Abstract:
A cooking device is described. The cooking device includes a main body. The cooking device includes a ventilation apparatus that is located at a lower side of the main body, that is configured to suck air into the main body, and that is configured to discharge air from the main body. The ventilation apparatus includes a base that is connected to the lower side of the main body and that includes an introduction port. The ventilation apparatus includes a swirler that is configured to generate suction by rotating air around the introduction port of the base and that includes a plurality of wings. The ventilation apparatus includes a driving unit that is configured to rotate the swirler. The ventilation apparatus includes a swirler guide that is configured to cover an underside of the swirler and that is configured to guide a flow of air around a center of the swirler.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2014-0163255, filed in Korea on Nov. 21, 2014, whose entire disclosure is hereby incorporated by reference. 
       FIELD 
       [0002]    This application is related to a cooking device and a ventilation apparatus. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Generally, a ventilation apparatus is used in factories in which a large amount of contaminants are generated, homes or restaurants. In particular, the ventilation apparatus is usefully used in a case in which a contamination source is partially generated on a floor surface which is distant from an exhaust port, a case in which it is difficult to install the exhaust port close to the contamination source due to other structures, or a case in which the contamination source is suddenly generated. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    An innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this specification may be implemented in a cooking device that includes a main body that includes a cooking space and that is configured to cook food; and a ventilation apparatus that is located at a lower side of the main body, that is configured to suck air into the main body, that is configured to discharge air from the main body, and that includes a base that is connected to the lower side of the main body and that includes an introduction port; a swirler that is configured to generate suction by rotating air around the introduction port of the base and that includes a plurality of wings; a driving unit that is configured to rotate the swirler; and a swirler guide that is configured to cover an underside of the swirler and that is configured to guide a flow of air around a center of the swirler. 
         [0005]    These and other implementations can each optionally include one or more of the following features. The swirler is located under the introduction port. The driving unit is located above the introduction port. The swirler guide includes a first part that defines an opening through which air passes; and a second part that is configured to extend from the first part toward an outside of the ventilation apparatus and that is rounded downward toward the outside of the ventilation apparatus. At least a portion of the second part has an upwardly convex shape. An angle that is defined by one end of the second part and by a vertical line that passes through the one end of the second part is less than 90°. A first angle that is defined by one end of the second part and by a first vertical line that passes through the one end of the second part is different from a second angle that is defined by another end of the second part and by a second vertical line that passes through the other end of the second part. 
         [0006]    A first distance from a center of the swirler guide to one end of the second part is different from a second distance from the center of the swirler guide to another end of the second part. A diameter of the opening is less than or equal to a diameter of a circle that is defined by inner ends of the plurality of wings. The swirler guide further includes a plurality of fixing parts that are located adjacent to the second part and that are configured to fix the swirler guide to the base. The plurality of fixing parts are configured such that one end of each fixing part is closer to a center of the swirler guide than an opposite end of each fixing part. The swirler guide is configured to cover an entirety of the plurality of wings. The cooking device further includes a filter unit that is connected to the swirler guide and that is configured to filter air before passing through the opening. The swirler is located in a recessed portion of the base. 
         [0007]    Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this specification may be implemented in a ventilation apparatus that includes a base that includes an introduction port; a swirler that is configured to generate suction by rotating air around the introduction port of the base and that includes a plurality of wings; a driving unit that is configured to rotate the swirler; and a swirler guide that is configured to cover an underside of the swirler, that is rounded downward, and that is configured to guide a flow of air around a center of the swirler. 
         [0008]    These and other implementations can each optionally include one or more of the following features. The driving unit is located above the base. The swirler is located under the base. The swirler guide includes a first part that defines an opening through which air passes; and a second part that is configured to extend from the first part toward an outside of the ventilation apparatus and that is rounded downward toward the outside of the ventilation apparatus. The second part is configured to cover the plurality of wings. An angle that is defined by one end of the second part and by a vertical line that passes through the one end of the second part is less than 90°. The swirler guide includes a plurality of fixing parts that are located adjacent to the second part and that are configured to fix the swirler guide to the base. The plurality of fixing parts are configured such that one end of each fixing part is closer to a center of the swirler guide than an opposite end of each fixing part. 
