Cooking appliance

Abstract

A cooking appliance according to the idea of the present invention comprises: a cabinet; a cooking chamber which is disposed inside the cabinet and in which food is cooked; a temperature sensor which is disposed outside the cooking chamber and which senses the temperature of the food cooked inside the cooking chamber; and a blowing unit provided to suck air in from outside the cooking chamber and allow the sucked-in air to flow toward the temperature sensor, wherein the cooking chamber includes a sensing hole provided to allow the temperature sensor to sense the temperature of the food cooked inside the cooking chamber, the temperature sensor includes a detection unit that detects information about the food cooked inside the cooking chamber through the sensing hole, and a processing unit that processes the information detected by the detection unit, the blowing unit includes a first flow path provided such that a first portion of the sucked-in air moves to the processing unit to remove heat generated in the processing unit, and a second flow path provided such that a second portion of the sucked-in air flows between the sensing hole and the food cooked inside the cooking chamber so as to prevent steam generated from the food from flowing into the sensing hole.

Description

Cooking appliances

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a cooking appliance, and more particularly, to a cooking appliance having an improved structure capable of measuring the temperature of food.

[0002] A microwave oven is a kitchen appliance that uses high-frequency waves to heat both the inside and outside of food simultaneously. Because microwave ovens offer high thermal efficiency, they significantly reduce cooking time and minimize nutritional loss during cooking, defrosting, and reheating. Furthermore, they are widely used for their advantages, such as allowing food to be cooked directly from its container.

[0003] Microwave ovens are designed to operate for a preset time. However, it can be difficult to determine the cooking level of the food during operation. Therefore, the cooking status can only be checked after the preset time has elapsed. To prevent overcooking or undercooking of food after the preset time has elapsed, the microwave oven's operating time needs to be adjusted based on the temperature of the food being cooked.

[0004] One aspect of the present invention provides a cooking device capable of measuring the temperature of food during cooking.

[0005] The technical problems to be achieved in this document are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention belongs from the description below.

[0006] A cooking appliance according to the invention comprises a cabinet, a cooking chamber disposed inside the cabinet and in which food is cooked, a temperature sensor disposed outside the cooking chamber and sensing the temperature of food to be cooked inside the cooking chamber, and a blower unit configured to suck in air outside the cooking chamber and allow the sucked air to flow toward the temperature sensor, the cooking chamber includes a sensing hole configured to allow the temperature sensor to sense the temperature of food to be cooked inside the cooking chamber, the temperature sensor includes a sensing unit configured to sense the temperature of food to be cooked inside the cooking chamber through the sensing hole, and a processing unit configured to process information sensed by the sensing unit, and the blower unit includes a first flow path configured to allow a first portion of the sucked air to flow to the processing unit and remove heat generated in the processing unit, and a second flow path configured to allow a second portion of the sucked air to flow between the sensing hole and food to be cooked inside the cooking chamber and prevent water vapor generated from the food from flowing into the sensing hole.

[0007] A cooking appliance according to one embodiment of the present invention can efficiently measure the temperature of food being cooked by efficiently removing moisture remaining between a temperature sensor that measures the temperature of food inside a cooking chamber of the cooking appliance and the food.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a drawing showing the installation state of a microwave oven according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0009] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the microwave oven illustrated in Figure 1.

[0010] Fig. 3 is an exploded view showing some components of the microwave oven illustrated in Fig. 1.

[0011] Figure 4 is a drawing showing the temperature sensor and blower unit of the microwave oven illustrated in Figure 1.

[0012] Figure 5 is a drawing showing the temperature sensor and blower unit of the microwave oven illustrated in Figure 1 in an exploded view.

[0013] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the temperature sensor and blower unit of the microwave oven illustrated in Figure 1.

[0014] Figure 7 is a drawing showing the circulation unit of the microwave oven illustrated in Figure 1.

[0015] Figure 8 is a drawing showing the disassembled circulation unit of the microwave oven illustrated in Figure 1.

[0016] Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the circulation unit of the microwave oven illustrated in Fig. 1.

[0017] Fig. 10 is a schematic drawing showing the air circulation inside the cabinet of the microwave oven shown in Fig. 1.

[0018] Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a temperature sensor and a blower unit of a microwave oven according to one embodiment.

[0019] It should be understood that the various embodiments and terms used in this document are not intended to limit the technical features described in this document to specific embodiments, but rather to include various modifications, equivalents, or substitutes of the embodiments.

[0020] In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar or related components.

[0021] The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or more of said items, unless the relevant context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0022] In this document, each of the phrases "A or B", "at least one of A and B", "at least one of A or B", "A, B, or C", "at least one of A, B, and C", and "at least one of A, B, or C" may include any one of the items listed together in that phrase, or all possible combinations thereof.

[0023] The term “and / or” includes any combination of a plurality of related described elements or any one of a plurality of related described elements.

[0024] Terms such as "first," "second," or "first" or "second" may be used simply to distinguish one component from another and do not qualify the components in any other respect (e.g., importance or order).

[0025] When a component (e.g., a first component) is referred to as being "coupled" or "connected" to another component (e.g., a second component), with or without the terms "functionally" or "communicatively," it means that the component can be connected to the other component directly (e.g., wired), wirelessly, or through a third component.

