Electromagnetic cooker

Abstract

To reduce the thickness of an electromagnetic cooker.SOLUTION: An electromagnetic cooker 1 comprises: a casing 2 having an upper opening 17; a heating coil 4 disposed inside the casing 2; a top plate 3 which closes the upper opening 17 of the casing 2 and is disposed above the heating coil 4; a plug receptacle support part 20, provided on the casing 2, which is disposed outside the upper opening 17; and a plug receptacle 5 into which power to be supplied to the heating coil 4 is inputted, and which is supported by the plug receptacle support part 20 so as to be disposed in a manner not overlapping the top plate 3 in plan view.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an induction cooker. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose a so-called tabletop induction cooker. The induction cooker includes a casing that is rectangular in plan view and a top plate attached to the upper surface of the casing. A plug receptacle is attached to the side of the casing. A magnetic plug attached to the end of a power cord is detachably connected to the plug receptacle. By connecting the power plug attached to the other end of the power cord to a commercial power source, commercial power is supplied to the power cooker. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-84236 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 61-90195 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In both the induction cookers of Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, the top plate covers the plug receptacle from above. Since the overall height of the induction cooker is limited by the height of the plug receptacle, it is difficult to make the induction cooker thinner.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to make an induction cooker thinner. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention provides an induction cooker comprising: a casing having an upper opening; a heating coil arranged within the casing; a top plate that covers the upper opening of the casing and is arranged above the heating coil; a plug receiver support portion provided on the casing and arranged outside the upper opening; and a plug receiver that receives power to be supplied to the heating coil, is supported by the plug receiver support portion, and is arranged so as not to overlap the top plate in a plan view.

[0007] According to the above configuration, the plug receptacle is positioned around the periphery of the upper opening of the casing so as not to overlap the top plate that covers the upper opening in a plan view. Because the top plate does not cover the plug receptacle from above, the position of the top surface of the top plate can be set regardless of the height of the plug receptacle. This avoids the overall height of the induction cooker being restricted by the height of the plug receptacle, allowing for a thinner induction cooker.

[0008] The upper surface of the plug receiver may be exposed in a plan view, whereby the plug receiver is not covered from above, and therefore not only the region where the top plate is disposed but also the region where the plug receiver is disposed can be made thinner.

[0009] The upper surface of the plug receiver support part may be lower than the upper surface of the plug receiver, so that even if water spills onto the top plate and flows into the plug receiver support part, it will not flow into the plug receiver to which power is input to the heating coil, thereby ensuring safety.

[0010] An upper surface of the plug receiver support may be lower than an upper surface of the top plate, so that water that overflows onto the top plate can be collected by the plug receiver support.

[0011] An upper groove may be provided between the plug receiver support portion and the top plate, and an end of the upper groove may be open in the extending direction of the upper groove, thereby allowing water that has flowed into the plug receiver support portion to be drained via the upper groove.

[0012] The plug receiver may be provided with an inner groove housed within the casing and positioned below the clearance between the plug receiver and the plug receiver support part, so that even if water flows onto the plug receiver support part and enters the casing through the clearance, the water can be received by the inner groove.

[0013] The internal space of the casing may include an electrical component space in which the heating coil and the circuit board are disposed, and an end of the inner groove may be open outside the electrical component space in a plan view, thereby allowing water received in the inner groove to be drained without entering the electrical component space. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, the induction cooker can be made thinner. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of an induction cooker according to an embodiment, seen from above, front, and right. FIG. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of an induction cooktop from above, front, and right, with the top plate disassembled from the other components. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the lower case, plug receptacle, upper case, and top plate, as viewed from above, behind, and left. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the lower case and the plug receptacle, as viewed from above, front, and right. [Figure 5] FIG. [Figure 6] 1 is an exploded perspective view of a lower case with a plug receptacle and an upper case, as viewed from above, rear, and left. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a partial plan view of an induction cooktop with the power cord removed. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a partial plan view of an induction cooker in which components other than the plug receptacle and the lower case are not shown. [Figure 9]9 is a view taken along the arrow IX in FIG. 8, i.e., an elevation view of the induction cooker as seen from the rear and right. [Figure 10] Enlarged view of region X in Figure 9. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the same or corresponding elements are designated by the same reference numerals throughout the drawings, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0017] Referring to Figure 1, the induction cooker 1 according to the embodiment is a so-called tabletop type, and is rectangular in plan view. In the following description, the extension direction of one pair of opposite sides of the rectangle is referred to as the width direction W, the extension direction of the other pair of opposite sides is referred to as the depth direction D, and the direction perpendicular to both of these directions is referred to as the height direction H. When the induction cooker 1 is placed horizontally on a table, the width direction W and the depth direction D are oriented horizontally, and the height direction H is oriented vertically.

