Exhausting and cooling system for cooking utensil

Abstract

An exhausting and cooling system for a cooking utensil, which exhausts gas or smoke generated during a cooking process and cools a lower portion of a grill. The exhausting and cooling system for the cooking utensil, which has a main body provided with a grill unit mounted on the upper surface thereof, includes an exhaust channel and an exhaust fan for inhaling air around the grill unit and exhausting the air downwardly; and a cooling channel and a cooling fan for blowing external air to the lower portion of the grill unit to cool the lower portion of the grill unit.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 2005-3393, filed Jan. 13, 2005, and Korean Patent Application No. 2005-8141, filed Jan. 28, 2005, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an exhausting and cooling system for a cooking utensil, and more particularly, to an exhausting and cooling system for a cooking utensil, which exhausts gas or smoke generated during a cooking process and cools a lower portion of a grill.

2. Description of the Related Art

U.S. Pat. No. 5,619,982 discusses a cooking utensil having an exhausting device for exhausting gas, smoke, and food odors generated during a cooking process.

The disclosed cooking utensil includes a main body provided with a general gas range at one side of the upper surface thereof and a grill employing an electric heater installed at the other side of the upper surface thereof. Inlets for exhausting gas, smoke, and food odors generated during the cooking process therethrough are formed through the central portion of the upper surface of the main body (between the gas range and the grill), and an exhausting device for inhaling air from the inlets and exhausting the air to the outside is installed in the main body. The exhausting device includes an exhaust channel extended downwardly from the inlets, an air blowing fan for blowing the gas or odors inhaled through the exhaust channel to the outside, and a filter installed in the exhaust channel.

Such a cooking utensil inhales gas, smoke, and food odors generated during the cooking process through the inlets formed through the upper surface of the main body when the air blowing fan is operated, and exhausts the inhaled gas, smoke, and food odors through a descending current of air along the exhaust channel. When the exhausted air passes through the exhaust channel, contaminants are filtered out by the filter.

When food is cooked using the grill for the cooking utensil, waste or oil is dropped from the food onto a reflecting plate or a pan placed in the lower portion of the grill, and is burned because the reflecting plate or the pan is heated by a heater, thereby generating smoke or odors, thus inconveniencing users. For this reason, in order to cool the reflecting plate or the pan, the lower portion of the grill was conventionally filled with water. In this case, the water must be refilled or replaced with new water, thereby causing inconvenience to the users.

Since the above conventional cooking utensil is configured such that the air exhausted by the operation of the exhausting device is guided to an outdoor space, when the cooking utensil is installed, the cooking utensil requires a separate exhaust duct for guiding the exhausted air to the outdoor space. That is, in order to install the exhaust duct extended to the outside, a through hole must be formed through a wall of a building, in which the cooking utensil is installed, thus causing a difficulty in installing the cooking utensil. Accordingly, another structure for the cooking utensil in which the air exhausted from the exhausting device for the cooking utensil is exhausted to an indoor space, had been proposed. However, this structure increases the temperature of indoor air due to heat of the exhausted air. Further, although the exhausted air is purified by the filter, the filter filters out only oil components or waste, thereby being incapable of providing a satisfactory purification effect, thus causing the indoor air to be impure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Additional aspects and/or advantages of the invention 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.

Therefore, one aspect of the invention is to provide an exhausting and cooling system for a cooking utensil, which simultaneously exhausts gas or odors generated during a cooking process and cools the lower portion of a grill.

Another aspect of the invention is to provide an exhausting and cooling system for a cooking utensil, which inhales and purifies gas or odors generated during a cooking process, exhausts purified air to an indoor space, and cools and dehumidifies the air exhausted to the indoor space, thereby maintaining the indoor environments in a fresh state.

In accordance with one aspect, the present invention provides an exhausting and cooling system for a cooking utensil having a main body provided with a grill unit mounted on the upper surface thereof, including: an exhaust channel and an exhaust fan for inhaling air around the grill unit and exhausting the air downwardly; and a cooling channel and a cooling fan for blowing external air to the lower portion of the grill unit to cool the lower portion of the grill unit.

The exhausting and cooling system may further include a driving motor for simultaneously driving the exhaust fan and the cooling fan.

Further, the exhaust fan and the cooling fan may be connected to a rotary shaft extended from the driving motor.

