KR20230047045A - Cooking appliance - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is an invention for a cooking appliance. In the disclosed invention, a door button for an open/close operation of a door is provided on a control panel, wherein the disclosed invention is characterized in enabling the door button to be accommodated in a recessed space inside the control panel, and enabling a cover member that opens/closes the space in which the door button is accommodated, in front of the door button, to be provided. Therefore, the present invention is capable of effectively preventing an unintentional opening of a cooking chamber while the cooking appliance is in operation.

Description

Cooking equipment {COOKING APPLIANCE}

The present invention relates to a cooking appliance, and more particularly, to a cooking appliance having a door that opens and closes a cooking chamber.

A cooking appliance is one of home appliances for cooking food and is installed in a kitchen space to cook food according to a user's intention. These cooking appliances can be classified in various ways according to the type of heat source or type used, and the type of fuel.

When cooking appliances are classified according to the type of cooking food, they can be classified into open type and closed type cooking appliances according to the type of space in which food is placed. Closed cooking appliances include ovens and microwave ovens, and open cooking appliances include cooktops and hobs.

An enclosed cooking appliance is a cooking appliance that shields a space where food is located and cooks food by heating the shielded space. In the closed cooking appliance, a chamber, that is, a cooking chamber, which is a space in which food is placed and is shielded when cooking food, is provided inside the main body. Such a cooking chamber becomes a space in which food is actually cooked. A heat source is provided inside or outside the cooking chamber to heat the cooking chamber.

Among closed cooking appliances, a microwave oven is a cooking device that heats the cooking object by generating microwaves using electricity, infiltrating the cooking object accommodated in the cooking chamber, and causing molecular motion therein.

A microwave oven is a kitchen utensil that simultaneously heats the inside and outside of food by irradiating the food with high frequency waves from a magnetron. Its high thermal efficiency greatly shortens the cooking time of the food and prevents loss of nutritional value during cooking, defrosting, and warming the food. It can be reduced and is widely used due to its advantages such as being able to cook directly while storing food in a container.

Such a microwave oven usually includes a door for opening and closing a cooking chamber formed inside the main body. As a door provided in a microwave oven, a left-right openable door, a top-down openable door, a sliding door, etc. may be applied depending on the opening and closing form, and the most commonly used type of door is a left-right openable door.

In addition, a latch may be provided between the body and the door to selectively fix the door that opens and closes the cooking compartment. The latch functions as a hanger to maintain the closed state of the door, while detecting the closed state of the door and preventing cooking from proceeding while the door is open.

Normally, the door is not secured so that it cannot be fully opened by the latch. That is, when a predetermined force or more is applied to the door in a state in which the door closes the cooking compartment, the latch fixing state of the door is released without any other manipulation, and accordingly, the door rotates or slides to open the cooking compartment.

Since the door can be easily opened when the user pulls the door due to the opening and closing structure of the door as described above, the cooking compartment is often unintentionally opened during operation of the microwave oven due to a user's mistake or a child's mischief. may occur.

When the cooking chamber is unintentionally opened while the microwave oven is operating, there is a risk of injury to a user such as burns due to heat inside the cooking chamber in which food is being cooked.

In addition, if children frequently open and close the door even when not cooking, the latch is quickly worn out, and the worn latch may cause an unstable opening and closing operation of the door.

An object of the present invention is to provide a cooking appliance having an improved structure so that a door can be reliably fixed to prevent unintentional opening of a cooking chamber.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a cooking appliance having an improved structure so that a door can be easily and conveniently fixed and released.

In a cooking appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above object, a door button for opening and closing a door is provided on a control panel, the door button is accommodated in a recessed space inside the control panel, and a door is placed in front of the door button. It is characterized in that a cover member for opening and closing the space where the button is accommodated is provided.

The door button is accommodated inside the control panel and is disposed in an open front space, and the cover member may be rotatably installed in the front thereof.

The cover member may be installed such that a lower end rotates vertically around the upper end. When the cover member is lifted, the door button can be exposed to the outside so that the user can operate the door button.

When the user releases the cover member, the cover member automatically rotates downward by its own weight, that is, returns to its original position and closes the front of the door button again.

In another aspect of the present invention, a door button for opening and closing the door is provided on the control panel, the door button is accommodated in a recessed space inside the control panel, and a cover member opens and closes the space in which the door button is accommodated in front of the door button. Is provided, and the cover member is provided to be rotated in the vertical direction, and at the same time, it is characterized in that it is provided to be inserted into and withdrawn from the control panel.

A cooking appliance according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a main body having a cooking chamber formed therein and having an open front; a door disposed in front of the main body and rotatably coupled to the main body to open and close the cooking chamber; a latch mechanism installed on the door so as to be selectively coupled to the main body and coupled to the main body to fix the door to a closed position; a door button provided to be capable of being pressed, and moving to a pressed position when pressed to separate the latch mechanism from the main body; and a cover member opening and closing a passage for accessing the door button.

In addition, the present invention may further include a control panel disposed on the front side of the main body and on the side of the door.

Further, the door button may be accommodated in a button accommodating space formed inside the main body or the control panel, one side of the button accommodating space may be opened, and the cover member may open and close one side of the button accommodating space.

In addition, it is preferable that the front side of the button accommodating space is opened toward the front, and the cover member opens and closes the front side of the button accommodating space.

In addition, it is preferable that the cover member is rotatably installed on the main body or the control panel.

In addition, it is preferable that the cover member is provided so that the lower end of the cover member can rotate vertically around the upper end of the cover member.

In addition, the door button moves in a first direction to the pressed position,

The cover member is preferably coupled to the main body or the control panel so as to be slidably movable in the first direction.

