Cooking utensils

Abstract

To provide cooking utensils that can accommodate the shape of ingredients. [Solution] The stove 10 according to the present disclosure comprises a stove body 20 formed in a rectangular shape in a top view and opening upward, an inner box 30 disposed inside the stove body 20 and opening upward, and a fire bed 40 formed in a rectangular shape in a top view and disposed inside the inner box 30, which houses a heating element for heating food, and the fire bed 40 can be arranged in either a first state in which the long side direction of the fire bed 40 is the short side direction of the stove body 20, or a second state in which the long side direction of the fire bed 40 is the long side direction of the stove body 20.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure mainly relates to a cooking appliance used for cooking food outdoors.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a cooking appliance (for example, a barbecue grill) including a heating element container. The heating element container includes a substantially rectangular parallelepiped-shaped container portion capable of accommodating a heating element, a top plate provided at the upper end of the container portion, a support portion extending vertically downward from the lower end of the container portion, and a substantially rectangular-shaped reflector movably fixed to both side surfaces of the container portion. The four side surfaces of the container portion are all substantially square to substantially rectangular. The reflectors are provided at opposing positions on both side surfaces in the longitudinal direction of the container portion. The reflectors are inclined at approximately 45° with respect to the opposing side surfaces of the container portion when the folding members are open. The publication illustrates a barbecue grill including a heating element container in which the reflector is formed to have substantially the same length as the length in the longitudinal direction of the container portion.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, when heating food, oil droplets containing an oil component in the food drop from the food. For example, when heating meat on a net, the oil droplets of the meat fall onto the heating element in the container placed under the net. When the oil droplets come into contact with the heating element, a large amount of smoke is generated, which is not preferable. Therefore, when baking food that generates oil droplets during heating, it may be baked at a position avoiding the upper part of the container portion.

[0005] In the barbecue grill (cooking appliance) described in Patent Document 1, the housing section (heating element housing section) is fixedly provided, so the area of ​​the food-placing surface of the grill on the top surface of the cooking appliance, excluding the area above the heating element housing section, has a fixed shape. For this reason, when grilling food that produces oil droplets when heated, it is difficult to accommodate the shape (including size and length) of the food. For example, when grilling long food that produces oil droplets when heated, a long area is required in a position that avoids the heating element housing section, and when grilling food with a large surface area, a wide area is required in a position that avoids the heating element housing section, but it is difficult to accommodate these with the barbecue grill (cooking appliance) described in Patent Document 1.

[0006] Therefore, this disclosure aims to provide cooking utensils that can accommodate the shape of food ingredients. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, the cooking appliance of the first aspect of the present invention comprises a stove body formed in a rectangular shape in a top view and opening upward, an inner box disposed inside the stove body and opening upward, and a heating element housing section formed in a rectangular shape in a top view and disposed inside the inner box for housing a heating element for heating food, wherein the heating element housing section can be arranged in either a first state in which the direction of the long side of the heating element housing section is the direction of the short side of the stove body, or a second state in which the direction of the long side of the heating element housing section is the direction of the long side of the stove body.

[0008] A second aspect of the present invention is a cooking appliance according to the first aspect, wherein the inner box is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from above, and is arranged inside the stove body such that the direction of the long side of the inner box is the direction of the long side of the stove body, and the length of the heating element housing in the direction of the long side is set such that in the first state, the outer surfaces on both sides in the direction of the long side of the heating element housing are close to or in contact with the inner surfaces on both sides in the direction of the short side of the inner box.

[0009] A third aspect of the present invention is a cooking utensil according to the first or second aspect, wherein the four side surfaces of the inner box are inclined with respect to the vertical direction such that they widen outward as they move upward.