The exhaust channel may include an exhaust duct extended from inlets formed through the upper surface of the main body adjacent to the grill unit to the lower portion of the main body, and containing the exhaust fan therein.

Further, the cooling channel may include a first cooling duct extended from an inlet formed through the lower surface of the main body to the lower portion of the grill unit, and containing the cooling fan therein; a second cooling duct installed below the grill unit for cooling the lower portion of the grill unit, and communicated with an outlet of the first cooling duct; and a third cooling duct extended downwardly from an outlet of the second cooling duct, and provided with an outlet connected to the exhaust duct below the exhaust fan.

The exhausting and cooling system may further include a driving motor for simultaneously driving the exhaust fan and the cooling fan.

Further, the exhaust fan and the cooling fan may be connected to a rotary shaft passing through the exhaust duct and the first cooling duct so that the exhaust fan and the cooling fan are simultaneously rotated, and the rotary shaft is rotated by the driving motor.

The exhaust fan and the cooling fan may be multiblade centrifugal fans.

Alternatively, the exhaust fan and the cooling fan may be axial fans.

The exhausting and cooling system may further include a filter installed in the exhaust duct above the exhaust fan for filtering out contaminants in air passing through the exhaust duct.

In accordance with another aspect, the present invention provides an exhausting and cooling system for a cooking utensil having a main body provided with a heating device for cooking mounted on the upper surface thereof, including: an exhaust channel and an exhaust fan for inhaling air around the heating device and exhausting the air downwardly; a filter installed in the exhaust channel above the exhaust fan for purifying the exhausted air; and a cooling heat exchanger installed in the exhaust channel for cooling and dehumidifying the exhausted air.

The filter may include a grease filter for removing oil components from the air, a fine dust collection filter for removing fine dust from the air, and a deodorization filter for deodorizing the air.

A flow control valve for controlling the supply of cooling water to the cooling heat exchanger may be installed in a pipe at an inlet of the cooling heat exchanger.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and/or other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the external appearance of a cooking utensil in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view illustrating the internal configuration of the cooking utensil in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view illustrating the internal configuration of a cooking utensil in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view illustrating the internal configuration of a cooking utensil in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present invention, an example of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below to explain the present invention by referring to the annexed drawings.

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a cooking utensil in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cooking utensil of this embodiment includes a main body 10 provided with a grill unit 20 installed at one side of the upper surface thereof and a gas range 30 having a plurality of burners 31 and 32 installed at the other side of the upper surface thereof. An operating panel 11 having a plurality of operating switches 12 for controlling the operation of the cooking utensil is installed on the upper part of the front surface of the main body 10.

Inlets 13 for sucking gas, smoke, and odors generated during a cooking process are formed through the central part of the upper surface of the main body 10, i.e., between the grill unit 20 and the gas range 30. As shown in FIG. 2, an exhausting device 40 for exhausting air (air including gas, smoke, and odors) sucked into the inlets 13, and a cooling device 50 for blowing external air to a lower portion of the grill unit 20 to cool the lower portion of the grill unit 20 are installed in the main body 10.

The grill unit 20 includes a case 21 placed in the main body 10 through an opening 15 formed through an upper plate 14 of the main body 10 such that the case 21 is introduced from the upper part of the opening 15 to the lower part of the opening 15, electric heaters 22 installed on both sides of the inside of the case 21, and a grill 23 mounted on an opened upper surface of the case 21 for roasting meat or sausage placed thereon. The grill unit 20 further includes a reflecting plate 24 closing the lower portion of the case 21 so that heat radiated by the heaters 22 is reflected by the reflecting plate 24 towards the grill 23. The reflecting plate 24 is bent in a mountain shape to reflect the heat radiated by the heaters 22 upward.

The grill unit 20 transfers the heat from the heaters 22 to the grill 23 through the reflecting plate 24, thereby allowing meat or sausage placed on the grill 23 to be roasted. The above configuration of the grill unit 20 causes oil or waste dropped from food to be collected on the upper surface of the reflecting plate 24.

As shown in FIG. 2, the exhausting device 40 includes an exhaust channel 41 for guiding air inhaled through the inlets 13, formed through the upper surface of the main body 10, to the lower portion of the main body 10, and an exhaust fan 42 installed in the exhaust channel 41.

