CN118120337A - Cooking apparatus and control method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cooking apparatus and a control method thereof. The disclosed invention is characterized by comprising a locking mechanism that selectively restricts movement of a latch mechanism that secures a door in a closed position, the locking mechanism comprising: a lever configured to be able to restrict movement of the latch mechanism; a driving unit for moving the lever; and a door setting key for generating a signal for operation of the driving part.

Description

Cooking apparatus and control method thereof

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a cooking apparatus and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to a cooking apparatus provided with a door for opening and closing a cooking chamber and a control method thereof.

Background

A cooking apparatus, which is one of home appliances for cooking food, is an apparatus that is provided in a kitchen space and cooks food according to a user's intention. Such cooking apparatuses may be classified into various kinds according to the heat source or form used, and the kind of fuel.

If the cooking apparatuses are classified according to the form of cooking food, the cooking apparatuses may be classified into open type and closed type cooking apparatuses according to the form of a space in which the food is placed. Closed cooking equipment includes ovens, electromagnetic microwave ovens, etc., and open cooking equipment includes cooktops, stoves, etc.

The closed cooking apparatus is a cooking apparatus that cooks food by shielding a space where the food is located and heating the shielded space. A chamber, i.e., a cooking chamber, which is a space in which food is placed and shielded when the food is to be cooked, is provided inside the body of the closed cooking apparatus. Such a cooking chamber actually forms a space for cooking food. A heat source is provided in an inner or outer space of the cooking chamber to heat the cooking chamber.

In the closed type cooking apparatus, an electromagnetic microwave oven is a cooking device that generates microwaves using electricity and penetrates into a cooking object accommodated inside a cooking chamber, and heats the cooking object by inducing molecular motion inside the cooking object.

Electromagnetic microwave ovens are kitchen appliances that heat the inside and outside of a cooking object simultaneously by radiating high frequency of a magnetron to the cooking object, and have the advantages of greatly shortening cooking time of the cooking object due to high heat efficiency, reducing loss of nutritive value during cooking, thawing and heating of the cooking object, directly cooking in a state where the cooking object is stored in a container, and the like, and thus are widely used.

Generally, such an electromagnetic microwave oven is provided with a door for opening and closing a cooking chamber formed inside a main body. As a door provided in an electromagnetic microwave oven, a left-right openable door, a vertical openable door, a sliding door, or the like can be adopted according to an opening/closing mode thereof, wherein the door of the most commonly used mode is the left-right openable door.

In addition, a latch selectively fixing the door for opening and closing the cooking chamber may be provided between the main body and the door. The latch may function to maintain a closed state of the door by using a hook, and may also function to detect the closed state of the door and prevent cooking or the like from being performed in the open state of the door.

Typically, the door cannot be secured by the latch to be completely unopened. That is, when a force equal to or greater than a predetermined force is applied to the door in a state in which the door closes the cooking chamber, the fixed state of the door by the latch is released even without additional other operations, whereby the door can be rotated or slid and the cooking chamber can be opened.

Since the door is easily opened when a user pulls the door due to the door opening and closing structure, an unexpected opening of the cooking chamber is often caused by a user error, a child's tamped egg, or the like during an operation of the electromagnetic microwave oven.

When the cooking chamber is unexpectedly opened in the action of the electromagnetic microwave oven, a user may be injured (such as scalded) by hot air inside the cooking chamber in which food is being cooked.

In addition, even when a child frequently opens and closes the door, the latch is rapidly worn, and thus, there is a possibility that the opening and closing operation of the door becomes unstable due to the worn latch.

In prior document 1 (korean laid-open patent No. 10-1995-0019743), a door lock structure of an oven is disclosed. In the conventional document 1, as shown in fig. 18, an operation rod 8 is provided on a gas range 3 provided in an upper portion of a main body of a cooking apparatus, and a lock hole 13 is formed in an upper portion of a door 10.

In a state where the operation rod 8 is pressed, the operation rod 8 is inserted into the locking hole 13 and combined with the door 10. Thus, the door 10 is in a locked state with respect to the main body, so that the door 10 cannot be arbitrarily opened.

If the operation rod 8 is pulled upward, the operation rod 8 is disengaged from the locking hole 13 of the door 10. Thereby, the door 10 can be opened from the main body.

According to the door lock device of the conventional document 1 described above, in order to open the door 10, the user needs to perform a troublesome operation of grasping the operation rod 8 and pulling it upward.

As described above, the operation of grasping the operation rod 8 and pulling it upward is a relatively complicated operation compared to the operation of simply pushing or touching it.

In addition, in a state where the operation rod 8 is coupled to the door 10, the locking ring protrusion 8a of the operation rod 8 is coupled to the locking portion 7' of the elastic piece 7, and therefore, a force of a degree capable of releasing the coupling is required to be applied to separate the operation rod 8 from the door 10.

That is, the door lock device of the prior art 1 has a disadvantage in that a laborious and troublesome operation is required to open the door 8, for example, the operation rod 8 is required to be pulled upward by applying a force.

Further, according to the door lock device of the prior art document 1, if the door 10 of the open main body is to be locked after the main body is re-closed, an operation of pressing the operation rod 8 is required.

That is, when the lock of the door 10 by the operation rod 8 is to be released, and when the unlocked door 10 is to be re-locked, the user needs to grasp the operation rod 8 and operate the operation rod 8 in person.

In this case, a situation in which the door 10 is locked by the operating rod 8 may frequently occur, and thus, the risk of occurrence of a safety accident due to unintentional opening of the cooking chamber may increase.

In addition, according to the door lock device of the prior document 1, the operation rod 8 protrudes to the outside of the oven. Such a protrusion may become a factor affecting the beauty of the oven.

In prior art document 2 (korean laid-open patent No. 10-1999-0030842), a safety device for a microwave oven is disclosed. As shown in fig. 19, the safety device for a microwave oven disclosed in prior art document 2 includes a solenoid valve 2 and a switch 3.

When the door 52 is closed and the switch 3 is operated, the plunger of the solenoid valve 2 is inserted into the locking hole 1 formed in the side surface of the door 52. By such a plunger, the door 52 is fixed, whereby the door 52 is in a locked state with respect to the main body 2, and the door 10 cannot be arbitrarily opened.

However, in the case of the conventional document 2, the locking of the door 52 by the solenoid valve 2 is not automatically performed. That is, the operation of the solenoid valve 2 is not automatically performed when the door 52 is closed, and therefore, the switch 3 needs to be operated both when the lock of the door 52 is to be released and when the unlocked door 52 is to be re-locked.

In addition, in conventional document 2, a locking hole 1 is formed in a side surface of a door 52. The locking hole 1 is formed through a side surface of the door 52. The locking hole 1 is necessary for inserting the plunger of the solenoid valve 2, but the locking hole 1 may be exposed to the outside when the door 52 is opened, which may affect the beauty of the microwave oven.

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

The present invention provides a cooking apparatus and a control method thereof capable of effectively suppressing arbitrary opening of a door and easily and conveniently releasing locking of the door without requiring a cumbersome and laborious operation.

In addition, it is another object of the present invention to provide a cooking apparatus having an improved structure to be able to re-lock a door without additional operations.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a control method of a cooking apparatus capable of appropriately controlling an operation for preventing an arbitrary door opening according to an operation state of the cooking apparatus, a door opening state, and the like.

In addition, another object of the present invention is to provide a cooking apparatus having an improved structure to be able to lock a door with high reliability while suppressing damage to the beauty of the cooking apparatus caused by a structure for locking the door.

In addition, another object of the present invention is to provide a control method of a cooking apparatus capable of suppressing an arbitrary opening of a door caused by an erroneous operation due to a user changing an idea or a mistake.

In addition, it is another object of the present invention to provide a cooking apparatus having an improved structure to enable fixation of a door for preventing an accidental opening of a cooking chamber with high reliability.

In addition, another object of the present invention is to provide a cooking apparatus having an improved structure to enable fixing and releasing of a door to be easily and conveniently achieved.

In addition, another object of the present invention is to provide a control method of a cooking apparatus capable of re-locking a door after releasing the locking of the door without additional operations.

Technical proposal for solving the problems

An embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above object is characterized by comprising: a latch mechanism coupled to the main body to fix the door in the closed position; and a locking mechanism that selectively restricts movement of a latch mechanism coupled to the body.

Thus, the latch mechanism and the door can be fixed by the latch mechanism with high reliability.

In order to achieve the above object, a control method of a cooking apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that, when a door setting key is operated, an opening permission operation is performed only when a door position is a closed position.

This prevents unnecessary operation of the lock mechanism, and prevents malfunction due to frequent operation of the lock mechanism.

In addition, another aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the latch mechanism is allowed to move when the door setting key is operated in a state where the door closes the cooking chamber.

In addition, another aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the lock mechanism re-locks the door if the position of the door does not change to the open position within a set time in a state where the lock mechanism allows the door to open.

Thus, an accident caused by an erroneous operation due to a user's change of mind or mistake can be prevented in advance, and an arbitrary opening of the door can be prevented with high reliability.

In addition, another aspect of the present invention is characterized by comprising a lock mechanism that selectively restricts movement of a latch mechanism that fixes a door in a closed position, the lock mechanism comprising: a lever configured to be able to restrict movement of the latch mechanism; a driving unit for moving the lever; and a door setting key for generating a signal for operation of the driving part.

Thus, only by the pressing operation of the door setting key, arbitrary opening of the door can be easily and conveniently suppressed without requiring a cumbersome and laborious operation.

Another aspect of the present invention is characterized by comprising: a latch plate disposed on the front side of the main body; a latch mechanism coupled to the latch plate to fix the door in the closed position; and a locking mechanism provided to be capable of fixing the latch mechanism in a state of being coupled to the latch plate, the locking mechanism being provided to the latch plate.

Another aspect of the present invention is characterized by comprising: a locking mechanism that selectively restricts movement of a latch mechanism that secures the door in the closed position; and a detection unit that detects whether the door is closed, and if the door is moved to the closed position, the lock mechanism moves to a position that restricts movement of the latch mechanism.

Thereby, the door can be re-locked when the door is closed without additional operations.

Another aspect of the present invention is characterized by comprising: a locking mechanism that selectively restricts movement of a latch mechanism that secures the door in the closed position; and a plurality of operation switches for generating different signals, respectively, and if the plurality of operation switches are operated simultaneously, the door locking function of the locking mechanism is released.

Thus, it is possible to provide both a double door fixing function of automatically and safely fixing the door and a function of maintaining a state in which such a function is released.

The cooking apparatus of one aspect of the present invention may include: a main body having a cooking chamber formed therein and having an opening at a front surface thereof; a door disposed in front of the main body to open and close the cooking chamber; a latch mechanism provided at the door to be selectively coupled with the main body, the latch mechanism fixing the door in a closed position by being coupled with the main body; and a locking mechanism that selectively restricts movement of the latch mechanism.

Additionally, the locking mechanism may include: a lock catch including a lever provided so as to be movable to a restricting position restricting movement of the latch mechanism and an allowing position allowing movement of the latch mechanism; a driving unit that moves the lever; and a door setting key for generating a signal for operation of the driving section.

