Heating Regulator

Abstract

To provide a light-weight grill plate excellent in thermal conductivity for a heating object in a cooker for heating a grill plate in which a heating object such as a food material is put.SOLUTION: A cooker includes: a housing 42 having an opening 42a in the front; a grill plate 44 having a bottom part and an annular side wall part erected from an outer peripheral edge of the bottom part that slides on the inner surface of the housing 42, and is put into / taken out of the housing 42 through the opening 42a; and a heater 62 arranged in the housing 42 so as to be positioned below the grill plate 44 for heating the grill plate 44. The grill plate 44 is made of a material whose main component is iron, has the thickness between 0.3 mm and 0.6 mm, and is provided with a fluorine coating layer on the surface.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a cooking appliance. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a cooking device in which a grill tray on which food (a target to be heated) is placed is heated by heaters arranged above and below the grill tray. The grill tray is inserted into and removed from a housing in which two heaters are installed by sliding on the inner surface of the housing. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-3493 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the case of the cooking device of Patent Document 1, the lower heater heats the heating object on the grill plate through the grill plate. Therefore, it is preferable that the grill plate has high thermal conductivity to the heating object. Also, considering that the grill plate slides on the inner surface of the housing, it is preferable that the grill plate is lightweight.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to realize a grill plate that has high thermal conductivity to the heating object and is lightweight, in a heating cooker that heats a grill plate on which a heating object such as food is placed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, a housing having an opening at the front; a grill pan having a bottom and an annular side wall extending from the outer periphery of the bottom, the grill pan sliding on the inner surface of the housing to be inserted into and removed from the housing through the opening; a heater disposed within the housing so as to be positioned below the grill pan, the heater heating the grill pan; The grill pan is made of a material containing iron as a main component, has a thickness of between 0.3 mm and 0.6 mm, and is provided with a fluorine coating layer on the surface thereof, thereby providing a cooking appliance. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, in a cooking device that heats a grill plate on which a heating object such as food is placed, it is possible to realize a grill plate that has high thermal conductivity to the heating object and is lightweight. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a cooking device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; [Figure 2] Exploded perspective view of a cooking device [Figure 3] An exploded perspective view of an induction heating unit in a cooking appliance. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a grill unit in a cooking appliance; [Figure 5] A perspective view of the inner case with upper and lower heaters, seen from diagonally above the front [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the inner case with a grill tray disposed between the upper and lower heaters; [Figure 7] Top view of the inner case with the grill tray placed between the upper and lower heaters [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a heater support member for a lower heater; [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of a heater support member for a lower heater; [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a top view of the heater support member supporting the lower heater. [Figure 11] Perspective view of the inner case with the lower heater removed, seen from diagonally above the front [Figure 12] A perspective view showing the top surface of the grill pan [Figure 13] A perspective view showing the underside of the grill pan [Figure 14] Grill plate top view [Figure 15] Cross-sectional view of the grill pan taken along line AA shown in Figure 14 [Figure 16] Cross-sectional view of the grill pan taken along line BB shown in Figure 14 [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a top view of a grill pan in a cooking device according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] A cooking device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a housing having an opening at the front, a bottom and an annular side wall extending from the outer periphery of the bottom, a grill pan that slides along the inner surface of the housing and is inserted and removed from the housing through the opening, and a heater that is positioned within the housing below the grill pan and heats the grill pan, the grill pan being made of a material primarily composed of iron, having a thickness between 0.3 mm and 0.6 mm, and having a fluorine coating layer on its surface.

[0010] According to this aspect, in a cooking device that heats a grill plate on which a heating object such as food is placed, it is possible to realize a grill plate that has high thermal conductivity to the heating object and is lightweight.

[0011] For example, the bottom of the grill pan may include a raised portion that protrudes upward at a distance from the side wall portion and on which the object to be heated is placed, and the top surface of the raised portion may be at least partially inclined downward from the central portion to the outer portion.

[0012] For example, the top surface of the raised portion may be flat, and multiple grooves may be formed on the flat top surface, with the depth of each of the multiple grooves increasing from the central portion of the top surface toward the outer portions.

[0013] For example, the width of each of the plurality of grooves may increase from the central portion toward the outer portion of the top surface.

[0014] For example, the top surface may be rectangular, and the plurality of grooves may extend in diagonal directions of the rectangular top surface.

