Cooking appliance

Abstract

An invention relating to a cooking appliance is disclosed. The disclosed invention comprises: a locking mechanism positioned at the front of a main body to be selectively coupled with a door and restricting the movement of the door, wherein the locking mechanism comprises a locker installed on the door to change its position to a locked position coupled with a holder provided on the main body and an unlocked position in which the coupling with the holder is released, and an operating button that changes the position of the locker when pressed.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooking appliance, and more specifically, to a cooking appliance having a door for opening and closing a cooking chamber. Background Technology

[0002] Cooking appliances are household appliances installed in a kitchen space to cook food according to the user's intentions. Such cooking appliances can be classified in various ways depending on the heat source or form used, and the type of fuel.

[0003] When classifying cooking appliances according to the form in which food is cooked, they can be classified into open and closed types based on the shape of the space where the food is placed. Closed cooking appliances include ovens and microwave ovens, while open cooking appliances include cooktops and stovetops.

[0004] A sealed cooking appliance is a cooking device that shields the space where food is placed and cooks the food by heating that shielded space. In a sealed cooking appliance, a chamber, or cooking room, is provided inside the main body; this chamber is a space that is shielded when food is placed and cooked. This cooking room serves as the actual space where the food is cooked. A heat source is provided in the interior or exterior space of the cooking room to heat it.

[0005] Among sealed cooking appliances, a microwave oven is a cooking device that uses electricity to generate microwaves, penetrates the object to be cooked contained within the cooking chamber, and heats the object by causing molecular motion inside.

[0006] Microwave ovens are kitchen appliances that heat the inside and outside of food simultaneously by irradiating it with high-frequency waves from a magnetron. They are widely used due to their advantages, such as high thermal efficiency that significantly reduces cooking time, the ability to minimize nutritional loss during cooking, thawing, or reheating, and the ability to cook food directly while it remains in its container.

[0007] Such microwave ovens are typically equipped with a door for opening and closing a cooking chamber formed inside the main body. Depending on the opening and closing mechanism, the door provided in the microwave oven may be a left-right opening door, an up-down opening door, or a sliding door; among these, the most commonly used type of door is the left-right opening door.

[0008] In addition, a latch may be provided between the main body and the door to selectively secure the door that opens and closes the cooking chamber. The latch functions as a hook to maintain the closed state of the door, while also detecting the closed state of the door to prevent cooking from proceeding with the door open.

[0009] Typically, the door is not fixed in such a way that it cannot be fully opened by the above latch. That is, when a force greater than a certain amount is applied to the door while the door is closed to the cooking chamber, the door is released from the fixed state by the latch without any other operation, and accordingly, the door can rotate or slide to open the cooking chamber.

[0010] Due to the door opening and closing structure described above, the door can be easily opened when a user pulls it; therefore, the cooking chamber may often be unintentionally opened during the operation of the microwave oven due to user error or children's mischief.

[0011] If the cooking chamber opens unintentionally while the microwave is operating, there is a risk that the user may suffer injuries such as burns due to the heat inside the chamber while food is being cooked.

[0012] In addition, if children frequently open and close the door even when not cooking, the latch wears out quickly, and the worn latch may cause the door's opening and closing operation to become unstable. The problem to be solved

[0013] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a cooking appliance with an improved structure that allows the door to be reliably fixed to prevent unintended opening of the cooking chamber.

[0014] In addition, another objective of the present invention is to provide a cooking appliance with an improved structure that allows the door to be fixed and released easily and conveniently. means of solving the problem

[0015] A cooking appliance, which is an embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above objective, comprises a locking mechanism positioned at the front of the main body to restrict the movement of the door so as to be selectively coupled with the door, wherein the locking mechanism comprises a locker installed on the door that can change its position to a locked position coupled with a holder provided on the main body and an unlocked position in which the coupling with the holder is released, and an operating button that changes the position of the locker when pressed.

[0016] Here, the control button can be positioned to protrude forward or downward from the door.

[0017] Alternatively, the control button may be connected to the bottom of the rocker and protrude downward from the door.

[0018] Alternatively, at least a portion of the operation button may be spaced downward from the bottom of the door at a predetermined distance and may protrude forward of the door.

[0019] Through this, a double door locking function that automatically and securely locks the door and a function that keeps this function released can be provided together.

[0020] A cooking device according to one aspect of the present invention may include: a main body having a cooking chamber formed inside and a front opening; a door disposed at the front of the main body and rotatably coupled to the main body to open and close the cooking chamber; a latch mechanism installed on the door so as to be selectively coupled to the main body and coupled to the main body to fix the door in a closed position; and a locking mechanism disposed at the front of the door so as to be selectively coupled to the main body and coupled to the main body separately from the latch mechanism to restrict the movement of the door.

[0021] Additionally, the locking mechanism may include: a locker installed on a door capable of changing its position to a locked position coupled with a holder provided on the main body and an unlocked position in which the coupling with the holder is released; and an operating button provided to be pressable, which changes the position of the locker from the locked position to the unlocked position when pressed.

[0022] In addition, the above-mentioned operating button may be positioned to protrude forward or downward from the door.

