Heating Regulator

Abstract

To provide a cooking appliance, etc., that allows switching the door lock state and opening the door with a simple configuration. [Solution] The heating appliance includes a main body, a door section having a door hook, and a locking mechanism having a lock lever member that rotates around a pivot point as the cam rotates. The lock lever member has a first portion that extends away from the pivot point and is provided with an engaging portion that engages with the door hook, and a second portion that extends away from the pivot point and is located in a second direction opposite to the first direction relative to the first portion. When the lock lever member rotates in the first direction from a locked state in which the engaging portion engages with the door hook, the first portion moves away from the door hook, thereby releasing the locked state, and the second portion contacts the door hook, pushing the door section in the opening direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to heating cookers and the like.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a heating cooker that locks the door of a heating chamber and automatically opens the door is known (for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In Patent Document 1, the locking body that holds the door in the locked state and the spring member that biases the door in the opening direction are provided as separate members.

[0005] According to some aspects of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a heating cooker that performs switching of the locked state of the door and door opening operation with a simple configuration.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a cooking appliance comprising a main body, a door portion having a door hook and movable relative to the main body, a locking mechanism having a cam, a motor for rotating the cam, and a locking lever member that rotates in a first direction about a pivot point in conjunction with the rotation of the cam, wherein the locking lever member has a first portion extending away from the pivot point and provided with an engaging portion for engaging with the door hook, and a second portion extending away from the pivot point and provided in a second direction opposite to the first direction relative to the first portion, wherein when the locking lever member rotates in the first direction from a locked state in which the engaging portion engages with the door hook, the first portion moves away from the door hook to release the locked state, and the second portion contacts the door hook to push the door portion in the opening direction. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This diagram shows an example of the configuration of a cooking appliance. [Figure 2] This diagram shows an example of the configuration of a cooking appliance. [Figure 3] This is a diagram showing an example of a locking mechanism configuration. [Figure 4] This is a diagram showing an example of a locking mechanism configuration. [Figure 5] This is a diagram showing an example of a locking mechanism configuration. [Figure 6] This is a diagram showing an example of a locking mechanism configuration. [Figure 7] This is a timing chart explaining the operation flow of each part of a cooking appliance. [Figure 8] This is a timing chart illustrating the operation flow of the motor and the cam phase detection switch. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] This embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or equivalent elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted. This embodiment described below is not intended to unduly limit the content described in the claims. Furthermore, not all of the configurations described in this embodiment are essential components of this disclosure.

[0009] 1.Heating cooker The configuration of the cooking appliance 10 according to this embodiment will be explained with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 shows an example of the configuration of the cooking appliance 10 with the door portion 200 (described later) in the closed state, and Figure 2 shows an example of the configuration of the cooking appliance 10 when the door portion 200 is transitioning from the closed state to the open state. Note that in Figures 1 and 2, some structural details of the housing (cabinet) of the cooking appliance 10 are omitted.

[0010] The heating appliance 10 according to this embodiment heats various objects to be heated, such as ingredients, food, beverages, or other items. The heating appliance 10 heats the object to be heated by circulating heated airflow inside the heating chamber 110, for example, like an oven. The heating chamber 110 is a hollow rectangular parallelepiped and is configured to accommodate the object to be heated. Figures 1 and 2 show the outer wall of the heating chamber 110. The heating appliance 10 may also be equipped with a grill function or a steam function that heats using water vapor, or it may have a function that heats the object to be heated inside the heating chamber 110 by irradiating it with electromagnetic waves, like a microwave oven.

[0011] The cooking appliance 10 is an electrical device that operates by receiving power from, for example, a power grid (AC power supply). In other words, the cooking appliance 10 operates by receiving power to drive a heat source (not shown), heating an airflow with the driven heat source, and circulating the heated airflow inside the heating chamber 110 to heat the object to be heated.

[0012] The cooking appliance 10 is used when placed on an installation surface, such as a shelf or counter in a house. The cooking appliance 10 according to this embodiment is a freestanding and portable device, and the user can install the cooking appliance 10 at any position on the installation surface. The cooking appliance 10 may also be used when fixed in a specific location, such as a counter in a kitchen.

