Microwave oven cooking device and microwave oven
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2023082495
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-05-18
- Publication Date
- 2026-02-13
Smart Images
Figure 00000000_0000_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical field]
[0001] The present invention relates to microwave cooking appliances and microwave ovens. [Background technology]
[0002] The microwave cooking appliances disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 include a tray detachably arranged in a heating chamber, and a container detachably arranged on rails formed on the tray. The container is suspended from the rails of the tray so as to be spaced apart above the bottom surface of the heating chamber. Patent Document 1 describes, as an example, a tray formed of a microwave reflector such as metal. Patent Document 2 describes a tray formed of a microwave transmissive material such as ceramic to improve the heating properties of food. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2022-110758 [Patent Document 2] Patent application No. 2022-080718 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0004] In terms of improving the heating properties of the food, it is preferable to mold the tray from a microwave-transmitting body such as ceramic as in Patent Document 2, rather than from a microwave-reflecting body such as metal as in Patent Document 1. However, a tray made of ceramic or the like has lower impact resistance than a tray made of metal or the like, and therefore there is a possibility that the rail portion will be damaged if an impact is applied to the rail portion due to being dropped, for example.
[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a microwave cooking appliance and a microwave oven that can improve the heating properties of food while suppressing damage to rails for placing containers. [Means for solving the problem]
[0006] One aspect of the present invention provides a cooking utensil for a microwave oven, comprising a tray body made of a non-metallic material other than resin and capable of transmitting microwaves, a pair of rail portions for removably supporting a container on the underside of the tray body so as to be positioned at a distance from the bottom surface of a heating chamber of the microwave oven body, and a resin cover attached to the tray body, the cooking utensil being removably positioned on a pair of guide rails protruding from both side walls of the heating chamber.
[0007] A cover having a pair of rails for detachably supporting the container so as to be spaced apart from the bottom surface of the heating chamber of the microwave oven body is attached to a tray body made of resin and permeable to microwaves. Because the tray body is permeable to microwaves, the heating properties of the food to be cooked can be improved. The rails are made of resin, which has a higher impact resistance than non-metals (e.g., ceramics) other than resin that have high thermal conductivity, and therefore will not be easily damaged even if the container is dropped or subjected to an impact.
[0008] The cover has a pair of mounting parts for mounting on the pair of guide rails. With this configuration, the resin mounting parts are placed on the metal guide rails, so that it is possible to prevent unpleasant noise caused by friction or interference between the guide rails and the mounting parts when the microwave oven cooking appliance is inserted into or removed from the heating chamber.
[0009] The rail portion has a positioning portion for positioning the flange portion of the container. Since the rail portion is made of resin, the positioning portion can be formed with higher accuracy than when made of a non-metallic material other than resin (e.g., ceramics). With this configuration, the container can be positioned at an appropriate position in the heating chamber via the microwave cooking appliance. Also, since the container does not require a non-slip packing to maintain the appropriate positioning, manufacturing costs can be reduced and inconveniences such as loss or forgetting to attach the packing during cleaning can be prevented.
[0010] The positioning portion is formed by a downwardly recessed recess, which allows the container to be easily and reliably positioned in the heating chamber via the microwave cooking appliance in the correct position.
[0011] The tray body has a bottom wall, an outer peripheral wall protruding upward from the outer periphery of the bottom wall, a pair of protruding portions protruding outward from opposing wall portions of the outer peripheral wall and extending along the bottom wall, and a through portion provided on each of the pair of protruding portions, and further includes a stopper portion for preventing the cover from coming off the tray body by abutting against the edge of the through portion. With this configuration, a cover separate from the tray body can be securely attached. Non-metals other than resin (e.g., ceramics) have a large tolerance and are more likely to crack than resin, but if the stopper portion abuts against the edge of the through portion, the attached state can be securely maintained with a relatively simple structure.
[0012] The cover has a bottom wall portion disposed below the bottom wall of the tray body and a plate portion provided to cover the upper side of the through-hole, the bottom wall portion is provided with an insertion hole located below the through-hole, the plate portion is provided with a locking hole located above the through-hole, and the removal prevention portion is formed of a removal prevention member separate from the tray body and the cover, and the removal prevention member penetrates the insertion hole and the through-hole and locks to the edge of the locking hole. With this configuration, the removal prevention member locks to the edge of the insertion hole and the edge of the locking hole of the resin cover, so that excessive load can be prevented from being applied to the non-metallic (e.g., ceramic) tray body. Therefore, damage to the tray body can be effectively prevented.
[0013] A protective member separate from the cover is disposed on the upper part of the cover facing the heater disposed on the upper part of the heating chamber, and the protective member is molded from a resin having higher heat resistance than the cover. This configuration can prevent the cover from melting due to the heat of the heater disposed on the upper part of the heating chamber. As a result, it is possible to place the tray body closer to the heater, improving the heating performance of the food to be cooked. In addition, the manufacturing cost can be reduced compared to when the entire cover is molded from a resin having high heat resistance.
