KR20230088287A - Cooking appliance - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention of a cooking appliance is disclosed. Disclosed invention: When the door closes the cooking chamber, the main body or control is capable of moving a fixing protrusion inserted into the main body or control panel, and a locking position engaged with the fixing protrusion inside the main body and an unlocking position in which the engagement with the fixing protrusion is released. It is characterized in that it includes a rocker installed on the panel.

Description

Cooking equipment {COOKING APPLIANCE}

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A cooking appliance according to one embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above object is fitted with a door and a control panel and includes a locking mechanism for fixing the door to the control panel.

In another form of the present invention, when the door closes the cooking chamber, the fixing protrusion inserted into the main body or the control panel, and the locking position engaged with the fixing protrusion inside the main body and the unlock position in which the engagement with the fixing protrusion is released can be moved. It is characterized in that it includes a rocker installed on the main body or control panel.

A cooking appliance according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a main body having a cooking chamber formed therein and having an open front; a door disposed in front of the main body and rotatably coupled to the main body to open and close the cooking chamber; a latch mechanism installed on the door so as to be selectively coupled to the main body, and coupled to the main body to fix the door to a closed position; and a locking mechanism provided on the main body so as to be selectively coupled with the door and coupled to the door separately from the latch mechanism to restrain the movement of the door.

Here, the door includes a fixing protrusion inserted into the main body when the door closes the cooking chamber, and the locking mechanism has a locking position engaged with the fixing protrusion inside the main body and the engagement with the fixing protrusion is released. It may include a rocker installed on the main body to be movable to an unlocking position.

In addition, the rocker preferably includes a fitting pin installed in the main body to be movable to the locking position and the unlocking position.

In addition, the fitting pin is coupled to the fixing protrusion at the locking position to fix the fixing protrusion to the main body, and is preferably separated from the fixing protrusion so that the fixing protrusion can be separated from the main body at the unlocking position.

In addition, the locking mechanism may further include an elastic member providing an elastic force for moving the fitting pin moved to the unlocking position to the locking position.

In addition, the rocker may further include a support for connecting the fitting pin to the elastic member.

In addition, the support portion is elastically connected to the elastic member and preferably supports the fitting pin.

In addition, the fitting pin penetrates the main body in the vertical direction and is installed in the main body so as to be able to move up and down, and the support part is connected to the fitting pin at the upper side of the main body and is seated on the upper surface of the door in the vertical direction of the fitting pin. location can be controlled.

In addition, it is preferable that the support part is connected to the elastic member so as to be able to move up and down, and the elastic member provides an elastic force for lowering the support part.

In addition, it is preferable that the support part is movably installed in the main body, and the fitting pin is connected to the lower part of the support part from the inside of the main body.

In addition, the rocker penetrates the upper surface of the main body in the vertical direction and is installed to be liftable in the main body, and extends in the horizontal direction from the first connecting part and is connected to the fitting pin from the inside of the main body. 2 connection parts may be further included.

In addition, the elastic member preferably includes a coil spring provided to be elastically deformable in the vertical direction between the upper surface of the main body and the second connection part.

In addition, the door may further include a protruding panel protruding in a lateral direction from a lateral end of the door.

In addition, the main body may further include a door seating portion disposed to face the protruding panel in a front-back direction.

Preferably, the fixing protrusion protrudes rearward from the protruding panel and is inserted into the door seating portion when the door closes the cooking chamber.

Preferably, the locker is inserted into the fixing protrusion inserted into the door seating part and fixes the fixing protrusion to the main body.

In addition, it is preferable that an insertion groove is formed in the door seating portion to be recessed from the front side of the door seating portion to the rear.

In addition, the fixing protrusion, it is preferable that the first fitting hole is formed to pass through in the vertical direction.

In addition, it is preferable that the upper surface of the main body is formed to pass through the second fitting hole in the vertical direction.

In addition, when the fixing protrusion is inserted into the insertion groove, the first fitting hole and the second fitting hole are connected in the vertical direction, and the rocker inserts the first fitting hole and the second fitting hole inside the insertion groove. It is preferable to pass through and be inserted into the fixing protrusion.

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

Preferably, the fixing protrusion protrudes rearward from the protruding panel and is inserted into the control panel when the door closes the cooking chamber.