[0013] In this embodiment, for the sake of explanation, the vertical direction when the cooking appliance 10 is in a usable state is defined as the z-axis, and the upward direction is defined as the positive z-axis. Furthermore, using the direction from which the cooking appliance 10 is viewed from the front as a reference, the left-right direction is defined as the y-axis, and the rightward direction is defined as the positive y-axis. The front-back direction, with the front side of the cooking appliance 10 being the front and the back side being the rear, is defined as the x-axis, and the forward direction is defined as the positive x-axis. However, these directions are not intended to limit the direction in which the cooking appliance 10 is used (the direction in which it is used).

[0014] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the cooking appliance 10 includes a main body 100 (box body) which contains the heating chamber 110, and a door 200 (door body). For example, the heating chamber 110 is formed in the shape of a box with one side open. The door 200 is attached to the main body 100 in a manner that allows the opening of the heating chamber 110 to be opened and closed. In this embodiment, the opening of the heating chamber 110 is the front.

[0015] The door section 200 is supported by a support (hinge) located at the lower front side of the main body section 100, allowing it to open and close. The door section 200 is in the closed position when it stands upright towards the rear, and moves to the open position when its upper part tilts forward. The following shows intermediate states. The door section 200 has a handle 220 that can be grasped by the user.

[0016] As shown in Figure 2, when the door 200 is open, the inside of the heating chamber 110 is exposed from the front of the main body 100, allowing objects to be heated to be inserted into and removed from the heating chamber 110. On the other hand, when the door 200 is closed (closed position), the inside of the heating chamber 110 is sealed, allowing objects to be heated that are placed inside the heating chamber 110 to be heated.

[0017] A user of the heating cooker 10 first puts an object to be heated into the heating chamber 110 with the door unit 200 opened, and then closes the door unit 200. In this state, the heating cooker 10 heats an airflow with a heat source, and circulates the heated airflow inside the heating chamber 110 to heat the object to be heated. After the object to be heated is heated, the user opens the door unit 200 and takes out the object to be heated from the heating chamber 110. Note that a tray on which the object to be heated is placed may be provided inside the heating chamber 110.

[0018] As shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2, the heating cooker 10 according to the present embodiment may include a lock mechanism 300. The lock mechanism 300 is provided, for example, in a space above the heating chamber 110 in the main body unit 100. For example, the lock mechanism 300 includes a frame 360 fixed to the upper surface of the upper outer wall of the heating chamber 110, and the frame 360 supports components such as a lock lever member 330 to be described later. The lock mechanism 300 is a mechanism for bringing the door unit 200 into a locked state. Details of the lock mechanism 300 will be described later.

[0019] As shown in Figure 1, the door unit 200 may include a door hook 210. The door hook 210 is, for example, a hook member having an opening at its rear portion (having a U-shape) when observed from the lateral direction (the direction along the y-axis). For example, the main body unit 100 has a wall portion 120 that covers the front surface of the space above the heating chamber 110. When the door unit 200 is in a closed state, at least a part of the distal end side of the door hook 210 is inserted into the space above the heating chamber 110 through a through-hole formed in the wall portion 120. When the door unit 200 is in the closed state, the door hook 210 can engage with an engaging portion (the engaging portion 331a of the lock lever member 330 which will be described later with reference to Figure 3) included in the lock mechanism 300. Strictly speaking, it is assumed that the door hook 210 and the engaging portion 331a are engaged in the state of Figure 1, but for the convenience of the drawing, the illustration of the engagement relationship is omitted in Figure 1, and the engagement relationship will be described later with reference to Figure 3 and subsequent drawings.

