Abstract:
A table adapted for a home appliance, such as a microwave oven, wherein the volume under the table is efficiently utilized to house the appliance. The table can be removed, used, and then returned and efficiently stored surrounding the appliance.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
         [0001]    This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 2002-75153, filed Nov. 29, 2002, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    The present invention relates to microwave ovens and, more particularly, to a table and a microwave oven provided with a table which can be kept easily.  
           [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0005]    Generally, a table is an apparatus on which users put food that can be located a predetermined distance above the floor so that users may easily retrieve the food.  
           [0006]    A table comprises a table part which is formed flat to put food on an upper surface of the table part, and leg parts that extend downward from the table part so as to locate the table part a predetermined distance above the floor.  
           [0007]    In such a conventional table, the leg parts have a predetermined height and the volume of space between the table part and the floor is under-utilized.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    Accordingly, it is an aspect of the present invention to provide a table which can be kept in a small space and a microwave oven provided with the above described table.  
           [0009]    Additional objects and/or advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.  
           [0010]    To achieve the above and/or other aspects of the present invention, there is provided a cabinet and a table comprising a table part, with an upper surface that is substantially flat, and leg parts which extend downward from the table part. The table part and the leg parts are installed mountably on the cabinet, which may house home appliances, including a microwave oven.  
           [0011]    According to an aspect of the present invention, a lower surface of the above mentioned table part is formed to fit an upper surface of the cabinet. Additionally, the inner side surfaces of the leg parts are formed and installed to fit side surfaces of the cabinet. Thus, the upper surface and side surfaces of the cabinet are covered.  
           [0012]    According to another aspect of the present invention, the table has at least one handle part to aid in transportation of the table.  
           [0013]    According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the table has a supporting member to support the leg parts of the table. The supporting member has projections to engage the leg parts and the leg parts have projections to engage the supporting member projections. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]    These and/or other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a table and a microwave oven according to an embodiment of the present invention when they are separated.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the table mounted on the microwave oven of FIG. 1.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0017]    Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like embodiments throughout. The embodiments are described below in order to explain the present invention by referring to the figures.  
         [0018]    As shown in FIG. 1, a table part  1   1  of the table  10 , is formed flat to hold food on an upper surface of the table part  11 . Additionally, leg parts  12  extend downward from the table part  11  so as to locate the table part  11  a predetermined distance from the surface on which the table  10  is set.  
         [0019]    Accordingly, setting the table  10  down on the surface and placing food on it allows users to easily retrieve the food.  
         [0020]    In one embodiment, a handle part  13  is formed and projected outward from the table part  11  and leg parts  12 , allowing users to easily grasp the table  10 . In another embodiment (not shown) the handle part  13  is through openings formed in the leg parts  12 . In a yet further embodiment (not shown), the handle part  13  is cavities formed in the leg parts  12 . In yet another embodiment (not shown) the handle part  13  is through openings formed in the table part  11 . In still yet another embodiment (not shown), the handle part  13  is cavities formed in the table part  11 .  
         [0021]    The table  10  according to present invention can be mountably set on the outer part of a cabinet  21  of various home appliances. Home appliances include : TV sets, refrigerators, toasters, toaster ovens, convection ovens, VCRs, DVD players, clocks, radios, stereo equipment, microwave ovens, and other appliances that have approximately rectangular shaped cabinets. An embodiment employing a microwave oven will be described below.  
         [0022]    A microwave oven  20  is an electrically operated oven which heats and/or cooks food contained in its cooking cavity using high frequency electromagnetic waves generated by the oscillation of a magnetron(not shown) installed in a machine compartment. During operation of the microwave oven, the magnetron inside the machine compartment of the microwave oven radiates high frequency electromagnetic waves, so called “microwaves,” through the cooking cavity. The microwaves thus penetrate food so as to repeatedly change the molecular arrangement of moisture laden in the food. That is, the molecules of the moisture are vibrated to generate a frictional heat within the food to cook the food.  
