JP2012082998A - Heating cooker - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a heating cooker capable of improving user-friendliness.SOLUTION: In the heating cooler 1, an opening/closing door 21 is opened or closed on taking in and out food in/from a heating chamber 20. An oven thermistor 72 detects the temperature in the heating chamber 20 during cooking. A predetermined first threshold temperature and a second threshold temperature are set in a memory 70B. A timer 70A starts to count time in response to it that the detected temperature by the oven thermistor 72 reaches the first threshold temperature during cooking. When a control unit 70 discriminates that the oven thermistor 72 does not detect a temperature equal to or higher than the second threshold temperature before the timer counts a predetermined time, the control unit determines that the opening/closing door 21 is open. Thus, the user can detect the door 21 being left open during cooking, which prevents such a waste operation that the heating cooker 1 is continuously operated though no food is present in the heating chamber 20.

Description

  The present invention relates to a cooking device.

As a heating cooker, a superheated steam cooking apparatus that heats food with superheated steam is known (see Patent Document 1).
The superheated steam cooking apparatus described in Patent Literature 1 includes a main body in which a cooking chamber is formed, and a superheated steam generator that supplies superheated steam into the cooking chamber. A door is attached to the front part of the main body, and food can be put in and out of the cooking chamber by opening the door.

  When food is put into the cooking chamber, the door is closed and the operation of the superheated steam cooking apparatus is started, and the superheated steam generating device generates superheated steam and supplies it to the cooking chamber. Thereby, the food in the cooking chamber is cooked.

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-83735

In the superheated steam cooking apparatus described in Patent Document 1, since the cooking chamber is filled with steam during cooking, it is difficult to grasp the state of the cooking chamber from the outside. Therefore, during cooking, it is assumed that the user opens the door and confirms the cooking condition of the food in the cooking chamber.
In this case, if the user who opened the door closes the door quickly after confirming the cooking condition of the food in the cooking chamber, cooking is resumed, but there is no problem, but the user is in the middle of cooking, The food may be judged to be sufficiently heated and left with the door open to take out the food from the cooking chamber.

Therefore, if it can be detected that the door is left open while cooking, it is possible to eliminate the waste of continued operation of the superheated steam cooking device despite the absence of food in the cooking chamber, Easy to use.
The present invention has been made under such a background, and an object thereof is to provide a cooking device capable of improving usability.

  The invention according to claim 1 is a heating cooker having a cooking chamber and a cooking chamber opening / closing door that opens and closes when food is put into and out of the cooking chamber, and detects the temperature in the cooking chamber during cooking. Temperature detecting means for performing heating cooking control means for controlling the temperature in the cooking chamber for cooking based on the temperature detected by the temperature detecting means, a first threshold temperature and a second predetermined temperature In response to the temperature setting means in which the threshold temperature is set and the detected temperature of the temperature detecting means reaches the first threshold temperature set in the temperature setting means, the time measurement is started. Whether the temperature detecting means detects a temperature equal to or higher than a second threshold temperature set in the temperature setting means between the time measuring means and the time measuring means until a predetermined time is measured. A discriminating means for discriminating; and the temperature detecting means. The determination of the determination means and not detected the threshold temperature above the, characterized in that it comprises a means for determining the opening of the cooking chamber door, a cooking device.

The invention according to claim 2 includes means for stopping the operation of the heating cooker in response to the determination that the cooking cabinet opening / closing door is opened. It is.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, the determination means determines that the temperature detection means has detected a temperature equal to or higher than the second threshold temperature before the time measurement means measures a predetermined time. The cooking device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cooking control means adjusts the temperature in the cooking chamber so as to be maintained at a target temperature.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, in the heating cooker, the cooking chamber opening / closing door is opened and closed when food is put into and out of the cooking chamber. And a temperature detection means detects the temperature in a cooking chamber during cooking, and a heating cooking control means controls the temperature in a cooking chamber for cooking based on the detected temperature of a temperature detection means.
Here, a predetermined first threshold temperature and a second threshold temperature are set in the temperature setting means, and the temperature detected by the temperature detection means is the first threshold temperature during cooking. In response to this, the timing means starts timing. Then, when the determining means determines that the temperature detecting means has not detected a temperature equal to or higher than the second threshold temperature before the time measuring means measures the predetermined time, it is determined that the cooking chamber door is opened. Is done.

As a result, it is possible to detect that the cooking cabinet opening / closing door is left open during cooking, so that it is possible to eliminate the waste of continuing the operation of the heating cooker even though there is no food in the cooking cabinet. As a result, usability can be improved.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the operation of the heating cooker is automatically stopped in response to the determination that the cooking cabinet opening / closing door is opened, the user can stop the operation of the heating cooker. Therefore, the usability can be further improved.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, the temperature detecting means performs the second operation between the time when the temperature detected by the temperature detecting means reaches the first threshold temperature and the time measuring means measures the predetermined time. When the discriminating means discriminates that a temperature equal to or higher than the threshold temperature is detected, the heating cooking control means adjusts the temperature in the cooking chamber to be maintained at the target temperature. Therefore, the food in the cooking cabinet can be cooked at the target temperature with the cooking cabinet opening / closing door closed.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a heating cooker 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and shows a state in which an open / close door 21 is opened. FIG. 2 is a front view of the heating cooker 1 and shows a state where the open / close door 21 is removed. FIG. 3 is a left sectional view of the heating cooker 1 and shows a state where the open / close door 21 is opened. FIG. 4 is a left sectional view of the heating cooker 1 and shows a state where the open / close door 21 is closed. FIG. 5 is a right side sectional view of the heating cooker 1 and shows a state where the open / close door 21 is closed. FIG. 6 is a plan sectional view of the heating cooker 1. FIG. 7 is a front sectional view of the heating cooker 1. FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. FIG. 9 is a right side sectional view of the heating cooker 1 and shows a state where the open / close door 21 is removed. FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. FIG. 11 is a side view of the steam supply unit 40. FIG. 12 is a front view of the steam supply unit 40. FIG. 13 is a rear view of the steam supply unit 40. FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view of the steam supply unit 40. FIG. 15 is a rear view showing the internal structure of the steam supply unit 40. FIG. 16 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the structure of the lower part of the heating chamber 20 in the heating cooker 1. FIG. 17 is a plan sectional view of a main part on the back side of the heating cooker 1. FIG. 18 is a control circuit block diagram of the heating cooker 1. FIG. 19 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a control operation performed in the heating cooker 1. FIG. 20 is a diagram for explaining the control operation of FIG.

Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings.
With reference to FIG. 1, the heating cooker 1 which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention is put and used on horizontal support surfaces, such as a range stand and a table.
The heating cooker 1 is provided with a rectangular parallelepiped housing 10 made mainly of sheet metal. Inside the housing 10, a heating chamber 20 is provided by a sheet metal (preferably a sheet metal that is not easily rusted like stainless steel). The heating chamber 20 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape that opens toward the front of the housing 10. The opening 20A on the front surface of the heating chamber 20 has a substantially rectangular shape that is long in the left-right direction. Food (cooked food) can be introduced from the opening 20 </ b> A and stored in the heating chamber 20. The heating chamber 20 constitutes a cooking chamber in which food is cooked.

An opening / closing door 21 (cooking door opening / closing door) is provided on the front surface of the housing 10, and the opening / closing door 21 covers the opening 20 </ b> A on the front surface of the heating chamber 20 so as to be freely opened and closed. The open / close door 21 is opened and closed when food enters and exits the heating chamber 20.
The heating chamber 20 is arranged on the left side of the housing 10 when viewed from the front, and a key input unit 11 and a display unit 14 are provided in a region adjacent to the right of the heating chamber 20 on the front surface of the housing 10. ing. The key input unit 11 includes various types of operation switches 12 and a dial 13. The operation switch 12 and the dial 13 are operated to set cooking conditions (target heating temperature and cooking time) in the heating cooker 1, start cooking, and stop cooking. The display unit 14 is configured by a liquid crystal panel or the like.

On the front surface of the housing 10, an operation door 15 is provided at a lower end portion below the key input unit 11 and the display unit 14. The operation door 15 is operated in order to attach / detach a water supply tank (not shown) for supplying water to a steam supply unit 40 (see FIG. 3) to be described later.
The opening / closing door 21 will be described in detail. The opening / closing door 21 has a plate shape having a size that can cover the opening 20A of the heating chamber 20, and can be opened / closed by rotating about the lower end thereof. The open / close door 21 extends back and forth between an open position (see FIG. 1) that extends horizontally and opens the opening 20A forward and a closed position (see FIG. 4) that extends vertically and closes the opening 20A from the front side. ° Rotate. The open / close door 21 is open when in the open position and closed when in the closed position.

In the open / close door 21, a handle 22 that is gripped when the open / close door 21 is opened / closed is provided at a free end opposite to the center of rotation, and a viewing window fitted with heat-resistant glass is provided in the center of the open / close door 21. 23 is provided. In the state where the open / close door 21 is in the closed position, the inside of the heating chamber 20 can be visually recognized from the observation window 23.
Rack guides 24 facing each other are formed on the left and right side walls of the heating chamber 20 by press molding. The rack guide 24 supports a wire rack 25 made of stainless steel wire so as to be slidable horizontally and in the front-rear direction. A hook 26 for hooking the front end of the wire rack 25 is formed on the inner surface of the open / close door 21. The hook 26 pulls the wire rack 25 forward from the heating chamber 20 when the door 21 is opened, and pushes the wire rack 25 into the heating chamber 20 when the door 21 is closed.

Referring to FIG. 5, heating cooker 1 includes a heater 29 disposed in heating chamber 20 and a steam supply unit 40 disposed on the back side of heating chamber 20. The cooking of food in the heating chamber 20 is performed by the heater 29 and the steam supply unit 40. First, the heating mechanism by the heater 29 will be described.
The heater 29 heats the inside of the heating chamber 20 and includes an upper heater 30 and a lower heater 31.

Here, inside the heating chamber 20, the wire rack 25 itself, or the tray 63 mounted thereon constitutes a food support portion 27 that supports food on the floor surface of the heating chamber 20. An upper heater 30 is disposed at a position above the food support portion 27, and a lower heater 31 is disposed at a position below the food support portion 27.
The upper heater 30 is composed of a rod-shaped glass tube heater in which a heating wire is put in a quartz glass tube. The upper heater 30 is horizontally disposed below the ceiling surface of the heating chamber 20 with a slight distance from the ceiling surface. The axial direction (longitudinal direction) of the upper heater 30 is along the left-right direction of the heating chamber 20 (see FIG. 7).

The lower heater 31 is configured by a sheath heater in which a heating wire is put in a metal tube. The lower heater 31 is bent into a predetermined shape, and is disposed on the floor surface of the heating chamber 20 and below the food support portion 27.
The heat generated by the upper heater 30 and the lower heater 31 is transmitted to the food not only by radiation but also by convection. Therefore, a convection fan 32 (fan) shown in FIG. 6 is arranged in a space between the housing 10 and the heating chamber 20 on the back side of the key input unit 11 (see FIG. 1).