In addition, preferably, the latch includes: a rotation shaft rotated about an up-down direction axis by the driving unit; and the lever protrudes from the rotation shaft in a centrifugal direction and moves in association with rotation of the rotation shaft.

Further, preferably, the latch mechanism moves upward from the fixed position to move from the fixed position to the fixing release position, and the lever restricts upward movement of the latch mechanism at an upper portion of the latch mechanism in the restricting position.

Further, preferably, the lever includes: a first lever portion protruding from the rotation shaft in a centrifugal direction; and a second lever portion protruding from an end of the first lever portion, the lever protruding in a direction moving from the permitting position to the restricting position.

In addition, preferably, the present invention further includes a first detecting portion detecting a position of the lever.

In addition, preferably, the lock catch further includes a contact protrusion protruding from the rotation shaft toward the centrifugal direction.

In addition, preferably, the contact protrusion moves in conjunction with the rotation of the rotation shaft, and the first detection portion is turned ON (ON)/OFF (OFF) based ON the contact protrusion to detect the position of the lever.

Further, the present invention preferably further includes a latch plate provided on the main body, and a latch fixing portion exposed to the front of the main body to enable the latch mechanism to be coupled is provided on the latch plate.

In addition, preferably, at least any one of the lock catch and the driving portion is provided at the latch plate.

In addition, preferably, the latch plate includes: a first support portion disposed on an upper side of the latch fixing portion, the driving portion being coupled to the first support portion; and a second support portion that is disposed on a lower side of the first support portion and rotatably supports the lock catch.

In addition, preferably, the present invention further includes a first detecting portion detecting a position of the lever.

Further, preferably, the lock catch further includes a contact protrusion protruding from the rotation shaft in a centrifugal direction, and the first detection portion is disposed at a position capable of contacting the contact protrusion and is coupled to the first support portion.

Further, it is preferable that the contact protrusion is disposed at a position higher than the lever, and the first detection portion is coupled to the first support portion at the upper portion of the lever and is disposed at a height at which the contact protrusion can be brought into contact.

Further, preferably, when the lever is located at the restricting position, the contact protrusion contacts the first detection portion to turn ON (ON) the first detection portion.

Further, preferably, if the first detection portion is turned ON (ON), the operation of the driving portion is stopped to maintain the position of the lever at the restricting position.

In addition, preferably, the present invention further includes a second detecting portion detecting whether the position of the door is a closed position.

In addition, preferably, the latch plate further includes a third support portion to which the second detection portion is coupled.

Preferably, if the door is moved to the closed position such that the second detection portion is turned ON (ON), the driving portion is operated to maintain the position of the lever from the allowable position to the restricting position.

In addition, preferably, the present invention further includes a first operation switch generating a signal different from the door setting key.

Further, preferably, if the first operation switch and the door setting key generate signals at the same time, the operation of the driving part is stopped to maintain the position of the lever at the allowable position.

In addition, preferably, the present invention further includes a second operation switch generating a signal different from the door setting key and the second operation switch.

Further, preferably, if at least one of the first operation switch and the second operation switch and the door setting key simultaneously generate a signal, the operation of the driving portion is stopped to maintain the position of the lever at the allowable position.

In addition, the cooking apparatus of one aspect of the present invention includes: a main body having a cooking chamber formed therein and having an opening at a front surface thereof; a door disposed in front of the main body and opening and closing the cooking chamber; a latch mechanism provided at the door to be selectively coupled with the main body, the latch mechanism fixing the door in a closed position by being coupled with the main body; and a lock mechanism provided so as to be able to fix the latch mechanism in a state of being coupled to the main body, the lock mechanism being capable of selectively restricting movement of the latch mechanism coupled to the main body.

In addition, the cooking apparatus of one aspect of the present invention includes: a main body having a cooking chamber formed therein and having an opening at a front surface thereof; a door disposed in front of the main body to open and close the cooking chamber; a latch plate disposed on a front side of the main body; a latch mechanism provided at the door to be selectively coupled with the latch plate, the latch mechanism fixing the door in a closed position by being coupled with the latch plate; and a locking mechanism provided so as to be capable of fixing the latch mechanism in a state of being coupled to the latch plate, the locking mechanism being provided to the latch plate.

In addition, in a control method of a cooking apparatus of another aspect of the present invention, the cooking apparatus includes: a latch mechanism for fixing a door that moves between a closed position and an open position to open and close the cooking chamber at the closed position; and a lock catch provided so as to be movable to a restricting position restricting movement of the latch mechanism or a permitting position permitting movement of the latch mechanism, wherein when a door setting key is operated, an opening permitting operation is performed only when the position of the door is a closed position.

Here, the opening permission operation may be an operation of moving the lock catch to the permission position.

In addition, the cooking apparatus may further include an input key for inputting a motion setting value.

In addition, it is preferable that the setting value deletion operation is performed in a state where the operation setting value is inputted through the input key when the door setting key is operated.

Here, the setting value deletion operation may be an operation of deleting the operation setting value input by the input key.

Further, it is preferable that only the setting value deletion operation of the opening permission operation and the setting value deletion operation is performed if the door setting key is operated in a state where the position of the door is the open position and the operation setting value has been input through the input key.

Further, preferably, if the door setting key is operated in a state where the position of the door is the closed position and the operation setting value has been input through the input key, the opening permission operation is performed together with the setting value deletion operation.

In addition, the cooking apparatus may further include a heating part generating heat or high frequency inside the cooking chamber.

In addition, preferably, the opening permission operation is not performed even when the door setting key is operated when the position of the door is the closed position during the operation of the heating unit.

Further, preferably, if the door setting key is operated during the operation of the heating portion, the operation of the heating portion is interrupted.

Further, it is preferable that the opening permission operation is performed if the door setting key is operated when the heating unit is operated.

In addition, if the position of the door does not change to the open position within a set time after the opening permission operation is performed, a door control operation may be performed.

Here, the door regulating action may be an action of moving the lock catch to the restricting position.

In addition, the cooking apparatus may further include a first detecting part detecting a position of the locker.

In addition, if the shackle moves to the permission position and contacts the first detection portion at the time of the opening permission operation, the first detection portion may be turned ON (ON).

In addition, preferably, if the first detection portion is turned ON (ON), the movement of the latch is interrupted.

In addition, the cooking apparatus may further include a second detecting part detecting whether the position of the door is a closed position.

In addition, if the second detection portion is turned ON (ON) by the door moving from the permission position to the closing position, a door regulating action may be performed.

Here, the door regulating action may be an action of moving the lock catch to the restricting position.

Effects of the invention

According to the control method of the cooking apparatus of the present invention, when the door setting key is operated, the opening permission operation is performed only in a state where the door closes the cooking chamber, and thus, the unnecessary operation of the lock mechanism can be prevented.

Thus, the present invention can effectively prevent the occurrence of a failure of the locking mechanism due to frequent operation of the locking mechanism, and can prevent arbitrary opening of the door with high reliability.

In addition, in the present invention, it is not necessary to add a separate input key for controlling the door lock function in addition to the input key provided in the general cooking device, and the door lock function can be effectively controlled only by using the existing input key.

Thus, the cooking device having a door locking function with high reliability can be provided while suppressing the increase of components to the maximum extent as compared with the conventional cooking device.

In addition, in the present invention, it is not necessary to add a separate input key for controlling the door lock function, so that it is possible to provide a cooking device having high compatibility with the existing cooking device, and it is possible to suppress the necessity of changing the external design of the existing cooking device due to the addition of the input key.

In addition, in the present invention, by the locking mechanism capable of fixing the latch mechanism to the main body to maintain the state in which the door closes the cooking chamber, the fixing of the door can be achieved with high reliability, so that the cooking chamber can be effectively prevented from being accidentally opened during the operation of the cooking apparatus.

In addition, in the present invention, the locking of the door can be easily and conveniently released without requiring a cumbersome and laborious operation only by operating the operation switch, so that the cooking apparatus having high safety and convenience can be provided.

In addition, in the invention, the door can be locked with high reliability under the condition that the attractive appearance of the cooking equipment is not affected by the locking mechanism, so that the stability of the cooking equipment can be improved while the attractive appearance of the cooking equipment is maintained.

In addition, in the present invention, not only a dual door fixing function of automatically and safely fixing a door is provided, but also a function of maintaining the function in a released state when such a dual door fixing function is not required, so that an effect that a function of selecting whether to use the dual door fixing function according to a user's needs can be provided to be applied to a cooking apparatus.

In addition, the present invention can provide a two-step locking function that can open a door by performing two or more operations, and can easily and simply release the function without such a two-step locking function, thereby providing an effect that can simultaneously improve the stability and convenience of a cooking apparatus.

In addition, the present invention can automatically perform a door fixing operation of the locking mechanism to the door closing the cooking chamber without additional operations, thereby providing an effect that the convenience of the operations can be improved while improving the safety of the cooking apparatus.

In addition, the present invention can easily and conveniently realize the fixation and the release of the fixation of the door, thereby being capable of inhibiting the unnecessary frequent opening and closing, and effectively inhibiting the unstable opening and closing action of the door due to the abnormal rapid abrasion of the latch mechanism.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a cooking apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a door open state of the cooking apparatus shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a set state of a lock mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a side sectional view illustrating an internal structure of the cooking apparatus shown in fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a block diagram schematically showing an example of the constitution of a cooking apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a top sectional view illustrating an internal structure of the cooking apparatus shown in fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a top cross-sectional view showing an internal structure of the cooking apparatus including the first detecting portion.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a portion of a locking mechanism of an embodiment of the present invention shown separated.

Fig. 9 is an exploded perspective view showing an exploded state of the locking mechanism shown in fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing the shackle shown in fig. 8 separated.

Fig. 11 is a top cross-sectional view showing a lock released state of the lock mechanism shown in fig. 7.

Fig. 12 is a side sectional view showing a lock released state of the lock mechanism shown in fig. 4.

Fig. 13 is a diagram schematically illustrating the switch shown in fig. 5.

Fig. 14 is a flowchart showing an operation control process of the lock mechanism according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 15 is a block diagram schematically showing the constitution of a cooking apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 16 is a diagram schematically illustrating the switch shown in fig. 15.

Fig. 17 is a flowchart showing an operation control process of the lock mechanism according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 18 is a side view, partially broken away, showing a state in which a door of a related art oven is locked.

Fig. 19 is a sectional view showing an applied state of a safety device for a microwave oven of the related art.

Detailed Description

The above objects, features and advantages will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, and thus, a person skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains can easily implement the technical idea of the present invention. In the description of the present invention, if it is determined that detailed descriptions of known technologies related to the present invention may obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted. Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals refer to the same or similar constituent elements.

Although first, second, etc. are used to describe various elements, these elements are not limited by these terms. The terms are used merely to distinguish one component from other components, unless otherwise specifically indicated, a first component may be a second component.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, and may be implemented in various forms with various modifications. The present embodiments are provided only for complete disclosure of the present invention and for complete disclosure of the scope of the present invention to those of ordinary skill in the art. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, and it should be understood that not only the constitution of any one embodiment and the constitution of another embodiment may be substituted or added to each other, but also the present invention includes all modifications, equivalents and substitutions made within the technical spirit and scope of the present invention.

