Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a heating cooker having a display portion and an
operating portion both provided on a door for opening and closing a heating chamber.
Background Art
[0002] A known conventional heating cooker has an operating panel provided on a door (see,
for example, Patent Document 1). A conventional heating cooker 100 shown in Fig. 8
is provided with a high-frequency heating device body 101 having a heating chamber
102 defined therein and delimited by side walls 103. The heating chamber 102 is open
through a front opening 104 formed at the front of the high-frequency heating device
body 101. A heating chamber front side wall 105 is disposed at one edge portion of
the front opening 104 in the widthwise direction. A door 107 is mounted on the other
edge portion of the front opening 104 so as to be opened and closed via hinges 106.
The door 107 is provided with an operating panel 108 at a location overlapping with
the heating chamber front side wall 105. A door key 110 that works with a door handle
109 is mounted on a rear surface of the operating panel 108 so as to protrude therefrom.
The door key 110 is engageable with the heating chamber front side wall 105. The door
handle 109, a display 111, operating switches 112, a cooking stop switch 113, and
a cooking start switch 114 are mounted on the surface of the operating panel 108.
[0003] In the conventional heating cooker 100 of the above-described configuration, if the
door 107 and the operating panel 108 are balanced in front-to-back, right-to-left
and vertical positional relationship, color tone, gloss and the like, the external
appearance quality can be enhanced and, also, the interlocking operation time of a
cooking operation and a door opening and closing operation can be shortened to thereby
enhance the usability.
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be solved by the Invention
[0005] In the conventional heating cooker 100 referred to above, because an electric chamber
115 is formed behind the heating chamber front side wall 105, the heating chamber
102 cannot be enlarged. On the other hand, another conventional heating cooker 116
as shown in Fig. 9 is known, in which the electric chamber 115 is located below the
heating chamber 102 in order to enlarge the heating chamber 102. In this conventional
heating cooker 116, in order to avoid the influence of heat from the heating chamber
102, the operating panel 108 is located below the door 107 so as not to confront the
heating chamber 102.
[0006] However, if the operating panel 108 is located below the door 107, the visibility
and operability of the operating panel 108 are lowered. In particular, if the heating
cooker 116 is built into a lower portion of a kitchen countertop, a user must bend
down to see the display 117 and operate the operating panel 108, thus considerably
spoiling the usability.
[0007] The present invention has been developed in view of the above-described situations
and, accordingly, an objective of the present invention is to provide a heating cooker
capable of enhancing the visibility and operability of a display portion and an operating
portion.
Means to Solve the Problems
[0008] A heating cooker embodying the present invention comprises a casing having a heating
chamber formed therein so as to open on a front surface; an electric chamber provided
below the heating chamber; a door mounted on the front surface of the casing; an operating
panel having a display portion and an operating portion and mounted on the door; and
the operating panel having an end edge in a widthwise direction that extends along
an outer edge of the door in the widthwise direction, the operating panel also having
another end edge that overlaps with the heating chamber as viewed from front.
Effects of the Invention
[0009] The heating cooker according to the present invention can enhance the visibility
and operability of the display portion and the operating portion.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0010]
Fig. 1(A) is a perspective view of a heating cooker according to a first embodiment
of the present invention and Fig. 1(B) is a perspective view thereof with a door opened.
Fig. 2(A) is a front elevational view of the heating cooker shown in Fig. 1 and Fig.
2(B) is a front elevational view thereof with the door opened.
Fig. 3 is a sectional side view of the heating cooker shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the door of the heating cooker shown in
Fig. 1.
Fig. 5(A) is a sectional side view of the door of the heating cooker shown in Fig.
1 and Fig. 5(B) is an enlarged view of an essential portion thereof.
Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of an essential portion of a heating cooker according
to a second embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional side view of an essential portion of a heating cooker
according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a conventional heating cooker.
Fig. 9 is a perspective view of another conventional heating cooker.
Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention
[0011] A heating cooker according to the first invention comprises a casing having a heating
chamber formed therein so as to open on a front surface; an electric chamber provided
below the heating chamber; a door mounted on the front surface of the casing; an operating
panel having a display portion and an operating portion and mounted on the door; and
the operating panel having an end edge in a widthwise direction that extends along
an outer edge of the door in the widthwise direction, the operating panel also having
another end edge that overlaps with the heating chamber as viewed from front.
