BACKGROUND
1. Field
[0001] Embodiments relate to a cooking apparatus having an improved mounting structure of
a heat source to heat food.
2. Description of the Related Art
[0002] A cooking apparatus refers to an apparatus to process or cook food by heating the
food. A halogen heater may be used for a heat source to heat the food in the cooking
apparatus. The halogen heater transmits heat using a visible ray or an infrared ray
and thereby cooks food.
[0003] A cooking apparatus using such a halogen heater uses electricity and therefore does
not consume oxygen nor exhaust toxic gas. Furthermore, the aesthetic appearance of
the cooking apparatus may be improved. Differently from a cooking apparatus using
gas, the halogen heater cooking apparatus has a simple appearance with a flat top
side and therefore is convenient to install in a built-in manner. Accordingly, the
halogen heater is getting spotlighted as a heat source for cooking apparatuses.
SUMMARY
[0004] Therefore, it is an aspect to provide a cooking apparatus to enhance the energy transmission
efficiency by improving a mounting structure of a heater.
[0005] It is another aspect to provide a cooking apparatus enabling uniform distribution
of energy by improving a mounting structure of a heater.
[0006] Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the description which follows and,
in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the
invention.
[0007] In accordance with one aspect, a cooking apparatus includes a plate to put a cooker
thereon, a heater disposed under the plate, and a guide member disposed between the
plate and the heater to induce energy emitted from the heater toward the plate.
[0008] The guide member may include a plurality of tunnels partitioned from one another,
and the tunnels pass and reflect the energy being emitted from the heater.
[0009] The tunnels may have a predetermined length.
[0010] The tunnels may include a material capable of reflecting an image of the heater.
[0011] The guide member may have a lattice structure having a predetermined thickness.
[0012] The heater may include a halogen heater.
[0013] The cooking apparatus may further include a reflection member disposed under the
heater to reflect energy from the heater toward the guide member.
[0014] In accordance with another aspect, a cooking apparatus includes a plate to put a
cooker thereon, a heater disposed under the plate, and a reflection member disposed
under the heater, wherein the reflection member includes at least one uneven surface
part to reflect the energy emitted from the heater in several directions.
[0015] The uneven surface part may include at least one plane surface.
[0016] A guide member may be further provided between the plate and the heater, and the
reflection member may include a peripheral part supporting the guide member.
[0017] The peripheral part may enclose a lateral side of the heater.
[0018] In accordance with another aspect, a cooking apparatus includes a plate to put a
cooker thereon, a heater disposed under the plate to emit energy, a reflection member
disposed under the heater to reflect the energy toward the plate, and a guide member
disposed above the heater to induce the energy toward the plate.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] These and/or other aspects of the invention will become apparent and more readily
appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction
with the accompanying drawings of which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of a cooking apparatus
according to an embodiment;
FIG. 2 is a view showing the structure of the cooking apparatus shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the structure of a cook top of the cooking apparatus
of
FIG. 1; and
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the structure of the cook top shown in FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0020] Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present invention,
examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference
numerals refer to the like elements throughout.
[0021] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of a cooking apparatus
according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a view showing the structure of the cooking
apparatus shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the structure of a cook
top of the cooking apparatus of FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the
structure of the cook top shown in FIG. 1.
[0022] As shown in FIG. 1 through FIG. 4, a cooking apparatus 1 according to the embodiment
includes an oven 10 to heat and cook food under a hermetic state, a cook top 30 disposed
at the upper part of the oven 10 to put a cooker thereon and thereby cook food in
the cooker, a control unit 50 provided at the rear part of the cook top 30 to control
the operations of the oven 10 and the cook top 30, and a drawer unit 70 disposed at
the lower part of the oven 10 to serve as a storage space and perform simple cooking.
[0023] The oven 10 cooks food by convection of heat. To this end, the oven 10 includes a
cooking chamber 18 defined by an upper plate 12, a bottom plate 14, both sidewall
plates (not shown) and a rear plate 16, and an oven door 20 opening and closing an
opened front side of the cooking chamber 18.
