Abstract:
A microwave oven is provided which allows electrical components to be cooled separately from the cooking chamber. The microwave oven includes a front plate and a back plate which is spaced a distance from, and opposite to the front plate. The microwave oven also includes a base plate between the front plate and the back plate, and a partition wall for isolating a cooking chamber from an electric outfit room. A wave guide is attached to a rear part of the partition wall and a magnetron is mounted on an upper surface of the wave guide. An electric outfit plate is fitted at approximately the same height as the upper surface of the cooking chamber. Electrical components such as a transformer and a capacitor can be mounted on the electric outfit plate. With this arrangement, the electric components are all mounted above and to the side of the cooking chamber, which allows them to be easily cooled.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a microwave oven, and more particularly, to an improved electric outfit room having electric fittings provided therein for generation of a microwave. 
     2. Background of the Related Art 
     The microwave oven is a cooker in which a magnetron is used for generating, and permeating the microwave into a cooking object, to cause molecular movement therein for heating the cooking object, and recently, a microwave oven has appeared, which has a function of a cooker of its own as well as a ventilator for removal of heat, gas, and food smell generated at a gas oven range. In general, such a type of microwave oven is installed over a gas oven range, so as to be called as an OTR (Over-the-Range) type microwave oven. 
     A related art OTR type microwave oven will be explained briefly, with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. In general, the gas oven range  200  is fitted between of kitchen sinks  600 , over which cupboards  400  are fitted. The microwave oven  100  is fitted between the cupboards  400 . 
     The related art OTR type microwave oven  100  is provided with a door part of a door and a control panel, a vent grill  160  above the door part, a cavity assembly  100   a  in rear of the door part, an air duct  506  above the cavity assembly  100   a , and an out case covering the cavity assembly  100   a  and the air duct  506 . The cavity assembly  100   a  is provided with a front plate  110  of a front face of a cavity  1000 , a back plate  120  of a rear face of the cavity  1000 , and a base plate  130  fitted between bottoms of the front plate  110  and the back plate  120 . A space formed between the front plate  110  and the back plate  120  is divided by a partition wall ‘T’ into the cavity  1000  for cooking food therein and an electric outfit room for fitting electric components therein. That is, in the electric outfit room  300 , there is a magnetron  500  fitted to the partition wall ‘T’ for generating a microwave, a high voltage transformer  502  fitted to the back plate  120 , a high voltage capacitor  503  on the base plate  130 , a floor of the electric outfit room  300 , and a cooling fan  520 , a suction guide  510 , and a fan-motor assembly on one side of the front plate  110 . The high voltage transformer  502  may be fitted to a bottom of the base plate  130 . There is a vent motor  516  fitted to an upper surface  140  of the cavity  1000  near to the back plate  120 , on both sides of which sirocco fans  517  are fitted. There are suction holes  131  in right and left part of the back plate  130  for drawing heat and smoke from the gas oven range  200  below the microwave oven  100 . 
     The ventilation by the foregoing related art OTR type microwave oven will be explained with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, briefly. 
     In order to discharge the heat and the smoke from the gas oven range  200  below the related art OTR type microwave oven  100  (called as “microwave oven”), the microwave oven  100  draws the heat and the smoke from the gas oven range  200  through the suction holes  131  in both sides of the base plate  130  of the microwave oven when the vent motor  516  fitted to the upper surface of the cavity  1000  comes into operation, which reaches to the sirocco fans  517  coupled to a shaft of the vent motor  516  along a discharge passage formed by the air guide  512 . Then, the heat and smoke reached to the sirocco fan  517  is drawn into the sirocco fan  517  in an axial direction, and discharged perpendicular to the axial direction, and discharged to outside of the microwave oven through a cleaning filer (not shown) and the vent grill  160 . 
