Patent Publication Number: US-8978637-B2

Title: Top burner and cooker comprising the same

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates to a cooker, and more particularly, to a top burner for cooking food by combusting gas and a cooker having the top burner. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     A cooker is a home appliance that cooks food using gas or electric power. For the cooker using the gas, the cooker has a burner that cooks the food by heating a container containing the food by combusting the gas. The burner typically includes a top burner main body supplying gas, a top burner head coupled to an upper end of the top burner main body, and a top burner cap, flame holes through which the gas jets out being formed between the top burner cap and the burner head. 
     DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION 
     Technical Problem 
     Embodiments provide a top burner that is designed to effectively heat a variety of containers having different shapes and a cooker having the top burner. 
     Embodiments also provide a top burner that can be manufactured with a simple structure and less expenses and a cooker having the top burner. 
     Technical Solution 
     In an embodiment, a top burner includes: a first burner provided with a plurality of flame holes that form flame by combusting mixed gas; and a second burner provided with a plurality of flame holes that form flame separated from the flame formed by the flame holes of the first burner by combusting the mixed gas, wherein an arrangement of the flame holes of the first burner is realized in a different shape from an arrangement of the flame holes of the second burner. 
     In another embodiment, a top burner includes: an outer burner installed on a top surface of a top plate and provided at an edge thereof with a plurality of flame holes that form flame by combusting mixed gas; and an inner burner installed on a top surface of the outer burner and provided at an edge located at an inside of the edge of the outer burner with a plurality of flame holes that form flame by combusting the mixed gas, wherein a distance between one of the flame holes of the inner burner and one of the flame holes of the outer burner, which is closest to the one of the flame holes of the inner burner is different from a distance between another one of the flame holes of the inner burner and another one of the flame holes of the outer burner, which is closest to the another one of the flame holes of the inner burner. 
     In still another embodiment, a cooker includes: a top plate defining an exterior of a top thereof; a top grid that is provided on the top plate and on which an object to be heated is disposed; the top burner according to any one of claims  8  to  14 , for heating the object disposed on the top grid; a valve supplying mixed gas to the top burner; and a manipulation knob controlling operation of a valve. 
     Advantageous Effects 
     According to the embodiments, the top burner can effectively heat a variety of containers having different shapes and be manufactured with a simple structure and less expenses. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a cooker according to an embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of a top burner according to an embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the top burner according to the embodiment of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIGS. 4 to 6  are side views illustrating a cooking state of the cooker of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a cooker according to an embodiment,  FIG. 2  is a side view of a top burner according to an embodiment, and  FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the top burner according to the embodiment of  FIG. 2 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , an exterior of a cooker  10  according to an embodiment is defined by a main body  100 . The main body  100  includes a top burner unit  200 , an oven unit  300 , a warming drawer  400 , a back guard  500 , a control panel  600 , and a top burner control unit  700 . 
     Food is cooked at the top burner unit  200  and the oven unit  300 . The warming drawer  400  is for warming a container containing the food. The control panel  600  is for receiving manipulation signals for the operation of the cooker  10  and displaying a variety of information related to the operation of the cooker  10 . The top burner control unit  700  is for controlling the top burner unit  200  and the back guard  500  is for guiding the combustion gas generated during the cooking of the food in the oven unit  300 . 
     In more detail, the top burner unit  200  is provided on a top of the main body  100 . The top burner unit  200  has a plurality of top burners  220 . The top burners  220  functions to heat the container containing the food by combusting the gas. The top burners  220  will be described in more detail later. 
     In addition, the top burner unit  200  includes a plurality of top grids  290 . The container that will be heated by the top burner  220  is disposed on the top grids  290 . 
     Meanwhile, the oven unit  300  is provided at a central portion of the main body  100  under the top burner unit  200 . An oven chamber (not shown) in which the food is cooked is defined in the oven unit  300 . The oven is selectively opened and closed by a door  310 . The door  310  selectively opens and closes the oven chamber as an upper end of the door  310  pivots about a lower end of the door  310 . A door handle  320  is provided on a front-upper end of the door  310 . A user grasps the door handle  320  and opens and closes the door  310 . 
     Further, the warming drawer  400  is provided on a lower end of the main body  100  under the oven unit  300 . The warming drawer  400  is installed to be drawn in and out of the main body. The container containing the food is disposed on the warming drawer  400  and the container disposed on the warming drawer  400  is heated by a heater for cooking the food or a separate heater for warming. A drawer handle  410  is provided on a front surface of the warming drawer  400 . The user grasps the drawer handle  410  and draws in and out the warming drawer  400 . 
     The back guard  500  is provided on a top-rear end of the main body  100  behind the top burner unit  200 . The back guard  500  extends upward from the top of the main body  100 . A fluid passage communicating with the oven chamber is provided in the back guard  500 . Therefore, the combustion gas that is generated during the cooking of the food in the oven unit  300  (i.e., the oven chamber) is discharged out of the oven unit  300  through the fluid passage. 