Preferably, an insertion groove is formed in the main body or the control panel to be recessed in the first direction, and the cover member moves in the first direction along the insertion groove and is inserted into the main body or the control panel.

Also, the insertion groove and an upper end of the cover member may be disposed on an upper side of the door button.

Also, the cover member may be inserted into the main body or the control panel from an upper side of the door button.

In addition, it is also preferable that the cover member is provided so that the posture of the cover member can be changed to one of a closed posture that blocks the open side of the button accommodating space and an open posture that opens one side of the button accommodating space.

In addition, it is preferable that a posture holding unit for maintaining the posture of the cover member in the open posture is provided on the main body or the control panel.

In addition, the posture holding unit preferably includes an insertion groove formed concavely in the main body or the control panel.

In addition, it is preferable that the cover member is inserted into the insertion groove and the movement of the cover member is regulated.

In addition, a button accommodating space is formed inside the control panel to be recessed from the front side of the control panel to the rear, the door button is accommodated in the button accommodating space, and the cover member is installed in the control panel to form the button accommodating space. The open front of the can be opened and closed.

The cover member is provided so that the lower end of the cover member can rotate vertically around the upper end of the cover member, rotates upward to open the front surface of the button accommodating space, and rotates downward to accommodate the buttons. It is desirable to close the front of the space.

In addition, the cover member is preferably installed on the control panel to be capable of vertical rotation and forward/backward sliding movement.

In the cooking appliance of the present invention, since the cover member must be opened first before the door can be opened, it is possible to effectively prevent unintentional opening of the cooking chamber during operation of the cooking appliance.

In addition, the present invention can provide a two-step locking function that requires two or more operations to open the door, and when the two-step locking function is unnecessary, the corresponding function can be easily and conveniently released, An effect of improving both stability and convenience may be provided.

In addition, the present invention enables the cover member to automatically return to the original position of closing the door button without a separate operation, thereby improving the safety of the cooking appliance and improving the convenience of operation accordingly. effect can be provided.

In addition, the present invention can suppress frequent unnecessary opening and closing, thereby effectively suppressing unstable opening and closing operations of the door due to an abnormally rapidly worn latch mechanism.

1 is a perspective view illustrating a cooking appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a door open state of the cooking appliance shown in FIG. 1 .
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the control panel shown in FIG. 1 in a separated manner;
4 is a cross-sectional side view showing a state in which door buttons and a cover member are installed inside the control panel shown in FIG. 3;
5 is a perspective view illustrating an open state of a cover member of a cooking appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is an enlarged view illustrating an open state of the cover member shown in FIG. 5 .
7 is a cross-sectional side view showing a state in which door buttons and a cover member are installed inside the control panel shown in FIG. 6;
8 is a view showing a process of operating a door button and a cover member according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a cross-sectional side view showing a state in which a door button and a cover member are installed inside a cooking appliance according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional side view showing a functional release state of the cover member shown in FIG. 9 .

The above objects, features and advantages will be described later in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, and accordingly, those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs will be able to easily implement the technical spirit of the present invention. In describing the present invention, if it is determined that the detailed description of the known technology related to the present invention may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted. Hereinafter, preferred embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to indicate the same or similar components.

Although first, second, etc. are used to describe various components, these components are not limited by these terms, of course. These terms are only used to distinguish one component from another component, and unless otherwise stated, the first component may be the second component, of course.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, and various changes may be applied and may be implemented in various different forms. Only this embodiment is provided to complete the disclosure of the present invention and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but all changes and equivalents included in the technical spirit and scope of the present invention as well as substitution or addition of the configuration of one embodiment and the configuration of another embodiment each other to substitutes.

The accompanying drawings are only for easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, and the technical idea disclosed in this specification is not limited by the accompanying drawings, and all changes and equivalents included in the spirit and technical scope of the present invention are included. It should be understood to include water or substitutes. In the drawings, components may be exaggeratedly large or small in size or thickness in consideration of convenience of understanding, etc., but due to this, the scope of protection of the present invention should not be construed as being limited.

Terms used in this specification are only used to describe specific implementations or examples, and are not intended to limit the present invention. And expressions in the singular include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In the specification, terms such as "comprise" and "consist of" are intended to designate that features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification exist. That is, in the specification, terms such as ~ include, ~ consist of, etc. It should be understood that it does not preclude the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

Terms including ordinal numbers, such as first and second, may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by the terms. These terms are only used for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

It is understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "connected" to another element, it may be directly connected or connected to the other element, but other elements may exist in the middle. It should be. On the other hand, when an element is referred to as “directly connected” or “directly connected” to another element, it should be understood that no other element exists in the middle.

When an element is referred to as being “on top” or “under” another element, it should be understood that other elements may exist in the middle as well as those directly above the other element. .

Unless defined otherwise, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning in the context of the related art, and unless explicitly defined in the present application, they should not be interpreted in an ideal or excessively formal meaning. don't

In a state where the cooking appliance is placed on the floor, the direction in which the door is installed based on the center of the cooking appliance is defined as forward. Accordingly, the direction of opening the door and entering the inside of the cooking appliance is backward. For convenience, the forward and backward directions may be referred to as a first direction. Then, the front may be referred to as one side of the first direction, and the rear may be referred to as the other side of the first direction.

In addition, the direction of gravity can be defined as downward, and the direction opposite to the direction of gravity as upward.

In addition, a horizontal direction orthogonal to the front and rear directions of the cooking appliance, that is, a width direction of the cooking appliance when viewing the cooking appliance from the front of the cooking appliance door may be referred to as a left-right direction. For convenience, the left and right directions may be referred to as the second direction. Then, the right side can be said to be one side of the second direction, and the left side can be said to be the other side of the second direction.

