Abstract:
A cooking range includes a cook top section having a heating body configured to cook foods; an oven section having a cavity and a door, wherein the cavity has a rack configured to accommodate foods and the door is configured to open or close the cavity; a heating source configured to provide heat to the cavity when the cooking range is operated; and an air circulation mechanism having a first duct, a second duct and a fan and configured to discharge air provided from the first duct positioned at a surface of the cavity through the second duct in response to rotation of the fan, wherein the air circulation mechanism is configured to discharge air from the top section through the second duct while the air provided from the first duct is discharged.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present application claims benefits of priority to Korean Application No. 10-2009-0038084, filed on Apr. 30, 2009, which is herein expressly incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates to a cooking range. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A cooking range includes an oven section indirectly heating foods using high temperature heat air to heat objects within its cabin, which forms a tight space, and a cook-top section directly heating the foods, wherein the oven section and the cook-top section are combined in a single unit. 
     The cooking range may be categorized into three types based on heat sources that are an electric oven range adopting an electric heater as a heat source, a microwave oven equipped with a magnetron which heats the foods via penetration of microwaves generated from a super high frequency oscillator into the foods, and a gas oven using flames from a gas fuel burner for heating the foods. Likewise, the cooking range may be categorized based on heat sources of the cook top section. 
     A conventional cooking range includes a cavity that is heated for cooking food. The cavity is opened or closed by a door that is moveable to provide access to the cavity. An internal cavity is horizontally defined with racks provided to enable multiple trays, pans or pots of food items to be placed therein at different levels within the cavity. The racks are moveable toward the door along a guide rail positioned inside the cavity. The cook top section is defined with a controller for displaying a user menu and controlling an entire operation of the cooking range. 
     When foods are cooked, heat from the cavity is transmitted to an outer case and the cook top section of the oven section, whereby a locally-overheated hot spot is generated. Among other things, the hot spot may increase the temperature of kitchen furniture surrounding a built-in range or cause an erroneous operation of the controller at the cook top section. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one aspect, a cooking range includes a cook top section having a heating body configured to cook foods; an oven section having a cavity and a door, wherein the cavity has a rack configured to accommodate foods and the door is configured to open or close the cavity; a heating source configured to provide heat to the cavity when the cooking range is operated; and an air circulation mechanism having a first duct, a second duct and a fan and configured to discharge air provided from the first duct positioned at a surface of the cavity through the second duct in response to rotation of the fan, wherein the air circulation mechanism is configured to discharge air from the top section through the second duct while the air provided from the first duct is discharged. 
     In another aspect, a cooking range includes a cook top section having a heating body configured to cook foods; an oven section having a cavity and a door, wherein the cavity has a rack configured to accommodate foods and the door is configured to open or close the cavity; a heating source configured to provide heat to the cavity when the cooking range is operated; and an air circulation mechanism configured to circulate air within the cooking range includes a first duct positioned at a surface of the cavity and configured to guide air that is circulated; a second duct positioned on the oven section and configured to guide circulated air in a direction in response to rotation of a fan; and an upper slot positioned on the first duct and configured to communicate the air between the first duct and the second duct. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a view of a cooking range; 
         FIG. 2  is a photograph showing a measurement of temperature distribution around an oven section; 
         FIG. 3  is a view of the cooking range; and. 
         FIG. 4  is a lateral cross-sectional showing circulation of air. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The structure and operation of the cooling range will be described with reference to  FIGS. 1 to 4 . The cooking range  100  may be categorized into two types based on installation, which are a free standing type and a built-in type. The free standing type is an independent type in that the cooking range  100  is independently located from a kitchen furniture  10 . On the contrary, the built-in type is a combination type in that the cooking range  100  is positioned between the side cover  230  and the kitchen furniture  10 . 
     For example, the built-in type cooking range may not need installation of the side covers  230 . In addition, the cooking range further may include a hybrid type capable of being used as a built-in type as well as a free standing type. The hybrid type may be installed either independently or combined with the kitchen furniture  10 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the cooking range includes an oven section  200  indirectly heating foods by using a high temperature heat air in a tight space, and a cook-top section  100  positioned at an upper side of the oven section  200  directly heating the foods. 
     In some examples, a heat source for heating the oven section  200  may be an electric heater, a microwave, a gas flame or the like. The oven section  200  may include a cavity  210 , a door  212  and side covers  230 . 
     The cavity  210  having a space for cooking food, is opened or closed by the door  212 . A rack  216  on which foods are placed is coupled to the cavity  210 . In this implementation, the cavity  210  may be coated with enamel or other coating material to enable easily cleaning of an interior of the cavity. The rack  216  has a guide member  215  that is configured to guide the rack  216 . Also, the rack  216  is located inside of the cavity  210  when the door is closed and configured to move in a forward direction when the door is open. 
