Cooking appliance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Mini ovens and similar cooking appliances face issues with door protrusion leading to biased center of gravity, limited passage for shelf insertion and withdrawal, and increased risk of falling, especially when installed in narrow spaces or low positions, along with challenges in checking cooking state and installing manipulation switches.

Innovation Solution

A cooking appliance design that allows simultaneous opening of the front and upper portions of the housing with a hinge assembly supporting the door for swiveling, incorporating a cooling channel and exhaust inducing parts to manage heat and steam, and placing manipulation switches on the door for improved usability and safety.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the door is opened forward from the mini oven, then the cooking space can be accessed, but the door protrudes from the front causing the center of gravity to bias toward the front and increasing the risk of falling

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedoor openingVSAvoidappliance stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The door opening direction is inverted from the conventional forward-opening to upward-opening. The door rotates about a horizontal axis at its upper end instead of a vertical axis at its lower end, causing the door to swing upward rather than forward. This inversion eliminates the protrusion problem and center of gravity shift while maintaining cooking space accessibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The door opening motion is changed from a horizontal plane rotation to a vertical plane rotation. By changing the dimension of rotation from horizontal to vertical, the door opens in a different spatial dimension, avoiding interference with the front space and eliminating the stability issue caused by forward protrusion.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Ease of operation

If the door opens forward, then the cooking space is accessible, but the passage for shelf withdrawal and insertion is limited when installed in narrow spaces

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveshelf accessVSAvoidpassage width

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The door opening direction is inverted to upward motion, which creates more horizontal passage space at the front of the appliance. This allows shelves to be withdrawn and inserted more easily in narrow installation spaces without the door blocking the path.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Ease of operation

If manipulation switches are installed on the front surface, then they are easily accessible, but heat and steam leak through gaps between the housing and door

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveswitch accessibilityVSAvoidheat and steam leakage

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The door opening direction is inverted to upward motion, which improves the sealing between the door and housing. The upward opening creates a tighter seal at the front interface, preventing heat and steam leakage while still allowing manipulation switches to be accessible on the door surface.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentEP4104722B1Cooking appliance

Publication Date: 2025.11.26 LG ELECTRONICS INC

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AI summary

The present disclosure relates to a cooking appliance. The cooking appliance includes an exhaust inducing part creating at least any one of a flow of air to the other lateral surface of the housing from any one lateral surface of the housing out of both the lateral surfaces of the housing and a flow of air to the rear surface of the housing from the front of the cooking space, while being disposed on a lateral surface of the housing and creating a flow of air at the front of the cooking space.