[0012] In this configuration, because the operating panel is disposed along the outer edge
of the door in the widthwise direction, the display portion and the operating portion
can be located high as compared with the case where the operating portion is located
below the door. In particular, even if a cooker casing is built into a lower portion
of a kitchen countertop, a user is not required to bend down to see and operate the
operating panel, thus enhancing the visibility and operability. Also, the other end
edge of the operating panel is located so as to overlap with the heating chamber as
viewed from the front, thereby making it possible to restrain an increase in size
of the casing.
[0013] In the heating cooker according to the first invention, the second invention is characterized
in that a flow channel is formed to allow a gas to flow along the operating panel.
This configuration causes the gas flowing through the flow channel to reduce heat
transfer from the heating chamber to the operating panel to thereby restrain an increase
in temperature of the operating panel while employing the configuration in which a
portion of the operating panel overlaps with the heating chamber as viewed from the
front.
[0014] In the heating cooker according to the second invention, the third invention is characterized
in that the flow channel is formed so as to extend vertically along the operating
panel and an opening is formed in an upper portion of the door to discharge the gas
inside the flow channel therethrough. This configuration can create an ascending current
within the flow channel by making use of the heat transfer from the heating chamber
and, accordingly, heat transferred from the heating chamber can be discharged by the
ascending current.
[0015] In the heating cooker according to the third invention, the fourth invention is characterized
in that the heating cooker further comprises a flow channel fan to convey a gas outside
the heating chamber to the flow channel. In this configuration, the volume of flow
of the gas passing through the flow channel can be increased or controlled by the
flow channel fan.
[0016] In the heating cooker according to the third invention, the fifth invention is characterized
in that the heating cooker further comprises a magnetron drive power source provided
in the electric chamber to generate electromagnetic waves and a cooling fan provided
in the electric chamber to cool the magnetron drive power source, wherein the cooling
fan conveys a gas inside the electric chamber to the flow channel. In this configuration,
the volume of flow of the gas passing through the flow channel can be increased or
controlled by making use of the cooling fan provided in the electric chamber.
[0017] In the heating cooker according to the fourth or fifth invention, the sixth invention
is characterized in that the heating cooker further comprises a water tank to generate
steam that is sent to the heating chamber, wherein a gas that has passed through a
tank surface of the water tank is sent into the flow channel. In this configuration,
the temperature of the gas introduced into the flow channel can be reduced by making
use of the water tank, thus making it possible to enhance the cooling effect of the
operating panel.
[0018] Embodiments of the present invention are explained hereinafter with reference to
the drawings. Like parts are designated by like reference numerals in the accompanying
drawings. The present invention is not limited by the embodiments.
(Embodiment 1)
[0019] An embodiment of the present invention is explained hereinafter with reference to
the drawings.
[0020] Fig. 1(A) is a perspective view of a heating cooker according to a first embodiment
of the present invention and Fig. 1(B) is a perspective view thereof with a door opened.
Fig. 2(A) is a front elevational view of the heating cooker shown in Fig. 1 and Fig.
2(B) is a front elevational view thereof with the door opened. Fig. 3 is a sectional
side view of the heating cooker shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective
view of the door shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5(A) is a sectional side view of the door shown
in Fig. 1 and Fig. 5(B) is an enlarged view of an essential portion thereof.
[0021] As shown in Figs. 1(A) and 1(B), the heating cooker 10 according to the first embodiment
is provided with a casing 11 having a heating chamber 12 formed therein so as to open
on a front surface, an electric chamber 16 formed below the heating chamber 12, and
a door 17 mounted on a front surface 13 of the casing 11 so as to be opened and closed.
The casing 11 is made up of a plurality of side walls 14 encircling the heating chamber
12 and has a front opening 15 formed in a front surface thereof (an opening and closing
surface of the door 17) as an opening of the heating chamber 12. The door 17 is connected
to a lower edge of the front opening 15 of the casing 11 so as to be opened and closed
about a center of rotation in the horizontal direction. The door 17 has the same size
and the same shape as, for example, an outline of the front surface 13 of the casing
11 and is mounted on the front surface 13 of the casing 11 so that an outline of the
door 17 may coincide with the outline of the front surface 13 of the casing 11 when
the door 17 is closed. The shape and size of the door 17 may not completely coincide
with those of the front surface 13 of the casing 11 if the outline of the door 17
coincides substantially with that of the front surface 13 of the casing 11 when the
door 17 is closed.
[0022] As shown in Fig. 2(A), an operating panel 60 having a display portion 18 and an operating
portion 19 is disposed on a side portion of the door 17 as viewed from the front.