[0018] An operating unit 9 that is operated by the user is provided on the top surface of the induction cooker 1. The operating unit 9 is located at one end in the depth direction D and is long in the width direction W. One side in this depth direction D is referred to as the "front" and the opposite side as the "rear." The "right" is one side in the width direction W, and is the right side of the induction cooker 1 when a user facing the front of the induction cooker 1 looks down on it from above. The "left" is the other side in the width direction W. This concept of direction is merely an example and can be changed as appropriate depending on the posture of the induction cooker 1, etc.

[0019] 1 to 3, an induction cooker 1 includes a casing 2, a top plate 3, a heating coil 4, a plug socket 5, and a power cord 6. Note that in Fig. 1, the heating coil 4 is not shown because it is covered by the top plate 3, and in Fig. 3, the heating coil 4 and the power cord 6 are not shown.

[0020] 2 and 3, casing 2 is made up of lower case 11 and upper case 12. In Fig. 2, casing 2 is in an assembled state, and in Fig. 3, casing 2 is in a disassembled state.

[0021] The casing 2 as a whole has a flat bottom wall 13, a peripheral wall 14 erected upward from the edge of the bottom wall 13, an internal space 15 defined by the inner surfaces of the bottom wall 13 and the peripheral wall 14, a flange 16 protruding from the upper end of the peripheral wall 14 toward the inside of the casing 2, and an upper opening 17 defined by the flange 16 and opening the internal space 15 upward.

[0022] The lower case 11 is tray-shaped and includes a bottom wall 13 and peripheral walls 14. The peripheral walls 14 include a front wall 14a, a rear wall 14b, a right wall 14c, and a left wall 14d.

[0023] The upper case 12 forms a flange 16 and defines an upper opening 17. The upper case 12 is fitted onto the upper end of the peripheral wall 14 from above, and is attached to the lower case 11 with a plurality of bolts that are inserted upward from the lower outer side of the bottom wall 13. Two of these bolts are positioned close to the plug receptacle 5. This prevents the upper case 12 from floating relative to the lower case 11 around the plug receptacle 5.

[0024] 2, the heating coil 4 is housed in an internal space 15. The heating coil 4 is disposed in the center of the internal space 15 in the depth direction D and the width direction W. In addition to the heating coil 4, the internal space 15 also houses a substrate 7 and numerous electronic components mounted thereon. For heat dissipation, the internal space 15 also houses a fan (only the housing is shown, and the impeller is not shown) and a heat sink, and an intake port 18 and an exhaust port 19 are provided in the bottom wall 13 or the peripheral wall 14 of the casing 2.

[0025] The flange 16 surrounds such upper opening 17 and includes a front flange portion 16a extending in the width direction W at the front, a rear flange portion 16b extending in the width direction W at the rear, a right flange portion 16c extending in the depth direction D at the right side, and a left flange portion 16d extending in the depth direction D at the left side.

[0026] The top plate 3 is attached to the casing 2 from above so as to close the upper opening 17. The lower surface of the peripheral edge of the top plate 3 is in close contact with the upper surface of the flange 16. The top plate 3 is disposed above the heating coil 4.