[0015] For example, the width of the valley between the front end of the raised portion and the front portion of the side wall portion may be larger than the width of the valley between the rear end of the raised portion and the rear portion of the side wall portion, and when viewed from above, the valley between the front end of the raised portion and the front portion of the side wall portion may be distant from the heater.

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0017] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a cooking device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the cooking device. Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of an induction heating unit in the cooking device. Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a grill unit in the cooking device. Note that the XYZ Cartesian coordinate system shown in the figures is intended to facilitate understanding of the embodiment of the present disclosure and does not limit the embodiment of the present disclosure. The X-axis direction indicates the front-rear direction of the cooking device, the Y-axis direction indicates the left-right direction, and the Z-axis direction indicates the height direction.

[0018] 1 and 2, in this embodiment, the cooking device 10 has an induction heating unit 20 and a grill unit 40. The grill unit 40 is attached to the lower part of the induction heating unit 20.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 3, the induction heating unit 20 of the cooking appliance 10 has a housing 22 and a top plate unit 24 disposed above the housing 22.

[0020] 3, the housing 22 of the induction heating unit 20 is a metal housing that is open at the top. The housing 22 is disposed below the top plate unit 24 and supports the top plate unit 24 from below.

[0021] The top plate unit 24 includes a top plate 26 on which a cooking container containing an object to be heated is placed, and a top frame 28 that supports the top plate 26. The top plate 26 is a plate-shaped member made of, for example, heat-resistant glass. The top frame 28 is a frame-shaped member that supports the top plate 26 and is supported by the housing 22. An operation unit 30 is provided on the front portion of the top frame 28.

[0022] The induction heating unit 20 also has a plurality of heating coil units 32A, 32B, and 32C that inductively heat a cooking vessel placed on the top plate 26 of the top plate unit 24.

[0023] Heating coil units 32A, 32B, and 32C are disposed within housing 22. Each of heating coil units 32A, 32B, and 32C inductively heats a cooking vessel placed above it on top plate 26. The heating output of heating coil units 32A, 32B, and 32C is adjusted by a user via operation unit 30.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 2, grill unit 40 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped housing 42 with an opening 42a on the front side, and a grill pan 44 that can be inserted into and removed from housing 42 via opening 42a.

[0025] 4, in this embodiment, the housing 42 has a dual structure with an opening 42a facing forward. Specifically, the housing 42 includes an outer case 46 that opens forward and upward, an inner case 48 that is disposed within the outer case 46 and opens forward and upward, a top cover 50 that is attached to the upper end of the inner case 48, and a front cover 52 that has the opening 42a and is attached to the front ends of the outer case 46 and the inner case 48.

[0026] Grill pan 44 is a heat-resistant plate on which food or other objects to be heated are placed. As will be described in detail later, grill pan 44 is configured to be removable and retractable within the interior space of housing 42, specifically the space defined by inner case 48 and top cover 50. In this embodiment, an attachment 56 to which a front panel 54 is detachably attached is provided at the front end of grill pan 44. A grip portion 54a that a user can grasp is provided at the bottom of front panel 54. The user moves front panel 54 in the front-to-rear direction (X-axis direction) to insert or remove grill pan 44 into or from housing 42. When grill pan 44 is stored within housing 42, front panel 54 closes opening 42a of housing 42 (i.e., front cover 52), as shown in FIG. 1 .

[0027] An upper heater 60 and a lower heater 62 for heating the heating target on the grill pan 44 are provided within the housing 42 .

[0028] Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the inner case provided with an upper heater and a lower heater, as seen obliquely from above and front. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the inner case with a grill pan placed between the upper heater and the lower heater. Fig. 7 is a top view of the inner case with a grill pan placed between the upper heater and the lower heater.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 5 , the upper heater 60 and the lower heater 62 are linear heaters extending in a loop shape from one end to the other end, and in this embodiment, they are, for example, sheathed heaters. In this embodiment, the upper heater 60 and the lower heater 62 extend forward from the rear wall portion 48a of the inner case 48 in a serpentine manner, then turn back and extend again in a serpentine manner toward the rear wall portion 48a. The upper heater 60 and the lower heater 62 are spaced apart in the height direction (Z-axis direction). As a result, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 , when the grill pan 44 is stored in the housing 42, the upper heater 60 is located above the grill pan 44, and the lower heater 62 is located below the grill pan 44. A heating object placed on the grill pan 44 is heated directly by the upper heater 60 and indirectly by the grill pan 44 heated by the lower heater 62. The heating outputs of the upper heater 60 and the lower heater 62 are adjusted by the user via an operation unit 30 provided on the top plate unit 24 of the induction heating unit 20 .