Also, the width direction of the cooking appliance may be referred to as a lateral direction. Then, the right side can be said to be one side of the lateral direction, and the left side can be said to be the other side of the lateral direction.

In addition, the above-described vertical direction may be referred to as a third direction. Then, the upper direction may be referred to as one side of the third direction, and the lower direction may be referred to as the other side of the third direction.

In addition, the aforementioned vertical direction may be referred to as a vertical direction. Then, it may be referred to as the horizontal direction including the front-back direction and the left-right direction, that is, the first direction and the second direction.

Throughout the specification, when "A and/or B" is used, this means A, B or A and B unless otherwise specified, and when used as "C to D", this means unless otherwise specified As long as there is no, it means C or more and D or less.

[Overall structure of cooking equipment]

1 is a perspective view showing a cooking appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a door open state of the cooking appliance shown in FIG. 1 .

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 , the outer appearance of the cooking appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention is formed by the main body 10 . The main body 10 may be provided in a shape including a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and may be formed of a material having a predetermined strength in order to protect a plurality of parts installed in its internal space. The main body 10 may include a cavity 11 and a cabinet 13 .

The cavity 11 may form an internal skeleton of the main body 10 . The cavity 11 may be formed in the shape of a hexahedron with a front surface open. A cooking chamber 14 may be formed inside the cavity 11 . The cooking chamber 14 may be formed in a shape corresponding to the inner shape of the cavity 11, that is, in the shape of a hexahedron with an open front surface.

The cooking chamber 14 may be formed in the form of a hexahedron with an open front surface. In a state where the cooking chamber 14 is shielded, cooking may be performed while heating the inner space of the cooking chamber 14 . That is, in the cooking appliance, the inner space of the cooking chamber 14 is substantially a space in which food is cooked.

The cabinet 13 may form the exterior of the main body 10 outside the cavity 11 . The cabinet 13 may cover the cavity 11 from the top and sides and form the exterior of the main body 10 .

In this embodiment, it is illustrated that the front plate 12 is disposed in front of the cavity 11 .

The front plate 12 may form the front appearance of the body 10 in front of the cavity 11 . As an example, the front plate 12 may be provided in the form of a hollow metal plate.

A door 20 for selectively opening and closing the cooking chamber 14 may be provided in a rotatable manner in front of the main body 10 . The door 20 can open and close the cooking chamber 14 in a side-swing method in which the other side in the lateral direction rotates left and right around one side in the lateral direction.

The door 20 may be formed in a hexahedral shape having a predetermined thickness as a whole. A hinge may be installed between the body 10 and the door. The hinge may be disposed on one side of the body 10 in the lateral direction to rotatably couple one side of the door 20 in the lateral direction to the body 10 . The door 20 may be rotatably coupled to a hinge on the front side of the main body 10, and may open and close the cooking chamber 14 while rotating around the hinge.

In addition, a cooking chamber heat source for heating the inside of the cooking chamber 14 is provided inside the main body 10 . The cooking chamber heat source may be implemented as one type or may be implemented as two or more types.

In this embodiment, the cooking compartment heat source is exemplified as including a magnetron capable of supplying a high-frequency heat source to the inside of the cooking compartment 14 . At this time, the magnetron is installed inside the main body 10, and may be installed to be located on the top or side of the cooking chamber 14.

Also, inside the main body 10, an electrical cabinet located above or on the side of the cooking chamber 14 in the main body 10 may be formed. In this embodiment, the magnetron and the electrical chamber are illustrated as being disposed on the side of the cooking chamber 14 . Electrical components such as a magnetron and a high-voltage transformer may be installed inside the electrical room.

In addition, a control panel 15 may be provided on the front surface of the main body 10 . The control panel 15 may be disposed on the front side of the cavity 11 and may be disposed in an area that does not overlap with the cooking chamber 14 in the front-back direction. For example, an electrical compartment may be disposed on the side of the cooking chamber 14, and a control panel may be disposed on the front side of the electrical compartment.

Inside the electrical room, electrical components such as a magnetron and a high-voltage transformer are installed.

The control panel 15 may be formed in the shape of a hexahedron having a predetermined inner space, and an input unit 16 through which a user inputs a manipulation signal for operating the cooking appliance is provided on the front of the control panel 15.

A plurality of operation switches are provided in the input unit 16, through which a user can directly input an operation signal.

In addition, the control panel 15 may further include a display unit 17 that provides operation information of the door and the cooking appliance including the door or food cooking information, and the user can view various information about the cooking appliance through the display unit 17. information can be verified.

In addition, a door button 30 may be provided on the control panel 15 . In this embodiment, the door button 30 is illustrated as being disposed below the display unit 17 and the input unit 16 . The door button 30 may serve as a switch used to open the door 20 .

In this embodiment, it is exemplified that the door button 30 is provided in the form of a push button. In this case, when the door button 30 is pressed, the structure holding the latch mechanism, which will be described later, releases the latch mechanism so that the door 20 can be opened.

As another example, the door button 30 may be provided as an electronic button, or the door 20 may be provided in a structure capable of opening the door 20 without the door button 30. There may be various variants of the structure involved in the opening.

[Structure of the door]

The door 20 may include a door panel 21 forming a skeleton of the door 20 . The door panel 21 may be formed in a hexahedral shape corresponding to the front shape of the main body 10 . An open window 22 provided to visually identify the inside of the cooking chamber 14 may be formed inside the door panel 21 to pass therethrough. In this embodiment, the door panel 21 is illustrated as being formed of a metal material having a predetermined strength.

