WO2017150851A1

WO2017150851A1 - Oven

Info

Publication number: WO2017150851A1
Application number: PCT/KR2017/002079
Authority: WO
Inventors: Qasim Khan; Myoung Keun Kwon; Sang Jin Kim; Dong Ho Park; Dong Bum Lee; Sang-Jin Lee; Jung Hak Lee
Original assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 2016-02-29
Filing date: 2017-02-24
Publication date: 2017-09-08
Also published as: US20170248321A1; KR20170101466A

Abstract

Provided herein is an oven in which a door has a double door structure that includes a first door formed of a transparent material and a second door formed of an opaque material to simultaneously ensure visibility and heat insulation. The oven includes a main body, a cooking compartment provided inside the main body and having an open front surface, a first door rotatably coupled to the main body to open and close the cooking compartment, formed of a transparent material to make an inside of the cooking compartment visible from the outside, and locked to and unlocked from the main body by a locking device, and a second door formed of an opaque material, rotatably coupled to a front surface of the first door, and locked to and unlocked from the first door by the locking device.

Description

OVEN

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an oven having a double door structure.

Generally, an oven is an apparatus that includes a cooking compartment, a heating device configured to apply heat to the cooking compartment, and a circulating fan configured to circulate heat generated by the heating device throughout an inside of the cooking compartment, and cooks food. An oven is an apparatus that seals a cooking compartment to heat and cook an object to be cooked, and may generally be classified into an electric type, a gas type, and an electronic type according to a heat source. An electric oven uses an electric heater as a heat source, and a gas oven and a microwave respectively use heat caused by gas and frictional heat of water molecules caused by high frequency waves as heat sources. Generally, an oven includes a main body configured to form an exterior and have a cooking compartment that has an open front surface to enable food to be cooked to be inserted therein, and a door installed at a front surface of the main body to selectively open and close the cooking compartment. The door is formed of the plurality of glass sheets to prevent the heat inside the cooking compartment from being emitted to the outside, and a temperature of the door is lowered through air flow passages formed between the plurality of glass sheets to prevent the heat inside the cooking compartment from being transmitted to a surface of the door. The door is formed of glass to ensure visibility of an inside of the cooking compartment from an outside thereof. Thus, despite the door being formed of the plurality of glass sheets, there are limitations in securing heat insulation inside the cooking compartment. Also, because the door is formed of glass, the exterior of the oven cannot be designed to be opaque and there are limitations in designing the exterior.

Therefore, it is an aspect of the present disclosure to provide an oven in which a door has a double door structure that includes a first door formed of a transparent material and a second door formed of an opaque material to simultaneously ensure visibility and heat insulation.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an oven includes a main body, a cooking compartment provided inside the main body and having an open front surface, a first door rotatably coupled to the main body to open and close the cooking compartment, formed of a transparent material to make an inside of the cooking compartment visible from an outside thereof, and locked to and unlocked from the main body by a locking device, and a second door formed of an opaque material, rotatably coupled to a front surface of the first door, and locked to and unlocked from the first door by the locking device.

A handle may be coupled to a front surface of the second door, and the locking device may include a support coupled to the handle, a rotary lever coupled to the support to be rotatable in a horizontal direction, a lever unit engaged with the rotary lever to rotate in a vertical direction, a bracket having the lever unit rotatably coupled thereto, and a locking member having the lever unit locked and unlocked thereto and therefrom.

The locking member may include a first locking member provided at the first door and a second locking member provided at the main body.

The lever unit may include a first lever unit engaged with the rotary lever and locked to and unlocked from the first locking member, and a second lever unit engaged with the first lever unit and locked to and unlocked from the second locking member.

The bracket may include a first bracket coupled to the front surface of the second door and having the first lever unit rotatably coupled thereto, and a second bracket coupled to the first door and having the second lever unit rotatably coupled thereto.

The support may include a housing accommodated in and coupled to a rear surface of the handle and a rear cover coupled to an open rear surface of the housing, and the rotary lever may be rotatably coupled to the housing.

The rotary lever may include a hinge protrusion rotatably coupled to the housing, a pressing portion exposed to the outside of the rear cover and configured to rotate in the horizontal direction about the hinge protrusion, a support portion elastically supported at the housing by a spring, and a rotation-inducing portion configured to come into contact with the first lever unit, rotate in the horizontal direction about the hinge protrusion, and induce rotation of the first lever unit.

The first lever unit may be rotatably coupled to the first bracket by a first rotating shaft, and may include a first contact portion configured to come into contact with the rotation-inducing portion and rotate in the vertical direction about the first rotating shaft, and a first locking portion configured to come into contact with the second lever unit, rotate in the vertical direction about the first rotating shaft, and be locked to and unlocked from the first locking member.

The second lever unit may be rotatably coupled to the second bracket by a second rotating shaft, and may include a second contact portion configured to come into contact with the first locking portion and rotate in the vertical direction about the second rotating shaft, and a second locking portion configured to rotate in the vertical direction about the second rotating shaft and be locked to and unlocked from the second locking member.

When the second door is locked to the first door by the locking device and the first door is unlocked from the main body, both the first door and the second door may be opened and the cooking compartment may be opened.

When the second door is unlocked from the first door by the locking device and the first door is locked to the main body, the first door may keep the cooking compartment closed and only the second door may be opened.

