GB2330053A

GB2330053A - Food support for use in a microwave oven

Info

Publication number: GB2330053A
Application number: GB9817496A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Yu-Jeub Ha
Original assignee: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
Current assignee: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
Priority date: 1997-10-06
Filing date: 1998-08-11
Publication date: 1999-04-07
Also published as: GB9817496D0; JPH11159771A; CN1213760A; CA2243805A1

Abstract

A food support (100, 200, 300, 400, 500) comprises a mesh or grid (120, 220, 320, 420, 520) supported with an access gap of 260-270‹ in a manner that makes placing food below it easy. A second mesh or grid (121, 221) may be provided.

Description

Food Support for use in a Microwave Oven Description The present invention relates to a a food support for use in a microwave oven.

A conventional microwave oven, as illustrated in Figure 1, includes a cooking chamber 10, A, an outer casing 20 encompassing the cooking chamber 10, a front panel 30 and a back panel (not shown). The microwave oven also has an electrical component chamber B separate from the cooking chamber 10. The electrical component chamber B contains various electronic and electrical parts including a magnetron for generating microwaves (not shown), a waveguide for guiding microwaves into the cooking chamber 10, A, and a high voltage transformer for supplying electric power to the magnetron. A control unit C is provided on the front of the electrical component chamber B. The control unit C is used by a user to establish cooking times, cooking conditions and the like according to operational control and foodstuff. A control panel 40 covers the control unit C and is attached to the front panel 30.

A turntable 50 is located in the cooking chamber 10, A. A wire rack 90, which can be placed in the turntable, is provided for grilling of foodstuff F such as fish and the like.

A grill element (not shown) is provided at the top of the cooking chamber 10, A and a door 60 is disposed at the front of the cooking chamber A.

Referring to Figure 2, the wire rack 90 includes a grill mesh 70 and a plurality of support units 80 for supporting the grill mesh 70.

The support units 80 comprise a plurality of support stands and right-angled pads 82.

In use, foodstuff F is placed on the grill mesh 70, disposed on the turntable 50, and the turntable 50 is rotated for cooking.

However, there is a problem the wire rack 90 in that the grill mesh 70 provides only limited accommodation for foodstuffs F and it is difficult to accommodate and cook a large quantity of foodstuff F at the same time, so that cooking of the foodstuff F often needs to be done in several batches.

According to the present invention, there is provided a food support for use in a microwave oven, comprising an upper level for supporting food during cooking, a lower level, and means coupling the upper and lower levels so as to provide easy access for a user placing a foodstuff below the upper level.

Preferably, the upper level includes a mesh or grid. More preferably, the lower level includes a mesh or grid.

Preferably, the means coupling the upper and lower levels comprises two bars betweem the upper and lower levels, the bars having an angular spacing in the range 260 to 280 relative to the centre of the support.

Preferably, the lower level comprises a wire loop having three kinks arranged to provide tripod support.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to Figures 3 to 8 of the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a prior art microwave oven and a prior art wire rack; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the wire rack of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a microwave oven and a first wire rack according to the present invention; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the wire rack in Figure 3; Figure 5 is a perspective view of a second wire rack according to the present invention; Figure 6 is a perspective view of a third wire rack according to the present invention; Figure 7 is a perspective view of a fourth wire rack according to the present invention; and Figure 8 is a perspective view of a fifth wire rack according to the present invention.

Throughout the drawings, like reference numerals and symbols are used for designation of like or equivalent parts or portions as in the prior art for simplicity of illustration and explanation.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4 a wire rack 100 includes first and second support units 110, 111 and a first and second grill meshes 120, 121 coupled one above the other by the support units 110, 111 so as to enable foodstuffs F, such as fish and the like, to be accommodated in two-tiers for combination cooking.

The first and second support units 110, 111 are bent in squared "C" shapes and cross centrally to form opening at one side providing for easy access for users placing foodstuffs F on the second grill mesh 121.

In other words, the first and second support units 110, 111 respectively comprise an upper horizontal bar 112, diagonally crossing under the first grill mesh 120, a vertical bar 113 extending between the edges of the first and second grill meshes 120, 121 and a lower horizontal bar 112, diagonally crossing under the second grill mesh 121. An opening of between 260 and 280 inclusive, providing access to the second grill mesh 121, is provided between the vertical bars 113 of the support unit 110, 111.

The first and second gill meshes 120, 121 are identical and comprise concentric wire circles 122, 123, 124 which are welded to the horizontal bars 112 of the support units 113.

A user first places the wire rack 100 on the turntable 50 in the cooking chamber A. Depending on the amount of food to be cooked, a user then places food on either the first grill mesh 110 or both the first and second grill meshes 110, 111. Once the food has been placed on the wire rack 100, the user manipulates the control unit C to start cooking.

During cooking, the turntable is rotated at a predetermined speed to allow the food to be cooked by microwaves incident from many directions.

Referring to Figure 5, a wire rack 200 includes a support unit 210 and the first and second meshes 220, 221, for supporting foodstuffs during cooking, respectively coupled to upper and lower parts of the support unit 210.