[0010] A fourth aspect of the present invention is a cooking utensil according to the first or second aspect, wherein the side surfaces on both sides in the long-side direction of the heating element housing are inclined with respect to the vertical direction such that they widen outward as they move upward. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide cooking utensils that can accommodate the shape of food ingredients. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of a stove according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of the first state, showing the stove in Figure 1 with the food placement rack omitted. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III in Figure 2. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view of the inner box. [Figure 5] This is a three-view drawing of the inner box. [Figure 6] This is a perspective view of the fire pit. [Figure 7] This is a side view of the fire pit. [Figure 8] This is a perspective view of the stove in its second state. [Figure 9] This is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IX-IX in Figure 8. [Figure 10] This is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow XX in Figure 8. [Figure 11] This is an explanatory diagram of the first and second states. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. In each figure, UP indicates the upward direction, X indicates the long-side direction of the stove body, Y indicates the short-side direction of the stove body, A indicates the long-side direction of the fire grate, and B indicates the short-side direction of the fire grate. The long-side direction of the stove body is a direction that intersects (is orthogonal to) the vertical direction. The short-side direction of the stove body is a direction that intersects (is orthogonal to) both the vertical direction and the long-side direction of the stove body. The long-side direction of the fire grate is a direction that intersects (is orthogonal to) the vertical direction. The short-side direction of the fire grate is a direction that intersects (is orthogonal to) both the vertical direction and the long-side direction of the fire grate. In the following description, in order to distinguish between the long-side direction and the short-side direction of the stove body and the long-side direction and the short-side direction of the fire grate, the long-side direction of the stove body is referred to as the "X direction", the short-side direction of the stove body is referred to as the "Y direction", the long-side direction of the fire grate is referred to as the "A direction", and the short-side direction of the fire grate is referred to as the "B direction".

[0014] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a stove according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a first state showing the state where the food placement net is omitted from the stove of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow III-III of FIG. 2. In FIGS. 2 and 3, the food placement net 23 is illustrated by a two-dot chain line.

[0015] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a stove (cooking appliance) 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a stove body 20, an inner box 30, and a fire grate (heating element housing portion) 40.

[0016] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the stove body 20 is a rectangular parallelepiped box with an open top surface. That is, the stove body 20 has a rectangular shape in a top view and is formed in a box shape that opens upward. The stove body 20 is made of a heat-resistant metal. The stove body 20 has a substantially rectangular main body bottom plate portion 20a and four main body side plate portions 20b to 20e that stand up from the outer edge of the main body bottom plate portion 20a, and functions as an outer box. A plurality of ventilation holes 21 through which air can be taken in are provided in the four main body side plate portions 20b to 20e. The plurality of ventilation holes 21 also contribute to the weight reduction of the stove body 20. Note that no opening is provided in the main body bottom plate portion 20a of the present embodiment.

[0017] An opening 22 is provided at the upper part of the stove body 20. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a food placement net 23 is detachably provided in the opening 22. A support portion 24 for supporting the food placement net 23 and an inner box 30 described later is provided at the inner edge portion of the opening 22.

[0018] The stove body 20 of the present embodiment is provided with a handle portion 25 for gripping during carrying. The handle portion 25 is formed by bending a metal rod-shaped member into a substantially U shape. Both ends of the handle portion 25 are bent in a direction approaching each other. Handle support portions 26 for rotatably supporting both ends of the handle portion 25 are provided at the upper end portions of the main body side plate portions 20d and 20e constituting the short sides of the stove body 20. The handle support portion 26 of the present embodiment is formed in an opening shape, and both ends of the handle portion 25 are inserted therein. The handle portion 25 is rotatably supported by the stove body 20 about the X direction axis of the stove body 20.

[0019] Note that the configuration of the stove body 20 is not limited to the above, and it may have a rectangular shape in a top view and may be formed in a box shape that opens upward. Further, in the present embodiment, legs for supporting the stove body 20 are not provided, but this is not limited thereto, and legs for supporting the stove body 20 from below and holding it at a position higher than the ground may be provided.

[0020] The food placement net 23 is a net on which food to be cooked can be placed, is formed of heat-resistant metal, and is detachably provided on the open surface (upper surface) of the stove body 20.