[0030] An exhaust duct 48b is provided on the rear wall 48a of the inner case 48. As shown in Fig. 3, the exhaust duct 48b is connected to the exhaust port 28a formed in the top frame 28 via an intermediate duct 34 provided in the housing 22 of the induction heating unit 20. Steam and other gases generated by heating the heating target on the grill pan 44 with the upper heater 60 and the lower heater 62 are exhausted to the outside of the grill unit 40 through this exhaust duct 48b.

[0031] In this embodiment, the upper heater 60 extends from one end 60a in a serpentine manner forward, then turns back and extends again in a serpentine manner backward. The upper heater 60 is supported by the rear wall 48a of the inner case 48 so as to fit along the top cover 50 of the housing 42, and is also supported by two heater support members 64, 66. The rear wall 48a has through holes (not shown) through which the one end 60a and the other end 60b of the upper heater 60 pass. The upper heater 60 also includes a holding plate 68 that holds the one end 60a and the other end 60b. The holding plate 68 is fixed to the rear wall 48a, thereby fixing the upper heater 60 to the rear wall 48a.

[0032] One heater support member 64 extends diagonally forward from an upper portion of the left wall portion 48c of the inner case 48. The other heater support member 66 extends diagonally forward from an upper portion of the right wall portion 48d of the inner case 48. The heater support members 64, 66 each have a hook portion 64a, 66a at the tip thereof for hooking and supporting the upper heater 60.

[0033] In this embodiment, the lower heater 62 extends from one end 62a in a serpentine manner toward the front, then turns back and extends again in a serpentine manner toward the rear. In particular, in this embodiment, the lower heater 62 extends in a gourd shape when viewed from above (as viewed in the Z-axis direction), as shown in FIG. 7 . This gourd shape allows the lower heater 62 to uniformly heat the entire grill pan 44, i.e., the central portion and the outer portions equally. Furthermore, in the central region (region A10 indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 10 ) of the lower heater 62 that serpentines and protrudes inward, the lower heater 62 extends obliquely from the rear toward the center, narrowing inward, and then extends obliquely from the center toward the front, widening outward. Therefore, stress load is more easily distributed than when the lower heater 62 serpentines and bends at right angles multiple times in region A10. Furthermore, assembly is easy because the diagonally extending linear portions 62c, 62d can be supported by first and second support arm portions 70b, 70c, which will be described later. The lower heater 62 is supported by the rear wall portion 48a so as to fit along the bottom surface 48e of the inner case 48, and is also supported by a single heater support member 70. The rear wall portion 48a has through holes (not shown) through which one end portion 62a and the other end portion 62b of the lower heater 62 pass. A holding plate 72 that holds the one end portion 62a and the other end portion 62b is fixed to the rear wall portion 48a.

[0034] Fig. 8 is a front perspective view of the heater support member for the lower heater. Fig. 9 is a rear perspective view of the heater support member for the lower heater. Fig. 10 is a top view of the heater support member supporting the lower heater. Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the inner case with the lower heater removed, as seen diagonally from above and front.

[0035] 8 to 11, the heater support member 70 for the lower heater 62 includes a support column 70a extending from the inner surface of the housing 42, and first and second support arm portions 70b, 70c extending in different directions from the support column 70a. In this embodiment, the heater support member 70 is made of an elastically deformable material, such as a thin metal plate.

[0036] 5, the support post 70a of the heater support member 70 is fixed to the bottom surface 48e of the inner case 48 with screws 74. The first support arm 70b extends leftward from the support post 70a, and the second support arm 70c extends rightward from the support post 70a.

