Electric heating – Microwave heating – Enclosed cavity structure
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-21
2001-05-29
Leung, Philip H. (Department: 3742)
Electric heating
Microwave heating
Enclosed cavity structure
C219S681000, C126S02100R, C126S29900R
Reexamination Certificate
active
06239419
ABSTRACT:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY
This application makes reference to, incorporates the same herein, and claims all benefits accruing under 35 U.S.C. §119 from an application for WALL MOUNTED MICROWAVE OVEN earlier filed in the Korean Industrial Property Office on the Nov. 9, 1999 and there duly assigned Serial No. 49519/1999.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a wall-mounted microwave oven, and more particularly, a wall-mounted microwave oven having an air pipe assembly for air exhaust.
2. Related Art
A wall-mounted microwave oven
1
is generally mounted on the wall over a gas range
50
as depicted in
FIGS. 1 and 4
. The wall-mounted microwave oven additionally functions as a hood to discharge fumes or smoke generated from the gas range
50
while food is cooked on the gas range
50
.
The conventional wall-mounted microwave oven includes a main body
3
having a cavity
4
in which food to be cooked is put and a casing
6
enclosing the main body
3
spaced apart from the casing
6
. A magnetron
30
generating microwaves to be supplied into the cavity
4
is installed in a space formed between the main body
3
and the casing
6
. The magnetron
30
is supplied with high-voltage current through a high-voltage transformer not shown and a high-voltage condenser not shown. A fan cooling the magnetron
30
is installed adjacent to the magnetron
30
.
The casing
6
is comprised of an upper casing
6
a
enclosing the top and both sides of the main body
3
and a lower casing
6
b
enclosing the bottom of the main body
3
. The space formed between both side walls of the upper casing
6
a
and the main body
3
constitutes a hood duct
15
functioning as a path for discharging the fumes and smoke generated from the gas range
50
and introduced into the space. A pair of suction ports
8
allowing the fumes and smoke to flow into the hood duct
15
are formed on the lower casing
6
b
, and a discharge port
9
is formed on the top of the upper casing
6
a
in order to discharge the fumes and smoke blown into the hood duct. An exhaust pipe
11
is assembled to an outer surface of the discharge ports
9
, and is extended to an exhaust path
17
opened toward the outside of the wall.
A hood fan
13
is installed in an upper area of the main body
3
adjacent to the discharge port
9
to discharge the fumes and smoke blown into the hood duct
15
through the suction ports
8
to the outside of the wall-mounted microwave oven
1
through the discharge port
9
. On the bottom of the upper casing
6
b
is installed a hood lamp
55
for illuminating the gas range
50
.
Even though a space is formed between the casing
6
and the main body
3
and the hood duct
15
, and the casing
6
is spaced-apart from the main body
3
, there is no provision for maintaining an airtightness therebetween. Thus, air remaining in a space formed between the casing
6
and the main body
3
or air blown into the magnetron
30
by the fan (not shown) for cooling the magnetron
30
is likely to be drawn into the hood duct
15
when the hood fan
13
operates. The air drawn into the hood duct
15
is discharged to the outside together with the fumes and smoke drawn into the hood duct
15
through the suction ports
8
. The fumes and smoke can be blown into the inside of the main body through gaps between the casing and the main body.
Conventionally, the capacity of the hood fan
13
is preset depending upon the amount of air flowing into the hood duct
15
through the suction ports
8
. Therefore, where the air remaining between the casing
6
and the main body
3
is drawn into the hood duct
15
and then discharged outside, the amount of air drawn through the suction ports
8
and discharged outside is dependently reduced. Thus, the efficiency of discharging the air through the suction port is lowered.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a wall-mounted microwave oven having an improved efficiency of air exhaust.
It is another object to provide a wall-mounted microwave oven able to keep fumes and smoke from being drawn into a main body having a magnetron.
It is also an object to provide a wall-mounted microwave oven having an exclusive passageway for fume and smoke drawn into and exhausted outside of the oven.
These and other objects may be achieved by providing a wall-mounted microwave oven including a main body having a cavity into which food to be cooked is put, a casing enclosing the main body, a space formed between the casing and the main body, the casing having a suction port on its bottom and a discharge port on its top connected to the suction port through the space, and a hood fan installed adjacent to the discharge port. The wall-mounted microwave oven further includes a fan case in which the hood fan is housed. The fan case includes an outlet communicating with the discharge port of the casing, an inlet communicating with the suction port of the casing, and an air pipe connected to the suction port of the casing at one end thereof and connected to the inlet of the fan case at the other end thereof, for guiding air from the suction port into the inlet of the fan case.
The air pipe disposed within the space between the casing and the main body has a guide part, a tubular guide part formed on one end of the guide part and connected to the inlet of the fan case, and a suction head formed on the other end of the guide part and connected to the suction port of the casing. The guide part can be made of a flexible material, resulting in conveniently installing the air pipe within the space.
The wall-mounted microwave oven further includes a rib protruding from the suction port of the casing toward the main body to which the suction head is coupled. The rib serves to securely install the suction head on the suction port.
A male screw is formed on an outer circumferential surface of the inlet of the fan case and a female screw corresponding to the male screw is formed on an inner circumferential surface of the guide part. The air pipe can be securely coupled to the fan case with both screws.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4143646 (1979-03-01), Sampsel
patent: 4418261 (1983-11-01), Jailor et al.
patent: 4858591 (1989-08-01), Fu
patent: 4886046 (1989-12-01), Welch
patent: 5951907 (1999-09-01), Kang
Bushnell , Esq. Robert E.
Leung Philip H.
Samsung Electronics Co,. Ltd.
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