In addition, it is preferable that the fitting pin is inserted into the fixing protrusion inserted into the control panel and fixes the fixing protrusion to the control panel.

In addition, it is preferable that a fitting hole is formed to pass through the fixing protrusion in a vertical direction, and the fitting pin passes through the fitting hole inside the control panel and is fitted into the fixing protrusion.

In addition, a pin guide surface is provided on the fixing protrusion, and the pin guide surface preferably forms an inclined surface inclined upward toward the front.

In addition, the fitting hole is preferably disposed between the protruding panel and the pin guide surface.

In addition, a sliding surface is provided at the lower end of the fitting pin facing the pin guide surface, and the sliding surface preferably forms an inclined surface parallel to the pin guide surface.

In addition, the present invention further includes a support protrusion protruding from the control panel to the rear side, and the rocker is preferably coupled to the support protrusion to be able to move up and down.

In addition, the rocker may further include a connecting portion that penetrates the upper surface of the main body in a vertical direction and is installed to be able to move up and down in the main body and is connected to the fitting pin.

In addition, the rocker may further include a flange portion protruding in a horizontal direction from at least one of the fitting pin and the connecting portion.

In addition, the flange portion may be disposed below the support protrusion, and the support protrusion may interfere with the flange portion and restrict upward movement of the rocker.

In the cooking appliance of the present invention, an operation for opening the door can be performed only when the locking mechanism fixes the door to the control panel before release, thereby effectively preventing unintentional opening of the cooking chamber during operation of the cooking appliance. there is.

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 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. The distance between the hot air discharged forward and the door may be induced to increase.

In addition, the present invention allows door fixation by a locking mechanism to be automatically resumed when an open door is closed, thereby providing a function of ensuring safety and providing improved convenience.

In addition, the present invention can effectively improve the structural stability and aesthetics of the cooking appliance by allowing the locker to automatically return to its original state while maintaining a state stably supported by the main body or control panel even when the door is unlocked. there is.

1 is a perspective view illustrating a cooking appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a door open state of the cooking appliance shown in FIG. 1 .
FIG. 3 is a plan view illustrating a door closed state of the cooking appliance shown in FIG. 1 .
4 is a plan view illustrating an open state of the door shown in FIG. 3;
5 is a side cross-sectional view schematically showing the structure of a locking mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 and 7 are views showing an unlocked state of the locking mechanism shown in FIG. 5 .
8 is a perspective view illustrating a cooking appliance according to another embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a rear perspective view showing the structure of a locking mechanism according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 10 is a side cross-sectional view showing the structure of the locking mechanism shown in Figure 9;
11 is a rear perspective view showing an unlocked state of the locking mechanism shown in FIG. 9;
12 is a side sectional view showing the structure of the locking mechanism shown in FIG. 11;
13 is a rear perspective view showing the state of the locking mechanism in the door open state.
14 is a side sectional view showing the structure of the locking mechanism shown in FIG. 13;
15 is a rear perspective view showing the state of the locking mechanism in the process of closing the door.
16 is a side sectional view showing the structure of the locking mechanism shown in FIG. 15;
17 is a rear perspective view showing the state of the locking mechanism in the door closed state;
Fig. 18 is a side sectional view showing the structure of the locking mechanism shown in Fig. 17;

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 being 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 Unless otherwise specified, means greater than or equal to C and less than or equal to D

[Overall structure of cooking equipment]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

As an example, the door button 30 may be rotatably disposed about a longitudinal axis disposed on one side of the door button 30 in a lateral direction. For example, when the door button 30 is pressed, the other side in the lateral direction of the door button 30 may rotate backward around one side in the axial direction of the door button 30 . Further, by the door button 30 pivoted backward in this way, the structure holding the latch mechanism releases the latch mechanism so that the door 20 can be opened.

As another example, the door button may be omitted from the cooking appliance. In this case, when the user grabs the door handle 20a (see FIG. 8 ) and pulls it forward, the door 20 rotates forward and the cooking chamber 14 can be opened.

[Structure of the door]

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

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

In addition, a hinge that rotatably couples the door panel 21 to the main body 10 may be installed on one side of the door frame 25 in the 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.

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.