[0020] As described above, the heating cooker 10 of the present embodiment includes a main body portion 100, a door portion 200 that has a door hook 210 and is movable relative to the main body portion 100, and a lock mechanism 300. The lock mechanism 300 brings the door portion 200 into a locked state using an engaging portion 331a. Further, as will be described later, the lock mechanism 300 of the present embodiment has a configuration that automatically brings the door portion 200 into an open state by using a lock lever member 330 provided with the engaging portion 331a. For example, when the lock lever member 330 rotates in a predetermined direction to release the locked state, the engagement between the engaging portion 331a and the door hook 210 is released, and another part of the lock lever member 330 pushes the door hook 210 forward (the positive direction of the x-axis). In this way, by providing the lock lever member 330 for locking the door portion 200 with a pushing function, the opening operation of the door portion 200 can be realized without adding extra components. The detailed configuration of the lock mechanism 300 will be described later.

[0021] Further, as described above, the door portion 200 of the present embodiment may be a vertically opening door that is rotatable relative to the main body portion 100 about a horizontal rotation shaft (in a narrow sense, a rotation shaft realized by a hinge) provided at the lower portion of the door portion 200. In such a vertically opening door, the center of gravity of the door portion 200 is located above the rotation shaft. Therefore, when the door portion 200 is pushed forward to a certain extent by the lock mechanism 300 and the center of gravity moves forward, a moment that rotates around the rotation shaft is generated in the door portion 200. That is, by using the vertically opening door, it is possible to realize the door portion 200 that can automatically shift to the open state without applying additional force after being pushed out by the lock mechanism 300.

[0022] 2. Configuration Example of Lock Mechanism Figure 3 shows an example configuration of the locking mechanism 300. The vertical direction (z-axis), front-back direction (x-axis), and left-right direction (y-axis) are the same as in Figures 1 and 2. The locking mechanism 300 includes a motor 310, a cam 320, a locking lever member 330, a spring member 340, and a cam phase detection switch 350. However, the configuration of the locking mechanism 300 is not limited to the example in Figure 3, and various modifications can be made, such as omitting some components or adding other components. For example, as will be described later as a modified example, the cam phase detection switch 350 may be omitted. Although the frame 360 ​​is omitted in Figure 3, each component shown in Figure 3 may be directly or indirectly supported by the frame 360. Direct support by the frame 360 ​​means that the component in question is supported (e.g., fixed) by contact with the frame 360. Indirect support by the frame 360 ​​means that the component in question is supported by contact with other components supported by the frame 360.

[0023] <motor> The motor 310 is a synchronous motor whose rotational speed can be controlled, for example, by the frequency of the drive signal. The cooking appliance 10 includes a control unit (control circuit) that controls the heat source, etc., and this control unit supplies a drive signal to the motor 310. However, a separate control unit (control circuit) for the locking mechanism 300, different from the control unit that controls the heat source, etc., may be provided.

[0024] <Cam> The cam 320 is a cam that rotates in a predetermined direction around a pivot point (rotation axis) S1 when driven by the motor 310. Figure 3 shows an example where the cam 320 is a plate cam with a short axis and a long axis that rotates around the pivot point S1, but the specific shape of the cam 320 can be modified in various ways. Below, we will describe an example where the rotation direction of the cam 320 follows the forward rotation of the motor 310 (clockwise in Figure 3), but the rotation direction of the motor 310 and the cam 320 is not limited to this.

[0025] <Lock lever component> The lock lever member 330 is a member that rotates in a first direction around the pivot point (rotation axis) S2 in conjunction with the rotation of the cam 320. The first direction is the direction of rotation of the lock lever member 330 during the transition from the locked position corresponding to the locked state to the unlocked position corresponding to the unlocked state (Figure 3 → Figure 4, described later), and is, for example, clockwise. However, the first direction may be counterclockwise. Furthermore, when considering the transition from the unlocked position back to the locked position (Figure 4 → Figure 5, Figure 6, described later), the lock lever member may rotate in a second direction, which is the opposite direction to the first direction. In other words, in this embodiment, "the lock lever member 330 rotates in a first direction around the pivot point S2 in conjunction with the rotation of the cam 320" means that the lock lever member 330 is rotatable in at least the first direction, and does not prevent the lock lever member 330 from rotating in the second direction as well.