  The convection fan 32 includes a centrifugal fan 33 and a convection motor 34 for rotating the centrifugal fan 33. Here, a fan casing 35 is fixed to the outer surface of the right side wall of the heating chamber 20 by means such as welding. The fan casing 35 has a box shape that is flat on the left and right. The convection motor 34 is supported by the fan casing 35 with its output shaft extending horizontally (left and right) within the fan casing 35. The centrifugal fan 33 is attached to the output shaft of the convection motor 34 in the fan casing 35.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a large number of small holes communicating with the inside of the fan casing 35 are punched in the right side wall of the heating chamber 20. The small holes form a group of several groups. The first group forms an air inlet 36, and the air inlet 36 is disposed at a position directly in front of the centrifugal fan 33 (see FIG. 8). Three groups of small holes are arranged so as to surround the air inlet 36. These assemblies are all air outlets 37, and when the side close to the open / close door 21 is the front and the opposite side is the rear, the two air outlets 37 sandwich the air inlet 36 from the front and rear. The remaining air outlet 37 is disposed on the air inlet 36.

The upper heater 30 and the intake port 36 are arranged at positions that are aligned vertically (the same position in the front-rear direction). In addition, the small hole at the lower end of each of the air inlet 36 and the two air outlets 37 sandwiching the air inlet 36 from the front and rear is located at a height substantially aligned with the rotation center of the centrifugal fan 33.
Among the small holes on the right side wall of the heating chamber 20, those that do not constitute the air inlet 36 and the air outlet 37 become a through hole 38 that communicates with the lowermost part of the internal space of the fan casing 35.

The flow of air when the convection fan 32 is driven will be described later. The amount of heat generated by the upper heater 30 or the total amount of heat generated by the upper heater 30 and the lower heater 31 is set to a value sufficient to cause the heating cooker 1 to function as a convection oven.
Next, the heating mechanism by the steam supply unit 40 will be described. Here, the steam supply unit 40 is disposed outside the back side wall of the heating chamber 20, specifically, between the back side wall of the heating chamber 20 and the back side wall of the housing 10 (see FIG. 5). The steam supply unit 40 supplies steam (steam) into the heating chamber 20.

As shown in FIG. 14, the steam supply unit 40 includes a metal front side casing 41 whose back side is fully open, a metal back side casing 42 that closes the back side opening of the front side casing 41, and a steam heater 43. Including. The front side casing 41 and the back side casing 42 are made of, for example, aluminum.
The steam heater 43 has a bar shape that is long on the left and right, and penetrates the lower part of the front casing 41 to the left and right. As shown in FIG. 12, two steam outlets 44 are formed in the front upper portion of the front-side casing 41 in a horizontal row. The steam supply unit 40 exposes these steam outlets 44 to the inside of the heating chamber 20, and blows steam into the heating chamber 20 (see FIG. 5).

  As shown in FIG. 13, a water supply port 45 and a temperature detection device mounting portion 46 are formed in the rear casing 42. In the rear view, the water supply port 45 is disposed near the right end of the back side casing 42, and the temperature detection device mounting portion 46 is disposed near the left end of the back side casing 42. The water supply port 45 is connected to the other end of a water supply pipe (not shown) having one end connected to a water supply tank (not shown).

  Here, with reference to FIG. 17, the back side wall of the housing 10 has bulged portions 16 at a plurality of positions spaced apart in the lateral direction. The rear side wall of the housing 10 bulges in an arc shape toward the rear side at the bulging portion 16. When there is an indoor wall or the like behind the cooking device 1 in a state where the cooking device 1 is placed on the above-described range table or table, the bulging portion 16 comes into contact with the indoor wall or the like, An appropriate gap is secured between the rear side wall (portion other than the bulging portion 16) of the housing 10 and the indoor wall. Thereby, it is prevented that the back side wall of the housing 10 is in close contact with an indoor wall or the like.

  And in FIG. 17, the code | symbol 17 is attached | subjected to the water supply pipe mentioned above. The water supply pipe 17 is a silicon tube, for example. The water supply pipe 17 extends along the inner side surface of the rear side wall of the housing 10, and is bent forward and is connected to the water supply port 45 while protruding into one of the bulging portions 16. That is, by securing a relatively large space for bending the water supply pipe 17 by the bulging portion 16, the water supply pipe 17 can be largely bent and connected to the water supply port 45. Thereby, it can prevent that the flow of the water in the water supply pipe 17 worsens because the water supply pipe 17 bends small and bends.

  In particular, the steam supply unit 40 is inevitably disposed between the back side wall of the heating chamber 20 and the back side wall of the housing 10 when trying to enlarge the heating chamber 20 as much as possible while reducing the size of the entire heating cooker 1. The space to do becomes narrow. However, even in such a case, a smooth flow of water in the water supply pipe 17 is ensured by largely bending the water supply pipe 17 in the bulging portion 16. Further, since the water supply pipe 17 can be curved, the water supply pipe 17 may be a relatively inexpensive ordinary straight pipe, and therefore a relatively expensive L-shaped pipe is used as the water supply pipe 17. You do n’t have to.

  As shown in FIG. 15, three ribs 47 are formed on the inner surface of the front casing 41 at a position slightly below the steam outlet 44. All the ribs 47 extend substantially horizontally. Of the three ribs 47, the two ribs 47 are spaced apart from each other on the left and right, and the remaining one rib 47 spans the two ribs 47 and is spaced upward from the two ribs 47. It is arranged at a position separated from each other. These three ribs 47 constitute a labyrinth passage 48 that obstructs the liquid water on the bottom surface (inner bottom surface 41 </ b> A) side of the internal space of the front casing 41 from reaching the steam outlet 44.

The water supply port 45 and the temperature detection device mounting portion 46 are located below the lower two ribs 47 (see FIG. 14). The inner bottom surface 41 </ b> A of the front casing 41 is gently inclined to the left in the rear view.
The front casing 41 and the rear casing 42 are fastened and fixed with screws (not shown) after applying a silicone adhesive to the joint so that water and steam do not leak from the joint (see FIGS. 11 and 14). .

