Knob assembly and cooking appliance comprising same

Abstract

The present invention relates to a knob assembly (100) and a cooking appliance comprising same. The present invention may comprise an illumination device (220) which irradiates light, and a diffusion plate (240) disposed in front of the illumination device (220). A knob body (NB) can rotate around a driving shaft (71). A lock button (140) having a manipulation portion (143) may be provided on the knob body (NB). Here, the lock button (140) may have a first button position that interferes with the diffusion plate (240) in the axial direction and restricts the axial movement of the knob body (NB) toward the diffusion plate (240), and a second button position where the lock button moves from the first button position in a direction different from the axial direction and allows the knob body (NB) to axially move toward the diffusion plate (240).

Description

Knob assembly and cooking appliance including the same

[0001] The present invention relates to a knob assembly and a cooking appliance including the same.

[0002] Cooking appliances are used to prepare food by cooking ingredients. They may also be used to heat food to a temperature suitable for consumption. These cooking appliances can be classified in various ways depending on the type of heat source used, the type of fuel, and so on. For example, cooking appliances can be classified into open and closed types depending on the shape of the space where the ingredients are placed. Closed cooking appliances include ovens and microwave ovens, while open cooking appliances include cooktops and griddles.

[0003] Closed-type cooking appliances shield the space where ingredients are placed with a door and cook food by heating the enclosed space. Open-type cooking appliances place ingredients or containers holding ingredients in an open space and cook food by heating the ingredients or containers. Recently, hybrid cooking appliances that combine both closed and open types are also being used. Hybrid appliances combine multiple heat sources to cook a variety of ingredients and allow for the simultaneous cooking of multiple dishes.

[0004] Such a cooking appliance may be equipped with a knob for operation. The knob may be used to turn the cooking appliance on or off or to set a cooking mode. Additionally, the knob may be used to adjust the heating temperature.

[0005] Taking a gas range or an electric range as an example among cooking appliances, the knob can be operated in a push-and-turn manner to operate the cooking appliance. The push-and-turn knob is implemented so that the cooking appliance can be operated only when the user presses and rotates it. At this time, the user can adjust the heating temperature or select a cooking mode by controlling the amount of rotation around the drive shaft while pressing the knob. Since the cooking appliance can only be operated when both steps are completed, this push-and-turn knob can increase the safety of the cooking appliance.

[0006] However, since this push-and-turn type knob protrudes outward, users may unintentionally rotate it while pressing it. For example, a user's body might come into contact with the knob without them realizing it, causing it to be pressed and rotated simultaneously. Additionally, there is a possibility that an infant could operate the cooking appliance by manipulating the knob. Since unauthorized operation of the knob can lead to fire or burns, it is necessary to further enhance the safety of the cooking appliance.

[0007] The present invention is intended to solve the problems of the prior art as described above, and the objective of the present invention is to prevent the knob assembly from operating when the lock button (safety button) provided in the knob assembly is not pressed.

[0008] Another objective of the present invention is to prevent the knob assembly from operating by interfering with the lock button placed on the stopper on the diffuser plate.

[0009] Another objective of the present invention is to place a stopper that interferes with the lock button on the diffuser plate, such that the stopper does not interfere with the light diffusion function of the diffuser plate.

[0010] Another objective of the present invention is to allow a stopper that interferes with the lock button to be detachably disposed on the diffuser plate, so that the lock function can be selected according to the user's convenience.

[0011] Another objective of the present invention is to turn the locking function of the lock button on / off depending on the direction in which the stopper is coupled to the diffuser plate.

[0012] Another objective of the present invention is to enable the cooking appliance to operate through the push-and-turn motion of the knob assembly without operating the lock button when the button holder is rotated.

[0013] Another objective of the present invention is to fix the lock button at a specific position using a button holder, thereby allowing the lock button to be used selectively.

[0014] According to the features of the present invention for achieving the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention may include a lighting device that irradiates light and a diffuser plate disposed in front of the lighting device. The knob body may rotate around the drive axis. A lock button having an operating portion may be disposed on the knob body. In this case, the lock button may have a first button position that interferes with the diffuser plate in the axial direction to restrict the axial movement of the knob body toward the diffuser plate, and a second button position that moves along a direction different from the axial direction from the first button position to allow the axial movement of the knob body toward the diffuser plate. In this way, the diffuser plate not only enhances aesthetic appeal by naturally diffusing the light irradiated from the lighting device, but also implements a locking function of the knob assembly together with the lock button.

[0015] A stopper protruding in the axial direction may be disposed on the above-mentioned diffuser plate.

[0016] The stopper may be positioned to overlap the lock button positioned at the first button position in the axial direction. The stopper may be positioned to be offset from the lock button positioned at the second button position in the axial direction.

[0017] The stopper may protrude axially from the surface of the diffuser plate toward the knob body.

[0018] A plurality of light sources may be arranged in the lighting device. The stopper may be placed between two adjacent light sources among the plurality of light sources.

[0019] The diffuser plate may include a diffuser body disposed in front of the lighting device and having an axial passage hole through which the drive shaft passes. The diffuser plate may include a stopper protruding in the axial direction from the surface of the diffuser body. The stopper may interfere in the axial direction with the lock button disposed at the first button position to restrict the axial movement of the knob body.

[0020] The stopper may be positioned closer to the drive shaft than to the edge of the diffuser plate.

[0021] The above stopper can be assembled to the above diffuser plate so as to be detachable.

[0022] The stopper may include a first assembly and a second assembly formed in different directions. When the first assembly is assembled to the diffuser plate, the stopper may have a first assembly state forming a first protruding length in the axial direction. When the second assembly is assembled to the diffuser plate, the stopper may have a second assembly state forming a different second protruding length in the axial direction that is shorter than the first protruding length.

[0023] In the first assembly state, the stopper may form a first separation distance in the axial direction with the lock button positioned at the first button position, thereby restricting the axial movement of the knob body. In the second assembly state, the stopper may form a second separation distance in the axial direction that is longer than the first separation distance with the lock button positioned at the first button position, thereby allowing the axial movement of the knob body.

[0024] A safety pin protruding axially toward the diffuser plate may be disposed on the lock button. At the first button position, the stopper and the safety pin may overlap each other axially.

[0025] The above safety pin can be moved between the first button position and the second button position in conjunction with the above lock button.

[0026] The lighting device and the diffuser plate may be fixed to the control panel. The knob body and the lock button may be coupled to the drive shaft in the axial direction.

[0027] A mounting plate on which the diffuser plate and the lighting device are placed may be further included. The lighting device and the diffuser plate may be placed on opposite sides of each other with the mounting plate in between.

[0028] A plurality of transparent holes may be formed in the mounting plate to expose a light source provided in the lighting device toward the diffuser plate. A stopper may be disposed between two adjacent transparent holes among the plurality of transparent holes.

[0029] The stopper may be provided on the mounting plate. The stopper may pass through the diffuser plate and protrude in the axial direction.

[0030] The knob body and the diffuser plate may be arranged concentrically with respect to the drive shaft. The diameter of the knob body may be smaller than the diameter of the diffuser plate.

[0031] The edge of the diffuser plate may be positioned outside the edge of the knob body and exposed to the outside. The stopper may be shielded by the knob body.

[0032] The stopper may include a stopper body that is connected to the diffuser plate and protrudes in the axial direction. An interference surface is formed on the upper part of the stopper body, and the interference surface may face the lock button positioned at the first button position in the axial direction. A guide surface is formed on the side of the stopper body, and the guide surface may gradually narrow in width toward the drive shaft.

[0033] The above safety pin may have a relative inclined surface formed thereon that narrows in width along the radial direction. During the rotation of the knob body, the relative inclined surface may come into contact with the guide surface to guide the relative movement between the lock button and the knob body.

[0034] A tapered surface may be formed in the stopper along the axial direction to reduce the cross-sectional area of ​​the stopper. During the rotation of the knob body, the safety pin may come into contact with the tapered surface to guide the axial movement of the locking button and the knob body.

[0035] At the first button position, the lock button may be spaced apart from the diffuser plate or the stopper disposed on the diffuser plate by a first distance with respect to the axial direction. At the second button position, the lock button may be spaced apart from the diffuser plate or the stopper by a second distance with respect to the axial direction. The second distance may be greater than the first distance.

[0036] The knob body and the lock button are constrained to each other in the axial direction, so that the knob body and the lock button can move linearly together along the axial direction.

[0037] The knob body may include a first knob body having an internal space open toward the diffuser plate, and a second knob body that rotates and moves linearly together with the first knob body. The second knob body may be coupled to the drive shaft.

[0038] The above lock button may include the above operating part, a button body provided at the bottom of the above operating part, and a guide body provided at the top of the above operating part and extending in the opposite direction to the button body.

[0039] A button holder may be further included in the knob body so as to be rotatable relative to the knob body. The button holder rotates with a center of rotation concentric with the drive shaft, thereby restricting the movement of the lock button.

[0040] The button holder may have a button restraint position that interferes with the lock button and restricts the movement of the lock button, and a button release position that rotates from the button restraint position to release interference with the lock button.

[0041] The present invention may include a knob body that rotates around a drive shaft protruding from an operating panel and moves linearly in the axial direction of the drive shaft. A lock button may have a first button position that interferes with a stopper in the axial direction to restrict the axial movement of the knob body, and a second button position that moves from the first button position along a direction different from the axial direction to allow the axial movement of the knob body. In this case, the stopper may include an interference surface facing the lock button positioned at the first button position in the axial direction. The stopper may further include a guide surface that gradually narrows in width toward the drive shaft.

[0042] The knob assembly according to the present invention as described above and the cooking device including the same have the following effects.

[0043] In the present invention, the knob body (handle) is not pressed axially unless the lock button is pressed. The user must first press the lock button to apply axial pressure to the knob body and operate the cooking appliance. That is, according to the present invention, the cooking appliance can be operated through a total of three stages of operation consisting of lock button operation (stage 1), pressing of the knob assembly (stage 2), and rotation of the knob assembly (stage 3). In this way, arbitrary operation or malfunction of the knob assembly can be prevented through the lock button, and thus the safety of the cooking appliance can be improved.

[0044] In addition, in the present invention, the knob assembly is equipped with a lighting device so that light can be irradiated onto the edge portion of the knob assembly. The light around the knob assembly not only informs the user of information such as the location of the knob assembly and the current status of the cooking appliance, but also has the effect of enhancing the aesthetic appeal of the cooking appliance.

[0045] In addition, the knob assembly in the present invention is equipped with a diffuser plate so that light irradiated from a lighting device can be naturally diffused to harmonize with the surrounding environment. Through this, the knob assembly can provide a soft lighting function without glare, thereby contributing to enhancing the high-end image of the cooking appliance.

[0046] In addition, in the present invention, the diffuser plate is provided with a stopper that interferes axially with the lock button, thereby enabling the locking function of the lock button. Since the stopper is installed on the diffuser plate rather than directly on the control panel of the cooking appliance, the design freedom of the stopper can be increased, and the knob assembly of the present invention can be applied without modifying the design of the main body of the conventional cooking appliance.

[0047] In addition, in the present invention, the stopper is positioned so as not to overlap axially with the light source of the lighting device, so that the stopper does not interfere with the light irradiation path. Through this, the locking function of the knob assembly can be effectively implemented along with the lighting function by the lighting device.

