U.S. patent application number 13/258552 was filed with the patent office on 2012-01-26 for cooking device.
Invention is credited to Yoshikazu Kitaguchi, Masahiro Nishijima, Kazushi Yoshimura.
Application Number | 20120017882 13/258552 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42780955 |
Filed Date | 2012-01-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120017882 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kitaguchi; Yoshikazu ; et
al. |
January 26, 2012 |
COOKING DEVICE
Abstract
A cooking device is provided with a casing, a heating
compartment (102) provided within the casing and having an opening
on the front face side of the heating compartment, a door for
opening and closing the opening of the heating compartment (102), a
lamp (104) for lighting the inside of the heating compartment
(102), and a steel plate (134) mounted indirectly to the heating
compartment (102). The lamp (104) is mounted to the free end
section of the steel plate (134).
Inventors: |
Kitaguchi; Yoshikazu;
(Osaka, JP) ; Yoshimura; Kazushi; (Osaka, JP)
; Nishijima; Masahiro; (Osaka, JP) |
Family ID: |
42780955 |
Appl. No.: |
13/258552 |
Filed: |
March 23, 2010 |
PCT Filed: |
March 23, 2010 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/JP2010/054980 |
371 Date: |
September 22, 2011 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
126/1R |
Current CPC
Class: |
F21W 2131/307 20130101;
F24C 15/008 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
126/1.R |
International
Class: |
F24C 15/02 20060101
F24C015/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 24, 2009 |
JP |
2009-072816 |
Claims
1. A cooking device comprising: a casing; a heating compartment
provided in the casing and having an opening on a front face side
thereof; a door configured and arranged to open and close the
opening of the heating compartment; a light emitting device
configured and arranged to illuminate inside of the heating
compartment; and an elastic member directly or indirectly mounted
on the heating compartment, the light emitting device being mounted
on a free end part of the elastic member.
2. The cooking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the elastic
member elastically supports the light emitting device such that the
light emitting device is swingable in to-and-fro directions.
3. The cooking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the elastic
member is mounted on the heating compartment through a mount
frame.
4. The cooking device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the elastic
member is a plate that has a smaller thickness than the mount frame
has.
5. The cooking device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the light
emitting device includes: a main body; and a support mounted on the
free end part of the elastic member to support the main body, and
wherein the elastic member is the plate, the thickness of which is
smaller than a thickness of the support.
6. The cooking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the elastic
member is provided so as to surround the light emitting device.
7. The cooking device as claimed in claim 6, wherein portions of
the elastic member that face a front face, a rear face and both
side surfaces of the light emitting device, respectively, have
generally same surface areas.
8. The cooking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the elastic
member is directly or indirectly mounted on a top part or a side
part of the heating compartment.
9. The cooking device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a
steam producing device provided in the casing to produce steam to
be supplied into the heating compartment.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to a cooking device.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] A conventional cooking device is known from JP 2007-327676 A
(PTL 1), which has a heating compartment for heating an object to
be cooked, with a front-side opening of the heating compartment
being openable and closable by a door.
[0003] Provided on a rear side of the heating compartment is a
light source including a lamp which is able to deliver visible
light. The light source is mounted to a rear part of the heating
compartment so as to face a plurality of through holes provided at
the rear part of the heating compartment. The light source is
thereby allowed to apply the light through the through holes into
the heating compartment for illumination of the inside of the
heating compartment.
[0004] In the above-mentioned conventional cooking device, when an
object to be cooked is put in or out of the heating compartment,
the door is opened and shut. At that moment, if the door is shut
forcefully, vibration and/or shock caused thereby is transferred to
the lamp of the light source. This, disadvantageously, leads to a
problem that the filament of the lamp breaks.
[0005] This problem tends to take place more easily when the light
source is mounted at a ceiling or a lateral side wall of the
heating compartment, due to a shortened distance between the light
source and the door.
[0006] Besides, a larger door to cope with an increased capacity of
the heating compartment would increase the vibration and shock
caused by the operation of the door, and the heating compartment
would also be prone to the above problem.
[0007] The lamp may have little clearance to the heating
compartment due to variations in manufacturing of the cooking
device. In such a case, the vibration and shock caused by the
operation of the door would bring the lamp into contact with the
heating compartment, with the result that glass of the lamp is
broken.
