Cooking Appliance

- LG Electronics

Provided is a cooker. The cooker includes a cavity including a cooking chamber; and a burner disposed in the cavity, receiving a mixed gas of a gas and air, and generating a flame by burning the mixed gas, in which the burner includes a supplier supplying the gas and the air and at least one combustor receiving the gas and the air from the supplier and including a plurality of flame holes generating the flame, and the combustor includes a gap capable of shifting the flame by communicating between the plurality of flame holes.

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Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 118B and 35 U.S.C. 365 to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2008-0073538(filed on Jul. 28, 2008) and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2009-0033886(filed on Apr. 17, 2009), which are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a cooker.

2. Description of the Related Art

A cooker is an appliance cooking a cooking food by using a heat as a heat source. The heat source may use a burner generating a heat by burning a gas.

The burner includes a plurality of flame holes burning the gas and the plurality of flame holes are separated from each other at a constant interval.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention had been made in an effort to provide a cooker capable of smoothly shifting flames between adjacent flame holes.

An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a cooker including: a cavity including a cooking chamber; and a burner disposed in the cavity, receiving a mixed gas of a gas and air, and generating a flame by burning the mixed gas, in which the burner includes a supplier supplying the gas and the air and at least one combustor receiving the gas and the air from the supplier and including a plurality of flame holes generating the flame, and the combustor includes a gap capable of shifting the flame by communicating between the plurality of flame holes.

Another exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a cooker including: a cavity including a cooking chamber; and a burner disposed in the cavity and including a supplier supplying a gas and an air and at least one combustor receiving the gas and the air from the supplier and including a plurality of flame holes generating the flame; in which the combustor includes an upper case and a lower case, flame hole forming portions for forming the plurality of flame holes are formed to be separated from each other at any one of the lower case and the upper case, two forming portions of the flame holes which are adjacent to each other are connected by a connecting portion, and when the upper case are connected to the lower case, the connecting portion is separated from a part of the other one of the upper case and the lower case facing the connecting portion.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, since an interval between ends of adjacent flame holes is smaller than an the interval between other portions, the flame generated in any one flame hole can be further easily shifted to the adjacent flame hole.

Further, as a gap for communicating between a plurality of flame holes is formed in the combustor, the flame shift between the adjacent flame holes can be smoothly implemented.

Further, as the flame shift between the adjacent flame holes is smoothly implemented, flame intensity (flame hole load) may be substantially uniform in the entire flame holes. As such, when the flame intensity is substantially uniform in the entire flame holes, the cooking food can be uniformly heated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cooker according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an oven burner and a reflector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of an oven burner according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a side view showing a flame hole structure of an oven burner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, an exemplary embodiment will be described in detail with reference to drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cooker according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an oven burner and a reflector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a cooker 1 according to the exemplary embodiment includes a top plate part 100, an oven part 200, a drawer part 300, and a control part 400.

The top plate part 100, the oven part 200, and the drawer part 300 are provided at the top, the center, and the bottom of a main body 10 of the cooker 1, respectively. In addition, the control part 400 is provided at a rear end on the top of the main body 10 corresponding to the rear of the top plate part 100.

The top plate part 100 includes a plurality of top plate burners 110. The top plate burner 110 cooks a cooking food by directly heating a container containing the cooking food with flame generated by burning a gas.

The front end of the top plate part 100 includes a plurality of knobs 120. The knobs 120 control open and close or open degree of a valve (not shown) adjusting supply or not and supply amount of the gas into the top plate burner 110.

The oven part 200 includes a cavity 210 having a cooking chamber 211. An oven burner for heating the cooking food housed in the cooking chamber 211 and a reflector 600 provided on the top of the oven burner 500 are included in the cavity 210. Although not shown in the drawing, an additional heat source for heating the cooking food housed in the cooking chamber 211 in addition to the oven burner 500 may be further provided in the inside or outside of the cavity 210.

