Control apparatus of microwave oven

Abstract: The present invention relates to a control apparatus of a microwave oven employing one knob for enabling to selectively control microwave oven, grill and combination functions thereof, so that the microwave oven can be simplified in construction thereof and convenience can be provided to operation of the knob in the course of the cooking, the apparatus including: a time control unit disposed at a control panel so as to establish a cooking time according to a rotary operation of a time control knob; an output control unit disposed at the control panel in order to intermittently control a high frequency wave oscillation of a magnetron; a magnetron switch disposed at the control panel in order to turn on or turn off the magnetron; a heater switch disposed at the control panel so as to turn on or turn off a heater; and function setting means disposed at the control panel in order to selectively operate the magnetron switch and the heater switch according to the rotary operation of a function setting knob and at the same time, to control an output of the output control unit.

Description: The present invention relates to a control apparatus of a microwave oven. Generally, in the prior art, a microwave oven is, as illustrated in Figure 1, comprised of a cooking chamber 1 of a rectangular shape having an opening at a front surface thereof, a magnetron 2 for oscillating high frequency waves into the cooking chamber 1 to thereby heat and cook the food and a heater 3 for forming heat energy within the cooking chamber 1 to thereby heat and cook the food. The microwave oven thus described can be classified into a microwave oven, a grill, a combination thereof and the like according to cooking patterns therefor. In other words, in case of a microwave oven cooking, the magnetron is activated to thereby heat and cook the food disposed at the cooking chamber 1 with the high frequency waves, and in case of a grill cooking, the heater 3 is operated to heat and cook the food arranged at the cooking chamber 1 with the heat energy, and in case of a combination cooking, the magnetron 2 and the heater 3 are simultaneously activated to integral heat and cook the food provided at the cooking chamber 1 with the high frequency waves and the heat energy. In this location, in order to selectively activate the magnetron 2 and the heater 3, a control apparatus is installed. A conventional control apparatus includes, as illustrated in Figure 2, a control panel 10 disposed at a frontal right side of the microwave oven, a time control knob 11 disposed at an upper portion of the control panel 10 so as to establish a cooking time, an output control knob 12 disposed under a lower side of the time control knob 11 with the control panel 10 as a medium so as to adjust an output of the magnetron 2, a selection knob 13 arranged under the lower side of the output control knob 12 with the control panel 10 as a medium in order to select microwave oven, grill and/or the combination cooking methods, and an open button 14 provided under the control panel 10 so as to open and close a door (not shown) for closing the cooking chamber by way of a pressing operation. In the conventional control apparatus thus constructed, when the selection knob 13 is rotated in the right direction during the microwave oven cooking and the output control knob 12 is rotated to adjust an output of the magnetron 2, so that a cooking time can be established by the time control knob 11, the high frequency waves are oscillated into the cooking chamber 1 according to operation of the magnetron 2, to thereby heat and cook the food on the cooking chamber 1. When the selection knob 13 is rotated toward the grill and the time control knob 11 is rotated to thereby establish the cooking time during the grill cooking the heat energy is concentrated in the cooking chamber 1 by way of the operation of the heater 3 so that the food in the cooking chamber 1 can be heated and cooked. Furthermore, when the selection knob 13 is rotated toward the combination during the combination cooking and the time control knob 11 is rotated to establish the cooking time, the high frequency waves are oscillated into the cooking chamber 1 by way of the operation of the magnetron 2 and at the same time, the heat energy is concentrated in the cooking chamber 1 by way of the operation of the heater 3, so that the food in the cooking chamber 1 can be integrally heated and cooked. However, there is a problem in that, according to the conventional control apparatus of a microwave oven, the control panel 10 is so constructed to be disposed separately with the selection knob 13 and the output control knob 12, that the selection knob 13 and the output control knob 12 should be sequentially and respectively operated when the cooking is carried out. There is another problem in that the control panel 10 has a lot of difficulties in being manufactured because the selection knob 13 and the output control knob 12 should be separately installed. Accordingly, the present invention is disclosed to solve the afore-referenced problems and it is an object of the present invention to provide a control apparatus of a microwave oven employing one knob for simultaneous use in controlling output of a magnetron and in selecting microwave oven, grill and/or combination cookings, so that convenience is