[0014] The cover is composed of a pair of divided bodies attached to both sides of the tray body, each of which has a rail portion formed thereon, and a portion of the bottom surface of the tray body located between the rail portions of the pair of divided bodies is exposed. This configuration can reduce the amount of resin required to mold the cover. Also, a portion of the bottom surface of the tray body located between the rail portions of the pair of divided bodies is exposed. This configuration can improve microwave permeability, thereby improving the heating of the food to be cooked.
[0015] Another aspect of the present invention provides a microwave oven comprising a microwave oven body having a heating chamber with guide rails, a tray body made of a non-metallic material other than resin and capable of transmitting microwaves, and a resin cover attached to the tray body, the microwave oven cooking appliance being detachably arranged on the guide rails, the cover having a pair of rail portions for detachably supporting a container under the tray body so as to be positioned with a gap between the cover and the bottom surface of the heating chamber. Effect of the Invention
[0016] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the heating performance of the food to be cooked while suppressing damage to the rail portion on which the container is placed. [Brief description of the drawings]
[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is an exploded perspective view of a microwave oven according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] A cross-sectional view of a microwave oven with a cooking utensil placed inside the microwave oven body, partially broken away along line II-II in Figure 1. [Diagram 3] 1 is an exploded perspective view of a cooking utensil according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a partial plan view of FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged perspective view of FIG. [Figure 6] 6 is a cross-sectional view of the assembled cookware taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 4 . [Figure 7] 7 is a cross-sectional view of the assembled cookware taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 4 . [Figure 8] 8 is a cross-sectional view of the assembled cookware taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 4 . [Figure 9] FIG. 7 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of a portion of the cooking utensil according to the second embodiment. [Figure 10] 7 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 6 of a cooking utensil according to a second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of a portion of the cooking utensil according to the third embodiment. [Figure 12] 7 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 6 of a cooking utensil according to a third embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of a portion of the cooking utensil according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of a cooking utensil according to a fifth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0018] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0019] (First embodiment) 1 and 2 show a microwave oven 1 using a microwave oven cooking appliance (hereinafter referred to as "cooking appliance") 40 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In the accompanying drawings, the X direction is the width direction of the microwave oven 1, the direction indicated by the arrow is the left side, and the direction opposite to the arrow is the right side. The Y direction is the front-to-rear direction of the microwave oven 1, the direction indicated by the arrow is the rear side, and the direction opposite to the arrow is the front side. The Z direction is the height direction of the microwave oven 1, the direction indicated by the arrow is the upper side, and the direction opposite to the arrow is the lower side.
[0020] 1 and 2, microwave oven 1 includes microwave oven body 10 and door 20 attached to microwave oven body 10 in an openable and closable manner. Microwave oven body 10 is provided with heating chamber 12, in which magnetron (microwave source) 30, heater 32, and control unit (not shown) are disposed. The control unit executes a heating process set by operating an operation panel, and heats the food in heating chamber 12.
[0021] Cooking utensil 40 is an exclusive accessory of microwave oven 1 shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and includes tray 41 detachably arranged in heating chamber 12, and container 50 detachably arranged on tray 41. Of these, tray 41 is composed of tray body 42 and cover 43, both of which are made of non-metallic materials that are microwave-transmissible. Tray body 42 is made of a material that has higher thermal conductivity and lower impact resistance than cover 43. Cover 43 includes a pair of rails 45 that support container 50 in a suspended state, and is made of a material that has lower thermal conductivity and higher impact resistance than tray body 42. This improves the heating of food and prevents damage to rails 45 that support container 50.
[0022] Hereinafter, an overview of the microwave oven 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0023] Microwave oven body 10 includes heating chamber 12 in housing 11. Heating chamber 12 is a rectangular parallelepiped space with an opening at the front, and is defined by bottom wall 13, top wall 14, a pair of side walls 15, a rear wall 16, and a door 20. Bottom wall 13 is made of a microwave-transmitting material such as ceramic, glass, or resin. Top wall 14, a pair of side walls 15, and rear wall 16 are all made of metal plates that are microwave reflectors.
[0024] Guide rails 17, 18 for positioning the tray 41 are provided on each of the pair of side walls 15. Of these, the upper guide rail 17 is provided in an area above the center of the overall height of the heating chamber 12, and the lower guide rail 18 is provided in an area below the center of the overall height of the heating chamber 12. Both guide rails 17, 18 are provided so as to extend in the front-rear direction, with a part of the side wall 15 protruding into the heating chamber 12 to form a right-angled triangular shape by pressing.
[0025] The door 20 is attached to the front side of the housing 11 and closes the opening of the heating chamber 12 in an openable manner. The door 20 includes an opaque metal frame 21 that is a microwave reflector, and a window 22 through which the inside of the heating chamber 12 can be seen. The window 22 is made of a punched metal with a large number of holes for ensuring visibility, and a reflector plate (not shown) capable of reflecting microwaves is disposed in the window 22. The door 20 of this embodiment is rotatable around a rotation axis (not shown) extending in the width direction. However, the door 20 may be rotatable around a rotation axis extending in the height direction, as long as it is configured to be able to open and close the opening of the heating chamber 12.