[0008] Also, when supplying superheated vapor (i.e., vapor of
higher than 100.degree. C.) into the heating compartment to heat an
object to be cooked, it is necessary to prevent leakage of the
superheated vapor, which has a high pressure, through the opening
at the front side of the heating compartment by forcefully pressing
the door against a front surface of the heating compartment with a
spring having a large spring constant urged toward the front
surface of the heating compartment.
[0009] Urging the door toward the front surface of the heating
compartment with the spring having a large spring constant causes
the door to strongly collide with the heating compartment, thus
producing increased vibration and shock of the heating compartment.
As a result, the lamp is prone to the breakage of the filament.
CITATION LIST
Patent Literature
[0010] PTL1: JP 2007-327676 A (FIGS. 1-3)
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
Technical Problem
[0011] An object of the invention is, therefore, to provide a
cooking device having a light emission device for illuminating the
inside of a heating compartment thereof wherein the light emission
device can be prevented from being damaged.
Solution to Problem
[0012] A cooking device according to the present invention
includes:
[0013] a casing;
[0014] a heating compartment provided in the casing and having an
opening on a front face side thereof;
[0015] a door configured and arranged to open and close the opening
of the heating compartment;
[0016] a light emitting device configured and arranged to
illuminate inside of the heating compartment; and
[0017] an elastic member directly or indirectly mounted on the
heating compartment,
[0018] the light emitting device being mounted on a free end part
of the elastic member.
[0019] According to the cooking device having the above
configuration, upon closure of the door with a great momentum,
vibrations and impact are caused in the heating compartment by the
door but are absorbed by the elastic member because the light
emitting device is mounted on the free end part of the elastic
member. Accordingly, the vibrations and impact the light emitting
device receives can be reduced, so that the light emitting device
is prevented from being broken.
[0020] In one embodiment, the elastic member elastically supports
the light emitting device such that the light emitting device is
swingable in to-and-fro directions.
[0021] According to the cooking device of the embodiment, upon
closure of the door, the vibrations and impact caused by the door
are propagated from a front part of the heating compartment to a
rear part of the heating compartment. That is, the vibrations and
impact caused by the door are transmitted in the to-and-fro
direction. Accordingly, the elastic member elastically supports the
light emitting device so that the light emitting device is
swingable in the to-and-fro direction, and thus energy of the
vibrations and impact that are caused by the door is consumed for
the fluctuation of the light emitting device in the to-and-fro
direction and can be prevented from being consumed for deformation
of the light emitting device.
[0022] In one embodiment, the elastic member is mounted on the
heating compartment through a mount frame.
[0023] According to the cooking device of the embodiment, because
the elastic member is mounted on the heating compartment through
the mount frame, the vibrations and impact caused by the door are
attenuated by the mount frame and thus the vibrations and impact
the light emitting device receives can be made extremely small.
[0024] Also, because the elastic member is mounted on the heating
compartment through the mount frame, a great clearance can be
ensured between the heating compartment and the light emitting
device. Accordingly, the light emitting device is prevented from
being broken by being brought into contact with the heating
compartment.
[0025] In one embodiment, the elastic member is the plate that has
a smaller thickness than the mount frame has.
[0026] According to the cooking device of the embodiment, the plate
which is the elastic member is thinner than the mount frame, and
thus an elastic effect of the elastic member can be increased.
[0027] In one embodiment, the light emitting device includes a main
body, and a support mounted on the free end part of the elastic
member to support the main body, and the elastic member is the
plate, the thickness of which is smaller than a thickness of the
support.
[0028] According to the cooking device of the embodiment, the
elastic member is the plate which is thinner than the support and s
thus has flex and resilience. Accordingly, the elastic member is
capable of reliably returning to a position in which the light
emitting device is to illuminate inside of the heating compartment
even if the elastic member is deformed by the vibrations and impact
caused by the door.
[0029] In one embodiment, the elastic member is provided so as to
surround the light emitting device.
[0030] According to the cooking device of the embodiment, because
the elastic member is provided so as to surround the light emitting
device, an adequate strength can be given to the elastic member.
Thus the elastic member can be prevented from suffering damages
(such as tear), a warp and/or the like.
