Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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DESCRIPTION
Heating Cooker
Technical Field
The present invention relates to a heating cooker to be used in a
kitchen at standard home or for business purposes and, more particularly, to a
protective frame mounted on a periphery of a top plate, which is mounted on an
upper surface of a main body, to constitute an outer shell of the heating
cooker for
protection of the top plate.
Background Art
Recently, induction heating appliances having a heating area on an
upper surface of a main body are in common use as cooking appliances using no
fire. The induction heating appliance has a generally rectangular top plate
mounted on the upper surface of the main body to place a cooking container
thereon. A heating portion having the heating area is made up of a portion of
the
top plate and a heating coil disposed below the top plate so as to confront
the
portion of the top plate. In addition to the induction heating appliances of
the
above-described construction, there are heating appliances having a halogen
lamp
or a radiant heater, or gas cooking appliances having a top plate mounted on
an
upper surface thereof.
A top plate unit having the top plate is provided with a protective frame
for covering an entire peripheral edge of the top plate to avoid injury to
user's
fingers.
The protective frame generally includes a frame for covering opposite
side edges and a rear edge of the top plate and a front plate for covering a
front
edge of the top plate. An operation panel for operating the heating appliance
is
mounted on the front plate.
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Some protective frames are made up of four frame pieces connected
to one another. These frame pieces are mounted on the top plate unit along a
peripheral edge thereof so as to take the form of a picture frame as a whole,
and
adjoining frame pieces are held in contact with each other at an angle of
inclination
of 45 degrees. Each of the frame pieces has a generally U-shaped section and
is
secured to the top plate with an adhesive so as to cover a corresponding edge
of
the top plate (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
A protective frame 140 as shown in Figs. 23 and 24 has been
proposed having a corner 142 that has been formed by bending a straight member
having a generally U-shaped section along a corner edge of a top plate 141. As
shown in Fig. 25, this protective frame 140 includes a side frame 144 and a
front
frame 145 connected to each other via a joint 143 (see, for example, Patent
Document 2).
Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2005-188908
Patent Document 2: Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2006-59743
Disclosure of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
However, in the prior art construction in which a connecting member is
used to connect the front frame (front plate), provided along a front edge of
the top
plate mounted atop the main body, to the side frame provided along a side edge
of
the top plate, many component parts are required and, hence, there is still
room for
improvement in terms of assemblage.
A heating appliance for cooking including an electrostatic type
touch-sensitive operating portion provided on a front side of the top plate
has been
recently proposed. In such a heating appliance, if an upper portion of the
front
frame is narrowed for placement of the operating portion or for improvement of
the
design of the appearance, the front frame and the side frame cannot be secured
to
the top plate with sufficient strength, thus posing a problem that the front
frame and
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the side frame would be easily separated from the top plate.
In the case of the heating appliance as disclosed in Patent Document
1, if variations in size of the frame pieces or distortion of the frame pieces
occurs at
the contact portions, or the connection accuracy lowers, a gap would be
created at
the contact portions or a position gap would be created at a tip of a corner,
thus
posing a problem that the appearance of the protective frame would be spoiled.
Because the contact portions expose on an upper surface of the top plate, if a
cooking liquid or water drops on the corner of the protective frame during
cooking, a
stain is apt to adhere to between the contact portions, and removal thereof is
troublesome. Also, a user may be accidentally caught by the corner at which
the
position gap has been created.
In the heating appliance as disclosed in Patent Document 2 and as
shown in Figs. 23 and 24 in which the corner 142 of the protective frame 140
is
formed by bending a straight member having a generally U-shaped section, the
corner 142 comes to have a large radius R, thus spoiling the appearance of the
heating appliance.
Also, if the side frame 144 and the front frame 145 are connected to
each other via the joint 143, as shown in Fig. 25, the number of component
parts
increases, and the assemblage of the protective frame 140 is time-consuming.
Also, if the joint 143 is made of a resin, another problem arises that the
joint 143
may be thermally deformed to thereby spoil the appearance of the heating
appliance.
The present invention has been developed to overcome the
above-described disadvantages.
It is accordingly an objective of the present invention to provide a
highly reliable and safe heating cooker or heating appliance for cooking,
which is
improved in assemblage and strength, and in which a protective frame mounted
on
a peripheral edge of a top plate is made up of a reduced number of component
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parts without spoiling the appearance thereof.
Means to Solve the Problems
In accomplishing the above objective, a heating appliance for cooking
according to the present invention includes a main body, a generally
rectangular top
plate made of a heat-resisting glass and mounted on an upper surface of the
main
body, a front frame disposed along a front edge of the top plate, two side
frames
disposed along respective side edges of the top plate, and a heating portion
mounted in the main body. Each of the side frames is formed by bending a metal
plate and has an upper wall held in contact at a lower edge thereof with an
upper
surface of the top plate to cover a side edge of the top plate, and a side
wall formed
by bending the upper wall downwardly. The front frame is formed by bending a
metal plate and has an upper wall held in contact at a lower edge thereof with
the
upper surface of the top plate to cover a front edge of the top plate,
opposite side
walls each formed by bending a side portion of the front wall downwardly, and
a
front wall formed by bending the upper wall downwardly at a front edge
thereof. A
front end of the upper wall and that of the side wall of each of the side
frames is
inserted into an inside of the upper wall and one of the side walls of the
front frame,
and each of the side frames has an outwardly protruding strip-shaped ridge
formed
with the upper wall and the side wall thereof and positioned along a rear edge
of the
upper wall and that of each of the side walls of the front frame.
This construction requires no separate joints to connect the front frame
to the side frames, thus making it possible to reduce the number of component
parts
and facilitate assemblage. Also, the protective frame comes to have
substantially
right-angled corners on a front side of the top plate and accordingly does not
spoil
the appearance. Further, the strip-shaped ridge formed with the upper wall and
the
side wall of the side frame is positioned along the rear edge of the front
frame, and a
front portion of the side frame is covered with a side portion of the front
frame, thus
making it possible to prevent user's hands from being brought into contact
with an
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edge of the front frame and that of the side frame to avoid injury to the
user.
An underframe having an opening defined therein and holding a
periphery of the top plate is further provided. Each of the side frames has a
lower
wall formed by bending the side wall thereof toward the underframe at a lower
edge
5 thereof and secured to a lower surface of the underframe, and the front
frame has a
front lower wall formed by bending the front wall toward the underframe at a
lower
edge thereof. The front lower wall of the front frame is secured to the lower
surface
of the underframe.
It is preferred that the front frame be screwed to the underframe using
a plurality of mounting holes defined in the front lower wall of the front
frame.
The front frame has opposite side lower walls and may have opposite
side covers each extending inwardly from an end portion of the front lower
wall or
each of the side lower walls.
The heating appliance for cooking preferably includes a rear cover
held by the underframe and having a front edge to cover a rear edge of the top
plate
and at least one exhaust port or intake port defined therein, and a rear frame
disposed along a rear edge of the rear cover. In this case, the rear frame is
formed
by bending a metal plate and has an upper wall held in contact at a front edge
thereof with an upper surface of the rear cover to cover a front edge of the
rear
cover, a rear wall formed by bending the upper wall downwardly at a rear edge
thereof, and a lower wall formed by bending the rear wall toward the
underframe at
a lower edge thereof and secured to the lower surface of the underframe. The
rear
frame is unitarily formed with the side frames, which cover side edges of the
rear
cover, those of the top plate, and those of the underframe, by bending a
straight
frame member.
Alternatively, a rear frame for covering a rear edge of the top plate and
that of the underframe is unitarily formed with the side frames by bending a
straight
frame member.
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The rear frame may be divided into two, each of which is unitarily
formed with one of the side frames.
The upper wall of the front frame has a rear portion that has been bent
so as to descend toward the upper surface of the top plate such that a rear
edge of
the upper wall of the front frame is held in contact with the upper surface of
the top
plate.
