Electromagnetic induction heating cooker

Abstract

To prevent an operation cover from blocking line of sight of a cook and to facilitate replacement of the operation cover in an electromagnetic induction heating cooker in which a space above an operation unit on a front surface is covered with the operation cover.SOLUTION: An electromagnetic induction heating cooker includes: a casing 1 constituting an outer shell; an operation unit 7 provided on a front surface of the casing 1 facing a cook; and an operation cover 13 for covering the operation unit 7 from above. The operation cover 13 is formed of a transparent plate material and is detachably mounted on the casing 1. A slot 14 into which a rear end portion of the operation cover 13 is detachably inserted, is provided on a front surface of the casing 1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electromagnetic induction heating cooker having an operation unit on the front surface.

Background Art

[0002] This type of electromagnetic induction heating cooker is disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1. Therein, an inclined surface that slopes downward forward is formed on the front surface of the main body that houses a heating coil, a control board, etc., and an operation panel serving as an operation unit such as a power supply and an output is provided on this inclined surface. The top plate on which a cooking container such as a pot is placed extends horizontally above the inclined surface including the operation panel, and the protruding portion is composed of a metal frame formed in a rectangular frame shape and a transparent window made of glass or the like fitted inside thereof. Through this transparent window, a cook standing in front of the cooker can visually recognize and operate the operation panel without bending down backward and bending the body. Further, the protruding portion of the top plate can receive water or the like spilled from the cooking container and prevent the adhesion of water or the like to the operation panel below.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The protruding portion of the top plate in the electromagnetic induction heating cooker of Patent Document 1 is configured by fitting a transparent window into a rectangular frame-shaped metal frame. The metal frame surrounding this transparent window blocks a part of the line of sight of a cook looking down at the operation panel, and the operation panel may be partially difficult to see. Further, even if significant dirt occurs on the transparent window due to long-term use of the electromagnetic induction heating cooker or the like, since the transparent window is fitted into the metal frame, it cannot be easily replaced.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to prevent an operation cover from blocking a cook's line of sight and to facilitate replacement of the operation cover in an electromagnetic induction heating cooker in which the upper part of the front operation part is covered with the operation cover.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The present invention is directed to an electromagnetic induction heating cooker including a casing 1 that constitutes an outer shell, a top plate 2 on which a cooking container P is placed, a heating coil 3 that generates an induction magnetic field above the top plate 2, an operation unit 7 provided on the front surface of the casing 1 facing the cook, and an operation cover 13 that covers the operation unit 7 from above. The operation cover 13 is characterized by being composed of a transparent plate material and being detachably attached to the casing 1.

[0007] A slot 14 into which the rear end portion of the operation cover 13 is detachably inserted is provided on the front surface of the casing 1.

[0008] An overhanging portion 37 that extends beyond directly above the slot 14 is provided at the front end of the top plate 2.

[0009] A gutter 38 that runs left and right is provided on the overhanging portion 37 of the top plate 2.

[0010] Liquid holes 39 for allowing liquid to flow down are opened at both ends of the bottom wall of the gutter 38.

[0011] An operation wall 6 including the operation unit 7 is formed on the front surface of the casing 1, the operation wall 6 slopes downward forward, and the operation cover 13 slopes upward forward.

[0012] The operation cover 13 is folded upward along a broken line 15 that runs left and right, and the inclination angle of the front side of the broken line 15 of the operation cover 13 with respect to the horizontal plane is smaller than the inclination angle of the rear side of the broken line 15.

[0013] On the front surface of the casing 1, a horizontally long outer frame body 17 and an inner frame body 18 are provided. The outer frame body 17 includes an outer fixed wall 21 fixed to the front surface of the casing 1 and an outer bottom wall 22 that extends forward continuously from the lower end of the outer fixed wall 21. The inner frame body 18 includes an inner fixed wall 25 fixed to the front surface of the outer fixed wall 21 and an inner bottom wall 26 that extends forward continuously from the lower end of the inner fixed wall 25. The outer bottom wall 22 and the inner bottom wall 26 are vertically spaced apart to define a horizontally long slot 14.

[0014] Continuously at the front end of the inner bottom wall 26 of the inner frame body 18, a guide wall 27 that extends upward is formed.

[0015] The front end of the outer bottom wall 22 protrudes forward more than the front end of the inner bottom wall 26.

Advantages of the Invention

[0016] When the operation cover 13 that covers the operation unit 7 from above is made of a transparent plate material as in the electromagnetic induction heating cooker according to the present invention, the line of sight of the cook looking down at the operation unit 7 is not blocked by the operation cover 13. Therefore, the cook can easily visually recognize the entire operation unit 7 through the operation cover 13. Further, when the operation cover 13 is detachably attached to the casing 1, if the operation cover 13 gets dirty due to splashing from the cooking container P or the like, it can be separated from the casing 1 and easily cleaned by washing with water or the like. If significant dirt, cracks, or other damage occurs, the operation cover 13 can be easily removed from the casing 1 and replaced with a new one.