[0027] The front flange 16a is wider than the other flanges, and the operating unit 9 is attached to the front flange 16a. The top plate 3 covers the front flange 16a together with the operating unit 9 from above. The operating unit 9 is operated by the user when the user touches the upper surface of the top plate 3.

[0028] The upper opening 17 has a generally rectangular shape in a plan view. The rear left corner of the upper opening 17 is inclined with respect to both the depth direction D and the width direction W in a plan view. The angle of inclination is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 45 degrees. The flange 16 surrounds the upper opening 17 and further includes an inclined flange portion 16e that connects the left end of the rear flange portion 16b and the rear end of the left flange portion 16d.

[0029] The top plate 3 also has a shape in plan view similar to that of the upper opening 17. That is, the top plate 3 has an inclined edge 3e at its rear left corner. The inclined edge 3e is inclined both with respect to a rear edge 3b extending in the width direction W on the rear side and with respect to a left edge 3d extending in the depth direction D on the left side. The inclined edge 3e is supported by an inclined flange portion 16e.

[0030] While the flange 16 and the upper opening 17 are cut out at the rear left corner as described above, the casing 2 is generally rectangular in plan view. At the rear left corner, the casing 2 has an inclined flange portion 16e and a plug receiver support portion 20 that protrudes rearward and leftward relative to the inclined edge 3e.

[0031] The plug receiver 5 receives power to be supplied to the heating coil 4. The plug receiver 5 is supported by a plug receiver support portion 20. The plug receiver 5 is not covered by the top plate 3. The plug receiver 5 does not overlap the top plate 3 in a plan view, and is disposed outside the outer contour of the top plate 3. In this embodiment, the plug receiver 5 is disposed horizontally spaced apart from the top plate 3 in a plan view. The upper surface of the plug receiver 5 is exposed upward in a plan view.

[0032] Referring to FIG. 4 , in relation to the plug receiver support portion 20, the lower case 11 has, at its rear left corner, a first partition wall 21 that is V-shaped and widens laterally in plan view, and a second partition wall 22 that is U-shaped in plan view and located outside the first partition wall 21. The first partition wall 21 and the second partition wall 22 extend upward from the bottom wall 13. One end of the first partition wall 21 is connected to the inner surface of the rear wall 14b, and the other end of the first partition wall 21 is connected to the inner surface of the left wall 14d. Both ends of the second partition wall 22 are connected to the rear wall 14b and the left wall 14d, respectively, via a pair of closing walls 23. One closing wall 23 extends obliquely from the left end of the rear wall 14b toward the front left. The other closing wall 23 extends obliquely from the rear end of the left wall 14d toward the rear right. The pair of blocking walls 23 extend from the peripheral wall 14 so as to approach each other, but terminate apart from each other and continue to the second partition wall 22.

[0033] As a result, the internal space 15 of the casing 2 is divided into a large electrical equipment space 15a formed inside the first partition wall 21, a plug receptacle accommodating space 15b formed outside the second partition wall 22, and a buffer space 15c interposed between the electrical equipment space 15a and the plug receptacle accommodating space 15b. The buffer space 15c and the plug receptacle accommodating space 15b are separated from the electrical equipment space 15a by at least the first partition wall 21 and are positioned outside the electrical equipment space 15a.

[0034] The heating coil 4 and the circuit board 7 are disposed in the electrical component space 15a. The plug receptacle accommodating space 15b is open to the outside of the casing 2, and the plug receptacle 5 is disposed in the plug receptacle accommodating space 15b. The buffer space 15c is defined by a first partition wall 21, a second partition wall 22, and a pair of blocking walls 23, and is closed in the depth direction D and the width direction W. However, the bottom wall 13 of the casing 2 is provided with a drain hole 13a that opens into the buffer space 15c.

[0035] Furthermore, a pair of partition protrusions 24 extending elongatedly in the height direction are provided on the outer surfaces of the pair of blocking walls 23. The bottom wall 13 is provided with a plurality of engaging protrusions 25 protruding into the plug receiver accommodating space 15b and with non-penetrating slits 26 that open to the plug receiver accommodating space 15b. Furthermore, a pair of bolt insertion holes 27 penetrate the bottom wall 13 so as to open to both ends of the buffer space 15c.