The exhaust channel 41 includes an exhaust duct extended from the inlets 13 to an outlet 43 formed through the lower surface of the main body 10, and the exhaust fan 42 is a multiblade centrifugal fan installed in a lower exhaust duct 45. The exhaust duct includes an upper exhaust duct 44 extended from the inlets 13 formed through the upper surface of the main body 10 to an inlet of the exhaust fan 42, and the lower exhaust duct 45 connected to the upper exhaust duct 44, extended to the outlet 43 formed through the lower surface of the main body 10, and containing the exhaust fan 42 in the upper portion of the inside thereof. Here, a connection portion between the upper exhaust duct 44 and the lower exhaust duct 45 is bent. A filter 46 for eliminating contaminants (noxious gas, smoke, odors, food waste) in exhausted air is installed in the upper exhaust duct 44 above the exhaust fan 42.

The exhausting device 40 serves to exhaust air inhaled from the inlets 13, formed through the upper surface of the main body 10, to the outlet 43 formed through the lower surface of the main body 10 when the exhaust fan 42 is operated, and the contaminants in the exhausted air are eliminated by the filter 46.

The filter 46 filters out oil components, fine-grained waste, odors, and smoke in air introduced from the inlets 13, formed through the upper surface of the main body 10. The filter 46 is constructed by stacking a grease filter 46a for removing oil components from the exhausted air, a fine dust collection filter 46b generally referred to a HEPA filter for removing fine dust or waste from the exhausted air, and a deodorization filter 46c including activated carbon for removing odors from the exhausted air. The filter 46 may include a photocatalytic filter (not shown) deposited with photocatalyst and an ultraviolet lamp (not shown) for irradiating ultraviolet rays to the photocatalytic filter according to use conditions for the cooking utensil, thereby improving a deodorizing function and having a sterilizing function.

The cooling device 50 includes a cooling channel 51 for inhaling air from the lower portion of the main body 10 to cool the lower portion of the grill unit 20 and then re-exhausting the air, and a cooling fan 52 installed in the cooling channel 51.

The cooling channel 51 includes a first cooling duct 54 extended from an inlet 53 formed through the lower surface of the main body 10 to the lower portion of the grill unit 20, a second cooling duct 55 extended from the first cooling duct 54 along the lower part of the reflecting plate 24 for cooling the reflecting plate 24 under the grill unit 20, and a third cooling duct 56 extended downwardly from the second cooling duct 55 and provided with an outlet connected to the lower exhaust duct 45 under the exhaust fan 42. The cooling fan 52 is a multiblade centrifugal fan installed in the first cooling duct 54. The first cooling duct 54 includes a lower duct 54a extended upwardly from the inlet 53 formed through the lower surface of the main body 10 to the inlet of the cooling fan 52, and an upper duct 54b connected to the lower duct 54a, extended to the second cooling duct 55, and containing the cooling fan 52 in the lower portion of the inside thereof. Here, a connection portion between the lower duct 54a and the upper duct 54b of the first cooling duct 54 is bent.

The cooling device 50 causes air, inhaled through the inlet 53 formed through the lower surface of the main body 10 when the cooling fan 52 is operated, to passes through the lower part of the reflecting plate 24 and cool the reflecting plate 24, and then to be exhausted to the outside through the lower exhaust duct 45.

The cooking utensil of this embodiment further includes a driving motor 60 installed at one side of the first cooling duct 54 for driving the cooling fan 52 and the exhaust fan 42. The cooling fan 52 and the exhaust fan 42 are connected to a rotary shaft 61 extended from the driving motor 60. For this reason, the rotary shaft 61 extended from the driving motor 60 transversally passes through the first cooling duct 54a and is extended to the inside of the exhaust duct 45, and the cooling fan 52 and the exhaust fan 42 are connected to the rotary shaft 61. Thereby, the cooling fan 52 and the exhaust fan 42 are simultaneously rotated by operating one driving motor 60.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view illustrating the internal configuration of a cooking utensil in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. The cooking utensil of this embodiment differs from the cooking utensil of the first embodiment in that a cooling fan 52′ and an exhaust fan 42′ are axial fans and a first cooling duct 54′ and an exhaust duct 44′ respectively containing the cooling fan 52′ and the exhaust fan 42′ have a rectilinear structure. Other components for the cooking utensil of this embodiment are the same as those for the cooking utensil of the first embodiment. The cooking utensil of this embodiment employs axial fans as the cooling fan 52′ and the exhaust fan 42′ and has the rectilinear first cooling duct 54′ and the rectilinear exhaust duct 44′, thus simplifying the structures of the first cooling duct 54′ and the exhaust duct 44′, compared to the cooking utensil of the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view illustrating the internal configuration for a cooking utensil in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention. A cooling heat exchanger 70 for cooling and dehumidifying the exhausted air is installed in the cooking utensil of this embodiment close to the outlet of the exhaust channel 41.

