Patent Publication Number: US-2019174920-A1

Title: Cooker and kitchen furniture item equipped with cooker

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a U.S. national stage application of International Application No. PCT/JP2016/084030, filed on Nov. 17, 2016, which claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2016-149832, filed on Jul. 29, 2016, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a cooker including a heater and a storage that are provided in a housing to be accommodated in an accommodating portion provided in a kitchen furniture item, and to a kitchen furniture item equipped with the cooker. 
     BACKGROUND 
     There have been built-in-type cookers that are each installed by accommodating a housing of a cooker into a kitchen furniture item from a top opening provided at an upper surface of the kitchen furniture item, with a top board at the top of the housing of the cooker being exposed on the upper surface of the kitchen furniture item. As an example of such a cooker, there is a proposal of a cooker that includes a drawer-type storage provided in a housing of the cooker (see Patent Literature 1, for example). 
     PATENT LITERATURE 
     Patent Literature 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-276354 (page 6) 
     In the cooker disclosed in Patent Literature 1, pieces of stuff such as cookware, tableware, and seasonings can be stored in the storage provided in the housing. However, Patent Literature 1 discloses no specific embodiments of a structure for drawing out the storage. 
     The housing of the cooker accommodates precision electronic components such as a control circuit that controls the heater. When the user opens or closes the door of the storage to bring out or put pieces of stuff from or into the cooker and thus vibration occurs, the vibration may be transmitted to the precision electronic components and cause malfunctions of the precision electronic components. In some cases, the housing of the cooker has a cooling-air passage for cooling the precision electronic components. In such a case, when the vibration caused by opening or closing of the door of the storage displaces any of the precision electronic components, heat conduction may be reduced because of, for example, poor contact between a heat-generating component and a storage, resulting in a failure in producing a desired cooling effect over the precision electronic components. As described above, the vibration occurring at opening or closing of the door of the heater may degrade the reliability of the cooker. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention has been conceived in view of the above problems and provides a cooker in which degradation in reliability with vibration occurring at opening or closing of a door of a storage provided in a housing of the cooker can be reduced, and also provides a kitchen furniture item equipped with the cooker. 
     A cooker according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a top plate on which a heating object is to be placed, a heater configured to heat the heating object placed on the top plate, a housing provided below the top plate and accommodating the heater, a storage defined by a partition provided in the housing, a door configured to cover an opening provided at the housing and communicating with the storage, and an opening-and-closing mechanism configured to support the door and allow the door to be moved away from and toward the partition defining the storage. The opening-and-closing mechanism includes a first rail provided on the partition and extending in a depth direction of the storage, and a second rail connected to the door and allowed to be moved along the first rail. 
     A kitchen furniture item equipped with a cooker according to another embodiment of the present invention is a kitchen furniture item equipped with a cooker including a housing accommodating a heater and a top plate provided on the housing. The kitchen furniture item includes an accommodating portion in which the housing of the cooker is accommodated, a kitchen storage defined separately from the accommodating portion, a first door configured to cover an opening provided at the kitchen furniture item and communicating with the kitchen storage, and a first opening-and-closing mechanism configured to support the first door and allow the first door to be moved away from and toward a partition defining the kitchen storage. The cooker includes a storage defined by a partition provided in the housing, a second door configured to cover an opening provided at the housing and communicating with the storage, and a second opening-and-closing mechanism configured to support the second door and allow the second door to be moved away from and toward the partition defining the storage. The second opening-and-closing mechanism includes a first rail provided on the partition defining the storage and extending in a depth direction of the storage, and a second rail connected to the door and allowed to be moved along the first rail. A magnitude of a force required for the first opening-and-closing mechanism to allow the first door that is closed to be moved in an opening direction and a magnitude of a force required for the second opening-and-closing mechanism to allow the second door that is closed to be moved in an opening direction are equal, and a magnitude of a force required for the first opening-and-closing mechanism to allow the first door that is open to be moved in a closing direction and a magnitude of a force required for the second opening-and-closing mechanism to allow the second door that is open to be moved in a closing direction are equal. 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, degradation in reliability with vibration occurring at opening or closing of the door of the storage provided in the housing of the cooker can be reduced. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a kitchen furniture item equipped with a cooker according to Embodiment 1. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a cooker according to Embodiment 1. 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the cooker according to Embodiment 1. 
