Abstract:
Provided is an infrared radiation cooker in which heat from an infrared lamp is directly applied onto food being grilled, to thus cook the upper and inner parts of the food, as well as onto a rotating pan, to thus simultaneously cook the lower part of the food. As a result, the food cooks evenly throughout without burning or creating residual odors from above to below as well as from outer to inner, and further the rotating pan of respectively different structures can be selected depending on an intended cooking purpose, to thereby adjust height of the rotating pan, which changes a heat intensity, to thus vary a cooking style, and which can be used to boil, grill or roast foods as one would like.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to infrared radiation cooking appliances and, more specifically, to an infrared radiation cooker in which heat from an infrared lamp is directly applied onto food being grilled, to thus cook the upper and inner parts of the food, as well as onto a rotating pan, to thus simultaneously cook the lower part of the food, with the result that the food cooks evenly throughout without burning or creating residual odors from above to below as well as from outer to inner, and further the rotating pan of respectively different structures can be selected depending on an intended cooking purpose, to thereby adjust height of the rotating pan, which changes a heat intensity, to thus vary a cooking style, and which can be used to boil, grill or roast foods as one would like. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    As is already known, infrared rays are longer in wavelength than visible light but shorter than microwave rays, falling between 750 μm˜1 mm. The classification ranges from far infrared rays which have a longer wavelength, and near infrared rays which have a shorter wavelength. 
         [0005]    Infrared rays are invisible to the naked eye and cannot be dispersed by air molecules. They are stronger than visible light rays in measurement of penetration and, as a result, have been used in many industries, especially in communication and medical industries. 
         [0006]    As compared to visible light rays and ultraviolet rays, infrared rays emit a high degree of radiant heat, which has led to the development of various heating apparatus and cooking appliances on the market. 
         [0007]    One example of an existing infrared ray cooking appliance being Korean Patent Registration No. 0779225 published on Nov. 28, 2007. This infrared ray meat-grill uses a quartz external infrared lamp which is placed under a rotating pan, and a reflective board under the infrared heating lamp. The infrared lamp in this invention, however, heats the grill pan from below, cooking food from one side alone. The inconvenience being that food must be turn over constantly in order for it to cook evenly top and bottom and, what is more, this appliance cannot be used for boiling. 
         [0008]    Another example of a cooking appliance developed using infrared ray technology is Korean Utility-model Registration No. 314605 published on May 27, 2003. This meat roaster has a near-infrared ray lamp over a gridiron grilling pan and a reflective board over the infrared ray lamp. The meat roaster applies infrared rays directly onto meat from the above infrared ray lamp and successfully keeps meats from burning. This appliance does not, however, allow users to adjust the height level and, consequentially, the cooking time of meats by modifying the level of heat intensity. Additionally, the appliance only emits radiant heat from above, cooking on one side alone, providing a less even cooking process and removing the option of boiling meats. 
         [0009]    In this way, previous infrared ray cooking appliances do not adequately provide an efficient and even cooking process for grilling foods. And, what is more, they leave users with little control over the cooking time or heat intensity of the cooking process and eliminate the possibility of boiling foods if desired. Due to the inconveniences explained above, the current infrared ray cooking products are not perfectly suited to accommodate the residential or commercial purposes of most individuals. Thus, there has been a long-felt and unsolved need to provide a thorough and efficient infrared ray appliance, which would enable users to simultaneously cook food on both sides at once. Bridging the gap between efficiency and revolutionary technology would allow users to enjoy the health benefits of infrared ray cooking and afford them the time saving benefits it can provide. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    An object of this invention is to overcome at least some of the drawbacks relating to the designs of prior infrared ray cooking appliances as discussed above. The invention is regarding to an infrared ray cooker, specifically, an infrared ray lamp applies infrared rays directly onto a rotating pan in order to roast/cook food from above as well as penetrating into the middle of foods. At the same time, the upper infrared ray lamp heats the rotating pan cooking foods from below. Therefore, neither the surface nor the interior of food items is burned or dried out, and the infrared grill does not produce any smoke. Foods are cooked evenly from top to bottom simultaneously. Furthermore, depending on the intended cooking needs of users, it is possible to change the disposition of the rotating pan to accommodate one&#39;s needs easily. The infrared ray cooking appliance can be used either as a grill or as a boiler conveniently. 
         [0011]    To attain the above object of the present invention, there is provided an infrared ray heat radiation cooker comprising: 
         [0012]    a base stand at the center of the upper surface of which a shaft hole is formed, and on one side of which a power switch for controlling an electric power supply is formed; 
         [0013]    a rotating pan which is a circular plate style container which can contain food on the upper surface thereof, and at the center of the lower surface of which a shaft protrusion is formed so as to be detachably inserted into the shaft hole, to then be heated by infrared rays; 
         [0014]    a supporting pillar which is vertically installed at one side of the base stand; and 
         [0015]    an infrared ray irradiator which is installed on the upper end of the supporting pillar and which is switched by the power switch, to thus apply infrared radiant heat onto the rotating pan. 
         [0016]    Preferably but not necessarily, a removable oil catching drawer is further provided in the base stand and an oil discharge outlet is axially formed in the shaft protrusion of the rotating pan, in which oil is collected into the removable oil catching drawer throughout a cooking process through the oil discharge outlet of the rotating pan. 
         [0017]    Preferably but not necessarily, a rotating unit is further provided between the base stand and the rotating pan in order to make the rotating pan automatically rotate by the electric power supply. 
         [0018]    Preferably but not necessarily, the supporting pillar comprises: a support member which is installed on one side of the base stand; a retractable pole which plays a role of adjusting height of the supporting pillar thereby enabling height mobility of the infrared ray rotating pan; and a height control screw lever which is combined with the support member allowing a user to raise or lower height of the infrared ray irradiator as made mechanically possible by the retractable pole. 
         [0019]    Preferably but not necessarily, the infrared ray irradiator comprises: a lampshade which is installed on the upper end of the supporting pillar; an infrared ray lamp which is installed inside the lampshade; an insulating panel which is installed on the inner surface of the lampshade; and a heat-resistant glass plate which is detachably installed at the lower portion of the infrared lamp. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0020]    The above and/or other aspects of the present invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the exemplary embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0021]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an infrared ray cooker according to the present invention; 
           [0022]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of an infrared ray cooker according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0023]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of an infrared ray cooker according to a second embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0024]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of an infrared ray cooker according to a third embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     EXPLANATION OF MAIN PARTS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       [0025]      
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 10: Base stand 
                 11: Shaft hole 
               