As shown in FIG. 9, a recess 50 that is rectangular when viewed from the front and is recessed toward the back side is formed on the back side wall of the heating chamber 20 by press molding. The steam supply unit 40 is attached to the outer surface of the recess 50 in the rear side wall of the heating chamber 20, and the steam jet port 44 protrudes into the heating chamber 20 from a through hole (not shown) formed in the recess 50. Yes.
On the rear side wall of the heating chamber 20, a reflecting plate 51 is provided at a position facing the front surface of the steam outlet 44 of the recess 50 from the front. The reflection plate 51 is a horizontally long metal plate, and is closed before the vapor jet port 44 with a predetermined interval.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the reflecting plate 51 has a flat, substantially V-shaped cross section that is recessed rearward when viewed from the left-right direction. Here, a steam passage 52 is formed between the front surface of the concave portion 50 on the rear side wall of the heating chamber 20 and the reflector plate 51. It is wider at a location below the steam outlet 44 than at a location above the steam outlet 44. The upper end of the reflecting plate 51 is bent forward so as to guide the steam from the steam outlet 44 obliquely upward.

The inner wall of the recess 50 is tapered toward the back side (back side). As a result, the upper inner wall of the recess 50 becomes a slope 53 that guides steam from the steam jet 44 toward the upper heater 30, and the lower inner wall of the recess 50 sends steam from the steam jet 44 to the lower heater 31. The slope 54 is guided in the direction of.
As shown in FIG. 9, a packing 60 is attached around the opening 20 </ b> A of the heating chamber 20. The packing 60 is made of heat-resistant rubber or synthetic resin and has a cross-sectional shape shown in FIG. The packing 60 has a pin 61 that is integrally molded. By pushing the pin 61 into a through hole 10A formed on the front surface of the housing 10, the packing 60 is attached to the housing 10 with the opening 20A of the heating chamber 20 taken in (see FIG. 1). The packing 60 keeps the airtightness between the periphery of the opening 20 </ b> A of the heating chamber 20 and the open / close door 21 by hitting the inner surface of the open / close door 21 (see FIG. 4) in the closed state (closed position described above). Since the packing 60 has a cross-sectional shape that opens toward the inside of the heating chamber 20, as the internal pressure of the heating chamber 20 increases, the packing 60 comes into close contact with the open / close door 21 (see FIG. 10).

As shown in FIG. 3, a tray 62 is inserted from the front at a position above the floor surface of the heating chamber 20 and below the lower heater 31. The saucer 62 receives a part of the dropped food, oil or water dripping from the food, or the like.
When the side wall of the heating chamber 20 is cooled during cooking or after cooking, moisture contained in the gas in the heating chamber 20 is condensed. The tray 62 is also responsible for catching the condensed water droplets. A device as shown in FIG. 16 is provided between the side wall of the heating chamber 20 and the saucer 62 so that water drops do not spill out of the saucer 62. That is, the side wall 28 of the heating chamber 20 may be any of the back side wall, the left side wall, and the right side wall, but is positioned on the tray 62. Furthermore, an acute angle portion 28 </ b> A that protrudes downward toward the tray 62 is formed at the lower corner of the side wall 28.

  Further, the tray 63 shown in FIG. 5 is placed on the wire rack 25. The tray 63 constitutes the food support part 27 and slides back and forth in conjunction with the opening and closing of the open / close door 21 together with the wire rack 25 (see FIG. 3). A stopper 25A that protrudes upward is formed at the rear end of the wire rack 25. The stopper 25 </ b> A supports the tray 63 from behind, and prevents the tray 63 from moving further backward relative to the wire rack 25.

Next, the operation of the heating cooker 1 will be described. First, the open / close door 21 is opened, and the wire rack 25 and the tray 63 placed thereon are pulled forward (see FIG. 3). The food is placed on the tray 63 and the door 21 is closed. When the open / close door 21 reaches the closed position, the wire rack 25 that has moved rearward until then stops.
At this time, the tray 63 tends to move backward due to inertia. However, since the stopper 25A supports the tray 63 from the back, relative movement of the tray 63 to the rear with respect to the wire rack 25 does not occur. Thereby, a gap for allowing the steam to pass is secured between the rear end of the tray 63 and the rear side wall of the heating chamber 20.

After the food is stored in the heating chamber 20, various settings relating to cooking are performed by operating the operation switch 12 and the dial 13 (see FIG. 1) of the key input unit 11. If the key input part 11 is operated after the setting is completed, cooking is started.
When the set cooking content is “steam cooking (steam cooking)”, a pump (not shown) is driven and water is supplied from the water supply tank (not shown) into the steam supply unit 40 via the water supply pipe 17. And the steam heater 43 (see FIG. 14) is energized to start generating steam. At this time, the water level in the steam supply unit 40 is set below the rib 47 (see FIG. 14).

The water boils in the steam supply unit 40 to become saturated steam (steam), and is ejected from the steam ejection port 44. The jetted steam hits the reflecting plate 51, and a part thereof is directed upward and the remaining portion is directed downward (refer to a thick arrow in FIG. 5) due to the cross-sectional shape of the reflecting plate 51.
Since steam has an ascending property, if the reflecting plate 51 is a vertical flat plate, more steam is directed upward. However, as described above, due to the cross-sectional shape of the reflecting plate 51, the width of the front and rear of the steam passage 52 is wider at the position below the steam outlet 44 than at the position above the steam outlet 44. Therefore, it is possible to distribute steam in a balanced manner upward and downward. That is, the reflecting plate 51 has a steam distribution function that directs a part of the hit steam to the upper heater 30 and the remaining part to the lower heater 31 depending on its cross-sectional shape.

  Referring to the thick arrow in FIG. 5, the steam reflected upward by the reflecting plate 51 hits the slope 53 at the top of the recess 50 and changes its direction toward the upper heater 30. The steam reflected downward by the reflecting plate 51 hits the slope 54 at the bottom of the recess 50 and changes its direction toward the lower heater 31. At this time, the upper heater 30 and the lower heater 31 are in a heat-generating state due to energization, and steam (saturated steam) is blown onto these heaters, so that the steam becomes superheated steam (superheated steam). The superheated steam generated at the top and bottom wraps the food in the tray 63 so that the food is efficiently heated.