     In the meantime, during cooking, the microwave oven is required to reject heat for normal operation because smoke and heat is generated in the cavity  1000 , and heat is generated at the magnetron  500 , the high voltage transformer  502 , and the high voltage capacitor  503 . To do this, the cooling fan  520  in the electric outfit room  300  is operated, to draw air through one side of the vent grill  160  into the electric outfit room along the air duct  506 , and, therefrom, to circulate from a front of the cooling fan  520  to rear of the cooling fan  520 ,and to escape toward the cavity  1000 , a cooking chamber, through a vent hole  151  in the partition wall ‘T’. The air introduced into the cavity  1000  escapes through a discharge hole  141  in a top surface of the cavity  1000 , and discharged to outside of microwave oven through the vent grill  160 . In the process of such an air flow, the heat generated at the electric outfit in the electric outfit room  300  is rejected, and the heat, smoke, food smell, and the like produced in the cooking chamber are discharged. 
     However, the foregoing microwave oven has the following structural problems. 
     The related art microwave oven  100  requires a separate cooling fan  520  for cooling down the high voltage transformer  502  and the high voltage capacitor  503  because electric components, such as the high voltage transformer  502  and the high voltage capacitor  503 , are fitted to a lower part of the electric outfit room  300 . The provision of the separate cooling fan  520  for cooling down the electric outfit room  300  causes to require the air guide  512  for isolating the electric outfit room  300  from the heat and smoke form the gas oven range  200 , and the vent hole  151  in one side of the cavity  1000  for leading the air introduced into the electric outfit room  300  toward the cavity. According to this, a number of components, and required man-power are increased, and a structure of the electric outfit room  300  becomes complicate. Along with this, a structure of the air duct  506  in rear of the vent grill  160  for introduction of an external air into the electric outfit room  300  becomes complicate. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, the present invention is directed to an electric outfit room in a microwave oven that substantially obviates one or more of the problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art. 
     An object of the present invention is to provide an electric outfit room in a microwave oven, in which a cooling fan and an air guide are eliminated, and structures of the air duct and the cavity are simplified, for reducing required number of components, and man power, and material cost in the fabrication, and improving a productivity. 
     Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings. 
     To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, the electric outfit room in a microwave oven includes a cavity assembly, and a partition wall for isolating a cavity from an electric outfit room, the cavity assembly having a front plate of a cavity, a back plate of the cavity in rear of, spaced a distance from, and opposite to, the front plate, and a base plate between the front plate and the back plate, and the cavity being formed between the front plate and the back plate for cooking food therein, wherein the electric outfit room has a wave guide vertically fitted to a rear part of the partition wall, having a magnetron fitted on an upper surface of the wave guide, and an electric outfit plate fitted at a height the same with the upper surface of the cavity. 
     The electric outfit plate includes a front surface and a rear surface fitted to the front plate and the back plate respectively, for fitting electric outfits, such as a high voltage transformer and a high voltage capacitor, on the electric outfit plate. 
     The wave guide includes a supporting member between the front plate and the back plate for supporting the wave guide under the wave guide. 
     The supporting member includes one end fixed to the front plate and the other end fixed to the back plate. 
     The supporting member has a hole at a position in correspondence to a fastening hole in an edge surface of the wave guide for fastening a bolt for fitting the wave guide, firmly. 
     In other aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electric outfit room in a microwave oven including a cavity assembly, and a partition wall for isolating a cavity from an electric outfit room, the cavity assembly having a front plate of a cavity, a back plate of the cavity in rear of, spaced a distance from, and opposite to, the front plate, and a base plate between the front plate and the back plate, and the cavity being formed between the front plate and the back plate for cooking food therein, wherein the electric outfit room has a wave guide vertically fitted to a rear part of the partition wall, having a magnetron fitted on an upper surface of the wave guide, a front support rail and a rear support rail fitted to the front plate and the back plate for fitting an electric outfit plate at a height the same with the upper surface of the cavity in the electric outfit room, and an electric outfit plate having the electric outfits fitted thereon for inserting in the microwave oven from a side thereof slid on the front support rail and the rear support rail. 