[0037] In this embodiment, the first and second support arms 70b and 70c are provided at their respective tips with heater gripping portions 70d and 70e for gripping the lower heater 62. In this embodiment, the heater gripping portions 70d and 70e are recessed notches that clamp the gripped portions 62c and 62d of the lower heater 62 in the up-down direction (Z-axis direction) so that they can move outward. The notched portions of the heater gripping portions 70d and 70e are tapered, widening toward the tips. Because the lower heater 62 is supported at two locations by the heater support member 70, as shown in FIG. 10 , the lower heater 62 extends to surround the support column 70a of the heater support member 70 at a distance.

[0038] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first and second support arm portions 70b, 70c are leaf spring-shaped and flexible in the front-to-rear direction (X-axis direction) of the housing 42. As a result, the lower heater 62 is urged toward the rear wall portion 48a by the first and second support arm portions 70b, 70c and clamped thereto, thereby suppressing the generation of scraping noise caused by the lower heater 62 vibrating on the first and second support arm portions 70b, 70c. Furthermore, when the lower heater 62 thermally expands, the first and second support arm portions 70b, 70c deflect and absorb the amount of thermal expansion. For this reason, the portions 62c, 62d of the lower heater 62 supported by the heater support member 70 extend forward and away from the support column 70a. This limits the forward movement of the lower heater 62 supported by the heater support member 70.

[0039] Furthermore, the first and second support arms 70b, 70c each have an elongated hole 70f, 70g extending from the support post 70a toward the tip. The elongated holes 70f, 70g penetrate the housing 42 in the front-to-rear direction (X-axis direction). These elongated holes 70f, 70g allow the user to view the portion of the housing 42 behind the first and second support arms 70b, 70c. This makes it easier for the user to wipe and clean the portion of the housing 42 behind the first and second support arms 70b, 70c.

[0040] In this embodiment, the width of each of the elongated holes 70f, 70g increases with increasing distance from the support post 70a. This disperses stress generated in the first and second support arms 70b, 70c more than if the elongated holes 70f, 70g extended with a constant width. As a result, the first and second support arms 70b, 70c flex and deform overall without localized flexure.

[0041] To facilitate wiping and cleaning, in this embodiment, the support posts 70a of the heater support member 70 extend from the protrusions 48f provided on the bottom surface 48e of the inner case 48, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 11. This separates the first and second support arms 70b, 70c from the bottom surface 48e, making it easier for the user to wipe and clean the bottom surface 48e located below the first and second support arms 70b, 70c. Furthermore, the female threaded holes 48g and engagement holes 48h required for attaching the heater support member 70 to the inner case 48 are formed on the protrusions 48f. As a result, oil and other liquids are prevented from leaking out of the inner case 48 via the female threaded holes 48g and engagement holes 48h.

[0042] From here on, details of the grill pan 44 that is disposed between the upper heater 60 and the lower heater 62 and heated will be described.

[0043] Fig. 12 is a perspective view showing the top of the grill pan. Fig. 13 is a perspective view showing the bottom of the grill pan. Fig. 14 is a top view of the grill pan. Fig. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the grill pan taken along line AA in Fig. 14. Fig. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the grill pan taken along line BB in Fig. 14.

[0044] As shown in FIGS. 12 to 16, grill pan 44 is made of a material primarily composed of iron, has a thickness t between 0.3 mm and 0.6 mm, and is provided with a fluorine coating layer on its surface. An iron-based material is a material containing 90% or more iron, such as steel. For example, grill pan 44 is formed by press-molding and bending a steel plate (pre-coated steel plate) with a uniform thickness between 0.3 mm and 0.6 mm and a fluorine coating on its surface. When grill pan 44 is made from pre-coated steel plate, different coating layers can be formed on the two surfaces, resulting in a grill pan 44 with different coating layers on the top and bottom. The fluorine coating layer also provides grill pan 44 with abrasion resistance and stain resistance.

[0045] Furthermore, grill pan 44 is made of a material primarily composed of iron and has a thickness t between 0.3 mm and 0.6 mm, which provides thermal conductivity to the heating object on grill pan 44 and is lightweight. When grill pan 44 is made of a material primarily composed of iron, a thicker thickness increases the thermal conductivity from grill pan 44 heated by lower heater 62 to the heating object on grill pan 44, but also increases the weight. The increased weight increases the friction between grill pan 44 and the inner surface of housing 42 (in the present embodiment, the inner surface of inner case 48) along which grill pan 44 slides.