[0026] The magnetron 30 is disposed between the housing 11 and the heating chamber 12, and heats the food on the bottom wall 13, on the tray 41, or in the container 50 within the heating chamber 12 with microwaves. Specifically, a metal duct (waveguide) 31 is disposed on the underside of the bottom wall 13 of the heating chamber 12, and the magnetron 30 is disposed at the end of this duct 31. The microwaves from the magnetron 30 pass through the inside of the duct 31 and are output into the heating chamber 12 from roughly the entire bottom wall 13.
[0027] The heater 32 is disposed close to the top wall 14 and heats the food on the bottom wall 13 or tray 41 in the heating chamber 12 by radiant heat. Two heaters 32 are disposed at an interval in the front-to-rear direction, and each heater extends in the width direction from one of the pair of side walls 15 to the other. However, only one heater 32 may be provided at the center in the front-to-rear direction, or three or more heaters 32 may be provided.
[0028] The control unit is, for example, a microcomputer, and executes the heating process set by operating the operation panel according to a prestored program. The heating process includes a microwave heating mode in which only the magnetron 30 is controlled until heating is completed, a heater heating mode in which only the heater 32 is controlled until heating is completed, and a combined heating mode in which both the magnetron 30 and the heater 32 are controlled.
[0029] The microwave heating modes include a microwave range and a floating register. The microwave range is performed with the food placed on the bottom wall 13 of the heating chamber 12, and the floating register is performed with a container 50 containing the food placed in the heating chamber 12 via a tray 41. In these processes, the magnetron 30 is controlled based on the detection results of an infrared sensor 34 arranged on the outside of the upper guide rail 17 of the side wall 15 located on the right side in Fig. 2, and a thermistor 35 arranged at the corner of the top wall 14, the right side wall 15, and the rear wall 16.
[0030] The heater heating mode includes oven and grill. These processes are performed with the food placed on the tray 41 in the heating chamber 12. In this process, the infrared sensor 34 is not used, and the heater 32 is controlled based only on the detection result of the thermistor 35.
[0031] The composite heating mode includes a resiliency mode. The resiliency mode is performed with the food placed on the tray 41 in the heating chamber 12. In this process, the magnetron 30 and the heater 32 are controlled based only on the detection result of the thermistor 35 without using the infrared sensor 34.
[0032] Next, cooking tool 40 specifically designed for use with microwave oven 1 will be described.
[0033] Referring to Figures 2 and 3, the cooking utensil 40 comprises a tray 41 that is removably arranged on a pair of upper guide rails 17 or a pair of lower guide rails 18, and a container 50 that is removably arranged on a pair of rail portions 45 provided on the tray 41.
[0034] The tray 41 has a rectangular shape when viewed from above, and is composed of a tray body 42 and a cover 43. The cover 43 is composed of a pair of divided bodies 44. The pair of divided bodies 44 are attached to both sides of the tray body 42, respectively, and are maintained in the attached state by a removal prevention member (removal prevention portion) 46. Each divided body 44 is provided with a rail portion 45 that supports the container 50 so as to be positioned at a distance from the bottom wall (bottom surface) 13 of the heating chamber 12 when the tray 41 is placed on the upper guide rail 17 of the heating chamber 12. In other words, the pair of rail portions 45 are provided integrally with the cover 43 composed of the pair of divided bodies 44, and are separate from the tray body 42.
[0035] The container 50 is a cylindrical shape with a bottom, including a circular bottom wall portion 44a and a conical cylindrical side wall portion 44b, and is provided at the upper end with a flange portion 50c having an outer diameter supported by a rail portion 45. The container 50 is formed from glass that is permeable to microwaves. However, the container 50 may be made of ceramic or resin, and may be made of any non-metallic material that is permeable to microwaves.
[0036] The tray body 42, the divided body 44 of the cover 43, and the retaining member 46 that constitute the tray 41 will be specifically described below.
[0037] The tray body 42, the divided body 44, and the removal prevention member 46 are all made of a non-metallic material that is microwave-transmissible. The tray body 42 is molded from ceramic, which is a material that has higher heat resistance and thermal conductivity than resin but lower impact resistance. The divided body 44 and the removal prevention member 46 are molded from glass fiber-blended PPS (polyphenylene sulfide), which is a resin that has higher impact resistance than ceramic but lower thermal conductivity and heat resistance. PPS with glass fiber is a resin that has higher heat resistance than PPS without glass fiber. However, the tray body 42 may be made of glass, and may be made of a non-metallic material other than resin that is microwave-transmissible. The divided body 44 and the removal prevention member 46 may be made of a fluororesin such as PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), and may be made of a resin that is microwave-transmissible, has high impact resistance, and has heat resistance of 250°C or more.