  As described above, since the axial direction of the upper heater 30 is along the left-right direction of the heating chamber 20, the longitudinal direction of the upper heater 30 is parallel to the rear side wall of the heating chamber 20 (see FIG. 7). Since the upper heater 30 is subjected to steam from the steam outlets 44 arranged in a row on the back side wall of the heating chamber 20, the steam strikes the upper heater 30 evenly, and the steam (saturated steam) is converted to superheated steam. Is done efficiently.

Since the reflecting plate 51 exists in front of the steam outlet 44, even when the open / close door 21 is opened while steam is being spouted from the steam outlet 44 during or after cooking, steam is directed toward the user. Will not be ejected.
Further, since the steam is distributed upward and downward by the reflecting plate 51, it is possible to appropriately distribute the steam with an inexpensive structure. If the steam is distributed with a valve, the function of the valve may be impaired due to the accumulation of scale. However, if the reflector 51 is attached, the steam distribution function is not affected even if the scale adheres. Maintenance is not required for a long time.

  Referring to FIG. 13, during the generation of steam, water is supplied from the water supply port 45 to the steam supply unit 40 through the above-described water supply pipe (not shown). At this time, the steam thermistor 71 (see FIG. 18) attached to the temperature detection device attachment portion 46 monitors the internal temperature of the steam supply unit 40. Based on the temperature detected by the steam thermistor 71, ON / OFF control of the steam heater 43 is performed.

  Here, when the water supply port 45 into which the cold water flows and the temperature detection device mounting portion 46 are close to each other, the steam thermistor 71 measures the temperature of the lowest temperature portion in the steam supply unit 40. The ratio of the ON time of the steam heater 43 increases. Thereby, the temperature of the location away from the water supply port 45 rises too much, and may exceed the heat-resistant temperature of the above-mentioned silicon adhesive applied to the joint of the front casing 41 and the rear casing 42. However, in the present embodiment, since the water supply port 45 and the temperature detection device mounting portion 46 are located in the laterally separated positions, the steam thermistor 71 is not easily affected by the cold water of the water supply port 45, and the steam supply unit 40 is excessively disposed. Never turn it on. For this reason, the silicon adhesive is kept below the heat resistant temperature.

Referring to FIG. 15, the inner bottom surface 41 </ b> A of the internal space of the front casing 41 is inclined so as to be lowered toward the left in a rear view. Therefore, the cold water flowing in from the water supply port 45 flows to the left side in back view along the inclination of the inner bottom surface 41A, and spreads evenly over the entire inner bottom surface 41A. For this reason, the heat generated by the steam heater 43 is efficiently transmitted to the water.
Since the water in the steam supply unit 40 boils and jumps up, water droplets are ejected from the steam outlet 44 as it is. However, in this embodiment, since the labyrinth passage 48 by the rib 47 is provided between the water surface in the steam supply unit 40 and the steam outlet 44, the steam flows up to the steam outlet 44, but the liquid This water is obstructed by the rib 47 and does not reach the steam outlet 44. For this reason, the situation that a water droplet jumps out from the steam jet nozzle 44 and adheres to the food in the heating chamber 20 does not occur.

Even if water jumps slightly on the upper surface of the rib 47, the lower rib 47 is inclined so as to quickly return to the lower water surface, and the upper rib 47 is inclined downward toward the center of the front casing 41. Has a chevron shape with a high center and low ends.
Referring to FIG. 5, steam used for steam cooking or steam generated from food is condensed when attached to the side wall of heating chamber 20 and cooled. The condensed water droplets tend to flow down toward the bottom surface of the heating chamber 20. Since the water droplets often contain fats and oils, the inside of the heating chamber 20 becomes unclean if it is left as it flows to the bottom surface of the heating chamber 20. However, as described above, as shown in FIG. 16, the side wall 28 of the heating chamber 20 is positioned on the receiving tray 62, so that water droplets flowing down along the side wall 28 are received by the receiving tray 62, and the heating chamber 20. Does not flow to the bottom of the. Since the tray 62 can be taken out and washed, the inside of the heating chamber 20 can be kept clean.

In particular, if the acute angle portion 28 </ b> A is formed at the lower corner of the side wall 28, water drops flowing down along the side wall 28 can be reliably dropped onto the receiving tray 62.
Referring to FIG. 4, the occurrence of condensation is not limited to the inside of heating chamber 20. It also occurs inside the fan casing 35 (see FIG. 6). A through-hole 38 communicating with the lowermost part of the internal space of the fan casing 35 is formed in the right side wall where the fan casing 35 is fixed in the heating chamber 20, so that water droplets generated in the fan casing 35 pass through the through-hole 38. Then, it flows out into the heating chamber 20 and is received by the tray 62. Therefore, water does not collect in the fan casing 35. Accordingly, water accumulated in the fan casing 35 leaks from the joint between the fan casing 35 and the right side wall of the heating chamber 20 to wet electrical components in the housing 10 or to corrode the fan casing 35. There is no.

Condensation also occurs on the inner surface of the open / close door 21 or oil adheres. When the packing 60 (see FIG. 10) is provided on the opening / closing door 21 side, when the opening / closing door 21 is opened / closed, water or oil drips down on the flange portion of the packing 60, resulting in filth. In this embodiment, since the packing 60 is attached not to the opening / closing door 21 side but to the housing 10 side, inconveniences as described above can be avoided.
Further, among the sheet metal members constituting the housing 10, the members constituting the periphery of the opening 20 </ b> A of the heating chamber 20 and the members constituting the inside of the heating chamber 20 are joined by a method such as screw tightening or spot welding. However, those joint marks can be hidden by the packing 60 (see FIG. 9). For this reason, it is not necessary to hide the joint mark by costly means such as careful painting or attachment of decorative parts.

