Abstract:
A cooking range is disclosed. The range includes: a cook top section having a heating body configured to cook foods; an oven section having internal walls defining a cavity, a rack and a door, wherein the cavity is configured to accommodate the foods placed on the rack 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 an exhaust slot and at least one suction slot and configured to suck air into the cooking range through the at least one suction slot and to discharge the air to the outside through the exhaust slot, wherein the at least one suction slot is positioned around the exhaust slot.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present application is claims benefits of priority to Korean Application Number 10-2009-0038097, filed on Apr. 30, 2009, which is herein expressly incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates to an cooking range. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A cooking range includes an oven section indirectly heating foods by using a high temperature heat air in a space, and a cook-top section directly heating the foods, where 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 the types of 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 types of heat sources of the cook top section. 
     A conventional cooking ranges includes a cavity that is heated for cooking foods. The cavity is opened or closed by a door that is moveable to provide access to the cavity that is in turn horizontally defined with racks. The racks are moveable toward the door along a guide rail formed inside the cavity. The cook top section is defined with a controller for indicating a user menu and controlling an entire operation of the cooking range. 
     The oven section has multiple operation modes. For example, in a self cleaning mode, a locally-overheated hot spot is generated by a high heat transmitted to surrounding of the cavity because the self cleaning mode for removing odor or wastes from an inside of the cavity requires heating the inside of the cavity at a relatively high temperature, that mode may decrease the life of the range and cause safety hazards thereof. 
     There is another disadvantage in that a controller at the cook top section may be erroneously operated, and in case of a built-in type cooking range, there is a fear of damaging the kitchen furniture located around the cooking range. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one aspect, a cooking range: a cook top section having a heating body configured to cook foods; an oven section having internal walls defining a cavity, a rack and a door, wherein the cavity is configured to accommodate the foods placed on the rack 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 an exhaust slot and at least one suction slot and configured to suck air into the cooking range through the at least one suction slot and to discharge the air to the outside through the exhaust slot, wherein the at least one suction slot is positioned around the exhaust slot. 
     In another aspect, a cooking range includes: a cook top section having a heating body configured to cook foods; an oven section having internal walls defining a cavity, a rack and a door, wherein the cavity is configured to accommodate the foods placed on the rack 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 an exhaust slot, an exhaust duct, at least one suction slot, and a suction duct, configured to circulate air provided from the at least one suction slot to the suction duct and the exhaust duct, and discharge the circulated air to outside through the exhaust slot, wherein the at least one suction slot is positioned around the exhaust slot. 
     In yet another aspect, a cooking range includes: a cook top section having a heating body configured to cook foods; an oven section having internal walls defining a cavity, a rack and a door, wherein the cavity is configured to accommodate the foods placed on the rack 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 means having an exhaust slot and at least one suction slot that are positioned on a front surface of the cooking range and configured to suck air into the cooking range through the at least one suction slot and to discharge the air to outside through the exhaust slot, wherein the at least one suction slot is positioned around the exhaust slot to reduce a whirly circulation of the air. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a view of a cooking range; 
         FIG. 2  is a view illustrating a structure of a cooking range; 
         FIG. 3  is a view illustrating an air circulation of a cooking range; 
         FIG. 4  is a view illustrating an air circulation of a cooking range; 
         FIG. 5  is a view illustrating an air circulation of a cooking range; and 
         FIG. 6  is a graph illustrating a temperature-decreased effect. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The cooking range may be categorized into two types based on installation that are a free standing type and a built-in type. The free standing type is configured for independent positioned and moved relates to kitchen cabinet and furniture with side covers being exposed to the outside. The built-in type positioned between the side cover and the kitchen furniture. In this implementation, a built-in type cooking range may not require installation of the side covers. 
     In some implementations, the cooking range may include a hybrid type that is capable of being used as a built-in type as well as a free standing type based on whether the cooking range is installed inside the kitchen furniture. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a cooking range includes an oven section  200  indirectly heating foods such as cakes, breads and barbecues by using a high temperature heat air in a space, and a cook-top section  100  positioned at an upper side of the oven section  200  directly heating the foods. 
     A heat source heating the oven section  200  may be, for example, 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 foods is opened or closed by the door  212 , and is mounted therein with a rack  216  on which foods are placed. For example, the cavity  210  is to be coated with enamel or other coating material to easily clean an interior of the cavity. The rack  216  is moveably supported along a guide member  215  positioned inside the cavity  210  toward the door  212 . 
     The rack  216  allows the foods to be put into the cavity  210  for cooking or to be taken out from the cavity  210  when the cooking of the foods are done. 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  to reduce or prevent heat from the cavity  210  to be transmitted to ambience of the cooking range. 
     The cook top section  100  has a heating body  110  for cooking foods. The heating body  110  may include any 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 such as detecting an internal temperature of the cavity  210  and the cooked condition of the foods, and controlling the oven section  200  lest the foods should be burnt or over-cooked. 
     The controller  120  may also display various menus and operation status 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 cleans an interior of the cavity  210 . The controller  120  includes a microprocessor that is mount on a printed circuit board (PCB). 
     Further, 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. Particularly, the cavity  210  may rise to a high temperature during performance of self cleaning function to stand out the heat concentration. 
     In addition, if 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 may be needed to 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 the insulation material  240  that wraps an upper side and lateral surfaces of the cavity  210 . Further, an air circulation system that circulates the heat 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 . 