         [0009]    The present disclosure is directed to providing a cooking device and a ventilation apparatus in which suction performance is able to be maintained regardless of an installation position thereof, and user safety is enhanced. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a view of an example cooking device. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is an underside view of an example ventilation apparatus. 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a top view of an example ventilation apparatus. 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a vertical cross-sectional view of an example ventilation apparatus. 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a view illustrating a flow of air generated during operation of an example ventilation apparatus. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]      FIG. 1  illustrates an example cooking device. 
         [0016]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , the cooking device  1  may be installed at, for example, a wall W of a kitchen. In some implementations, the cooking device  1  may be a wall-mounted microwave oven. As long as the cooking device  1  can be installed at the wall W, a type of the cooking device  1  is not limited. 
         [0017]    The cooking device  1  may include a main body  10  having a cooking space  11 , and a door  12  which is connected with the main body  10  to open and close the cooking space  11 . 
         [0018]    Therefore, the cooking device  1  may perform cooking of food accommodated in the cooking space  11 . 
         [0019]    The cooking device  1  may further include a ventilation apparatus  20  which suctions external contaminated air and discharges the suctioned air to an outside of the cooking device  1 . 
         [0020]    The ventilation apparatus  20  may be disposed at a lower side of the main body  10 . The main body  10  may have an exhaust port through which air flowing in the ventilation apparatus  20  is discharged. In some implementations, the contaminated air suctioned by the ventilation apparatus  20  may flow through an exhaust path in the main body  10 , and then may be discharged through the exhaust port. Alternatively, in a state in which the ventilation apparatus  20  is installed at the main body  10 , the ventilation apparatus  20  may be disposed so that the exhaust port thereof is in communication with an exhaust hole formed at the wall. 
         [0021]    The ventilation apparatus  20  may be operated separately from a cooking operation in the main body  10 . 
         [0022]    In some implementations, only the cooking operation may be performed in the cooking device  1 , only a ventilating operation may be performed in the cooking device  1  by the ventilation apparatus  20 , or the cooking and ventilating operations may be simultaneously performed. 
         [0023]    For example, the cooking device  1  may be located above another cooking device  2 . The ventilation apparatus  20  may suction the contaminated air generated while the food is cooked in the other cooking device  2 . 
         [0024]    Hereinafter, the ventilation apparatus  20  will be described in detail. 
         [0025]      FIGS. 2 to 4  illustrate example ventilation apparatuses. 
         [0026]    Referring to  FIGS. 2 to 4 , the ventilation apparatus may include bases  21  and  22  which provide a path of the contaminated air. 
         [0027]    The bases  21  and  22  may be coupled to the lower side of the main body  10 . The bases  21  and  22  may include a first base  21  and a second base  22 . The second base  22  may be fastened to the first base  21  by a fastening member. Alternatively, the first base  21  and the second base  22  may be integrally formed with each other. 
         [0028]    An introduction port  23  through which air is introduced may be provided at the second base  22 . 
         [0029]    The ventilation apparatus  20  may further include a driving unit  51 , and a swirler  30  which receives power from the driving unit  51  to be rotated. 
         [0030]    The driving unit  51  may be installed at an installation part  50 , and the installation part  50  may be installed at the second base  22 . At this time, the driving unit  51  installed at the installation part  50  may be disposed to be spaced upward from the introduction port  23  of the second base  22 . 
         [0031]    The reason why the driving unit  51  is spaced upward from the introduction port  23  of the second base  22  is to minimize that the driving unit  51  serves as a flow resistance element of the suctioned contaminated air. The contaminated air passed through the introduction port  23  may be in contact with the driving unit  51 . In some implementations, the driving unit  51  may be cooled. 
         [0032]    For example, the driving unit  51  may be a motor, and a shaft  53  of the motor may pass through the introduction port  23 . 
         [0033]    The driving unit  51  may be located at one side of the second base  22 , and the swirler  30  may be located at the other side of the second base  22 . The driving unit  51  may be located above the second base  22 , and the swirler  30  may be located under the second base  22 . 
         [0034]    The second base  22  may include a recessed portion  24  serving as a space in which the swirler  30  is located. Due to the recessed portion  24 , an outer portion  25  of the second base  22  may serve as a flow guide of air which flows by the swirler  30 . For example, the outer portion  25  of the second base  22  may be formed to be gradually rounded downward toward an outside. 
         [0035]    The swirler  30  may include a rotary plate  31  which is rotated, and a plurality of wings  32  which are disposed along an edge of the rotary plate  31  in a circumferential direction thereof. 