     The electric outfit plate includes a cut out area ‘C’ in one corner, and a down set supporting part around the cut out area ‘C’ for supporting the edge surface of the wave guide in a state insertion of the electric outfit plate along the supporting rails is completed. 
     The down set supporting part in the electric outfit plate has a fastening hole in correspondence to a fastening hole formed in the edge surface of the wave guide, for fastening the electric outfit plate to the wave guide. 
     The supporting rails are provided to the front plate of the cavity and the back plate of the cavity, respectively. 
     The electric outfit plate is fitted to a height similar to the vent motor fitted to an upper surface of the cavity. 
     It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention: 
     In the drawings: 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a kitchen having a related art OTR type microwave oven fitted therein; 
     FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective, disassembled view of the related art OTR type microwave oven; 
     FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective, disassembled view of a structure of an electric outfit room in an OTR type microwave oven in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective, disassembled view of a structure of an electric outfit room in an OTR type microwave oven in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of an outfit plate in an OTR type microwave oven in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 6 illustrates a detailed perspective view of key parts in FIG. 4, for explaining fitting of a front support rail to a front plate; 
     FIG. 7 illustrates a detailed perspective view of key parts in FIG. 4, for explaining fitting of a rear support rail to a back plate; and, FIG. 8 illustrates a perspective view for explaining an airflow in a microwave oven in accordance with a first or second embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. An electric outfit room in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention will be explained, with reference to FIGS. 3 and 8. FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective, disassembled view of a structure of an electric outfit room in an OTR type microwave oven in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     Referring to FIG. 3, the electric outfit room in an OTR type microwave oven in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a cavity assembly  100   a  having a front plate  11 , a back plate  12  in rear of, spaced a distance from, and opposite to, the front plate  11 , and a base plate between the front plate  11  and the back plate  12 , and a partition wall ‘T’ for isolating a cavity  1  formed between the front plate  11  and the back plate  12  for cooking food therein from an electric outfit room  3 , wherein the electric outfit room further includes a wave guide  9  vertically fitted to a rear part of the partition wall ‘T’, a magnetron  8  fitted on an upper surface of the wave guide  9 , and an electric outfit plate  4  fitted at a height in the electric outfit room  3  the same with the upper surface of the cavity. The electric outfit plate  4  has a front surface fitted to the front plate  11 , and a rear surface fitted to a back plate  12 , with electric outfits, such as the high voltage transformer  6  and the high voltage capacitor  5 , fitted thereon. There is a wave guide supporting member under the wave guide  9  between the front plate  11  and the back plate  12 . One end of the supporting member  10  is fixed to the other end of the front plate  11 , and the other end of the supporting member  10  is fitted to the back plate  12 . The supporting member  10  has an opening  10   b  at a position opposite to a fastening hole  9   b  in an edge surface  9   a  of the wave guide for fastening bolts, for firm fastening of the wave guide  9  thereto. There is a vent motor  91  fitted on the upper surface  1   b  of the cavity having two sirocco fans coupled thereto in a back plate direction  12 , so that one side sirocco fan rejects heat from the electric outfit room  3 , and the other side sirocco fan draws, and discharges smoke and heat coming up from a cooker below. 
     A process for assembling the foregoing electric outfit room of the present invention will be explained. 
     At first, the wave guide  9  is vertically welded to the partition wall ‘T’ in the vicinity of the vent motor  91 . Then, the supporting member  10  is placed under the edge surface  9   a  of the wave guide  9 , such that the fastening hole  9   b  in the edge surface  9   a  of the wave guide  9  is aligned with the opening  10   b  in the supporting member  10 , and the one end and the other end of the supporting member  10  are welded to the front plate  11  and the back plate  12 . Then, a bolt is fastened through the fastening hole  9   b  in the edge surface  9   a  of the wave guide  9  and the opening  10   b  in the supporting member  10 , for fitting the wave guide  9 , more firmly. Then, the magnetron  8  is fitted on a top surface of the wave guide  9 . Finally, the electric outfit plate  4  having the high voltage transformer  6  and the high voltage capacitor  5  fitted thereon is inserted from above the microwave oven to an upper part of the electric outfit room  3 , and fastened by bolts at a height the same with the upper surface  1   b  of the cavity, to complete an assembly process of the electric outfit room. 