         FIG. 4  is a lateral sectional view of the cooker according to Embodiment 1, taken across a storage. 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged view of relevant part of the cooker according to Embodiment 1, illustrating an opening-and-closing mechanism. 
         FIG. 6  is a diagram illustrating the opening-and-closing mechanism of the cooker according to Embodiment 1. 
         FIG. 7  is an exploded perspective view of a cooker according to Embodiment 2. 
         FIG. 8  is an exploded perspective view of a storage door and components connected to the storage door according to Embodiment 2. 
         FIG. 9  is a diagram illustrating an opening-and-closing mechanism of the cooker according to Embodiment 2. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Embodiments of the cooker and the kitchen furniture item equipped with a cooker according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the following embodiments illustrated in the drawings. In the following description, terms (such as “top”, “bottom”, “right”, “left”, “front”, and “rear”) representing directions and used appropriately for easy understanding are only explanatory, and the present invention is not limited to the directions represented by the terms. In the drawings, the same reference signs denote the same or similar elements, and the reference signs are common throughout this specification. The relative sizes, the shapes, and other details of the elements illustrated in the drawings may be different from the actual ones. 
     Embodiment 1 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a kitchen furniture item equipped with a cooker according to Embodiment 1. As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , a kitchen furniture item  200  includes a cooker  100  built in the kitchen furniture item  200 . The kitchen furniture item  200  has an accommodating portion (not illustrated), inside the kitchen furniture item  200 , in which a housing  1  (see  FIG. 2 ) of the cooker  100  is accommodated. The kitchen furniture item  200  has, at the top of the kitchen furniture item  200 , a flat top board  201  used as a worktable. In a state where the cooker  100  is accommodated in the kitchen furniture item  200 , a top plate  2  of the cooker  100  is exposed on the top board  201 . The top plate  2  is provided with one or a plurality of cooking zones. For the convenience of description,  FIG. 1  also illustrates a cooking pan  70  to be heated on the top plate  2 . 
     The kitchen furniture item  200  has kitchen storages  202 , inside the kitchen furniture item  200 , in which pieces of stuff such as cookware and seasonings are to be stored. The kitchen furniture item  200  has, on the front face of the kitchen furniture item  200 , kitchen-storage doors  203  that are each a first door that opens and closes an opening provided at the front face of a corresponding one of the kitchen storages  202 . The kitchen-storage doors  203  each have a handhold  204  used as a grip for opening and closing a corresponding one of the kitchen-storage doors  203 . When the user pulls one of the handholds  204 , a corresponding one of the kitchen-storage doors  203  that is provided with that handhold  204  opens. The kitchen-storage doors  203  may be each allowed to be slid in the depth direction or may be each allowed to be opened and closed about a hinge provided on a lateral portion, the lower portion, or the upper portion of the kitchen-storage doors  203 . In this specification, the “front face” of the cooker  100  or the “front face” of the kitchen furniture item  200  refers to a face of the cooker  100  or the kitchen furniture item  200  that faces the user. 
     The cooker  100  has, on the front face of the cooker  100 , a storage door  3  that is a second door that opens and closes an opening provided at the front face of a storage  20  (see  FIG. 3 ) provided in the cooker  100 . The storage door  3  is exposed on the front face of the kitchen furniture item  200 . 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the cooker according to Embodiment 1. The cooker  100  includes the housing  1  made of metal and in which components are accommodated. The housing  1  is provided, at the top of the housing  1 , with the top plate  2  on which a cooking pan that is a heating object is to be placed. The top plate  2  is made of a nonmetallic material such as heat-resisting glass and ceramic. In Embodiment 1, the top plate  2  is enclosed by a metal frame. The top plate  2  has, on the front or back surface of the top plate  2 , indications that are marks representing positions at any of which the heating object is to be placed. 
       FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the cooker according to Embodiment 1. The housing  1  of the cooker  100  has a substantially box-like shape with the top face of the housing  1  open. The housing  1  of the cooker  100  accommodates two heating coils  5   a  and  5   b  and a radiant heater  5   c  that are heaters any of which heats the heating object to be placed on the top plate  2 . The number and arrangement of the heating coils  5   a  and  5   b  and the radiant heater  5   c  illustrated in the drawing are only exemplary, and the present invention is not limited to the specific configuration and arrangement of the heaters. 
