JP7614917B2 - Cooking device and method for manufacturing cooking device door - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cooking device and a method for manufacturing a door for the cooking device.

In recent years, there has been an increasing focus on the design of the exterior of cooking appliances such as cooking appliances, so that they match the interior of the home and other cooking appliances used alongside them. As a result, there is a demand for cooking appliances that not only have good performance, but also have a good appearance.

Patent Document 1 discloses a cooking device with improved appearance quality. In the cooking device disclosed in Patent Document 1, a door screen and a panel base are mirror-treated so that the panel base on which the cooking device's operating section is mounted appears to be integrated with the door. Specifically, the door screen uses glass that has been mirror-treated. The panel base has a resin sheet that has been mirror-treated and has a mirror degree equivalent to that of the door screen attached to the front surface of the panel base.

Special Publication No. 8-33213

However, simply applying the mirror treatment as in Patent Document 1 involves attaching a resin sheet, which leaves streaks on the joint surfaces of the sheets, creating a problem of a lack of unity and consistency.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above problems, and aims to provide a cooking device and a method for manufacturing a door for the cooking device that has improved appearance quality.

The cooking device of the present invention has a heating chamber that heats an object to be heated, and a door that covers an opening at the front of the heating chamber. The door has a frame, a door glass provided on the front of the frame, and a liquid crystal panel provided inside the frame. The door glass has a first region having a first transmittance and a second region having a second transmittance lower than the first transmittance. The liquid crystal panel is disposed behind the second region.

The present invention can improve the quality of appearance.

1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of a cooking device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is an end view of the door of the cooking device taken along line II in FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a front view of a door glass of the cooking device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view showing the cooking device according to the embodiment of the present invention with a door glass removed.

Below, an embodiment of the cooking device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that in the drawings, the same or corresponding parts will be given the same reference symbols and the description will not be repeated.

The cooking device 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the exterior of the cooking device 100 according to this embodiment. Figure 2 is an end view of the door 2 of the cooking device 100 cut along the cutting line II in Figure 1. In Figure 2, the circuitry and wiring for operating the cooking device 100 provided inside the door 2 are omitted. Figure 3 is a front view showing the door glass 22 of the cooking device 100 according to this embodiment. In Figure 3, the boundaries of each area are shown by dashed lines for the convenience of explaining the positions of each area provided in the door glass 22 described later, but these dashed lines are not actually visible. Figure 4 is a front view showing the door 2 of the cooking device 100 according to this embodiment with the door glass 22 removed.

The cooking device 100 cooks an object to be heated, such as food. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the cooking device 100 includes a heating chamber 1, a door 2, an operation unit 3, a display unit 4, and a control unit (not shown).

In this embodiment, the side where the door 2 and the operation unit 3 of the cooking device 100 are arranged is the front side of the cooking device 100, and the opposite side is the rear side of the cooking device 100. In addition, the right side when the cooking device 100 is viewed from the front side is the right side of the cooking device 100, and the opposite side is the left side of the cooking device 100. In addition, in the direction perpendicular to the front-rear and left-right directions of the cooking device 100, the side where the operation unit 3 is arranged is the lower side of the cooking device 100, and the opposite side is the upper side of the cooking device 100. Note that these orientations do not limit the orientation of the cooking device of the present invention when in use.

As shown in FIG. 1, the heating chamber 1 is a roughly rectangular box shape with an opening on the front. The heating chamber 1 heats the object to be heated that is placed inside through the opening.

The operation unit 3 allows the user to operate the cooking device 100 to specify the cooking method for the object to be heated. The operation unit 3 is composed of operation buttons, operation dials, etc., and is provided at the bottom of the front surface of the door 2.

The control unit controls the operation of the cooking device 100 in response to user operations.

The heating chamber 1, the operating unit 3, and the control unit can have any configuration that is used for the heating chamber, the operating unit, and the control unit of a known heating cooker.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the door 2 includes a frame 21, a door glass 22, an inner glass 23, a middle glass 24, a liquid crystal panel 25, and an LED light 26.

The frame body 21 is generally plate-shaped with an internal space. An opening 21A for mounting the door glass 22 and an opening 21B for mounting the operating unit 3 are formed on the front surface of the frame body 21. On the other hand, an opening 21C for mounting the inner glass 23 is formed on the rear surface of the frame body 21. This frame body 21 is formed by molding metal, resin, or the like.

The door glass 22 is composed of a single glass plate. The door glass 22 may be glass that is colored to match the design of the cooking appliance 100, or clear glass or soda glass that is colored to match the design of the cooking appliance 100. The door glass 22 is attached to the opening 21A provided on the front surface of the frame 21 by any known means.