     According to the first embodiment of the present invention, since the high voltage capacitor  5  and the high voltage transformer  6  are fitted at positions higher than a top surface of the cavity  1   b , to lead the air introduced into the electric outfit room through a right side region of the vent grill  93  to the high voltage capacitor  5  and the high voltage transformer  6  to cool down the high voltage capacitor  5  and the high voltage transformer  6  before drawn into the sirocco fan at a right side of the vent motor  91  when the sirocco far at right side of the vent motor  91  is in operation as shown in FIG. 8, different form the related art, no separate cooling fan and suction guide are required in the electric outfit room  3 , simplifying the electric outfit room. In the meantime, when the microwave oven serves as a ventilator for the gas oven range below the microwave oven, the electric outfit plate  4  also serves as an isolating wall for isolating the electric outfits, such as the high voltage transformer  6  and the high voltage capacitor  5 , from the heat coming up from the gas oven range so that the heat does not affect the electric outfits. According to the first embodiment of the present invention, since required components are reduced, a material cost is saved, and assembly man power is reduced, to reduce an assembly time period, and a defect ratio caused by the assembly. 
     An electric outfit room in an OTR type microwave oven in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention will be explained, with reference to FIGS. 4-8. 
     As shown, a cavity  30  and an electric outfit room  40 , both formed between a front plate  50  and a back plate  60 , are separated by a partition wall ‘T’. There is a vent motor  91  having two sirocco fans coupled at both sides thereof on a top surface  31  of the cavity in the vicinity of the back plate  60 . As shown in FIG. 6, there is an opening  53  formed in a part of the front plate  50  of the electric outfit room  40  for fitting a control panel therein. There is a front supporting rail  55  of a ‘└’ form at a top of the opening  53  at a height approx. the same with the top surface  31  of the cavity. The form of the front supporting rail  55  is designed to cope with a narrow space due to the opening  53 , which is shown as one example. There is one end of the wave guide  80  fitted vertical to a partition wall ‘T’ adjacent to the vent motor  91  and the sirocco fan. The other end of the wave guide  80  has an edge surface  81  projected from the wave guide  80  body. The edge surface  81  has a fastening hole  82  formed in correspondence to the fastening hole  73  in the supporting part  72  in the electric outfit plate  70  for fastening a bolt. There is a magnetron  90  over the wave guide  80 . 
     In the meantime, there is a front flange  57  formed along an edge of the front plate  50  having a plurality of fastening holes for fastening with the out case, for serving as a supporting part when the front plate  50  is assembled with the out case, and there is an opening  58  in a part of the front flange  57  in the vicinity of the front supporting rail  55 . 
     Referring to FIG. 7, there is a rear supporting rail  65  of a rectangular section fitted to the back plate  60  at a height the same with the front supporting rail  55  fitted to the front plate  50 . There is back flange  67  formed along an edge of the back plate  60 , and an opening  68  in the back flange  67  in the vicinity of the rear supporting rail  65 . 
     The forms of the foregoing supporting rails  55  and  65  are embodiments of the present invention, and the forms may be changed freely as far as the supporting rails  55  and  65  serve to support the electric outfit plate  70  when the electric outfit plate  70  is slid into position in an upper part of the electric outfit room  40 . For an example, the supporting rails are formed at the electric outfit plate  70 , and rail grooves are formed in the front plate  50  and the back plate  60 . 
     In the meantime, the electric outfit plate  70  having electric outfits, such as the high voltage capacitor  75  and th high voltage transformer  76 , fitted thereto is inserted sliding on the supporting rails  55  and  65 , and fixed at a height approx. the same with the vent motor  91 . 