     Therefore, the rack  216  allows food to be put into the cavity  210  for cooking or to be taken out from the cavity  210  when the foods are done in the cooking range. Each of the side covers  230  defines an exterior view of the cooking range. Insulation material  240  may be interposed between the side cover  230  and the cavity  210 . The insulation material may reduce or prevent heat from the cavity  210  to be transmitted to ambience of the cooking range. 
     The cook top section  100  may have a heating body  110  for cooking the foods. The heating body  110  includes a heating source, such as a gas burner, an electric burner, a ceramic heater, a microwave or the like. 
     The cook top section  100  also may have a controller  120  for displaying a user menu and controlling an entire operation of the cooking range. For example, the controller  120  performs control functions that detect an internal temperature of the cavity  210  and the cooked condition of the foods, and control the oven section  200  to minimize the food burnt or over-cooked. 
     The controller  120  may also display various menus on a display unit so that a user can select a desired menu therefrom. The controller  120  may further perform control functions such as residual heat display function that displays residual heat, reservation function, timer function and self cleaning function that automatically clean an interior of the cavity  210 . For example, the controller  120  include a microprocessor that is mounted on a Printed Circuit Board (PCB). 
     If heat is concentrated on a portion of the cooking range, for example, near the controller  120  which is sensitive to static electricity or heat may be erroneously operated or damaged. For example, when the cavity  210  may rise up to a high temperature during performance of self cleaning function, the controller should stand out under the condition of the heat concentration. 
     Furthermore, in case that the cooking range is the built-in type, the cooking range installed in a tightly-sealed space of the kitchen furniture  10  may decrease the cooling efficiency and stand out the heat concentration phenomenon, whereby the kitchen furniture  10  positioned around the cooking range may be overheated (e.g., 90° C. or more) when the cooking range is operated. 
     The overheating phenomenon may be reduced by using insulation material  240  that wraps an upper side and lateral surfaces of the cavity  210 . Further, an air circulation system that circulates the hit to an exterior may reduce the heat transmitted to a portion of the cooking range such as side covers  230  adjacent to the kitchen furniture  10  or the controller  120 . 
     Further, if the cooking range is a hybrid type capable of being used in a built-in type and a free standing type, the controller  120  may be positioned at an upper side of the oven section  200  or a front surface of the cook top section  100 . 
     The air circulation system is configured to have a structure capable of circulating the air in order to reduce the heat that is concentrated on the upper front surface of the oven section  200  on which the controller  120  is mounted. In the description, the front direction refers to a direction facing the door  212 , and the rear direction refers a direction facing a rear wall positioned inside the cavity  210 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , if the cooking range is the free standing type, a first duct  310  is positioned at an empty space between the side cover  230  and the oven section  200  through which ambient air of the oven section  200  is circulated by way of convection. However, if the cooking range is the built-in type, there is a probability of the controller  120  or the side covers  230  being overheated, such that a cooling fan  250  may be needed to improve the cooling efficiency by way of forcing air circulation. 
     Referring to the photograph illustrated in  FIG. 2 , a portion where temperature is high is indicated in red color. Without the air circulation system a hot spot is defined by a concentration of red color, positioned at an upper front surface of the oven section  200 . That is, the heat is concentrated on the upper side of the oven section  200  by the heat generated from the cavity  210 . For example, the upper front surface of the oven section  200  is indicated as the hot point. The concentration of heat may be caused by insufficient circulation of air that is around the cavity  210  for example, on the upper front surface of the oven section  200 . 
     The rising hot air further may increase the temperature at the upper side of the oven section  200 . Although there is an empty space at the rear surface of the oven section  200  in which air can circulate, the front surface of the oven section  200  where the door  212  is mounted is defined with a smaller empty space for air circulation, which may be the cause of the heat concentration. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the air circulation system may include a first duct  310 , a second duct  320 , a cooling fan  250  and at least one of an upper surface slot  223 , an upper surface panel  220  and a front surface slot  130 . 
     Both sides of the oven section  200  are installed by the first duct  310  which is an empty space defined by a lateral surface of the cavity  210  and the side cover  230 . In a case insulation material  240  is positioned at the lateral surface of the cavity  210 , the air circulates between the insulation material  240  and the side cover  230 . 