As shown in FIG. 3, the door glass 22 includes a first region 221 having a first transmittance, a second region 222 having a second transmittance, and a third region 223 having a third transmittance. The third region 223 is provided to surround the first region 221 and the second region 222.

The first transmittance is a transmittance at which the inside of the heating chamber 1 can be seen through the door glass 22 when the light provided in the heating chamber 1 is turned on. The second transmittance is lower than the first transmittance, and is a transmittance at which the display on the liquid crystal panel 25 and the illumination of the LED light 26 can be confirmed when the liquid crystal panel 25 displays a message or the LED light 26 is turned on. The third transmittance is even lower than the second transmittance, and is a transmittance at which the inside of the heating chamber 1 is almost impossible to see.

Next, we will explain the manufacturing method of the door glass 22, which has different transmittances for the regions 221, 222, and 223.

Door glass 22 with different transmittances is manufactured by printing smoke by screen printing. Specifically, first, paint with a first transmittance is applied to the first region 221. Next, paint with a second transmittance is applied to the second region 222. Finally, paint with a third transmittance is applied to the third region 223. The paint may be either organic or inorganic, as long as it can achieve the specified transmittance.

The inner glass 23 is composed of a single glass plate. The inner glass 23 may be the same as that used in the doors of known cooking appliances. As shown in FIG. 2, the inner glass 23 is attached to the opening 21C provided on the rear surface of the frame 21 by any known means.

The intermediate glass 24 is composed of a single glass plate. Any known glass can be used for the intermediate glass 24. It is preferable that the intermediate glass 24 has high insulating properties.

The intermediate glass 24 is provided inside the frame 21, between the door glass 22 and the inner glass 23. Specifically, the intermediate glass 24 is attached by any known means to a mounting fixture 21D that is integrally formed with the frame 21. It is sufficient that the intermediate glass 24 covers at least the rear of the liquid crystal panel 25, and it is preferable that the intermediate glass 24 covers the entire rear of the door glass 22.

The liquid crystal panel 25 displays various information such as the operating status of the cooking device 100 (e.g., set temperature, heating time, etc.). The liquid crystal panel 25 may be a liquid crystal panel mounted on a known cooking device. It is preferable that the liquid crystal panel 25 displays information in a color that stands out against the color of the door glass 22.

The liquid crystal panel 25 is provided behind the second region 222 of the door glass 22 inside the frame 21, between the door glass 22 and the intermediate glass 24. Specifically, the liquid crystal panel 25 is attached to the mounting fixture 21E that is integrally formed with the frame 21 by any known means.

As shown in FIG. 4, a partition plate 27 is provided around the liquid crystal panel 25. The partition plate 27 is provided so that its front end contacts the front surface of the frame body 21 and the door glass 22, and its rear end contacts the middle glass 24. This prevents light from the light from being reflected on the surface of the liquid crystal panel 25, even if the light provided in the heating chamber 1 is turned on.

The LED light 26 indicates the operating status of the cooking appliance 100 (e.g., power on, wireless LAN connection, etc.) by turning it on or off. The LED light 26 may be an LED light mounted on a known cooking appliance. The LED light 26 is attached to the inside of the frame 21, behind the second region 222 of the door glass 22, by any known means.

The door 2 is rotatably supported at the bottom of the heating chamber 1 by any known means at the lower end of the frame 21, and is attached so as to be able to open and close relative to the opening at the front of the heating chamber 1. This covers the opening at the front of the heating chamber 1.

The display unit 4 displays various information such as the operating status of the cooking device 100. The display unit 4 is composed of the second area 222 of the door glass 22, a liquid crystal panel 25, and an LED light 26.

As described above, in the cooking device 100 of the present invention, the display unit 4 is provided on the door 2 and various information is displayed on the door glass 22, and the door glass 22 is constructed from a single glass plate. As a result, compared to a conventional configuration in which the display unit and the door glass are separated, there is no boundary between the display unit and the door glass, and the sense of unity and uniformity of the appearance can be enhanced. In addition, by designing the door glass 22 to blend into the door 2, the feeling of a window is eliminated, and the appearance can be further improved.

On the other hand, the door glass 22 has regions with different transmittances. In the first region 221, when the cooking device 100 is operating, the light of the heating chamber 1 is turned on, and the interior of the heating chamber 1 can be seen. In the second region 222, when the liquid crystal panel 25 is displayed or the LED light 26 is turned on, the display on the liquid crystal panel 25 and the illumination of the LED light 26 can be seen through the light of the liquid crystal panel 25 and the LED light 26. In other words, the boundary between the liquid crystal panel 25 and the door glass 22 can be eliminated while the information displayed on the liquid crystal panel 25 can be seen. As a result, it is possible to enhance the sense of unity and uniformity of the external appearance, and the external appearance quality can be improved. In addition, the necessary parts can be seen during use, so the feeling of use is the same as that of a conventional cooking device.

