Electric heating – Microwave heating – With diverse-type heating
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-28
2001-04-17
Leung, Philip H. (Department: 3742)
Electric heating
Microwave heating
With diverse-type heating
C219S685000, C219S757000, C219S400000, C126S02100R
Reexamination Certificate
active
06218651
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a microwave oven, and more particularly, an improved microwave oven having a cooking chamber, a fan housing attached to the cooking chamber, and a convection heater mounted on an air passageway formed between the cooking chamber and the fan housing.
2. Description of the Related Art
A microwave oven having a convection heater has been used for efficiently cooking food placed in a cooking chamber while the food is cooked by microwaves. Typically, the convection heater is mounted on a sidewall of a fan housing attached to the cooking chamber. For example, a conventional microwave oven shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2
includes a main body
101
and a cooking chamber
103
formed in the main body
101
. In the front of the main body
101
are provided a door
105
opening and closing the cooking chamber
103
and a control panel
107
operating the microwave oven. In the rear of the control panel
107
is formed a component chamber in which a number of components operating cooking functions of the microwave oven are installed.
On the bottom of the cooking chamber
103
, a circular tray
109
on which the food is put is rotatably installed. The circular tray
109
is rotated by a driving motor not shown. A fan housing
130
is formed at the rear of the cooking chamber
103
and between a partition
110
and a heater casing
131
. In the fan housing
130
are installed a convection heater
121
generating heat by means of an external power supply and a ventilator sending air heated by the convection heater
121
into the cooking chamber
103
.
On the partition
110
are formed a number of air suction holes
111
and air discharge holes
123
circulating air heated by the convection heater
121
between the cooking chamber
103
and the fan housing
131
. The air suction holes
111
are formed in the central area of the partition
110
and are in communication with the fan housing
130
. The air discharge holes
123
are formed along the circumferential area of the partition
110
and are in communication with the fan housing
130
. The convection heater
121
having a form of loop mounted adjacent to the air discharge holes
123
on the partition
110
and is fixed on the back face of the partition
110
by a plurality of brackets
135
. The fan
133
mounted on heater casing
131
is disposed in the rear area of the convection heater
121
and adjacent to the air suction holes
111
formed on the partition
110
to suck the air from cooking chamber
103
into the inside of the fan housing
130
through the air suction holes
111
and blow the air sucked into the fan housing
130
toward the air discharge holes
123
.
With this configuration, when the microwave oven operates, the convection heater
121
heats the air within the fan housing
130
. Then, the fan
133
blows the heated air in the radial direction. The heated air in the fan housing
130
is discharged into the cooking chamber
103
through the air discharge holes
123
, and thereby cooking the food in the cooking chamber
103
. The air blown into the cooking chamber
103
returns to the fan housing
130
through the air suction holes
111
by the suction force of the fan
133
. The returning air is heated by the convection heater
121
and transferred into the cooking chamber
103
by the fan
133
, thereby forming air circulation.
However, since the convection heater is installed in the fan housing isolated from the cooking chamber and is not located on an air passageway, the heat energy of the convection heater is consumed to increase temperature of the inner side of the fan housing and the remaining heat energy is consumed to heat the air blown into the cooking chamber through the air discharge holes. Thus, there occurs a loss of heat by the amount of the heat which is used to heat the fan housing, thereby lowering efficiency of cooking in the microwave oven. Furthermore, to prevent heat from being transferred into a driving motor of the fan and an electric wire, etc., and being emitted outside of the cooking chamber and the fan housing, an insulating member is required around the convection heater, thereby increasing the cost of production.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a microwave oven able to reduce loss of heat.
It is another object to provide a microwave oven able to improve the efficiency of cooking.
It is also an object to provide a microwave oven able to reduce the cost of production.
These and other object may be achieved by providing a microwave oven including a cooking chamber, a fan housing, both of which are isolated by a partition, and a heater housing depressed from said partition toward the fan housing and having at least one air discharge hole formed on a side of the heater housing. The air discharge hole communicates with the fan housing. A convection heater is housed in the heater housing, and a fan installed in the fan housing blows air in said fan housing into the cooking chamber through the air discharge holes and the convection heater. At least one air suction hole is formed in a central area of the partition, and the heater housing is positioned around the air discharge hole. The partition is a rear wall of the cooking chamber. The heater housing has a groove section, and the air discharge holes are formed on a sidewall of the groove section of the heater housing toward the fan.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4283614 (1981-08-01), Tanaka et al.
patent: 4780596 (1988-10-01), Matsushima et al.
patent: 63-70030 (1988-03-01), None
Bushnell , Esq. Robert E.
Leung Philip H.
Samsung Electronics Co,. Ltd.
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