Cooking appliance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional microwave cooking appliances lack visibility into the cooking room during operation, requiring users to open the door to monitor the cooking process, and existing solutions for blocking electromagnetic waves often compromise this visibility.

Innovation Solution

A cooking appliance with a door structure featuring a conductive shielding member and fixing member that blocks electromagnetic waves while allowing transparent visibility through a conductive blocking layer applied to a transparent plastic or glass panel, ensuring the shielding member remains securely attached and functional.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If a transparent window is provided to see into the cooking room, then visibility is improved, but electromagnetic waves leak out

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovevisibilityVSAvoidelectromagnetic wave leakage
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The door employs a composite structure combining transparent materials (glass or transparent plastic) with conductive shielding materials. The transparent panel allows visibility while the conductive layer blocks electromagnetic waves, creating a material composite that simultaneously achieves both transparency and electromagnetic shielding functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

A conductive shielding member is introduced as an intermediary element between the transparent window and the cooking room. This shielding member, made of conductive material, acts as a mediator that blocks electromagnetic waves while allowing light to pass through, thus resolving the contradiction between visibility and electromagnetic wave blocking.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Illumination intensity

If the door is opened to check the cooking process, then visibility is improved, but cooking time is extended and heat is lost

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovevisibilityVSAvoidcooking time
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The transparent window with conductive shielding acts as an intermediary that allows visual monitoring of the cooking process without requiring physical access to the cooking room. Users can observe food cooking through the transparent door, eliminating the need to open the door and thereby reducing cooking time and heat loss.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention replaces the mechanical action of opening the door with optical observation through the transparent window. Instead of mechanically opening the door to see inside, users optically observe through the transparent material, substituting a mechanical system with an optical one that achieves the same information-gathering goal without the adverse effects.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Object-generated harmful factors

If a shielding member is added to block electromagnetic waves, then electromagnetic wave leakage is prevented, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveelectromagnetic wave leakageVSAvoiddoor structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The conductive shielding layer is merged with the transparent window structure, forming an integrated door assembly. The shielding member is positioned within the door frame and combined with the transparent panel, merging the electromagnetic shielding function with the existing window structure rather than adding a completely separate component system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The door structure is designed to serve multiple functions simultaneously: the transparent panel provides visibility, the conductive shielding layer blocks electromagnetic waves, and the integrated door assembly maintains structural integrity. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enables users to observe the cooking process without opening the door while effectively preventing electromagnetic wave leakage, maintaining the shielding function over time.

Implementation Method 1

a shielding member arranged to cover the opening and having a conductive blocking layer configured to block electromagnetic waves

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectromagnetic shielding: Faraday Cage

Implementation Method 2

The shielding member may have the blocking layer formed with a conductive material to block electromagnetic waves applied onto a transparent plastic film or panel

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight transmission through transparent material: Light

Data Source

PatentEP3306202B1Cooking appliance
Publication Date: 2021.09.15 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD
  • EP3306202B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3306202B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3306202B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Disclosed is a cooking appliance with an improved structure to increase visibility to get a better look at the inside of a cooking room during cooking while blocking electromagnetic waves generated in the cooking room from leaking out. The cooking appliance includes a main body configured to have having a cooking room and a door arranged on the front of the main body to open or and close the cooking room. The door includes a door frame configured to have an opening formed to see into the cooking room and a conductive border portion around the opening; a shielding member arranged to cover the opening and having a conductive blocking layer configured to block electromagnetic waves; and a fixing member arranged to combine the door frame and the shielding member.