In another aspect of the present invention, a heating appliance for
cooking includes a main body, a generally rectangular top plate mounted on an
upper surface of the main body, a front frame disposed along a front surface
of the
top plate and formed by bending a metal plate, and two side frames disposed
along
respective side surfaces of the top plate and each formed by bending a metal
plate,
wherein the front frame includes an upper wall having a rearwardly descending
inclined portion and covering a front edge of the top plate, a front wall
formed by
bending the upper wall downwardly at a front upper edge thereof, a front lower
wall
formed by bending the front wall inwardly at a lower edge thereof, two side
walls
formed by bending the front wall downwardly at respective side edges thereof,
and
two side lower walls formed by bending the two side walls inwardly at
respective
lower edges thereof. Each of the side frames has an insert formed at a front
end
thereof and inserted into the front frame, and the insert has an engaging
piece
positioned below the upper wall of the front frame and above a lower end of
the
inclined portion so as to extend in a longitudinal direction of the upper wall
of the
front frame. The engaging piece is held in contact with the inclined portion
to avoid
removal of the front frame from the insert.
Because each side frame is formed by bending a metal plate and has
the insert formed at the front end thereof and inserted into the front frame,
no
separate joints are required to connect the front frame to the side frame,
thus
making it possible to simplify the construction.
Also, because the insert has the engaging piece positioned below the
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upper wall of the front frame and above the lower end of the inclined portion
so as to
extend in a longitudinal direction of the upper wall of the front frame and to
be held
in contact with the inclined portion to avoid removal of the front frame from
the insert,
the joint between the front frame and the side frame is simplified in
configuration
and considerably increased in rigidity. Further, a spaced occupied by the
joint
between the front frame and the side frame can be reduced and, hence, the
depth
of the upper wall of the front frame can be reduced, and the design thereof
can be
enhanced.
The side frame has an upper wall that covers a side edge of an upper
surface of the top plate, a side wall formed by bending the upper wall
downwardly,
and an outwardly protruding strip-shaped ridge formed at a location adjacent
to the
insert by deforming a portion of the upper wall and that of the side wall of
the side
frame. By this construction, when the insert of the side frame is inserted
into the
front frame, the outwardly protruding strip-shaped ridge is juxtaposed with
the rear
edge of the front frame and accordingly acts as a stopper during insertion of
the side
frame into the front frame. The strip-shaped ridge also acts to prevent user's
fingers from being brought into contact with cut rear edges of the front frame
to
thereby avoid injury to the user's fingers.
Alternatively, the side frame has an upper wall that covers a side edge
of an upper surface of the top plate, a side wall formed by bending the upper
wall
downwardly, and a lower wall formed by bending the side wall inwardly at a
lower
edge thereof, wherein the lower wall of the side frame is removed at the
insert.
This configuration allows, when the side frame is inserted into the front
frame, the
side frame to slide relative to the front frame under the condition in which a
lower
edge of the side wall of the side frame is held in contact with an upper
surface or a
rear edge of the side lower wall of the front frame. That is, the lower edge
of the
side wall of the side frame is guided by the side lower wall of the front
frame during
insertion of the side frame, thus facilitating the assemblage.
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If a lower front corner of the side wall of the side frame is removed at
the insert, and the side wall of the side frame has an inclined guide that
inclines
forwardly upwardly from a lower front edge of the side wall, when the insert
of the
side frame is inserted into the front frame, the side frame is caused to slide
with the
guide held in contact with the side lower wall of the front frame, so that the
engaging
piece can move obliquely upwardly to pass under the lower edge of the inclined
portion of the front frame. This construction can avoid interference of the
engaging
piece with the inclined portion, and accordingly facilitates insertion of the
insert.
Also, if the front frame has a cutout formed in each end of the inclined
portion to receive an upper portion of the ridge of the side frame therein, an
inward
movement and a forward movement of the side frame are restrained by the ridge
and the front wall of the front frame forming the cutout, and a rearward
movement of
the side frame is restrained by the engaging piece the inclined portion of the
front
frame, thus making it possible to stabilize the front frame.
If the engaging piece of the side frame has a strip-shaped inclined
portion that descends toward the front frame, the inclined portion acts to
guide the
insert of the side frame during insertion of the side frame into the front
frame to
thereby allow the insert to easily pass under the lower end of the inclined
portion of
the upper wall of the front frame.
An underframe formed of a metal plate is disposed below the top plate
for support thereof, and the front frame is fixed to the underframe such that
the
inclined portion of the front frame is held in contact at a lower edge thereof
with an
upper surface of the top plate, an upper surface of the front lower wall of
the front
frame is held in contact with a lower surface of the underframe, and the front
lower
wall of the front frame has a plurality of upwardly protruding protrusions
formed
thereon, each of which is received in a latch hole defined in the underframe.
This
configuration allows the front frame having a narrow depth to be easily
attached to
the top plate along a front edge thereof.
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The underframe is made of a metal and, hence, hole drilling can be
easily conducted thereto. Also, use of a thin stainless steel plate (for
example,
thickness of 0.3 millimeters) for the front frame allows the protrusions 118a
to be
easily formed on the front lower wall of the front frame, and insertion of the
side
frame into the front frame under the condition in which the side frame has
been
attached to the top plate placed on the underframe and secured thereto by an
adhesive or the like enables the front frame to be easily rigidly secured to
the top
plate and the underframe. Accordingly, the depth of the front frame can be
reduced to enhance the appearance of the appliance, and not only can the
assemblage of the front frame be improved, but the fixing strength thereof can
be
also enhanced.
The side wall has an upper wall having an inclined portion descending
toward a central portion of the top plate to cover an upper surface of a side
portion
of the top plate, a side wall formed by bending the upper wall downwardly, and
a
lower wall formed by bending the side wall inwardly at a lower edge thereof.
The
side frame is fixed to the underframe such that the inclined portion of the
side frame
is held in contact at a lower edge thereof with the upper surface of the top
plate, an
upper surface of the lower wall of the side frame is held in contact with a
lower
surface of the underframe, and the lower wall of the side frame has a
plurality of
upwardly protruding protrusions formed thereon, each of which is received in a
latch
hole defined in the underframe. As with the front frame, this configuration
allows
the side frame to have an upper wall of a narrow width to enhance the
appearance
of the appliance, and not only can the assemblage of the side frame be
improved,
but the fixing strength thereof can be also enhanced.
Effects of the Invention
According to the present invention, no separate joints are required to
connect the front frame to the side frames, both constituting the protective
frame,
thus making it possible to reduce the number of component parts and facilitate
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assemblage. Also, the protective frame comes to have substantially right-
angled
corners on a front side of the top plate and accordingly does not spoil the
appearance. Further, the strip-shaped ridge formed with the upper wall and the
side wall of the side frame is positioned along the rear edge of the front
frame, and a
5 front portion of the side frame is covered with a side portion of the front
frame, thus
making it possible to prevent user's hands from being brought into contact
with an
edge of the front frame and that of the side frame to avoid injury to the
user.
In addition, because the insert of the side frame is inserted into the
front frame, and the front frame and the side frame are mechanically secured
to
10 each other by the engaging piece and the inclined portion of the front
frame, it is
unlikely that the front frame would be removed from the side frame, and the
two
frames can be easily and assuredly assembled.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an induction heating appliance for
cooking according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a top plate unit mounted on the
induction heating appliance for cooking of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of an essential portion of the top plate unit
of Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the essential portion of the top plate unit
of Fig. 2 with a portion thereof removed.
Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a frame of the top plate unit of Fig. 2 as
viewed from below.
Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the top plate unit of Fig. 2 as viewed
from below.
Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a front corner of the top plate unit of Fig.
6.
Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken along a line A-A in Fig. 6.
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Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken along a line B-B in Fig. 6.
Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken along a line C-C in Fig. 6.
Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a front frame of the top plate unit of Fig.
2 as viewed from below.
Fig. 12 is a perspective view of a protective cover of the top plate unit
of Fig. 2.
