U.S. patent application number 11/660507 was filed with the patent office on 2008-04-24 for built-in cooker.
Invention is credited to Tamotsu Izutani.
Application Number | 20080092871 11/660507 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37396319 |
Filed Date | 2008-04-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080092871 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Izutani; Tamotsu |
April 24, 2008 |
Built-In Cooker
Abstract
The built-in cooker has a body forming an outer hull, a heater,
and a top unit. The heater is contained in the body. The top unit
covers a top face of the body and is fixed to the body. The top
unit includes a top plate, a holding member, and a hook. The
holding member places the top plate thereon, and holds an outer
peripheral part of the top plate. The hook is fixed to the holding
member and is removably fixed to a side of the body. The hook
includes a fixing plate extending to a vicinity of a corner portion
of the holding member and being fixed to an bottom face of the
holding member.
Inventors: |
Izutani; Tamotsu; (Hyogo,
JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WENDEROTH, LIND & PONACK L.L.P.
2033 K. STREET, NW
SUITE 800
WASHINGTON
DC
20006
US
|
Family ID: |
37396319 |
Appl. No.: |
11/660507 |
Filed: |
March 15, 2006 |
PCT Filed: |
March 15, 2006 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/JP06/05085 |
371 Date: |
February 20, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
126/1R |
Current CPC
Class: |
H05B 3/74 20130101; F24C
15/10 20130101; H05B 6/1209 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
126/001.00R |
International
Class: |
F24C 15/08 20060101
F24C015/08 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
May 13, 2005 |
JP |
2005-140925 |
Claims
1. A built-in cooker comprising: a body forming an outer hull; a
heater contained in the body; and a top unit covering a top face of
the body and fixed to the body, the top unit including: a top
plate; a holding member placing the top plate thereon and
sustaining an outer peripheral part of the top plate; and a hook
fixed to the holding member and removably fixed to a side of the
body, the hook including a fixing plate, the fixing plate extending
toward a vicinity of a corner portion of a bottom face of the
holding member and being attached to the holding member.
2. The built-in cooker according to claim 1, wherein a drawn rib is
provided on the fixing plate.
3. The built-in cooker according to claim 1, wherein the fixing
plate of the hook has a shape of widening toward the corner portion
of the holding member.
4. The built-in cooker according to claim 3, wherein the drawn rib
is provided in a radial pattern toward the corner portion of the
holding member.
5. The built-in cooker according to claim 1, wherein the fixing
plate is fixed by adhering to the holding member.
6. The built-in cooker according to claim 1, wherein the holding
member has a bent portion formed at an undersurface of an outer
peripheral part the holding member, and an end portion of the
fixing plate and the bent portion are engaged.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The invention is related to a built-in cooker for use in a
home kitchen, especially to a constitution of a top unit of the
cooker.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional
built-in cooker. Outer hull body 1 contains a heating coil, a
cooling fan motor, and a controller circuit board (not
illustrated). Top unit 2 covers outer hull body 1 from above. Top
unit 2 is composed of holding member 3, top plate 4, and frame 5.
Top plate 4 is placed on holding member 3 with its entire
peripheral part adhered to holding member 3. Frame 5 covers an
outer peripheral part of top plate 4 from above.
[0003] Hooks 6 are fixed to a front part of holding member 3 fixed
by screws 7 from underside. Top unit 2 is set on outer hull body 1
and then fixed to body 1 at hooks 6 by screws 8 from front side.
Top unit 2 is fixed also to outer hull body 1 by screws 9 through
holes provided on holding member 3 and frame 5. The built-in cooker
has inlet/exhaust panel 11 covering inlet holes 10 for drawing-in
cooling air. This type of built-in cooker is disclosed by
Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication Number 2005-42984, for an
example.
[0004] With this conventional constitution, corner portions of top
plate 4 are weak in strength. So, when a stress is applied to one
of the corner portions of top plate 4 during an installation work,
top plate 4 can be broken in a worst case.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The present invention provides a safe and easy-to-install
built-in cooker, in which a top plate is prevented from being
damaged even if a stress is applied to a corner portion of the top
plate during an installation work. The built-in cooker of the
present invention has a body forming an outer hull, a heater, and a
top unit. The heater is contained in the body. The top unit covers
a top face of the body, and is fixed to the body. The top unit
includes a top plate, a holding member, and a hook. The top plate
is placed on the holding member with its outer peripheral part held
by the holding member. The hook is fixed to the holding member as
well as removably fixed to a side of the body. The hook includes a
fixing plate extending toward a vicinity of the corner portion of
the holding member to be fixed to a bottom face of the holding
member. With this structure, even when a stress is applied to the
corner portion of the top plate during an installation work for
instance, the holding member sustains the top plate securely with
the extended portion of the fixing plate. This strong structure
significantly reduces a possibility of the plates being
damaged.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a built-in cooker
according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.
[0007] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an essential part of the
built-in cooker shown in FIG. 1.
[0008] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another essential part of
the built-in cooker according to the exemplary embodiment of the
invention.
[0009] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a still other essential part
of the built-in cooker according to the exemplary embodiment of the
invention.
[0010] FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional
built-in cooker.