[0024] A fan cover 22 is connected at the outside of the rear plate 16. A convection fan
24 is mounted to the fan cover 22 to circulate the inner air of the cooking chamber
18. A convection heater 26 is mounted at an outer circumference of the convection
fan 24. In addition, a fan motor 28 is mounted at the rear part of the fan cover 22
to drive the convection fan 24.
[0025] A plurality of suction holes 16a are formed around the center of the rear plate 16
facing the convection fan 24, so as to draw in the inner air of the cooking chamber
18. Also, a plurality of discharge holes 16b are formed at peripheral parts of the
rear plate 16 to supply heat into the cooking chamber 18.
[0026] After food is put in the cooking chamber 18 and the oven door 20 is closed, when
the oven 10 is turned on, the convection heater 26 is heated. Accordingly, the convection
fan 24 is rotated by the fan motor 28. The inner air of the cooking chamber 18 is
drawn in through the suction holes 16a, thereby being heated by the convection heater
26, and then supplied into the cooking chamber 18 through the discharge holes 16b.
The heated air cooks the food as circulating through the cooking chamber 18.
[0027] The control unit 50 is equipped with a display 52 to display the operational state
of the cooking apparatus 1 and operation knobs 54 to control the operation of the
cooking apparatus 1. The drawer unit 70, being in the form of a drawer, dedicatedly
includes a heater to reheat cooked food or perform simple cooking.
[0028] The cook top 30 is disposed at the upper part of the oven 10. The cook top 30 includes
a cooking hob 32 to put a cooker thereon, and a heating device 34 disposed under the
cooking hob 32 to heat the cooker put on the cooking hob 32.
[0029] The cooking hob 32 includes a solid-body plate. In the drawing, first to fourth cooking
areas 32a, 32b, 32c and 32d are defined by circular lines on the cooking hob 32. However,
it is noted that the cooking hob 32 is not limited to have such a solid-body plate.
A user puts a cooker containing food on at least one of the cooking areas 32a, 32b,
32c and 32d and operates the corresponding heating device 34 disposed under the cooking
area. Hereinafter, more specifically, the heating device 34 disposed under the first
cooking area 32a will be explained representatively.
[0030] The heating device 34 includes a heater 35, a reflection member 40, and a guide member
36. Here, the heater 35 may include a halogen heater.
[0031] The heater 35 is used as a heat source, that is, a heat generating medium to heat
the food. The heater 35 may have various forms, for example a round form as shown
in FIG. 3. The heater 35 being disposed under the first cooking area 32a transmits
energy in a vertical direction or a horizontal direction. The reflection member 40
is disposed at a lower part of the heater 35 to reflect the energy being transmitted
to the lower part of the heater 35. The guide member 36 is disposed at an upper part
of the heater 35 to induce the energy being transmitted to the upper part of the heater
35 toward the first cooking area 32a. Here, the energy refers to heat or light emitted
from the heater 35.
[0032] The reflection member 40 encloses the heater 35. As shown in FIG. 3, for example,
the heater 35 may have a round form while the reflection member 40 has a bowl form
enclosing the heater 35. That is, the reflection member 40 reflects the energy emitted
toward the lateral sides or the lower part of the heater 35, to the first cooking
area 32a by having the bowl form enclosing the heater 35.
[0033] The reflection member 40 may include at least one uneven surface part 41 disposed
in the center thereof. The uneven surface part 41 may prevent the energy emitted from
the heater 35 from concentrating on any specific spot and help evenly distribute the
energy, such that the energy is uniformly transmitted through the first cooking area
32a. The uneven surface part 41 may include at least one plane surface 41 a. As the
uneven surface part 41 has a more complicated form, the reflection and distribution
efficiency of the energy would be more improved. For example, whereas the uneven surface
part 41 having one plane surface reflects the energy incident to the plane surface
to the opposite direction, the uneven surface part 41 having a plurality of plane
surfaces reflects the energy in several directions. In addition, as the uneven surface
part 41 has the more complicated form, a diffused reflection degree is maximized,
thereby achieving uniform distribution of heat transmitted the first cooking area
32.