[0021] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the inner box. FIG. 5 is a three-view of the inner box. FIG. 5(a) shows a side view viewed from the Y direction, FIG. 5(b) shows a side view viewed from the X direction, and FIG. 5(c) shows a plan view viewed from above. Note that in FIGS. 4 and 5, the illustration of the handle portion is omitted.

[0022] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, an inner box 30 is arranged inside the stove body 20 to receive falling objects such as food falling from the food placement net 23 and charcoal falling from the fire bed 40 (hereinafter simply referred to as "falling objects"). The inner box 30 in this embodiment is a component that can be attached to and detached from the stove body 20. The long and short sides of the inner box 30 coincide with the long and short sides of the stove body 20. That is, the inner box 30 is arranged inside the stove body 20 such that its long side is aligned with the long side of the stove body 20. The inner box 30 may also be fixedly attached to the stove body 20.

[0023] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the inner box 30 has a rectangular shape when viewed from above and is formed in a box shape that opens upward. The inner box 30 has an inner box bottom plate portion 30a and four inner box side plate portions (side portions) 30b to 30e that are integrally formed with the inner box bottom plate portion 30a so as to rise upward from the outer edge of the inner box bottom plate portion 30a. The inner box bottom plate portion 30a partitions the lower part of the internal space of the inner box 30 (hereinafter referred to as the "inner box internal space") 31. The four inner box side plate portions 30b to 30e partition the sides of the inner box internal space 31 (in a direction intersecting the vertical direction). The upper ends of the four inner box side plate portions 30b to 30e are folded back outwards, forming a flange 32. As shown in Figure 3, the flange 32 of the inner box 30 is supported from below by the support portion 24 of the stove body 20. As a result, the inner box 30 is supported by the stove body 20. In the following description, the positional relationship between the inner box 30 and the stove body 20 refers to the positional relationship when the inner box 30 is attached to the stove body 20.

[0024] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the inner box bottom plate 30a is smaller than the main body bottom plate 20a and is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from above. The long side of the inner box bottom plate 30a coincides with the long side of the stove body 20, and the short side of the inner box bottom plate 30a coincides with the short side of the stove body 20. The inner box bottom plate 30a is positioned such that, when viewed from above, its center coincides with the center of the main body bottom plate 20a. The inner box bottom plate 30a is also positioned at an upward distance from the main body bottom plate 20a (see Figure 3). As shown in Figure 3, the fire pit 40 is placed on the inner box bottom plate 30a. That is, the inner box bottom plate 30a supports the fire pit 40 from below.

[0025] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the inner box bottom plate portion 30a of this embodiment has a locking projection 33 that protrudes upward and extends in a direction intersecting the vertical direction (in this embodiment, the Y direction). The locking projection 33 of this embodiment is formed in an inverted U shape in cross-section and extends in the Y direction while protruding upward. The locking projection 33 of this embodiment is located in the center of the stove body 20 in the X direction and extends over the entire Y direction of the inner box bottom plate portion 30a.

[0026] The shape of the locking projection 33 is not limited to the inverted U-shape cross-section described above. For example, it may be a plate-shaped locking projection that protrudes upward from the inner box bottom plate 30a and extends in a direction intersecting the vertical direction. In this case, multiple plate-shaped locking projections may be provided. In this embodiment, the direction in which the locking projection 33 extends is the Y direction of the stove body 20, but it is not limited to this, and the locking projection 33 may be formed to extend in the X direction of the stove body 20. In this embodiment, the locking projection 33 is provided, but it is not limited to this, and it is not necessary to provide the locking projection 33.

[0027] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the four inner box side plates 30b to 30e each have inner box side plates 30b and 30c extending in the X direction and inner box side plates 30d and 30e extending in the Y direction. The four inner box side plates 30b to 30e are each formed in a trapezoidal shape with the upper base longer than the lower base, and the trapezoidal legs of adjacent inner box side plates 30b to 30e are connected to each other. The four inner box side plates 30b to 30e are inclined in the vertical direction so that they widen outward as they move upward from the outer edge of the inner box bottom plate 30a. The four inner box side plates 30b to 30e function as reflectors positioned around the fire pit 40 when the fire pit 40 is placed on the inner box bottom plate 30a.