     The control panel  600  is provided on the front surface of the back guard  500 . The control panel  600  includes an input unit receiving a variety of manipulation signals for operating the oven unit  300  or the warming drawer  400  and a display unit for displaying a variety of information related to the operation of the oven unit  300  and the warming drawer  400 . 
     Further, the top burner control unit  700  includes a plurality of manipulation knobs  710 , the number of which corresponds to the number of the top burners  220 . The manipulation knobs  710  selectively open and close valves (not, shown) for supplying gas to the respective top burners  220  or control openings of the respective valves. The control of the valves by the manipulation knobs  710  will be described later. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , an exterior of the top of the top burner unit  200  is defined by a top plate  210 . The top plate  210  is provided with a top burner installing portion  211  on which the top burners  220  are installed. The top burner installing portion  211  protrudes upward such that a portion of the top plate  210  has a circular cross-section. Therefore, a top of the top burner installing portion  211  is substantially located to be relatively higher than a top of the top plate  210 . 
     The top plate  210  is provided with first and second insertion holes  212  and  213 . First and second mixing tubes  241  and  271  to be described later are respectively inserted into the first and second insertion holes  212  and  213  of the top plate  210 . The first and second insertion holes  212  and  213  of the top plate  210  are formed by partly cutting the top burner installing portion  211 . 
     The top burner  220  includes an outer burner  230  and an inner burner  260 . The outer burner  230  is for heating a container having an oval or rectangular bottom, i.e., a bottom having long and short sides. The inner burner  260  is for heating a top having a roughly circular bottom. In this embodiment, in a simmer mode for heating the food at a relatively low temperature, only the inner burner  260  is used. In a cooking mode, both the outer burner  230  and the inner burner  260  or only the inner burner  260  are used in accordance with the shape of the bottom of the container. Further, the outer burner  230  includes an outer burner head  240  and an outer burner cap  250 . The inner burner  260  includes an inner burner head  270  and an inner burner cap  280 . 
     The outer burner head  240  is formed to have a track-shaped cross-section that is formed by rounding opposite ends of the rectangular shape. Alternatively, the outer burner head  240  may be formed to have a rectangular cross-section. The outer burner head  240  is disposed on the top of the top burner installing portion  211 . 
     The outer burner head  240  is provided with two first gas mixing tubes  241 . The first gas mixing tubes  241  are for supplying gas mixed with air (hereinafter, referred to as mixed gas) that is injected through nozzles (not shown) provided in the top burner unit  200  under the top plate  210 . Upper ends of the first gas mixing tubes  241  extend upward from the top of the outer burner head  240 . Further, lower ends of the first gas mixing tubes  241  extend downward from an undersurface of the outer burner head  240  and inserted into the first insertion holes  212  of the top plate  210 . 
     Three supporting protrusions  242  are provided on the undersurface of the outer burner head  240 . The supporting protrusions  242  function to support the outer burner head  240  on the top of the to burner installing portion  211 . Accordingly, the undersurface of the outer burner head  240  is spaced apart from the top surface of the top burner installing portion  211  by a height of the supporting protrusions  242 . 
     A plurality of flame hole forming teeth  243  are provided on an edge of the top of the outer burner head  240 . The flame hole forming teeth  243  of the outer burner head  240  are for forming flame holes  231  of the outer burner  230 . The mixed gas is discharged and combusted through the flame holes  231 . Therefore, in this embodiment, the flame holes  231  of the outer burner  230  are arranged in a track shape. 
     Further, an inner burner seating portion  244  is provided on a central portion of the outer burner head  240 . The inner burner seating portion  244  is for supporting the inner burner  260 . The inner burner seating portion  244  is formed in a corresponding cylindrical shape to the inner burner  260 . The flat hole forming teeth  243  of the outer burner head  240 . The flame hole forming teeth  243  of the outer burner head  240  is formed on an edge surface of the outer burner head  240  except for an edge surface of the outer burner head  240  that forms the inner burner seating portion  244 . Therefore, it can be referred that the flame holes  231  of the outer burner  230  are formed on the edge of the outer burner  230  except for the inner burner seating portion  244 . 
     Further, an ignition portion  245  is formed on a side of the outer burner head  240 . The ignition portion  245  is a portion where an end portion of an ignition plug  245 A is disposed. In this embodiment, the mixed gases of the outer and inner burners  230  and  260  are simultaneously ignited by a spark generated by the ignition plug. 
