Oven Air Duct Lighting Layout for Uniform Cavity Illumination

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Solution Overview

Problem

Cooking appliances face challenges in uniformly illuminating the cooking chamber while preventing lighting module overheating due to high temperature discharged air and interfering with air ducts, which affects cooling performance and installation complexity.

Innovation Solution

A cooking appliance design featuring a lighting module positioned in the air circulation path, surrounded by a lighting guide with a long hole shape, allowing uniform illumination and heat dissipation, and minimizing flow resistance through an inclined arrangement that maintains the appliance's compact size.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If the lighting device is disposed at the upper portion of the cooking chamber, then the lighting device is prevented from being directly damaged by high temperature heat, but heat in the upper portion of the cooking chamber may still affect the lighting device causing overheating

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedirect heat damage to lighting deviceVSAvoidlighting device temperature
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The lighting device is nested within the air duct structure, specifically positioned in the center portion of the air duct. The air duct serves as both a cooling channel and a mounting structure for the lighting device, allowing the lighting device to be protected by the cooling air flow while maintaining its illumination function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

Cool air from the lower portion of the cooking chamber acts as an intermediary cooling medium that flows through the air duct surrounding the lighting device. This cool air absorbs heat from the lighting device, preventing overheating while allowing the lighting device to remain in the upper portion for illumination.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If the lighting device is disposed in a position deviated from the air duct, then interference with other parts is avoided, but it is difficult for the lighting device to emit light to a center portion of the cooking chamber

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelight emission to center portionVSAvoidlighting device position arrangement
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The air duct serves multiple functions: it is both a cooling channel for removing heat from the cooking chamber and a mounting structure for the lighting device. By positioning the lighting device within the air duct, the system achieves both effective cooling and centralized illumination without requiring separate mounting structures.

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

3Illumination intensity

If the lighting device is located in the center portion of the upper portion of the cooking chamber, then light emission to the center is improved, but a size of the air duct is reduced to deteriorate cooling performance

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelight emission to center portionVSAvoidcooling performance
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The lighting device is nested within the air duct structure, allowing the air duct to maintain its full size and cooling capacity while providing a mounting location for the lighting device. The lighting device occupies the central space within the air duct without reducing the air duct's cross-sectional area for cooling air flow.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

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

The solution ensures uniform illumination, prevents overheating of the lighting module, improves cooling performance, and simplifies the installation process by integrating the lighting guide within the air discharge flow path.

Implementation Method 1

a separate light guide is provided at a lower portion of a light source, and the light guide serves to disperse light of the light source throughout the internal space of the cooking chamber

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight dispersion: Scattering

Implementation Method 2

the lighting module is disposed in an air circulation path passing through an electric chamber, in particular through a center portion of an electric chamber, such that the lighting module is prevented from overheating due to high temperature discharged air

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Data Source

PatentEP4317794A1Cooking appliance
Publication Date: 2024.02.07 LG ELECTRONICS INC
  • EP4317794A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4317794A1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP4317794A1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

Disclosure relates to a cooking appliance. The cooking appliance may include a casing (100, 200) having a cavity (S1) and an electric chamber (S2) therein, and a door (300) opening and closing the cavity (S1). In addition, a guide duct (250) having an air discharge flow path (AC3) therein may be disposed in the electric chamber (S2). A cooling fan module (410) may be disposed at the guide duct (250), and be configured to discharge air in the casing (100, 200) forwards along the air discharge flow path (AC3). A lighting device (920) may be disposed at a position spaced forwards from the cooling fan module (410) towards the door. At this point, a lighting guide (910) with a guide space (912) of a long hole shape may be disposed at a center portion of the guide duct (250), and the lighting device (920) may be disposed in the guide space (912). Accordingly, the lighting module (900) may emit light to the center portion of the cavity (S1) to illuminate uniformly the entire internal space of the cavity (S1). Furthermore, the lighting module (900) is surrounded by the lighting guide (910), thereby preventing overheating of the lighting module due to high temperature discharged air flowing through the guide duct (250).