Fig. 13 is a sectional view taken along a line D-D in Fig. 12.
Fig. 14 is a top plan view of a portion of the protective cover,
particularly showing a relationship between a guide portion of the protective
cover
and a portion on which the protective cover is placed.
Fig. 15 is a perspective view of an induction heating appliance for
cooking according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 16 is a perspective view of a peripheral portion of a top plate unit
mounted on the induction heating appliance for cooking of Fig. 15.
Fig. 17 is a sectional view taken along a line E-E in Fig. 16.
Fig. 18 is a perspective view of another peripheral portion of the top
plate unit.
Fig. 19 is a perspective view of a front frame of the top plate unit.
Fig. 20 is a perspective view of a side frame of the top plate unit.
Fig. 21 is a sectional view of the side frame.
Fig. 22 is a perspective view of a connecting portion between the front
frame and the side frame.
Fig. 23 is a top plan view of a corner of a top plate unit of a
conventional induction heating appliance for cooking.
Fig. 24 is a sectional view of a protective cover that forms the corner of
the top plate unit of Fig. 23.
Fig. 25 is a sectional view of a connecting portion of a protective frame
mounted on another conventional induction heating appliance for cooking.
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Explanation of Reference Numerals
1 top plate unit, 1A, 1B heating portion (induction heating type), 1Aa, 113a,
l Ca heating region indicating portion, 1C heating portion (radiant type), 1D
upper operating portion, 1E cabinet, 1 Ea opening, 1 Eb upper surface, 2C
main body casing, 2Ca opening, 2Cb flange portion, 2 front operating
portion, 3 grill door, 11 top plate, 12 protective frame, 13 underframe,
13a latch hole, 13b side surface, 13c screw hole, 13d opening, 13e
latch piece, 13f latch piece, 13g screw hole, 13h screw insertion hole,
13i top plate mounting surface, 13j bonding surface, 14 rear cover, 14a
grill exhaust port, 14b exhaust port, 14c intake port, 14d screw insertion
hole, 14e screw insertion hole, 15a, 15b protective cover, 15aa exhaust
hole, 15ba intake hole, 15ab, 15bb grid portion, 15ac, 15bc planar portion,
15ad left rear corner, 15bd right rear corner, 15be, 15bf guide ridge, 16
protective cover placement member, 17 right rear corner, 18 left rear corner,
19 front corner, 21 frame, 21a rear frame, 21b side frame, 21c side
frame lower wall, 21d side frame side wall, 21e side frame upper wall, 21f
rear frame lower wall, 21g rear frame rear wall, 21h rear frame upper wall,
21 i front end, 22 front frame, 22a front frame upper wall, 22c front frame
front wall, 22d front frame side wall, 22e front frame lower wall, 22f front
frame side lower wall, 22h rear edge, 22i rear edge, 23, 25 protrusion,
24 mounting hole, 26 side cover, 29 ridge, 30 rear portion, 31
adhesive, 32 sealing material, 101 top plate, 101a top plate front surface,
101 b top plate side surface, 102 front frame, 103 side frame, 103a insert,
103b insert piece, 104 rear frame, 105 main body, 106 grill door, 107
operating portion, 108 front frame side portion, 109 front frame side wall,
109a lower edge, 109b rear edge, 110 front frame front wall, 111 inclined
portion, 111 a lower end, 111b inner surface, 112 front edge, 113 top
plate upper front portion, 114 front frame upper wall, 114a rear edge, 115
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underframe, 115a latch hole, 115b screw hole, 116 ridge, 116a upper
portion, 116b side surface, 117 side frame side wall, 117a lower edge,
117b lower front edge, 118 front frame front lower wall, 118a protrusion,
119 front frame side lower wall, 119a rear edge, 120 cutout, 121 side
frame upper wall, 121 a inclined portion, 122 guide, 122a side frame lower
corner (removed portion), 123 engaging piece, 123a inclined portion, 124
side frame lower wall, 124a removed portion, 124b protrusion, C, C1
heating appliance for cooking.
Best Mode for Carrying out the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention are explained hereinafter with
reference to the drawings.
Embodiment 1.
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an induction heating appliance C for
cooking according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in
Fig.
1, the induction heating appliance C for cooking includes three heating
portions 1A,
1B, 1C and an upper operating portion 1D for heating a bottom wall of a
cooking
container (not shown) placed on an upper surface of the appliance. The heating
portion 1A provided on a right front side and the heating portion 1B provided
on a
left front side are of an induction heating type for generating a high
frequency
magnetic field to induction heat the bottom wall of the cooking container,
while the
heating portion 1 C provided on a central rear side includes a radiant heater
having a
heating element to heat the cooking container with radiant heat. A rotary type
front
operating portion 2, a power switch 2A, and a grill door 3 are provided at a
front
portion of the appliance.
The rotary type front operating portion 2 is, when not in use,
accommodated within the appliance, as shown in Fig. 1, and pivoted forwards,
when
in use, by pushing an upper portion thereof so that an operation panel (not
shown)
having a plurality of operating keys may appear. The grill door 3 is a door
for
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opening and closing a grill (not shown) for grilling, for example, raw fish
placed
within the appliance.
In cooking a food contained in a cooking container with the cooking
appliance C, the cooking container is first placed on one of the heating
portions 1A,
1 B, 1 C, and the power switch 2A of the cooking appliance C is subsequently
turned
on.
When the cooking container is placed on either the heating portion 1A
or the heating portion 1 B, and when a heating operation is initiated by
operating the
upper operating portion 1 D and the front operating portion 2, a control means
(not
shown) controls an inverter power source (not shown), which in turn supplies a
high
frequency current to a heating coil (not shown). When the heating coil is
supplied
with the high frequency current, the heating coil generates an alternating
current
magnetic field to induction heat the cooking container, resulting in an
increase in
temperature of the cooking container.
The construction of the cooking appliance C according to this
embodiment is explained hereinafter with reference to Figs. 2 to 11.
The cooking appliance C has a main body outer shell or framework
that is made up of a box-shaped main body casing 2C made of a steel plate and
having an opening 2Ca (see Fig. 10) defined in an upper wall thereof, a flange
portion 2Cb (see Fig. 10) formed along a periphery of the opening 2Ca, and a
top
plate unit 1 mounted on the flange portion 2Cb so as to cover the opening 2Ca
in
the main body casing 2C.
Fig. 2 depicts a perspective view of the top plate unit 1. As shown in
Fig. 2, the top plate unit 1 includes a top plate 11 for placing a cooking
container or
containers thereon, a rear cover 14 made of a metal and disposed rearwardly of
the
top plate 11, an underframe 13 (see Fig. 6) for holding the top plate 11 and
the rear
cover 14, and a protective frame 12 for covering an entire peripheral edge of
the top
plate unit 1. The rear cover 14 covers an edge positioned rearwardly of the
top
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plate 11 and has a grill exhaust port 14a, an exhaust port 14b, and an intake
port
14c, all defined therein.
The top plate 11 is a plate made of a non-magnetic heat-resisting
glass such as a crystallized ceramic that is superior in thermal resistance,
5 mechanical strength, chemical resistance, or electrical insulation. The top
plate 11
has heating region indicating portions Ma, 113a, l Ca printed on an upper or
lower
surface thereof so as to confront respective heating sources (not shown). Each
of
the heating region indicating portions 1Aa, 113a, l Ca has a shape (a circle
in this
embodiment) corresponding to that of an associated one of the heating sources,
10 and indicates a range on which a cooking container is to be placed.
The protective frame 12 includes two frames 21 (see Fig. 5) and a
front frame 22 (see Fig. 11) combined together. Each of the frames 21 is of a
one-piece construction substantially in the form of "L" as viewed from above
and
formed along from a rear edge to a side edge of the top plate unit 1, and the
two
15 frames 21 are disposed symmetrically in the form of "U" as a whole as
viewed from
above. The protective frame 12 extends along an entire periphery of the top
plate
unit 1 so as to cover edges of component parts that expose on an outer
peripheral
side of the top plate unit 1.