[0048] In addition, in the present invention, the stopper may be integrally provided with the diffuser plate. The stopper can disperse the light of the lighting device together with the diffuser plate, and the light diffused by the protruding stopper can be transmitted to the front of the knob assembly. The indicator of the knob assembly emits light through the light transmitted from the stopper, thereby guiding the direction of the knob assembly to the user and enhancing user convenience.

[0049] In addition, in the present invention, the stopper can be assembled so as to be detachable from the diffuser plate. The user may detach the stopper from the diffuser plate and not use the locking function of the knob assembly. In this way, the locking function can be flexibly set or released according to the user's convenience, thereby ensuring both convenience of operation and safety.

[0050] In addition, in the present invention, the stopper can activate or unlock the locking function of the knob assembly depending on the form in which it is assembled to the diffuser plate. This allows the locking function to be flexibly set according to the user's convenience, and also has the effect of preventing the loss of the stopper by keeping it always assembled to the diffuser plate.

[0051] In addition, in the present invention, a corresponding inclined surface structure (guide surface / relative inclined surface) may be formed between the stopper and the safety pin of the lock button. This inclined surface structure can naturally guide the knob assembly to its initial position by coming into contact with each other when the knob assembly rotates to its initial position, and can also prevent damage and breakage of the parts caused by contact between the stopper and the safety pin.

[0052] In particular, in the present invention, the inclined surface structure can push and move the lock button during the rotation of the knob assembly. Since the lock button can be moved through the inclined surface structure, the knob assembly can return to its initial position even if the user rotates the knob assembly without pressing the lock button. This enhances the convenience of use of the cooking appliance.

[0053] In addition, the present invention is provided with a button holder that operates independently of the lock button, so that the operation of the lock button (step 1) can be omitted depending on the rotational position of the button holder. Depending on the rotational position of the button holder, a push-and-turn type knob operation is possible without the user having to separately operate the lock button. Accordingly, the lock function can be flexibly set or released according to the user's convenience, and both convenience and safety of operation can be ensured simultaneously.

[0054] Furthermore, in the present invention, the lock button can also move in conjunction with the button holder during the process of rotating the button holder. When the button holder rotates to the button restraint position, the lock button is pushed by the interference part of the button holder during this process and can naturally move to the knob unlock position. Accordingly, since the user can achieve the unlocked state of the knob assembly by rotating only the button holder, there is an effect of excellent operational convenience.

[0055] In addition, in the present invention, the lock button moves linearly, whereas the button holder can perform rotational movement. When the two parts have different operating structures in this way, the likelihood of a user accidentally operating the knob assembly can be reduced. This can enhance the safety of the cooking appliance.

[0056] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a cooking appliance to which a knob assembly according to the present invention is applied.

[0057] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the structure of an operating panel and knob assembly constituting an embodiment of the cooking device illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0058] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a knob assembly constituting an embodiment of the present invention separated from an operating panel.

[0059] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the parts constituting an embodiment of the present invention.

[0060] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the parts constituting an embodiment of the present invention disassembled and viewed from an angle different from FIG. 4.

[0061] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a first knob body constituting an embodiment of a knob assembly according to the present invention and a weight plate omitted.

[0062] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the present invention in a first state (knob-locked state).

[0063] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view along the line I-I' of FIG. 7.

[0064] FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a knob assembly according to the present invention in a second state (knob loosened state).

[0065] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view along the line II-II' of FIG. 9.

[0066] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a knob assembly according to the present invention in a third state (knob pressed state).

[0067] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view along the line III-III' of FIG. 11.

[0068] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a knob assembly according to the present invention in a rotated state.

[0069] FIGS. 14 and FIGS. 15 are a perspective view and a bottom view, respectively, showing a locking button positioned in a knob locking position and a button holder positioned in a button unlocking position, constituting an embodiment of the present invention.

[0070] FIGS. 16 and FIGS. 17 are a perspective view and a bottom view, respectively, showing a locking button positioned at a knob release position and a button holder positioned at a button release position, constituting an embodiment of the present invention.

[0071] FIGS. 18 and 19 are a perspective view and a bottom view, respectively, showing a locking button positioned in a knob release position and a button holder positioned in a button restraint position, constituting an embodiment of the present invention.

[0072] FIG. 20 is a perspective view showing the combined state of a mounting plate and a diffusion plate constituting an embodiment of the present invention.

[0073] FIGS. 21(A) to 21(C) are operation state diagrams sequentially showing how a safety pin is guided to a stopper of a diffuser plate when a knob body constituting an embodiment of the present invention moves from a third state to a first state.

[0074] FIG. 22 is an exploded perspective view showing the mounting plate, covering, and diffusion plate among the parts constituting the second embodiment of the knob assembly according to the present invention.

[0075] FIG. 23 is a perspective view showing a stopper assembled to a diffuser in a first assembled state in a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0076] FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view along the line IV-IV' of FIG. 23.

[0077] FIG. 25 is a perspective view showing the stopper assembled to the diffuser in a second assembled state in a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0078] FIG. 26 is a cross-sectional view along the V-V' line of FIG. 24.

[0079] Hereinafter, some embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to exemplary drawings. It should be noted that in assigning reference numerals to the components of each drawing, the same components are given the same reference numeral whenever possible, even if they are shown in different drawings. Furthermore, in describing the embodiments of the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of related known components or functions would hinder understanding of the embodiments of the present invention, such detailed description is omitted.

[0080] The present invention relates to a knob assembly (100) and a cooking appliance including the same, wherein a cooktop unit (20) including a plurality of heating devices (28) may be provided on the upper part of the cooking appliance. The heating devices (28) may be gas heating devices (28) using gas as an energy source, electric cooktops, or induction cooktops. FIG. 1 illustrates, among the heating devices (28), a gas heating device (28) is shown as an example in the cooktop unit (20). As shown in FIG. 1, the heating devices (28) may be positioned to be exposed on the upper part of the cooking appliance. As another example, the heating devices (28) may be positioned inside the cooking appliance, or may be positioned inside and outside the cooking appliance, respectively.

[0081] The knob assembly (100) is used to operate the heating device (28). A user can turn the heating device (28) on or off by operating the knob assembly (100). A user can also adjust the amount of heat provided by the heating device (28) by operating the knob assembly (100). Alternatively, a user can operate the knob assembly (100) to operate the oven unit (40, 50) or select a cooking mode of the cooking device.

[0082] The user can control the heating device (28) by pressing and rotating the knob assembly (100). At this time, as shown in FIG. 2, in order to prevent the knob assembly (100) from being arbitrarily operated due to user error or interference with surrounding objects, the present invention is provided with a lock button (140). Depending on the position of the lock button (140), the pushing operation of the knob assembly (100) may be selectively enabled. In addition, a button holder (170) is provided to release the function of the lock button (140) or to restrain the lock button (140) to a specific position. Below, the knob assembly (100) will be described focusing on the lock button (140), the button holder (170), and the malfunction prevention structure.

[0083] In this embodiment, the lock button (140) can have a first button position and a second button position through linear movement. The button holder (170) can have a first holder position and a second holder position through rotation. FIGS. 7 and 8 show the lock button (140) in the first button position, and FIGS. 9 and 10 show the lock button (140) in the second button position. FIGS. 15 shows the button holder (170) in the first holder position, and FIGS. 19 shows the button holder (170) in the second holder position. The operation of the lock button (140) and the button holder (170) will be described in detail below.

[0084] The knob assembly (100) may include a mounting plate (210), a diffuser plate (240), and a covering (230) to be described below. The mounting plate (210), lighting device (220), diffuser plate (240), and covering (230) are fixed to the control panel (30), but may also be considered as part of the knob assembly (100).

[0085] As another example, the mounting plate (210), lighting device (220), diffuser plate (240), and covering (230) may be viewed as part of a mounting assembly (200) placed on the control panel (30). In FIGS. 4 and 5, the mounting assembly (200) includes the mounting plate (210), lighting device (220), diffuser plate (240), and covering (230). The mounting assembly (200) may also be viewed as part of the knob assembly (100). Hereinafter, the mounting plate (210), lighting device (220), diffuser plate (240), and covering (230) will be described as part of the knob assembly (100).

[0086] Looking at the structure of the above cooking device, the exterior of the cooking device is formed by an outer body (10). The outer body (10) can form the frame of the cooking device, excluding a door positioned at the front. A separate inner housing (not shown) may be positioned inside the outer body (10).

[0087] At least one heating device (28) for heating food to be cooked or a container containing food is disposed of in the cooktop unit (20). In this embodiment, a total of four heating devices (28) are disposed of in the cooktop unit (20).

[0088] The above-mentioned cooktop unit (20) may be equipped with a grate (25). The grate (25) is a frame on which a cooking vessel can be placed on the upper side of the heating device (28). The grate (25) is detachably seated on the above-mentioned cooktop unit (20). The grate (25) may be located on the upper side of the heating device (28).

[0089] An operating panel (30) may be positioned above the oven section (40, 50) and in front of the cooktop section (20). The operating panel (30) may include knob assemblies (100) for operating the oven section (40, 50) and the cooktop section (20). Each of the multiple knob assemblies (100) may operate separate heating devices (28) and oven devices. The operating panel (30) may be viewed as an operating device or referred to as a front panel. The operating panel (30) may be positioned at various locations other than in front of the cooktop section (20), such as the bottom of the cooking device, the side of the cooking device, or the top surface of the cooking device.

[0090] The above-mentioned control panel (30) may be equipped with a display unit (60). The display unit (60) may display information about the cooking appliance. The display unit (60) may be composed of a touch panel and may be used by a user to operate the cooking appliance. That is, the display unit (60) may also serve as a type of control unit (143). As another example, the display unit (60) may be omitted.

[0091] Looking at the oven section (40, 50) above, the oven section (40, 50) may include a plurality of oven devices. In this embodiment, the oven section (40, 50) includes a first oven device (40) and a second oven device (50). The first oven device (40) and the second oven device (50) are arranged at different heights from each other. Separate cooking chambers partitioned from each other may be formed in the first oven device (40) and the second oven device (50).

[0092] The first door (45) of the first oven device (40) may be operated in a pull-down manner in which the upper part rotates up and down around the lower part. As another example, the first door (45) may be operated in a side-swing manner in which it opens sideways. Reference numeral 47 indicates a handle for opening and closing the first door (45).

[0093] The second door (55) of the second oven device (50) can be operated in a sliding manner in the forward and backward directions. As another example, similar to the first door (45) mentioned earlier, the second door (55) can also be operated in a pull-down manner in which the upper part rotates up and down around the lower part. Reference numeral 57 indicates a handle for opening and closing the first door (55).

[0094] Next, let us examine the knob assembly (100). For reference, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in this embodiment, six knob assemblies (100) are arranged on the control panel (30). This is merely one example, and the control panel (30) may be equipped with one to five or seven or more knob assemblies (100). As another example, the knob assembly (100) may be placed directly on the upper surface or side of the cooking appliance rather than on the control panel (30). As yet another example, the knob assembly (100) may be placed on the lower front surface of the cooking appliance.

[0095] As shown in FIG. 2, the knob assembly (100) may include a roughly circular body and a part protruding from the circular body to facilitate gripping. In this embodiment, a lock button (140) is provided on the side of the knob assembly (100). The user must first press the lock button (140) to enable the operation of the knob assembly (100), more precisely, axial movement.