As described later, a portion of the operating panel 60 is disposed so as to overlap
with the heating chamber 12 as viewed from the front. In the operating panel 60, the
operating portion 19 is provided with various operating switches 20 and a cooking
switch 21, and various information associated with operations and cooking is displayed
on the display portion 18. The operating panel 60 may be such that the display portion
18 combines an information displaying function and an operating function (for example,
a touch panel).
[0023] As shown in Fig. 3, the electric chamber 16 provided below the heating chamber 12
includes a magnetron (not shown) for generating microwaves and a magnetron drive power
source 22 for supplying electric power to the magnetron. The microwaves generated
by the magnetron are used to perform microwave heating with respect to an object to
be heated.
[0024] A heater (convection heater (not shown)), which is a heat source, is provided between
a rear surface 23 of the heating chamber 12 and a rear plate 24. The convection heater
is disposed in a closed space sandwiched between the rear surface 23 of the heating
chamber 12 and the rear plate 24. A circulation fan 25 is provided on a central side
of the convection heater. The rear surface 23 of the heating chamber 12 has a suction
port and an exhaust port (both not shown) defined therein and air inside the heating
chamber 12 is inhaled into the suction port through a rotational drive of the circulation
fan 25 and subsequently heated by the convection heater before returning to the heating
chamber 12 again through the exhaust port, thereby uniformly heating the object to
be heated at high temperature.
[0025] A water tank 26 for accommodating water therein, which is used to generate steam
to be sent to the heating chamber 12, is provided below the electric chamber 16. The
water inside the water tank 26 is supplied to a steam generator (not shown) and turns
into steam. The steam so generated is supplied to the heating chamber 12 through a
steam pipe (not shown) that connects the steam generator with the heating chamber
12, thereby performing steam-heating with respect to the object to be heated.
[0026] An upper heater 27, which is another heat source, is provided on an upper side of
the heating chamber 12. The upper heater 27 generates heat to heat the object to be
heated inside the heating chamber 12 by radiant heat. Although the heating cooker
10 according to this first embodiment is provided with all the heating means referred
to above as an example, a heating cooker may be provided with only one of the heating
means.
[0027] As shown in Fig. 4, the door 17 includes a door rear plate 29 having a transmissive
window 28, a door frame 30, a handle 31, a handle cover 32 and a screen 33. The door
frame 30 has a recess 34 defined in a side portion thereof and the operating panel
60 is assembled by making use of the recess 34.
[0028] More specifically, a first plate 35 is provided on a rear side of the recess 34,
which accommodates therein a second plate 36, a support plate 37, a circuit board
38, a front side base plate 39 and a decorative plate 40, all stacked one on top of
another in order from the bottom. A button unit 41 is incorporated into the front
side base plate 39 to constitute the operating portion 19 (operating switches 20 and
a cooking switch 21). Various electronic component parts and the display portion 18
having a display panel (for example, a liquid crystal panel) are mounted on the circuit
board 38.
[0029] The operating panel 60, which is assembled by stacking a plurality of component parts
one on top of another, is supported in the recess 34 by the support plate 37. In the
operating panel 60, the support plate 37 supports the display portion 18 and the operating
portion 19, and an end edge of the support plate 37 in the widthwise direction is
located along a vertical side 42, i.e., an outer edge of the door 17 in the widthwise
direction. In the operating panel 60, the decorative plate 40 and the support plate
37 are formed so as to have substantially the same outline.
[0030] As shown in Figs. 2(A) and 2(B), the thickness of the side wall 14 is indicated by
W1 with an outer side surface of the casing 11 (an outer surface of the side wall
14) as a reference surface WO as viewed from the front. The support plate 37 of the
operating panel 60 is disposed so that the end edge of the support plate 37 in the
widthwise direction is located in line with the reference surface WO. The support
plate 37 is formed so as to have a width W2 greater than the thickness W1 of the side
wall 14. For this reason, the support plate 37 of the operating panel 60 is disposed
so that the other end edge 43 (an end edge opposite to the vertical side 42) of the
support plate 37 in the widthwise direction overlaps with the heating chamber 12 as
viewed from the front. That is, a portion of the operating panel 60 is disposed on
a side portion of the door 17 so as to overlap with an internal space of the heating
chamber 12 as viewed from the front.
[0031] As shown in Figs. 5(A) and 5(B), the operating panel 60 has a flow channel 44 defined
therein along the support plate 37. The flow channel 44 may be formed between the
circuit board 38 and the support plate 37 or between the support plate 37 and the
second plate 36. In this first embodiment, the flow channel 44 is formed between the
circuit board 38 and the support plate 37 so as to extend vertically along the operating
panel 60. The recess 34 has a flow channel lower opening 45 defined on a lower side
and a flow channel upper opening 46 defined on an upper side with the door 17 closed.