[0031] In case that the elastic member suffers damages, a warp
and/or the like, the light emitting device may deviate from a
specified position and an illuminance in the heating compartment
may thereby decrease.
[0032] In one embodiment, portions of the elastic member that face
a front face, a rear face and both side surfaces of the light
emitting device, respectively, have generally same surface
areas.
[0033] According to the cooking device of the embodiment, because
the portions of the elastic member that face the front face, the
rear face and both the side surfaces of the light emitting device,
respectively, have generally same surface areas, an adequate
strength can be given to the elastic member. Thus the elastic
member can be prevented from suffering damages (such as tear), a
warp and/or the like.
[0034] In case that the elastic member suffers damages, a warp
and/or the like, the light emitting device may deviate from a
specified position and an illuminance in the heating compartment
may thereby decrease.
[0035] In one embodiment, the elastic member is directly or
indirectly mounted on a top part or a side part of the heating
compartment.
[0036] Upon closure of the door, the top part and the side part of
the heating compartment undergo vibrations and impact greater than
a rear part of the heating compartment does. According to the
cooking device of the embodiment, however, the vibrations and
impact the light emitting device would undergo can be reduced
because the elastic member is directly or indirectly mounted on the
top part or the side part of the heating compartment and because
the light emitting device is mounted on a free end part of the
elastic member.
[0037] Accordingly, the light emitting device can be mounted on the
top part or the side part of the heating compartment without fear
of the light emitting device being broken.
[0038] In one embodiment, a steam producing device is provided in
the casing to produce steam to be supplied into the heating
compartment.
[0039] In the cooking device of the embodiment, measures are
required to prevent steam from leaking through the opening on the
front face side of the heating compartment on condition that the
steam is supplied from the steam producing device into the heating
compartment. An example of possible measures is to bring packing on
the door into intense and intimate contact with a peripheral part
of the opening on the front face side of the heating
compartment.
[0040] Provided that the measure is employed in which the door is
brought into intense and intimate contact with the peripheral part
of the opening on the front face side of the heating compartment,
the vibrations and impact the heating compartment receives from the
door are increased, whereas the vibrations and impact the light
emitting device receives can be reduced because the light emitting
device is mounted on the heating compartment through the elastic
member.
[0041] Accordingly, the measure can be employed in which the door
is brought into intense and intimate contact with the peripheral
part of the opening on the front face side of the heating
compartment, without fear of the light emitting device being
broken.
Advantageous Effects of Invention
[0042] According to the cooking device of the invention in which
the elastic member is directly or indirectly mounted on the heating
compartment and in which the light emitting device is mounted on
the free end part of the elastic member, the vibrations and impact
caused by the door can be absorbed by the elastic member and thus
the light emitting device can be prevented from being broken.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0043] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a cooking device
in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
[0044] FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of the cooking
device;
[0045] FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view of the cooking
device;
[0046] FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of a right side wall of a
heating compartment;
[0047] FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of a lamp and a steel
plate;
[0048] FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view of the steel plate;
[0049] FIG. 7 is a schematic illustration of the lamp and
neighboring elements as seen looking from underside;
[0050] FIG. 8 is a schematic illustration of the lamp and
neighboring elements as seen looking from a right side;
[0051] FIG. 9 is a schematic illustration of only the lamp as seen
looking from the underside;
[0052] FIG. 10 is a schematic illustration of a lamp and
neighboring elements of a cooking device of a comparative example,
as seen looking from underside;
[0053] FIG. 11 is a schematic illustration of the lamp and the
neighboring elements of the cooking device of the comparative
example, as seen looking from a right side; and
[0054] FIG. 12 is a schematic plan view of a modification of the
steel plate.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0055] Embodiments of the cooking device according to the present
invention will be described in detail below in conjunction with the
attached drawings.
[0056] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a cooking device in
accordance with an embodiment of the invention, in which a door 103
is opened, as seen looking from front side. FIG. 2 is a schematic
section of front part of the cooking device in which the door 103
is closed.
[0057] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cooking device includes a
casing 101 shaped like a rectangular parallelepiped, a heating
compartment 102 provided in the casing 101, the door 103 that is
pivotably mounted on a front face of the casing 101, and a lamp 104
for irradiating inside of the heating compartment 102. The lamp 104
is an example of a light emitting device.