The rear cover 14 has a grill exhaust port 14a through which smoke
from the grill is discharged, an exhaust port 14b through which a wind for
cooling an
interior of the appliance is discharged, and an intake port 14c through which
cooling
air is sucked. As shown in Fig. 1, a protective cover 15a for covering the
grill
exhaust port 14a and the exhaust port 14b and a protective cover 15b for
covering
the intake port 14c are removably mounted on the rear cover 14. The rear cover
14 has a plurality of protective cover placement members 16 for placing the
protective covers 15a, 15b thereon and positioning them. Details of the grill
exhaust port 14a, the exhaust port 14b, the intake port 14c, the protective
covers
15a, 15b, the protective cover placement members 16, and the like are
explained
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16
later.
Fig. 3 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of a left front corner
19 of the top plate unit 1 as shown in Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a perspective
view, on an
enlarged scale, of the left front corner 19 of the top plate unit 1 with the
front frame
22 and the top plate 11 shown in Fig. 3 removed. The protective frame 12 is
formed of a metal plate such as, for example, a stainless steel plate having a
thickness of 0.3 to 0.6mm. The frame 21 and the front frame 22 form the
protective
frame 12 and are each bent so as to have a section substantially in the form
of "U"
(see Figs. 8 to 10). The front frame 22 covers a front edge of the top plate
11 and
that of the underframe 13 so as to sandwich them between an upper portion and
a
lower portion thereof (see Fig. 8). The frame 21 covers an edge of the top
plate 11
and that of the underframe 13 so as to sandwich them between an upper portion
and a lower portion thereof at a portion where the top plate 11 exists (see
Fig. 9),
and covers an edge of the rear cover 14 and that of the underframe 13 so as to
sandwich them between the upper portion and the lower portion thereof at a
portion
where the top plate 11 doest not exist, but the rear cover 14 exists (see Fig.
10).
Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the two frames 21 of the protective
frame 12 combined together as viewed from below and each formed along from a
rear edge to a side edge of the top plate unit 1. In Fig. 5, portions of the
two
frames 21 extending along the entire rear edge of the top plate unit 1 are
hereinafter
collectively referred to as "a rear frame 21 a", and another portion of each
frame 21
extending along a rear side edge of the top plate unit 1 is hereinafter
referred to as
"a side frame 21 b". Just a half of the rear frame 21 a and one of the side
frames
21 b are formed into a generally L-shaped frame 21 of one-piece construction
by
bending a straight frame member. That is, the protective frame 12 is made up
of a
front frame 22 and two frames 21 each having a rear corner (a right rear
corner 17
or a left rear corner 18 (see Fig. 2)), and can be said as being made up of
the front
frame 22, the rear frame 21 a, and the two side frames 21 b. The two frames 21
are
CA 02718033 2010-09-09
17
connected to each other at a center of the rear frame 21 a, and such a
construction
can reduce the number of component parts of the protective frame 12. Also,
because the joint between the two frames 21 is positioned at a central portion
rearwardly of the top plate 11 (on a side opposite to the front operating
portion 2),
the. appearance of the appliance is not spoiled.
As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the frame 21 has an upper wall (an upper
wall 21 e of the side frame 21 b and an upper wall 21 h of the rear frame 21
a) for
covering an upper edge of the top plate unit 1, a side wall and a rear wall (a
side
wall 21 d of the side frame 21 b and a rear wall 21 g of the rear frame 21 a)
bent
substantially vertically downward at an outer edge of the upper wall for
covering a
side surface and a rear surface of the top plate unit 1, and a lower wall (a
lower wall
21 c of the side frame 21 b and a lower wall 21 f of the rear frame 21 a) bent
toward
the underframe 13 at a lower edge of the side wall. As shown in Figs. 5 and 9,
a
plurality of protrusions 23 are formed on the lower wall of the frame 21, and
as
shown in Fig. 3, the upper wall and the side wall of the frame 21 are formed
with a
strip-shaped ridge 29 protruding outwardly therefrom. This ridge 29 is formed
by
deforming a portion of the frame 21 and positioned at a location spaced a
predetermined distance, e.g., about 1 to 2 millimeters from a front end 21i of
the
frame 21. As shown in Fig. 3, the front end 21 i of the side frame 21 b is
inserted
into the front frame 22 (between the upper wall 22a and the side wall 22d of
the
front frame 22), and a rear edge 22h of the upper wall 22a and a rear edge 22i
of
the side wall 22d are positioned in the vicinity of and along the ridge 29.
Details of
the ridge 29 are discussed later.
The rear frame 21a may not be divided into two. That is, the
protective frame 12 may be made up of the front frame 22 and a generally U-
shaped
frame (not shown) of one-piece construction having a rear frame 21 a and two
side
frames 21b. The one-piece construction of the rear frame 21 a and the two side
frames 21 b can further improve the appearance of the appliance.
Alternatively, the
CA 02718033 2010-09-09
18
protective frame 12 may be made up of four members, i.e., a front frame 22,
two
side frames 21 b, and a rear frame 21 a.
It is to be noted here that although in the above-described
embodiment the frame 21 has been described as having a generally U-shaped
section, it may partially or entirely have a generally L-shaped section.
Fig. 6 depicts a perspective view of the top plate unit 1 as viewed from
below, and Fig. 7 depicts a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of the
left front
corner 19 of the front frame 22 as shown in Fig. 6. Figs. 8, 9 and 10 depict a
sectional view of the front frame 22 taken along a line A-A, that of the side
frame
21 b taken along a line B-B, and that of the rear frame 21 a taken long a line
C-C in
Fig. 6, respectively.
As described above, the side frame 21 b has a plurality of protrusions
23 formed on the lower wall 21 c thereof, and as shown in Fig. 8, the front
frame 22
has a plurality of protrusions 25 formed on a lower wall 22e thereof. Each of
such
protrusions 23, 25 is formed by cutting and raising a portion of the side
frame 21 b or
the front frame 22. The underframe 13 has a plurality of latch holes 13a
defined in
a peripheral portion thereof (see Fig. 4), with inner surfaces of which end
surfaces of
the protrusions 23, 25 are respectively brought into contact to thereby fix
the side
frame 21b and the front frame 22 to the underframe 13. By doing so, the front
frame 22 sandwiches a peripheral edge of the top plate 11 and that of the
under
frame 13 together between the upper wall 22a and the lower wall 22e thereof to
cover them. Also, each side frame 21 b sandwiches another peripheral edge of
the
top plate 11 and that of the under frame 13 together between the upper wall 21
e
and the lower wall 21 c thereof to cover them.
As shown in Figs. 4 to 9, the underframe 13 has an opening 13d
defined therein, two strip-shaped top plate mounting surfaces 13i formed
around the
opening 13d, and a bonding surface 13j formed between the two top plate
mounting
surfaces 13i so as to be lower than the top plate mounting surfaces 13i. The
top
CA 02718033 2010-09-09
19
plate 11 is mounted on the top plate mounting surfaces 13i of the underframe
13
and appropriately positioned by opposite side surfaces 13b of the underframe
13,
which have been formed as positioning pieces by bending side edges of the
underframe 13 upwardly with respect to the top plate mounting surfaces 13i.
Under the condition in which the top plate 11 is mounted on the top plate
mounting
surfaces 13i of the underframe 13, an adhesive 31 is applied to the bonding
surface
13j over the entire periphery of the opening 13d to bond the underframe 13 to
the
lower surface of the top plate 11. A rear cover 14 is placed on and secured to
the
underframe 13 at a location rearwardly of the top plate 11.
As shown in Fig. 2, the rear cover 14 has a plurality of (for example,
three) screw insertion holes 14e defined therein, through each of which a
screw is
threaded into a screw hole 13g defined in the underframe 13 to rigidly secure
the
rear cover 14 to the underframe 13.