[0046] Specifically, in this embodiment, grill pan 44 is placed on and slides over support surfaces 48i, 48j of inner case 48, as shown in Figures 5 and 11. If grill pan 44 is heavy, friction between grill pan 44 and support surfaces 48i, 48j increases, causing wear on at least one of grill pan 44 and support surfaces 48i, 48j. For this reason, grill pan 44, which is made primarily of iron, has a thickness of between 0.3 mm and 0.6 mm to reduce weight.

[0047] 13, grill pan 44 has legs 44b, 44c that protrude downward from bottom 44a. Legs 44b, 44c come into contact with support surfaces 48i, 48j of inner case 48. As a result, the contact surface area of ​​grill pan 44 that comes into contact with support surfaces 48i, 48j is reduced, thereby reducing the frictional force generated between support surfaces 48i, 48j and grill pan 44. Protruding stopper portions 48k are provided on the front portions of support surfaces 48i, 48j to come into contact with legs 44b, 44c and prevent grill pan 44 from falling off housing 42.

[0048] 5 and 11, in inner case 48, support surfaces 48i, 48j that support grill pan 44 are disposed on both sides of bottom surface 48e in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction), and are disposed at a higher position (i.e., a position closer to top cover 50) than bottom surface 48e on which lower heater 62 is provided. This allows lower heater 62 to be disposed below grill pan 44.

[0049] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 11 , in the inner case 48, a sloped surface 48m is provided between the bottom surface 48e and the support surface 48i, and a sloped surface 48n is provided between the bottom surface 48e and the support surface 48j. The sloped surface 48m extends leftward and upward from the bottom surface 48e toward the support surface 48i. The sloped surface 48n extends rightward and upward from the bottom surface 48e toward the support surface 48j. The lower heater 62 is disposed between these sloped surfaces 48m and 48n. Therefore, heat radiated leftward and rightward from the lower heater 62 is reflected by the sloped surfaces 48m and 48n and reaches the lower heater 62. As a result, the heating efficiency of the lower heater 62 for the grill pan 44 is improved.

[0050] These sloped surfaces 48m, 48n improve the heating efficiency of the lower heater 62, but also make it easier for oil or other liquids spilled from the grill pan 44 onto the support surfaces 48i, 48j to flow toward the bottom surface 48e, i.e., the heater support member 70. To address this issue, recesses 48p for collecting spilled liquids are formed in each of the support surfaces 48i, 48j. In this embodiment, each of the recesses 48p is a groove extending in the front-to-rear direction (the X-axis direction). For the same reason, in this embodiment, a recess 48q is also formed in the portion of the bottom surface 48e forward of the support column 70a of the heater support member 70.

[0051] As shown in Figures 12 to 15, grill pan 44 has a generally rectangular shape when viewed from above (when viewed in the Z-axis direction). Grill pan 44 also has an annular side wall 44d that stands upright from the outer periphery of its bottom 44a. Bottom 44a of grill pan 44 protrudes upward at a distance from side wall 44d and includes a raised portion 44e on which an object to be heated is placed. Liquids such as oil that flows out from the object to be heated collect in an annular valley 44f between side wall 44d and raised portion 44e.

[0052] Note that a portion of the liquid, such as oil, accumulated in the valley portion 44f between the side wall portion 44d and the raised portion 44e is heated by the lower heater 62 and vaporized. The vaporized liquid adheres to the inner surface of the housing 42, resulting in contamination of the inner surface of the housing 42. To address this issue, as shown in FIG. 15, the width W1 of the front portion 44i of the valley portion 44f between the front end of the raised portion 44e and the front portion of the side wall portion 44d is larger than the width W2 of the front portion 44j of the valley portion 44f between the rear end of the raised portion 44e and the rear portion of the side wall portion 44d. As a result, the liquid, such as oil, accumulated in the valley portion 44f is concentrated in the front portion 44i of the valley portion 44f. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7, the front portion 44i of the valley portion 44f is separated from the lower heater 62 when viewed from above (in the Z-axis direction). Such valley portions 44f prevent liquids such as oil that accumulate in valley portions 44f from evaporating. Furthermore, width W1 of front portion 44i of valley portion 44f between the front end of protrusion 44e and the front portion of side wall portion 44d is larger than width W2 of front portion 44j of valley portion 44f between the rear end of protrusion 44e and the rear portion of side wall portion 44d. This means that the portion on which the object to be heated is placed (i.e., protrusion 44e) is located at the rear portion of grill pan 44, preventing the user from accidentally touching a hot object to be heated when removing grill pan 44.