It should be understood that the drawings are only for facilitating understanding of the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, and the technical ideas disclosed in the present specification are not limited to the drawings, including all modifications, equivalents and substitutes made within the spirit and technical scope of the present invention. In the drawings, the size or thickness of the constituent elements may be represented in an exaggerated manner or reduced in view of ease of understanding and the like, but the scope of the present invention should not be construed in a limited manner accordingly.

The terminology used in the description presented herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments or embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. Furthermore, singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In the description, terms "comprising," "including," "comprising," and the like are intended to indicate the presence of the elements, steps, acts, components, parts, or combination thereof disclosed in the specification. That is, it should be understood that the terms "comprises," "comprising," "includes," "including" and the like in this specification do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, amounts, steps, acts, components, parts, or groups thereof.

Ordinal terms such as "first," "second," and the like are used to describe various elements, but are not limited by the terms. The term is used merely for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

If a component is referred to as being "connected" or "coupled" to another component, it should be understood that the component may be directly connected or coupled to the other component, but other components may be present therebetween. Conversely, if a component is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly coupled" to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components between them.

When referring to a certain component as being "upper" or "lower" of another component, it is to be understood that the component may be disposed not only directly above the other component but also with other components in between.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

In a state where the cooking apparatus is placed on the floor (floor), a direction in which the door is provided is defined as a front with reference to the center of the cooking apparatus. Thus, the direction of opening the door into the interior of the cooking apparatus is rearward. For convenience of explanation, such forward and backward directions may be referred to as a first direction. Then, the front may be referred to as one of the first directions, and the rear may be referred to as the other of the first directions.

In addition, the direction of gravity may be defined as lower and the opposite direction of the direction of gravity as upper.

Further, a horizontal direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction of the cooking device, that is, a width direction of the cooking device when the cooking device is viewed from the front of the door of the cooking device may be referred to as a left-right direction. For convenience of explanation, the left-right direction may be referred to as a second direction. Then, the right side may be referred to as one of the second directions, and the left side may be referred to as the other of the second directions.

In addition, the width direction of the cooking apparatus may also be referred to as a side direction. Thus, the right side may be referred to as one side in the lateral direction and the left side may be referred to as the other side in the lateral direction.

The vertical direction may be referred to as a third direction. Then, the upper side may be referred to as one of the third directions, and the lower side may be referred to as the other of the third directions.

The vertical direction may be referred to as a vertical direction. Thus, the front-rear direction and the left-right direction, i.e., the first direction and the second direction, may be collectively referred to as the lateral direction.

Throughout the specification, when described as "a and/or B", A, B or a and B are indicated unless specifically stated to the contrary, and when described as "C to D", C is indicated to be above and D is below unless specifically stated to the contrary.

[ Overall Structure of cooking apparatus ]

Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a cooking apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a door open state of the cooking apparatus shown in fig. 1.

Referring to fig. 1 to 3, a cooking apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is formed in an external appearance by a main body 10. The main body 10 may be formed in a shape including a substantially rectangular parallelepiped, and may be formed of a material having a predetermined strength so as to protect a plurality of members disposed in an inner space thereof. Such a body 10 may include a cavity 11 and a case 13.

The cavity 11 may form an internal skeleton of the body 10. Such a cavity 11 may be formed in a hexahedral shape with an open front. A cooking chamber 14 may be formed inside the cavity 11. The cooking chamber 14 may be formed in a hexahedral shape having an open front surface, which corresponds to the inner shape of the cavity 11.

The cooking chamber 14 may be formed in a hexahedral shape with an open front. In a state where such a cooking chamber 14 is shielded, the internal space of the cooking chamber 14 is heated, so that cooking can be performed. That is, in the cooking apparatus, the inner space of the cooking chamber 14 is a space in which food is substantially cooked.

The case 13 may form an external appearance of the body 10 at the outside of the cavity 11. Such a case 13 may cover the cavity 11 from the upper and side portions and form the external appearance of the body 10.

In the present embodiment, a front plate 12 is illustrated as being disposed in front of the chamber 11.

The front panel 12 may form a front appearance of the body 10 in front of the cavity 11. As an example, the front panel 12 may be formed in a metal plate shape having a hollow portion.

A door 20 for selectively opening and closing the cooking chamber 14 may be rotatably provided at the front of the main body 10. The door 20 may open and close the cooking chamber 14 in a Side-swing manner in which the other Side thereof is rotated left and right centering on the one Side thereof. For example, the door 20 may close the cooking chamber 14 in a closed position, and may rotate from the closed position to open the cooking chamber 14.

Such a door 20 may be formed in a hexahedral shape having a prescribed thickness as a whole. Further, a hinge may be provided between the main body 10 and the door. The hinge may be disposed at a lateral side of the main body 10 such that the lateral side of the door 20 is rotatably coupled to the main body 10. The door 20 may be rotatably coupled to the hinge at the front surface of the main body 10, and may open and close the cooking chamber 14 while rotating about the hinge.

A heating unit for heating the interior of the cooking chamber 14 is provided in the main body 10. The heating part may generate heat or high frequency to the inside of the cooking chamber 14. Such a heating portion may be constituted of one type, or may be constituted of two or more types.

In the present embodiment, the heating part is exemplified to include a magnetron (Magnetron) capable of providing a high-frequency heat source to the inside of the cooking chamber 14. At this time, the magnetron may be disposed inside the main body 10 at an upper portion or a side portion of the cooking chamber 14.

In addition, an electric chamber located at an upper portion or a side portion of the cooking chamber 14 within the main body 10 may be formed inside the main body 10. In the present embodiment, the magnetron and the electric chamber are illustrated as being disposed at the side of the cooking chamber 14. Electrical components such as a magnetron and a high voltage transformer (High Voltage Trans) may be provided in the electrical chamber.

[ Structure of door ]

The door 20 may include a door panel 21 forming a skeleton of the door 20. The door panel 21 may be formed in a hexahedral shape corresponding to the front shape of the main body 10. In the present embodiment, the door panel 21 is exemplified as being formed of a metal material having a predetermined strength.

In addition, a door frame 25 may be provided at the outer side of the door panel 21. The door frame 25 may form the appearance of the front, top, bottom, and side surfaces of the door 20, and may be formed in a hexahedral shape with an open back surface. The door panel 21 may be accommodated inside such a door frame 25.

In addition, a hinge that rotatably couples the door panel 21 to the main body 10 may be provided at one side of the door frame 25 in a lateral direction. Such hinges may be provided at upper and lower ends of a lateral side of the door frame 25, respectively.

As described above, the door 20 formed of the door panel 21 and the door frame 25 may include the door main body portion 20a covering the front of the cooking chamber 14 and the handle portion 20b that a user can grasp with a hand.

In addition, a control panel 15 may be provided at the door 20. The control panel 15 may be disposed between the door main body portion 20a and the handle portion 20 b. The control panel 15 may be formed in a hexahedral shape having a prescribed internal space.

According to the present embodiment, most of the area of the door 20 corresponds to the door main body portion 20a and the control panel 15. That is, in the door 20, most of the area of the door 20 corresponds to the door main body portion 20a and the control panel 15, except for a handle portion 20b described later.

The door main body portion 20a and the control panel 15 may be arranged in a lateral direction. For example, the control panel 15 may be disposed on the other side of the door main body portion 20 a. The door main body portion 20a and the control panel 15 arranged as described above may be partitioned by a partition wall 26.

An input unit for inputting an operation signal for operating the cooking device by a user may be provided on the front surface of the control panel 15. In addition, the control panel 15 may be provided with a display portion that provides operation information of the door and the cooking device having the same, cooking information of food, etc., and a user can confirm various information about the cooking device through the display portion.

According to the present embodiment, the door main body portion 30a may be rotated centering on one lateral side to open and close the cooking chamber 14, and the control panel 15 may be disposed on the other lateral side of the door main body portion 30 a. Further, the handle portion 30b may be formed to protrude from the control panel 15 toward the other side. That is, the control panel 15 may be disposed between the door main body portion 30a and the handle portion 30 b.

As an example, the door frame 25 may form a skeleton of the door body portion 30a and the control panel 15, and a portion extending from the door frame 25 toward the other side may be a handle portion 30b.

Specifically, on the front surface of the door 20, the front surfaces of the door main body portion 30a and the control panel 15 may be formed on the same plane as the front surface of the handle portion 30 b. Further, the side surface of the handle portion 30b may be recessed toward one side. That is, the handle portion 30b may be formed in a groove shape recessed in the lateral direction.

The inner space of the handle portion 30b is opened to the other side, and the user can open and close the door 20 by grasping the handle portion 30b with the hand inserted into the inner space.

On the other hand, the cooking apparatus may further include a latch mechanism 40. The latch mechanism 40 may be provided for securing the door 20 in the closed position.

In the present embodiment, the latch mechanism 40 is illustrated as being provided to the door 20. As described above, when the door 20 shields the cooking chamber 14, the latch mechanism 40 provided to the door 20 may be inserted into the inside of the main body 10 through the latch groove formed through the front surface of the main body 10.

As described above, the latch mechanism 40 inserted into the inside of the main body 10 is engaged with the latch plate 50 provided in the inside of the main body 10, so that the door 20 can be selectively fixed to the main body 10.

By the latch mechanism 40, the rotation of the door 20 with respect to the main body 10 is restricted, so that the cooking chamber 14 can be substantially maintained in a state of being shielded by the door 20.

Further, by detecting whether or not the latch mechanism 40 and the latch plate 50 are engaged, whether or not the door 20 is closed can be detected, and thus, the operation of the cooking apparatus can be controlled, and cooking in a state where the door 20 is opened can be prevented.

In the present embodiment, the latch plate 50 is provided on the front plate 12 disposed in front of the cavity 11, and the latch mechanism 40 provided on the door 20 is coupled to the latch plate 50.

In another aspect, the cooking apparatus may further comprise a locking mechanism 100. The lock mechanism 100 restricts movement of the latch mechanism 40, and thereby can function to fix the latch mechanism 40 to the latch plate 50. Such a locking mechanism 100 may be provided such that the latch mechanism 40 that fixes the door 20 in the closed position is fixed in a state of being coupled with the latch plate 50.

That is, the lock mechanism 100 restricts the movement of the latch mechanism 40 coupled to the latch plate 50 so that the coupling between the latch mechanism 40 and the latch plate 50 cannot be released.

Thus, in the cooking apparatus of the present embodiment, it is possible to be constituted in a state in which the door 20 is fixed by the latch mechanism 40, and the latch mechanism 40 is fixed by the lock mechanism 100. That is, in the cooking apparatus of the present embodiment, in order to open the cooking chamber 14, the door 20 needs not only to release the coupling between the latch mechanism 40 and the main body 10, but also to unlock the fixing of the latch mechanism 40 by the lock mechanism 100 together.

[ Structure of latch mechanism and latch plate ]

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing an installation state of a locking mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention, and fig. 4 is a side sectional view showing an internal structure of the cooking apparatus shown in fig. 3.

Referring to fig. 2 to 4, a latch plate 50 may be provided at the front side of the main body 10, more specifically, at the front panel 12. Such a latch plate 50 may include a latch plate body portion 51 and a latch fixing portion 53.