When the first door closes the cooking compartment and only the second door is open, heat inside the cooking compartment may be prevented from being emitted to the outside by the first door and the inside of the cooking compartment may be visible from the outside through the first door.

The second door may have a folding structure which is only partially openable, and, when the second door is locked to the first door by the locking device and the first door is unlocked from the main body, both the first door and the second door may be opened and the cooking compartment may be opened.

The second door may have a folding structure which is only partially openable, and, when the second door is unlocked from the first door by the locking device and the first door is locked to the main body, the first door may keep the cooking compartment closed and the second door may be only partially opened.

When the first door closes the cooking compartment and the second door is only partially open, heat inside the cooking compartment may be prevented from being emitted to the outside by the first door and the inside of the cooking compartment may be visible from the outside through a portion of the first door corresponding to an open portion of the second door.

Also, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, an oven includes a main body, a cooking compartment provided inside the main body and having an open front surface, a first door rotatably coupled to the main body to open and close the cooking compartment, including a transparent portion formed of a transparent material to make an inside of the cooking compartment visible from an outside thereof and an opaque portion formed of an opaque material, and locked to and unlocked from the main body by a locking device, and a second door formed of an opaque material, rotatably coupled to a front surface of the first door, and locked to and unlocked from the first door by the locking device.

The second door may have a folding structure in which only a portion corresponding to the transparent portion is openable, and, when the second door is unlocked from the first door by the locking device and the first door is locked to the main body, the first door may keep the cooking compartment closed and only a portion of the second door corresponding to the transparent portion may be opened.

When the first door closes the cooking compartment and only the portion of the second door corresponding to the transparent portion is open, heat inside the cooking compartment may be prevented from being emitted to the outside by the first door and the inside of the cooking compartment may be visible from the outside through the open portion of the second door.

Also, according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure, an oven includes a main body, a cooking compartment provided inside the main body and having an open front surface, a first door rotatably coupled to the main body to open and close the cooking compartment, and including a transparent portion formed of a transparent material to make an inside of the cooking compartment visible from an outside thereof and an opaque portion formed of an opaque material, and a second door formed of an opaque material and rotatably provided at a front surface of the first door to open and close the transparent portion.

According to embodiments of the present disclosure, visibility and heat insulation can be simultaneously ensured by a door having a double door structure.

Also, because an exterior of the door can be designed to be opaque, a design of the exterior can be improved.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an oven according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a view illustrating a state in which a door of the oven is open according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a lateral cross-sectional view of the oven according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the door according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a view illustrating a state in which a second door of the door is rotated from a first door thereof and opened according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a view illustrating a state in which a support and a rotary lever are coupled to a handle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a view illustrating FIG. 6 from a different angle;

FIG. 8 is a view illustrating a state in which a first lever unit is provided to be locked to and unlocked from a first locking member according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9 is a view illustrating a state in which a second lever unit is provided to be locked to and unlocked from a second locking member according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 10 is a view illustrating a state in which the first lever unit is rotatably coupled to a first bracket according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 11 is a view illustrating a state in which the second lever unit is rotatably coupled to a second bracket according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a locking device when both the first door and the second door are closed according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the locking device when both the first door and the second door are open according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 14 is a view illustrating a state in which the first door and the second door are completely open according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the locking device when a pressing portion is pressed while the both first door and the second door are closed according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the locking device when the second door is unlocked from the first door and opened according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 17 is a view illustrating a state in which the second door is opened from the first door according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 18 is a view illustrating a state in which the second door is completely opened from the first door according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the locking device when the second door is completely opened from the first door and then a force that is pressing the pressing portion is removed according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the locking device when the second door is being closed according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which the first lever unit comes into contact with the first locking member as the second door is closed according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 22A, 22B and 22C are views schematically illustrating a state in which a door of an oven is opened and closed according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 23A, 23B and 23C are views schematically illustrating a state in which a door of an oven is opened and closed according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIGS. 24A, 24B and 24C are views schematically illustrating a state in which a door of an oven is opened and closed according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.

Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the description below, a front surface refers to a surface facing forward with respect to a main body of an oven, and a rear surface refers to a surface facing rearward with respect to the main body of the oven.

Also, an upper portion refers to a portion facing upward with respect to the main body of the oven, and a lower portion refers to a portion facing downward with respect to the main body of the oven.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an oven according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG. 2 is a view illustrating a state in which a door of the oven is open according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 3 is a lateral cross-sectional view of the oven according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, the oven includes a main body 10 configured to form an exterior thereof, a cooking compartment 20 provided inside the main body 10 to have an open front surface, a cooktop 30 provided at the top of the oven to enable a container filled with an object to be cooked to be placed thereon and heated, and a door 100 provided at a front surface of the main body 10 to open and close the cooking compartment 20.

The main body 10 may include a front panel 11 configured to form the front surface of the main body 10, a side panel 13 configured to form a side surface of the main body 10, and a rear panel 15 configured to form a rear surface of the main body 10.

An opening 11a is provided at the front panel 11 to enable a front surface of the cooking compartment 20 provided inside the main body 10 to be opened.

An electric component compartment cover 17 configured to cover a front surface of an electric component compartment 60, which will be described below, may be provided at an upper portion of a front surface of the front panel 11, and a display module 50, which will be described below, may be mounted at the electric component compartment cover 17.