[0053] When the grill pan 44 is stored in the housing 42 (i.e., when the front panel 54 closes the opening 42a of the housing 42), as shown in FIG. 7, the raised portion 44e is located above the lower heater 62. Furthermore, when viewed from above (in the Z-axis direction), the lower heater 62 is positioned within the contour of the raised portion 44e. Therefore, a temperature difference occurs between the central portion of the raised portion 44e, which is close to the lower heater 62, and the outer portion, which is far from the lower heater 62. In particular, the grill pan 44 has a low thermal capacity due to its thin wall thickness, which makes it prone to large temperature differences (i.e., heat tends to move to the outside of the raised portion 44e rather than being distributed throughout the entire interior of the raised portion 44e). Such a temperature difference can result in uneven cooking of the heated object.

[0054] To reduce the temperature difference within the raised portion 44e of the grill pan 44 on which the object to be heated is placed, the top surface 44g of the raised portion 44e is at least partially inclined downward from the center toward the outer portion. That is, at least a part of the outer portion of the top surface 44g is close to the lower heater 62 located below the raised portion 44e.

[0055] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 15, top surface 44g of raised portion 44e of grill pan 44 is flat. Therefore, in order to reduce the temperature difference within raised portion 44e, a plurality of grooves 44h are formed in flat top surface 44g, as shown in Fig. 14.

[0056] The grooves 44h are aligned parallel to one another and formed in the top surface 44g of the raised portion 44e of the grill pan 44. As shown in FIG. 16, the depth D of each of the grooves 44h increases from the center of the top surface 44g toward the outer edges. These grooves 44h bring at least a portion of the outer edge of the top surface 44g closer to the lower heater 62 located below the raised portion 44e. As a result, the temperature difference within the raised portion 44e of the grill pan 44 is reduced.

[0057] 14, each of the grooves 44h is formed so that its width W3 increases from the center of the top surface 44g toward the outer edges. This brings a larger portion of the outer edges of the top surface 44g of the raised portion 44e closer to the lower heater 62 located below the raised portion 44e. As a result, the temperature difference within the raised portion 44e of the grill pan 44 is further reduced.

[0058] In the present embodiment, the plurality of grooves 44h extend in diagonal directions of the substantially rectangular top surface 44g as shown in Fig. 14. However, the extension direction of the plurality of grooves 44h is not limited to this, and various directions are possible.

[0059] FIG. 17 is a top view of a grill pan in a cooking device according to another embodiment.

[0060] In a grill pan 144 of a cooking device according to another embodiment shown in FIG. 17, a plurality of grooves 144h extend in the short direction (Y-axis direction) of a top surface 144g in a rectangular shape of a raised portion 144e.

[0061] In this way, the extension direction of the grooves formed on the top surface of the raised portion of the grill pan is not limited. Furthermore, the extension directions of the grooves may be different from each other. For example, the grooves may extend radially from the center of the top surface toward the outer edges.

[0062] According to the present embodiment as described above, in a heating cooker that heats a grill plate on which a heating object such as food is placed, it is possible to realize a grill plate that has high thermal conductivity to the heating object and is lightweight.

[0063] Although the present disclosure has been described above with reference to the above-mentioned embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0064] For example, in the above-described embodiment, as shown in Fig. 2, the cooking device 10 is composed of an induction heating unit 20 and a grill unit 40. However, the embodiment of the present disclosure is not limited to this. The cooking device may be composed of a grill unit alone.

[0065] That is, the heating cooker according to the embodiment of the present disclosure broadly comprises a housing having an opening at the front, a bottom and an annular side wall extending from the outer peripheral edge of the bottom, a grill pan that slides along the inner surface of the housing and is inserted and removed from the housing through the opening, and a heater that is positioned within the housing below the grill pan and heats the grill pan, the grill pan being made of a material primarily composed of iron, having a thickness of between 0.3 mm and 0.6 mm, and having a fluorine coating layer on its surface.