     The housing  1  accommodates a circuit board  7  on which an inverter that supplies a high-frequency current to the heating coils  5   a  and  5   b , a drive circuit that drives the radiant heater  5   c , and a control circuit are mounted. The control circuit of the cooker  100  controls the heaters in accordance with inputs made by the user, thereby heating the heating object placed on the top plate  2 . The cooker  100  may have a cooking menu for controlling the heating operation in accordance with predetermined control sequences. 
     An air-sending device  6  is provided in the housing  1  and behind the heating coil  5   a . The air-sending device  6  feeds cooling air into the housing  1  and thus cools heat-generating components mounted on the circuit board  7 , the heating coil  5   a , and the heating coil  5   b.    
     The housing  1  has the storage  20  defined in a substantially cuboid shape. Of a partition that defines the storage  20 , the wall on the right is denoted as right wall  21 , the wall on the left is denoted as left wall  22  (see  FIG. 4 ), the wall forming the bottom is denoted as bottom board  23 , and the wall forming the ceiling is denoted as upper board  24  (see  FIG. 4 ). The storage  20  has an open part at the front face of the storage  20 . Pieces of stuff are freely put into and brought out of the storage  20  through the open part. In Embodiment 1, the storage door  3  that covers the open part provided at the front face of the storage  20  is integrated with a box-shaped storage case  4  whose top face is open. With opening and closing of the storage door  3 , the storage case  4  is pulled outward and pushed inward of the storage  20 . 
     As an opening-and-closing mechanism that supports the storage door  3  in such a manner that the storage door  3  is allowed to be moved away from and toward the partition that defines the storage  20 , Embodiment  1  employs a pair of right and left first rails  31  each provided on a corresponding one of the right wall  21  and the left wall  22  (see  FIG. 4 ), and a pair of right and left second rails  32  connected to the storage door  3 . In Embodiment 1, the second rail  32  is attached to a lower portion of each of the right and left faces of the storage case  4 . The second rail  32  is in engagement with each of the first rails  31  in such a manner that the second rail  32  is allowed to be slid. With opening and closing of the storage door  3 , the second rails  32  move in the depth direction while being guided by the first rails  31 . 
     Hereinafter, the direction in which the kitchen-storage door  203  and the storage door  3  each move to be closed is referred to as “closing direction,” and the direction in which the kitchen-storage door  203  and the storage door  3  each move to be opened is referred to as “opening direction.” 
     The first rails  31  and the second rails  32  are provided with a locking mechanism that prevents the first rails  31  and the second rails  32  that are in engagement with each other from being disengaged from each other with the normal operation of opening or closing the storage door  3 . When the user performs an unlocking operation, the first rails  31  and the second rails  32  can be separated from each other. As the second rails  32  are configured to separate from the first rails  31 , the storage door  3  and the storage case  4  are allowed to be separated from the storage  20 . For example, not only the cooking pan  70  to be used in the heating with the cooker  100  but also seasonings and other pieces of stuff are likely to be stored in the storage case  4 . For this reason, the storage case  4  is required to be clean. Meanwhile, areas around the cooker  100  tend to become dirty with some food stuff, oil soot, steam, and other similar matter scattered during cooking. When the storage case  4  is configured to be detached from the storage  20  as in Embodiment  1 , the user can easily clean the storage case  4 . When the cooker  100  has the cooking menu mentioned above, the capacity of the storage case  4  may be determined in such a manner that a cooking pan to be used for the cooking menu can be stored in the storage case  4 . When the storage case  4  is designed to store such a dedicated cooking pan, the ease of work in cooking can be increased. Furthermore, spaces around the kitchen furniture item  200  can be used efficiently. 
       FIG. 4  is a lateral sectional view of the cooker according to Embodiment  1 , taken across the storage. A facing wall  25  is provided outside (upper part in  FIG. 4 ) the upper board  24 , which is part of the partition that defines the storage  20 . A gap  26  is defined between the upper board  24  and the facing wall  25 . The upper board  24  and the facing wall  25  are arranged in such a manner that the flat surfaces of the upper board  24  and the facing wall  25  face each other. The facing wall  25  and the gap  26  are present between the heating coil  5   b  and the upper board  24  of the storage  20 . Another facing wall  27  is provided outside (right part in  FIG. 4 ) the right wall  21 , which is another part of the partition that defines the storage  20 . A gap  28  is defined between the right wall  21  and the facing wall  27 . The right wall  21  and the facing wall  27  are arranged in such a manner that the flat surfaces of the right wall  21  and the facing wall  27  face each other. 