REFERENCE MARKS IN THE DRAWINGS
[0011] 1 outer hull body
[0012] 2 top unit
[0013] 3 holding member
[0014] 4 top plate
[0015] 5 frame
[0016] 6 hook
[0017] 7, 8, 9 screw
[0018] 10 inlet hole
[0019] 11 inlet/exhaust panel
[0020] 21, 31, 41 hook
[0021] 22, 32 fixing plate
[0022] 23, 41 holding member
[0023] 24 corner portion
[0024] 25 sealing material
[0025] 33 drawn rib
[0026] 42 bent portion
[0027] 44 end portion
[0028] 45 fixing plate
[0029] 51 body
[0030] 52 top unit
[0031] 54 top plate
[0032] 55 frame
[0033] 56 heater
[0034] 57, 58, 59, 62 screw
[0035] 60 inlet hole
[0036] 61 inlet/exhaust panel
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0037] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a built-in cooker
according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Body
51 forms an outer hull, and contains heaters 56 each composed of an
inductive heating coil, a cooling fan motor and a controller
circuit board (none of the two illustrated). Top unit 52 covers a
top face of body 51 and is fixed to body 51. The top unit 52 has
holding member 23, top plate 54, frame 55 and hooks 21. Top plate
54 is placed on holding member 23 with its outer peripheral part
adhered to holding member 23. Frame 55 covers top plate 54 at an
outer peripheral part thereof.
[0038] Sealing material 25, a sponge-like rubber, is applied to a
bottom face of peripheral part of holding member 23. Sealing
material 25 prevents water to come into a cabinet through an
opening after body 51 is placed in the opening of the cabinet.
[0039] Each hook 21 is fixed to a front portion of holding member
23 by screws 57 and 62 from underside, or may be fixed by rivets.
Top unit 52 is placed on body 51 and fixed to body 51 at the front
side with hooks 21 by screws 58. Top unit 52 is also fixed to body
51 by screws 59 through holes provided on holding member 23 and
frame 55. That is to say, hooks 21 are fixed to holding member 23
as well as removably fixed to a side of body 51 (to a front side,
for instance). Hook 21 has fixing plate 22 extending toward a
vicinity of corner portion 24 of holding member 23, therewith fixed
to a bottom face of holding member 23. The built-in cooker further
has inlet/exhaust panel 61 covering inlet holes 60 and the like.
Inlet holes 60 are provided to draw cooling air in. Inlet/exhaust
panel 61 has a number of holes in an entire part of it, although
they are only partially shown in FIG. 1.
[0040] Following, details of constitution of hook 21 and its
effective role are explained with reference to FIG. 2. Hook 21
includes fixing plate 22. Fixing plate 22 is extendedly formed
toward corner portion 24 of holding member 23 for holding top plate
54, and is screw-fixed to holding member 23 by screws 57 and 62.
Fixing plate 22 being formed in a widening shape toward corner
portion 24 securely sustains top plate 54. When installing the
built-in cooker, a worker can lift the cooker by holding two sides
of top unit 52, with top unit 52 being fixed to body 51. Even when
a stress is applied to a corner portion of top plate 54 at this
time, since top plate 54 is securely sustained from beneath by the
extended portion of fixing plate 22 with holding member 23. This
strengthened structure significantly reduces a possibility of the
top plate being cracked or damaged, providing a safe and
easy-to-install built-in cooker.
[0041] Top plate 54 is commonly 600 mm in length, but a built-in
cooker having a 750 mm-long plate is increasing in number. As body
51 is fixed in size, a momentum of stress applied to the corner
portion of top plate 54 becomes larger. Thus, an effect of the
constitution is remarkable when top plate 54 is large.
[0042] Next, a constitution of another hook is explained. FIG. 3 is
a perspective view of the other hook of the built-in cooker
according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
Drawn rib 33 formed in a drawn shape is provided on fixing plate 32
of hook 31. Provided drawn rib 33, hook 31 is stronger than hook
21, thus further workability and safety in installation is
improved. Drawn rib 33 is preferably formed in a radially expanding
pattern toward corner portion 24, enhanced in the strength.
[0043] If an adhesive is applied to fixing plate 32 when attaching
the plane to holding member 23, screws 57 and 62 can be eliminated
for connecting holding member 23 to hook 31, further improving
workability. The adhesive can be applied to hook 21 in FIG. 2 as
well.
[0044] Next, a constitution of a still other holding member is
explained. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a constitution of the
still other hooking part of the built-in cooker of the invention.
Bent portion 42 is formed underside of outer peripheral part of
holding member 41. Bent portion 42 engages end portion 44 of fixing
plate 45 of hook 43. With this constitution, when holding member 41
and hook 43 are joined, a setting position is easily determined
between the two, improving workability. In this constitution, hook
43 can be in a shape which is similar to hook 21 or hook 31.
[0045] In the present exemplary embodiment, heater 56 is explained
to be an induction cooker composed of a heating coil, but the
invention is not limited to this case. The invention can be applied
to a gas cooker in which a gas stove is used as heater 56 and top
plate 60 is provided with a hole suitable for the gas stove. Thus,
the invention is not restrictively applied only to the preferred
embodiment.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
[0046] A top plate of a built-in cooker of the present invention is
held from underneath by an extended portion of a fixing plate of a
hook and a holding member even when a stress is applied to a corner
portion of the top plate during an installation work for instance.
The enforced structure significantly reduces a possibility of the
top plate to be broken or damaged, providing a safe and
easy-to-install built-in cooker.
* * * * *