A through-hole 15a is provided at the rear panel 15 to enable air to be suctioned into the electric component compartment 60, which will be described below, and outside air suctioned into the electric component compartment 60 through the through-hole 15a flows inside the electric component compartment 60 and cools electric components therein.

The cooking compartment 20 is provided to have a box shape inside the main body 10, and the front surface thereof is open through the opening 11a at the front panel 11 to enable an object to be cooked to be put in and taken out of the cooking compartment 20.

A plurality of support stands 21 may be provided at both sidewalls inside the cooking compartment 20, and racks 23 on which the object to be cooked may be placed may be mounted at the plurality of support stands 21.

A divider (not illustrated) configured to partition the cooking compartment 20 into a plurality of sections may be detachably mounted at the plurality of support stands 21.

Sizes of the plurality of sections of the cooking compartment 20 partitioned by the divider do not have to be the same, and the sizes thereof may be different from each other. The divider may be formed of an insulating material and insulate each of the sections of the cooking compartment 20.

In this way, a space of the cooking compartment 20 partitioned into a plurality of sections may be utilized for various purposes according to a user’s intention.

A heater 22 configured to heat an object to be heated may be provided in the cooking compartment 20, and the heater 22 may be an electric heater including an electric resistor.

The heater 22 is not limited to the electric heater, and may also be a gas heater configured to burn gas to generate heat.

Consequently, the oven may include an electric oven and a gas oven.

A circulating fan 25 configured to circulate air in the cooking compartment 20 to evenly heat an object to be cooked, and a circulating motor 24 configured to drive the circulating fan 25 may be provided at a rear portion of the cooking compartment 20.

A fan cover 26 configured to cover the circulating fan 25 may be provided at a front surface of the circulating fan 25, and a through-hole 27 is formed at the fan cover 26 to enable air to flow therethrough.

The open front surface of the cooking compartment 20 may be opened and closed by the door 100, and the door 100 may be hinge-coupled to a lower portion of the main body 10 to be rotatable with respect to the main body 10.

A handle 130 configured to be gripped by a user to enable the door 100 to open and close the cooking compartment 20 may be provided at an upper portion of the front surface of the door 100.

A detailed configuration of the door 100 will be described below.

A storage compartment 40 may be provided at a lower portion of the cooking compartment 20, and a cooking container and the like may be kept inside the storage compartment 40.

The storage compartment 40 may be provided to be slidable in a horizontal direction and inserted into the main body 10 or withdrawn from the main body 10.

The display module 50 configured to display various types of operation information of the oven and receive an operation command from a user may be mounted at the electric component compartment cover 17 provided at the upper portion of the front surface of the front panel 11, and a manipulation portion 51 provided to further operate the oven may be provided at the electric component compartment cover 17.

The electric component compartment 60 configured to accommodate electric components that control operations of various types of accessories including the display module 50 is provided in the oven.

The electric component compartment 60 is provided above the cooking compartment 20, and an insulator 61 configured to insulate the electric component compartment 60 from the cooking compartment 20 to prevent hot air in the cooking compartment 20 from being delivered to the electric component compartment 60 is provided between the electric component compartment 60 and the cooking compartment 20.

In addition to being provided between the electric component compartment 60 and the cooking compartment 20, the insulator 61 may also be provided to cover the entire outer portion of the cooking compartment 20 to prevent hot air in the cooking compartment 20 from being delivered outside the oven.

Because a temperature inside the electric component compartment 60 may be increased due to hot air from various types of electric components therein, a cooling structure configured to circulate air around the electric component compartment 60 to cool the electric component compartment 60 is provided in the oven.

The cooling structure of the oven may include a cooling fan unit 62 configured to circulate air, and a cooling flow passage 63 configured to discharge air suctioned by the cooling fan unit 62 toward a front portion of the oven.

Air outside the oven may be suctioned into the electric component compartment 60 through the through-hole 15a formed at the rear panel 15, and the air suctioned into the electric component compartment 60 may flow inside the electric component compartment 60, cool the electric components therein, and then be discharged toward the front portion of the oven through an outlet 64.

A portion of air inside the cooking compartment 20 may be suctioned toward the cooling flow passage 63 through an air exhaust flow passage 65 and discharged toward the front surface of the oven.

Also, a bypass hole 66 configured to introduce a portion of air flowing from the cooling flow passage 63 to the outlet 64 into the air exhaust flow passage 65 may be further formed, and the bypass hole 66 is opened and closed by an opening/closing device 67.

Because an amount of the portion of the air flowing from the cooling flow passage 63 to the outlet 64 introduced into the air exhaust flow passage 65 is adjusted according to the opening/closing device 67 opening and closing the bypass hole 66, an amount of air exhausted from the cooking compartment 20 to the air exhaust flow passage 65 may be adjusted.

Next, a structure of the door 100 configured to open and close the cooking compartment 20 will be described in detail.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the door according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 5 is a view illustrating a state in which a second door of the door is rotated from a first door thereof and opened according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 5, the door 100 rotatably coupled to the front surface of the main body 10 to open and close the cooking compartment 20 includes a first door 110 rotatably coupled to the front surface of the main body 10, a second door 120 rotatably coupled to a front surface of the first door 110, and the handle 130 provided at an upper portion of a front surface of the second door 120 to be gripped by a user.