The top plate unit 1 is placed on the horizontally extending flange
portion 2Cb (see Fig. 10) formed on an upper edge of the main body casing 2C,
and
a plurality of (for example, three) screws are each inserted into a screw
insertion
hole 14d (see Fig. 2) defined in the rear cover 14 and into a screw insertion
hole
13h (see Fig. 6) defined in the underframe 13 and then threaded into a screw
hole
(not shown) defined in the flange portion 2Cb to rigidly secure a rear portion
of the
top plate unit 1 to the main body casing 2C.
As shown in Fig. 6, the underframe 13 has a latch piece 13e formed in
front of the opening 13d and two latch pieces 13f formed on respective sides
of the
latch piece 13e. The top plate unit 1 is secured to the main body casing 2C by
screwing the latch pieces 13e, 13f to the main body casing 2C.
As described above, the underframe 13 has a plurality of rectangular
latch holes 13a defined therein, through each of which one of the protrusions
23 of
the frame 21 or one of the protrusions 25 of the front frame 22 is inserted.
Also,
the underframe 13 has a plurality of screw holes 13c defined therein to secure
the
CA 02718033 2010-09-09
front frame 22.
Fig. 11 depicts a perspective view of the front frame 22 as viewed from
below. As shown in Figs. 3, 7, 8 and 11, the front frame 22 has an upper wall
22a,
a front wall 22c bent downwardly at a front edge of the upper wall 22a,
opposite side
5 walls 22d bent downwardly at side edges of the upper wall 22a, a lower wall
22e
bent rearwardly toward the underframe 13 at a lower edge of the front wall
22c, and
opposite side lower walls 22f bent toward the underframe 13 at lower edges of
the
side walls 22d, thus taking the form of a pouch as a whole. As shown in Figs.
6
and 7, the lower wall 22e of the front frame 22 has generally trapezoidal side
covers
10 26 formed on opposite end portions thereof so as to extend inwardly of the
top plate
unit 1.
The side lower walls 22f, bent toward the top plate 11 at the lower
edges of the side walls 22d, and the lower wall 22e lie substantially on the
same
plane and adjoin each other at opposite front corners 19 of the protective
frame 12.
15 In this embodiment, the side covers 26 are formed on opposite end portions
of the
lower wall 22e of the front frame 22 in the vicinity of the side lower walls
22f of the
front frame 22. This configuration allows the width of the side lower walls
22f to be
greater than that of the lower wall 22e. The shape of the side covers 26 is
not
limited to that shown in Fig. 11 and may be any shape if the side covers 26
extend
20 inwardly so as to cover rear surfaces of the front corners of the
protective frame 12,
and if portions of the lower wall 22e that adjoin the side lower walls 22f
have an
enlarged area, compared to a case where no side covers are provided.
As described above and as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, an outwardly
protruding strip-shaped ridge 29 is formed on an outer side surface of the
side frame
21 b along the rear end 22h, 22i of the front frame 22. The ridge 29 has a
section
substantially in the form of a portion of an oval or rectangle. It is
preferred that the
amount of protrusion (height) of the ridge 29 be greater than the thickness of
the
front frame 22 that is mated with the side frame 21 b. The height of the ridge
29
CA 02718033 2010-09-09
21
may be determined depending on the thickness of the front frame 22 and on a
clearance or gap between the front frame 22 and the frame 21 that are mated
with
each other.
As shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the front frame 22 having a generally
U-shaped section is mounted on the top plate 11 along a front edge thereof. A
front end 21 i of the side frame 21 b is inserted between the side wall 22d
and the
upper wall 22a of the front frame 22, and a rear edge 22i of the side wall 22d
and a
rear edge 22h of the upper wall 22a are held in contact with or adjoin the
ridge 29 of
the side frame 21 b (see Figs. 3 and 4). As a result, the front frame 22 comes
to
cover the front end (edge) 21 i of the side frame 21 b.
Because the ridge 29 protrudes from the side wall 21d and the upper
wall 21 e of the side frame 21 b and does not have any sharp edge or cut
surface, the
ridge 29 acts to prevent a user from being injured by the front end 21 i of
the side
frame 21 b or the rear end (edge) 22h, 22i of the front frame 22. The height
of the
ridge 29 protruding from the surrounding surfaces may be set to, for example,
a
value enough to avoid injury to user's fingers by the edges of the front frame
22.
Also, because the side frame 21 and the ridge 29 are unitarily formed
of the same material, the ridge 29 is inconspicuous and hence, the appliance
is
superior in appearance. Further, because the protective frame 12 is of the
construction in which the side frame 21 b is inserted into the straight front
frame 22,
the top plate unit 1 comes to have generally right-angled front corners
positioned on
a user side, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, thus enhancing the appearance of the
appliance.
The front frame 22 has a plurality of mounting holes 24 and a plurality
of protrusions 25 formed in or on the lower wall 22e thereof. As with the
protrusions 23 formed on the frame 21, the protrusions 25 formed on the front
frame
22 are each inserted into one of the latch holes 13a formed in the underframe
13 to
fix the front frame 22 to the underframe 13. A screw is inserted into each of
the
CA 02718033 2010-09-09
22
mounting holes 24 and threaded to the underframe 13 to rigidly secure the
front
frame 22 to the underframe 13. This construction can avoid removal of the
protective frame 12, made up of the two frames 21 and the front frame 22, from
the
underframe 13, which may be caused by disengagement of the protrusions 23 from
the corresponding latch holes 13a due to deformation or distortion of the
protective
frame 12.
As shown in Fig. 10, when the main body casing 2C is dropped into
and then installed inside a cabinet 1 E through a generally rectangular
opening 1 Ea
in the cabinet 1 E, a lower surface of the protective frame 12 mounted on the
flange
portion 2Cb of the main body casing 2C is brought into contact with an upper
surface 1 Eb of the cabinet 1 E. An elastic sealing material 32 such as, for
example,
an expanded resin having elasticity is applied to the entire periphery of the
lower
surface of the protective frame 12 to prevent entry of a liquid spilled on the
upper
surface 1 Eb of the cabinet 1 E into the protective frame 12. When the sealing
material 32 is applied or fixed to a lower surface of the lower wall 22e of
the front
frame 22, the side cover 26 extending inwardly from each end of the lower wall
22e
of the front frame 22 acts to control free movement of the sealing material 32
on the
lower surface side of each front corner 19 of the protective frame 12, and the
sealing material 32 is pressed against the cabinet 1 E by the top plate unit
1, thus
enabling the sealing material 32 to exhibit a steady sealing effect.
As shown in Fig. 8, a rear portion 30 of the upper wall 22a of the front
frame 22 other than portions thereof into which the ends of the frames 21 are
inserted is bent obliquely downwardly toward the top plate 11 so that a rear
edge of
the upper wall 22a may be held in contact with an upper surface of the top
plate 11
(on which a cooking container is to be placed). This configuration can seal a
gap
between the top plate 11 and the upper wall 22a of the front frame 22 to
thereby
avoid entry of dust or foreign materials thereinto.
As described above, the protective frame 12 does not have any joint
CA 02718033 2010-09-09
23
members that have been hitherto provided to connect the side frames 21b to the
front frame 22. As such, the number of component parts of the protective frame
12
reduces, thus facilitating the assemblage of the protective frame 12. Also,
each of
the rear ends 22h, 22i of the front frame 22 is positioned adjacent the ridge
29
formed on the upper wall and the side wall of the side frame 21 b, and the
front end
21i of the side frame 21b is covered with the front frame 22. This
configuration
prevents a user from being injured by the end portion of the front frame 22 or
the
front end 21 i of the side frame 21 b. Further, because the straight end
portion of the
front frame 22 and that of the side frame 21 b are at right angles to each
other to
form a corner, an exposed corner of the top plate 11 edged with the protective
frame
12 is right-angled, thus making it possible to enhance the appearance of the
top
plate 11.