[0058] An operation panel 105 is provided on a right side on the
front face of the casing 101. The operation panel 105 has a liquid
crystal display part 106, a knob 107, and a plurality of buttons
108. A tank attachment opening 105a is provided under the knob 107,
and a front face of a water supply tank 113 is exposed on the tank
attachment opening 105a.
[0059] The water supply tank 113 can be attached to and detached
from the casing 101 through the front face side of the casing
101.
[0060] The heating compartment 102 has an opening 102a through
which an object to be cooked 109 (see FIG. 3) and/or the like are
put in and taken out, on front face side thereof. A light
introducing opening 102b is provided on an upper front part of a
right side wall of the heating compartment 102, and the lamp 104
faces the light introducing opening 102b from outside of the
heating compartment 102. There may be provided a plurality of
through holes smaller than the light introducing opening 102b in a
right side part of the heating compartment 102, and the lamp 104
may be made to face the plurality of through holes. The right side
wall of the heating compartment 102 is an example of the side part
of the heating compartment 102.
[0061] The door 103 pivots on a lower end part thereof so as to
open and close the opening 102a of the heating compartment 102. A
handle 110 is mounted on an upper part of the door 103.
Heat-resistant glass 111 is provided generally at a center part of
the door 103, so that a user can observe a state of inside of the
heating compartment 102 through the heat-resistant glass 111. Onto
a rear face of the door 103, packing 112 made of heat-resistant
resin is fixed so as to surround the heat-resistant glass 111. The
packing 112 is brought into intense and intimate contact with a
peripheral part of the opening 102a of the heating compartment 102
by closure of the door 103. More specifically, strong springs (not
shown) having great spring constants strongly bias the door 103
against the casing 101 so as to strongly press the door 103 against
the front face of the casing 101. Thus superheated steam with a
high pressure in the heating compartment 102 is prevented from
leaking out from between the door 103 and the peripheral part of
the opening 102a of the heating compartment 102. Herein, the
"superheated steam" refers to steam heated to a superheated state
with temperatures of higher than 100.degree. C.
[0062] FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view of the cooking device,
reference numeral 114 denotes a drip tray, numeral 115 denotes a
water level sensor, numeral 116 denotes a water supply pump,
numeral 117 denotes a water supply pipe, numeral 118 denotes an
upper heater, numeral 119 denotes an upper heater cover, numeral
120 denotes a tray, numeral 121 denotes a lower heater, numeral 122
denotes a thermal insulation plate, numeral 123 denotes an exhaust
port, numeral 124 denotes an exhaust port cover, numeral 125
denotes an exhaust thermo-sensor, numeral 126 denotes an exhaust
duct, numeral 126a denotes a cool-air introducing opening, numeral
127 denotes a cool-air path, numeral 128 denotes a diluted-exhaust
port, and numeral 129 denotes a steam producing unit. Though not
shown, a magnetron for producing microwave is also provided in the
casing. The steam producing unit 129 is an example of the steam
producing device.
[0063] The water supply pump 116 sucks water from the water supply
tank 113 and delivers the water through the water supply pipe 117
to the steam producing unit 129. The steam producing unit 129 is
capable of producing steam by heating the water from the water
supply pump 116 and supplying the steam into the heating
compartment 102, and capable of producing superheated steam by
heating the steam and supplying the superheated steam into the
heating compartment 102.
[0064] The object to be cooked 109 can be heated by the steam or
superheated steam from the steam producing unit 129 and/or can be
heated by radiant heat from the upper heater 118 and the lower
heater 121. A top wall of the heating compartment 102 is under the
upper heater 118 and a bottom wall of the heating compartment 102
is above the lower heater 121, so that the upper heater 118 and the
lower heater 121 are not exposed in the heating compartment 102.
The top wall is an example of a top part of the heating compartment
102.
[0065] FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of the right side wall of
the heating compartment 102 as seen looking from outside. FIG. 5 is
a schematic illustration of a steel plate 134 on which the lamp 104
is fixed by a screw, as seen looking diagonally from below.