     The gap  26  and the gap  28  may be each an air layer. Alternatively, a heat-insulating material may be provided in each of the gap  26  and the gap  28 , or both an air layer and a heat-insulating material may be provided in each of the gap  26  and the gap  28 . The heat-insulating material may be, for example, a synthetic resin material, a rubber-based or urethane-based closed-cell foam material, glass fibers, ceramic fibers, and any of other similar materials. 
     While Embodiment 1 is described focusing on the gap  26  and the gap  28  each provided outside a corresponding one of the upper board  24  and the right wall  21  of the partition that defines the storage  20 , such a gap may be provided outside any of other parts of the partition. 
       FIG. 5  is an enlarged view of relevant part of the cooker according to Embodiment 1, illustrating the opening-and-closing mechanism.  FIG. 5  illustrates a section in the vicinity of the first rail  31  and the second rail  32  that are provided to the left of the storage  20 . The opening-and-closing mechanism according to Embodiment 1 includes, in addition to the first rails  31  and the second rails  32 , carriage portions  33  each provided to a corresponding pair of the first rails  31  and the second rails  32 , and a set of bearing balls  34  each held on a corresponding one of the upper surface and the lower surface of a corresponding one of the carriage portions  33 . The first rails  31  each have a substantially C sectional shape. The second rails  32  also each have a substantially C sectional shape. The second rails  32  are each positioned inside a corresponding one of the first rails  31  in such a manner that a C-shaped concavity of the second rail  32  faces a C-shaped concavity of the first rail  31 . The carriage portions  33 , which also each have a substantially C sectional shape, are each accommodated in the C-shaped concavity of a corresponding one of the first rails  31 . The bearing balls  34  are held by the carriage portions  33  in such a manner that the bearing balls  34  are allowed to rotate. The bearing balls  34  are positioned between upper portions of a corresponding pair of the first rails  31  and the second rails  32  and between lower portions of a corresponding pair of the first rails  31  and the second rails  32 . When the second rails  32  are moved, the bearing balls  34  rotate. Hence, the second rails  32  can be moved with a smaller force of operation. 
       FIG. 6  is a diagram illustrating the opening-and-closing mechanism of the cooker according to Embodiment 1.  FIG. 6  illustrates a section of the cooker  100  extending along a direction from the front to the back of the cooker  100  and along the first rail  31  and the second rail  32  provided to the left of the storage  20 . The carriage portion  33  is provided with the plurality of bearing balls  34  aligned in the longitudinal direction of the first rail  31  and the second rail  32 . 
     In Embodiment 1, a damping mechanism  35 , an urging mechanism  36 , and a push-open mechanism  37  are provided as part of the opening-and-closing mechanism. The damping mechanism  35  damps the traveling speed of the storage door  3  during a closing motion. Specifically, the damping mechanism  35  has a configuration that damps the traveling speed at which the second rails  32  move in the direction in which the storage door  3  is closed. More preferably, the damping mechanism  35  damps the traveling speed of the storage door  3  in such a manner that the traveling speed is reduced as the storage door  3  moves closer to a position for a closed state where the storage door  3  is completely closed. The damping mechanism  35  may be an oil damper, an air damper, or any other similar device. With the damping mechanism  35 , the impact applied to the front face of the housing  1  from the storage door  3  at the closing of the storage door  3  can be reduced. Consequently, the deterioration and damage of the pieces of stuff in the storage  20  that may be caused by the impact can be reduced. Furthermore, in the configuration in which the storage case  4  is integrally attached to the storage door  3  as in Embodiment 1, when the traveling speed of the storage door  3  during the closing motion is too high, the pieces of stuff in the storage case  4  may fall over or collide with one another at the closing of the storage door  3  because of inertia. However, with the damping mechanism  35 , such damage to the pieces of stuff in the storage case  4  that may occur when the pieces of stuff in the storage case  4  fall over or collide with one another can be reduced. 