Meanwhile, the cooking appliance may further include a locking mechanism 100 . The locking mechanism 100 may serve to fix the door 20 to the closed position together with the latch mechanism 40 .

The locking mechanism 100 may be provided to fix the door 20 to the control panel 15 so that the door 20 cannot be opened. The locking mechanism 100 may be disposed on the control panel 15 and adjacent to the door 20 .

Specifically, the locking mechanism 100 may be disposed on the upper side of the control panel 15 and the door 20 . The locking mechanism 100 is provided to restrict movement of the door 20 .

Accordingly, in the cooking appliance of the present embodiment, the door 20 may be provided in a doubly fixed state by the latch mechanism 40 and the locking mechanism 100 . That is, in order for the door 20 to open the cooking chamber 14 in the cooking appliance of this embodiment, the coupling between the latch mechanism 40 and the main body 10 must be released, and the door formed by the locking mechanism 100 ( 20) and the control panel 15 should also be released together.

[Structure related to locking mechanism of door and control panel]

3 is a plan view schematically showing structures of a door and a control panel according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an open state of the door shown in FIG. 3 . In addition, Figure 5 is a side cross-sectional view schematically showing the structure of a locking mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 6 is a view showing the unlocking state of the locking mechanism shown in Figure 5, Figure 7 is another of the present invention It is a view showing the unlocking state of the locking mechanism according to the embodiment.

Referring to FIGS. 3 to 5 , a protruding panel 26 may be provided on the door 20 , and a door seating portion 18 may be provided on the control panel 15 .

The protruding panel 26 may be disposed on the other lateral side of the door 20 . The protruding panel 26 may be provided in a form protruding laterally from the other lateral side of the door 20, more specifically, the door frame 25 toward the control panel 15 side.

The length of the protruding panel 26 in the front and rear direction may be shorter than the length of the door 20 in the front and rear direction. That is, the thickness of the protruding panel 26 may be formed thinner than the thickness of the door 20 , and such protruding panel 26 may be disposed biased toward the front side of the door 20 . That is, when viewed from the rear side, a step may be formed between the door 20 and the protruding panel 26 .

A fixing protrusion 27 may be provided on the protruding panel 26 . The fixing protrusion 27 may be provided to protrude from the rear surface of the protruding panel 26 to the rear side. A first fitting hole 27a may be formed through the fixing protrusion 27 .

The door seating part 18 may be disposed on one side of the control panel 15 in a lateral direction. The door mounting portion 18 may be provided in a form protruding from one side of the control panel 15 in a lateral direction toward the door 20 side.

When viewed from the front side, the door seating portion 18 may be formed in a shape concavely recessed toward the rear side of the control panel 15 . That is, when viewed from the front side, a step may be formed between the control panel 15 and the door seating portion 18 .

When the door 20 is closed, the protruding panel 26 may be positioned in front of the door seating portion 18 . In this case, the front surface of the door 20 , the front surface of the door seating part 18 , and the front surface of the control panel 15 may be disposed in a form forming substantially the same plane.

An insertion groove 19 may be provided in the door seating portion 18 . The insertion groove 19 may be formed in a shape in which a portion of the door seating portion 18 is cut. The insertion groove 19 is formed at approximately the same height as the fixing protrusion 27, and one lateral side and the front side of the insertion groove 19 may be opened.

When the door 20 is closed, the fixing protrusion 27 is inserted into the insertion groove 19 and can be inserted into the door seating portion 18 .

In addition, a second fitting hole 18a may be provided in the door seating portion 18 . The second fitting hole 18a may be formed to pass through the door mounting portion 18 in the vertical direction. The second fitting hole 18a may form a vertical passage connecting the outside of the door seating portion 18 and the fixing protrusion insertion groove 19 .

[First Embodiment of Locking Mechanism]

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , the locking mechanism 100 may include a rocker 110 and an elastic member 120 .

The locker 110 may be installed above the control panel 15, more specifically, the door seating part 18. The locker 110 is provided to fix the door 20, more specifically, the protruding panel 26 and the fixing protrusion 27 to the door seating portion 18, and the fitting pin 111 and the support portion (113) may be included.

The fitting pin 111 forms the main body of the rocker 110 and is provided to be coupled with the door seating portion 18 and the fixing protrusion 27 . As an example, the fitting pin 111 may be formed in a pin shape extending in the longitudinal direction.