The cooking chamber 211 is selectively opened and closed by a door 220. The cooking chamber 211 is opened and closed by the door 220 in a pull-down method in which an upper end of the door is vertically rotated based on a lower end of the door. A handle 221 held with a user's hand in order to rotate the door 220 is provided at the top front of the door 220

In addition, the drawer part 300 acts to warm the container containing the cooking food at a predetermined temperature. The drawer part 300 includes a drawer 310 storing the container.

The control part 400 receives an operational signal for the operation of the cooker 1, more particularly, an operational signal for the operation of at least one of the top plate part 100, the oven part 200, and the drawer part 300. In addition, the control part 400 acts to externally display various kinds of information on the operation of the cooker 1.

The oven burner 500 is disposed at the inner top of the cavity 210. The oven burner 500 acts to radiative-heat directly the cooking food in the cooking chamber 211 by a flame generated by burning the gas.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of an oven burner according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention and FIG. 4 is a side view showing a flame hole structure of an oven burner.

Referring to FIGS. 2 to 4, the oven burner 500 includes a supplier 510 supplying a mixed gas of gas and air, a plurality of combustors 530, 550, and 570 and a distributer 520 distributing the mixed gas supplied from the supplier 510 to the plurality of combustors 530, 550, and 570, and a communicator 590 communicating the plurality of combustors 530, 550, and 570. The plurality of combustors 530, 550, and 570 constitutes a combusting unit.

The supplier 510 acts to transfer the air which flows together in the supplying of the gas supplied from a nozzle (not shown) to the distributor 520.

In addition, an end of the supplier 510 passes through the sidewall of the cavity 210. Unlike, a part of the nozzle may be arranged with the end of the supplier 510 by pass through the sidewall of the cavity 210.

The gas and air flowed into the supplier 510 are transferred to the distributer 520 in a form of the gas mixed while flowing in the supplier 510.

The plurality of combustors 530, 550, and 570 include a first combustor 530, a second combustor 550, and a third combustor 570.

In detail, the first combustor 530 is formed in a linear shape and extends in the front and rear directions of the cavity 210 with the oven burner 500 disposed in the cavity 210.

The second combustor 550 and the third combustor 570 include auxiliary portions 552 and 572 extending substantially perpendicular to the first combustor 530 in the distributer 520 and main portions 554 and 574 bent in the auxiliary portions 552 and 572 to be substantially parallel to the first combustor 530. Accordingly, the main portion 554 of the second combustor 550 is positioned at one side separated from the first combustor 530 and the main portion 574 of the third combustor 570 is positioned at the other side separated from the first combustor 530.

The supplier 510 is disposed to substantially be parallel to the each of the auxiliary portions 552 and 572 and a connected portion with the distributer 520 may be bent. Accordingly, the supplier 510 extends toward the second combustor 550 or the third combustor 570 from the distributer 520. For example, FIG. 3 shows that the supplier 510 extends toward the third combustor 570.

Accordingly, the gas and air flowing in the supplier 510 flows into the distributer 520 by change a direction at the connected portion of the distributer 520 and the supplier 510.

In this case, since the flow direction of the gas and air flowing into the distributer 520 is substantially the same as the extending direction of the first combustor 530, the gas and air may move much more to the first combustor 530 from the distributer 520. Accordingly, a distributing guide 522 for distributing the gas and air to the second combustor 550 and the third combustor 570 may be provided at the distributer 520.

The distributing guide 522 is formed by a part of the distributer 520 dent to the inside of a channel of the distributer 520. Unlike this, the distributing guide 522 manufactured with a separate object may be disposed in the distributer.

In addition, a plurality of flame holes 526 for generating a flame are formed in each of the combustors 530, 550, and 570.

In detail, the plurality of flame holes 526 are formed at both sides of the first combustor 530. Accordingly, the flame may be generated at both sides of the first combustor 530.

The plurality of flame holes 526 are formed at one side of the main portion 552 of the second combustor 550. The one side of the main portion 552 faces the first combustor 530. The plurality of flame holes 526 are formed at one side of the main portion 574 of the third combustor 570. The one side of the main portion 574 faces the first combustor 530. That is, the flame is generated at only one side of each of the main portions 554 and 574.