[0038] 3 and 4, the tray body 42 is in the shape of a tray and includes a rectangular bottom wall 42a whose width dimension is greater than its front-rear dimension, and a square cylindrical outer peripheral wall 42b protruding upward from the periphery of the bottom wall 42a. A portion of the bottom wall 42a (the bottom surface of the tray body 42) located between the rail portions 45 of the pair of divided bodies 44 is exposed. A pair of side wall portions of the outer peripheral wall 42b facing each other in the width direction are provided with protruding pieces 42c that protrude outward from the upper ends and extend along the bottom wall 42a. However, the protruding pieces 42c may be configured to protrude from the middle portion of the outer peripheral wall 42b in the height direction.
[0039] 4, 5, and 8, a pair of wall portions (front wall portion and rear wall portion) of the outer peripheral wall 42b facing each other in the front-rear direction is provided with a frame wall 42d extending along the XZ plane. The frame wall 42d is provided with a protruding portion 42e that protrudes outward and extends along the bottom wall 42a. The protruding portion 42e is composed of a pair of first portions 42f, one second portion 42g, and a pair of third portions 42h. The pair of first portions 42f are provided at both ends of the frame wall 42d in the width direction, respectively, and are continuous with the lower end of the frame wall 42d. The second portion 42g is provided between the pair of first portions 42f and is positioned above the first portion 42f with a gap therebetween. The pair of third portions 42h are each continuous with the width direction inner end of the first portion 42f and the width direction outer end of the second portion 42g. The first portion 42f of the protruding portion 42e is provided with a through portion 42i, which will be described in detail later.
[0040] 5, 6, and 8, the divided body 44 of the cover 43 includes a bottom wall portion 44a, a side wall portion 44b, and a pair of frame wall portions 44c. The bottom wall portion 44a is disposed below the bottom wall 42a of the tray body 42. The bottom wall portion 44a includes a plurality of ribs 44d that protrude upward and extend in the width direction, and the bottom wall 42a of the tray body 42 is placed on the bottom wall portion 44a across a heat insulating space between adjacent ribs 44d. The side wall portion 44b protrudes upward from the outer end of the bottom wall portion 44a in the width direction and covers the outer side of the outer peripheral wall 42b of the tray body 42 in the width direction. The frame wall portion 44c protrudes upward from both sides of the bottom wall portion 44a in the front-rear direction and covers the outer side of the first portion 42f of the tray body 42. The frame wall portion 44c protrudes inward in the width direction from the bottom wall portion 44a and extends to the inner end of the rail portion 45 in the width direction.
[0041] A mounting portion 44e is provided at the upper end of the side wall portion 44b, which protrudes outward in the width direction and is located below the protruding piece 42c of the tray body 42, for mounting on the guide rails 17, 18 of the heating chamber 12 shown in Fig. 2. A frame 44f is provided on the mounting portion 44e. The outer surface of the frame 44f is located flush with the outer edge of the protruding piece 42c of the tray body 42. The mounting portion 44e also has a pair of ribs 44g that protrude upward and extend in the width direction, and the protruding piece 42c of the tray body 42 is placed on the mounting portion 44e with a heat insulating space between the ribs 44g.
[0042] An upper wall portion 44h that covers the upper side of the first portion 42f of the tray main body 42 is provided at the upper end of the frame wall portion 44c. This frame wall portion 44c protrudes toward the center side in the front-rear direction of the divided body 44 and extends to the frame wall 42d of the tray main body 42. In addition, the inner end of the frame wall portion 44c in the width direction extends to the vicinity of the second portion 42g of the tray main body 42.
[0043] A rail portion 45 having an L-shaped cross section is integrally provided on the inner end of the bottom wall portion 44a in the width direction so as to protrude downward. The rail portion 45 includes a hanging portion 45a protruding downward from the bottom wall portion 44a, and a support portion 45b protruding inward in the width direction from the lower end of the hanging portion 45a. The support portion 45b is provided with a recess (positioning portion) 45c for positioning the container 50 in the center of the heating chamber 12 shown in FIG. 2, and a guide wall 45d for guiding the flange portion 50c of the container 50 into the recess 45c.
[0044] 4 and 5, the recess 45c is recessed downward in a bow shape surrounded by a circular arc and a chord having a diameter larger than the outer diameter of the flange portion 50c of the container 50. The radius r1 and depth D of the recess 45c are set as follows.
[0045] If the radius r1 of the recess 45c is too large, the arrangement of the container 50 in the heating chamber 12 shown in FIG. 2 will vary, while if it is too small, it will be difficult to arrange the flange portion 50c of the container 50, which is large due to manufacturing errors. To prevent these inconveniences, for example, when the radius r2 of the flange portion 50c is 256 mm, the radius r1 of the recess 45c is preferably set in the range of 259 mm to 269 mm, and is set to 264 mm in this embodiment. In other words, the radius r1 of the recess 45c is preferably set in the range of 101% to 105% of the radius r2 of the flange portion 50c, and is set to 103% in this embodiment.