[0017] When a slot 14 into which the rear end portion of the operation cover 13 is detachably inserted is provided on the front surface of the casing 1, the cook can easily attach and detach the operation cover 13 to and from the casing 1 by simply inserting and removing the operation cover 13 with respect to the slot 14. Further, according to the attachment / detachment structure in which the operation cover 13 is inserted and removed into / from the slot 14, no special processing needs to be performed on the operation cover 13. Therefore, the structure of the operation cover 13 can be simplified.

[0018] If an overhanging portion 37 that extends beyond directly above the slot 14 is provided at the front end of the top plate 2, when water or the like spills forward from the cooking container P placed on the top plate 2, it is possible to prevent the water from flowing downward toward the slot 14. Further, by covering the slot 14 from above with the overhanging portion 37 so as not to be conspicuous, the design property of the electromagnetic induction heating cooker can be improved.

[0019] If a gutter 38 is provided in the overhanging portion 37 of the top plate 2, water or the like that spills forward from the cooking container P can be received by the gutter 38 before reaching the operation cover 13. That is, since the soiling of the operation cover 13 due to spilling is reduced, the frequency of cleaning the operation cover 13 can be lowered.

[0020] If liquid holes 39 are formed at both ends of the bottom wall of the gutter 38, water or the like that has flowed into the gutter 38 flows down from the liquid holes 39 before overflowing from the gutter 38. That is, since it is difficult for water or the like to overflow from the central portion of the gutter 38, soiling of the central portion of the operation cover 13 located below it can be reduced.

[0021] If the operation wall 6 including the operation portion 7 slopes downward forward and the operation cover 13 slopes upward forward, the space between the operation wall 6 and the operation cover 13 is opened wide vertically, making it easy for the cook to insert a hand between them, that is, to operate the operation portion 7.

[0022] If the operation cover 13 is folded upward in a mountain shape and the inclination angle of the front side of the fold line 15 with respect to the horizontal plane is smaller than the inclination angle of the rear side of the fold line 15, the front end of the operation cover 13 can be arranged closer to the front and lower compared to the case where the operation cover 13 does not bend or bends in the opposite direction. When the front end of the operation cover 13 is arranged closer to the front, a wider range of the operation wall 6 can be covered from above by the operation cover 13, and when the front end of the operation cover 13 is arranged lower, when the cook carries the cooking container P onto the top plate 2, the inconvenience that the cooking container P contacts the operation cover 13 can be well avoided.

[0023] On the front surface of the casing 1, a horizontally long outer frame body 17 and an inner frame body 18 are provided. According to the configuration in which the outer bottom wall 22 of the outer frame body 17 and the inner bottom wall 26 of the inner frame body 18 are vertically separated to define a horizontally long slot 14, by adjusting the fixing position of the inner frame body 18 with respect to the outer frame body 17, a slot 14 having a vertical width adapted to the thickness dimension of the operation cover 13 can be easily formed.

[0024] If a guide wall 27 extending upward is continuously formed at the front end of the inner bottom wall 26 of the inner frame body 18, it is possible to regulate the operation cover 13 from being erroneously inserted into the upper surface side of the inner bottom wall 26 and guide the operation cover 13 to the slot 14.

[0025] If the front end of the outer bottom wall 22 protrudes forward more than the front end of the inner bottom wall 26, when the rear end of the operation cover 13 abuts against the guide wall 27 and is guided downward, the front end of the outer bottom wall 22 can receive the rear end of the operation cover 13 and smoothly guide it into the slot 14.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0026]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0027] (Embodiment) Figures 1 to 6 show an embodiment of an electromagnetic induction heating cooker according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the front-back, left-right, and up-down directions follow the cross arrows shown in Figure 2 and the front-back, left-right, and up-down indications marked near each arrow. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the electromagnetic induction heating cooker includes a hollow box-shaped casing 1 having an opening on the upper surface, a top plate 2 closing the opening on the upper surface of the casing 1, and a heating coil 3 facing the inner surface of the top plate 2. When a high-frequency current is supplied to the heating coil 3, an induction magnetic field is generated above the top plate 2, and eddy currents flow through a cooking container P such as a pot placed on the top plate 2. The cooking container P and the food ingredients therein are heated by Joule heat generated by the electrical resistance.