provided for knob operations and at the same time, cost reduction for manufacturing the control panel can be accomplished. The invention provides control apparatus of a microwave oven employing one knob for enabling to selectively control microwave oven, grill and combination functions thereof, so that the microwave oven can be simplified in construction thereof and convenience can be provided to operation of the knob in the course of the cooking. In accordance with the object of the present invention, there is provided a control apparatus of a microwave oven, the apparatus comprising: a time control unit disposed at a control panel so as to establish a cooking time according to a rotary operation of a time control knob; an output control unit disposed at the control panel in order to intermittently control a high frequency wave oscillation of a magnetron; a magnetron switch disposed at the control panel in order to turn on or turn off the magnetron; a heater switch disposed at the control panel so as to turn on or turn off a heater; and function setting means disposed at the control panel in order to selectively operate the magnetron switch and the heater switch according to the rotary operation of a function setting knob and at the same time, to control an output of the output control unit, the apparatus being characterised in that the function setting means comprises: a shaft for piercing through a substrate and the control panel connected to the function setting knob for rotation; a control gear coupled to the shaft to be simultaneously rotated with the shaft; a connecting gear coupled between the control gear and an output gear to thereby rotate the output gear disposed at the output control unit by receiving a turning effect of the control gear; a heater cam connected to the control gear for rotation in order to turn on or turn off the heater switch; and a magnetron cam connected to the heater cam for rotation so that the magnetron switch can be switched on and/or switched off. By way of example, a specific embodiment of the invention will now be described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :- Figure 1 is a front sectional view of a conventional microwave oven; Figure 2 is a front view of a control apparatus according to the conventional microwave oven; Figure 3 is a front view of a control apparatus according to the present invention; Figure 4 is a side sectional view of the control apparatus according to the present invention; Figure 5 is a front view of the control apparatus according to the present invention where cams are shown overlappedly disposed. Figure 6 is a partial rear elevation view of the control apparatus according to the present invention; Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a cam chart according to the present invention; and Figure 8 is a schemetic diagram of a high frequency wave output line according to the present invention. The preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Throughout the drawings, like reference numerals and symbols as referred to in Figure 1 are used for designation of like or equivalent parts or portions, for simplicity of illustration and explanation, and redundant descriptions are omitted. Figure 3 is a front view of a control apparatus according to the present invention, where the control apparatus includes a control panel 20 disposed at a frontal right side of the microwave oven, a time control knob 30 arranged at an upper side of the control panel 20 so as to establish a cooking time, function setting means 50 for employing a function settig knob 40 with the control panel 20 as a medium and disposed at a lower side of the time control knob 30 in order to control an output of a magnetron 30 and at the same time, to select a microwave oven, grill and/or combination cooking, and an open button 60 provided at a lower area of the control panel 20 so that a door (not shown) for closing a cooking chamber can be opened and/or opened by way of a pressing operation. At this location, the function setting knob 40 includes a microwave oven cooking part 0 for operating the magnetron 2 to thereby control an output of the same between 20 degrees and 100 degrees of an angle for cooking, a grill cooking part G for operating a heater 3 for cooking and a combination cooking part C for simultaneously operating the magnetron 2 and the heater 3 for cooking. At this time, the combination cooking part C is controlled in its output at three stages. Furthermore, the function setting knob 40 can be rotated 360 degrees, and the cooking can be performed at a certain position where the knob 40 is selected among the microwave oven cooking part 0, grill cooking part G and the combination cooking part C. Figure 4 is a side sectional view of the control apparatus according to the present invention, where the control apparatus includes a substrate 21 attached to an inner surface of the control panel 20, a time control unit 22 disposed at an upper portion of the substrate 21 and at the same time arranged at an inner upper surface of the substrate 21 so that the cooking time can be established by rotation of a shaft 31 in a state where the time control unit 22 is connected to the shaft 31 of the time control knob 30, an output control unit 23 disposed to a lower portion side of the time control unit 22 with the substrate 21 as a medium in order to control output