KR20230047046A - Cooking appliance - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is an invention for a cooking appliance. The disclosed invention comprises: a door button installed on a control panel enabling to be moved in a forward/backward direction, and for an open/close operation of a door; and a locking equipment installed on the door button or the control panel to selectively restrict a movement of the door button, wherein the locking equipment is characterized in comprising a locker that is equipped to be movable to a fixing position that stops the door button from moving to a pressed position and a release position that allows the door button to move to the pressed position. Therefore, the present invention is capable of effectively preventing a cooking chamber from opening.

Description

Cooking equipment {COOKING APPLIANCE}

The present invention relates to a cooking appliance, and more particularly, to a cooking appliance having a door for opening and closing 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 compartment.

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.

A cooking appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above object includes a door button installed on a control panel to be movable in the front and rear directions for opening and closing a door, and a door button installed on a control panel to selectively restrict the movement of the door button. A locking mechanism is included, and the locking mechanism is fitted to the door button to restrict movement of the door button.

Another aspect of the present invention includes a door button installed on a control panel to be movable in the front and rear directions for door opening and closing operations, and a locking mechanism installed on the door button to selectively restrict the movement of the door button, the locking mechanism It is characterized in that at least a part of the protrudes toward the control panel so as to interfere with the control panel and restrains the movement of the door button.

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 locking mechanism selectively preventing movement of the door button.

Further, the locking mechanism may include a locker provided to be movable to a fixed position preventing the door button from moving to the pressed position and a release position allowing the door button to move to the pressed position.

In addition, it is preferable that the locker includes a fitting part fitted to the door button at the fixing position.

In addition, the door button and the locker may be disposed in a lateral direction, a fitting hole may be formed at a side of the door button facing the locker, and the fitting part may be inserted into the fitting hole and fitted to the door button.

The locking mechanism may further include a holder that accommodates at least a portion of the rocker and supports the rocker.

The holder may also include a support boss slidably supporting the rocker.

In addition, the fitting portion is preferably slidably coupled to the support boss.

In addition, the present invention may further include an elastic member providing an elastic force for moving the rocker toward the fixing position.

In addition, the elastic member is preferably accommodated inside the rocker and the support boss coupled to each other.

In addition, the elastic member preferably includes a coil spring whose one side in the lateral direction supports the rocker and the other side in the lateral direction supported by the support part.

In addition, the rocker may further include a handle part that protrudes from the fitting part to the outside of the holder and moves together with the fitting part.

In addition, the holder is preferably provided with a movement passage allowing movement of the fitting part to be formed inside the holder, and a first passage forming a passage allowing movement of the handle part to be formed in the holder.

In addition, the first path is preferably formed to pass through the holder to connect between the outside of the holder and the moving passage.

Preferably, the handle part is connected to the fitting part inside the movement passage and protrudes outward from the holder through the first path.

In addition, the holder includes a second path forming a passage in the holder for limiting the movement of the handle unit within a set range, and a connection passage forming a passage connecting the first path and the second path in the holder. It is desirable to provide more.

In addition, the first path and the second path are preferably formed to pass through the holder in the front-back direction or up-and-down direction and extend in the lateral direction.

Preferably, the first path is disposed on one of the front surface and the upper surface of the holder, and the second path is disposed on the other one of the front surface and the upper surface of the holder.

Also, the second path preferably extends to a shorter length than the first path.

Preferably, the first passage is formed to penetrate the upper surface of the holder in the vertical direction and extends laterally, and the second passage is formed to penetrate the front surface of the holder in the front and rear directions and extends in the lateral direction.

In addition, the door button is disposed on one lateral side of the first path and the second path, and a first interference surface is formed at a boundary between one lateral end of the first path and the holder. It is preferable that a second interference surface is formed at an interface between one side end in the lateral direction and the holder.

Also, it is preferable that the first interference surface is disposed closer to the door button than the second interference surface.

In addition, the present invention further includes a control panel disposed on the front side of the main body and on the side of the door, and it is preferable that a button receiving space with an open front is formed inside the main body or the control panel.

Preferably, the door button is accommodated in the button accommodating space and moves rearward to the pressed position, and the rocker moves laterally to the fixed position or the release position.

In addition, it is preferable that the rocker is installed to be movable in a lateral direction to the door button.

Also, in the release position, the rocker may be disposed at a position capable of moving into the button accommodating space.

In addition, in the fixed position, the rocker may be disposed at a position where at least a portion of the rocker is outwardly deviated from the button accommodating space in a lateral direction.

The locking mechanism may further include a sliding guide that slidably couples the locker to the door button.

In addition, it is preferable that a guide groove is provided on the front surface of the door button facing the rocker.

Preferably, the sliding guide protrudes rearward from the rocker and is movably inserted into the guide groove in a lateral direction.

In addition, the guide groove may include a first path for forming a passage allowing movement of the sliding guide in the door button; a second path forming a passage in the door button to limit movement of the sliding guide within a set range; and a connecting passage forming a passage connecting the first passage and the second passage to the door button.

In addition, the rocker is provided to protrude further to one side in the lateral direction than the sliding guide, and it is preferable to move to the fixed position by moving to one side in the lateral direction from the release position.

In addition, the first path and the second path are concavely formed rearward on the front surface of the door button and extend laterally, and one end of the first path is closer to one side of the door button than one end of the second path. It is preferably arranged closer to the end.

In addition, the locking mechanism, the holder disposed in front of the main body; and a locker installed on the holder so as to be movable to a fixed position coupled with the door and a release position in which the coupling with the door is released.

In addition, in the holder, a first path forming a passage for moving the rocker located at the release position to the fixed position, and a passage for restricting the movement of the rocker so that the position of the rocker is maintained at the release position are formed. A second path may be provided, and the first path and the second path may be connected so that the rocker may move between the first path and the second path.

In addition, it is preferable that a moving passage forming a passage for lateral movement of the fitting part is formed inside the holder, and the fitting part is rotatably fitted into the holder about a lateral axis.

In addition, with respect to the radial direction of the fitting part, the first path and the second path are arranged outside the moving passage, and when the fitting part is in a fixed position, the handle part passes through the first path and moves the holder. It is desirable that it protrudes outward.

In addition, it is preferable that the first path and the second path are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined interval in the rotational direction of the fitting part.

In addition, the holder may further include a support boss protruding from the inside of the holder in a lateral direction, and the rocker may be movably coupled to the support boss in a lateral direction.

In addition, the elastic member preferably includes a coil spring whose one side in a lateral direction supports the rocker and the other side in a lateral direction supported by the support boss and elastically deformed in a lateral direction.