               
                   
                 12: Removable oil catching drawer 
                 20, 20′: Rotating pan 
               
               
                   
                 21: Shaft protrusion 
                 22: Oil discharge outlet 
               
               
                   
                 30: Supporting pillar 
                 31: Support member 
               
               
                   
                 32: Retractable pole 
                 34: Height control screw 
               
               
                   
                   
                 lever 
               
               
                   
                 40: Infrared ray irradiator 
                 42: Lampshade 
               
               
                   
                 43: Infrared ray lamp 
                 45: Heat-resistant glass 
               
               
                   
                   
                 plate 
               
               
                   
                 60: Rotating unit 
                 61: Motor 
               
               
                   
                 62: Driving gear 
                 63: Following gear 
               
               
                   
                 64: Chain 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0026]    Hereinbelow, an infrared ray cooker according to first to third embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, that is,  FIGS. 1 through 4 . 
         [0027]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an infrared ray cooker according to the present invention,  FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of an infrared ray cooker according to a first embodiment of the present invention,  FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of an infrared ray cooker according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and  FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of an infrared ray cooker according to a third embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0028]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , this invention has a base stand  10 , a rotating pan  20  or  20 ′ set on the base stand  10 , a supporting pillar  30  located at the center of the base stand  10 , and an infrared ray irradiator  40  sitting upon the supporting pillar  30 . The rotating pan  20  or  20 ′ can be used as a rotating grill pan  20 ′ for roasting fish or greasy meats or as a rotating casserole pan  20  for boiling of Bulgogi which is one of the Korean traditional foods or stew. 
         [0029]    The base stand  10  has adequate room for a shaft hole  11  at the center of the upper side, a power switch  15  on the side of main unit, and if it used as a grill, with the rotating pan  20 ′, it is equipped with a removable oil catching drawer  12  located inside the base stand  10  and under the shaft hole  11 . The oil catching drawer  12  is a separate component that can be inserted or removed from one side of the base stand  10  as needed. The infrared ray irradiator  40  is powered by either plugging the base stand into an outlet or can be battery-operated as per user preference. 
         [0030]    The rotating pan  20  or  20 ′ is a round plate upon which food is cooked and comes in two styles. The first a rotating pan  20 ′ and the second rotating broiling casserole pan  20 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the rotating main boiling casserole pan  20  is a shallow convex half-sphere which creates a shaft protrusion  21  at the center of the base stand and is detachable from the shaft hole  11 . Additionally; as shown in  FIG. 3 , an oil discharge outlet  22  is located on the rotating pan  20 ′ which goes vertically through the rotating pan  20 ′ into a small shaft protrusion  21 . And as explained above, when the present invention is used as a grill, with the rotating pan  20 ′, it is equipped with a removable oil catching drawer  12  inside of the base stand  10 , and under the shaft hole  11 , to collect any oil that is released in the cooking process. 
         [0031]    The surface of the rotating pan  20 ′ may have an oil hole or non-stick coating embossing portion (not shown) to facilitate the evacuation of oil from the rotating pan  20 ′ into the discharge outlet. Teflon coating, which is the material that will be used as coating, is appropriate for the surface of the rotating pan  20 ′ to prevent burning or excessive browning of meat and fish. 
         [0032]    The rotating pan  20  or  20 ′ from this invention will be installed on the base stand  10  to enable rotation of the pan during the cooking process. In order to this, a bearing  13  at the middle of the shaft hole  11  and a shaft protrusion  21  have been installed to facilitate this rotation. Rotating the pan  20  or  20 ′ can be done manually by a user or, as shown in  FIG. 4 , it can be built with a rotational unit  60  to mechanically spin the pan  20  electrically. 