     The urging mechanism  36  urges the storage door  3  in the closing direction. Specifically, the urging mechanism  36  generates a force that pulls the second rails  32  in the direction in which the storage door  3  is closed. The urging mechanism  36  may have, for example, a structure that utilizes the effect of magnets that attract each other, or a structure that utilizes the effect of gravity that pulls things down. As another exemplary structure, the urging mechanism  36  may include a coil spring or any of other similar springs that accumulates the force generated when the storage door  3  is pulled outward and is moved inward in the opening direction and utilizes the force as the force for pulling inward of the storage door  3 . With the urging mechanism  36 , the storage door  3  becomes less likely to stop during the closing motion. Hence, the probability that the storage door  3  is unintentionally left open can be reduced, and the ease of operation of the cooker  100  by the user can be increased. 
     The push-open mechanism  37  opens the storage door  3  when the storage door  3  that is closed is pushed in the depth direction of the storage  20 . In this case, the state in which the storage door  3  is open refers to a state where the storage door  3  is away from the open part provided at the front face of the storage  20  and the open part is exposed. The push-open mechanism  37  may have a structure in which, for example, the push-open mechanism  37  locks and retains the positions of the storage door  3  and the second rails  32  when the storage door  3  is closed, whereas the push-open mechanism  37  unlocks the storage door  3  and the second rails  32  and allows the urging unit to push the second rails  32  and the storage door  3  forward when the storage door  3  is pushed in. With the push-open mechanism  37 , the user can open the storage door  3  with an easy operation. When the push-open mechanism  37  is provided, the grip of the storage door  3  that is provided for opening and closing the storage door  3  may be omitted. In such a configuration, the manufacturing cost of the storage door  3  can be reduced, and the beauty in design of the storage door  3  can be increased. 
     The specific configurations of the damping mechanism  35 , the urging mechanism  36 , and the push-open mechanism  37  are not limited to those described in Embodiment  1 , as long as the above functions are provided. The first rails  31 , the second rails  32 , the damping mechanism  35 , the urging mechanism  36 , and the push-open mechanism  37  that form the opening-and-closing mechanism can be each formed as a combination of general-purpose components. In such a case, the manufacturing cost of the cooker  100  can be reduced. Moreover, only any one or two of the damping mechanism  35 , the urging mechanism  36 , and the push-open mechanism  37  may be employed. 
     As described above, the cooker  100  according to Embodiment 1 includes the storage  20  defined by a partition provided in the housing  1 . Furthermore, as the opening-and-closing mechanism that supports the storage door  3  covering the opening communicating with the storage  20  and allows the storage door  3  to be moved away from and toward the partition defining the storage  20 , the cooker  100  includes the first rails  31  extending in the depth direction of the storage  20 , and the second rails  32  connected to the storage door  3  and allowed to be moved along the first rails  31 . Consequently, vibration of the partition defining the storage  20  that may occur with opening or closing motion of the storage door  3  can be reduced. The occurrence of malfunctions and displacement of the circuit board  7  and other components in the housing  1  that may be caused by the vibration transmitted from the storage  20  can be reduced, accordingly. Consequently, the degradation in the reliability of the cooker  100  can be reduced. Furthermore, the transmission of vibration to the pieces of stuff in the storage  20  can be reduced. Consequently, the deterioration and damage of the pieces of stuff due to the vibration can be reduced. When the opening-and-closing mechanism according to Embodiment 1 is not provided and the storage case  4  to which the storage door  3  is connected is directly in contact with and slides along any part of the partition defining the storage  20 , changes in the dimensions of the partition defining the storage  20  that may occur with the heat generated in the housing  1  may make it difficult for the storage case  4  and the storage door  3  to move smoothly. In a state where the temperature in the housing  1  is high and particularly during heating, pulling and pushing of the storage case  4  may be hindered. However, with the opening-and-closing mechanism including the first rails  31  and the second rails  32  as in Embodiment  1 , even when the dimensions of the partition defining the storage  20  change, the slidability of the first rails  31  and the second rails  32  can be maintained. Consequently, even during heating, the storage case  4  and the storage door  3  can be pulled outward and pushed inward smoothly. 