In addition, a hollow opening to one side in a lateral direction may be formed in the support boss, and a hollow opening to the other side in a lateral direction may be formed in the rocker.

Preferably, at least a portion of the support boss is inserted into the rocker, the rocker is movably coupled to the support boss in a lateral direction, and the elastic member is inserted into the support boss and the inside of the rocker.

In the cooking appliance of the present invention, since the opening/closing member must first be opened 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 allows the opening and closing 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 showing a cooking appliance having a locking mechanism according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a door open state of the cooking appliance shown in FIG. 1 .
Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the locking mechanism shown in Figure 1 is separated.
Fig. 4 is a plan view of the locking mechanism shown in Fig. 3;
5 is an exploded perspective view showing an exploded state of the locking mechanism shown in FIG. 3;
Figure 6 is a front sectional view showing the internal structure of the locking mechanism shown in Figure 3;
7 is a front view schematically showing a coupled state between the locking mechanism and the door button shown in FIG. 3;
8 is a front view schematically showing a state in which the rocker of the locking mechanism shown in FIG. 7 is moved to a release position.
9 is a front view schematically showing a function release state of the locking mechanism shown in FIG. 8;
10 is a perspective view showing a cooking appliance having a locking mechanism according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of the door button and locking mechanism shown in FIG. 10;
12 is a front sectional view showing the internal structure of the locking mechanism shown in FIG. 11;
FIG. 13 is a front cross-sectional view schematically showing a state in which the rocker of the locking mechanism shown in FIG. 12 has moved to a release position.
14 is a plan view schematically showing the internal structure of the locking mechanism shown in FIG. 12;
FIG. 15 is a plan view schematically showing a state in which the rocker of the locking mechanism shown in FIG. 14 has moved to a release position.
16 is a plan cross-sectional view schematically showing a state in which the door button shown in FIG. 15 is pressed.
FIG. 17 is a plan cross-sectional view schematically showing a state in which the door button and locking mechanism shown in FIG. 16 are returned to their original positions.
18 is a front cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of a locking mechanism provided in a cooking appliance according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 19 is a front cross-sectional view schematically showing a state in which the rocker of the locking mechanism shown in FIG. 18 has moved to a release position.
20 is a front sectional view schematically showing a function release state of the locking mechanism shown in FIG. 19;

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]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a cooking appliance having a locking mechanism according to a first 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.

The door button 30 is installed on the control panel 15 and may be provided to enable a pressing operation. 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 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 in a recessed shape from the front of the control panel 15 to the rear. The front of the button accommodating space may be opened forward.

The door button 30 may be inserted into the button accommodating space and installed on the control panel 15 to be movable in the forward and backward directions. The front surface of the door button 30 may be disposed at a rear side of the front surface of the control panel 15 or may be disposed at a position capable of forming the same plane as the front surface of the control panel 15 .

[Door structure]

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.

[First Embodiment of Locking Mechanism]

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the locking mechanism shown in Figure 1 is separated, Figure 4 is a plan view of the locking mechanism shown in Figure 3, Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view showing an exploded state of the locking mechanism shown in Figure 3 am. 6 is a front cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the locking mechanism shown in FIG. 3, and FIG. 7 is a front view schematically showing a coupled state between the locking mechanism and the door button shown in FIG.

1 to 7, the locking mechanism 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention may include a holder 110 and a rocker 120.

The holder 110 may be installed on the front of the control panel 15 . Inside the holder 110, a space for accommodating the rocker 120 may be formed. The holder 110 supports the rocker 120 so as to be movable in a lateral direction and can accommodate at least a portion of the rocker 120 therein.

The holder 110 may be provided in a form including a first holder 111 and a second holder 115 . That is, the holder 110 may be provided in a form in which the first holder 111 and the second holder 115 are detachably coupled in the forward and backward directions.

The first holder 111 may form a lateral part of the holder 110 . The first holder 111 may accommodate a part of the rocker 120 and be combined with the control panel 15 .

A movement passage forming a passage for lateral movement of the rocker 120 may be formed inside the holder 110 . A part of the moving passage may be formed inside the first holder 111 .

For example, a part of the movement passage may be formed inside the first holder 111, and the remaining part of the movement passage may be formed inside the second holder 115, and the movement passage inside the first holder 111 and The moving passage inside the second holder 115 may be connected in a lateral direction.

A support boss 112 may be provided inside the first holder 111 . The support boss 112 is formed to protrude laterally inside the first holder 111 and can support the rocker 120 in a sliding manner.

As an example, the support boss 112 may be formed in a hollow cylindrical shape. The inside of the support boss 112 may be opened to one side in a lateral direction, that is, in a direction facing the door button 30 .

A portion of the rocker 120, that is, a fitting portion 121 to be described below may be inserted into the support boss 112 formed as described above. Accordingly, the rocker 120 may be fitted and coupled to the support boss 112 to be movable in the lateral direction.

The second holder 115 may be disposed on one lateral side of the first holder 111 . The second holder 115 is coupled to the first holder 111 at one side of the first holder 111 in the lateral direction, and may form the remaining part of the holder 110 in the lateral direction.

With the first holder 111 and the second holder 115 separated, the rocker 120 can be inserted into the holder 110, and the first holder 111 and the second holder 115 are coupled. In this state, the position of the rocker 120 may be regulated by the holder 110 so that the rocker 120 does not separate from the holder 110 .

In this embodiment, the holder 110 is illustrated as being formed in a substantially hexahedral shape. Among them, the first holder 111 may be formed in a hexahedron shape with a space formed therein and one lateral side open. Further, the second holder 115 may be formed in a hexahedron shape with a space formed therein and the other side in the lateral direction open.

A through hole 116 may be formed on one side of the second holder 115 . A portion of the rocker 120 inserted into the holder 110 may protrude out of the holder 110 through the through hole 116 .

The coupling between the first holder 111 and the second holder 115 may be made in a detachable form. As an example, the first holder 111 may include a fastening hook 113, and the second holder 115 may have a fastening groove 117. The fastening hook 113 and the fastening groove 117 may be provided on both sides of the holder 110 in the front and rear directions, respectively. When the fastening hook 113 is inserted into the fastening groove 117 and caught on the second holder 115, a detachable coupling between the first holder 111 and the second holder 115 can be achieved.

In addition, a fastening ring 114 may be provided in the holder 110 . In this embodiment, the fastening ring 114 is provided on the first holder 111, and is illustrated as being formed to protrude from the first holder 111 in the lateral direction.

In the fastening ring 114, fastening holes may be formed to pass through in the front and rear directions. The fastening ring 114 may be disposed in contact with the control panel 15 in the front and rear directions inside the control panel 15, and in this state, a fastening member such as a screw penetrates the fastening ring 114 and holds the holder ( 110) may be coupled to the control panel 115.

