Cooking appliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10874245-B2
Application number	US-201916292866-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 5, 2019
Priority date	Apr 12, 2018
Publication date	Dec 29, 2020
Grant date	Dec 29, 2020

Abstract

A cooking appliance includes a main body that defines a cooking chamber configured to receive one or more objects, a steam generator configured to generate steam to heat the one or more objects in the cooking chamber by steam, a water tank configured to store water and to supply water to the steam generator, a water supply pump configured to cause supply of water from the water tank to the steam generator, a first water supply pipe connected to the water tank, a second water supply pipe connected to the steam generator, a connector connected to the first water supply pipe and to the second water supply pipe, and a branch pipe connected to the connector. The water tank is located vertically higher than the steam generator, and the connector and the branch pipe are located vertically higher than the water tank.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cooking appliance comprising:
a main body that defines a cooking chamber configured to receive one or more objects;
a steam generator configured to generate steam to heat the one or more objects in the cooking chamber by steam;
a water tank configured to store water and to supply water to the steam generator;
a water supply pump configured to cause supply of water from the water tank to the steam generator;
a first water supply pipe connected to the water tank;
a second water supply pipe connected to the steam generator;
a connector connected to the first water supply pipe and to the second water supply pipe; and
a branch pipe connected to the connector,
wherein the water tank is located vertically higher than the steam generator, and
wherein the connector and the branch pipe are located vertically higher than the water tank.

2. The cooking appliance of claim 1 , wherein the connector has a T shape configured to connect to the first water supply pipe, the second water supply pipe, and the branch pipe.

3. The cooking appliance of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the first water supply pipe is located vertically higher than the water tank.

4. The cooking appliance of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the second water supply pipe is located vertically higher than the water tank.

5. The cooking appliance of claim 1 , further comprising a check valve connected to the branch pipe and configured to communicate with an atmosphere outside of the branch pipe,
wherein the check valve is configured to, based on communication with the atmosphere outside of the branch pipe, reduce leakage of water from the branch pipe.

6. The cooking appliance of claim 5 , wherein the check valve is located vertically higher than the water tank.

7. The cooking appliance of claim 1 , wherein the steam generator comprises a water supply part configured to connect to the second water supply pipe and to receive water from the second water supply pipe, and
wherein an entire portion of the second water supply pipe is located vertically higher than the water supply part.

8. The cooking appliance of claim 1 , wherein the steam generator comprises a water supply part configured to connect to the second water supply pipe and to receive water from the second water supply pipe,
wherein the second water supply pipe comprises a first portion located vertically lower than the water supply part and a second portion located vertically higher than the water supply part, and
wherein a length of the branch pipe is greater than a length of the first portion of the second water supply pipe.

9. The cooking appliance of claim 8 , wherein the length of the first portion of the second water supply pipe is less than a length of the second portion of the second water supply pipe.

10. The cooking appliance of claim 1 , wherein the water tank is located at an upper side of the cooking chamber, and
wherein the steam generator is located at a rear side of the cooking chamber.

11. The cooking appliance of claim 1 , further comprising:
a drain pipe configured to connect the steam generator to the water tank; and
a drainage pump located at the drain pipe and configured to cause discharge of water from the steam generator to the water tank.

12. The cooking appliance of claim 11 , wherein the drainage pump is located vertically between the steam generator and the water tank.

13. The cooking appliance of claim 1 , wherein the water supply pump is located vertically between the steam generator and the water tank.

14. The cooking appliance of claim 1 , wherein the connector has a first end connected to the first water supply pipe, a second end connected to the second water supply pipe, and a third end connected to the branch pipe, and
wherein the first end is located vertically higher than the second end, and the third end is located vertically higher than the first end.

15. The cooking appliance of claim 14 , wherein the first end of the connector and the third end of the connector are collinear.

16. The cooking appliance of claim 14 , further comprising a check valve connected to the branch pipe and configured to communicate with an atmosphere outside of the branch pipe,
wherein the third end of the connector is connected to a first end of the branch pipe that is vertically higher than the water tank, and
wherein the check valve is connected to a second end of the branch pipe that is vertically higher than the first end of the branch pipe.

17. The cooking appliance of claim 1 , further comprising a steam supply pipe connected to the steam generator and configured to supply steam from the steam generator to the cooking chamber,
wherein the steam generator comprises a first port configured to connect to the steam supply pipe, and a second port configured to connect to the second water supply pipe, the second port being located vertically lower than the first port.

18. The cooking appliance of claim 1 , wherein the main body further defines a steam supply port exposed to the cooking chamber and configured to discharge steam to the cooking chamber, and
wherein the steam supply port is located vertically higher than the steam generator and vertically lower than the water tank.

19. The cooking appliance of claim 18 , further comprising a door coupled to the main body and configured to open and close at least a portion of the cooking chamber,
wherein the steam supply port is located at a rear wall of the cooking chamber that faces the door.

20. The cooking appliance of claim 1 , wherein a length of the first water supply pipe is less than a length of the second water supply pipe.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Lee Semi
• Sim Hoonseob
• Yang Jaekyung
• Lee Yongsoo
• Jung Yoojin

Classifications

• F22D11/02

  Arrangements of feed-water pumps · CPC title

• F22B1/285

  the water being fed by a pump to the reservoirs · CPC title

• A47J27/04 Primary

  for cooking food in steam; Devices for extracting fruit juice by means of steam {; Vacuum cooking vessels (steam-heated vessels for hotels, restaurants or canteens A47J27/16)} · CPC title

• A47J2027/043

  for cooking food in steam · CPC title

• F24C15/003

  moisturising of air · CPC title