In addition, a door frame 25 may be installed outside the door panel 21 . The door frame 25 forms the front, top, bottom, and side exteriors of the door 20 and may be formed in a hexahedral shape with an open rear surface. The door panel 21 may be accommodated inside the door frame 25 .

In addition, a hinge that rotatably couples the door panel 21 to the main body 10 may be installed on one side of the door frame 25 in a lateral direction. These hinges may be respectively installed at the upper and lower ends of one side of the door frame 25 in the lateral direction.

In addition, a handle 27 may be further provided on the door 20 . The handle 27 may be provided so that the user can open and close the door 20 while holding the handle 27 by hand. The handle 27 may be provided in a form protruding forward from the door frame 25 or may be provided in a form in which a part of the door frame 25 is recessed.

Meanwhile, the cooking appliance may further include a latch mechanism 40 . The latch mechanism 40 may be provided to fix the door 20 to a closed position.

In this embodiment, the latch mechanism 40 is illustrated as being installed on the door 20 . In this way, the latch mechanism 40 installed on the door 20 penetrates the latch slot formed through the front surface of the main body 10 when the door 20 shields the cooking chamber 14, thereby opening the main body 10. can be inserted into the

The latch mechanism 40 inserted into the body 10 as described above is engaged with and coupled to a locking lever installed inside the body 10 to selectively fix the door 20 to the body 10 .

Rotation of the door 20 relative to the main body 10 is restricted by the operation of the latch mechanism 40, so that the cooking chamber 14 is substantially shielded by the door 20.

In addition, it is possible to detect whether the door 20 is closed through an operation of detecting engagement between the latch mechanism 40 and the locking lever, and through this, the cooking appliance prevents cooking from proceeding while the door 20 is open. You can also control the action.

[Structure of the door button and its surroundings]

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the control panel shown in FIG. 1 in isolation, and FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view showing a state in which a door button and a cover member are installed inside the control panel shown in FIG. 3 . 5 is a perspective view showing an open state of a cover member of a cooking appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6 is an enlarged view showing an open state of the cover member shown in FIG. 5, and FIG. 7 is an enlarged view. 6 is a side cross-sectional view showing a state in which the door button and the cover member are installed inside the control panel.

In FIG. 3, a state in which the cover member is separated from the control panel is exemplified.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4 , the door button 30 is installed on the control panel 15 and may be provided so as to be pressed. When such a door button 30 is pressed, it moves to a pressed position so that the latch mechanism 40 can be separated from the main body 10, more specifically, the locking structure provided in the main body 10.

The door button 30 may be disposed inside the control panel 15 . For example, the door button 30 may be disposed in a recessed position from the front side of the control panel 15 to the rear side.

As an example, a button accommodating space may be formed inside the control panel 15 . The button accommodating space may be formed by the door button insertion hole 15a. The door button insertion hole 15a is disposed on the lower side of the control panel 15 and may be formed to pass through the control panel 15 in the forward and backward directions.

The door button 30 may be inserted into the door button insertion hole 15a and installed on the control panel 15 to be movable in the forward and backward directions. The door button 30 may include a pressing surface 31 and an edge protrusion 33 .

The pressing surface 31 corresponds to the front surface of the door button 30 provided to be able to be pressed. The pressing surface 31 may form a plane substantially parallel to the front surface of the control panel 15 . The rim protrusion 33 may be formed in a shape extending backward from the lateral rim of the pressing surface 31 .

The control panel 15 may include a front surface forming a front appearance of the control panel 15 and a side surface extending rearward from the front edge of the control panel 15 . The front surface of the control panel 15 may form a surface substantially parallel to the door 20 . An input unit 16 and a display unit 17 may be disposed on the front of the control panel 15 .

The door button insertion hole 15a may pass through the front surface of the control panel 15 in the forward and backward directions. An inner surface 18 of the control panel 15 may be formed around the door button insertion hole 15a. The inner side surface 18 of the control panel 15 forms a wall extending from the front side of the control panel 15 to the rear side of the control panel 15 in a form surrounding the door button insertion hole 15a from the outside. can do.

The edge protrusion 33 of the door button 30 forms a surface parallel to the inner surface 18 of the control panel 15 and may extend backward from the pressing surface 31 . The edge protrusion 33 of the door button 30 may be slidably coupled to the inner surface 18 of the control panel 15 in the forward and backward directions. Accordingly, the door button 30 may be installed in the control panel 15 so as to be capable of being pressed.

In addition, the control panel 15 may further include a rear support surface 19 . The rear support surface 19 is disposed inside the door button insertion hole 15a, and a surface disposed rearward from the front surface of the control panel 15 may be formed inside the door button insertion hole 15a.

For example, the door button insertion hole 15a forms a button accommodating space inside the control panel 15, the inner surface 18 forms a lateral boundary of the button accommodating space, and the rear support surface 19 accommodates buttons. It can form the back boundary of the space.

The door button 30 may be coupled to the rear support surface 19 and supported by the control panel 15 . As an example, the door button 30 may be coupled to the rear support surface 19 through the fitting protrusion 35 .

The fitting protrusion 35 may protrude backward from the pressing surface 31 . A plurality of fitting protrusions 35 may be provided on the door button 30 . For example, a pair of fitting protrusions 35 are disposed spaced apart in the lateral direction on the upper side of the door button 30, and a pair of fitting protrusions 35 are spaced apart in the lateral direction also on the lower side of the door button 30. can be placed.

Each of the fitting protrusions 35 penetrates the rear support surface 19 and may be movably coupled to the rear support surface 19 in the forward and backward directions. Due to the coupling between the fitting protrusion 35 and the rear support surface 19, the door button 30 can be installed on the control panel 15 to be movable in the forward and backward directions.

