COOKING DEVICE INCLUDING HOOD

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001]This application is a by-pass continuation application of International Application No. PCT/KR2025/016138, filed on Oct. 14, 2025, which is based on and claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0195084, filed on Dec. 24, 2024, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein their entireties.

Technical Field

[0002]Various embodiments of the disclosure relate to a cooking device including a hood.

Background Art

[0003]A cooking device is a device for cooking food items or the like by heating, and refers to a device capable of providing various functions related to cooking such as heating, defrosting, drying, and sterilizing cooking objects. The cooking device may include a cooktop that heats a cooking container including food using electricity or gas.

[0004]In the case of a cooktop, contaminants such as oil mist, unburned gas, and odors are generated during the cooking process, and a hood may be installed to discharge air including the generated contaminants to the outside or circulate it inside. The hood may be formed integrally with the cooktop.

[0005]The above-described information may be provided as related art for the purpose of helping understanding of the disclosure. No claim or determination is made as to whether any of the foregoing is applicable as background art in relation to the disclosure.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

Solution to Problems

[0006]A cooking device according to an embodiment of the disclosure may include a cooktop including an upper suction port formed therethrough and a ventilation device connected to the upper suction port to generate air flow. The ventilation device may include a fan housing having a housing suction port formed therethrough and a fan disposed within the fan housing. A radius of a first portion that is a portion of a perimeter of the housing suction port may be smaller than a radius of a second portion positioned farther from the upper suction port than the first portion.

[0007]A cooking device according to an embodiment of the disclosure may include a cooktop including an upper suction port formed therethrough and a ventilation device connected to the upper suction port to generate air flow. The ventilation device may include a fan housing having a housing suction port formed therethrough and a fan disposed within the fan housing. The housing suction port of the fan housing may be divided into a first region and a second region positioned farther from the upper suction port than the first region with respect to an imaginary line passing through a center point of the housing suction port. An area of the second region may be larger than an area of the first region.

[0008]Effects achievable in example embodiments of the disclosure are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, but other effects not mentioned may be apparently derived and understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which example embodiments of the disclosure pertain, from the following description. In other words, unintended effects in practicing embodiments of the disclosure may also be derived by one of ordinary skill in the art from example embodiments of the disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0009]FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an installed state of a cooking device according to an embodiment.

[0010]FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a cooking device according to an embodiment.

[0011]FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a hood of a cooking device according to an embodiment.

[0012]FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view illustrating components of a cooking device according to an embodiment.

[0013]FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view illustrating components of a ventilation device according to an embodiment.

[0014]FIG. 6 is a plan view illustrating a ventilation device according to an embodiment viewed from above.

[0015]FIG. 7 is a plan view illustrating an internal configuration of a cooking device according to an embodiment viewed from above.

[0016]FIG. 8 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a cooking device according to an embodiment.

[0017]FIG. 9 is an experimental graph for describing suction efficiency of a ventilation device in a cooking device according to an embodiment.

[0018]FIGS. 10A, 10B and 10C are views illustrating shapes of housing suction ports of cooking devices according to various embodiments.

[0019]Reference may be made to the accompanying drawings in the following description, and specific examples that may be practiced are shown as examples within the drawings. Other examples may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the various examples.

MODE FOR THE INVENTION

[0020]Various embodiments of the disclosure are merely exemplified herein with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10C, to describe the principle of the disclosure, and should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the disclosure. Those skilled in the art will understand that the principle of the disclosure may be implemented in any appropriately disposed system or device.

[0021]Hereinafter, embodiments of the disclosure are described in detail with reference to the drawings so that those skilled in the art to which the disclosure pertains may easily practice the disclosure. However, the disclosure may be implemented in other various forms and is not limited to the embodiments set forth herein. The same or similar reference denotations may be used to refer to the same or similar elements throughout the specification and the drawings. Further, for clarity and brevity, no description is made of well-known functions and configurations in the drawings and relevant descriptions.

[0022]FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an installed state of a cooking device according to an embodiment.

[0023]FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a cooking device according to an embodiment.

[0024]All features, components, and/or arrangement relationships between components illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 may be included alone or in combination with the features, components, and arrangement relationships between components described in other drawings of the disclosure. Likewise, all features, components, and/or arrangement relationships between components described in connection with FIGS. 3 to 10C may be included alone or in combination with the features, components, and arrangement relationships between components described in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0025]Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a cooking device 1 may be disposed indoors. For example, the cooking device 1 is disposed in a kitchen and may be installed by being coupled to a storage cabinet 3.

[0026]According to an embodiment, the cooking device 1 may be provided to cook food. The cooking device 1 may include a cooktop 10 disposed to cook food and a hood 30 disposed to suck air including contaminants generated during the cooking process. For example, the cooking device 1 may be a hood-integrated cooktop in which the hood 30 is disposed below the cooktop 10.

[0027]According to an embodiment, the cooktop 10 may be an electric cooktop. For example, the cooktop 10 may be an induction cooktop. The cooktop 10 may include a plurality of coils (not illustrated) corresponding to positions L1, L2, L3, L4 where cooking containers may be disposed. A current whose magnitude varies with time may be applied to the coils. As current is applied to the coils, a magnetic field may be formed around the coils. As the current applied to the coils changes, the magnetic field formed around the coils may also change. An eddy current according to the change in magnetic field may flow on the surface of the cooking container 2 in contact with the top plate 11, whereby the cooking container may be heated.

[0028]According to an embodiment, the cooktop 10 is illustrated as being an induction cooktop which is an electric cooktop, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. There may be no limitation on the type of the cooktop 10. For example, the cooktop 10 may be a radiant cooktop among electric cooktops.