The each of the flame holes 526 includes inside holes 527 and outside holes 528. One ends of the inside holes 527 are communicated with the inner portion of each of the combustors 530, 550, and 570. The inside holes 527 are formed in a hall shape having a predetermined diameter.

One ends of the outside holes 528 are communicated with the inside holes 527 and the other ends of the outside holes 528 are communicated with the cooking chamber 211. In addition, the mixed gas is substantially burned at the ends of the outside holes 528 communicated with the cooking chamber 211.

The outside holes 528 are formed in a corn shape in which a diameter is increased toward the other end communicated with the cooking chamber 211 from one end communicated with the inside holes 527. That is, a cross-sectional area of the channel of the outside holes 528 is larger than that of the inside holes 527. In addition, the cross-sectional area of the channel of the outside holes 528 is increased toward the cooking chamber 211 from the ends of the outside holes 528 adjacent to the inside holes 527.

Accordingly, intervals between the outside holes 528 of the flame holes 526 adjacent to each other are relatively decreased. Therefore, a flame shift in the adjacent flame holes may be easily implemented.

Meanwhile, referring to FIG. 4, the oven burner 500 is constituted by combining a lower case 501 and an upper case 502.

In addition, the lower case 501 and the upper case 502 may be fastened by, for example, a screw S. Unlike this, the lower case 501 and the upper case 502 may be fastened by a rivet. In the exemplary embodiment, a fastening method of the lower case 501 and the upper case 502 is not limited.

Forming portions 505 of the flame holes for forming the plurality of flame holes 526 are formed at any one or both of the lower case 501 and the upper case 502. For example, FIG. 4 shows that the forming portions 505 of the flame holes are formed at the lower case 501.

A part of the lower case 501 is foamed to form the plurality of flame hole forming portions 505. In addition, two forming portions of the flame holes which are adjacent to each other are connected by a connecting portion 504.

In addition, when the lower case 501 and the upper case 502 are connected, a gap 508 for shifting a flame is formed between at least one flame hole and a flame hole adjacent thereto. That is, the lower case 501 and the upper case 502 are separated from each other, except for the fastened portion of the lower case 501 and the upper case 502. A gap forming portion 503 may be formed at the upper case 502 in order to separating the lower case 501 from the upper case 502. Of course, when the flame hole forming portion is formed at the upper case, the gap forming portion may be formed at the lower case.

That is, when the lower case 501 and the upper case 502 are connected, the connecting portion 504 is separated from the gap forming portion 503 facing the connecting portion 504.

In addition, a longitudinal length of the gap 508 is smaller than that of the flame hole 526.

As such, according to the exemplary embodiment, the flame shift between the adjacent flame holes separated from each other may be smoothly implemented by the gap 508 for shifting the flame.

In particular, although an operational mode of the oven burner 500 is a weak mode (mode having a weak flame), the flame shift between the adjacent flame holes may be smoothly implemented.

Further, as the flame shift between the adjacent flame holes is smoothly implemented, flame intensity (flame hole load) may be substantially uniform in the entire flame holes. As such, when the flame intensity is substantially uniform in the entire flame holes, the cooking food may be uniformly heated.

The communicator 590 connects the ends of each of the combustors 530, 550, 570 to make pressure equilibrium among the combustors 530, 550, 570. When the pressure equilibrium in each of the combustors 530, 550, 570 is made, it is possible to prevent combusting performance in a specific combustor from being deteriorated.

Meanwhile, the reflector 600 is disposed between the ceiling surface 212 of the cavity 210 and the oven burner 500.

The reflector 600 reflects the flame and the heat generated by burning the gas in the oven burner 500 toward the lower part, that is, the cooking food in the cooking chamber 211. In addition, the reflector 600 acts to flow the burned gas generated by burning the gas in the oven burner 500 through a space between the upper part of the reflector 600, that is, the ceiling surface of the cooking chamber 211 and the upper surface of the reflector 600.