A hook protrusion 37a may be provided at the rear end of each fitting protrusion 35, respectively. The hook protrusion 37a may be formed to protrude from the rear end of the fitting protrusion 35 in a vertical or lateral direction. For example, the hook protrusion 37a provided on the fitting protrusion 35 disposed on the upper side of the door button 30 may be formed to protrude upward. In addition, the hook protrusion 37a provided on the fitting protrusion 35 disposed on the lower side of the door button 30 may be formed to protrude downward.

Each of the hook protrusions 37a may be caught on the rear surface of the rear support surface 19 and restrict the forward movement of the fitting protrusion 35 . That is, the door button 30 may be movably installed in the control panel 15 in the forward and backward direction by coupling between the fitting protrusion 35 and the rear support surface 19, and the hook protrusion 37a is the rear support surface ( 19), it is possible to prevent the door button 30 from being separated from the control panel 15.

Meanwhile, the cooking appliance of this embodiment may further include a power transmission member 50 . The power transmission member 50 may be provided to be movable to an engaging position and a disengaging position. The power transmission member 50 may allow the latch mechanism 40 and the main body 10 to be coupled at the engaged position. In addition, the power transmission member 50 can release the coupling between the latch mechanism 40 and the main body 10 at the coupling release position.

The power transmission member 50 may be disposed behind the rear support surface 19 . In other words, the rear support surface 19 may be disposed between the rear support surface 19 and the power transmission member 50, more specifically, between the rear support surface 19 and the transmission panel 55 to be described later. .

In this embodiment, the power transmission member 50 is illustrated as including a transmission shaft 51 and a transmission panel 55.

The transmission shaft 51 may be rotatably provided around a lateral axis. The transmission shaft 51 is connected to the latch mechanism 40 to change the position of the latch mechanism 40 .

For example, the latch mechanism 40 engaged with the engaging structure may be moved to a position separated from the engaging structure by a transmission shaft 51 rotated in one direction. In addition, the latch mechanism 40 may be moved to a position where the latch mechanism 40 is engaged and coupled with the engaging structure by the transmission shaft 51 rotating in the other direction.

That is, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, when the power transmission member 50 moves from the engaged position to the disengaged position, the transmission shaft 51 is rotated in one direction and the latch mechanism 40 and the main body 10 can break the bond. In addition, when the power transmission member 50 moves from the disengagement position to the engagement position, the transmission shaft 51 is rotated in the other direction, and the latch mechanism 40 and the main body 10 may be coupled.

When the door button 30 is pressed, it may move to a pressed position and move the power transmission member 50 to a disengaged position. To this end, a pushing protrusion 37 may be provided on the door button 30 , and a transmission panel 55 may be provided on the power transmission member 50 .

The pushing protrusion 37 may be formed to protrude backward from the pressing surface 31 . The pushing protrusion 37 may be connected to the transmission panel 55 through the rear support surface 19 disposed between the pressing surface 31 and the transmission panel 55 .

As an example, the length of the pushing protrusion 37 in the front-back direction may be set to a length corresponding to the distance between the pressing surface 31 and the transmission panel 55. When the door button 30 is moved to the pressed position, the pushing protrusion 37 pushes the transmission panel 55 backward to move the power transmission member 50 to the coupled position.

The control panel 15 may further include a support boss 19a. The support boss 19a protrudes forward and backward from the rear support surface 19, and a hollow may be formed inside the support boss 19a.

The pushing protrusion 37 may pass through the support boss 19a through a hollow inside the support boss 19a and be movably coupled to the support boss 19a. That is, the pushing protrusion 37 is movably coupled to the support boss 19a and may pass through the rear support surface 19 .

The support boss 19a can guide the forward and backward movement of the pushing protrusion 37 while stably supporting the pushing protrusion 37 . A plurality of pushing protrusions 37 may be provided on the door button 30 , and a plurality of support bosses 19a corresponding thereto may also be provided on the control panel 15 .

As a result, the door button 30 can be stably installed on the control panel 15, and the movement of the door button 30 and the pushing protrusion 37 provided thereon can be stably guided.

In particular, when the pushing protrusion 37 pushes the transmission panel 55, the pushing protrusion 37 may be shaken in the lateral or vertical direction due to the load applied to the pushing protrusion 37, and the support boss 19a It may play a role of stably supporting the pushing protrusion 37 so that shaking of the pushing protrusion 37 is suppressed.

The transmission panel 55 is connected to the transmission shaft 51 and may be disposed on the rear side of the pushing protrusion 37 . The transmission panel 55 may be provided rotatably in the forward and backward directions around one side connected to the transmission shaft 51 .

The front of the transmission panel 55 facing the pushing protrusion 37 may be provided in a flat shape. In addition, the transmission panel 55 may include a support structure protruding rearward from the front surface of the transmission panel 55 . The transmission shaft 51 is disposed on the rear side of the front surface of the transmission panel 55 and may be connected to a support structure protruding to the rear of the transmission panel 55 .

The front surface of the transmission panel 55 formed in a flat shape provides a contact surface allowing the pushing projection 37 to slide on the transmission panel 55 when the pushing projection 37 pushes the transmission panel 55 backward. can In addition, the strength of the power transmission member 50 can be further improved by the support structure protruding to the rear of the transmission panel 55 .

In addition, as the transmission shaft 51 is connected to the supporting structure protruding to the rear of the transmission panel 55, the contact point between the transmission panel 55 and the pushing protrusion 37 is positioned more forward than the transmission shaft 51. You can do it.