[0066] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the lamp 104 has a filament 130,
a glass bulb 131 that houses the filament 130 and that is made of
glass, a base 132 that is connected to the glass bulb 131, that is
made of metal, and that is generally shaped like an elliptic
cylinder, and terminals 133 that protrude from the base 132. The
lamp 104 is fixed by the screw 136A onto one of two opposite end
parts of the steel plate 134 having elasticity. The other end part
of the steel plate 134 is fixed by a screw 136B onto a lamp mount
frame 135. Most of the lamp 104 is covered with the lamp mount
frame 135. A predetermined clearance is provided between the lamp
104 and the lamp mount frame 135. Herein, the one end part (i.e.,
end part including a screw hole 134a (see FIG. 6)) of the steel
plate 134 forms a free end part of the steel plate 134. The steel
plate 134 is an example of the elastic member, and the lamp mount
frame 135 is an example of the mount frame. The glass bulb 131 and
the base 132 are an example of the main body.
[0067] A thickness of the steel plate 134 is between 0.4 mm and 0.5
mm, for instance, so as to be smaller than a thickness of the lamp
mount frame 135 and so as to be smaller than thicknesses of a
fitting 141 and a linkage 142 that will be described later. Thus
the steel plate 134 is capable of vertically swinging, or
oscillating, on the one end part of the steel plate 134 as a
fulcrum. With the vertical swinging of the steel plate 134, the
lamp 104 swings or rocks in the to-and-fro directions. That is, the
steel plate 134 supports the lamp 104 such that the lamp 104 is
swingable (rockable) in the to-and-fro directions.
[0068] The lamp mount frame 135 is composed of a steel plate and is
fixed onto the right side wall of the heating compartment 102 so as
to cover the light introducing opening 102b (see FIGS. 1 and 2). An
inside surface of the lamp mount frame 135 functions as a
reflection surface for reflecting light, emitted from the lamp 104,
into the heating compartment 102. A thickness of the lamp mount
frame 135 is set between 0.6 mm and 0.8 mm, for instance.
[0069] FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view of the steel plate 134.
[0070] The one end part of the steel plate 134 is provided with the
screw hole 134a in which the screw 136A is inserted and the other
end part of the steel plate 134 is provided with the screw hole
134b in which the screw 136B is inserted. A center part of the
steel plate 134 is provided with a lamp mounting opening 134c. The
lamp mounting opening 134c has one edge shaped like a circular arc
in plan view and three edges shaped like straight lines in plan
view. Of the three edges shaped like the straight lines in plan
view, the edge adjacent to the screw hole 134a offers a functional
effect of preventing the lamp 104 from turning relative to the
steel plate 134. More specifically, a portion of the peripheral
surface of the base 132 of the lamp 104a forms a flat surface, and
the lamp 104 is fixed by the screw onto the steel plate 134 with
the flat surface pressed against the edge of the lamp mounting
opening 134c adjacent to the screw hole 134a. Thus the lamp 104 can
be blocked from turning relative to the steel plate 134.
[0071] The lamp 104 is fixed by the screw onto the steel plate 134
as described above, so that a center axis of the base 132 of the
lamp 104 can reliably be aligned with a center of the lamp mounting
opening 134c or vicinity thereof. Herein, the center of the lamp
mounting opening 134c refers to a center of gravity of a figure
formed of the one edge shaped like the circular arc in plan view
and the three edges shaped like the straight lines in plan
view.
[0072] FIG. 7 is a schematic illustration of the lamp 104 and
neighboring elements as seen looking from underside. FIG. 8 is a
schematic illustration of the lamp 104 and the neighboring elements
as seen looking from right side.
[0073] As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the lamp 104 has a support 140
that is provided integrally with the base 132. The support 140 is
obtained by blanking of a steel plate, for instance. The lamp 104
is fixed by the screw onto the free end part (end part including
the screw hole 134a) of the steel plate 134. This makes the steel
plate 134 surround the lamp 104.
[0074] FIG. 9 is a schematic illustration of only the lamp 104 as
seen looking from the underside.
[0075] The support 140 is composed of the fitting 141 that is
square-shaped in plan view and the linkage 142 that connects the
fitting 141 to the base 132 and that is rectangle-shaped in plan
view.
[0076] The fitting 141 is provided with a screw hole 141a and the
screw 136A is inserted into the screw hole 141a. A thickness of the
fitting 141 is generally as large as a thickness of the linkage
142.