The latch plate main body portion 51 forms a skeleton of the latch plate 50, and may be provided at the front panel 12. The latch plate main body 51 may be formed in a shape having a length in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction shorter than a length in the up-down direction, for example, a bar shape vertically placed.

The latch plate main body 51 may be disposed behind the front plate 12 and coupled to the front plate 12. For example, the coupling between the latch plate main body portion 51 and the front surface plate 12 may be achieved in a state where the front surface of the latch plate main body portion 51 is in contact with the back surface of the front surface plate 12.

A fastening boss 52 may be provided at the latch plate 50 to achieve bonding between the latch plate body 51 and the front panel 12. The fastening boss 52 may be formed in a shape protruding rearward from the front surface of the latch plate main body portion 51.

Fastening holes through which fastening members such as screws may penetrate the front panel 12 and the fastening boss 52 and be coupled with the front panel 12 and the fastening boss 52 may be formed in the front-rear direction at the front panel 12 and the fastening boss 52.

The latch fixing portion 53 may be provided to be combined with the latch mechanism 40. Such a latch fixing portion 53 may be provided to be exposed to the front of the main body 10, and may include an insertion hole 53a and a locking end 53b.

A latch groove may be formed in the front panel 12 so as to penetrate in the front-rear direction. The latch slot may form a desired passage for the latch mechanism 40 to pass through the front panel 12 in the front-to-back direction. The latch fixing portion 53 can be exposed to the front of the main body 10 through the latch groove.

The insertion hole 53a is provided so as to be connectable with a through hole formed in the front panel 12. Such an insertion hole 53a may be formed to penetrate the inner side of the latch plate main body 51 in the front-rear direction. The latch mechanism 40 can be inserted into the latch fixing portion 53 through such an insertion hole 53 a.

The latch mechanism 40 provided to be selectively combined with such a latch plate 50 may be provided to the door 20 so as to be movable to a fixed position and a released position. The latch mechanism 40 may be combined with the body 10, and more particularly, the latch plate 50 to secure the door 20 in the closed position when the latch mechanism 40 is in the secured position. In addition, when the latch mechanism 40 is located at the fixing release position, the door 20 may be separated from the main body 10 to open the cooking chamber 14.

The latch mechanism 40 is movable to the fixed position by being moved backward of the main body 10, and is movable to the released position by being moved forward away from the main body 10. Such a latch mechanism 40 may include a latch lever 41 and a latch 43.

The latch lever 41 may be provided inside the door 20 in a manner movable in the up-down direction. As an example, the latch lever 41 may be formed in a lever shape extending in the up-down direction.

The latch lever 41 may be elastically supported by an elastic member provided inside the door 20. The elastic member supporting the latch lever 41 may provide an elastic force to move the upwardly moved latch lever 41 again downwardly.

The latch 43 may protrude rearward from the latch lever 41. As an example, the latch 43 may be formed in a hook shape with a rear end portion protruding downward. Such a latch 43 may pass through the front panel 12 through a latch groove, and may be inserted into the latch plate 50 through the insertion hole 53 a. As described above, the latch 43 inserted into the latch plate 50 may be coupled to the latch plate 50 in a state of being locked to the rear surface of the latch plate 50.

When the latch mechanism 40 is at the fixed position, that is, when the latch mechanism 40 is coupled to the latch plate 50, the rear end portion of the latch 43 inserted into the latch plate 50 may be disposed at a position lower than the insertion hole 53 a. In this state, the latch 43 can be coupled to the latch plate 50 so as to be locked to the back surface of the latch plate 50.

That is, when the posture of the shackle 110 is the locking posture, the rear surfaces of the latch 43 and the latch plate 50 are in contact in the front-rear direction to achieve the coupling between the latch 43 and the latch plate 50, so that the forward movement of the latch 43 can be restricted by the latch plate 50.

In the present embodiment, the latch mechanism 40 is provided with a pair of latches 43 aligned in the up-down direction, and a pair of latch fixing portions 53 corresponding thereto are aligned in the up-down direction on the latch plate 50.

However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications may be made in relation to the latch mechanism 40 and the latch plate 50, for example, the latch mechanism 40 may be provided with three or more latches 43, the latch fixing portions 53 may be provided with a corresponding number of latch fixing portions 53, and the like.

According to the present embodiment, the latch plate 50 may be provided with a locking end 51b. The locking end 51b may be disposed at a lower portion of the insertion hole 53 a. The locking end 51b is formed to extend rearward from the front surface of the latch plate 50, and may define a lower boundary of the insertion hole 53 a.

When the latch mechanism 40 is at the fixed position, the rear end portion of the latch 43 inserted into the latch plate 50 may be disposed at a position lower than the insertion hole 53 a. In this state, the latch 43 can be coupled to the latch plate 50 so as to be locked to the rear end portion of the locking end 51 b.

The engagement end 51b may be formed as an inclined surface inclined upward from the front side of the latch plate 50 toward the rear side. When the latch mechanism 40 is inserted into the latch plate 50, the latch 43 can move along the inclined surface of the locking end 51b toward the insertion hole 53 a. That is, the movement of the striker 110 for coupling the striker 110 and the latch plate 50 can be effectively guided by the locking end 51 b.

When the latch mechanism 40 is coupled to the latch plate 50, the bottom surface of the latch 43 that contacts the locking end 51b may form an inclined surface that is inclined upward as it approaches the front side.

When the latch mechanism 40 moves from the fixed position to the released position, the bottom surface of the latch 43 rises along the rear end portion of the locking end 51b, so that the forward movement of the latch 43 can be achieved. As described above, if the latch 43 moves forward, the latch 43 is disengaged from the latch mechanism 40, and the engagement between the latch mechanism 40 and the latch plate 50 can be released.

At this time, the moving direction of the latch mechanism 40 is a direction between the front and the upper. That is, in order to move the latch mechanism 40 from the fixed position to the released position, the forward movement and the upward movement of the latch mechanism 40 must be performed together.

On the other hand, the latch plate 50 may further include a first support portion 54 and a second support portion 55. The first support portion 54 and the second support portion 55 may be provided on the latch plate 50 to support the locking mechanism 100. The specific structures of the first support portion 54 and the second support portion 55 will be described later.

[ Structure of locking mechanism ]

Fig. 5 is a block diagram schematically showing the constitution of a locking mechanism of an embodiment of the present invention, and fig. 6 is a top sectional view showing the internal structure of the cooking apparatus shown in fig. 3. In addition, fig. 7 is a top cross-sectional view showing an internal structure of a cooking apparatus including a first detection portion, and fig. 8 is a perspective view showing a part of a locking mechanism of an embodiment of the present invention separated. Fig. 9 is an exploded perspective view showing an exploded state of the lock mechanism shown in fig. 8, and fig. 10 is a perspective view showing the shackle shown in fig. 8 separated.

Referring to fig. 4 to 7, the locking mechanism 100 may include a shackle 110 and a driving portion 120. At least any one of the shackle 110 and the driving portion 120 included in the locking mechanism 100 may be provided to the latch plate 50. In the present embodiment, the lock catch 110 and the driving portion 120 are illustrated as being provided in the latch plate 50.

The shackle 110 is configured to selectively limit movement of the latch mechanism 40. Such a shackle 110 may be provided to the latch plate 50, and may include a rotation shaft 111 and a rod 113.

The rotation shaft 111 may be provided rotatably about an up-down direction axis. Such a rotation shaft 111 is connected to a driving unit 120 described later, and can be rotated by the driving unit 120.

In the present embodiment, the first support portion 54 and the second support portion 55 are illustrated as being aligned in the up-down direction. The rotation shaft 111 may be disposed between the first support 54 and the second support 55. As an example, the upper end of the rotation shaft 111 may be rotatably coupled to the first support portion 54, and the lower end of the rotation shaft 111 may be rotatably disposed on the second support portion 55.

The lever 113 may be connected to the rotation shaft 111 to be movable in association with rotation of the rotation shaft 111. Such a lever 113 may be formed in a convex shape protruding from the rotation shaft 111 in the centrifugal direction.

The lever 113 may be provided so as to be movable toward the restricting position and the permitting position. The lever 113 may limit movement of the latch mechanism 40 when the lever 113 is in the limit position. In addition, the lever 113 may allow movement of the latch mechanism 40 when the lever 113 is in the allowed position.

As described above, in order to move the latch mechanism 40 from the fixed position to the released position, the forward movement and the upward movement of the latch mechanism 40 must be performed together. That is, if the upward movement of the latch mechanism 40 cannot be achieved, the latch mechanism 40 cannot be moved from the fixed position to the released position.

When the lever 113 is located at the restricting position, the lever 113 restricts upward movement of the latch mechanism 40 at the upper portion of the latch mechanism 40, so that the position of the latch mechanism 40 can be maintained at the fixed position.

Specifically, the lever 113 may be disposed at an upper portion of the latch 43. In the present embodiment, the lever 113 is illustrated as being disposed at an upper portion of the latch 43 disposed at an upper side of the pair of latches 43 provided in the latch mechanism 40.

When the lever 113 is in the restricting position, the lever 113 may be disposed on the up-down direction moving path of the latch 43. Such a lever 113 interferes with the latch 43 at the upper portion of the latch 43, so that upward movement of the latch 43 can be restricted. Thereby, the lever 113 can fix the position of the latch 43 so that the latch 43 cannot be disengaged from the state of being engaged with the latch fixing portion 53.

For this, at least a portion of the lever 113 may be inserted into the inside of the latch fixing portion 53. When the lever 113 is located at the restricting position, at least a part of the lever 113 is inserted into the latch fixing portion 53, more specifically, into the inside of the insertion hole 53 a.

As described above, at least a portion of the rod 113 inserted into the insertion hole 53a may be disposed on the upward movement path of the latch 43 at the upper portion of the latch 43. Thus, the lever 113 can restrict the movement of the latch 43 so that the latch 43 cannot move upward inside the insertion hole 53 a.

As shown in fig. 7 to 10, the lever 113 may include a first lever portion 113a and a second lever portion 113b.

The first lever portion 113a may be formed to protrude from the rotation shaft 111. Such a first lever portion 113a may protrude from the rotation shaft 111 in the centrifugal direction.

As an example, the rotation shaft 111 may be disposed at a position separated laterally by a predetermined distance from the latch 43 coupled to the latch fixing portion 53. Further, the first lever 113a protrudes from the rotation shaft 111 and may protrude by a length to cover an upper portion of the latch 43 coupled to the latch fixing portion 53.

When the lever 113 is in the restricting position, such a first lever portion 113a interferes with the latch 43 at the upper portion of the latch 43, so that the upward movement of the latch 43 can be restricted.

The second lever 113b may be formed to protrude from an end of the first lever 113 a. Such a second lever portion 113b may protrude toward the rotation direction of the rotation shaft 111. Specifically, the second lever portion 113b may protrude toward the direction in which the lever 113 moves from the permitting position to the restricting position. For example, if it is assumed that the lever 113 rotates in a clockwise direction when moving from the allowing position to the restricting position, the second lever portion 113b may protrude in a clockwise direction from the end of the first lever portion 113 a.