[0028] In the inner box side plate portions 30b and 30c extending in the X direction, vents 34 for air intake are provided in the regions located on both sides in the Y direction of the upper surface of the locking projection 33. As shown in Figure 5(a), in this embodiment, the length in the X direction of the region where the vents 34 are provided is slightly shorter than the width (length in the X direction) L1 of the locking projection 33. Furthermore, the vertical length of the region where the vents 34 are provided is set to the length from above the upper surface of the locking projection 33 to below the upper surface of the locking projection 33. That is, the vents 34 in this embodiment are provided not only above the upper surface of the locking projection 33, but also in the region below the upper surface of the locking projection 33. The number and shape of the vents 34 are not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, four elongated vents 34 that are long in the X direction are arranged in series in the X direction to form a row, and three such rows are arranged in the vertical direction.

[0029] The upper ends of the inner box side plates 30d and 30e, which extend in the Y direction, are provided with handles 35 (see Figure 3) for gripping the inner box 30 when carrying it. In this embodiment, the handles 35 are formed by bending a metal rod-shaped member into a hat shape. Specifically, the handles 35 have a gripping portion 35a that extends in a straight line, a pair of legs 35b that bend from both ends of the gripping portion 35a and extend in a straight line in the same direction, and a pair of locking portions 35c that bend from the tips of the pair of legs 35b and extend in directions away from each other.

[0030] Two handle openings 36 for attaching a handle 35 are formed at the upper ends of the inner box side plates 30d and 30e. The two handle openings 36 are spaced apart from each other in the Y direction. One of the handle openings 36 is formed as an elongated slot in the Y direction, and the other is formed as a circular shape. The handle 35 is attached by first inserting one locking portion 35c into the circular handle opening 36 of the inner box side plates 30d and 30e from the inside, and then, while elastically deforming the handle 35, inserting the other locking portion 35c into the elongated handle opening 36 from the inside.

[0031] As shown in Figure 3, when not in use, the handle portion 35 is stored inside the handle opening 36 by its own weight, with the pair of legs 35b and locking portion 35c (excluding the gripping portion 35a) retracted into the handle opening 36. Specifically, when not in use, the gripping portion 35a of the handle portion 35 extends linearly between the handle opening 36 along the inner surfaces of the inner box side plates 30d and 30e, while the pair of legs 35b and locking portion 35c extend downward from the handle opening 36 and are positioned on the outside of the inner box 30 (inside the stove body 20).

[0032] When using the handle portion 35, grasp the grip portion 35a and pull it up. When the grip portion 35a is pulled up, the pair of legs 35b are pulled upward from the handle opening 36, and one of the locking portions 35c catches on the edge of the handle opening 36 on the outside of the inner box side plates 30d, 30e. This allows the inner box 30 to be carried by grasping the handle portion 35 (grip portion 35a).

[0033] Figure 6 is a perspective view of the firebox. Figure 7 is a side view of the firebox. Figure 8 is a perspective view of the second state, showing the stove with the food placement net omitted. Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IX-IX in Figure 8. Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XX in Figure 8. Figure 7(a) is a side view taken from direction B, and Figure 7(b) is a side view taken from direction A. In Figures 8 and 9, the food placement net 23 is shown by a dashed line.

[0034] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, a fire bed (heating element housing) 40 for housing a heating element (e.g., charcoal; not shown) for heating food is arranged inside the inner box 30 (internal space 31 of the inner box). That is, the fire bed 40 is located inside the stove body 20. The fire bed 40 is a component that can be attached to and detached from the stove body 20 and the inner box 30, and is made of a heat-resistant metal.

[0035] As shown in Figures 2 and 8, the firebox 40 can be positioned in either a first state (shown in Figure 2) where the longer side direction (direction A) of the firebox 40 is the same as the shorter side direction (direction Y) of the stove body 20, or a second state (shown in Figure 8) where the longer side direction (direction A) of the firebox 40 is the same as the longer side direction (direction X) of the stove body 20.