The fitting pin 111 may be inserted into the door seating part 18 through the second fitting hole 18a, and the fixing protrusion 27 inserted into the door seating part 18 through the insertion groove 19 can also be plugged into

That is, in a state where the fixing protrusion 27 is inserted into the door seating portion 18 through the insertion groove 19, the fitting pin 111 is inserted into the door seating portion 18 through the second fitting hole 18a. On the ground, the fitting pin 111 may fix the fixing protrusion 27 to the door seating part 18 .

The support portion 113 may be provided to protrude from the fitting pin 111 in a lateral direction. By being seated on the upper surface of the door seating part 18, the support part 113 can regulate the vertical position of the fitting pin 111.

Also, the support part 113 may serve to mediate the coupling between the rocker 110 and the elastic member 120 . The support part 113 is elastically connected to the elastic member 120 and may support the fitting pin 111 .

The handle portion 115 may be provided to protrude toward the upper side of the fitting pin 111 and the support portion 113 . The handle portion 115 may be formed in a shape that is easy for a user to hold by hand. As an example, the handle portion 115 may be formed in a circular ring shape.

The user holds the handle part 115 with his hand and lifts the locker 110 to separate the locker 110 from the fixing protrusion 27 and the door seating part 18, or the locker 110 is moved by the fixing protrusion 27 ) and the door seating part 18.

Hereinafter, the position where the rocker 110 is lifted to the top of the control panel 15 and separated from the fixing protrusion 27 and the door seating part 18 is referred to as a "release position", and the rocker 110 is fixed to the fixing protrusion 27 And a position where the fixing protrusion 27 is fixed to the door seating part 18 by being inserted into the door seating part 18 will be referred to as a "fixing position".

The elastic member 120 serves to press the rocker 110 toward the fixed position. In this embodiment, the elastic member 120 is illustrated as including a coil spring elastically deformed in the vertical direction. At this time, the lower end of the coil spring is supported by the control panel 15, and the upper end of the coil spring is coupled to the support part 113 to elastically support the rocker 110.

By the action of the elastic member 120, the rocker 110 can be basically located in a fixed position. In addition, when the force acting on the rocker 110 is released while the rocker 110 is moved to the release position, the rocker 110 can naturally return to the fixed position.

Hereinafter, the operation and effect of the cooking appliance according to the present embodiment will be described.

When the door 20 closes the cooking compartment 14, the door 20 may be fixed to the main body 10 by a latch mechanism 40 (see FIG. 2).

In the locking mechanism 100, the locker 110 is installed above the control panel 15 and the door seating part 18. In the fixed position, the locker 110 is inserted into the fixing protrusion 27 and the door seating portion 18 to fix the fixing protrusion 27 to the door seating portion 18 . When the fixing protrusion 27 is fixed to the door mounting part 18 by the rocker 110, the door 20 is fixed to the control panel 15 as a result, and thus the door 20 cannot be opened. do.

In this state, when the rocker 110 is lifted to the top of the control panel 15 and separated from the fixing protrusion 27 and the door seating part 18, the fixed state between the door 20 and the control panel 15 is released.

When the fixed state between the door 20 and the control panel 15 is released in this way, the user can open the door 20 .

As an example, the rocker 110 may be moved to an unlocked state in a manner in which it is lifted in a vertical direction.

As another example, the rocker 110a may be moved to a fixed state or a release state by rotating in the forward and backward directions. For example, the rocker 110a may be rotated rearward about the coupling point with the elastic member 120a to be moved to a released state, or it may be rotated to the front side and moved to a fixed state (see FIG. 7 ).

As described above, the cooking appliance of the present embodiment can provide an effect of enabling easy and convenient fixation and release of the door 20 to prevent unintentional opening of the cooking chamber 14 .

In addition, the locking mechanism 100 of the present embodiment enables the door 20 to be fixed and released easily and conveniently, 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.

[Second Embodiment of Locking Mechanism]

8 is a perspective view showing a cooking appliance according to another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 9 is a rear perspective view showing the structure of a locking mechanism according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 10 is a locking mechanism shown in FIG. 9 A cross-sectional side view showing the structure of 11 is a rear perspective view showing an unlocked state of the locking mechanism shown in FIG. 9, and FIG. 12 is a side cross-sectional view showing the structure of the locking mechanism shown in FIG.