The second lever portion 113b formed as described above expands the area of the lever 113 covering the latch 43 from above, and thus can contribute to more stable and efficient fixation of the lever 113 to the latch 43.

The locking mechanism 100 may further include a first detection portion 130. The first detection unit 130 is provided so as to be able to detect the position of the lever 113.

In the present embodiment, the first detection unit 130 is exemplified as being provided in a form including a micro switch (Microswitch). Such a first detection part 130 may be turned ON (ON)/OFF (OFF) with the movement of the actuator protruding ON the micro-switch.

For example, the first detecting part 130 may maintain an OFF (OFF) state while the actuator of the micro switch remains in an unmoved state. Further, by the first detection portion 130 maintaining the OFF (OFF) state as described above, it is possible to grasp that the lever 113 is located at the restricting position.

The first detecting part 130 may be turned ON (ON) when the actuator of the micro switch moves. Further, the lever 113 can be grasped to be positioned at the permission position by the first detection portion 130 being turned ON (ON) as described above.

The latch 110 may also include a contact protrusion 115. The contact protrusion 115 may be formed protruding from the rotation shaft 111. Such a contact protrusion 115 may protrude from the rotation shaft 111 in the centrifugal direction.

As an example, the shackle 110 may be disposed between the latch mechanism 40 and the first detection portion 130. For example, the latch mechanism 40 may be disposed on the front side of the lock catch 110, and the first detection portion 130 may be disposed on the rear side of the lock catch 110.

The lever 113 may protrude from the rotation shaft 111 to a substantially front side which is a side toward the latch 43. Further, the contact protrusion 115 may protrude toward the rear side as the side toward the first detection portion 130.

The contact protrusion 115 is movable in association with the rotation of the rotation shaft 111, as in the case of the lever 113. As an example, the contact protrusion 115 may contact an actuator protruding on the micro switch when the lever 113 is located at the allowable position. In addition, if the lever 113 is moved to the restricting position, the contact protrusion 115 may be moved to a position spaced apart from the micro switch.

When the actuator protruding ON the micro-switch moves due to contact with the contact protrusion 115, the first detection part 130 may be turned ON (ON). Thus, the first detecting portion 130 can detect that the lever 113 is located at the allowable position.

Further, when the contact protrusion 115 moves to a position spaced apart from the micro switch, the first detecting part 130 may be turned OFF (OFF). The first detection portion 130 is turned OFF (OFF) as described above, so that the lever 113 can be grasped as being positioned at the restricting position.

As described above, the latch plate 50 of the present embodiment includes the first support portion 54 and the second support portion 55, and the first detection portion 130 may be coupled to the first support portion 54.

The first support portion 54 may be disposed at an upper side of the latch fixing portion 53. As an example, the first support portion 54 may be disposed above the latch fixing portion 53 disposed above the pair of latch fixing portions 53 arranged in the vertical direction.

The driving portion 120 may be coupled to such a first support portion 54. As an example, the first support portion 54 may be formed in a lateral planar shape protruding rearward from the upper end of the latch plate main body portion 51. The driving part 120 may be coupled to the first supporting part 54 so as to be disposed on the upper surface of the first supporting part 54 formed in a planar shape as described above.

A first support boss 54a and a second support boss 54b may be provided at the first support portion 54. The first and second support bosses 54a and 54b may be formed to protrude upward from the first support portion 54. The driving part 120 is disposed at upper ends of the first and second support bosses 54a and 54b so as to be disposed to be spaced upward from the first support part 54 by a prescribed interval.

The first support boss 54a may be disposed at the planar direction center side of the driving part 120. Also, the driving part 120 may include a motor having a driving shaft extending downward. The drive shaft of such a motor may be disposed on the center side in the planar direction of the drive unit 120, and may penetrate the first support boss 54a in the up-down direction and be connected to the rotation shaft 111 of the lock catch 110.

In the present embodiment, the plurality of second support bosses 54b are illustrated as being arranged at predetermined intervals in the front-rear direction or the lateral direction. The second support boss 54b configured as described above can stably support the driving part 120 together with the first support boss 54 a.

A latch 110 may be disposed at a lower side of the first support 54. The driving part 120, more specifically, a driving shaft of the motor may penetrate the first supporting part 54 in the up-down direction and be connected with the rotation shaft 111 of the locker 110. As described above, the lock gear 110 having the rotation shaft 111 connected to the drive shaft is rotatable by the drive portion 120 at the lower portion of the first support portion 54.

The first detecting portion 130 may be disposed at the rear of the latch 110 and may be coupled with the first supporting portion 54. Such a first detection portion 130 is disposed at a position where it can be brought into contact with the contact protrusion 115, and can be coupled with the first support portion 54. More specifically, the first detecting portion 130 is disposed at a position where the actuator of the micro switch and the contact protrusion 115 can contact, and the first detecting portion 130 may be coupled with the first supporting portion 54 at this position.

The first detecting portion 130 may be coupled to the first supporting portion 54 at a lower side of the first supporting portion 54. That is, the first detecting portion 130 may be disposed in a space between the first supporting portion 54 and the second supporting portion 55 and coupled to the bottom surface of the first supporting portion 54.

The contact protrusion 115 may be disposed at a height capable of contacting the first detection portion 130 provided as described above. As an example, the contact protrusion 115 may be disposed at an upper portion of the lever 113.

The lever 113 and the first detecting portion 130 are both provided at the latch plate 50, wherein the first detecting portion 130 is provided at the first supporting portion 54 disposed at the uppermost end of the latch plate 50. That is, the first detection unit 130 may be disposed at the same position as the lever 113 or at a position higher than the lever 113.

Further, considering that the latch 43 and the lever 113 are inserted into the latch fixing portion 53 disposed at the lower portion of the first support portion 54, it can be seen that the first detection portion 130 provided at the first support portion 54 is disposed at a position higher than the latch 43 and the lever 113.

The contact protrusion 115 may be disposed at a height at least equal to or greater than the height of the lever 113 so as to be disposed at a height capable of contacting the first detection portion 130 disposed at such a position.

In the present embodiment, the contact protrusion 115 is illustrated as being disposed at a position higher than the lever 113. If the contact protrusion 115 and the lever 113 are disposed at the same height or the contact protrusion 115 is disposed at a lower position than the lever 113, a problem may occur in that the contact protrusion 115 blocks the movement of the latch 43.

For example, when the lever 113 is moved to the unlocking position, although the lever 113 is out of the movement path of the latch 43, at least a part of the contact protrusion 115 may be disposed on the movement path of the latch 43. In this case, if the contact protrusion 115 is located at a higher position than the insertion hole 53a, the contact protrusion 115 does not hinder upward movement of the latch 43. However, if the contact protrusion 115 is located at a height that can be inserted into the inside of the insertion hole 53a, the contact protrusion 115 may obstruct upward movement of the latch 43.

In view of this, in the present embodiment, the contact protrusion 115 is disposed at a position higher than the lever 113. Thus, not only the contact between the first detection portion 130 provided on the upper end side of the latch plate 50 and the contact protrusion 115 can be made smooth, but also the occurrence of the door 20 opening failure due to the contact protrusion 115 obstructing the movement of the latch 43 can be effectively suppressed.

The second support portion 55 may be disposed at a lower position than the first support portion 54. In the present embodiment, the second support portion 55 is illustrated as being disposed on the rear side of the latch fixing portion 53. Such a second support portion 55 is provided so as to rotatably support the lock catch 110.

As an example, the second support portion 55 may be formed to protrude rearward from the latch plate main body portion 51. Such a second support 55 may include a support frame 55a and a support shaft 55b.

The support frame 55a may be formed to protrude rearward from the front surface of the latch plate main body 51. Further, the support shaft 55b may be formed in a form protruding upward from the support frame 55 a.

The lower end of the rotation shaft 111 may be rotatably coupled to the support shaft 55b. Thereby, the second supporting portion 55 may rotatably support the latch 110 at a lower portion of the latch 110.

[ Control related Structure of locking mechanism ]

The cooking apparatus of the present embodiment may further include a second detecting part 140, 150, 160. The second detecting portions 140, 150, 160 are provided to be able to detect whether the position of the door 20 is the closed position.

In the present embodiment, the second detection units 140, 150, 160 are provided to include the micro switch (Microswitch) in the same manner as the first detection unit 130. Such second detecting parts 140, 150, 160 may be turned ON (ON)/OFF (OFF) and detect the position of the door 20 with the movement of the actuator protruding ON the micro-switch.

For example, when the micro-switch actuator moves based ON the latch 43, the second detection portions 140, 15, 160 are turned ON (ON), whereby the second detection portions 140, 150, 160 can detect that the position of the door 20 is the closed position.

In the present embodiment, the second detection units 140, 150, 160 are exemplified to include the primary switch 140, the secondary switch 150, and the monitor switch 160.

As an example, the primary switch 140 may be turned ON (ON) with the door 20 closing the cooking chamber 14 so that power is applied to a high voltage part of a high voltage transformer, a magnetron, and the like.

In addition, the primary switch 140 may be maintained in an always-OFF (OFF) state when the door 20 opens the cooking chamber 14, to prevent power from being supplied to a high voltage part of the high voltage transformer, the magnetron, and the like.

In addition, the secondary switch 140 may detect the position of the door 20 together with the primary switch 140. Based on the detection of the position of the door 20 by such a secondary switch 140, the application of power to the cooking appliance can be regulated.

In the present embodiment, it is exemplified that the power application to the lock mechanism 100 is controlled according to the position detection result of the secondary switch 140 to the door 20.

In addition, the monitoring switch 150 may constitute an electrical closed loop by being turned OFF (OFF) when the door 20 closes the cooking chamber 14 and then turned ON (ON) when the door 20 opens the cooking chamber 14, so that the input voltage may be bypassed.

Such a monitoring switch 150 cuts off the power supply to the cooking appliance when the primary switch 130 and the secondary switch 140 are erroneously operated, so that a safety function can be performed together with the first detection part 130 and the secondary switch 140.

In addition, the latch plate 50 may further include a third support portion 56. The third support portion 56 may be disposed at a lower position than the second support portion 55. In the present embodiment, the third support portion 56 is illustrated as being disposed on the rear side of the latch fixing portion 53. Such a third support portion 56 may be formed to protrude rearward from the front surface of the latch plate main body 51.

Any one of the second detecting portions 140, 150, 160, more specifically, the primary switch 140 may be incorporated in the third supporting portion 56. The primary switch 140 is coupled to the third support portion 56 and fixed to the rear side of the latch fixing portion 53, so as to be disposed at a position capable of directly or indirectly contacting the latch 43 coupled to the latch fixing portion 53.

Hooks 56a may be provided at a lower side of the second supporting portion 55 or between the second supporting portion 55 and the third supporting portion 56. The hook 56a may be used to fix the primary switch 140 to the latch plate 50, or to fix the latch plate 50 to the main body 10, or to fix the latch plate 50 to a member or structure disposed inside the main body 10, together with the third support portion 56.

In addition, the latch plate 50 may further include at least one fourth support 57. The fourth supporting portion 57 may be disposed at a lower position than the third supporting portion 56, and may be formed protruding from the front surface of the latch plate main body portion 51 and formed in a shape similar to the third supporting portion 56.