         [0023]    The conventional microwave oven  20  generally comprises a cooking cavity (not shown) which is defined inside the cabinet  21 , the cooking cavity has an approximately rectangular shape with an opening at front, and is used for cooking food therein. A machine compartment (not shown) is defined inside the cabinet  21  at a position under the cooking cavity, and receives a variety of devices used for generating microwaves, for instance, a magnetron.  
         [0024]    In the front of the cabinet  21 , there is a door  22  that is hinged at one side, and selectively opens and closes the cooking cavity. There is a control panel  23  at the other side of the front of the cabinet that has various manipulating buttons that control the function of the microwave oven .  
         [0025]    The table  10  is movably mounted on the cabinet  21  of the microwave oven  20 . To mount the table on the cabinet  21 , the lower surface of the table part  11  and inner side surfaces of the leg parts  12  are formed to respectively complement the upper and side surfaces of the cabinet.  
         [0026]    The lower surface of the table part  11  is formed substantially flat to be supported by the upper surface of the cabinet  21 , which is also formed flat. And the distance between the leg parts  12  corresponds to the length of the cabinet  21 . Accordingly, when the table  10  is mounted on the cabinet  21 , the lower surface of the table part  11  is supported by the upper surface of the cabinet  21 , and the inner part of the leg parts  12  are supported by the side surfaces of the cabinet  21 .  
         [0027]    The handle part  13 , in one embodiment, is made of an elastic material, such that the leg parts  12  elastically contact the side surfaces of the cabinet  21 . Such a handle part  13  would allow a user to slightly flex the handle part  13 , biasing the leg parts  12  away from the side surfaces of the cabinet  21 , and aiding removal of the table  10  from the cabinet  21 . In another embodiment, the table part  11 , leg parts  12 , and the handle part  13  are all made of an elastic material.  
         [0028]    The supporting member  30  is provided to prevent fore-aft translation of the table  10 , relative to the microwave oven  20 . The supporting member  30  is formed with a substantially flat bottom part, to mount the microwave oven on, and with side parts having projections  31  to support and engage the leg parts  12  of the table  10 . The leg parts  12  have outer projection parts  14  that complement and engage the projections  31  of the supporting part  30 .  
         [0029]    Accordingly, the table  10  is mounted on the cabinet  21  so that the cabinet  21  is situated in the space between the two leg parts  12  of the cabinet  10 . The outer projection parts  14 , which are provided at the lower portions of the leg parts  12 , engage the projection parts  31  of the supporting member  30 , to prevent the table  10  from moving fore and aft relative to the microwave oven  20 . The supporting member  30  is prevented from moving by the weight of the microwave oven  20 .  
         [0030]    As described above, the present invention provides a microwave oven provided with a table. It is also understood that other types of home appliances, such as TV sets and refrigerators, can be adapted to the present invention if they have an approximately rectangular shaped cabinet.  
         [0031]    The construction and operation of a microwave oven provided with a table according to present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.  
         [0032]    When a user wants to use the table  10  separately from the microwave oven  20 , the user grasps the handle part  13  and moves the table  10  upwardly from the supporting part  30 , thereby causing the outer projection parts  14  to disengage from the projection parts  31 . Thus, the table  10  is separated from the cabinet  21 , so the user can use and put food on the separated table.  
         [0033]    When finished using the table  10  separately, the table  10  can be mounted on the cabinet  21  of the microwave oven  20  as shown in FIG. 2. The table  10  is mounted on the cabinet  21  so that the cabinet  21  is situated in the space between the two leg parts  12  of the table  10 , such that the outer projection parts  14  of the leg parts  12  engage the projection parts  31  of the supporting member  30 .  
         [0034]    As described above, the present invention provides a table  10  and a microwave oven  20 , wherein the space underneath the table is efficiently employed to house the microwave oven  20 . Another effect of the present invention is that it is easy to change the color and design effect of the microwave oven by simply changing the table.  
         [0035]    Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purpose, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.