         [0036]    A hole  34  through which the contaminated air passes may be formed at the rotary plate  31 . 
         [0037]    The rotary plate  31  may include a connection part  33  for connection with the shaft  53  of the motor. The connection part  33  may be located at a center of the rotary plate  31 . 
         [0038]    For a smooth flow of the contaminated air, the hole  34  may be disposed to be vertically overlapped with the introduction port  23  of the second base  22 . 
         [0039]    The plurality of wings  32  may be disposed on a lower surface of the rotary plate  31  to be spaced from each other in the circumferential direction of the rotary plate  31 . 
         [0040]    The ventilation apparatus  20  may further include a swirler guide  40  which covers a lower side of the swirler  30  and guides the flow of the air to form a swirl. 
         [0041]    The swirler guide  40  may include an opening  43  through which the contaminated air passes. 
         [0042]    The swirler guide  40  may cover at least a part of each of the plurality of wings  32  of the swirler  30  at a lower side of the swirler  30 . To ensure user safety, the swirler guide  40  may cover the whole of the plurality of wings  32 . 
         [0043]    A diameter of the opening  43  of the swirler guide  40  may be the same as or smaller than a diameter of an imaginary circle which connects inner ends of the plurality of wings  32 . Also, an outer diameter of the swirler guide  40  may be greater than a diameter of an outer end of the swirler  30  (or an imaginary circle which connects outer ends of the plurality of wings  32 ). 
         [0044]    Therefore, the wings  32  of the swirler  30  may be prevented from being exposed to an outside by the swirler guide  40 , and thus the user safety may be enhanced. 
         [0045]    Further, when the ventilation apparatus  20  is located above the other cooking device  2 , a user&#39;s hand which handles the cooking device  1  or the other cooking device  2  may be prevented from being in contact with the swirler  30 , and thus the user safety may be ensured. 
         [0046]    The swirler guide  40  may include a first part  41  at which the opening  43  is provided, and a second part  42  which extends from the first part  41  toward an outside. An outer end of the second part  42  may be located lower than the opening  43 . The second part  42  may cover a part or the whole of each of the plurality of wings  32 . Alternatively, the first part  41  may cover the whole of the plurality of wings  32 . 
         [0047]    For example, the second part  42  may extend from the first part  41  so as to be gradually rounded downward toward the outside. At this time, a part or the whole of the second part  42  may be rounded downward in an upwardly convex shape. 
         [0048]    The reason why the second part  42  is formed to be rounded downward is to allow the air flowing by the swirler  30  to smoothly flow downward due to a Coanda effect. 
         [0049]    When the air flowing by the swirler  30  smoothly flows downward, the swirl may be easily formed, and thus suction performance of the ventilation apparatus  20  may be enhanced. Also, when the air flowing by the swirler  30  smoothly flows downward, an area in which the swirl is formed is increased, and thus the suction performance of the ventilation apparatus  20  may be enhanced. 
         [0050]    A first angle a between one end (e.g., a right end of  FIG. 4 ) of the second part  42  and a vertical line which is formed at the one end of the second part  42  may be the same as or different from a second angle β between the other end (e.g., a left end of  FIG. 4 ) of the second part  42  and a vertical line which is formed at the other end of the second part  42 . 
         [0051]    For example, in some implementations in which an obstacle is located close to the one end of the second part  42 , when the first angle a is great, the air flowing due to the second part  42  may collide with the obstacle, and thus the swirl may not be smoothly formed. In some implementations, the first angle α may be reduced. 
         [0052]    In some implementations, since the angle of the one end of the second part  42  is formed to be different from the angle of the other end thereof, the swirl may be effectively formed, even when the obstacle or the wall is located close to the ventilation apparatus  20 . When the obstacle or the wall is not located close to the ventilation apparatus  20 , the angle between the end of the second part  42  and the vertical line may be formed constantly in the circumferential direction. 
         [0053]    However, to generate the Coanda effect by the second part  42 , the angle between the second part  42  and the vertical line may be greater than 0° and smaller than 90°. 
         [0054]    A distance from a center of the swirler guide  40  to a first end of the second part  42  may be the same as or different from a distance from the center of the swirler guide  40  to a second end of the second part  42 . In some implementations, when the swirler guide  40  is projected on a plane, the swirler guide  40  may have a circular shape or a non-circular shape. At this time, the center of the swirler guide  40  may be the same as or different from a rotational center of the swirler  30 . 