And if steam cooking is complete | finished, it will alert | report by the sound or the display of the display part 14 (refer FIG. 1). In response to this, the user opens the door 21 and takes out the cooked food. If the water in the water supply tank (not shown) is low, replenish it and prepare for the next steam cooking.
In such steam cooking, excess oils and fats can be removed from meat and fish by superheated steam. Furthermore, bread (rice flour bread etc.) can also be heated plumply.

On the other hand, when the set cooking content is “hot air cooking (oven cooking)”, steam is not supplied into the heating chamber 20. In a state where the upper heater 30 and the lower heater 31 are energized, the convection fan 32 is operated and cooking proceeds.
When the convection fan 32 is operated, the air in the heating chamber 20 is sucked from the intake port 36. The upper heater 30 and the convection fan 32 have the same axial direction, and the upper heater 30 is arranged at a position vertically aligned with the air inlet 36. As a result, the air heated by the upper heater 30 is drawn straight into the intake port 36. Since the air is blown out from the air outlet 37 and travels around the entire heating chamber 20, the temperature difference between the portion directly below the upper heater 30 and other portions is reduced, and uneven heating in the heating chamber 20 can be reduced. .

  The air sucked into the centrifugal fan 33 through the intake port 36 is discharged from the centrifugal fan 33 in the radial direction. The air (heated air) is blown out from the air outlet 37 as shown by a thick arrow in FIG. 6, reaches the inside of the heating chamber 20 to every corner, and then returns to the intake port 36. That is, the centrifugal fan 33 (convection fan 32) circulates air in the heating chamber 20.

Here, the air blown out from the air outlet 37 (see FIG. 4) in front of the air inlet 36 flows toward the sight window 23 of the open / close door 21 and flows so as to sweep the sight window 23. 23 condensation and cloudiness can be wiped out.
With reference to FIG. 4, as described above, in the two air outlets 37 sandwiching the air inlet 36 from the front and the rear, the small hole at the lower end is located at a height substantially aligned with the rotation center of the centrifugal fan 33. That is, many small holes constituting the air outlet 37 are distributed above the rotation center of the centrifugal fan 33. As a result, a large amount of air discharged from the convection fan 32 is mainly blown out upward of the heating chamber 20. Although hot air tends to accumulate in the upper part of the heating chamber 20, the hot air in the upper part of the heating chamber 20 can be blown off by the air blown upward from the heating chamber 20 and sent to the lower part of the heating chamber 20. It is possible to equalize the hot air distribution in the vertical direction. The same effect can be obtained by operating the convection fan 32 not only in hot air cooking but also in steam cooking.

When hot-air cooking ends, this is notified by voice or display on the display unit 14 (see FIG. 1). In response to this, the user opens the door 21 and takes out the cooked food.
Here, in the upper left corner of the back side wall of the heating chamber 20, an exhaust port 18 that penetrates both the back side walls of the heating chamber 20 and the housing 19 is formed. Hot air and steam are discharged out of the machine through the exhaust port 18 (see FIG. 2).

Referring to FIG. 18, the heating cooker 1 is provided with a control unit 70 (heating cooking control means, determination means) constituted by a microcomputer or the like. The control unit 70 controls the operation of the heating cooker 1. The control unit 70 includes a time measuring unit 70A (time measuring means) for measuring time and a memory unit 70B (temperature setting means) for storing necessary information.
The controller 70 is electrically connected to the steam supply unit 40, the upper heater 30, the lower heater 31, the convection motor 34, the display unit 14, the key input unit 11, the steam thermistor 71, and the oven thermistor 72 (temperature detecting means). Connected.

The control unit 70 drives the steam heater 43 of the steam supply unit 40 and the above-described pump (not shown) to turn on (operate) the steam supply unit 40 to generate steam, and the steam supply unit 40 The steam is supplied into the heating chamber 20.
The controller 70 turns on the upper heater 30 and the lower heater 31 (heater 29) to heat the inside of the heating chamber 20.

The control unit 70 turns on the convection motor 34 to rotate the centrifugal fan 33. That is, the control unit 70 operates the convection fan 32 by turning on the convection motor 34, thereby circulating air in the heating chamber 20.
Here, the control unit 70 operates the convection fan 32 in conjunction with the steam supply unit 40 supplying steam into the heating chamber 20. Specifically, during the steam cooking in which the steam supply unit 40 supplies steam, the convection fan 32 is operated for about 4 seconds for 40 seconds, for example. That is, since the convection fan 32 is not always operated, steam is not unnecessarily discharged from the heating chamber 20 to the outside of the apparatus via the exhaust port 18 (see FIG. 2). Therefore, the food in the heating chamber 20 can be efficiently cooked with steam.

  Further, since the convection fan 32 is operated in conjunction with the supply of steam by the steam supply unit 40, the steam does not stay in the steam supply unit 40, and the steam supply unit 40 itself is overheated by steam. Can be prevented. Thereby, it can prevent that the temperature difference between the steam supply unit 40 and the heating chamber 20 becomes large.

  The oven thermistor 72 is disposed in the fan casing 35 (see FIG. 6). Since the inside of the fan casing 35 and the inside of the heating chamber 20 communicate with each other via a small hole (the air inlet 36, the air outlet 37, and the through hole 38) on the right side wall of the heating chamber 20, the oven thermistor 72 The temperature (atmosphere temperature) in the heating chamber 20 is detected during cooking through the small holes. Strictly speaking, the oven thermistor 72 detects the temperature in the fan casing 35, and there is a temperature difference between the heating chamber 20 and the fan casing 35, and this temperature difference is grasped in advance by experiments and stored in the memory. Stored in the unit 70B. And the value which added the said temperature difference to the detection result (temperature in the fan casing 35) of the oven thermistor 72 becomes actual temperature in the heating chamber 20. That is, the oven thermistor 72 indirectly detects the temperature in the heating chamber 20 by detecting the temperature in the fan casing 35.