of a magnetron 2, a heater switch SW1 provided under an inner side surface of the control panel so that the heater 3 can be turned on and/or turned off, a magnetron switch SW2 provided under an inner side surface of the control panel 20 so that the magnetron 2 can be switched on and/or switched off and function setting means 50 disposed at a lower side of the output control unit 23 with the substrate 21 as a medium so that the microwave oven, grill and combination cookings can be carried out. At this location, the function setting means 50 includes a shaft 52 freely and rotatatively connected between the substrate 21 and a bracket 51 of a "⊏" shape, and at the same time, for piercing through the substrate 21 and the control panel 20 by way of one end thereof to thereby be connected freely and rotatatively to the function setting Knob 40, a control gear 53 coupled to the shaft 52 near an inner side of the substrate 21 so that the same can be simultaneously rotated with the shaft 52, a connecting gear 54 coupled between the control gear 53 and an output gear 24 to thereby rotate the output gear 24 disposed at the output control unit 23 by receiving a turning effect of the control gear 53, a heater switch SW1 provided under an inner side surface of the control panel 20 so that the heater 3 can be activated and/or deactivated, a magnetron switch SW2 arranged under an inner side surface of the control panel 20, a heater cam 55 freely and rotatatively connected with the shaft 52 as a medium to a rear side of the control gear 53 in order to turn on or turn off the heater switch SW1, and a magnetron cam 56 freely and rotatatively connected with the shaft as a medium to a rear side of the heater cam 55 so that the magnetron switch SW2 can be switched on and/or switched off. At this time, the magnetron switch SW2 serves to switch on or switch off the magnetron 2 and the output gear 24 is adapted to intermittently control an output of the same in a state where the magnetron switch SW2 is under on-operation. In other words, the output gear 24 is rotated by receiving a turning effect of the control gear 53 with the connecting gear 54 as a medium when the control gear 53 is rotated to thereby rotate a rotary switch (not shown) inherently provided at the output control unit 23, so that output of the magnetron 2 is intermittently controlled. Meanwhile, a position setting cam 57 is freely and rotatatively connected between the heater cam 55 and the magnetron cam 56 with the shaft 52 as a medium. At this location, the position setting cam 57 serves to have a surface contact between a plate spring 58 connected to the bracket 51 and a periphery thereof, to thereby keep a rotation position of the shaft 52 from being randomly changed. Figure 5 is a front view for illustrating a state where cams according to the present invention are overlapped, and Figure 6 is a partial rear elevation of the control apparatus according to the present invention, where the magnetron cam 56 includes a high frequency wave oscillation domain M for activating the magnetron switch SW2, and a non-oscillation domain UM for deactivating the magnetron switch SW2. At this time, a domain where only the high frequency waves are oscillated to thereby carry out the cooking in the high frequency oscillation domain M is called a microwave oven cooking part 0. In other words, when the shaft 52 is rotated to thereby cause the microwave oven cooking part 0 to turn on the magnetron switch SW2, the magnetron 2 is activated. At this time, the output control unit 23 is controlled according to a simultaneous rotation of the output gear 24. The output control unit 23 thus controlled is then caused to control intermittently the output of the activated magnetron 2. Meanwhile, the heater cam 55 consists of a heating domain H for turning on the heater switch SW1 and a non-heating domain UH formed at a position corresponding to that of the microwave oven cooking part 0 to thereby turn off the operation of the heater 3. At this location, the heating domain H corresponding to the non-oscillation domain UH is called as a grill cooking part G, which causes only the heater 3 to operate. The cooking is carried out by the heat thereof. Furthermore, the heating domain H minus the grill cooking part G and the high frequency wave oscillation domain M minus the microwave oven cooking part 0 is designated as a combination cooking part C, which performs the cooking by way of the heat from the heater 3 and the oscillated high frequency waves. At this location, the microwave oven cooking part 0 corresponds to a position of an angle between 0 degree to 180 degrees in the high frequency wave oscillation domain M. At this time, the output of the magnetron 2 at the output control unit 23 is controlled within an angle between 20 degrees and 100 degrees, and the non-oscillation domain UM corresponds to an angle between 195 degrees and 215 degrees. Furthermore, the heater switch SW1 at the grill cooking part G of the heater cam 55 is activated at an angle between 195 degrees and 215 degrees, and the magnetron switch SW2 and the heater switch SW1 at the combination cooking unit C is operated at an angle between 230 degrees and 340 degrees in the high frequency wave oscillation part C is classified into a combination 1, combination 2 and combination 3. Meanwhile, the position setting cam 57 is formed at a periphery thereof with a curve unit 57a corresponding to the microwave oven part 0, a combination hitch surface 57b corresponding to respective combination cooking part C and a grill hitch elevation 57C corresponding to the grill cooking part G. Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a cam chart according to the present invention, where an upper portion thereof illustrates a magnetron cam chart while a lower portion thereof illustrates a heater cam chart. Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a high frequency wave output line where a horizontal axis illustrates the microwave oven cooking part 0, grill cooking part G and the combination cooking part C, and a vertical axis displays the output of the magnetron 2. By way of example, when the function setting Knob 40 is rotated to an angle of 20 degrees in the microwave oven part 0 after the cooking time is established by way of the time control knob 30 during the microwave oven cooking, the magnetron switch SW2 is rendered operative and at the same time, the output gear 24 meshed into the control gear 53 through the connecting gear 54 is rotated along, to thereby change in position a rotary switch inherently disposed in the output control unit 23. The output control unit 23 changed in position prevents the high frequency waves of the on-going magnetron 2 from oscillating for 5 seconds. In other words, if the established cooking time is 10 minutes, the high frequency waves are oscillated only for 100 seconds, so that a cooking under a low heat condition is carried out. Meanwhile, when the function setting knob 40 is rotated to an angle of 160 degrees in a state where the cooking time is established at 10 minutes, the high frequency waves from the magnetron 2 is continuously oscillated for 30 seconds. In other words, when the established cooking time is 10 minutes, the high frequency waves are oscillated for 10 minutes to thereby cause the cooking to be performed under a high heat condition. When the cooking time is established to thereafter cause the function setting knob 40 to be rotatatively operated in the grill cooking part G between 195 degrees and 215 degrees by way of the time control knob 30 during the grill cooking, only the heater 3 is operated in a state where the magnetron 2 is not oscillated, so that the food in the cooking chamber 1 is heated and cooked by the heat from the heater 3 during the established time. When the cooking time is established to thereafter cause the function setting knob 40 to be rotated to a position of combination 1 corresponding to 230 degrees in the combination cooking part C, the high frequency waves of the magnetron 2 are oscillated for 8 to 9 seconds but are not oscillated for 20.2 seconds, so that the food in the cooking chamber 1 is integrally or compositely heated and cooked by heating operation of the heater 3. As described in the foregoing, because the shaft 52 of the function setting Knob 40 is sequentially combined by the control gear 53, heater cam 55, position setting cam 57 and the magnetron cam 56, the same is rotated altogether at the same time when the function setting knob 40 is rotated, thereby setting in motion the output control unit 23, heater switch SW1 and the magnetron switch SW2. Next, a cooking process of the present invention thus constructed will be described. First of all, when the time control knob 30 is rotated during the microwave oven cooking process where the food is heated and cooked by way of the high frequency wave oscillation of the magnetron 2, thereby establishing a cooking time, and the function setting knob 40 is rotated to be positioned at a range of the microwave oven cooking part 0, the heater cam 55 combined to the shaft 52 by rotation of the function setting knob 40 and the magnetron cam 56 are rotated. At this time, the non-heating domain UH of the heater cam 55 causes the heater switch SW1 to be off, and microwave oven cooking part 0 of the magnetron cam 56 causes the magnetron switch SW2 to be on, thereby setting the magnetron 2 in operation. Furthermore, when the control gear 53 combined to the shaft 52 by the rotation of the function setting knob 40 is rotated, the connecting gear 54 meshed into the control gear 53 is rotated to thereby rotate the output gear 24, and to thereafter operate the rotary switch inherently disposed in the output control unit 23 according to the rotation of the output gear 24, so that the output of the high frequency oscillation from the magnetron 2 is intermittently controlled. The food in the cooking chamber 1 is therefore heated and cooked only by the high frequency wave oscillation during the microwave oven cooking. Meanwhile, when the time control Knob 30 is rotated to thereby establish a cooking time, and the function setting knob 40 is rotated toward the grill cooking part G during the grill cooking for heatedly cooking the food by way of the heat of the heater 3, the heater cam 55 connected to the shaft 52 by way of the rotation of the function setting knob 40 is simultaneously rotated therewith and the heater 3 is operated in accordance with rotation of the heating domain H for activation of the heater switch SW1. Furthermore, the magnetron cam 56 jointed to the shaft 52 by way of rotation of the function setting knob 40 is rotated simultaneously with the heater cam 55 to thereby rotate the non-heating domain UM and to turn