     Embodiment 1 employs the facing walls  25  and  27  provided outside the right wall  21  partly defining the storage  20 , with the gap  28  defined between the facing walls  25  and  27  and the right wall  21 . Thus, at least part of the storage  20  has a double-wall structure. Consequently, even when any vibration with opening or closing motion of the storage door  3  occurs in the right wall  21  to which the opening-and-closing mechanism is attached, the vibration is absorbed by the gaps  26  and  28  and is less likely to be transmitted to the heating coils  5   a  and  5   b , the circuit board  7 , and other components provided outside the facing walls  25  and  27 . The occurrence of malfunctions and displacement of the circuit board  7  and other components in the housing  1  that may be caused by the vibration transmitted from the storage  20  can be further reduced, accordingly. Consequently, the degradation in the reliability of the cooker  100  can be further reduced. 
     Embodiment 2 
     Embodiment 2 differs from Embodiment 1 in the specific configuration of the opening-and-closing mechanism provided for the storage door  3 . Embodiment 2 will be described below, focusing on the difference from Embodiment 1. 
       FIG. 7  is an exploded perspective view of a cooker according to Embodiment 2. As an opening-and-closing mechanism for the storage door  3 , a cooker  100 A according to Embodiment 2 includes first rails  31 A, second rails  32 A, first rollers  38 , and second rollers  39 . One of the first rails  31 A is provided to the inner surface of the right wall  21  partly defining the storage  20  and extends in the depth direction of the storage  20 . One of the first rollers  38  is supported on the right wall  21  in such a manner that the one of first rollers  38  is allowed to rotate in the opening-and-closing direction of the storage door  3 , that is, in the depth direction of the storage  20 . Although not illustrated in  FIG. 7 , the other first rail  31 A and the other first roller  38  that are the same as those provided on the right wall  21  are provided to the inner surface of the left wall  22  (see  FIG. 4 ) of the storage  20 . 
       FIG. 8  is an exploded perspective view of the storage door and components connected to the storage door according to Embodiment 2. The pair of right and left second rails  32 A are connected to each other with a first connecting portion  40  at the front ends of the second rails  32 A and with a second connecting portion  41  at the rear ends of the second rails  32 A. The first connecting portion  40  and the second connecting portion  41  are each a substantially flat plate-like part. The storage case  4  is placed on the flat surfaces of the first connecting portion  40  and the second connecting portion  41  in such a manner that the storage case  4  is allowed to be removed. The second rails  32 A are provided, at the front ends of the second rails  32 A, with a front board  42  having a flat surface extending in the vertical direction. The front board  42  also has a function of connecting the pair of right and left second rails  32 A. 
     To the front portion of the front board  42 , a substantially flat plate-like intermediate part  43  is attached. The storage door  3  is attached to the front portion of the intermediate part  43  with screws  46  in such a manner that the storage door  3  is allowed to be detached. The storage door  3  according to Embodiment 2 is connected to the second rails  32 A with the intermediate part  43  and the front board  42  interposed between the storage door  3  and the second rails  32 A. A handhold  44  serving as a grip for opening and closing the storage door  3  is attached to the lower portion of the front board  42  with screws  45  in such a manner that the handhold  44  is allowed to be detached. 
     In a state where the parts illustrated in  FIG. 8  have been assembled altogether, the first connecting portion  40  and the second connecting portion  41  connected to the pair of right and left second rails  32 A support the storage case  4  from below, and the second rails  32 A and the storage case  4  move together when the storage door  3  is opened or closed. The storage case  4  is allowed to be removed from the second rails  32 , the first connecting portion  40 , and the second connecting portion  41  and is therefore solely washable with water. Thus, the ease of cleaning and the cleanliness of the storage case  4  can be increased. 
     The second roller  39  is provided at the tip of each of the second rails  32 A, that is, at a position farther from the storage door  3  than is each of the second rails  32 A. In Embodiment 2, the second rollers  39  are supported on thin plate-like portions extending continuously from the tips of the second rails  32 A in such a manner that the second rollers  39  are allowed to rotate. The second rollers  39  rotate in the opening-and-closing direction of the storage door  3 , that is, in the longitudinal direction of the second rails  32 A. 