[0029]According to an embodiment, in the case of an induction cooktop, current flows by utilizing a magnetic field, and the top plate is not heated but directly heats the cooking container, so the risk of burns may be decreased. However, only metal containers to which magnets may be attached may be used as cooking containers, and glass, ceramics, aluminum, etc. may not be used. In the case of a radiant cooktop, electricity flows through nichrome lines under a ceramic plate to heat the top plate and cooking container with the heat, and there may be a risk of burns because the top plate is heated. However, any container with a flat bottom may be used except for direct grilling containers. The cooktop 10 may be a hybrid cooktop that may use both a induction cooktop and a radiant cooktop. A hybrid cooktop may be a product having both advantages of an induction cooktop and a radiant cooktop.

[0030]According to an embodiment, the cooktop 10 may be a gas cooktop as well as an electric cooktop. For example, the cooktop 10 may be a gas range. However, in this drawing, an induction cooktop which is an electric cooktop is described as an example.

[0031]According to an embodiment, the hood 30 may be disposed to discharge air including contaminants generated from the cooktop 10 to the outside. Alternatively, the hood 30 may filter air including contaminants and circulate it back inside.

[0032]According to an embodiment, the cooking device 1 may be a hood-integrated cooktop in which the cooktop 10 and the hood 30 are combined. The hood 30 may be coupled to a lower portion of the cooktop 10. However, the disclosure is not limited thereto, and the cooktop 10 and the hood 30 may be formed integrally.

[0033]According to an embodiment, by disposing the hood 30 below the cooktop 10, an upper space where the cooking device 1 is installed may be secured. Further, by disposing the hood 30 at the rear of the cooktop 10, a front space may be secured. For example, referring to FIG. 1, an upper portion of the cooking device 1 is an empty space that may enhance aesthetics, and a storage space of the storage cabinet 3 is formed in front of the cooking device 1 to enhance convenience. The cooking device 1 is a hood-integrated cooktop that may enhance space utilization.

[0034]According to an embodiment, the cooktop 10 may include an upper suction port 20. The upper suction port 20 may be formed to be open to suck steam or odors generated during cooking. The upper suction port 20 may be formed between the first position L1 and the second position L2, and the third position L3 and the fourth position L4. The upper suction port 20 may be positioned between the first position L1 and the third position L3. The upper suction port 20 may be positioned between the second position L2 and the fourth position L4.

[0035]According to an embodiment, the cooktop 10 may include a display 13. The display 13 may be disposed on the top plate 11. The display 13 may be positioned in a central portion of the top plate 11. The display 13 may be disposed between the second position L2 and the fourth position L4.

[0036]According to an embodiment, the cooktop 10 may include a cover portion 16. The cover portion 16 may include a plurality of openings through which air passes. The cover portion 16 may be disposed to cover the upper suction port 20. The cover portion 16 may be disposed on the upper suction port 20.

[0037]FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a hood of a cooking device according to an embodiment.

[0038]FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view illustrating components of a cooking device according to an embodiment.

[0039]FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view illustrating components of a ventilation device in a cooking device according to an embodiment.

[0040]All features, components, and/or arrangement relationships between components illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 5 may be included alone or in combination with the features, components, and arrangement relationships between components described in other drawings of the disclosure. Likewise, all features, components, and/or arrangement relationships between components described in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2 and 6 to 10C may be included alone or in combination with the features, components, and arrangement relationships between components described in connection with FIGS. 3 to 5.

[0041]Referring to FIGS. 3 to 5, the cooking device 1 may include a cooktop 10 and a hood 30. The hood 30 may be disposed below the cooktop 10. According to an embodiment, the hood 30 may include a chamber housing 40 and a duct 60.

[0042]According to an embodiment, the duct 60 may be disposed so that air sucked into the upper suction port 20 is discharged to the outside of the hood 30. Alternatively, the duct 60 may be disposed so that air sucked into the upper suction port 20 is filtered and then circulated back into the room.

[0043]According to an embodiment, the chamber housing 40 may be disposed to connect the cooktop 10 and the duct 60. The chamber housing 40 may be disposed so that air sucked into the upper suction port 20 moves to the duct 60. The chamber housing 40 may form a chamber S through which air moves. Air sucked into the upper suction port 20 may flow into a ventilation device 100 through the chamber housing 40.

[0044]According to an embodiment, the chamber housing 40 may include a flow path formed for air to move. The chamber housing 40 may function as a portion of the duct.

[0045]According to an embodiment, a chamber S may be formed inside the chamber housing 40. The chamber S may refer to an inner space. The chamber S may be formed to receive various components.

[0046]According to an embodiment, the chamber S may be a passage through which air introduced into the upper suction port 20 is discharged to the duct 60. The chamber S may be a flow path formed between the upper suction port 20 and a chamber ventilation outlet 127. The chamber S may be disposed between the upper suction port 20 and the duct 60.

[0047]According to an embodiment, the chamber S may be a space formed for air to move from the upper suction port 20 to a fan ventilation outlet 127. The chamber S may be a space formed from the upper suction port 20 to the fan ventilation outlet 127.

[0048]According to an embodiment, the cooktop 10 may include a top plate 11 on which the cooking container 2 is placed and a bottom plate 12 placed below the top plate 11. The cooking container 2 may be placed on an upper side of the top plate 11. The cooking container 2 may be placed at various positions L1, L2, L3, L4 on the top plate 11.

[0049]According to an embodiment, the top plate 11 may have a substantially rectangular shape. However, the disclosure is not limited thereto, and the top plate 11 may be formed in other shapes.