[0096] For reference, the axial direction described below refers to the longitudinal direction of the drive shaft (71, see FIG. 3) and corresponds to the X-axis direction of FIG. 2 to FIG. 5. The rotational direction described below refers to the direction in which the knob assembly (100) rotates around the drive shaft (71) (see arrow in FIG. 13). Furthermore, the radial direction described below refers to the radial direction of the drive shaft (71) and corresponds to the radial direction of the rotation path of the knob assembly (100). The direction in which the lock button (140) moves linearly corresponds to the Y-axis direction of FIG. 2 to FIG. 5. Of course, if the knob assembly (100) rotates, the linear movement direction of the lock button (140) may also change. Also, in this embodiment, the height direction of the knob assembly (100) (based on FIG. 2) corresponds to the Z-axis direction. The X-axis direction corresponds to the rotational axis direction of the button holder (170) to be described below.

[0097] Referring to FIG. 3, the knob assembly (100) may be separated axially from the control panel (30) or coupled axially to the control panel (30). More precisely, when the user separates the knob assembly (100), the knob body (NB) and lock button (140) constituting the knob assembly (100) are separated from the control panel (30), while the diffuser plate (240), covering (230), and mounting plate (210, not shown in FIG. 3), which will be described later, remain fixed to the control panel (30). When the knob body (NB), etc. are separated in this way, the user can rotate the button holder (170, not shown in FIG. 3) to restrain the lock button (140) so that the lock button (140) remains in the knob-released state. This process will be explained again below.

[0098] Referring to FIGS. 4 and FIGS. 5, the parts of the knob assembly (100) are shown in a disassembled state. For convenience of explanation, let us first look at the drive shaft (71). The drive shaft (71) is coupled to the knob assembly (100). The drive shaft (71) serves as the rotational center of the knob assembly (100). The drive shaft (71) can rotate together with the knob assembly (100) when the knob assembly (100) rotates. The drive shaft (71) can move linearly together with the knob assembly (100) when the knob assembly (100) moves in the axial direction.

[0099] The above drive shaft (71) may be provided in the heating drive unit (70). The heating drive unit (70) may serve to supply an energy source to the heating device (28). For example, the heating drive unit (70) may be configured to control the heating device (28) while being driven by the drive shaft (71). Accordingly, the drive shaft (71) may be viewed as a valve shaft.

[0100] Here, the energy source can be gas or electricity. If the energy source is electricity, the heating drive unit (70) can be referred to as a regulator, and if the energy source is gas, the heating drive unit (70) can be referred to as a valve assembly. The drive shaft (71) can be a component constituting the knob assembly (100). As another example, the drive shaft (71) can be viewed as part of the heating drive unit (70). Reference numeral 32 indicates a through hole in the front plate (31) through which the drive shaft (71) passes.

[0101] More specifically, the drive shaft (71) can be pushed and rotatably coupled to the heating drive unit (70). At this time, the heating drive unit (70) can prevent the drive shaft (71) from rotating when the drive shaft (71) is not pushed. As the drive shaft (71) is pushed and rotated relative to the heating drive unit (70), the heating drive unit (70) can supply an energy source to the heating device (28).

[0102] The drive shaft (71) can be operated through the knob assembly (100). More precisely, the drive shaft (71) is coupled to the knob body (NB) and can rotate together with the knob body (NB). The drive shaft (71) can move linearly in the axial direction together with the knob body (NB). Thus, when a user operates the knob assembly (100), the heating drive unit (70) is driven via the drive shaft (71), and the heating device (28) is operated through this.

[0103] Looking at the structure of the knob assembly (100) above, the skeleton of the knob assembly (100) can be formed by a knob body (NB). The knob body (NB) can surround the drive shaft (71) and the diffuser plate (240). The knob body (NB) is the part that the user grips. In this embodiment, the knob body (NB) is composed of a first knob body (120) and a second knob body (130). The first knob body (120) can be exposed to the outside. The second knob body (130) can be placed inside the first knob body (120).

[0104] In this embodiment, the first knob body (120) may be exposed to the outside and serve as a part where the user operates the knob assembly (100). The second knob body (130) may be positioned inside the first knob body (120) to be responsible for coupling with other parts and to guide the elastic member (S) described later. As another example, the first knob body (120) and the second knob body (130) may be formed as a single unit.

[0105] The first knob body (120) may include a knob ring (121) in the shape of a truncated cone or a cylinder. The knob ring (121) is positioned facing the front plate (31). A gripping portion (123) may protrude from the upper surface (122) of the knob ring (121). The gripping portion (123) protrudes axially from the upper surface (122) of the knob ring (121). The gripping portion (123) may be a part that a user grips. The gripping portion (123) may be extended in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction (see Z-axis direction in FIG. 4).

[0106] Reference numeral 123a is an indicator (reference scale) formed on the gripping portion (123). Although not shown, a scale may also be marked on the surface of the knob ring (121). In this embodiment, the indicator (123a) of the knob assembly (100) emits light by light transmitted from the stopper (250) described later, thereby guiding the direction of the knob assembly (100) to the user. The stopper (250) is part of the diffuser plate (240) and protrudes forward, allowing light to be directed toward the indicator (123a).

[0107] An operating hole (125) may be formed through the knob body (NB) in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction. The button operating portion (143) of the lock button (140) is exposed to the outside through the operating hole (125), so that the button operating portion (143) can form the exterior of the knob assembly (100) together with the knob body (NB). Referring to FIG. 7, the button operating portion (143), which is part of the lock button (140), protrudes from the knob body (NB) and can form the exterior of the knob assembly (100) together with the knob body (NB). That is, it can be seen that a part of the lock button (140) fills the operating hole (125).

[0108] In contrast, the button holder (170) may not be exposed to the outside of the knob body (NB). More precisely, as shown in FIG. 7, when the knob assembly (100) is mounted on the control panel (30), the button holder (170) is not exposed to the outside. This is because the knob body (NB) surrounds the button holder (170). Therefore, in order for a user to operate the button holder (170), the user must first detach the knob assembly (100) from the drive shaft (71) and then operate the button holder (170). This structure will be explained again below.

[0109] In this embodiment, the first knob body (120) may have an operating hole (125) through which the button operating portion (143) of the lock button (140) protrudes. More precisely, the operating hole (125) penetrates the gripping portion (123) of the first knob body (120). At this time, since the operating hole (125) is formed in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction, the button operating portion (143) of the lock button (140) may also protrude through the operating hole (125) in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction. In other words, the operating hole (125) may be opened in a direction orthogonal to the linear movement direction of the knob body (NB).

[0110] The above-mentioned operating hole (125) may be formed on only one of the left and right sides of the first knob body (120). In this embodiment, the operating hole (125) is formed on the left side of the first knob body (120). In this embodiment, since only one lock button (140) is provided, the operating hole (125) also needs to be formed on only one side of the first knob body (120). As another example, the operating hole (125) may be formed on the right side of the first knob body (120). As yet another example, the operating hole (125) may be formed on the left and right sides of the first knob body (120), respectively.

[0111] As described below, the lock button (140) may be restricted from moving by interfering with the edge of the operating hole (125) during the process of moving from the knob unlock position to the knob lock position. The lock button (140) may be caught on the edge of the operating hole (125) and remain in the internal space (121a, see FIG. 8) formed inside the first knob body (120) without being completely separated from the knob body (NB). The edge of the operating hole (125) can be viewed as a catch. The knob lock position and the knob unlock position of the lock button (140) will be described in detail below.

[0112] The second knob body (130) may be placed in the internal space (121a) of the first knob body (120). The second knob body (130) may be coupled to the first knob body (120) through a knob fastener (B). When the second knob body (130) is placed in the internal space (121a) of the first knob body (120), an operating space (MS, see FIG. 8) may be formed between the second knob body (130) and the first knob body (120).

[0113] The knob fastener (B) can be fixed to the assembly hole (124) of the first knob body (120) after passing through the weight plate (160) and the second knob body (130), respectively. Accordingly, the first knob body (120), the second knob body (130), and the weight plate (160) can be assembled together and operated together.

[0114] The second knob body (130) may be provided with a shaft coupling part (131) to which one end of the drive shaft (71) is coupled. The shaft coupling part (131) may be approximately cylindrical in shape. The shaft coupling part (131) may be positioned at the center of the knob body (NB). A shaft coupling hole (132) is formed in the shaft coupling part (131), and the drive shaft (71) may be inserted into the shaft coupling hole (132). The drive shaft (71) may be fixed inside the shaft coupling hole (132) without rotating freely inside the shaft coupling hole (132).

[0115] When one end of the drive shaft (71) is inserted into the shaft coupling hole (132), the drive shaft (71) rotates together with the second knob body (130) and can move axially together with the second knob body (130). That is, when the second knob body (130) is driven together with the first knob body (120), the drive shaft (71) is also driven together. For example, when the second knob body (130) is pushed axially together with the first knob body (120), the drive shaft (71) also moves axially. When the second knob body (130) rotates around the drive shaft (71) together with the first knob body (120), the drive shaft (71) also rotates together. Therefore, the drive shaft (71) may be referred to as a rotation shaft.

[0116] The second knob body (130) is coupled to the drive shaft (71) and can also be coupled to the weight plate (160). Since a coupling structure with other parts is implemented in the second knob body (130) in this way, the first knob body (120) can be made into a relatively simple and thin structure. Therefore, when the first knob body (120) is injection molded, the phenomenon of sink marks or flow marks being formed due to shrinkage of a part of the first knob body (120) caused by the complex shape can be prevented.

[0117] The second knob body (130) may be provided with a body plate (133). The body plate (133) has a roughly plate-like structure. The shaft coupling part (131) is connected to the body plate (133). The body plate (133) is a part that is coupled to the first knob body (120) and the weight plate (160). To this end, a fastener passage hole (134) through which the knob fastener (B) passes is formed in the body plate (133).

[0118] In this embodiment, the body plate (133) is approximately semicircular in shape corresponding to the shape of the operating space (MS). That is, a portion of the side of the second knob body (130) facing the inner surface of the operating space (MS) has a curved shape, and another portion of the side of the second knob body (130) facing the lock button (140) has a flat shape. The curved portion faces the inner surface of the operating space (MS), and the flat portion faces the lock button (140). A portion of the lock button (140) may interfere with the flat portion of the second knob body (130). Because the lock button (140) interferes with the flat portion of the second knob body (130), the distance traveled from the knob lock position to the knob unlock position may be limited.

[0119] The second knob body (130) may be provided with a guide fence (135). The guide fence (135) protrudes axially from the edge of the body plate (133). The guide fence (135) can reinforce the rigidity of the second knob body (130) and widen the connection surface between the second knob body (130) and the first knob body (120).

[0120] The second knob body (130) may be provided with a support plate (136). The support plate (136) protrudes along the axial direction toward the opposite side of the diffuser plate (240). The support plate (136) protrudes from the body plate (133) in a roughly plate-like shape. The support plate (136) may be extended in the same direction as the gripping portion (123), that is, in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction.

[0121] The support plate (136) can be placed between a pair of elastic members (S) to be described later. Referring to FIG. 6, the support plate (136) is placed between a pair of elastic members (S) to maintain a gap between the pair of elastic members (S). That is, the support plate (136) can prevent the pair of elastic members (S) from twisting to one side during the contraction / expansion process.