     Referring to FIG. 5, a part of the electric outfit plate  70  is cut out ‘C’ in the vicinity of the sirocco fan coupled with the vent motor at a right side thereof, and a down set supporting part  72  is formed around the cut out part ‘C’ for supporting the edge surface  9   a  of the wave guide  9 . The down set supporting part  72  for supporting the edge surface  9   a  of the wave guide  9  has a fastening hole  73  in correspondence to the edge surface  81 . 
     An assembly process in the electric outfit room of the microwave oven in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention will be explained. 
     At first, the wave guide  80  is fitted to the partition wall ‘T’ adjacent to the vent motor. The electric outfit plate  70  having the electric outfits, such as the high voltage capacitor  75  and the high voltage transformer  76 , fitted thereto is inserted from a side of the electric outfit room  40  and fixed at a height similar to the vent motor by using the front supporting rail  55  and the rear supporting rail  65  fitted to the front plate  50  and the back plate  60 . Once the electric outfit plate  70  is inserted, the supporting part  72  comes under the wave guide edge surface  81  and supports the edge surface  81 , and by aligning the fastening holes  73  and  82  formed in the edge surface  81  and the electric outfit plate  70  respectively, and fastening the bolt, the wave guide  80  can be fitted securely. Finally, upon fitting the magnetron  90  to the wave guide  80 , the assembly is completed. 
     Alike the first embodiment, in the second embodiment of the present invention too, since the high voltage capacitor  75  and the high voltage transformer  76  are fitted at positions higher than a top surface of the cavity  31 , to lead the air introduced into the electric outfit room through a right side region of the vent grill  93  to the high voltage capacitor  75  and the high voltage transformer  76  to cool down the high voltage capacitor  75  and the high voltage transformer  76  before drawn into the sirocco fan at a right side of the vent motor when the sirocco fan at right side of the vent motor is in operation as shown in FIG. 8, different form the related art, no separate cooling fan and suction guide are required in the electric outfit room  3 , simplifying the electric outfit room. That is, as shown in FIG. 8, the air introduced into the electric outfit room  40  from an upper part thereof through the vent grill  93  in an upper part of a front face of the microwave oven cools down the electric outfits, such as the high voltage capacitor  75  and the high voltage transformer  76 , is drawn into the right side suction hole  71 , and discharged to outside of the microwave oven when the vent motor  91  is in operation. In the meantime, according to the second embodiment of the present invention, when the microwave oven serves as a ventilator for the gas oven range below the microwave oven, the electric outfit plate  70  also serves as an isolating wall for isolating the electric outfits, such as the high voltage transformer  76  and the high voltage capacitor  75 , from the heat coming up from the gas oven range so that the heat does not affect the electric outfits. Because the comparatively heavy electric outfit plate  70  having the electric outfits, such as the high voltage capacitor  75  and the high voltage transformer  76  and the like, fitted thereto can be fitted by pushing from a side of the electric outfit room  40  by using the supporting rails  55  and  65  formed on the front plate  50  and the back plate  60 , the required work is easy. Moreover, the slide fastening of the electric outfit plate  70  and the reduction of components permits to provide a comparatively simple structure, which shortens an assembly time period. The reduced assembly process reduces defects caused by assembly. 
     In the meantime, in the first or the second embodiment of the present invention, the heat from inside of the cavity during the microwave oven is in operation is rejected through the discharge hole  92  in the cavity top surface  31 , drawn into, and discharged from, the left side sirocco fan of the vent motor  91 , and discharged outside of the microwave oven through a cleaning filter (not shown) and a left area of the vent grill  93 . 
     The present invention has advantage in that an assembly work of the electric outfits is made easy enough to reduce a load on the worker. The reduction of components saves a material cost. The reduction of assembly process owing to comparatively simple structure relative to the related art reduces a defect ratio. 
     It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the electric outfit room in a microwave oven of the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.