Microwave oven having hood

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9526131-B2
Application number	US-201313929913-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2013
Priority date	Aug 13, 2012
Publication date	Dec 20, 2016
Grant date	Dec 20, 2016

Abstract

A microwave oven having a hood is provided. The microwave oven may more efficiently suction air containing contaminants, thereby more efficiently preventing diffusion of air containing contaminants. In addition, the microwave oven may tilt a tilting hood using a simplified construction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A microwave oven, comprising:
a cooking chamber;
a hood casing positioned below the cooking chamber;
a first hood slidably coupled to the hood casing such that the first hood is selectively withdrawn from and received in the hood casing as the first hood slides forward and backward with respect to the hood casing;
a second hood total-ably coupled to the hood casing such that the second hood is selectively withdrawn from and received in the hood casing as the second hood rotates with respect to the hood casing; and
a tilting controller configured to selectively restrict tilting of the second hood, wherein the tilting controller includes a tilt angle restriction device installed adjacent to a rotational axis of the second hood and configured to restrict a tilt angle of the second hood, wherein the second hood includes a location arm configured to selectively contact a corresponding portion of the tilt angle restriction device based on the tilt angle of the second hood, wherein the tilt angle restriction device is installed at a bottom portion of the hood casing, and wherein the tilt angle rotation device is rotatable about an axis that extends in a vertical direction with respect to a bottom of the hood casing.

2. The microwave oven of claim 1 , wherein the tilt angle restriction device is provided at an intermediate lateral portion of the hood casing.

3. The microwave oven of claim 1 , wherein the tilt angle restriction device includes a plurality of contact surfaces arranged about a rotational center of the tilt angle restriction device, the plurality of contact surfaces being positioned at different radial distances from the rotational center.

4. The microwave oven of claim 3 , wherein a horizontal cross section of the tilt angle restriction device is polygonal.

5. The microwave oven of claim 1 , wherein the tilt angle restriction device includes at least four contact surfaces arranged about a rotational center of the tilt angle restriction device, the at least four contact surfaces being positioned at different radial distances from the rotational center.

6. The microwave oven of claim 1 , wherein the tilt angle restriction device includes a curved contact surface arranged about a rotational center of the tilt angle restriction device, and wherein a radius of curvature of the curved contact surface continuously changes along a periphery thereof.

7. The microwave oven of claim 1 , wherein the tilt angle restriction device includes a plurality of contact surfaces arranged about a rotational center of the tilt angle restriction device, the plurality of contact surfaces having different heights.

8. The microwave oven of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of contact surfaces are arranged such that a step is formed between adjacent contact surfaces.

9. The microwave oven of claim 1 , wherein the location arm of the second hood has a stepped shape.

10. The microwave oven of claim 1 , further including a first intake port provided in the hood casing and a second intake port provided in the second hood.

11. The microwave oven of claim 1 , wherein the tilting controller further includes:
a first locking member provided at one of the first hood or the second hood; and
a second locking member provided at the other of the first hood or the second hood.

12. The microwave oven of claim 11 , wherein the first locking member is configured to move in response to withdrawal of the first hood from the hood casing to allow tilting of the second hood.

13. The microwave oven of claim 11 , wherein the second locking member is configured to maintain contact with one side of the first locking member when the first hood is received in the hood casing to restrict tilting of the second hood.

14. A microwave oven, comprising:
a cooking chamber; and
a hood assembly coupled to the cooking chamber, the hood assembly including:
casing;
a first hood slidably coupled to the casing, the first hood sliding horizontally between a fully closed position in which the first hood is fully received in the casing and a fully open position in which the first hood is slidably extended forward from a front of the casing;
a second hood rotatably coupled to the casing, the second hood rotating between a fully closed position in which the second hood is fully received in the casing and a fully open position in which the second hood is rotated away from the casing at a predetermined angle; and
a rotation limiter coupled to the casing, wherein a location arm of the second hood is configured to contact the rotation limiter as the second hood rotates relative to the casing to establish a tilt angle of the second hood, and wherein the rotation limiter is installed at a bottom portion of the casing and is rotatable about an axis that extends in vertical direction with respect to a bottom of the casing.

15. The microwave oven of claim 14 , wherein the second hood is configured to rotate from the fully closed position to the fully open position in response to the first hood sliding from the fully closed position to the fully open position.

16. The microwave oven of claim 14 , wherein the tilt angle of the second hood corresponds to a contact point of the location arm on the rotation limiter.

17. The microwave oven of claim 14 wherein the rotation limiter includes:
a plurality of contact surfaces arranged surrounding a center of rotation of the rotation limiter and configured to selectively contact the location arm of the second hood, the plurality of contact surfaces being arranged at different radial distances from the center of rotation such that the plurality of contact surfaces respectively correspond to a plurality of tilt angles of the second hood.

18. The microwave oven of claim 14 wherein the rotation limiter includes:
a curved contact surface arranged surrounding a center of rotation of the rotation limiter and configured to selectively contact the location arm of the second hood, and wherein a radius of curvature of the curved contact surface changes continuously along a periphery thereof such that a tilt angle of the second hood corresponds to a radial distance from the center of rotation to the curved contact surface.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Wontae
• Song Sungbae
• Ji Taeho

Classifications

• H05B6/6423 Primary

  wherein the microwave oven air circulation system is also used as air extracting hood · CPC title

• F24C7/02

  using microwaves · CPC title

• F24C15/30

  Arrangements for mounting stoves or ranges in particular locations · CPC title

• F24C15/20 Primary

  Removing cooking fumes (parts, details or accessories of cooking-vessels for withdrawing or condensing cooking vapours from such vessels A47J36/38) · CPC title