Each of the flow channel lower opening 45 and the flow channel upper opening 46 communicates
the flow channel 44 with the outside. When a gas inside the flow channel 44 is warmed,
the flow channel 44 creates an ascending current and discharges it through the flow
channel upper opening 46. As a result, external air enters the flow channel 44 through
the flow channel lower opening 45.
[0032] The operation and effects of the heating cooker 10 of the above-described construction
are explained hereinafter.
[0033] In the heating cooker 10 according to the first embodiment, as shown in Fig. 2(A),
the operating panel 60 is disposed on a side portion of the door 17 and, hence, the
display portion 18 and the operating portion 19 are located high as compared with
a conventional construction in which the operating panel 60 is located below the door
17, thus enhancing the visibility and operability. In particular, if the casing 11
is built into a lower portion of a kitchen countertop, a user is not required to bend
down to see the display portion 18 or operate the operating panel 19, thus exerting
a striking effect in enhancing the visibility and operability.
[0034] Also, the support plate 37 of the operating panel 60 is disposed so that an end edge
(the other end edge referred to above) 43 in the widthwise direction (see Fig. 2(A))
overlaps with the internal space of the heating chamber 12 as viewed from the front.
Because of this, the thickness of the side wall 14 of the casing 11 need not be increased
in conformity with the width dimension of the support plate 37. Further, if the end
edge 43 of the support plate 37 in the widthwise direction does not overlap with the
heating chamber 12 of the same size as viewed from the front, the support plate 37
protrudes outwardly from the vertical side 42 of the casing 11. If the wall thickness
of the casing 11 is increased to accommodate the protruding length, the size of the
casing 11 increases. In the construction according to the first embodiment, an increase
in size of the casing 11 is avoided by overlapping a portion of the support plate
37 of the operating panel 60 with the internal space of the heating chamber 12 as
viewed from the front.
[0035] Also, heat from the heating chamber 12 (that is, heat generated during cooking) is
transferred to the portion of the support plate 37 of the operating panel 60 that
overlaps with the heating chamber 12 as viewed from the front. However, such heat
transfer is reduced in the presence of the flow channel 44 formed along the support
plate 37 and between the heating chamber 12 and the support plate 37. That is, the
heat from the heating chamber 12 is transferred through a gas that is present in the
flow channel 44 and, accordingly, the gas temperature increases and an ascending current
is created in the flow channel 44. Because most of the heat from the heating chamber
12 is carried by the ascending current and discharged through the flow channel upper
opening 46, it is unlikely that the heat from the heating chamber 12 is transferred
to the support plate 37 of the operating panel 60. For this reason, it becomes possible
to restrain the heat from the heating chamber 12 from being transferred to the display
portion 18, the operating portion 19 and electric component parts of the circuit board
38 provided on or in the operating panel 60. In order to effectively create the ascending
current, it is preferable that the flow channel 44 extends vertically. It is more
preferable that the flow channel 44 extends vertically linearly. The flow channel
44 may extend vertically so as to meander from side to side instead of extending vertically
linearly. In this case, heat removal can be enhanced by causing the air flowing through
the flow channel 44 to contact with the wall surfaces of the flow channel 44. Each
of the first plate 35 and the second plate 36 provided in the recess 34 acts in itself
as a radiator plate to remove the heat from the heating chamber 12, thus making it
possible to restrain the heat from the heating chamber 12 from being transferred to
the operating panel 60.
[0036] As just described, the configuration in which a portion of the operating panel 60
overlaps with the internal space of the heating chamber 12 as viewed from the front
can restrain the heat transfer from the heating chamber 12 to the operating panel
60 in the presence of the flow channel 44 while avoiding an increase in size of the
casing 11.
(Embodiment 2)
[0037] A heating cooker 47 according to a second embodiment of the present invention is
explained hereinafter.
[0038] Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of an essential portion of the heating cooker
47 according to the second embodiment, which is provided with a flow channel fan 48
in a flow channel 44.
[0039] The heating cooker 47 according to the second embodiment has the flow channel fan
48 provided in the flow channel 44 to convey a gas of a temperature lower than the
temperature of a heating chamber 12. The gas of a temperature lower than the temperature
of the heating chamber 12 means a gas of a temperature lower than that of an atmosphere
inside the heating chamber 12, which has been increased during cooking of an object
to be heated. In this second embodiment, a gas outside the heating chamber 12, i.e.,
external air is used as such a low-temperature gas. The flow channel fan 48 is controlled
so as to be driven simultaneously with the start of cooking by the heating cooker
47.