The cooling heat exchanger 70 is a fin-tube heat exchanger through which cooling water flows. That is, a cooling water supply pipe 73 for supplying cooling water from an external water supply source to the cooling heat exchanger 70 and a cooling water discharge pipe 74 for discharging the water passed through the cooling heat exchanger 70 to the outside are connected to the cooling heat exchanger 70.

A flow control valve 75 for controlling the supply of the cooling water to the cooling heat exchanger 70 is installed in the cooling water supply pipe 73. The flow control valve 75 is configured such that the channel of the flow control valve 75 is opened or closed according to the operation of the driving motor 60 driving the exhaust fan 42 and the cooling fan 52, and is controlled such that a small quantity of water is continuously supplied to the cooling heat exchanger 70 when the channel is opened. For this reason, an electric switch valve is used as the flow control valve 75. The flow control valve 75 is operated such that the channel of the flow control valve 75 is opened when the operating switch 18 (with reference to FIG. 1) formed on the operation panel 11 is turned on and is closed when the operating switch 18 is turned off. This operation of the flow control valve 75 causes the cooling water to be supplied to the cooling heat exchanger 70 when the exhaust fan 42 and the cooling fan 52 are operated so that air is exhausted to the outside through the exhaust channel 41, thereby cooling and dehumidifying the exhausted air.

A condensed water collector 76 for collecting condensed water, which is generated on the surface of the cooling heat exchanger 70 and is dropped, is installed below the cooling heat exchanger 70, and a drainage pipe 77 for discharging the condensed water is connected to the condensed water collector 76. The condensed water collector 76 collects the condensed water generated from the cooling heat exchanger 70 during a process for cooling and dehumidifying the exhausted air, and then discharges the condensed water to the outside.

Hereinafter, the overall operation of the above exhausting and cooling system for a cooking utensil will be described.

When a user operates the exhausting and cooling system by manipulating the operating switch 18 formed on the operating panel 11 so as to roast meat using the grill unit 20 or to cook food using the gas range 30 on the upper surface of the main body 10, the exhaust fan 42 and the cooling fan 52 are simultaneously operated by the operation of the driving motor 60.

In the exhaust channel 41, air inhaled through the inlets 13 formed through the upper surface of the main body 10 forms a descending current, thus being exhausted to the outlet 43 formed through the lower surface of the main body 10. Here, gas, smoke, and odors generated from the cooking process using the grill unit 20 or the gas range 30 are inhaled through the inlets 13 formed through the upper surface of the main body 10, and are then discharged downwardly through the exhaust channel 41. Foreign substances in the exhausted air are filtered out by the filter 46.

In the cooling channel 51, air inhaled through the inlet 53 formed through the lower surface of the main body 10 by the suction force of the cooling fan 52 ascends towards the lower portion of the grill unit 20 along the first cooling duct 54, and passes through the second cooling duct 55 below the grill unit 20, thereby cooling the reflecting plate 24 of the grill unit 20. Then, the air, passed through the second cooling duct 55, is exhausted to the lower exhaust duct 45 below the exhaust fan 42 through the third cooling duct 56, and is joined with the air in the lower exhaust duct 45, thereby being exhausted to the outside. Through the above cooling operation, the cooled state of the reflecting plate 24 of the grill unit 20 is maintained even when the heater 22 is operated during the cooking process. Accordingly, when oil or waste is dropped from the food onto the upper part of the reflecting plate 24 during the cooking process, the oil or waste on the reflecting plate 24 is not burned, thereby not generating smoke.