[0050]According to an embodiment, the bottom plate 12 may be coupled with the top plate 11 and disposed to receive internal components. The bottom plate 12 may include a receiving space. Various components such as electrical components and heat sinks may be disposed in the receiving space. During operation of the cooktop 10, heat is generated from electrical components 14, and a heat sink 15 may dissipate the heat.

[0051]According to an embodiment, the bottom plate 12 may have a substantially rectangular shape. However, the disclosure is not limited thereto, and the bottom plate 12 may be formed in other shapes.

[0052]According to an embodiment, the cooktop 10 may include an upper suction port 20. The upper suction port 20 may be formed so that air around the cooktop 10 is sucked. The upper suction port 20 may communicate with the chamber housing 40. Air may flow into the hood 30 through the upper suction port 20.

[0053]According to an embodiment, the upper suction port 20 may be formed to penetrate the top plate 11 and the bottom plate 12 of the cooktop 10. The upper suction port 20 may be formed in the top plate 11 and/or the bottom plate 12. The upper suction port 20 may be formed in a portion of the top plate 11 and the corresponding bottom plate 12. The upper suction port 20 may be formed so that air penetrates the top plate 11 and the bottom plate 12 of the cooktop 10 and flows into the hood 30. The upper suction port 20 may be formed to penetrate the top plate 11. The upper suction port 20 may be formed to penetrate a lower side of the bottom plate 12.

[0054]According to an embodiment, the upper suction port 20 may be formed to penetrate the cooktop 10 in one direction. The one direction may be a vertical direction (e.g., Z-axis direction) in which the top plate 11 and the bottom plate 12 are disposed.

[0055]According to an embodiment, the upper suction port 20 may be positioned about at the center of the cooktop 10 to evenly suck air around the top plate 11. For example, the upper suction port 20 may be positioned to evenly suck air regardless of where the cooking container 2 is placed among the first position L1, the second position L2, the third position L3, and the fourth position L4.

[0056]According to an embodiment, the upper suction port 20 may have a substantially rectangular shape. The upper suction port 20 may have, e.g., a rectangular cross-section extending in a vertical direction (e.g., Y-axis direction). However, the disclosure is not limited thereto, and the upper suction port 20 may be formed in various shapes such as a circle.

[0057]According to an embodiment, the hood 30 may include a chamber housing 40, a ventilation device 100, and a duct 60.

[0058]According to an embodiment, an upper portion (e.g., a portion in the +Z-axis direction) of the chamber housing 40 may be open. The chamber housing 40 may form an opening formed toward the cooktop 10. The opening may be formed in an upper portion of the chamber housing 40.

[0059]According to an embodiment, the opening of the chamber housing 40 may be formed to be larger than the upper suction port 20 of the cooktop 10. A partial area of the opening of the chamber housing 40 may correspond to the upper suction port 20, and a remaining area may be covered by a lower side of the bottom plate 12. Therefore, air that has passed through the upper suction port 20 may flow into the chamber S through a partial area of the opening of the chamber housing 40 corresponding to the upper suction port 20.

[0060]According to an embodiment, the chamber housing 40 may include a chamber outlet 45. The chamber outlet 45 may be formed on one side of the chamber housing 40.

[0061]According to an embodiment, the chamber outlet 45 may discharge air introduced into the chamber S to the duct 60. The chamber outlet 45 may be connected to a duct inlet 61. The chamber outlet 45 may be formed to correspond to the duct inlet 61.

[0062]According to an embodiment, the chamber outlet 45 may be formed so that air discharged through a ventilation outlet 127 moves to the duct 60. The chamber outlet 45 may be connected to the ventilation outlet 127. The chamber outlet 45 may be a portion formed by penetrating to connect the ventilation device 100 and the duct 60.

[0063]According to an embodiment, the chamber outlet 45 may correspond to the ventilation outlet 127. The chamber outlet 45 may be formed at a position corresponding to the ventilation outlet 127. The chamber outlet 45 may be formed with the same size and/or shape as the ventilation outlet 127.

[0064]According to an embodiment, the chamber outlet 45 may be formed in a substantially rectangular shape. The chamber outlet 45 may extend along a left-right direction (e.g., X-axis direction).

[0065]According to an embodiment, the ventilation device 100 may be disposed between the cooktop 10 and the chamber housing 40. The ventilation device 100 may be disposed inside the chamber S. The ventilation device 100 may be disposed to be spaced apart from the bottom plate 12 of the cooktop 10. The ventilation device 100 may be disposed to be spaced apart from a bottom side of the chamber housing 40.

[0066]According to an embodiment, the ventilation device 100 may include a fan motor 101, a fan 110 coupled to the fan motor 101, and a fan housing 120 disposed to cover the fan 110.

[0067]According to an embodiment, the fan motor 101 may be connected to the fan 110. The fan motor 101 may be disposed to provide rotational force to the fan 110. The fan motor 101 may be disposed, e.g., inside the fan housing 120.

[0068]According to an embodiment, the fan 110 may be disposed to rotate around a rotation axis R by the fan motor 101. The fan 110 may be disposed to flow air. upon rotation of the fan 110, it may generate suction force so that air flows in through the upper suction port 20.

[0069]According to an embodiment, the fan 110 may include a first suction port 114 and a second suction port 115. The first suction port 114 may be formed on an upper side (e.g., +Z-axis direction), and the second suction port 115 may be formed on a lower side (e.g., −Z-axis direction).

[0070]According to an embodiment, the fan 110 may include a first ring 111 and a second ring 112. The first ring 111 and the second ring 112 may be disposed to be spaced apart from each other. The first ring 111 and the second ring 112 may have substantially the same shape. The first suction port 114 may be disposed adjacent to the first ring 111. The first suction port 114 may be formed by the first ring 111. The second suction port 115 may be disposed adjacent to the second ring 112. The second suction port 115 may be formed by the second ring 112.