[0026] The terms “include” or “have” are intended to specify the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part or combination thereof described in this document, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts or combinations thereof.

[0027] When a component is said to be “connected,” “coupled,” “supported,” or “in contact with” another component, this includes not only cases where the components are directly connected, coupled, supported, or in contact, but also cases where the components are indirectly connected, coupled, supported, or in contact through a third component.

[0028] When we say that a component is "on" another component, this includes not only cases where the component is in contact with the other component, but also cases where there is another component between the two components.

[0029] Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0030] Fig. 1 is a drawing showing the installation state of a microwave oven according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the microwave oven shown in Fig. 1.

[0031] As an example, the following description uses a microwave oven (1) with a hood as an example among cooking appliances, but is not limited thereto and can also be applied to a general microwave oven (1) without a hood function.

[0032] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a microwave oven (1) can be installed on top of another cooking appliance (3). This microwave oven (1) can be installed on a wall to perform a hood function and can be called a wall-mounted microwave oven or OTR (Over The Range). Hereinafter, the microwave oven (1) may refer to a microwave oven with a hood function as a microwave oven (1). However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the microwave oven (1) described below can also be applied to a microwave oven that does not have a hood function and can be installed in various ways without being installed on top of or on a wall of another cooking appliance (3).

[0033] The microwave oven (1) includes a cabinet (100) that forms the exterior. The cabinet (100) can also be defined as the main body of the microwave oven (1).

[0034] The cabinet (100) can be positioned above the cooking appliance (3), and its rear surface can be attached and fixed to a wall. However, this is not limited to the above, and the side of the cabinet (100) or the upper surface of the cabinet can be attached and fixed to a wall. In addition, depending on the user's choice, the microwave oven (1) can be attached to a wall and used as a wall-mounted microwave oven, or can be used while placed on an installation surface.

[0035] The cabinet (100) may include a cabinet cover (111) forming the upper surface and both sides of the cabinet (100), and a hood plate (112) forming the lower surface of the cabinet (100) and having a cabinet inlet (112a) formed therein to introduce exhaust gas generated from the cooking device (3). The cabinet (100) may include a frame (120) forming the skeleton of the cabinet (100) and dividing a cooking chamber (30), a power compartment (40), and an upper space (50) to be described later.

[0036] The cabinet (100) may include a back plate (113) forming the back of the cabinet (100). The cabinet cover (111), the hood plate (112), the frame (120), and the back plate (113) may be provided separately, or some or all of them may be provided as one piece.

[0037] A microwave oven (1) may include a cooking chamber (30) with an open front so that food can be placed inside, and an electrical appliance chamber (40) formed outside the cooking chamber (30) and in which various electrical appliances are installed.

[0038] The microwave oven (1) may include an upper space (50) formed on the outer upper part of the cooking chamber (30) and in which a blower unit (200), a circulation unit (300) and a hood fan (70) to be described later are arranged.

[0039] The cooking chamber (30), the electric chamber (40), and the upper space (50) can each be partitioned by a frame (120). Specifically, the exterior of the microwave oven (1) can be formed by the cabinet cover (111), the hood plate (112), at least a portion of the frame (120), and the rear plate (113), and the cooking chamber (30), the electric chamber (50), and the upper space (50) can be formed inside the exterior.

[0040] A door (10) hinged on one side may be installed on the front of the cabinet (100) so that the cooking chamber (30) can be opened and closed. The door (10) may shield the front of the cooking chamber (30) with the front open. A tray (not shown) on which food can be placed may be provided inside the cooking chamber (30), and a motor may be installed under the tray so that the food can rotate together with the tray.

[0041] A control panel (20) that can select the microwave power or operating time according to the amount of food to be cooked can be combined on the front of the cabinet (100).

[0042] For example, the control panel (20) may be placed at the rear of the door (10) so as to be covered by the door (10) when the door (10) is closed, but is not limited thereto, and the control panel (20) may be placed next to the door (10) so as to be exposed to the outside even when the door (10) is closed.

[0043] For example, the control panel (20) may be provided as a touch screen.

[0044] For example, the control panel (20) may be arranged on the door (10) to move together with the door (10) and form at least a portion of the exterior of the door (10).

[0045] A hood passage (60) can be formed inside the cabinet (100) through which air containing exhaust gas sucked in through the cabinet inlet (112a) flows.

[0046] One end of the hood euro (60) may be connected to the cabinet inlet (112a), and the other end of the hood euro (60) may be connected to the cabinet outlet (115) provided in the cabinet (100).

[0047] Accordingly, when air containing exhaust gas from outside the microwave oven (1) is introduced through the inlet (112a), it can flow along the hood passage (60) inside the cabinet (100) and be discharged back to the outside of the microwave oven (1) through the cabinet discharge port (115).

[0048] The position of the cabinet outlet (115) is not limited, and for example, the cabinet outlet (115) can be connected to an additional duct that connects from the inside where the microwave oven (1) is placed to the outside.