When the cooling heat exchanger 70 is installed in the exhaust channel 41, the cooling heat exchanger 70 simultaneously cools and dehumidifies the exhausted air. That is, the temperature of the heated air in the cooking process is lowered by exchanging heat between the heated air and the air in the cooling heat exchanger 70, and moisture generated in the cooking process is condensed on the surface of the cooling heat exchanger 70 by contact with the cooling heat exchanger 70. Accordingly, the air exhausted to an indoor space through the outlet 43 formed through the lower surface of the main body 10 is in a refreshed state. When the operation of the exhaust fan 42 and the cooling fan 52 is stopped after the cooking process is completed, the flow control valve 75 closes the cooling water supply pipe 73, thereby no longer supplying the cooling water to the cooling heat exchanger 70.

As apparent from the above description, the present invention provides an exhausting and cooling system for a cooking utensil, in which an exhausting device and a cooling device are simultaneously operated, thereby simultaneously exhausting gas and odors generated in a cooking process and cooling the lower portion of a grill unit.

The exhausting and cooling system of the present invention simultaneously drives an exhaust fan and a cooling fan by the operation of a single driving motor, thereby simultaneously performing an exhausting function and a cooling function, reducing the consumption of energy for driving the exhaust fan and the cooling fan, and having a simple configuration.

The exhausting and cooling system of the present invention purifies exhausted air through a filter, and cools and dehumidifies the exhausted air through a cooling heat exchanger, thereby maintaining indoor environments in an exhilarating state during the cooking process.

Although embodiments of the invention 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.

Claims

1. An exhausting and cooling system for a cooking utensil having a main body provided with a grill unit mounted on the upper surface thereof, comprising:

an exhaust channel and an exhaust fan for inhaling air around the grill unit and exhausting the air downwardly; and

a cooling channel and a cooling fan for blowing external air to the lower portion of the grill unit to cool the lower portion of the grill unit.

2. The exhausting and cooling system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a driving motor for simultaneously driving the exhaust fan and the cooling fan.

3. The exhausting and cooling system as set forth in claim 2, wherein the exhaust fan and the cooling fan are connected to a rotary shaft extended from the driving motor.

4. The exhausting and cooling system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the exhaust channel comprises an exhaust duct extended from inlets formed through the upper surface of the main body adjacent to the grill unit to the lower portion of the main body, and containing the exhaust fan therein.

5. The exhausting and cooling system as set forth in claim 4, wherein the cooling channel comprises:

a first cooling duct extended from an inlet formed through the lower surface of the main body to the lower portion of the grill unit, and containing the cooling fan therein;

a second cooling duct installed below the grill unit for cooling the lower portion of the grill unit, and communicating with an outlet of the first cooling duct; and

a third cooling duct extended downwardly from an outlet of the second cooling duct, and provided with an outlet connected to the exhaust duct below the exhaust fan.

6. The exhausting and cooling system as set forth in claim 5, further comprising a driving motor for simultaneously driving the exhaust fan and the cooling fan.

7. The exhausting and cooling system as set forth in claim 6, wherein the exhaust fan and the cooling fan are connected to a rotary shaft passing through the exhaust duct and the first cooling duct so that the exhaust fan and the cooling fan are simultaneously rotated, and the rotary shaft is rotated by the driving motor.

8. The exhausting and cooling system as set forth in claim 6, wherein the exhaust fan and the cooling fan are multiblade centrifugal fans.

9. The exhausting and cooling system as set forth in claim 6, wherein the exhaust fan and the cooling fan are axial fans.

10. The exhausting and cooling system as set forth in claim 4, further comprising a filter installed in the exhaust duct above the exhaust fan for filtering out contaminants in air passing through the exhaust duct,

wherein the filter comprises a grease filter for removing oil components from the air, a fine dust collection filter for removing fine dust from the air, and a deodorization filter for deodorizing the air.

11. The exhausting and cooling system as set forth in claim 4, further comprising a cooling heat exchanger installed in the exhaust channel for cooling and dehumidifying air exhausted through the exhaust channel.

12. An exhausting and cooling system for a cooking utensil having a main body provided with a heating device for cooking mounted on the upper surface thereof, comprising:

an exhaust channel and an exhaust fan for inhaling air around the heating device and exhausting the air downwardly;

a filter installed in the exhaust channel above the exhaust fan for purifying the exhausted air; and

a cooling heat exchanger installed in the exhaust channel for cooling and dehumidifying the exhausted air.