[0036] 4 and 5, the plug receptacle 5 has an exterior body 41, a magnetic plate 42, and a conductor 43. The exterior body 41 is made of an insulating material. The exterior body 41 has a flat, upstanding vertical wall 51. The magnetic plate 42 is made of a magnetic material such as iron or nickel and is plate-shaped. It is held by the exterior body 41 in a state where it is placed on the front of the vertical wall 51. The conductor 43 is composed of a pair of pins made of a conductive material such as metal. The pair of pins are arranged so as to sandwich the magnetic plate 42 and protrude from the front of the vertical wall 51. Although detailed illustration is omitted, the pair of pins are connected to an electrical circuit on the board 7 on the back side of the vertical wall 51.

[0037] The exterior body 41 has an upper plate portion 52 provided at the upper end of the vertical wall 51 and extending perpendicular to the vertical wall 51, a back plate portion 53 extending downward from the rear edge of the upper plate portion 52, a pair of side plate portions 54 extending downward from both side edges of the upper plate portion 52 and continuing to both side edges of the back plate portion 53, a pair of support protrusions 55 protruding from the outer surfaces of the pair of side plate portions 54, and a gutter portion 56 provided at the upper part of the back side of the exterior body 41.

[0038] The gutter portion 56 is U-shaped in a plan view and protrudes from the outer surfaces of the back plate portion 53 and the pair of side plate portions 54 (see FIG. 4 in particular). The gutter portion 56 terminates further back than the pair of support protrusions 55. The gutter portion 56 forms an inner groove 57 that is open upward. The inner groove 57 is open at both ends of the gutter portion 56 toward the front side of the plug receiver 5.

[0039] 6, when the plug receiver 5 is placed in the plug receiver accommodating space 15b, the lower edge of the vertical wall 51 is supported by the bottom wall 13, and the pair of side plate portions 54 are supported by the upper ends of the pair of partitioning protrusions 24. As a result, the upper plate portion 52, the pair of side plate portions 54, the pair of partitioning protrusions 24, and the bottom wall 13 define a generally rectangular plug opening 28. At the back of the plug opening 28, the vertical wall 51 and the magnetic plate 42 and conductor 43 held thereon are arranged.

[0040] At this time, the lower edge of the magnetic attraction plate 42 is inserted into the slit 26, the pair of support protrusions 55 are supported by the upper ends of the pair of blocking walls 23, and the vertical wall 51 and the magnetic attraction plate 42 are sandwiched between the engagement protrusions 25 and the second partition wall 22. This positions and holds the plug receiver 5 relative to the lower case 11. The second partition wall 22 has a low profile at its center. Therefore, although not shown in detail, the conductor 43 can protrude from the back surface of the vertical wall 51 to the outside of the plug receiver accommodating space 15b.

[0041] 6 and 7, the upper case 12 has a raised portion 29 at its rear left corner that is raised slightly above the upper surface of the flange 16. The raised portion 29 has a rectangular cutout 29a in a plan view. The cutout 29a forms a U-shaped ridge in a plan view. When the upper case 12 and the lower case 11 are stacked in the height direction H, the buffer space 15c is covered from above by the raised portion 29, while the upper surface of the plug receiver 5 is exposed upward in a plan view through the cutout 29a. More specifically, the ridge of the cutout 29a closely faces the outer surfaces of the back plate portion 53 and the pair of side plate portions 54, and the upper surface of the upper plate portion 52 is exposed upward, while the support protrusion 55 and the gutter portion 56 are hidden from above by the raised portion 29.