[0049] The microwave oven (1) may include a hood fan (70) that is provided to form an airflow inside the hood passage (60) for the hood function. The hood fan (70) may be installed inside the cabinet (100). The hood fan (70) may be positioned on the hood passage (60). Specifically, the hood fan (70) may be positioned on the upper space (50) of the hood fan (70), and preferably, may be positioned at the rear of the upper space (50).

[0050] The hood fan (70) may include a cross-flow fan or a sirocco fan, but is not limited thereto and may include other types of fans.

[0051] The hood fan (70) can suck outside air containing exhaust gas generated from the cooking appliance (3) into the cabinet (100), and blow the sucked air through the cabinet outlet (115) so that the sucked air can flow through the hood passage (60) and reach the cabinet outlet (115) so that it can be discharged back to the outside of the microwave oven (1).

[0052] The microwave oven (1) may include a blower duct (61) forming a part of a hood passage (60) connecting a hood fan (70) and a cabinet outlet (115). Specifically, the hood passage (60) provided inside the blower duct (61) may have its upper side covered by a cabinet cover (111), and the hood passage (60) provided inside the blower duct (61) may be formed by the blower duct (61) and the upper surface of the cabinet (100). The blower duct (61) may be arranged on the upper space (50).

[0053] A filter may be placed inside the ventilation duct (61) to filter the air flowing by the hood fan (70). A filter may be placed on the ventilation path (60).

[0054] Below, the temperature sensor (300), the blower unit (200), and the circulation unit (400) are described in detail.

[0055] FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a part of the microwave oven illustrated in FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a temperature sensor and a blower unit of the microwave oven illustrated in FIG. 1, FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the temperature sensor and the blower unit of the microwave oven illustrated in FIG. 1, FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the temperature sensor and the blower unit of the microwave oven illustrated in FIG. 1, FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a circulation unit of the microwave oven illustrated in FIG. 1, FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the circulation unit of the microwave oven illustrated in FIG. 1, and FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the circulation unit of the microwave oven illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0056] In the case of a microwave oven (1), the microwave oven (1) can be operated by setting a cooking time based on a predetermined time according to the characteristics of the food (F) by simultaneously heating the inside and outside of the food (F) by irradiating high frequency waves to cook it.

[0057] Users input a cooking time into the microwave oven based on the nature of the food and operate the microwave for that amount of time. However, because it is difficult to determine the cooking status of the food while the microwave is running, users can only check the cooking status of the food after the input cooking time has elapsed. However, after the input cooking time has elapsed, the food may be overcooked or undercooked, reducing convenience.

[0058] To prevent this, a sensor that senses the temperature of food being cooked inside the cooking chamber may be included. The sensor can measure the surface temperature of the food and roughly predict the cooking status of the food, but a problem occurs in which the sensor cannot accurately sense the temperature of the surface of the food due to steam generated inside the cooking chamber through the food while it is being cooked, thereby reducing the reliability of the sensor.

[0059] A microwave oven (1) according to one embodiment may include a blower unit (200) to minimize errors in sensing caused by water vapor when a temperature sensor (300) senses the surface temperature of a food (F).

[0060] The blower unit (200) can be provided to minimize the water vapor flowing between the temperature sensor (300) and the food (F) so that the temperature sensor (300) can accurately sense the surface temperature of the food (F).

[0061] The blower unit (200) may be provided to suck in air from outside the cabinet (100) and allow the sucked air to flow between the temperature sensor (300) and the food (F), and to remove water vapor from between the temperature sensor (300) and the food (F) along with the flowing air so that the temperature sensor (300) can accurately sense the surface temperature of the food (F).

[0062] A microwave oven (1) according to one embodiment may include a circulation unit (200) to minimize errors in sensing caused by water vapor when a temperature sensor (300) senses the surface temperature of a food (F).

[0063] The circulation unit (200) can be provided to minimize the water vapor flowing between the temperature sensor (300) and the food (F) so that the temperature sensor (300) can accurately sense the surface temperature of the food (F).

[0064] The circulation unit (400) can be arranged to suck in air inside the cooking chamber (30) and discharge the air toward the food (F) so that the steam around the food (F) flows to the outside of the food (F) together with the discharged air, so that the temperature sensor (300) can accurately sense the surface temperature of the food (F).

[0065] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the blower unit (200), the temperature sensor (300), and the circulation unit (400) can all be placed on the outer upper part of the cooking chamber (30). The blower unit (200), the temperature sensor (300), and the circulation unit (400) can all be placed in the upper space (50).

[0066] For example, the temperature sensor (300) and the blower unit (200) may be positioned at any location outside the cooking chamber (30). That is, the temperature sensor (300) and the blower unit (200) may be positioned at the lower or side outside of the cooking chamber (30), respectively. The temperature sensor (300) and the blower unit (200) may be positioned in the same outside direction with respect to the cooking chamber (30).

[0067] For example, the circulation unit (400), the temperature sensor (300) and the blower unit (200) can be positioned at any location outside the cooking chamber (30). The circulation unit (400) can be positioned in the same outside direction with respect to the cooking chamber (30) together with the temperature sensor (300) and the blower unit (200).

[0068] The frame (120) can partition the cooking chamber (30) and the upper space (50) in the vertical direction. The frame (120) can include a partition plate (121) that partitions the cooking chamber (30) and the upper space (50) in the vertical direction.

