Cooking appliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10863589-B2
Application number	US-201715855298-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 27, 2017
Priority date	Dec 27, 2016
Publication date	Dec 8, 2020
Grant date	Dec 8, 2020

Abstract

A low-temperature vacuum cooking device and a cooking appliance including low-temperature vacuum cooking device are provided. The cooking appliance may include a housing including a container mount and a vacuum-packing module mount provided adjacent to each other, a first container having a space to accommodate a liquid therein, the first container being configured to be coupled with the container mount, a heater that heats the liquid accommodated in the first container, a vacuum pressure generator installed on the vacuum-packing module mount to suction air inside a food packing bag, a sealer installed adjacent to the vacuum pressure generator that heats the food packing bag in order to seal it, a cover rotatably installed on the housing to cover or open the first container and the vacuum pressure generator, and a high-temperature cooking unit including a top plate and a high-temperature heater provided at a lower portion of the top plate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cooking appliance, comprising:
a housing including a container mount and a vacuum-packing module mount provided adjacent to each other;
a first container having a space to accommodate a liquid therein, the first container being configured to be coupled with the container mount;
a heater that heats a liquid accommodated in the first container;
a vacuum pressure generator installed on the vacuum-packing module mount to suction air inside a food packing bag;
a sealer installed adjacent to the vacuum pressure generator that heats the food packing bag in order to seal it;
a cover rotatably installed on the housing to cover or open the first container and the vacuum pressure generator; and
a high-temperature cooking unit including a top plate, and a high-temperature heater provided at a lower portion of the top plate, wherein the cover is flush with the top plate when the cover covers the first container and the vacuum pressure generator.

2. The cooking appliance of claim 1 , further comprising:
a cooktop case having an internal space divided into a first area and a second area adjacent to each other, wherein the high-temperature cooking unit is located in the first area of the cooktop case, and wherein the housing, the first container, the heater, the vacuum pressure generator, the sealer, and the cover are located in the second area of the cooktop case.

3. The cooking appliance of claim 2 , further comprising:
a barrier installed in the cooktop case to divide the internal space of the cooktop case into the first area and the second area.

4. The cooking appliance of claim 3 , wherein the barrier includes a diaphragm having a height that extends upwardly from a bottom surface of the cooktop case, and a length that extends from a front surface to a rear surface of the cooktop case, and wherein the diaphragm has a bent portion that is bent in a longitudinal direction thereof.

5. The cooking appliance of claim 4 , wherein the diaphragm includes a first projecting surface that forms a plane in a vertical direction and protrudes toward the first area, a second projecting surface that forms a plane in the vertical direction and protrudes toward the second area, and a connecting surface that connects the first projecting surface with the second projecting surface, and wherein the bent portion is formed between the first projecting surface and the connecting surface and between the connecting surface and the second projecting surface, such that the first projecting surface, the connecting surface, and the second projecting surface are connected with one another in a longitudinal direction of the diaphragm.

6. The cooking appliance of claim 5 , further comprising:
a top-plate coupler that couples the top plate with the barrier so that one side of the top plate adjacent to the barrier is fixed to the barrier.

7. The cooking appliance of claim 6 , wherein a first side of the top-plate coupler is coupled with the first projecting surface and a second side of the top-plate coupler is coupled with the top plate.

8. The cooking appliance of claim 5 , further comprising:
a cover mount installed on the housing, wherein the housing includes a bent extension that protrudes outwardly from the housing to form a coupling surface with the cover mount on an upper end of the housing, and wherein a bottom face of the bent extension and/or the cover mount contacts an upper end of the barrier, and the housing is supported by the barrier.

9. The cooking appliance of claim 8 , wherein a bottom face of the bent extension and/or the cover mount contacts upper ends of the second projecting surface and the connecting surface, and the housing is supported by the barrier.

10. The cooking appliance of claim 2 , wherein the vacuum-packing module mount is provided at an upper front of the housing adjacent to the container mount, wherein an electronic device space is formed under the vacuum-packing module mount, and wherein the electronic device space includes an area surrounded by the vacuum-packing module mount, the first container, and a bottom surface and a side surface of the cooktop case.

11. The cooking appliance of claim 1 , wherein the container mount and the vacuum-packing module mount of the housing are integrally connected with each other.

12. The cooking appliance of claim 11 , wherein the first container has a box shape having an accommodating space and an open top, and wherein the vacuum-packing module mount has a polygonal frame shape that protrudes in a lateral direction from the container mount where the first container is installed.

13. The cooking appliance of claim 1 , wherein the heater is a low-temperature heater that heats a liquid contained in the first container to a temperature of 100° C. or lower.

14. The cooking appliance of claim 1 , further comprising:
a cooktop case having an internal space divided into a first area and a second area adjacent to each other, wherein the high-temperature cooking unit is located in the first area of the cooktop case; and
a low-temperature cooking unit including the housing, the first container, the heater, the vacuum pressure generator, the sealer, and the cover and located in the second area of the cooktop case.

15. The cooking appliance of claim 14 , wherein the low-temperature cooking unit is detachable from the cooktop case, and wherein the low-temperature cooking unit further includes an external case coupled with the housing on an outer side thereof to accommodate the housing therein, and a control panel installed on the external case.

16. A hybrid cooking appliance, comprising:
a cooktop case including a barrier that divides the cooktop case into a first area and a second area;
a high-temperature cooking unit including a top plate provided in the first area; and
a low-temperature cooking unit located in the second area of the cooktop case, the low-temperature cooking unit including:
a housing including a container mount and a vacuum-packing module mount provided adjacent to each other;
an electronic device space formed under the vacuum-packing module mount;
a container having a space to accommodate a liquid therein, the container being configured to be coupled with the container mount;
a heater that heats a liquid accommodated in the container;
a vacuum pressure generator installed on the vacuum-packing module mount to suction air inside a food packing bag;
a sealer installed adjacent to the vacuum pressure generator that heats the food packing bag in order to seal it; and
a cover rotatably installed on the housing to cover or open the container and the vacuum pressure generator.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Lee Jeonghyun
• Choi Sungho

Classifications

• B65B31/024 Primary

  specially adapted for wrappers or bags (B65B31/021, B65B31/022 take precedence) · CPC title

• B65B29/08

  Packaging of edible materials intended to be cooked in the package (infusible substances B65B29/02) · CPC title

• F24C15/18

  Arrangement of compartments additional to cooking compartments, e.g. for warming or for storing utensils or fuel containers; Arrangement of additional heating or cooking apparatus, e.g. grills · CPC title

• B65B51/148

  Hand-operated members · CPC title

• B65B25/001

  of foodstuffs, combined with their conservation (B65B25/041, B65B25/062, B65B25/067 take precedence) · CPC title