Meanwhile, the rocker 120 may be installed in the holder 110 so as to be movable to a fixed position and a release position. In this embodiment, it is defined that the position of the rocker 120 engaged with the door button 30 is a fixed position, and the position of the rocker 120 at which engagement with the door button 30 is released is a release position.

As an example, the fixing position and the release position may be arranged in a lateral direction, and the fixing position may be located on one side of the release position in the lateral direction. According to this, the rocker 120 can be coupled to the door button 30 by moving to one side in the lateral direction, and can be separated from the door button 30 by moving to the other side in the lateral direction from the fixed position.

A first path (a) and a second path (b) may be provided in the holder 110 . The first path (a) and the second path (b) may form a passage for movement of the handle unit 123 to be described later on the holder 110 .

The first path (a) may form a passage allowing movement of the handle unit 123 when the rocker 120 located in the releasing position moves to the fixed position. In addition, the second path (b) may form a passage allowing the movement of the handle part 123 only as much as it prevents the rocker 120 located in the releasing position from moving to the fixed position.

In this embodiment, the first path (a) is disposed on the upper surface of the holder 110, the second path (b) is illustrated as being disposed on the front surface of the holder (110).

As another example, the first path (a) may be disposed on the front surface of the holder 110, and the second path (b) may be disposed on the upper surface of the holder 110. As long as the two paths (b) are disposed on different sides or in different directions on the holder 110, the positions of the first path (a) and the second path (b) are not limited to specific positions.

Hereinafter, a case in which the first path (a) is disposed on the upper surface of the holder 110 and the second path (b) is disposed on the front surface of the holder 110 will be described as an example.

Each of the first path (a) and the second path (b) may be formed in a shape in which a portion of the holder 110 is recessed in a lateral direction. In other words, the first path (a) and the second path (b) can be said to be formed to penetrate the holder 110 in the vertical or front-back direction and extend laterally.

The first path (a) is formed to pass through the upper surface of the holder 110 in the vertical direction and may be formed to extend laterally. And, the second path (b) may be formed to pass through the front surface of the holder 110 in the forward and backward directions.

The second path (b) extends laterally like the first path (a), but may extend by a shorter length than the first path (a). According to this embodiment, the one lateral end of the first path (a) may be disposed at a position more biased toward one side in the lateral direction than the one lateral end of the second path (b). Accordingly, the first interference surface 110a may be disposed at a position more inclined toward one side in the lateral direction than the second interference surface 110b.

A first interference surface 110a may be formed at a boundary between one end of the first path (a) in the lateral direction and the holder 110 . Further, a second interference surface 110b may be formed at a boundary surface between one lateral end of the second path (b) and the holder 110 .

The first interference surface 110a and the second interference surface 110b are portions where interference occurs between the handle portion 123 and the holder 110, which will be described later. When interference occurs between the handle part 123 and the holder 110 on the first interference surface 110a or the second interference surface 110b, the movement of the rocker 120 toward one side in the first direction moves to the holder 110. may be limited by

The first path (a) and the second path (b) may be connected to each other so that the rocker 120 can move between the first path (a) and the second path (b). In this embodiment, it is illustrated that the first path (a) and the second path (b) disposed in the vertical direction are connected in the vertical direction.

As an example, a connection passage (c) may be provided between the first path (a) and the second path (b). The connection passage (c) is formed to pass through the holder 110 to connect the first passage (a) and the second passage (b). The connecting passage (c) may be disposed at a position biased toward the other side in the first route (a) and the second route (b).

The lateral length of the connection passage (c) may be set shorter than that of the first route (a) and the second route (b). That is, one lateral end of the connection passage (c) is disposed at a position biased to the other side in the lateral direction compared to the lateral end of the first path (a) and the second path (b).

In addition, a locking protrusion (d) may be formed between the first path (a) and the second path (b). The locking protrusion (d) is disposed on one side of the connecting passage (c) in the lateral direction to block between the first path (a) and the second path (b). These protrusions (d) may be formed as a result of the connection passage (c) being formed at a position biased to the other side in the lateral direction compared to the first passage (a) and the second passage (b).

The rocker 120 may move in a lateral direction to a fixed position or a release position. The rocker 120 may be coupled to the door button 30 in a lateral direction in a fixed position. Specifically, the rocker 120 may pass through a side surface of the door button 30 at a fixed position and be fitted and coupled to the door button 30 .

A fitting hole may be formed on one side of the door button 30 facing the locking member 100 . The rocker 120 may be fitted and coupled to the door button 30 through a fitting hole.

According to this embodiment, the rocker 120 may include a fitting part 121 and a handle part 123.

The fitting part 121 is slidably installed in the holder 110 in the lateral direction, and can be fitted to the door button 30 at a fixed position. The fitting part 121 is installed in the holder 110 so that at least a portion of the fitting part 121 can be accommodated inside the holder 110 .

In this embodiment, the fitting portion 121 is illustrated as being disposed on the moving passage inside the holder 110 . The moving passage is formed inside the holder 110 to move the fitting part 121, and the fitting part 121 can move laterally through the moving passage formed inside the holder 110.

One lateral side of the fitting portion 121 may pass through the second holder 115 through the through hole 116 and be fitted into the second holder 115 . And the other lateral side of the fitting part 121 may be slidably coupled to the support boss 112 in the lateral direction.

In this embodiment, the fitting part 121 is illustrated as being fitted into the support boss 112 in the form of being inserted into the support boss 112, but the present invention is not limited thereto. As another example, a coupling between the fitting portion 121 and the support boss 112 may be formed in a form in which the support boss 112 is inserted into the fitting portion 121, and the fitting portion 121 and the support boss 112 The binding form of is not limited to any particular form.

Preferably, the support boss 112 may be formed to a length such that the fitting part 121 installed inside the holder 110 cannot be separated from the support boss 112 . That is, the support boss 112 has a sufficient length toward one side in the lateral direction so that the fitting part 121 cannot be separated from the support boss 112 even if the fitting part 121 moves to the end toward one side in the lateral direction within the movable range. It can be formed to protrude into.

According to this, not only can the rocker 120 not be easily separated from the support boss 112, but also the rocker 120 can be stably supported by the support boss 112 while in contact with the support boss 112 by a sufficient length. do.

Accordingly, the rocker 120 can slide while being stably supported by the holder 110, and can be stably installed in the holder 110 without fear of being separated from the holder 110.

In this embodiment, it is illustrated that the fitting part 121 is formed in a shape including a lying cylindrical shape. In other words, the fitting portion 121 may be formed in a pole shape extending in the lateral direction.