The control unit 70 grasps the temperature in the heating chamber 20 (internal temperature) from the detection result of the oven thermistor 72. And the control part 70 is heated for heating cooking by turning ON / OFF the upper heater 30, the lower heater 31, and the steam supply unit 40 based on the detected temperature (namely, internal temperature) of the oven thermistor 72. The temperature in the chamber 20 is controlled.
Next, an example of a control operation performed by the control unit 70 will be described with reference to FIG. The control operation here is performed when the door 21 is opened during steam cooking.

  During steam cooking, the heating chamber 20 is filled with steam, so the viewing window 23 of the open / close door 21 is clouded with steam, and the situation inside the heating chamber 20 cannot be visually confirmed (see FIG. 4). Therefore, in order to check the heating condition of food, it is assumed that the user opens the open / close door 21 without stopping the operation of the heating cooker 1 during steam cooking (see FIG. 1). In addition, it is assumed that the user who opens the open / close door 21 determines that the food is sufficiently heated and removes the food from the heating chamber 20 without stopping the operation of the heating cooker 1. .

Therefore, the control unit 70 performs the control operation shown in FIG.
First, in response to the user operating the key input unit 11 (see FIG. 1), the control unit 70 turns on the upper heater 30 and the lower heater 31, operates the steam supply unit 40, and performs steam cooking. Start (see FIG. 18). Prior to the start of cooking, the user operates the key input unit 11 (operation switch 12 and dial 13) to set the temperature (heating temperature) in the heating chamber 20 and the cooking time.

In the following description, the graph of FIG. 20 is also referred to. In FIG. 20, the vertical axis represents the temperature in the heating chamber 20 (internal temperature) detected by the oven thermistor 72 during steam cooking, and the horizontal axis represents time.
Referring to FIG. 19, after steam cooking is started, control unit 70 monitors whether oven thermistor 72 has detected a target temperature (set temperature) set in advance by the user (step S1). . That is, the control unit 70 monitors whether or not the internal temperature has risen to the set temperature (see the thick solid line in the graph of FIG. 20).

When the internal temperature rises to the set temperature (YES in step S1), the food in the heating chamber 20 is heated at the set temperature. At this time, the controller 70 causes the oven thermistor 72 to set the first threshold temperature. It is monitored whether or not it has been detected (step S2).
The first threshold temperature is the internal temperature when the door 21 (see FIG. 1) is opened. When the open / close door 21 (see FIG. 1) is opened, the outside air flows into the heating chamber 20 and the fan casing 35, and the heat in the heating chamber 20 and the fan casing 35 escapes. The value temperature is a temperature lower than the set temperature. Further, since the internal temperature is maintained so as to change within a predetermined fluctuation range (for example, ± 1 ° C. to 2 ° C.) with respect to the set temperature, the first threshold temperature is set to the set temperature. On the other hand, the temperature is lower than the temperature obtained by subtracting the fluctuation range (here, 1 ° C. to 2 ° C.).

  Here, as described above, the oven thermistor 72 strictly detects the temperature in the fan casing 35. There is a temperature difference between the inside of the heating chamber 20 and the fan casing 35, and further, when the opening / closing door 21 is opened, the temperature inside the fan casing 35 falls behind the temperature inside the heating chamber 20. Therefore, the oven thermistor 72 detects the temperature in the fan casing 35 when the internal temperature is at the first threshold temperature (referred to as “first threshold temperature in the fan casing 35”). , Indirectly detecting that the inside of the heating chamber 20 (internal temperature) has reached the first threshold temperature. The first threshold temperature in the heating chamber 20 is lower than the first threshold temperature in the fan casing 35.

  In this embodiment, the first threshold temperature in the fan casing 35 is the temperature in the fan casing 35 when the internal temperature is at the set temperature (the value obtained by subtracting the temperature difference from the set temperature of the internal temperature). It is determined according to “the set temperature in the fan casing 35”). Specifically, when the set temperature of the internal temperature is 200 ° C., the first threshold temperature in the fan casing 35 is a value obtained by subtracting about 30 ° C. from the set temperature in the fan casing 35. The first threshold temperature in the fan casing 35 may be a value obtained by subtracting a predetermined value (for example, about 30 ° C.) from the set temperature in the fan casing 35 regardless of the set temperature of the internal temperature. Good.

  The first threshold temperature (strictly, the first threshold temperature in the fan casing 35) is predetermined according to the set temperature and set (stored) in the memory unit 70B (see FIG. 18). ing. If the open / close door 21 is opened while the internal temperature is at the set temperature, the internal temperature decreases to the first threshold temperature, and therefore the controller 70 determines that the internal temperature is the first temperature in step S2. By monitoring whether or not the temperature has dropped to the threshold temperature, it is monitored whether or not the user has opened the door 21.

When the oven thermistor 72 detects the first threshold temperature (YES in step S2), that is, the detected temperature of the oven thermistor 72 has reached the first threshold temperature in the fan casing 35 (internal temperature). In response to the fact that the first threshold temperature has been reached), in the control unit 70, the timer unit 70A (see FIG. 18) starts timing (step S3).
Then, the control unit 70 has the oven thermistor 72 in the second period until the predetermined time elapses (NO in Step S4) after the time measuring unit 70A starts to measure time (NO in Step S4). It is determined (monitored) whether a temperature equal to or higher than the threshold temperature is detected (step S5).

The second threshold temperature is lower than the temperature obtained by subtracting the fluctuation range from the set temperature, but may be lower or higher than the first threshold temperature, or may be the same. . Here, the second threshold temperature is assumed to be lower than the first threshold temperature.
Here, as in the case of the first threshold temperature, when the inside of the heating chamber 20 is at the second threshold temperature, the oven thermistor 72 is the temperature in the fan casing 35 at that time (“fan casing”). Is detected), and the second threshold temperature in the fan casing 35 is detected, so that the inside of the heating chamber 20 (internal temperature) is the second. Detect indirectly that the threshold temperature has been reached.