[0069] An upper space (50) may be formed on the upper side of the partition plate (121), and a cooking chamber (30) may be formed on the lower side of the partition plate (121). A temperature sensor (300), a blower unit (200), and a circulation unit (400) may be positioned on the upper surface of the partition plate (121). The lower surface of the partition plate (121) may form the upper surface (32) of the cooking chamber (30).

[0070] The cooking chamber (30) may include a temperature sensor (300) provided to sense the temperature of the food (F) being cooked inside the cooking chamber (30) and may include a sensing hole (122) penetrating the partition plate (121). The sensing hole may be defined as a component of the cooking chamber (30), but is not limited thereto and may also be defined as a component of the partition plate (121).

[0071] As will be described later, a cooking chamber outlet (123) may be formed on the partition plate (121) to allow air blown from the blower unit (200) to flow into the cooking chamber (30). The cooking chamber outlet (123) may be formed in the shape of a hole penetrating the partition plate (121).

[0072] As will be described later, a circulation intake port (124) through which air from the cooking chamber (30) is sucked into the circulation unit (400) by the circulation unit (400) and a circulation outlet port (125) through which air flowing from the circulation unit (400) is recirculated into the cooking chamber (30) may be formed on the partition plate (121). The circulation intake port (124) and the circulation outlet port (125) may be formed in the shape of holes penetrating the partition plate (121).

[0073] An exhaust port may be formed on the compartment plate (121) to allow air or steam inside the cooking chamber (30) to flow out to the outside.

[0074] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the blower unit (200) may be located in the upper space (50). The temperature sensor (300) may be located in the upper space (50).

[0075] The temperature sensor (300) may be fixed to the temperature sensor holder (230) of the blower unit (200) and placed in the upper space (50), but is not limited thereto, and the temperature sensor (300) may be placed in the upper space (50) separately from the blower unit (200). However, since the blower unit (200) and the temperature sensor (300) must be positioned on the same side outside the cooking chamber (30) with respect to the cooking chamber (30), they may be arranged to be supported by the blower unit (200).

[0076] The blower unit (200) may include a blower fan (221) and a blower duct (210) through which air flows through the blower fan (221).

[0077] The blower unit (200) may include a blower fan housing (222) configured to allow the blower fan (221) to rotate. The blower fan housing (222) may be positioned on the blower duct (210). However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the blower fan housing (222) may be formed integrally with the blower duct (210) as a part of the blower duct (210).

[0078] The ventilation duct (210) may include an intake port (211) that communicates with the outside of the cooking chamber (30). The intake port (211) may be provided to communicate with the upper space (50) or the outside of the cabinet (100) so that air outside the cooking chamber (30) is introduced into the ventilation duct (210).

[0079] Air is introduced into the ventilation duct (210) by the ventilation fan (221), and the introduced air can be discharged to the outside of the ventilation duct (210) through the cooking chamber outlet (123) and the duct outlet (212).

[0080] As will be described later, the air discharged from the cooking chamber outlet (123) is discharged toward the lower part (122a) of the sensor hole (122) and is arranged to pass through the lower part (122a) of the sensor hole (122), and the air discharged from the duct outlet (212) can be arranged to flow toward the temperature sensor holder (230) and exchange heat with the temperature sensor (300).

[0081] The blower unit (200) may include a temperature sensor holder (230) in which a temperature sensor (300) is mounted.

[0082] The temperature sensor holder (230) may be arranged so that the temperature sensor (300) is positioned in a vertical direction corresponding to the sensor hole (122). The temperature sensor holder (230) may include a holder hole (231) positioned between the sensor hole (122) and the temperature sensor (300).

[0083] The temperature sensor (230) can sense the surface temperature of the food (F) inside the cooking chamber (30) through the holder hole (231) and the sensor hole (122) while being mounted on the temperature sensor holder (230).

[0084] The temperature sensor holder (230) may include a lens cover (232) provided to protect the lens of the camera that constitutes the detection unit (310) of the temperature sensor, as will be described later.

[0085] The lens cover (232) is provided transparently so that the detection unit (31) can sense the temperature of the food (F) by passing through the lens cover (232). The lens cover (232) may be provided with a material having high heat resistance so as to have durability against heat transmitted from the sensing hole (122).

[0086] The blower unit (200) may include a protective bracket (240) that prevents sparks or flames that may be generated from the components constituting the blower unit (200) from moving to the hood fan (70) or the electrical room (40).

[0087] The protective bracket (240) may be placed on one side of the ventilation duct (210). Preferably, the protective bracket (240) may be placed in the direction toward the hood fan (70) in the ventilation duct (210).

[0088] The protection bracket (240) can limit sparks or flames generated from the blower fan (221) or the temperature sensor (230) or sparks or flames generated inside the cooking chamber (30) that are moved to the blower unit (200) through the cooking chamber outlet (213) from moving to other locations.

[0089] The blower fan (221) may be provided as a centrifugal fan. The rotational axis (221a) of the blower fan (221) may be provided so as to extend in the vertical direction. This is to minimize the vertical height of the blower unit (200) by arranging most of the space of the suction port (211) and the blower duct (210) connected from the suction port (211) on the upper side of the blower fan (221).