[0042] Referring to FIG. 7, with the plug receiver 5 assembled to the casing 2 in this manner, the top plate 3 is assembled to the casing 2. The inclined edge 3e of the top plate 3 closely faces the raised portion 29. An upper groove 30 is formed between the top plate 3 and the raised portion 29. The upper groove 30 extends horizontally along the inclined edge 3e, and its extension direction is inclined so that it approaches the right as it extends rearward. The upper groove 30 is generally open upward, and both end portions 30a in its extension direction are also open in the extension direction of the upper groove 30. The rear end portion 30a of the upper groove 30 is open upward and rearward of the casing 2, and the left end portion 30a of the upper groove 30 is open upward and leftward.

[0043] A clearance 31 that is U-shaped in plan view is formed between the raised portion 29 and the plug receiver 5. The upper outside of the casing 2 communicates with the internal space 15 via the clearance 31. A gutter portion 56 and an internal groove 57 formed thereby are disposed below the clearance 31. Referring to FIG. 8, an end 57a of the internal groove 57 opens to the outside of the electrical component space 15a, more specifically, to the buffer space 15c.

[0044] 9 and 10, the height positions increase in the order of the bottom surface of upper groove 30 (upper surface of flange 16), the upper surface of raised portion 29, the upper surface of plug receiver 5, and the upper surface of top plate 3.

[0045] A male plug (not shown) that can be connected to a commercial power source is attached to one end of the power cord 6. A magnetic plug 6a that is removably attached to the plug receptacle 5 by magnetic force is attached to the other end of the power cord 6. When the magnetic plug 6a is inserted into the plug opening 28, the magnetic plate 42 is mechanically connected to the magnetic plug 6a by magnetic force, and the conductor 43 is electrically connected to the commercial power source via the power cord 6. This enables the induction cooker 1 to operate on commercial power and power to be supplied to the heating coil 4.

[0046] When the induction cooker 1 is used on a table, there is a possibility that the cooking container may boil over or that a beverage outside the cooking container may spill onto the top plate 3. For ease of explanation, hereinafter, the liquid that undesirably spills onto the top plate in this way will be simply referred to as "water."

[0047] Some of the water may spill out of the induction cooker 1 from the front, rear, left and right edges of the top plate 3. In this case, the water spills onto the table on which the induction cooker 1 is placed.

[0048] Some of the water may reach the inclined edge 3e of the top plate 3. If the water flow is not strong, the water will flow down the top plate 3 and enter the upper groove 30. The water may be collected in the upper groove 30. If the amount of water is large, the water may be discharged from both ends of the upper groove 30 and overflow outside the induction cooker 1. If a large amount of water enters the upper groove 30, or if the water overflows onto the top plate 3 with a strong force, some of the water may exceed the upper groove 30 and reach the top of the raised portion 29.

[0049] 7 and 8, some of the water that reaches the raised portion 29 may be collected by the raised portion 29. Furthermore, some of the water may overflow from the raised portion 29 to the outside of the induction cooker 1. Furthermore, some of the water may enter the internal space 15 through the clearance 31. A gutter portion 56 is disposed below the clearance 31, and an internal groove 57 formed by the gutter portion 56 is open upward. Therefore, water that enters the internal space is received in the internal groove 57. An end 57a of the internal groove 57 is open within the buffer space 15c. Therefore, water flows down the internal groove 57 and is discharged into the buffer space 15c. The casing 2 has a drain hole 13a that opens to the buffer space 15c. Therefore, water in the buffer space 15c can be discharged to the outside of the induction cooker 1 through the drain hole 13a.

[0050] In the induction cooker 1 according to this embodiment, the plug receptacle 5 is disposed on the periphery of the upper opening 17 of the casing 2 so as not to overlap in plan view with the top plate 3 that closes the upper opening 17. Because the top plate 3 does not cover the plug receptacle 5 from above, the position of the upper surface of the top plate 3 can be set regardless of the height of the plug receptacle 5. This prevents the overall height of the induction cooker 1 from being restricted by the height of the plug receptacle 5, allowing the induction cooker 1 to be made thinner.

[0051] The upper surface of the plug receiver 5 is exposed in a plan view. As a result, the plug receiver 5 is not covered from above, and therefore not only the area where the top plate 3 is disposed but also the area where the plug receiver 5 is disposed can be made thinner.