[0071]According to an embodiment, the first suction port 114 and the second suction port 115 may be positioned to face each other. The first suction port 114 and the second suction port 115 may be formed along one direction (e.g., Z-axis). The first suction port 114 and the second suction port 115 may be formed to face different directions. The first suction port 114 and the second suction port 115 may have substantially the same shape.

[0072]According to an embodiment, a plurality of blades 113 may be disposed between the first ring 111 and the second ring 112. The plurality of blades 113 may be supported by the first ring 111 and the second ring 112. An outlet 116 may be formed between the plurality of blades 113. The outlet 116 may be formed to discharge air sucked through the first suction port 114 and/or the second suction port 115. The outlet 116 may be formed in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis. The fan 110 may be, e.g., a double suction blower, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. The fan 110 may be, e.g., a sirocco fan, but the disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0073]According to an embodiment, the fan housing 120 may be disposed to cover the fan 110. The fan housing 120 may include a housing suction port 123 formed for air to be sucked into the fan housing 120 and a housing outlet 127 formed for air to be discharged to the outside of the fan housing 120. The housing outlet 127 may be defined by a first housing 121 and a second housing 122.

[0074]According to an embodiment, the fan housing 120 may be disposed below the cooktop 10 (e.g., −Z-axis direction) to be spaced apart from the cooktop 10 by a predetermined distance. The fan housing 120 may be disposed below the bottom plate 12. For example, the fan housing 120 may be disposed below the third position L3 and the fourth position L4, but the disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0075]According to an embodiment, the fan housing 120 may be disposed in a portion that does not overlap vertically (e.g., Z-axis) the upper suction port 20. However, without limitations thereto, a portion of the fan housing 120 may be positioned in a portion that overlaps vertically the upper suction port 20.

[0076]According to an embodiment, the housing suction port 123 may be positioned on an upper side of the fan housing 120. The housing suction port 123 may be formed on an upper side of the fan 110. The housing suction port 123 may be formed in a direction toward the cooktop 10 from the fan housing 120. The housing suction port 123 may be opened to face the cooktop 10 from the fan housing 120. The housing suction port 123 may be positioned to correspond to the first suction port 114. Air introduced to the inside through the housing suction port 123 by rotation of the fan 110 may pass through the first suction port 114.

[0077]According to an embodiment, upon rotation of the fan 110, external air may flow into the housing suction port 123 through the upper suction port 20 of the cooktop 10. The upper suction port 20 and the housing suction port 123 may be connected by the chamber S of the chamber housing 40.

[0078]According to an embodiment, the fan housing 120 may include a first fan housing 121 and a second fan housing 122 that may be coupled thereto. A first housing suction port 124 may be formed in the first fan housing 121. The first fan housing 121 may be disposed on an upper side of the second fan housing 122.

[0079]According to an embodiment, a housing coupling portion 130 may be formed or disposed in the first fan housing 121 and/or the second fan housing 122. The first fan housing 121 and the second fan housing 122 may be coupled to each other by the housing coupling portion 130.

[0080]According to an embodiment, the housing coupling portion 130 may include a protruding plate 131. For example, there may be a plurality of protruding plates 131. The first fan housing 121 may include a first protruding plate 131a. The second fan housing 122 may include a second protruding plate 131b. In this drawing, the first fan housing 121 and the second fan housing 122 are illustrated as each including three protruding plates 131a and 131b, respectively, but the disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0081]According to an embodiment, the protruding plate 131 may include a through hole 132. The through hole 132 may be formed in each of the plurality of protruding plates 131. The through hole 132 may be formed for a fastening member to pass through.

[0082]According to an embodiment, the first fan housing 121 may include a first through hole 132a. The second fan housing 122 may include a second through hole 132b.

[0083]According to an embodiment, the first protruding plate 131a of the first fan housing 121 and the second protruding plate 131b of the second fan housing 122 may be disposed at positions corresponding to each other. In a state where the first protruding plate 131a and the second protruding plate 131b contact each other, the first fan housing 121 and the second fan housing 122 may be coupled by inserting a fastening member into the first through hole 132a and the second through hole 132b.

[0084]However, the disclosure is not limited thereto, and the first fan housing 121 and the second fan housing 122 may be formed integrally.

[0085]According to an embodiment, the fan motor 101 may be disposed inside the fan housing 120. For example, the fan motor 101 may be disposed between the first fan housing 121 or the second fan housing 122 and the fan 110. The fan motor 101 may be disposed inside the fan 110. The fan motor 101 may be supported and/or fixed by the second fan housing 122.

[0086]According to an embodiment, the second fan housing 122 may include an opening 122a formed so that a portion of the fan motor 101 is disposed therethrough. A lower portion of the fan motor 101 may be inserted and fixedly disposed in the opening 122a of the second fan housing 122. The fan motor 101 may be fastened to the second fan housing 122.

[0087]According to an embodiment, the fan housing 120 may include the housing outlet 127. The housing outlet 127 may be opened in a direction orthogonal to a direction in which the housing suction port 123 is opened.

[0088]According to an embodiment, the first fan housing 121 may include a flange 128 disposed adjacent to the housing suction port 123. The flange 128 may be formed to surround the housing suction port 123. The flange 128 may have a protruding shape that protrudes from the housing suction port 123 toward an upper side (e.g., +Z-axis direction).

[0089]According to an embodiment, the ventilation device 100 may be integrally assembled to the chamber housing 40. For example, the ventilation device 100 may be coupled to the chamber housing 40 in a state in which the fan 110 and the fan motor 101 are mounted to the fan housing 120. Therefore, compared to assembling the fan 110 and/or the fan motor 101 individually to the cooking device 1, performance variation due to design tolerances may be decreased.