[0036] For example, the lower end of the firebox 40 in this embodiment is formed so that it can be locked to the locking projection 33 in either a first state or a second state, where the angles of the locking projection 33 with respect to the extension direction of the locking projection 33 (in this embodiment, the Y direction) are different when the firebox 40 is placed on the inner box bottom plate 30a. As a result, the firebox 40 can be positioned in either the first state or the second state. The first state is, as shown in Figure 2, when the long side direction (A direction) of the firebox 40 coincides with the extension direction (Y direction) of the locking projection 33 of the inner box bottom plate 30a. The second state is, as shown in Figure 8, when the long side direction (A direction) of the firebox 40 coincides with the direction (X direction) that intersects with the extension direction of the locking projection 33 of the inner box bottom plate 30a. Details of the first and second states will be described later. In this embodiment, a locking projection 33 is provided on the bottom plate portion 30a of the inner box, and the shape of the lower end of the firebox 40 is made to correspond to this, but it is not limited to this. For example, if the bottom plate portion 30a of the inner box is formed in a flat shape, the bottom surface of the firebox 40 may also be flat.

[0037] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the fire pit 40 has a rectangular shape when viewed from above and is formed in a box shape that opens upward. The fire pit 40 in this embodiment is formed by a mesh that allows air to be taken into the internal space (hereinafter referred to as the "fire pit internal space") 41 that houses the heating element. The mesh size of the mesh is set to be smaller than the heating element (for example, charcoal). The fire pit 40 has a substantially rectangular fire pit bottom surface (bottom surface) 40a that partitions the lower part of the fire pit internal space 41, a pair of fire pit side surfaces (side surfaces) 40b, 40c that partition both sides of the fire pit internal space 41 in direction A (the direction of the long side of the fire pit 40), and a pair of fire pit side surfaces 40d, 40e that partition both sides of the fire pit internal space 41 in direction B (the direction of the short side of the fire pit 40).

[0038] As shown in Figure 7, the firebox bottom surface 40a is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from above by a mesh. The length of the firebox bottom surface 40a in direction A (length of the long side) L3 is set to be slightly shorter than the length of the locking projection 33 of the inner box bottom plate 30a in direction Y L2. The length of the firebox bottom surface 40a in direction B (length of the short side) L4 is set to be slightly longer than the width (length in direction X) L1 of the locking projection 33 of the inner box bottom plate 30a.

[0039] As shown in Figure 7(b), the pair of firebed side sections 40b, 40c are formed in a rectangular shape in side view by a mesh. As shown in Figure 6, the pair of firebed side sections 40b, 40c in this embodiment are a mesh integrally molded with the firebed bottom section 40a, and extend upward from both ends in direction A of the firebed bottom section 40a, bending inwards. As shown in Figure 7(a), the pair of firebed side sections 40b, 40c in this embodiment are inclined in the vertical direction so as they widen outwards as they go upward. The outer wall surface (outer surface) 42 of the pair of firebed side sections 40b, 40c extending in the short-side direction of the firebed 40 is inclined in the vertical direction so as they widen outwards as they go upward. The inclination angle of the pair of firebed side sections 40b, 40c is set to be approximately the same as the inclination angle of the inner box side plate sections 30b, 30c extending in the X direction of the inner box 30. In other words, the length of the firebox 40 in the long-side direction is set such that in the first state, the outer wall surfaces (outer surfaces) 42 of a pair of firebox side portions 40b, 40c are close to or in contact with the inner surfaces of the inner box side plates 30b, 30c on both sides in the short-side direction of the inner box 30.