[0066] The grill pan of the cooking device according to the above-described embodiment is made of a material primarily composed of iron. However, some of the following advantages of the grill pan in the above-described embodiment can also be achieved with a grill pan made of a material not primarily composed of iron. Furthermore, in the cooking device according to the above-described embodiment, the grill pan slides on the inner surface of the housing to be inserted and removed from the housing. However, some of the following advantages of the grill pan in the above-described embodiment can also be achieved with a grill pan supported on slidable rails and inserted and removed from the housing by sliding the rails. Below, we will list the advantages that can be achieved when the grill pan is made of a material not primarily composed of iron, such as aluminum, or when the grill pan is supported on rails, and the configuration of the grill pan for achieving these advantages.

[0067] The grill pan's bottom protrudes upward at a distance from the sidewall and includes a raised portion on which the object to be heated is placed, and the top surface of the raised portion slopes downward at least partially from the center to the outer portion. This configuration reduces the temperature difference between the center portion of the raised portion close to the heater and the outer portion farther from the heater, thereby preventing uneven cooking of the object to be heated.

[0068] The top surface of the raised portion is flat, and multiple grooves are formed on the flat top surface, with the depth of each groove increasing from the center to the outer portions of the top surface. With this configuration, even if the top surface of the raised portion is flat, it is possible to obtain the effect of reducing the temperature difference between the center portion of the raised portion close to the heater and the outer portions far from the heater. This effect makes it possible to suppress uneven baking of the heated object.

[0069] The width of each of the grooves increases from the center of the top surface to the outer edges. This configuration reduces the temperature difference between the center of the protrusion, which is closer to the heater, and the outer edges, which are farther from the heater, even if the top surface of the protrusion is flat. This effect prevents uneven heating of the heated object.

[0070] The top surface of the raised portion is rectangular, and the grooves extend diagonally across the rectangular top surface. This configuration can further reduce the temperature difference between the central portion of the raised portion close to the heater and the outer portion far from the heater, compared to when the grooves extend only in one of the short and long directions of the rectangular top surface.

[0071] The width of the valley between the front end of the raised portion and the front portion of the side wall is larger than the width of the valley between the rear end of the raised portion and the rear portion of the side wall, and the valley between the front end of the raised portion and the front portion of the side wall is distant from the heater when viewed from above. This configuration has the effect of suppressing a portion of the liquid such as oil that has accumulated in the valley from being heated by the heater and vaporizing. As a result, the vaporized liquid is prevented from adhering to and contaminating the inner surface of the housing. [Industrial Applicability]

[0072] The present disclosure is applicable to a cooking device that houses a grill pan, on which an object to be heated, such as food, is placed, within a housing, and heats the grill pan with a heater disposed within the housing. [Explanation of symbols]

[0073] 42 Cabinet 42a aperture 44 Grill Plate 62 Heater

Claims

1. a housing having an opening at the front; a grill pan having a bottom and an annular side wall extending from the outer periphery of the bottom, the grill pan sliding on the inner surface of the housing to be inserted into and removed from the housing through the opening; a heater disposed within the housing so as to be positioned below the grill pan, the heater heating the grill pan; a bottom portion of the grill pan including a raised portion that protrudes upward at a distance from the side wall portion and on which an object to be heated is placed; a width of a valley portion between a front end of the protruding portion and a front portion of the side wall portion is larger than a width of a valley portion between a rear end of the protruding portion and a rear portion of the side wall portion; When viewed from above, a valley portion between a front end of the raised portion and a front portion of the side wall portion is spaced apart from the heater.

2. A heating cooker as described in claim 1, wherein the top surface of the raised portion is at least partially inclined downward from the central portion to the outer portion.

3. The top surface of the protrusion is flat, A plurality of grooves are formed on the planar top surface, The cooking device according to claim 2 , wherein the depth of each of the plurality of grooves increases from the central portion of the top surface toward the outer portion thereof.

4. The cooking device according to claim 3 , wherein the width of each of the plurality of grooves increases from the central portion of the top surface toward the outer portion thereof.

5. The top surface is rectangular, The cooking device according to claim 3 , wherein the plurality of grooves extend in diagonal directions of the rectangular top surface.

6. A heating cooker as described in claim 1, wherein the grill plate is made from a material whose main component is iron, has a thickness between 0.3 mm and 0.6 mm, and is provided with a fluorine coating layer on the surface.

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