off the magnetron switch SW2, so that the magnetron 2 is rendered inactive, and the food in the cooking chamber 1 is heated and cooked only by the heat of the heater 3 during the grill cooking process. Meanwhile, during the combination cooking process where the food is heated and cooked by way of high frequency oscillation of the magnetron 2 and the heat of the heater 3, when the time control knob 30 is rotated to thereby establish a cooking time and the function setting Knob 40 is rotated toward the combination cooking C and at the same time, one of the appropriate combinations, combination 1, 2 or 3, respective outputs of the magnetron being different, is selected from the combination cooking C, the heater cam 3 coupled to the shaft 52 by way of the rotation of the function setting knob 40 cause the heater to be operative and then, the magnetron cam 56 causes the magnetron to operate. Furthermore, when the control gear 53 connected to the shaft 52 by way of the rotation of the function setting Knob 40 is rotated to thereby rotate the output gear 24 with the connecting gear 54 as a medium, the output gear 24 sets in operation the rotary switch inherently arranged within the output control unit 23 to thereby control the output of the high frequency waves, so that the food in the cooking chamber 1 can be heated and then cooked by the heat of the heater 3 and oscillation of the high frequency waves from the magnetron during the combination cooking process. As apparent from the foregoing, the control apparatus of microwave oven according to the present invention can provide convenience in the operation of the same because the microwave oven cooking, grill cooking and the combination cooking can be operated on one knob. The present invention also has advantages in that the combination cooking function can be controlled in multi stages by way of a 360-degree rotation of the knob for higher cooking efficiency and operational efficiency can be increased because of a reduced number of knobs in the production of a control panel. Having described specific preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments, and that various changes and modifications may be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims: A control apparatus of a microwave oven, the apparatus comprising: a time control unit (22) disposed at a control panel (20) so as to establish a cooking time according to a rotary operation of a time control knob (30); an output control unit (23) disposed at the control panel in order to intermittently control a high frequency wave oscillation of a magnetron; a magnetron switch (SW2) disposed at the control panel (20) in order to turn on or turn off the magnetron (2); a heater switch (SW1) disposed at the control panel (20) so as to turn on or turn off a heater (3); and function setting means (50) disposed at the control panel (20) in order to selectively operate the magnetron switch (SW2) and the heater switch (SW1) according to the rotary operation of a function setting knob (40) and at the same time, to control an output of the output control unit (23), the apparatus being characterised in that the function setting means comprises: a shaft (52) for piercing through a substrate (21) and the control panel (20) connected to the function setting knob (40) for rotation; a control gear (53) coupled to the shaft (52) to be simultaneously rotated with the shaft (52); a connecting gear (54) coupled between the control gear (53) and an output gear (24) to thereby rotate the output gear (24) disposed at the output control unit (23) by receiving a turning effect of the control gear (53); a heater cam (55) connected to the control gear (53) for rotation in order to turn on or turn off the heater switch (SW1); and a magnetron cam (56) connected to the heater cam (55) for rotation so that the magnetron switch (SW2) can be switched on and/or switched off. A control apparatus of a microwave oven as defined in claim 1, wherein the magnetron cam comprises: a high frequency wave oscillation domain for activating the magnetron switch; a non-oscillation domain for deactivating the magnetron switch; and a microwave oven cooking part for oscillating only the high frequency waves in the high frequency wave oscillation domain to thereby perform the cooking. A control apparatus of a microwave oven as defined in claim 2, wherein the heater cam comprises : a heating domain for turning on the heater switch; a non-heating domain formed at a position corresponding to that of the microwave oven cooking part to thereby turn off the operation of the heater; and a grill cooking part positioned at a place corresponding to that of the non-oscillation domain to thereby activate the heater switch. A control apparatus of a microwave oven as defined in claim 3, wherein the microwave oven cooking part comprises a combination cooking part for activating the magnetron switch and the heater switch in the high frequency wave oscillation domain minus the microwave oven cooking part and the heating domain minus the grill cooking part. A microwave oven having a control apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims.

Inventors: KO YEONG-CHEOL, KO, YEONG-CHEOL
Applicants: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD, SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Application year: 1995
Main classification: H05B6
IPC codes: H05B6