         [0055]    For example, the first part  41  may be formed in a circular plate shape, and a length of the second part  42  may be differently formed in the circumferential direction. 
         [0056]    In some implementations, a size of the swirl formed at the swirler guide  40  may be different. 
         [0057]    As another example, a slidable third part may be connected to the second part  42 . In some implementations, while the third part is slid, the size of the swirl and an angle between the third part and the vertical line may be adjusted. 
         [0058]    As still another example, a plurality of second parts  42  may be slidably connected to the first part  41 . In some implementations, the size of the swirl and an angle between an end of the second part  42  and the vertical line may be adjusted by sliding a part or the whole of the plurality of second parts  42  with respect to the first part  41 . 
         [0059]    In some implementations, as the Coanda effect is generated at the whole of the plurality of second parts, two adjacent second parts  42  in a state in which the plurality of second parts  42  are maximally slid to an outside of the swirler guide  40  may be vertically overlapped with each other. Then, the plurality of second parts  42  may be disposed at different heights. 
         [0060]    The swirler guide  40  may further include a plurality of fixing parts  46  which fix the swirler guide  40  to the second base  22 . 
         [0061]    The plurality of fixing parts  46  may be provided at an upper side of the swirler guide  40 , and then may be fixed to the second base  22 . At this time, to prevent an interference between the plurality of fixing parts  46  and the swirler  30 , the plurality of fixing parts  46  may be provided at the second part  42 . 
         [0062]    A diameter of an imaginary circle which connects inner ends of the plurality of fixing parts  46  may be greater than a diameter of an imaginary circle which connects outer ends of the plurality of wings  32  of the swirler  30 . 
         [0063]    For example, the plurality of fixing parts  46  may be fixed to the second base  22  by a screw, an adhesive, a welding method or a hooking method. A method of fixing the plurality of fixing parts  46  to the second base  22  is not limited. 
         [0064]    The plurality of fixing parts  46  may be disposed to be spaced in the circumferential direction of the swirler guide  40 . At this time, the plurality of fixing parts  46  may be disposed so that an extension line of each thereof does not pass through the shaft  53  of the motor, the rotational center of the swirler  30  or a center line of the swirler guide  40 , e.g., is deviated therefrom. 
         [0065]    The plurality of fixing parts  46  may be formed to extend linearly or to be rounded. 
         [0066]    Therefore, due to an arrangement of the plurality of fixing parts  46 , the air flowing by the swirler  30  may flow to have an orientation. 
         [0067]    Also, since the plurality of fixing parts  46  cover a part of a gap between the second base  22  and the swirler guide  40 , the user&#39;s hand is prevented from being inserted between the second base  22  and the swirler guide  40  by the plurality of fixing parts  46 , and thus the user safety may be ensured. 
         [0068]    The ventilation apparatus  20  may further include a filter unit  60  which filters the contaminated air before the contaminated air passes through the opening  43  of the swirler guide  40 . The filter unit  60  may cover the opening  43  of the swirler guide  40 , and may be coupled to the swirler guide  40 . 
         [0069]    Hereinafter, an operation of the ventilation apparatus  20  will be described. 
         [0070]      FIG. 5  illustrates a flow of air generated during operation of an example ventilation apparatus. 
         [0071]    Referring to  FIG. 5 , when an operation command of the ventilation apparatus  20  is input, the driving unit  51  is turned on. When the driving unit  51  is turned on, the swirler  30  is rotated in one direction. 
         [0072]    When the swirler  30  is rotated in one direction, the wings  32  push outward the contaminated air flowing to the hole  34  of the rotary plate  31  in a radial direction of the rotary plate  31 . And when the air passes through the introduction port  23  of the second base  22 , not only the contaminated air passing through the introduction port  23  but also air therearound are intended to pass through the introduction port  23  of second base  22 . Due to such a flow of the air, the swirl is formed under the rotary plate  31 . 
         [0073]    In some implementations, since the swirler guide  40  which guides downward the air flowing in the radial direction of the swirler  30  is provided under the swirler  30 , the swirl may be effectively formed by the swirler guide  40 . 
         [0074]    In some implementations, a portion of the contaminated air passes through the introduction port  23  of the second base  22 , and another portion thereof flows along the swirler guide  40 .