8 to 10, the locking mechanism 200 according to another embodiment of the present invention may include a rocker 210 and an elastic member 220.

The rocker 210 may include a fitting pin 211 and connection parts 213 and 214 .

The fitting pin 211 may be installed in the main body 10 to be movable to a locking position and an unlocking position. As an example, the fitting pin 211 may be formed in a pin shape extending in the longitudinal direction.

In this embodiment, the fitting pin 211 is illustrated as being installed inside the control panel 15 . These fitting pins 211 may be installed on the control panel 15 to be movable in the vertical direction.

The connection parts 213 and 214 pass through the upper surface of the main body 10 or the upper surface of the control panel 15 in the vertical direction and are installed in the main body 10 or the control panel 15 so as to be able to move up and down and can be connected to the fitting pin 211. there is. In this embodiment, it is exemplified that the connecting parts 213 and 214 penetrate the upper surface of the control panel 15 in the vertical direction and are movably installed on the control panel 15 .

The rocker 210 may include a first connection part 213 and a second connection part 214 .

The first connection part 213 may vertically penetrate the top surface of the main body 10 or the top surface of the control panel 15 and be installed on the main body 10 or the control panel 15 so as to be able to move up and down. In this embodiment, the first connection portion 213 penetrates the upper surface of the control panel 15 in the vertical direction and is exemplified as being movably installed on the control panel 15 .

The first connection part 213 may be formed in the shape of a pole erected in the vertical direction. The first connecting portion 213 may pass through the upper surface of the control panel 15 through the second fitting hole 19a. In this embodiment, the second fitting hole 19a may be disposed on the door mounting portion 19 or may be disposed on another part of the control panel 15 other than the door mounting portion 19 .

The second connection part 214 extends horizontally from the first connection part 213 and may be connected to the fitting pin 211 inside the main body 10 or the control panel 15 . As an example, the second connection portion 214 may be formed in an “a” shape. The second connection part 214 is connected to the lower end of the first connection part 213 and may be connected in a “b” shape. In addition, the fitting pin 211 may be connected to the lower end of the second connecting portion 214 extending in the vertical direction.

As an example, a support protrusion 15a may be provided inside the control panel 15 . The support protrusion 15a may be provided to protrude from the control panel 15 to the rear side. The fitting pin 211 or the second connection portion 214 may pass through the support protrusion 15a in the vertical direction and be movably coupled to the support protrusion 15a.

The door 20 may include a fixing protrusion 28 . The fixing protrusion 28 may be provided to protrude from the rear surface of the protruding panel 26 toward the rear side. A first fitting hole 28a may be formed through the fixing protrusion 28 .

An insertion hole 19a may be provided in the door seating portion 19 . The insertion hole 19a may be formed to pass through the door mounting portion 19 in the forward and backward directions. When the door 20 is closed, the fixing protrusion 28 penetrates the control panel 15 through the insertion groove 19 and can be inserted into the inside of the control panel 15, that is, the inside of the door seating part 18. .

The rocker 210 may further include a flange portion 212 . The flange portion 212 may protrude in the horizontal direction from at least one of the fitting pin 211 and the connecting portions 213 and 214 .

In this embodiment, it is illustrated that the flange portion 212 is disposed at the boundary between the second connection portion 214 and the fitting pin 211 . This flange portion 212 may be formed in a shape protruding in the centrifugal direction from the fitting pin 211 erected vertically.

The flange portion 212 is disposed below the support protrusion 15a and may be disposed to face the support protrusion 15a in the vertical direction. The support protrusion 15a may interfere with the flange portion 212 and restrict upward movement of the rocker 210 .

The fitting pin 211 is connected to the connecting parts 213 and 214 and may be installed inside the control panel 15 to be movable. The fitting pin 211 is connected to the lower end of the second connection part 214 and may be provided in a rod shape extending downward from the lower end of the second connection part 214 .