[0122] The remaining part of the second knob body (130), excluding the shaft coupling part (131), and the lock button (140) may be positioned on opposite sides of the shaft coupling part (131). More precisely, the body plate (133) and the lock button (140) may be positioned on opposite sides of the drive shaft (71). Referring to FIG. 6, with respect to the drive shaft (71), the body plate (133) is positioned on the right and the lock button (140) is positioned on the left. This prevents the center of gravity of the knob assembly (100) from shifting to one side due to the lock button (140). Additionally, the body plate (133) fills the empty space in the operating space (MS) where the lock button (140) is not located, thereby increasing the overall durability of the knob assembly (100).

[0123] Referring again to FIGS. 4 and FIGS. 5, the knob assembly (100) is provided with a lock button (140). The lock button (140) is positioned on the knob body (NB) and may be dependent on the operation of the knob body (NB). Basically, when the knob body (NB) moves linearly in the axial direction or rotates around the drive axis (71), the lock button (140) may move linearly and rotate together with the knob body (NB). However, the lock button (140) may move independently from the knob body (NB) along a direction different from the axial direction.

[0124] The lock button (140) may form part of the gripping surface that the user grips when gripping the knob assembly (100). For example, when the user grips the knob assembly (100) with their thumb and index finger, they may grip the surface of the gripping portion (123) with their index finger while simultaneously gripping the button operating portion (143) of the lock button (140) with their thumb. In this state, when the user presses the knob assembly (100) with their thumb and index finger, the surface of the gripping portion (123) remains fixed, but the button operating portion (143) formed on the opposite side is pressed and can be moved inward into the knob body (NB).

[0125] The lock button (140) may restrict the movement of the knob body (NB), the weight plate (160), and the lock button (140) constituting the knob assembly (100) in the axial direction, i.e., in the direction of the control panel (30), or may release the restriction on movement. The lock button (140) may have a knob lock position in which the axial movement is restricted by interference by the diffuser plate (240), more precisely by a stopper (250) placed on the diffuser plate (240), and a knob unlock position in which the axial movement is possible.

[0126] Here, the knob lock position is the state in which the lock button (140) protrudes relatively from the knob body (NB), which is the state of FIGS. 7 and FIGS. 8. The lock button (140) is positioned at the radially furthest position from the drive shaft (71) in the knob lock position. At the same time, the knob lock position refers to the position in which the safety pin (150) is positioned at the radially furthest position from the drive shaft (71). The knob unlock position is the position moved from the knob lock position when the lock button (140) is pressed, which is the state of FIGS. 9 and FIGS. 10. The lock button (140) is positioned closest to the drive shaft (71) along the radial direction in the knob unlock position. At the same time, the knob unlock position refers to the position in which the safety pin (150) is positioned closest to the drive shaft (71) in the radial direction.

[0127] The lock button (140) may interfere axially with the diffuser plate (240) at the knob lock position. Here, interference means that the axial movement of the lock button (140) is restricted. In this way, if the lock button (140) is axially interfered with by the diffuser plate (240), the lock button (140) may not be able to move along the axial direction toward the control panel (30), or its movement distance may be limited.

[0128] The knob body (NB) and the lock button (140) are constrained to each other in the axial direction, so that the knob body (NB) and the lock button (140) can move linearly together along the axial direction. Since the lock button (140) is constrained to the knob body (NB) in the axial direction, if the axial movement of the lock button (140) is restricted, the axial movement of the entire knob body (NB) is also restricted.

[0129] At this time, the lock button (140) may move linearly along a direction different from the axial direction between the knob lock position and the knob unlock position. In this embodiment, the lock button (140) may reciprocate between the knob lock position and the knob unlock position while moving in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction. As another example, the lock button (140) may move in an oblique direction having a predetermined angle with respect to the axial direction. As yet another example, the lock button (140) may move along a curved path with respect to the axial direction.

[0130] FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate the lock button (140) positioned in the knob lock position. FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate the lock button (140) positioned in the knob unlock position. In other words, when the lock button (140) in the knob lock position is pressed, it can move to the knob unlock position. The lock button (140) in the knob unlock position can return to the knob lock position when the external force pressing the lock button (140) is removed. However, as described below, when the button holder (170) moves to the button restraint position, the lock button (140) is restrained to the knob unlock position.

[0131] Referring to FIG. 8, at the knob lock position, the lock button (140) may be spaced apart from the diffuser plate (240) by a first distance (H1) in the axial direction. In this embodiment, at the knob lock position, the safety pin (150) and the stopper (250) of the diffuser plate (240) are spaced apart by a first distance (H1). On the other hand, referring to FIG. 10, at the knob unlock position, the lock button (140) may be spaced apart from the diffuser plate (240) by a second distance (H2) in the axial direction. More precisely, at the knob unlock position, the safety pin (150) and the upper surface of the diffuser plate (240) are spaced apart by a second distance (H2). At this time, the second distance (H2) may be formed to be farther than the first distance (H1). For reference, in FIG. 8, the first distance (H1) represents the distance between the surface (150a) of the safety pin (150) and the surface of the stopper (250) provided on the diffusion plate (240).

[0132] In this way, at the knob release position, the lock button (140) and the diffuser plate (240) are separated from each other by a second distance (H2), and this second distance (H2) represents the distance that the lock button (140) can move in the axial direction. Since the lock button (140) moves linearly in the axial direction together with the knob body (NB), the second distance (H2) consequently becomes the axial movable distance of the knob body (NB). However, in this embodiment, since the end of the shaft coupling part (131) can first come into contact with the center of the mounting plate (210), the actual axial movable distance of the knob body (NB) is G1. Here, G1 represents the distance that the end of the shaft coupling part (131) is separated from the center of the mounting plate (210). When the lock button (140) is positioned in the knob release position, the knob body (NB) and the lock button (140) can move together in a direction that narrows the separation distance (G1).

[0133] For reference, the first distance (H1) may be 0. If the first distance (H1) is 0, the surface of the lock button (140) at the knob lock position, more precisely, the surface of the safety pin (150) facing each other and the surface of the stopper (250) may be in close contact. Therefore, the lock button (140) cannot move in the axial direction at all at the knob lock position. As another example, the first distance (H1) may be greater than 0.

[0134] The first distance (H1) is shorter than the distance required for the knob assembly (100) to press the drive shaft (71) to activate the operation of the cooking device. That is, the first distance (H1) is shorter than the minimum distance (reference distance) that the drive shaft (71) must move axially to operate the cooking device. Therefore, even if the first distance (H1) is greater than 0, the axial movement distance of the knob assembly (100) is shorter than the reference distance of the drive shaft (71), and thus cannot lead to rotational movement of the drive shaft (71).

[0135] Referring to FIGS. 8 and FIGS. 10, the radial separation distance (L1, shown in FIG. 8) between the button operating part (143) in the knob lock position and the inner surface of the knob body (NB) may be greater than the radial separation distance (L2, shown in FIG. 10) between the button operating part (143) in the knob unlock position and the inner surface of the knob body (NB). That is, when the lock button (140) moves to the knob unlock position, the radial distance between the lock button (140) and the inner surface of the knob body (NB) becomes closer. Here, the radial distance refers to the direction from the drive shaft (71) toward the inner surface of the knob body (NB).

[0136] Now, let us examine the structure of the lock button (140) in detail. Referring to FIGS. 5 and FIGS. 6, the lock button (140) may include a button body (141). The button body (141) may be inserted into the operating space (MS). The button body (141) may extend in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction. The side of the button body (141) may have a curved shape corresponding to the inner surface of the operating space (MS). The button body (141) may be provided at the bottom of the operating part (143).

[0137] The button body (141) may be provided with a button operating part (143). The button operating part (143) may extend in an upright direction from the button body (141). Here, the upright direction is the up and down direction based on FIG. 5. The button operating part (143) is the part that a user presses to operate the button body (141). At least a portion of the button operating part (143) may be exposed to the outside of the knob assembly (100) through the operating hole (125) to form a gripping surface.

[0138] The button operating part (143) can support one end of the elastic member (S). The button operating part (143) can support one end of each of a pair of the elastic members (S). The other end of the elastic member (S) can be supported on the inner surface of the knob body (NB). The mounting structure of such an elastic member (S) is illustrated in FIG. 8.

[0139] A guide body (145) may be provided in the button operating part (143). The guide body (145) may be positioned on the opposite side of the button body (141) with the button operating part (143) in between. The guide body (145) may be positioned parallel to the button body (141) and may extend in opposite directions. The guide body (145) is positioned in the operating space (MS) and may be guided to the inner surface of the first knob body (120) during the movement of the lock button (140). Reference numeral 145a is a guide rib protruding from the guide body (145), and the guide rib (145a) may reduce friction by ensuring that the surface of the guide body (145) and the surface of the first knob body (120) are in line contact with each other.

[0140] Referring to FIG. 4, the lock button (140) may be provided with a restraining support member (148). The restraining support member (148) is for interference with the button holder (170) and protrudes from the button body (141). The restraining support member (148) will be described again below.

[0141] Referring to FIGS. 5 and 7, the knob body (NB) may be provided with a safety pin (150) that interferes with or is released from interference with the diffuser plate (240). The safety pin (150) may protrude further along the axial direction toward the diffuser plate (240) than the lock button (140). The safety pin (150) may be approximately cantilevered. At the knob lock position, the safety pin (150) becomes a part that substantially interferes with the stopper (250) of the diffuser plate (240).

[0142] The knob body (NB) can be moved linearly in the first direction, which is the axial direction, and the lock button (140) can be moved linearly between the knob lock position and the knob unlock position along a second direction different from the first direction. At this time, the safety pin (150) can move along the lock button (140) in conjunction with the lock button (140). The safety pin (150) protrudes in the first direction, and the protruding safety pin (150) can be moved linearly between the knob lock position and the knob unlock position by the lock button (140).

[0143] The safety pin (150) may interfere with the stopper (250) of the diffuser plate (240). In the knob lock position, the stopper (250) interferes with the safety pin (150) by being aligned with it in the axial direction. In the knob unlock position, the stopper (250) is positioned to be offset from the safety pin (150) in the axial direction, thereby releasing the interference. Thus, depending on the position of the lock button (140), the safety pin (150) may interfere with the stopper (250) or the interference may be released. This structure will be explained again below.

[0144] The safety pin (150) may be connected to the lock button (140). The safety pin (150) connected to the lock button (140) is dependent on the operation of the lock button (140). That is, the safety pin (150) may move axially and rotate around the drive axis (71) together with the lock button (140). The safety pin (150) may also be considered as part of the lock button (140). As another example, the lock button (140) may be omitted, and the safety pin (150) may be directly connected to the knob body (NB). If the lock button (140) is omitted, the safety pin (150) may be operated directly by the user.

[0145] As another example, the knob body (NB) may be provided with a plurality of safety pins (150). Each of the plurality of safety pins (150) may interfere with the surface of a plurality of stoppers (250) or the diffuser plate (240).

[0146] Referring to FIG. 6, the operation of the knob body (NB) and the lock button (140) can be examined. The lock button (140) can be pressed in the direction of arrow ①. When the lock button (140) is pressed in the direction of arrow ①, the lock button (140) moves from the knob lock position to the knob unlock position. For reference, in FIG. 6, the lock button (140) is positioned in the knob lock position, so axial movement is restricted. When the lock button (140) moves in the direction of arrow ①, the second knob body (130), the lock button (140), and the button holder (170) can move in the axial direction (arrow ② direction), except for the diffuser plate (240) fixed to the control panel (30).