[0090]FIG. 6 is a plan view illustrating a ventilation device according to an embodiment viewed from above.

[0091]All features, components, and/or arrangement relationships between components illustrated in FIG. 6 may be included alone or in combination with the features, components, and arrangement relationships between components described in other drawings of the disclosure. Likewise, all features, components, and/or arrangement relationships between components described in connection with FIGS. 1 to 5 and 7 to 10C may be included alone or in combination with the features, components, and arrangement relationships between components described in connection with FIG. 6.

[0092]Referring to FIG. 6, the ventilation device 100 according to an embodiment may include a fan housing 120 and a fan 110. The fan housing 120 may include a housing suction port 123.

[0093]According to an embodiment, at least a portion of the housing suction port 123 may be disposed to overlap vertically (e.g., Z-axis) at least a portion of the fan 110. The housing suction port 123 may be disposed on an upper side (e.g., +Z-axis direction) of the fan 110. The housing suction port 123 may have a role of introducing air introduced from the upper suction port 20 of the cooktop 10 into the fan housing 120.

[0094]According to an embodiment, an outer circumferential side forming the housing suction port 123 may be formed as a curved side overall. However, without limitations thereto, a portion of the outer circumferential side forming the housing suction port 123 may be formed as a flat side (e.g., see FIG. 10A).

[0095]According to an embodiment, a perimeter of the housing suction port 123 may include a first portion 1231 and a second portion 1232. The perimeter of the housing suction port 123 may be divided into the first portion 1231 and the second portion 1232. The second portion 1232 may be positioned farther from the upper suction port 20 of the cooktop 10 than the first portion 1231. The first portion 1231 may have, e.g., a substantially semicircular shape. The second portion 1232 may have, e.g., a substantially semicircular shape.

[0096]According to an embodiment, the first portion 1231 and the second portion 1232 may have different radii. A radius of the second portion 1232 may be larger than a radius of the first portion 1231. A perimeter length (or circumferential length) of the second portion 1232 may be longer than a perimeter length (or circumferential length) of the first portion 1231. Due to the difference between the first portion 1231 and the second portion 1232, an area of the housing suction port 123 formed corresponding to the second portion 1232 may be larger than an area of the housing suction port 123 formed corresponding to the first portion 1231.

[0097]By forming the perimeter length of the second portion 1232 longer than the perimeter length of the first portion 1231, air may pass uniformly through the entire upper suction port 20 despite the formation of air flowing through a bypass path among air introduced from the upper suction port 20, as is described below with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8.

[0098]According to an embodiment, the housing suction port 123 may have an asymmetric shape with respect to a vertical axis (e.g., Z-axis) passing through the rotation axis R of the fan 110. The housing suction port 123 may have an asymmetric structure due to shape and/or size differences between the first portion 1231 and the second portion 1232.

[0099]According to an embodiment, a first distance 620, which is a maximum distance between the rotation axis R of the fan 110 and the first portion 1231, may be smaller than a second distance 630, which is a maximum distance between the rotation axis R of the fan 110 and the second portion 1232.

[0100]A point farthest from the rotation axis R of the fan 110 of the first portion 1231 may be referred to as a first point 1231a. A point farthest from the rotation axis R of the fan 110 of the second portion 1232 may be referred to as a second point 1232a. For example, the first distance 620 may refer to a horizontal distance between the rotation axis R of the fan 110 and the first point 1231a. For example, the second distance 630 may refer to a horizontal distance between the rotation axis R of the fan 110 and the second point 1232a. Here, the horizontal distance may refer to a distance measured with respect to the X-axis direction.

[0101]According to an embodiment, a value obtained by dividing the first distance 620 by a radius of the fan 110 may be 0.63 to 0.83. As an example, a value obtained by dividing the first distance 620 by a radius of the fan 110 may be 0.73.

[0102]According to an embodiment, a value obtained by dividing the second distance 630 by a radius of the fan 110 may be 0.68 to 0.88. As an example, a value obtained by dividing the second distance 630 by a radius of the fan 110 may be 0.78.

[0103]According to an embodiment, a value obtained by dividing the first distance 620 by a radius of the fan 110 may not exceed a value obtained by dividing the second distance 630 by a radius of the fan 110.

[0104]According to an embodiment, the rotation axis R of the fan 110 and a center point C of the housing suction port 123 may be positioned so as not to correspond to each other. That is, the rotation axis R and the center point C may not be aligned with each other. The rotation axis R of the fan 110 and the center point C of the housing suction port 123 may be positioned so as not to overlap vertically. Here, the center point C of the housing suction port 123 may refer to a center point of a maximum diameter portion of the housing suction port 123.

[0105]According to an embodiment, a maximum diameter of the housing suction port 123 may be a value obtained by adding the first distance 620 and the second distance 630. Here, the center point C of the housing suction port 123 may be a point positioned at the center with respect to a major axis 610 of the housing suction port 123.

[0106]According to an embodiment, a perimeter defining the housing suction port 123 may have varying curvature unlike what is illustrated.

[0107]FIG. 7 is a plan view illustrating an internal configuration of a cooking device according to an embodiment viewed from above.

[0108]FIG. 8 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a cooking device according to an embodiment.

[0109]All features, components, and/or arrangement relationships between components illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8 may be included alone or in combination with the features, components, and arrangement relationships between components described in other drawings of the disclosure. Likewise, all features, components, and/or arrangement relationships between components described in connection with FIGS. 1 to 6 and 9 to 10C may be included alone or in combination with the features, components, and arrangement relationships between components described in connection with FIGS. 7 and 8.