[0023] In addition, it is preferable that the above-mentioned operating button is connected to the bottom of the above-mentioned rocker and protrudes downward from the above-mentioned door.

[0024] In addition, it is preferable that at least a portion of the above-mentioned operating button is spaced downward from the bottom of the door at a predetermined distance and protrudes forward of the door.

[0025] In addition, the above-mentioned operating button preferably includes: a connecting part that is connected to the locker inside the door and extends downward to protrude downward from the door; and a pressing part that is connected to the lower end of the connecting part and extends forward from the connecting part to protrude forward from the lower end of the door.

[0026] In addition, it is preferable that the above-mentioned operating button further includes a projection protruding upward from the front end of the pressing part.

[0027] In addition, the rocker preferably comprises: a main body portion rotatably coupled to the door around a lateral axis; a locking portion extending forward from the main body portion so as to be positioned rearward from the rotation center of the main body portion, inserted into the holder in the locked position, and coupled to the holder; and an extension portion extending from the main body portion so as to be positioned forward from the rotation center of the main body portion and connected to the operating button.

[0028] In addition, the extension part is preferably extended downward from the front end of the main body part and connected to the operating button at the bottom of the door.

[0029] In addition, the holder is preferably formed with an insertion hole penetrating in the front-rear direction, and the locking part is preferably formed in a hook shape with a rear end protruding downward and inserted into the holder through the insertion hole.

[0030] In addition, when the position of the above-mentioned rocker is the above-mentioned locked position, it is preferable that the rear end of the above-mentioned catch inserted into the above-mentioned holder is positioned lower than the above-mentioned insertion hole.

[0031] In addition, when the position of the above-mentioned locker is the above-mentioned unlocked position, it is preferable that the rear end of the above-mentioned locking part be positioned so as to overlap with the above-mentioned insertion hole in the front-rear direction.

[0032] In addition, the locking mechanism preferably further includes a bracket coupled to the door and a coupling shaft that rotatably couples the rocker to the bracket.

[0033] In addition, it is preferable that the above coupling shaft be coupled to the main body so as to be positioned between the above locking part and the above extension part.

[0034] In addition, the locking mechanism preferably further includes a fixing member fitted between the operating button and the bottom of the door.

[0035] In addition, it is preferable that the above-mentioned fixing member fixes the position of the operating button so that the position of the rocker is maintained in the unlocked position.

[0036] In addition, the present invention preferably further includes a door button configured to be pressable to selectively separate the latch mechanism from the main body.

[0037] In addition, the door button is positioned on the side of the door, and the operation button is positioned to protrude forward of the door; it is also preferable that the door button and the operation button are arranged laterally. Effects of the invention

[0038] The cooking device of the present invention can effectively prevent unintended opening of the cooking chamber during operation by ensuring that the door is reliably fixed by a locking mechanism configured to fix the door to the main body so that the door maintains a closed state of the cooking chamber.

[0039] In addition, the present invention not only provides a double door fixing function that automatically and securely fixes the door, but also provides a function that keeps the double door fixing function released when it is not needed, thereby providing the effect of enabling a function to select whether to use the double door fixing function according to the user's needs to be adopted in the cooking appliance.

[0040] In addition, the present invention can provide a two-stage locking function that requires two or more operations to be performed to open the door, and by allowing the function to be easily and conveniently released when such a two-stage locking function is unnecessary, it can provide the effect of improving both the safety and convenience of the cooking appliance.

[0041] In addition, the present invention can provide the effect of improving the safety of the cooking appliance and simultaneously improving the convenience of operation by enabling the door fixing operation of the locking mechanism for the door that closes the cooking chamber to be performed automatically without separate operation.

[0042] In addition, the present invention allows the fixing and unlocking of the door to be performed easily and conveniently, thereby suppressing frequent unnecessary opening and closing, and effectively suppressing the unstable opening and closing operation of the door caused by a latch mechanism that wears out abnormally quickly. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0043] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a cooking device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the door open state of the cooking appliance illustrated in FIG. 1. Figure 3 is an enlarged view showing a part of the cooking appliance illustrated in Figure 1. FIG. 4 is a drawing showing the installation state of a locking mechanism according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a front exploded perspective view showing the disassembled state of the locking mechanism illustrated in FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is a rear exploded perspective view showing the disassembled state of the locking mechanism illustrated in FIG. 4. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view along the line "VI-VI" of Figure 3. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the unlocked state of the locking mechanism illustrated in FIG. 7. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the unlocked state of the locking mechanism illustrated in FIG. 8. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0044] The aforementioned objectives, features, and advantages are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings, thereby enabling those skilled in the art to easily implement the technical concept of the present invention. In describing the present invention, detailed descriptions of known technologies related to the present invention are omitted if it is determined that such descriptions would unnecessarily obscure the essence of the invention. Hereinafter, preferred embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to indicate the same or similar components.

[0045] Although terms such as "first," "second," etc., are used to describe various components, it goes without saying that these components are not limited by these terms. These terms are used merely to distinguish one component from another, and unless specifically stated otherwise, the first component may also be the second component.