The first door 110 includes a front glass sheet 111 installed at a front surface thereof, a rear glass sheet 112 installed at a rear surface of the front glass sheet 111 to seal the cooking compartment 20, and a middle glass sheet 113 provided between the front glass sheet 111 and the rear glass sheet 112. A side support frame 114 and an upper support frame 115 are respectively provided at a side surface and an upper portion of the first door 110 to support the front glass sheet 111, the rear glass sheet 112, and the middle glass sheet 113 (see FIG. 12).

A first opening 116 having a locking device 500, which will be described below, passing therethrough may be provided at a central portion of the upper support frame 115.

The first door 110 is rotatably coupled to the main body by a first hinge 117 and is formed of the plurality of

glass sheets

111, 112, and 113 to enable an inside of the cooking compartment 20 to be visible from the outside even when the first door 110 has closed the cooking compartment 20.

Because the first door 110 is formed of a transparent material such as glass, the inside of the cooking compartment 20 may be visible from the outside even when the first door 110 is closed to close the cooking compartment 20 to prevent heat inside the cooking compartment 20 from being emitted to the outside, and a cooking state of food and the like being cooked inside the cooking compartment 20 may be checked.

The second door 120 is formed of an opaque material and is rotatably coupled to the front surface of the first door 110 by a second hinge 123.

The handle 130 is provided at the upper portion of the front surface of the second door 120 to be gripped by a user to open and close the door 100, and the second opening 123 may be provided at a position corresponding to that of the first opening 116 of the first door 110 at a central portion of an upper portion of the second door 120.

When both the first door 110 and the second door 120 are closed, the heat inside the cooking compartment 20 is doubly blocked by the first door 110 and the second door 120, and thus may be efficiently prevented from being emitted to the outside.

Because the second door 120 is formed of an opaque material, the heat inside the cooking compartment 20 may be more efficiently prevented from being emitted to the outside, and safety may be improved by, for example, a surface temperature of the second door 120 being lowered and a user being prevented from being burned when gripping the handle 130 provided at the second door 120.

Also, because a color of the second door 120 may be freely chosen to match colors of the surrounding environment of the oven, the exterior of the oven may be designed to be harmonious with other kitchen appliances.

In a case in which a cooking state of food and the like being cooked inside the cooking compartment 20 is attempted to be checked, the inside of the cooking compartment 20 is visible through the first door 110 so that the inside of the cooking compartment 20 is visible from the outside while simultaneously preventing the heat inside the cooking compartment 20 from being emitted to the outside when only the second door 120 is opened without requiring both of the first door 110 and the second door 120 to be opened.

The locking device 500 is provided at a rear surface of the handle 130 to enable only the second door 120 to be opened or both of the first door 110 and the second door 120 to be opened by gripping the handle 130 provided at the upper portion of the front surface of the second door 120.

As illustrated in FIG. 12, the locking device 500 includes supports (also referred to herein as housings) 510 and 520 (see FIGS. 6 and 7) coupled to the handle 130, a rotary lever 530 coupled to the

supports

510 and 520 to be rotatable in the horizontal direction,

lever units

540 and 550 configured to be engaged with the rotary lever 530 to rotate in a vertical direction,

brackets

560 and 570 having the

lever units

540 and 550 rotatably coupled thereto, and a locking member 580 (see FIGS. 8 and 11) having the

lever units

540 and 550 locked and unlocked thereto and therefrom.

A detailed configuration of the locking device 500 will be closely examined with reference to FIGS. 6 to 11.

FIG. 6 is a view illustrating a state in which a support and a rotary lever are coupled to a handle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG. 7 is a view illustrating FIG. 6 from a different angle, FIG. 8 is a view illustrating a state in which a first lever unit is provided to be locked to and unlocked from a first locking member according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG. 9 is a view illustrating a state in which a second lever unit is provided to be locked to and unlocked from a second locking member according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG. 10 is a view illustrating a state in which the first lever unit is rotatably coupled to a first bracket according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 11 is a view illustrating a state in which the second lever unit is rotatably coupled to a second bracket according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

As illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, the supports (also referred to herein as housings) 510 and 520 coupled to the rear surface of the handle 130 include a housing 510 accommodated in and coupled to the rear surface of the handle 130, and a rear cover (also referred to herein a support, or as a housing) 520 coupled to an open rear surface of the housing 510.

A support holder 131 having the

supports

510 and 520 accommodated therein is provided at the rear surface of the handle 130, and a support coupling hole 133 having the

supports

510 and 520 coupled thereto by an engaging member B is provided at the support holder 131.

The housing 510 may be accommodated in and coupled to the support holder 131, and the housing 510 may include a first coupling hole 511 provided at a position corresponding to that of the support coupling hole 133 and coupled to the support coupling hole 133 by the engaging member B, a hinge hole 513 having the rotary lever 530 rotatably coupled thereto, and a first support portion 515 configured to elastically support the rotary lever 530 with a spring S.

The rear cover 520 may be coupled to a rear surface of the housing 510 and cover the open rear surface of the housing 510, and the rear cover 520 may include a second coupling hole 521 provided at a position corresponding to that of the support coupling hole 133, an opening 523 having a portion of the rotary lever 530 that is rotatably coupled to the housing 510 exposed to the outside therethrough, and a cover 525 configured to enable the rotary lever 530 to come into contact with the

lever units

540 and 550 while preventing the rotary lever 530 from being exposed to the outside.