The plurality of fourth supporting portions 57 may be arranged in the up-down direction. Further, a part of the second detecting portions 140, 150, 160, that is, at least any one of the secondary switch 150 and the monitor switch 160, may be combined with the fourth supporting portion 57 and fixed to the latch plate 50.

As an example, a pair of fourth supporting portions 57 may be provided on the latch plate 50, and the secondary switch 150 and the monitor switch 160 may be coupled to the pair of fourth supporting portions 57, respectively. Thereby, the secondary switch 150 and the monitoring switch 160 may be arranged in the up-down direction.

The cooking apparatus of the present embodiment may further include a control part 70. The control part 70 may control the overall action of the cooking apparatus, and may also control the action of the locking mechanism 100.

The control unit 70 may be connected to the first detection unit 130 and the second detection units 140, 150, 160. Such a control unit 70 can control the operation of the lock mechanism 100 based on the detection results of the first detection unit 130 and the second detection units 140, 150, 160. That is, the control unit 70 may control the operation of the driving unit 120 based on signals from the first and second detection units 130, 140, 150, 160.

As an example, if the second detection units 140, 150, 160 are turned ON (ON) to transmit a signal to the control unit 70, the control unit 70 may determine that the position of the door 20 is the closed position. When the door 20 is in the closed position, the control unit 70 may control the operation of the driving unit 120 to move the latch 110 toward the restricting position.

Further, if the first detecting unit 130 is turned ON (ON) to transmit a signal to the control unit 70, the control unit 70 may determine that the latch 110 is moved to the allowable position. When the position of the latch 110 is the allowable position, the control part 70 may control the operation of the driving part 120 to prevent the latch 110 from moving further.

In addition, the cooking apparatus of the present embodiment may further include a door setting key 80. The door setting key 80 is connected to the control section 70, and can generate a signal for the operation of the driving section 120. The control unit 70 may control the operation of the driving unit 120 based on a signal from the door setting key 80.

In the present embodiment, the door setting key 80 is shown disposed on the control panel 15 (see fig. 1). More specifically, the door setting key 80 may be provided at an input portion of the control panel 15. Such a door setting key 80 may be provided to be user-pressable.

For example, if the door setting key 80 is pressed to transmit a signal to the control unit 70, the control unit 70 may control the operation of the driving unit 120 to move the lock catch 110 to the allowable position. That is, the door setting key 80 may be provided as a switch for releasing the locked state of the door 20 by the locking mechanism 100.

[ Action and Effect of locking mechanism ]

Fig. 11 is a top sectional view showing a lock released state of the lock mechanism shown in fig. 7, and fig. 12 is a side sectional view showing a lock released state of the lock mechanism shown in fig. 4.

The operation and effects of the cooking device according to the present embodiment will be described below with reference to fig. 4 to 12.

Referring to fig. 4 to 7, the door 20 closes the cooking chamber 14, whereby the second detecting portion 140, 150, 160 may be turned ON (ON) when the latch 43 is coupled with the latch fixing portion 53.

If the second detecting portions 140, 150, 160 are turned ON (ON) as described above, a signal is sent to the control portion 70, the control portion 70 may determine that the position of the door 20 is the closed position. When the door 20 is in the closed position, the control unit 70 may control the operation of the driving unit 120 to rotate the driving unit 120 to the latch 110.

Accordingly, the driving portion 120 can rotate the rotation shaft 111 of the latch 110 in one direction, for example, in a clockwise direction, whereby the lever 113 can be moved to the restricting position.

When the lever 113 is in the restricting position, the lever 113 may be disposed on the up-down direction moving path of the latch 43. Such a lever 113 interferes with the latch 43 at the upper portion of the latch 43, so that upward movement of the latch 43 can be restricted. Thereby, the lever 113 can fix the position of the latch 43 so that the latch 43 cannot be disengaged from the state of being engaged with the latch fixing portion 53.

In a state where the position of the latch 43 is fixed by the lock mechanism 100 as described above, even if the user grips and pulls the door 20 in order to open the door 20, the door 20 cannot be opened. That is, in the cooking apparatus of the present embodiment, the door 20 in a state of closing the cooking chamber 14 may be maintained in a double-locked state by the latch mechanism 40 and the locking mechanism 100.

As described above, in a state where the door 20 is doubly locked by the latch mechanism 40 and the locking mechanism 100, the door 20 cannot open the cooking chamber 14. In this state, in order to open the door 20 to the cooking chamber 14, the lock of the latch mechanism 40 by the lock mechanism 100 must be released first.

That is, as shown in fig. 11 and 12, in order to open the door 20 to the cooking chamber 14, it is necessary to first release the state in which the movement of the latch 43 is restricted by the locking mechanism 100.

For this purpose, the user can press the door setting key 80 to actuate the lock mechanism 100. When the door setting key 80 is pressed to send a signal to the control unit 70, the control unit 70 may control the operation of the driving unit 120 so that the driving unit 120 rotates the lock catch 110.

Accordingly, the driving portion 120 can rotate the rotation shaft 111 of the latch 110 in the other direction, for example, in the counterclockwise direction, whereby the lever 113 can be moved from the restricting position to the allowing position.

When the lever 113 is in the allowable position, the lever 113 may be disposed at a position separated from the upward and downward movement path of the latch 43. Thus, the latch 43 is in a state capable of freely moving upward without being affected by the lever 113.

In the above state, if the user grabs the door 20 and pulls forward, the latch 43 is disengaged from the latch fixing part 53, so that the coupling between the latch mechanism 40 and the latch plate 50 can be released, and the door 20 can be rotated forward while opening the cooking chamber 14.

On the other hand, as described above, when the lever 113 is moved to the permission position, the contact protrusion 115 may be moved in conjunction with the movement of the lever 113. The contact protrusion 115 moved as described above may contact the actuator of the first detecting portion 130 and turn ON (ON) the first detecting portion 130.

When the first detection unit 130 is turned ON (ON) and a signal is sent to the control unit 70, the control unit 70 may determine that the lock catch 110 is moved to the allowable position. Thus, the control unit 70 can stop the operation of the driving unit 120, and prevent the lock catch 110 from unnecessarily moving further.

As described above, in a state in which the door 20 opens the cooking chamber 14, as shown in fig. 4 to 7, if the user pushes the door 20 to close the door 20 to the cooking chamber 14, the second detecting part 140, 150, 160 may detect the situation.

For example, when the door 20 closes the cooking chamber 14, that is, when the door 20 moves to the closed position, the latch 43 coupled to the latch plate 50 contacts the actuator of the second detection portion 140, 150, 160 and turns ON (ON) the second detection portion 140, 150, 160.

When the second detection units 140, 150, 160 are turned ON (ON) and a signal is sent to the control unit 70, the control unit 70 may determine that the door 20 is moved to the closed position. Thus, the control unit 70 can control the operation of the driving unit 120 to rotate the lock catch 110.

Accordingly, the driving portion 120 can rotate the rotation shaft 111 of the latch 110 in one direction, for example, in a clockwise direction, whereby the lever 113 can be moved to the restricting position.

When the lever 113 is in the restricting position, the lever 113 may be disposed on the up-down direction moving path of the latch 43. Such a lever 113 interferes with the latch 43 at the upper portion of the latch 43, so that upward movement of the latch 43 can be restricted. Thereby, the lever 113 can fix the position of the latch 43 so that the latch 43 cannot be disengaged from the state of being engaged with the latch fixing portion 53.

On the other hand, as described above, when the lever 113 is moved to the restricting position, the contact protrusion 115 may also be moved in conjunction with the movement of the lever 113. Thereby, the contact between the contact protrusion 115 and the actuator of the first detecting portion 130 is released, and the first detecting portion 130 can be disconnected (OFF).

If the state of the first detecting portion 130 in the ON (ON) state becomes OFF (OFF), the control portion 70 may determine that the lock catch 110 is moved from the allowing position to the restricting position. Thus, the control unit 70 stops the operation of the driving unit 120, and the position of the lock catch 110 can be maintained at the restricting position.

As described above, if the door 20 of the open cooking chamber 14 is moved to the closed position again to close the cooking chamber 14, the locking of the latch 43 by the locking mechanism 100 can be re-achieved even without additional operation of the locking mechanism 100.

That is, in the cooking apparatus of the present embodiment, the locked state of the latch 43 by the lock mechanism 100 can be released only by the operation of pressing the door setting key 80, and the lock of the latch 43 by the lock mechanism 100 can be re-achieved without additional operation.

Thus, the cooking apparatus of the present embodiment can provide an effect that the fixing and releasing of the door 20 for preventing the inadvertent opening of the cooking chamber 14 can be easily and conveniently achieved, and the fixing of the door 20 can be automatically and safely achieved without additional operations.

In addition, the lock mechanism 100 of the present embodiment facilitates and facilitates the fixing and releasing of the door 20, and can suppress unnecessary frequent opening and closing of the door 20.

The cooking apparatus of the present embodiment having such a locking mechanism 100 can effectively suppress the opening and closing actions of the door 20 from becoming unstable due to the abnormally rapid worn latch mechanism 40.

In addition, the locking mechanism 100 may be provided inside the main body 10. That is, the locker 110, the driving part 120, etc. included in the locking mechanism 100 are accommodated inside the main body 10 without being exposed to the outside of the cooking apparatus.

That is, the lock mechanism 100 is provided inside the main body 10 so as not to be exposed to the outside of the cooking apparatus, and can restrict the movement of the latch 43 inserted inside the main body 10.

Such a locking mechanism 100 may not be exposed to the outside of the cooking apparatus regardless of the position of the door 20 and regardless of the position of the lever 113 of the locker 110.

Thus, the door 20 can be locked with high reliability without affecting the beauty of the cooking apparatus due to the locking mechanism 100.

On the other hand, in the case where the locking function of the door 20 using the locking mechanism 100 is to be released, as shown in fig. 5 and 13, the user can change the state of the locking mechanism 100 to the function released state by moving the handle 123 to the second path b side.

For example, the user may move the lock catch 120 positioned at the fixed position to the other side, and then pull the handle 123 forward to rotate the lock catch 120 forward.

Thereby, the sandwiching portion 121 is disengaged from the door 20, and the handle portion 123 can be positioned on the connection channel c between the first path a and the second path b. A locking protrusion d is provided on one side of the handle 123 in the lateral direction, and the movement of the handle 123 in the lateral direction can be restricted by the locking protrusion d.

Thus, the lock catch 120 can be kept in a state of being moved to the release position, and the lock mechanism 100 can be kept in a state of being released from the fixation of the door 20, that is, in a function release state.

That is, the lock mechanism 100 of the present embodiment can not only provide a double door fixing function for automatically and safely fixing the door 20, but also can maintain a state in which such a double door fixing function is released when it is not required.

Thus, the cooking apparatus of the present embodiment can provide a function capable of selecting whether to use the double door fixing function according to the needs of the user, for example, the double door fixing function can be released where the double door fixing function is not required as in a family without children.

[ Action of releasing function of locking mechanism ]

Fig. 13 is a diagram schematically illustrating the switch shown in fig. 5.