[0046] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but can be modified and implemented in various different forms. The embodiments provided are merely intended to ensure that the disclosure of the present invention is complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the present invention should be understood not to be limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but to include all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions that fall within the technical spirit and scope of the present invention, as well as substituting or adding the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment.

[0047] The attached drawings are intended only to facilitate understanding of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, and the technical concept disclosed in this specification is not limited by the attached drawings; rather, it should be understood that they include all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions that fall within the spirit and technical scope of the invention. In the drawings, components may be depicted as being exaggeratedly large or small in size or thickness for the sake of convenience of understanding, but the scope of protection of the invention should not be interpreted restrictively as a result thereof.

[0048] The terms used in this specification are used merely to describe specific embodiments or examples and are not intended to limit the invention. Furthermore, singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Terms such as "includes" or "consists of" in this specification are intended to indicate the existence of the features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in this specification. That is, terms such as "includes" or "consists of" in this specification should be understood as not precluding the existence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0049] Terms including ordinal numbers, such as first, second, etc., may be used to describe various components, but said components are not limited by said terms. These terms are used solely for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

[0050] When it is stated that one component is "connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that while it may be directly connected or connected to that other component, there may also be other components in between. On the other hand, when it is stated that one component is "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components in between.

[0051] When it is stated that one component is "above" or "below" another component, it should be understood that it is not only placed directly above the other component, but that another component may also exist in between.

[0052] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as generally understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology, and should not be interpreted in an ideal or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined in this application.

[0053] With the cooking appliance placed on the floor, the direction in which the door is installed is defined as the front relative to the center of the appliance. Therefore, the direction in which one opens the door and enters the interior of the appliance is the rear. For convenience, these directions facing forward and rear can be referred to as the first direction. Then, the front can be considered one side of the first direction, and the rear the other side of the first direction.

[0054] In addition, the direction of gravity can be defined as downward, and the direction opposite to the direction of gravity as upward.

[0055] Furthermore, the horizontal direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction of the cooking appliance—that is, the width direction of the cooking appliance when viewed from in front of the door—can be called the left-right direction. For convenience, the left-right direction can be referred to as the second direction. Then, the right side can be considered one side of the second direction, and the left side the other side of the second direction.

[0056] In addition, the width direction of the above cooking device may also be referred to as the lateral direction. Then, the right side can be referred to as one side of the lateral direction, and the left side as the other side of the lateral direction.

[0057] And, the aforementioned up and down directions can be referred to as the third direction. Then, the upward direction can be referred to as one side of the third direction, and the downward direction as the other side of the third direction.

[0058] In addition, the aforementioned up-and-down direction can be referred to as the vertical direction. Then, the front-back direction and the left-right direction, that is, the first direction and the second direction, can be referred to as the horizontal direction.

[0059] Throughout the specification, "A and / or B" means A, B, or A and B unless specifically stated otherwise, and "C to D" means C or more and D or less unless specifically stated otherwise.

[0060] [Overall structure of the cooking appliance]

[0061] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a cooking appliance according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the door open state of the cooking appliance illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0062] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a cooking device according to one embodiment of the present invention has an exterior formed by a main body (10). The main body (10) may be provided in a shape including a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape and may be formed of a material having a certain strength to protect a plurality of parts installed in its internal space. This main body (10) may be formed by including a cavity (11) and a cabinet (13).

[0063] The cavity (11) can form the internal frame of the main body (10). This cavity (11) can be formed in the shape of a cuboid with an open front. A cooking chamber (14) can be formed inside the cavity (11). The cooking chamber (14) can be formed in a shape corresponding to the internal shape of the cavity (11), that is, in the shape of a cuboid with an open front.

[0064] The cooking chamber (14) may be formed in the shape of a cuboid with an open front. When the cooking chamber (14) is shielded, cooking can be performed while the internal space of the cooking chamber (14) is heated. That is, in the cooking device, the internal space of the cooking chamber (14) is the space where food is actually cooked.

[0065] A cabinet (13) can form the exterior of the main body (10) on the outside of the cavity (11). This cabinet (13) can form the exterior of the main body (10) by covering the cavity (11) from the top and sides.

[0066] In this embodiment, a front plate (12) is exemplified as being placed in front of the cavity (11).

[0067] The front plate (12) can form the front exterior of the main body (10) in front of the cavity (11). As an example, the front plate (12) may be provided in the form of a hollow metal plate.

[0068] A door (20) for selectively opening and closing a cooking chamber (14) may be rotatably provided at the front of the main body (10). The door (20) may open and close the cooking chamber (14) in a side-swing manner, with the other side rotating left and right around one side. For example, the door (20) may close the cooking chamber (14) in a closed position and may open the cooking chamber (14) by rotating from the closed position.

[0069] This door (20) may be formed in the shape of a cuboid having a predetermined thickness overall. A hinge may be installed between the main body (10) and the door. The hinge may be positioned on one side of the main body (10) to rotatably connect one side of the door (20) to the main body (10). The door (20) may be rotatably connected to the hinge on the front of the main body (10) and may open and close the cooking chamber (14) by rotating around the hinge.