Accordingly, the length of the pushing protrusion 37 can be shortened, thereby reducing the risk of vibration or breakage of the pushing protrusion 37, and structural stability of the door button 30 including the pushing protrusion 37. This could be improved a bit more.

Meanwhile, an elastic member 39 for elastically supporting the door button 30 may be provided between the pressing surface 31 of the door button 30 and the rear support surface 19 of the control panel 15 .

The elastic member 39 may provide elastic force to return the door button 30, which has moved to the pressed position, to its original position. The elastic member 39 may be provided in the form of a coil spring having a rear end supported on the rear support surface 19 and a front end supporting the pressing surface 31 .

As an example, the elastic member 39 may surround the outer circumferential surface of the pushing protrusion 37 and be fitted to the outside of the pushing protrusion 37 . The pushing protrusion 37 can stably support the elastic member 39 in a state of being fitted inside the elastic member 39 .

[Structure of door button and cover member]

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 5 , the cooking appliance may further include a locking mechanism 100 . The locking mechanism 100 is provided to open and close a passage for accessing the door button 30 .

For example, the locking mechanism 100 is disposed on the front side of the door button 30 and can open and close a passage for approaching the door button 30 from the front side of the door button 30 .

The locking mechanism 100 may include a cover member 110 as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 . The cover member 110 is disposed on the front side of the door button insertion hole 15a and the door button 30, and can open and close the open front surface of the button accommodating space.

The cover member 110 may be provided in the form of a plate capable of covering the front surface of the door button 30 and the open front surface of the button accommodating space. As an example, the locking mechanism 100 may be formed in the form of a rectangular plate similar to the front surface of the door button 30 or the front surface of the button accommodating space.

Preferably, the cover member 110 may be formed in a size and shape capable of completely covering the door button 30 from the front side.

The locking mechanism 100 may be rotatably installed on the control panel 15 . As an example, the locking mechanism 100 can open and close the open front surface of the button accommodating space in such a way that the lower end of the cover member 110 rotates vertically around the upper end of the cover member 110 .

To this end, a rotating protrusion 120 may be provided in the locking mechanism 100 . The rotating protrusions 120 protrude from both sides of the cover member 110 in the lateral direction, respectively, and may be disposed adjacent to the upper end of the cover member 110 .

Correspondingly, a rotation groove 18a may be provided on the inner surface 18 of the control panel 15 . The rotation grooves 18a may be respectively disposed on a pair of side surfaces facing each other among the inner surfaces 18 of the control panel 15 . Each of the rotational grooves 18a is concavely formed on the inner surface 18 in a lateral direction, and may be formed concavely in a shape including a curved shape corresponding to the shape of the rotational protrusion 120 .

The rotating protrusions 120 protruding from both sides of the cover member 110 may be inserted into the rotating grooves 18a, respectively. As such, since the rotation protrusion 120 is inserted into the rotation groove 18a, the cover member 110 can be rotatably coupled to the control panel 15.

The cover member 110 is provided to be changed to one of a closed posture and an open posture. Here, the closed posture is defined as a posture in which the cover member 110 blocks the front surface of the button accommodating space, and the open posture is defined as a posture in which the cover member 110 opens the front surface of the button accommodating space.

As an example, when the posture of the cover member 110 is in the closed posture, the cover member 110 rotates downward to maintain a state in which the front surface of the cover member 110 is parallel to the front surface of the control panel 15. there is.

Also, when the posture of the cover member 110 is in the open posture, the cover member 110 rotates upward to maintain a protruding state of the front of the control panel 15 . At this time, the cover member 110 opens the front of the button accommodating space and may be located on the upper side of the door button 30 .

As described above, only when the cover member 110 opens the front surface of the button accommodating space, the passage for approaching the door button 30 is opened, and only in this state, the door button 30 can be operated and the door 20 can be operated. opening can be made.

When the user releases the cover member 110 after the operation of the door button 30 for opening the door 20 is completed, the cover member 110 automatically rotates downward by its own weight to cover the front of the button accommodating space again. can be closed

As another example, an elastic member providing elastic force for changing the posture of the cover member 110 from an open posture to a closed position may be further provided in the cooking appliance.

Such an elastic member may contribute to allowing the cover member 110 to return to the closed position more naturally and smoothly by providing elastic force for rotating the cover member 110 downward.

In addition, a hooking end 18b may be provided in the control panel 15 . The hooking end 18b may be disposed at the front end of the inner surface 18 to form the front surface of the inner surface 18 .

The hanging end 18b may be disposed in an area overlapping with the cover member 110 in the front-back direction. Regarding the front-back direction, the hooking end 18b may be disposed between the door button 30 and the cover member 110.

Although the locking end 18b may be disposed on the same plane as the front surface of the door button 30, it is not disposed on the rear side of the front surface of the door button 30, but rather on the rear side of the cover member 110. It can be.

When the cover member 110 is in a position to close the front of the button accommodating space, the hooking end 18b interferes with the cover member 110 at the rear side of the cover member 110 and moves the cover member 110 backward. can prevent

For example, when the cover member 110 is in a position to close the front of the button accommodation space, the cover member 110 can maintain contact with the hooking end 18b in the front-back direction, and at this time, the cover member 110 The front surface of the control panel 15 may form the same plane.

Meanwhile, referring to FIGS. 6 and 7 , a gripper may be further provided in the locking mechanism 100 of this embodiment. The gripper is provided so that the user can easily rotate the cover member 110 while holding the cover member 110 with his/her hand.

As an example, the gripping unit is provided on the cover member 110 and may include a gripping protrusion 130 protruding forward from the cover member 110 . A gripping groove 132 may be formed inside the protruding gripping protrusion 130 . The gripping groove 132 may be concavely formed from the lower end of the gripping protrusion 130 toward the inside of the gripping protrusion 130 .