[0026] As shown in Figure 3, the lock lever member 330 includes a first portion 331 and a second portion 332. The first portion 331 is a member that extends away from the pivot point S2 (forward in the example of Figure 3) and is provided with an engaging portion 331a that engages with the door hook 210. In the example of Figure 3, the first portion 331 is a rod-shaped member with an engaging portion 331a at its tip. The engaging portion 331a is a triangular projection that protrudes from the tip of the first portion 331 in a direction (to the right: positive y-axis) that intersects the extending direction (forward: positive x-axis). The engaging portion 331a engages with the door hook 210 by being inserted, for example, from the left side into the opening of the door hook 210.

[0027] The second part 332 extends in a direction away from the pivot point S2 (in the example of Figure 3, in a direction midway between the front and the right) and is positioned in a second direction opposite to the first direction relative to the first part 331. The second part 332 causes the door section 200 to open by pushing out the door hook 210. Further details will be described later.

[0028] The lock lever member 330 may also include a third portion 333. The third portion 333 extends in a direction away from the pivot point S2 (in the example of Figure 3, an intermediate direction between the rear and the right), is positioned in a second direction opposite to the first direction relative to the second portion 332, and contacts the cam 320. The third portion functions as a cam follower, causing the lock lever member 330 to rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the cam 320. However, the second portion 332 may function as a cam follower by changing the shape of the lock lever member 330, and providing the third portion 333 is not essential.

[0029] <Spring component (spring)> One end of the spring member 340 is locked to the lock lever member 330. The spring member 340 then applies a force to the lock lever member 330 in a direction that causes it to rotate in the second direction.

[0030] For example, as shown in Figure 3, one end of the spring member 340 may be locked to the second portion 332 of the lock lever member 330. However, the spring member 340 only needs to apply a force to the lock lever member 330 in a direction that rotates it in the second direction, and the specific locking position is not limited to this. The other end of the spring member 340 is locked to, for example, the frame 360, but various modifications can be made to the locking position of the other end.

[0031] By providing the spring member 340, the lock lever member 330 is biased so that a portion of it contacts the cam 320. When the third portion 333 is provided as a cam follower as described above, the lock lever member 330 is biased by the spring member 340 so that the third portion 333 and the cam 320 contact each other. This makes it possible to control the amount of rotation of the lock lever member 330 in the first direction by the rotation of the cam 320. As will be described in detail later, the lock lever member 330 is in a position corresponding to the locked state when it is in contact with the portion corresponding to the minor axis of the cam 320 (locked position, see Figure 3), and may rotate in the first direction compared to the locked state when it is in contact with the portion corresponding to the major axis of the cam 320 (unlocked position, see Figure 4, described later).

[0032] <Cam Phase Detection Switch> The cam phase detection switch 350 detects the phase (rotational phase) of the cam 320. Various configurations are known for detecting the phase of the cam, and the cam phase detection switch 350 in this embodiment can be broadly adapted to these various configurations, so a detailed explanation of the specific configuration is omitted. When the cam phase detection switch 350 detects that the phase of the cam 320 has reached a given set phase, it outputs a stop signal to stop the motor 310 from driving. For example, the lock mechanism 300 may have a circuit that supplies a stop signal to the motor 310 when the cam phase detection switch 350 is turned on. Alternatively, when the cam phase detection switch 350 detects the set phase, it may output a signal to a control unit (not shown), and the control unit may output a stop signal to the motor 310 based on the signal from the cam phase detection switch 350. In this embodiment, "the cam phase detection switch outputs a signal to stop the motor from driving" includes both of these cases.

[0033] By providing the cam phase detection switch 350, it becomes possible to stop the cam 320 at the appropriate phase. For example, after releasing the lock state with the lock lever member 330 and pushing out the door hook 210, it becomes possible to move the cam 320 and the lock lever member 330 to a predetermined position (specifically, return them to their initial position). Further details will be described later.

[0034] Figure 3 shows an example of the position of the cam phase detection switch 350, and the positional relationship between the cam 320 and the cam phase detection switch 350 is not limited to this. Furthermore, as will be described later as a modified example, if the phase of the cam 320 can be controlled by controlling the rotation amount of the motor 310, the cam phase detection switch 350 may be omitted.