The fitting part 121 is rotatably fitted into the holder 110 about a lateral axis, and may be disposed on a moving passage inside the holder 110 . With respect to the radial direction of the fitting part 121, the first path (a) and the second path (b) may be disposed outside the moving passage. Also, the first path (a) and the second path (b) may be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined interval in the rotational direction of the fitting part 121 .

For example, the fitting part 121 may be fitted into the holder 110 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction about a lateral axis, and the first path (a) and the second path (b) are separated by a predetermined distance in the vertical direction. can be placed so that

The handle portion 123 may be formed to protrude from the fitting portion 121 to the outside of the holder 110 . The handle part 123 may serve to limit the movement of the fitting part 121 while being engaged with the holder 110 in the first path (a) or the second path (b).

In this embodiment, the locking mechanism 100 may be provided in a form in which the fitting part 121 and the handle part 123 are connected in a “T” shape. In this locking mechanism 100, the fitting part 121 may be formed in a bar shape extending in the lateral direction, and the handle part 123 is orthogonal to the fitting part 121 and is connected to the fitting part 121. shape can be formed.

The handle part 123 may protrude outward from the holder 110 through the first path (a) or the second path (b). For example, when the fitting part 121 is in a fixed position, the handle part 123 may protrude outward from the holder 110 while passing through the first path (a). Also, when the fitting part 121 is not in a fixed position, the handle part 123 may protrude outward from the holder 110 while passing through the second path (b).

The handle part 123 may interfere with the first interference surface 110a or the second interference surface 110b and restrict the movement of the fitting part 121 . And the first interference surface 110a and the second interference surface 110b in contact with the handle part 123 are in contact with the first interference surface 110a and the second interference surface 110b of the handle part 123. It may be formed round in a form similar to the planar cross-sectional shape of the part to be.

Accordingly, interference between the handle portion 123 and the holder 110 may occur in a form in which most of the first interference surface 110a or the second interference surface 110b comes into contact with the handle portion 123 . As a result, the holder 110 can prevent the handle part 123 from moving while stably supporting the handle part 123 .

Meanwhile, the locking mechanism 100 of this embodiment may further include an elastic member 130 . The elastic member 130 may serve to provide elastic force for moving the rocker 120 toward the fixed position.

In this embodiment, the elastic member 130 is illustrated as including a coil spring. The elastic member 130 may be installed in the locking mechanism 100 so as to be elastically deformed in the lateral direction.

One lateral side of the elastic member 130 may support the rocker 120, more specifically the fitting part 121, and the other lateral side of the elastic member 130 may be supported by the support boss 112 there is. The elastic member 130 may be provided in a form accommodated inside the rocker 120 and the support boss 112 .

According to this embodiment, a hollow is formed in the support boss 112, and this hollow may be opened to one side in a lateral direction. That is, an accommodation space open to one side in a lateral direction may be formed inside the support boss 112 .

In addition, a hollow is formed in the fitting part 121, and this hollow may be opened to the other side in the lateral direction. That is, inside the fitting part 121, an accommodation space open to the other side in the lateral direction may be formed.

When the fitting part 121 is coupled to the support boss 112, an accommodation space in which the hollow of the fitting part 121 and the hollow of the support boss 112 are connected inside the combination body of the fitting part 121 and the support boss 112 can be formed. The elastic member 130 may be installed inside the rocker 120 and the support boss 112 in a form in which the elastic member 130 is accommodated in the accommodation space formed as described above.

At this time, one lateral side of the elastic member 130 supports the fitting part 121 from the inside of the fitting part 121, and the other lateral side of the elastic member 130 supports the support boss 112 from the inside of the support boss 112. ) can be supported. The elastic member 130 installed as described above may provide elastic force for moving the fitting part 121 to one side in the lateral direction, that is, elastic force for moving the rocker 120 toward the fixing position.

According to this embodiment, as the support boss 112 is fitted into the fitting part 121, the rocker 120 is movably coupled to the holder 110, and the fitting part 121 and the support boss 112 An accommodation space capable of accommodating the elastic member 130 may be formed inside the assembly of.

As a result, the rocker 120 can slide while being stably supported by the holder 110, and at the same time, the elastic member 130 can be installed inside the rocker 120 and the holder 110. Since the elastic member 130 is installed inside the rocker 120 and the holder 110, the elastic member 130 can be protected from external impact by the rocker 120 and the holder 110.

Meanwhile, the rocker 120 may pass through the side surface of the door button 30 and be fitted and coupled to the door button 30 in a fixed position. An inclined surface 122 may be formed on the fitting portion 121 of the rocker 120 .

The inclined surface 122 may be disposed at one lateral end of the fitting portion 121 . The inclined surface 122 may be formed to be inclined forward as it approaches one end of the rocker 120 in a lateral direction. For example, the inclined surface 122 may be formed as a surface disposed facing between the rear side of the rocker 120 and one side in the lateral direction.

The fitting part 121 may be provided so that the door button 30 moving forward when the rocker 120 is in a fixed position can come into contact with the inclined surface 122 of the fitting part 121 . According to this, the door button 30, which has been pressed backward, may come into contact with the inclined surface 122 of the fitting part 121 in the process of moving forward to return to the original position.

The door button 30 in contact with the inclined surface 122 of the fitting part 121 may move forward while pushing the fitting part 121 to the other side in the lateral direction. In this process, the door button 30 may move forward along the inclined surface 122 while contacting the inclined surface 122 of the fitting part 121 . And the fitting part 121 is pushed by the door button 30 and moves to the other side in the lateral direction.

8 is a front view schematically showing a state in which the locker of the locking mechanism shown in FIG. 7 is moved to a release position, and FIG. 9 is a front view schematically showing a function release state of the locking mechanism shown in FIG. 8 .

Hereinafter, operations and effects of the cooking appliance according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9 .

1, 6, and 7, when the door 20 closes the cooking compartment 14, the door 20 is locked by the latch mechanism 40 (see FIG. 2) to the main body 10. can be fixed on

In the locking mechanism 100 , the holder 110 is installed in front of the control panel 15 , and the rocker 120 may be movably installed in the holder 110 in a lateral direction.

The rocker 120 is coupled to the door button 30 in a fixed position and can fix the door button 30 . The coupling between the locker 120 and the door button 30 may be formed in a fitting coupling form in which the fitting part 121 of the locker 120 penetrates the side surface of the door 20 through the fitting hole of the door button 30. there is.

In addition, the elastic member 130 installed inside the rocker 120 and the holder 110 presses the rocker 120 to one side in a lateral direction, so that the position of the rocker 120 can be stably maintained in a fixed position.