Referring to FIG. 2, the reflector 600 includes a reflecting portion 610, a discharging portion 620, a cover portion 640, and a fixing flange 630. In addition, the reflecting portion 610 includes a plurality of first connecting surfaces 611, a slant surface 613, and a second connecting surface 615.

The plurality of first connecting surfaces 611 are laterally formed to have a predetermined width and is disposed just above the combustors 530, 550, and 570. The number of the first connecting surfaces 611 is determined depending on the number of the combustors. In addition, the slant surface 613 extends to be slant upwardly from the end of the first connecting surface 611 at a predetermined angle. Further, the second connecting surface 615 is disposed between the slant surfaces 613 adjacent to each other to connect the end of the slant surface 613. in addition, the burned gas generated in the burning of the gas in the oven burner 500 is concentrated in a space between the second connecting surface 615 and two slant surfaces 613 adjacent to the second surface 615.

The fixing flange 630 is provided at each of the front and rear ends of both upper side ends of the reflecting portion 610. The fixing flange 630 fixes the reflecting portion 610 to ceiling surface of the cooking chamber 211. Substantially, parts of the front and rear ends of the first connecting surface 611 and the slant surface 613 are cut and bent upwardly to form the fixing flange 630.

The discharging portion 620 discharges the burned gas, which is generated in the burning of the gas in the oven burner 500 and concentrated in the space between the oven burner 500 and the reflecting portion 610, that is, the space between the second connecting surface 615 and two slant surfaces 613 adjacent to the second surface 615, into a space between the ceiling surface of the cooking chamber 211 and the reflecting portion 610. For this, a part of the second connecting surface 615 is lengthily cut forward and backward to form the discharging portion 620.

In addition, the cover portion 640 guides the burned gas which is generated in the burning of the gas in the oven burner 500 to be evenly spread into the space between the top of the reflector 600 and the ceiling surface of the cooking chamber 211.

For this, the cover portion 640 is formed in a plate shape having an approximately size corresponding to the discharging portion 620. In addition, the cover portion 640 is disposed just above the discharging portion 620. Accordingly, the flame and the heat generated by burning the gas in the oven burner 500 do not flow into the space between the top of the reflector 600 and the ceiling surface of the cooking chamber 211 through the discharging portion 620 and are reflected into the lower part, that is, in the cooking chamber 211 by the cover portion 640. Further, the burned gas discharged through the discharging portion 620 is evenly spread to be guided to the front and the rear or/and the right and the left by the cover portion 640.

In addition, fixing ribs are provided at the front and rear ends of the cover portion 640. The fixing rib fixes the cover portion 640 to the reflecting portion 610. In the exemplary embodiment, the fixing rib is formed in an approximately “L” shape so as to be provided at the front and rear ends of the cover portion 640, respectively. Of course, the cover portion 640 may be integrally formed with the reflector 600. In other words, two cut lines longitudinally parallel to each other are formed at the second connecting surface 615 and a part of the second connecting surface 615 corresponding to the space between the cut lines is upwardly bent to form the discharging portion 620 and the cover portion 640.

Hereinafter, an operation of the cooker will be described.

First, a user operates the control part 400 to input an operational signal for cooking the cooking food using the oven part 200. In addition, when the operational signal is inputted through the control part 400, the oven burner 500 is operated and the cooking food in the cooking chamber 211 is cooked.

In detail, the flame is generated by burning the gas and the air supplied to the oven burner 500. In addition, the cooking food in the cooking chamber 211 is directly cooked by the flame and the heat generated in the oven burner 500. In this case, the flame and the heat generated by burning the gas in the oven burner 500 are reflected toward the cooking food in the cooking chamber 211 by the reflector 600.

Meanwhile, the burned gas generated in the burning of the gas in the oven burner 500 is concentrated in the space between the ceiling surface of the cooking chamber 211 and the reflector 600, more particularly, the space between the second connecting surface 615 of the reflector 600 and two slant surfaces 613 adjacent to the second surface 615. As such, the burned gas which is concentrated in the space between the second connecting surface 615 of the reflector 600 and two slant surfaces 613 flows into the upper part, that is, the space between the ceiling surface of the cooking chamber 211 and the reflector 600 through the discharging portion 620.