[0090] The blower fan housing (222) may include a housing inlet (222a) arranged on the upper side of the blower fan housing (222) so that air can be drawn into the blower fan (221), and a housing outlet (222b) arranged on the side of the blower fan housing (222) so that air drawn in from the housing inlet (222a) can be discharged.

[0091] Depending on the position of the housing inlet (222a), the air flowing in the blower duct (210) can be arranged to be introduced into the blower fan (221) from the upper side of the blower fan (221) and discharged in the lateral direction of the blower fan (221).

[0092] As illustrated in FIG. 6, the temperature sensor (300) may include a sensing unit (310) that senses information on food (F) being cooked inside the cooking chamber (30) through a sensing hole (122) and a processing unit (320) that processes information sensed by the sensing unit (310).

[0093] The detection unit (310) may be provided as a thermal imaging sensor that senses the surface temperature of the food (F). For example, the detection unit (310) may include a thermal imaging camera.

[0094] The processing unit (320) may be configured to process and store values ​​sensed from the thermal imaging camera of the detection unit (310). The processing unit (320) may include an algorithm for controlling the operation of the detection unit (310), at least one memory for storing program-type data, and at least one processor for performing operations using data stored in the at least one memory. The processing unit (320) may be implemented in the form of a chip or the like. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the processing unit (320) may simply control the detection unit (310) by receiving a signal from a control unit that controls the entire microwave oven (1).

[0095] The detection unit (310) can capture the inside of the cooking chamber (30) through the sensing hole (122) and detect the heat of the food (F) placed within the field of view (V) of the detection unit (310). If water vapor or the like exists within the field of view (V) of the detection unit (310), the detection unit (310) may not be able to accurately measure the surface temperature of the food (F). To prevent this, the blower unit (200) may be provided to remove the water vapor remaining on the field of view (V) of the detection unit (310) through an air flow so that the detection unit (310) can clearly measure the surface temperature of the food (F).

[0096] The blower duct (210) may include a first passage (216) through which air flowing from an intake port (211) flows to a processing unit (320) through a duct outlet (212), and a second passage (127) through which air flowing from the intake port (211) flows between a sensing hole (122) and food (F) being cooked inside a cooking chamber (30).

[0097] The blower duct (210) may include one end connected to the suction port (211) and may include an inlet passage (214) through which air drawn in from the suction port (211) flows.

[0098] The blower duct (210) may be arranged at the other end of the inlet passage (214) and may include a partition member (215) that partitions the other end of the inlet passage (214) so ​​that the inlet passage (214) branches into a first passage (216) and a second passage (217).

[0099] The inflow path (214) is connected to the first path (216) and the second path (217), respectively, and can be partitioned into the first path (216) and the second path (217) by a partition member (215) inside the blower duct (210).

[0100] The inflow air (a1s) drawn in through the intake port (211) flows along the inflow path (214), and the flowing air (a1d) flowing in the inflow path (214) is directed toward the other end of the inflow path, and some of the air (a1d1) can flow through the first path (216) and the other air (a1d2) can flow through the second path (217) by the partition member (215).

[0101] The air (a1d2) flowing in the second euro (217) is arranged to pass through the lower part (122a) of the sensing hole (122), thereby forming an air curtain that prevents water vapor generated from the food (F) from flowing into the sensing hole (122).

[0102] The air (a1d2) flowing in the second euro (217) can form an air curtain that prevents heat from progressing to the upper space (50) through the sensing hole (122).

[0103] The blower fan (221) may be arranged on the inlet path (214), and the air (a1d) blown by the blower fan (221) may be arranged to flow to the partition member (215) through the housing outlet (222b).

[0104] Air (a1d) flowing through the partition member (215) can be guided by the partition member (215) and flow into the first flow path (216) or the second flow path (217).

[0105] The first flow path (216) is guided by the upper surface of the partition member (215) to flow to the processing unit (320) and can cool the heat generated in the processing unit (320). The air (a1d1) flowing in the first flow path (216) can be arranged to exchange heat with the processing unit (320) while flowing in the first flow path (216) and coming into contact with the processing unit (320).

[0106] The first flow path (216) may be provided to be connected from the inflow flow path (214) to the upper space (50) through the duct outlet (212). The first flow path (216) may be formed by the duct outlet (212), the upper surface of the partition member (215), and at least a portion of the outer surface of the blower duct (210), and a portion of the first flow path (216) may be provided to be open from the upper space (50). However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the first flow path (216) may be provided inside the blower duct (210) and the duct outlet may be provided adjacent to the treatment unit (320) so that the first flow path (216) may be provided so that the duct outlet is provided adjacent to the treatment unit (320) so that the first flow path (216) is discharged from the blower duct (210) and comes into contact with the treatment unit (320).

[0107] The second euro (217) may be arranged below the first euro (216) and connected to the inside of the cooking chamber (30) through the cooking chamber outlet (123).