[0046] If the depth D (see FIG. 5) of the recess 45c is too deep, it becomes difficult to remove the container 50, whereas if it is too shallow, it becomes difficult to position the container 50. To prevent these inconveniences, for example, when the thickness T (see FIG. 3) of the flange portion 50c of the container 50 is 6 mm, the depth D of the recess 45c is preferably set in the range of 1 mm to 5 mm, and is set to 3 mm in this embodiment. In other words, the depth D of the recess 45c is preferably set in the range of 17% to 83% of the thickness T of the flange portion 50c, and is set to 50% in this embodiment.
[0047] The guide wall 45d is plate-shaped and protrudes upward from the support portion 45b. The guide wall 45d is composed of a first portion 45e, a second portion 45f, and a third portion 45g. The first portion 45e is provided in the rear half of the recess 45c and protrudes from the edge of the recess 45c. The second portion 45f is connected to the front end of the first portion 45e and extends in the front-rear direction. The third portion 45g is connected to the rear end of the first portion 45e and extends in the front-rear direction along the inner edge of the support portion 45b. A plate-shaped auxiliary wall 45h is provided on the front side of the upper end of the second portion 45f of the guide wall 45d, protruding inward in the width direction and connected to the lower end of the frame wall portion 44c.
[0048] 5 and 7, the retaining member 46 is provided to prevent the divided body 44 from coming off from the tray body 42. In order to maintain the attachment state of the divided body 44 to the tray body 42 by the retaining member 46, the tray body 42 is provided with a protruding portion 42e having a through portion 42i, and the divided body 44 of the cover 43 is provided with an insertion hole 44i and a locking hole 44k.
[0049] The retaining member 46 includes a rectangular base 46a, a pair of side portions 46b protruding upward from both the front and rear sides of the base 46a, and a pair of locking pieces 46c protruding upward from the base 46a at a distance in the width direction. The pair of side portions 46b are continuous with each other via a continuous portion 46d extending in the front-rear direction between the pair of locking pieces 46c. The locking pieces 46c are elastically deformable and include locking claws 46e at their upper ends protruding outward in the width direction.
[0050] The through-hole 42i of the tray main body 42 is provided in the first portion 42f of the protruding portion 42e and penetrates the first portion 42f in the height direction. The through-hole 42i is formed by a notch extending from the outer end in the front-rear direction toward the outer peripheral wall 42b. The width dimension of the through-hole 42i is larger than the width dimension of the removal prevention member 46. More specifically, the width of the through-hole 42i is formed to a dimension that ensures the smallest possible gap between the edge of the through-hole 42i and the removal prevention member 46 within a range in which the removal prevention member 46 can be inserted, taking into account manufacturing errors of the through-hole 42i.
[0051] The insertion hole 44i of the partition 44 is provided in the bottom wall 44a so as to be located below the through-hole 42i when the bottom wall portion 44a of the partition 44 is disposed below the bottom wall 42a of the tray body 42 and the mounting portion 44e of the partition 44 is disposed below the protruding piece 42c of the tray body 42. This insertion hole 44i has a rectangular shape that is slightly larger than the base portion 46a of the removal prevention member 46. Between the edge of the insertion hole 44i and the base portion 46a, there is secured a gap as small as possible within the range in which the removal prevention member 46 can be inserted.
[0052] 5, 7, and 8, the locking hole 44k of the divided body 44 is formed in a plate portion 44j provided in the frame wall portion 44c so as to cover the upper side of the insertion hole 44i (through portion 42i). The dimension in the width direction of the locking hole 44k is approximately the same as the maximum width of the pair of locking pieces 46c and is smaller than the maximum width of the pair of locking claws 46e. The plate portion 44j is provided with a plurality of ribs 44m continuing to the frame wall portion 44c and the upper wall portion 44h.
[0053] The pair of divided bodies 44 thus configured are inserted into the tray body 42 from the outside in the width direction so that the bottom wall portion 44a is located below the bottom wall 42a and the placement portion 44e is located below the protruding piece 42c. As a result, the insertion hole 44i and the locking hole 44k of the divided body 44 are located above and below the through-hole 42i of the tray body 42. In this state, the pull-out prevention member 46, which is separate from the divided body 44, is inserted into the insertion hole 44i. As a result, the side portion 46b and the locking piece 46c of the pull-out prevention member 46 penetrate the through-hole 42i of the tray body 42 and the locking hole 44k of the divided body 44, and the locking claw 46e of the locking piece 46c is locked to the upper edge of the locking hole 44k. This allows the cover 43 consisting of the pair of divided bodies 44 to be reliably attached to the tray body 42, which tends to have large tolerances. In addition, when a force moving the divided body 44 outward in the width direction is applied to the divided body 44, the anti-slip member 46 abuts against the edge of the through-hole 42i of the tray main body 42, thereby reliably preventing the divided body 44 from coming off the tray main body 42.
[0054] Tray 41 (cooking utensil 40) configured in this manner has the following features.