13. The exhausting and cooling system as set forth in claim 12, wherein the exhaust channel comprises an exhaust duct extended from inlets formed through the upper surface of the main body adjacent to the heating device to the lower portion of the main body, and containing the exhaust fan therein.

14. The exhausting and cooling system as set forth in claim 12, wherein the filter comprises a grease filter for removing oil components from the air, a fine dust collection filter for removing fine dust from the air, and a deodorization filter for deodorizing the air.

15. The exhausting and cooling system as set forth in claim 12, wherein a flow control valve for controlling the supply of cooling water to the cooling heat exchanger is installed in a pipe at an inlet of the cooling heat exchanger.

16. A cooking utensil for performing a cooking process, the cooking utensil comprising:

a main body provided with a grill unit installed at one side of the upper surface of the main body;

a gas range having a plurality of burners installed at the other side of the upper surface of the main body;

an operating panel having a plurality of operating switches for controlling the operation of the cooking utensil installed on the main body;

inlets for sucking gas, smoke, and odors generated during the cooking process formed through the central part of the upper surface of the main body;

an exhausting device for exhausting air sucked into the inlets;

a cooling device for blowing external air to a lower portion of the grill unit to cool the lower portion of the grill unit installed in the main body.

17. The cooking utensil of claim 16, wherein the grill unit comprises:

a case placed in the main body through an opening formed through an upper plate of the main body;

a plurality of electric heaters placed on the sides of the inside of the case; and

a grill mounted on an opened upper surface of the case.

18. The cooking utensil of claim 17, wherein the grill unit further comprises a reflecting plate closing the lower portion of the case,

wherein the reflecting plate is bent in a mountain shape to reflect the heat radiated by the heaters upward.

19. The cooking utensil of claim 16, wherein the exhausting device comprises:

an exhaust channel for guiding air formed through the upper surface of the main body to the lower portion of the main body; and

an exhaust fan installed in the exhaust channel.

20. The cooking utensil of claim 19, wherein the exhaust channel comprises:

an exhaust duct extended from the inlets to an outlet formed through the lower surface of the main body,

wherein the exhaust duct comprises an upper exhaust duct extended from the inlets formed through the upper surface of the main body to an inlet of the exhaust fan and a lower exhaust duct connected to the upper exhaust duct and containing the exhaust fan in the upper portion of the inside thereof.

21. The cooking utensil of claim 20, further comprising a filter installed in the upper exhaust duct above the exhaust fan.

22. The cooking utensil of claim 21, wherein the filter comprises:

a grease filter;

a fine dust collection filter; and

a deodorization filter.

23. The cooking utensil of claim 19, wherein the cooling device comprises:

a cooling channel for inhaling air from the lower portion of the main body to cool the lower portion of the grill unit; and

a cooling fan installed in the cooling channel.

24. The cooking utensil of claim 23, wherein the cooling channel comprises:

a first cooling duct extended from an inlet formed through the lower surface of the main body to the lower portion of the grill unit;

a second cooling duct extended from the first cooling duct along the under part of the grill unit; and

a third cooling duct extended downwardly from the second cooling duct and provided with an outlet.

25. The cooking utensil of claim 24, wherein the first cooling duct comprises:

a lower duct extended upwardly from the inlet formed through the lower surface of the main body to the inlet of the cooling fan; and

an upper duct connected to the lower duct,

wherein the upper duct extends to the second cooling duct and contains the cooling fan.

26. The cooking utensil of claim 24, further comprising a driving motor installed at one side of the first cooling duct for driving the cooling fan and the exhaust fan,

wherein the cooling fan and the exhaust fan are connected to a rotary shaft extended from the driving motor.

27. The cooking utensil of claim 23, wherein the cooling fan and the exhaust fan are multiblade centrifugal fans.

28. The cooking utensil of claim 23, wherein the cooling fan and the exhaust fan are axial fans.

29. The cooking utensil of claim 26, further comprising a cooling heat exchanger installed in the outlet of the exhaust channel.

30. The cooking utensil of claim 29, further comprising:

a cooling water supply pipe connected to the cooling heat exchanger;

a cooling water discharge pipe connected to the cooling heat exchanger; and

a flow control valve installed in the cooling water supply pipe,

wherein the flow control valve is configured to open or close according to the operation of the driving motor.