[0040] As shown in Figure 7(a), the pair of fire pit side sections 40d and 40e are formed by a mesh body in a roughly trapezoidal shape when viewed from the side. As shown in Figure 7(b), the pair of fire pit side sections 40d and 40e in this embodiment extend parallel to each other in the vertical direction. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the upper edges of the pair of fire pit side sections 40d and 40e are set to approximately the same height as the upper edges of the pair of fire pit side sections 40b and 40c. The side edges on both sides of the pair of fire pit side sections 40d and 40e in direction A are provided along the side edges of the pair of fire pit side sections 40b and 40c on both sides in direction A. That is, as shown in Figure 7(a), when viewed from direction B, the side edges on both sides of the pair of fire pit side sections 40d and 40e in direction A are inclined with respect to the vertical direction.

[0041] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, a pair of fire pit side sections 40d and 40e have a main body section 43 which is an upper region above the fire pit bottom section 40a, and a leg section 44 which is a lower region below the fire pit bottom section 40a. The main body sections 43 of the pair of fire pit side sections 40d and 40e divide both sides of the fire pit internal space 41 in direction B.

[0042] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, a pair of legs 44 protrude downward from the bottom surface 40a of the firebox and extend along direction A (the direction of the long side of the firebox 40). The amount of protrusion of the pair of legs 44 downward from the bottom surface 40a of the firebox is set to be longer than the height of the locking projection 33 of the inner box bottom plate 30a. The distance L5 between the pair of legs 44 is wider than the width L1 of the locking projection 33 of the inner box bottom plate 30a. That is, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the locking projection 33 can be positioned between the pair of legs 44 with the direction A of the firebox 40 aligned with the extension direction (Y direction) of the locking projection 33. In this embodiment, the locking projection 33 can be positioned between the pair of legs 44 with the lower ends of the pair of legs 44 in contact with the upper surface of the inner box bottom plate 30a.

[0043] As shown in Figures 6 and 7(a), each pair of legs 44 has a locking recess 45 that is recessed upward in the middle portion in direction A. The length L6 of the locking recess 45 in direction A is longer than the width L1 of the locking projection 33 of the inner box bottom plate 30a. The depth (vertical length) of the locking recess 45 is set to be longer than the height of the locking projection 33 of the inner box bottom plate 30a. That is, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the locking projection 33 can be positioned within the locking recess 45 with the direction A of the fire pit 40 aligned with the width direction (X direction) of the locking projection 33. In this embodiment, the locking projection 33 can be positioned within the locking recess 45 with the lower ends of the pair of legs 44 in contact with the upper surface of the inner box bottom plate 30a (the upper surfaces on both sides of the locking projection 33 in the X direction).

[0044] In this embodiment, the top of the fire pit 40 is open, but this is not the only option. For example, the opening above the fire pit 40 may have a lid member that can be opened and closed, or it may be formed with the top closed with a mesh or the like, and the side in direction A or B may be formed as an openable and closable door.

[0045] Next, an example of how to use the stove 10 will be explained. Figure 11 is an explanatory diagram of the first and second states. Figure 11 schematically shows the food placement net 23 as viewed from above, with (a) showing the first state and (b) showing the second state. In Figure 11, hatching has been added to the food placement area for clarity.

[0046] When grilling food that produces oil droplets during heating, the oil droplets will fall onto the heating element (such as charcoal) in the fire pit 40 placed beneath the food placement net 23. Therefore, the food should be placed in the area of ​​the food placement net 23 that avoids the area above the fire pit 40 (hereinafter referred to as the "food placement area") 23a. Alternatively, the food may be placed in a different area of ​​the food placement net 23 (the area above the fire pit 40) 23b. It is also possible to grill food that does not produce oil droplets during heating.

[0047] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, when grilling food items with a large surface area, it is desirable to have a large area for the food placement area 23a, so the first state can be used. In the first state, the locking projection 33 of the inner box bottom plate 30a is positioned between a pair of legs 44 of the fire bed 40, and the long side direction (A direction) of the fire bed 40 coincides with the extension direction (Y direction) of the locking projection 33 of the inner box bottom plate 30a. In this first state, as shown in Figure 11(a), the food placement net 23 is divided into three regions aligned in the X direction. The region 23b of the food placement net 23 above the fire bed 40 extends in the Y direction at the center in the X direction. Therefore, the food placement area 23a can be widely secured in two places on both sides of the region 23b above the fire bed 40 in the X direction.