Claims

1. A cooker, comprising:

a cavity including a cooking chamber; and
a burner disposed in the cavity, receiving a mixed gas mixed a gas and air, and generating a flame by burning the mixed gas,
wherein the burner includes,
a supplier supplying the gas and the air; and
at least one combustor receiving the gas and the air from the supplier and including a plurality of flame holes generating the flame,
wherein the combustor includes a gap capable of shifting the flame by communicating between the plurality of flame holes.

2. The cooker of claim 1, wherein the combustor includes an upper case and a lower case connected with the upper case, a flame hole forming portion for forming the plurality of flame holes is provided at one or more of the upper case and the lower case, and when the upper case and the lower case are connected, the upper case and the lower case are separated from each other at a space between plurality of flame holes.

3. The cooker of claim 2, wherein a gap forming portion for forming the gap is formed at the upper case and the lower case.

4. The cooker of claim 1, wherein the combustor is provided in plural and the supplier is connected with the plurality of combustors by a distributer.

5. The cooker of claim 1, wherein a longitudinal length of the gap is smaller than that of the flame hole.

6. The cooker of claim 1, wherein the combustors are disposed to be level with the inner part of the cavity.

7. The cooker of claim 1, wherein an interval between ends of the adjacent flame holes is smaller than that of other portions.

8. The cooker of claim 7, wherein each flame hole includes inside holes communicated with the inner space of the combustor and outside holes disposed at the outside of the inside holes and communicated with the cooking chamber, and a cross-sectional area of the channel of the outside holes is larger than that of the inside holes.

9. The cooker of claim 8, wherein the cross-sectional area of the channel of the outside holes is increased as far away from the inside hole.

10. A cooker, comprising:

a cavity including a cooking chamber; and
a burner disposed in the cavity and including a supplier supplying a gas and an air and at least one combustor receiving the gas and the air from the supplier and including a plurality of flame holes generating the flame,
wherein the combustor includes an upper case and a lower case, flame hole forming portions for forming the plurality of flame holes are formed to be separated from each other at any one of the lower case and the upper case, two flame hole forming portions which are adjacent to each other are connected by a connecting portion, and when the upper case are connected to the lower case, the connecting portion is separated from a part of the other one of the upper case and the lower case facing the connecting portion.

11. The cooker of claim 1, wherein the combustor is provided in plural, the supplier is connected with the plurality of combustors by a distributer, and some parts of the plurality of combustors are parallel to each other.

12. The cooker of claim 11, wherein the plurality of combustors are disposed to be level with the inner part of the cavity.

13. The cooker of claim 10, wherein a separate distance between the connecting portion and a part of the other one of the upper case and the lower case facing the connecting portion is smaller than the longitudinal length of the flame hole.

14. The cooker of claim 10, wherein each flame hole includes inside holes communicated with the inner space of the combustor and outside holes disposed at the outside of the inside holes and communicated with the cooking chamber, and a cross-sectional area of the channel of the outside holes is larger than that of the inside holes.

15. The cooker of claim 14, wherein the cross-sectional area of the channel of the outside holes is increased as far away from the inside holes.

Patent History
Publication number: 20110265781
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 28, 2009
Publication Date: Nov 3, 2011
Applicant: LG ELECTRONICS INC. (Seoul)
Inventors: Yang-Ho Kim (Changwon-si), Jung-Wan Ryu (Changwon-si), Dae-Bong Yang (Changwon-si), Yong-Ki Jeong (Changwon-si), Jae-Bum Lim (Changwon-si), Young-Soo Kim (Changwon-si), Dae-Rae Lee (Changwon-si), Jea-Hyuk Wie (Changwon-si), Jun-Ho Seok (Changwon-si)
Application Number: 13/056,226
Classifications
Current U.S. Class: 126/39.0E
International Classification: F24C 3/02 (20060101);