At this time, interference between the handle part 123 and the first interference surface 110a occurs, and the lateral position of the rocker 120 can be regulated, and accordingly, excessive lateral movement of the rocker 120 can be prevented.

In a state where the door button 30 is fixed by the locking mechanism 100 as described above, the door button 30 cannot be manipulated, and thus the door 20 cannot be opened.

In order for the door 20 to open the cooking chamber 14 in the above state, the fixed state between the door button 30 and the locking mechanism 100 must be released together.

That is, in order for the door 20 to open the cooking chamber 14, the coupling between the locking mechanism 100 and the door button 30 must first be released.

To this end, the user may hold the handle part 123 and move the rocker 120 to the other side in the lateral direction. Accordingly, the rocker 120 can move from a fixed position to a release position, as shown in FIGS. 1, 5, and 8 .

At this time, the handle part 123 may move to the other side in the lateral direction along the passage formed by the first through part 18 of the control panel 15 . In addition, the fitting part 121 inserted into the door button 30 moves along the handle part 123 and can be separated from the door button 30 . Accordingly, the coupling between the locking mechanism 100 and the door button 30 is released, and the fixed state of the door 20 can be maintained only by the coupling between the latch mechanism 40 and the main body 10 .

As described above, when the door button 30 is pressed in a state in which the locking mechanism 100 and the door button 30 are fixed to each other is released, as shown in FIG. 2, the latch mechanism 40 and the main body 10 The coupling between them is released, and accordingly, the cooking chamber 14 can be opened while the door 20 rotates forward.

In this way, after the door 20 opens the cooking chamber 14, when the force pulling the handle part 123 to the other side in the lateral direction is released, as shown in FIGS. 2, 6, and 9, the elastic member ( By the elastic force provided by 130, the rocker 120 returns to the fixed position.

Along with this, as the pressed door button 30 also returns to its original state, the fitting between the door button 30 and the locker 120 is performed again. That is, the locking of the door 20 by the locking mechanism 100 can be resumed without a separate manipulation of the locking mechanism 100 .

That is, in the cooking appliance of the present embodiment, the locking mechanism 100 is released from the fixed state of the door button 30 by the locking mechanism 100 only by pulling the locking mechanism 100 in the lateral direction, and the locking mechanism 100 can be opened without a separate operation. The locking of the door button 30 may be resumed.

Accordingly, the cooking appliance of the present embodiment not only enables easy and convenient fixation and release of the door button 30 to prevent unintentional opening of the cooking chamber 14, but also allows the door button (30) without a separate operation. 30) It can provide an effect that enables fixation to be made automatically and safely.

In addition, the locking mechanism 100 of the present embodiment makes it possible to easily and conveniently fix and release the door button 30, thereby suppressing frequent unnecessary opening and closing of the door 20.

The cooking appliance of the present embodiment including the locking mechanism 100 can effectively suppress unstable opening/closing operations of the door 20 due to the latch mechanism worn out abnormally quickly.

On the other hand, when trying to release the locking function of the door button 30 using the locking mechanism 100, the user moves the handle part 123 toward the second path (b) to change the state of the locking mechanism 100. It can be changed to unlocked state.

For example, the user may rotate the rocker 120 forward by moving the rocker 120 located in the fixed position to the other side in the lateral direction, and then pulling the handle part 123 forward.

Accordingly, the fitting part 121 is separated from the door button 30, and the handle part 123 passes through the connection passage (c) between the first path (a) and the second path (b) to pass through the second path ( b) can be located on In this state, when the user releases the handle part 123, the rocker 120 may move to one side in the lateral direction due to the elastic force provided by the elastic member 130.

Movement of the rocker 120 may be limited by interference between the handle part 123 and the second interference surface 110b. When interference occurs between the handle part 123 and the second interference surface 110b, the locking protrusion d is located on the upper side of the handle part 123, and the interference with the second interference surface 110b is avoided. The upward movement of the handle part 123 for the purpose may be prevented by the protrusion d.

As the movement of the handle part 123 is blocked by the second interference surface 110b, the rocker 120 remains moved to the release position, and the locking mechanism 100 is fixed with the door button 30. It can be maintained in a disabled state, which is a released state.

Accordingly, the locker 120 maintains a state of being moved to the release position, and the locking mechanism 100 can be maintained in a function release state in which the fixation with the door button 30 is released.

That is, the locking mechanism 100 of the present embodiment not only provides a double door fixing function that automatically and safely fixes the door 20, but also maintains the unlocked state when the double door fixing function is unnecessary. may make it so.

As a result, in a place where the double door fixing function is unnecessary, such as a house without children, the cooking appliance of this embodiment can select whether to use the double door fixing function according to the user's needs, such as allowing the double door fixing function to be released. It will be able to provide functions that make it possible.

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.

[Second Embodiment of Locking Mechanism]

10 is a perspective view showing a cooking appliance having a locking mechanism according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 11 is an enlarged view showing the door button and locking mechanism shown in FIG. 10 in an enlarged manner. 12 is a front sectional view showing the internal structure of the locking mechanism shown in FIG. 11, and FIG. 13 is a front sectional view schematically showing a state in which the rocker of the locking mechanism shown in FIG. 12 is moved to the release position, and FIG. 14 is It is a cross-sectional plan view schematically showing the internal structure of the locking mechanism shown in FIG. 12 .

Referring to FIGS. 10 to 14 , the locking mechanism 200 according to the second embodiment of the present invention may be installed on the door button 50 . The locking mechanism 200 may be slidably installed on the door button 50 in a lateral direction.

According to this embodiment, the locking mechanism 200 may include a holder 210 and a rocker 220.

The holder 110 may be installed on the front of the door button 50 . Inside the holder 210, a space for accommodating the rocker 220 may be formed.

A sliding groove 42 may be formed in the door button 50 . The sliding groove 420 may be concavely formed rearward on the front surface of the door button 50 . The holder 210 supports the rocker 220 so as to be movable in the lateral direction and can accommodate at least a portion of the rocker 220 therein. The rocker 220 may be accommodated in a space surrounded by the holder 210 and the sliding groove 42 .

In this embodiment, it is exemplified that the rocker 220 is formed in a substantially hexahedral shape, and the space surrounded by the holder 210 and the sliding groove 42 is also formed in a corresponding hexahedral shape.

As an example, the holder 210 may be formed in a hexahedral shape with a space formed therein, and one of the side surfaces and the rear surface may be formed in an open form.