[0055] Cover 43 has a pair of rail parts 45 that detachably support container 50 so as to be positioned with a gap between it and the bottom surface of heating chamber 12 of microwave oven main body 10, and is attached to tray main body 42 which is made of resin and is permeable to microwaves. Because tray main body 42 is permeable to microwaves, the heating properties of food to be cooked can be improved. Rail parts 45 are made of resin which has a higher impact resistance than non-metals (e.g. ceramics) other than resin which have high thermal conductivity, and therefore will not be easily damaged even if an impact is applied due to being dropped, etc.
[0056] When the rail portion 45, which has a complex shape, is molded integrally with the tray body 42 using a non-metal other than resin (for example, ceramics), the cost is high, but the resin rail portion 45 can be molded by injection molding with high precision and relatively low cost, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the tray 41. Also, when the rail portion 45 is molded using a non-metal other than resin (for example, ceramics) and the container 50 is molded using a non-metal other than resin (for example, glass), unpleasant noises may occur due to rubbing or interference when attaching or detaching the container 50 to the rail portion 45, but since the rail portion 45 is made of resin, inconveniences related to noise can be prevented.
[0057] The cover 43 has a pair of mounting portions 44e for mounting on a pair of guide rails 17, 18 of the heating chamber 12. With this configuration, the resin mounting portion 44e is placed on the metal guide rails 17, so that when the tray 41 is inserted into or removed from the heating chamber 12, unpleasant noise caused by rubbing or interference between the guide rails 17 and the mounting portion 44e can be prevented.
[0058] The rail portion 45 has a recess (positioning portion) 45c for positioning the flange portion 50c of the container 50. Since the rail portion 45 is made of resin, the recess 45c can be formed with higher accuracy than in a case of a non-metallic material other than resin (e.g., ceramics). With this configuration, the container 50 can be positioned at an appropriate position in the heating chamber 12 via the tray 41. Also, since the container 50 does not require a non-slip packing to maintain the appropriate position, it is possible to reduce manufacturing costs and prevent inconveniences such as loss or forgetting to attach the packing during cleaning.
[0059] The positioning portion of the container 50 is configured as a recess 45c that is recessed downward. With this configuration, the container 50 can be easily and reliably placed at an appropriate position in the heating chamber 12 via the tray 41.
[0060] The cover 43 has a stopper member (stopper portion) 46 that abuts against the edge of the through-hole 42i of the protruding portion 42e protruding from the outer peripheral wall 42b of the tray body 42 and prevents the cover 43 from coming off the tray body 42. This configuration allows the cover 43, which is separate from the tray body 42, to be securely attached. Non-metals other than resin (e.g., ceramics) have larger tolerances and are more likely to crack than resin, but a configuration in which the stopper member 46 penetrates the through-hole 42i allows the attached state to be maintained securely with a relatively simple structure.
[0061] The removal prevention portion is constituted by a removal prevention member 46 separate from the cover 43, and penetrates the insertion hole 44i of the cover 43 and the through-hole 42i of the tray body 42 to engage with the edge of the engagement hole 44k of the cover 43. With this configuration, the removal prevention member 46 engages with the edge of the insertion hole 44i and the edge of the engagement hole 44k of the resin cover 43, so that it is possible to prevent excessive load from being applied to the non-metallic (e.g., ceramic) tray body 42. Therefore, damage to the tray body 42 can be effectively prevented.
[0062] The cover 43 is composed of a pair of divided bodies 44 attached to both sides of the tray body 42, each having a rail portion 45 formed thereon. This configuration can reduce the amount of resin required to mold the cover 43. Also, a portion of the bottom surface of the tray body 42 located between the rail portions 45 of the pair of divided bodies 44 is exposed. This configuration can improve the microwave permeability, thereby improving the heating properties of the food to be cooked.
[0063] Other embodiments and various modifications of the present invention will be described below, but in these descriptions, points that are not particularly mentioned are the same as those in the first embodiment. In the drawings referred to below, the same elements as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals.
[0064] Second embodiment 9 and 10, cooking utensil 40 of the second embodiment differs from cooking utensil 40 of the first embodiment in that divided bodies 44 constituting cover 43 each have a pair of separate protective members 47. Protective members 47 are disposed above divided bodies 44, facing heater 32 disposed in the upper part of heating chamber 12 shown in FIG.
[0065] Specifically, the divided body 44 and the retaining member 46 in the second embodiment are made of PPS that does not contain glass fiber. The protective member 47 is made of PPS that contains glass fiber. This PPS that contains glass fiber is a resin that has higher heat resistance than PPS that does not contain glass fiber.
[0066] The split body 44 of the second embodiment differs from the split body 44 of the first embodiment in that the plate portion 44j is formed as a long plate extending in the width direction, and an insertion portion 44n having a T-shaped cross section is formed on the plate portion 44j instead of the upper wall portion 44h shown in Figure 5.