The protective covers 15a, 15b placed on the top plate unit 1 are
explained hereinafter with reference to Figs. 1, 2, 12, 13, and 14.
In this embodiment, the two protective covers 15a, 15b are juxtaposed
with each other and placed on the rear cover 14 positioned rearwardly of the
top
plate 11 (on an opposite side of the upper operating portion 1 D on the top
plate 11).
The protective cover 15a is positioned to cover the grill exhaust port 14a and
the
exhaust port 14b, and the protective cover 15b is positioned to cover the
intake port
14c.
Fig. 12 depicts a perspective view of the protective cover 15b placed
on the top plate unit 1 shown in Fig. 1 on the right side thereof, and Fig. 12
depicts a
sectional view of the protective cover 15b taken along a line D-D in Fig. 12.
As
shown in Fig. 1, the protective cover 15a positioned on the left side and the
protective cover 15b positioned on the right side are each in the form of a
plate and
substantially symmetrical with respect to a centerline that equally divides
the top
plate unit 1 right and left.
The protective cover 15b is formed of, for example, aluminum by die
CA 02718033 2010-09-09
24
casting and has a grid portion 15bb having a plurality of intake holes 15ba
and a
planar portion 15bc having a substantially horizontally extending upper
surface, as
shown in Fig. 12. The grid portion 15bb covers the intake port 14c formed in
the
rear cover 14, and the protective cover 15b covers, as a whole, the rear cover
14 on
the side of the intake port 14c and a portion of the protective frame 12
formed along
a periphery of the intake port 14c.
The protective cover 15a similarly has a grid portion 15ab having a
plurality of exhaust holes 15aa and a planar portion 15ac having a
substantially
horizontally extending upper surface. The grid portion 15ab covers the grill
exhaust port 14a and the exhaust port 14b both formed in the rear cover 14.
The
protective cover 15a covers, as a whole, the rear cover 14 on the side of the
grill
exhaust port 14a and the exhaust port 14b, and a portion of the protective
frame 12
formed along a periphery of the grill exhaust port 14a and the exhaust port
14b.
That is, a front portion of the protective cover 15a covers a front portion of
the rear
cover 14, and a rear portion of the protective cover 15a covers a rear portion
of the
top plate unit 1.
The protective covers 15a, 15b so formed prevent foreign materials
from falling into the grill exhaust port 14a, the exhaust port 14b, and the
intake port
14c, and covers them so as not to spoil the appearance while exhausting
therethrough smoke or odor, which would be produced in a grill (not shown)
inside
the grill door 3.
The planar portions 15ac, 15bc of the protective covers 15a, 15b
prevent broth or stock, which may drop out of a cooking container, from
adhering to
the rugged or irregular rear cover 14 as shown in Fig. 2 to facilitate removal
of a
stain or stains.
Fig. 14 is a partial top plan view of the protective cover 15b,
particularly depicting a positional relationship between guide ridges 15be,
15bf of
the protective cover 15b and the protective cover placement members 16. As
CA 02718033 2010-09-09
shown in Fig. 14, the protective cover 15b has a plurality of straight guide
ridges
15be, 15bf formed on a lower surface thereof (surface confronting the rear
cover 14)
so as to extend parallel to front and rear ends of the protective cover 15b.
In this
embodiment, the protective cover 15b has two guide ridges 15be and two guide
5 ridges 15bf, and a total of four guide ridges 15be, 15bf extend parallel to
one
another.
On the other hand, the rear cover 14 has a plurality of (four in this
embodiment) protective cover placement members 16 formed thereon around the
grill exhaust port 14a and the exhaust port 14b, and a plurality of (four in
this
10 embodiment) protective cover placement members 16 formed thereon around the
intake port 14c. The protective cover placement members 16 are formed of an
elastic material such as, for example, rubber.
When the protective cover 15b is placed on the top plate unit 1, the
guide ridges 15be, 15bf are positioned inside the four protective cover
placement
15 members 16 to limit movement of the protective cover 15b from front to back
and
from side to side with respect to the top plate unit 1. More specifically, the
two
guide ridges 15be are formed between the two guide ridges 15bf, and the
protective
cover 15b is placed on the top plate unit 1 such that the inner guide ridges
15be are
positioned between the two front side protective cover placement members 16
and
20 the two rear side protective cover placement members 16 so as to be held in
contact with inner sides thereof, thereby limiting movement of the protective
cover
15b from front to back. The two outer guide ridges 15bf have a length shorter
than
that of the inner guide ridges 15be, and the front side guide ridge 15bf is
aligned
with and positioned between the two front side protective cover placement
members
25 16, while the rear side guide ridge 15bf is aligned with and positioned
between the
two rear side protective cover placement members 16, thereby limiting movement
of
the protective cover 15b from side to side. Such positional restriction of the
protective cover 15b requires at least two guide ridges 15be and at least one
ridge
CA 02718033 2010-09-09
26
15bf. The same applies to the protective cover 15a.
A rear edge and an outer side edge of the protective cover 15a are
substantially aligned with the rear surface and the side surface of the frame
21 b (the
rear surface 21 g and the side surface 21 d of the side frame 21 b) of the top
plate unit
1, respectively, as viewed from above. As shown in Figs. 2 and 12, a right
rear
corner 15bd of the protective cover 15b has a radius of curvature smaller than
that
of a right rear corner 17 of the top plate unit 1 positioned below the
protective cover
15b. This configuration allows the right rear corner 15bd of the protective
cover
15b to overhang the right rear corner 17 of the top plate unit I and, hence, a
user
can easily remove the protective cover 15b from the top plate unit 1 by
lifting the
protective cover 15b with his or her fingers laid to a lower surface of the
corner 15bd
of the protective cover 15b. The protective cover 15b may have a size to allow
the
protective cover 15b to laterally partially or entirely extend beyond the
frame 21 b of
the top plate unit 1. The same applies to the protective cover 15a.
As shown in Fig. 1, the protective cover 15a has a configuration similar
to that of the protective cover 15b. That is, the protective cover 15a has a
left rear
corner 15ad that overhangs a left rear corner 18 of the top plate unit 1
positioned
below the protective cover 15a. The corner 15ad of the protective cover 15a
and
the corner 15bd of the protective cover 15b may be substantially right-angled
to
overhang the corners 18, 17 of the top plate unit 1, respectively.
As described above, because the protective covers 15a, 15b cover the
grill exhaust port 14a, the exhaust port 14b, and the intake port 14c defined
in the
top plate unit 1 and the periphery thereof including the rear corners of the
top plate
unit 1, the protective covers 15a, 15b can prevent a stain or broth, which may
drop
out of a cooking container, from adhering to the periphery of such openings.
Also,
a portion of the protective cover 15a positioned above the grill exhaust port
14a is
easily stained with lampblack, but cleaning thereof can be easily carried out.
Further, because the corner 15ad of the protective cover 15a and the
CA 02718033 2010-09-09
27
corner 15bd of the protective cover 15b have a radius of curvature smaller
than that
of the corners 18, 17 of the top plate unit 1, the corners of the protective
covers 15a,
15b overhang the corners of the top plate unit 1. Accordingly, a user can
easily lift
the protective covers 15a, 15b for removal thereof by grasping the corners
thereof
extending beyond the corners of the top plate unit 1, thus making it possible
to
facilitate cleaning of only the protective covers 15a, 15b.
Embodiment 2.
Fig. 15 is a perspective view of an induction heating appliance C1 for
cooking according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Because
this
induction heating appliance C1 for cooking includes heating portions having
respective constructions similar to those of the heating portions 1 A, 1 B, 1
C shown in
Fig. 1, they are not shown in Fig. 15.