       FIG. 9  is a diagram illustrating the opening-and-closing mechanism of the cooker according to Embodiment 2.  FIG. 9  is a sectional view of the cooker  100 A extending along a direction from the front to the back of the cooker  100 A and along the first rail  31 A and the second rail  32 A provided to the right of the storage  20  and illustrates a state where the storage door  3  is open. In the opening-and-closing mechanism according to Embodiment 2, the second roller  39  is positioned below each of the first rails  31 A. When the storage door  3  is opened or closed, the second rollers  39  that are each in contact with the lower surface of a corresponding one of the first rails  31 A move while rotating. The second rail  32 A is positioned on the upper surface of a corresponding one of the first rollers  38 . When the storage door  3  is opened or closed, the second rails  32 A move on the first rollers  38 , and the first rollers  38  thus rotate. With this configuration, with the aid of the second roller  39  that moves along the first rail  31 A provided on the right wall  21 , the second rail  32 A also moves along the first rail  31 A. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 9 , the first rails  31 A each have a linear shape extending substantially in the depth direction of the storage  20  as a whole, but a portion of each of the first rails  31 A that is closer to the rear end than are each of first bent points  51  that are each on the rear part of a corresponding one of the first rails  31 A is inclined downward. The second rails  32 A also each have a linear shape extending substantially in the depth direction of the storage  20  as a whole, but a portion of each of the second rails  32 A that is closer to the front end than are each of second bent points  52  that are each on the front part of a corresponding one of the second rails  32 A is inclined upward. The rear end portion of each of the first rails  31 A inclines downward, whereas the front end portion of each of the second rails  32 A inclines upward. Consequently, when the storage door  3  is closed, the storage door  3  under the gravity is urged in the direction in which the storage door  3  is closed. That is, in Embodiment 2, the structure of the first rails  31 A that each bend downward from a corresponding one of the first bent points  51  and the structure of the second rails  32 A that each bend upward from a corresponding one of the second bent points  52  in combination serve as an urging mechanism that urges the storage door  3  in the closing direction. With such an urging mechanism, the storage door  3  becomes less likely to stop during the closing motion. Hence, the probability that the storage door  3  is unintentionally left open can be reduced, and the ease of operation of the cooker  100 A by the user can be increased. The urging mechanism may have another configuration instead of the specific configuration illustrated in  FIG. 9 , as long as the above function is provided. 
     The opening-and-closing mechanism for the storage door  3  according to Embodiment 2 may include a damping mechanism and a push-open mechanism that have the same functions as those described in Embodiment 1. 
     As described above, the cooker  100 A according to Embodiment 2 includes the storage  20  defined by the partition provided in the housing  1 . Furthermore, as the opening-and-closing mechanism that supports the storage door  3  covering the opening communicating with the storage  20  and allows the storage door  3  to be moved away from and toward the partition defining the storage  20 , the cooker  100 A includes the first rails  31 A extending in the depth direction of the storage  20 , and the second rails  32 A connected to the storage door  3  and allowed to be moved along the first rails  31 A. Consequently, vibration of the partition defining the storage  20  that may occur with opening or closing motion of the storage door  3  can be reduced. The occurrence of malfunctions and displacement of the circuit board  7  and other components in the housing  1  that may be caused by the vibration transmitted from the storage  20  can be reduced, accordingly. Consequently, the degradation in the reliability of the cooker  100 A can be reduced. Furthermore, the transmission of vibration to the pieces of stuff in the storage  20  can be reduced. Consequently, the deterioration and damage of the pieces of stuff due to the vibration can be reduced. 
     Embodiment 3 
     In Embodiment 3, an opening-and-closing mechanism provided for the kitchen-storage door  203  of the kitchen furniture item  200  will be described, appropriately referring to the cooker  100  described in Embodiment 1 or the cooker  100 A described in Embodiment 2. 