[0110]Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, the cooking device 1 according to an embodiment may include a cooktop 10 and a hood 30. FIG. 7 is a schematic view omitting the top plate 11 and the bottom plate 12 of the cooktop 10 to describe a flow path of air passing through the upper suction port 20.

[0111]According to an embodiment, the housing suction port 123 may be divided into a first region 123a and a second region 123b with respect to an imaginary line passing through the center point C of the housing suction port 123. The second region 123b may be positioned farther from the upper suction port 20 than the first region 123a. The first region 123a may refer to a region facing the upper suction port 20 (e.g., −X-axis direction) with respect to the center point C. The first region 123a and the second region 123b may each have a substantially semicircular shape. Here, the imaginary line passing through the center point C may be an imaginary line parallel to a shorter side of the cooktop 10. Here, the imaginary line passing through the center point C may be an imaginary line parallel to a longer side of the upper suction port 20. Here, the imaginary line passing through the center point C may be parallel to the Y-axis.

[0112]According to an embodiment, the first region 123a and the second region 123b may have areas of different sizes. For example, the second region 123b may have a larger area than the first region 123a. The first region 123a may be a region through which air directly introduced through the upper suction port 20 passes. The second region 123b may be a region through which air introduced by bypassing through the upper suction port 20 passes.

[0113]According to an embodiment, when viewed from the upper side (e.g., +Z side) downward, a size of the blades 113 visible through the first region 123a may be smaller than a size of the blades 113 visible through the second region.

[0114]According to an embodiment, during operation of the ventilation device 100, air introduced through the upper suction port 20 may flow into the housing suction port 123 of the ventilation device 100 along the flow path illustrated in FIG. 7.

[0115]According to an embodiment, air introduced through the upper suction port 20 may flow into the housing suction port 123 along a first flow path F1 or a second flow path F2. According to an embodiment, a portion of air introduced through the upper suction port 20 may flow into the first region 123a along the first flow path F1. Another portion of air introduced through the upper suction port 20 may flow into the second region 123b along the second flow path F2.

[0116]According to an embodiment, the second flow path F2 may be longer than the first flow path F1. The first flow path F1 may be referred to as a straight path moving from the upper suction port 20 to the housing suction port 123. The second flow path F2 may be referred to as a bypass path moving from the upper suction port 20 to the housing suction port 123. In the case of the cooking device 1 including the hood 30, due to limited installation space, a gap between the housing suction port 123 and the cooktop 10 is narrow, so that an air flow that bypasses and flows into the housing suction port 123 like the second flow path F2 may be formed. Air flowing through the second flow path F2 may pass through the second region 123b of the housing suction port 123.

[0117]Since the length of the second flow path F2 is longer than the first flow path F1, a flow rate of air passing through the housing suction port 123 may decrease as the distance from the upper suction port 20 increases. Due to the difference between the first flow path F1 and the second flow path F2, differences in flow rate may occur at each positions of the upper suction port 20, thereby reducing ventilation efficiency.

[0118]In the disclosure, the shape of the housing suction port 123 is implemented as an asymmetric shape rather than a circular shape. By forming the second region 123b relatively farther from the upper suction port 20 larger than the first region 123a, an area through which air flowing along the second flow path F2 may pass through the housing suction port 123 may be extended. By forming the second region 123b larger than the first region 123a, air flowing into the fan 110 may be made uniform.

[0119]According to an embodiment, in a top view, the rotation axis R of the fan 110 may be positioned closer to the upper suction port 20 than the center point C of the housing suction port 123.

[0120]According to an embodiment, a first horizontal distance 710, which is a horizontal distance between the rotation axis R of the fan 110 and the upper suction port 20, may be smaller than a second horizontal distance 720, which is a horizontal distance between the center point C of the housing suction port 123 and the upper suction port 20. A value obtained by dividing the second horizontal distance 720 by the first horizontal distance 710 may be greater than 1 and less than 1.03. Here, the horizontal distance may refer to a distance measured with respect to when viewing the cooking device from above.

[0121]FIG. 9 is an experimental graph for describing suction efficiency of a ventilation device in a cooking device according to an embodiment.

[0122]FIG. 9 is a graph illustrating change values of air volume and energy efficiency measured with respect to the relationship between a radius of the housing suction port 123 and a radius of the fan 110 of the cooking device 1 illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 8.

[0123]In FIG. 9, the horizontal axis may refer to a value obtained by dividing the radius of the housing suction port 123 by the radius of the fan 110 (hereinafter referred to as a radius ratio). The left vertical axis may refer to an air volume passing through the housing suction port 123. In other words, it may refer to a suction amount of the housing suction port 123. The unit of air volume may be cubic meter per hour (CMH). The right vertical axis may refer to energy efficiency. As the energy efficiency value increases, the efficiency of energy used for ventilation is enhanced.

[0124]In FIG. 9, a first line 910 represents an air volume value according to the radius ratio. A second line 920 represents an energy efficiency value according to the radius ratio. The first line 910 and the second line 920 may be experimental data assuming that the housing suction port 123 has a circular shape.

[0125]Referring to FIG. 9, as the radius ratio increases, an air volume passing through the housing suction port 123 in the cooking device 1 according to an embodiment may increase. For example, as a radius of the housing suction port 123 increases, an air volume passing through the housing suction port 123 may increase.

[0126]If the housing suction port 123 has a circular shape, energy efficiency of the cooking device 1 may not be proportional to the radius ratio. As illustrated in FIG. 9, as the radius ratio increases from 0.69 to 0.73, energy efficiency increases, but if the radius ratio exceeds 0.73, the radius ratio and energy efficiency may be inversely proportional. If the housing suction port 123 of the ventilation device 100 has a circular shape, air volume and energy efficiency may be optimized if the radius ratio is 0.73.