A main body 105 of the cooking appliance C1 has a top plate 101
mounted on an upper surface thereof. The main body 105 also has a front frame
102, opposite side frames 103, and a rear frame 104 formed along a periphery
of
the top plate 101 to reinforce and cover it. The front frame 102, the side
frames
103, and the rear frame 104 are each formed by bending a metal plate such as,
for
example, a stainless steel plate. The main body 105 further has a grill door
106 for
opening and closing a grill and a rotary type front operating portion 107.
Fig. 16 depicts a portion of the periphery of the top plate 101 on an
enlarged scale, Fig. 17 is a sectional view taken along a line E-E in Fig. 16,
and Fig.
18 is an enlarged perspective view of the portion shown in Fig. 16. Figs. 19
and 20
depict the front frame 102 and one of the side frames 103, respectively, Fig.
21 is a
sectional view of the side frame 103, and Fig. 22 is an enlarged perspective
view of
a connecting portion of the front frame 102 and the side frame 103.
As shown in Fig. 15, the top plate 101 mounted on the upper surface
of the main body 105 is substantially in the form of a rectangle as viewed
from
above. The front frame 102 is disposed along a front surface 101 a of the top
plate
CA 02718033 2010-09-09
28
101, and each side frame 103 is disposed along a side surface 101 b of the top
plate
101.
As shown in Figs. 17 and 19, the front frame 102 has an inclined
portion 111 descending rearwardly (toward a rear side of the top plate 101),
an
upper wall 114 for covering an upper front portion of the top plate 101,
opposite side
walls 109 formed by bending respective side portions 108 of the upper wall 114
downwardly, opposite side lower walls 119 formed by bending the side walls 109
inwardly at respective lower edges 109a thereof, a front wall 110 formed by
bending
the upper wall 114 downwardly at a front edge 112 thereof, and a front lower
wall
118 formed by bending the front wall 110 inwardly at a lower edge 11 Oa
thereof.
The front frame 102 may have an inclined portion descending forwardly down to
the
lower edge 11 Oa such that a boundary line between the upper wall 114 and the
front
wall 110 does not appear clearly. In this case, a lower end of the inclined
portion
and a portion adjacent thereto can be regarded as the front wall 110, and the
rest of
the inclined portion can be regarded as the upper wall 114.
As shown in Figs, 20 and 22 (figure as viewed from inside), the side
frame 103 has an insert 103a inserted into the front frame 102, and the insert
103a
has an engaging piece 123 positioned below the upper wall 114 of the front
frame
102 and above a lower end 111 a of the inclined portion 111 (see Fig. 17) so
as to
extend in a longitudinal direction of the upper wall 114 of the front frame
102
(direction indicated by A in Fig. 15). The engaging piece 123 is held in
contact with
an inner surface 111 b of the inclined portion 111 to avoid removal of the
front frame
102 from the insert 103a, which results in a forward inclination of the front
frame
102.
As shown in Figs. 18 and 20, the side frame 103 has an upper wall
121 for covering a side edge 113 of an upper surface of the top plate 101 and
a side
wall 117 formed by bending the upper wall 121 downwardly. The upper wall 121
and the side wall 117 of the side frame 103 are formed with a strip-shaped
ridge 116
CA 02718033 2010-09-09
29
protruding outwardly therefrom. This ridge 116 is formed by deformation of the
side frame 103 and positioned at a location adjacent to the insert 103a.
The side frame 103 also has a lower wall 124 formed by bending the
side wall 117 inwardly at a lower edge 117a thereof, but the insert 103a has
no
lower wall (dotted lines in Fig. 20 indicate a portion 124a removed from the
lower
wall). The insert 103a has an insert piece 103b formed with an end portion of
the
side wall 117 forwardly of the engaging piece 123. A lower front corner 122a
of the
insert piece 103b is partially removed, and the insert piece 103b accordingly
has an
inclined guide 122 that inclines forwardly upwardly from a lower front edge
117b of
the side wall 117.
As shown in Fig. 19, the front frame 102 has a cutout 120 formed in
each end of the inclined portion 111 to receive an upper portion 1 16a of the
ridge
116 of the side frame 103 therein. Accordingly, the upper portion 116a of the
ridge
116 is positioned along a rear edge 114a of the upper wall 114 of the front
frame
102, and a side surface 11 6b of the ridge 116 is positioned along a rear edge
109b
of the side wall 109 of the front frame 102.
The engaging piece 123 of the side frame 103 has a strip-shaped
inclined portion 123a that descends toward the front frame 102.
As shown in Fig. 17, an underframe 115 formed of a metal plate is
disposed below the top plate 101 to support it. The front frame 102 is fixed
to the
underframe 115 such that the inclined portion 111 of the front frame 102 is
held in
contact at the lower edge 111 a thereof with an upper surface of the top plate
101,
an upper surface of the front lower wall 118 of the front frame 102 is held in
contact
with a lower surface of the underframe 115, and a plurality of protrusions
118a
formed on the front lower wall 118 of the front frame 102 so as to protrude
upwardly
are received in respective latch holes 115a defined in the underframe 115. The
underframe 115 may have a plurality of screw holes 115b into each of which a
screw inserted into a mounting hole (not shown, see the mounting hole 24 shown
in
CA 02718033 2010-09-09
Fig. 7) defined in the front lower wall 118 of the front frame 102 is threaded
after the
front frame 102 has been fixed to the underframe 115, thereby increasing the
fixing
strength of the front frame 102 with respect to the underframe 115. The fixing
by
the screws and the screw holes 11 5b may be dispensed with.
5 As shown in Fig. 21, the side frame 103 has an upper wall 121 having
an inclined portion 121 a descending toward a central portion of the top plate
101 to
cover an upper surface of a side portion of the top plate 101, a side wall 117
formed
by bending the upper wall 121 downwardly, and a lower wall 124 formed by
bending
the side wall 117 inwardly at a lower edge 117a thereof. The side frame 103 is
10 fixed to the underframe 115 such that the inclined portion 121a of the side
frame
103 is held in contact at the lower edge thereof with the upper surface of the
top
plate 101, an upper surface of the lower wall 124 of the side frame 103 is
held in
contact with a lower surface of the underframe 115, and a plurality of
protrusions
124b formed on the lower wall 124 of the side frame 103 so as to protrude
upwardly
15 are received in respective latch holes 11 5a in the underframe 115.
As described above, in this embodiment, the main body 105 includes
the generally rectangular top plate 101 mounted on the upper surface thereof,
the
front frame 102 disposed along the front surface 101a of the top plate 101 and
formed by bending a metal plate, and the two side frames 103 disposed along
20 opposite side surfaces 101b of the top plate 101 and each formed by bending
a
metal plate.
The front frame 102 has the upper wall 114 formed with the rearwardly
descending inclined portion 111 for covering the upper front portion 113 of
the top
plate 101, the front wall 110 formed by bending the upper wall 114 downwardly
at
25 the front edge 112 thereof, the front lower wall 118 formed by bending the
front wall
110 inwardly at the lower edge 11 Oa thereof, the two side walls 109 formed by
bending respective side portions 108 of the upper wall 114 downwardly, and the
two
side lower walls 119 formed by bending the side walls 109 inwardly at
respective
CA 02718033 2010-09-09
31
lower edges 109a thereof.
On the other hand, the side frame 103 has the insert 103a inserted
into the front frame 102, and the insert 103a has the engaging piece 123
formed
with the upper wall 121 of the side frame 103. The engaging piece 123 is
positioned below the upper wall 114 of the front frame 102 and above the lower
end
111a of the inclined portion 111 so as to extend in a longitudinal direction
of the
upper wall 114 of the front frame 102 (direction indicated by A in Fig. 15)
such that
the engaging piece 123 is held in contact with the inner surface 111 b of the
inclined
portion 111. The insert 103a acts to avoid removal of the front frame 102 from
the
side frame 103. The side frame 103 is formed by bending a metal plate and has
the insert 103a formed with a front end thereof and inserted into the front
frame 102.
Because no separate members are required to connect the side frame 103 to the
front frame 102, the construction of the protective frame is simplified.