The fitting pin 211 is inserted into the fixing protrusion 28 inserted into the control panel 15 and can fix the fixing protrusion 28 to the control panel 15 . At this time, the fitting pin 211 may pass through the fixing protrusion 28 in the vertical direction through the first fitting hole 28a and be coupled with the fixing protrusion 28 . In addition, the door 20 may be fixed to the control panel 15 by the coupling between the fitting pin 211 and the fixing protrusion 28 .

According to this embodiment, the pin guide surface 29 may be provided on the fixing protrusion 28 . And the fitting pin 211 may be provided with a sliding surface (211a).

The pin guide surface 29 may be formed on an upper surface of the fixing protrusion 28 . The pin guide surface 29 may form an inclined surface inclined upward toward the front. In other words, the pin guide surface 29 can form an inclined surface whose height decreases toward the rear side.

The pin guide surface 29 may be formed at a rear end of the fixing protrusion 28 . Accordingly, the fitting hole 28a in which the fixing protrusion 28 is formed may be disposed between the rear surface of the protruding panel 26 and the pin guide surface 29 .

The sliding surface (211a) may be provided at the lower end of the pin guide surface (29) facing the fitting pin (211). The sliding surface 211a may form an inclined surface parallel to the pin guide surface. That is, the sliding surface 211a forms a lower surface of the fitting pin 211, but may form an inclined surface with a lower height toward the rear side.

When the fitting pin 211 is on the rear side of the fixing protrusion 28, for example, when the door 20 is in an open state, the sliding surface 211a and the pin guide surface 29 face each other in the front and rear directions. view can be placed.

In this state, when the door 20 closes the cooking chamber and the fixing protrusion 28 moves backward, contact between the sliding surface 211a and the pin guide surface 29 may occur. While the fixing protrusion 28 moves backward, the pin guide surface 29 digs into the lower side of the sliding surface 211a and moves backward, and the sliding surface 211a slides along the pin guide surface 29, can move upwards.

When the fixing protrusion 28 moves to the point where the fitting pin 211 and the fitting hole 28a meet, the fitting pin 211 sliding along the pin guide surface 29 is inserted into the fitting hole 28a and the fitting pin Coupling between 211 and the fixing protrusion 28 may be made.

Meanwhile, the elastic member 220 is connected to the connection parts 213 and 214 and may provide elastic force to the connection parts 213 and 214. In this embodiment, it is exemplified that the elastic member 220 is installed on the connection parts 213 and 214.

As an example, the elastic member 220 may include a coil spring disposed between the upper surface of the main body 10 or the control panel 15 and the second connection part 214 . In this case, the upper end of the coil spring may be supported by the main body 10 or the control panel 15 , and the lower end of the coil spring may support the second connection part 214 .

The elastic member 220 provided as described above moves the rocker 210 downward by pushing the second connection part 214 downward, and through this, the rocker 210 can be moved to a fixed position.

That is, by the action of the elastic member 220, the rocker 210 can be basically located in a fixed position. In addition, when the force acting on the rocker 210 is released while the rocker 210 is moved to the release position, the rocker 210 can naturally return to the fixed position.

In addition, the elastic member 220 may include a coil spring surrounding the first connection part 213 from the outside. That is, the first connection part 213 may be inserted inside the coil spring to support the coil spring from the inside.

Accordingly, since the elastic member 220 is stably supported by the first connecting portion 213, the rocker 210 can be moved more stably, and the entire locking mechanism 200 including the elastic member 220 The structural stability of can be improved.

Meanwhile, the handle part 215 may be disposed above the upper surface of the main body 10 or the upper surface of the control panel 15 . The handle part 215 may be connected to the top of the rocker 210, more specifically, the first connection part 213, from the upper side of the main body 10 or the control panel 15.

The handle part 215 may be seated on the upper surface of the main body 10 or the upper surface of the control panel 15 . The handle portion 215 may regulate the vertical position of the rocker 210 . That is, the rocker 210 can be maintained at the fixed position without lowering downward from the fixed position by the handle 215 seated on the upper surface of the main body 10 or the upper surface of the control panel 15 .

13 is a rear perspective view showing a state of the locking mechanism in a door open state, and FIG. 14 is a side cross-sectional view showing the structure of the locking mechanism shown in FIG. 13 . 15 is a rear perspective view showing the state of the locking mechanism in the process of closing the door, and FIG. 16 is a side cross-sectional view showing the structure of the locking mechanism shown in FIG. 15 . 17 is a rear perspective view showing the state of the locking mechanism in the door closed state, and FIG. 18 is a side cross-sectional view showing the structure of the locking mechanism shown in FIG. 17 .