[0070] In addition, a cooking chamber heat source for heating within the cooking chamber (14) is provided inside the main body (10). The cooking chamber heat source may be implemented as a single type or as two or more types.

[0071] In this embodiment, the heat source for the cooking chamber is exemplified as including a magnetron capable of supplying a high-frequency heat source inside the cooking chamber (14). The magnetron may be installed inside the main body (10) and positioned at the top or side of the cooking chamber (14).

[0072] Additionally, an electrical chamber may be formed inside the main body (10), located on the upper or side of the cooking chamber (14) within the main body (10). In this embodiment, the magnetron and the electrical chamber are exemplified as being positioned on the side of the cooking chamber (14). Electrical components such as a magnetron and a high-voltage transformer may be installed inside the electrical chamber.

[0073] In addition, a control panel (15) may be provided on the front of the main body (10). The control panel (15) may be positioned on the front side of the cavity (11) and may be positioned in an area that does not overlap with the cooking chamber (14) in the front-rear direction. For example, an electrical room may be positioned on the side of the cooking chamber (14), and the control panel (15) may be positioned on the front side of the electrical room.

[0074] The control panel (15) may be formed in the shape of a cuboid having a predetermined internal space, and an input section (16) is provided on the front of the control panel (15) for inputting an operation signal for a user to operate a cooking device.

[0075] The input section (16) is provided with a plurality of operation switches, through which the user can directly input operation signals.

[0076] Additionally, the control panel (15) may be further provided with a display unit (17) that provides operation information of the door and the cooking appliance equipped therewith, or cooking information of food, and the user can check various information regarding the cooking appliance through the display unit (17).

[0077] In addition, a door button (30) may be provided on the control panel (15). The door button (30) may be positioned on the side of the door (20).

[0078] In this embodiment, the door button (30) is exemplified as being positioned below the display unit (17) and the input unit (16). This door button (30) can serve as a switch used to open the door (20).

[0079] In this embodiment, the door button (30) is exemplified as being provided in the form of a push button. In this case, when the door button (30) is pressed, the structure holding the latch mechanism described later releases the latch mechanism, allowing the door (20) to be opened.

[0080] As another example, there may be various modified embodiments of the structure related to the opening of the door (20), such as the door button (30) being provided as an electronic button, or the door (20) being provided with a structure that allows the door (20) to be opened without the door button (30).

[0081] [Structure of the door]

[0082] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view showing a part of the cooking device illustrated in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a drawing showing the installation state of a locking mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0083] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, the door (20) may include a door panel (21) that forms the frame of the door (20). The door panel (21) may be formed in a cuboid shape corresponding to the front shape of the main body (10). An opening (22) may be formed through the inner side of the door panel (21) to allow visual identification of the interior of the cooking chamber (14). In this embodiment, the door panel (21) is exemplified as being formed of a metal material having a predetermined strength.

[0084] Additionally, a door frame (25) may be installed on the outer side of the door panel (21). The door frame (25) forms the front, top, bottom, and side exteriors of the door (20) and may be formed in a cuboid shape with an open rear side. The door panel (21) may be accommodated inside the door frame (25).

[0085] In addition, a hinge that rotatably connects the door panel (21) to the main body (10) may be installed on one side of the door frame (25). Such a hinge may be installed at the upper and lower ends of one side of the door frame (25), respectively.

[0086] Meanwhile, the cooking appliance may further include a latch mechanism (40). The latch mechanism (40) may be provided to fix the door (20) in a closed position.

[0087] In this embodiment, the latch mechanism (40) is exemplified as being installed on the door (20). The latch mechanism (40) installed on the door (20) in this manner can be inserted into the interior of the main body (10) by passing through a latch slot formed to penetrate the front surface of the main body (10) when the door (20) shields the cooking chamber (14).

[0088] In this way, the latch mechanism (40) inserted into the interior of the main body (10) can selectively fix the door (20) to the main body (10) by engaging and coupling with the locking lever installed inside the main body (10).

[0089] By restricting the rotation of the door (20) relative to the main body (10) through the operation of the latch mechanism (40), the cooking chamber (14) can be substantially maintained in a state where it is shielded by the door (20). Additionally, the door (20) can be detected as closed through an operation that detects whether the latch mechanism (40) and the locking lever are engaged, and thereby the operation of the cooking device can be controlled so that cooking does not proceed with the door (20) open.

[0090] Meanwhile, the cooking device may further include a locking mechanism (100). The locking mechanism (100) can serve to fix the door (20) in a closed position together with the latch mechanism (40).

[0091] The locking mechanism (100) may be provided to secure the door (20) to the main body (10) separately from the latch mechanism (40). This locking mechanism (100) may be provided to secure the door (20), which is secured by the latch mechanism (40) while the cooking chamber (14) is closed, to the main body (10), and to secure the door (20) to the main body (10) in a closed position separately from the latch mechanism (40) at a different location from the latch mechanism (40).