[0052] Furthermore, the upper surface of the plug receiver support portion 20, for example, the upper surface of the raised portion 29, is lower than the upper surface of the plug receiver 5. As a result, even if water that has spilled onto the top plate 3 flows onto the plug receiver support portion 20, it will not flow into the plug receiver 5, to which power is input to the heating coil 4. This ensures safety. The upper surface of the plug receiver support portion 20 is lower than the upper surface of the top plate 3. As a result, water that has spilled onto the top plate 3 can be collected by the plug receiver support portion 20.

[0053] An upper groove 30 is provided between the plug receiver support portion 20 and the top plate 3, and an end portion 30a of the upper groove is open in the extending direction of the upper groove 30. This allows water that has flowed into the plug receiver support portion 20 to be drained via the upper groove 30.

[0054] The plug receiver 5 is provided with an inner groove 57 that is housed in the internal space 15 and is located below the clearance 31 between the plug receiver 5 and the plug receiver support part 20. As a result, even if water that has flowed into the plug receiver support part 20 enters the casing 2 through the clearance 31, the water can be received in the internal groove 57. The internal space 15 includes an electrical component space 15a in which the heating coil 4 is disposed, and an end of the internal groove 57 is open outside the electrical component space 15a in a plan view. As a result, the water received in the internal groove 57 can be drained without entering the electrical component space 15a.

[0055] Although the embodiments have been described above, the above configurations can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 1 Induction cooker 2 Casing 3 Top Plate 3b Posterior margin 3d left margin 3e Sloping margin 4 heating coils 5 Plug holder 6 Power cord 6a magnetic plug 7. Circuit Board 9 Control section 11 Lower case 12 Upper case 13 Bottom wall 13a Drain hole 14 Peripheral wall 14a front wall 14b Back wall 14c Right wall 14d left wall 15 Interior Space 15a Electrical equipment space 15b Plug receptacle accommodation space 15c Buffer Space 16 flange 16a Front flange 16b Rear flange 16c Right flange 16d Left flange 16e Inclined flange 17 Top opening 18 Air intake 19 Exhaust port 20 Plug receiver support 21 First Partition Wall 22 Second Partition Wall 23 Blocking wall 24 Compartment protrusion 25 Engagement protrusion 26 Slit 27 Bolt insertion hole 28 Plug opening 29 Ridge 29a Notch 30 Kamimizo 30a end 31 Clearance 41 Exterior body 42 Magnetic plate 43 Conductors 51 Vertical Wall 52 Upper plate 53 Back plate 54 Side plate part 55 Support protrusion 56 Hibe 57 Inner groove 57a End

Claims

1. a casing having an upper opening; a heating coil disposed within the casing; a top plate that closes the upper opening of the casing and is disposed above the heating coil; a plug receiving support portion provided on the casing and positioned outside the upper opening; a plug receiver to which power to be supplied to the heating coil is input, the plug receiver being supported by the plug receiver support portion and being disposed so as not to overlap with the top plate in a plan view; An induction cooker equipped with:

2. The upper surface of the plug receiver is exposed in a plan view. The induction cooker according to claim 1.

3. The upper surface of the plug receiver support portion is lower than the upper surface of the plug receiver. The induction cooker according to claim 1.

4. The upper surface of the plug receiving support portion is lower than the upper surface of the top plate. The induction cooker according to claim 1.

5. an upper groove is provided between the plug receiving support portion and the top plate, and an end of the upper groove is open in the extending direction of the upper groove; The induction cooker according to claim 1.

6. The plug receiver has an inner groove accommodated in the casing and positioned below the clearance between the plug receiver and the plug receiver support portion. The induction cooker according to claim 1.

7. the internal space of the casing includes an electrical component space in which the heating coil and the substrate are disposed, An end of the inner groove is open outside the electrical equipment space in a plan view. The electromagnetic cooker according to claim 6.

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