Referring to fig. 11 to 13, the cooking apparatus of the present embodiment may further include a first input key 85 and a second input key 90. The first input key 85 and the second input key 90 are connected to the control part 70, respectively, and can generate signals for the operation of the cooking apparatus. The control part 70 may control the actions of the cooking appliance based on signals from the first input key 85 and the second input key 90.

As an example, the first input key 85 may generate a signal for causing the cooking apparatus to start cooking, and the second input key 90 may generate a signal for stopping the operation of the cooking apparatus during cooking.

In the present embodiment, the first input key 85 and the second input key 90 are illustrated as being provided at the input portion of the control panel 15 together with the door setting key 80. Such first input key 85 and second input key 90 may be provided so that a user can press the operation.

The user may press and operate the first input key 85 to start cooking of the cooking apparatus, or may press and operate the second input key 90 to stop cooking of the cooking apparatus. Further, the user may press the door setting key 80 to release the lock function of the door 20 using the lock mechanism 100.

The input unit of the control panel 15 may be provided with a setting value input key 95. The setting value input key 95 may be provided for inputting an operation setting value.

As an example, the operation set value may be a set value related to the operation of the heating unit. For example, the operation set value may be a set value related to the time or intensity of heating the cooking object by the heating unit. That is, by operating the setting value input key 95, the heating intensity, the heating time, and the like of the heating portion can be set.

According to the present embodiment, if at least two or more of the door setting key 80, the first input key 85, and the second input key 90 are pressed, the function of the lock mechanism 100 can be released. If the function of the locking mechanism 100 is released, the locking mechanism 100 does not lock the latch 43 even if the door 20 is in a state of closing the cooking chamber 14.

For example, if the function of the lock mechanism 100 is released, the state in which the lever 113 is located at the allowable position is continued. In this state, even if the second detection units 140, 150, and 160 detect that the door 20 closes the cooking chamber 14, the lever 113 does not move to the restricting position.

That is, if the function of the lock mechanism 100 is released, the position of the lever 113 can be maintained at the allowable position, and the lock mechanism 100 can be maintained in a state in which the latch 43 is allowed to freely move.

The lock mechanism 100 according to the present embodiment can provide a double door fixing function for automatically and safely fixing the door 20, and can also maintain a state in which such a double door fixing function is released when it is not required.

Thus, the cooking apparatus of the present embodiment can provide a function capable of selecting whether to use the double door fixing function according to the needs of the user, for example, the double door fixing function can be released where the double door fixing function is not required as in a family without children.

As an example, if the door setting key 80, the first input key 85, and the second input key 90 are all pressed, the function of the lock mechanism 100 can be released. As another example, if any one of the first input key 85 and the second input key 90 is simultaneously pressed with the door setting key 80, the function of the lock mechanism 100 may be released. As another example, if the first input key 85 and the second input key 90 are simultaneously pressed, the function of the lock mechanism 100 may be released.

In the present embodiment, the door setting key 80, the first input key 85, and the second input key 90 are illustrated as being provided in the cooking apparatus, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

As another example, the cooking device may be provided with any one of the first input key 85 and the second input key 90 and the door setting key 80. In this case, if both switches are simultaneously pressed, the function of the lock mechanism 100 can be released.

As another example, in addition to the door setting key 80, the first input key 85, and the second input key 90, other switches may be provided in the cooking apparatus, and if four or more switches are simultaneously pressed, the function of the lock mechanism 100 may be released.

[ Example of control of the operation of the locking mechanism ]

Fig. 14 is a flowchart showing an operation control process of the lock mechanism according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, an operation control process of the lock mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 11 to 14.

Referring to fig. 11 to 14, in order to open the door 20, the user must first operate the door setting key 80. If the user presses the door setting key 80 (S110), the control section 70 may first confirm the position of the door 20 (S130).

Confirmation of the position of the door 20 may be performed by the second detection portions 140, 150, 160. The second detecting parts 140, 150, 160 may be turned ON (ON) when the door 20 closes the cooking chamber 14 (refer to fig. 2) and is coupled with the latch fixing part 53. If the second detecting portions 140, 150, 160 are turned ON (ON) as described above, a signal is sent to the control portion 70, the control portion 70 may determine that the position of the door 20 is the closed position.

In addition, the second detecting parts 140, 150, 160 may be turned OFF (OFF) when the door 20 opens the cooking chamber 14 and is disengaged from the latch fixing part 53. As described above, if the second detection portions 140, 150, 160 are turned OFF (OFF), the control portion 70 may determine that the position of the door 20 is the open position.

As an example, the control unit 70 may confirm the state of the door 20 based on the detection result of the secondary switch 150, and control the operation of the lock mechanism 100 based on the information.

For example, the control part 70 may control the power supply to the high voltage part of the high voltage transformer, the magnetron, and the like according to the detection result of the primary switch 140, and may control the operation of the locking mechanism 100 according to the detection result of the secondary switch 150.

When the secondary switch 150 is turned OFF (OFF), the control unit 70 can recognize that the position of the door 20 is the open position. In this case, the control section 70 ignores the signal input to the control section 70 by the operation door setting key 80, and thereby does not perform any action related to the operation of the door setting key 80 (S135).

When the secondary switch 150 is turned ON (ON), the control unit 70 can recognize that the position of the door 20 is the closed position. In this case, the control unit 70 may perform the opening permission operation (S140).

In the present embodiment, the opening permission action is defined as an action of moving the shackle 110 to a permission position. Therefore, the control unit 70 can control the operation of the driving unit 120 in order to perform the opening permission operation. That is, the control unit 70 may control the operation of the driving unit 120 so that the driving unit 120 rotates the lock catch 110 to the allowable position side.

According to the present embodiment, the control section 70 can perform the opening permission operation only when the position of the door 20 is the closed position, in other words, only when the door 20 closes the cooking chamber 14.

That is, when the door 20 is in the open position, the control unit 70 does not perform the opening permission operation even if the door setting key 80 is operated. Because an action for opening the door 20 is not necessary in a state in which the door 20 has opened the cooking chamber 14.

Thus, the cooking apparatus of the present embodiment can effectively suppress an increase in the risk of malfunction of the lock mechanism 100 due to unnecessary actions of the lock mechanism 100.

On the other hand, the control unit 70 may first confirm whether the heating unit is operated or not before confirming the position of the door 20 (S120).

If the door setting key 80 is operated when the heating unit is operated, the control unit 70 may perform an opening permission operation (S140). Further, if the door setting key 80 is operated in a state where the heating portion is not operated, the control portion 70 may determine whether or not to perform the opening permission operation after passing through a process of confirming the position of the door 20 (S130).

According to the present embodiment, the heating part can be operated only in a state where the cooking chamber 14 is closed by the door 20, in other words, when the door 20 is located at the closed position. That is, if the heating portion is in the active state, it can be known that the door 20 is in the closed position.

In view of this, the control unit 70 may first indirectly check the position of the door 20 by whether or not the heating unit is operated, and then omit the operation of checking the position of the door 20 when the heating unit is operated, and directly perform the opening permission operation.

Thus, the position confirmation operation of the door 20 is not repeated unnecessarily, so that the occurrence of an operation delay or an operation error due to the unnecessary repetition of the sensing process can be effectively suppressed.

When the position of the door 20 is confirmed as the closed position and the opening permission operation is performed accordingly, the driving part 120 may rotate the rotation shaft 111 of the locker 110 in another direction, for example, in a counterclockwise direction. By such rotation of the rotation shaft 111, the lever 113 can be moved from the restricting position to the permitting position.

When the lever 113 is in the allowable position, the lever 113 may be disposed at a position separated from the upward and downward movement path of the latch 43. Thus, the latch 43 is in a state capable of freely moving upward without being affected by the lever 113.

In the above state, if the user grabs the door 20 and pulls forward, the latch 43 is disengaged from the latch fixing part 53, so that the coupling between the latch mechanism 40 and the latch plate 50 can be released, and the door 20 can be rotated forward while opening the cooking chamber 14.

On the other hand, as described above, when the lever 113 is moved to the permission position, the contact protrusion 115 may be moved in conjunction with the movement of the lever 113. The contact protrusion 115 moved as described above may contact the actuator of the first detecting part 130 and turn ON (ON) the first detecting part 130 (S145).

When the first detection unit 130 is turned ON (ON) and a signal is sent to the control unit 70, the control unit 70 may determine that the lock catch 110 is moved to the allowable position. Thus, the control unit 70 can stop the operation of the driving unit 120, and prevent the lock catch 110 from being unnecessarily moved further (S150).

After the opening permission operation is performed, the position of the door 20 may be reconfirmed (S160). At this time, the confirmation of the position of the door 20 may be performed by the second detection units 140, 150, 160.

After the opening permission operation is performed, the control unit 70 may confirm whether or not the position of the door 20 is changed from the closed position to the open position.

If the position of the door 20 is confirmed as a result of the position confirmation, it is confirmed that the position of the door 20 is changed to the open position, the operation control of the lock mechanism 100 for opening the door 20 may be ended. That is, after the lock catch 110 is moved to the allowable position, the operation of the lock mechanism 100 can be terminated in a state where the operation of the driving unit 120 is stopped.

The operation end state of the locking mechanism 100 may be maintained until the door 20 re-closes the cooking chamber 14. If the door 20 re-closes the cooking chamber 14, the locking mechanism 100 may re-act to limit movement of the door 20, as described above. This is the same operation as the gate control operation described later, and the gate control operation will be described later in detail.

If the position of the door 20 does not change to the open position within the set time after the opening permission operation is performed, the control unit 70 may perform the door control operation (S170).

In this embodiment, the door regulating action is defined as an action of moving the latch 110 to the restricting position. Therefore, the control unit 70 may control the operation of the driving unit 120 in order to perform the gate control operation. That is, the control unit 70 may control the operation of the driving unit 120 so that the driving unit 120 rotates the lock catch 110 toward the restricting position (see fig. 4).

The set time may be set to a time normally required to open the door 20 in a state where the locking mechanism 100 allows the door 20 to be opened. For example, the set time may be set to about ten seconds. In this case, if the position of the door 20 does not change to the open position within about ten seconds after the opening permission operation is performed, the control section 70 may perform the door regulating operation.

If the position of the door 20 does not change to the open position within the set time in a state where the locking mechanism 100 allows the door 20 to be opened, it can be reasonably considered that the user has no intention to open the door 20 regardless of whether the door setting key 80 is operated.

However, if the lock mechanism 100 is kept in a state in which the door 20 is allowed to be opened, the lock mechanism 100 can be in a state in which it is actually disabled only by one operation of the door setting key 80.

In view of this, in the present embodiment, if the door 20 is not opened within the time normally required to open the door 20, the locking mechanism 100 performs an action of re-locking the door 20.

Thus, the cooking apparatus of the present embodiment can effectively eliminate adverse effects that may be generated due to misoperation caused by a user changing mind or error, and can prevent arbitrary opening of the door 20 with high reliability.

On the other hand, as described above, when the lever 113 moves to the restricting position, the contact protrusion 115 can move in conjunction with the movement of the lever 113. The contact protrusion 115 moved as described above is separated from the actuator of the first detection part 130, and thus, the state of the first detection part 130 may be changed to the OFF (OFF) state (S175).