The second coupling hole 521 is provided at a position corresponding to those of the support coupling hole 133 of the handle 130 and the first coupling hole 511 of the housing 510 to enable the rear cover 520 to be coupled to the handle 130 together with the housing 510 by the engaging member B.

The opening 523 is provided at the rear surface of the rear cover 520 and exposes a pressing portion 533 of the rotary lever 530, which will be described below, to the outside and enables a user to press the pressing portion 533.

The cover 525 enables a rotation-inducing portion 537 of the rotary lever 530, which will be described below, to come into contact with a first lever unit 540 and induce rotation of the first lever unit 540 while preventing the rotation-inducing portion 537 from being exposed to the outside.

The rotary lever 530 may include a hinge protrusion 531 rotatably coupled to the hinge hole 513, the pressing portion 533 exposed to the outside through the opening 523 of the rear cover 520 to be pressed by a user, a second support portion 535 provided at the opposite side of the pressing portion 533 to support one side of the spring S and configured to enable the rotary lever 530 to be elastically supported by the spring S, and the rotation-inducing portion 537 configured to come into contact with the first lever unit 540 and induce rotation of the first lever unit 540.

In the rotary lever 530, the pressing portion 533 rotates forward about the hinge protrusion 531 when the hinge protrusion 531 is coupled to the hinge hole 513 of the housing 510 to be rotatable in the horizontal direction and a user presses the pressing portion 533 while gripping the handle 130.

As the pressing portion 533 is rotated forward about the hinge protrusion 531, the spring S supported between the first support portion 515 of the housing 510 and the second support portion 535 of the rotary lever 530 is compressed.

When the pressing portion 533 is rotated forward about the hinge protrusion 531, the rotation-inducing portion 537 is rotated rearward about the hinge protrusion 531 and pushes the first lever unit 540 rearward.

When the user detaches his or her hand from the pressing portion 533 and the force that was pressing the pressing portion 533 is removed, the pressing portion 533 is rotated rearward about the hinge protrusion 531 by an elastic force of the spring S, and the rotation-inducing portion 537 is rotated forward about the hinge protrusion 531.

As illustrated in FIGS. 8 to 11, the

lever units

540 and 550 include the first lever unit 540 engaged with the rotary lever 530 to be locked to and unlocked from a first locking member 581, which will be described below, and the second lever unit 550 engaged with the first lever unit 540 to be locked to and unlocked from a second locking member 583, which will be described below.

The

brackets

560 and 570 include a first bracket 560 coupled to the second door 120 and having the first lever unit 540 rotatably coupled thereto, and a second bracket 570 coupled to the first door 110 and having the second lever unit 550 rotatably coupled thereto.

The first lever unit 540 is rotatably coupled to the first bracket 560 in the vertical direction by a first rotating shaft 541, and may include a first rotation hole 543 having the first rotating shaft 541 rotatably inserted thereinto, a first contact portion 545 configured to come into contact with the rotation-inducing portion 537 and rotate in the vertical direction about the first rotating shaft 541, a first locking portion 547 configured to come into contact with the second lever unit 550, rotate in the vertical direction about the first rotating shaft 541, and be locked to and unlocked from the first locking member 581, and a first support protrusion 549 configured to elastically support a pair of first elastic members 591, which will be described below.

The first contact portion 545 comes into contact with the rotation-inducing portion 537 of the rotary lever 530. When a user presses the pressing portion 533 and the rotation-inducing portion 537 rotates rearward about the hinge protrusion 531, the first contact portion 545 is rotated upward about the first rotating shaft 541 by the rotation-inducing portion 537.

When the first contact portion 545 is rotated upward about the first rotating shaft 541, the first locking portion 547 is also rotated upward about the first rotating shaft 541.

When the first locking portion 547 is rotated upward about the first rotating shaft 541, the first locking portion 547 is unlocked from the first locking member 581. This will be described in detail below.

The first bracket 560 is coupled to the front surface of the second door 120, and includes a second rotation hole 561 having the first rotating shaft 541 rotatably inserted thereinto, and a second support protrusion 563 configured to elastically support the pair of first elastic members 591.

One side of each of the pair of first elastic members 591 is supported by the first support protrusion 549 of the first lever unit 540, and the other side thereof is supported by the second support protrusion 563 of the first bracket 560.

The second lever unit 550 is rotatably coupled to the second bracket 570 in the vertical direction by a second rotating shaft 551, and may include a third rotation hole 553 having the second rotating shaft 551 rotatably inserted thereinto, a second contact portion 555 configured to come into contact with the first locking portion 547 and rotate in the vertical direction about the second rotating shaft 551, a second locking portion 557 configured to rotate in the vertical direction about the second rotating shaft 551 and be locked to and unlocked from the second locking member 583, and a third support protrusion 559 configured to elastically support a second elastic member 593, which will be described below.

The second contact portion 555 comes into contact with and is supported by the first locking portion 547 of the first lever unit 540. When the first locking portion 547 is rotated upward about the first rotating shaft 541, the second contact portion 555 stays in contact with the first locking portion 547 and is rotated upward about the second rotating shaft 551.

When the second contact portion 555 is rotated upward about the second rotating shaft 551, the second locking portion 557 is rotated downward about the second rotating shaft 551.

When the second locking portion 557 is rotated downward about the second rotating shaft 551, the second locking portion 557 is locked to the second locking member 583. This will be described in detail below.