[0147] The knob assembly (100) that has moved in the axial direction can be rotated in the direction of arrow ③. At this time, the first knob body (120) and the lock button (140) are also rotated together with the second knob body (130). The second knob body (130) can also be rotated in the opposite direction to arrow ③. Meanwhile, when the user removes the external force pressing the lock button (140), the lock button (140) can be moved in the direction of arrow ④ by the elastic member (S) and return to the knob lock position.

[0148] At this time, when the button holder (170) rotates in the direction of arrow ⑤, the button holder (170) can be positioned in the button restraint position. In the button restraint position, the button holder (170) interferes with the lock button (140), thereby restricting the lock button (140) from moving back to its original position, that is, in the direction toward the knob lock position (direction of arrow ④). This structure will be examined in more detail below.

[0149] Referring again to FIGS. 4 and 5, a weight plate (160) that rotates and moves together with the knob body (NB) may be coupled to the knob body (NB). The weight plate (160) may have a disc structure corresponding to the operating space (MS). The weight plate (160) can increase the overall weight of the knob assembly (100) to improve the operability of the knob assembly (100). To this end, the weight plate (160) may be made of a metal material.

[0150] A shaft passage hole (161) into which the drive shaft (71) is inserted may be formed through the center of the weight plate (160). Centered on the shaft passage hole (161), a plate fastening hole (164) through which a knob fastener (B) passes may be formed around the shaft passage hole (161).

[0151] A pin through hole (165) may be formed through the weight plate (160). The pin through hole (165) is the portion through which the safety pin (150) passes. At this time, since the safety pin (150) must move from the knob lock position to the knob unlock position, the pin through hole (165) may be extended along the radial direction of the weight plate (160). The safety pin (150) can move from the knob lock position to the knob unlock position while inserted into the pin through hole (165).

[0152] To describe the button holder (170), the button holder (170) is rotatable independently of the lock button (140). In this embodiment, the button holder (170) is positioned between the weight plate (160) and the second knob body (130). The button holder (170) is guided between the weight plate (160) and the second knob body (130) and can move between a button unlocked position (position of the button holder (170) in FIG. 15) and a button restrained position (position of the button holder (170) in FIG. 19). A more detailed structure of such a button holder (170) will be described below.

[0153] FIGS. 7 to 13 sequentially illustrate the operation of the components constituting the present embodiment. First, looking at FIGS. 7 and FIGS. 8, the state in which the lock button (140) is in the knob lock position is illustrated. When the lock button (140) is in the knob lock position, the button operating part (143) is in a state where it protrudes outward from the operating hole (125). When the lock button (140) is in the knob lock position, the safety pin (150) is axially aligned with the stopper (250) of the diffuser plate (240), thereby restricting the axial movement of the safety pin (150). In FIG. 8, the first distance (H1) between the safety pin (150) and the stopper (250) is shorter than the distance required for the knob assembly (100) to press the drive shaft (71) and activate the operation of the cooking device.

[0154] In this state, when the user presses the button operating part (143) in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 9, the lock button (140) can be inserted into the inside of the knob body (NB). At this time, the user must press the button operating part (143) while overcoming the elastic force of the elastic member (S). When this happens, the lock button (140) can move to the knob unlock position. In this way, the user can naturally press the lock button (140) that protrudes laterally while gripping the knob body (NB). Therefore, even if the lock button (140) is added, the operability of the knob assembly (100) is not reduced, and the user can easily operate the cooking device.

[0155] Referring to FIG. 10, the safety pin (150) is not axially aligned with the stopper (250) of the diffuser plate (240) and is positioned in an axially unaligned state with the stopper (250). Here, an unaligned state means that the safety pin (150) and the stopper (250) do not have a position facing each other in the axial direction. Reference numeral K indicates the radially spaced distance between the safety pin (150) and the stopper (250) when they are unaligned. In this way, the safety pin (150) can move axially without interference from the stopper (250). In FIG. 10, H2 indicates the distance between the safety pin (150) and the diffuser plate (240), and G1 indicates the distance between the center of the knob body (NB) and the mounting plate (210). The above G1 is the distance that the knob body (NB) can move in the axial direction.

[0156] The user can press the lock button (140), grasp the gripping part (123), and press the knob body (NB) axially. In FIG. 11, the arrow indicates the direction in which the knob body (NB) is pressed axially. When this happens, the knob body (NB), the lock button (140), and the weight plate (160) can move simultaneously toward the diffuser plate (240).

[0157] In this embodiment, the lock button (140) can be operated in a direction different from the axial movement of the knob body (NB). If the direction in which the lock button (140) is pressed and the direction in which the knob body (NB) is pressed are formed differently, the possibility of the user accidentally operating the knob assembly (100) is reduced.

[0158] More specifically, the button operating part (143) of the lock button (140) can move linearly in the axial direction (first direction, up and down direction in FIG. 10), which is the linear movement direction of the knob body (NB), and in the second direction (left and right direction in FIG. 10), which is different from the rotation direction of the knob body (NB). Accordingly, the possibility of the knob assembly (100) being operated arbitrarily due to user error or interference with objects around the cooking appliance can be further reduced.

[0159] Referring to FIG. 12, compared to FIG. 10, the knob body (NB), the lock button (140), and the weight plate (160) are shown moved closer to the operating panel (30) and the diffuser plate (240). The safety pin (150) can move closer to the diffuser plate (240) by passing the stopper (250). At the knob-pressed position, the lock button (140) can be spaced apart from the diffuser plate (240) by a third distance (H3) in the axial direction.

[0160] When the knob body (NB), the lock button (140), and the weight plate (160) move in the axial direction in this manner, the second knob body (130), which fixes the drive shaft (71) through the shaft coupling part (131), moves the drive shaft (71) together in the axial direction. The drive shaft (71) that has moved in the axial direction can drive the heating drive unit (70) of the cooking appliance. Here, the driving of the heating drive unit (70) includes various operations such as turning the cooking appliance on / off and selecting the cooking mode of the cooking appliance.

[0161] When the drive shaft (71) moves by a reference distance in the axial direction, the drive shaft (71) can be rotated. In this embodiment, the heating drive unit (70) is limited to rotating only when the drive shaft (71) moves by a reference distance in the axial direction. FIG. 13 shows the knob body (NB) rotated clockwise, and the drive shaft (71) can also be rotated clockwise along with the knob body (NB). When the knob body (NB) is rotated in this way, the operating button (140) can be moved to a third position. At this time, when the drive shaft (71) is rotated together with the knob body (NB), functions such as controlling the heat of the cooking appliance, the number of heating devices (28) to operate, and selecting a cooking mode can be implemented.

[0162] Thus, in this embodiment, the operation of the lock button (140) precedes the subsequent operation of the knob body (NB). The axial movement and rotation of the knob body (NB) can only occur when the lock button (140) moves to the knob unlock position, and in the process, the drive shaft (71) dependent on the knob body (NB) can also be operated together.

[0163] Looking more closely at the structure and operation of the lock button (140), FIGS. 8 and FIGS. 10 show the relative positions of the lock button (140) and the diffuser plate (240). As shown in FIGS. 7, in the knob lock position, the surface of the safety pin (150) faces the upper surface of the stopper (250). The surface of the safety pin (150) is axially aligned with the surface of the stopper (250), so that the safety pin (150) can be supported by the stopper (250).

[0164] Referring to FIG. 10, the safety pin (150) completely disengages from the stopper (250) at the knob unlock position. When the safety pin (150) disengages from the stopper (250), the safety pin (150) becomes in a knob unlock state where axial movement is possible. In this way, in the present embodiment, the lock button (140) can move linearly between the knob lock position where axial movement is interfered with and the knob unlock position where axial movement is possible. At this time, the lock button (140) is directly interfered with by the diffuser plate (240) of the knob assembly (100) at the knob lock position, thereby restricting axial movement. Therefore, a structure that restricts the operation of the knob assembly (100) can be implemented very simply.

[0165] Next, the button holder (170) will be described. The button holder (170) can rotate independently of the lock button (140). In this embodiment, the button holder (170) is positioned between the weight plate (160) and the second knob body (130). The button holder (170) is guided between the weight plate (160) and the second knob body (130) and can move between a button unlocked position (position of the button holder (170) in FIG. 15) and a button restrained position (position of the button holder (170) in FIG. 19).

[0166] The button holder (170) can rotate with a rotation center concentric with the drive shaft (71) to restrict the movement of the lock button (140). Here, the rotation center concentric with the drive shaft (71) refers to the center of the rotation path of the button holder (170). In this embodiment, the rotation center of the button holder (170) is the same as the center of the drive shaft (71). In practice, the button holder (170) is not rotated with the drive shaft (71) as the rotation axis, and the button holder (170) can be rotated guided by the weight plate (160).

[0167] If the weight plate (160) is considered as part of the knob body (NB), the button holder (170) may be considered to be placed on the knob body (NB). As another example, the weight plate (160) may be omitted, and the button holder (170) may be placed on the knob body (NB). When the button holder (170) is placed on the knob body (NB), the button holder (170) can be guided by the knob body (NB) and rotate to move between a button release position and a button restraint position.

[0168] Meanwhile, the button release position refers to a state in which the lock button (140) can move between the knob lock position and the knob release position. The button restraint position refers to a state in which the button holder (170) interferes with the lock button (140), thereby restraining the lock button (140) to a specific position. For example, if the button holder (170) moves to the button restraint position, the lock button (140) may be restrained to the knob release position. As another example, if the button holder (170) moves to the button restraint position, the lock button (140) may be restrained to the knob lock position.

[0169] As such, in this embodiment, the button holder (170) can disable the function of the lock button (140) by restraining the lock button (140) to a specific position. If the user does not want the function of the lock button (140), that is, the knob assembly (100) to be in a locked state, the button holder (170) can be moved to a button unlock position. The function and structure of such a button holder (170) will be described below.

[0170] The button holder (170) has a button restraint position that interferes with the lock button (140) and restricts the movement of the lock button (140), and a button release position that rotates from the button restraint position to release interference with the lock button (140). The button restraint position and the button release position may each be spaced apart along the rotation path of the button holder (170).

[0171] In the above button restraint position, the button holder (170) interferes with the lock button (140) placed in the above knob unlock position, so that the lock button (140) can be restrained in the above knob unlock position. Referring to FIG. 6, the lock button (140) is placed in the knob lock position, so that the safety pin (150, not shown in FIG. 6 due to angle) can be aligned axially with the stopper (250). At this time, FIG. 6 shows the button holder (170) placed in the above button unlock position, and in this state, the button holder (170) can rotate counterclockwise (arrow ⑤ direction) to restrain the lock button (140) so that it cannot move back to the knob lock position direction (arrow ④ direction).

[0172] In this embodiment, the button holder (170) rotates in a third direction, unlike the first direction, which is a straight direction, and the second direction. That is, the button holder (170) rotates between the button restraint position and the button release position. Referring to FIG. 6, the first direction is the axial direction (arrow ② direction), which is the direction in which the knob body (NB) moves when pushed, and the second direction is the direction of movement of the lock button (140) (arrows ① and ④ directions). The third direction is the direction in which the parts rotate around a rotation center concentric with the rotation axis. Accordingly, the movement paths of the parts can be dispersed without overlapping, and the parts can be efficiently arranged.