[0108] The second flow path (217) may be formed by the lower surface of the partition member (215), at least a portion of the inner surface of the ventilation duct (210), and the partition plate (121). The cooking chamber outlet (123) may be arranged on the area of ​​the partition plate (121) forming the second flow path (217) so that the air (a1d2) flowing in the second flow path (217) is discharged into the cooking chamber (30) through the cooking chamber outlet (123). However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the second flow path (217) may be arranged to be directly connected to the cooking chamber outlet (123) within the ventilation duct (210) so that the air flowing through the ventilation duct (210) flows directly into the cooking chamber outlet (123).

[0109] As the food (F) is heated, the temperature of the steam generated from the food (F) is sensed by the detection unit (210) as the steam blocks the camera's field of view (V) rather than sensing the food (F), and a result value that is completely different from the temperature of the food (F) can be processed by the processing unit (320).

[0110] However, the air (a1d2) flowing through the second flow path (217) flows together with the water vapor remaining inside the field of view of the detection unit (210) while passing through the lower end (122a) of the sensing hole (122) through the cooking chamber outlet (123), thereby preventing the remaining water vapor from touching the camera surface of the detection unit (210) or the heat of the cooking chamber (30) from being directly transferred to the camera.

[0111] That is, the steam generated from the food (F) through the blower unit (200) is removed from the field of view (V) of the camera of the detection unit (210), and the heat of the cooking chamber (30) can be prevented from being transferred to the surface of the camera while preventing steam formation on the surface of the camera of the detection unit (210).

[0112] At the same time, the blower unit (200) may be provided to supply air from outside the cooking chamber (30) to the treatment unit (320) to dissipate heat generated in the treatment unit (320).

[0113] The blower unit (200) is provided so that air sucked in from the suction port (211) through the partition member (215) flows in an independent flow path, and the first flow path (216) flows into the upper space (50) and the second flow path (217) flows into the inside of the cooking chamber (30), so that heat dissipation of the processing unit (320) and an air curtain can be formed at the bottom of the sensing hole (122) by driving one blower fan (221).

[0114] As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the circulation unit (400) can be placed on the upper space (50).

[0115] The circulation unit (400) may include a circulation duct (410) through which air drawn in from the cooking chamber (30) flows to circulate the air inside the cooking chamber (30), and a circulation fan (421) disposed inside the circulation duct (410) and circulating the air inside the cooking chamber (30).

[0116] The upper portion of the circulation duct (410) may include a driving motor (422) configured to drive a circulation fan (421) and a fixing member (423) that fixes the driving motor (422) to the upper portion of the circulation duct (410).

[0117] Since the circulation unit (400) circulates the air inside the cooking chamber (30), the air introduced into the circulation duct (410) may contain water vapor and oil vapor, so the driving motor (422) may be arranged to be placed outside the circulation duct (410).

[0118] The circulation unit (400) may include a sealing member (411) that is placed between the circulation duct (410) and the partition plate (121) and seals the circulation duct (410). This is because air introduced into the duct (410) may contain water vapor and oil vapor, and thus sealing between the circulation duct (410) and the partition plate (121) is required.

[0119] The circulation unit (400) may include a cover member (430) that covers a drive motor (422) placed on the upper portion of the circulation duct (410). This is to protect the drive motor (422) from external air, as contaminated air generated from another cooking appliance (3) may be introduced into the upper space (50) by the hood fan (70).

[0120] The circulation unit (400) may include a protective bracket (440) that prevents sparks or flames that may be generated from the components constituting the circulation unit (400) from moving to the hood fan (70) or the electrical room (40).

[0121] The protective bracket (440) may extend from one side of the cover member (430). However, this is not limited to the case, and the protective bracket (440) may be arranged on one side of the circulation unit (400) in a separate configuration from the cover member (430).

[0122] The protection bracket (440) can restrict sparks or flames generated from the driving motor (422) or the like, or sparks or flames generated inside the cooking chamber (30) that are moved to the circulation unit (400) through the circulation inlet (124) and the circulation outlet (125) from moving to other locations. In addition, the protection bracket can restrict sparks or flames generated inside the cooking chamber (30) from moving to other locations through an exhaust hole connected to the cooking chamber (30) formed at a location adjacent to the circulation unit (400).

[0123] As illustrated in Fig. 9, the circulation duct (410) may include a circulation path (411) through which air introduced from the cooking chamber (30) flows. The circulation path (411) may be formed by the upper surface of the partition plate (121) and the inner surface of the circulation duct (410).

[0124] One end of the circulation path (411) may be provided as a circulation intake port (124) through which air inside the cooking chamber (30) is introduced, and the other end of the circulation path (411) may be provided as a circulation discharge port (125).

[0125] A portion of the air (a2s) inside the cooking chamber (30) is introduced into the circulation intake (124) by the circulation unit (400) and can form an exhaust airflow (a2d) through the circulation outlet (125) via the circulation fan (421).

[0126] The circulation outlet (125) may be provided to face the food (F) inside the cooking chamber (30). Accordingly, the discharge air stream (a2d) flowing through the circulation outlet (125) flows toward the food (F), and accordingly, the water vapor remaining between the circulation outlet (125) and the food (F) may flow together with the discharge air stream (a2d).

[0127] The circulation outlet (125) may be positioned adjacent to the sensing hole (122). Accordingly, the air discharged through the circulation outlet (125) may flow within the field of view (V) of the sensing unit (310), thereby causing the water vapor remaining within the field of view (V) of the sensing unit (310) to flow outside the field of view (V) of the sensing unit (310).