The support unit 211 comprises an upper U-shaped wire 211, a lower Ushaped wire 212 and a pair of vertical wires 213 coupling respective free ends of the upper wire 211 to respective free ends of the lower wire 212.

The first and second meshes 220, 221 comprise a pluralities of parallel bars welded respectively between the parallel sides of the upper wire 211 and the parallel sides of the lower wire 212.

Referring to Figure 6, a wire rack 300 comprises a support unit 310 and a mesh 320. The mesh 320 comprises three concentric wire circles 321, 322, 323 welded to the support unit 310.

At this time, the support unit 310 comprises a single wire comprising a first straight, horizontal portion 311, a first vertical portion 312 extending from an end of the first straight, horizontal portion 311, a horizontal, curved portion 313 having an angular length in the range 260 to 280 extending from the bottom of the first vertical portion 312, a second vertical portion 312 extending from the other end of the curved portion 313, and a second horizontal straight portion 311 extending from the top of the second vertical portion 312 and crossing the first horizontal, straight portion 311 at the middle of the mesh 320.

Referring to Figure 7, a wire rack 400 comprises a support unit 410 and a mesh 420. The support unit 410 comprises a substantially U-shaped upper portion 411, an open loop-shaped lower portion 413 and a pair of vertical portions 412 joining respective free ends of the upper portion 411 to respective free ends of the lower portion 413.

Referring to Figure 8, a fifth wire rack 500 comprises a support unit 510 and a mesh 520 welded to the support unit 510.

The support unit 510 is substantially the same as that of the fourth embodiment shown in Figure 7, having an upper portion 511, a lower portion 513 and a pair of vertical portions 512. However, the lower portion 513 has three substantially equi-spaced kinks 515 which serve as feet. Thus, the rack 500 benefits from the inherent stability of a tripod.

The bars 521 of the mesh 520 are each stepped downward in their central portions so as to support foodstuffs more stably and prevent it from falling of off the sides of the rack 500.

As apparent from the foregoing, there are advantages in the first, second, third, fourth and fifth embodiments of the present invention thus described in that the wire rack is disposed with a support having an opening at one side thereof and grills for accommodation of cookers or foodstuffs, such that the cookers and foodstuffs are easily accommodated on upper or lower sides of the support unit and multi-tiers combination cooking is possible to thereby provide a user a convenience of fast and volume cooking within a shorter period of time.

Claims

Claims 1. A food support for use in a microwave oven, comprising an upper level for supporting food during cooking, a lower level, and means coupling the upper and lower levels so as to provide easy access for a user placing a foodstuff below the upper level.
2. A support according to claim 1, wherein the upper level includes a mesh or grid.
3. A support according to claim 2, wherein the lower level includes a mesh or grid.
4. A support according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the means coupling the upper and lower levels comprises two bars betweem the upper and lower levels, the bars having an angular spacing in the range 260 to 280 relative to the centre of the support.
5. A support according to any preceding claim, wherein the lower level comprises a wire loop having three kinks arranged to provide tripod support.
6. A microwave oven adapted to use a wire rack disposed on a turntable in a cooking chamber for cooking foodstuff in a two-tier combination method and for easy grilling of fish and the like as well. a plurality of grills for accommodating cookers or foodstuff in multitiers; and a support unit for forming an opening to facilitate an easy insertion or take-out of a cooking or foodstuff and for allowing the plurality of grills to be supported in inter-connection at a predetermined interval between upper grills and lower grills.
7. The microwave oven as defined in claim 6, wherein the support unit is bent in C shape to form an opening at a front side thereof.
8. The microwave oven as defined in claim 6, wherein the plurality of grills are respectively and symmetrically at upper and lower sides of the support unit.
9. The microwave oven as defined in claim 6, wherein the support unit comprises: a horizontal unit disposed at an upper side thereof; a vertical unit vertically bent from one end of the horizontal unit to position the horizontal unit at a predetermined height; and a leg horizontally bent from a lower end of the vertical unit to accommodate cookers and the like at a lower side of the horizontal unit and on the upper surface of the turntable,
10. The microwave oven as defined in claim 9, wherein the horizontal unit is disposed such that the support unit is centrally crossed at both ends thereof around a central lower surface of the grills.
11. The microwave oven as defined in claim 9, wherein the horizontal unit is positioned at a periphery such that bar-shaped grills are crossly arranged, each being at predetermined interval and grills are welded at both ends thereof.
12. The microwave oven as defined in claim 9, wherein the leg is disposed at 3 points thereof with bent units for preventing the wire rack from being horizontally swayed or vertically slipped to thereby position the wire rack at an appropriate predetermined position.
13. The microwave oven as defined in claim 9, wherein the plurality of grills are disposed with bars staired downward at a predetermined distance to keep cookers or foodstuffs from falling outside.
14. A food support for use in a microwave oven, the support being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
15. A food support for use in a microwave oven, the support being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.
16. A food support for use in a microwave oven, the support being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings.
17. A food support for use in a microwave oven, the support being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 7 of the accompanying drawings.
18. A food support for use in a microwave oven, the support being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 8 of the accompanying drawings.