[0173] The button holder (170) may rotate together with the knob body (NB), but the button holder (170) may also rotate independently of the knob body (NB). When the user rotates the knob body (NB), the button holder (170) also rotates together with the knob body (NB); however, when the button holder (170) is operated to rotate the button holder (170) to a button restraint position or a button release position, the knob body (NB) and the button holder (170) may rotate relative to each other. This process will be explained again below.

[0174] The button holder (170) can move axially along the drive shaft (71) together with the knob body (NB). When the knob assembly (100) is mounted on the control panel (30) and the user presses the knob body (NB), the button holder (170) is also pressed axially along with the knob body (NB). This operation is possible because the button holder (170) is axially coupled to the knob body (NB). More precisely, the button holder (170) is positioned between the second knob body (130) and the weight plate (160) with respect to the axial direction, and can be fixed axially by the second knob body (130) and the weight plate (160).

[0175] For this arrangement, in the present embodiment, when assembling the button holder (170) to the knob assembly (100), the button holder (170) is first placed on the knob body (NB), and then the weight plate (160) can be assembled so as to overlap the button holder (170).

[0176] Referring to FIG. 15, the safety pin (150) can move linearly to the left in conjunction with the lock button (140), and the button holder (170) can rotate counterclockwise. In this embodiment, a display portion (not given a reference numeral) is formed on the surface of the weight plate (160) to indicate the rotational direction of the button holder (170) and the button restraint and button release states of the button holder (170). The user can see the current state and rotational direction of the button holder (170) by looking at this display portion.

[0177] The button holder (170) may have a button restraint position that interferes with the lock button (140) and restricts the movement of the lock button (140), and a button release position that moves away from the button restraint position and releases interference with the lock button (140). More precisely, the button holder (170) may have a button restraint position that is placed in the movement path of the lock button (140) and restricts the movement of the lock button (140), and a button release position that moves away from the movement path of the lock button (140) and releases interference with the lock button (140). Referring to FIG. 15, the button holder (170) may enter the movement path of the lock button (140) by rotating the shaft coupling hole counterclockwise around the rotation center.

[0178] The button holder (170) may include a first rotational position deviating from the movement path of the lock button (140) and a second rotational position relative to the knob body (NB) at the first rotational position. Comparing the button release position in FIG. 17 with the button restraint position in FIG. 19, the button holder (170) at the button release position is the first rotational position, and the button holder (170) at the button restraint position is the second rotational position. At this time, the first rotational position and the second rotational position may have a phase difference of approximately 90 degrees. Here, the button holder (170) may be rotated around a center of rotation passing through the center of the axial direction. The phase difference between the first rotational position and the second rotational position does not need to be limited to 90 degrees. For example, the button holder (170) may have a rotation angle of less than 90 degrees or greater than 90 degrees.

[0179] Looking at the structure of the button holder (170), the button holder (170) includes a holder body (171) that is approximately ring-shaped. The holder body (171) can wrap around the outer surface of the weight plate (160). The holder body (171) can rotate along the outer surface of the weight plate (160). That is, the button holder (170) is coupled to wrap around the outer surface of the weight plate (160) and can rotate around the weight plate (160). The holder body (171) has a larger diameter than the weight plate (160). At the same time, the holder body (171) may have a smaller diameter than the knob ring (121) of the first knob body (120). Accordingly, the holder body (171) may be surrounded by the knob ring (121) and not exposed.

[0180] The holder body (171) may be provided with a rotation guide (172, see FIG. 4). The rotation guide (172) protrudes from one end of the holder body (171) toward the rotation center of the button holder (170). The rotation guide (172) rests on the surface of the weight plate (160). Based on FIG. 8, the rotation guide (172) rests on the upper surface of the weight plate (160). The rotation guide (172) can prevent the button holder (170) from moving away in the direction toward the control panel (30) (downward in FIG. 8). The rotation guide (172) may be provided as a continuous circular shape formed on the edge of the holder body (171), or as a discontinuously formed arc shape.

[0181] In this embodiment, a rotational space (FS) is formed between the weight plate (160) and the knob body (NB). As shown in FIG. 8, the weight plate (160) and the knob body (NB) are spaced apart from each other to create a rotational space (FS). A part of the button holder (170) is placed in the rotational space (FS). More precisely, the rotation guide (172) of the button holder (170) and the locking rib (173), which will be described later, are placed in the rotational space (FS), so that the button holder (170) can rotate along the rotational space (FS). As such, the rotational space (FS) guides the rotation of the button holder (170), so the button holder (170) can rotate stably in an aligned state without twisting to one side.

[0182] Referring to FIG. 15, in which the weight plate (160) is omitted, the button holder (170) may be provided with a catch rib (173). The catch rib (173) protrudes further in the direction of the rotation center of the button holder (170) than the rotation guide (172). The catch rib (173) may engage with a limiting projection (139) provided on the second knob body (130) to limit the rotation angle of the button holder (170). The catch rib (173) may increase the surface area of ​​the button holder (170) engaging with the surface of the weight plate (160), thereby allowing the button holder (170) to rotate more stably. The catch rib (173) may be intermittently arranged along the rotation guide (172).

[0183] Referring again to FIGS. 14 and 15, the button holder (170) may be provided with a holder handle (174). The holder handle (174) may protrude axially from the edge of the button holder (170) toward the control panel (30). The holder handle (174) becomes the part that the user grips when rotating the button holder (170). The holder handle (174) may be made to protrude axially and radially so that the user can easily grip it. As another example, the holder handle (174) may be omitted, and the user may rotate the button holder (170) itself.

[0184] The holder body (171) may be provided with an interference part (175). The interference part (175) is positioned in the movement path of the lock button (140) at the button restraint position of the button holder (170). The interference part (175) supports one side of the lock button (140) that has moved to the knob lock position, thereby preventing the lock button (140) from moving back to the knob unlock position.

[0185] The interference part (175) may protrude radially toward the center of rotation of the button holder (170). When the button holder (170) protrudes radially, the direction in which the interference part (175) faces may also change according to the angle of rotation of the button holder (170). For example, the interference part (175) may be positioned in the movement path of the lock button (140) at the button restraint position of the button holder (170) and protrude toward the lock button (140).

[0186] The interference portion (175) may have a length that protrudes in the radial direction along the circumferential direction of the button holder (170). With reference to FIG. 15, the length that protrudes in the radial direction of the interference portion (175) gradually increases along the clockwise direction. More precisely, the length that protrudes in the radial direction of the interference portion (175) increases along the direction opposite to (counterclockwise in FIG. 15) the direction in which the button holder (170) rotates toward the button restraint position (counterclockwise in FIG. 15). In this way, when the button holder (170) is rotated, the force required to overcome the elastic force of the elastic member (S) is distributed, thereby improving operability.

[0187] A position fixing part (178) may be formed in the interference part (175) in the radial direction of the button holder (170). The position fixing part (178) may allow the interference part (175) to be fixed in the button restraint position or the button release position. In this embodiment, the position fixing part (178) is recessed in the radial direction of the button holder (170) from the surface of the interference part (175). Referring to FIGS. 18 and 19, the position fixing part (178) is recessed in the direction away from the drive shaft (71) from the outer surface of the interference part (175).

[0188] The position fixing part (178) may be coupled to a relative fixing part (138, 148) provided in at least one of the knob body (NB) or the lock button (140). The relative fixing part (138, 148) may be inserted into the position fixing part (178) to fix the button holder (170) in the circumferential direction. The button holder (170) engaged with the relative fixing part (138, 148) may not rotate arbitrarily along the circumferential direction, but may only rotate when an external force is applied by the user.

[0189] The above relative fixing parts (138, 148) may include a first relative fixing part (138) and a second relative fixing part (148). The first relative fixing part (138) is provided in a position facing the position fixing part (178) on the knob body (NB). The first relative fixing part (138) is inserted into the position fixing part (178) to fix the button holder (170) to the button release position.

[0190] The second relative fixing part (148) may be provided on the lock button (140). The second relative fixing part (148) may protrude from the lock button (140) in the direction of movement of the lock button (140). The second relative fixing part (148) may be coupled with the position fixing part (178) at the button restraint position so that the button holder (170) may be fixed at the button restraint position. Referring to FIG. 19, the position fixing part (178) may be coupled to the second relative fixing part (148).

[0191] Next, referring to FIGS. 14 to 19, we will examine the process in which the lock button (140) is restrained by the button holder (170). For reference, in the bottom views FIGS. 15, 17, and 19, the weight plate (160) is omitted to show the button holder (170).

[0192] The user can first separate the entire knob assembly (100) from the control panel (30). When the knob assembly (100) is pulled axially from the control panel (30), the knob assembly (100) and the drive shaft (71) are separated from each other, and the knob assembly (100) is removed from the control panel (30).

[0193] Referring to FIGS. 14 and 15, the lock button (140) is in the knob lock position and the button holder (170) is in the button unlock position. The interference portion (175) of the button holder (170) is positioned at the bottom relative to the drawing. That is, the interference portion (175) of the button holder (170) is not yet positioned in the movement path of the lock button (140). At this time, the position fixing portion (178) of the interference portion (175) can be held in a fixed state by being caught on the first relative fixing portion (138) of the second knob body (130).

[0194] In this state, the user can move the lock button (140) of the separated knob assembly (100) inward (in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 16) to the knob unlock position. In this state, when the user removes the external force pressing the lock button (140), the lock button (140) can be moved back to the knob lock position by the elastic member (S).

[0195] Looking at FIG. 17, the lock button (140) moves in a direction toward the knob release position (left relative to the drawing), and an empty space is formed between the button body (141) of the lock button (140) and the first knob body (120). This empty space is the space occupied by the lock button (140) and can be considered part of the movement path of the lock button (140).

[0196] The user can rotate the button holder (170) while pressing the lock button (140). More precisely, the user can rotate the button holder (170) in the direction of the arrows in FIGS. 18 and FIGS. 19 while pressing the lock button (140). At this time, the user can hold and fix the first knob body (120) and rotate the holder handle (174) with the other hand.

[0197] In this way, the interference part (175) fills the empty space between the button body (141) of the lock button (140) and the first knob body (120). That is, the interference part (175) moves to the button restraint position. When it moves to the button restraint position, the button holder (170) interferes with the button body (141) of the lock button (140), thereby restraining the lock button (140) from moving to the knob lock position.

[0198] In this way, when the button holder (170) rotates with a rotation center concentric with the drive shaft (71) and moves to the knob lock position, the elastic member (S), the lock button (140), and the button holder (170) can be aligned in the radial direction of the knob body (NB).

[0199] Looking more closely, the user can rotate the button holder (170) while moving it forward (left direction based on FIG. 19) while overcoming the elastic force of the elastic member (S). When the position fixing part (178) of the interference part (175) reaches the position where the second relative fixing part (148) of the lock button (140) is formed, the second relative fixing part (148) is naturally fitted into the position fixing part (178), and the position of the button holder (170) can be fixed.

[0200] In this state, when the user removes the force pushing the button holder (170), the lock button (140) can be pressed against the surface of the button holder (170) by the elastic force of the elastic member (S). Accordingly, the button holder (170) can be maintained in a state moved to the button restraint position.

[0201] That is, when the button holder (170) is positioned in the button restraint position, the interference portion (175) of the button holder (170) comes into contact with the button body (141) and supports the lock button (140). In this way, even if the elastic member (S) pushes the lock button (140) in the direction of the knob lock position (to the right direction based on FIG. 19), it can be maintained in the knob unlock position by the button holder (170).