     The outer burner cap  250  is disposed on a top surface of the outer burner head  240  except for the inner burner seating portion  244 . In this embodiment, two outer burner caps  250  are disposed on the top surface of the outer burner head  240  except for the central portion (i.e., the inner burner seating portion  244 ) of the outer burner head  240 . Alternatively, it may be also possible that one outer burner cap  250  is disposed on the top surface of the outer burner head  240  except for the central portion (i.e., the inner burner seating portion  244 ) of the outer burner head  240 . In addition, the flame holes  231  of the outer burner  230  are formed between an inner circumference of the undersurface of the outer burner cap  250  and the flame hole forming teeth  243  of the outer burner head  240 . 
     The inner burner head  270  is disposed on the outer burner head  240 , substantially the inner burner seating portion  244 . The inner burner head  270  has an approximately cylindrical cross section corresponding to the inner burner seating portion  244 . 
     The inner burner head  270  has a second gas mixing tube  271 . The second gas mixing tube  271  is for supplying the mixed gas to the inner burner  260 . The second gas mixing tube  271  extends downward from the undersurface of the inner burner head  270  and inserted into the second insertion hole  213  through the outer burner cap  250  and the outer burner head  240 . 
     The inner burner head  270  is provided at an edge of the top thereof with a plurality of flame hole forming teeth  272 . The flame hole teeth  272  of the inner burner head  270  are form forming flame holes  261  of the inner burner  260 . The mixed gas is discharged and combusted through the flame holes  261 . 
     The inner burner cap  280  is supported on the top surface of the inner burner head  270 . The flame holes  261  of the inner burner  260  are formed between an inner circumference of an undersurface of the inner burner cap  280  and the flame hole forming teeth  272  of the inner burner head  270 . 
     Meanwhile, as described above, the valve for supplying the gas to the top burner  220  is controlled by the manipulation knob  710 . In more detail, the manipulation knob  710  controls whether to supply the gas to the inner burner  250  or the outer burner  230  and inner burner  250  and adjusts an amount of the gas supplied to the inner burner  250 . The control of the valve for controlling whether to supply the gas to the inner burner  250  or the outer burner  230  and inner burner  250  and adjusting an amount of the gas supplied to the inner burner  250  is performed by one corresponding manipulation knob  710 . 
     For example, when the manipulation knob  710  rotates in a predetermined direction (hereinafter, referred to as forward direction), the amount of the gas supplied to the inner burner  250  increases in proportion to a rotational angle of the manipulation knob  710 . Next, when the manipulation knob  710  further rotates in the forward direction by a predetermined rotational angle in a state where the amount of the gas supplied to the inner burner  250  is maximum, the gas is supplied to the outer burner  230 . 
     The operation of the cooker having the top burner of the embodiment will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
       FIGS. 4 to 6  are side views illustrating a cooking state of the cooker of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . 
     Referring first to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , in the cooking or simmer modes for heating a container C 1  having a circular bottom, only the inner burner  260  is used to cook the food. In more detail, when the user rotates the manipulation knob  710  in the forward direction, the valve is controlled such that a predetermined amount of the gas, i.e., an amount for performing the simmer mode, is supplied. Accordingly, the gas supplied to the inner burner  250 , i.e., gas mixed with the air, is discharged and combusted through the flame holes  251  of the inner burner  250  and thus the simmer mode using the inner burner  250  shown in  FIG. 4  is performed. In this state, when the user further rotates the manipulation knob  710  in the forward direction, the valve is controlled such that the amount of the gas supplied to the inner burner  250  increases in proportion to the rotational angle of the manipulation knob  710 . Therefore, as shown in  FIG. 5 , the cooking mode using the inner burner  250  is performed. In the simmer and cooking modes using the inner burner  250 , the container C 1  having the circular bottom can be evenly heated without unnecessarily consuming the mixed gas. 
     Next, referring to  FIG. 6 , in the cooking mode for heating a container C 2  having a rectangular bottom, both the outer burner  230  and inner burner  260  are used. In more detail, when the user further rotates the manipulation knob  710  in the forward direction in a state where the cooking mode using the inner burner  250  and the amount of the gas supplied to the inner burner  250  is maximum, the valve is controlled such that the gas is supplied to not only the inner burner  250  but also the outer burner  230 . Therefore, as shown in  FIG. 6 , the cooking mode using both the outer and inner burners  230  and  250  can be performed. 
     Various variations and modifications are possible in the component parts and/or arrangements of the subject combination arrangement within the scope of the disclosure, the drawings and the appended claims. In addition to variations and modifications in the component parts and/or arrangements, alternative uses will also be apparent to those skilled in the art. 
     INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
     According to the present invention, the following effects can be expected. 
     First, the outer and inner burners are respectively formed to correspond to circular and rectangular shapes. Therefore, a variety of containers having different shapes can be more effectively heated. 
     Further, the inner burner is provided inside the outer burner. Therefore, a variety of containers having different shapes can be heated by one top burner, the product can be more simplified and the manufacturing costs can be reduced.