Oven and heating unit of oven

• US 7,368,685 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2006
• Issued: 05/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Nam, Hyeum Sik, Cho, Seong Ho, Lee, Yong Soo, Nam, Young Sok
• Primary Examiner(s): PELHAM, JOSEPH MOORE
• Application Number:
  US11/392,755
• Publication Number:
  US 20070131670A1
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 219/403
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6408 Supports or covers specially adapted for use in microwave heating apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6473 combined with convection heating H05B6/6485 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6482 combined with radiant heating, e.g. infrared heating

Abstract

An oven and a heating unit of the oven are provided. The oven includes a cavity, a heater, a food container, and an ohmic heater. A high temperature environment is formed in the cavity. The food container is mounted within the cavity to receive food therein. The ohmic heater is formed in the food container and allows power to be supplied to the food so that the food may be directly heated.

Claims

1. An oven comprising:

a cavity where a high temperature environment is formed;

a heater that heats an inside of the cavity through radiation or convection;

a food container mounted within the cavity and in which food is contained; and

an ohmic heater formed in the food container, the ohmic heater allowing power to be supplied to the food to directly heat the foods,

wherein the ohmic heater comprises at least a pair of electrode parts provided on a bottom of the food container in order to contact a bottom surface of the food, and

the electrode parts are separated by a slit in the bottom of the food container configured to prevent a short circuit.

2. The oven according to claim 1, wherein the ohmic heater is operated by an alternating current.

3. The oven according to claim 1, wherein the ohmic heater comprises a plug provided on one side of the food container, and the electrode parts are connected to the plug and provided on the bottom of the food container.

4. The oven according to claim 3, wherein the electrode parts are connected to a conductor received within the plug.

5. The oven according to claim 3, further comprising a socket formed in one side of the cavity and coupled to the plug.

6. The oven according to claim 1, further comprising:

a power supply that supplies power to the ohmic heater;

a transformer connected to the power supply, the transformer varying the power supplied to the ohmic heater; and

a controller that controls the power varying by the transformer.

7. The oven according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display that displays an operation state of the ohmic heater; and

an ohmic heating button that inputs an ohmic heating operation command.

8. The oven according to claim 7, wherein the display comprises a liquid crystal display device or a light-emitting diode.

9. The oven according to claim 1, further comprising a door automatically closed while the ohmic heater operates.

10. An oven comprising:

a cavity having a cooking space in an inside thereof;

a transformer provided to an outside of the cavity, the transformer transforming a voltage of a power source applied from an outside;

a pair of first connectors connected to an output terminal of the transformer and formed on a wall constituting the cavity;

a food container provided to the inside of the cavity and where food is contained;

a pair of second connectors formed in one side of the food container and selectively connected with the first connectors, to receive power; and

at least a first array of electrodes and a second array of electrodes connected with the second connectors and separately formed in the food container, the electrodes configured to contact food to allow the food to be cooked by the self-resistance of the food.

11. The oven according to claim 10, further comprising a protector to selectively open and close an opening of the first connectors.

12. The oven according to claim 11, wherein the protector is rotatably mounted in the cavity to allow the second connectors to be selectively connected with the first connectors.

13. The oven according to claim 10, wherein the electrodes protrude from the bottom of the food container or are closely attached on the bottom of the food container to allow a current to flow through the food.

14. The oven according to claim 10, wherein the electrodes have a protuberance shape and are configured to be inserted into the food.

15. The oven according to claim 10, wherein the electrodes comprise a plurality of lines arranged in the bottom of the food container and are configured to contact the food.

16. The oven according to claim 10, wherein the electrodes comprise an element having a plane shape closely attached on the bottom of the food container and configured to contact the food.

17. The oven according to claim 10, further comprising a conductor that connects the electrodes with the plug.

18. An oven comprising:

a cavity;

a food container received within the cavity and on which food is seated, wherein at least two arrays of electrodes separated from each other by a slit provided in a bottom of the food container;

an ohmic heater provided in the food container and allowing food to be cooked by the self-resistance of the food;

a display that displays an operation state of the ohmic heater; and

a manipulation part that allows an operation of the ohmic heater to start.

19. The oven according to claim 18, wherein the manipulation part comprises a button or a dial switch.

20. The oven according to claim 18, wherein a front opening of the cavity is selectively opened/closed by a door, and the door is forcibly closed when the ohmic heater starts to operate.

21. A heating unit of an oven, comprising:

a pair of first connectors formed in one side of a cavity and to which power is applied;

a food container mounted within the oven;

a pair of second connectors formed in one side of the food container and aligned with the first connectors; and

electrodes connected to each of the second connectors, the electrodes protruding from the bottom of the food container and separated by a slit that prevents a short circuit between the electrodes,

wherein all or part of the electrodes are configured to contact food to apply a voltage to the food seated on the food container and the food is cooked by the self-resistance of the food.

22. The heating unit of claim 21, wherein the food container includes embossing portions embossed from both ends of the slit.

23. The heating unit of claim 21, further comprising:

a transformer connected with the first connectors, the transformer controlling the amount of power applied to the first connectors; and

a controller that controls an output power of the transformer to allow an appropriate power to be supplied to the first connectors depending on an object to be cooked.

24. A heating unit of an oven, comprising:

a food container movably mounted in an inside of the oven;

a pair of connectors formed in one side of the food container, to receive power from the oven;

a pair of electrodes, each being electrically connected to a respective one of the pair of connectors and configured to contact food contained in the food container, to apply a voltage to the food, wherein each electrode is aligned and separated by a slit; and

a short-circuit prevention element provided in the food container, the short-circuit preventing element preventing short circuit between the electrodes.