[0092] The above locking mechanism (100) may be provided on the door (20) so as to be optionally coupled with the main body (10). This locking mechanism (100) is provided to be coupled with the main body (10) to restrict the movement of the door (20) when the door (20) is in a closed position, that is, when the door (20) is in a state where it has closed the cooking chamber (14).

[0093] In this embodiment, a holder (50) is installed on a front plate (12) positioned in front of a cavity (11), and a locking mechanism (100) installed on a door (20) is coupled to this holder (50).

[0094] Two large hollows may be formed in the front plate (12). The two hollows may be arranged laterally. One of them may be positioned in front of the cooking chamber, and the other may be positioned between the control panel (15) and the electrical room.

[0095] A holder (50) can be installed on the front plate (12) so as to be positioned between two hollows of the front plate (12). This holder (50) can be combined with a locking mechanism (100) installed on the door (20) to fix the door (20) to the main body (10) in a closed position.

[0096] That is, the locking mechanism (100) and the holder (50) can fix the door (20) in a closed position separately from the latch mechanism (40) by fixing the other side of the door (20) to the front plate (12).

[0097] Thus, in the cooking device of the present embodiment, the door (20) can be provided in a state where it is double-secured by the latch mechanism (40) and the locking mechanism (100). That is, in order for the door (20) to open the cooking chamber (14) in the cooking device of the present embodiment, not only must the connection between the latch mechanism (40) and the main body (10) be released, but the connection between the locking mechanism (100) and the main body (10) must also be released together.

[0098] [Structure of the Locking Mechanism]

[0099] FIG. 5 is a front exploded perspective view showing the disassembled state of the locking mechanism shown in FIG. 4, FIG. 6 is a rear exploded perspective view showing the disassembled state of the locking mechanism shown in FIG. 4, and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view along the line "VI-VI" of FIG. 3.

[0100] Referring to FIGS. 2 to 7, the locking mechanism (100) may include a rocker (110) and an operating button (120).

[0101] The locker (110) may be configured to change its position between a locked position and an unlocked position. When the position of the locker (110) is in the locked position, the locker (110) may be coupled with the holder (50). When the position of the locker (110) is in the unlocked position, the coupling between the locker (110) and the holder (50) may be released.

[0102] The rocker (110) may include a main body (111) and a locking part (113).

[0103] The main body (111) forms the frame of the rocker (110) and can be provided in the form of a plate extending in the front and rear directions. This main body (111) can be combined with the door (20) inside the door (20).

[0104] For example, the main body (111) can be coupled to the door frame (25) inside the door (20). This main body (111) can be rotatably coupled to the side of the door frame (25). Accordingly, the main body (111) can be rotatably coupled to the door (20) around a lateral axis.

[0105] The locking portion (113) may be positioned at the rear of the main body portion (111). This locking portion (113) may be formed in a shape extending rearward from the main body portion (111) so as to be positioned at the rearward center of rotation of the main body portion (111). That is, the locking portion (113) may be formed in the shape of a projection protruding rearward from the door (20) toward the main body (10).

[0106] When the locker (110) is in a locked position, the locking part (113) is inserted into the holder (50) and can be coupled with the holder (50). And the holder (50) may be provided with an insertion hole (50a) for inserting the locking part (113).

[0107] The insertion hole (50a) can be formed to penetrate in the front-rear direction on the inner side of the holder (50). And the catch portion (113) can be inserted into the holder (50) through this insertion hole (50a).

[0108] The catch portion (113) may be formed in a hook shape with a rear end protruding downward. This catch portion (113) may be inserted into the holder (50) through the insertion hole (50a) and coupled to the holder (50) in a manner that hooks onto the back surface of the holder (50).

[0109] When the position of the rocker (110) is in a locked position, the rear end of the locking part (113) inserted into the holder (50) may be positioned below the insertion hole (50a). In this state, the locking part (113) may be coupled with the holder (50) in a manner that the locking part (113) is caught on the back surface of the holder (50).

[0110] That is, when the position of the rocker (110) is in a locked position, the back surface of the locking part (113) and the holder (50) come into contact in the front and rear directions, and the connection between the locking part (113) and the holder (50) is formed, so that the forward movement of the locking part (113) can be restricted by the holder (50).

[0111] Additionally, when the locker (110) is in an unlocked position, the rear end of the locking part (113) inserted into the holder (50) may be positioned so that it overlaps with the insertion hole (50a) in the front-rear direction. In this state, the locking part (113) may not be caught on the holder (50) and may be disengaged forward from the holder (50).

[0112] That is, when the position of the locker (110) is in the unlocked position, the connection between the locking part (113) and the holder (50) is released, so that the locking part (113) can move forward without being inserted into the holder (50).

[0113] A catch portion (51) may be provided in the holder (50). The catch portion (51) may be positioned at the lower part of the insertion hole (50a). The catch portion (51) is formed to extend from the front to the rear of the holder (50) and may define the lower boundary of the insertion hole (50a).

[0114] When the position of the rocker (110) is in a locked position, the rear end of the locking part (113) inserted into the holder (50) may be positioned lower than the insertion hole (50a). In this state, the locking part (113) may be coupled with the holder (50) in a manner that the locking part (113) is caught on the rear end of the locking part (51).

