Cooking appliance

Abstract

A cooking appliance includes a cavity having a cooking space therein, a top plate covering an upper portion of the cavity to form an upper space between the top plate and the cavity, and a rear cover covering a rear of the cavity to form a rear space between the rear cover and the cavity, where an upper end opening is formed between the cavity and the rear cover and opens the rear space upward behind the upper space, and the top plate connects to the rear cover while covering the upper space and the upper end opening from above.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cooking appliance, comprising:
 an oven having a cavity that defines a cooking space therein;   a cooktop disposed vertically above the oven, the cooktop comprising:
 a top plate that covers an upper portion of the cavity and defines an upper space between the top plate and the cavity, and 
 a cooktop heater that is at least partially disposed in the upper space; 
   a rear cover that covers a rear side of the oven and a rear side of the cooktop and defines a rear space between the rear cover and the oven, wherein the top plate defines an exhaust opening that passes therethrough and is disposed between the cooktop heater and the rear cover; and   a vent grille that is disposed at an upper portion of the top plate and covers the exhaust opening,   wherein a gap is defined between the cavity and the rear cover and disposed rearward relative to the upper space, the rear space being opened upward to the gap, and   wherein the top plate is connected to the rear cover, the top plate being disposed above and covering the upper space and the gap.   
     
     
         2 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the top plate comprises:
 a main plate that is disposed above and covers an upper portion of the upper space; and   an extension plate that extends rearward from the main plate and covers the gap.   
     
     
         3 . The cooking appliance of  claim 2 , wherein the main plate and the extension plate are coplanar and define one surface that covers the upper space and the gap. 
     
     
         4 . The cooking appliance of  claim 2 , wherein the extension plate is coupled to the rear cover at a position behind the upper space and the gap. 
     
     
         5 . The cooking appliance of  claim 2 , wherein the vent grille has a vent hole that vertically passes therethrough and exposes at least a portion of the main plate, and
 wherein at least the portion of the main plate and the extension plate are connected to each other and cover the upper space and the gap.   
     
     
         6 . The cooking appliance of  claim 2 , wherein the top plate further comprises a coupling part that extends from the extension plate and is coupled to the rear cover. 
     
     
         7 . The cooking appliance of  claim 6 , wherein the coupling part extends from the extension plate in a direction parallel to the rear cover, and
 wherein the coupling part is coupled to the rear cover and contacts the rear cover in a front-rear direction.   
     
     
         8 . The cooking appliance of  claim 6 , wherein the main plate and the extension plate are coplanar, and
 wherein the main plate, the extension plate, and the coupling part are parts of one component, the coupling part extending downward from an end portion of a rear of the extension plate.   
     
     
         9 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a door disposed at a front side of the cavity and configured to open and close the cooking space; and   a control panel disposed above the door, the control panel comprising a display.   
     
     
         10 . The cooking appliance of  claim 9 , wherein the door has:
 a path defined in the door and configured to guide air; and   a discharge hole defined at an upper surface of the door facing the control panel, the discharge hole being configured to discharge the air from the path, and   wherein the control panel further comprises a control panel cover that accommodates the display and covers a portion between the discharge hole and the display.   
     
     
         11 . The cooking appliance of  claim 10 , further comprising a cooling fan configured to generate an air flow passing through the upper space,
 wherein the control panel cover defines a space that accommodates the display, the space being connected to the upper space.   
     
     
         12 . The cooking appliance of  claim 11 , wherein an upper end opening is defined between the cavity and the rear cover, the upper end opening being opened upward and disposed rearward relative to the upper space,
 wherein the top plate is disposed above and covers the upper space and the upper end opening, and   wherein the cooling fan is disposed in a sealed space and surrounded by the top plate, the rear cover, and the cavity.   
     
     
         13 . The cooking appliance of  claim 11 , further comprising a front panel disposed between the cavity and the door, at least a portion of the front panel blocking a front side of the upper space,
 wherein the front panel defines an intake opening, and   wherein the cooling fan is configured to suction air into the upper space through the intake opening and to discharge, through the exhaust opening, the air having passed through the upper space.   
     
     
         14 . The cooking appliance of  claim 13 , wherein the cooling fan is disposed in the upper space and rearward relative to the cooktop heater. 
     
     
         15 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one electronic component disposed in the rear space and configured to at least one of supply power, provide light to the cavity, cause convection of air in the cavity, or supply gas to the oven or the cooktop heater, and
 wherein the top plate is located above and covers the at least one electronic component disposed in the rear space.   
     
     
         16 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a circuit board disposed in the rear space and configured to control supply of power to the cooking appliance;   a lighting device disposed in the oven, at least a portion of the lighting device being disposed in the rear space; and   a convection motor disposed in the rear space and configured to rotate a convection fan.   
     
     
         17 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the top plate defines a recess that is recessed toward the upper space and accommodates the cooktop heater. 
     
     
         18 . The cooking appliance of  claim 17 , further comprising a plurality of gas burners that are disposed in the recess and include the cooktop heater. 
     
     
         19 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising an exhaust duct disposed in the upper space and disposed below the top plate, the exhaust duct extending rearward to the exhaust opening. 
     
     
         20 . The cooking appliance of  claim 19 , wherein the exhaust duct is disposed at a rear portion of the upper space and inclined upward with respect to a bottom surface of the top plate.