The rocker 220 may move in a lateral direction to a fixed position or a release position. In the fixed position, at least a portion of the rocker 220 may protrude outward from the door button 50 . As an example, when the rocker 220 is in a fixed position, at least a portion of the rocker 220 may protrude outward from the door button 50 in a lateral direction.

A part of the rocker 220 protruding outward in the lateral direction of the door button 50 in this way may be disposed in front of the control panel 15 .

As an example, the rocker 220 may be divided into a first locking part 221 and a second locking part 223 . The first locking part 221 and the second locking part 223 are arranged in a lateral direction and may be installed on the door button 50 to be movable in a lateral direction.

Among them, the first locking part 221 may always be disposed so as not to deviate to the outside of the door button 50 regardless of whether the locker 220 is in a fixed position or a release position. That is, the position of the first locking part 221 can be maintained within an area overlapping with the door button 50 in the front-rear direction even when the rocker 220 is moved to the fixed position.

At least a portion of the first locking part 221 may be inserted into the holder 210 . The first locking part 221 may be movably coupled to the door button 50 and the holder 210 in a lateral direction within a space surrounded by the holder 210 and the sliding groove 42 .

The second locking part 223 may be provided to protrude outward from the door button 50 when the rocker 220 is in a fixed position. When the second locking part 223 and the rocker 220 are in the release position, they are disposed in an area overlapping the door button 50 in the front-back direction, like the first locking part 221, but the locker 220 is fixed When in position, it may protrude outward in the lateral direction of the door button 50 .

In this embodiment, the first locking part 221 is inserted into the guide groove 52 concavely formed in the door button 50, and the first locking part 221 inserted into the guide groove 52 in this way is a guide. It can move laterally along a path guided by grooves 52 . That is, the first locking part 221 may be coupled to the door button 50 in a form in which at least a portion thereof is inserted into the door button 50 .

Therefore, if the front surface of the door button 50 is disposed on the same line as the front surface of the control panel 15 or disposed rearward than the front surface of the control panel 15, a part of the rocker 220 moves toward the front side of the control panel 15. Difficulty moving may occur.

Considering this point, in the present embodiment, the length of the second locking part 223 in the front-back direction may be set shorter than that of the first locking part 221 . Also, the rear end of the second locking part 223 may be disposed forward compared to the rear end of the first locking part 221 .

Accordingly, a step difference is generated between the first locking part 221 and the second locking part 223, and when the rocker 220 moves to the fixed position, the second locking part 223 moves along the side of the control panel 15. You can move sideways smoothly.

In addition, interference may occur between the inner surface 18 of the control panel 15 and the first locking portion 221 due to a step generated between the first locking portion 221 and the second locking portion 223. . In this way, due to the interference generated between the inner surface 18 of the control panel 15 and the first locking part 221, excessive lateral movement of the rocker 220 moving to the fixed position can be restricted.

When the rocker 220 is in a fixed position, at least a portion of the second locking part 223 may be disposed at a position overlapping the front surface of the control panel 15 in the forward and backward directions. In other words, when the rocker 220 is in the fixed position, at least a part of the second locking part 223 may be disposed at a position outwardly outward from the button accommodating space. At least a portion of the second locking portion 223 may be disposed to make surface contact with the front surface of the control panel 15 in the front and rear directions.

In this way, in a state where the second locking part 223 protrudes forward of the control panel 15, the locker 220 and the door button ( 15) makes it difficult to move backward.

That is, when the rocker 220 is moved to a fixed position, the second locking part 223 protrudes to a position where interference between the front surface of the control panel 15 and the second locking part 223 can occur, thereby locking The door button 50 can be locked by the mechanism 200 .

Meanwhile, the locking mechanism 200 may further include an elastic member 230 . The elastic member 230 may serve to provide elastic force for moving the rocker 220 toward the fixed position.

In this embodiment, the elastic member 230 is illustrated as including a coil spring. The elastic member 230 may be installed in the locking mechanism 200 so as to be elastically deformed in the lateral direction.

Preferably, the locking mechanism 200 may further include a support member 240. The support member 240 is accommodated inside the holder 210 and may be disposed between the elastic member 230 and the rocker 220 . The support member 240 is supported by the elastic member 230 and can support the rocker 220 .

In this embodiment, the elastic member 230 is illustrated as including a coil spring. The elastic member 230 may be installed inside the holder 210 so as to be elastically deformed in the lateral direction.

One side of the elastic member 230 in the lateral direction may be supported on the side surface 211 of the holder 210 . And the other lateral side of the elastic member 230 may support the support member 240 . Also, the support member 240 may support the rocker 220 .

That is, the elastic member 230 is supported on the side surface 211 of the holder 210 to elastically support the support member 240, and the support member 240 is elastically supported by the elastic member 230 and the rocker 220 ) can be elastically supported.

The rocker 220 may be moved from a release position to a fixed position by an elastic force provided by the elastic member 230 . That is, the rocker 220 can automatically return to the fixed position after moving to the release position.

15 is a plan view schematically showing a state in which the locker of the locking mechanism shown in FIG. 14 is moved to a release position, and FIG. 16 is a plan view schematically showing a state in which the door button shown in FIG. 15 is pressed, FIG. 17 is a plan cross-sectional view schematically showing a state in which the door button and locking mechanism shown in FIG. 16 are returned to their original positions.

Hereinafter, operations and effects of the cooking appliance according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 17 .

10 to 12 and 14, when the door 20 closes the cooking compartment 14, the door 20 is locked by the latch mechanism 40 (see FIG. 2) to the main body 10. can be fixed on At the same time, backward movement of the door button 50 may be blocked by the locking mechanism 200 .

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 50 to open the door 20 is carried out by the door button. It can be prevented by the locking mechanism 200 installed in (50).

In the locking mechanism 200, the holder 210 is installed on the front of the door button 50, and the rocker 220 can be installed on the holder 210 to be movable in a lateral direction.

The rocker 220 protrudes outward in the lateral direction of the door button 50 at a fixed position and is disposed to interfere with the front surface of the control panel 15, so that the rearward movement of the door button 50 due to a pressing operation can be prevented. there is.

In addition, the elastic member 230 installed inside the holder 210 presses the rocker 220 to one side in a lateral direction, so that the position of the rocker 220 can be stably maintained in a fixed position.

In a state where the door button 50 is fixed by the locking mechanism 200 as described above, the door button 50 cannot be manipulated, and thus 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 200 .

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 200, the locking mechanism 200 first releases the state in which the operation of the door button 50 is blocked must be done first.

That is, in order for the door 20 to open the cooking chamber 14, the coupled state between the front surface of the control panel 15 and the locker 220, which is blocking the movement of the door button 50, must first be released.