[0035] 3. Example of locking mechanism operation Next, we will explain the operation flow of the heating appliance 10 using the locking mechanism 300.

[0036] Figure 3, shown above, illustrates the locked state in which the engaging portion 331a is engaged with the door hook 210. For example, when there is no user operation, the locking mechanism 300 remains in the locked state shown in Figure 3.

[0037] The lock mechanism 300 starts operating when the user opens the door 200. For example, the cooking appliance 10 of this embodiment may include an operating unit (not shown) that detects the opening operation of the door 200. The operating unit is, for example, an operating panel provided on the upper front of the door 200, but various variations are possible in its specific form. The motor 310 of the lock mechanism 300 starts rotating the cam 320 when it determines that the operating unit has detected an opening operation. For example, when the operating unit detects an opening operation, it outputs a signal indicating the operation to the control unit. The control unit starts driving the motor 310 based on the signal from the operating unit.

[0038] Figure 4 shows the state in which the lock lever member 330 has rotated in the first direction. As can be seen from comparing Figures 3 and 4, as the cam 320 rotates, the diameter of the cam 320 that contacts the third portion 333 increases from the state in which the third portion 333 is in contact with the minor axis of the cam 320. The diameter of the cam 320 represents the distance from the pivot point S1 of the cam 320 to the contact position with the cam follower. As a result, the third portion 333 is pushed out in the first direction, and the lock lever member 330 rotates in the first direction.

[0039] As shown in Figure 4, when the lock lever member 330 rotates in the first direction from the locked state (Figure 3) in which the engaging portion 331a engages with the door hook 210, the first portion 331 moves away from the door hook 210, thereby releasing the locked state. At that time, the second portion 332 contacts the door hook 210, pushing the door portion 200 in the opening direction (forward: positive x-axis direction).

[0040] As described above, the second portion 332 is positioned in the opposite direction to the rotation direction of the lock lever member 330 relative to the first portion 331 on which the engaging portion 331a is formed. Therefore, when the first portion 331 rotates in the first direction to disengage, the second portion 332 approaches and contacts the door hook 210. When the door hook 210 is pushed forward, the door portion 200 automatically continues to open based on the positional relationship between the center of gravity and the axis of rotation in the vertically opening door portion 200.

[0041] According to the method of this embodiment, both locking / unlocking and opening the door section 200 can be achieved with a single lock lever member 330. This has the advantage that there is no need to add any additional members to achieve both locking / unlocking and opening the door section 200. Furthermore, in the method of this embodiment, unlocking and opening can be achieved simultaneously by rotating the lock lever member 330. In other words, there is no need to perform separate control for unlocking and opening, which has the advantage of being easy to control.

[0042] The second portion 332 of the lock lever member 330 may have an inclined surface 332a whose thickness decreases in the direction of rotation as it moves away from the pivot point S2. In this case, when the lock lever member 330 rotates from the locked state to the first direction (transition from Figure 3 to Figure 4), the second portion 332 contacts the door hook 210 so that the door hook 210 slides along the inclined surface 332a toward the tip of the second portion 332. Therefore, when the lock lever member 330 rotates in the first direction, the door hook 210 can be smoothly pushed forward. However, the second portion 332 only needs to be able to push the door hook 210 forward, and its specific shape is not limited thereto. For example, as will be described later as a modified example, the second portion 332 does not need to have an inclined surface.

[0043] In this embodiment, the motor 310 may continue operating even after the door hook 210 has been pushed out. Specifically, the motor 310 continues to drive until a stop signal is input based on the detection result of the cam phase detection switch 350. In other words, the cam 320 continues to rotate until its rotational phase reaches a given set phase.

[0044] Specifically, the cam phase detection switch 350 outputs a signal to stop the motor 310 when it detects a phase that indicates the cam 320 has completed one rotation. In other words, the cam phase detection switch 350 outputs a signal to stop the motor 310 when it detects a phase that corresponds to the initial position of the cam 320 (the position corresponding to the locked state, Figure 3).