[0127]The cooking device 1 according to an embodiment may enhance air volume and energy efficiency compared to a circular housing suction port 123 by forming an asymmetric housing suction port 123. It may be experimentally identified that if an asymmetric housing suction port 123 is configured, it has a first air volume 930 and a first energy efficiency 940.

[0128]It may be identified through the experimental graph of FIG. 9 that the first air volume 930 and the first energy efficiency 940 measured in the cooking device 1 according to an embodiment are enhanced compared to air volume and energy efficiency if the radius ratio is 0.73 in a circular housing suction port 123. Here, the shape of the housing suction port 123 and the arrangement relationship between the housing suction port 123 and the fan 110 have been described above in FIGS. 1 to 8, and thus, no further description is given below.

[0129]FIGS. 10A, 10B and 10C are views illustrating shapes of housing suction ports of cooking devices according to various embodiments.

[0130]All features, components, and/or arrangement relationships between components illustrated in FIGS. 10A, 10B, and 10C may be included alone or in combination with the features, components, and arrangement relationships between components described in other drawings of the disclosure. Likewise, all features, components, and/or arrangement relationships between components described in connection with FIGS. 1 to 9 may be included alone or in combination with the features, components, and arrangement relationships between components described in connection with FIGS. 10A, 10B, and 10C.

[0131]FIGS. 10A, 10B and 10C are views for exemplarily describing shapes of housing suction ports 123-1, 123-2, 123-3 for optimizing air volume sucked into a ventilation device (e.g., the ventilation device 100 of FIG. 3) and energy efficiency of a cooking device (e.g., the cooking device 1 of FIG. 2). The shapes illustrated in FIGS. 10A, 10B and 10C are exemplary and do not limit the scope of rights of the disclosure.

[0132]FIGS. 10A, 10B and 10C schematically illustrate shapes of housing suction ports 123-1, 123-2, 123-3, center points C-1, C-2, C-3 of the housing suction ports 123-1, 123-2, 123-3, and a rotation axis R of a fan (e.g., the fan 110 of FIG. 5) with respect to when viewed from above. The illustrated components may represent shapes of housing suction ports 123-1, 123-2, 123-3 of the ventilation device 100 of FIGS. 1 to 8.

[0133]Referring to FIGS. 10A, 10B and 10C, center points C-1, C-2, C-3 of housing suction ports 123-1, 123-2, 123-3 in the cooking device 1 according to an embodiment may not correspond to the rotation axis R of the fan 110. For example, the center points C-1, C-2, C-3 of the housing suction ports 123-1, 123-2, 123-3 and the rotation axis R of the fan 110 may not overlap vertically. The center points C-1, C-2, C-3 of the housing suction ports 123-1, 123-2, 123-3 may be positioned farther from an upper suction port (e.g., the upper suction port 20 of FIG. 3) of a cooktop (e.g., the cooktop 10 of FIG. 3) than the rotation axis R of the fan 110.

[0134]The housing suction ports 123-1, 123-2, 123-3 according to an embodiment may be formed so that a suction area horizontally farther from the upper suction port 20 with respect to the rotation axis R of the fan 110 is larger than a suction area of a region adjacent to the upper suction port 20.

[0135]Referring to FIG. 10A, a perimeter of the housing suction port 123-1 (e.g., the housing suction port 123 of FIG. 5) according to an embodiment may include a first curved side 1010, a second curved side 1030, and a connecting side 1020.

[0136]According to an embodiment, the first curved side 1010 and the second curved side 1030 may be formed to face opposite directions. The first curved side 1010 may be formed to be spaced apart from the second curved side 1030. The first curved side 1010 may have, e.g., a semicircular shape. The second curved side 1030 may have, e.g., a semicircular shape. Curvatures of the first curved side 1010 and the second curved side 1030 may be substantially the same, but the disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0137]According to an embodiment, the connecting side 1020 may be a side connecting the first curved side 1010 and the second curved side 1030. The connecting side 1020 may be, e.g., a flat side. The connecting side 1020 is illustrated as larger than the actual size for convenience of description in FIG. 10A, but this is exemplary and a relative size of the illustrated connecting side 1020 to the first curved side 1010 or the second curved side 1030 is not limited to what is illustrated.

[0138]Referring to FIG. 10B, a perimeter of the housing suction port 123-2 (e.g., the housing suction port 123 of FIG. 5) according to an embodiment may include a first curved side 1040 and a second curved side 1050.

[0139]According to an embodiment, the first curved side 1040 and the second curved side 1050 may be formed to face opposite directions. The first curved side 1040 and the second curved side 1050 may be positioned on a right side (e.g., −X-axis direction) and a left side (e.g., +X-axis direction), respectively, with respect to an illustrated center line D. The first curved side 1040 and the second curved side 1050 may be connected to each other. The first curved side 1040 and the second curved side 1050 may have different average radii. For example, an average radius of the first curved side 1040 may be smaller than an average radius of the second curved side 1050.

[0140]According to an embodiment, the rotation axis R of the fan 110 may be positioned so as not to overlap the center point C-2 of the housing suction port 123-2.

[0141]Referring to FIG. 10C, a perimeter of the housing suction port 123-3 (e.g., the housing suction port 123 of FIG. 5) according to an embodiment may have a circular shape. The perimeter of the housing suction port 123-3 may be a circular shape with a constant radius. Although the housing suction port 123-3 has a circular shape, by positioning the center point C-3 of the housing suction port 123-3 at a place with a far horizontal distance from the upper suction port 20 compared to the rotation axis R of the fan 110, air volume and energy efficiency may be enhanced as described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9.