If the first detecting portion 130 is turned OFF (OFF), the control portion 70 may determine that the latch 110 is moved to the restricting position. Thus, the control unit 70 can stop the operation of the driving unit 120, and prevent the lock catch 110 from being unnecessarily moved further (S180).

That is, if the lock mechanism 100 is again in a state of restricting the movement of the door 20 in a state where the door 20 closes the cooking chamber 14, the operation control of the lock mechanism 100 may be ended. That is, after the lock catch 110 is moved to the restricting position, the operation of the lock mechanism 100 can be terminated in a state where the operation of the driving unit 120 is stopped.

According to the control method of the cooking apparatus of the present embodiment as described above, by performing the opening permission operation only in the state where the door 20 closes the cooking chamber 14 when the door setting key 80 is operated, it is possible to prevent the lock mechanism 100 from generating unnecessary operations.

Thus, the cooking apparatus of the present embodiment can effectively prevent the locking mechanism 100 from malfunctioning due to frequent actions of the locking mechanism 100, and can prevent arbitrary opening of the door 20 with high reliability.

In addition, according to the control method of the cooking apparatus of the present embodiment, if the door 20 is not opened within the time normally required to open the door 20, the locking mechanism 100 is caused to perform the action of re-locking the door 20, so that it is possible to effectively eliminate the adverse effect that may be generated due to the erroneous operation caused by the user changing the mind or the error, and to prevent the arbitrary opening of the door 20 with high reliability.

[ Another example of control of the operation of the locking mechanism ]

Fig. 15 is a block diagram schematically showing the constitution of a cooking apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention, fig. 16 is a diagram schematically showing a switch shown in fig. 15, and fig. 17 is a flowchart showing a motion control process of a lock mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, an operation control process of a lock mechanism according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 11, 12, and 15 to 17.

Referring to fig. 15 and 16, in the cooking apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention, the door setting key and the second input key may be provided in the form of being combined into one input key.

That is, the cooking apparatus of the present embodiment may be provided in the form of any one of the door setting key 80 (refer to fig. 13) and the second input key 90 (refer to fig. 13) removed from the input portion of the control panel 15, as compared with the cooking apparatus of the foregoing embodiment.

In the present embodiment, it is exemplified that the door setting key is not provided alone in the control panel 15, but the door setting key 280 is provided in the form of an input key to which the function of the door setting key is attached to the function having the second input key.

That is, in the present embodiment, the door setting key 280 may be provided in the form of a function of a door setting key attached to any one of input keys generally provided in a general cooking apparatus without the locking mechanism 100.

As an example, the door setting key 280 may be provided in the form of an input key, which is added to the aforementioned cooking apparatus as a function of the second input key, as a function of the door setting key. Accordingly, the door setting key 280 may selectively provide the function of the second input key and the function of the door setting key according to whether the cooking chamber 14 (fig. 2) is opened or not and whether the heating part is operated or not.

As described above, in the case where the function of the second input key and the function of the door setting key are provided by one common input key, the control of the operation of the lock mechanism can be realized as follows.

Referring to fig. 11 and 12, and fig. 15 to 17, as in the previous embodiment, the user first needs to operate the door setting key 280 in order to open the door 20. If the user presses the door setting key 280 (S210), the control unit 70 may first check whether the heating unit is operated (S220).

If the door setting key 280 is operated during the operation of the heating unit, the opening permission operation is not performed. That is, even if the door setting key 280 is operated when the position of the door 20 is located at the closed position during the operation of the heating portion, the opening permission operation is not performed.

If the door setting key 280 is operated when the heating unit is operated, the control unit 70 may interrupt the operation of the heating unit without performing the opening permission operation. That is, if the door setting key 280 is operated while the heating part is operated, the door setting key 280 at this time may perform the function of the second input key.

If the door setting key 280 is operated in a state where the heating unit is not operated, the control unit 70 may determine whether or not to perform the opening permission operation after passing through the process of confirming the position of the door 20 (S230).

As with the previous embodiment, the confirmation of the position of the door 20 may be performed by the second detection portion 140, 150, 160, more specifically, by the secondary switch 150.

When the secondary switch 150 is turned OFF (OFF), the control unit 70 can check whether or not the operation setting value has been input. For example, the control unit 70 may check whether or not a set value or the like related to the operation of the heating unit is input by the operation of the set value input key 95.

When the secondary switch 150 is in the OFF (OFF) state and the operation setting value is not input, the control unit 70 may ignore a signal input to the control unit 70 by the operation of the door setting key 280. In this case, any action related to the operation of the door setting key 280 is not performed (S233).

If the secondary switch 150 is in the OFF (OFF) state and the operation setting value has been input, that is, if the operation setting value is input by operating the setting value input key 95 and the door 20 opens the cooking chamber 14, the control unit 70 may perform the setting value deletion operation (S235).

In the present embodiment, the setting value deletion action is defined as an action of deleting an action setting value input by the input key. For example, the setting value deleting operation may be an operation of deleting a setting value or the like related to the operation of the heating unit, which is input by operating the setting value input key 95.

That is, as described above, when the secondary switch 150 is in the OFF (OFF) state and the operation set value has been input, the opening permission operation is not performed, and only the operation of deleting the set value input by operating the set value input key 95 may be performed.

In summary, even if the door setting key 280 is operated in a state where the position of the door 20 is the open position and the operation setting value is not input, no operation is performed. If the door setting key 280 is operated in a state where the position of the door 20 is the open position and the operation setting value is input by the setting value input key 95, only the setting value deletion operation out of the open permitting operation and the setting value deletion operation can be performed.

ON the other hand, in the case where the secondary switch 150 is turned ON (ON), the control section 70 may recognize that the position of the door 20 is the closed position. In this case, the control unit 70 may perform the opening permission operation (S240).

If the secondary switch 150 is turned ON (ON) and the operation setting value has been input, that is, if the operation setting value is input by operating the setting value input key 95 and the door 20 closes the cooking chamber 14, the control unit 70 operates the door setting key 280, and can perform the setting value deletion operation (S235) and the opening permission operation (S240).

In this case, the operation of moving the lock catch 110 to the allowable position may be performed together with the deletion of the set value or the like relating to the operation of the heating unit, which is input by operating the set value input key 95.

If the shackle 110 moves to the allowable position, and the first detection portion 130 is turned ON (ON) based ON such movement of the shackle 110 (S245), the control portion 70 stops the operation of the driving portion 120, so that the shackle 110 can be prevented from being unnecessarily moved further (S250).

After the opening permission operation is performed, the position of the door 20 may be reconfirmed (S260), whereby the control unit 70 may confirm whether the position of the door 20 is changed from the closed position to the open position after the opening permission operation is performed.

If the position of the door 20 is confirmed as a result of the position confirmation, it is confirmed that the position of the door 20 is changed to the open position, the operation control of the lock mechanism 100 for opening the door 20 may be ended.

If the position of the door 20 does not change to the open position within the set time after the opening permission operation is performed, the control unit 70 may perform the door control operation (S270).

As a result, if the shackle 110 moves to the restricted position, the state of the first detection portion 130 changes to the OFF state (S275), and the control portion 70 stops the operation of the driving portion 120, so that the shackle 110 can be prevented from unnecessarily moving further (S280).

According to the control method of the cooking apparatus of the present embodiment as described above, it is not necessary to add a separate input key for controlling the door lock function in addition to the input key provided in the general cooking apparatus, and the door lock function can be effectively controlled only by using the existing input key.

Thus, it is possible to provide a cooking apparatus having a door locking function with high reliability while suppressing an increase in components to the maximum extent as compared with the existing cooking apparatus, and to provide a cooking apparatus with high compatibility with the existing cooking apparatus.

In addition, the control method of the cooking apparatus according to the present embodiment does not require the addition of a separate input key for controlling the door locking function, and thus can suppress the need to change the design of the existing cooking apparatus due to the addition of the input key.

Although the invention has been described with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings, this is merely exemplary, and it is to be understood that various modifications and other embodiments equivalent thereto can be made by those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the true technical scope of the present invention should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims (10)

1. A cooking apparatus, comprising:

a main body having a cooking chamber formed therein and having an opening at a front surface thereof;

A door disposed in front of the main body to open and close the cooking chamber;

A latch mechanism provided at the door to be selectively coupled with the main body, the latch mechanism fixing the door in a closed position by being coupled with the main body; and

A locking mechanism that selectively restricts movement of the latch mechanism;

the locking mechanism includes:

a lock catch including a lever provided so as to be movable to a restricting position restricting movement of the latch mechanism and an allowing position allowing movement of the latch mechanism;

A driving unit that moves the lever; and

A door setting key for generating a signal for the operation of the driving part.

2. The cooking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein,

The lock catch comprises:

A rotation shaft rotated about an up-down direction axis by the driving unit; and

The lever protrudes from the rotation shaft in a centrifugal direction and moves in association with rotation of the rotation shaft.

3. The cooking apparatus according to claim 2, wherein,

The latch mechanism moves upward from the fixed position to move from the fixed position to the released position,

In the restricting position, the lever restricts upward movement of the latch mechanism at an upper portion of the latch mechanism.

4. The cooking apparatus according to claim 2, wherein,

Further comprising a first detection part detecting the position of the lever,

The locker further includes a contact protrusion protruding from the rotation shaft in a centrifugal direction,

The contact protrusion moves in association with the rotation of the rotation shaft,

The first detecting portion is turned on or off based on the contact protrusion to detect the position of the lever,

If the first detection part is connected, the movement of the lock catch is interrupted.

5. The cooking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein,

Further comprising a first operating switch generating a signal different from the latch operating switch,

If the first operation switch and the latch operation switch generate signals at the same time, the operation of the driving part is stopped to maintain the position of the lever at the allowable position.

6. A control method of a cooking apparatus, which comprises,

The cooking apparatus includes a latch mechanism to fix a door that moves between a closed position and an open position to open and close a cooking chamber in the closed position, and a catch provided to be movable to a restricting position restricting movement of the latch mechanism or an allowing position allowing movement of the latch mechanism,

Wherein, in the control method of the cooking apparatus,

When the door setting key is operated, the opening permission operation is performed only when the position of the door is the closed position,

The opening permission action is an action of moving the lock catch to the permission position.

7. The control method of a cooking apparatus according to claim 6, wherein,

The cooking apparatus further includes an input key for inputting an action set value,

When the door setting key is operated, the setting value deleting operation is performed in a state that the operation setting value is inputted through the input key,

The setting value deletion action is an action of deleting the action setting value input by the input key.

8. The control method of a cooking apparatus according to claim 7, wherein,

If the door setting key is operated in a state where the door position is the open position and the operation setting value has been input through the input key, only the setting value deletion operation among the open permitting operation and the setting value deletion operation is performed.

9. The control method of a cooking apparatus according to claim 7, wherein,

If the door setting key is operated in a state where the door position is the closed position and the operation setting value has been input through the input key, the opening permission operation is performed together with the setting value deletion operation.

10. The control method of a cooking apparatus according to claim 6, wherein,

The cooking apparatus further includes a second detecting portion detecting whether the position of the door is a closed position,

If the second detection portion is turned on by the door moving from the allowable position to the closed position, a door regulating action is performed,

The door regulating action is an action of moving the lock catch to the restricting position.