[0045] Figure 5 illustrates the lock mechanism 300 in the state where the motor 310 has stopped driving based on a signal from the cam phase detection switch 350. As shown in Figure 5, the cam 320 stops in the same phase as in Figure 3, which is the locked state. Accordingly, the lock lever member 330 also stops in the same position as in Figure 3, which is the locked state. In this way, when the user performs an opening operation, after unlocking and opening the door section 200, the state of the lock mechanism 300 can be returned to the state at the start of operation. If the lock mechanism 300 has returned to the state shown in Figure 5, then when the door section 200 is moved to the closed position by the user (when the door section 200 is moved to an upright position towards the back), it can smoothly transition to the locked state.

[0046] Figure 6 illustrates the locking mechanism when the door section 200 moves to the closed position while the motor 310 of the locking mechanism 300 is stopped. In this case, as shown in Figure 6, the door hook 210 enters the rearward (negative x-axis direction) along the front-rear direction (x-axis) through a through hole provided in the wall section 120 of the main body section 100. When the tip of the door hook 210 contacts the inclined surface 331b of the engaging section 331a, a force is applied to the engaging section 331a to the left (negative y-axis direction), and the lock lever member 330 temporarily rotates in the first direction. When the tip of the door hook 210 passes the rear end of the engaging section 331a, the lock lever member 330 returns to the second direction by the force of the spring member 340, and the engaging section 331a is inserted into the opening of the door hook 210, thus transitioning to the locked state shown in Figure 6.

[0047] Figure 7 is a timing chart illustrating the operation of each part in the sequence described above. The horizontal axis in Figure 7 corresponds to the phase of the cam 320. Here, the phase is the rotation angle of the cam 320 around the pivot point S1 due to the rotation of the motor 310, with the phase in the locked state (Figure 3) being defined as 0°. As mentioned above, the phase of the cam 320 starts at 0° and changes until it becomes the same phase again, i.e., until it reaches 360°. In other words, in Figure 7, the state of each part changes from the left end to the right end of the horizontal axis as time progresses.

[0048] Figure 7 shows the state (position) of the first portion 331 of the lock lever member 330. The locked position (LOCK) is the position in which the engaging portion 331a of the first portion 331 can stably engage with the door hook 210, and corresponds to the positions shown in Figures 3, 5, and 6, for example. Note that, as shown in Figure 5, even if the engaging portion 331a of the first portion 331 is in the locked position, it is permissible for the door portion 200 not to be locked because the door hook 210 is not engaged, i.e., the door portion 200 is in the open state. The unlocked position (UNLOCK) is the position in which the engaging portion 331a of the first portion 331 cannot engage with the door hook 210, and corresponds to a predetermined range of positions including Figure 4, for example.

[0049] As shown in Figures 3, 5, and 6, when the phase of the cam 320 is less than or equal to the first threshold Th1, or greater than or equal to the second threshold Th2, the diameter from the pivot point S1 of the cam 320 to the contact position of the cam follower is relatively short, so the amount of rotation of the lock lever member 330 in the first direction is small. That is, the amount of movement of the engaging portion 331a is small, and the first portion 331 is in the locked position. In contrast, when the phase of the cam 320 is greater than or equal to the third threshold Th3 and less than or equal to the fourth threshold Th4, the diameter from the pivot point S1 of the cam 320 to the contact position of the cam follower is relatively long, so the amount of rotation of the lock lever member 330 in the first direction is large. That is, the amount of movement of the engaging portion 331a is large, and the first portion 331 is in the unlocked position. Here Th1 <Th3<Th4<Th2である。

[0050] Note that Figure 7 allows for an intermediate state between the locked and unlocked positions. An intermediate state refers to a state in which, for example, a part of the engaging portion 331a engages with the door hook 210. For example, the first portion 331 transitions from the locked position to the unlocked position when the phase of the cam 320 is between the first threshold Th1 and the third threshold Th3. Similarly, the first portion 331 transitions from the unlocked position to the locked position when the phase of the cam 320 is between the fourth threshold Th4 and the second threshold Th2.