The second bracket 570 is coupled to the first door 110, and includes a fourth rotation hole 571 having the second rotating shaft 551 rotatably inserted thereinto, and a fourth support protrusion 573 configured to elastically support the second elastic member 593.

One side of the second elastic member 593 is supported by the third support protrusion 559 of the second lever unit 550, and the other side thereof is supported by the fourth support protrusion 573 of the second bracket 570.

Next, an operation in which the first door 110 and the second door 120 are opened and closed by the locking device 500 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 12 to 21.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a locking device when both the first door and the second door are closed according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the locking device when both the first door and the second door are open according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG. 14 is a view illustrating a state in which the first door and the second door are completely open according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the locking device when a pressing portion is pressed while both the first door and the second door are closed according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the locking device when the second door is unlocked from the first door and opened according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG. 17 is a view illustrating a state in which the second door is opened from the first door according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG. 18 is a view illustrating a state in which the second door is completely opened from the first door according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the locking device when the second door is completely opened from the first door and then a force that was pressing the pressing portion is removed according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the locking device when the second door is being closed according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which the first lever unit comes into contact with the first locking member as the second door is closed according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

When the door 100 is closed to close the cooking compartment 20 as illustrated in FIG. 3, the first lever unit 540 is locked to the first locking member 581, and the second lever unit 550 is unlocked from the second locking member 583 as illustrated in FIG. 12.

Because the first lever unit 540 is locked to the first locking member 581, both the first door 110 and the second door 120 are open. Because the second lever unit 540 is unlocked from the second locking member 583, the first door 110 may be opened.

When a user grips the handle 130 and pulls the handle 130 forward while both the first door 110 and the second door 120 are closed, both the first door 110 and the second door 120 are opened as illustrated in FIG. 13, and the cooking compartment 20 is opened as illustrated in FIG. 14.

When the user grips the handle 130 and presses the pressing portion 533 of the rotary lever 530 while both the first door 110 and the second door 120 are closed as illustrated in FIG. 12, the rotation-inducing portion 537 of the rotary lever 530 is rotated rearward and moves rearward as illustrated in FIG. 15.

Because the rotation-inducing portion 537 moves rearward while in contact with the first contact portion 545 of the first lever unit 540, the first contact portion 545 and the first locking portion 547 are rotated upward about the first rotating shaft 541.

The first locking portion 547 is rotated upward about the first rotating shaft 541 and is unlocked from the first locking member 581, and the second contact portion 555 of the second lever unit 550 supported by the first locking portion 547 is rotated upward about the second rotating shaft 551.

When the second contact portion 555 is rotated upward about the second rotating shaft 551, the second locking portion 557 is rotated downward about the second rotating shaft 551 and is locked to the second locking member 583.

Here, the first elastic members 591 are compressed by the first locking portion 547 being rotated upward about the first rotating shaft 541, the second elastic member 593 is released from a compressed state by the second locking portion 557 being rotated downward about the second rotating shaft 551, and the second locking portion 557 stays locked to the second locking member 583 by an elastic force.

When the user grips the handle 130 and pulls the handle 130 forward while the first locking portion 547 is unlocked from the first locking member 581 and the second locking portion 557 is locked to the second locking member 583, the first door 110 stays closed, and the second door 120 is opened as illustrated in FIGS. 16 and 17.

When the second door 120 is completely open as illustrated in FIG. 18 while only the second door 120 is open, heat inside the cooking compartment 20 is prevented from being emitted to the outside by the first door 110, and the inside of the cooking compartment 20 is visible from the outside through the first door 110.

When the user detaches his or her hand from the handle 130 and releases the force that was pressing the pressing portion 533 while the second door 120 is completely open as illustrated in FIG. 18, the rotation-inducing portion 537 moves forward as illustrated in FIG. 19 (see FIG. 6).

When the rotation-inducing portion 537 moves forward, the first locking portion 547 is rotated downward about the first rotating shaft 541 by the elastic force of the first elastic members 591 which were pressed, the first contact portion 545 is also rotated downward about the first rotating shaft 541, and the first contact portion 545 and the rotation-inducing portion 537 stay in contact with each other.

The user grips the handle 130 while only the second door 120 is open as illustrated in FIG. 19 to close the second door 120 as illustrated in FIG. 20.

Because the first locking portion 547 is in a state of being rotated downward about the first rotating shaft 541 by the elastic force of the first elastic members 591 when the second door 120 is being closed as illustrated in FIG. 20, the first locking portion 547 comes into contact with a front surface of the first locking member 581 as illustrated in FIG. 21.

When the second door 120 is continuously pushed rearward while the first locking portion 547 is in contact with the front surface of the first locking member 581, the first locking portion 547 compresses the first elastic members 591 and is rotated upward about the first rotating shaft 541.

As the first locking portion 547 is rotated upward about the first rotating shaft 541, the first locking portion 547 is pushed over the front surface of the first locking member 581 and is locked to the first locking member 581 as illustrated in FIG. 12.

The first locking portion 547 that is pushed over the front surface of the first locking member 581 is rotated downward about the first rotating shaft 541 by the elastic force of the compressed first elastic members 591 and is locked to the first locking member 581.