[0128] The circulation outlet (125) may be positioned closer to the sensing hole (122) than the circulation intake port (124). Accordingly, the air inside the cooking chamber (30) flows away from the angle of view (V) of the detection unit (310), is sucked into the circulation intake port (124), and is discharged through the circulation outlet (125), flows inside the angle of view (V) of the detection unit (310), and causes water vapor remaining inside the angle of view (V) of the detection unit (310) to flow outside the angle of view (V) of the detection unit (310).

[0129] As illustrated in FIG. 10, the circulation unit (400) may be configured to suck in a portion (a2s) of the air inside the cooking chamber (30) and form an exhaust airflow (a2d) in an area adjacent to the sensing hole (122) so that the air circulated inside the cooking chamber (30) flows between the food (F) and the sensing hole (122) (d).

[0130] Accordingly, the discharge airflow (a2d) flows toward the food (F) and can disperse water vapor and oil vapor generated by heating the food (F) to the outside of the angle (V) of the detection unit (310).

[0131] In addition, the blower unit (200) is arranged to suck in air from outside the cooking chamber (30) and to flow it inside the blower unit (200), and some of the air (a1d1) flowing inside the blower unit (200) is arranged to flow to the processing unit (320) through the first flow path and exchange heat with the processing unit (320), and the other part of the air (a1d2) is arranged to pass through the lower end (122a) of the sensing hole (122) to form an air curtain at the lower end (122a) of the sensing hole (122), thereby improving the reliability of the shooting of the detection unit (310).

[0132] The blower unit (200) and the circulation unit (400) can be provided to measure the temperature of the food (F) in real time while the microwave oven (1) is operating. Accordingly, the control unit of the microwave oven (1) determines the appropriate cooking temperature of the surface of the food (F) based on a value obtained through input or recognition of the type of the food (F), and when the appropriate cooking temperature is not reached while the microwave oven (1) is operating, the microwave oven (1) can be controlled to operate for a longer time than the cooking time input by the user or the cooking time determined by the control unit.

[0133] In addition, when the surface temperature of the food (F) reaches the appropriate cooking temperature before the operation of the microwave oven (1) is terminated, the control unit can control the microwave oven (1) to terminate the operation of the microwave oven (1) without user input.

[0134] In this way, the microwave oven (1) may include a blower unit (200) and a circulation unit (400) to remove steam generated from the food (F) and prevent high heat from being transmitted to the temperature sensor (300) and steam formation on the surface of the camera so that the temperature sensor (300) having a thermal imaging camera capable of measuring the temperature of the food (F) in real time can be operated reliably to provide accurate cooking results of the food (F).

[0135] Hereinafter, a microwave oven (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described. The components other than the blower unit (500) described below are omitted as they overlap with the description of the microwave oven (1) described above.

[0136] Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a temperature sensor and a blower unit of a microwave oven according to one embodiment.

[0137] The blower duct (510) may include a first passage (515) provided so that air flowing from the intake port flows to the processing unit (320) through the duct outlet (512), a second passage (516) provided so that air flowing from the intake port flows between the sensing hole (122) and the food (F) being cooked inside the cooking chamber (30), and a third passage (517) provided so that air flowing from the intake port flows toward the food (F).

[0138] The blower duct (510) may include a first partition member (513) arranged at the other end of the inlet passage (511) and partitioning the other end of the inlet passage (511) so that the inlet passage (511) branches into a first passage (515) and a second passage (516).

[0139] The blower duct (510) may include a second partition member (514) arranged at the bottom of the first partition member (513) and partitioning the other end of the inflow path (511) so that the inflow path (511) branches into a second path (516) and a third path (517).

[0140] The inflow path (511) is connected to the first path (515), the second path (516), and the third path (517), respectively, and can be divided into the first path (515), the second path (516), and the third path (517) by the first partition member (513) and the second partition member (514) inside the blower duct (510).

[0141] The inflow air (a3s) flows along the inflow path (511), and the flowing air (a3d) flowing in the inflow path (511) is directed toward the other end of the inflow path, and some of the air (a3d1) flows through the first path (515) by the first partition member (513), other air (a3d2) flows through the second path (516), and other air (a3d3) can be directed to the third path (517) by the second partition member (514).

[0142] The air (a3d2) flowing in the second euro (516) is arranged to pass through the lower part (122a) of the sensing hole (122), thereby forming an air curtain that prevents water vapor generated from the food (F) from flowing into the sensing hole (122).

[0143] The air (a3d3) flowing in the third euro (517) is discharged toward the food (F) to remove water vapor remaining between the sensing hole (122) and the food (F).

[0144] The first flow path (515) is guided by the upper surface of the first partition member (513) to flow to the processing unit (320) and can cool the heat generated in the processing unit (320). The air (a3d1) flowing in the first flow path (515) can be arranged to exchange heat with the processing unit (320) while flowing in the first flow path (515) and coming into contact with the processing unit (320).