[0051] The second portion 332 of the lock lever member 330 begins to contact the door hook 210 when the phase of the cam 320 is greater than or equal to the fifth threshold Th5 and the amount of rotation of the lock lever member 330 exceeds a predetermined value. The second portion 332 pushes the door hook 210 forward when the phase of the cam 320 is less than or equal to the sixth threshold Th6.

[0052] The door section 200 transitions from a closed position to an open position by being pushed out by the second section 332. The closed position is, for example, the state in which the surface of the door section 200 is perpendicular to the horizontal plane, corresponding to the state shown in Figure 1. The open position is the state in which the door section 200 is fully open, for example, the state in which the surface of the door section 200 is parallel to the horizontal plane.

[0053] The door section 200 begins to move from the closed position due to the pushing force of the second section 332. Furthermore, once the amount of pushing force by the second section 332 exceeds a certain value, the door continues to open due to its own weight without any further force in the pushing direction. Figure 7 shows an example in which the door section 200 completes its movement to the open position when the phase of the cam 320 reaches 360°, but the speed of the door section 200's opening operation can be varied in various ways.

[0054] Figure 8 is a timing chart showing the relationship between the on / off state of motor 310 and the on / off state of cam phase detection switch 350. The horizontal axis in Figure 8 represents, for example, time. For motor 310, CW represents forward rotation, and CCW represents reverse rotation. The state of 0 on the vertical axis of motor 310 corresponds to the off state. The cam phase detection switch 350 is a switch that turns on when a set phase is detected, as described above.

[0055] As is clear from Figure 8, when the cam phase detection switch 350 is turned on, the motor 310 switches from on to off. That is, the cam phase detection switch 350 switches to the on state and outputs a stop signal to the motor 310 when it detects that the set phase has been reached. The set phase is the phase in which the first part 331 of the lock lever member 330 is in its initial position, i.e., 0° (360°), as described above.

[0056] Thus, in this embodiment, the position of each part of the lock lever member 330 can be appropriately controlled in units of one rotation of the cam 320. As described above with reference to Figure 6, when the door hook 210 is returned and the door is locked, it returns to the initial state (the state where the phase is 0° in Figure 7). Therefore, when the user performs the opening operation again, the same process can be used to unlock the door and open the door section 200.

[0057] 4. Variations The following describes some variations.

[0058] The above describes an example in which the motor 310 is a synchronous motor and the phase of the cam 320 is controlled using the cam phase detection switch 350. However, the method of this embodiment is not limited to this.

[0059] For example, the motor 310 in this embodiment may be a stepping motor whose rotation angle can be controlled. In this case, if the initial state is set appropriately, the subsequent phase of the cam 320 can be determined by the rotation angle of the motor 310. The motor 310 is controlled to rotate by a predetermined amount (specifically 360°) when an opening operation by the user is detected. For example, when the control unit outputs a pulse signal as a drive signal to the motor 310, it may set the number of pulses so that the motor 310 rotates by a predetermined amount. In this way, it becomes possible to achieve the above-described phase control of the cam 320 without providing a cam phase detection switch 350.

[0060] Figures 3-6 illustrate an example in which the pivot point (rotation axis) S2 of the lock lever member 330 is positioned to overlap with the door hook 210 in the front-rear direction. In this case, in order to efficiently apply forward force to the door hook 210, the second portion 332 may have an inclined surface 332a as shown in Figure 4. However, the method of this embodiment is not limited thereto.

[0061] For example, the pivot point S2 of the lock lever member 330 may be positioned offset to the left or right relative to the door hook 210. Specifically, the pivot point S2 may be positioned offset to the left (negative y-axis direction) relative to the door hook 210. In this case, even if the second part 332 is a rod-shaped member whose thickness does not change even when it is separated from the pivot point S2, the side surface of the second part 332 will contact the door hook 210 at a predetermined angle with respect to the x-axis. That is, even without providing an inclined surface on the second part 332, it is possible to make the second part 332 contact the door hook 210 at an angle with respect to its longitudinal direction (x-axis), so that the rotation of the second part 332 can efficiently push the door hook 210 forward. Furthermore, the heating appliance 10 of this embodiment only needs to allow the door part 200 to be pushed out by the lock lever member 330 that locks the door part 200, and the specific shape of the lock lever member 330 can be modified in various ways.