[0142]A cooking device 1 according to an embodiment may include a cooktop 10 including an upper suction port 20 formed therethrough and a hood 30 connected to the upper suction port 20 to generate air flow. The hood 30 may include a fan housing 120 having a housing suction port 123 formed therethrough and a fan 110 disposed within the fan housing 120. A radius of a first portion 1231 that is a portion of a perimeter of the housing suction port 123 may be smaller than a radius of a second portion 1232 positioned farther from the upper suction port 20 than the first portion 1231.

[0143]According to an embodiment, a rotation axis R of the fan 110 and a center point C of the housing suction port 123 may be positioned so as not to correspond to each other.

[0144]According to an embodiment, in a top view, the rotation axis R of the fan may be positioned closer to the upper suction port 20 than the center point C of the housing suction port 123.

[0145]According to an embodiment, a value obtained by dividing a first horizontal distance, which is a horizontal distance between the rotation axis R of the fan and the upper suction port 20, by a second horizontal distance, which is a horizontal distance between the center point C of the housing suction port 123 and the upper suction port 20, may be greater than 1 and less than 1.03.

[0146]According to an embodiment, a perimeter defining the housing suction port 123 may have a variable curvature.

[0147]According to an embodiment, the center point C of the housing suction port 123 may be positioned at a center with respect to a major axis of the housing suction port 123.

[0148]According to an embodiment, the hood 30 may further include a chamber housing 40 forming a flow path between the upper suction port 20 and the housing suction port 123.

[0149]According to an embodiment, the fan housing 120 may be disposed below the cooktop 10 with a predetermined distance from the cooktop 10.

[0150]According to an embodiment, a perimeter of the housing suction port 123 of the fan housing 120 may include a first curved side 1010, a second curved side 1030 formed to face a direction opposite to the first curved side 1010, and a connecting side 1020 connecting the first curved side 1010 and the second curved side 1030.

[0151]According to an embodiment, a perimeter of the housing suction port 123 of the fan housing 120 may include a first point 1231a closest to the upper suction port 20 and a second point 1232a farthest from the upper suction port 20. A first distance 620, which is a horizontal distance between the rotation axis R of the fan and the first point 1231a, may be shorter than a second distance 630, which is a horizontal distance between the rotation axis R of the fan and the second point 1232a.

[0152]According to an embodiment, a value obtained by dividing the first distance 620 by a radius of the fan 110 may be 0.63 to 0.83.

[0153]According to an embodiment, a value obtained by dividing the second distance 630 by a radius of the fan 110 may be 0.68 to 0.88.

[0154]According to an embodiment, the upper suction port 20 may be formed in a central portion of the cooktop 10.

[0155]According to an embodiment, the housing suction port 123 of the fan housing 120 may be formed in a direction facing the cooktop 10.

[0156]A cooking device 1 according to an embodiment may include a cooktop 10 including an upper suction port 20 formed therethrough and a hood 30 connected to the upper suction port 20 to generate air flow. The hood 30 may include a fan housing 120 having a housing suction port 123 formed therethrough and a fan 110 disposed within the fan housing 120. The housing suction port 123 of the fan housing 120 may be divided into a first region 123a and a second region 123b positioned farther from the upper suction port 20 than the first region 123a based on an imaginary line passing through a center point C of the housing suction port 123. An area of the second region 123b may be larger than an area of the first region 123a.

[0157]According to an embodiment, a rotation axis R of the fan 110 and the center point C of the housing suction port 123 may be positioned so as not to correspond to each other.

[0158]According to an embodiment, in a top view, the rotation axis R of the fan 110 may be positioned closer to the upper housing than the center point C of the housing suction port 123.

[0159]According to an embodiment, the center point C of the housing suction port 123 may be positioned at a center with respect to a major axis of the housing suction port 123.

[0160]According to an embodiment, the hood 30 may further include a chamber housing 40 forming a flow path between the upper suction port 20 and the housing suction port 123.

[0161]According to an embodiment, the fan housing 120 may be disposed below the cooktop 10 with a predetermined distance from the cooktop 10.

[0162]The terms as used herein are provided merely to describe some embodiments thereof, but are not intended to limit the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. As used herein, each of such phrases as “A or B,” “at least one of A and B,” “at least one of A or B,” “A, B, or C,” “at least one of A, B, and C,” and “at least one of A, B, or C,” may include all possible combinations of the items enumerated together in a corresponding one of the phrases. As used herein, the term ‘and/or’ should be understood as encompassing any and all possible combinations by one or more of the enumerated items. As used herein, the terms “include,” “have,” and “comprise” are used merely to designate the presence of the feature, component, part, or a combination thereof described herein, but use of the term does not exclude the likelihood of presence or adding one or more other features, components, parts, or combinations thereof. As used herein, the terms “first” and “second” may modify various components regardless of importance and/or order and are used to distinguish a component from another without limiting the components.

[0163]As used herein, the terms “configured to” may be interchangeably used with the terms “suitable for,” “having the capacity to,” “designed to,” “adapted to,” “made to,” or “capable of” depending on circumstances. The term “configured to” does not essentially mean “specifically designed in hardware to.” Rather, the term “configured to” may mean that a device can perform an operation together with another device or parts. For example, a ‘device configured (or set) to perform A, B, and C’ may be a dedicated device to perform the corresponding operation or may mean a general-purpose device capable of various operations including the corresponding operation.

[0164]Meanwhile, the terms “upper side”, “lower side”, and “front and rear directions” used in the disclosure are defined with respect to the drawings, and the shape and position of each component are not limited by these terms.

[0165]In the disclosure, the above-described description has been made mainly of specific embodiments, but the disclosure is not limited to such specific embodiments, but should rather be appreciated as covering all various modifications, equivalents, and/or substitutes of various embodiments.