The provision of the engaging piece 123 formed with the insert 123 of
the side frame 103 can simplify the configuration for connection between the
front
frame 102 and the side frame 103 and considerably increase the rigidity
thereof.
Also, because a connecting space between the front frame 102 and the side
frame
103 can be reduced, the depth (indicated by L in Fig. 17) of the front frame
102 can
be reduced, thus making it possible to enhance the design of the appliance.
Further, the side frame 103 includes the upper wall 121 for covering
the side edge 113 of the upper surface of the top plate 101, the side wall 117
formed by bending the upper wall 121 downwardly, and the outwardly protruding
strip-shaped ridge 116 formed at a location adjacent to the insert 103a by
deforming
a portion of the upper wall 121 and that of the side wall 117 of the side
frame 103.
Accordingly, when the insert 103a of the side frame 103 is inserted into the
front
frame 102, the outwardly protruding strip-shaped ridge 116 is juxtaposed with
the
rear edge 109b of the front frame 102 and accordingly acts as a stopper during
insertion of the side frame 103 into the front frame 102. The strip-shaped
ridge 116
CA 02718033 2010-09-09
32
also acts to prevent user's fingers from being brought into contact with cut
rear
edges 109b, 114a of the front frame 102 to thereby avoid injury to the user's
fingers.
The side frame 103 also includes the lower wall 124 formed by
bending the side wall 117 inwardly at the lower edge 117a thereof, but the
insert
103a has no lower wall (dotted lines in Fig. 20 indicate a portion 124a
removed from
the lower wall). This configuration allows, when the side frame 103 is
inserted into
the front frame 102, the side frame 103 to slide relative to the front frame
102 under
the condition in which the lower front edge 117b of the insert 103a formed
with the
side wall 117 of the side frame 103 is held in contact with an upper surface
or a rear
edge 11 9a of the side lower wall 119 of the front frame 102. That is, the
lower front
edge 11 7b of the insert 103a of the side wall 117 of the side frame 103 is
guided by
the side lower wall 119 of the front frame 102 during insertion of the side
frame 103,
thus facilitating the assemblage.
A portion of the lower wall 124 of the side frame 103 adjacent to the
insert 103a is removed, the lower front corner 122a of the insert piece 103b,
i.e., a
front end of the side wall 117 of the side frame 103 is partially removed, and
the
insert piece 103b accordingly has the inclined guide 122 that inclines
forwardly
upwardly from the lower front edge 117b of the side wall 117. When the insert
103a of the side frame 103 is inserted into the front frame 102, the former
can be
caused to slide relative to the latter with the guide 122 held in contact with
the side
lower wall 119 of the front frame 102. Accordingly, the engaging piece 123
moves
obliquely upwardly to pass under the lower edge 111 a of the inclined portion
111 of
the front frame 102 to avoid interference with the inclined portion 111,
thereby
facilitating insertion of the insert 103a. After insertion of the side frame
103 into the
front frame 102, the side lower wall 119 of the front frame 102 is positioned
in the
removed portion 124a of the lower wall 124 of the side frame 103 and, hence,
the
lower wall 124 of the side frame 103 is substantially aligned with the side
lower wall
119 of the front frame 102 (see Fig. 22). By this arrangement, a lower surface
of
CA 02718033 2010-09-09
33
the lower wall 124 of the side frame 124, that of the side lower wall 119 of
the front
frame 102, and that of the front lower wall 118 of the front frame 102, to all
of which
a sealing material 32 (see Fig. 10) is applied, lie on the same plane.
Accordingly,
when the main body 105 is dropped into the opening l Ea in the cabinet 1E, a
sealing effect between an upper surface of the cabinet 1 E and the lower wall
124 of
the side frame 103, the side lower wall 119 and the front lower wall 118 of
the front
frame 102, all of which are placed on the upper surface of the cabinet 1 E,
can be
enhanced.
Also, because the front frame 102 has the cutout 120 formed in each
end of the inclined portion 111, and the upper portion 116a of the ridge 116
of the
side frame 103 is received in the cutout 120, an inward movement of the side
frame
103 is restrained by the inclined portion 111, which forms the cutout 120, and
the
ridge 116, a rearward movement of the front frame 102 is restrained by the
rear
edges 114a, 109a of the front frame 102 and the ridge 116, and a forward
movement of the front frame 102 is restrained by the engaging piece 123 and
the
inclined portion 111, thus making it possible to stabilize the front frame
102.
Further, because the engaging piece 123 of the side frame 103 has
the strip-shaped inclined portion 123a that descends toward the front frame
102, the
inclined portion 123a acts to guide the insert 103a of the side frame 103
during
insertion of the side frame 103 into the front frame 102 to thereby allow the
insert
103a of the side frame 103 to easily pass under the lower end 111 a of the
inclined
portion 111 of the upper wall 114 of the front frame 102.
Also, the underframe 115 made of a metal plate is provided below the
top plate 101 to support it. The lower end 111 a of the inclined portion 111
of the
front frame 102 is held in contact with the upper surface of the top plate
101, the
upper surface of the front lower wall 118 of the front frame 102 is held in
contact
with the lower surface of the underframe 115, and the plurality of upwardly
protruding protrusions 118a formed on the front lower wall 118 of the front
frame
CA 02718033 2010-09-09
34
102 are received in respective latch holes 115a in the underframe 115. This
arrangement allows the front frame 102 having a short depth (indicated by L in
Fig.
17) of, for example, 16 millimeters to be easily attached to a front edge of
the top
plate 101. The underframe 15 is made of a metal and, hence, hole drilling can
be
easily conducted thereto. Also, use of a thin stainless steel plate (for
example,
thickness of 0.3 millimeters) for the front frame 102 allows the protrusions
118a to
be easily formed on the front lower wall 118 of the front frame 102, and
insertion of
the side frame 103 into the front frame 102 under the condition in which the
side
frame 103 has been mounted to the top plate 101 placed on the underframe 115
and secured thereto by an adhesive or the like enables the front frame 102 to
be
easily rigidly secured to the top plate 101 and the underframe 115.
Accordingly,
the front frame 102 can be made thin to enhance the appearance of the
appliance,
and not only can the assemblage of the front frame 102 be improved, but the
fixing
strength thereof can be also enhanced.
Further, the underframe 115 formed of a metal plate is disposed below
the top plate 101 to support it, and the side frame 103 has the upper wall 121
having
the inclined portion 121 a descending toward a central portion of the top
plate 101 to
cover the upper surface of the side portion 113 of the top plate 101, the side
wall
117 formed by bending the upper wall 121 downwardly, and the lower wall 124
formed by bending the side wall 117 inwardly at the lower edge 11 7a thereof.
The
inclined portion 121a of the side frame 103 is held in contact at the lower
edge
thereof with the upper surface of the top plate 101, the upper surface of the
lower
wall 124 of the side frame 103 is held in contact with the lower surface of
the
underframe 115, and the plurality of upwardly protruding protrusions 1124b
formed
on the lower wall 124 of the side frame 103 are received in respective latch
holes
11 5a in the underframe 115. As with the front frame 102, this arrangement
makes
it possible to reduce the width of the upper wall 121 of the side frame 103 to
enhance the appearance of the appliance, and not only can the assemblage of
the
CA 02718033 2010-09-09
side frame 103 be improved, but the fixing strength thereof can be also
stabilized.
Although the above-described embodiments have been described
taking the case of an induction heating cooker, the present invention is not
limited
thereto, but is applicable to a heating cooker having a top plate and a
heating
5 source therein, and a gas or electric heating cooker employing gas, halogen
or the
like as a heating source.
Industrial Applicability
Because the heating cooker according to the present invention can be
produced at a low cost, enhance the design of the top plate, the assemblage
and
10 the rigidity of the front frame and the side frame, and are superior in
reliability and
safety, it is useful as a heating cooker having a top plate such as, for
example, an
induction heating cooker, a gas cooker and the like for home use or business
use.