[0028] An operation wall 6 that slopes downward forward is provided at the upper part of the front surface of the casing 1, and an operation unit 7 is provided on the operation wall 6. The operation unit 7 is composed of a touch panel 8, a rotary dial 9, a push button 10, and the like. A cook standing in front of the casing 1 can adjust the output of the heating coil 3 and the like by operating this operation unit 7. The inclination angle of the operation wall 6 with respect to the horizontal plane (the installation surface of the electromagnetic induction heating cooker) is set to about 40 degrees. When the inclination angle of the operation wall 6 with respect to the horizontal plane is set to 30 degrees or more and 60 degrees or less, more preferably 40 degrees or more and 50 degrees or less, an operation unit 7 that is easy for the cook to visually recognize from above and from the front can be formed.

[0029] The operation unit 7 is covered from above by an operation cover 13 made of a transparent plate material and is protected from water and the like spilled from the cooking container P on the top plate 2. The operation cover 13 is formed in a horizontally long rectangular plate shape using a transparent resin with high heat resistance and is detachably attached to the casing 1. Specifically, the rear end portion of the operation cover 13 is inserted into a slot 14 provided at the rear end portion (upper end portion) of the operation wall 6. As shown in Figure 1, the slot 14 opens obliquely upward forward, and the operation cover 13 inserted therein also slopes upward forward as a whole.

[0030] Specifically, the operation cover 13 is folded upward along a fold line 15 that bisects it front and back, and the inclination angle of the front half of the operation cover 13 (front side of the fold line 15) with respect to the horizontal plane is smaller than the inclination angle of the rear half (rear side of the fold line 15). The front end of the operation cover 13 inserted into the slot 14 is positioned below the upper surface of the top plate 2 in order to avoid contact with the cooking container P that is inserted into and removed from the upper surface of the top plate 2. Also, the front end of the operation cover 13 protrudes forward from the front end (lower end) of the operation wall 6.

[0031] The slot 14 is partitioned by a long outer frame body 17 and an inner frame body 18 in the left - right direction. The outer frame body 17 and the inner frame body 18 are integrated and supported by a vertical support wall 19 that continues upward from the upper end (rear end) of the operation wall 6 of the casing 1. Specifically, the outer frame body 17 includes a vertical outer fixing wall 21 fastened and fixed to the front surface of the support wall 19 with screws 20, an outer bottom wall 22 that extends forward continuously from the lower end of the outer fixing wall 21, and a pair of left - and - right vertical outer side walls 23 that continue to the left and right ends of both walls 21 and 22. The inner frame body 18 includes a vertical inner fixing wall 25 welded and fixed to the front surface of the outer fixing wall 21, an inner bottom wall 26 that extends forward continuously from the lower end of the inner fixing wall 25, a vertical guide wall 27 that extends upward continuously from the front end of the inner bottom wall 26, and a pair of left - and - right vertical inner side walls 28 that continue to the left and right ends of these walls 25 to 27. The outer bottom wall 22 and the inner bottom wall 26 are vertically spaced apart to partition the long - left - and - right slot 14.

[0032] The inner frame body 18 is formed slightly shorter than the outer frame body 17 in the longitudinal direction (left - right direction), and most of the inner frame body 18 is enclosed by the outer frame body 17 (see FIG. 6). The outer surfaces of the left - and - right inner side walls 28 of the inner frame body 18 face the inner surfaces of the outer side walls 23 with a small gap therebetween. The guide wall 27 that continues to the front end of the inner bottom wall 26 regulates the operation cover 13 from being accidentally inserted into the upper surface side of the inner bottom wall 26 and guides the operation cover 13 into the slot 14. The front end of the outer bottom wall 22 protrudes forward from the front end of the inner bottom wall 26 and receives the rear end of the operation cover 13 guided downward by the guide wall 27.

[0033] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the inner bottom wall 26 is composed of a substantially horizontal rear upper part 31 and a front upper mouth part 32 that slopes upward toward the front. The upper mouth part 32 is formed longer in the front-rear direction than the upper part 31. The outer bottom wall 22 is composed of a rear lower part 33 that slopes downward toward the front and a front lower mouth part 34 that slopes upward toward the front in parallel with the upper mouth part 32. The lower mouth part 34 is formed longer in the front-rear direction than the lower part 33. The boundary between the upper mouth part 32 and the upper part 31 is located substantially directly above the boundary between the lower mouth part 34 and the lower part 33. The operation cover 13 is inserted deeper than these boundaries and abuts against the lower part 33. The rotational moment (counterclockwise in FIG. 1) acting on the operation cover 13 inserted into the slot 14 is received by the rear end of the upper mouth part 32 (the boundary with the upper part 31) that abuts against the upper surface of the operation cover 13 and the front end of the lower mouth part 34 that abuts against the lower surface of the operation cover 13.