  The second threshold temperature (strictly, the second threshold temperature in the fan casing 35) is set to the first threshold temperature (the first threshold temperature in the fan casing 35) or a setting. It is predetermined according to the temperature (set temperature in the fan casing 35) and set (stored) in the memory unit 70B (see FIG. 18B). If the open / close door 21 is left open, the internal temperature is lower than the first threshold temperature and the second threshold temperature, but the upper heater 30 and the lower heater 31 are ON, and the steam supply unit Since 40 is in operation, it changes at a predetermined value lower than the second threshold temperature (see the thick one-dot chain line portion of the graph of FIG. 20).

  Here, if the opening / closing door 21 is closed again after the opening / closing door 21 is opened and before the predetermined time has elapsed, the internal temperature rises to the second threshold temperature and further increases. (Refer to the thick broken line in the graph of FIG. 20). In step S5, the control unit 70 determines whether or not the temperature in the heating chamber 20 has increased to the second threshold temperature until the time measuring unit 70A measures a predetermined time (predetermined time) (users). Detects whether or not the door 21 is closed.

  The controller 70 detects that the oven thermistor 72 has detected a temperature equal to or higher than the second threshold temperature (in the fan casing 35) after the timer 70A starts timing until a predetermined time elapses. If it is determined (YES in step S5), it is determined that the open / close door 21 is normally closed (not kept open), and steam cooking at the set temperature is subsequently performed (step S6).

  At this time, if the internal temperature is going to rise from the set temperature by the fluctuation range, the control unit 70 turns off the upper heater 30 and the lower heater 31 and stops the steam supply unit 40 (see FIG. 18). On the other hand, if the internal temperature is to be lowered from the set temperature by the fluctuation range, the control unit 70 turns on the upper heater 30 and the lower heater 31 and operates the steam supply unit 40. As a result, the internal temperature is maintained so as to fluctuate slightly between a value that is higher than the set temperature by the fluctuation range and a value that is lower than the set temperature by the fluctuation range. That is, the control unit 70 adjusts the internal temperature so as to be maintained at the set temperature. Therefore, the food in the heating chamber 20 can be cooked at the set temperature with the open / close door 21 closed.

  On the other hand, if the oven thermistor 72 does not detect the second threshold temperature (in the fan casing 35) and the predetermined time has elapsed after the time measuring unit 70A starts measuring time (YES in step S4). The control unit 70 detects an error that the open / close door 21 is left open despite steam cooking (step S7). In other words, the control unit 70 determines whether the oven thermistor 72 has detected a temperature equal to or higher than the second threshold temperature (in the fan casing 35) in step S5 (NO in step S5). It is determined that the food is taken out from the heating chamber 20 in the state where the open / close door 21 is opened during cooking and the heating cooker 1 is operated with the open / close door 21 left open. At this time, although the open / close door 21 is open, the operation of the heating cooker 1 is continued because the upper heater 30 and the lower heater 31 are ON and the steam supply unit 40 is operated. Therefore, as described above, the internal temperature changes at a predetermined low predetermined value lower than the second threshold temperature (see the thick one-dot chain line portion in the graph of FIG. 20).

And control part 70 stops operation of cooking-by-heating machine 1 according to detecting an error. That is, the control unit 70 turns off at least the upper heater 30 and the lower heater 31 and stops the steam supply unit 40. Further, the control unit 70 may notify the user of the current error by voice or display on the display unit 14 (see FIG. 1).
Thus, since it can be detected that the open / close door 21 is left open during cooking, waste that the operation of the heating cooker 1 is continued despite the absence of food in the heating chamber 20 is eliminated. Therefore, usability can be improved. In particular, the opening / closing of the door 21 can be detected with a simple configuration using the oven thermistor 72 without providing a mechanical opening / closing detection mechanism for the door 21.

Further, since the operation of the heating cooker 1 is automatically stopped in response to the determination that the opening / closing door 21 is opened, the user does not have to stop the operation of the heating cooker 1. Further improvement can be achieved.
In addition, by defining the second threshold temperature separately from the first threshold temperature, it is possible to provide a range (degree of freedom) in the determination condition as to whether or not the open / close door 21 remains open. Can make flexible decisions.

  The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Heating cooker 20 Heating chamber 21 Opening / closing door 70 Control part 70A Timekeeping part 70B Memory part 72 Oven thermistor

Claims (3)

A cooking device having a cooking chamber and a cooking chamber opening / closing door that opens and closes when food is entered and exited from the cooking chamber,
Temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature in the cooking chamber during cooking;
Cooking control means for controlling the temperature in the cooking chamber for cooking based on the temperature detected by the temperature detection means;
Temperature setting means in which a predetermined first threshold temperature and a second threshold temperature are set;
In response to the detected temperature of the temperature detecting means becoming the first threshold temperature set in the temperature setting means,
Discrimination means for discriminating whether or not the temperature detection means has detected a temperature equal to or higher than a second threshold temperature set in the temperature setting means before the time measurement means counts a predetermined time. When,
And a means for determining whether the cooking chamber opening / closing door is open based on the determination by the determination means that the temperature detection means has not detected a temperature equal to or higher than the second threshold temperature. Cooker.   The cooking device according to claim 1, further comprising means for stopping the operation of the cooking device in response to the opening of the cooking chamber opening / closing door being determined.   By the determination of the determination means that the temperature detection means has detected a temperature equal to or higher than the second threshold temperature before the time measuring means measures a predetermined time, the heating cooking control means, The cooking device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the temperature in the cooking chamber is adjusted to be maintained at a target temperature.

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