To this end, the user may hold the rocker 220 and move it laterally. Accordingly, as shown in FIGS. 10, 13, and 15, the rocker 220 may move from a fixed position to a release position.

When the rocker 220 moves to the release position, the portion of the first locking portion 221 of the rocker 220 inserted into the holder 210 increases, and the entire second locking portion 223 engages the door button 50. It can be arranged in an area overlapping in the front-back direction.

For example, when the rocker 220 is in the release position, no part of the rocker 220 protrudes outward from the door button 50. In other words, when the rocker 220 is in the release position, the entire rocker 220 including the second locking part 223 may be disposed in an area overlapping the button accommodating space in the front-rear direction.

In this way, only in a state in which the rocker 220 is moved to the release position and the coupled state between the front surface of the control panel 15 and the rocker 220 is released, as shown in FIG. 16, the door button 50 is operated and the door ( 20) can be opened.

In a state in which the door button 50 is moved backward as a result of manipulation of the door button 50, the entire locker 220 including the second locking part 223 may be disposed within the button accommodating space.

After the operation of the door button 50 for opening the door 20 is completed, when the user presses the door button 50 and the force pulling the rocker 220 is released, as shown in FIGS. 10 to 12 and 15 Likewise, the door button 50 that has been pressed can move forward and return to its original state.

At the same time, the rocker 220 moves forward along the door button 50 and at the same time moves laterally by the elastic force provided by the elastic member 230, thereby returning to the fixed position.

That is, the locking of the door 20 by the locking mechanism 200 can be resumed without a separate manipulation of the locking mechanism 200 .

That is, in the cooking appliance of the present embodiment, the door button 50 is released from the fixed state by the locking mechanism 200 only by pulling the rocker 220 in the lateral direction, and the door button 50 is released by the locking mechanism 200 without a separate operation. Locking of the door button 50 can be resumed.

Accordingly, the cooking appliance of the present embodiment not only allows the door 20 to be easily and conveniently locked to prevent unintentional opening of the cooking chamber, but also automatically and safely locks the door button 50 without a separate operation. It can provide an effect that can be achieved.

As described above, in the cooking appliance of the present embodiment, the door button 50 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 50 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.

[Third Embodiment of Locking Mechanism]

18 is a front cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of a locking mechanism provided in a cooking appliance according to a third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 19 is a state in which the locker of the locking mechanism shown in FIG. 18 is moved to a release position. FIG. 20 is a front sectional view schematically showing a function release state of the locking mechanism shown in FIG. 19 .

Referring to FIG. 18 , the locking mechanism 300 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 locking mechanism 300 of this embodiment may further include a sliding guide 350. In addition, guide grooves e, f, and g may be provided in the door button 60.

The sliding guide 350 may slidably couple the rocker 220 to the door button 60 . The sliding guide 350 may be formed in the form of a protrusion protruding rearward from the rear surface of the rocker 220 facing the door button 60 .

The guide grooves e, f, and g may be provided on the front surface of the door button 60 facing the rocker 220. These guide grooves (e, f, g) form passages necessary for movement of the sliding guide 350, and may guide the movement of the sliding guide 350. As an example, the guide grooves e, f, and g may be formed in a shape concavely recessed backward on the front surface of the door button 60.

The sliding guide 350 may be inserted into the guide grooves e, f, and g disposed on the rear side of the rocker 220. The sliding guide 350 may be movably inserted into the guide grooves e, f, and g in a lateral direction.

As an example, the guide grooves (e, f, g) may include a first path (e) and a second path (f).

The first path (e) and the second path (f) may form a passage for movement of the sliding guide 350 on the door button 60 . The first path (e) and the second path (f) may be formed in a shape concavely recessed backward on the front surface of the door button 60, respectively, in a direction parallel to the moving direction of the rocker 220, that is, side direction can be extended.

The first path (e) may form a passage allowing movement of the sliding guide 350 when the rocker 220 located in the release position moves to the fixed position. In addition, the second path (f) may form a passage allowing the sliding guide 350 to move only as much as it prevents the rocker 220 located in the release position from moving to the fixed position.

The lateral length of the second path (f) may be set to a length shorter than that of the first path (e). According to this embodiment, the other lateral end of the first path (e) may be disposed at a position more biased toward the other side than the one lateral end of the second path (f).

The first path (e) and the second path (f) may be connected to each other so that the rocker 220 can move between the first path (e) and the second path (f). In this embodiment, the first path (e) and the second path (f) arranged in the vertical direction are illustrated as being connected in the vertical direction.

As an example, a connection passage (g) may be provided between the first path (e) and the second path (f). The connection passage (g) is formed to pass through the door button 60 to connect the first passage (e) and the second passage (f). This connection passage (g) may be disposed at a position biased to one side in the lateral direction in the first path (e) and the second path (f).

The lateral length of the connection passage (g) may be set shorter than that of the first route (e) and the second route (f). That is, the other lateral end of the connection passage (g) may be disposed at a position biased to one side in the lateral direction compared to the other lateral ends of the first path (e) and the second path (f).

The rocker 220 may move in a lateral direction to a fixed position or a release position.

In the fixed position, at least a portion of the rocker 220 may protrude outward from the door button 60 . As an example, when the rocker 220 is in a fixed position, at least a portion of the rocker 220 may protrude outward from the door button 60 in a lateral direction.

The rocker 220 protrudes outward in the lateral direction of the door button 60 in a fixed position and is disposed to interfere with the front surface of the control panel 15, so that the rearward movement of the door button 60 due to a pressing operation can be prevented. there is.

In addition, the elastic member 230 installed inside the holder 210 (see FIG. 14) presses the rocker 220 to one side in the lateral direction, thereby stably maintaining the position of the rocker 220 in a fixed position. .

In a state where the door button 60 is fixed by the locking mechanism 300 as described above, the door button 60 cannot be manipulated, and thus the door 20 cannot be opened.

In this state, when the user grabs the rocker 220 and moves it laterally, the rocker 220 can move from the fixed position to the release position, as shown in FIG. 19 . At this time, the movement of the rocker 220 may be guided by the sliding guide 350 moving along the first path (e).

When the rocker 220 is in the release position, no part of the rocker 220 protrudes outward from the door button 60. In other words, when the rocker 220 is in the release position, the entire rocker 220 including the second locking part 223 may be disposed in an area overlapping the button accommodating space in the front-rear direction.

In this way, the door button 60 can be operated and the door opened only in a state in which the rocker 220 is moved to the release position and the coupled state between the front surface of the control panel 15 and the rocker 220 is released.

When the door button 60 is moved backward as a result of manipulation of the door button 60, the entire locker 220 including the second locking part 223 may be disposed within the button accommodating space.