[0115] The above-mentioned catch portion (51) can form an inclined surface that slopes upward as it moves from the front side to the rear side of the holder (50). Correspondingly, the bottom surface of the catch portion (113) facing the catch portion (51) can also form an inclined surface parallel to the catch portion (51).

[0116] When the rocker (110) is inserted into the holder (50), the locking part (113) can move toward the insertion hole (50a) along the inclined surface of the locking end (51). That is, the movement of the rocker (110) for coupling the rocker (110) and the holder (50) can be effectively induced by the locking end (51).

[0117] And when the rocker (110) and the holder (50) are combined, the locking part (113) is firmly caught on the rear end of the locking section (51), and the connection between the rocker (110) and the holder (50) can be firmly maintained.

[0118] The rocker (110) may further include an extension (115). The extension (115) may be positioned in front of the main body (111). This extension (115) may extend from the main body (111) so as to be positioned in front of the rotation center of the main body (111).

[0119] The extension portion (115) may be formed in a shape extending downward from the front end of the main body portion (111). This extension portion (115) may be connected to an operation button (120) at the bottom of the door (20). In this embodiment, the main body portion (111), the locking portion (113), and the extension portion (115) are exemplified as being connected in a "Γ" shape.

[0120] The locking mechanism (100) may further include a bracket (130) and a connecting shaft (135). The bracket (130) is provided to connect the locker (110) to the door (20) and can be connected to the door (20).

[0121] For example, the bracket (130) may be formed in a shape in which the first connecting surface (131) and the second connecting surface (132) are connected. The first connecting surface (131) may form a plane parallel to the side of the door frame (25), and the second connecting surface (132) may form a plane in a different direction from the first connecting surface (131).

[0122] The rocker (110) can be connected to the first connecting surface (131), and the bracket (130) can be connected to the door frame (25) through the second connecting surface (132). That is, the connection between the bracket (130) and the rocker (110) and the connection between the bracket (130) and the door frame (25) can be made in different directions.

[0123] This is to ensure that the fastening member for joining the bracket (130) and the door frame (25) does not interfere with the rotation of the rocker (110) or make it difficult to join the bracket (130) and the rocker (110).

[0124] In addition, since the connection between the bracket (130) and the rocker (110) and the connection between the bracket (130) and the door frame (25) are made in different directions, the fastening work to connect the bracket (130) and the door frame (25) can be easily performed without being hindered by the rocker (110).

[0125] The coupling shaft (135) can rotatably connect the rocker (110) to the bracket (130). This coupling shaft (135) can be coupled to the main body (111) so as to be positioned between the locking part (113) and the extension part (115). The coupling shaft (135) can be laterally coupled to the rocker (110) and the first coupling surface (131). The rocker (110) can rotate around the coupling shaft (135).

[0126] The operation button (120) may be provided to be pressable. The pressable operation button (120) can change the position of the locker (110) from a locked position to an unlocked position. This operation button (120) may be positioned to protrude forward or downward from the door (20).

[0127] In this embodiment, the operation button (120) is exemplified as being positioned to protrude downward and forward from the door (20). As an example, the operation button (120) may be connected to the bottom of the locker (110) and protrude downward from the door (20).

[0128] Additionally, at least a portion of the operating button (120) may be spaced downward from the bottom of the door (20) at a predetermined distance and may protrude forward of the door (20). This operating button (120) may include a connecting portion (121) and a pressing portion (123).

[0129] The connecting portion (121) can be connected to the locker (110) inside the door (20). This connecting portion (121) can be extended downward from the locker (110) and protrude to the bottom of the door (20). Specifically, the connecting portion (121) can be extended downward from the bottom of the extension portion (115) so as to protrude to the bottom of the door (20).

[0130] The pressing portion (123) can be connected to the lower end of the connecting portion (121) at the bottom of the door (20). This pressing portion (123) can be extended forward from the connecting portion (121) so that it can protrude from the bottom of the door (20) to the front of the door (20).

[0131] The user can operate the operation button (120) by pressing the pressing part (123) protruding from the bottom of the door (20) toward the front of the door (20) as described above. When the locking mechanism (100) locks the door (20) so that the door (20) cannot be opened, and the operation button (120) is operated as described above, the position of the locker (110) changes from a locked position to an unlocked position, and accordingly, the locked state of the door (20) by the locking mechanism (100) can be released.

[0132] Additionally, the operation button (120) may further include a protrusion (125). The protrusion (125) may protrude upward from the front end of the pressing part (123). This protrusion (125) may contribute to making the operation of pressing the operation button (120) easy and reliable.

[0133] [Action and Effect of Locking Members]

[0134] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the unlocked state of the locking mechanism illustrated in FIG. 7, and FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the functional release state of the locking mechanism illustrated in FIG. 8.

[0135] Hereinafter, the operation and effects of the cooking device according to the present embodiment will be explained with reference to FIGS. 2 to 9.

[0136] Referring to FIGS. 2 to 7, when the door (20) is in a state where it is closing the cooking chamber (14), the door (20) can be fixed to the main body (10) by a latch mechanism (40; see FIG. 2). At the same time, the door (20) can be fixed to the main body (10) by a locking mechanism (100) combined with a holder (50).