Hereinafter, the operation and effect of the cooking appliance according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 18 .

8 to 10, when the door 20 is in a state where the cooking chamber 14 (see FIG. 2) is closed, the door 20 is locked by a latch mechanism 40 (see FIG. 2) to the main body. (10) can be fixed.

In the locking mechanism 200 of this embodiment, the rocker 210 may be installed above the control panel 15 . In the fixed position, the rocker 210 installed on the control panel 15 is inserted into the fixing protrusion 28 to fix the fixing protrusion 28 to the control panel 15 .

When the fixing protrusion 28 is fixed to the control panel 15 by the rocker 210, as a result, the door 20 is fixed to the control panel 15, and thus the door 20 cannot be opened. .

In the above state, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, when the user holds the handle part 215 and lifts the rocker 210, the rocker 210 is separated from the fixing protrusion 28, and accordingly the door ( 20) and the fixed state between the control panel 15 is released.

When the fixed state between the door 20 and the control panel 15 is released in this way, the user can open the door 20 .

13 and 14, when the door 20 is open, the locker 210 is separated from the fixing protrusion 28, and the sliding surface 211a of the locker 210 and the fixing protrusion 28 The pin guide surface 29 of the may be disposed to face each other in the front and rear directions.

In this state, as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, when the door 20 moves backward to close the cooking chamber, the pin guide surface 29 digs into the lower side of the sliding surface 211a and moves backward. And, the sliding surface 211a can slide along the pin guide surface 29 and move upward.

That is, even if the user does not lift the rocker 210, the rocker 210 can slide along the pin guide surface 29 and move toward the fitting hole 28a.

As shown in FIGS. 17 and 18 , when the door 20 closes the cooking chamber, the fixing protrusion 28 may move to a point where the fitting pin 211 and the fitting hole 28a meet. Accordingly, while the fitting pin 211 sliding along the pin guide surface 29 is inserted into the fitting hole 28a, coupling between the fitting pin 211 and the fixing protrusion 28 can be made.

That is, when the open door 20 is closed, door fixation by the locking mechanism 200 can be automatically resumed without the user lifting the locker 210 .

As described above, the locking mechanism 200 of the present embodiment allows the door fixing by the locking mechanism 200 to be automatically resumed when the door 200 that has been opened is closed, thereby providing a function of ensuring safety, It can also provide improved convenience.

Also, in the cooking appliance of this embodiment, the rocker 210 may be double supported by the upper surface of the control panel 15 and the support protrusion 15a. Accordingly, the locker 210 operates not only in a state in which the lock of the door 20 is maintained by the locker 210 but also in a state in which the door 20 is unlocked, so that the locker 210 operates on the body 10 or the control It is possible to maintain a state stably supported by the panel 15 .

In addition, the locker 210 may automatically return to its original state by the elastic force of the elastic member 220 after unlocking the door 20 .

That is, the locker 210 of the present embodiment is not left in a state separated from the cooking appliance even when the door 20 is unlocked, and can automatically and quickly return to its original state to maintain a stable state.

That is, in the locking mechanism 200 of this embodiment, even when the door 20 is unlocked, the locker 210 maintains a state stably supported by the body 10 or the control panel 15 and automatically By enabling the return, structural stability and aesthetics of the cooking appliance can be effectively improved.

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
12: front plate
13: cabinet
14: cooking room
15: Control panel
15a: support protrusion
16: input unit
17: display part
18,19: door seating part
18a: second fitting hole
18b: insertion groove
19a: insertion hole
20: door
20a: door handle
21: door panel
25: door frame
26: protrusion panel
27,28: fixed protrusion
27a, 28a: first fitting hole
29: pin guide surface
30: door button
40: latch button
100,200: locking mechanism
110,210: rocker
111,211: fitting pin
113: support
115,215: handle part
120: elastic member
211a: sliding surface
212: flange part
213: first connection part
214: second connection part

Claims (16)