[0048] As shown in Figure 3, in the first state, the pair of side surfaces 40b and 40c of the firebed 40 extend along the inner surfaces of the inner box side plates 30b and 30c of the inner box 30. Therefore, unlike the case where the pair of side surfaces 40b and 40c of the firebed are upright, the firebed 40 can be positioned longer in the Y direction within the stove body 20. This allows sufficient heat to be supplied to the food placement area 23a, and even to the corners of the inner box 30 included in the food placement area 23a. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the four inner box side plates 30b to 30e of the inner box 30 are inclined in the vertical direction so that they widen outward as they go upward, allowing heat to be reflected and even more sufficient heat to be supplied to the food placement area 23a (including the corners of the inner box 30).

[0049] As shown in Figures 8 to 10, when grilling long food items, it is desirable to have a longer food placement area 23a, so the second state can be used. In the second state, the locking projections 33 of the inner box bottom plate 30a are positioned within the locking recesses 45 of the pair of legs 44 of the fire bed 40, and the long side direction (direction A) of the fire bed 40 coincides with the width direction (direction intersecting the extension direction) of the locking projections 33 of the inner box bottom plate 30a. In this second state, as shown in Figure 11(b), the food placement net 23 has a region 23b above the central fire bed 40 and a food placement area 23a surrounding the region 23b. Therefore, the food placement area 23a can be secured to extend in the X direction on both sides of the fire bed 40 in the Y direction. In addition, the food placement area 23a can be secured on both sides of the fire bed 40 in the X direction.

[0050] In the second state, since the pair of firebed side sections 40b and 40c are inclined, the firebed 40 can be positioned longer in the X direction within the stove body 20, unlike when the pair of firebed side sections 40b and 40c are upright. As a result, sufficient heat can be supplied to the food placement areas 23a, which are provided on both sides of the food placement net 23 in the Y direction and are long in the X direction. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the four inner box side plates 30b to 30e of the inner box 30 are inclined in the vertical direction so that they spread outward as they go upward, so as shown by the white arrows in Figure 10, heat (infrared rays) can be reflected, and even more sufficient heat can be supplied to the food placement areas 23a.

[0051] In the stove 10 configured as described above, the fire bed 40 can be positioned in either the first or second state. Therefore, the shape and size of the food placement area 23a of the food placement net 23 can be changed, allowing it to accommodate various food shapes.

[0052] Thus, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a cooking appliance (stove 10) that can accommodate the shape of the ingredients.

[0053] Furthermore, the length of the firebox 40 in the long-side direction is set so that in the first state, the outer wall surfaces (outer surfaces) 42 of a pair of firebox side sections 40b, 40c are close to or in contact with the inner surfaces of the inner box side plates 30b, 30c on both sides in the short-side direction of the inner box 30. Therefore, when in the first state, the firebox side sections 40b, 40c of the firebox 40 can be aligned with the inner box side plates 30b, 30c, and the firebox 40 can be made longer in the Y direction. As a result, in the first state, sufficient heat can be supplied to the corners inside the inner box 30 that are included in the food placement area 23a.

[0054] Furthermore, the inner box side panels 30b to 30e of the inner box 30 are inclined in the vertical direction so that they widen outwards as they go upwards, allowing heat to be reflected upwards effectively.

[0055] Furthermore, a pair of side surfaces 40b and 40c of the firebed 40, extending in the short-side direction (direction B), are inclined vertically so as they extend upward, they widen outwards. Therefore, even if the pair of inner box side plates 30b and 30c of the inner box 30 are inclined to function as reflectors, the side surfaces 40b and 40c of the firebed 40 can be aligned with the inner box side plates 30b and 30c when in the first state, and the firebed 40 can be made longer in the Y direction. As a result, sufficient heat can be supplied to the corners inside the inner box 30 that are included in the food placement area 23a when in the first state.