When the first locking portion 547 is rotated downward about the first rotating shaft 541 and presses the second contact portion 555 of the second lever unit 550 downward, the second contact portion 555 is rotated downward about the second rotating shaft 551, and the second locking portion 557 is rotated upward about the second rotating shaft 551 by the second elastic member 593 being compressed and is unlocked from the second locking member 583.

When the user grips the handle 130 and presses the pressing portion 533 while the second door 120 is completely open as illustrated in FIGS. 18 and 19, because the first locking portion 547 is in a state of being rotated upward about the first rotating shaft 541 as illustrated in FIG. 16, the first locking portion 547 does not come into contact with the front surface of the first locking member 581 when the second door 120 is being closed.

In the above case, because the force that was pressing the pressing portion 533 is removed when the second door 120 is closed and the user detaches his or her hand from the handle 130, the first locking portion 547 is rotated downward about the first rotating shaft 541 by the elastic force of the compressed first elastic members 591 and is locked to the first locking member 581.

Next, a door according to other embodiments will be described with reference to FIGS. 22 to 24 in which an oven is schematically illustrated.

FIGS. 22A, 22B and 22C are views schematically illustrating a state in which a door of an oven is opened and closed according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, FIGS. 23A, 23B and 23C are views schematically illustrating a state in which a door of an oven is opened and closed according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIGS. 24A, 24B and 24C are views schematically illustrating a state in which a door of an oven is opened and closed according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.

As illustrated in FIG. 22A, a door 200 may include a first door 210 rotatably coupled to the front surface of the main body 10, a second door 220 coupled to a front surface of the first door 210 to be rotatable together with the first door 210, and a handle 230 provided at an upper portion of a front surface of the second door 220 to be gripped by a user.

The first door 210 and the second door 220 are rotatably coupled to the main body 10 by a first hinge 211, the first door 210 is formed of a plurality of glass sheets which are made of a transparent material, and the second door 220 is formed of an opaque material.

The second door 220 may have a folding structure in which only an upper portion of the second door 220 is opened by a second hinge 221 provided at a central portion of the second door 220.

A locking device (not illustrated) configured to enable the first door 210 to be locked to and unlocked from the main body 10 and enable the second door 220 to be locked to and unlocked from the first door 210 is the same as the locking device 500 illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 21. Thus, a description thereof will be omitted.

In a case in which the cooking compartment 20 is attempted to be opened, when a user grips the handle 230 and pulls the handle 230 forward, both the first door 210 and the second door 220 are opened, and the cooking compartment 20 is opened as illustrated in FIG. 22B.

In a case in which a state of food and the like being cooked inside the cooking compartment 20 is attempted to be checked by viewing the inside of the cooking compartment 20 from the outside without opening the cooking compartment 20, when the second door 220 is unlocked from the first door 210 by the locking device and then the handle 230 is gripped and pulled forward, only the upper portion of the second door 220 is opened, and the inside of the cooking compartment 20 is visible through a portion of the first door 210 corresponding to the open portion of the second door 220 as illustrated in FIG. 22C.

As illustrated in FIG. 23A, a door 300 may include a first door 310 rotatably coupled to the front surface of the main body 10, a second door 320 coupled to a front surface of the first door 310 to be rotatable together with the first door 310, and a handle 330 provided at an upper portion of a front surface of the second door 320 to be gripped by a user.

The first door 310 may include a transparent portion 311 formed of a transparent material and placed at an upper portion of the first door 310, and an opaque portion 313 formed of an opaque material and placed below the transparent portion 311, and the second door 320 may be formed of an opaque material.

The first door 310 and the second door 320 may be rotatably coupled to the main body 10 by a first hinge 315, and the second door 320 may have a folding structure in which only a portion of the second door 320 corresponding to the transparent portion 311 of the first door 310 is opened by a second hinge 321 provided at a central portion of the second door 320.

A locking device (not illustrated) configured to enable the first door 310 to be locked to and unlocked from the main body 10 and enable the second door 320 to be locked to and unlocked from the first door 310 is the same as the locking device 500 illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 21. Thus, a description thereof will be omitted.

In a case in which the cooking compartment 20 is attempted to be opened, when a user grips the handle 330 and pulls the handle 330 forward, both the first door 310 and the second door 320 are opened, and the cooking compartment 20 is opened as illustrated in FIG. 23B.

In a case in which a state of food and the like being cooked inside the cooking compartment 20 is attempted to be checked by viewing the inside of the cooking compartment 20 from the outside without opening the cooking compartment 20, when the second door 320 is unlocked from the first door 310 by the locking device and then the handle 330 is gripped and pulled forward, only the upper portion of the second door 320 is opened, and the inside of the cooking compartment 20 is visible through the open portion of the second door 320 and the transparent portion 311 of the first door 310 as illustrated in FIG. 23C.

As illustrated in FIG. 24A, a door 400 may include a first door 410 rotatably coupled to the front surface of the main body 10, a second door 420 coupled to a front surface of the first door 410 to be rotatable together with the first door 410, and a handle 430 provided at an upper portion of a front surface of the second door 420 to be gripped by a user.

The first door 410 may include a transparent portion 411 formed of a transparent material and placed at a central portion of the first door 410, and an opaque portion 413 formed of an opaque material and placed above and below the transparent portion 411, and the second door 420 may be formed of an opaque material.