[0040] In this heating cooker 47, the volume of flow of the gas passing through the flow
channel 44 is increased by the flow channel fan 48, thus resulting in an increase
in the amount of exhaust heat through the flow channel 44. That is, forced cooling
with the use of the flow channel fan 48 enhances the cooling effect (the effect of
exhausting heat) to further restrain temperature increases of the display portion
18, the operating portion 19 and the electronic component parts of the circuit board
38 provided on or in the operating panel 60. Also, the volume of flow of the gas passing
through the flow channel 44 can be controlled by controlling the start and stop of
the flow channel fan 48.
(Embodiment 3)
[0041] A heating cooker 49 according to a third embodiment of the present invention is explained
hereinafter.
[0042] Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional side view of an essential portion of the heating
cooker 49 according to the third embodiment in which a gas conveyed by a cooling fan
50 is introduced into a flow channel 44.
[0043] In the heating cooker 49 according to the third embodiment, the cooling fan 50 for
cooling a magnetron drive power source 22 is provided in an electric chamber 16 or
in the vicinity of the electric chamber 16. The cooling fan 50 conveys a gas of a
temperature lower than the temperature of a heating chamber 12 to the flow channel
44. A gas inside the electric chamber 16 is discharged through an electric chamber
exhaust port 51 by the cooling fan 12 and the gas so discharged is introduced into
the flow channel 44 through a communication hole 52, which communicates the electric
chamber 16 with the interior of the door 17, and through a gas suction hole 53. The
gas introduced into the interior of the door 17 through the communication hole 52
may be taken into the flow channel 44 through the outside of the heating cooker 49.
A gas guide member such as, for example, a guide piece for ready introduction of the
gas may be provided in the gas suction hole 53 formed between a flow channel lower
opening 45 of the flow channel 44 and the communication hole 52.
[0044] In this heating cooker 49, the volume of flow of the gas passing through the flow
channel 44 is increased by the gas that is conveyed to the electric chamber 16 by
the cooling fan 50, thus resulting in an increase in the amount of exhaust heat through
the flow channel 44. That is, forced cooling enhances the cooling effect to further
restrain temperature increases of the display portion 18, the operating portion 19
and the electronic component parts of the circuit board 38 provided on or in the operating
panel 60. Also, a dedicated flow channel fan 48 is not required.
(Modified Form of Embodiments)
[0045] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments referred to above and can
take on various forms. By way of example, a heating cooker according to a modified
form of the above-described embodiments is explained.
[0046] In the heating cooker 10 according to the first embodiment or the heating cooker
47 according to the second embodiment, the gas entering the flow channel 44 through
the flow channel lower opening 45 may pass through a tank surface 54 of the water
tank 26. Also, in the heating cooker 49 according to the third embodiment, the gas
that has passed through the outside after being introduced into the door 17 through
the communication hole 52 may be taken into the flow channel 44 after having passed
through the tank surface 54 of the water tank 26.
[0047] In this modified form, the gas entering the flow channel 44 through the flow channel
lower opening 45 is taken into the flow channel 44 after having contact with the surface
of the water tank 26. Because of this, immediately before entering the flow channel
44, the gas is cooled by passing through the tank surface 54 of a temperature lower
than the flow channel 44, thereby further enhancing the cooling effect in the flow
channel 44.
[0048] As described above, the heating cookers according to the embodiments referred to
above can enhance the visibility and operability of the display portion 18 and the
operating portion 19 of the operating panel 60.
[0049] Any combination of the various embodiments referred to above can produce respective
effects.
[0050] Although the present invention has been fully described by way of preferred embodiments
with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be noted here that various changes
and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, unless
such changes and modifications otherwise depart from the scope of the present invention
as set forth in the appended claims, they should be construed as being included therein.
Industrial Applicability
[0051] The present invention is suited to a heating cooker having a display portion and
an operating portion provided on a door that is used to open and close a heating chamber.
Explanation of Reference Numerals
[0052]
- 10
- heating cooker
- 11
- casing
- 12
- heating chamber
- 13
- front surface
- 16
- electric chamber
- 17
- door
- 18
- display portion
- 19
- operating portion
- 22
- magnetron drive power source
- 26
- water tank
- 37
- support plate
- 42
- vertical side
- 43
- end edge (other end edge)
- 44
- flow channel
- 48
- flow channel fan
- 50
- cooling fan
- 60
- operating panel