In addition, since the door glass 22 functions as the display unit 4, no resin parts are required for the display unit. Furthermore, the door glass 22 only requires screen printing, and there is no need for a separate resin sheet to be attached to the door glass. In this way, it is possible to reduce the number of parts while still achieving a high-quality exterior configuration.

When cooking is performed in the heating chamber 1, the heat used to heat the food is transferred to the door 2, causing the door 2 to heat up. The liquid crystal panel 25 provided inside the door 2 is easily affected by heat, so it is necessary to lower the temperature of the door 2, particularly the part where the liquid crystal panel 25 is located. In the cooking device 100 of the present invention, the intermediate glass 24 is provided, resulting in a double-glazed structure that can prevent the heat generated when cooking in the heating chamber 1 from being transferred to the front surface of the door 2 or the part where the liquid crystal panel 25 is located. This makes it possible to lower the temperature to a temperature at which the liquid crystal panel 25 can be used.

Furthermore, by providing the intermediate glass 24 so as to cover the entire rear of the door glass 22, the temperature of the door glass 22 can be lowered, and burns can be prevented even if a hand touches the door glass 22 when looking into the heating chamber 1 from the first area 221.

The above describes the embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and can be implemented in various forms without departing from the gist of the present invention. In addition, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining multiple components disclosed in each of the above embodiments. For example, some components may be deleted from all components shown in the embodiments. Furthermore, components from different embodiments may be appropriately combined. The drawings are mainly schematic views of each component for ease of understanding, and the thickness, length, number, spacing, etc. of each component shown in the drawings differ from the actual ones due to the convenience of drawing. In addition, the speed, material, shape, dimensions, etc. of each component shown in the above embodiments are merely examples and are not particularly limited, and various modifications are possible within a range that does not substantially deviate from the configuration of the present invention.

In the above embodiment, the first region 221, the second region 222, and the third region 223 are each coated with paint having the transmittance of each of the regions 221, 222, and 223, but the present invention is not limited to this.

In the above embodiment, the transmittance is changed by screen printing, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, instead of screen printing, smoke printing may be performed by other printing means. For example, a first sheet having a first transmittance may be attached to the first region 221 of the door glass 22. For example, a second sheet having a second transmittance may be attached to the second region 222 of the door glass 22. For example, a third sheet having a third transmittance may be attached to the third region 223 of the door glass 22.

In the above embodiment, the door glass 22 includes the first region 221, the second region 222, and the third region 223, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the door glass 22 may include only the first region having the first transmittance and the second region having the second transmittance, without including the third region.

In the above embodiment, the paint applied to the door glass 22 may contain, for example, at least one of a component that strengthens the door glass 22, a component that protects the door glass 22, and a component that blocks heat. The paint is, for example, a resin. The resin is, for example, a thermosetting resin. For example, it is an epoxy-based, phenol-based, or polyester-based resin. As a result, a film can be easily formed on the door glass 22 to strengthen and/or protect the door glass 22.

In the above embodiment, the cooking device 100 is provided with a pivoting door 2, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, instead of the pivoting door 2, a drawer-type door may be provided.

The present invention can be used, for example, in the fields of cooking appliances and methods for manufacturing cooking appliance doors.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Heating chamber 2 Door 21 Frame 22 Door glass 24 Middle glass 25 Liquid crystal panel 100 Cooking device 221 First area 222 Second area 223 Third area

Claims (5)

A cooking device having a heating chamber for heating an object to be heated and a door for covering an opening on a front surface of the heating chamber,
The door includes a frame, a door glass provided on a front surface of the frame, and a liquid crystal panel provided inside the frame,
The door glass includes a first region having a first transmittance and a second region having a second transmittance lower than the first transmittance,
The liquid crystal panel is disposed behind the second area. The cooking device according to claim 1, wherein the door glass is coated with a paint having the first transmittance and a paint having the second transmittance in the first region and the second region, respectively. The cooking device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the door further comprises an intermediate glass provided behind the liquid crystal panel inside the frame. The door glass further includes a third region having a third transmittance lower than the second transmittance,
The cooking device according to claim 1 , wherein the third region is provided so as to surround the first region and the second region. A method for manufacturing a door of a cooking device for cooking an object to be heated, comprising the steps of:
The door includes a frame and a door glass provided on a front surface of the frame,
applying a paint having a first transmittance to a first area of the door glass;
applying a paint having a second transmittance lower than the first transmittance to a second region of the door glass.

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