[0137] That is, in the cooking device of the present embodiment, the door (20) with the cooking chamber (14) closed can be double-secured to the main body (10) by a latch mechanism (40) and a locking mechanism (100).

[0138] When the position of the rocker (110) is in a locked position, the rocker (110) can be coupled with the holder (50). The coupling between the rocker (110) and the holder (50) can be formed such that the locking part (113) is engaged with the rear end of the locking section (51).

[0139] In this state, when the door (20) is double-fixed to the main body (10) by the latch mechanism (40) and the locking mechanism (100), the door (20) cannot open the cooking chamber (14) by releasing the fixed state between the latch mechanism (40) and the main body (10). In order for the door (20) to open the cooking chamber (14) in the above state, the release of the fixed state between the latch mechanism (40) and the main body (10) and the release of the fixed state between the locking mechanism (100) and the main body (10) must be performed together.

[0140] That is, in order for the door (20) to open the cooking chamber (14), as shown in FIG. 8, the connection between the locking mechanism (100) and the main body (10), more specifically the connection between the locker (110) and the holder (50), must first be released.

[0141] To do this, the user can press the control button (120) to move the control button (120) downward. When the control button (120) is pressed downward in this way, the position of the locker (110) can change from a locked position to an unlocked position.

[0142] Accordingly, as the rocker (110) rotates around the lateral axis, the locking part (113) can be moved upward. The locking part (113) moved upward in this manner can be disengaged from being caught on the rear end of the locking section (51) and positioned in a location that overlaps with the insertion hole (50a) in the front-rear direction.

[0143] That is, when the position of the locker (110) is in the unlocked position, the connection between the locking part (113) and the holder (50) is released, so that the locking part (113) can move forward without being inserted into the holder (50).

[0144] Accordingly, the connection between the locking mechanism (100) and the main body (10) is released, and the door (20) can be maintained in a fixed state only by the connection between the latch mechanism (40) and the main body (10).

[0145] As described above, when the locking mechanism (100) and the door (20) are released from their fixed state, the door button (30) is pressed, and accordingly, when the connection between the latch mechanism (40) and the main body (10) is released, the door (20) can rotate forward to open the cooking chamber (14).

[0146] In this way, after the door (20) opens the cooking chamber (14), when the force pressing the operating button (120) is released, the position of the rocker (110) returns to the locked position. This return of the rocker (110) may be achieved by the weight of the rocker (110) which is positioned so that the center of gravity is shifted toward the rear side, or by an elastic member that provides an elastic force to push or pull the rear side of the rocker (110) downward, or by an elastic member that provides an elastic force to push or pull the front side of the rocker (110) upward.

[0147] In this embodiment, the return of the rocker (110) is exemplified by an elastic member (117) that pulls the rear side of the rocker (110) downward.

[0148] Additionally, when the door (20) is rotated toward the rear to close the cooking chamber (14) again, the locking part (113) can move along the inclined surface toward the insertion hole (50a) and be reconnected with the holder (50). At this time, the connection between the rocker (110) and the holder (50) can be automatically achieved simply by rotating the door (20) toward the rear without any separate operation.

[0149] As described above, when the locker (110) automatically returns to the locked position, the door (20) rotates back to the rear side to close the cooking chamber (14), the locking of the door (20) by the locking mechanism (100) can be resumed without any separate operation of the locking mechanism (100).

[0150] That is, in the cooking device of the present embodiment, the door (20) in a fixed state by the locking mechanism (100) is released by only the pressing operation of the operating button (120), and the door (20) locking by the locking mechanism (100) can be resumed without any separate operation.

[0151] Accordingly, the cooking device of the present embodiment can provide the effect of not only allowing the fixing and unfixing of the door (20) to prevent unintended opening of the cooking chamber (14) to be done easily and conveniently, but also allowing the door (20) to be fixed automatically and safely without any separate operation.

[0152] In addition, the locking mechanism (100) of the present embodiment can prevent the door (20) from being opened and closed frequently and unnecessarily by making it easy and convenient to fix and release the door (20).

[0153] The cooking appliance of the present embodiment equipped with such a locking mechanism (100) can effectively prevent the opening and closing operation of the door (20) from becoming unstable due to the latch mechanism wearing out abnormally quickly.

[0154] In addition, in this embodiment, the door button (30) is positioned on the side of the door (20), and the operation button (120) is positioned to protrude forward from the door (20), and the door button (30) and the operation button (120) may be arranged laterally. At this time, the door button (30) is positioned on the control panel (15), and the operation button (120) may be positioned on the other side of the door (20) adjacent to the control panel (15).

[0155] In this way, the door button (30) and the control button (120) are exposed in the same direction (direction toward the front of the cooking appliance) and are positioned adjacent to each other, so that two operations for opening the door (20) can be performed easily and conveniently.

[0156] That is, by arranging the door button (30) and the operation button (120) as described above, the user may be able to operate the door button (30) and the operation button (120) together with one hand, and thus two operations for opening the door (20) can be performed easily and conveniently.