[0067] The protective member 47 is in the shape of a block having the same length as the width of the plate portion 44j and the insertion portion 44n. The protective member 47 is formed with an insertion groove 47a having a T-shaped cross section that can be fitted into the insertion portion 44n. As shown most clearly in Fig. 10, the lower end surface 47b of the protective member 47 is placed on the plate portion 44j, and an upper portion 47c of the protective member 47 above the insertion groove 47a is positioned above the upper surface of the insertion portion 44n with a gap therebetween. In other words, a heat insulating space 48 is provided between the upper portion 47c of the protective member 47 and the insertion portion 44n.
[0068] The cover 43 configured in this manner is disposed by inserting the pair of divided bodies 44 into both sides of the tray body 42 in the same manner as in the first embodiment, with the pair of protective members 47 inserted into the insertion portions 44n of the divided bodies 44 from the inside in the width direction. Thereafter, the stopper members 46 are passed through the insertion holes 44i of the divided bodies 44, the through portions 42i of the tray body 42, and the locking holes 44k of the divided bodies 44, so that the cover 43 consisting of the pair of divided bodies 44 each having a pair of protective members 47 can be attached to the tray body 42.
[0069] When tray 41 is placed on upper guide rails 17 of heating chamber 12 of microwave oven 1 shown in Fig. 2, protective members 47 are located below both ends of heater 32. Heater 32 of microwave oven 1 uses a sheath heater in which non-heat-generating low-temperature extraction parts (cold ends) are provided on both ends of the heat-generating part, but the influence of radiant heat from the heat-generating part on the upper part of cover 43 is unavoidable.
[0070] In contrast, the cover 43 of this embodiment has a separate protective member 47 molded from a resin having higher heat resistance than the cover 43, disposed on the upper portion facing the heater 32 of the heating chamber 12. Moreover, a heat insulating space 48 is secured between the inserting portion 44n of the cover 43 and the protective member 47. This makes it possible to prevent the cover 43 from melting due to the heat of the heater 32 disposed on the upper portion of the heating chamber 12. As a result, it becomes possible to dispose the tray main body 42 close to the heater 32, improving the heating performance of the food to be cooked. Moreover, since the divided body 44, which occupies most of the cover 43, can be molded from non-glass fiber-blended PPS, which is cheaper than glass fiber-blended PPS, the manufacturing cost can be reduced compared to when the entire cover 43 is molded from glass fiber-blended PPS.
[0071] Third embodiment 11 and 12, cooking utensil 40 of the third embodiment differs from cooking utensil 40 of the second embodiment in that plate-shaped auxiliary wall 45h provided on guide wall 45d of rail portion 45 extends forward and backward beyond recess 45c. In the width direction, the inner end of auxiliary wall 45h is located directly above the inner end of support portion 45b.
[0072] The tray 41 of the third embodiment configured in this manner can obtain the same actions and effects as those of the first and second embodiments, and in addition, since the auxiliary wall 45h is located above the flange portion 50c of the container 50, it is possible to prevent interference between the container 50 and the tray main body 42 when the container 50 is attached to or detached from the rail portion 45. This makes it possible to prevent damage to the tray main body 42 and the container 50, which are made of a nonmetallic material and have lower impact resistance than resin.
[0073] (Fourth embodiment) 13, cooking utensil 40 of the fourth embodiment differs from cooking utensil 40 of the first embodiment in that, instead of stopper member 46 shown in FIG. 5, stopper protrusion 44p is integrally provided on divided body 44 as a stopper. Stopper protrusion 44p has an inclined surface that inclines upward toward the outside in the width direction. Stopper protrusion 44p from bottom wall 44a may protrude through penetration portion 42i, or may protrude so as not to penetrate penetration portion 42i as long as it can abut against the edge of penetration portion 42i of tray body 42. The connecting structure of the fourth embodiment using stopper protrusion 44p instead of stopper member 46 may be applied to cooking utensil 40 of the second and third embodiments.
[0074] The tray 41 of the fourth embodiment thus configured can obtain the same functions and effects as the first embodiment, and further, the attachment of the divided bodies 44 to the tray body 42 can be completed simply by inserting the pair of divided bodies 44 constituting the cover 43 from the outside of the tray body 42. This improves the workability during the manufacture of the tray 41.
[0075] Fifth embodiment 14, cooking utensil 40 of the fifth embodiment differs from cooking utensil 40 of the first embodiment in that, instead of recessed portion 45c shown in FIG. 5, protruding portion 45i is provided integrally with rail portion 45 of divided body 44 as a positioning portion. Protruding portion 45i is an arc extending along the outer periphery of flange portion 50c of container 50, and has an inclined surface that slopes upward toward the rear. However, the positioning structure using protruding portion 45i instead of recessed portion 45c may be applied to cooking utensils 40 of the second to fourth embodiments.
[0076] In the tray 41 of the fifth embodiment configured as described above, the container 50 can be easily and reliably placed at an appropriate position in the heating chamber 12, and the same actions and effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained.
[0077] The present invention is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible.