[0062] Although this embodiment has been described in detail above, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications are possible without substantially departing from the novel aspects and effects of this embodiment. Therefore, all such modifications are included within the scope of this disclosure. For example, any term that appears at least once in the specification or drawings together with a broader or synonymous term may be replaced with that different term anywhere in the specification or drawings. Furthermore, all combinations of this embodiment and its modifications are also included within the scope of this disclosure. In addition, the configuration and operation of the heating appliance, locking mechanism, locking lever member, etc., are not limited to those described in this embodiment, and various modifications are possible. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0063] 10...Cooker, 100...Main body, 110...Cooking chamber, 120...Wall, 200...Door, 210...Door hook, 220...Handle, 300...Locking mechanism, 310...Motor, 320...Cam, 330...Locking lever member, 331...First part, 331a...Engaging part, 331b...Inclined surface, 332...Second part, 332a...Inclined surface, 333...Third part, 340...Spring member, 350...Cam phase detection switch, 360...Frame, S1...Fulfillment point of cam, S2...Fulfillment point of locking lever member, Th1-Th6...First threshold - Sixth threshold

Claims

1. The main body and A door section having a door hook and movable relative to the main body, A locking mechanism comprising a cam, a motor for rotating the cam, and a lock lever member that rotates in a first direction about a pivot point in conjunction with the rotation of the cam, Includes, The aforementioned lock lever member is A first portion extending in a direction away from the pivot point and provided with an engaging portion that engages with the door hook, It has a second portion that extends in a direction away from the pivot point and is located in a second direction opposite to the first direction relative to the first portion, When the lock lever member rotates in the first direction from the locked state in which the engaging portion engages with the door hook, The first part releases the locked state by moving away from the door hook, The second part is a cooking appliance that pushes the door open by contacting the door hook.

2. In the heating appliance described in claim 1, The door portion is a vertically opening door that is rotatable relative to the main body portion on a horizontal rotation axis provided at the lower part of the door portion.

3. In the heating appliance according to claim 1 or 2, The locking mechanism is The system further includes a spring member, one end of which is locked to the aforementioned lock lever member. The spring member is a heating appliance that applies a force to the lock lever member in a direction that causes it to rotate in the second direction.

4. In the heating appliance described in claim 3, The aforementioned lock lever member is The spring member biases a portion of it so that it contacts the cam. When in contact with the portion corresponding to the minor axis of the cam, it becomes the position corresponding to the locked state. A cooking appliance that rotates in the first direction compared to the locked state, when in contact with a portion corresponding to the major axis of the cam.

5. In the heating appliance described in claim 3, The one end of the spring member is locked to the second portion of the lock lever member in a cooking appliance.

6. In the heating appliance according to claim 1 or 2, The locking mechanism includes a cam phase detection switch for detecting the phase of the cam, The cam phase detection switch is A cooking appliance that outputs a signal to stop the motor's operation when it detects that the phase of the cam has reached a given set phase.

7. In the heating appliance described in claim 6, Includes an operating unit that detects the opening operation of the door section, The aforementioned motor is When the operating unit determines that it has detected the opening operation, it starts rotating the cam. The cam phase detection switch described above is A cooking appliance that outputs a signal to stop the motor's operation when it detects a phase indicating that the cam has completed one rotation.

8. In the heating appliance according to claim 1 or 2, The second part is, The inclined surface has a diameter that decreases in the direction of rotation as it moves away from the pivot point. A cooking appliance in which, when the lock lever member rotates in the first direction from the locked state, the door hook comes into contact with the door hook so that the door hook slides along the inclined surface toward the tip of the second portion.

9. In the heating appliance according to claim 1 or 2, The aforementioned lock lever member is A cooking appliance having a third portion that extends in a direction away from the pivot point, is positioned in a second direction opposite to the first direction relative to the second portion, and contacts the cam.

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