[0034] At the front end of the top plate 2, an overhanging part 37 is provided that extends forward beyond directly above the slot 14. At the front end of this overhanging part 37, a gutter 38 running left and right is provided. The gutter 38 is located between the upper surface of the top plate 2 and the operation cover 13 and receives water or the like that has spilled forward from the cooking container P ahead of the operation cover 13. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, liquid holes 39 for allowing water or the like flowing into the gutter 38 to flow down are formed at both left and right ends of the bottom wall of the gutter 38. Therefore, water or the like flowing into the gutter 38 flows down from the liquid holes 39 before overflowing from the gutter 38. These liquid holes 39 are spaced apart in the left-right direction from the operation part 7 and are located substantially directly above the left and right ends of the slot 14. Therefore, water or the like flowing down from the liquid holes 39 hardly adheres to the operation cover 13 inserted into the slot 14.

[0035] As described above, in this embodiment, since the operation cover 13 that covers the operation unit 7 from above is made of a transparent plate material, the line of sight of the cook looking down at the operation unit 7 is not blocked by the operation cover 13. Therefore, the cook can easily visually recognize the entire operation unit 7 through the operation cover 13 (see Fig. 5). Also, since the operation cover 13 is detachably attached to the casing 1, when the operation cover 13 gets dirty due to, for example, splashing from the cooking container P, it can be separated from the casing 1 and easily cleaned, such as by washing with water. When significant dirt or damage such as cracks occurs, the operation cover 13 can be easily removed from the casing 1 and replaced with a new one.

Explanation of Signs

[0036] 1 Casing 2 Top Plate 3 Heating Coil 6 Operation Wall 7 Operation Unit 13 Operation Cover 14 Slot 15 Fold Line 17 Outer Frame 18 Inner Frame 21 Outer Fixed Wall 22 Outer Bottom Wall 25 Inner Fixed Wall 26 Inner Bottom Wall 27 Guide Wall 37 Protrusion 38 Gutter 39 Liquid Hole P Cooking Container

Claims

1. A casing (1) forming an outer shell, a top plate (2) on which a cooking container (P) is placed, a heating coil (3) that generates an induction magnetic field above the top plate (2), an operation unit (7) provided on the front surface of the casing (1) facing the cook, an operation cover (13) that covers the operation unit (7) from above, and comprising: An electromagnetic induction heating cooker, characterized in that the operation cover (13) is made of a transparent plate material and is detachably attached to the casing (1).

2. The electromagnetic induction heating cooker according to claim 1, wherein a slot (14) into which the rear end portion of the operation cover (13) is detachably inserted is provided on the front surface of the casing (1).

3. The electromagnetic induction heating cooker according to claim 2, wherein an overhanging portion (37) extending beyond directly above the slot (14) is provided at the front end of the top plate (2).

4. The electromagnetic induction heating cooker according to claim 3, wherein a gutter (38) running left and right is provided on the overhanging portion (37) of the top plate (2).

5. The electromagnetic induction heating cooker according to claim 4, wherein liquid holes (39) for allowing liquid to flow down are formed at both ends of the bottom wall of the gutter (38).

6. An operation wall (6) including the operation unit (7) is formed on the front surface of the casing (1), The electromagnetic induction heating cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the operation wall (6) slopes downward forward and the operation cover (13) slopes upward forward.

7. The operation cover (13) is folded upward along a fold line (15) running left and right, The electromagnetic induction heating cooker according to claim 6, wherein the inclination angle of the front side of the fold line (15) of the operation cover (13) with respect to the horizontal plane is smaller than the inclination angle of the rear side of the fold line (15).

8. An outer frame body (17) and an inner frame body (18) that are long in the left - right direction are provided on the front surface of the casing (1), The outer frame body (17) includes an outer fixed wall (21) fixed to the front surface of the casing (1) and an outer bottom wall (22) that extends forward continuously from the lower end of the outer fixed wall (21), The inner frame body (18) includes an inner fixed wall (25) fixed to the front surface of the outer fixed wall (21) and an inner bottom wall (26) that extends forward continuously from the lower end of the inner fixed wall (25), The electromagnetic induction heating cooker according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the outer bottom wall (22) and the inner bottom wall (26) are vertically spaced apart to define a long slot (14) in the left - right direction.

9. The electromagnetic induction heating cooker according to claim 8, wherein a guide wall (27) extending upward is formed continuously at the front end of the inner bottom wall (26) of the inner frame body (18).

10. The electromagnetic induction heating cooker according to claim 9, wherein the front end of the outer bottom wall (22) protrudes forward from the front end of the inner bottom wall (26).

Images