door frame is formed of the various parts. Therefore, if one of the middle frames 240 is damaged, only the damaged part is replaced. Similarly, one can individually replace one of the upper and lower fixtures 220 and 260.
When the oven is being used, air introduced from the bottom of the oven door 100 behind the front glass will be heated by heat conduction. The air will rise and go out through only the sides of the space between the front glass 120 and the middle glass 140. That is, the space between the rear glass 180 and the heat-resisting glass 160 is closed, and the space between the heat resisting glass 160 and the middle glass 140 is closed. In contrast, the space between the front glass 120 and the middle glass 140 is open. Therefore, the air introduced from the bottom of the oven door 100 goes out through only the side of the space contacting the front glass 120.
Referring to
In addition, the middle frame 240 is very close to the rear glass 180 or actually contacts the rear glass 180 and relatively distant from the front glass 120. Therefore, air introduced from outside goes out through the space between the front glass 120 and the middle frame 240 to cool the front glass 120.
As described above, the oven door includes the division members and the rear glass. The division members and the rear glass are easily coupled by the door frame, the space-ensuring member, and the top cover without additional brackets. The shield frame for insulating is formed of a metal so that thermal deformation of the shield frame is reduced.
The spacer that is attached to the front glass may be used without an additional impact absorption washer when the door handle is coupled to the front glass. The spacer and the upper fixture form a single element to disperse the torque applied by the screw. Therefore, the front glass is not damaged, and the work effect for the assembly and the repair is improved. In addition, the problem of missing washers does not happen.
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 of the invention. 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 a number of embodiments have been described, 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, variations and modifications are possible in the component parts and/or the subject combinations that would still fall 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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