[0056] Furthermore, the fire pit 40 is provided with a pair of legs 44 that protrude downward from the bottom surface 40a of the fire pit and extend along direction A (the direction of the long side of the fire pit 40), and the distance L5 between the pair of legs 44 is wider than the width L1 of the locking projection 33. In addition, the pair of legs 44 are provided with locking recesses 45 that are recessed upward, and the length L6 of the locking recesses 45 in direction A is longer than the width L1 of the locking projection 33. With this simple configuration, it is possible to lock the fire pit 33 in either the first state or the second state.

[0057] Furthermore, the inner box side plates 30b to 30e are integrally formed with the inner box bottom plate 30a to constitute the inner box 30. Therefore, the inner box 30 can function as both a support plate (inner box bottom plate 30a) that supports the firebox 40 and a reflector (inner box side plates 30b to 30e) that reflects heat, thus reducing the number of parts.

[0058] In this embodiment, the support plate portion (inner box bottom plate portion 30a) that supports the fire pit 40 and the reflector plate (inner box side plate portions 30b to 30e) that reflect heat are provided integrally, but the invention is not limited to this, and the support plate portion and the reflector plate may be provided separately.

[0059] Furthermore, in this embodiment, all four inner box side panels 30b to 30e are inclined, but this is not limited to this. Any one of the four inner box side panels 30b to 30e may be inclined, or it is not necessary to inclin all of the inner box side panels 30b to 30e in the vertical direction.

[0060] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a pair of firebed side sections 40b and 40c extending in the short-side direction of the firebed 40 are inclined, but the invention is not limited to this, and the outer wall surfaces 42 of the pair of firebed side sections 40b and 40c do not need to be inclined in the vertical direction.

[0061] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a pair of legs 44 are provided at the lower end of the firebox 40, the distance L5 between the pair of legs 44 is set to be wider than the width L1 of the locking projection 33, and the length L6 of the locking recess 45 provided on the pair of legs 44 is longer than the width L1 of the locking projection 33, but the invention is not limited to this. The lower end of the firebox 40 should be formed so that it can be locked to the locking projection 33 in either the first state or the second state, where the angles of the locking projection 33 with respect to the extending direction of the locking projection 33 are different. For example, a cross-shaped groove that can be locked to the locking projection 33 may be provided on the lower surface of the box-shaped firebox 40.

[0062] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a locking projection 33 extending in the Y direction is provided on the bottom plate portion 30a of the inner box, but the invention is not limited to this, and for example, a locking projection 33 extending in the X direction may also be provided.

[0063] The present invention has been described above based on the above embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the contents of the above embodiments, and can naturally be modified as appropriate without departing from the present invention. In other words, all other embodiments, examples, and operational techniques made by those skilled in the art based on these embodiments are, of course, included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0064] 10: Stove (cooking appliance) 20: Cooktop 30: Inner box 30b~30e: Inner box side plate (side part) 40: Firebed (heating element housing) 40b, 40c: Side part of fire bed (side part) 42:Outer wall surface (outer surface)

Claims

1. The stovetop body is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from above and opens upwards, An inner box is placed inside the main body of the stove and has an upward opening, It comprises a heating element housing section that is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from above and is located inside the inner box to house a heating element for heating food, The heating element housing can be configured in either a first state, where the longer side of the heating element housing is aligned with the shorter side of the stove body, or a second state, where the longer side of the heating element housing is aligned with the longer side of the stove body. A cooking utensil characterized by the following features.

2. The inner box is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from above, and is positioned inside the stove body such that the direction of the longer side of the inner box is the direction of the longer side of the stove body. The length of the heating element housing in the long side direction is set such that, in the first state, the outer surfaces on both sides of the heating element housing in the long side direction are close to or in contact with the inner surfaces on both sides of the inner box in the short side direction. The cooking utensil according to feature 1.

3. The four side surfaces of the inner box are inclined in the vertical direction so that they widen outwards as they move upwards. A cooking utensil according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The side surfaces on both sides of the long side of the heating element housing are inclined with respect to the vertical direction so that they widen outwards as they move upward. A cooking utensil according to claim 1 or 2.

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