     The opening-and-closing mechanism that supports the kitchen-storage door  203  in such a manner that the kitchen-storage door  203  is allowed to be moved away from and toward the kitchen storage  202  may be an opening-and-closing mechanism having the same basic configuration as that of the opening-and-closing mechanism for the storage door  3  of the cooker  100  described in Embodiment 1, or an opening-and-closing mechanism having the same basic configuration as that of the opening-and-closing mechanism for the storage door  3  of the cooker  100 A described in Embodiment 2. Furthermore, the opening-and-closing mechanisms provided for the kitchen-storage door  203  and for the storage door  3  are configured in such a manner that the magnitude of a force required for the storage door  3  that is closed and stationary to move in the opening direction and the magnitude of a force required for the kitchen-storage door  203  that is closed and stationary to move in the opening direction are the same and the magnitude of a force required for the storage door  3  that is open and stationary to move in the closing direction and the magnitude of a force required for the kitchen-storage door  203  that is open and stationary to move in the closing direction are the same. Thus, a uniform feeling of operation is provided to the storage door  3  of the cooker  100  and the kitchen-storage door  203 , and the user can comfortably open and close the doors without feeling uncomfortable. Herein, the expression that the magnitude of the force is “the storage door  3  and the kitchen-storage door  203  are the same” does not necessarily refer to exactly the same state, and a certain difference that does not give any uncomfortable feeling of operation to the user is allowed. This explanation also applies to the following description. More preferably, the opening-and-closing mechanism for the storage door  3  and the opening-and-closing mechanism for the kitchen-storage door  203  are made of the same components. Thus, the uniformity of operation can be increased, and the increase in the manufacturing cost of the kitchen furniture item  200  equipped with the cooker can be reduced. 
     The opening-and-closing mechanism for the kitchen-storage door  203  may include a damping mechanism that damps the traveling speed of the kitchen-storage door  203  during the closing motion. In such a case, it is preferable that the damping mechanism  35  provided for the storage door  3  of the storage  20  and the damping mechanism provided for the kitchen-storage door  203  be configured in such a manner that the traveling speed after damping is the same between the two. Thus, a uniform feeling of operation is provided to the storage door  3  of the storage  20  and the kitchen-storage door  203 , and the user can comfortably open and close the doors without feeling uncomfortable. More preferably, the damping mechanism for the storage door  3  and the damping mechanism for the kitchen-storage door  203  are made of the same components. Thus, the uniformity of operation can be increased, and the increase in the manufacturing cost of the kitchen furniture item  200  equipped with the cooker can be reduced. 
     The opening-and-closing mechanism for the kitchen-storage door  203  may include an urging mechanism that urges the kitchen-storage door  203  in the closing direction. In such a case, the urging mechanism provided for the storage door  3  of the storage  20  and the urging mechanism provided for the kitchen-storage door  203  are configured in such a manner that the urging start position and the urging force are the same between the two. Thus, a uniform feeling of operation is provided to the storage door  3  of the storage  20  and the kitchen-storage door  203 , and the user can comfortably open and close the doors without feeling uncomfortable. More preferably, the urging mechanism for the storage door  3  and the urging mechanism for the kitchen-storage door  203  are made of the same components. Thus, the uniformity of operation can be increased, and the increase in the manufacturing cost of the kitchen furniture item  200  equipped with the cooker can be reduced. 
     The opening-and-closing mechanism for the kitchen-storage door  203  may include a push-open mechanism that opens the kitchen-storage door  203  when the kitchen-storage door  203  that is closed is pushed in the depth direction of the kitchen storage  202 . In such a case, the push-open mechanism provided for the storage door  3  of the storage  20  and the push-open mechanism provided for the kitchen-storage door  203  are configured in such a manner that the pushing load and the length of pushing are the same between the two. Thus, a uniform feeling of operation is provided to the storage door  3  of the storage  20  and the kitchen-storage door  203 , and the user can comfortably open and close the doors without feeling uncomfortable. More preferably, the push-open mechanism for the storage door  3  and the push-open mechanism for the kitchen-storage door  203  are made of the same components. Thus, the uniformity of operation can be increased, and the increase in the manufacturing cost of the kitchen furniture item  200  equipped with the cooker can be reduced. 
     In Embodiment 3, the opening-and-closing mechanism for the kitchen-storage door  203  corresponds to the first opening-and-closing mechanism according to the present invention, and the opening-and-closing mechanism for the storage door  3  corresponds to the second opening-and-closing mechanism according to the present invention. Furthermore, the damping mechanism, the urging mechanism, and the push-open mechanism for the kitchen-storage door  203  correspond to the first damping mechanism, the first urging mechanism, and the first push-open mechanism, respectively, according to the present invention. Furthermore, the damping mechanism, the urging mechanism, and the push-open mechanism for the storage door  3  correspond to the second damping mechanism, the second urging mechanism, and the second push-open mechanism, respectively, according to the present invention.