     The second duct  320  has an empty space. Since the second duct  320  is covered with an upper side of the oven section  200 , as shown in  FIG. 3 , the empty space of the second duct  320  can be connected to the first ducts  310  at both sides of the oven section  200 . The second duct  320  is therefore positioned between the upper side of the cavity  210  and a duct plate  260 . In case an upper side of the cavity  210  is defined with an upper panel  220  and an insulation material  240  that is interposed between the upper side of the cavity  210  and the upper panel  220 , barriers formed by the second duct  320  are the upper side  220  and the duct plate  260 , if put in more detail. 
     The cooling fan  250  is mounted on a rear surface of the second duct  320  to move the heat in a forward or a backward direction. Rear surfaces of the cooling fan  250  and the second duct  320  are connected to a cooling fan hole  253 . 
     Although not shown in the drawings, the controller  120  can detect whether there is any heat concentration around the oven section  200  by using one or more temperature sensors positioned at the cover  230 , an interior of the cavity  210  and/or the upper side of the cavity  210 , and control the rotation speed and rotation direction of the cooling fan  250  based on the detected temperature, whereby the heat in the hot spot is concentratively reduced. 
     The upper slot  223  creates an air flow path between the first duct  310  and the second duct  320  as shown in  FIG. 3 . For example, the upper slot is located at both corners of the upper panel  220 . In order to concentratively cool the controller  120  or the upper front surface of the oven section  200 , an air circulation system circulate the heat concentrated on around the controller  120  or the upper front surface of the oven section  200 . The air circulation system includes the upper slot  223  located at a front surface of both corners of the upper panel  220 . A shape of the duct plate  260  as shown in  FIG. 3  is that a front portion is wide enough to cover the upper slot  223  located in both sides of the upper panel and a rear portion is narrow to blow the heat to an exterior in the forward direction. 
     In this implementation, the configuration is not limited to the above structure. For example, if the upper slot  223  is located across an entire length of both corners of the upper panel  220 , the front portion of the duct plate  260  may be designed to fully cover the upper slot  223 . The air circulation can be concentrated on the upper front surface of the oven section  200 . 
     In some exemplary implementations, regardless of whether the upper slot  223  is formed at part of both corners of the upper panel  220  or an entire corners of the upper panel  220 , the first duct  310  and the second duct  320  communicate through the upper slot  223  defined at any points from the half point of the entire depth-wise length (d) of the oven section  200  up to the front surface of the oven section  200 . 
     A front slot  130  may be defined as an air circulation path at an upper side of the door  212 , and a front surface of the second duct  320  is connected to the front slot  130 . 
     The door  212  may be connected to a front surface of the oven section  200  when the door  212  is closed. In this implementation, a portion of the door that is, for example, edge side of the rectangular shape door, is contacted with the front surface of the oven section  200 . To reduce the heat that concentrated on the upper front surface of the oven section  200 , a plate may be attached to the portion of the door connected to the oven section so that the plate reduces the heat transfer to other place, for example, the controller  120 , when the door  212  is closed. Alternatively, since the heat is concentrated on the upper portion, the plate may be attached to an upper portion of the door  212 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the door has a guiding part to firmly contact with the oven section  200 . The plate may be attached to the guiding part of the door. The plate may be made of Aluminum or other material. The plate may be coated with a coating material. 
     An air circulation path is shown in  FIG. 4 . Referring to  FIG. 4 , solid arrow lines show an air circulation direction when the cooling fan  250  rotates in the forward direction, and dotted arrow lines show an air circulation direction when the cooling fan  250  rotates in the backward direction. 
     In some implementations, the air that has sequentially passed through the cook top section  100 , the cooling fan  250  and the second duct  320  may be discharged to the first duct  310  or the front slot  130  when the cooling fan  250  rotates in the forward direction. 
     The air that has passed through the first duct  310  or the front slot  130  may be discharged to the outside through the second duct  320 , the cooling fan  250  and the cook top section  100 , in that order, when the cooling fan  250  rotates in the backward direction. 
     Accordingly, the heat in the space closed by the insulation material  240 , the side cover  230  and the upper panel  220  can be discharged by the air circulation system. Thereby, the hot spot of the side cover  230  can be reduced and heat amount transmitted to the controller  120  can be also reduced. 
     As apparent from the foregoing, there is an advantage in the cooking range including air circulation system in that the cooking range can reduce the generation of hot spot of the side cover and temperature rise of the controller. 
     Furthermore, another advantage is that the cooking range including air circulation system can prevent the kitchen furniture connected with the side cover from being over-heated, thereby securing reliability and safety. 
     It will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims. For example, advantageous results still could be achieved if steps of the disclosed techniques were performed in a different order and/or if components in the disclosed systems were combined in a different manner and/or replaced or supplemented by other components. Accordingly, other implementations are within the scope of the following claims.