[0145] The first flow path (515) may be arranged to be connected from the inlet flow path (511) to the upper space (50) through the duct outlet (512). The first flow path (515) is formed by the duct outlet (512), the upper surface of the partition member (215), and at least a portion of the outer surface of the blower duct (210), and a portion of the first flow path (216) may be arranged to be open from the upper space (50).

[0146] The second euro (516) may be arranged below the first euro (515) and connected to the inside of the cooking chamber (30) through the cooking chamber outlet (123).

[0147] The second euro (516) can be formed by the lower surface of the first compartment member (513), the upper surface of the second compartment member (514), at least a portion of the inner surface of the ventilation duct (510), and the first cooking chamber outlet (128).

[0148] The third euro (517) may be arranged to be positioned below the second euro (516) and connected to the inside of the cooking chamber (30) through the second outlet (129).

[0149] The third euro (517) may be formed by the lower surface of the second compartment member (514), the upper surface of the compartment plate (121), and at least a portion of the inner surface of the ventilation duct (510).

[0150] The air (a3d3) discharged through the third euro (517) is discharged directly to the food (F), so that the microwave oven (1) according to one embodiment enables reliable operation of the temperature sensor (300) without the circulation unit (400) described above.

[0151] The above illustrates and describes specific embodiments. However, the invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that various modifications and implementations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the claims below.

Claims

1. Cabinet; A cooking room arranged inside the cabinet and where food is cooked; A temperature sensor disposed outside the cooking chamber and sensing the temperature of food being cooked inside the cooking chamber; A blower unit is provided to suck in air from outside the cooking chamber and cause the sucked air to flow toward the temperature sensor; The above cooking chamber includes a sensing hole provided so that the temperature sensor senses the temperature of food being cooked inside the cooking chamber, The above temperature sensor includes a sensing unit that senses information about food being cooked inside the cooking chamber through the sensing hole and a processing unit that processes information sensed by the sensing unit. The above blower unit has a first flow path configured to allow a first portion of the sucked air to flow to the treatment unit to remove heat generated in the treatment unit, A cooking appliance including a second passage configured to allow a second portion of the inhaled air to flow between the sensing hole and the food being cooked inside the cooking chamber, thereby preventing water vapor generated from the food from flowing into the sensing hole.

2. In paragraph 1, The above temperature sensor is placed in the outer upper space of the cooking chamber, The above sensing hole is arranged on the upper surface of the cooking chamber, A cooking appliance in which the above blower unit is arranged so that a second portion of the air flowing in the second euro passes through the lower part of the sensing hole.

3. In paragraph 2, The above blower unit includes a blower fan and a duct through which air introduced through the blower fan flows and forms the first flow path and the second flow path, The above duct An intake port provided to allow air to flow in from the outside of the cavity, An inlet passage including a part connected to the above suction port and provided to allow air drawn in from the above suction port to flow, A cooking appliance including a partition member arranged at the other end of the inflow path and partitioning the other end of the inflow path so that the inflow path branches into the first path and the second path.

4. In paragraph 3, The above blower fan is placed on the inlet path, The above first flow path is arranged to be connected from the above inlet flow path to the outer upper space of the above cooking chamber, A cooking appliance in which the second euro is arranged below the first euro and is connected to the inside of the cooking chamber.

5. In paragraph 4, The above blower fan is provided as a centrifugal fan in which the rotation axis is arranged to extend in the vertical direction, The above inlet path is provided so that air flowing in the above inlet path is introduced into the blower fan from the upper side of the centrifugal fan, A cooking appliance in which the first and second euros are positioned radially in the centrifugal fan.

6. In paragraph 1, A cooking appliance wherein the blower unit further includes a third flow path configured to allow a third portion of the sucked air to flow toward food being cooked inside the cooking chamber.

7. In paragraph 1, A cooking appliance including a circulation unit configured to suck in air inside the cooking chamber and to flow the sucked air toward food being cooked inside the cooking chamber.

8. In paragraph 7, The above circulation unit is a cooking appliance including a circulation fan, a circulation intake port through which air inside the cooking chamber is sucked in through the circulation fan, a circulation outlet port through which air sucked in through the circulation fan flows back into the cooking chamber, and a circulation duct through which air drawn in from the circulation intake port flows into the circulation outlet.

9. In paragraph 8, A cooking appliance in which the above circulation outlet is positioned closer to the sensing hole than the above circulation intake.

10. In paragraph 1, A cooking appliance further comprising a hood fan configured to draw air from the outer lower portion of the cabinet.

11. In paragraph 10, A cooking appliance in which the blower unit, the temperature sensor, and the hood fan are placed in the upper space outside the cooking chamber.

12. In paragraph 11, A cooking appliance comprising a circulation unit arranged in an upper space outside the cooking chamber to draw in air inside the cooking chamber and to flow the drawn-in air toward food being cooked inside the cooking chamber.

13. In paragraph 1, A cooking appliance wherein the above detection unit includes a thermal imaging camera.

14. In paragraph 1, A cooking appliance in which the blower unit includes a mounting portion on which the sensor unit is mounted, and a cover bracket disposed on one side of the mounting portion and covering at least a portion of the sensor unit.

15. In paragraph 8, The above circulation unit is a cooking appliance including a circulation fan cover covering the circulation fan and a cover flange extending from one side of the circulation fan cover.

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