In this embodiment, the gripping portion is illustrated as being provided in the locking mechanism 100, but the present invention is not limited thereto. As another example, the gripper may be provided on the control panel 15, or may be provided on both the control panel 15 and the locking mechanism 100.

[Operation and effect of the locking mechanism]

8 is a view showing a process of operating a door button and a cover member according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the operation and effect of the cooking appliance according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8 .

1 and 4, when the door 20 closes the cooking compartment 14, the door 20 is fixed to the main body 10 by a latch mechanism 40 (see FIG. 2). can At the same time, the passage for approaching the door button 30 is closed by the locking mechanism 100 (see FIG. 8(a)).

In other words, the door 20 with the cooking chamber 14 closed is fixed to the body 10 by the latch mechanism 40, and the operation of the door button 30 to open the door 20 is carried out by the door button. 30 can be prevented by the locking mechanism 100 blocking the front side.

In a state in which the locking mechanism 100 closes the front surface of the button accommodating space, the door button 30 is not exposed to the outside and the user cannot access the door button 30 . In the above state, since the door button 30 cannot be operated, the door 20 cannot be opened.

That is, in the cooking appliance of this embodiment, opening of the door 20 can be prevented doubly by the latch mechanism 40 and the locking mechanism 100 .

In this way, in a state in which the opening of the door 20 is blocked in twofold by the latch mechanism 40 and the locking mechanism 100, the locking mechanism 100 first releases the state in which the operation of the door button 30 is blocked must be done first.

That is, in order for the door 20 to open the cooking chamber 14, as shown in FIGS. ) must be opened.

In order for the user to access the door button 30, first, the cover member 110 must be lifted to open the front of the button accommodating space (see (b) of FIG. 8). In this way, the door button 30 can be operated and the door 20 can be opened only in a state in which the cover member 110 opens the front surface of the button accommodating space (see (c) of FIG. 8).

When the user releases the cover member 110 after the operation of the door button 30 for opening the door 20 is completed, the cover member 110 automatically rotates downward by its own weight to open the front surface of the button accommodating space. is closed again (see (d) of FIG. 8).

Accordingly, the door button 30 is not exposed to the outside, the user cannot access the door button 30, and the cooking appliance returns to a state in which the door button 30 cannot be manipulated.

That is, if the cover member 110 is released after the operation of the door button 30 is completed, locking of the door button 30 can be automatically resumed without additional manipulation.

Accordingly, the cooking appliance of the present embodiment not only allows the door 20 to be easily and conveniently restrained to prevent unintentional opening of the cooking chamber 14 (see FIG. 2), but also allows the door button 30 to be operated without a separate operation. ) can provide the effect of enabling the locking of the lock to be made automatically and safely.

As described above, in the cooking appliance of the present embodiment, the door button 30 must first be released from the restraint state so that the door 20 can be opened so that the cooking chamber 14 is not opened unintentionally during operation of the cooking appliance. can be effectively prevented from happening.

In addition, in the cooking appliance of this embodiment, the cover member 110 can automatically return to its original position to close the passage for approaching the door button 30 without a separate operation, thereby improving the safety of the cooking appliance. However, it is possible to provide an effect of improving the convenience of operation according to this.

In addition, the present invention can suppress unnecessary opening and closing frequently, thereby effectively suppressing unstable opening and closing operations of the door due to an abnormally rapidly worn latch mechanism.

[Other examples of cooking equipment]

9 is a side cross-sectional view showing a state in which a door button and a cover member are installed inside a cooking appliance according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 10 is a side cross-sectional view showing a function release state of the cover member shown in FIG. 9 .

Referring to FIG. 9 , the locking mechanism 100 may provide a two-step locking function that requires two or more operations to open the door 20 as described above. According to this embodiment, this two-step locking function may be set or released as needed.

To this end, the cooking appliance of the present embodiment may further include a position maintaining unit. The posture maintaining unit is provided to maintain the posture of the locking mechanism 100, more specifically, the cover member 110 in an open posture. Such a posture holding unit may be provided on the main body 10 or the control panel 15 . In this embodiment, it is exemplified that the posture holding unit is provided on the control panel 15 .

As an example, the position holding unit may include an insertion groove 140 . The insertion groove 140 may be formed to be recessed in the control panel 15 in the first direction, that is, backward.

According to this embodiment, the upper end of the cover member 110 may be disposed on the upper side of the door button 30 . In addition, the insertion groove 140 may also be disposed on the upper side of the door button 30 .

Preferably, the insertion groove 140 may be concavely formed in the control panel 15 in a shape corresponding to the shape of the cover member 110 in an open position. For example, the insertion groove 140 may be formed in a slot shape having a shorter vertical length than the longitudinal and lateral lengths.

In addition, the rotation groove 145 into which the rotation protrusion 120 is inserted may be arranged to be connected to the insertion groove 140 . Considering that the rotating protrusion 120 protrudes more in the lateral direction than the cover member 110, the rotating groove 145 may be disposed at a position more outwardly biased in the lateral direction than the insertion groove ().

For example, the rotation groove 145 disposed on the left side may be disposed at a position more inclined to the left than the insertion groove ( ), and the rotation groove 145 disposed on the right side may be disposed at a position more inclined to the right than the insertion groove ( ). there is.

The rotation groove 145 disposed in this way may extend in the front and rear directions in a similar form to the insertion groove 140 . That is, the rotating groove 145 may form a passage inside the control panel 15 for moving the rotating protrusion 145 in the forward and backward directions when the cover member 110 moves in the forward and backward directions.