[0077] The linkage 142 is required to be hard or rigid so as to
resist undergoing deformation in terms of maintenance of a posture
of the lamp 104. Therefore, a length A of the linkage 142 is not
larger than 5 mm, a width B of the linkage 142 is not smaller than
5 mm, and a thickness of the linkage 142 is not smaller than 1
mm.
[0078] When the door 103 is closed with a great momentum in the
cooking device having the above configuration, vibrations and
impact are caused in the heating compartment 102 by the door 103
but are attenuated by the lamp mount frame 135 and are further
absorbed by the steel plate 134. Accordingly, the vibrations and
impact the lamp 104 is to receive can greatly be reduced, so that
burnout of the filament 130, cracks in the glass bulb 131 and/or
the like can be prevented.
[0079] The lamp 104 is mounted through the lamp mount frame 135 on
the heating compartment 102, and thus a great clearance is ensured
between the heating compartment 102 and the lamp 104. Accordingly,
the lamp 104 is unlikely to be brought into contact with the
heating compartment 102, and a risk that the lamp 104 might be
broken by the contact can be reduced.
[0080] The vibrations and impact caused by the door 103 are
transmitted in the to-and-fro direction, and the lamp 104 is
capable of rocking (swinging) in the to-and-fro direction, so that
energy of the vibrations and impact is consumed for the rocking
movement of the lamp 104 in the to-and-fro direction and is
prevented from being consumed for deformation of the lamp 104.
[0081] A structure for reliably preventing the lamp 104 from being
broken can easily be obtained by the steel plate 134 because the
steel plate 134 is less prone to being damaged by the vibrations
and impact caused by the door 103 and has high degree of freedom
for machining.
[0082] The upper front part of the right side wall of the heating
compartment 102 undergoes the vibrations and impact greater than a
rear wall of the heating compartment 102 does, upon closure of the
door 103, whereas the vibrations and impact the lamp 104 undergoes
can be reduced by the lamp mount frame 135 and the steel plate
134.
[0083] The door 103 is strongly biased toward the casing 101 by the
strong springs having a great spring constant and is strongly
pressed against the front face of the casing 101 in order to bring
the packing 112 into intense and intimate contact with the
peripheral part of the opening 102a on the front face side of the
steam heating compartment 102 as described above. This increases
the vibrations and impact the heating compartment 102 undergoes
upon closure of the door 103, whereas the vibrations and impact the
lamp 104 undergoes are reduced by the lamp mount frame 135 and the
steel plate 134 that has springy property or resilience.
[0084] The steel plate 134 is flexible while having resilience
because the steel plate 134 is a plate that has the thickness
smaller than the thickness of the lamp mount frame 135 and also
smaller than the thicknesses of the fitting 141 and the linkage
142. Accordingly, the steel plate 134 reliably returns to a
specified position even if having been deformed by the vibrations
and impact caused by the door 103, so that light from the lamp 104
can be made to sufficiently enter into the heating compartment
102.
[0085] The steel plate 134 is provided so as to surround the
peripheral surface of the lamp 104 and thus an adequate strength is
given to the steel plate 134. Accordingly, the steel plate 134 can
be prevented from suffering damages such as tear and from deviating
from the specified position by being warped.
[0086] FIG. 10 is a schematic illustration of the lamp 104 and
neighboring elements of a cooking device of a comparative example,
as seen looking from underside. FIG. 11 is a schematic illustration
of the lamp 104 and the neighboring elements of the cooking device
of the comparative example, as seen looking from the right side. In
FIGS. 10 and 11, the same components as those in FIGS. 7 and 8 are
provided with the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 7 and
8, and description thereof is omitted. In description below, the
same components as those of the cooking device of the embodiment
are provided with the same reference numerals as those of the
components of the cooking device of the embodiment.
[0087] The cooking device of the comparative example is different
from the cooking device of the embodiment only in that the lamp 104
is directly fixed by the screw 136B onto the lamp mount frame 135.
When the door 103 is closed with a great momentum in the cooking
device of the comparative example, vibrations and impact that are
caused by the door 103 are conducted directly from the lamp mount
frame 135 to the lamp 104. Then the vibrations and impact that are
caused by the door 103 are conducted to the filament 130 and the
glass bulb 131 while being hardly attenuated in the support 140
because the linkage 142 of the support 140 is hard. As a result,
the filament 130 is prone to burn out, and the glass bulb 131 is
prone to crack.