[0034] The guide member 36 is mounted to a peripheral part 42 of the reflection member 40.
The peripheral part 42 is extended higher than the heater 35, enclosing the lateral
side of the heater 35. The guide member 36 is disposed at the upper part of the heater
35, being supported by the peripheral part 42. The guide member 36 guides, toward
the first cooking area 32a, the energy emitted upward from the heater 35 and the energy
reflected upward by the reflection member 30. Since the guide member 36 has a honeycomb
lattice structure of a predetermined thickness, that is, including a plurality of
tunnels 36a partitioned from one another, the energy may be evenly transmitted in
certain directions.
[0035] The energy emitted from the heater 35 is passed through the plurality of tunnels
36a and transmitted to the first cooking area 32a. Here, the energy while passing
through the tunnels 36a is totally reflected and then induced to the first cooking
area 32a. That is, as the energy that may dazzle the user's eyes is induced to the
first cooking area 32a by the guide member 36, dazzling of the user's eyes may be
restrained.
[0036] The guide member 36 may be formed of aluminum or stainless steel. Especially, the
plurality of tunnels 36a may be formed of an image reflecting material. In this case,
the plurality of tunnels 36a all reflect an image of the heater 35 and therefore the
user visually recognizes as if a plurality of heaters were provided. Such a phenomenon
occurs more effectively because the tunnels 36a have the lattice structure. The user
may be able to check whether the heat is being uniformly distributed through the first
cooking area 32a and thereby determine that the apparatus is normally operating.
[0037] As is apparent from the above description, a cooking apparatus according to the embodiments
may greatly improve the energy reflection efficiency while achieving uniform distribution
of the energy.
[0038] In addition, dazzling by emitted energy may be prevented since the energy is induced
to a predetermined direction.
[0039] Although a few embodiments have been shown and described, it would be appreciated
by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without
departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined
in the claims and their equivalents.
1. A cooking apparatus comprising:
a plate to put a cooker thereon;
a heater disposed under the plate; and
a guide member disposed between the plate and the heater to induce energy emitted
from the heater toward the plate.
2. The cooking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the guide member comprises a plurality
of tunnels partitioned from one another, and the tunnels pass and reflect the energy
being emitted from the heater.
3. The cooking apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the tunnels have a predetermined
length.
4. The cooking apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the tunnels comprise a material
capable of reflecting an image of the heater.
5. The cooking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the guide member has a lattice
structure having a predetermined thickness.
6. The cooking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heater comprises a halogen
heater.
7. The cooking apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a reflection member
disposed under the heater to reflect energy from the heater toward the guide member.
8. The cooking apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the reflection member includes
at least one uneven surface part disposed in a center of the reflection member.
9. The cooking apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the guide member is mounted to
a peripheral part of the reflection member.
10. A cooking apparatus comprising:
a plate to put a cooker thereon;
a heater disposed under the plate; and
a reflection member disposed under the heater,
wherein the reflection member includes at least one uneven surface part to reflect
the energy emitted from the heater in several directions.
11. The cooking apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the uneven surface part comprises
at least one plane surface.
12. The cooking apparatus according to claim 11, wherein a guide member is further provided
between the plate and the heater, and
the reflection member includes a peripheral part supporting the guide member.
13. The cooking apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the peripheral part encloses
a lateral side of the heater.
14. A cooking apparatus comprising:
a plate to put a cooker thereon;
a heater disposed under the plate to emit energy;
a reflection member disposed under the heater to reflect the energy toward the plate;
and
a guide member disposed above the heater to induce the energy toward the plate.