[0157] Meanwhile, the locking mechanism (100) may further include a fixing member (140). The fixing member (140) can be used to unlock the locking function of the door (20) using the locking mechanism (100).

[0158] For example, the fixing member (140) may be provided to be inserted between the operating button (120) and the bottom of the door (20). This fixing member (140) can be inserted between the operating button (120) and the bottom of the door (20) while the operating button (120) is pressed, thereby restricting the movement of the operating button (120) so that the operating button (120) cannot return upward.

[0159] That is, the fixed member (140) can restrict the movement of the rocker (110) so that the posture of the rocker (110) cannot be changed by restricting the upward movement of the pressed operating button (120).

[0160] Accordingly, the locker (110) can be maintained in an unlocked position, and the locking mechanism (100) can be maintained in a function-released state in which the fixation with the door (20) is released.

[0161] That is, the locking mechanism (100) of the present embodiment not only provides a double door fixing function that automatically and securely fixes the door (20), but also allows the double door fixing function to remain in a released state when it is not needed.

[0162] Thus, the cooking appliance of this embodiment can provide a function that allows the user to select whether to use the double door locking function according to their needs, such as enabling the double door locking function to be released in places where the double door locking function is unnecessary, like a house without children.

[0163] Although the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings, this is merely illustrative, and those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and equivalent alternative embodiments are possible therefrom. Accordingly, the true technical scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the claims below. Explanation of the symbols

[0164] 10 : Main body 11 : Cavity 12: Front plate 13 : Cabinet 14 : Kitchen 15 : Control Panel 16 : Input section 17 : Display section 20 : Door 21 : Door panel 22 : Open window 25 : Door frame 30 : Door button 40 : Latch mechanism 50 : Holder 50a : Insertion hole 51 : Hanging block 100 : Locking mechanism 110 : Locker 111 : Main body 113 : Hook 115 : Extension part 120 : Control button 121 : Connection part 123 : Pressing part 125 : Protrusion 130 : Bracket 131 : First joining surface 132 : Second connecting surface 135 : Connecting shaft 140 : Fixing member

Claims

Claim 1 A cooking device comprising: a main body having a cooking chamber formed inside and a front opening; a door disposed at the front of the main body and rotatably coupled to the main body to open and close the cooking chamber; a latch mechanism installed on the door so as to be selectively coupled to the main body and coupled to the main body to fix the door in a closed position; and a locking mechanism disposed at the front of the door so as to be selectively coupled to the main body and coupled to the main body separately from the latch mechanism to restrict the movement of the door; wherein the locking mechanism comprises: a locker installed on the door capable of changing its position to a locked position coupled to a holder provided on the main body and an unlocked position in which the coupling with the holder is released; and an operating button provided to be pressable, which changes the position of the locker from the locked position to the unlocked position when pressed; and wherein the operating button is disposed to protrude forward or downward from the door. Claim 2 In claim 1, the operating button is a cooking device connected to the bottom of the locker and protruding downward from the door. Claim 3 A cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the operating button is spaced downward from the bottom of the door at a predetermined distance and protrudes forward of the door. Claim 4 A cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein the operating button comprises: a connecting part connected to the locker inside the door and extending downward to protrude downward from the door; and a pressing part connected to the lower end of the connecting part and extending forward from the connecting part to protrude forward from the lower end of the door. Claim 5 In paragraph 4, the above-mentioned operating button further comprises a projection protruding upward from the front end of the pressing part, in a cooking device. Claim 6 A cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein the rocker comprises: a main body portion rotatably coupled to the door about a lateral axis; a locking portion extending forward from the main body portion so as to be positioned rearward from the rotational center of the main body portion, inserted into the holder in the locked position, and coupled to the holder; and an extension portion extending from the main body portion so as to be positioned forward from the rotational center of the main body portion and connected to the operating button. Claim 7 In paragraph 6, the extension part extends downward from the front end of the main body part and is connected to the operating button at the bottom of the door. Claim 8 A cooking device according to claim 6, wherein the holder has an insertion hole formed to penetrate in the front-rear direction, the locking part is formed in a hook shape with a rear end protruding downward, is inserted into the holder through the insertion hole, and when the position of the rocker is the locked position, the rear end of the locking part inserted into the holder is positioned lower than the insertion hole, and when the position of the rocker is the unlocked position, the rear end of the locking part is positioned at a location where it overlaps with the insertion hole in the front-rear direction. Claim 9 In claim 6, the locking mechanism further comprises a bracket coupled to the door and a coupling shaft that rotatably couples the rocker to the bracket, and the coupling shaft is coupled to the main body so as to be positioned between the locking part and the extension part. Claim 10 In claim 1, the locking mechanism further comprises a fixing member fitted between the operating button and the bottom of the door, and the fixing member fixes the position of the operating button so that the position of the locker is maintained in the unlocked position. Claim 11 A cooking appliance according to claim 1, further comprising a door button configured to be pressable to selectively separate the latch mechanism from the main body, wherein the door button is positioned on the side of the door, the operating button is positioned to protrude forward of the door, and the door button and the operating button are arranged laterally.

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