The first door 410 and the second door 420 may be rotatably coupled to the main body 10 by a first hinge 415, and the second door 420 may have a folding structure in which only a portion of the second door 420 corresponding to the transparent portion 411 of the first door 410 is opened by a second hinge 421.

A locking device (not illustrated) configured to enable the first door 410 to be locked to and unlocked from the main body 10 and enable the second door 420 to be locked to and unlocked from the first door 410 is the same as the locking device 500 illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 21. Thus, a description thereof will be omitted.

In a case in which the cooking compartment 20 is attempted to be opened, when a user grips the handle 430 and pulls the handle 430 forward, both the first door 410 and the second door 420 are opened, and the cooking compartment 20 is opened as illustrated in FIG. 24B.

In a case in which a state of food and the like being cooked inside the cooking compartment 20 is attempted to be checked by viewing the inside of the cooking compartment 20 from the outside without opening the cooking compartment 20, when the second door 420 is unlocked from the first door 410 by the locking device and then the handle 430 is gripped and pulled forward, only a portion of the second door 420 corresponding to the transparent portion 411 of the first door 410 is opened, and the cooking compartment 20 is visible through the open portion of the second door 420 and the transparent portion 411 of the first door 410 as illustrated in FIG. 24C.

Although the oven has been described above on the basis of particular shapes and directions, the particular shapes and directions may be modified and changed in various ways by one of ordinary skill in the art, and such modifications and changes are to be understood as belonging to the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

An oven comprising:

a main body;

a cooking compartment provided inside the main body and having an open front surface;

a locking device;

a first door rotatably coupled to the main body to open and close the cooking compartment, formed of a transparent material to make an inside of the cooking compartment visible from an outside thereof, and locked to and unlocked from the main body by the locking device; and

a second door formed of an opaque material, rotatably coupled to a front surface of the first door, and locked to and unlocked from the first door by the locking device.
The oven of claim 1, further comprising:

a handle coupled to a front surface of the second door,

wherein the locking device includes:

a support coupled to the handle,

a rotary lever coupled to the support to be rotatable in a horizontal direction,

a lever unit engaged with the rotary lever to rotate in a vertical direction,

a bracket having the lever unit rotatably coupled thereto, and

a locking member having the lever unit locked and unlocked thereto and therefrom.
The oven of claim 2, wherein the locking member includes:

a first locking member provided at the first door, and

a second locking member provided at the main body.
The oven of claim 3, wherein the lever unit includes:

a first lever unit engaged with the rotary lever and locked to and unlocked from the first locking member, and

a second lever unit engaged with the first lever unit and locked to and unlocked from the second locking member.
The oven of claim 4, wherein the bracket includes:

a first bracket coupled to the front surface of the second door and having the first lever unit rotatably coupled thereto, and

a second bracket coupled to the first door and having the second lever unit rotatably coupled thereto.
The oven of claim 5, wherein

the support includes a housing accommodated in and coupled to a rear surface of the handle and a rear cover coupled to an open rear surface of the housing, and

the rotary lever is rotatably coupled to the housing.
The oven of claim 6, wherein the rotary lever includes:

a hinge protrusion rotatably coupled to the housing,

a pressing portion exposed to an outside of the rear cover and configured to rotate in the horizontal direction about the hinge protrusion,

a support portion elastically supported at the housing by a spring, and

a rotation-inducing portion configured to come into contact with the first lever unit, rotate in the horizontal direction about the hinge protrusion, and induce rotation of the first lever unit.
The oven of claim 7, wherein the first lever unit is rotatably coupled to the first bracket by a first rotating shaft, and includes:

a first contact portion configured to come into contact with the rotation-inducing portion and rotate in the vertical direction about the first rotating shaft, and

a first locking portion configured to come into contact with the second lever unit, rotate in the vertical direction about the first rotating shaft, and be locked to and unlocked from the first locking member.
The oven of claim 8, wherein the second lever unit is rotatably coupled to the second bracket by a second rotating shaft, and includes:

a second contact portion configured to come into contact with the first locking portion and rotate in the vertical direction about the second rotating shaft, and

a second locking portion configured to rotate in the vertical direction about the second rotating shaft and be locked to and unlocked from the second locking member.
The oven of claim 1, wherein, when the second door is locked to the first door by the locking device and the first door is unlocked from the main body, both the first door and the second door are opened and the cooking compartment is opened.
The oven of claim 1, wherein, when the second door is unlocked from the first door by the locking device and the first door is locked to the main body, the first door keeps the cooking compartment closed and only the second door is opened.
The oven of claim 11, wherein, when the first door closes the cooking compartment and only the second door is open, heat inside the cooking compartment is prevented from being emitted to the outside by the first door and the inside of the cooking compartment is visible through the first door.
The oven of claim 1, wherein the second door has a folding structure which is only partially openable, and, when the second door is locked to the first door by the locking device and the first door is unlocked from the main body, both the first door and the second door are opened and the cooking compartment is opened.
The oven of claim 1, wherein the second door has a folding structure which is only partially openable, and, when the second door is unlocked from the first door by the locking device and the first door is locked to the main body, the first door keeps the cooking compartment closed and the second door is only partially opened.
The oven of claim 14, wherein, when the first door closes the cooking compartment and the second door is only partially open, heat inside the cooking compartment is prevented from being emitted to the outside by the first door and the inside of the cooking compartment is visible from the outside through a portion of the first door corresponding to an open portion of the second door.