[0202] In this state, when the user reconnects the knob assembly (100) to the drive shaft (71), the knob assembly (100) can be positioned in front of the diffuser plate (240). At this time, since the lock button (140) is in a pressed state, that is, moved to the knob release position and is constrained, the user does not need to press the lock button (140) to operate the cooking device. In other words, the lock button operation (step 1) is omitted, and the knob assembly (100) can be operated in a push-and-turn manner. The user can activate the lock button (140) only when necessary by operating the button holder (170), thereby increasing the convenience of the knob assembly (100).

[0203] Meanwhile, unlike the above operation sequence, the user may rotate only the button holder (170) without pressing the lock button (140). Even if the user rotates only the button holder (170) without pressing the lock button (140), the interference part (175) can press the lock button (140) from the knob lock position to the knob unlock position when the button holder (170) rotates.

[0204] At this time, as previously explained, the length of the interference part (175) protruding along the opposite direction to the direction in which the button holder (170) rotates toward the button restraint position (counterclockwise in FIG. 19) is increased. Accordingly, when the button holder (170) is rotated, the force to overcome the elastic force of the elastic member (S) is distributed, so the user can move the lock button (140) together with the button holder (170) while rotating it without applying a large force.

[0205] Next, the mounting plate (210) will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and FIGS. 5. The mounting plate (210) can be fixed to the control panel (30) together with the diffuser plate (240) and the covering (230). A lighting device (220) is placed on the mounting plate (210), and a light source (225, see FIG. 8) provided in the lighting device (220) can irradiate light toward the knob body (NB). As another example, the mounting plate (210) may be omitted, or the mounting plate (210) may be integrally provided with the control panel (30). As yet another example, the mounting plate (210) may be viewed as part of the diffuser plate (240).

[0206] The mounting plate (210) may be provided with a mounting ring (211). A plate-shaped mounting body (not given a reference numeral) may be provided on the inside of the mounting ring (211) which is provided around the edge of the mounting plate (210). A plurality of holes may be formed in the mounting body, and a mounting hole (213), which is a part of the holes, may be aligned with a driving hole (78, see FIG. 4) formed in the heating driving unit (70) and fastened with a fastener (not shown). Reference numeral 215 indicates a first fastening hole, which corresponds to a second fastening hole (244) of the diffusion plate (240). The first fastening hole (214) and the second fastening hole (244) may be assembled to the operating panel (30) with a separate fastener (not shown) while aligned with each other.

[0207] A plate through-hole (212) may be formed in the center of the mounting plate (210). The plate through-hole (212) may be aligned with the through-hole (243) of the diffusion plate (240). The driving shaft (71) may pass through the plate through-hole (212) and the through-hole (243) and protrude forward.

[0208] A through hole (215) may be formed in the mounting plate (210). The through hole (215) allows light from the light source (225, see FIG. 8) to pass through. The through hole (215) may be formed to correspond to the position of the light source (225). A plurality of through holes (215) may be spaced apart from each other on the mounting plate (210). Light from the light source (225) passing through the through hole (215) is transmitted to the diffuser plate (240), and the diffuser plate (240) diffuses it to illuminate the area around the edge of the knob assembly (100).

[0209] A hanging hole (216) is formed in the mounting plate (210), and a hanging hook (246) of a diffuser plate (240) can be assembled into the hanging hole (216). The mounting plate (210) and the diffuser plate (240) can be pre-assembled with each other by the hanging hole (216) and the hanging hook (246). As another example, the hanging hole (216) may be provided in the diffuser plate (240), and the hanging hook (246) may be provided in the mounting plate (210).

[0210] In FIG. 5, reference numeral 217 indicates a fastening boss that engages with the edge of the through hole (32) of the front plate (31). The fastening boss (217) extends from the back surface of the mounting plate (210). The back surface of the mounting plate (210) may further be provided with a fastening hook (218) for fastening the mounting plate (210) and a mounting fence (219) for mounting components such as a substrate.

[0211] Looking at the diffuser plate (240), as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the diffuser plate (240) may include a diffuser body (242) in the shape of a roughly circular plate and a diffuser ring (241) surrounding the diffuser body (242). The diffuser plate (240) can emit light around the knob body (NB). The diffuser plate (240) can also serve to protect the lighting device (220). The diffuser plate (240) may be made of a material capable of diffusing light irradiated from the light source (225) internally. For example, the diffuser plate (240) may be implemented with an opaque or translucent plastic material. This improves the uniformity of the light emitted around the knob body (NB). To diffuse such light, the diffuser plate (240) can be positioned between the knob body (NB) and the mounting plate (210) based on the axial direction.

[0212] The diameter of the diffuser plate (240) may be larger than that of the knob body (NB) and smaller than that of the mounting plate (210). In this case, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, a part of the diffuser ring (241) of the diffuser plate (240), more precisely, a diffuser end (241') formed at one end of the diffuser ring (241), may be exposed to the outside. The diffuser end (241') can illuminate the light diffused by the diffuser plate (240) more clearly around the knob body (NB) and enhance the aesthetic appeal.

[0213] A stopper (250) may be disposed on the diffuser plate (240). The stopper (250) may protrude axially from the surface of the diffuser body (242). As previously described, the stopper (250) may interfere axially with the safety pin (150). More precisely, when the lock button (140) is in the first button position, the stopper (250) is positioned to face the safety pin (150) to limit axial pressing of the lock button (140) and the knob body (NB).

[0214] In this way, in the present embodiment, the stopper (250) is not installed directly on the control panel (30) of the cooking appliance but is installed on the diffuser plate (240). Accordingly, the design freedom of the stopper (250) can be increased, and the knob assembly (100) of the present invention can be applied without changing the design of the main body of the conventional cooking appliance. That is, the locking / unlocking function of the knob assembly (100) can be easily implemented through a design change of the diffuser plate (240).

[0215] As another example, the stopper (250) may be provided on the mounting plate (210) and may protrude axially through the diffuser plate (240). As yet another example, the stopper (250) may be provided on the operating panel (30) and may protrude axially through the mounting plate (210) and the diffuser plate (240), respectively.

[0216] The stopper (250) may be placed between two adjacent light sources (225) among the plurality of light sources (225). When the stopper (250) is placed between two adjacent light sources (225), the path of light diffusion of the two light sources (225) can be avoided, and the uniformity of light can be prevented from decreasing due to the presence of the stopper (250).

[0217] Referring to FIG. 20, the structure of the stopper (250) and the diffuser plate (240) is illustrated in detail. For reference, FIG. 20 shows the diffuser plate (240) combined with the mounting plate (210). The stopper (250) is positioned adjacent to the edge of the penetration portion (243). The stopper (250) may be positioned closer to the drive shaft (71) than to the edge of the diffuser plate (240). In this way, the stopper (250) may not obstruct the diffusion of light toward the edge of the diffuser plate (240).

[0218] Looking at the structure of the stopper (250), the stopper (250) may include a stopper body (251) that is connected to the diffuser plate (240) and protrudes in the axial direction. An interference surface (252) is formed on the upper part of the stopper body (251). The interference surface (252) is formed on the upper part of the stopper body (251) and becomes a part that faces the lock button (140) positioned at the first button position in the axial direction. That is, the interference surface (252) may interfere axially with the safety pin (150).

[0219] A guide surface (253) may be formed on the side of the stopper body (251). The guide surface (253) may be formed to gradually narrow toward the drive shaft (71, not shown in FIG. 20). Looking at the drawing, the guide surface (253) may be composed of a pair of inclined surfaces that gradually narrow toward the center of the plate through hole (212) and the through part (243).

[0220] These guide surfaces (253) can come into contact with the safety pin (150) to guide the movement path of the safety pin (150). When the knob assembly (100) returns to its initial position (see FIG. 7) from a rotated state (see FIG. 13), the guide surfaces (253) can naturally guide the knob assembly (100) to its initial position by coming into contact with the surface of the safety pin (150). In this process, damage and breakage of the parts caused by contact between the stopper (250) and the safety pin (150) can also be prevented.

[0221] A tapered surface (255) may be formed on the stopper (250) along the axial direction to reduce the cross-sectional area of ​​the stopper (250). The tapered surface (255) may be formed so that the width of the stopper (250) gradually narrows toward the upper surface, the interference surface (252). The tapered surface (255) may be formed on the surface where the interference surface (252) and the guide surface (253) meet each other. The tapered surface (255) may be formed on the upper front side of the stopper (250) toward the drive shaft (71). Reference numeral 256 indicates a support reinforcement part for reinforcing the strength of the stopper (250).

[0222] During the rotation of the knob body (NB), the safety pin (150) comes into contact with the tapered surface (255), thereby guiding the axial movement of the lock button (140) and the knob body (NB). That is, when the knob assembly (100) returns to its initial position (see FIG. 7) from a rotated state (see FIG. 13), the tapered surface (255) can guide the knob assembly (100) forward (upward with respect to FIG. 20).

[0223] In this embodiment, a relative inclined surface (153) corresponding to the guide surface (253) and the tapered surface (255) is formed on the surface of the safety pin (150). Referring to FIG. 21, the safety pin (150) is cut so that only a lower portion is shown. As can be seen, the safety pin (150), like the stopper (250), has a relative inclined surface (153), which is a type of inclined surface, formed on its side. This relative inclined surface (153) can form an inclined surface structure (guide surface (253) / relative inclined surface (153)) that corresponds to each other together with the guide surface (253) of the stopper (250). This inclined surface structure can naturally guide the knob assembly (100) to the initial position by coming into contact with each other when the knob assembly (100) rotates to the initial position.

[0224] Referring to FIG. 21, we will examine the process of the knob body (NB) returning to its original position. In FIG. 21(A), the direction in which the safety pin (150) rotates is indicated by an arrow. FIG. 21(A) shows the direction of movement of the safety pin (150) when the knob body (NB) rotates counterclockwise from the state of FIG. 13. The safety pin (150) can be rotated with the drive shaft (71) as the center of rotation.

[0225] Referring to FIG. 21(B), the relative inclined surface (153) of the safety pin (150) is shown in contact with the guide surface (253) of the stopper (250). As the guide surface (253) of the stopper (250) contacts the relative inclined surface (153), the safety pin (150) can be naturally pushed in the direction of the drive shaft (71). During this process, the lock button (140) also moves in the direction of the drive shaft (71), and to achieve this, it is necessary to overcome the elastic force of the elastic member (S).

[0226] As such, in this embodiment, since the lock button (140) can be moved through the inclined surface structure (guide surface (253) / relative inclined surface (153)), the user does not need to press the lock button (140) when returning the knob body (NB) to its original position. That is, if the user rotates only the knob body (NB), the lock button (140) is guided and moved by the stopper (250).

[0227] Referring to FIG. 21(C), the tapered surface (255) of the stopper (250) is shown guiding the relative inclined surface (153) of the safety pin (150). The tapered surface (255) of the stopper (250) can guide the relative inclined surface (153) of the safety pin (150) to induce the lock button (140) to move forward (upward relative to the drawing). When the user removes the force applied in the axial direction while rotating the knob body (NB), the tapered surface (255) naturally guides the surface of the safety pin (150). In this way, the lock button (140) and the knob body (NB) can also move upward and return to their original positions. Consequently, even if the user rotates the knob assembly (100) without pressing the lock button (140), the knob assembly (100) can move to its initial position. This can improve the usability of the cooking appliance.