According to this embodiment, the locking mechanism 100 can be provided to be rotated in the vertical direction and can be inserted into and withdrawn from the control panel 15 at the same time.

The insertion groove 140 may be formed through or recessed in the front and rear directions of the control panel 15 . The insertion groove 140 may form a passage necessary for the forward and backward movement of the locking mechanism 100 inside the control panel 15 .

The cover member 110 is inserted into the insertion groove 140 and can be coupled to the control panel 15 to be slidable in the forward and backward directions. The cover member 110 may be inserted into the insertion groove 140 by moving backward in an open posture, that is, in an upwardly rotated posture spread in a horizontal direction.

In this way, the cover member 110 inserted into the insertion groove 140 can slide in the forward and backward directions along the passage formed inside the control panel 15 by the insertion groove 140 .

In this way, in a state in which the cover member 110 is inserted into the insertion groove 140 and moved into the control panel 15, only forward and backward movement of the cover member 110 is allowed, and the cover member 110 is moved in the vertical direction. Movement can be regulated.

In this way, when the vertical movement of the cover member 110 is restricted in a state in which the cover member 110 is spread in the horizontal direction, the posture of the cover member 110 may be maintained in the open posture.

At this time, since the cover member 110 is inserted into the insertion groove 140 and fixed inside the control panel 15, the posture of the cover member 110 can be stably maintained in the open posture. In this form, the two-step locking function of the locking mechanism 100 can be released.

In addition, the cover member 110 fixed in the open position as described above can be inserted into the control panel 15 without protruding almost from the front surface of the control panel 15 .

Accordingly, the operation of the door button 30 can be performed more easily in a state in which the two-step locking function of the locking mechanism 100 is released, and the risk of damage to the locking mechanism 100 and the risk of injury to the user thereby can be reduced

The locking mechanism 100 not only provides a double door fixing function that automatically and safely fixes the door 20, but also maintains the unlocked state when this double door fixing function is unnecessary Also provided together, it is possible to provide the effect of enabling the function of selecting whether or not to use the double door fixing function according to the user's needs to be employed in the cooking appliance.

The present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings, but this is only exemplary, and those skilled in the art can make various modifications and equivalent other embodiments. will understand Therefore, the true technical protection scope of the present invention should be determined by the claims below.

10: body
11: Cavity
13: cabinet
14: cooking room
15: Control panel
15a: door button insertion hole
16: input unit
17: display part
18: inner side
18a, 145: rotation groove
18b: hanging stage
19: rear support surface
19a: support boss
20: door
21: door panel
22: open window
25: door frame
30: door button
31: pressing surface
33: border projection
35: fitting protrusion
35a: hook protrusion
37: pushing protrusion
39: elastic member
40: latch mechanism
50: power transmission member
51: transmission shaft
55: transmission panel
100: locking mechanism
110: cover member
120: rotation protrusion
130: grip protrusion
132: phage home
140: insertion groove

Claims (13)

A main body having a cooking chamber formed therein and having an open front;
a door disposed in front of the main body and rotatably coupled to the main body to open and close the cooking chamber;
a latch mechanism installed on the door so as to be selectively coupled to the main body, and coupled to the main body to fix the door to a closed position;
a door button provided to be capable of being pressed, and moving to a pressed position when pressed to separate the latch mechanism from the main body; and
A cooking appliance comprising a cover member that opens and closes a passage for accessing the door button.
According to claim 1,
Further comprising a control panel disposed on the front side of the main body and the side of the door,
The door button is accommodated in a button accommodating space formed inside the main body or the control panel,
One side of the button accommodating space is opened,
The cover member opens and closes one side of the button accommodating space.
According to claim 2,
The front side of the button accommodating space is open toward the front,
The cover member opens and closes the front side of the button accommodating space.
According to claim 2,
The cover member is rotatably installed on the main body or the control panel.
According to claim 4,
The cooking appliance in which the cover member is provided so that a lower end of the cover member can rotate in a vertical direction around an upper end of the cover member.
According to claim 5,
The door button moves in a first direction to the pressed position;
The cover member is coupled to the main body or the control panel to be slidably movable in the first direction.
According to claim 6,
In the main body or the control panel, an insertion groove is formed to be depressed in the first direction,
The cover member moves in the first direction along the insertion groove and is inserted into the main body or the control panel.
According to claim 7,
The insertion groove and the upper end of the cover member are disposed on the upper side of the door button,
The cover member is inserted into the main body or the control panel from the upper side of the door button.
According to claim 2,
The cover member is provided so that the posture of the cover member can be changed to one of a closed posture that blocks the open side of the button accommodating space and an open posture that opens one side of the button accommodating space,
A cooking appliance comprising a posture holding unit provided on the main body or the control panel to maintain the posture of the cover member in the open posture.
According to claim 9,
The posture holding part includes an insertion groove formed concavely in the main body or the control panel,
A cooking appliance in which the cover member is inserted into the insertion groove and movement of the cover member is regulated.
According to claim 1,
Further comprising a control panel disposed on the front side of the main body and the side of the door,
Inside the control panel, a button accommodating space is formed to be recessed from the front of the control panel to the rear,
The door button is accommodated in the button accommodating space,
The cover member is installed on the control panel to open and close the open front surface of the button accommodating space.
According to claim 11,
The cover member is provided so that the lower end of the cover member can rotate vertically around the upper end of the cover member, rotates upward to open the front surface of the button accommodating space, and rotates downward to accommodate the buttons. A cooking appliance that closes the front of the space.
According to claim 11,
The cover member is installed on the control panel to be able to rotate vertically and slide forward and backward.

Images