[0078] For example, the divided bodies 44 constituting the cover 43 may be structured to fit snugly into the tray body 42 from the outside in the width direction. Also, the cover 43 may be structured as an integral unit in which the bottom wall portions 44a of the pair of divided bodies 44 are connected by a connecting portion. In this case, the cover 43 may be structured to fit into the tray body 42 from below.
[0079] The retaining member 46 may be ultrasonically welded to the cover 43. The retaining member 46 may also be formed of a screw, and may be modified as necessary as long as the separate cover 43 can be attached to the tray body 42.
[0080] The protruding portion 42e of the tray body 42 may be constituted only by the first portion 42f in which the through-hole 42i is formed. The protruding portion 42e including the through-hole 42i may be provided on a pair of lateral wall portions facing each other in the width direction of the outer peripheral wall 42b. In this case, the protruding piece 42c may be used as the protruding portion.
[0081] In the first embodiment, the plate portion 44j may be connected only to the upper wall portion 44h via the rib 44m without being connected to the frame wall portion 44c. [Explanation of symbols]
[0082] 1. Microwave 10 Microwave oven body 11. Cabinet 12 Heating chamber 13 Bottom wall 14 Ceiling Wall 15 Side wall 16 Back wall 17 Upper guide rail 18 Lower guide rail 20 Door 21 Frame 22 Windows 30 Magnetron 31 Duct 32 Heater 34 Infrared Sensor 35 Thermistor 40 Cooking utensils (microwave cooking utensils) 41 Tray 42 Tray body 42a bottom wall 42b Peripheral wall 42c protruding piece 42d frame wall 42e Protrusion 42f Part 1 42g 2nd portion 42h 3rd part 42i Penetration 43 Cover 44 Split body 44a Bottom wall 44b Side wall part 44c Frame wall 44d Rib 44e Placement part 44f Frame 44g Rib 44h Upper wall 44i insertion hole 44j board part 44k locking hole 44m Rib 44n Insertion part 44p Retaining protrusion (retaining part) 45 Rail section 45a hanging part 45b Support part 45c Recess (positioning part) 45d Guide Wall 45e Part 1 45f 2nd part 45g 3rd portion 45h Support wall 45i Protrusion (positioning part) 46 Anti-pullout member (anti-pullout part) 46a base 46b Side 46c Locking piece 46d Continuous section 46e Locking claw 47 Protective materials 47a Insertion groove 47b Lower end surface 47c upper part 48 Insulated Space 50 containers 50a Bottom wall 50b Side wall part 50c flange
Claims
1. A tray body made of non-metallic material other than resin that is microwave-transparent; A resin cover attached to the tray body has a pair of rails that detachably support a container on the underside of the tray body so as to be spaced apart from the bottom surface of the heating chamber of the microwave oven body. and the cooking device for a microwave oven is detachably disposed on a pair of guide rails protruding from both side walls of the heating chamber.
2. 2. The microwave cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein said cover has a pair of mounting portions for mounting on said pair of guide rails.
3. 3. The microwave cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein the rail portion has a positioning portion for positioning a flange portion of the container.
4. 4. The microwave cooking appliance of claim 3, wherein said positioning portion is formed by a downwardly recessed recess.
5. The tray body has a bottom wall, an outer peripheral wall protruding upward from the outer periphery of the bottom wall, a pair of protruding portions protruding outward from opposing wall portions of the outer peripheral wall and extending along the bottom wall, and through portions provided in each of the pair of protruding portions, 3. The microwave oven cooking appliance according to claim 1, further comprising a retaining portion for preventing the cover from being detached from the tray body by abutting against an edge of the penetration portion.
6. the cover has a bottom wall portion disposed below the bottom wall of the tray body and a plate portion provided to cover an upper side of the through-hole, The bottom wall portion is provided with an insertion hole located below the through-hole, The plate portion is provided with a locking hole positioned above the through-hole, the retaining portion is configured by a retaining member separate from the tray body and the cover, The microwave oven cooking appliance according to claim 5, wherein the retaining member passes through the insertion hole and the through-hole and is engaged with an edge of the engaging hole.
7. the cover is provided with a protective member separate from the cover at an upper portion thereof facing a heater disposed at an upper portion of the heating chamber, 3. The microwave oven cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein the protective member is made of a resin having a higher heat resistance than the cover.
8. the cover is configured by a pair of divided bodies attached to both sides of the tray body, each of which has the rail portion formed thereon; 3. The microwave oven cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the bottom surface of said tray body located between said rail portions of said pair of divided bodies is exposed.
9. a microwave oven body having a heating chamber provided with guide rails; a microwave oven cooking appliance having a tray body made of a non-metallic material other than resin and capable of transmitting microwaves, and a resin cover attached to the tray body, the microwave oven cooking appliance being detachably disposed on the guide rail; Equipped with The microwave oven, wherein the cover has a pair of rails below the tray body for detachably supporting a container so as to be spaced apart from the bottom surface of the heating chamber.