[0228] FIGS. 22 to 26 illustrate other embodiments of the knob assembly (100) according to the present invention. In the following, detailed descriptions of parts identical to those in the preceding embodiments will be omitted. For reference, in FIG. 22, the knob body (NB) is omitted, and the mounting plate (210), diffuser plate (240), and covering (230) constituting the present embodiment are shown.

[0229] As shown here, a stopper (250) can be detachably assembled to the diffuser plate (240). The stopper (250) can be assembled to the diffuser plate (240) and interfere with the safety pin (150) or the lock button (140). When the stopper (250) is assembled to the diffuser plate (240), the stopper (250) can protrude axially higher than the diffuser body (242) of the diffuser plate (240). When the stopper (250) is detached from the diffuser plate (240), the height of the diffuser plate (240) is lowered with respect to the axial direction, and the axial distance from the lock button (140) or the safety pin (150) increases. Accordingly, when the stopper (250) is detached, the knob lock function by the lock button (140) can be released. That is, the user can choose not to use the knob locking function at their convenience by removing the stopper (250).

[0230] Looking at the structure of the stopper (250), the stopper (250) may have a roughly cuboid shape. The stopper (250) may be provided with assembly parts (258a, 258b) for assembly to the diffuser plate (240). When the assembly parts (258a, 258b) are assembled to the diffuser plate (240), the stopper (250) can be maintained as a single part with the diffuser plate (240). In FIG. 22, the arrow indicates the assembly direction of the stopper (250).

[0231] In this embodiment, the stopper (250) includes a first assembly part (258a) and a second assembly part (258b) formed in different directions. At this time, as shown in FIGS. 23 and 24, when the first assembly part (258a) is assembled to the diffuser plate (240), the stopper (250) has a first assembly state forming a first protruding length (A1) in the axial direction. As shown in FIGS. 25 and 26, when the second assembly part (258b) is assembled to the diffuser plate (240), the stopper (250) has a second assembly state forming a different second protruding length (A2) in the axial direction that is shorter than the first protruding length (A1).

[0232] As described, the distance (height) at which the stopper (250) protrudes axially in the first assembly state and the second assembly state is different from each other. More precisely, the height at which the stopper (250) protrudes from the diffusion body (242) in the first assembly state is higher than the height at which the stopper (250) is drawn out from the diffusion body (242) in the second assembly state.

[0233] Referring to FIG. 22, the first assembly part (258a) and the second assembly part (258b) may each be in a recessed shape on the surface of the stopper (250). The first assembly part (258a) or the second assembly part (258b) in such a recessed shape is assembled to the inner edge of the through part (243). More precisely, an assembly groove (245) that expands the through part (243) may be formed on the inner edge of the through part (243). The first assembly part (258a) or the second assembly part (258b) may be assembled to the assembly groove (245). Reference numeral 257 indicates a base part that is spaced apart from the stopper body (251) and forms the first assembly part (258a) between them.

[0234] The edge of the assembly groove (245) can be fitted into the recessed area of ​​the first assembly part (258a) or the second assembly part (258b). Since the first assembly part (258a) is symmetrical on both surfaces of the stopper (250), the two edges of the assembly groove are fitted into the pair of first assembly parts (258a) respectively. Reference numeral 245a is an assembly end (245a) formed on one side of the assembly groove, and the assembly end (245a) is fitted into the first assembly part (258a) or the second assembly part (258b).

[0235] The first protrusion length (A1) may be the height from the first assembly part (258a) to the interference surface (252) of the stopper (250). The second protrusion length (A2) may be the height from the second assembly part (258b) to the surface of the stopper (250) where the guide surface (253) and the tapered surface (255) meet (the front of the stopper (250) based on FIG. 22).

[0236] Referring to FIG. 24, the first protruding length (A1) is indicated. The first protruding length (A1) is the length protruding from the diffuser plate (240) toward the safety pin (150) in the knob locking state. Due to the first protruding length (A1), the safety pin (150) interferes with the stopper (250), and the push operation of the knob assembly (100) cannot be performed. Consequently, in the first assembly state, the stopper (250) forms a first axial separation distance with the lock button (140) positioned at the first button position, thereby restricting the axial movement of the knob body (NB).

[0237] Meanwhile, in FIGS. 25 and 26, the second assembly part (258b) can be seen assembled to the assembly end (245a) of the assembly groove (245). When the second assembly part (258b) is assembled to the diffuser plate (240), the stopper (250) becomes a second assembly state in which it forms a second protruding length (A2) that is shorter than the first protruding length (A1) in the axial direction. In the second assembly state, the stopper (250) is formed with a long axial separation distance from the safety pin (150). In the second assembly state, the stopper (250) forms a second separation distance in the axial direction that is longer than the first separation distance from the lock button (140) positioned at the first button position, thereby allowing the axial movement, i.e., the push operation, of the knob body (NB).

[0238] The user may (i) activate the knob lock function by assembling the stopper (250) to the diffuser plate (240) in a first assembly state as shown in FIGS. 23 and 24, or (ii) release the knob lock function by assembling the stopper (250) to the diffuser plate (240) in a second assembly state as shown in FIGS. 25 and 26. At this time, if the stopper (250) is assembled in the second assembly state, there is no risk of losing the stopper (250) even if the knob lock function is released.

[0239] Although not illustrated, the stopper (250) is hinged to the diffuser plate (240) and can be rotated relative to the diffuser plate (240). While rotating relative to the diffuser plate (240), the stopper (250) may have (i) a first rotational position that activates the knob lock function and (ii) a second rotational position that unlocks the knob lock function.

[0240] Although not illustrated, the stopper (250) may be omitted, and the lock button (140) may be directly axially interfering with the diffuser plate (240).

[0241] The foregoing description is merely an illustrative explanation of the technical concept of the present invention, and those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains will be able to make various modifications and variations within the scope of the essential characteristics of the present invention. Accordingly, the embodiments disclosed in the present invention are intended to explain, not limit, the technical concept of the present invention, and the scope of the technical concept of the present invention is not limited by such embodiments. The scope of protection of the present invention shall be interpreted by the claims below, and all technical concepts within an equivalent scope shall be interpreted as being included within the scope of rights of the present invention.

Claims

1. A lighting device that emits light; A diffuser plate positioned in front of the above lighting device; A knob body that rotates around a drive shaft and moves linearly in the axial direction of the drive shaft; and a lock button having an operating part exposed to the outside of the knob body; comprising A knob assembly having a locking button that interferes with the diffuser plate along the axial direction to restrict the axial movement of the knob body toward the diffuser plate, and a second button position that moves from the first button position along a direction different from the axial direction to allow the axial movement of the knob body toward the diffuser plate.

2. In claim 1, a stopper protruding in the axial direction is disposed on the diffuser plate, and The stopper is positioned to be aligned along the axial direction with the lock button positioned at the first button position, and The stopper is a knob assembly positioned so as not to be aligned with each other along the axial direction with the lock button positioned at the second button position.

3. In claim 2, the lighting device comprises a plurality of light sources, and the stopper is a knob assembly disposed between two adjacent light sources among the plurality of light sources.

4. The diffusion plate of claim 1, wherein the diffusion body is disposed in front of the lighting device and has a through-hole formed therein through which the driving shaft passes; and It includes a stopper protruding in the axial direction from the surface of the diffusion body; and The above stopper is a knob assembly that interferes along the axial direction with the lock button positioned at the first button position to restrict the axial movement of the knob body.

5. In claim 4, the stopper is a knob assembly that is detachably assembled to the diffuser plate.

6. In claim 2, the stopper comprises a first assembly and a second assembly formed in different directions, and When the first assembly part is assembled to the diffuser plate, the stopper has a first assembly state forming a first protruding length in the axial direction, and A knob assembly having a second assembly state in which, when the second assembly part is assembled to the diffuser plate, the stopper forms another second protrusion length shorter than the first protrusion length in the axial direction.

7. In claim 2, the lock button has a safety pin disposed therein that protrudes axially toward the diffuser plate, and A knob assembly in which the stopper and the safety pin overlap each other along the axial direction at the first button position.

8. A knob assembly according to claim 1, wherein the lighting device and the diffuser plate are fixed to an operating panel, and the knob body and the lock button are axially coupled to the drive shaft.

9. In claim 1, the mounting plate on which the diffuser plate and the lighting device are disposed is further included, and A knob assembly in which the lighting device and the diffuser plate are positioned on opposite sides with the mounting plate in between.

10. In claim 9, the mounting plate has a plurality of transparent holes formed therein to expose a light source provided in the lighting device toward the diffuser plate, and A knob assembly in which a stopper interfering along the axial direction with the locking button is disposed between two adjacent through holes among the plurality of through holes.

11. In claim 9, the stopper is provided on the mounting plate, and The above stopper is a knob assembly that passes through the above diffuser plate and protrudes in the axial direction.

12. In claim 2, the stopper is connected to the diffuser plate and has an axially protruding stopper body; An interference surface formed on the upper part of the stopper body and facing the lock button positioned at the first button position in the axial direction; and A knob assembly comprising a guide surface formed on the side of the stopper body and gradually narrowing in width toward the drive shaft.

13. In claim 12, the locking button has a safety pin disposed therein that overlaps the stopper along the axial direction at the first button position, and The above safety pin has a relative inclined surface formed thereon that narrows in width along the radial direction, and A knob assembly in which, during the rotation process of the knob body, the relative inclined surface contacts the guide surface to guide the relative movement between the lock button and the knob body.

14. In claim 2, the locking button has a safety pin disposed therein that overlaps the stopper along the axial direction at the first button position, and A tapered surface is formed in the stopper along the axial direction to reduce the cross-sectional area of ​​the stopper, and A knob assembly in which, during the rotation process of the knob body, the safety pin contacts the tapered surface to guide the axial movement of the lock button and the knob body.

15. In claim 1, the knob body and the lock button are constrained to each other along the axial direction, The knob body and the lock button are a knob assembly that moves linearly together along the axial direction.

16. In claim 1, the knob body comprises: a first knob body having an internal space open toward the diffuser plate; and a second knob body disposed in the internal space and rotating and linearly moving together with the first knob body. The second knob body above is a knob assembly coupled to the drive shaft.

17. In claim 1, the lock button comprises the operating part; A knob assembly comprising: a button body provided at the bottom of the above-mentioned operating part; and a guide body provided at the top of the above-mentioned operating part and extending in the opposite direction to the button body.

18. In claim 1, a button holder is further included that is disposed on the knob body to be rotatable relative to the knob body, and The above button holder rotates having a rotation center concentric with the drive shaft, thereby restricting the movement of the lock button.

19. The knob assembly of claim 18, wherein the button holder has a button restraint position that interferes with the lock button and restricts the movement of the lock button, and a button release position that rotates from the button restraint position to release interference with the lock button.

20. Heating device to which the drive shaft is connected; An operating panel through which the above-mentioned drive shaft passes; A lighting device positioned on the above-mentioned control panel and emitting light; A diffuser plate disposed in front of the lighting device and diffusing light irradiated from the lighting device; and A knob assembly for moving the drive shaft in the axial direction or rotating the drive shaft; comprising The knob assembly is provided with a lock button having an operating part exposed to the outside of the knob assembly, and A cooking appliance having a locking button that interferes with the diffuser plate along the axial direction to restrict the axial movement of the knob assembly toward the diffuser plate, and a second button position that moves from the first button position along a direction different from the axial direction to allow the axial movement of the knob assembly toward the diffuser plate.

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