On the other hand, when trying to release the locking function of the door button 60 using the locking mechanism 300, the user moves the rocker 220 to the second path (f) to change the state of the locking mechanism 300 to a function release state. can be changed to

For example, as shown in FIG. 20, the user moves the rocker 220 located in a fixed position to one side in the lateral direction, and then moves the rocker 220 to the lower side at the point where the sliding guide 350 is located in the connecting passage g. can be moved to

Accordingly, the sliding guide 350 may be positioned on the second path (f) passing through the connection passage (h) between the first path (e) and the second path (f). In this state, when the user releases the rocker 220, the rocker 220 may move to the other side in the lateral direction due to the elastic force provided by the elastic member 230. At this time, the sliding guide 350 may move to the other side in the lateral direction along the second path (f).

Movement of the rocker 120 may be limited by interference between the other lateral end of the second path f and the sliding guide 350 .

As the movement of the sliding guide 350 is blocked in this way, the locker 220 maintains a state of being moved to the release position, and the locking mechanism 300 functions in a state in which the fixation with the door button 60 is released It can remain unlocked.

Accordingly, the locker 120 maintains a state of being moved to the release position, and the locking mechanism 100 can be maintained in a function release state in which fixation with the door button 30 is released.

. That is, the locking mechanism 300 of the present embodiment not only provides a double door fixing function that automatically and safely fixes the door, but also allows the function to remain released when the double door fixing function is unnecessary. there is.

As a result, in a place where the double door fixing function is unnecessary, such as a house without children, the cooking appliance of this embodiment can select whether to use the double door fixing function according to the user's needs, such as allowing the double door fixing function to be released. It will be able to provide functions that make it possible.

The locking mechanism 300 not only provides a double door fixing function that automatically and safely fixes the door, but also provides a function to maintain the unlocked state when the double door fixing function is unnecessary By doing so, it is possible to provide the effect of allowing 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
30,50: door button
31: pressing surface
33: border projection
35: fitting protrusion
35a: hook protrusion
37: pushing protrusion
39: elastic member
40: latch mechanism
52: guide groove
100,200,300: locking mechanism
110,210: Holder
110a: first interference surface
110b: second interference surface
111: first holder
112: support boss
113: fastening hook
114: fastening ring
115: second holder
116: through hole
117: fastening groove
120,220: rocker
121: fitting part
122: slope
123: handle part
130,230: elastic member
211: side
240: support member
350: sliding guide
a,e: first route
b,f: 2nd route
c,g: connection passage
d: stumbling block

Claims (20)

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 locking mechanism that selectively blocks the movement of the door button; includes,
The locking mechanism includes a locker provided to be movable to a fixed position that prevents the door button from moving to the pressed position and a release position that allows the door button to move to the pressed position.
According to claim 1,
The locker includes a fitting portion fitted to the door button at the fixed position.
According to claim 2,
The door button and the rocker are disposed in a lateral direction,
A fitting hole is formed on a side of the door button facing the rocker,
The fitting part is inserted into the fitting hole and fitted to the door button.
According to claim 1,
The locking mechanism further includes a holder accommodating at least a portion of the rocker and supporting the rocker.
According to claim 4,
The holder includes a support boss slidably supporting the rocker.
According to claim 5,
The rocker includes a fitting part fitted to the door button at the fixed position,
The fitting part is slidably coupled to the support boss.
According to claim 4,
The cooking appliance further includes an elastic member providing an elastic force for moving the rocker toward the fixing position.
According to claim 7,
The holder includes a support boss coupled to the rocker to slidably support the rocker,
The elastic member is accommodated inside the rocker and the support boss coupled to each other.
According to claim 8,
The elastic member includes a coil spring having one side in a lateral direction supporting the rocker and the other side in a lateral direction being supported by the support part.
According to claim 4,
The rocker further includes a handle that protrudes from the fitting part to the outside of the holder and moves with the fitting part,
The holder is provided with a movement passage forming a passage allowing movement of the fitting part inside the holder, and a first passage forming a passage allowing movement of the handle part in the holder.
According to claim 10,
The first path is formed to pass through the holder and connects between the outside of the holder and the movement passage,
The handle part is connected to the fitting part inside the moving passage and protrudes outward from the holder through the first path.
According to claim 10,
The holder further includes a second path for forming a path in the holder for limiting the movement of the handle unit within a set range, and a connection path for forming a path for connecting the first path and the second path in the holder. Cooking equipment provided.
According to claim 12,
The first path and the second path are formed to pass through the holder in the front-back direction or up-and-down direction and extend in the lateral direction,
The first path is disposed on one of the front surface and the upper surface of the holder,
The second path is disposed on the other of the front surface and the upper surface of the holder and extends in a shorter length than the first path.
According to claim 12,
The first path is formed to pass through the upper surface of the holder in the vertical direction and extends in the lateral direction,
The second path is formed to penetrate the front surface of the holder in the front and rear directions and extends in the lateral direction.
According to claim 14,
The door button is disposed on one side in the lateral direction of the first path and the second path,
A first interference surface is formed at a boundary between one end of the first path in a lateral direction and the holder,
A second interference surface is formed at a boundary between one end of the second path in a lateral direction and the holder,
The cooking appliance wherein the first interference surface is disposed closer to the door button than the second interference surface.
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 main body or the control panel, a button accommodation space having an open front is formed,
The door button is accommodated in the button accommodating space and moves rearward to the pressed position;
The rocker moves in a lateral direction and moves to the fixed position or the release position.
According to claim 16,
The rocker is installed to be movable in a lateral direction to the door button,
In the release position, the rocker is disposed at a position capable of moving into the button accommodating space;
In the fixed position, the locker is disposed at a position where at least a portion of the rocker is outwardly lateral from the button accommodating space.
According to claim 17,
The locking mechanism further includes a sliding guide that slidably couples the locker to the door button,
A guide groove is provided on the front surface of the door button facing the rocker,
The sliding guide protrudes rearward from the rocker and is movably inserted into the guide groove in a lateral direction.
The method of claim 16, wherein the guide groove,
a first path forming a passage allowing movement of the sliding guide in the door button;
a second path forming a passage in the door button to limit movement of the sliding guide within a set range; and
A cooking appliance comprising: a connecting passage for forming a passage connecting the first passage and the second passage in the door button.
According to claim 19,
The rocker is provided to protrude further to one side in the lateral direction than the sliding guide, moves to one side in the lateral direction from the release position to the fixed position,
The first path and the second path are concave backward on the front surface of the door button and extend laterally,
The cooking appliance wherein one end of the first path is disposed closer to one end of the door button than one end of the second path.

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