         [0033]    As shown in  FIG. 4 , the rotating unit  60  can be installed inside of the base stand  10 . The rotating unit  60  consists of the following; a driving gear  62  connected to an electric motor  61 , a following gear  63  installed around the shaft protrusion  21 , and a chain  64  to connect the driving gear  62  and the following gear  63 . However, the rotating unit is not limited to the case shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0034]    Another feature of the present invention is the supporting pillar  30  installed vertically into the base stand  10  which serves a height adjustment function. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the supporting pillar  30  consists of the following: a supporting member  31  located at one side of the base stand  10 , a retractable pole  32  providing a mechanical means for users to raise and lower the infrared ray irradiator height as needed, and a height control screw lever  34  fastened to the retractable pole  32  with a screw from a piercing hole  33  on the supporting member  31 , which enables users to adjust the infrared ray irradiator height before, during and after cooking. 
         [0035]    The structure of a supporting pillar  30  for this present invention could be modified to accommodate various height control possibilities. For example, if a rack gear is installed on one side of a retractable pole  32  and pinion gear is installed on the height control lever  34 ; then these two gears interlock smoothly each other. And, what is more, if the pinion gear was connected to a motor (not shown), then automatic height control would be made possible. 
         [0036]    The infrared ray irradiator  40  is installed upon the supporting pillar  30  and an infrared lamp  43 , emitting infrared radiant heat, is installed angled towards the rotating pan  20 . Detailed structure of the infrared ray irradiator consists of the following: a lampshade  42  for an infrared ray lamp  43 , the infrared ray lamp  43 , a heat insulator  44  between the lampshade  42  and the infrared ray lamp  43 , and a heat-resistant glass plate  45  detachable from the underside of the lampshade  42 . 
         [0037]    The lampshade  43  gathers infrared rays applied from infrared lamp  43  and directs it towards the rotating pan  20 . One infrared lamp alone can use any of far-infrared radiation or near-infrared radiation; however, two 500 W near-infrared ray bulbs are best suited for cooking with the present invention. The infrared lamp  43  intensity can be controlled by the power switch  15  on the base stand  10 , which is also the temperature control switch  15 . 
         [0038]    The heat insulator  44  prevents the dispersion of infrared radiant heat from the infrared ray lamp  43  and functionally blocks against dispersion and simultaneously reflects it towards foods on the rotating pan  10 . A heat-resistant glass plate prevents the contamination of the infrared lamp  43  from oil splatters from the food being cooked. In addition, the heat-resistant glass plate magnifies the intensity of infrared radiant heat directed at the rotating pan  10  from the infrared ray lamp  43  while making the grill more comfortable visually for users by containing the light dissemination from sight. 
         [0039]    The above explanations exemplify the practical applications for this product but the scope of this invention is not limited to the above explanations and examples. The inventor might amplify the scope and purpose of the present invention, and modify the component factors of the invention, specially changing of structure of a base stand  10 , the rotating pan  20  or  20 ′, the supporting pillar  30  and the infrared ray irradiator  40 . As long as changes made to the design don&#39;t bring about unexpected results outside the scope of the invention or radically change the functionality of the invention, they should be accepted as within the rights of the inventor and the invention. 
         [0040]    The present infrared radiation cooker emits radiant heat from an infrared ray lamp above directly onto the rotating pan in order to cook food on both sides simultaneously by heating the rotating pan directly, with the infrared ray lamp, which allows for food to be cooked on bottom as well as being directly heated by the infrared rays on top. This dual cooking method exhibits high thermal efficiency and cooks food evenly without burning. 
         [0041]    Additionally, the infrared radiation cooker from the present invention has a rotating pan which enables it to serve as a both a broiler and a rotating grill. Food can cooked to a broiled, boiled, grilled or roasted state all with the same grilling unit. Some examples of the diverse purposes for which the grill has been used are; roasting fish, grilling steaks, and also boiling meats for Bulgogi or stew. 
         [0042]    Finally, this infrared radiation cooker can be easily adjusted to suit user&#39;s needs; particularly by controlling the infrared ray lamp height and heat intensity, modifying the temperature setting of the infrared ray fan, and spinning the main rotating grill pan automatically or manually. When roasting foods or cooking greasier meats, the base stand also contains an oil catching drawer to reduce mess and facilitate an easy clean up. The infrared radiation cooker suits both commercial and residential use as it can accommodate users in whatever their cooking needs should be. 
         [0043]    The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. It is apparent to one who has an ordinary skill in the art that there may be many modifications and variations within the same technical spirit of the invention.