[0088] The lamp 104 is mounted on the heating compartment 102
through the lamp mount frame 135 and the steel plate 134 in the
embodiment, whereas the lamp 104 may be mounted on the heating
compartment 102 through only the steel plate 134.
[0089] In the cooking device of the invention, namely, the steel
plate 134 may indirectly be mounted to the heating compartment 102,
as in the embodiment, or the steel plate 134 may directly be
mounted to the heating compartment 102.
[0090] In the embodiment, for instance, spring members such as
coiled springs may be substituted for the steel plate 134.
Alternatively, a copper plate, a stainless plate, an alloy plate, a
resin plate and/or the like may be used. In terms of the swinging
(rocking) of the lamp 104, however, thicknesses of the copper
plate, the stainless plate, the alloy plate, the resin plate and/or
the like are preferably made smaller than the thickness of the lamp
mount frame 135.
[0091] In place of the lamp 104, other light emitting devices such
as LED (Light Emitting Diode) may be used.
[0092] The lamp 104 is mounted on the upper front part of the right
side wall of the heating compartment 102 in the embodiment.
Alternatively, the lamp 104 may be mounted on an upper front part
of a left side wall of the heating compartment 102 or may be
mounted on a front part of the top wall of the heating compartment
102, for instance. Though the lamp 104 can be mounted on the side
wall, the top wall or a rear wall of the heating compartment 102 in
this manner, the lamp 104 is preferably mounted on the side wall or
the top wall of the heating compartment 102 in terms of bright
irradiation of overall inside of the heating compartment 102.
[0093] The opening 102a of the heating compartment 102 is opened
and closed by the door 103 of pivoting type in the embodiment,
whereas the opening 102a of the heating compartment 102 may be
opened and closed by a door that slides in the to-and-fro direction
relative to the casing 101, for instance. That is, the door that
the cooking device of the invention includes may be of pivoting
type or of slide type.
[0094] The lamp 104 is fixed by the screw onto the free end part of
the steel plate 134 so that the glass bulb 131 faces upward in the
embodiment. Alternatively, the lamp 104 may be fixed by screw onto
the free end part of the steel plate 134 so that the glass bulb 131
faces downward.
[0095] In the embodiment, a steel plate 234 shown in FIG. 12 may be
substituted for the steel plate 134. The steel plate 234 has a
screw hole 234a in which the screw 136A is inserted, a screw hole
234b in which the screw 136B is inserted, and a lamp mounting
opening 234c in which the lamp 104 is inserted. On condition that
the lamp 104 is inserted in the lamp mounting opening 234c and is
fixed by the screw onto the steel plate 234, portions of the steel
plate 234 that face the front surface, the rear surface and both
the side surfaces of the lamp 104 have generally same surface
areas. Thus the steel plate 234 can be prevented from suffering
tear and warping.
[0096] As the cooking device of the invention, there may be used
not only a microwave oven using superheated steam but also an oven
using superheated steam, a microwave oven not using superheated
steam, an oven not using superheated steam, or the like, for
instance.
[0097] According to the cooking device of the invention, healthy
cooking can be performed by use of superheated steam or saturated
steam in cooking heaters (such as IH heaters, electric cooking
stoves such as electric heaters, or gas cooking stoves), microwave
ovens or the like. In the cooking device of the invention, for
instance, superheated steam or saturated steam having a temperature
not lower than 100.degree. C. is supplied onto surfaces of food,
the superheated steam or saturated steam deposited onto the
surfaces of the food condenses and gives the food a great quantity
of latent heat of condensation, therefore heat can efficiently be
transmitted to the food. The condensate water is deposited on the
surfaces of the food, and salt content, oil content and the like
drop with the condensate water, so that salt content, oil content
and the like in the food can be reduced. Furthermore, the heating
compartment is filled with the superheated steam or saturated steam
so as to be absent from oxygen, and thus cooking by which oxidation
of the food is suppressed can be performed.
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST
[0098] 101 casing [0099] 102 heating compartment [0100] 103 door
[0101] 104 lamp [0102] 129 steam producing unit [0103] 134, 234
steel plate [0104] 135 lamp mount frame [0105] 140 support [0106]
141 fitting [0107] 142 linkage
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