     In addition, since the cooking range is a hybrid type capable of being used in a built-in type as well as a free standing type, the controller  120  may be installed at an upper side of the oven section  200  or a front surface of the cook top section  100 . 
     In some examples, the air circulation system has a structure capable of circulating the air to reduce the heat 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. 2 , the air circulation system may include an exhaust slot  130  discharging an ambient heat of the cavity  210  to the exterior or outside and a suction slot  140 , sucking the heated air which is located around the exhaust slot  130 . In some implementations, the air circulation system may further include at least one a cooling fan  250  generating wind to circulate the heated air in the cooing range. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the exhaust duct  430  is configured to provide an exhaust path which is an empty space inside of a duct member  260 . The duct member  260  is positioned at an upper side of the cavity  210  and provides an air path. The air path is connecting the cooling fan  250  with the exhaust slot  130 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the suction duct  440 , which is an empty space corresponding to an external space of the duct member  260 , provides an air circulation path connecting the suction slot  140  with the cooling fan  250 . For example, air is provided through the suction slot  140  to the suction duct  440  and then the air is supplied to the exhaustion duct  430  based on rotation of the cooling fan  250 . In this implementation, air from the cook top section  100 , the side cover  230  or an outside surface of the duct member  260  also supplied to the exhaustion duct  430 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the exhaust slot  130  and the suction slot  140  are positioned between the cook top section  100  and the oven section  200 . Two suction slots  140  are defined outside of the exhaust slot  130 . The heat may be concentrated on an upper front part of the side cover  230 . In this implementation, the heat around the exhaust slot  130  where the heat may be concentrated is sucked through the suction slot  140 , the suction duct  440  and the cooling fan  250  and discharged to the outside through the exhaust duct  430  and the exhaust slot  130 . 
     In some examples, the hot air, swirling at the distal end of the exhaust slot  130 , is blocked by a door switch arranged between the cook top section  100  and the oven section  200  for detecting the openness of the door  212 . Also, an upper side of the door  212 , a bottom surface of the cook top section and side cover  230  causes a surrounding at the upper side of the door  212  to overheat. 
     The stagnant hot air is removed by being sucked into the oven section  200  via the suction slot  140 . The hot air sucked into the oven section  200  is again discharged via the exhaust duct  430 , whereby temperature at outer surface of the oven section  200  (e.g., the upper part where the heat is concentrated) may not be increased due to the circulation means. 
     Although not shown in the drawings, the controller  120  may detect whether there is any heat concentration around the oven section  200  by using a temperature sensors positioned at the cover  230 , an interior of the cavity  210  or the upper side of the cavity  210 , and control the rotation speed or rotation direction of the cooling fan  250  based on the detected temperature, whereby the particular region of cooking range is not overheated. 
     Further, an upper surface slot  223  is able to further facilitate circulation the air from outside of the cavity  210 . The upper surface slot  223  may be positioned at both corners of an upper surface panel  220  covering an upper side of the cavity  210  and becomes an input/output path of air defined in a space inside of the side cover  230 . The upper surface slot  223  may communicate the suction duct  440  with a duct located at a lateral surface of the cavity  210 . In a case an insulation material  240  is installed at the lateral surface of the cavity  210 , the hot air locked up between the insulation material  240  and the side cover  230  is provided to the suction duct  440  through the upper surface slot  223 . 
     For example, the upper surface slot  223  is located at a front surface of both corners of the upper surface panel  220 , because the air circulation is focused on the front surface in order to concentratively cool the upper front surface of the oven section  200  and around the controller  120 . 
       FIGS. 3 and 4  also illustrate an air flow path. The hot air around the cavity  210  is discharged to the outside through the cooling fan  250 , the exhaust duct  430  includes the duct member  260  and the exhaust slot  130 , and the hot air stagnant at the surrounding of the exhaust slot  130  is sucked through the suction slot  140  and provided to the suction duct  440  and the cooling fan  250 . 
     The sucked air is discharged again to the outside through the exhaust duct  430  and the exhaust slot  130 , whereby a hot spot that is overheated by the heat swirling around the exhaust slot  130  is not generated or at least reduced. In this implementation, the exhaust duct  430  is arranged underneath the controller  120  to reduce the heat transmission to the controller  120 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , in case that a suction slot  140  is not defined in the front surface of the cooking range, a reference number  500  shows a hot air stagnant at the ambience of the exhaust slot  130 . 
       FIG. 6  shows a temperature-decreased effect if a suction slot  140  is located around the exhaust slot  130 . In this implementation, a horizontal axis defines a temperature measurement position, a vertical axis is a measured temperature, a black lozenge indicates a temperature value in a case the suction slot  140  is not installed, and a black triangle shows a temperature value in a case the suction slot  140  is installed. 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , in a region (B) where the heat is discharged through the exhaust slot  130 , there is no big temperature difference between before and after the suction slot  140  is installed. But, in a region (S), the temperature is drastically decreased when the suction slot  140  is installed. 
     Referring to the graph in  FIG. 6 , in case that the suction slot  140  is installed, a temperature decrease as approximately 24° C. can be observed at the left side of the exhaust slot  130 , and a temperature decrease as approximately 26° C. can be observed at the right side of the exhaust slot  130 . 
     Swirling hot air stagnant at an upper side of door and an upper front surface of the side cover is sucked into the suction duct through the suction slot and discharged through the exhaust slot, such that an overheating at a region of the cooking range such as near the controller, the upper front surface of the side cover, the upper side of the door, a bottom surface of the cook top section or an ambience of the exhaust slot can be reduced. 
     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.