Cooking apparatus

Abstract

Disclosed is an invention relating to a cooking apparatus. The disclosed invention comprises an air guide in the gap between a door and a control panel, and the air guide positioned in such a way covers, from the front, at least a portion of the structures positioned at the same height as the gap between the door and control panel.

1 . A cooking appliance comprising:
 a cavity having a cooking chamber defined therein and having an open front surface;   a door disposed in front of the cavity to open and close the cooking chamber;   a control panel disposed on top of the cavity and the door;   a front panel disposed between the cavity and the door; and   an air guide disposed in front of the front panel so as to screen at least a portion of the front panel, wherein the air guide is disposed between the door and the control panel.   
     
     
         2 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising a cover protrusion protruding downwardly from a lower end of the control panel, wherein the air guide is spaced apart from the lower end of the control panel and is coupled to the control panel via the cover protrusion. 
     
     
         3 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of inner cover protrusions protruding downwardly from a lower end of the control panel, wherein a plurality of exhaust ports is formed in the front panel, and is spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance in a lateral direction, wherein a partition wall is formed between two adjacent exhaust ports of the plurality of exhaust ports, and wherein the inner cover protrusion is disposed in front of each partition wall so as to screen each partition wall. 
     
     
         4 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a latch disposed in the cavity and selectively engaged with the door; and   an outer cover protrusion protruding downwardly from a lower end of the control panel, wherein at least a portion of the latch is exposed to a position in front of the front panel, and wherein the outer cover protrusion is disposed in front of the latch and screens at least a portion of the latch.   
     
     
         5 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the air guide is disposed in a front space surrounded with the door, the front panel, and the control panel. 
     
     
         6 . The cooking appliance of  claim 5 , wherein a door exhaust port configured to provide communication between an inner space of the door and the front space is formed in an upper end of the door facing the control panel, and wherein the door exhaust port is disposed between the air guide and the front panel in a frontward-rearward direction. 
     
     
         7 . The cooking appliance of  claim 6 , wherein an electric component chamber is disposed on top of the cavity, wherein at least a portion of the front panel is disposed in front of the electric component chamber, wherein an exhaust port that provides communication between an inner space of the electric component chamber and the front space is formed in the front panel, and wherein the door exhaust port is disposed between the air guide and the exhaust port of the front panel in the frontward-rearward direction. 
     
     
         8 . The cooking appliance of  claim 7 , wherein the lower end of the control panel and the cover protrusion are formed integrally with each other and are made of a plastic material, and wherein the air guide is made of a metal material. 
     
     
         9 . The cooking appliance of  claim 5 , wherein a door exhaust port configured to provide communication between an inner space of the door and the front space is formed in an upper end of the door facing the control panel, wherein the door is divided into a front half portion and a rear half portion arranged in a frontward-rearward direction, and wherein the door exhaust port is disposed in the rear half portion disposed at a rear of the front half portion. 
     
     
         10 . The cooking appliance of  claim 5 , wherein the air guide divides at least a portion of the front space into an upper space and a lower space. 
     
     
         11 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of cover protrusions is arranged to be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance, and wherein the air guide is coupled to each of the plurality of cover protrusions. 
     
     
         12 . The cooking appliance of  claim 2 , wherein the lower end of the control panel and the cover protrusion are formed integrally with each other. 
     
     
         13 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising a cover protrusion protruding upwardly from the air guide toward the control panel so as to be coupled to the control panel, wherein the air guide is spaced apart from a lower end of the control panel and is coupled to the control panel via the cover protrusion. 
     
     
         14 . The cooking appliance of  claim 4 , wherein the air guide is positioned at a vertically central position of a space between the door having closed the cooking chamber and the control panel. 
     
     
         15 . The cooking appliance of  claim 14 , wherein the outer cover protrusion is disposed between the control panel and the air guide and screens the at least a portion of the latch. 
     
     
         16 . The cooking appliance of  claim 4 , further comprising a plurality of inner cover protrusions protruding downwardly from the lower end of the control panel, wherein a plurality of exhaust ports is formed in the front panel, and is spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance in a lateral direction, wherein a partition wall is formed between two adjacent exhaust ports, and wherein the inner cover protrusion is disposed in front of each partition wall so as to screen each partition wall. 
     
     
         17 . The cooking appliance of  claim 16 , wherein the inner cover protrusion is disposed between a pair of outer cover protrusions. 
     
     
         18 . The cooking appliance of  claim 9 , wherein the second half portion has an inclined surface that is inclined downwardly as the second half portion extends in a rearward direction, and wherein the door exhaust port is positioned at a lower vertical level than a vertical level of an upper end of the first half portion. 
     
     
         19 . The cooking appliance of  claim 10 , wherein the air guide divides at least a portion of the front space so that a vertical length of the upper space is equal or greater than a vertical length of the lower space. 
     
     
         20 . A cooking appliance, comprising:
 a main body including a cavity having a cooking chamber defined therein and having an open front surface;   a door disposed in front of the cavity to open and close the cooking chamber;   a control panel disposed on top of the cavity and the door; and   an air guide disposed between the door and the control panel, wherein the air guide is disposed in front of the main body so as to screen at least a portion of a front surface of the main body.