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; and
A locking mechanism provided on the body so as to be selectively coupled to the door and coupled to the door separately from the latch mechanism to restrict movement of the door;
The door includes a fixing protrusion inserted into the main body when the door closes the cooking chamber;
The locking mechanism includes a rocker installed on the main body to be movable from a locking position engaged with the fixing protrusion inside the main body to an unlocking position in which engagement with the fixing protrusion is released.
According to claim 1,
The rocker includes a fitting pin installed in the main body to be movable to the locking position and the unlocking position,
The fitting pin is engaged with the fixing protrusion at the locking position to fix the fixing protrusion to the main body, and is separated from the fixing protrusion so that the fixing protrusion can be separated from the main body at the unlocking position.
According to claim 2,
The locking mechanism further includes an elastic member providing elastic force for moving the fitting pin, which has moved to the unlocking position, to the locking position.
According to claim 3,
The rocker further includes a support for connecting the fitting pin to the elastic member,
The support portion is elastically connected to the elastic member and supports the fitting pin.
According to claim 4,
The fitting pin penetrates the main body in the vertical direction and is installed to be able to move up and down in the main body,
The support part is connected to the fitting pin at the upper side of the main body, and is seated on the upper surface of the door to regulate the vertical position of the fitting pin.
According to claim 5,
The support part is movably connected to the elastic member,
The elastic member provides an elastic force for lowering the support part.
According to claim 4,
The support part is installed to be able to move up and down in the main body,
The fitting pin is connected to the lower part of the support part inside the main body.
According to claim 7,
The rocker includes a first connecting portion vertically penetrating the upper surface of the main body and movably installed in the main body, and a second connecting portion extending horizontally from the first connecting portion and connected to the fitting pin inside the main body. Including more connections,
The elastic member includes a coil spring provided to be elastically deformable in a vertical direction between the upper surface of the main body and the second connection part.
According to claim 1,
The door further includes a protruding panel protruding in a lateral direction from a lateral end of the door,
The main body further includes a door seating portion disposed to face the protruding panel in the front and rear directions,
The fixing protrusion protrudes rearward from the protruding panel and is inserted into the door seating portion when the door closes the cooking chamber;
The locker is inserted into the fixing protrusion inserted into the door seating part and fixes the fixing protrusion to the main body.
According to claim 9,
In the door seating portion, an insertion groove is formed to be recessed from the front surface of the door seating portion to the rear,
In the fixing protrusion, a first fitting hole is formed to pass through in the vertical direction,
A second fitting hole is formed on the upper surface of the main body to pass through in the vertical direction,
When the fixing protrusion is inserted into the insertion groove, the first fitting hole and the second fitting hole are connected in a vertical direction,
The locker passes through the first fitting hole and the second fitting hole inside the insertion groove and is inserted into the fixing projection.
According to claim 1,
Further comprising a control panel disposed on the front side of the main body and the side of the door,
The door further includes a protruding panel disposed to face at least a portion of the control panel by protruding in a lateral direction from a lateral end of the door,
The fixing protrusion protrudes rearward from the protruding panel and is inserted into the control panel when the door closes the cooking chamber;
The rocker includes a fitting pin installed in the control panel to be able to move up and down,
The fitting pin is inserted into the fixing protrusion inserted into the control panel and fixes the fixing protrusion to the control panel.
According to claim 11,
In the fixing protrusion, a fitting hole is formed to pass through in the vertical direction,
The fitting pin passes through the fitting hole inside the control panel and is inserted into the fixing protrusion.
According to claim 12,
The fixing protrusion is provided with a pin guide surface,
The pin guide surface forms an inclined surface inclined upward toward the front,
The fitting hole is disposed between the protruding panel and the pin guide surface.
According to claim 13,
At the lower end of the fitting pin facing the pin guide surface, a sliding surface is provided,
The sliding surface forms an inclined surface parallel to the pin guide surface.
According to claim 11,
Further comprising a support protrusion protruding from the control panel to the rear side,
The rocker is coupled to the support protrusion to be movable.
According to claim 15,
The rocker, through the upper surface of the main body in the longitudinal direction, is installed in the main body to be liftable and connected to the fitting pin, and a flange portion protruding in the horizontal direction from at least one of the fitting pin and the connecting part contain more,
The flange portion is disposed below the support protrusion,
The support protrusion interferes with the flange portion and regulates upward movement of the rocker.

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